Good Morning!

I love my first cup of coffee! I make a strong pot and then mix in two different types of flavored creamer.

This morning it was chocolate and french vanilla. Yum!

I have a busy Monday morning and I am praying that the "heavy" things on my to do list are handled w/ minimal stress. I am taking as much "me" time as possible while the house is quiet to do some blog hopping...my little escape for the moment.

I stumbled upon a cool blog

http://funkyjunkinteriors.blogspot.com/

with all kinds of interesting ideas on how to use your junk (treasures) in interesting ways.

So, the wheels are turning in my DIY head! Hopefully I will get to work on some projects today! 

This green cabinet has been sitting in my garage for months, we started to strip it and the paint got stubborn and the weather got hot so I gave up for a while.

I have the perfect spot for it in my dining room corner, I recently gave my step mother in law my corner cabinet for her dining room because it was the perfect size for what she needed and my garage is looking like "hoarder" material. Part of it is stuff for my flea market booths...but still. It is time for me to REALLY start my day. I hope yours is lovely!

Hugs,

Olivia

Happy Pink Saturday!

I am relaxing this morning with a cup of coffee before I start my very busy day! 

This week we have had my husbands father and family visiting for the first time from out of town. What a blessing it has been to have them travel the distance to spend time with us!

 My husband and I both come from divorced parents so as you can imagine there are some tricky situations for all of us. While playing hostess this week I realized something...

as a Christian, God has forgiven me...therefore we must forgive one another.

If we do not forgive, we run the risk of carrying around pain and anger that will overflow out of our hearts dumping bitterness into our lives and the people we love. My prayer is that you may take and dump your troubles to God and be refilled with his love, so that you may water the garden of your life with love, peace and happiness no matter what challenges befall you.

I recently finished the movie Wuthering Heights,by Emily Bronte, what an interesting story that was! I have been on a British Victorian movie kick of late and like most everything I do, I dive in head first! No minimalist here!

As fall approaches look for more pink and white pumpkins gracing my home!

Don't forget to make it fabulous! Grab my Button! Isn't is cute!

Please stop by and visit our darling hostess, Beverly at
http://howsweetthesound.typepad.com/my_weblog/ for more pink goodness! Have a lovely day!

Be blessed and be a blessing!

Hugs,

Olivia

Shabby Shutter Window Frame

Welcome! I would like to share with you my fabulous Shabby Rose Window!

For this window, I painted a frame several coats of white, distressed the frame and shutters with sandpaper and then rubbed a mahogany colored stain over the white. My husband attached the shutters and underneath I used a pretty cottage rose print! Yes, I am fluffing up my living room!

I think it turned out a bit Shabby and Rustic! Just Darling!

I have worked up quite the collage of "Decor" around the Shabby Shutter Rose frame!

I am striking out in a different direction, but I am really loving it....

as long as there are Roses, Shabby, Chippy, Victorian, Dangly Crystals YOU KNOW I AM A FAN!

As I discussed in the last post the chairs have been left dark to blend with the dark brown leather sofas...

of course, I am still in limbo as to whether I should shabby them or not???? The sofa is to the bottom far left, this vignette is part of my new "Cottage Victoriana" (is there such a thing)???

Anyhoo, the pretty blue mirror found a home above my side table.

 

Normally, I would not hang this many things on one wall...my husband likes it & I like the change what do you think?

Oh yes, and THANK YOU for all of your comments and encouragement! I am a busy mommy and I do not have time to visit all of you as much as I want but I promise I will be by to see you soon!

I am partying with Cindy at Romantic Homes

http://romantichome.blogspot.com/

and Connie for frou frou Friday

http://connie-livingbeautifully.blogspot.com/

Have a lovely and blessed day!

Hugs,

Olivia

Victorian Romance Obsession!
With fall around the corner I have begun to add some darker pieces into my normally "white" Shabby decorating style. This vignette, I used an old dark door and hung a piece of lace over the panes, topped with a pretty Shabby white mirror.

I have also fallen in love with British Victorian movies such as,

Wives and Daughters

Inspired by the Victorian Homes in the movies, I have decided to blend my Shabby Chic with some Victorian flair. 

