Thursday, April 19, 2012

Tulips, Weddings & Baseball Games

We are back from our little trip to Washington State. It was quick and busy but we definitely had a lot of fun! Among the many things that we did was to visit the Tulip Festival in La Conner, WA. I had been before but this was Cody's first time. My cousin and her 2 kids met us there and we all enjoyed seeing so many tulips! These are just a few of the many pictures I took!
I love how a random color will sneak in!
We could not have asked for better weather! This part of Washington is known for its constant raining, so we lucked out!
If you have never had the chance to visit the Skagit Valley Tulip Festival, I recommend putting it on your bucket list as something to do!
The main reason we went to Washington was for my friend Rachael's wedding. She got married in Belligham. Since this was her second wedding, she chose to wear a red dress. It was amazing!
We all got our hair and makeup done by professionals (as a wedding makeup artist myself, I was a bit disappointed in the job he did on me. I had to touch it up after he left!) But it was still a lot of fun having someone else do it for me!
Her flowers were white roses and anemones. Her bouquet had black feathers in it. The cameo on her bouquet has been in her family for about 200 years and each bride has worn it. It was probably one of the prettiest ones I have seen!Here is a fun picture of the wedding party-Brady Bunch style! I am the blonde!
Our last adventure was to watch the Seattle Mariners play the Cleveland Indians at Safeco Field. My husband is a huge Indian's fan so he was beyond excited for this game! A home run was hit right into our section and Cody came so close to catching it! Here is a clip-Cody is in the red and white striped beanie and I am in the green sweatshirt. At about 31 seconds in, you can see us try to catch it! http://mlb.mlb.com/video/play.jsp?content_id=20710095&c_id=mlb
A Mariners fan took this picture...he was upset that the Mariners lost and that we were Indian's fans. I think that is why the picture turned out so blurry!
We stayed with my cousin in Olympia, Washington for 2 days. She treated us so well. We ate like royalty! Her little dog Sullivan was the cutest thing. He helped us not miss our own fur babies too much!
We are glad to be home and we had a lot of fun. I wonder what our next adventure will be?
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Tuesday, April 10, 2012

Heirloom Table

This is my vintage dining room table. It is quite special because before it belonged to me, it belonged to both of my grandma's. My grandma Carmene had it first and it was painted white. She decided to sell it in a yard sale and my mom bought it for her mom. She stripped off all the white paint and stained it back to its original mahogany color. I was by her side the whole time, helping her where I could.
When my grandma Noreen decided to get a different table years later, she held onto it so that she could pass it on to one of her grandchildren. Since I am her oldest granddaughter, I was the one that got it. I kept it in its original stained color for quite awhile. I couldn't find a picture of it though. Cody and I refinished this a few years ago. We also reupholstered the chairs.
I believe that this is a Duncan Phyfe table but I don't have any proof of that. I looked up these specific tables on line and never found one quite as lovely as mine. I know that my grandma Carmene had this table for at least 30 years and my grandma Noreen had it for at least 20 years. I have had it for nearly 10 years. So it is definitely an antique and in very good shape. The detail on the legs is absolutely stunning! The carving is amazing and I think it is one of a kind!
I love that I can put the sides down and it is the perfect size for Cody and I. If we need it to be bigger, we simply raise the leaves and it easily seats 6-8 people. It came with 4 ladder back chairs. I love the curves and shape of the chairs.
The fact that this table belonged to both of my grandmother's makes it really special. It quickly became a family heirloom that I am in no hurry to get rid of. I hope to pass it on to a child of my own someday.
The most stunning part of this table is the legs, wouldn't you agree! Blogger did not upload my pictures in the order that I had them-that is so frustrating!
Cody and I are off to the Seattle/Bellingham area this weekend. My friend is getting married and I am a bridesmaid. We will be going to the Tulip Festival in Skagit Valley, visiting family in Seattle and also attending a Seattle Mariners vs. Cleveland Indians (Cody's favorite team) game. It will be hard to be away from our fur babies for 4 1/2 days but it will be a lot of fun and we will survive (I hope)!

