Helping With A Move

Where have I been? 

We drove to Texas right after Christmas 

to help daughter Kim move into her new townhouse. 

We hung pictures, curtains, valances, plates,

 hooks, arranged furniture, shopped, 

unpacked boxes and organized. 

We were busy. Here's what we did.

 Here's where we started.

I brought a few things with me. A

large round plywood top, glass topper,

an old beige sheet and a square of brocade

 fabric. It's sitting on top of 2 storage

 bins and makes a little sitting area.

We found 4 long curtain panels on clearance

at BBB and we reused the wood closet

pole that we had painted black. 

I brought a Waterford lamp down

 from the bedroom

 and replaced it with 2 lamps I brought

 with me for the her bedside tabels

 Before adding the window treatment.

before

 after

after

Fireplace and entry area before.

After we hung the painting.

This little spot is a good place for a

 basket to throw keys and a dog leash.

Then I found the perfect rug on sale 

while passing thru TJs looking for curtains.

The colors were perfect for her decor. 

This picture does not do it justice. 

It was 8x10 and on sale for $149!

 View from the entry area.

I'll show more in the next post.
See more moving in HERE.
See bedroom before and after HERE.

I've missed blogging but I'm back

 in the groove again. There'll 

be a lot of catching-up for me.

Cheers!

Links: The Tablescaper,
My Romantic Home, The Charm Of Home,
Between Naps On The Porch

Christmas Eve

I was setting up the dining room for 

Christmas Eve dinner with my family 

and snapped a few photos along the way. 

The centerpiece: 2 Longaberger sleigh 

baskets on wrought iron runners were 

filled with fresh evergreens and ornaments.

 I extended the table with 4 leaves and turned

 it diagonally in the room so that it would fit.

 I can seat 12.

 I love that the extra leaves are stored in

 a compartment inside the table top 

that's accessed when we pull it apart.

 I also have protective table pads that 

are stored in a box in the closet. I needed
 to use 2 red tablecloths and covered 

the center seam with a holly table square.

 The place settings were Spode china, 

my sterling silver flatware, pottery Christmas
 tree napkin rings, and painted goblets.

 Each place setting got one of my 

Christmas salt & pepper sets.

 See them all HERE.

Lots of fresh tree branches lined the 

center of the table. We picked up bags of 

them every time we went to Home Depot. 

The butler's tea cart.

The silver stand has Porsgrund

Hearts and Pines china.

The 'Little Town Of Bethlehem'. I moved 

the three tiered etegere under the window.

It was in the dining room niche before I 

replaced it with my painted buffet. 

See the before HERE.

 Luckily it just fit. 

 I was able to set it up as I had in the past. 

Now at the other end of the room.

 Under the window.

Evening light.

Cheers!

Links: Savvy Southern Style

Christmas Counters

 The glass flour and sugar canisters get a

 little sparkle with a lighted wreath 

tucked behind them. 

The scoops are Spode tea cups.

 This year I added my Mother's old cookie 

cutters to the wreath.

This counter is to the left of the stove.

This is the right side.

I repurposed empty olive oil bottles and filled 

them with vegetable oil, olive oil, and vinegar. 

 Christmas wine stoppers on top. The old

plaid thermos was found thrifting. I think I

will fill that with hot chocolate sometime soon.

 I pick up hand crocheted pot holders 

whenever I find them in thrift stores. 

They are usually always under $1.00. 

Most of them are just 25 cents. I now 

have a nice little collection of Christmas ones.

Just look at how sweet they are.

 I sometimes find old Christmas tins too. 

A few of the Christmas cookie jars 

sit on top of the refrigerator. 

We've been eating lots of Christmas cookies,

the wonderful homemade kind. 

I know just who is sending cookies 

and I open that package right away. 

Larry takes care of any crumbs.

He sprinkles them on ice cream.

Cheers!

Links: Funky Junk

More Kitchen Cheer

Continuing from my last post, there are a 

few more areas in my kitchen that have 

gotten a little Christmas cheer.

 The hot beverage station got mugged!

 A Longaberger sleigh basket holds cocoa

 packets in the back along with my whisk

 and coffee filters in the front.

 My little thrifted cream pitcher and the 

canister storing  tea bags.

Christmas mugs have become an obsession. 

Last year I used several as 'gift bags'.

I start using the Christmas dishes right after

Thanksgiving. I swap out the Fall dishes and
 bring in two sets; Longaberger Holly
and Spode Christmas Tree.

 I linded the back of the cabinet again like 

I did last year, this time using a large

white snowflake pattern on red.

 I saved the cut out trim from last year too.

 Some of my thrift store Christmas mugs
 are on the top shelf.

You can see a few more Christmas mugs

 hanging on the picket fence mug rack

in the back right side at the end.

The view over the chicken feeder dish rack

into the kitchen. My friends were easily able

to grab a plate last week at my annual 

'Tennis Girlfriend's Christmas Party'

Cheers!

Link: My Romantic Home,
My Repurposed Life