A Bit Off the Beaten Path

I have been spending the past week and a half trying to get my yo-yo rug for the entryway completely finished and still have a bit to go.  As a result, I don't have a home project to share this week or anything inspiring that I have seen on the internet.  So, I decided to share something that my hubby and I have been enjoying together over the past week.  We have an acquaintance that raises chickens and as a special surprise he generously gave us a dozen fresh eggs courtesy of his lovely chicken family.  We have enjoyed french toast and omelets.  I would have taken pictures of the food we made with our fresh eggs but the food never stayed on the plate long enough to be photographed!  I did manage to clip a shot of the eggs after I had cleaned them and placed them in a recycled egg container.  I mean the eggs could not have been any fresher- feathers, straw and all when we received them.  Here they are nice and shiny in their new home!

I was mesmerized by the different sizes and colors of the eggs.  My favorite eggs were the light green colored eggs because it made me instantly think of the beloved Dr. Seuss book, Green Eggs and Ham.   I really wish I had spent more time and attempted to get more detailed pictures before using them up, but at the time I did not realize this would be my show and tell for the week.  This week I want to just say how important it is to support local farmers.  It not only benefits the farmers in your area, but as an added bonus you benefit from eating the freshest food possible aside from anything you might grow on your own.  It also allows you to get to know the people and the love that went into growing and raising the food and allows you to purchase food free from chemicals and hormones.

I dedicate this week to those who so diligently work to provide better food choices to everyone!

The Beginning of Faux Granite Countertops

I have reinvented our shabby cabinets, painted the walls, changed out the hardware, added some tiled art over the sink and made new window treatments.  Our kitchen is beginning to come together more and more and I am getting excited.  Don't get me wrong, there is still the  ceiling to be finished, the backsplash to be completed, ceiling fans to be reinvented, and new flooring to be installed. . . AFTER I finish transforming our ugly, old faux butcher block countertops that is.  I would love to be able to go and purchase Vetrazzo and have it installed as I sit back, sip on some lemonade and watch.  Unfortunately, and fortunately ordering my dream countertops is not in the cards.  This has made way for our uniquely wonderful faux granite countertops.
Here is before:

Here is after:

Pretty impressive, huh?  How about if I tell you that this is all done with paint? AND with all the paint and supplies, it will only cost me a little over $40 to revamp all of our kitchen countertops.  For the base primer and the clear topcoat I ordered supplies from Giani.  For the colors, I just used all-purpose acrylic craft paint in the following colors: Antique White, Metallic Bronze, Earth Brown and Light Red Oxide.  I applied the colors in layers using sea sponges.  It will look even better once the clear topcoat is finished drying and the painters tape is removed. 

I sure hope that others out there are having successful decorating adventures this week too!

From Dresser to TV Stand...

A few weeks ago, I was very pleased with myself for talking my hubby into getting rid of his 70" pride and joy from our living room.  That's right! For those of you who know us, my hubby agreed to sell his 70" rear projection TV and replace it with a 55" flat screen TV.  I could not contain the happy dance that ensued.  Our living room is not very big and I always felt like when you would walk in the front door it was overly distracting.  I would roll my eyes when we had any guys walk into the house and give my husband that "guy" nod of approval.  I don't have any before pictures of the living room with the behemoth TV.  When he agreed and found someone to buy it, I quickly helped to pack the TV into the back of the Hummer and shove my husband out of the door.  I did manage to find a before picture of the dresser from the paint job it had received when its home was going to be in my work room.

Here is the dresser transformed into a stand for our lovely new television...

I removed the top three drawers and drawer tracks.  I then used Olympic Paint color Black Magic mixed with Valspar metallic silver glaze.  The picture does not really show the accuracy of the color-it came out looking gunmetal.  I love it and can't wait to see what it looks like once the living room is painted green as planned.

Here is to a great week ahead!

Tracy Porter Giveaway

As many already know, I am an avid fan of Tracy Porter.  She has kicked off this week with an amazing giveaway and I thought I would share the opportunity with anyone that happens to read my blog.  If interested, you can go to Tracy Porter's blog and post a comment to enter.
Good Luck!

A New Member of the Family and Completed Curtain

I have obviously been behind in posting on my blog, but quite a lot has been going on this past week.  First of all, my niece gave birth to the newest member of our family early Thursday morning.  His name is Calvin, and he is a cutie!  See for yourself...

Calvin's arrival brought my brother, sister-in-law and nephew into town for the weekend and it was chaotic to say the least.  

As far as news on the home front goes, I did finally manage to get the curtain in the kitchen repaired and completed.  I think it turned out pretty good.

I think you get the idea despite the poor picture quality.  Still waiting on that camera...
I am working on some odd and end projects this week.  Hopefully the distractions will slow down so I can shift my focus back on the home renovation projects I would like to have completed this year.
Happy Decorating!

Poppy Friday!

I mean Happy Friday! Ok, so I have to admit that I have had a million distractions the past few weeks and am still working on the window treatments for the kitchen. Soooo, since I do not have any new kitchen updates to share I figured that I would talk about my latest obsession. . . POPPIES! They are not yet in bloom but after seeing the latest issue of the Martha Stewart Living Magazine I have had visions of silk poppies dancing in my head.  I am definitely going to have to find time to make some poppy decor to jazz up the house this spring and summer.  If anyone is interested in joining me in the poppy making fun, here is the tutorial provided in the magazine and on Martha Stewart's website.  In the meantime, feel free to enjoy some lovely and inspiring poppy pictures.

Martha Stewart Living Magazine

Martha Stewart Living Magazine

Martha Stewart Living Magazine:I can just imagine lying in this field!

Hope everyone is enjoying lovely Spring weather and finding inspiring nature all around!

If At First You Don't Succeed....

Well, I embarked on my very first attempt at making my own window treatments.  I had decided that my kitchen windows needed something different and that I could use some burlap coffee sacks (cleaned of course) I had acquired to make some tie up window coverings.  I measured and measured again before cutting my material.  I did not have a pattern but figured I could kind of wing it and do my own thing. Well.... as my mom put it, "the concept was good," but as you can see below, I am a little short of perfection... literally.

I am going to be picking up my seam ripper so I can try, try again.  I am also going to need sturdier curtain rods because all of that burlap is just a bit too heavy for my existing little cafe rods.  At least I might have a new camera in time to take pictures of the revised window treatments next week.  I can't believe I am going to be 35 four days from now....crazy how time flies.

I also thought I would take a moment to let everyone know that Tracy Porter is having another lovely giveaway.  Good luck!

Hope everyone else is having more successful decorating journeys this week!