Curtains, Table, & Chairs! Oh my!

Let's see if any of you have Cleo power. Can you guess what I'm thinking right now?
I'm thinking...

What in the world have I gotten myself into!

I've been zooming around here like a total nut.

If you rang my doorbell right now, I totally wouldn't answer.
Do you know why?
Call on those Cleo powers once again. If you get mental images, I'm so sorry. For those of you without psychic ability... My house is so terrible looking that I'd be ashamed to answer the door. That's sad, isn't it?

You see, I started priming the table...


and chairs outside...


Then I saw it was going to rain, so I had to bring everything in, and I mean everything, and finish inside!

This is the half of our living area that is usually the dining area.
I just keep thinking that it will be worth it in the end.

On a positive note, I picked these up the other day.


You can see by the photo above that the thermal panels we had were terrible with big gaps in between. I decided to copy all the other peeps out there with drop cloth curtains in an effort to keep some heat from escaping.


Right now they are getting a bath in bleach water. I wasn't happy with the color, so I'm trying to lighten them. I'm hoping the bleach works on my drop cloths as well as it worked for Sammy Sosa...

Just a little joke. Lol. Although, the picture is supposed to be real. You can click the picture if you want to read the story.

Anyway, I didn't want to invest in new window treatments, just in case we do sell this place. I figure a drop cloth has a million uses so I don't mind buying them.

Need some examples?

"French script" Pillow

Drop Cloth Tree Skirt

Drop Cloth Slipcover

This one is on my to do list...

Dropcloth Teepee!!!!!!!!

Why I like casual coastal decor...

Things don't go the way of the 8-track when they get chipped up and furnishings never need to match perfectly!

Things can get left out and askew and still look fabulous.

Favorite hats and totes become wonderful additions to the decor.

A crazy, vacationy, kitsch item usually doesn't look out of place and adds to the fun and interest of the room...

Just beware that you don't get too carried away!

Happy Weekend!

A new old table, farmhouse style

Last night, as usual, my hubby was surfing Craigslist.
He's been looking for a table that has a farmhouse style to it. He really likes the look of a farmhouse table and I'm okay with replacing ours. I love it's retro shape but It's legs are in need of a revamp and the side laminate is peeling. I could go on but let's just say it has some old age issues.

Notice the sides and legs aren't the focus of this picture?

So my hubby draws my attention to an ad for a table, 5 chairs, and small credenza priced @ $40 for all - no picture. The fact that I've been looking for a small cabinet to hold our daily homeschool items helped to persuade us to check this ad out.

Here's what we saw...

Okay, so that's a shot after it got to our house, but what do you think? A great buy?

It has nice lines and I really like farmhouse tables in the homes of others. I have to admit that it does push me a bit outside of my comfort zone. It's more country than I'm used to seeing in our home, except for when our relatives are over.

I can't promise that I won't toss the chairs for a more modern take or that the thought of metallic spray paint hasn't crossed my mind. I'm going to envision something a bit more "typical" for now, though.

Here's what I'm thinking...

I do my best thinking in the bathroom, lol. Okay, not really. I was just trying to get away from the kids.
alphabet chart on the wall you ask? It's for my 4 year old who does a ton of thinking and singing in the bathroom.

Getting back on the subject...
I wish I weren't such a neutral gal. I would love navy blue legs but probably only for a moment.
This table and cabinet are in need of a major refinish, even on the top. So besides white chairs and black table legs, I also see a weekend full of refinishing fun and a massive hunt for a missing or different chairs.

As an ode to tables everywhere, here is a collection of images for your viewing pleasure...




Of course there is always this option.

A fishy project & sneak peak at the denim bedroom fabric

It seemed as though the wind was actually speaking to me the other day.
Clunks and bumps... clunks and bumps.
I finally decided to brave the cold to see where the sound was coming from.
So where was the sound coming from?
Well, I had two white fish that were connected by a string through the mouths that I picked up at the antique gallery, though I doubt they are any kind of antique. They were hanging outside this summer and I just never brought them in. They must have been shivering their little scales off because they were making a ton of noise.
I brought them in and washed and dried them.

And then I had a marvelous idea!

Remember these?
Well, I had already hung two of the wood block trivets in the kitchen, across the opening from these.

What better to put on my empty wood trivets than my cute fish?
I took out my utility knife and cut the strings that were in the mouths of the fish. Then I grabbed my handy dandy tube of glue and here's what happened...


I wanted to take a picture of the span but my camera couldn't fit it all into the frame. It would have helped if it weren't a galley kitchen, with no room to back up.

I do love how I can see my catch of the day plaques and my toasty warm fish as I cook up chocolate gravy in the morning.

I really love them in our kitchen, much better than outside.

Now I have to show off my fabric find of the century...

Remember when I said:
"I'm thinking there might be some almost denim fabric in the room, too."
If not you can refer to this post.

I just found these today!

They are actually 3 tabbed curtains. One is short, one is long, and one is a short valance.

How much?
2.99 for the set @ Goodwill!

I'm saving the earth one piece of junk at a time!

The color is actually this color, below. The other pictures have them showing up strangely. Can you see how they look denim?
They feel like a very lightweight denim. I'm going to be hacking them up. ;)
You can see how nice they work with the PB pillowcases.

Okay, I'm off to bed.
Church in the morning and hopefully some Dunkin Donuts. ;)

Thinking of photo and art displays

Here I go dragging home more ____________ that I just couldn't pass up. Oh, but I am in love with these/this and it will make me happy to see it peering back at me daily.

(You can insert prints, lithographs, or other types of art in that blank.)

That's my usual thought after leaving Goodwill or the antique shops - or anywhere for that matter. If you're like me art really speaks to you. I enjoy collecting and looking at my favorites. Most didn't cost me over $3.oo, but I love them just the same.

While surfing, the net that is, I found a few photos that I liked. All share a common thread - loads of frames, pictures, art, prints... You get my drift.

This is from one of my favorite magazines, Elle Decor. I love how they hung the art in a hodgepodge from the ceiling to the floor. Just when I thought I couldn't collect anymore!

I ran across this idea, too. It's new to me. Nope, never seen this before, but I love it. I would think that almost everyone has owned one of these shelves at some point in time. I like how they've flipped the traditional shelf and used it to bring the eye up to that starry ceiling. This would work nice over windows, too.

The idea below is, most likely, not new to you. I love this version of it, though. That shelf is very beat up and has tons of character. It plays well with the the blinds and trunk that mirror it's splotchy coloring.

But, the thing I like most about this photo display is that it isn't symmetrical. The wood case has three dividers on the three bottom shelves on the far side. I really like that. To me, those three simple pieces of wood make all the difference.

I wanted to redo some furniture this week but the weather here has been amazingly cold. Maybe I'll tape hand warmers to my body and brave the cold anyway. LOL.