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Sunday, April 1, 2012

A new bed

My grandfather was a carpenter. He could build amazing things with his hands. Since my mom was his oldest child, she was lucky enough to receive many of his creations before he passed away. When my mom graduated from high school, he built her a bed for a graduation present. My mom has had that bed since 1978 and today, her bed became mine.
My grandpa made this bed for my mom as well as her dining room table and a China closet. My parents put these items in their will-I get the bed, my sister gets the China closet and my brother gets the table. I got mine early-my sister and brother have to wait a lot longer to get theirs! When my mom became pregnant with me, my grandpa built a cradle. I will get that someday and will do a separate post on all of these pieces.
My parents decided that they wanted a bigger bed and that is why this bed is now ours. We also have a bigger house with a bigger bedroom so it worked out perfectly. We used to have a double bed so a queen sized bed will be a welcome change. This is quite the bed. My grandpa came up with the design all on his own. It is unique and definitely one of a kind. It is also sturdy and well built. The wood is mahogany. My mom sent me queen sized sheets since I had none along with wood polish and scratch cover. I have been instructed to oil it at least twice a year so the wood doesn't split. Growing up, that was one of my summer chores so I guess you could say I am used to it! This whole bedroom is in need of a major makeover. The walls need painted, I need nightstands and I need new linens for the bed. And all the shelves on the headboard are just begging to be decorated. I can't wait to hit yard sales this summer to find all the things I need to make this bedroom and bed mine! On another note, I got to take pictures of the cutest little family this weekend. Baby A is the sweetest baby ever. He is such a good baby and I just love him so much. His daddy has been my brothers best friend since kindergarten and is now a very good friend of my husbands. His momma works at the vet where we take our dogs and always lets me love on A. He just happens to be 6 months old today and is growing like a weed. Here are a few favorites from our photo shoot.Isn't that the cutest smile you have ever seen? Melts your heart!
I bought these Carhart's for him and knew that they would look adorable on him!
He is the cutest little thing and I am so happy that I get to be a part of his life!

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Hope everyone is having a wonderful April so far! Remember, April showers bring May flowers!




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Friday, March 23, 2012

Easter is in the Air!

Easter and Spring are definitely on their way at my house! I don't have a lot of decorations, but the few that I do have really seem to liven the place up. This is my very favorite candelabra. Each egg sits on a little nest of pink Easter grass. I just love it!
I made these little eggs last year. The glasses that they are sitting in are bulb starters I believe? They are still some of my very favorite decorations!
My sweet little lamb from childhood is perfect for spring and Easter. He sits in a little wreath of green and white.
This pretty little Easter basket was something I received in a teacup swap last year. I love the color and graphic on it. I have tucked some pink dogwood flowers and some glittery eggs on the sides. The precious little bunny in the middle has his hands full of Easter eggs!
My end table has a few little decorations and I even have some egg picks tucked into all of my plants!
I made this wreath last year. The base of the wreath was purchased at Target and I added pretty spring flowers to dress it up. This year it is hanging on our front door so that everyone can see that we are ready for Easter and Spring!
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Sunday, March 18, 2012

Vintage Scale Vignette

Don't you just love it when you find something you have been wanting for quite awhile and it is affordable as well? Scales are all over blogland and I love them. One day, while out shopping for a gift for my sister, I found a scale for myself. It was outside in the rain and looked pretty lonely. Apparently it was too rusty and crusty for anyone else, but it was just perfect for me!
I picked up this Columbia Family Scale at an antique store for $10. I couldn't believe that was all they were asking for it. It was a little dirty but I think it cleaned up just fine. There is the perfect amount of rust and chippiness, don't you think. It was made in 1907 and seems to have fared 105 years of life pretty well!
Of course I had to create a little vignette to show it off. On top of the scale, I have a vintage cabinet card held up by a metal flower frog. I used strips of old paper to add a little texture to it.
I also found some old glass bottles for $.75 each and altered them. This one has vintage sheet music stamped with a key stamp, crinkled seam binding and a little jute holding a skeleton key. A coffee filter rose acts as a bottle stopper.
This bottle is wrapped in a page from a vintage French book. I put some old lace on the bottom and tied seam binding and jute around the top. This one has an Eiffel Tower charm on it and again, a coffee filter rose for a stopper.
Wasps are everywhere come summer and as much as I hate them, I love the look of their nests. These were too neat and in too good of shape to throw out. I brought them inside and used them to decorate the bottom of the scale. Don't worry-they are old and have been sprayed and frozen and there is no chance of any wasps left in them!
This all sits on top of a pretty white eyelet runner on my favorite white cabinet. I love the way it turned out!

