Friday, December 21, 2012

Peace On Earth

 One week since the shootings at Sandy Hook Elementary.
This piece on our Christmas tree means something different now.
 This means something different now too.
May your Christmas be full of hope and a resolve to do something to make the world a better place.
And when you hold your little ones close on Christmas morning, please say a prayer for all the families in Newtown, CT who have one less to hold in their arms, but will hold forever in their hearts.
Peace on earth.


Tuesday, December 11, 2012

Christmas House Tour 2012

Jennifer Rizzo is having her annual Christmas House Tour so I thought I would join. Always a good reason to get this year's decorations photographed and documented.
 I parred way back this year on decorations. Lots of decorations felt heavy this year for some reason.
 Just wanted mostly greenery with pops of red.

Read the rest of the post here...

Monday, December 3, 2012

Christmas Mantel

The Blessed Season is here. 
The most wonderful month of the year...
 I love adding the white lights, the touch of green, so peaceful...
 Remembering what this season really means...
 Making areas of our homes a refuge for our families...

Read the rest of the post here...

Tuesday, November 27, 2012

Family Motto Board

I have so much to blog about I feel like it is running all over the place, like water making puddles where ever I step...
and through my mind...
always running through my mind.
Christmas decorating, our recent trip to Boston (during Hurricane Sandy), the unbelievable B&B we stayed at in Vermont, some fun projects...I honestly don't know when I will get to it all.
My Etsy shop  has exploded this Christmas season and I have my head above water, barely.

BUT, I had to take just a moment to share what a client did with her family motto board. I think this makes the most amazing family picture...thanks Schuring family for letting me be a small part of it!

Wednesday, November 21, 2012

Thankful Day

 We all have so much to be grateful for...just living in this country, being born at this time.
 There is bad all around yes, discouraging things everyday yes, things to overcome everyday yes.

Read the rest of the post here...

Friday, November 16, 2012

One Year Anniversary-Amy and Amber Basement Boutique TOMORROW!

 Amy and Amber Basement Boutique is tomorrow-November 17th from 10:00am-3:00pm.

Read the rest of the post here...

Tuesday, November 6, 2012

Family Gathering Room

The next stop on our tour of 'what one does when she does not blog for 5 months' drops us in the family gathering room.

 This is not the first time we have visited this room. You may remember the dismantling of this room some time ago. You may even remember the update. Truth is...I was never really happy with it. The wall was just too vast and needed a heavier piece on it. True to my DIY self, I searched for some time for a piece to refinish but came up empty...sadly, this does happen from time to time. This piece comes from our good neighbors to the East {and North? Where exactly is Sweden?} anyway, across the pond, but luckily I just had to travel about 30 minutes to IKEA...
 As much as I cringed to bring this thing home in boxes and put it together with semi-real hardware and highly confusing instructions{okay, who is kidding who, husband and son put it together}, I truly loved the finished look of it. And speaking of finish, I did nothing to it...it came in this finish and color which I found warm like the rest of the pallete of the room.
Other shopping list items: club chairs were a Costco purchases years ago, picture frames and boxes are also from IKEA {I added the numbering}, basket is Fred Meyer, fleur de lis  and FAMILY pillows I created, suitcases were an amazing find. Expect Good signs both created from reclaimed wood.
 Wire rack may look familiar, another fun find, I enjoy its usefulness now as a unique DVD holder {love when decor is also useful}. Trust-hope-faith canvas is a personal creation, wreath purchased too long ago to even hope to have a clue where it came from. All flowers and flower pots from IKEA {I added numbering}. Would I have loved a reclaimed piece in here full of history, uniqueness and vintage flair...heck yeah! But the usefulness of this piece has won me over. One major problem with finding a vintage piece to repurpose is they do not have large flat screen TV openings, nor do they have spots to hold your components {DVD players, receivers, cable boxes, etc.} This piece had the perfect place for all of these 'modern necessities' plus the drawers hold tons of blankets, remotes and DVD's. The shelves with glass allow me to display just the right amount of decorative touches and books, plus everything feels it has its place.
So while this room did not fulfill me creatively speaking like many of the other spaces I have reshaped in recent months...in the end it fulfilled the purpose of order to chaos and most importantly of all...I can't see a single cord!

