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Thanks for stickin with me!
Monday, July 2, 2012
Saturday, June 16, 2012
Cue the Chorus of Angels
Alleluia, Alleluia! The porch is finished!
Thanks to my talented husband, we've gone from this (a slab of concrete):
to this:
After many many days/weeks/months/years of hard work, last week Frank left me with this beautiful blank slate.
And I have filled it with furniture and items I've been collecting for years now. I have many tutorials and details to share. For now let me just take you on a little photo tour...
From our foyer you get a glimpse through the dining room of the brightly colored pillows on the day bed.
Years ago I found these four cane chairs at the Habitat Re-Store, then painted and reupholstered them, thanks to an upholstery class I took.
My dream of a day bed on the porch has come true. I sewed a zippered cover for the twin mattress, and created deep foam bolsters for the back cushions. I'll have a tutorial about that coming up. It really makes the bed feel more like a couch. Until you want to toss those bolsters off and take a nice afternoon nap!
I picked up this old wood crate from a thrift shop. Frank made a top for it, and I painted then distressed it. More on that to come.
Here's our lovely 13 foot pew in all it's glory! I haven't done a thing to it, other than wipe it down. I had plans to paint it or strip it, but for now I'm liking it just fine.
I picked up this old high chair from Craigslist. We modified it to fit up to the table and I sewed a "strap" to hold our little girl in. More on that to come.
These pine Windsor chairs were hand-me-downs. I had plans to paint them too, but I think I'll sit on it (ha!) for a while. That yellow-y wood usually bothers me, but I don't mind it so much here. It's similar to a color in those Suzani pillows.
Extra seating waits for guests here. We hung the folding chairs on bicycle racks.
This table sits right under our kitchen window and is a handy place to set out snacks or a buffet dinner. And my duck finally has a home, holding a dish towel. Under the table I've stashed a few crates full of toys for EB.
I created a unique light strand out of collected jars. I've had this vision forever and am so glad to see it come to life! These lights create the perfect ambiance for a late evening gathering. I've got a step-by-step for you coming soon.
Frank helped me make this huge chalkboard. It's long enough so that kids can color below, and adults have space to write above.
A screw secures a simple tin can to the wall to wrangle chalk and an eraser.
You guys, this space is more than I ever could have dreamed. From the pale pale blue ceiling to the cool breeze from the ceiling fans, to the bright happy colors, I am totally in love! I've spent most of my time out here since we finished (I'm stretched on the day bed as I type!).
There are a few more little projects to finish up, but I'm SO glad we have this space to use all summer. It's still cool enough here in Brevard that we're living with the windows open, so this space truly feels like a new room in our home. I have a feeling we'll be living out here for a good chunk of the year.
Here's a look at some memories we've created here so far...
Last night we had a party, and the space worked so well.
Thank you, Frank, for building the porch of my dreams! You are the best husband I could ever ask for. Love you!
Thanks for sticking with me through this super long post, y'all! Don't forget to come back to for future posts on:
(For more on our porch progress, click here, here, and here.)
Subscribe here or like me on Facebook to keep up with dC.
Thanks to my talented husband, we've gone from this (a slab of concrete):
to this:
After many many days/weeks/months/years of hard work, last week Frank left me with this beautiful blank slate.
And I have filled it with furniture and items I've been collecting for years now. I have many tutorials and details to share. For now let me just take you on a
From our foyer you get a glimpse through the dining room of the brightly colored pillows on the day bed.
Years ago I found these four cane chairs at the Habitat Re-Store, then painted and reupholstered them, thanks to an upholstery class I took.
My dream of a day bed on the porch has come true. I sewed a zippered cover for the twin mattress, and created deep foam bolsters for the back cushions. I'll have a tutorial about that coming up. It really makes the bed feel more like a couch. Until you want to toss those bolsters off and take a nice afternoon nap!
I picked up this old wood crate from a thrift shop. Frank made a top for it, and I painted then distressed it. More on that to come.
Here's our lovely 13 foot pew in all it's glory! I haven't done a thing to it, other than wipe it down. I had plans to paint it or strip it, but for now I'm liking it just fine.
I picked up this old high chair from Craigslist. We modified it to fit up to the table and I sewed a "strap" to hold our little girl in. More on that to come.
These pine Windsor chairs were hand-me-downs. I had plans to paint them too, but I think I'll sit on it (ha!) for a while. That yellow-y wood usually bothers me, but I don't mind it so much here. It's similar to a color in those Suzani pillows.
Extra seating waits for guests here. We hung the folding chairs on bicycle racks.
