Customizable Sketch Book Journals

September 18, 2012 By 15 Comments






The kids and I are well into a new school year here, and things are going really well so far.  Our oldest is a high school sophmore now, and the 3 youngest are fifth graders.  So naturally, each year has gotten more academically involved, deeper and serious for all of us;  myself as the teacher, and they as students.  But I can freely admit that I am learning almost as much as they are, and enjoying my re-education as we progress with each year.  I love finding new ways to keep their homeschooling experiences fun. 

One new idea I came up with this year, actually came about as I was brainstorming a gift idea for a special-little someone-else in my life.  While that gift is more elaborate and expensive, and personalized from me, it occurred to me that it might be fun to incorporate the general idea into our schooling, on a more budget level, for my own kids.… Read More

Filed Under: Budget, Crafts & Creations, Home Schooling, Kids Arts and Crafts Tagged With: , , , , , , ,

Doors to Storage. (Literally.)

September 28, 2011 By 27 Comments






We’re guessing many of you love to see little home transformations, and creative spaces, as we do, and that’s just what we hope to share with you today.  The photos we share will likely explain what we have done. But if you have just a bit of time, grab a drink of choice, and let us amuse you with a little more about the birth of this project.

We’ve heard some people try to ‘ keep up with the Jones’. But that’s not our style.  I’m sure they’re really nice peeps, and all. But they don’t run in our circles, and even if they did, I doubt we’d want or care what they have, even if we could  afford a thing.  No, our wants and needs are really quite simple.… Read More

Filed Under: Budget, Furniture Refinishing, Home Decor, Home Improvement, Home Projects, Organization, Re-Purposing, The Big Picture, The Homestead Tagged With: , , , , , , , , , , , ,

Big Furniture Refinish } A Work of Heart

May 10, 2011 By 40 Comments






(‘Before’ thumbnail. The ‘After’ is a must see!)

This is the biggest piece of furniture I have refinished, yet.  (Well, my husband did very kindly help me. I worked pretty hard on it too, though.)

But as big of a job as it was for my hands, it was a much bigger job, for my heart.






This is my mother’s dresser.  My mother passed away very suddenly, a little more than 6 years ago.  Her passing hit me like a train, and threw me into a grieving like I had never known. In the state of fog & hurt I lived in, one month after another, the only thing I was aware of at all, was the depth of grief my father was in.… Read More

Filed Under: Budget, Furniture Refinishing, Home Decor, Home Projects, The Homestead Tagged With: , , ,

Wild Thing….You-Make-My-Heart-Sing.

February 21, 2011 By 11 Comments






BARTERING, can be a beautiful, beautiful thing.

Just look what I struck a deal for…..








How’s THAT for a WILD chair??

Sit and relax for a minute, and I’ll tell you the tale of how it became m-i-n-e.

I got it from my friend, Michelle, owner of Stitch A Wish Designs. (This is her blog, and this is her web site. )  Michelle is an amazing boutique-style designer of all kinds of things, and I have featured her and her work, here on my blog  before. Well, I had learned while reading her blog, that she had gotten a Victorian-style sofa at this great little antique store nearby, called the Antique Chapel, which I frequent myself.   But with the sofa she really wanted, came 2 chairs she had to take also.  This chair above, was a nasty mess.  A dusty pink, extremely worn velvet, that was filthy too.  Imagine.  (Or see Michelle’s blog posts a few pages back, for all of the gory-to-glory photos….later.  There’s a different post on each of her 3 pieces she took, so you’ll have to look through them.) Well, Michelle turned the chair into what you see above.  I believe this piece was only her 2nd re-upholstery project, ever, (the sofa being her first), but it was sure good enough for me.… Read More

Filed Under: Budget, Home Decor, The Homestead Tagged With: , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

Blessings of Wood / Home Heating

December 19, 2009 By 3 Comments


A


This is often what one side of our drive-way looks like, as of the past few months.  Sometimes, the piles of these palettes are a little higher, and sometimes a little lower.  But one thing is for sure – we’re always happy to see some out there.


B


Because these palettes heat our home, for free.  Well….maybe for a little labor.  Although I doubt Michael would call it that.  Michael’s supply company for his business, gives us stacks of palettes, that they want out of their warehouse.  When they are delivering down in our area anyway, they put a stack or 2 of these on the truck, to be delivered to us.  Most of the palettes are oak, or other hard woods.  Sometimes, there’s a little pine too, but that’s o.k.  It all burns in our wood stove!… Read More

Filed Under: Budget, The Homestead Tagged With: , , , , , ,