Sunday, November 4, 2012

Welcome November

 I am not a foodie.
 I believe I have mentioned more than once that we only eat in this house because it is needed for survival.
 But today was Sunday,  we had a few moments to slow down, realize Halloween is over and November is upon us and Father Winter is knocking on the door...homemade loaded baked potato soup, a fire in the fireplace, a few rounds of Bananagrams and homemade chocolate chip cookies for desert seemed only right.
 Although from scratch, I have a very simple recipe for loaded baked potato soup from my sister-in-law that just takes a few minutes to put together {one you get the potatoes cooked which I just nuke in the microwave for 15-20 minutes...because, have I mentioned, I'm not a foodie}.
Loaded Baked Potato Soup

4-6 large baking potatoes
2/3 Cup butter
2/3 Cup flour
6 cups 2% or whole milk
3/4 tsp salt
1/2 tsp pepper
4 green onions chopped
12 slices bacon, fried and crumbled (or Costco bacon bits)
2 Cups shredded cheddar
1 Cup sour cream

Cut potatoes in half, scoop out pulp and put in bowl. Melt butter over medium heat in large pot. Add flour. Gradually stir in milk, continue to stir until smooth. Stir in potato pulp, salt, pepper, onions, bacon, and cheese. Cook, stirring continually and breaking up pulp lumps until heated through. Stir in sour cream before serving.

Tuesday, October 16, 2012

Simple Fall Decor

As October goes on more and more pieces of autumn and the season seem to be making their way around the house...
 Some pops of color here and there...
 But mostly black and white...
 Or tan and white...
 Love real pumpkins and gourds...
 Keeping it simple this year...
 Just little touches here and there...
 Simple feels good.
I still hope to make some of these simple projects.

Thursday, October 11, 2012

The Journey Continues-Dining Room

Continuing with what I did during my 5 month blogging hiatus, we find ourselves in the dining room.
In stark contrast, to my gray and white living room (which you can see in the background)
I added all kinds of color to my dining room. Colors that just a year or two ago I would never have put together but think they are super fun now...
Red, white and blue...and...turquoise?
 We are a super patriotic family, so in keeping with my love of personalizing my space...
I wanted to display the flag that draped my great-uncle's coffin as a WWII veteran.
Love it as a wall covering.
You might remember this piece on my front door in July.
I love it and couldn't stand to put it away until next July. 
Thought it fit perfectly in this room.
 The Lincoln Street sign I found during a rest stop on the way to Montana. 
On the corner of Middle of and Nowhere, USA.
 The table, while more devoid of color, reminds me of something you might see during George Washington's, or maybe Abe Lincoln's time.
Still my favorite piece I've created.
Another find during a rest stop while traveling this summer, was this amazing turquoise piece.
Since our car was full of kids and luggage, my mom agreed to pick it up.
It is a vintage cupboard redone with metal ceiling tiles and updated hardware. I love what she did with it. The only thing better than restoring/creating an amazing piece, is finding one already done at a great price!
So thanks Mom...
For saving the kids from being strapped to the roof because you know I was getting this home one way or another.

Monday, October 8, 2012

Trick or Treat

 We have had such a beautiful autumn here in the Northwest that I rarely remember the calendar reads October. It really feels more like...well, like never, even our summers are not this warm and sunny. If it were not for my six year old begging me I would have probably not dug out the Halloween decorations for another week or two...much later then normal. Upon getting the decorations out I felt the need for something 'new'. So, I pulled out some wood and paint...
 and hammered and nailed...
 and played with word and fonts...
And came up with a little 'treat' for myself.
And the six year old likes it too...
If you'd like one for yourself, 
it is available in my ETSY SHOP

Happy Summer October!
Linking Up to some Parties:

making monday marvelous linky party