A Few Mirror Finds and a Mirror Dilemma

I am slowly adding accessories in our bathroom as I find things and when the mood strikes me. When I saw this mirror outside one of my favorite antique stores, I knew the perfect place for it. It looks right at home here above the bathtub. It was already white and distressed, although, there is maybe a little too much distressing on the right side. I might have to fix that when I get around to it.

Even my hubby said that it was the perfect fit on that wall. It only took me 1 1/2 years to find it!

I needed a full length mirror in here and found this one at Goodwill. I painted it white and distressed it a little then hung it behind the door. Now I can check out my shoes and outfit at the same time without having to stand on the bathtub!

Now, here is the dilemma...do you see anything missing? No, not the top knobs on the left vanity silly, we still only have one mirror because my hubby does not like the one I have and doesn't want to buy another one. If the mirror rests on the wall, then you can't see your head. I put a block of wood behind it, but it would be best if the mirror was straight up and down. We can't get it to stay that way though.

I think this is the first time I have showed you my vanities. I found a guy on Craigslist who is a cabinet maker and I sent him a Pottery Barn picture of the style I wanted. He built them from the picture for a great price! We used a granite remnant from their "boneyard" and it's called Black Galaxy. I love the sparkles in it. He gave them to me unfinished and I painted them the same white as the trim and board and batten in the bathroom. It's a custom color I had mixed at Home Depot and it is the perfect soft white.

I chose classic polished chrome faucets. You can see some sparkles here in the granite. I got these baskets from Pottery Barn to go underneath and hold extra lotion, soap, and towels.

I used the enamel numbers I got at the Country Living Fair on the baskets. The '95 is for the year we got married.

So, now to decide what to do about the mirror. Do I sell this one and start over or buy another one of these from Home Depot and try to make it work. Any thoughts???

It's Feelin' Like Spring

Cherry blossoms are my favorite.

It's just not spring without some bunnies and birds.

This color green makes me happy!

Loving this color combo

So proud of these two for a great cheerleading and basketball season. This was on the awards day. We are now "sports free" and enjoying some fun time outside.

Hope you are enjoying Spring too!

A Fresh Take on Board and Batten

I am loving my new floors! Here is a daylight picture of them like I promised. I didn't take a bigger picture because honestly, I haven't gotten my house all back in order yet. It has been a slow process!

Here is the living room with hardwood instead of carpet. I love it, just need a big cozy rug! This project has led to other projects, of course. It's always that way isn't it? While the furniture was out of the dining room, I decided to repaint it and add some molding to the lower part of the walls.

Here is what it looked like before. This was at Thanksgiving. Sorry for the dark picture.

This is the new paint color. It is called Oyster Bay by Sherwin Williams. It brightened up this room a lot.

I wanted to do board and batten up higher in here, but we are short on time and money, so I kept the existing chair rail and added the molding below it. I decided to do board and batten with a middle horizontal row for something different. I used the lattice strips at Home Depot. They are found in the lumber section near the fencing and sell for 88 cents each. My sweet hubby cut them to size and each middle section is 12 inches long unless there was an outlet. They don't have to be spaced perfectly, just pleasing to the eye. I used liquid nails to glue them up. They are light, so we didn't need nails.

I then caulked all the seams and spaces (this is the longest part, but so important!), then I painted it all with white trim paint in semi gloss. I had to do two coats of paint.

I love how it updated and freshened up the room and it only cost $15 to do not including the paint. I am pleased!

I am linking up to The Shabby Chic Cottage- Transformation Thursday

There is Just Something About a White Kitchen

Now that our new floors are in, I have been pondering a new paint color for my kitchen. Isn't that how it always works? One thing leads to another...anyway, I find myself drawn to white kitchens. They have such an inviting, calming effect. I love how you can add color when you are in the mood with no real commitment. Here are some of my favorites from blogland. Go and check out their blogs!

Source: Flea Market Trixie

Source: Cote De Texas

Source: Buckets of Burlap

Source: Northwest Hospitality

Source: Jennifer Rizzo

For now, I will dream....Have a great week!

I Chose Dark Floors!

I finally made a decision about which hardwood floors I wanted and they started on Friday. I am so excited! They took up the carpet in the living room first. It is only 2 yrs. old so we put that carpet in my daughter's room and took out her old carpet. It took me awhile to decide if I wanted hardwood in the Family Room, but I knew it was "now or never" so I took the plunge.
BTW, I repainted this room in a color called Wool Skein by Sherwin Williams. Do you like it? I haven't done the foyer yet...we usually don't have all that furniture in the foyer either.

