Doors

I'm taking the day off to spend with hubby so I scheduled these beautiful doors for you to view.

Doors have always been a favorite part of my home to me and I'm always fascinated by them because it's the first thing you see after the front yard. It's the "welcome" to a home by its occupants. While the majority of mine have been the typical "sort of boring" kind of door, not at all like these, I've still tried to make them welcoming and pretty to visitors. These, however, would certainly be among my favorites and they are from other countries other than mine. Gardens and flower pots seem to be the central issue to the "homeyness" here. I could certainly see having one of these on my home and loving it! Style, beauty and patina............... The first one is my favorite of these three.

Living Room Remodeling Design, Go to Clean Looks!

Almost all room design on this year use a minimalist, modern and clean looks design, on the picture above, You can see the picture of "before and after" design of a living room. On first picture, there is a calm color and traditional design, bur after that on the right side, there is an after remodled libing room design. A more attractive purple color on furniture and wall combined with black and white floor color.

This picture describe a before and after living room design, almost all things on "before" design are replaced woth the new and modern one. This white color are usually used for clean looks design. [via]

Clean Looks Bathroom Gallery with White Wall Color

a clean looks bathroom ideas with white color, this bathroom also use a minimalist design with the design of box and wastafel.

Our Old House

I'll be out of commission for the day - monday, so I'm leaving you this little post to read. I'm gonna have a few kidney stones blasted this morning. Most men ogle women because of their "chests" or "legs" or "rear end" but I got a guy who just can't keep his hands/eyes off my kidneys! Hah......Hoping I don't do anything "socially unacceptable" while under the anesthetic, chicks!

When we first thought of moving to this state it was just after the SF earthquake of 1989. We came up here and looked for a home to buy and there really wasn't much for sale at all. But we finally settled on this huge home. It was almost 5,000 s.f. with 4 car garage on a acre, most of which was on a hill. We later sold it as that much house for 2 people was simply too hard to take care of as we aged. This is the living room with a library off to the right, a huge coat closet on the left with a stone entry at the front door just behind that coat closet on the left. It had 3 covered patios, huge windows, large kennel and a large garden area. The stone fireplace took up an entire wall and had an indoor planter to the left of the fireplace. That room alone was about 19' x 26'.

This was the approach to the back entry and garages. We closed in the last garage for a tool shed. You could turn a huge Mayflower moving truck around in that driveway with no problem. We know because they did when our furniture arrived!

This is that driveway and our view from our back windows. An 80 year old couple lived in that house and thought of us as their kids. I loved that old couple.

This is what they saw when they looked out their front window. It was its own little neighborhood. There were 6 of us on this little road off another road. Turning off the street running in front of our house, up a very short incline you could go left or right. Left taking someone up around to our back. I loved the privateness of it. The 2 town doctors, a dentist, this retired old couple and a wealthy produce grower lived in this little area with us. A bit secluded but friendly.

Oh btw, a few people have emailed asking about my food storage and I thought I'd post a picture of how I had it in our old house we moved from 3 years ago. This was in our basement and you're looking at about 1/4 of the basement here. You're looking at about 1/2 or maybe a little more of the storage items since some of the items are out of camera range to the left. This is just canned and dried items. The freezers are out of sight also. Paper and household items are the third photo down.

Those buckets have dried carrots, onions, potato flakes, sugar, beans and flour in them.

Modern room Design with Full Color Combination

Unusual Stone Bathroom by Bigelli Marmi

A range that effortlessly accomplishes a look that is both minimalist and elegant, the Leonardo pieces are each carved from a solid block of stone. The designer, Franco Poli, describes the shape as a ‘water vortex’. Each piece resembles a funnel, flaring at the top and then narrowing beneath (this shape being most pronounced in the stunning free-standing basin, and repeated in each other piece to varying degrees). Water sweeps down the void and reminds us of that stone and water are ancient natural elements that have existed since time began.

