Merry CHRISTmas!

Merry, Merry, Merry Christmas!

May your day be blessed with family, friends, health and hope!

Cathy

Christmas in the Kitchen...

  Are you doing lots of baking in your Christmas kitchen?  I hope so.  I wish I could say that I have... but honestly - I haven't been home enough lately to cook anything!  But...I do plan on it real soon!

Once again - I used what I already had - just changed it up a bit from last year.  Enjoy the look around!

 I kept my red and turquoise color scheme just like in the sun room...

My kitchen shelves

- a basket and some berries

- my mason jars that stay there all the time

- and my lil' houses my mom gifted me when we moved here.

 

Y'all have seen these carolers for years - but I must say once again - that I just love them because my mamaw, Cleo, lovingly made these for me.  

My hutch painted with Miss Mustard Seed Milk Paint...

 ...all lined up with my canned tomato juice and applesauce...

One new addition to the kitchen this year is my walnut table.  My husband made this for me for Mother's Day out of lumber from our farm.  I enjoy sitting there in the mornings looking out at the cows.

I placed the base of my tree in an old flour sack...

...my carolers under glass...

...on the table - just a simple basket arrangement filled with greenery, pine cones, antlers and ornaments...

 It's a good thing I have lots of shelves - because I have lots of stuff...;-)

And lastly - my tree at the end of the kitchen table is filled with all of our family ornaments - the ones that mean so much to me.

Now...lets go bake some Christmas cookies!

Merry Christmas!

Cathy

Happy December...

 As my Mamaw Ruby would say "GOODNESS GRACIOUS" - where is time going? Well, I second that Mamaw.  It's December already.  Not only is it the Christmas season, this month I'll celebrate my 18th wedding anniversary - (can. not. believe. it) and my hubby's birthday plus many other wonderful seasonal celebrations.  I hope you and your family are well - had a blessed Thanksgiving and are looking forward to lots of family time over the holiday season.  That is what I enjoy the most - getting together with family and friends.

Of course, we do have other rooms in this house of ours besides the sun room - but according to my posts - you wouldn't know it - haha.  That is where I seem to like to hang out the most and for some reason it gets the most attention.

So we will start the little Christmas tour there...the rest will soon follow.

I simply used a set of reindeer that I had, a small tree and some flocked greenery. I kept the decorations on the tree to just a couple of things - some ribbon in a bright turquoise to match the pillows I already had and just added some sweet lil' burlap birds and a few cardinals.

...tweet tweet...

The stockings that I have had for years just hang from some greenery over the windows...

 ...Even the plant has a welcome guest, a cardinal, nest and some pine cones...

This corner holds the chair I curl up in, a festive pillow and simple lit wreath...

...Over in the other corner is my "door" shelf.  It is home to another simple tree, some packages and a picture of my family when I was growing up and a few gardening things.  My watering cans stay out year round - they were gifts to me from my grandfather.  They are extra special now... because this will be the first Christmas he won't be with us.  He is celebrating in heaven this year.

Easy breezy lemon squeezy ornaments I made from pieces of cedar - brushed on a little white paint and stamped them with one of my favorite words for EVERY season - "JOY". 

This is the view from our kitchen table... it says to me "Come in and sit a while". This is where I love to watch it snow!

 

This is our family tree nestled in the corner of the kitchen with all the ornaments we have collected over the years.  I decided to keep the turquoise color going in the kitchen too.  I'll show you that next.

 Merry Christmas Friends!

God Bless!

Cathy

Fall At Cobblestone...

It's been rainy and cool here so it's really starting to look and feel like fall around Kentucky.  One more week or so and I believe the leaves will be "showing off" with all their beautiful colors on display - simply one of my favorite things in nature. 

 

One of these days I will make it back to the Maine/New Hampshire area where I saw the most breathtaking fall color EVER several years back - absolutely stunning.

 

Honestly, I didn't do as much fall decorating this year as I usually do.  I simply used what I already had and didn't spend an entire paycheck on pumpkins, mums, gourds, Indian corn, fodder shocks - you get the idea ;-)  See, for 13 years I grew my own - and I just decorated every nook and cranny - but now that I have to pay for all those pretties - needless to say - I don't go quite as crazy.

 

Enjoy the look around!

 

Keeping it simple in the kitchen...

Love my lil' autumn barn print - fifty cents - gotta love that... 

 

Mantle in the dining area...

 

Basket full of dried gourds and antlers...

 

Sorry about the glare - I reeeeally do need a photography class ;-)

 

The entry chalkboard - nothing fancy...

 

In the sunroom...

 

I'm ready to turn on the fireplace...

 

Let's go outside...

 

...loving my "warty goblin" pumpkin...

 

I'm still hanging on to my ferns - they are still so pretty...

 

A few mums scattered around. This is one of my favorite varieties - it is called yellow "Bethany".  A late compact bloomer - she's just now getting started!

Simple window boxes...

 

My ornamental cabbage is outgrowing my lil' pumpkins - that is o.k. - they will be great through winter!

 

By the fountain...

 

Y'all just pretend you don't see my flower bed that needs some serious TLC right now - like some weeding and pruning and mulching and the list goes on an on - but doesn't it always.

 

All lists aside - we have to stop and truly

Enjoy this beautiful time of year!

 

Happy Fall Friends!

My New/Old Desk...

Well, I love a bargain but a bargain doesn't always look exactly like what you had in mind.  Believe it or not, we have been in our home nearly 3 years now and I still didn't have the right desk.  My sister was kind enough to let me borrow her old one - but it wasn't quite the right scale.  So, I've been patient - and I suppose a little "tight" when it comes to buying a new desk.  I mean lets face it - who doesn't love the desks in Pottery Barn - but sometimes - that is just not in the budget.  But...

 

 

...a 20 dollar desk is certainly within reach.  I recently found this old school desk at the Mission Store - it was turned up on its side and I just really liked the simple lines of it plus it just felt like it a neat history to it.  I remember my teachers having these types of desks when I was in grade school - like FOREVER ago!

 

 

It was orangey-brown and dirty but it had good bones - so I bought it.  I was looking forward to giving this solid wood desk a good home.

 

 

I had some thin plywood leftover from a previous project.... 

 

 

 I simply rubbed some paint on them and immediately wiped off the excess for a lighter look.

 

 

Don't tell anyone - but I just hot glued them to the front of the desk to add a little interest.  I didn't have any good wood glue - so when all else fails - bring out the trusty glue gun!

 

 

I really like this simple added detail.

 

 

I left this little slide-out unpainted...

 

 

It has great wooden dividers in the drawers...

 

 

...A really nice big top - perfect for lots of paperwork - even though honestly, most of our "paperwork" is done at the kitchen table ;-)

 

 

It fit nicely into the space...

 

 

...Plus I get to look out the window when I sit there and enjoy my window box.

 

 

So I'm pleased with my $20.00 fixer upper.  Speaking of "Fixer Upper" - is that not the greatest show on HGTV right now? I simply LOOOOOOVE IT!  Can't wait for next season!

 

 

Hope you are enjoying some fall decorating - I'll share a little of mine with you next!