Obsessed with Pillows!

I've seen sweater pillows floating around out there on blogland, so cool.  When I saw Kate's at Centsational Girl I knew that I had to make some also.  We bought a new sofa last month and the pillows it came with were hideous, huge, and uncomfortable.  I thought for a nice little winter touch I'd make some sweater pillows.  In theory it will buy me some time until Spring/Summer when I will buy or make something for the rest of the year.  Don't be totally surprised if you still find these sweaters decorating my sofa in July.  Just keepin' it real.

And you know how this goes right?  If you buy a sweater at GW to make a pillow and it turns out kinda cute then you must go back to GW and buy another sweater.........

You knew this was coming right?   I.Can't.Seem.To.Stop.Making.Pillows...  These are the winter white collection.  There will be other themed collections joining these.  How many pillows are too many in a room??  I suppose I'll weed them out and rotate them around to some other spaces too.

I do believe this one is my favorite so far.  Want to see those flowers up close?

I used wool for all of my appliques on this set of pillows.  The flowers are 1/4 inch strips left over from one of my wool rug hooking projects just rolled up and tacked down on the sweater. Some rughookers refer to them as "wooly worms".   I left the sweaters zipper intact.  I guess so I can get in there to retrieve the form if I get tired of massive amounts of sweaters on my sofa.

This pillow is pretty plain and simple.  I sewed a single vintage button on the other side to give it a tuft and then pinned a vintage broach on this side.

Another felted/dyed wool applique.  I just machine stitched around them. A very simple design that will remind me that spring is just around the corner.  ha! 

The pear is another wool applique piece.  For some reason I just love the look of pears right now.  Maybe it's that particular shad of green.  Yummy.

This sweater had a nice bronze zipper so I found my Great Grandmother's Rose Broach and thought I'd use it to give the pillow just a simple little statement. 

There are more pillows, believe me, more in the works and some other practice pieces out of sight.  I just thought I'd show you my take on the sweater pillows.

Hope your day is full of bright sunshine!

Deb

Linking to:

http://elizabethandco.blogspot.com/2012/01/be-inspired-link-party-1.htmlhttp://savvysouthernstyle.blogspot.com/2012/01/wow-us-wednesdays-48.html

Once in a Blue Moon

Once in a Blue Moon I paint a piece that is just for us.  I've taken some time over the holidays to devote to some projects for our house.  I'm not finished here by any stretch of the imagination, but it feels good to knock out a couple of things I've wanted to do for such a long time.  This buffet piece is one that I searched very patiently for at all of my regular haunts and on Craig's List.  It actually made me nervous when I finally found it while I waited for the owner to contact me, because I really, really didn't want to lose out on this piece.  It was perfect for my space, and a beautiful style.  After some debating I pulled out my favorite Annie Sloan chalk paint, Duck Egg, and went to town in between decorating for Christmas and finishing the shopping.  Here is the result.

I do so love that duck egg blue.  Isn't the harware pretty?  I reused it because frankly I don't think I could have found anything more perfect for this.  I opted to highlight a few features with Old White.

She sits behind my new sofa.  I'd love to show you the full room, but it's not actually finished yet.  The story of my life..."almost done".

I actually pulled out my Annie Sloan dark wax and felt really good about the results.  I don't know why that dark wax intimidates me so!

This was just the storage I needed for this space, and I'm so pleased with how it turned out.  But she's not too lonely, oh no, I'm also working on another buffet piece that will sit in our formal dining area that is currently being used as a piano room/mud room/library space.  Hope to show it soon, just the buffet though, cause that room isn't finished yet either..."almost done". 

Here's my little Jack Frost, waiting to see if we'll actually have any snow this year.  Though after a 60 degree day I should probably shove him in a closet so as not to jinx us! 

Linking up to: 
http://redoux.blogspot.com/2012/01/friday-link-up-party-37-and-les.html
http://elizabethandco.blogspot.com/2012/01/be-inspired-link-party-1.html
http://primitiveandproper.blogspot.com/2012/01/piece-of-work-wednesday-furniture-link_10.html
http://missmustardseed.com/2012/01/furniture-feature-friday-link-party-3/
Have a great end of the week everyone!
Deb

Get Your Cowgirl On!

