~kitchen yummies for you~

Good afternoon bloggy friends!

The sun is actually peaking through the clouds in the Pac NW! Truly a rare treat anytime after November 1st!  I'm not sure why I feel the need to give a weather report at the beginning of my posts.....hmmmm. 

 Anyway...

I've been working on some things lately....some things to share with you soon.......but not..... yet....

so until I have "the goods" to show, I thought you might enjoy a few kitchen yummies...

Here's what I'm loving about this kitchen...that fabulous clock!

and the chippy pale of flowers and that awesome light/lamp/chandy!

l o v e the simple-ness of it....

Seriously......I so love this kitchen....do you think

I'm crazy?  the beat up cabinet holding the sink?  really? 

really!

the range definitely looks commercial

and the little floral picture is so cute....

and

I love the sweet simple window treatment...

rustic chippy everything.. w/ a chandelier...

nothing more to say....

how about a skirted island? I like it.

and I'm always a sucker for saltillo tile floors.

I know "sucker" is not a very nice word, but it just seemed to fit....sorry mom.

how about a skirted everything?? I am liking it too.

the brick walls are amazing

and

the wood countertops are gorgeous

and

the exposed beam ceiling?

love it all.....

I need this in my kitchen....

more brick love

and

um, floor love.

My favorite....

straight from the french countryside...

stone floors, plaster walls

and

hanging herbs and such.....it's killing me....

anyone have some lavender I can dry out?

my insane blackeyed susan's my other perennials

choked out my lavender this last summer......

OK...I lied...this is my new favorite....

it's the light blue cabinet at the end...I need it.

and

the range w/ that fabulous  little work table next to it.

need that too.

I know it's not a kitchen, 

 but in the same file & too wonderful not to share...

you know how I love my pea gravel...

~ ~ * ~ ~

that's it for today friends...gotta go check on my lovey...

my sweet Kenzie-girl is down with a fever & soar throat...

this is her this last spring

helping her mom plant 100 boxwoods....

every 12 inches on center...:-} oh the memories of the projects we do....smiles.

Till next time

and I hope you & your families stay well.

Shellagh

{first 3 photos: country living, the rest from ?? oops, not noted on my file.....}

~kreativ blogger award~

Thanks so much for the nominations! 

Two wonderful bloggy friends have awarded me this
within days of each other

Cindy from http://cottageinstincts.blogspot.com/, and
  Lisa from http://www.recapturedcharm.com/

Please check out their incredible blogs....

Cindy's is so beautiful.... right when the page starts to load,

you know you're in for a treat ~ her dining room makeover
 (click here to see)

is totally amazing and serious eye candy.

and

Lisa has got to be the busiest person I know....

I am always astounded everytime I see yet another fabulous project she finishes!!

click here to see one of my favorites~

It is really so wonderful to be a part of this blogging community!

I have met so many terrific women who never cease to
amaze and inspire me.

Every new follower and every single comment makes me smile :-}

I think we all need the little motivation and encouragement
 that we get from each other....

the little nudge to keep trying, and the sweet comments to say "great job!"

on that note....now I can share with you 7 things you

definitely don't know because it's too embarrassing....

might not know about me....

 ~ ~*~ ~

1)  I don't like to shop for clothing....

I would much rather go to Lowe's or Home Depot....

and that is the reason I only own 2 pairs of jeans....scary I know.

2)  Regarding the "only 2 pairs of jeans..."

those get made into cut offs at the beginning of each summer
and become my gardening gear.......

3)  My hair "style" is a ponytail on most days....ok all days..

4)  I listen to talk radio roughly 4-5 hours a day...

(until the kids get in the car and/or come home and begin to protest) and
watch less than 1/2 hour of TV a day and rarely
use the computer (I know, I know.. the computer thing was an outright LIE! :) ) 

5)  I tore out all the grass in our backyard.....

if you are wondering if I did this while my hubby was at work...........well....ok.......you're right...

  but he did come home at lunch to load up the sod cutter for me in the trailer....that thing is heavy....and in case

any of you are wondering if he ever runs out of  patience...... you are right... I'm on strict orders  not  to tear up, or tear out, or dismantle anything until further notice...

