Hippity Hoppity Easter's On It's Way!

 Happy Easter Weekend! WHAT?!?!?   Easter?!?!? What happened to the month of March?!  Honestly...this Sunday is Easter...and Monday is APRIL!?  What the heck!?

 Not that I'm really lamenting putting the cold, gray, snowy days of March behind me. I'm rather enjoying the whole "out like a lamb" part of the month. The early March "in like a lion" thing...notsomuch.


March is always a crazy month for me. It's end of quarter at work, there's usually a spring break (or, in my case this year, TWO) thrown in with the unpredictable weather, a little snow, some rain, maybe some sunshine, the first day of spring and, usually, Easter.

 I've been head down at my day job for the last ten days. I've been working a bunch of hours and trying to spend at least a day or two with each of my sons on their respective spring breaks (which, for some reason,  did not coincide this year) so I'll admit that, for all of my careful planning, Easter snuck up on me this year.

I'm running around today, finishing last minute transactions at work, shopping for the final items for Easter dinner, boiling eggs for the dyeing that will take place tomorrow after my oldest arrives home from school, cooking and baking and cleaning

                                   ....and finishing the decorating and tablescaping in the dining room...which brings me to the source of the darling basket that you see in these photos...my friend Becky from Timewashed, fine hand made and vintage goods.  She's got such a wonderful eye for detail and she makes the most beautiful things. Bits of lace, scraps of ribbon...sigh.

 How could I possibly resist?!  You're right. I couldn't....and you don't have to either! Visit her Etsy Shop! She's got lavender sachets, and gift tags and pin cushions...and beautiful baskets...like the one that now makes me smile from its spot on my dining room side board.

Becky didn't compensate me for this post, in fact, she didn't even know that I was writing it until this morning! I just wanted to share a little bit of Easter Joy as I'm getting ready for the holiday, celebrating the real reason for the season and enjoying spring...and time with my family! Thanks, Becky...I'm blessed to have you as a friend!

I'll (hopefully) be back tomorrow to show you my table! Happy Good Friday, friends!

xo,

Happy First Day of Spring! - My $6 Spring Mantel

At long last, Spring!  

We've had some unusually warm weather in Illinois these last few weeks. In fact, many of my friends are referring to 2011 as the "best winter that never was".  But today, Spring has "officially" arrived!

I decided to keep my spring mantel simple this year. Since mother nature is cooperating, I simply snipped some forsythia branches, a few pussy willows,  and some of the daffodils from my yard. I added some of the smaller pieces from my collection of ironstone, a couple of nests, some lace, and a statue of a garden fairy that  was a gift from one of my girlfriends last year. 

The only purchase was the "SPRING" letters which I found in the $1 bin at Michael's earlier this season.

Speaking of spring and growing things and GARDENING, I'll be announcing a new weekly feature for this
blog tomorrow....Don't Miss It!

Have an incredible day!

xo,

S

Linking to:
The Lettered Cottage
Romantic Home

Vintage Market Recap - WARNING: HEAVY PHOTO CONTENT

This weekend, I was blessed to be a part of a wonderful, Vintage Market at the home of my dear friends, Polly and Steve from Counting Your Blessings. These gracious hosts not only cleared the first floor of their historic farmhouse for this event, they also assembled a group of incredibly talented, smart, funny and crazy-talented vendors in which I was humbled to be included. 

Bedroom "sneak peek"

I can't really call it a "reveal because there are still chairs to slipcover, faux painting to finish and a cabinet to paint but the bedrooom is finally finished "enough" (my word for the year) to show it to you.
This was the "before" photo:

I loved the wallpaper and the drapes but it was time for a change.

Here's how it looks today:

The room looks larger and much brighter now that the ceiling is painted a pale powder blue instead of yellow and the  border paper has been removed. I think that taking down the dark brown drapes and the valance also helped to "lighten things up".





The wallpaper is probably my favorite paper of all time! Other than the two week while it came from the U.K., it is AMAZING!  Heavily painted paper with raised sections in the design and the fact that the instructions called for pasting the WALL instead of the paper made it a breeze to hang! Truly, it took me about 2 hours to do it by myself.  I also bought three old barn window frames from my friend, Diane Passi. I like the way that they act as a frame for sections of the wallpaper! 

The white pin dot panels (Rachel Ashwell Simply Shabby Chic) came from Target as did the white throw. The rest of the room was "repurposed" from the guest room and other rooms in my house. 

I'll post a few more photos later in the week....this is the corner that I'm still working on:

The cabinet may or may not stay. If it does, it's going to be painted...the chairs will (obviously) need reupholstery. The rest is anyone's guess. I do have a collection of frames to paint and put on the walls but I can't do that until I decide about the cabinet!

xo,

S

Showing a little "Love"



Wreath made from Vintage Love letters - by Diane Passi

 I'm sorry that I've been "absent" for the last week or so. Between the crush of the holidays, the "after holiday clean-up" and a few other significant life events, I've been "showing love" to those that I love.  Not that I don't love this blog and all of those of you who take the time to read it, but sometimes other things take precedent. I hope that you understand. 

Now that the Christmas decorations are "almost" put away, (and by "almost" I mean that you still can't walk in my dining room or guestroom but at least the rest of the house is somewhat back to normal), I've
had some time to spend doing a little creating, a little shopping and a little decorating.

I don't know about you but, after I finish putting the Christmas decorations away and giving everything a good cleaning, I always feel like my house looks a little empty and "unloved".  While I'm always thankful to have the chore of packing the boxes behind me, I always feel a little sad when the ornaments and garlands are banished to storage for another year and it seems to me that my house does too.  

I got to visit with my friend, Diane Passi last week, we stopped at some shops in Geneva and I bought the wonderful wreath above from her while I was at her amazing home.

Yesterday, I spent some time at Grayslake Flea Market with Laura from B&B's Nest and my friend Maureen.  We were able to shop the booths of some of my very favorite vendors, Jeanine from Chippy Shabby, Jan from Gracie's Cottage, Diane Passi, Rhubarb Reign and I'm sure that I've left a couple of people off of the list but suffice it to say, it was a wonderful day! I'll show you pix of my new treasures this week!

Last night, I made the cute, hot pink felt wreath shown here, on my mantel. (thanks, Diane, for telling me how to do it.) I used a Styrofoam heart  ($3.99 less 40% with a coupon from Hobby Lobby). I wrapped it  in some leftover ribbon that's the same color as the felt to help hide any Styrofoam that might show through between the felt circles.  It took about 1/2 yard of hot pink felt cut into 3 inch circles (about 100 of them). Cut the circles then fold them in fourths and  pin in place. Once the circles were traced and cut, it went really quickly and was so easy that I may make a red one for the family room or kitchen!



Here's a shot of the chair in the living room and one of the chest that's currently in my foyer while the other one undergoes it's "transformation" now that I finally made it to Carter's Cottage in DeKalb to pick up my AS chalk paint!

More this week. Have a glorious day!

xo,

S

My "Home for the Holidays"

With only hours remaining until Christmas Eve, I thought that I'd share the final photos of my house for this year and a poem from Helen Steiner Rice. I wish each of you the magic and wonder of the season, the love of family and friends and above all, I wish you "enough". Enough time, and patience; love, and faith. Enough kindness and compassion for yourself and others.  Enough togetherness and alone time. Enough resources.  Merry Christmas.

A Season of Kindness

May the kindly spirit of Christmas spread its radiance far and wide

So all the world may feel the glow of this holy Christmastide.

Then may every heart and home continue through the year

To feel the warmth and wonder of this season of good cheer.

And may it bring us closer to God and to each other

'Til every stranger is a friend and every man a brother.