I've really said very little about my children here on my blog.  In great part because I originally started the blog to be just a way to communicate my new part time hobby turned part time business of restyling and upcycling furniture and other vintage finds.  But I'm beginning to feel that the blog is a continually evolving, living breathing extension of me.  So, I'm going to start sharing a little bit more of the living, breathing me!  Are you with me?  So, let's start with the fact that I'm married to a really, really great guy, Dennis!  Truly the best husband ever!  I'm also the Mom to three wonderful, beautiful, inside and out, girls!  I'm a blessed woman.  I've been slowly, almost sloth speed, working my way through decorating the girl's rooms.  Two years ago we sold our house on the golf course, because I tired of sending my children out to play in the backyard having to wear their bike helmets to avoid dropping, poorly hit golf balls.  We now live in a quiet older neighborhood on an acre...heaven on earth.

I'll feature the other girl's rooms sometime soon because they need a little more picking up of all the teenage accessories cleaning and tweaking.  However, I'd like to show you my 6 year old's newly completed room!

Much of this decor is a holdover from her Nursery days, and yee haw it's a cowgirl theme for Ellarie!

When we moved to this house I used the exact same paint and virtually set the room up to be identical to the old house.  I wanted our transition to be smooth and her surroundings to be comforting.  Didn't happen.  To this day whenever we drive down the street near our old house (which can't be avoided since it is on the way to her school) she never fails to tell me how much she loved the old house.  Sigh.
A friend stumbled across some cowgirl fabric that was identical to some I had been looking at online and I snagged up all the yardage I could.  The coordinating bandanna fabric was hung to resemble a giant bandanna over the window.  The corner posts we tied it to are actually branded with both of my grandparents old branding irons that my parents now have.  Ellarie got a little bling with a new chandelier that adds so much more light and a great deal of sophistication that should grow with her.  If not, I'm dibbsing it for me!  Doesn't her name look cool swirled out in the rope?

Here's Ellie's nursery cowgirl quilt.  I have another quilt with the cowgirl fabrics that will eventually sit at the foot of her bed.  It just needs quilted...and bound...I have an issue with completing quilts it seems.

The pillows were fun to make.  She loves the fringed horse pillow.  I love the ruffles and the faux tooled leather pillows. 

The boot lamp was something I had always wanted to do.  Luckily another friend spotted these pink cuties at a resale store and picked them up for me.  I just used plaster to weight the boots and hold my metal tubing in place. A basic light kit was all it took.  I covered the metal rod with more of the sisal rope, screwed it all to a flat base, covered the lampshade with the cowgirl fabric and fringe, and made it a little bandanna of it's own. Voila!  Cute little light.

This dresser, Dolly, so named because that wood piece on the bottom has always reminded me of the placket on a western shirt, was just moved in since it saved us some floor space.  Truth be told, she's also called Dolly because of her buxom bow front voluptuous curves on the bottom.  The name just stuck.  I'm beyond delighted she'll be staying with us.

This is the wall opposite the bed.  Ellarie has a bookshelf jammed full of good reads, and a nice little play trunk for some of her favorite stuffed friends.  The picket fence is an idea I stole borrowed from my friend Suzanne.  I think she said she saw it in a Better Homes and Gardens publication.  But it is a fantastic place for all of Ellie's many creations.  She is a very, very prolific artist and it was getting way out of control before the picket fence.

To complete the tour around her room I'll show you the cute little hook set I found at Target 3 or 4 years ago.  Above it hangs the primitive wool hooked rug "Don't Fence Me In".  Yes, I know it looks like the horse is standing on the fence.  Maybe he is.  Or maybe it's just a primitive rendition of a horse, fence and a tree.  One never knows with art, right?

So there is one of my non-furniture projects that has been keeping me busy.  As I always tell my husband, "it's cheaper than therapy".  And so much, much, more fun!

