Making Do - Not Buying New

I made these baskets decades ago and couldn't bear to paint, so I rarely used.

Then years ago, I painted them white, in my all white phase,

and they did get used a lot.

When I tired of the all white, they were stored on top of the garage fridge.

I wish I had just stained them from the get go.

Last night I gathered some very old gunky paint and then waxed 

over all with brown. I will re-do the yellow soon making it darker,

or even painting it a dark gray.

I was just using what I had.

I wanted to store them "in use",

so they landed atop the cupboard in the family room.

I brought down from the studio jars of vintage buttons

and re-styled a bit.

You can bet I'll be painting those grey corner brackets soon.

Continuing On And A few Stories

So from the dining area you enter the

 kitchen, family room and back porch.

Coming as soon as I save my pennies,

a new corner sofa and a complete rearrange to

allow additional seating here. 

The yellow cupboard 

holds additional kitchenware.

Notice the church board calendar

on the right wall. 

Many of you have commented on it before.

Also spot the Alice in Wonderland Door.

My Italian Vietri Cucina Dishes

Love these - I traded several days of 

organizing labor for these many year ago

and have never regretted it.

Some day I hope I can afford serving ware.

With each serving piece being nearly $100.00 and up,

I'm not holding my breath.

That cart used to hold my Dad's jigsaw in his workshop.

After a thorough cleaning,

I left it in it's original condition, 

chipped paint and all.

The round basket above the spices holds

a very old piece of a house Hannah found

in an abandoned lot in NYC.

She knew I would love it, and squirreled it away in 

her suitcase for me.

Guess who - another photo bomb from Howie.

and a bit of Justice's butt.

She's drinking water I keep on the

trolley shelf, so she can find it.

The small cupboard to the left of the pantry door

 was once on a boat, and holds more spices.

The double stacked doors hold the

laundry chute, and more pantry space.

The antique yellow-ware lidded crock

holds the dog treats 

and Howie knows the sound

from rooms away!

On toward the porch

The old man painting I bought 

for my Dad for $3.00 when I was eight years old.

He made the frame

from barn wood he found on our land.

The bakers table in front of the shutters

is very unique and

has swing out seats and 

cutting boards tucked in.

This old kitchen cupboard holds bar glasses and 

party goods for outdoor entertaining.

So that's the first floor except

 for powder room and laundry.

Stay tuned for upstairs coming soon.

Z

Family Room Coming Along

Little touches here and there still to be added,

but I am making progress.

I have to get my holiday decor done early

 because of my upcoming class, and I am

decorating a couple other homes

after Thanksgiving.

It is now or never.

All the lights in the evening

surely do set a magical mood.

Knowing I am doing minimal shopping

this year makes the decorating more

enjoyable; less rush, just me, the music,

and the memories.

Have a wonderful weekend.

z

Family Room check! check!

Well I'm happy with it. I've always loved this couch. 

It was the one that was on the porch.

Got it for free over 25 years ago,

 and it was "gently used" then. I recovered it twice,

 and now it is slip covered and it is still going strong.

Gotta love those old Drexels.

Finally found a home for this gorgeous wool rug that

I bought from West Elm last year at 75% off.

It feels like a sweater to my feet.

Be a good dog Howie!

The pooches are rolling on it like it is catnip.

I still have "things" as many of you asked, but I evaluated

each one before including it back into the room.

I had to love it or use it.

It is a cleaner look for sure, 

but not cold, or less cozy to me. 

I still have all the lampshades to work on, covering

them with other fabrics or trims, updating them.

The french door you see to the right

 is to the back porch you visited yesterday.

******

So tonight is the end of the giveaway.

Midnight PST 

I've met some delightful new gals, visited new blogs

 and had a grand old time.

 I wish you all could win a little something 

because you mean so much to me.

I will announce the winners as soon as I finish

making all the drawing slips,  

and verifying the winners. 

WoOt wOoT

I did my best to reply to all of 

the comments except for those of you who are

"no reply comment".

(please put your email in your profile ladies)

Z