Thanks Kim and Debbie

When I fist began this blogland thing Kim and Debbie's blogs were some of the first I stumbled across.  I have been following them since and they were some of my first non-family followers.  They inspire me with their wonderful comments and I enjoy following along with their happenings, through their blogs.

Thanks Kim and Debbie!!

I am linking with The White Farmhouse inspiration party, thanks for hosting.

Old typewriter Lynn brought home one day

This is a little shelf in our entertainment center.  My sister was throwing away this piece of furniture, it was cherry wood finish, I grabbed it and painted it black.  Now I think she secretly wants to take it home every time she comes over.  Right Joanie?

Lynn found this one day out on a travel trip and brought it home, he bought it for $15.00.  He was so excited he got a great deal.  I think he did.  

I put my miniature vase collection by the side and love the new look of this area.  Two of the vases where from Ireland when we were there fifteen years ago.  One a gift with the cladaugh and one I bought with the shamrocks.  The others found here and there at flea markets. Lynn's Mom got me the little porcelain lidded box with December printed on it, my birthday month.  

Fun to change up little areas around the house. 

Plus it made me polish the silver tiered fleur del lis stand.

Heading to Canton this weekend!  Huge Texas flea market.  

Linking with Always Nesting,

Stories of A to Z,
My Romantic Home,
The Reluctant Entertainer

Springtime on Halifax Lane

Didn't you love when you were a kid looking up at trees and watching the wind blow through the leaves.

Lynn has done 99% of the yard work.  I planted a few impatiens and geraniums.

I did dig up all the lariope to transplant to the front yard and re-planted about half of it.

I will let these spring yard pictures speak for themselves.

Happy Spring from Halifax Lane.

Before/After - ottoman, coffee table

For those of you that missed my Goodwill lunch trip.  I found this little lovely for $5.00.  Geez, the button legs should be worth that.  It had a solid frame and  Lynn is in need of a foot rest by the couch.  

Step One

Remove legs and spray paint chocolate brown.   Fill upside down and cut and tuck burlap.

OK, I must admit, I tried some suggestions for picture saturation of color... oops.  I am trying to learn from the Funky Junk Interiors tutorial, Sorry, still practicing.

Yep, hot glued the burlap right to the bottom of the frame.  Old faithful glue gun hanging in there. 

 It takes a lickin' and keeps on tickin' so I still use the little gem.

Now cover the complete bottom with burlap and you got it, hot glue to the rescue.

Step two, flip over and begin on the topper.  I guess I will use the sewing machine for this part. I found some brown on sale fabric at Joanne's, 1/2 off made it $3.00 a yard.
Waverly samples will become a trim treatment, $1.00 per square. Four squares needed.

Legs still drying, I want to put them back on just for a look, 

but I will have patience and let them dry overnight.  Now I have to go dust off the sewing machine. 

The top half will be a little bit more complicated.

OK - sidenote - this project has gone on for over two weeks.  I had two Ooohlala Floral events scheduled.  One 25th anniversary dinner and one wedding.

Ooohlala!!

You get to fast forward to the finished product.   Which we truly enjoy by the way.
So come on over sit a spell and put your feet up.

I'm linking with
Funky Junk Interiors
LaurieAnna's Vintage Home
My Romantic Home

How we met our house

How we met Halifax Lane, what a great conversation.  Every time someone asks about how we found our house, I love to tell the great story.  Flash back to 2001.  We had our old house on the market.  For sale by owner.  (I know, you are not supposed to do that.)  But, Halifax Lane was for sale by owner too.  We placed a contract.... pending sale of Lakewood we could buy Halifax Lane.  Two weeks later ours had not sold and Halifax Lane had another contract.  Unhappy sad day.   We took our old house off the market and six months later got a realtor.

The backyard was really what sold us on the Halifax house.  

Mostly cobblestone, less mowing!

Son in laws enjoying the fire.

We added the Lady Banks rose bush.

Almost like we are in a forest, not smack in the middle of town.

Lynn put a koi pond in.
Did I say we love this backyard!  Funny the actual house picture is last.

Flash forward one year later, 2002.  We sold ours (with a realtor, still took 5 months) and we had two weeks to be out.  We had been looking for about a month.  If we didn't find a house by this weekend we would have to begin renting and looking.  Our realtor called and said a house had just come on the market... on HALIFAX LANE!  She thought it was on the left hand side of the road.  I called Lynn and he said if it was the same one, with the great backyard, that we looked at the year before,
just write the contract.  

Tadaa!  It was....and the sellers could move out in two weeks!  They moved the last box out and we moved in... we were waiting out front with our first boxes to go inside.  

