Serendipity...

Two days...above fifty degrees...in March... in Illinois!!!!

2012-03-06T13:21:00.001-08:00

Last year, I decided to paint my patio furniture in bright colors. It was fun and caused the neighbors to wonder if I'd lost my mind. Immediately after I did it, I wondered the same thing! I lived with it last summer but I knew that this spring, things were going to change!

So, given the GLORIOUS weather that's forecast for today and tomorrow, I'm getting a head start on correcting the "error of my ways". I LOVE PRIMER and white paint!!!!!

xo,

S

Signs of Spring!

2012-02-28T09:24:00.003-08:00

I took a walk around my garden this morning. Of course, yesterday, when it was 50 degrees and sunny, I was too busy. Today, when it's cloudy and barely above freezing (33 degrees on my outdoor thermometer), I decided to walk around...go figure. After spending most of the winter inside and experiencing only the bitter cold stillness of the Midwest when I did venture outside in January and February, the first thing that I noticed was that I heard birds chirping.

And then I saw this. My snow drops are blooming! The more I looked, the more I saw. Signs of things in my garden just beginning to "wake up".

Crocus beginning to color.

Daffodils starting to break through the soil and, while it's still a ways off, the tulips are coming up too.
I know that it's early, but I'm excited. Today I feel like spring is absolutely on it's way!

xo,

S

In Search of "Rust"

2012-02-23T10:58:00.001-08:00

I know, right?! I actually had to "look for rust". It involved leaving my house. Who'd have thought?!!

As you may recall, I am giving a "face lift" to the cabinet that's in the corner of my bedroom. This old gal has been with me for over 20 years. I bought her at a garage sale. She's been my china cabinet, linen closet, library cabinet and, most recently, she's been in the basement, housing my sons' collection of War Hammer figurines.

Her joints aren't sturdy, her doors are askew, and her veneer is lifting but she's "perfect" for this corner (or, at least, she WILL be).

I started by washing off most of what I would normally tout, (loudly and proudly) as "patina" (known to most of my "non-junker" friends simply, as "grime" or "filth") with a solution of about 1/3 bucket of hot water and 3/4 cup of washing soda.

She had YEARS of "patina" (And, I'm fairly certain, several thousand spider eggs under her front skirt. But we won't talk about that.) It took five buckets of solution before I ~~gave up~~ finished.

As I washed her, I ran through several different options for how she'd look when I get her "spruced up". I considered Chalk paint and regular paint. Old Ivory, Duck Egg, Blue, Gray, and even Yellow. Brown Wax or Clear. White with a blue interior. Gray with a white interior. I just wasn't sure. I saw the FABULOUS post on Dollar Tree contact paper over at Maple and Magnolia blog (http://mapleandmagnolia.com/) this morning and thought that maybe I'd paper the inside or maybe use gift wrap or even scrap book paper. I was still undecided.

But then, I remembered that I had seen THIS on French Country Cottage.

I LOVE the weathered look but I wanted it to be "natural" instead of painted. I found a tutorial on Pinterest for how to age new wood with Steel Wool and Vinegar. It was close to what I wanted but not quite right. I Googled "how to age wood" and found several discussion boards surrounding the use of those two ingredients and "rusty metal". I thought to myself, "Heck, this is easy, I've got that stuff in the basement."

The Recipe:
A couple of cups of vinegar
1 or 2 steel wool pads
Rusty nails, screws, metal of any kind. REALLY!?! I "NEED" rust?!

After 20 minutes in the basement that yielded only 1 rusty screwdriver and some steel wool, I went to the local hardware store to see my friend, Scott, who (in addition to a look that was both mildly amused and slightly perplexed), gave me bolts, nails a huge piece of rusty metal and a plastic tray with rust in the bottom of it. Still not convinced that I had enough "rust", I went to see my auto mechanic friend, (Also named Scott. Ah, small town living!) He laughed right out loud (I guess he knows me pretty well) and then suggested that I get it from the bottom of my 14 year old Toyota Camry. At first, I thought that he meant it but I realized, after a minute or so, that he was probably just mocking me. (My good friends can do that and still live to talk about it *wink*) He gave me some rusty washers, and a cup full of rusty metal shavings off of some machine. Here's the "haul".

I gathered my "rust" and covered it with vinegar.

It's on the counter. In the kitchen. Bubbling and turning dark. I'm going to wait a day or two and then wipe it onto the cabinet. I'll post more next week.

In "cleaner" news, I've also been doing a little sewing for the Vintage Market. A few pillows, table runners, and some flowers.

Have a wonderful weekend!

xo,

Bedroom "sneak peek"

2012-02-20T06:44:00.000-08:00

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,

It's the little things.

2012-02-14T09:18:00.000-08:00

A simple nod. A single word. Tulips from my garden, clutched in the hand of my then two year old "oldest" son. An enamelled pin made by my "youngest" son. An unexpected telephone call. Good friends. Family. Faith.

Today, my "gift" to you is a reminder, to each of you, to share YOUR special gifts (and yes, we ALL have some) with those whom you love and who love you. Your "gift" doesn't have to be grand, carefully staged, or photographed. It doesn't have to be public. It can be as private as a glance between lovers, a giggle between friends or a prayer between you and God.

Share your Love and your gifts, today and EVERY day. I am doing the same. Every. Single. Day.

When my sons were(are) Juniors in high school, they both were(are) dating lovely young ladies. Rather than encouraging them to spending money that they didn't(don't) have to celebrate Valentines Day with dinner in a restaurant, I offered to become "chef and staff" for a night of "Dinner for two in the dining room". Amazingly, they both agreed!

My oldest son and his girlfriend, 2008
On the Menu:
Shrimp Cocktail
Salad with candied pecans, mandarin oranges, and raspberry vinegrette
Chicken Saltimbocca
Heart shaped mashed potatoes (with red pepper "arrows")
Molten Chocolate Cake with vanilla ice cream and raspberry sauce

(Sorry for the quality of these photos...they were taken with my old Kodak.)

My youngest son and his girlfriend, 2012
On the menu:
Salad with candied almonds, mandarin oranges and creamy poppy seed dressing
Bacon wrapped Filet Mignon
Twice Baked Potatoes with bacon, cheddar cheese and chives
Creme Brulee' with raspberry sauce and fresh berries.

Photos soon.

Whatever you do today, do it with love.

xo,

S

Sweet Hearts

2012-02-12T13:20:00.000-08:00

I've been baking and making treats for family and friends. Care packages en route to college kids and a few sweet treats delivered to local friends. I LOVE Valentines Day!!!!!!

Rice Krispie Treats dipped in melted vanilla chocolate with sprinkles

Martha Stewart sugar cookies with quick pour fondant icing.

Out of the oven... Into the oven...

Have a sweet Sunday!

xo,

S

I have a (drywall taper's) knife and I know how to use it!

2012-02-07T16:28:00.000-08:00

....and it's a good thing that I do!

When I built my home ten years ago, my builder assured me that his painter was "really good". Of course, I believed my builder. When the painter told me that he would "prime all of the ceilings and walls and then paint one coat on the ceilings and two coats on the walls", I believe him, too.

About a year ago, when I had to redo the ceiling in my sons' bathroom because the paint was peeling off in big sections, all the way down to the yellow Sheetrock compound, I had a feeling that MAYBE the painter had lied to me. I chose, instead, to believe that maybe he had merely "missed priming" the ceiling in the bathroom. It could have happened that way.

However, when I started steaming the border off of the ceiling in the master bedroom and the paint was coming with it, all the way down to the yellow Sheetrock compound, I decided that I'd been "had". This is what happens when a painter simply sprays on a single coat of "builder's grade, flat, white, ceiling paint and doesn't prime the brand new drywall prior to doing so.

There's no way that I would have known because, unless there's steam or moisture, the paint "sticks" to the drywall and as long as no one touches it, it's "fine". I've now patched, sanded and primed the entire ceiling and the tray (even the "good part" of the painted ceiling) because when I started to roll the primer on the patches, the adjoining paint began to blister and would have peeled had I tried to paint over it. The moisture in the new paint is enough to cause the first coat to "let go" of the drywall.

With that part finally behind me, I've ordered the wallpaper and started to paint the walls and ceiling. More photos when there's something to show.

In the mean time, I painted a baby gift for the soon-to-be-born son of my friend, Angie. His name will be Gavin and the theme in his nursery is Noah's Ark. His walls are beige and his quilt has navy and dark red.

I'm pleased with how they turned out. I hope that his mom likes them.

I'm back to doing more painting, some baking for Valentines Day, and a few things for the Vintage Market!

Have a great week!

xo,

Bedroom update #2 and more vintage market

2012-02-02T15:05:00.000-08:00

I have about 12 feet of the border around the ceiling left to strip. I have held to my desire to use NO chemicals in my bedroom and am using only a steamer and white vinegar. It's been incredibly slow and there will be patching, sanding and priming to be done prior to painting

I was really losing my desire for this project. It's been over two weeks, it's taking time that I didn't want to spend. I've been busy making a few things for the Vintage Market:

I had been looking for excuses not to work on the bedroom. It wasn't just because it's been more of a mess than I anticipated but because, while I did know how I wanted the room to look and of the elements that I wanted to include, I didn't really have a clear idea of how it would all work together. Until today, at lunchtime, when I went to the paint store to talk about colors with a friend who was in my color theory class in college. I looked through a couple of wallpaper books because I'd been toying with the idea of putting a pattern back on the wall where the bed had been. After only a few pages in the first book that I opened, I found THIS:

Forgive the crappy photo. This is the most absolutely beautiful wallpaper that I've seen in a very long time. It feels almost hand painted. The colors are: two shades of blue, duck egg green, white, ivory, gray and beige. It has ALL of the colors that I'd been considering. It's from Anna French, "Wild Flora". It's more money than I wanted to spend, it's not prepasted, and it takes a couple of weeks to come in however, since I only need one double roll, and I'm nowhere near ready to wallpaper, I'm going to order it.