Laundry Day and Embroidery

My days aren't always like this one because it's laundry day and I have some errands to run today. It's a very mundane chore but I do get a lot of satisfaction seeing all the clothes in their drawers and closets when done. Such is the lot of the "housewife" and I say that with awe and respect to all of you housewives. For me it's a very rewarding "job." And Love Bunny tells me how much he appreciates what I do for him. :-)

Ooooh, yuck, I didn't realize we were that dirty!! :-(

And having a lovely laundry room definitely dispels the "not so glamorous" of chores!

~*~

I thought I'd also share some of my embroidered pillow cases with you today. Even when I was in my "feminist" days I enjoyed and loved doing embroidery. I'd do needlepoint, petit point, cross stitch and just regular ol' embroidery. My daughter has a love for it also and has done many pieces for herself and some for me. It's peaceful and satisfying. So I did many pillow cases.

These are done white-on-white for a more elegant look when I wanted just a "white" look to the bedroom. I cross-stitched our initial on to it. The thread is barely visible but it's the best I could do. Hah....

Here is one of the absolutely first pillow cases I embroidered. Pansies remind me of my grandmother and I did this as a tribute to her.

Roses are, of course, a favorite of mine. This is very old pillow case with some vintage lace from my grandmother so this is somewhere in the neighborhood of 70 year old lace and I'll never ever part with it. If it becomes too fragile and tattered I'll frame it or hang it on one of my shelves in my craft/sewing room or office room. It is absolutely stunning and just a tad off white.

A very simple little flower vine with a white daisy in the center and more vintage lace on the edge.

This is the pillow case on my pillow at the moment. Don't look too closely for my drool!! ;-) And yes, I use all my old things on a daily basis. They were not meant to be tucked away but to be used in my opinion. When each pillow case or the lace edging becomes too fragile, as I said, I'll put it to rest in a place of recognition and love to remind me of those who have gone before me and love me enough to give me such beautiful things. I was my maternal grandmother's favorite granddaughter, you know. ;-) I miss seeing her and her beautiful wrinkled face and gray hair. I hope my granddaughter and grandsons feel that way about me some day.

Pink Saturday 12/27/08

Beverly at How sweet the sound emailed me recently to remind me of Pink Saturday and whether I was participating or not this week. Well, as things go I almost forgot about it until this evening!!! So while hubs was talking to his sister in Pennsylvania I grabbed the camera, turned out all the lights in whatever room I was photographing and snapped pix. He's used to it by now so he just kept right on talkin' to that chick and I just scurried around trying to find some pink things that you haven't already seen. This was a next to impossible task! But I'll post some pink "fluff" for ya because I do NOT want to disappoint Beverly. ;-)

While this isn't PINK it is lovely. I discovered it today while taking down our tree and putting ornaments away. (Yesssss, once the Christmas day is done that tree comes down to give us more room. BUT we have figured out a place we can put it next year to leave it up a tad longer.)

Anyway, this ornament was packed away in some soft cotton batting and I'd almost forgotten about it. Someone special gave it to me many years ago and I thought I'd share it with you. I didn't put it back in the ornament box but intend to hang it somewhere in my office or sewing/craft room. It isn't light but actually heavy and I'm sure it's fragile.

Look at those gorgeous grapes and the gold on this beauty. I absolutely love it.

A pretty pink box I keep my Sculpy in, a purple box I keep decoupage ephemera in, a pink toile box I keep my finished clay roses in and a pink rose box I keep "secrets" in. *Wink*

You may not have seen these little birdhouses I make. Not really for the birds but just full of barkcloth fabrics, "icing" and roses. I've never been successful at selling most of them and that's my gain as I place them around my house for my pleasure. "Their loss; my gain!" But they truly are a labor of love, intensive to make and absolutely stunning when seen in person.

This is one of the first I made. I started from the bottom up. I cut out foam board, glued it together and added all the lace, fabric, roses and stuff you see on here. It also is truly lovely. Ooooh, not because I made it but because of the lovely rose fabrics all over it.

This one was made with House Inc. fabric. Very very expensive - about $30.00 a yard but it never sold either. I added the pink "icing" and it looks so lovely with the Waverly polka dot fabric I hated to sell it but then it didn't sell so my gain again! I'm very philosophical about it. My interest in selling is to share some of these beauties, not to make money so it isn't essential that they sell.