(PLEASE BEAR WITH ME, IT COULD ONLY BE A PHASE!)

I have a bit of a challenge in my living room, I have painted everything off white and I have two very large beautiful very dark brown leather sofas that I want to use until my kids are older. So, I am trying to blend cream accents with darker woods.

 My die hard Shabby Chic ways are going astray...plus I am craving color like crazy!

For example I painted this beautiful mirror I picked up at a tag sale for $3 a  pretty bluish green. I am not sure where to put it yet.

I also picked up these two dark brown chairs for $2.50 each and it is all I can do to refrain myself from painting them white...maybe pink or blue... what do you think?

I also picked up this beautiful rose ottoman for $5 at a tag sale... for fall I think I might leave the fabric and just shabby the legs...

I am off to do a little more Romantic Victorian Dreaming!

Have a relaxing blessed Sunday!

Hugs,

Olivia

Thursday August 18, 2010

Shabby Pink Pumpkins!

That's right I am ready for FALL!

I love traditional colors...but...for my home Pink Pumpkins appear everywhere!

Yesterday, I did some junk haulin treasure hunting and purchased a whole van full of vintage windows...

 That's right, I filled up my van with a ton of old windows at an AMAZING DEAL(less than $1 each)!

This morning I panicked...what in the world am I going to do with all of these windows??? 

WHAT WAS I THINKING???

Sooooo, I whipped out my paints and brushes and hand painted pumpkins and flowers on TWO of them. One in traditional colors and the other in Shabby Pink Pumpkin colors!!!

 Listen, I am not a "fabulous artist" but I love to paint and decorate!

Clean your window, find some pretty paints, use stencils if you like (I did on the top). Use lots of color and blending! 

Most importantly HAVE FUN!

 Who can resist a little pink during the fall...

I moved my "desk" to the end of the hall and decided to add my little stool and Shabby Pink Pumpkin window...

what do you think?

I am not sure this is where it will stay but it does fit nicely!

Check back for more amazing fun DIY projects! 

I will be partying at the Shabby Chic cottage
http://www.theshabbychiccottage.net/Show and Tell Friday with the lovely Cindy

http://romantichome.blogspot.com/

and 

the darling Beverly at How Sweet the Sound for Pink Saturday

http://howsweetthesound.typepad.com/my_weblog/

 Have a lovely and blessed week!
Hugs,

Olivia 

Monday August 16, 2010
Shabby Chic Storage Idea!

Hello! How many of you have little projects tucked away in your garage or storage area? I redo alot of furniture so it is no surprise that I have many spare furniture parts lying around!

In this case I decided to make use of a lonely dresser drawer that had little future prospect besides collecting dust. Now remember, I try to make use out of EVERYTHING I have. (Budget Savvy Girl!)

I took this old dresser drawer (I had already sprayed the front with white spray paint) I finished it off with brushing on 3 coats of regular old semi-gloss white paint from Wal-Mart.

I love to keep lots of pillows and throws scattered around my living room so everybody feels comfy, but every once in awhile I like to spiff it up and I just do not have room for a quilt rack and there is alot of extra space under the bench in my living room so this drawer fit perfect It could also be used under a side table for magazine storage, if you are a magazine hoarder like me, it might be a good idea!

I have 2 very large queen size chenille blankets (tag sale finds) folded up and stored in this drawer, so there ended up being lots of room!

I just love thinking up new ways to tidy up my little Shabby cottage!

I will be partying with Cielo today for Show off your Cottage Monday at

http://houseinroses.blogspot.com/

Have a lovely day!

Hugs,

Olivia

Sunday August 15, 2010
Shabby Antique School Desk

While on a buying trip a darling friend of mine convinced me to include this antique school desk in my "pile" of goodies. It was in pieces and she assured me my husband could put it back together. He did and I found a temporary spot for it on my wandering wall a couple of posts ago I told you about this little spot I have in between my dining room and kitchen that I just can't find the right size piece of furniture for. Yesterday, while puttering around I decided to try out this old school desk what do you think?

I liked the way the old license plate sharpened up the fluffiness of this area...

