In Bruges Set

Halley DeVestern recommended I check out this set from the movie In Bruges, of a shabby opulent gun dealer's home.



I agree, it's great in it's cluttered, antiqued, fabulous look!

Atop the Desk

I know it's popular to display scales like this one in kitchens, but I thought it fit in perfectly right here. Love the scalloped base and metal green hand. Aside from Poppy, it's my favorite new addition to the desk space.

Some plain white index cards sit on top and serve as convenient notepads. We can never have enough of those. Same goes for pens... they disappear as fast as socks do around our house. I stock up on cheap clear Bic pens from Target. I like them all matching.


The stone dog wears my watches like a fancy schmansy collar. He looks downright puffed up about it too.


Mr. Man can be found in a variety of unusual poses throughout the day. He's actually a fun accessory to have around.


I borrowed the #7 crock from my kitchen to display a single Clematis bloom. And underneath it sits a box with blooms all it's own.

And these are a few of my favorite desk things.

It's Coming Together...

So I've been racking my brain to come up with a meaningful theme for my 200TH POST GIVEBACK... After much thought I've decided to give a selection of some of my most favorite things to the lucky winner...

Here's what you'll get if your name is drawn...




My all~time favorite candle in the entire world from where else... Anthropologie! If you've never walked into Anthro and caught a whif of their Volcano candle, well you're in for a sensory treat.

My favorite CD in the universe, Bird On A Wire by Toby Lightman. I can hit replay all day on this one.

Three different shower gels by Philosophy. I adore Philosophy. These smell so good you will want to literally eat them.

A brown and white transferware butter pat. Yummy.

An assortment of teeny watch faces. I am addicted to these.

A fab flower frog from my personal collection. I hope you treasure it.

French script stamped seam binding. Say that three times fast... I love me some seam binding...

Three fabulous gift tags in the French theme of course...

Some surprises are bound to find their way into the mix as well...

PLEASE BE SURE AND LEAVE A COMMENT ON THE ORIGINAL GIVEBACK POST TO ENTER. COMMENTS LEFT ON THIS POST WILL NOT BE INCLUDED IN THE DRAWING.

Good luck everyone!

I wonder what it’s all going to be???

I had such a great day today – the weather was beautiful
and the sun was shining….and my aches and pains have died down.

Today was ‘lunch day’ with my former co-workers…as I’ve mentioned before we get together at a restaurant or here about every 6-8 weeks and catch up on each others families, animals, trips and pains…yes, pains…we’re all about the same age so there’s lots to talk about.

And at lunch I couldn’t make up my mind if I wanted a side salad or a grilled Chicken Salad – went back and forth in my mind and ended up ordering the Chicken Salad….so when the salad came I ate it. As well as the girls who ordered a meal and had soup…then – the waitress brought out the meals..and another salad for me!  WHAT????  I then realized that I did indeed order the Chicken Salad – lol

I told her I didn’t want it now – I had already eaten a salad…but she said it was her mistake and so I might as well eat it…yeah right…you bet it was her mistake! And so I tried to eat SOME MORE SALAD – but I started to feel very much on overload by that time so home it came with me.

Then this afternoon I got busy with preparations for some new
items but I’m not saying what they are but here’s a peek at
what i was up to all afternoon.

 


And then I tore some fabric to use on these….

So what do you think it’s all going to turn into…guess you’ll have to wait!
I’m just full of surprises and mystery this week aren’t I?

Don’t forget to check my previous post to
sign up for my 450th Follower Give A-way…http://mycolonialhome.blogspot.com/2010/04/450-followers-give-way.html

Thanks for visiting me…I appreciate all your comments!
Hugs, Karen

April's Bird(s)

Can you spot any changes to my office below? One of them is standing on the edge of my desk.


Meet Poppy.




He's only been with us for a couple of weeks,






and already he thinks this desk belongs to him.


Remember my bird calendar? This month's parakeet is strikingly beautiful.







And, well, poor Poppy is a wee bit jealous...


and tries to vie for April's slot.

Amanda's Before & After

Remember Amanda's living room? The one I brainstormed a "makeover" of? Well, Amanda's finished it now (as much as any room is every done), and she has done an incredible job.

Here's what it looked like "before"


And here's some "afters"




One of the best things she did -- I don't think I would have been this brave -- was to paint the floors. Dark.
Before:


After:
Such a big, dramatic change.

Good job, Amanda! If you want to find out more, she has a lot of posts about the process -- including her very tight budget -- here.

The Ones That Got Away... And A Giveback

Say what? Well I was all set to do this post about these...



Remember when I first introduced you to them?

Then they went here...



And now they are here...





Sorry guys, they were just too awesome to let them get away... They look so darn good in my living room.