Here's the Anna French Wallpaper Book shot of the full pattern:

They have it shown with in a house with very distressed gray/green/ivory/white and yellow wainscot and trim. I won't be able to do that to my window and door trim but I hope that I can faux something similar under the chair rail. That, too, is a long way off. But I DID purchase the pale blue paint that I'm going to use on the tray part of the ceiling, YAY! (right after I finish stripping, and sanding and priming...yuck!)

Of course, while I was looking, I also found this:

It's from Kenneth James "Domain"...and it would be fabulous in the hall and the master bath....and I know that I said that I wasn't going to touch those rooms, but I DO have a birthday in May....hey, a girl can dream......

Happy Ground Hog Day. According to a "reliable source" *wink*, Spring will be here soon!

xo,

Vintage Market Sneak Peek

2012-01-30T07:36:00.000-08:00

Ann (Nellie's Kitchen) and I spent the weekend making and collecting a few things for the Vintage Market that our friend, Polly, is hosting in March (details soon). Here's a little peek.

Vintage images on pages from an old Dictionary:

Spring candles and a few other finds:

A couple of lampshades:

There are never enough hours in the weekend. Especially when I get to spend time with my friend doing what we both love!

Happy Monday!

xo,

S

Dirty Laundry. Tips, Tricks, and My Recipes for Home made Laundry Soap

2012-01-27T11:38:00.000-08:00

I've been getting my guest room ready for company this weekend which reminded me to tell you a couple of things that I've learned about laundry.

First, I make my own laundry soap and use it on everything except my sheets and table linens (more on this topic below). There are several ways to make it. I've tried a few and found that the recipes are all basically the same. Here are my recipes

1) Laundry Powder:

Pluses: Easier to store, takes up less room.

Minuses: I have to mix it with hot water prior to pouring it into the machine.

Directions: I have a front-loading, HE machine and I use about two tablespoons per load (1/4 cup if the clothes are really filthy). I add 1/4 cup of white vinegar to the rinse cycle for whites to keep them bright.

Recipe:

12 cups Borax

8 cups Baking Soda

8 cups Washing Soda (no, they are NOT "the same")

4 cups grated Zote Soap (or Ivory if you have sensitive skin. I happen to like pink and don't have particularly sensitive skin. You should use what you feel comfortable with.)

4 cups grated Fels Naptha Soap (There are mixed reviews on this product. I've read their website and am comfortable using the reformulated version that they now produce. Again, do what you feel comfortable doing and I'd omit this if you have really sensitive skin).

* You can also add 10 drops of essential oil to this if you like. I don't because I live in a house full of men and I feel that the fragrance from the Zote and Fels is enough. If you do use oil, mix it in and allow 24 hours for the oil to be absorbed before using it and omit it if you have sensitive skin.

For gym clothes, sports clothes and the clothes that I wear in the garden, I use the below. I keep a small container on hand. It can also be made into a paste for treating stains on whites.

Recipe: ( I wouldn't use this if you have really sensitive skin)

2 cups Fels Naptha, grated

1 cup Borax

1 cup Washing Soda

1/2 cup Oxy Clean

In both cases, mix with about a cup of really hot water, stir until dissolved, and pour into the machine. In order for the grated soap to dissolve, the water has to be really hot. If you have several loads to do, boil a couple of cups of water, put it into a big measuring cup and add soap powder per the above. Then, you can just pour in as needed.

2) Liquid Laundry Soap:

Actually more like a gel. In order to do this, you need to "cook" the ingredients. Here's how it's done.

Boil 1 quart of water for every 2 cups of grated soap, (In my case, that's 1 gallon of water.) add grated soap, and stir until melted. I do this in my Grandma's enamel kettle. Once the grated soap has melted, add the powdered ingredients and stir well. Cover and let stand for 24 hours. Pour into a container with a spout. Shake or stir prior to every use. I use about 1/4 cup per load.

Sheets and Table Linens:

For them, I use only this:

It's glorious! It works in my HE machine using cold water and about a tablespoon and a half of the liquid per load. It rinses clean, leaves everything smelling wonderful for almost a week and in the nearly ten years that I've been using it, I've never had a stain or spot on any of my linens (including Thanksgiving tablecloths and napkins) that it didn't remove!

Last on my list of "laundry obsessions" is ironed sheets. Yes, I know, I'm nuts. I grew up with a grandmother who taught us to iron by "allowing" us to press cotton hankies, my grandfather's t-shirts, boxers and, when we got "good at it", embroidered cotton pillow cases. To this day, there's nothing quite like the feel of freshly ironed, 100% cotton, sheets. Pressed sheets is something that I've always done for myself. It was a chore, but I still did it. Until a year ago when I "met" The Pioneer Woman, Rhee. She lives on a ranch. She writes a blog. She often changes up to TEN beds a week. She taught me something that changed my life. I now refer to it as "PW-ing" my sheets.

First, you need a good mattress pad so that none of the moisture from the sheets reaches your mattress. Wash the sheets, rinse them and spin until they are almost dry (You can also do this by putting them in the dryer for just a few minutes). The key is that you put them on the bed DAMP. First the fitted sheet. Pull and smooth it with your hands. Then, lay the flat sheet on top but don't tuck it in. Pull and smooth it with your hands. Put the pillowcases on top of that. Turn on the ceiling fan and walk away for 4 to 6 hours (if you don't have a fan, it may take longer). PW does hers overnight but she has a bunk house. After a couple of hours, the sheets are dry and nearly as smooth as if they had been ironed. No kidding! Try it!I was skeptical too!

Have a wonderful weekend!

In case you were wondering what I've been up to.....

2012-01-25T14:40:00.000-08:00

I've done a little of this (more of the mantel in the family room):

Some of this (table scape in the dining room):

More of this:

Yes, I'm STILL stripping wallpaper.

I decided that I didn't want to resort to using chemicals unless there was no other choice so, it's taking a little longer than it probably would if I didn't mind inhaling the fumes and the over spray from a commercial wallpaper stripper. Since I sleep in this room and walk through it barefoot, I decided to try a less toxic form of removal. I've used Hot water and white vinegar in a spray bottle and on a washcloth. It worked but I'm not particularly good at waiting for it to do it's job so I'm probably making it more cumbersome than it needs to be. I also tried mixing a little of my home made laundry detergent with the vinegar and water and, while it "foamed" really well when the washing soda met the vinegar, I can't say that I noticed a marked change in the effectiveness (again, probably due mainly to the fact that I'm not the most patient girl in the world.)

On Saturday, I was lamenting the process to my dear friends, Sadie and Katie. Katie said, "we have a wallpaper steamer, do you want to borrow it?" Um... heck yes.... please......

Now, I have a steamer. It seems to work much more quickly and I am convinced that it will be AMAZING once I get the hang of it. After all, if my two friends used it to strip an entire Victorian house FULL of wallpaper, it MUST be good!

However, my bedroom project is on hold for a week because my friend Ann and her son, Ruben are coming back to visit and to help me get a few things made to sell at my friend Polly's sale in March. At least this time we won't have to spend an entire day cleaning my studio before we get started!

xo,

S

Less than 24 hours later....too soon for a "bedroom makeover update"?

2012-01-18T06:37:00.000-08:00

I had about 20 minutes of "spare time" this morning so I decided to see how difficult it was going to be to remove the wallpaper in the bedroom. I loosened one corner and, thanks to good prep, it came down in sheets...cleanly...without any problems.

About fifteen minutes later, the wallpaper looked like this:

and my walls looked like this:

and I thought to myself, "Well....that was easy....This will take no time at all....Maybe I'll start on the ceiling border."

I started in one of the corners near the window.

Perhaps "easy" and "no time at all" were a little optimistic.......

xo,

Because you spend 1/3 of your life in bed....

2012-01-17T17:07:00.000-08:00

At least that's what the statistics show. I don't actually think that the statistics apply to me since I sleep, on average, about six hours a night but I decided that it was time to redecorate anyway. It's been 10 years since we built the house and that's the last time that this room was decorated. I can't believe it...TEN years!

Every time I think to myself, "I can't believe it", all I need to do is look at my bed linens.The sheets and duvet have lasted for what I consider to be a very long time. However, it's now at the point that the sheets have gone beyond "soft and nicely broken in" to "down right thread bare and somewhat transparent" and the color in the duvet has worn well past the point of "attractive patina".

If all of that weren't enough, my color palette has gone in a "lighter direction" and I'm returning to a more "feminine feel" for this room now that I don't need to choose a duvet cover that will allow for a 53 lb. yellow labrador retriever sleeping on top of it every night (she's decided that she's happier in the chair....the pillows shown on the chair in the prior photo have been removed) *wink*.