This table sits right under our kitchen window and is a handy place to set out snacks or a buffet dinner. And my duck finally has a home, holding a dish towel. Under the table I've stashed a few crates full of toys for EB.
I created a unique light strand out of collected jars. I've had this vision forever and am so glad to see it come to life! These lights create the perfect ambiance for a late evening gathering. I've got a step-by-step for you coming soon.
Frank helped me make this huge chalkboard. It's long enough so that kids can color below, and adults have space to write above.
A screw secures a simple tin can to the wall to wrangle chalk and an eraser.
You guys, this space is more than I ever could have dreamed. From the pale pale blue ceiling to the cool breeze from the ceiling fans, to the bright happy colors, I am totally in love! I've spent most of my time out here since we finished (I'm stretched on the day bed as I type!).
There are a few more little projects to finish up, but I'm SO glad we have this space to use all summer. It's still cool enough here in Brevard that we're living with the windows open, so this space truly feels like a new room in our home. I have a feeling we'll be living out here for a good chunk of the year.
Here's a look at some memories we've created here so far...
Last night we had a party, and the space worked so well.
Thank you, Frank, for building the porch of my dreams! You are the best husband I could ever ask for. Love you!
Thanks for sticking with me through this super long post, y'all! Don't forget to come back to for future posts on:
- creating cushions for a day bed
- distressing new wood to match old wood
- creating a "strap" to hold a baby in an antique high chair (or any chair, really)
- how to make a twinkle lights out of collected jars (canning jars work well, too)
- making a giant chalkboard
(For more on our porch progress, click here, here, and here.)
Subscribe here or like me on Facebook to keep up with dC.
Thursday, June 7, 2012
Porch Peek
Hi all! I'm still here, believe it or not. Since the warm weather has arrived, I have to say blogging has taken a back seat to family and projects. We had a super successful yardsale last weekend, and we've been working our butts off to finish up the porch (more on that here and here). In fact, Frank finished up the construction portion of the porch yesterday (whew!) and I've worked alllllll day today moving furniture, accessories, rugs, and lights in! On tap for the next few days...sewing sewing sewing custom covers and pillows. I have a couple of sneak peeks for you...pics I took today without the intention of publishing, but oh well!
Keep in mind this space is far far far from complete.
We had dinner out there tonight, which was particularly delicious, simply because it was enjoyed in this long-awaited space.
So, in an effort to slow things down and enjoy the summer as much as possible and thanks to the several trips we have planned, I won't be posting very often. But, lemme tell you, the posts I do have planned are good and juicy! I will have lots of DIY to share thanks to all of this porch madness.
Haven is coming up very soon, as well! I am getting super excited and will surely share that experience with you all.
Anyway, if you're tired of clicking over to my sight and finding the same old post there, and you're waiting for some new stuff, I have a suggestion. Do you see that "Subscribe" button on the top right of my blog? Click there, and you can simply enter your email address so when I do post, you'll get it right in your email inbox. It's super simple, and I promise you won't get any spam or other junk emails because of it. You simply get an email each time I post, with the content right there. Easy peasy!
Or, if you're on Facebook, click on that button on the top right, and "like" my page. All I post there are links to my new blog posts, so that's another easy way to keep up.
Here's a post where I explain this all in more detail.
Thanks so much for following along in my lil ole life! Y'all are the best!
Subscribe here or like me on Facebook to keep up with dC.
Keep in mind this space is far far far from complete.
We had dinner out there tonight, which was particularly delicious, simply because it was enjoyed in this long-awaited space.
So, in an effort to slow things down and enjoy the summer as much as possible and thanks to the several trips we have planned, I won't be posting very often. But, lemme tell you, the posts I do have planned are good and juicy! I will have lots of DIY to share thanks to all of this porch madness.
Haven is coming up very soon, as well! I am getting super excited and will surely share that experience with you all.
Anyway, if you're tired of clicking over to my sight and finding the same old post there, and you're waiting for some new stuff, I have a suggestion. Do you see that "Subscribe" button on the top right of my blog? Click there, and you can simply enter your email address so when I do post, you'll get it right in your email inbox. It's super simple, and I promise you won't get any spam or other junk emails because of it. You simply get an email each time I post, with the content right there. Easy peasy!
Or, if you're on Facebook, click on that button on the top right, and "like" my page. All I post there are links to my new blog posts, so that's another easy way to keep up.
Here's a post where I explain this all in more detail.
Thanks so much for following along in my lil ole life! Y'all are the best!
Subscribe here or like me on Facebook to keep up with dC.