Looking down our street during the "great snowfall of 2010".

Our friends always laugh and say our town has an ordinance to cut down any tree with a trunk of more than 6 inches.  Somehow our neighborhood got spared, we love our trees!
Especially in the hot Texas summers.

It was meant to be.  Still love our house and spend much time in the backyard!
I love the front too, we are up on a little hill (slope more like it).  

Glad you're here!  Come in and visit.

I am linking with Our Suburban Cottage and how we met our house.

Cini Mini Bouquet

Christy challenged me with her creative project.  I signed up to bring cinnamon rolls to work and her idea was my inspiration.  I left out some of the details, Christy has them all.

I changed and used white sugar instead of brown and she used white chocolate drizzle, I used powdered sugar and milk.

Mmmm, yummy topping.

Now I wanted to wrap them in wrappers.  Frugal me had some from a St. Pats clearance.

But the pink vase does make them look very much spring like, don't you agree?

Yes, see sign... Lynley graduates Oklahoma University in May!!!!  I was trying to distract you by the sign, so you wouldn't notice the upside down shamrocks.  I had no other option.

You know I now have a very good appreciation for food photographers.
Not easy to make food look as yummy in pictures.

Now link over to Christy's presentation and great directions.
Great teacher gift idea, with the chalkboard mug she created to present hers in.

Aqua Blue Mason Jars

I am on the hunt for these Ball Mason Jars.  The pretty blue ones.  I found my first two at Round Top Flea market in Texas.  Did you know there are different shades of the blue? 

(or did I get ripped off with some fakes).  

Did you also know they have numbers on the bottom, I am thinking for the month you would have "put up" something.  That way you could keep track?  If someone knows the reason let me know.  I have 2, 6, 8 10 and 11. I didn't know about the number thing till cleaning the three new ones I got this weekend at McKinney Trade days.

Also I now have straws all over the floor from turning over the straw holder jar to look for it's number!

Here is my little collection, hmmm should I search for a set of 12? Or I think I am done.

Mamaw and Gram would roll over in their graves if she knew I spent $2.00 for a jar!

I"m linking with The Single Nester, Turquoise Tuesday and Donna at Funky Junk Interiors.

Goodwill hunting!

Lunch time jaunt.  I found a new Goodwill by my office.  I was on the hunt yesterday.  Before I left, when I googled the address, there was a coupon!  Huh, really Goodwill coupons!  More on that later.

The red iron paper towel holders, please visualize them as bronzed ribbon holders, minus the stars on top.  Anybody want those, or good ideas out there? Oh, 75% off, $1.75 each.

The Martha Stewart shaker $1.00 is for my homemade creole sesaoning. 

Fun metal basket for any red themed holiday, I guess the 4th of July coming up. $2.00.

Cool column candle holder will become bronze also, while I have the spray paint out for the ribbon holders.  $3.00.  The Christmas balls for my vintage tree next year for $2.00.   They are not old, but the size matches the ones I have started collecting, they will be filler until I get more vintage ones. 

Now the rest of the coupon story...

Great button legs, they will become black or dark brown.

If you are counting I am about up to $12.00 dollars.  My coupon was for five off of $20.00.  I'm short just a tad.  Then I saw the ottoman.  $10.00.  That would put me at $22 and I could use my coupon.  That make the ottoman $5.00!  Pretty good shape I could use as is, but will recover.  So keep watching for the redo.  I have a lot of burlap left over from another project.... maybe.  I am anti coffee table.  They just become foot rests or junk collectors.  I can place a tray on this one for a little stuff and Lynn now doesn't have to slide a chair over to the couch for a place for his feet.  For $5.00 bring on the junk and feet!  And yes for those of you that noticed those are Christmas tree needles in the back of my car. 

Mantel for Spring - I went from this and added whites

Before/After Easter time mantel.  Took all the bunnies away, so sad.

I'm thinking kind of dark and random.

Hummm... let's add some whites and creams.

Corbels from flea market get added.

GW vase, bought a while ago $1.99, had the ceramic blue balls.

The "toothpick holder" swan, a gift for registering my wedding china with Lenox.  29 years old is she. (Yoda talk)

Cream and white colored creamers.  Tall guy from Marshall's clearance $3.99, already had it in a drawer, dusted it off.  The ironstone creamer, Round Top flea market purchase a few weekends ago, $8.00.  The short one on the left my original everyday china, Johnson Brothers creamer. IE : swan gift.

Iron fairy to wish us a great spring and summer!

I think I'll keep it this way for a while.

I'm linking with Faded Charm Cottage and Jenny Matlock's M party (for mantel) and with Cindy at Show and Tell Friday.  Funky Junk Interiors