~ Sparkles of JOY ~

Welcome and warm winter wishes!!!

Hope you enjoyed your peek at my winter mantel-scape!
I can't wait to enjoy the flames of HOPE and sparkles of JOY all winter! =)

Joining in the party over at The Lettered Cottage!

~ The Living Room ~

Hey again! (If you are just arriving, I'm giving a home tour this week- a room everyday! Check out my other posts if you want to see what you've missed! =)

Here are 5 before pics and 5 after pics....

We have wanted to paint for a LONG time and just got it done about a month ago and now we are planning to move! ...sniffle... BUT we have SO enjoyed spending time in there since it has been done!!!!!!

....dark...

....dark...

....dark...

....dark...

....dark!...And now......................


LIGHT!!!!!!

(to see what's behind the couch, click here!)

BRIGHT!!!!!

CLEAN!!!!!!!!

WHITE!!!!!! (the paint color is called 'Cream in my Coffee' by Valspar, which I thought fitting since my hubby loves coffee with cream! =)

DELIGHT!!!!!!!!

(Have been planning on painting that little table with the Battenburg lace cloth on it... when life slows down and the outside is warm and I feel like it.....! It will be white! Someday... =)

Also, if you want, you can step out through our slider door onto the patio here! (Right now the plants are taken in for the winter and the pillows are put away, so I didn't take new pics for the tour! =)

See you tomorrow for the 'hallway' and bathroom!

Linked up with The Shabby Chic Cottage for Transformation Thursday! Check out all the other great DIY projects over there!

~ Please, won't you come in? ~

Welcome! Thanks for stopping by!

Below is the before picture of my front porch makeover the other day - I'm loving the 'after' that is above! =) (Joining in over at Susan's for Met Monday, be sure to check it out!)

I am going to take you on a tour of my house - so..... we hope to see you come inside tomorrow!!

~ A Sailing We Go ~

....Sailing into a toddlers room, that is! ...Here is the teaser made known! =)

My son is not a baby any more.... =( ....so, I am (slowly!) on the way to making it a little boy's room now and put away the 'nursery' look. I am working on cutting out curtains and a quilt... (but who knows how soon I'll get it done with the list I have of all the other things I want to get accomplish this fall/winter!!! =)


Anyway, back to the sailboat sign, since this is what this post is about! I painted this up during a couple of nap times for J's room, since I want to do a nautical, sailboat theme.

(Sorry the pictures aren't the greatest and a little blurry - it was a gray day here when I took the pictures, so the lighting isn't the best!)

I like how it turned out - just need to get it all done and then I can decorate! (I like to gather everything first and then put it all up at once. =) That's just me.) I also found a couple of things at GW recently, too, which will be fun in there when I get at it!!

I just need to find a nice, sailboat now..... Know of any someone might be giving away!?!? ;-)

Joining in for Met Monday, and on Tuesday, A Soft Place to Land!

~ Cake, Anyone? ~

Love, love, love this cake plate! Mine (a wedding gift! =( ) broke on my son's 1st birthday in April (never, never, never put a warm cake on a cake plate and then put it in the refrigerator!!!!! You will be very sad.) So.....

I had wanted to buy the same one I had... though it would really be just for looks most of the time and for sentimental reasons (which do mean a lot to me).... BUT I didn't want to spend $30 on it!!
Then I came across this the other day in GW and fell in love and gave up my sentimental reasons, because.....
It was only $4.50! Which I could justify more easily! =) It certainly is not as big - as my other one was very large - but I like it anyway and it will do! I really like the simple dainty flowers and the one butterfly on the stand part. It makes me smile.

(It looks to me like it actually might be vintage - the glass is different than most nowadays and there even was one bubble in it. Any expert opinions would be appreciated! Maybe you might know the name and maker??)

To see everyone else's thrifty finds, go here!!

~ Cleverly Covered ~

See this cute chair?

She once looked like this!!!!!! A little grimy and dated....
(but for $8.50 at GW, who with a little imagination could pass her up!)

Just needed a little love to help her look her best!



Ha! Had you fooled.... it's actually a slipcover - not a reupholster job!!
(from a roll of upholstery found at GW {where else, right!?!} for $4.50... and some cording from Hancock's for $2.00)

Makes that $15 for the whole project!!!!


Great reading spot!

Ah...... a quiet, getaway corner - just for me!

Joining in with Reinvented, A Soft Place to Land and The Dalomba Days (sorry I'm a little late!) and on Thursday The Shabby Chic Cottage and Thrifty Thursday

Joining in in Feb 2011 to the Copy Me Challenge!

~ Someone Elses Trash to my Son's Treasure (Box) ~

Doesn't this look just lovely!!?? Would you put your son's toys in this and let him play in it??

Probably not - I wouldn't either - perfectionist, neat-nick that I am!

Smelling of tools and dirty stuff stored for years........ Phew! But I wanted a place to hide his toys, so I wouldn't have to see them all the time since they were just in a basket. So when I stumbled across this at GW for only $6.50 - I said "unhuh!" With a little bit of paint, paintbrush and imagination -

My son's clean, neat, new treasure chest!

Stored behind the couch for a little play area.....

Take a look at all those toys that I can hide now!

He even climbed right in. =)

*Sigh* Perfect solution. End of unsightliness.

Joining in on Monday at Between Naps on the Porch, Southern Hospitality and Twice Remembered, on Tuesday Trash to Treasure and on Thursday, A Soft Place to Land and The Shabby Chic Cottage!

~ Summer's Last Pasta Salad ~

I love making this... and then having it for a meal in itself!

I cook and drain some garden (I like the different colors!) Rotelli noodles, then I like to throw in an assortment of diced meat (I either use pepperoni or turkey ham), diced cheese, pickles, black olives, broccoli (if on hand), mayonnaise and Lawry's seasoning salt to taste! Garnish with Parmesan cheese if desired! I use no measurements, but it always turns out great! Enjoy!

Blogged to join in Foodie Friday and Food on Friday!

~ Paternal Grandparents Heirlooms ~

Joining in the Heirloom Party over at Emma Calls Me Mama!
Oh... and she is having a giveaway too - be sure to leave a comment!!

This is a special lamp as I got it from 'Nana' - my dad's mom. If I remember right it was hers when she was growing up. I used it growing up and I hope to pass it onto my little girl someday, if I have a girl, so she can use it growing up!

I had to replace the shade as the other was old and falling apart, but it is the same style as the original.

I just love the dainty, little flowers on it!

And this candle stick holder/dish was from my dad's parents, also. I have two of them and I think they are SO UNIQUE! I've never seen anything like them. The glass part is like a little, shallow dish that screws into the candlestick holder.

I love to use it for a collage of items - rocks, shells, etc. always with candles! (Well, not always, my other one is full of just rocks, shells and dried seaweed/coral I found on the beach!)
Just the candle stick part - I would show you the glass part by itself (the edges are so pretty!), but I didn't want to empty it out when I had spent a bit putting the things in it just right!! =) (Yes, I know I need to shine the silver, but I don't have any polish.... =)
Hope you enjoyed your peek into the past at my place! I love sharing what special things have been passed down to me!