Frosted Window

Frosted Windows

There is something about old windows I love...

They remind me of old days gone by, but also where we came from.

Imagine the things that happened in the house it was set in...

There is history here.

We were fortunate to get this window from my husband's aunt and uncle.  It was her parent's home they were going to tear down.  I saw this window and I about died!  I also wanted to have an old window.

For the longest time I didn't know what to do with it.  I cleaned with water really good and scraped off the old wasp nests.  I searched and searched for ideas for vinyl stickers, but I finally decided to give the flower vinyl stickers I found at Hobby Lobby a try.  I had to cut them down to size, but they worked!  I thought I would be able to hang it like it was, and that was before it was pre-frosted.  You couldn't see half the flowers against the colored wall!  I was bummed.... then my husband had a great idea.  Use white behind them.  So we decided to buy a can of frosted window paint and sprayed the back side of the window.  Worked like a charm!  Except the occasional white spray droplet that would splatter on the window..... Oh well... it added more charm to it.

We have thought about added black and white photos to the top window paynes.  That will have to wait though.  I like it like it is for now.

Now I just need to hang it.....

To Do List

I love making a list and checking it off...

I only have one problem.

"Now where did I put my list?"

I started keeping a running list on my IPad, but I forget its there at times.  I like using my list especially since it synchs to my IPhone, I will have it on me so that I will know how many knobs I need for such and such project.  Or, what size do I need that in?  You never know when you will find a good deal, so keeping track of those things on the IPhone is so handy.

I started thinking about some of the projects I want to do around the house.  I have started a couple of them, but have to wait until the weather is nicer to really start working on them.  So in the mean time, I wanted to create my project list.

1. Paint above the kitchen cabinets to add a splash of color to the kitchen.
2. Strip the wall paper in the boys bathroom and paint it.
3. Strip the paint off the old table I have.  Repaint the legs and sides of the table and stain the top an espresso stain.
4. Find 2-3 palletts and make a wall piece out of them.  One for Patrick's room, one for the boys, and one for me....
5. Make and American flag out of some cool wood pieces we pulled out of an old house.  I think they were paneling for the walls and are 3 inch pieces.  Perfect for making flag strips in red and white and painting stars on!  Our downstairs living space is going to be decorated in Americana pieces.  Patrick has the American Flag in a display case that is on our fireplace mantle.  Plus I have a couple other pieces that will look great in there.  Can't wait to put that piece together!
6. {Done- 5/1/13 Post}  I have an old window piece that we pulled out of the same house that will be perfect for some kind of project.  It has still yet to be determined.
7. Low/round table found in the same old house for the boys to play on in the living room upstairs.  I want to paint a road scene of some sort so they can play cars on it.  It also has a dual purpose of playing games on it and doing puzzles.
8. Make curtains for our front entry room.
9. Make coat hangers out of the old window headers from the old house we took trim pieces from.
10. Reupholster the bar stools in the kitchen and downstairs room.
11. Make an herb drying tray out of old frames by adding screen wire to the back and adding chains to link them together to hang from.
12. Done {Post to come} Paint the trim around the boy's bathroom mirrow.  Right now it is a "goldish" color and I am going to spray paint it a brushed oil bronze.

A Place Called Home

What does a home mean to me?

 

To me it means the warmth and comfort a place can give you.

It means having family surround you.

It means the love you share.

Maybe it means security and stability at times.

If you are anything like me, then you probably enjoy putting your own personal touches to your home.

My husband took me shopping this last weekend.  Just the two of us.  It was nice to spend time together looking at things that we both enjoy.  We dreamed and schemed as we walked through 3 different stores.  My husband shared ideas he had, and I have to say, he had some very good ones!

This weekend though we decided to go ahead and shed some more light in our living space.  The chandlier that was hanging in our dinning space looked like it had been there since the turn of the century.  It put off about just as much light as 5 or 6 candles did, which is not much.  We even joked about spary painting the metal at one time, but honestly....  you can't cover up ugly.

I really don't know if you would call it gold or copper. 

Whichever.... It finally came down last weekend! 

My husband worked hard on getting it and 2 gold pendant lights down over the island.

In it's place we put up some new fixtures.

The results....

are amazing!

It changed the look of the place so much.

Patrick and I both like simple designs.  We don't care for a lot of frill.

Maybe it looks a little modern, but Patrick calls it rustic.  I guess that works too.

At least now we have brillant light in our home.

Replacing light fixtures is such an easy way to change a look to a place.

I'm glad we did. 

I'm also thankful that my husband has the ability to do these things.  He even took out 4 dimmer switches in our house on Sunday and replaced those with a normal switch.  We did have to call his dad a few times to ask about the 3 way switches and he ended up coming over to fix one.  But all in all, I'm glad my husband is not afraid to do something he hasn't done before.  What a blessing he is!

So what's up next?

We are currently striping wall paper off our kitchen wall.

We will repaint later when the weather is a little nicer and warmer.

I also have an old table we are going to strip paint off of and restain and repaint.

I love "flipping" treasures!

Have you done any projects lately?

Uncoventional Wreath

Being creative is something I have enjoyed. 

As with each season of life, the creativity has changed.

As for this blog, it is going to change too.

I enjoyed crocheting, but I don't have time to do much of it anymore.

So I decided to concentrate on making my house a home. 

I want to document the personal touches my family is making to the home we bought last November. 

It is now time for a different approach to what I am doing.

Last summer or maybe it was spring...

I visited a flea market in search for unique and cheap frames.

I had this idea that I could spray paint and actually put a family picture in it or something nice,

but it just sat there after I painted it.

This is the finished and forgotten frame. 

I got it out today.

I saw an awesome idea on Pinterest where someone had a round frame

and put flowers on it making it into a lovely wreath. 

Why couldn't I do that?

Even if it is a square....

So today I took my gift card to Hobby Lobby and bought my half-priced flowers.

And created my own unconventional wreath on a budget.