I've been thinking about this project since before the holidays but didn't really want to undertake one more thing at the end of the year due to the constraints of my job, the holidays, and the fact that I'm no longer in my 20's (or 30's or...you get the idea) and I can't survive on less than 5 hours of sleep for extended periods of time and still function.

This is the master bedroom. It has changed a little since this shot was taken three years ago, but not much. The wall behind the bed is wall papered in the same pattern that goes across the top of the windows.

Things that you don't see: A large chest of drawers with an mirror, another arm chair, a lingerie chest and the set of double doors that lead into the room.
This is a shot that was taken in the summer, four years ago. From this view, you get a better idea of how the ceiling looks and you can also see part of the hall leading to the master bathroom.

What's not going to change? The ceiling fan/light fixture, the carpet, and anything beyond the walls of the "bedroom". (This includes the wallpaper in the hall leading to the bathroom). I'm also not painting the bed or either of the dressers. I am, however, in the market for a headboard/foot board for the guest room so a painted bed in this room is not out of the question.

Most of the "budget" for this project will be spent on new bed linens and window treatments with additional money needed for paint and/or wallpaper. So I'll be in the "use what you have" mode for the majority of the remainder of this project.

After having considered "white washing" the existing paper using a combination of glaze and paint, I've decided against it. This is mainly due to the fact that, in order to seal the paper well enough to create a surface that would allow me to wash on the glaze and not have it sucked into the paper before I got it evened out, I would have to varnish and/or seal the paper to the point that it would likely "become one with the underlying wallboard" which would seriously impair my ability to remove it the next time that I want to redecorate.

I spent a couple of hours last Sunday afternoon looking through books at our local wallpaper store without success. Even if there's a miracle and I find something this weekend, I'll still be stripping wallpaper from the walls and removing the two rows of border from the ceiling. I'll be painting at least part of the walls and the ceiling. I'll be making and/or repurposing window treatments and buying and/or repurposing bed linens. I plan to paint at least a couple of pieces of furniture. Dependent upon everything else, I may even tackle some re-upholstery. Stay tuned.

Oh, by the way, I expect this project to take a a couple of months. This is due to my job, my need for sleep, and the fact that I intend to celebrate Valentines day, St. Patrick's day and maybe even Easter before it's complete so, be patient. I'll post the "other projects" and give you updates on this one as it progresses.
One last shot of the wallpaper:

xo,

S

When one word is "Enough"

2012-01-16T17:50:00.000-08:00

Layla, over at the Lettered Cottage, issued a challenge today. She challenged us to choose a single word to inspire us for 2012. I've read about it, thought about it, talked about it, pondered about it and now, at 5:20 p.m. on 16January12 have decided that it's "enough". That's right, my word of the year for 2012 is ENOUGH. (Thank you, Pinterest, for the images)

I may be cheating just a little bit because anyone who read my posts for 2011 knows that I ended more than one of them wishing everyone "enough".

It started with an Irish Blessing that I know which goes like this:

So for me, the word ENOUGH is perfect. There are daily reminders of "enough", I use them often. Here are some of my favorites:

Enough said!

xo,

S

An Artist's Life

2012-01-13T12:11:00.000-08:00

I don't often stop to consider the tools of my "trade" (nope, not those for my job in "corporate America", or my "jobs" as a wife, mother, gardner or home-keeper). I'm talking about the tools used for art and crafting.

My bags, and boxes, and shelves of art and craft supplies along with countless books on various topics. The ones that reside (well, for the most part) in a single room in my house. There are scissors, Exacto knives, paint brushes and ink pens, thread, and glue guns. Some date back to grade school and some belonged to my Grandmother before me.

Over the years, I've added tubes of paint, cans of adhesive, bottles of glue and glitter, scraps of leftover fabric, bolts and bolts of ribbon and more books. This collection of "stuff" allows me to pursue my passion. A passion that, at any moment, may change from wrapping a gift for a friend to sewing new drapes for my office, knitting a scarf or hand-pressing a clay tag....it's a part of who I "am". Don't worry, the photo below is the "before" photo from the marathon studio cleaning session, with my friend Ann, in November (if you're still unsure, read the post here: http://serendipity-kfj.blogspot.com/2011/11/when-is-half-hour-not-30-minutes.html ).

One afternoon just over a month ago, my friend, Chris, phoned me. He is in the process of cleaning out his parents' home to make it ready for sale. He mentioned that he would be "finding new homes" for his mom's art supplies and asked me if I was interested in any of them. REALLY?!?! Would I be INTERESTED in ANY of them?!?! COMEON!!!!! I'm sure that not a single one of you who knows me or who is an artisan and/or crafter has any doubt about my answer, nor, I suspect, did my friend who is a guy that I've worked with and that I've known for more than 25 years. We go WAYYY back. Back to when I was young and single (oh wait, that's a DIFFERENT story).

This week, I met Chris to bring the supplies to their new "home" in my studio.

I didn't know Chris' mom but I did know that she had been an AMAZING seamstress, quilter and oil painter. It didn't surprise me when he told me that she had a "studio" in her home. Nor did it surprise me when he told me that she had done floral arranging, water colors, ink drawings and that she had also knit and crocheted (I'm somehow comforted to know that at least ONE more person besides me did "a little bit of everything" art and craft related).

What did surprise me was the depth and variety of her collection of patterns and supplies. How amazingly well cared for and organized they were. I sat on the floor of her studio for a couple of hours looking through a six foot tall shelf that was filled with books and the single-most comprehensive collection of quilting patterns that I have ever seen. I never even got to the second set of shelves. There was also paper, and paint, and ribbon. Boxes of fabric and patterns, all sorted and labeled. They were mine to look through, mine for the taking.

At some point, as I looked around me, as I opened boxes and made stacks of books, I was That, for me, was a humbling moment. The magnitude of the gift; not only from my friend, but from another artist. These were supplies from her lifetime, her passions. These were the tools of her "trade". Not those of her life as a wife, mother, grandmother, homemaker or any of the other things that she did so well, but of her life as an artist and a crafter.

My car was filled and I'll need to make another trip to get everything home. Hugs were exchanged, thanks were given and I drove home, surrounded by reminders of the talents of a woman whom I'd never met.

I've spent the last two days integrating her supplies into my studio. As her paints take up residence with mine and her books find space on my shelves, I realize that once combined, they make a new set of tools and that I have the benefit of what she learned and explored to draw from as I go forward on this journey.

I've also realized that, for most artists and crafter's, it's the "sharing" part of the creative process that's the "best" part. I fully intend to keep creating and sharing, using my new cache of "treasures" and honoring her memory. I hope that some day, a long time from now, I'll enable another "artist" to do the same.

xo,

Valentines Day Felt Wreath and Pillows

2012-01-11T18:03:00.000-08:00

Remember the cute felt wreath that my friend, Diane Passi told me how to make? The hot pink one on the mantel in the prior post? Well, I liked it so much that I made another one! It's red this time, for the kitchen. Since a couple of you asked, here's a recap of the materials and a couple of close ups of the wreath in progress:

Materials: Heart wreath form, 1/2 yard of wide felt cut into 3 inch circles, ribbon in the same color as your felt, straight pins.

Wrap the wreath form with the ribbon, fold the circles into quarters and pin them to the form...that's it!

Since I had some felt left over and my sofa was looking a little bland after the holidays, I decided to make a few felt pillows to make things a little more "cheery". Here's what I came up with for the family room:

I love working with felt!!!! It is pretty inexpensive, doesn't fray when you cut it, and it comes in fabulous colors! I used the least expensive felt at JoAnn's Fabric and had a 50% off coupon. I think that I ended up paying about $2.50 per yard for 72 inch wide felt.

These pillows above are a combination of hand stitching and machine stitching but there's absolutely no reason that they could not have been done entirely by hand or using hot glue and/or spray adhesive. I decided to stitch mine since I hope to use them for a couple of years. I downloaded the pattern for the Cherub and made up the rest of the patterns as I went along.

I have a sewing machine that embroiders which I used to embroider the word "Love" on the cherub pillow and the "Be Mine" on the heart pillow. You could hand embroider or even use fabric paint for these.

I'm currently working on the family room mantel. Here's the ribbon and fabric garland that I'm using (it's easy to make. Cut cotton twine to the desired length leaving some on the ends to hang with. Cut 6 to 8 inch lengths of ribbon, felt, fabric, tulle, lace, or what ever else you have around (you may also want to add some hearts and wire "curls") tie the ribbons on the twine and, viola!, "almost instant" garland!

I'll show you the mantel and a few other projects that I'm working on in a few days. Until then, they're finally forecasting some snow for the 'burbs, so I should probably at least try to find my mittens!

xo,

Showing a little "Love"

2012-01-08T12:37:00.000-08:00

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

Happy New Year

2011-12-31T05:32:00.000-08:00

Happy New Year!!!!!!

“Each new day is a blank page in the diary of your life. The secret of success is in turning that diary into the best story you possibly can.” I wish you Happy New Year and diary full of best stories ever written in your life.
Douglas Pagels – ( Addition to Quote by Muhammad Shaharyar Khan )


And above all watch, with glittering eyes,  the whole world around you because the greatest secrets are always hidden in the most unlikely places. Those who don't believe in magic will never find it.
~Roald Dahl

I wish you a life full of people to love you, surprise you, amaze you. I wish you beauty to surround you, inspire you, delight you. If you pay attention, life is a series of miracles happening all around you. I can't wait to create in 2012!!!!

xo,

S

Favorite projects - Early 2011 (before I was a "blogger")

2011-12-30T07:56:00.000-08:00

A few photos of things that you may have missed from my "life prior to blog land".