Wednesday, May 30, 2012
Watermelon Agua Fresca
This weekend at the festival my mother-in-law got a refreshing Agua Fresca ("fresh water") drink from one of the vendors. After describing it to me, I was inspired to try to make one at home. It was soooo yummy, y'all!
This super versatile recipe can be made with many different fruits...cantaloupe, melon, mango, strawberry, pineapple, and even cucumber. It's a fun way to have a healthy "special" drink, if you know what I mean.
I've finally started making conscientious changes in the food I eat (it was one of my new year's resolutions), which entails drinking less wine and beer. Having this drink feels like such a treat on a warm evening!
domestiCate's Agua Fresca
(makes 4 drinks)
1/2 of a small seedless watermelon, cubed
1 cup of water
2 limes, juiced
6-8 mint leaves
pinch of salt
Agave syrup to taste
Blend all the ingredients in a blender or food processor. For a smooth consistency, strain through a fine mesh strainer. Serve over ice.
I skipped the strainer, and it was fine for me. Extra fiber! I also added the Agave before I tasted it, and realized it would have been sweet enough without it.
For some fun variations substitute the water with coconut milk. Or add a splash of soda water at the end.
Fresh, healthy and delicious!
I'm linking up to Serenity Now...
Subscribe here or like me on Facebook to keep up with dC.
This super versatile recipe can be made with many different fruits...cantaloupe, melon, mango, strawberry, pineapple, and even cucumber. It's a fun way to have a healthy "special" drink, if you know what I mean.
I've finally started making conscientious changes in the food I eat (it was one of my new year's resolutions), which entails drinking less wine and beer. Having this drink feels like such a treat on a warm evening!
domestiCate's Agua Fresca
(makes 4 drinks)
1/2 of a small seedless watermelon, cubed
1 cup of water
2 limes, juiced
6-8 mint leaves
pinch of salt
Agave syrup to taste
Blend all the ingredients in a blender or food processor. For a smooth consistency, strain through a fine mesh strainer. Serve over ice.
I skipped the strainer, and it was fine for me. Extra fiber! I also added the Agave before I tasted it, and realized it would have been sweet enough without it.
For some fun variations substitute the water with coconut milk. Or add a splash of soda water at the end.
Fresh, healthy and delicious!
I'm linking up to Serenity Now...
Subscribe here or like me on Facebook to keep up with dC.
Monday, May 28, 2012
White Squirrel Fest
Hello faithful readers! I hope you're having a fabulous holiday weekend. We had family in town and spent Saturday at a local festival.
Here in Brevard we have a huge population of white squirrels. Some folks think this is a myth, but I assure you I see at least 3 every day, in our yard, or elsewhere around town.
The town started a festival in their name 9 years ago, and it brings tons of people here to shop tent vendors, chow down on festival food, and listen to great music. This year my hubby Frank played drums and sang backup vocals with one of the bands. Our friend and neighbor Naren assembled a group to perform his original album.
We've been together for eight years, and I had never heard Frank play until this weekend. Well, I've heard him playing around a little here and there over the years, but this was the first real performance I'd witnessed. I was so impressed!
See that image on the front of the drum? It's the cover of the album, too. Naren's son painted it as a representation of the earth. And the name of the album is The World As I See It. Cool, huh?
The Bean is walking all over the place lately. She wandered around the crowd waving at people and babbling, not wanting to sit still. We took turns following her around.
We put these earmuffs on her when we were close to the speakers. Gotta protect those tiny ear drums!
It was a beautiful day...sunny, and clear.
Sunday my gracious MIL hung out with EB so I could help Frank on the porch. We got a lot done, and are hoping to be able to prime tomorrow. I was head caulker today, and went through 4 tubes! After priming, we'll paint. Then he'll assemble and install the screens. Then I'll furnish and decorate! It's coming together, slowly but surely.
I want to say a huge thank you and God Bless to those who have served or are serving out country. I am so grateful for the sacrifices you and your families make.
What are y'all up to this weekend?
Subscribe here or like me on Facebook to keep up with dC.
Here in Brevard we have a huge population of white squirrels. Some folks think this is a myth, but I assure you I see at least 3 every day, in our yard, or elsewhere around town.
The town started a festival in their name 9 years ago, and it brings tons of people here to shop tent vendors, chow down on festival food, and listen to great music. This year my hubby Frank played drums and sang backup vocals with one of the bands. Our friend and neighbor Naren assembled a group to perform his original album.
We've been together for eight years, and I had never heard Frank play until this weekend. Well, I've heard him playing around a little here and there over the years, but this was the first real performance I'd witnessed. I was so impressed!
See that image on the front of the drum? It's the cover of the album, too. Naren's son painted it as a representation of the earth. And the name of the album is The World As I See It. Cool, huh?
