~ Looking For Winter ~

Good Saturday afternoon all!...can you see the bottom edge of this towel I have hanging on a cupboard door?...it says, "Looking for Winter", and that about sums up this season so far for these here parts! Winter is my favorite season, I love winter with a passion!...love snow too!...and so far we have had neither! With Winter being my favorite season and all, I save most of my snowmen to decorate with after Christmas. I went around the house today and snapped a few pics to share. The adorable snowman you see hanging was made by Tammy of Rock River Stitches:Pinkeep made by me from a pattern by The Stitcherhood:
An olde crock with a sprig of pine sits with a big olde wooden bowl filled with yummy pinkeeps...some made by me and some by others:
Another wintry display...the snowman head made by Barbara of Turkey Hollow Folk Art is a favorite!
With Valentine's Day coming up, I've started to mix in a few hearts here and there...this is a lovely Mercantile Pantry Heart that I sell in my shoppe along with a Hog Scraper Candlestick placed on an olde checkerboard atop the Seven Snowballs table square also sold in my shoppe:
This is what my foyer table looks like at the moment:
Atop the folk art cabinet that hubs made:
Sweet Eliza K. Wilson made by Norma Schneeman and the kitty on her lap was made by Betty of Squarenails:
Antique lighting along with a reproduction candlestick:
This might be my favorite hooked mat made by Stephanie of Old Colony Primitives...it is sitting on my coffee table and I place whichever jar candle I'm burning right on its tummy:
Speaking of the coffee table, here is my bowl that I decorate for the seasons...the adorable snowgal was made by Jenn of Rabbit Hill Primitives, the wee snowmen were made by Barbara of Turkey Hollow Folk Art, the largest pinkeep/pillow was stitched by Pam of Primitive Basketcase, and the other two pinkeeps were stitched by yours truly from a Country Rustic Primitives pattern...the Large Rustic Chopping Bowl is an item offered in my shoppe:
Fireplace mantel with my new tin sconces...I offer the candlelight version of them in my shoppe...the wooden bottles were made by Don and Pat of Olde Bittersweet Farm:
Make-do chair, candlestand, and candlestick also made by Don and Pat...the hanging hearts were made by Barbara of Turkey Hollow, the hanging flax comb by Art of Old Colony Primitives, the wee angel doll was made by Jackie of T.F.C. Folk Art, and darned if I can't recall who made my kitty pillow!...I've had it for several years:
This display is on the little dough box table that hubs made last year...the iron pedestal bowl is an item offered in my shoppe as well as the Sweet Surrender placemat:
Last but not least, beautiful wax fruit made by Misi of 1890 Gable House:
Speaking of fruit, I would like to begin a small collection of olde stone fruit but don't know the first thing about it...for those of you who are familiar with it, if you would kindly pass along tips like what to look for and whatnot, I would be greatly appreciative!...I'm planning on searching for it on ebay and etsy for starters.

That's all for now...thank you so much for visiting with me!

~ Happy New Year!! ~ and my kitchen tour ~

Happy New Year!!...first I would like to say, "THANK YOU", to all of my friends and customers, some of who are the same!...I feel so fortunate to have met so many sweet and friendly folks through my little online store...thank you for your continued support, patronage, and friendship...may 2012 bring us all good health and happiness!!

I hope everyone enjoyed their holidays and are ready to begin anew. Today I have finally finished up taking pictures of my newly redecorated kitchen. Nothing major done like floors, cabinets, or countertops, just the decor. Of course I will have to show you a couple of "before" pics so you can see what I've been up to...before I had plates on the walls with an overall fruit theme going on...here it is BEFORE:
...now here it is AFTER:...nifty fowl rack made by Art of Old Colony Primitives ...willow checkerboard by Kath of Weeping Cedar Hollow Primitives
...I am probably one of the only people in prim decorating land who does not have a stove board but I am much too paranoid to cover the burners with something for fear of starting a fire...plus I'm too lazy to find a place for the thing every time the stove needs to be used! LOL
...here's a closer look at what's up above the cabinetry...a few of my very favorite things:
...I even got hubs to install a new faucet for me!...and here's a closer looks at my new appliance cupboards made by Kelly of Small Town Primitives...here's another BEFORE:
...and the same view AFTER:
...this is my long counter where I make sammiches, LOL
...a closer look at up top:
...I even changed everything that was inside the glass front cabinet:
...changed all the light switch plates from white plastic to black metal...tried to hide most of them with decor but there are a few that just cannot be covered because we use them too frequently:
...another view of the kitchen:
...many of the signs and gameboards where made by Pam of Goldieloo Woodworks:
...here's a closer look at the cupboard I have above the microwave:
...I got this cute barrel off ebay...it sits next to the pantry door:...and that's it for my kitchen pics, what do you think?...does it look more prim now?

A few days ago I put away everything Christmas and am trying REALLY hard to decorate very simply for winter...it is difficult for me since winter is my very most favorite season!! LOL...so here's my start, it's the primitive pie safe, the snowman make-do is new and was made by Tammy of Rock River Stitches:
...alrighty then, I think that is going to do it for this post...have a great week everyone and most of all have a fantastic new year!!

Happy Christmas Eve Eve! (and a few more pics!)