This one I went over the top with!! I added so much stuff just because I wanted to - tiny birds, paper roses, buttons, vintage lace trim and vintage fabric, leaves around the bottom with little flowers. Adorable.

Just because I thought I'd add one more "PINK" item for you to see. Hah. Have a wonderful day, my sweet chicks.
Beverly, I DID it!!!! Now to sit down and chat with the hubs..... *Sigh*..........

White Sofa on Living Room

A clean looks living room usually used white or another brighter color, this is the basic of creating a minimalist and modern design, several best home design's room used this. Here are several white sofa that matched with all minimalist room design:

elliot sofa

shelterback sofa

tillary

visit west elm to order all decorations of those living room.

Modern Farm Dinning room from West Elm

A modern dinning room is not usually used a modern dinning furniture, this is a modern dinning room set with a traditional table, The decoration of wall and lighting system is combined of several west elm product.

Our Romantic Roses Dinner

We were alone this Christmas and it was actually very nice and relaxing. Our daughter came for Thanksgiving and we had the traditional turkey so for Christmas we had ham, which is one of our favorite meals. I've been known to do "outside-of-the-box" dinners and luncheons for friends and senior ladies from our church and love doing it. But today I decided on the non-traditional dinner for Christmas - a romantic roses dinner.

As I said, today was a very relaxing and easy day for us. I puttered around in my office; Love Bunny was out in his train room doing something with the electrical on his never-ending layout for his model trains.

I had decided to set the table early - right after breakfast. I put on a beautiful lace and roses embroidered cloth that was way too big for our table which is 42" x 42" without any of its 2 leaves in it. But so what? So the tablecloth almost touched the floor on 2 ends. I loved it!

Then I selected some old dishes I have that aren't china but probably Homer McLaughlin creamy white with silver roses embellishing the edges. Well, just come along with me as I describe each thing.

Hubs knew something was up when he came in from his train room and I was on a ladder with my camera in hand photographing the dining table. Men are sometimes clueless when this happens so I put my beautiful little hands on his cheeks and said, "Photoshoot, photoshoot"!! He knew immediately what that meant. BLOG!! See, they get it after a little show of tender affection. *Wink*

This was the picture from the ladder. I only set it for two as it was just the two of us. I have a vast collection of china dinner plates and salad and dessert plates so I mixed it up for a more informal romantic feel.

I then took some rose candle holders from our living room coffee table and put them down the center ends. A few paper roses for all four corners with some tiny paper roses scattered about and some faux candies in the middle just set the mood. (He'll be verrrrry happy tonight, chicks! *Wink*)

Pretty little salt and pepper shakers in the form of cottages was set at his place. Note the lovely dish in the upper right corner for bread.

Closer view

Spattering of roses and the candle holder roses. I had no candles and besides it was about 4 o'clock when we ate. Hardly dark but I would still have lit them if I had had some.

My place setting with my little salt and pepper shakers. I have a couple of sets of these and when I have a large group for dinner I set several sets of shakers on the table so no one has to say "please pass the salt and pepper." It's a thoughtful thing to do when you are having a dinner party.

My bread plate is just a tad different from hubs' plate.

Ahhhh, yes, I was going to have sparking white grape juice but hubs informed me earlier that we were out. This led to a "discussion." I shan't repeat the "discussion"!

This is our good silver that hubs bought us about 40 years ago when he was overseas. I love the pattern, but don't remember the name. It is very pretty in person though.

Just after I placed 2 of the vintage crystal glasses on the table, I reached across and one of them tipped over and broke. My "chest" did it! Hubs was sitting right there and didn't say a word. He was as heartbroken as I was but he knew it was an accident and I grieved for several seconds and went on. I have several but if my "chest" keeps getting in the way I won't have them for long. They are truly gorgeous. I have several stemware pieces because I love drinking out of them: water, juice, soda, anything. I popped a strawberry in there for flamboyance!! Hah.

All in all, it was a lovely day with Love Bunny and I thoroughly enjoyed it. I lamented about hubs maybe spilling something on the tablecloth. I want you to just guess who was the first to spill! Hmmmm, anybody wanna guess? Wasn't Love Bunny, but he didn't say a word. That man loves me a lot, chicks!!! A LOT!