January - I hosted a "game night" Sweet 16 party for a lovely young lady who is the daughter of a friend.

February - Homemade "love" for Valentines Day.

March: Family Room mini-makeover:

April: Easter and my Spring urn.

May: Flea-market patio furniture makeover. (and yes, I really did paint some of it in the middle of my kitchen...without a drop cloth).

June/July/August: Another batch of homemade laundry soap, Summer flowers, 4th of July, and crocheted cotton wash cloths.

Serendipity was "unofficially" launched in August and I entered into the "blog sphere" shortly thereafter.

Thanks for reading.

xo,

Even Martha Stewart is tired....

2011-12-27T09:57:00.000-08:00

Yep, it's true. See for yourself. That's her...my 13 year old Yellow Lab, Martha Stewart, sound asleep in the chair in my office, this morning.

After a whirlwind 72 hours spent celebrating with family and friends, it's nice to have a few moments to ~~collapse in utter and complete exhaustion~~ relax and reflect on time spent with people that I love so much and those who(for reasons that I'm sometimes baffled by) love me. It was an incredible holiday spent with wonderful people. I'm thankful...I'm blessed.

Christmas Eve was beautiful. It wasn't "white" but it was calm and once again, "luminaria" lined the streets of town (Sorry for the blurry picture but you get the idea). In our village, at dusk on Christmas eve, nearly everyone who lives inside the 3 square miles of our "town" lines their sidewalk and/or driveway with "Luminaria" (brown bags with sand in the bottom and white candles lit inside). They're sold as a benefit for the local Infant Welfare chapter but have been a tradition in my communityfor over 45 years. The whole town is aglow with soft candle light and the tradition of lighting luminaria on Christmas Eve is still one of my favorite things about living in this small village in Illinois.

I did manage to finish the Christmas stocking that I was making for my Great-niece, Ella.

I did not, however, finish the matching Christmas tree skirt for her parents. (In hindsight, I probably should have known that when I started this project at 8:30 p.m. on December 23rd, it might be a stretch to complete it before Monday morning and still spend time with my family and/or sleep.) I think that, all things considered, I made pretty good progress and at least I have something to do this week.... *smile*.

Gifts were wrapped using Hobby Lobby paper, natural clay tags that I made and all of the "odds and ends" from bolts of ribbon left over from projects made for the barn sale.

Watching the "unwrapping" is still my favorite part. This is Miss Ella and her dad (my Godson), opening her stocking.

Good food, great company and much love. Time shared together; the greatest gift of all.

xo,

P.S. A few my favorite things. Vintage lanterns and "shelf elves" from my sister (who is now, officially, an Ebay goddess) and an "eventually vintage" NEW, red plaid wool blanket from my parents.

My "Home for the Holidays"

2011-12-22T07:00:00.000-08:00

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.

From where I sit (my office).

That's it for this year. I'll leave you with a few other "random out-takes" from various rooms.

xo,

ABC's of Christmas

2011-12-13T07:39:00.000-08:00

As I finish unpacking the Christmas decorations (with the exception of our family tree which is waiting for my son, Drew's arrival home from college this Friday), I realize that the unpacking, handling and placing of these "treasures" that I've collected over the years is, for me, almost as much a part of the season as the "Big Day" itself.

For me, decorating takes weeks. Not literally, of course, as I work a full time job, I still have a son at home, one in college, a dog, and a house that seems perpetually in need of cleaning. I steal an hour or two at a time during the week. It's usually in the early hours of the morning, sometimes before dawn, when the house is quiet. It's then that I unpack the boxes, unwrap the tissue and spend a few moments remembering how the different symbols of the holiday came to be a part of what are now my Christmas traditions.

There are ornaments; gifted to me by my parents, grandparents, siblings and friends. There are both vintage and new items, some that used to be "new" that are now considered "vintage" *smile*. There are nutcrackers and trains, cookie cutters, and angels and Santa Clauses; all manner of holiday "stuff" that I've amassed during my life and to which, there are additions, each year. Some are gifts, some inherited, some "found". (At some point, I'll probably need to stop collecting...but that's not the point of THIS story. *wink*)

Among my favorites is the collection of Christmas books. Every year, from the time that they were born, I gave my sons a Christmas book on Christmas morning. These books make an appearance on the shelf, in the family room, for the month that is "Christmas" at our house.

We have read these books. At first, we read them to the boys. Then, the boys read them to us. Now, the boys read them to themselves or walk by, pause, pick one up, flip through it...sometimes only to the first page...where the inscription is.

Among these books is one that wasn't a gift to my sons. It's my favorite book. It's my book. It's this book.

It's not fancy, doesn't have a screen printed graphic on the cover, shiny coated pages or slick typesetting in a cool font. The pages are yellow. I've had it for as long as I can remember. It was a Christmas gift from my Godmother/Aunt Mollie who was, at the time, probably 17 years old. She bought the blank scrapbook with her own money and then spent her time filling the pages and making a gift for me that has become one of my most prized Christmas possessions.

Inside is a page dedicated to each letter of the alphabet with a Christmas related symbol, cut from an old Christmas card and with a rhyme, written in blue ballpoint pen, in my Aunt's cursive handwriting, describing each one. Holly, drawn in colored pencil, adorns each page. On the "Y" page, there's a photograph of my aunt and me, in the foyer of my grandparents' house, on my First Holy Communion.

This book too, makes an appearance on the shelf for the month that is Christmas at my house. I read it. I remember reading it with my Aunt that first year. Her reading the "big" words to me and me reading the "little words" to her. Over the years, I've read it to myself. Sometimes, I walk by, pause, pick it up and flip through it. Sometimes it's only to the first page....where the inscription is...

In the best of all possible circumstances, when we share love and time and talent we create memories. Sometimes we do it without even realizing it.

Thank-you Aunt Mollie. For sharing yourself, your gifts and your time with me. I love you.

xo,

Home Made Marshmallows and Hot Chocolate: Recipes and directions

2011-12-12T09:14:00.000-08:00

A friend asked for this recipe this morning and it reminded me that I needed to make a batch of these to give to my neighbors as gifts. (Thanks, Laura!) Soooo, rather than wait to show you photos of what I make (although I'll do that later, too), I thought that I'd post recipes for those of you who are looking for the perfect "little something" to give to a neighbor or friend. Home made marshmallows are wicked-wonderful! Whether they are sandwiched between graham crackers with chocolate, dipped in hot chocolate or even eaten directly from the bag....they also make a great gift. The photo above is one that I took of Valentines Day marshmallows and peppermint hot chocolate mix that I made for my "college kids" but you can easily either cut them into squares or use holiday cookie cutters to make them into snowflakes, trees or whatever your heart desires! For "stirs" I use candy canes or cinnamon sticks, dipped in melted chocolate and covered with sprinkles!

Here's the recipe for the marshmallows:
(makes about 90 One-Inch Cubes...fewer if you use cookie cutters)
Ingredients:
About 1 cup confectioners' sugar
3 1/2 envelopes (2 tblsp plus 2 1/2 tsp) unflavored gelatin
1 cup cold water divided as follows:
1/2 cup with the gelatin and 1/2 cup for the mix
2 cups granulated sugar
1/2 cup light corn syrup
1/2 cup HOT water (115 degrees F)
1/2 tsp salt
2 large egg whites
2 tsp vanilla (I also add almond or peppermint extract depending upon what I'm using them for)

Directions:
Oil bottom and sides of a 13x9x2 inch rectangular metal baking pan and dust bottom and sides with confectioners' sugar.
In the bowl of a standing electric mixer, sprinkle gelatin over 1/2 cup cold water and let it stand to soften.
In a 3-quart saucepan cook granulated sugar, corn syrup, second 1/2 cup of cold water, and salt over low heat, stirring with a wooden spoon, until sugar is dissolved. Increase heat to medium and boil the mixture, without stirring, until a candy thermometer registers 240°F (about 12 minutes). Remove the pan from heat and pour sugar mixture over the gelatin mixture, stirring until the gelatin is dissolved.
With a standing (or a hand-held) electric mixer, beat the mixture on high speed until it is white, thick, and nearly tripled in volume, about six minutes if using a standing mixer or about 10 minutes if using hand-held mixer. (Depending upon the weather outside and the amount of humidity in your home, it may take longer but be patient, it will eventually whip up to the size needed) In separate medium bowl with clean beaters, beat egg whites until they just hold stiff peaks. Then, beat the whites and vanilla (or your choice of flavoring) into the sugar mixture until it's just combined. Pour the mixture into the baking pan (don't worry if there's some "leftover"). Sift 1/4 cup of confectioners' sugar over the top of the mixture. Chill the marshmallow, uncovered, until firm. (At least three hours but as long as one day.)
After they are chilled, run a thin knife around edges of the pan and invert it onto a large cutting board which has been dusted with confectioners' sugar. Hold up one corner of the pan and use your fingers to loosen the marshmallow and slide it out and onto your cutting board.
With a large knife, trim the edges of marshmallow and cut marshmallow into roughly one-inch cubes. (or use cookie cutters dipped in confectioners' sugar to cut shapes.) Sift the remaining confectioners' sugar back into an empty bowl or baking pan. Roll the marshmallows in the sugar being sure to coat all sides before shaking off the excess and packing them in an airtight container.
Marshmallows will keep, in an airtight container, at a cool room temperature, for about a week. If you're mailing them, make sure to coat them well with confectioners; sugar as they will "weep" during shipment.
Once you've eaten these, you'll never go back to "store bought"!