And so on to the GIVEBACK... I realized after my last post that I had hit TWO HUNDRED POSTS! The lights were on but nobody at home apparently... Anyhoo, it's time for A GIVEBACK!!! Since this is so spur of the moment, I have no idea what the prize will be but I promise it will be awesome and in a couple of days I'll reveal what the winner will be a gettin'.

So tell your friends, tell your followers, heck tell everyone to post a comment and you'll be in the running. I'd love it if you post about the GIVEBACK but you don't have to to enter. I think I'll give a second prize that will be drawn from anyone who does post about it. How's that? So let me know if you do post about it and you'll go into a second drawing.

Aaannndd all my followers will automatically be entered. No coercion to become one to enter, but if you do join me between now and the drawing date you're in like flynn. If you are a follower and you leave a comment you get two chances to win.

You do not need to have a blog to enter. If you are commenting anonymously please leave an email address in your comment so I can contact you in the event you win.

DRAWING ENDS IN ONE WEEK ON TUESDAY MAY 4TH AT MIDNIGHT... I'll be back with the prize shortly. Good luck all!

450 Followers Give A-way

I said when I reached 450 FOLLOWERS I was going to have a GIVE A-WAY in honor of it - well there’s a twist –
IT’S GOING TO BE A SURPRISE GIVE A-WAY
so you won’t know what you won till the
day I draw YOUR name!

Now I will give you all until Midnight May 8th to get your name in and then on Mother’s Day, May 9th I will draw the lucky name…all you have to do is
1. Be a follower of mine
2. Post a comment here
3. Post your e-mail address so I can find you – if I have to look for you then I’ll just have to draw another name.

Now just what do you think it will be?
Could it be one thing – or maybe two?
Well how about 3 items…..hmmmmmm, only time will tell.

Do you think it might be some of my Penny Rug items, or maybe some grungy ole’ Primitive I made…or maybe something sweet and yummy?
I guess you will have to wait to find out…
don’t you just love surprises?

And then again…maybe I just might post the prizes
at a later date…LOL

Good Luck to everyone.

Karen

Dennis Slootweg Furniture

Allison sent me the following:

The Storque describes this furniture as looking "as though it was rescued from the rusty depths of a long-since-sunken submarine".

Pretty cool stuff by Dennis Slootweg:

http://www.dennisslootweg.nl/en/work.html

And, indeed, it is very cool furniture:

Can't you see this lit up for a steampunk ball?

He calls these rust cupboards. Charming...

Me, I think these would fit in a rusty, bucket of bolts spaceship, cruising the stars while experiencing swashbuckling adventures and engaging in barely legal but morally upright shenanigans.

The Untouchable Basket

There are very few things the children can't touch in our home. One of the reasons I was drawn to the vintage/farmhouse/cottage style in the first place is because it is so relaxed and family friendly.


There is one piece in our home however, that is totally off limits to everyone but myself. You see that basket under the table below? That would be it.



It's protected at least a little by the table it sits under. I love how it fits snugly. Just right.



The minute I saw it I fell in love with the way the wicker is woven so uniquely. I loved the canvas liner and turned to its side, the charmer even shows off sweet little bows.


I also loved the brushed-on subtle blue stain. It's as if the person creating it knew it was perfect for my home, for this table, for our family room. But they must have missed the part about us having six children.

You see it remains off limits not because it's worth a lot in value. I picked it up for $12 at TJ Maxx. It's untouchable because it could fall apart with the slightest push or tug. It's poorly made is what it is.

I almost didn't buy it because I knew it wouldn't last a week in our house before falling apart into a thousand teensy weensy wicker pieces that would likely get strewn all over the living room.


But I bought it and decided to threaten everyone instead. If anyone touches my precious basket, they owe me $20. $12 to cover the cost and $8 for pain and suffering. It's true... you can ask my children. No one has touched it, and it's been over a year.

Where’s Lola?

I thought this being a Rainy Sunday I would lift my spirits
and look at pictures today and a thought came to me…Lola makes me giggle. She’s my ‘friend’ and gets into the most silly spots and over the last few years I snapped pictures when
I could before she would move when she saw me making
a moving …not because she was scared I’d chase her out,
but she would move thinking I was going to go
someplace else and wanted to be with me!
Her little brain must have been thinking
“where you going now, where you going now!” 

Nothing brain worthy…just an escape from the day…Enjoy

Packing suitcases for a trip….

Getting wreath ready to hang

Stack of pillows I had just made, see her little tail
sticking out over the sheep!

Trying to set up for Home Show….

And her favorite place at Christmas was inside the
fence…I had cotton stuffed around the tree
HOPE YOU ENJOYED!

I see my following is at 443….when I reach 500 I am going to have a wonderful Give A-way!

Karen