Well the big day is almost here!...I'm always sad to see this most festive season end...I think the thing I love most is the music...and Christmas music just isn't the same even the day after, why is that? LOL...Christmas in my house is very different from most...basically, I am the only one in my very small family who celebrates...hubs and I do not exchange gifts, I gave up on getting him to do it several years ago...I have always gotten our boys things for Christmas but I'm afraid they seem to be following in their dad's footsteps...I haven't even been able to get them to watch the movie "A Christmas Carol" with me anymore...we always used to do that every Christmas Eve when they were little...I have always baked pumpkin bread on Christmas Eve so that we can enjoy it on Christmas morning but it is pretty much just another day in our house...when the boys were little it was so much fun watching them open their gifts...but now the things they want don't really fit under the tree like car parts and such, LOL...so even though there are no gifts to be opened and no festivities to speak of, I still enjoy the holiday season very very much!...of course the decorating is so much fun and this year I can't seem to stop! LOL...I have been wanting an Arnett's Santa for quite some time and this year I was fortunate enough to acquire two!...one I put by my Pottery Barn tree with the brown paper packages tied up with string :)
...these Santas are so nice, I can see why everyone loves them so much!...this one I put in my antique dry sink along with some jars I purchased from Kelly at Small Town Primitives, and a decorated crock, cutting board, and tin from Elaine at Cats Paw Primitives on ebay:...and my new tin sconces have arrived!...hubs installed them for me:
...what do you think of them?...I'm offering the candlelight version of them on my website
...I also wanted to show you a little pinkeep/cupboard pillow I just finished up for myself...made from a pattern by Wendy at Pineberry Lane...I stitched it onto a piece of army blanket:
...also, last time I posted pictures, I forgot to show you this that I made earlier this year...I started it before last Christmas but did not have time to finish it until after the first of this year...it's from a Thy Needle and Thread pattern:
...and I'm saving the best for last!...just look at this fabulous painting, I think this might be the most special gift I've ever received!...it's a Colonial gentleman painted by my sweet friend Pat of Olde Bittersweet Farm...she painted it just for me and it was such a surprise to receive this treasure in the mail!...thank you again my friend!...I shall treasure this for the rest of my days!!
...ok that is going to do it this time around...next post will be my kitchen pics for real this time! LOL...Merry Christmas to all!!

~ Christmas Decorating ~ part 2

Well this has been a fairly rough week...a few days ago our oldest son's apartment was broken into...they smashed through a window to get in and they took his Playstation, all of his controllers, all of his games, even rented ones that I'm sure he's going to be liable for...along with a watch, and other small belongings...they dumped his dirty clothes onto the floor to put everything in the laundry bag he uses to transport his clothes to be laundered in then left through the door which they left open...then a couple of nights ago while driving to get a pizza, youngest son was hit from behind and his car sustained quite a bit of damage...thankfully he was not hurt!...so we have had a good strong dose of reality these last few days and it bites!

Onto more pleasant thoughts...I am calling my Christmas decorating done for this year and wanted to share with you a few more pictures...

this doll was made by Betty of Squarenails, I have had her for a few years now and bring her out this time of year:the ditty bags hanging on the cupboard door were made by Marilyn of Thistlebrooms Primitives:got a new ceiling fan for the living/family room...the finish is called Aged Iron and even though ceiling fans are not prim, at least the finish on this one fits in better LOL:I was really hoping that my new tin sconces would be here by now...this is what they will look like only electrified:they will replace these sconces and this is my mantle dressed for Christmas:
make-do chair area all decorated...the chair was made by Pat of Olde Bittersweet Farm...the little tree and the wool garland are from my shoppe...the stocking is from Carol and Karen of The Bean House Store and there are a couple Jackie Schmidt dolls hanging on the rack:breakfast nook is looking festive with the Seven Snowballs table square reversed to its red side for Christmas:this is on one of the end tables...just about everything is from my shoppe:other end table...in the bowl are the wax jingle bells that I sell:now look at my special Christmas snowman...isn't he lovely?...he was handmade and gifted to me by my dear friend Karen of Olde Cottage Primitives:I also wanted to share with you a purchase I recently made...it's this sweet little holly hooked mat made by Stephanie of Old Colony Primitives:
...I like to have something to set my jar candles on to make sure the heat doesn't damage the table and have begun a collection of little hooked rug mats!...I purchased another one a month or so ago from Stephanie that has a kitty on it which I'm saving for after Christmas decorating...I'll show you that one at another time, it's sooo cute!...when I received my hooked mat from Stephanie, she included this precious Christmas pinkeep with a heart on it as a gift!...I was so tickled!...I've placed it in the bowl with the pinkeep I made:and speaking of Old Colony Primitives, I wanted to show you this totally awesome fowl rack that Art made:...I have wanted an antique one for quite some time and was waiting for the right one to come along but when I saw this one I had to have it!...it looks so old don't you think?...he even used old iron hooks!...I've always loved the way Linda (Behind My Red Door) has a candle rod hung slanted on her's so now I have done the same thing...this fowl rack is in a wall grouping in my newly redecorated kitchen:...the lovely checkerboard was made, a year or so ago, by Kath of The Olde Weeping Cedar...so there now you have a sneek peek of the kitchen! LOL...my next blog post will have the kitchen pics :)

That's going to do it for this time...enjoy the weekend and have fun shopping!