More Den

We spend the majority of our time at home in this teeny tiny den.

It is where Jonge, Famke and I play during the day.

It's where THGGM and I watch HGTV on cold winter evenings.

The Den

Last night, just before I went to bed, I walked past the doorway of this room. The only light in the house was coming from that little lamp. For some unknown reason, the sight of this humble little corner of a teeny tiny den took me by surprise and I gasped audibly.

I live here.

Slowly, but Surely

THGGM has spent the last few days painting the 'entryway' in the basement.

I really like the green. It's a big improvement over the textured vinyl wallpaper.

I think I have more of the green fabric to make a curtain for the door. I hope so. It needs something else.

Dutch Boys

I'm finding it harder and harder to find nice Dutch plates.

I found this one at an antique mall priced so low I took my glasses off and pressed it to my nose just to make sure I was reading it correctly.

And, I was!

Okay. Picture the wall pale yellow. I think everything I have will show up nicely against that.

If not, THGGM likes to paint!

Oh! Aren't They the Cutest?

I found this Dutch couple in an antique mall.

They were locked in a glass cabinet.

I rarely look into glass cabinets, because it usually means 'expensive'.

But, they weren't. Not at all.

They were cheap.

After all, they ARE Dutch.

Which means they are thrifty.

I haven't found a permanent home for them yet.

They do look rather at home on the shelf over the stove.

Someday, the wall color will be a butter cream yellow - very neutral.

I Love Fall! Beautiful, Beautiful, Fall!

I haven't done all of the fall decorating I intend to, but I have a start!

We already bought our Christmas present for this year.

It's the two-sided clock, hung between the living room and dining room.

Two for the price of one.

Take One Window...

I cannot help myself.

I'm a fan of these funky glass pieces.

THGGM loathes them.

Loathes.

So, I put them in a window that is covered up with blinds in the evening, due to the sun.

Of course, they DO look better when the sun is shining in them, but one must always strive to live in peace, as much as possible.

I even ventured out into the yard today.

I wanted to cut some black-eyed susans to put in my test-tube-ish jars. I believe they were intended for spices, but they hold the susans very well.

Oh, and see that school just down the street? That is the high school my two youngest graduated from.

How nice would that have been back in the day?

Starting Tuesday, good-bye quiet little street!

Geraniums on a Chair

Okay...How's This?

Oh! What a fabulously bright idea to rid the room of those green curtains.

I'd forgotten just how wonderful it is to let light flood a room!

I also like how the lacy curtains puddle just a tiny bit on the floor.

Sadly, I've only the one pair.

Give me a day or two. I'll find something, somewhere.

Blue, Blue, My Guest Room Is Blue...

This is the view of the guest room from the door way.

This dresser is now a changing table for those guests who require changing.

To the left of the changing table is an old cedar chest that I have under the window, hoping to use it as a 'window seat'.

Presently it is padded with an old white packing quilt and covered in a table cloth.

Note how it is not 'pictured'.

It still needs some work.


Although I must say, it is rather comfortable!

I'm sitting on it to take this picture.

I pulled the color blue from the water in this Mary Cassatt print.

The blue also matched the other beach picture, which looks so much like Jonge that it is uncanny.

Also not pictured is my writing desk. For some reason, it just would not cooperate. But, this room certainly does feel like a nice place to sit and write. Or, at least, sit and THINK about writing.

(i am still VERY unsure of those mossy green curtains...VERY unsure...)

The Sea Shore Room

I wanted to have a blue guest room.

I love the Mary Cassatt picture, so picked out the lightest blue from the water.

IF I can find a quilt (that i already have) with this shade of blue and the tan of the sand (which is also the carpet color) AND the mossy shade of green like the curtains, I will keep the curtains.

If I can't find something to pull in the green, it will have to go.

Actually, in the day light, the blue is rather pale and the green much more transparent.

But, I think I can make it work.

I think I can, I think I can, I think I can...

Arghhhh...

I will most likely be messing around with this cabinet until the end of time.

I really like enamel ware. So, I first loaded up the cabinet with that.

But then, WAIT! What to do with the tins, salt shakers, Dutch people and old lunch pails?

Oh.., difficult decisions abound in my crazy little world.

Corner Cupboard

The kitchen will most likely be the LAST room we do.

So, I've been fusing around with this corner built in.

The hardest part of moving into a house that has been well maintained, is that my chippy, rippy and cheap finds look oddly out of place.

I suppose after we are here awhile, we will bang things up and everything will look at home.

Until then...

Oh, the bottom shelf is waiting for some stuff that hasn't surfaced yet. In the mean time, I'm putting odd things that fit nowhere else there.

The plain was to paint the kitchen yellow.

I've changed my mind. It will be a golden wheat color.

One never knows how many shades of yellow there are until one tries to pick out the 'perfect yellow' only to find that there isn't one!

