Whiskers on Kittens

Well, I am guess you probably came here thinking I had a post about kittens, but  alas and alack, I do not!!! I was just wandering my house looking at some of my "favorite things."  Since we do have two cats, I guess whiskers on kittens would be a favorite, but today I just wanted to share some of things that make me smile around my house.

A sweet, ivory sugar bowl that was a gift from a wonderful friend and co-worker.  He sits on my kitchen windowsill and brings a smile to my face every day......

Right now, he's hanging out with a plant and a maple pig cutting board I picked up at Longaberger Outlet Store.

Here, you can see a few of my Wisconsin dairy crocks, through the winterlake style glass of my kitchen cabinets.  This glass and the crocks make me doubly happy.........

A sampling of my vintage scales.  The green Hanson I have had since 1979 when I had my first apartment.......

 A peek inside my china cabinet shows some ivory spongeware advertising pieces and a vintage coffee grinder.  The cute cow picture was cheapy Hobby Lobby purchase (yet still quite awesome!)....

In another cubby of my china cabinet, is a trio of white pitchers, all newer and  picked up at Home Goods for very low prices.  Lots of impact (and function!) for a small amount of cash and so timeless.....

Cute Redwing vase in gold, with a $1.00 WalMart plate, sweet bunny, and lamp.......

 

 

An assembly of discount store plates and a sprig of spring floral.  Nothing fancy, nothing pricey - but this group gives me a happy heart...... 

 



Two sweet canines protecting some old books in the den........

A vintage tin in a burnt orange color that was once filled with "Butterscotch" candies.  I picked this up because we have a sweet kitty named Butterscotch and thought it was a fun, personal accessory for the kitchen (it's also a great place to stash Christmas cookie cutters!).......

A vintage looking Howard Miller wall clock that my parents gave me for Christmas about twenty five years ago. It is about five inches in diameter and hangs in a little sliver of a wall between our kitchen and powder room......

 

 

Another "homage" to our pets, this 1950's advertising poster for Purina Dog Food, sports a border collie and Parker Kennels. Our dog - Parker - is a border collie and when I saw this on e-bay several years ago, I had to get it.  I think it was $3.00 plus another $1.50 for postage.  It hangs in a black frame in our laundry room.  How can you not smile at that sweet faced pup?



 

 

Also in the laundry room, is an assortment of dogs in china and iron.  The scottie on the left is an old door stop and he has followed me from house to house for the past thirty years. The other two are old floral arrangement figurines from the 50's.

 



Here, a few new finds that haven't been worked into the scheme of things yet, but just seeing them on my counter sets my heart aflutter.  I found the Brie holder for $9.99 at Target last week - super cool.  Not sure it will ever hold Brie, but it is a neat addition to the kitchen!  The bread box is beautiful and functional - I have needed a place to stow a loaf of bread for decades (yes, decades!).  I never could find one that I liked.  Pottery Barn came through with their Rhodes Bread Box - it is more than I had hoped for! Love it.

This next treasure truly is a treasure.  One of my older brothers found this when he accompanied my dad to the auto salvage junk yard when he was about eight or ten.  It is actually a very old, giant sized wind up alarm clock.  My mom had it on a table in our living room for probably forty plus years. Since my brother isn't in to collecting vintage, my mom entrusted it to me when my parents sold their farm in 2001.  I am so grateful that it has found it's way into my home, because I love it and even more so, I love the story behind it.......

Finally, one of my greatest treasures that I have not displayed in our home for quite some time and that is in need of a new, professional frame job is an advertising bill from an auction my dad had in 1968.  It was the first auction he ever held and it was  on our farm, but as the years went by we had one to two auctions from there on in through 2001.  I think my mom & dad were the original "american pickers" because let me tell you, they collected and sold alot of "junque" that they found hither and yon.  This first aucton promised a player piano (it was in our living room for about a year and we had great fun with it!), two butcher blocks, crocks, jugs, rocking chairs, clocks, commodes, antique cars, tractors - you name it, we had it.  In fact, on the morning of this first aucton they decided to sell our kitchen chairs! So, the hunt began in earnest the next day to find seven more for our large family!  Anyway, I am looking forward to displaying this in our living room - I think the graphics are so fitting to today's farmhouse look and of course, it will bring a smile to my face and my heart every time I see it....

Are you still with me folks? Apparently I have alot of favorite things!  Of course, my true favorite things aren't things at all ~faith, family, & friends~

Thanks for hanging with me today during this uber-long post. What do you treasure in your home decor?