Home made hot chocolate mix:
(makes about 45, 1 cup servings)

Ingredients:
10 cups dry milk powder
4 3/4 cups confectioners' sugar
1 3/4 cups unsweetened cocoa powder
1 3/4 cups powdered, non-dairy creamer (you can use different flavors to get flavored hot chocolate. Cinnamon and mint are my favorites).
2 cups shaved chocolate or mini chocolate chips (again, you can use mint chips, white or dark chocolate that has been flavored with peppermint or white chocolate with cinnamon to change the flavor of your mix)

Directions:
In a large mixing bowl, combine all ingredients and stir until thoroughly combined. That's it...easy peasy. Store cocoa mixture in an air tight container.
For one serving: place 1/2 cup cocoa mixture in a cup or mug and add 3/4 cup of boiling water. Stir to dissolve. Top with marshmallows and/or whipped cream!

xo,

S

More holidays!

2011-12-11T19:06:00.001-08:00

The holiday decorating continues!

Dining room side Board. re-purposing pine cones from Thanksgiving and burlap from exterior Autumn wreaths.

My sons' "sleigh", the birch logs from Thanksgiving. Vintage Santa, skates and lantern - in the corner of the dining room.

Silver punch bowl with pine cone wreath and pine cones

Thanksgiving centerpiece "reworked" for Christmas using mixed Christmas greens, red berries (fake), pine cones, vintage red lantern, cardinals and a plaid bow.

Kitchen table - I made the black and white table cloth out of flannel, edged in red. Good Will Candlestick holders, vintage boot with pine cones, a "vintage" glitter snowflake and faux greens.

I'll post more tomorrow.

Good night!

xo,

S

Christmas Kitchen (so far)

2011-12-06T16:28:00.001-08:00

Here are some shots of this year's kitchen decorations. I'll post shots of the entire room at the end of the week.

My kitchen tree. Decorated with Cinnamon/Applesauce/Glue "cookies, Cookie cutters, Wooden spoons, Bows and a few "store bought" ornaments from my family and friends.

It's beginning to look alot like Christmas!

xo,

Cinnamon, Applesauce and Elmer's Glue Ornament Tutorial

2011-11-29T06:20:00.001-08:00

There are several different "recipe's" for these ornaments on the web but this is the one that I like the best (it came from the Elmer's glue site):

½ cup + 1 Tbsp. ground cinnamon
1 Tbsp. ground nutmeg
1 Tbsp. ground cloves
½ cup applesauce (this is the size of a single serving pack)
3 Tbsp. Elmer’s Glue-All

NOTE: Buy your spices at the Dollar Store so you don't go broke making these!

Instructions: In a medium bowl, mix cinnamon, cloves and nutmeg. Add applesauce and glue. Work mixture with hands for 2-3 minutes, until dough is smooth. Divide into 4 portions. Roll out each portion to 1/4" thickness. Cut dough with cookie cutters and make a small hole in the top of each with a toothpick (I use a straw). Place cutouts on a wire rack to dry at room temperature for several days, turning once each day for even drying. When dry, thread string or ribbon through the hole in each ornament. You can also use whole cloves as decoration and for additional scent. Makes about 32 ornaments, depending upon size. NOTE: These are NOT edible.

Information and alternatives:

It's helpful if you roll the dough out on a mat or a piece of parchment paper which has been sprinkled with a little cinnamon
The dough should be smooth and slightly damp. If it's too dry, add more applesauce, too wet, add more cinnamon.
I decorate my cookies using white acrylic "puffy paint" that is made for decorating T-shirts. you can also use small beads, regular paint, and clear crystals to look like "sugar".

They smell wonderful, make great tags for home baked goods and are a cute idea for a "take home" gift if you're hosting a cookie exchange!

Happy Holidays!

xo,

S

Here comes Santa Claus

2011-11-28T15:31:00.001-08:00

Polk Brother's Santa, back right.

It started years ago with a single, "Polk Brother's" Santa (Above, back left side). He's as tall as I am and was a promotion from 1960 through 1966 at an appliance store in Chicago during the holidays. Many people who grew up in Chicago and the surrounding towns remember him. He's fragile now, he's made of hard plastic called "celluloid" through a process called "vacucell" which predates the blow molds that are still manufactured today. He has lost his base and has hot glue seams holding his feet together but to me, he's lovely. He's got "history", like most of the things that I love. He tells a story.... about the time when I grew up.

He stood, for one Christmas season, alone, in my dining room window. Beautiful, but sad. Then, at some point, I told my brother, Tom, about him.

I'm thankful that I have a brother who shares not only my parents, my sister and my last name but also my passion for all things "vintage" and for collecting "stuff". Over the last few years, my brother has helped me to build (actually, he probably found more of them than I did) a "collection" of vintage Santa's that now numbers more than 30.

They are all "vintage" (predating the 1970's). They adorn every window in the front (and most of the side) of my house. Several stand in the vestibule to my front door. This year, my friend, Ann, gifted me a 5 foot tall vintage Santa to add to the collection. Here are a few photos of some of my favorites:

The inside of my home is still not decorated. Maybe this weekend?! This is the ONE Santa is in place in the foyer.

I'm off to work!

xo,

S

Behind the scenes - Thanksgiving Tablescape.

2011-11-25T16:25:00.001-08:00

As promised, here are the details of the table scape posted yesterday:

Table Cloth: two 9x12 PAINTER's DROP CLOTHS (yep, that's right, folded them in half, put them on the table) - they came from our local paint store and cost $9 each.
Table Runner: Men's suiting fabric, hounds tooth wool. Closeout at Joann's $3.99 used my Merry Moolah coupon for $5 off my purchase of $25.00 so the table runner and a ball of jute were FREE
Had enough left over to make a runner for the sideboard and wrap 14 votive cups for individual centerpieces at each place.

Wood Chargers: These were a challenge at first but I found out that anyone with a steady hand and a chainsaw can make them. Traci at Whimsy in Morris has a guy who will do it. I found a really nice man named Tim who owns a mill in Yorkville that will do it and I found out that I can actually do it as well.
Vintage Brown and White Transfer ware Dinner Plates: Borrowed from my friend, Ann at Nellie's. They were PERFECT...and although priceless, they were FREE to borrow.
Small Bread Plates: Purchased at the Goodwill on a Tuesday during customer appreciation and got a 20% off scratch off. They cost 35 cents each. Total $4.90
Candlesticks, teapot, candles, silverware, glassware, votive holders, napkins: From my collection.

Centerpiece: Old, wooden shipping crate gifted to me by the same friend (Ann) who loaned me the dishes. She waxed it brown, I added 4 men's belts from Goodwill ($0.99 each), dried hydrangea and dried flowers from my yard, a couple of nests that I had on hand, some lotus pods, pine cones and dried artichokes (also on hand) I purchased greens, tallow berries, 3 "quails" and 5 magnificent turquoise hydrangea. Total investment for an incredible centerpiece that I'm going to redo slightly for Christmas as well as the 14 individual place setting pieces: about $40.
Jute Tied Napkins with Leaves: Punched out the leaves at Archivers. Bought 3 sheets of card stock, used their die cut machine at no charge: Cost $1.50.

Total investment? $68.50 and while that is a significant amount of money, the dropcloths, plates and table runner are all reusable and I was able to set a table that made an impression that will last a lifetime for my family and friends.

I spent today cutting down the last of the garden and raking the last of the leaves (16 barrels and bags full...it took me all day!) Tomorrow, I'm planting tulips for next spring. Then, it's on to Christmas Decorating!

P.S. Yes, we removed the centerpiece during dinner. It's probably taller than the "ideal" would be but it is PERFECT for me!

Have a wonderful weekend.

xo,

S

Giving Thanks

2011-11-24T03:10:00.001-08:00

It starts when we're young. Older adults shape our lives. They teach us about love....and gratitude. In some of my very earliest memories, I was taught to say "please"...and "thank-you". It's a basic concept for most of us. Human decency, kindness, thoughtfulness. I like to think that I do a pretty good job, most of the time, remembering, to express my thanks.

But today is a special day. Today is a day where the acknowledgement and expression of gratitude is the focus, for all of us. It's an entire day set aside to focus on honoring and thanking those who have, in ANY way, touched our lives as well as the many blessings that we have for which we don't always remember to be as grateful as we might be. It's a celebration of the harvest and "gathering". Gathering of friends and family. A "drawing near" of those people and things most dear to us.

For me, this day means gathering family: my parents, siblings, nieces, nephews, a grand-niece (and grand-nephew on the way), new friends, as well as my own, immediate, family for a meal and conversation, some card playing and laughter.

I'm blessed. I know this. Today, however, I am reminded in a special way. I am thankful for families who have made the ultimate sacrifice and those who have empty chairs at their table this year. Loved ones who are no longer with us, those who are fighting for our freedom far away from home. Friends, relatives and "friends that I haven't met". Those who are fighting depression, illness, joblessness, homelessness and other forms of loss or hardship. I pray, for all of us. Blessings, and circumstances change but there are always things to be thankful for.

Today, I honor everyone who touches my life: family and friends. Some are in my life because we're related, some are in my life by choice. I'm thankful that they choose to allow me to remain in their lives and them in mine. It's an honor and a blessing.

