Dollar Store Deal

On my last trip to the dollar store I came across these stepping stones, they were 7 inch squares and I loved the sayings, but not so much the colors. This yellow goldish color is just not pretty in person. I decided to grab a few and bring them home in hopes I could figure out someway to use them.


I painted them white and glazed them, added little felt pads on the back so now they can sit on an easel, be used as a trivet or I could place a hanger on the back and hang them on the wall. I am thrilled with my dollar store find and no one would ever guess they were stepping stones for a buck!

Message Board Makeover

Remember me?? Seems like I have been gone forever. Well it's been since Christmas! Life has a way of getting so busy and I have allowed it to overtake my "me" time. So now I have decided to grab the bull by the horns and take back my "me" time. My home was built in the 70's and while I love the wonderful perks it offers, it also offered a huge ugly semi working intercom. I detested it with every bone in my body, it stuck out like a sore thumb in my kitchen. One evening I told my husband I wanted it gone and within an hour it was and I was left with a hole. Not exactly the result I was looking for but it pushed me to do something about it. Mr. C ( hubby) found me an old gold frame in the attic and we painted it white.

While white was a thousand times better than the aged gold, it was stark...so to the kitchen table it came and my helpers and I went to work.

Alfred our cat doesn't look like he is helping but he is putting in his two cents..



And Sam my baby is also supporting me and keeping me company.




We glazed and glazed..




Until it looked like this and than I asked Mr. C to cut me some plywood to fit the frame, he did and we painted it with chalkboard paint.



This was my ugly hole..we will get around to drywalling it and matching the wall paper, but for now I refer to it as my secret hidy hole. LOL




And now my finished project, I love my board, it serves great for menus, grocery lists, quotes, reminders..prayer request..everything under the son. I love it and eve better I don't have to look at the ugly intercom anymore. Thanks Mr. C!!!!!!!!!!

Also attending this party over at:
Be colorful
Show off your Cottage Monday
Todays Creative Blog

Between naps on the Porch

New Years Eve table

I am joining Marty over at A stroll thru life for Table Top Tuesday as well at Tablescape Thursday over at Between Naps on the Porch!

We had our annual New years Eve party and it was wonderful..I love entertaining for our family and friends. We have little ones, teens and adults. I love serving lots of food and my friends always ask..why do you go all out? The answer is the same every time..I do it because I love too. I took a small Christmas tree that I had on the breakfast room table and moved it into the dining room, and from there just added different size boxes, covered them all in fabric and made places for my platters. I don't know if any of you remember Christopher Lowell but he use to preach "lifts and levels"!

I also string white lights through my platters and cover that with another fabric, I am all about layers!

This actually looks like i have room on the table..well even after going over the menu over and over again, we ran out of table room. My mom always was told she "cooked for an army" I think I do also.

Only thing missing..the food. I like to get everything set up on the table so I can make sure everything is easy to get to and looks well together.

Hope you enjoyed my New Years Eve set up..

Great Offer

Attempting Aloha is offering a really wonderful pdf to the first 100 posters who take part. she has taken a 5.00 clock and turned it into something out of Pottery barn..and she is offering to send you a personalized pdf so you can make your own..How wonderful is that. So hop on over and visit her!

Welcome to Our Home

I am joining The Nester on her Christmas Tour of Homes and Show off your Cottage Monday this evening. While I feel like I have thrown together this posting..I hope you will forgive me. Let start at the curb..we are in Texas and its a battle keeping the leaves racked up. As you can see we let it go this weekend. LOL. I didn't want my sweet hubby to get up on the ladder to string lights across the top of the house..so this year "less is more".

Come on up the walk, can you hear the water from the fountain? I love the sound of water, in the backyard I get to hear the waterfall to the pool, so when Mr. Charming bought me this fountain, well I was over the moon.

As you enter our home I hope you feel welcome..

Would you like a candy cane, four different flavors. Between Mr. Charming and our son, these usually have to be restocked often. I love Santa's, my first was one of these mugs a neighbor made me as a child. I have added new mugs here and there over the years.

Let's walk into the study where our main tree is..if you did not feel welcome before I hope you do now. Candi and Sammi are here to greet you.

This tree is one of several in our home. It has some really beautiful ornaments on it but if you look close, many tell a story.

Lots of silver, gold, crystal and a pop of color here and there.

See our hedgehog? He lets us remember our son's hedgehog "Sonic".

We have several elephants on the tree..I buy one each year..they say "an elephant never forgets" these elephants remind me of my mom and dad who passed 6 years ago. My mom collected elephants and now I celebrate with them on our tree.

See that OLD tiny stocking? That was given to my parents for me when I was just 3 months on for my first Christmas.

And while I love the egg ornament, check out that old metal bell. It still jingles, I have three of them that were from my grandmothers tree.

This is one of the feather wreaths I make..its a deep brown one and after I took the photo I traded it off with a hunter green one..I think it looks much better. The candles have ribbon wrapped around them to give them some holiday bling!

I love seeing the reflection of the tree in the mirror, here are a few little jars I made..I am sure you have seen them around blogland, I think many people made them.

ok..lets move on..as we pass the stairway and all the stockings waiting for Santa..

I told you I like Santa's!!

Here is the tree in the family room, where we spend a great deal of time.

Here is my fireplace..its a thorn in my side, but its on "the list" for a redo..lol Until than, we work with that white brick!

This is the nativity that I remember as a child..its not fancy, its not huge..except on great memories. (Notice the elephant lamp, that's my mom's)

Santa's in the bookcase..

My coffee table decor..guess I should have lit the candles..

Lets head to the kitchen..

How about coffee, tea or hot chocolate?

Love my old Santa on top of the fridge.

Lots of baking and candy making goes on in our kitchen!

Thanks for dropping by.. you'll have to see the rest of the house on a later posting because this elf has to wrap gifts. Happy Holidays and Merry Christmas!
ohhh here a preview of what I am working on in the dining room..tune in later this week..