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Thursday, March 15, 2012

Oh, Idaho!

This week has been dark, dreary, rainy, gray and wet. Not my favorite kind of weather by any means. If I could just stay home in my pajama's on days like this, I might like it a little better! But I have to trudge through it and go to work. It definitely has me day dreaming about the warmer weather that is ahead and the beautiful places that living in Idaho offers! Come on a hike with me and see a few of the majestic pictures I have taken in this great state!
Streams are everywhere here. All the snow in the winter (well, normal winters) leads to a snow pack and raging falls all over the mountains. I love pictures of water. Hells Canyon, the deepest river gorge in North America was formed by water and all of its power. I love riding in a jet boat up the canyon and seeing all the layers of rock that the water had to crush through to form the canyon.
This particular stream is in Bear, Idaho. My parents had a cabin there for years and it is one of our favorite places to camp. There is an old school house and a few old mining towns with lots of history. And of course it is beautiful!
A few years ago, Cody and I took a trip up North to Kamiah. I used to visit this little town a lot growing up and I was very excited to show it to Cody. There is so much Idaho and Native American History there and I think that is why I love it so much!
At least once a year we head to Cascade and camp along the lake. They have a wonderful 4th of July fireworks show over the lake. And the yard sales are pretty fabulous too!
For the first time last year, we made the trek up to Black Lake. You can't take a car or truck to get back there, it is four-wheeler only! On July 30th, we encountered a lot of snow and even had to go over a big snow drift to get past one point. It is a long and winding trail to get to the lake but it is so worth it!
There used to be a mining town here and you can still see traces of the mine shafts on the mountain. The water was so clear and calm. It truly takes your breath away!
As you can tell, I couldn't take enough pictures of this amazing lake. God is truly a talented artist!
The view above is a pretty picture I snapped on the way to Black Lake. Nature in all of it's glory!
And this last picture is a view of Banks. The Payette River flows through Banks and it is a very popular place to raft on the rapids. I myself am not a daredevil and do not care to raft the rapids. I much more enjoy taking pictures of the beautiful scenery instead!
I am so looking forward to warmer weather and camping, four-wheeling and taking pictures of beautiful scenery. Instead of looking out the window at the darkness, gray and rain, I will look at these pictures and cross my fingers that warmer weather is on its way!

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Sunday, March 4, 2012

Shabby new mail center

I don't know about you, but I seem to have one area in my kitchen that is a "catch-all" for a lot of junk. It is mostly mail junk, but it still seems to accumulate and get out of control really quick. I needed something to help me contain the clutter. The picture below is the corner of the kitchen counter that seems to be a magnet to anything and everything. I can't believe I am showing this-so embarrassing!
I found this mail center piece for $5 at the Youth Ranch awhile back. Some other ladies saw the potential in it but walked away so I quickly grabbed it. It was definitely not pretty but I knew that some day it would be!
Everyone knows that a little white paint can truly transform a piece from trash to treasure. It was such a beautiful day here that I was able to paint this outside and it dried so quick. A little sanding and distressing added the finishing touches to turn it into a shabby mail center.
The three tiers are perfect for keeping mail in order. The little drawer holds pens and other such things. I might even have my husband drill some holes in the back to make it into a charging center for our phones. A little organization definitely makes the kitchen look cleaner and makes me feel a lot better too!
I may add some sort of graphic to it. I may add bread dough roses to it. I may add a crystal knob to the drawer. I may leave it just how it is now. No matter what I do or don't do to it, it will definitely help me and my kitchen stay more organized!



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