The Bean is walking all over the place lately. She wandered around the crowd waving at people and babbling, not wanting to sit still. We took turns following her around.
We put these earmuffs on her when we were close to the speakers. Gotta protect those tiny ear drums!
It was a beautiful day...sunny, and clear.
Sunday my gracious MIL hung out with EB so I could help Frank on the porch. We got a lot done, and are hoping to be able to prime tomorrow. I was head caulker today, and went through 4 tubes! After priming, we'll paint. Then he'll assemble and install the screens. Then I'll furnish and decorate! It's coming together, slowly but surely.
I want to say a huge thank you and God Bless to those who have served or are serving out country. I am so grateful for the sacrifices you and your families make.
What are y'all up to this weekend?
Subscribe here or like me on Facebook to keep up with dC.
Thursday, May 17, 2012
The Perfect Table: Found
Our kitchen. I have a love/hate relationship with it. Which is why I've not really posted about it before. Though, this week I found a steal of a deal that's bringing me closer to lovin it (spoiler alert: it's a table! hang in there while I set up the story).
See, we live in a 60s ranch, and the kitchen is original. Some of the appliances were replaced at some point. The limited cabinets and the appliances are in an L shape. Until we can afford to overhaul the whole thing (including opening it up to the adjacent dining room, Oh I have plans!), we're making do, spending as little money as possible on it. Last year, desperate for more storage I made some shelves for the blank wall from some extra plywood Frank had lying around.
And for more counter space I set up an old folding work table as a peninsula coming from those shelves.
It was standard table height, so Frank made these "stilts" to bring it up to counter height.
And I sewed a table skirt to hide them. I velcroed it directly to the table (I chose almond colored sticky velcro for the table and black non-stick for the skirt itself, so I could sew it on).
You can see it became a convenient place to hide junk! This system worked for a while, but the kitchen felt cluttered, and the "island" top also became a catch-all for miscellaneous stuff, and we didn't use the stools very often. (We ate most of our meals in the dining room.)
I'm sure the kitchen was designed to have a table in this space, but it seemed silly to me to have a table in here, when we have a perfectly good one on the other side of that wall in the dining room. I mean, how many dining tables do three people need?
But, when I spotted this beauty at our Habitat ReStore, I fell in love.
Is it mid century modern? Danish modern? I don't know, but it just feels right here. It is so sturdy, and the chairs are very comfortable. It was marked at $70, but they were offering 20% off of furniture, so I spent $56! There are just three chairs, but it's perfect for us, with EB in her Keekaroo chair.
I have big plans to paint it a bright, happy color and reupholster the cushions.
It feels so much more open now.
We've been eating meals in here, and I'm loving it!
I'm linking up today to Thrifty Treasures at Southern Hospitality.
Subscribe here or like me on Facebook to keep up with dC.
See, we live in a 60s ranch, and the kitchen is original. Some of the appliances were replaced at some point. The limited cabinets and the appliances are in an L shape. Until we can afford to overhaul the whole thing (including opening it up to the adjacent dining room, Oh I have plans!), we're making do, spending as little money as possible on it. Last year, desperate for more storage I made some shelves for the blank wall from some extra plywood Frank had lying around.
And for more counter space I set up an old folding work table as a peninsula coming from those shelves.
It was standard table height, so Frank made these "stilts" to bring it up to counter height.
And I sewed a table skirt to hide them. I velcroed it directly to the table (I chose almond colored sticky velcro for the table and black non-stick for the skirt itself, so I could sew it on).
You can see it became a convenient place to hide junk! This system worked for a while, but the kitchen felt cluttered, and the "island" top also became a catch-all for miscellaneous stuff, and we didn't use the stools very often. (We ate most of our meals in the dining room.)
I'm sure the kitchen was designed to have a table in this space, but it seemed silly to me to have a table in here, when we have a perfectly good one on the other side of that wall in the dining room. I mean, how many dining tables do three people need?
But, when I spotted this beauty at our Habitat ReStore, I fell in love.
Is it mid century modern? Danish modern? I don't know, but it just feels right here. It is so sturdy, and the chairs are very comfortable. It was marked at $70, but they were offering 20% off of furniture, so I spent $56! There are just three chairs, but it's perfect for us, with EB in her Keekaroo chair.
I have big plans to paint it a bright, happy color and reupholster the cushions.
It feels so much more open now.
We've been eating meals in here, and I'm loving it!
I'm linking up today to Thrifty Treasures at Southern Hospitality.
Subscribe here or like me on Facebook to keep up with dC.
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