I'm thankful, too, for our men and women in the armed forces, people who make my life easier like mail carriers, service providers of all kinds. I'm thankful for good health, a steady job, a roof over my head, food on the table. Simple pleasures, some....blessings, all.

So, to you and yours from me and mine, thank you, for touching my life and for sharing the journey with me.

Here are a couple of shots of my table this year. Details on Friday. My family's here!

xo,

S

It's beginning to look alot like HOLIDAYS!!!!!!

2011-11-22T05:11:00.001-08:00

Sorry I've been "absent". I've been in "full on decorating" mode and have to work through end of day Wednesday this week.

I'm picking up the wood "cookies" (slices of tree trunk to be used for chargers on my Thanksgiving table) today so I should have photos of the table to share tomorrow. If not, I'm in serious trouble because Thanksgiving is 48 hours away. In the meantime, here are pix of my family room mantel and the materials and first part of the staircase.

Base lighted garland from Costco 10 years ago. Hhomemade pine cone wreath, reused burlap bows from front door autumn wreaths. Black Metal lanterns close-out from TJ Maxx 8 years ago. Added "frosted garland.

Same base, Costco garland as is in the family room (10 years old, still works!). Added a few larger pine cones: some painted and some "flocked".

Plaid ribbon 50% off at Joann's. Styrofoam balls wrapped with men's plaid shirts (Salvation Army/Goodwill) or fabric. Dollar Store bells. burlap, plastic ornaments 90% off at Kmart last year, Red "velvet" ribbon (you can find it at Hobby Lobby or Joann's but mine came from a hardware store called Wannemakers).

Happy Tuesday!

xo,

S

Deck the Halls with Homemade Ornaments. Simple instructions.

2011-11-17T14:47:00.001-08:00

In keeping with last week's theme of Christmas, I thought that I'd share a few of the ornaments that I've made so far this holiday season:

The heart and mitten ornaments were cut from ivory and beige flannel that was leftover from a prior project and hand stitched along the edge with a simple blanket stitch using embroidery thread. I added a little tulle and some pearls for sparkle and stuffed them with leftover quilt batting. The ice skate is a die cut ornament that I made at Archivers. They allow you to use their die cuts at no charge so long as you purchase the card stock from them. Which I did, using their "buy 3 sheets, get 3 free" coupon. After it was punched out, I glittered, "sewed" the laces, and glued on a pompom. Any of these look great on the tree and also make really cute package tags or add-ins.

Clear glass balls from the craft store filled with 1 tablespoon Epsom salts and about 1/2 teaspoon of glitter to make "sparkly snow", vintage sheet music that was cut cut into 3/8 inch strips using the Martha Stewart scoring board (you could also cut by hand, using scissors or a straight cut shredder) and then curled around a pencil. I still wasn't satisfied with how they looked (yes, it's true, I can't leave well enough alone), so I printed the titles of some of my favorite Christmas carols, cut them into banners and added them to the inside as well. Once that was complete, I topped them off with a snippet of organdy ribbon and a pearl or jingle bell.

Bird's nests to which I added reindeer moss, eggs frosted with clear glitter and mushroom birds (also frosted with a little glitter).

I've got others in the works including 3 dozen "gingerbread ornaments" (made from apple sauce, Elmer's glue, Cinnamon, Ginger, Cloves and Allspice and decorated with puff paint) for a customer who intends to use them as favors for her cookie exchange as well as some clay tags that are a special order for another customer but I need to spend a day or two finishing up the centerpiece and place card holders for Thanksgiving!

xo,

"Behind The Scenes" info on the Living Room Makeover

2011-11-14T13:37:00.001-08:00

I thought that I'd share a little behind the scenes "scoop" on the elements that make up the living room that I shared in Saturday/Sunday's post. For the "untrained" eye *wink*, the following may not be obvious:

Items in living room that were purchased at Goodwill, Salvation Army and Garage Sales:
All small, green, Christmas trees, silver coffee pot, green and white porcelain lamp (and the table that it's sitting on), sweaters and lace for pillows in the window seat, vintage silver Christmas tree, chenille "tree skirt", oval mirror, milk glass vase, white Christmas tree candles, small silver candles, lace doilies, white and silver ornaments, fireplace screen, tall blue/gray basket and the vintage lantern on the hearth) (I happened to have the silver candlesticks and the ice bucket but I've seen scads of both at both GW and SA).

Items that I made myself (or that Ann and I made): Pillow covers from book bags (no sew), pillow covers for the pillows on the sofa, yarn and jute wrapped balls on coffee table, burlap wreath on coffee table, family tree on the side table, "snow balls" on the mantle, embellished grape vine balls on the mantle, large "artwork" behind the sofa, knit throw on the sofa, burlap ball ornament and embellished angel cutout on the side table, white wreath from coffee filters and glittered pine cones in the opening to the fireplace, white painted branches for the "artwork" and the basket near the fireplace, ice skate cutout on the side table, jingle bell pillow on the window seat (don't look too closely, it's not finished).

Items that were "free": Small side chair, basket near fireplace with logs in it (curbside finds two years ago); Great Grandma's sofa (from my parents' basement); coffee table, magazine rack and floor lamp (inherited); lace "throw" (tablecloth) from my Grandmother, Birch logs, Pine cones, White Xmas sign (a gift from my friend, Laura, at B & B's Nest).

Items that came from Hobby Lobby or Michaels: Angel on side table, clear glass balls, grapevine balls.

So, as you can see, most of what makes up the room was either free, homemade or purchased at a "thrift type" location; proving, once again, that you can make rooms beautiful on a budget.

I'm working on Thanksgiving tablescaping today. Here's a hint: so far, it involves a painter's drop cloth, an old wooden shipping crate and borrowed dishes.....details soon.

xo,

S

When is a half hour not 30 minutes?

2011-11-12T21:45:00.001-08:00

NOTE: see Monday's post for details and a "behind the scenes" update.

Let's see....when last we spoke, I had been painting the living room for 5 days, right? I thought that it was going to take ONE weekend. Apparently, I have no sense of time.

For example, my friend, Ann, came to visit this weekend. Sometime around 9 a.m. today, we were looking for something that we couldn't find because we couldn't walk into my studio to get to the table to see if it might be there but I should probably back up a little.

Our intent,this weekend, was to crawl (literally, through a 2 foot tall door) into the storage room and get out the tubs of Christmas decorations which are hidden behind the guest room closet, safe from anyone who might try to throw something way (given that I live in a house full of men, I don't feel that I probably need to mention names).

However, I was still painting when Ann arrived at noon on Friday so, after finishing the painting, rehanging the drapes, moving the two ladders and rearranging the furniture for probably an hour in four or five configurations that involved moving of chairs from other rooms and taking furniture up the flight of stairs to my bedroom, we finally settled on a furniture arrangement at around 9 p.m. and started looking around for ANYTHING holiday-ish that we could use to decorate because, candidly, my back was sore and my feet hurt (probably from painting on the ladder in bare feet, but I digress) and I couldn't really even think about crawling into the cold, unheated, room and pushing the 30 or so tubs and boxes of stuff out to Ann because when we got them out, we would probably spend the rest of the evening trying to get out of the guest room.

Instead, we used the silver things that I bought at the flea market and a bunch of stuff that was hanging around in the dining room, leftover from the barn sale and we put THIS together:

Believe it or not, this decorating was done without unpacking a single box from the storage room. But more on this fact in a moment. Today (Saturday), around 10 a.m., we thought that we were going to finally get out some boxes and start decorating the family room but after I tried to get to the container in the studio where I keep the burlap with Ann watching (with a horrified look on her face) from the doorway of the studio, I tripped over a basket full of yarn and almost impaled myself on the loom. Ann said to me, "Hey, how about if we just take a half hour and clear a path so that you'll feel better about decorating?" So, I thought "What the heck, it's just a half hour, I've got someone who knows the difference between fabric glue and hot glue who's willing to help me sort through some of the "clutter" (and I use that term VERY loosely), so sure, why not?" We realized, after the first hour of cleaning that we hadn't taken any "before photos" so, I ask that you imagine what this looked like before two women spent 60 minutes "organizing" (yep, that IS a 33 gallon trash bag that is about 1/2 way full after the first hour).

As I write this, it is now 11:45 p.m., yes, that's P.M....approximately TWENTY-SIX actual half hours (or ONE "Ann" half hour) later, however, I've gotta say, we got one heck of alot accomplished in that half hour. This is how my studio looks tonight (yes, it's dark outside in the "after shots").

Tonight, I actually walked all the way to the windows on the far side of the room in the dark and I didn't even hurt myself!

Meanwhile, we still haven't gotten any of the tubs out of the storage room but we DID manage to make a really cool piece of "art" for the wall behind the sofa using a huge canvas that has spent a year "waiting for inspiration", some branches that I had painted white last year, some fishing line and a couple of plastic snowflakes. After I spent an hour describing various ideas ranging from burlap bows to pinning my wedding dress on the frame (yeah...not at all as lovely as I thought it would look), we searched Pinterest and Google Image, we looked at lace, tablecloths and even considered stretching fabric over the darned thing when Ann said to me, "Why don't we just put those sticks on it somehow?" and I said, "Ya think?"...so we found fishing line and some thumb tacks and some wire for the back of the canvas...and about a half an hour (an ACTUAL half hour...thirty minutes) we high-fived ourselves as we hung this behind my sofa:

Branches are held on the canvas using fishing line woven through them so that I can use the canvas for something else after the holidays.