Linking up to: 
http://savvysouthernstyle.blogspot.com/2012/01/wow-us-wednesdays-47.html
Hope your 2012 is off to a fantastic start!  I can't wait to see how it all unfolds!
Deb

Top Furniture Projects of 2011

Starting this blog last Spring has made all the difference for me this year.  I have learned more than I can say from some very generous, talented ladies who I have met through their blogs, or who have found me through my blog.  I can not stress how very grateful I am for each and every one who has ever left a comment of encouragement or validation for me!  Truly, this community is AMAZING in all that they do to teach and reach each other!

So, do I have some favorites that I finished this year?  You betcha!  For some reason I got on a buffet binge this year.  Probably because I was looking for some for myself  (look for those reveals coming up soon!) and old tired buffets appear to be plentiful right now. 

One of my favs would have to be this beauty.  When my computer crashed I lost the pictures of her stored within reach so you'll have to follow the link back to see her again.  She was in the sorriest shape I have ever worked on.  My poor husband helped me shore her up and spent hours trying to help reattach laminate tops and fill in holes.  This one was more than I alone could handle.  But she turned out so very, very pretty that it was worth every moment of work.  She found a home with a lovely gal and I'm sure they will enjoy her for years and years.

Another piece that finished up so nicely that I can't help but show you is the Beauty and the Beast .  The top on this one was a mess too but it painted up beautifully.  And those chairs, wow, they may have started out pretty crusty, but they were solid, gorgeous, and with a generous wide seat.  This set was so comfortable that I had a hard time parting with it!  I know the family that bought these were so excited about them. 

Finally, this was a piece that is quite dear to my heart.  Another buffet, I just couldn't seem to help myself this year!  This was part of a dining set that I refinished with a table and 6 chairs that matched her.  She wasn't really in bad shape at all.  Just a tired finish that needed to be refreshed and some minor repairs to make her work well.  I love, love, love her lacy little fretwork, and the oak leaf carved in the backboard made my heart go pitter/pat.  For a long time (until I bought yet ANOTHER similar buffet) she wasn't going anywhere.  But really she needed to be with her matching table and chairs, and I'm happy to report that she recently joined them.  Yeah!  It's even with a dear friend who will probably let me have some visitation rights! 

I'm enjoying seeing all the 2011 highlights out there.  I've linked up a couple of these to:
http://primitiveandproper.blogspot.com/2011/12/piece-of-work-wednesday-furniture-link_27.html

I wish I had time to do a proper top ten, but with all my photos floating all over the place on my computer now it will take too long!

Instead I will tell you that 2012 will be a happening year here in Omaha!  I am currently carving out a wee bit of time to work on some of my own home projects.  There is a master bedroom that badly needs an overhaul that is coming sometime this winter.  There are also several more need beauties in waiting in line for makeovers, and some client projects waiting for final instructions/inspirations.  And the Prairie Pickers and Peddlers are meeting soon to shore up our activities for 2012!!!  I can't wait to share more about that too!
May 2012 bring you much Happiness, great Health, a wealth of Inspiration and lots of Love!
Happy New Year!
Deb

Lions and Tigers and Bears, oh my!

Well, actually I'm surprised but we appear to be missing Tigers!  Years ago, when I was first married my Mom and Dad bought us a Creche.  Fairly simple and we replaced the ceramic figurines for some lovely wooden figures made by a dear family friend.  I loved it and set it up every year.  When our oldest two children were younger my Mom brought in a whole new element to the nativity scene.  She gave the girls some animals.  Every year our animal collection grew...and grew...and now it is quite a group that gathers around to bow before the baby Jesus!

 All three of my girls have grown up loving to set it up and move it around.  Every day it is a new visual treat and an adventure to create.  I watched my youngest this year set it up so that the animals were lined up single file around the stable to come see Jesus.  It didn't last long before she moved them to create a new scene, chattering away with the animals about why they were there and how they should behave. 

If you look closely you'll even spy a couple of frogs!