Above the desk I added this darling little candle holder with some faux crystals and a teacup plopped in the center, not crazy about this teacup but it fit in crystal ring perfectly...

For now the wandering wall has been fluffed up and filled....but I will have to see how it passes the test of my wild kids energetic angels!

Have a blessed and peaceful Sunday!

Hugs,

Olivia

 Friday August 13, 2010
I painted my teeny back porch!
That's right folks! I shabbied up my humble little back porch with a coat of white paint and some tag sale furniture and 

OH MY!

it came out soooooo cute....

Right outside my backdoor is a tiny little porch that has stood lonely without any Shabby love...well, yesterday in 105 degree heat I changed all that! At one point I really wondered what I was thinking, but it was all worth it when the kids and I had dinner under the pretty white canopy...

I am soooo excited to have a new "Shabby Outdoor Space"!

I used a pretty ruffled edge curtain to create the canopy...now I am racking my brain as to how in the world I will sneak a chandelier right underneath the canopy in the center of the table, TRUST ME, I will find a way! 

I plopped a few pillows in the old 50's chair and I have a perfect spot to dream...
and of course I had to add a little pink in the mix with some pretty pink flowers in a Shabby Pink Enamel container...

I cannot believe how tickled I was over this project. Honestly, I just whipped out a can of outdoor white paint and put a coat on this porch, I am still going to probably put another coat on it...but whooeee it is really HOT

so, I will see how this wears and then go from there!

I have had a vision of this...just waiting to find the perfect table so last weekend when I spied this round table for $2 I knew it would be perfect! Of course I had some pretty lacy linens just waiting to take up residence outdoors...

 

The darling little bench my husband built out of a free headboard we picked up. As much as I would love to have big perfect matching Shabby Chic pillows, they are not in my teeny budget, so I pick up little pillows at tag sales and resale shops here and there super cheap and then mix them all together. 

 

The stand holding the canopy up is an odd metal piece that I painted white and the little stool was a steal for $2. The old 50's chair was a forest green that I found at the thrift store for $5 and I shabbied it up with my favorite white paint and mixed in more off beat pillows.

 

I have more that I would like to add to this darling outdoor space, can't you just imagine a pretty trellis with vines, pretty flowers planted in front of the porch and a dangling crystal chandelier somewhere in the center. Oh yes, there is  that cute old wicker rocker I am going to do something fabulous with sooooo

STAY TUNED!

YOU CAN DO SHABBY CHIC FOR CHEAP!

I am partying with Cindy at Romantic Homes for Show and Tell Friday

http://romantichome.blogspot.com/

and Beverly's Pink Saturday at

http://howsweetthesound.typepad.com/my_weblog/

Have a lovely weekend!

Hugs,

Olivia

~Shabby Chic Lamp Redo~

Hello, thank you for stopping by!
I have been looking for a darling lamp for side table in my living room. I saw this very inexpensive lamp at a tag sale and decided to take a chance.

I brush painted the base white and I also brushed a little white paint on the shade because I was worried that the dark maroon of the original shade would show through.
(I am sure this is an illegal move in craft land to paint fabric with regular paint, but oh well!)

After I finished painting, I hot glued a pretty rose fabric over the lampshade. I then became FRUSTRATED because I realized the lampshade was too small for the lamp and I needed some trim!!??? I like to use what I have so after rampaging several craft boxes to no avail, I found this pretty piece of lace that I draped over the top of the lampshade and lightly glued the edges to the inside of the lampshade to create the poufy effect.

I also found a pretty piece of creamy white vintage lace that I trimmed the top of the lampshade with.

 I struggled a bit with this Shabby Chic Lamp makeover (not sure what I was thinking painting the lampshade, hopefully it does not burst into flames or anything weird) .

In the end, though, I am pleased with the pretty soft glow this lamp casts in the little corner of my cottage living room.

I am partying with Faded Charms White Wednesday...
http://fadedcharmcottage.blogspot.com/

Have a lovely and blessed day!
Hugs,
Olivia

Those who hope in the Lord will renew their strength. They will soar on wings like eagles; they will run and not grow weary, they will walk and not be faint.

Isiah 40:31