Stairway Hall....Simplified Mini Makeover

I don't know if it is a long hard winter, or the fact that we have been in this house for 8 and half years(the longest I have ever lived in one house in my entire life), but I'm sick and tired of Stuff!!  I want to go through and declutter, simplify, and organize the whole house.  It's a bit hard in winter, because I know it will be months before I can have a yard sale, but I'm starting off with small projects. The first was the stairway hall, which I did last week.

I moved the 3 bee pictures that I painted from the stairway and hung them at the top of the upstairs hallway.  I then gathered all the pictures from around the house and made a gallery wall on the stairwell.  I like the look of it and plan on adding more as I get things framed.

Relocating pictures, freed up up the wall above the piesafe in the hall, so I painted an old mirror that I found for $5 white and hung it there.  I also painted the top of the pie safe white(the whole thing really needs to be painted, but that is a lot of work!).  And took some stuff down from the beadboard wall on the right side.

And while I had the paint out, the dog kennel bench got a new coat of white too.  I took town all the prim Americana too and left things very simple.

I replaced the crow lampshade with a plain white one I had and it gave me the look I was after...

Filled the basket on the door with some Spring flowers(a girl can dream, right?)...

The small lamp adds a nice glow to the area at night...

It's very simple and clean to the eye, and that is how I am trying to go with the house for right now.
My next work in progress is the laundry room, and the familyroom(rearranged it the other day, but I'm still not sure about it).

Happy Friday!!

Tiff

Birthday, Sewing, Hearts, and Snow...

Yesterday was my oldest daughter's 20th Birthday :)  She is a quiet and beautiful girl who tends to take after me, personality wise(sorry sweetie).

Samantha is my artist, she is crazy good at drawing and painting and in a year or so will be making a career out of it.  Not in the conventional way, with paints and canvases, but as a tatoo artist. She is currently apprenticing and will be liscensed within the year.    
That is her boyfriend of two years in the picture with her... it drives her crazy when he tells her how much she is like me...I think it is hilarious!

  Happy Birthday Sweetie!! We love you and are very proud of you.

 She moved into her own place in December, so I thought it would be nice to make her some things for her kitchen...  I started with some cloth napkins(that is what we use and I know she didn't have any)... and yes, the fabric is the same as the quilt I made in January, I thought she would like the funkiness of it.

And then some potholders, with her and her boyfriend's first initial on them.

And last, an apron... she isn't much of a cook yet, but she can bake :)  and she has been texting me for her favorite recipes... so she is trying.

I already took town the Valentine decorations, but I forgot to post about them. I didn't do much this year, just pops here and there...  this was on the dry sink in the half bathroom downstairs.

And this is by the entryway in the mudroom...

And my Valentine tree in the kitchen...

We got MORE snow last night, about 8" or so, luckily it's light and fluffy.  The picket fence is almost gone...

 There is a grill underneath that lump...

At least it's a pretty view out of my kitchen window...

Thank you al for the advice on my quilt... I'm still not sure what I'm going to do, the house is driving me nuts at the moment. Nothing looks like I want it too and I feel the walls closing in.... cabin fever is here!  Hopefully I will figure things out and once the morning sickness is totally gone, I can get more done.

Have a lovely day,

Tiff

Not Sure about the Blizzard Quilt...

A few days ago I finished my "blizzard quilt", but I'm not sure if it is what I want for this space. First, I think it is too narrow(and too long, it's tucked behind the couch), and second, I don't know if I picked the right colors. I did want something more Springy, but I'm not sure this is it.

Give your honest opinions please :)  And if you have any suggestions, I will gladly take them... any links to patterns and colors...comment away!!

Thanks,

Tiff

5th Birthday!!

Sunday was Mason's 5th birthday!!  I can't believe he is 5 already and will be starting kindergarten in the fall!  

He is the sweetest and most percocious little boy.  He's witty and snarky and so full of energy. He's also compassionate and cuddly and adores all his older siblings :)  He's my "little boy" I love him dearly.

He never wants a cake for his birthday, only cupcakes, so that is what he gets. This year they were brownie bottom chocolate cupcakes, yummm.

One of his favorite presents... an old fashioned blow up punching bag. (sorry for the sideways pic)

Also love the Hess truck from nana and grandpa...

He asked to go to the movies for his birthday, and unfortunately he wanted to see Spongebob.  That was one of the top 5 worst movies I have ever had to sit through!!   But he was happy and that is what matters :)

Time needs to slow down a bit, they are all getting way too big and old way too fast!!

Tiff

Old Fashioned Blogs

Just wondering what blogs everyone reads and if you could recommend some good old fashioned living or historical/simple living blogs. Maybe even homesteading blogs.

Thank you!

Tiff

Snow Day Projects...

I'm still working on my "blizzard" quilt, the quilting part is killing my wrist, not too mention the sitting part.  But we had yet ANOTHER snow day yesterday and I've been wanting to make some new pillow covers for the family room. So I propped myself, half on half off on my sewing chair(it's a very old wooden office chair, I think I need a new comfy one instead) and made some covers. I used a couple old chenille quilts for the project.  5 new pillow covers checked off my To Do List!

And I also made two new covers for the big floor pillows in front of the fireplace...

I got lucky with this pillow, when I took off the sweater cover I had on it, I forgot that it had a white crocheted cover underneath! Yay!

I've been slowly adding more and more white to the house and after the pillows were done, I decided it was time for a bit more editing and whitening of the  faimly room.  Moved some things around, and turned this into a my sewing area storage cupboard...

And this is my sewing nook behind the couch...

Looking from my sewing area...

Between the front windows in my sewing area...

Because I moved the white hutch, it left a big open wall... I put up a quilt hanger and added a vintage bedspread... oh and I painted the tops of a couple pieces white.

Different angle of the area to the left of the fireplace...

And this is the wall where the new quilt will go. I love the one that is up, but I'm going to use it for Fall and Winter only.

The kids are back in school today(we had a 2 hour delay) and I'm home from putting up the new bulletin boards. Now I just have a ton of huge Dr. Seuss drawings to make for tomorrow(for another school project).

Have a lovely day,

Tiff