Total cost the entire living room "remodel" $38 worth of paint and a $6 birds nest. We haven't unpacked a single box of Christmas decorations and it's the end of another day. Just imagine what we'd have gotten accomplished if we had worked for an hour! ....Ah well, maybe I can talk her into staying for lunch tomorrow.

Felted Sweaters and Lace Doilies covering pillows.

Linen shopping bag stuffed with pillow form. Handles cut and tied into bows.

Time change, STILL Painting, and Flea Market Treasures.

2011-11-07T13:26:00.000-08:00

Wow, the time change has me confused this year. Never in my life has it affected me like this. I've been wide awake since 3:45 this morning, waiting for it to get light outside so that I could paint a little before going to work. Yep, that's right, I'm still painting. Champagne over moss green will NOT cover in one coat no matter what it says on the paint can. And yes, that's the side of a painting, still hanging above the fireplace, because I decided not to try to lift it down by myself while standing on the ladder. I may be a little sleep deprived, but I do have limits *smile*.

On the plus side, I spent some time at Kane County Flea Market this weekend with Polly and Steve from Counting Your Blessings and where, after spending a few hours helping rearrange things as they sold items from their booth, and after looking at it a few times but not opening it, at the end of the day after a woman walked away from it, I got an INCREDIBLE vintage steamer trunk with leather straps, buckles and the bottom wheels intact as well as...are you ready for this?.... THREE layers of the original interior trays still inside and in wonderful shape! I didn't really need a second steamer trunk after I got my first vintage beauty at the barn sale but I could not pass this one by and, since I have two sons, I'm certain that they won't go unused. Photos soon as it is still in the back of the car waiting for me to clear a path to bring it inside (see "still painting" reference above....sigh).

I also got to see Traci, from Whimsy in Morris, and Mark from Room 363 where I found some fabulous "vintage" silver garland, a small tree and a wreath that will be combined with existing metallics, neutrals and vintage pastels in living room (at least that's the plan).

I found Diane Passi and bought an amazing vintage lobster basket that I've had my eye on since late summer, to use as a wood holder for the family room fire place. On second thought, but it might be better suited for some burlap, fresh greens and birch logs for the holidays. That's yet to be determined.

As if all of this weren't enough, I was delighted to find the ladies from Carters Cottage (one of the Annie Sloan Chalk Paint Stockists in my area) who "brought their store" to Kane for the weekend so I was thrilled to be able to buy Annie Sloan Old White and Country Grey that are being applied to my living room tables, sofa table and two stools between now and Thursday night. I didn't have to make a trip to DeKalb and I saved shipping!

There are days that I wish I didn't have a full time job but then I realize that I'm blessed and that without it, I likely wouldn't be doing this. It's Monday and I'm functioning on a combination of caffeine and adrenaline but I'm going to finish painting the living room tonight!

xo,

S

What I'm doing with my "spare" time this weekend

2011-11-05T09:57:00.000-07:00

Let's see.....
1) Halloween decorations down and safely stored away until next year? Check.
2) Corporate job under control until Monday? Check.
3) Custom Order Christmas Ornaments Complete and delivered for Sale at Kane County this weekend? Check
4) Dear Friend, Ann's visit to help decorate for Christmas now 5 days away? AW GEEEEZZZZZ!

For the first time in my life, I'm going to have the luxury of having a girlfriend help me decorate for Christmas!!! Don't get me wrong, having to coerce two adolescent males and a husband to haul boxes, hold ladders and be an extra set of hands (or three) while I decorate certainly does exude SOMETHING...although I'm not certain that I'd call it "holiday cheer". Imagine it, having someone who shares my love of all things "repurposed", vintage lace, a good curbside "pick", cheap wine, pizza, shopping, etc. Top that all off with the fact that we've known each other for most of our lives and she's coming to spend the night!?!? THIS, to me, is BLISS!

So, with only the garden to cut down, leaves to rake and figuring out how to get my hair cut and colored to ~~cover the gray that has recently begun to appear~~ enhance my skin tone, am I spending my time pulling out the boxes and planning clever vignettes? Am I prepping any number of potential craft projects that we could get accomplished during her short stay? Nope...I'm not...I'm painting the living room.

My house was new 10 years ago. I had the good fortune to be able to choose the very first coat of paint that went on the walls and I still LOVE the color. It's just that after 10 years raising 2 sons who are now in high school and college as well as a now 13 year old yellow lab who spent her "younger days" jumping up to sleep on the window seat, my living room is, although still pretty, a little "tired".

My decorating is going in a slightly different direction these days and I've decided that with little more than a gallon of wall paint, a couple of quarts of Annie Sloan Chalk Paint and a few things that I'm moving around from other rooms in my house, I'm going to give my livingroom a makeover (quickly, before Ann arrives at the end of the week).
Here's what it looks like now:

The sofa and chair belonged to my great grandparents. They spent years in my parents basement and I loved them even though they were dusty and covered in rose colored, torn and missing upholstery filled with what appeared to be a combination of horsehair and dryer lint. I was THRILLED when my parents gave them to me, 22 years ago and immediately had them reupholstered in their current ivory cotton pin dot fabric. That fabric has survived two boys eating ice cream and a dog so it's not going anywhere.

The tables and lamps are a combination of things that I inherited or found along some roadside on trash night. The piano belongs to my sons, it came from their grandfather when he died...because he knew that music was important to them and wanted them to have something more than the Best Buy keyboard on which they were learning piano.

The drapes and Rug are going to stay as well....so I guess that this will be a "not so extreme, makeover" but I'll leave that judgement up to you.

Hopefully, there will be "after" photos next week.

Have a glorious autumn weekend! I've got the paint....and after a trip to the hairdresser and Kane county flea market, I intend to paint!

xo,

S

from my house to yours....

2011-10-31T14:21:00.001-07:00

I love cinnamon rolls

2011-10-28T04:46:00.000-07:00

The smell of cinnamon rolls baking before it's light outside ALMOST makes up for the fact that the days are getting shorter and winter's on the way. My favorite recipe has cream cheese icing. I bake them for my friends for holidays and I thought that I'd bake a few since it was my Mom's birthday this week. I hope see her this weekend. Also, because it's nearly Halloween!

Delivered warm from the oven with the icing on the side, it's a nice way to start any Saturday or Sunday or ANYday and, so far, no one has refused!

Don't worry, the icing covers up the oozing cinnamon! :)

Tempting.....no? I'd better get more yeast.

If you'd like the recipe, let me know.

Happy Friday, HELLO, WEEKEND!

xo,

S

Christmas, Halloween, Trash Night!?!?!?

2011-10-24T18:48:00.000-07:00

This weekend, I was minding my own business, working on a special order of Christmas ornaments,

doing a little Halloween decorating and enjoying having my oldest son home from college for the first time since August.

I made it all the way to Sunday night. I was driving home from my weekly trip to the market to stock up on lunch supplies for the coming week when I had to stop, and turn the car around to pick up this:

It has an adorable drawer that's missing what will be a glass knob.

which is now keeping company with these that were rescued from the trash man a few weeks ago:

Gosh, I love trash night in "Suburgatory". I don't need one more end table but, these are solid wood and far too cute to end up in the trash truck.

Maybe I'll paint them and bring them to the barn sale...or maybe I'll trade them for some of the ones that I'm currently using or maybe they'll be painted and donated to somewhere local. In the mean time, they are safely taking up most of a parking space in my garage...just in time for winter.

I'm sure that the neighbors are wondering and I got more than one odd look from people taking their trash to the curb as I loaded this gem into my car and then unloaded it at home. Little do the neighbors know that I've been a "picker" for over 35 years. Every room in my house has at least ONE piece of furniture that I got out of a dumpster, along a roadside on trash night, or as a castoff from a relative or friend. I'd tell them, if they'd ask me, but I'm not volunteering because it's people like them who put this stuff out for people like me to pick up!

That's all for now, I've got 2 mantels and a yard to finish decorating before I completely miss Halloween and am forced to decorate for Thanksgiving!

xo,

Burlap Ball Ornament Tutorial

2011-10-19T10:00:00.000-07:00

First, gather your materials.

Fabric:I use a combination of "neutral" fabrics: muslin, burlap, flour sack, cotton. Basically, anything that you have handy will work: any thin weight fabric , tissue, tulle, ribbon, even string or yarn will work. Patterns work well, too but for these, I chose neutrals.
Glue: I use a combination of Tacky and Elmer's because it sticks well and isn't too thick or too thin.
Styrofoam balls: Use at least the 2 inch ones or they fall apart when you stick the fabric into them. (These are 3 inch)
Scissors
Skewers, Dowels, Screwdriver, Pencil or other tool to "poke" the fabric into the ball.
Jute or string for a "hanger" if you want to use them for ornaments.

Cut and/or Tear the fabric into about 1 1/2 inch strips and then cut/tear it into pieces that are between 3 and 4 inches long (no need to be exact).

Next, cut a piece of the jute that's between 8 and 10 inches long, form a loop and poke it into the ball. (I hot glue mine in place for extra sturdiness)

Next, wrap a piece of fabric around the skewer, dip it into the glue and push it into the Styrofoam about 1/4 to 3/8 of an inch. It's important not to push it too far into the ball or the ball will begin to fall apart when you get toward the bottom.