(you can look here for other mischief I've gotten into over the last 5 years...)

6)  I'm horrified at the site of spiders AND my dear sweet hubby

HAS had to come home from work to kill (sorry sometimes being put outdoors isn't good enough... ) one for me...

and I've had several neighbors and my daughters rescue me as well..pathetic I know.

7)  We watch Home Alone I and II all throughout the year

and

start listening to Christmas music the day after Halloween.

Well, there you have it.....now here's what I do:

~thank the person who nominated me for the award
~copy the logo and place it on my blog
~link to the person who nominated me
~list 7 things people may not know about me
~nominate 7 creative bloggers
~post their links
~leave a comment on each

 ~ ~*~ ~

Here are my nominees:

1)  Lanette @ Cottage Elements
her blog is FULL of fabulous inspiration and eye candy~

2)  Cheryl @ Fields of Linen and White
I just found her and literally my heart skipped a beat when her page opened~
Her header picture is just divine & all the pictures are JUST my style~

3) Tina @ Cherry Hill Cottage

I just found her blog and it is so beautiful! The pictures of her home are incredible~

Serious talent over there~

4)  Lisa @ Tarnished and Tattered

Her blog is full of fun, old, and "tarnished and tattered"

lovely things! She's an amazing artist AND a mom to triplets born in '05!

5)  Cathy @ Mille Fleur

She is truly one of the sweetest persons I've met in bloggy land.  Her blog

is full of wonderful photos.  From decor to dinner ~ every post is a real treat!
and be sure to enter her Williams Sonoma giveaway!!

6)  Kathleen @ Faded Charm

Her blog is full of very cool vignettes & displays.  Her home is gorgeous.....

I love her style!!!

she's local and having a sale in a couple weeks that I get to go to!!! :-}

7)  Cori @ Starview Sonnet

I'm sure you've all met the kind of person who is like a ray of sunshine?! 

Well this is Cori ~ She is fabulous & her posts are always delightful!

Till Next Time!

Shellagh

~wingback slipcover DONE~

good morning bloggy friends!

I have been sooooo anxious to finish my latest big little project!

getting the loveseat slipcover done (click here to see) really motivated me to finish it all

and that meant the wingback chair....

(I'll tell you about the pillow later)

Ok I  know think my family is really ready for me to be done

 w/ such slipcover "excursions"

I call it an excursion because it takes me away from all reality

& normal mom / wife duties until I finish.....

don't worry the kids & hubby were fed..barely...the laundry was done..mostly..the house stayed somewhat together sort of  (unless you consider pins & lint & fabric strewn all over 2 or 3 rooms for a week a problem....)

Ok yes we ran out of groceries mid week & ate.... um....interesting combinations....

but while the project sits there in rags & pins

I am pretty much consumed with it every waking moment....

and there simply is not time to mess around at the grocery stores when

I need to finish!!!! 

BUT

girls....

I am done.

NO......this is not the finished product!

this is the fabulous, loveliness that

has sat in my living room for months.......and months...

this is the before

I was actually going to post a tutorial on this whole process

but I had a total of 112 pictures.....

and thought that might be a lot little much...

but I can certainly bore show you some of the process...(if you'd like to look it over....)

the fabric above is a twin matelasse coverlet

 (that I almost sold in our yard sale for $5!!!)

I am sooo glad no-one wanted it for the stiff 5 bucks I was asking!