Wishing you happiness,
Jane

Linking to:

Between Naps on the Porch

The Dedicated House

Whiskers on Kittens

Going to the Dogs (A Guest Room Color Story)

 I have been planning to do a mini re-vamp of our guest room and after months of indecision (and unwillingness to spend a lot of $$$), I have finally begun the process.  First, let me tell you a little about the room.

It is small.  It also seems to have become a catch all for furniture without a home, decor that no longer is being used elsewhere, etc., etc.  About a year and a half ago, I did spruce it up with a new desk and a Pottery Barn duvet, which you can see here.

As you can see, it's just a little tired looking - and not at all inviting to guests. To me, it seems very, very dated - and not in a good, vintagey kind of way!

Now on to the good stuff!  I have wanted to do some sort of black, gray, and yellow color scheme in this room, as I have some vintage dog pictures that I want to use and I think they will be just perfect with those colors.

Aren't they cute?  I've had them f-o-r-e-v-e-r and haven't really used them much in the last ten years or so.  Time to bring them back out and give them their due!!

I've looked high and low for fabrics, bedding, etc. and nothing really jumped out at me.  I kept coming up with something either too contemporary or too country.....what I really wanted was something traditional, with maybe a small dose of contemporary.

Today, while at Target, I came across a gorgeous gray, black, yellow, & white tablecloth which would be perfect to make drapery panels out of. (no sew, I might add).  So in the cart it went, and I was off to find some other things that might work with that as my jumping off point.

Have you seen Targets new Threshold Line? Oh my goodness, and danger Will Robinson! They have some really fabulous stuff.  All of the items, except for the pillow, came from that line.

Ta da!  I found nearly everything I need, in terms of fabric items!  Later in the day, I picked up a deco pillow at WalMart of all places and that my friends, is my guest room color story. For under $100! Woo hoo!

I love all the textures! The pillow and tablecloth-soon-to-be-curtains are of a linen type fabric, the gold blanket is has a nubby, woven texture, and beneath everything is a nubby rug. Inspiraton city!

I have some things to work on before I can put it all together - an annual clean out of the closet, clearing out some clutter and unnecessary furnishings.  I am also looking for a lamp or two.  But at least it is a start! Stay tuned!

Thanks for stopping in! Have yopu been looking for inspiration lately?

Wishing you happiness,
Jane


Linking to:
Be Inspired

Wow Us Wednesday

A Little Bit of Easter

Hi Everyone! Just thought I'd share with you what I've been up to this weekend. Saturday we had my brother in law and his girlfriend over to celebrate his birthday.  I've started a little bit of spring decor also - keeping it simple this year.  

 

 

 

I've got the table set for dinner withWalMart white plates, Debbie Mumm salad bowls, vintage gold stemware, and grainsack dishtowels from Marshalls.  (all things I had on hand).  My centerpiece is an ironstone pitcher from Marshalls, with a fern, those-been-around-blogland-for-years bunny picks from Pier One, and a little speckled egg.

 

Here is close up of the light fixture over our kitchen table.  Love this!!! For Easter I used two grass like garlands secured with burlap ties and then just a few eggs.   So cute (if I do say so myself)!

 



Aren't these bunnies just the most adorable little things? I never tire of them and I'm always sad when it's time to put them away for another year......

The birthday dinner menu included salad, lobster cakes, crab lasagna (yummmm!), garlic bread, and red velvet shooters with straweberries and  marshallow cream cheese topping for dessert. 

 

I am leaving you with a picture of the snowman Mr. Bluebird made yesterday under the close supervision of Parker!  Sadly, it is raining today and our snowy friend does not quite have the shape it used to (just like me, lol!).  Have a great evening my friends!!

 

Wishing you happiness,

 

Jane

 

Linking to:

Make it Pretty Monday

 

Metamorphosis Monday

 

Moonshine Monday

 

Tabletop Tuesday



Bottle Drying Rack - Scored a Deal!

I have been admiring the assorted glass and bottle trees around blogland lately - so charming, and practical, too! However, I have seen small ones and big ones with price tags starting at about $50 and on up into the hundreds.  Too steep for me!

 

Luckily, the gates of Kingdom of Good Deals opened for me today when I was at World Market - Christmas gift cards in hand!  I came upon this beauty with a price tag of.......wait for it......

 

$14.99!!!!

 

 

 



 

 

Such a great price! I picked up a few white mugs for $2.99 each and a little creamer for $3.99 while I was at it.  I definitely need a few more mugs, so I plan on adding more.  White mugs are everywhere and cheap, cheap, cheap - so I will be picking more up soon.

 

 

 

I love that my yelloware bowl fits in the center!

 


Still celebrating my great deal - loving the farmhouse touch it adds.  How about you - any good deals or special finds this weekend?