Continue pushing in a mixture of pieces all the way around the ball working toward the bottom and turning the ball as you progress.

That's it...easy, right? Here's how it looks when finished as well as a picture of a wreath that I did the same way. These make cute bowl fillers, they look good stuck on sticks in a vase and they're great unbreakable ornaments.

Happy Wednesday!
xo,

S

Scenes from the Barn Sale

2011-10-17T06:25:00.000-07:00

Despite a little wind and rain, the barn sale was a HUGE success. I'm spending my day in a hazy combination of basking in the afterglow of having spent a wonderful weekend with amazing artisans, new and old friends and family. I'd write about it but I need some time to let it all sink in. In the mean time, this is what I did last this weekend.

Shoppers (and furniture) lined the driveway.

Some of the vendors in the yard.

My stuff (and Nellie's), inside the barn

Counting Your Blessings - Polly's booth

B & B's Nest - Laura's booth

xo,

S

Birch tree and burlap and roadside "weeds"...an event "theme" is born!

2011-10-11T07:56:00.000-07:00

A few photos of the event staging that "Nellie" and I did at her home/barn last weekend in preparation for her semi-annual Barn Sale event October 14th and 15th. I didn't have my camera with me when we stopped at Na.Da. Farm for their fall event but you can check the Na.Da blog for photos...it was amazing, as always!

The front of the barn.

<><>

Front of the house. The birch tree branches were from a tree that had fallen on the neighbor's yard during a recent storm. I also "borrowed her tomato cages, a few pieces of furniture, and some stones.

That's what I did last weekend. This weekend, the barn sale is FINALLY here!

xo,

S

Road Trip and a little Fall Color

2011-10-07T05:02:00.000-07:00

I'm off to Nellie's to take the first load of fall and winter goodies for the sale next week and to do a little "barn sale prep" with my friend, Ann.

I am, however, stopping in Esmond at Na.Da.Farm for their fall event on the way to Rockton. Here's the link in case you're in the area: http://www.nadafarmevents.com/p/barn-saleevent.html If you get a chance, it's worth the trip. The setting is amazing and the vendors always have great stuff and, if that's not enough, it benefits a local charity!

And I should probably do something about some Halloween decor....I'll get right on that....Next week...or the week after....

I thought I'd share a couple of shots from my yard this week. Mums are blooming! I've learned that you can buy them so that they bloom at different times and the color lasts almost until Thanksgiving. They like cooler weather, but they're loving the sunshine that has returned this week.

Have a wonderful weekend.

xo,

Early Season Bloom

Early Season Extender

Mid Season Bloom

Confessions of a Barn Sale Newbie

2011-10-04T08:10:00.000-07:00

In May, I helped out at the barn sale of one of my lifelong friends. All I knew when I signed up to help was what I'd known since I was 8 years old: my friend Ann, (aka "Nellie") is something special. She has always had an amazing sense of style, more than her share of creativity, energy that knows no bounds and enough grace and Midwest hospitality to make anyone feel welcome.

With that knowledge, my own love of junking and farm girl background (I drove a combine for Del Monte as my "summer job" in college...but that's another story) in my back-pocket and the knowledge that I needed a break from my corporate job and life in "suburgatory" (geez, I LOVE that term!) I was off to do what I could to be help with the sale.

Needless to say, even wandering around the venue by flashlight after dark on the night before the sale, I was hooked. I won't go into detail here, but I will tell you that I met wonderful people, had a whirlwind 48 hours and, at some point toward the end of the second day, fueled by the combination of eupohoria, caffeine, moxie, and the temporary loss of sanity that ensued, I vowed that I'd "make something" and be a vendor at the fall sale (yeah...what was I thinking, right?!)

Since I try very hard to be a woman of my word (regardless of my questionable judgement at the time that the commitment was made), in July, I started putting together a few things and trying out some ideas, I cleaned my studio (well, maybe "cleaned" is an overstatement) and started creating. I studied fine arts in college, had grandmothers who taught me to knit, crochet and embroider, a mom who taught me to sew and the rest I self taught and/or picked up along the way so the results are bits and pieces of many influences.

Time flew, warm weather came and went as my projects overtook the studio, my office, the kitchen table, the dining room table and pretty much any other flat surface that didn't already have something on it. My oldest son went back to college. Like all moms, I was sad, but this year his departure meant that I could use his room for "overstock"!

With school back in session, mealtime and homework were often accompanied by whatever I was working on. My son became accustomed to having a wreath sit at the table on the chair next to him during dinner. It has gotten to the point that one blinks an eye when I'm regularly out in public with paint under my nails and glitter somewhere on my face and/or clothes. The cashiers at Hobby Lobby, Michaels, Goodwill, Salvation Army, Archivers and Joanne's Fabrics began to know me by sight, if not by name. They pride themselves on the fact that they know that I never shop without coupons and I bring my own reusable bags to transport the "treasures". And I now have a card that gets me a discount at Goodwill. Who knew?? Free.

Now, it's October and, a week from Friday, I'm going to be a vendor at my very first Barn Sale. Emotions are running the gamut. Fresh off of quarter close at work, homecoming for my son, fall decorating and washing windows, I'm finishing up, boxing up, and packing up! I'm nervous and excited and maybe just a little scared. My family, however is excited. I've decided that while I'm sure that they are excited for this opportunity for me, it's more likely that their enthusiasm stems from the belief that they may get to have a meal where glitter isn't one of the ingredients within the next couple of weeks. This fuels further optimism that we may actually get to sit at a table to eat it proving, once again, that even boys have dreams...and sometimes they don't involve sports!

Here are a few photos of things that I've packed so far this week (for the rest of the photos, check out Serendipity. on Facebook. As always, let me know if you want to know how I made any of it and I'll do my best to "show and tell" you how!

Got these watering cans at Michaels a while ago. Have used them for Easter place card holders, bridal showers, and now, ornaments!

Acorn ornaments with paper leaves, jingle bells and other miscellaneous "stuff"

Cute little boxes that I found at Goodwill decorated with tulle, vintage sheet music, etc. You've gotta love a crow wearing a party hat!

One of my favorites. One of a kind. Chocolate brown box with sheet music, a pine cone from my yard, moss, etc.

Autumn burlap wreath. This one made me smile.

Sorry for the long post and, if you've made it this far, thankyou for reading!

xo,

S

Bring out the blankets (and scarves)

2011-09-30T06:10:00.000-07:00

Much to my chagrin, cooler weather has arrived in Illinois. It's been raining for the better part of the last several days and that makes me think of bundling up.....or curling up.

I've always said that, if it weren't for Chicago winters, Autumn would be my favorite season. I love sweaters, and scarves, and blankets; warm socks and mittens. I love pretty much everything about autumn. Winter, with its bitter cold, perpetually gray days and biting winds, well...notsomuch, but I'm sure that I'll mention that at least once in the coming months.

As for blankets, scarves and the like: Knit, Crochet, Weave, 2 play, 4 ply, mixed medium; as long as they are soft and interesting to look at. My favorites are worked on large needles with more than one fibre held together at a time because they are visually interesting and I can make them before I ~~suffer an attack of crafter's A.D.D.~~ have to do something more pressing. I love working with chenille, cotton and the new, washable wool but acrylic works just fine for blankets for babies, college kids or anywhere that they are going to get alot of "love" and need frequent laundering.

These are some of the blankets and scarves that I've made over the last few months:

Crochet throw. Acrylic.

Closeup of mixed fibre throw (one of three different colorways). Knit.

Simple Woven Scarf. Mixed Fibre

Crochet throw. Acrylic.

Cotton Chenille Scarves. Knit

Mixed fibre scarf. Knit

Close up of mixed fibre throw. Knit.

Stay Warm!

xo,

S

P.S. Serendipity has a facebook page with more photos on it if you're interested.

An Unlikely "Blogger"

2011-09-29T08:56:00.000-07:00

I'll admit it, I'm shy. I've never been comfortable "putting myself out there". I'm the one who's always happiest working behind the scenes to create beautiful settings for other people's parties and beautiful things for other people's lives. So, you see, the mere concept of writing about the things that I've done all my life seems more than a little daunting.

I'm not one to offer advice, unless asked but am always willing to share information, show how it's done, and the share things that I "learn along the way". I tend to allow people to see the things that I do and decide for themselves whether or not they'd like to know more. So, that's what I've decided to do.

This isn't going to be a blog about everything I do, it won't be a "regular" event that you can set a clock by. I've decided to post a few photos of the things that I'm creating and allow all of you to tell me what you want to know about. Do you think that we could do that?

I have no "logo", no banner, none of that as I haven't had the time to figure that out, yet. I have a full time job in corporate america, a home, 2 adolescent sons, a husband and a 13 year old yellow lab named "Martha Stewart".

I find that I'm just like most everyone in the blogsphere....a normal woman who is finding and creating a beautiful life...one "find," at a time. While my life hasn't always gone as "planned", it has ALWAYS been serendipitous....

Here's what I've been up to this week. Let me know what you think!

xoxo,

Serendipity

My version of a white autumn mantel using vintage lace, sheetmusic and spraypainted pumpkins

Simple autumn mantel with a coffee filter wreath and dried bittersweet, allium and hydrangea from my yard.

Outdoor urns with cabbage, bittersweet and burlap.

Halloween wreaths made from burlap and tulle.