Derby Party and Antiques Galore.

I don't know what happens in the summer to my blogging ambition. It dwindles as the temperature rises I think. And most spare time in the house is spent cleaning and doing errands to allow me plenty of time OUTSIDE the house enjoying the summer. Here is a brief May recap.

Scott and I went to the annual FLYC Derby Party which was a good time as always. Toward the end of the evening Scott talked the girl with the biggest hat into letting him wear it. Pictures of course were taken:)

Scott in someones Derby Day finery. He was so excited he talked this hat off this poor girls head;)

Both of us save and sound, under the cover of the very BIG hat.

A couple of weeks after that Scott surprised me with a little trip to Springfield, OH for an Antique Extravaganza. I had been in the past and had talked about how much I enjoyed it allot. He thought it might be fun to go on up and see what we could see. My sister was able to come down too join us. We had a great time and saw and actually bought some pretty cool things. Many before and afters will be coming you way;)

The clock tower across from our hotel room in Springfield. It reminded me so much of the clock tower in Back to the Future. Except this clock worked...and it was in OH. Small differences really.

At breakfast before the big antique fair I was served a hard boiled egg with no yolk. I thought it picture worthy.

All the barns are named after livestock. The swine barn is my favorite because its located on the corner of Bacon Blvd. Poor pigs wont know what hit them;)

I love this old architectural salvage and every year I see it I wish I had a place or project to utilize it.

Old wood boxes and porcelain hands. All things I have bought in the past. But I showed serious restraint and passed on these beauties.

Scott was lured into the thrill of the bargain by these stoplights. One of these is now hanging int he garage. He was not able to avoid the sirens song of a good deal.

Jen and I hanging out in the ranger as Scott went through every stop light to find the "best" one.

Lots of garden accessories this year.

If I had room for this in my house it would have gone home with me. It was a GINORMOUS bird cage. I tried to convince Jen to get in it for the picture, but it was late in the day and fairly hot. She would not humour me.

Scott and Jen in the loaded down ranger. We were ready to load the loot into the cars for the ride home.

View of the back of the ranger. Thank God for the ranger!!!

The Beach, my bunny honey, and Boots made for walking

I have been one busy girl. Scott and I went on vacation two weeks ago. We went with some good friends and their kids and I have next to no pictures. I know. I will steal some to show you the highlights.


Our first day at the beach we went to lunch on the water. This was the view. I so wanted a boat and my dogs to enjoy a sunny Saturday like these lucky peeps.

Honestly-this was the only time Scott and I went to the actual beach. I like to look at the ocean but am fine sitting near the pool. I know-its sad;) Fortunately Scott felt the same way.

Scott and I our last night at the beach.

We did the annual Easter egg hunt the weekend we got back. Scott was the Easter bunny for the fourth year in a row. This is my second picture on his bunny lap. This never ceases to amuse me.
Me and my bunny honey.

We went with friends to see Reba and George Strait. We had such good seats and such a good time.

This was the view of the stage, in the round, from my seat. Which were UNBELIEVABLE!!!

We got there late, but still were able to catch most of Reba. We missed Lee Ann Womack altogether.

However, Reba brought our Lee Ann Womack, so we didn't miss her totally. These are two fine looking ladies for their age. I want to look this good right now, mine as well 20 years from now.

Reba-getting into it.

Reba surprised us with Kelly Clarkson. Kelly surprised me by coming out without shoes. I like that she was so comfortable-but can you imagine what the bottom of her feet looked like? It was really all I could concentrate on.

Reba brought down the house by coming out in this little number for her encore. She sang Fancy. It was awesome.

And then it was George Straits turn. Um-George is a good looking man. I had to tell Scott, who was secure enough to be fine with it:)

We were front row in the club level with a glass barrier in front of us with a ledge. I propped my feet up and then thought it was a nice view. PS-these are the boots Scott got me for Christmas and I love them!!

It was good to get home to Bailey and Molly. I am still in a state of unpacking some two weeks later. I know-tragic. I am taking up my spare room with unpacked goods and trying to change my summer clothes and winter clothes into their new closet homes. Its a process. The other day when I got out of the shower I couldn't find Molly. The last place I looked was in the spare bedroom. There she was-amongst the mess.

Whatcha talking about mom??

DESIGN INPUT WANTED!!!

I am in the works of cleaning out my back room. The back room has always been a source of frustration to me. It was an addition, that was poorly done, so the first steps to make it inhabitable were to simply take care of the moisture issues. That has long been accomplished. Now its home to my treadmill and other assorted non-junk. I think I would like to turn it into a cozy exercise/craft room. I plan to paint the walls a soft blue and there is a wall of old farmhouse barn board which I really like this idea for. I like the different colors and the distressed finish.

My real issue comes when I start to think about a cozy chair. I am somewhat hung up on this chair. I really, really like it. I don't think it matches the concept above which I also really love. I want to stick with either blues or tans and would not be adverse to a combination of the two. Do you think this chair could be incorporated into a room that looks like the one above??

Monkey does hard time, Dresser Before and After

Here is a quick catch up via pictures. Enjoy!!

I come home to toys all over the house almost every day. I find them on my bed, under the bed and in all spots in between. The other day I came home to his. It appears Monkey was misbehaving while I was at work and was put in a bit of "time-out" if you will.

Here he is in relation to the other toys in the basket. It appears his punishment worked since he has not made a peep since this infraction:)

Bailey got this sweater for Christmas as well and I think he looks awfully dapper in it.

I bought this dresser a couple of years ago with every intention of refinishing it. Time slipped away. About 6 months ago my mom and I went and picked out paint...which is step one. I didn't really want to change the color much because I liked the weather grey...I just wanted it cleaner looking. This is the before.

