First Project of 2017...

Happy 2017 Friends....hope you are off to a great start!  This is the month I just seem to kind of "chill" if you know what I mean.  It  seems like I just breathe a little more this time of year.  It gets dark early - so farm work has to stop, we eat supper at a decent hour if my young man is not playing in a basketball game.  I have always cherished the month of January simply because there seems to be a little down time.  

But with the start of the new year and cleaning up after the holidays....I am always ready to refresh something in my home.  So as usual...it just happens to be another piece for my kitchen.  Actually when I found this piece I had no idea where I would put it.  I moved it around a few times before I settled on this spot.  But I have to say...in this space...it was the perfect fit! And all those little cubbies could serve a purpose instead of just being dust collectors. 

Well...here she is in all her glorious "brownness".  I found this piece a couple of months ago at our area peddlers mall for $30.  Score!!!!  Now it was rough - just a simple handmade piece...but the lumber would have cost me more than that!

It actually had one more set of boards in the back...but I simply unscrewed one across the top and two down the sides to make it a bit more narrow.  I then cut off the support pieces with a reciprocating saw.  Took less than 5 minutes to do all that!  Now that is my kind of fix!

 

Worst part about it was trying to paint in all those nooks and crannies!  Serious. Hand. Cramps!  I painted in the corners and rolled on the rest.

 

After a couple of coats I did end up distressing it a bit (not shown here...oops).

 

Here you can see the sanding....Now....Just trying to decide what to fill it with.  I must confess....I love stuff but sometimes things like this make me nervous...just to much going on.  I see other people layer on top of layer and it is GORGEOUS but I must say it scares me a little.  I suppose I just don't like cleaning around it all...what about you?

I went to my pantry and pulled out a few things...like cookbooks, my basket of potatoes, a little chicken feeder I had...

 

 ...bowls...baskets...some greenery...

 ...and that is about it!  Now on to the top.  I reused a chalkboard I had and my new blue buckets were a Christmas gift - I just love them...especially since they are from my mamaw Ruby!

Some greenery tucked in the buckets...

My scale with oranges...

A lamp for coziness...

 

...and that is about it.  Inexpensive, cute and functional....that sounds like the perfect blend to me!

 

And on that chalkboard is my favorite scripture.  A scripture we should all try to live by each day.  I know I am thankful for Forgiveness!

 

Have a blessed 2017 friends!

Create a little something that makes you smile!

Cathy

My Christmas Kitchen...

...Hi friends...hope this day finds you well!  My Christmas kitchen is ready for some holiday baking...but... even though my kitchen is ready....I'M NOT.  Oh my stars...it is sneaking up on us isn't it. 

I thought I would show you some bits and pieces of the kitchen.  I'm sure you have seen these things before but I love to show my kitchen 'cause it is easy to change up for the holidays.  Lots of shelves and nooks and crannies to display treasures that mean so much to me.  

Hope you enjoy your look around and when you get to your holiday baking....bake some cookies for me....please!

My Shelves...

 Red Enamelware from my mamaw, Cleo...

 ...and little houses gifted to me as a housewarming gift from my sweet momma.

 A little tree filled with ornaments made by me plus some sweet finds from my friend, Pam.

 This tree is tucked in an old flour sack that I had....just happened to be the perfect color for my kitchen.

 You all have seen these for years but they are one of my prized possessions....my carolers handmade by my grandmother, Cleo.  Her hands are so crippled with arthritis now but she blessed us with her amazing talents for many years.  I treasure these.

 My hutch filled with platters and pitchers from yard sales and second hand stores....

 I was tickled to death when I found this snowy barn on fabric...already framed and everything - for just a few dollars.

 My pretty red pitcher made by a local potter and gifted to me by my husband.  I must say... I love him dearly but he is not really a gift buyer.  So when he brings me something...it is extra special. 

 Of course, my little man who is not little anymore...

Hope your holiday home is warm and cozy and filled with things you love!

Merry CHRISTmas friends and may your days be very merry and bright!

Cathy

The Fall Spruce Up has begun...

...I know... it is not "officially" fall but I have already started to add some seasonal touches to our home.  I couldn't help it - I just couldn't wait.  One of the areas that I change out seasonally is my shelves in the kitchen...and I say that meaning...only 2 of the 3 shelves change - I just love my blue mason jars...so they stay put regardless of the season.