Soon...

Ah, yes. Soon, this will feel like home.

Until then, I thought I would just label it 'HOME' and see if that helps.

I wasn't quite sure where I wanted to put my Norman Rockwell Mother's Day plates.

I'm not a plate fan, but I do like these. Especially the grandmotherly ones.

I have two more, thanks to the 50% off sale at our favorite thrift store.

Those just may have to go on top.

THGGM hung the Carl Larsson in the bedroom also. I like it there.

We're Moving In!

Into our bedroom, that is.

We've been here two weeks.

THGGM has been working like a slave to get everything all set.

He has been painting, painting some more, ripping up carpet, hanging pictures, delivering dressers and moving furniture.

Finally, tonight, we will 'move in' to our bedroom.

We are not sure about the yellow.

What we were looking for was a 'golden brown mustard' color. This is YELLOW.

I happen to like it very much, but I am sensing that THGGM has plans to deepen and darken the yellow part as soon as he gathers some strength.

We'll see...

The Breeze Way

This is the entry way into the house. It has entry doors from the side street and back yard and a door from the garage and one into the kitchen. If that isn't enough doors for you - it also has the stairway to the basement with a small door at the top of the steps and another door at the bottom.

In between all those doors there is room for furniture! Since it looks like it would be difficult to hang THGGM's porch swing, he is happily relaxing (although not very often) on the porch love seat.

The windows are amazing!

At first I thought it would seem awfully dark out there, but with two complete walls of louvered windows and all the white chippy furniture, it has a rather happy look to it.

In this picture you see the door to the garage and the door to the back yard.

I haven't yet filled the white cupboard with what I REALLY want in there yet, but when I do I'll be sure to post pictures.

There are also two small end tables with bottom book shelves that I have many of my cookbooks on.

This just seems like the perfect place for me to sit, and rock, and look at pictures of food I might make when I get my stove connected!

THGGM found this perfect daisy growing in the lawn.

He brought it in to me.

It's my little bit of beauty amongst all the boxes.

Oh, how in need I am of a little bid of beauty!

Not sure which I needed more, the flower, or the thought that he knew I needed it.

Canister Lid-Scarves

I almost forgot that I have these embroidered napkins with tatted edges!

I tucked them into the handles of the lids to my canisters.

Not so sure how long that will last, but I do like the look!

Cutter Topped Bottles

I found this idea in a magazine. Although I didn't do it quite like they did. I left the 'cut-out' part in the cutter, and set that right into the bottle.





I am very happy with how they turned out!

Amazing View Out the Living Room Window

Certainly I cannot be the only person who finds it truly amazing that EVERY night the sun goes down and EVERY morning it comes up again.

Some nights it is a spectacular sight. Tonight was one of those nights.

Good Stuff

I found this beautiful 'pin dish' at an antique mall today.

I've got pins, and now I have a place to put them!

I also found this recipe box FULL of hand written recipes!

And to think that I didn't even know that I needed one.

Moving Right Along...

Um. Okay.

We moved the loveseat into the living room.

I liked it in the den, but it matches better in the living room than the loveseat that we had in there.

And, amazingly, the other loveseat looks pretty good in the den.

So, we changed around a lot of things.

And bought another lamp at the thrift store. Can't have too many lamps.

Nope.

Cute Little Yellow Bunny

I found the cute little bunny and egg planter at an antique mall today.

It fits right in with the yellow stuff in the bathroom, and I just happened to find the same flowers that are in the picture to pop into it!

Oh, how I LOVE when things work out like that.

Makes me feel special.

Love Seats

Saturday THGGM walked into our favorite thrift store and saw this love seat. It had a 'hold' tag on it.

Because the price was SO incredible he asked if it was possible to put his name on it if the 'hold' fell through.

I think Son-in-law is really beginning to regret owning a pick-up truck.

Anyway, I can see that the curtains will have to go, but they would go anyway when the air-conditioner goes into that window. I certainly do not see THAT happening this week.

Spring Decorating

I've never been a fan of turquoise and brown, but it really worked for the bunny and chick!

Then, I found some old beads and made a funky looking button bouquet. The pastel button bouquet came out pretty. I wanted the bunny to actually HOLD the bouquets, but it makes her tip over. I guess I will have shoot some lead into her tail.

Then, I found the "Little Pillows" book. A friend of mine from church gave it to me years ago. I love it. It was written by Frances Ridgely Havergal. For some reason, Baby Boy is very attached to this book. He likes to point at the words and follow them with his finger.

Spring Sprang Sprung

Teeny tiny white flowers have appeared all over the backyard.

They are really pretty!

Spring Is Here.

We've been anxiously awaiting Spring.

I opened my front door this morning, and Spring greeted me with rain.

Snow still lays in piles where the sun doesn't shine, and even where it does.

I opened the door, and welcomed her anyway.