I started sanding it by hand and realized VERY quickly that I was going to need some tougher tools. I knew paint stripper was the best solution so after an hour and many pieces of sand paper off I went to pick up some caustic chemicals. Woohooo I heart chemical assistance!

I made some serious progress, but soon realized this thing had three coats of paint over an oil based paint which was layer four. I really only needed to get it smooth enough for a new coat of paint so I wasn't to be deterred.

The drawers lined up like soldiers.

Here is an after of the same dresser with shiny new grey/blue paint and wonderful knobs. The official AFTER:

Here is a close up of the knobs...please excuse the minor crookedness. I didn't realize that until the pics hit my computer. By this time I didn't care so much. They are a clear swirled knob from Antropologie. I love them.

The entire process of fixing the dresser took HOURS. But its done and I love it. Bailey and Molly spent most of the time I was working curled up on the chair. They do have it rough;)

Love Never Fails

I just read this on one of the many blogs I peruse daily. I needed it today as a reminder. In the spirit of the coming day devoted to Valentines I want to capture it here:)

Corinthians 13:4-8:
Love suffers long and is kind; love does not envy; love does not parade itself, is not puffed up; does not behave rudely, does not seek its own, is not provoked, thinks no evil; does not rejoice in iniquity, but rejoices in the truth; bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things; Love never fails.

Before an "Epic Snow Storm" in E. Tennessee

I did not grow up in the South and have only lived here full time since 1998. Prior to that I attended college here for a couple of years. Suffice to say I have been here for while, but do not consider myself a true Southerner. I am more a Midwesterner-I grew up in NW Ohio. Land of lake effect snow and freezing cold temps. I don't miss it often-but I remember it and how we simply continued on. Don't worry-I will try to refrain from references to how I hiked to the bus stop through snowdrifts over my knees (even though I did.) I will also not go on about my bus with no heat where I wore mittens on my feet to keep them warm-ish(also true.) Snow was a part of life. Lots of it. Often from October through the end of March.

Molly in my parents NW Ohio backyard. Her first experience with the white stuff. December 2006.

The drifts on my parents back porch. They had to shovel a path for the dogs to reach the backyard.

The backyard.
Drifts that were likely up to my thighs.
One thing that boggles my mind every winter is how people react to inclement weather. Even the threat of inclement weather is enough to empty the grocery store shelves and throw everyone into crisis mode. With good reason-we don't get much snow. The last time we got 6-8 inches of snow was January of 1996. I remember it well. I was in college and the whole city, including the school, shut down for close to a week. No classes. No traffic on the streets. It was like Armageddon. It was FANTASTIC!!

Starting in a few hours we are expecting another "epic snow event." A storm system that stretches from Texas to the Atlantic Ocean. We could get 3-8 inches. Schools are of course cancelled for today-and not a drop of rain or snowflake has been sighted yet. Its so very funny. I don't hate snow. I would love for it to snow! I want to go sledding (haven't been since '96.) And I would like to be holed up in front of the fire for a day or two eating cookies and warm comfort foods.

Here's hoping/wishing/ dreading what could be coming our way. :)

Bailey joins the jets, new accessories and BRAND NEW FURNITURE!!!

Happy New Year everyone!! I am so excited about a brand new year!! So many opportunities. Let me catch you up on the last few weeks.

Bailey was a very lucky dog this past year and received a multitude of new outfits for Christmas. Side note-Molly got plenty of stuff too and I will post photos of that later. He was very excited about this little jacket with a hood that my mom picked out for him. I think it makes him look tough, like he is in a gang, imagine him clicking his fingers and singing West Side Story show tunes.

Bailey as a Jet!

We woke up to a few inches of snow a couple weeks ago. Bailey and Molly were like little kids looking out into the snowy wonder. They also assume this position anytime I come home. It's kinda nice:)
I have been keeping myself busy during a very cold early January with a number of home improvement projects. I received some great mercury glass for Christmas and had to work it into my mantle decor ASAP. I also got a new clock which I think classes up the joint. I have been looking for a new couch for months, literally MONTHS. I was trying to find something in a fabric I liked, in a size that works and a price that wasn't crazy. I was often able to find two of the three but never the magic trifecta. I waffled and than finally sucked it up and decided to have custom slipcovers made for all my living room furniture. There began the fabric odyssey. Another couple of months was spent looking for the right color, texture and most important economically feasible solution. I finally conned my whole family into going fabric shopping with me in Vegas over the holiday. Many hours were spent. Bolts were selected and rejected. Some people might have fallen asleep sitting on the carpet bolts while others continued to look-you know who you are Dad. Its a shame I didn't take pictures. It was a tireless fight. Shaun, my brother, ended up making the initial selection of the chair and couch fabrics. Mom and I fell in love with the plaid fabric for the front cushions. Two hundred dollars later the project was officially started!!!

The couch before the makeover. See Bailey in between the cushions? It is no surprise to me why they are all flat and mishaped. I hated this fabric. I hated the skirt. I love the size and comfort level of the couch.
The NEW SLIP COVERED COUCH!!! Note I had her take off the skirt-which I think really modernizes the look. You cant tell but the fabric has a texture which is awesome. Bailey on the new couch. Right after this pic I threw a blanket on the whole shooting match to keep wet paw prints off my pretty new couch. We will see how long that level of devotion lasts;)
This is not great before of the chair. It was an eggplant color. Molly was constantly on it and she licks it for some reason? Not sure why dogs do that? Will be buying something to spray on the new chair to discourage this behavior moving forward:) THE NEW SLIP COVERED CHAIR!!! I love the subtle nod to menswear fabric I finally decided on. It really turned out better than I could have hoped for. I will be adding a blue accent pillow and cashmere throw in short order. SWOON!

Molly on the new chair. She loves this spot-hence the selection of fabric that matches her fur.