They gather on the roof to escape the crowd.

We have many animals that do not normally appear in the Christmas story typically, but we think they love being able to come and kneel before the new born King.

I love that my girls enjoy the telling and retelling of the Christmas story to their little animal friends throughout the holidays.

The animals and baby Jesus are even surviving Pepper's curiosity! 

New friends and old, let me take this time to say, from our home to yours Merry Christmas!

Blessings,
Deb

Linking to:
http://savvysouthernstyle.blogspot.com/2011/12/wow-us-wednesdays-45.html

Bright & Merry

I know this title would leave you to believe it is all about Christmas, but it's not necessarily!  After months and months of staring at my "new" table and chair set in the corner of the workshop I finally found a minute, or 150, to dig them out and complete the set! The minute I bought that lovely chunky legged table I knew it would be mine, however you know how it goes with your own stuff.  I will warn you, I'm not afraid of color, really, I'm not.  My kitchen is red until I can convince my husband to paint it for the 3rd time in 2years  for pity's sake.  I actually love surrounding myself with happy colors.  Until I can lose some of this inherited  heavy oak all throughout my house (the 5 year plan) I'll probably continue to go with saturated colors.  So, her she is...

I used the same process that I had with my old  table and chairs and painted each chair a different Chalk paint color and the table base in Old Ochre.  The top is stained in Minwax Jacobean and poly sealed. 

I love those legs!  Truly, they've become an obsession.

This cabinet filled with my Fiesta Ware proves how much I like color.  I have 1 place setting of nearly every one of the colors available.  I've been collecting the pieces since 1994.  They are nearly indestructible.  I have enough pieces to easily entertain indoors or out with these dishes by mixing and matching.  Just like me, they're eclectic!

Here is where I waffled, the seat cushions, I chose this fabric because it had some of all the colors I wanted to use on the chairs.  In the end I nearly changed it out for some duck cloth because I felt like I might be getting just a bit too colorful here.  I may still change it out later, but for now, with 3 busy kids sitting here for all meals I will probably let them live here for a while.

The season continues to get busier and busier here at my home, so I would like to take an opportunity to wish you and yours a Bright & Merry Christmas!  May you and your family be truly Blessed during this special time.

Believe!
Deb

http://primitiveandproper.blogspot.com/2011/12/piece-of-work-wednesday-furniture-link_13.html
http://missmustardseed.com/2011/12/furniture-feature-friday-favorites-link-party-2/

Epic Fail

I had a great tutorial post I was going to be blogging about today...but it turned into a big dud!  I am so bummed because I was ready to tackle something fresh and new (to me).  I LOVE all the cloches out there.  So much fun.  I bought myself one of the new glass bottle cutters out there, some great glass bottles, some filled with the cheapest wine I could find, and a slew of lovely Christmas accessories to create some wonderful gifts this year.  I watched every You Tube out there about how to successfully make it work, several times.  I have years of stained glass experience so know all about break lines, cutter pressure, etc.  And none of that did me a bit of good :-(.  All of my bottles cracked in crazy waves, not once on the score line.  So, sorry, no tutorial and no recommendation on bottle cutters.  Now, if someone out there has had some great results with cutting glass bottles with a system I would love to hear from you!  I'm so frustrated I may have to go buy a bottle of good wine this time!

I'm sorry to have been ignoring the blog.  I'd love to share some gorgeous mantle or tablescapes, but I'm still limping around with the Christmas decorating/cooking.  I have been trying to finish the table and chairs that I bought for my family.  It needed some staining and painting, and now the chairs need the some painting and upholstery work.  Hopefully I'll have a nice reveal next week with the set all complete.  Don't even begin to believe I could have it beautifully staged for Christmas!  But I promise to show it anyway.  Now, off to to a bit of shopping and hopefully a bit of shopping for another storage piece for my family room.  I have new furniture arriving soon, and I'd love to pull that room together for a nice photo shoot soon too!  I'm not totally slacking...just a bit scattered these days.

Holiday Blessings to you all!
Deb