The kids skated on the concrete floors all weekend and had a blast! They wanted to keep these floors, but mommy had other plans!

Today started the tearing out of the old and damaged wood floors (we had a leak). This was a much louder, messier and dustier process than I first imagined. We had to leave the house or have ringing in the ears for days...

I can't believe how fast they worked. They got all the old out and laid the new floor in one day. It would have taken us at least a week I am sure!

Here is the new floor tonight and I just love it! I will take more pics in the daylight, but the floor is the perfect mix of rustic elegance. It is an engineered wood made by Shaw called Nottaway Hickory and the color is Weathered Saddle. It is handscraped which gives it a wavy look and the price was very reasonable. They have to come back tomorrow and do the shoe molding, so for now we are sleeping with the oven and the couch in our bedroom. More pics to come!

Wanna Save Some Money?

Make your own Laundry Detergent!
I started doing this about a year and a half ago. This is a real money saver and does not take that much time. It has worked out to be about one batch/bucketfull a year for me and these ingredients make more than one batch. I spent about $6 on the ingredients and this detergent really does clean the clothes just as well! I still buy my fabric softener, but I know you can make that too. Here's how to do it:

Ingredients: I got mine at Target and Publix
4 Cups - hot tap water


1 Fels-Naptha soap bar


1 Cup - Arm & Hammer Super Washing Soda


*½ Cup Borax

- Grate bar of soap and add to saucepan with water. Stir continually over medium-low heat until soap dissolves and is melted.




(I know it looks like I have two big toes, but I was standing on my foot, I guess. )

-Fill a 5 gallon bucket half full of hot tap water. Add melted soap, washing soda and Borax. Stir well until all powder is dissolved. Fill bucket to top with more hot water. Stir, cover and let sit overnight to thicken.


-Stir and fill a used, clean, laundry soap dispenser half full with soap and then fill rest of way with water. Shake before each use. (will gel)


-Optional: You can add 10-15 drops of essential oil per 2 gallons. Add once soap has cooled. Ideas: lavender, rosemary, tea tree oil. (You can get this at the Vitamin store or Hobby Lobby) I add this to mine to make it smell good.

-Yield: Liquid soap recipe makes 10 gallons.

-Top Load Machine- 5/8 Cup per load (Approx. 180 loads)

-Front Load Machines- ¼ Cup per load (Approx. 640 loads)

*Arm & Hammer "Super Washing Soda" - in some stores or may be purchased online here (at Meijer.com). Baking Soda will not work, nor will Arm & Hammer Detergent - It must be sodium carbonate!!

Source: Duggar Family Website

Would love to know if you try it and what you think!

Thrift Store lamp + old potato sack = Chic Lamp Makeover

One of the items on my "New Years to-do list" (we all have those right? even if we don't write them down) was to work on getting some new lamps. I am a bargain shopper and lamps are not cheap! I went to Goodwill, the lamp graveyard, and found this brass one for less than $5.

I had a white drum shade from Target and I covered it with one of these potato sacks I bought at the Country Living Fair for $5. I just cut it a little larger than the shade and folded the sides under and hot glued it on.

I painted the lamp a Metallic Bronze and added some ruffle trim to it from Hobby Lobby (also hot glued on). And I have a new lamp for under $20 including the drum shade. I might go back and paint the lamp using a looking glass spray paint once I get some to lighten the look a little, but I'm still deciding.

For now, I am quite pleased!

Here she is at night.

Linking up to Transformation Thursday at Shabby Chic Cottage

Today I am Loving Stripes

The Lettered Cottage

I'm sure many of you have seen this reading room. I love the soft stripes.

Country Living

I just saw this picture today in the March Country Living and I fell in love! What bold stripes and that turquiose chandelier is to die for! Could I live with these black and white stripes everyday? Hmmm, not sure.


Three Men and a Lady
I recently discovered this blog and her foyer is so fun and unexpected. Mine is a lot smaller, but maybe this is what it needs for some punch.

The Nester

Here are some striped curtains instead of going all out with the paint. This is another option and would save a lot of time for sure.

I am thinking I need some stripes in my dining room or foyer. Both of these rooms have been needing something special. More to come once I decide...