Wishing you happiness,
Jane

Linking to:
Make it Pretty Monday
Metamorphosis Monday
Tabletop Tuesday
Wow Us Wednesday

Doo Doo Doo, Lookin' Out My Back Door!

Hi everyone! Just wanted to show you what Mother Nature has given us this early February evening.  To quote the song by Creedence Clearwater Revival, "doo, doo, doo, lookin' out my back door!" (aging myself, I know, but I was a child of the 70's!)

 

 

 Our garden shed looks so cute, all covered with snow....

 

 

...and of course, Old Glory is always a pretty sight to see!

Parker desperately wanted to go outside, until he realized the snow turned to slush on impact (note the water drops on the door!) Once he figured that out, he made a b-line towards the house - barking all the way so we knew he wanted IN!!!!

 

Woof! Woof! WOOF! Does anybody hear me????



Mom? Somebody? Anybody?

 

I guess I need to stop taking pictures, because this pooch is getting angry!!!

 

Anyway, that's the view outside my back door tonight.  It is beautiful and I especially love it when the snow clings to the shrubs & tree - like a winter wonderland. We are supposed to get from 5 to 9 inches by morning.  I am not gonna lie - I am a school employee, and I am hoping for a snow day!!! (Sadly, the timing of this storm is ALL WRONG (thanks Mother Nature!) and off to school I go.  Oh well, wishing for one is half the fun!

 

Have a great night!

 

Wishing you happiness,

Jane

 

Linking with

Wow Us Wednesdays

Bustin' Out the Beadboard Wallpaper

Hi everyone!  As I mentioned in my last post here, I had a little weekend project that I started Saturday afternoon, and finished Sunday. 

When we built our home, the house plan called for a coat closet to be the first thing guests saw as they came into our front entry.  I nixed that, and had them turn the closet so it was in the hallway. Because of its placement near the basement stairwell, the closet ended up being very small - and just not practical for coats, etc.  So, for the past ten years we made do with hooks in the laundry room, the bed, chair, etc. 

Well, I had been planning and scheming about what to do to make this area a little more user friendly, and with the farmhouse style so popular, and our house be a farmhouse style house (!) inside and out, a beadboard and hook installation was a perfect solution.!

I picked up a $12.00 roll of beadboard wallpaper, a quart of paint, three coathoaks and went to town!



The first piece of beadboard wall paper went up - so fast and easy!

The last of the beadboard (two full, and one small piece in total).  I didn't even make a dent in my wallpaper roll - I have tons of it left.

 

 

Mr. Bluebird helped me out with the trim boards, mitering, and installing of the coathooks.

Ta da! The (almost) finished product! I say "almost" because I still plan on adding a vertical board to the right.  I will have to head to Menard's to pick one up, as it wasn't part of my original plan, but I really think it needs it to give it a finished look.  I also needed to put woodfiller in the screw hole on the upper right.

But here's the thing - I couldn't wait to show you guys what I have been working on, so I am taking a chance by posting without all the little details attended to.  Hope you still like me after that!!!

Anyway, this was a fun, easy, and FAST project (under two hours from start to (almost!) finished. The cost was less than $40, including the wrought iron hooks. The poplar board was only $2.18!  I really rather like how it turned out.   This is the view while standing in our kitchen - makes me smile!

Love it when a project turns out!!!!

Thanks for stopping by, and as always....

Wishing you happiness,
Jane

Linking with
Metamorphosis Monday
Tabletop Tuesday  (not a tabletop display, but I do have something on a flat surface!)
Wow Us Wednesday
Winter Blues Wednesday

W.W.W. - Woe to Wow in a Weekend!!!

Hi everybody!! I am working on a fun, easy, and hopefully spectacular project this weekend.  It is       l-o-n-g overdue, and I am excited to get started.

Here is the area that is being attacked:

It is a little sliver of space in our front entry, next to the den. (and oh, yes, that is a bin of Christmas (the last of the snowmen & such) that you sharp eyes spot to the right!)  Anyway, it is kind of a blah area, with blah prints from a decorating style of long ago. They also look particularly goofy with the light switch in between them. Fail on my part! This has just never been much of a spot, but we have a real need for what my plans are for this area and I think it is also going to be super cute. (Fingers crossed!)

Anyway (again!), I have gathered up the supplies for the re-do of the space.....

Yep, that's right - I am busting out the beadboard wallpaper! (love that stuff!)  I've got some paint, a little bit of hardware, and a poplar board.  And I tell you, it will all combine to be fabulous! Hopefully I will be back late tomorrow with the results.

Thanks for stopping by - what are you up to this weekend?

Wishing you happiness,
Jane