As you know...these shelves are just to the right of my kitchen sink.  It is an area that I get to enjoy daily (if I wash the dishes that is) ;-).  

 

 On the bottom shelf...I simply added things that I already had...some faux acorns, leaves, rattan balls, pine cones and some little distressed pots for some height difference.

 There is also a Long Island Cheese pumpkin raised up on a wicker basket and an old woven plate that I picked up at the mission store... 

 I added some paper mache (I don't think I spelled that right) pumpkins that I lightly white washed to bring out the texture...

 ....I also added in a small bundle of wheat and a few miniature gourds.... 

 ...and up on the top shelf, I placed a "Home" sign that I made when we first moved here.  I just used an old cabinet door and covered the letters in burlap...easy!

 And there you have it...a touch of fall.

I'll be sharing my fall mantles with you soon!

Hope everyone has a wonderful week!

Cathy

Chicken Feeder turned Fall Table Centerpiece...

 I have always wanted a chicken feeder like this but had never been fortunate enough to come up on one...but luckily...

 ...the other day at our local antique mall - I SCORED!  I didn't even look at the price before I picked it up and decided it had to go home with me.  It wasn't over the top expensive BUT it was little more than I expected.  Plus it still contained a left over feather or two and some nice dried up chicken droppings.  Oh well, nothing a good scrubbing couldn't fix.

It was super long - like 4 feet plus.  It had this neat bar across the top but I had to remove that in order to fix it like I wanted.

I had some gourds and three little ornamental cabbage I had intended on using.   I had to scratch the cabbage because I wanted to use it on my table and I knew it wouldn't fair that well inside plus all that dirt on my kitchen table - not the best idea!

So I began by folding up some old material I had so that all my fixin's didn't sink down to the bottom.  I simply rolled up about three big pieces and laid it in there.

 Next I topped it off with a layer of burlap because I knew some of it would be showing.

I began by simply layering in the gourds...

 ...Then I added in a little shredded grass for texture, a few walnuts and pine cones for some interest.

...took it inside and put it right down the middle of the table.  It is narrow and doesn't get in the way and I love it - just something a bit different.

I'm already thinking about what I'm going to put in it for Christmas.  I'm thinking candles and fresh greenery...but till then...I think we will enjoy it like it is.

Happy Fall Decorating!

Cathy

Snow = furniture "switch-a-roo"...

 O.K. friends...for those of you that live north of KY - over a foot of snow is no biggie - but for those of us in the great bluegrass state - a foot of snow shuts down the town!  I would have to think back to my childhood (30+ years ago) to remember a snowfall like this!  I'd say we have about 15 inches and that just doesn't happen here- well, except once every few decades ;-)

 But...I'm not complaining - I LOVE snow - always have...always will!

This is a picture of the cabin outside my bedroom window early this morning.  The snow ended up covering the bottom railing of the fence.

 A peaceful look off the front porch...

 

My young man had to get out in it - unfortunately, the snow was so light and fluffy - you couldn't even make a snowball - bummer!

But when you are stuck inside - you get to do things you've been thinking about but hadn't made the time.  So I'm talking about this lil' corner in my kitchen.  Talk about neglected...it just looked pitiful - I mean I even had a cardboard box of mail under the table - sad.

So I cleaned off the table and was going do something different to the top but...

 I realized I've got to many shelves all lined up - it was looking way to busy so I figured I'd just shuffle the furniture...

 So a simple "switch-a-roo" did the trick BUT...that table was just out of scale there so I shopped the house and found one in the landing that fit much better...

 I love the legs on this table - it is simply made of tree limbs with a distressed top.

 I added a chalkboard, a letter and a few of my favorite kitchen things...including....

 a scale that was a gift from my mom -filled with Halos - goodness, I love these things...

 ...a little spring green in the form of fake bulbs in a old wire basket...

 I decorated the hutch with some simple yard sale wicker plates and some of my white pitchers and platters.

 ...And there you have it - my lazy snow day rearrange.

I even managed to hang my "FARM" letters today - which I've had since Christmas.

Simply being home - the main reason I LOVE SNOW DAYS!

Cathy