The girl who was {gasp!} ALMOST too sick to DIY...

This story is not for the faint of heart! Once upon a time there was a girl...who had an idea in her head

 (from a picture she saw on the internets...)

here for more on that lovely house.

...she just had to do in her own home. 

She had the perfect mini door, it just needed a couple of crossbars: one at the top and one at the bottom, like this:

...and some paint and sanding.  Unfortunately, she had a sudden case of cold and flu, and was feverish,  achy, sneezy and nauseous and ALMOST didn't have enough strength to finish this project.  But, she knew she wouldn't let a little thing like being practically on her death bed stop her. (She is a house-aholic, after all.) So, she got to it, and only had to almost vomit twice. 

(Lucky for her, the bathroom is in the same hallway.)

When it was finished, it looked like this:

And she knew it was worth the effort. And then, she went to bed.

And dreamed of all the other projects waiting to be done.

The END.

Done with Christmas...and color!

Right about this time of year every year, I have had it with Christmas! I am sorry to say that this year is no exception! It will not surprise you to find out that I go all out when decorating for this very festive season, complete with Santa's workshop of toys right in my living room.When I begin staging for Christmas (the day after Thanksgiving), it is exciting and fun to bring out buckets and baskets and keepers of decorations. It is my favorite time to change up my whole house. And I love it...all the way til about the last week of December. And then, I am so over the color and chaos and clutter of all the extra "goodies" hanging about. I am ready for some serious un-decorating by New Year's Eve. And normally, New Year's Day begins the process of decluttering, packing away and deep cleaning. Normally.

This year, however, I had surgery to repair a torn labrum (cartilage) in my hip joint on December 22nd. And I am on crutches for at least 2 weeks. Which I really believed all along would only be a couple of days. So, by the day after Christmas, I tried ditching the crutches and resuming my usual activities. (The Colonel said not to do it, but how can he stop me when he is in another state?) And then I found out that I am still very weak and that my hip has a long way to go yet to be healed.  (The Colonel said the words to me: "Be patient.")

So, this year, I am taking down Christmas each day, a little at a time, and relocating it to the breakfast room table until I can get someone to pull down the boxes and buckets and baskets and keepers for me. I am not accustomed to well, being patient. So, it's going to be a long couple of weeks, I 'spose.

I am dreaming not of a white Christmas, but a white January...monochromatic is the vision dancing around in my head !

In the meantime, however, I did discover that I could sit on the floor in the kitchen and paint the island. HA! I bet if I think really hard, I could find some other things I can do while sitting and scooting. (Just don't tell the Colonel!)

habitually yours,
DeeDee

Do It!

Today, I am sharing with you an idea that came to me when I needed a better way to keep my family organized.  Several people have duplicated it and adjusted it in size and material to fit their needs. This is how I did it:

I purchased 35 clipboards and spray painted them with black chalkboard paint.

I then lined up the boards in 5 rows of 7, and then with vinyl (I have a machine, but you could use a stencil, or print out on the computer) I cut the days of the week and placed them atop the highest row. I used a small piece of wood painted chalkboard black for the months, and outlined a border around it with ribbon. I stuck small squares of 3m dual locking tape (I like it better than velcro, because it all sticks to each other any way) to each board in the bottom right hand corner, and then printed out numbers, cut and laminated them and attached the dual tape to the backs. I finished it off by tying a cute bow on the clips.

I change out the numbers with each month. When we receive invitations, reminders, etc, we just put them on the board and it keeps us on track.

Now, I have a very large wall that accommodated all those boards. If you do not, you could use the miniature clipboards, or you could just do a week calendar. I have one friend that used roofing tiles to create her calendar. Use what works for you! Do it! You'll be glad you did!

Fall is here!

My habit this time of year?! Apples, pumpkins, cinnamon, cloves and wheat! 

 I am a little embarrassed that I never got my Halloween pictures posted, so here you go:

Why, yes, I DO change my house for every season! I have so many ideas floating around in my head, I must get them out and onto the canvas of the spaces in my house! I will share some more pictures with you over the next few weeks and give you some ideas of how to bring a little of the season into your own home (without changing the whole place!)
 In November, I love to celebrate the harvest and the bounteous blessings we receive from the earth. One way to bring that bounty indoors, is to stand some wheat stems in a pitcher or vase, or even just tie some jute around a bunch of wheat and stand on a table. In the above photo, I have dressed my breakfast table with a simple old wood crate filled with my apples, the wheat and a pie pumpkin. It sits there as a tribute to the changing colors and gifts from nature. And yes, the apples are actually for eating! I may be addicted, but I am not cracked!

 Happy Fall, Y'all!

 P.S. go HERE for my very first giveaway!

Guess what I've been up to?!!!

SEWING!!!!! I had to re-make slipcovers. My first attempt, while they turned out cute, were not sturdy. I love the look of orsnaburg, so I used that and, well, not a good idea. So, this time I bought a 9' x 12' canvas drop cloth, and cut and sewed away! Here is the finished project!

And here it is in the room:

I also made this cutie patootie shirt (that I started about a year ago). With my new ruffler foot, it was a snap!

So, friends...that is what I have been up to the last few days! (Along with homeschooling, a couple of sickies, and finishing up my "new" dining room!) I am getting really close to posting the addict's attic items...so stay tuned!

ANNOUNCING!!!!!

...the Addict's Attic!

An exciting venture for you and for me! I find from time to time, that as my tastes change {and along with that my furniture, paint colors, linens, accessories, etc...you get the idea}, I have a few things in my house that no longer have a place. I have thought about opening a booth at a local antiques store, or donating to a local thrift shop, but I had the inspiration that I could do something way more cool! So, what I have decided to do is to keep an inventory of these things, and post it to a separate page here on my blog, and to offer these items to YOU!

The shelf I have just finished is going to the house of a new friend that I have had the pleasure of giving some ideas to for her house! She has been working hard and I will post pictures of that endeavor on here very soon!

This is how this "deal" will go down: I will post pictures of the items on the page, and you will claim the item that you want. Then, the item will be loaned to you for a period of one year. When that year is up, you may choose to return the item to the attic, negotiate another term of loan, or buy the item outright.

Now, if you have something that you would care to "loan' to your fellow addicts, we will work together to put your item up for loan also!

I think this will be a great way to support each other's habits and to grab some cute things for your house!

I will get the page up and running within the next couple of days...so check back!

...and now, it's tomorrow!

heh heh heh...thanks to my internet crashing, then my mouse not working, It has taken me a lot longer than I planned to post this. Sorry! But, here are the rest of the instructions for "weathering" a piece of furniture.

You'll need a sander, and some medium weight sandpaper...{I used 100 grit}

Then, start sanding the edges of your piece:

Then, sand off paint in places where it would receive wear naturally:

Lastly, look it over and see if the wear looks even. If not, sand a little more. Voila! Behold your finished piece!

You can also antique the piece, (with antiquing medium...another post)if you want a little more age added to it, and of course, you can finish with a spray finish or wax {especially if it will be outside}.

YES!!! I still have a BIG announcement... but, I want to make a separate post for that. So, enjoy this little tutorial, and I will post again tomorrow. Promise.