 I was trying to figure out what fabric to use .... I knew I didn't want white linen for all the furniture...

but I knew I wanted neutral... is there anything else?

so I started rummaging around in the little fabric I had left over from the yard sale.  I was definitely in one of those 'get rid of everything moods' for that sale....

and I found the coverlet 

and

~so it begins~

this is how it starts...cut out a piece bigger & longer than the front back

make sure it tucks in nice & lays flat

and start adding to it

one piece at a time

you do a lot of fitting & pinning

I like to pin everything together inside out & then turn it around periodically to check the fit

 when you turn it around you can see where you need to make adjustments

you make piping

lots of piping....

you sew piping

you pin piping

you sew on piping

you run out of piping

you make more piping

you buy more cording

you make more piping

you pin piping

you see a pattern here?

can you see the coordinating fabric I used for the back?

it's cream denim

I really wanted to use burlap for the backside because I love

the way that looks....but I was really concerned about how

it

would

wash

up.

so I figured this was the next best thing

Now I don't want you to be mislead into thinking this project 

didn't require the same amount of customary trips to a certain fabric store

where grouchy very helpful employees are always willing to help and with a.....um....smile...

And

I don't want you to imagine that I simply strolled in there and got my 2 yards of cream denim fabric off the bolt sitting on the rack...like that would be so normal and easy.

no

I will not let you imagine such a simple process

because

that is not what happened............

not at the only fabric store in town fabric store I go to.

so

here it is in a nutshell....3/4 yard on the bolt...so "ma'am you need to take a number & stand in this very long line to ask if there is anymore anywhere..in back or whatever....so I stand in line for 15 minutes so I can have the pleasure of asking my question ask my question.  Then no there is no more fabric...(of course) "do you want just this amount?" said she.  "no, it's not enough" said I.

oh great I'm thinking  now what will I do & more importantly:

 how long is this going to set me back??? don't they know how extremely important this project is?

I mean...I need to finish it now..................um ok not really but I want to!

but then the heavens opened & a dear sweet lady (who deserves a raise)

~helped me~

"let me check in back for a comparable fabric...ok?"

music to my ears

"thank you kind dear, I love you" is what I'm thinking

.....and she found some...... (choirs of angels singing)

so I got 1/2 cotton duck & 1/2 cream denim for the sides & back of my chair. 

the fabric actually looks identical, the denim is just a bit softer.

ok

on w/ the slipcover.

working on the arms towards the end

attaching the back 

measuring & cutting seat cushions

pinning & piecing together the sides

~

and before you know it...

no after many many hours...

it's finished!!

I used vintage linen napkins on the pleats...kind of fun ... they had the same color trim as the coverlet so I lucked out.

finished side panel w/ the skirt on

front view w/ skirt

wing w/ two coordinating fabrics

OK....now the official after....

what do you think?

I like it.  I like the color & the texture w/ the rest of my linen furniture

wait...did you notice the little pillow at the very beginning??

I took your advice & made a couple burlap pillows

to go with the white linen

do you like the crocheted edge?

~~~~

There it is friends.....

Thanks so much for coming by today!

See you next time.

Shellagh

~ trip to Monticello Antique Marketplace~

Hello everyone!

I've had a really busy week....

 (working on a big little something)

 It's the first chance I've had to share my trip to my favorite store in Portland!

Let's have a look around shall we?

My heart always starts to beat a little faster when I approach the store....

It is just pure eye candy from the moment you walk in!

this booth was just amazing & breathtaking....

you know how it is when you literally have to analyze every

inch of a booth to take it all in?

I don't have the best camera so I apologize...

but I tried to get you the best shots~

this wreath had hops weaved into it~

cutest button display & checked ribbon on everything

this brown transferware was gorgeous

(& very expensive....over $125 for the pitcher...)

love the creamy linen counter skirt

I really love old books...

more transferware to torture me.....

it's hard to tell from the picture....but this old pine bench was so beautiful

it had the nicest patina

cute ticking pillow...

loved this dresser

totally should have bought it ~ only $69!!

are you still with me?

just checking....

this cute little bag was made from an old book!!

the salvage garden room ~ so amazing

I love the old bins

and the old dresser...

hops everywhere...smelled so good & grainy-ish

Hope you enjoyed browsing....

back to work on my project....

to be revealed Monday....

Shellagh