One Slipcover Done, One More To Go

Hello dear friends, I'm so glad you have come by.

I'll show you my first slipcover. I have never made anything like this before, in fact this is the most difficult project I have EVER attempted to do. And after the second one is finished, I will not be doing anymore, of that I'm certain.  It's not perfect, but I can live with it.

 BEFORE:

 AFTER:

I haven't ironed it yet, it has much the same look as linen. And I love the look of linen when it's not ironed.

I will iron it when I'm finished with the second one.

It's mostly cut out, just needs to be fitted and sewn. 

This one probably took about 18 hours altogether, seems like a lot, doesn't it.

Have a great weekend and thanks so much for coming by!
Hugs, Cindy

I Covered my Gold Colored Blind

Good Monday Morning to you, my friends, thanks so much for coming by today.

I have covered my golden brown colored blind with a white canvas fabric. I have said before that I am on a mission to cover up all of the golden-browns in my house and this is one of the last that I have.

 Pulled up...

BEFORE:

After:

Let down after:

I used a white-on-white fabric on the valance and edged it with the same, just to give it a little bit of interest. It's pretty plain though, I have thought of stenciling a bird in the middle, but I'm not sure about that.

Here is a photo of my living room in the middle of the day with the light coming in. The walls appear to be more off-white and not so yellow-y. I purchased a new sisal rug at HD for $97, can't beat the price and it's the perfect color.

Back to the kitchen, I also made a small shade for this small window. When the sun comes through that window it blinds the person sitting at the table facing it. I'm not real happy with this shade, I think I can do something to make it look more attractive.

 

 

I have got to find another editing program, I had cropped the picture above to cut out the light fixture, but apparently it didn't save it. I have no idea why...frustrating.

We got another couple of inches of snow yesterday, it is really feeling like Winter today. It was -19 Celsius when I woke up this morning at 6 am.
Have a beautiful day, my friends and thank you so much for your encouraging words on Friday. You told me I could do it and I believed you, the slip-covers are all cut out and now I am off to sew them up!


Big hugs, Cindy

A Re-faced Fireplace

When I mentioned a while back that my son (the bricklayer) would re-face my fireplace, many of you questioned me as to what that meant. Hopefully, I can, along with my photos explain it.

Firstly, the bricklayer found some re-claimed bricks that were to my liking. They came from an old building somewhere in my city, no doubt, as brick is used on most of the older buildings here.

Next, he cut about an inch off of each side of the brick, the larger side. Then after I washed them off good, he applied them, with mortar, right over the old black and red brick, matching them piece by piece. 

This is what the fireplace looked like BEFORE:

THE BLACK HOLE

Several people, who saw it on my blog, suggested that I paint it. When I suggested that to hubby, he suggested that I find another answer.

That was when I turned to the brick-layer and asked his advise.

And this is what we came up with.

The work has begun...

...it's partially done...

...the bricks are all in place. And below it's finished. Although we have not built the new mantel yet, it feels so lovely!

 Some may say that there's not a lot of difference, but to me it is bright and cheerful now, no longer THE BLACK HOLE in my living room. 

A closer look. I like the finish that he gave the mortar, it's an old fashioned finish that makes it very visible.

I spent most of yesterday on another small project. It should be done in time for Monday's post.

I am still in a creative groove, so I am off today to purchase drop cloths for, you guessed it, to make not one, but TWO slip covers. They're for the wing-backs in the living room.  I must be crazy, I have never done anything like this...wish me luck, I'm going to need it!

It's snowing again, it snowed almost all day yesterday and is continuing, I guess Winter was just slow getting started this year.

 Thank you so much for stopping by to see what's happening here, there's always something!
I'm joining Elna at Fun-Friday.

Have a wonderful weekend, my friends.

Hugs,

Cindy

I love it!!!

My Turquoise Kitchen

Hello my friends,

Today I shall show you my kitchen.  The longer I live with it the more I like it, no, the more I love it!

It feels so good.  I was hoping it wouldn't feel cold, green and blue are cold colors, but no, it feels bright and happy instead.

This was a mis-tint that I bought for $10.00, a C-I-L Dulux Paint.  There's no name or number on it, it is a Velvet Flat Latex.  It was truly the best $10.00 I ever spent.  It was very easy to paint with, the paint is almost of a gel consistency.  I had no drips and when I used the roller it didn't splatter, like some are known to do.

Have a look and tell me what you think.

I hope you like it!

My friend Ana, of A Petite Cottage exchanged hearts with me at Valentine's.  The one she sent me is simply adorable.  She is so thoughtful, it has a turquoise bow on it.  Thank you dear Ana.  Every day I learn to love you ladies more, bloggers really are the most wonderful, thoughtful people in the world.  That's not to say that my readers that don't have blogs are not perfectly wonderful too, like my little sister Susan, who reads my blog faithfully and my daughters also.  I love you girls! 

Several centimeters of snow fell yesterday and today.  I took a walk in the softly falling snow, it was so lovely and peaceful. 

Have a lovely day!

Hugs to you all.
Cindy

Behr Wax Sculpture Wall Paint

Hello my friends, did you have a busy weekend?

I had an incredibly busy weekend.  We attended a Youth Conference, the preacher was Darin Sergeant from San Diego.  A great preacher!  

We got to spend time with our new friends Nate and Shyla, two darling young people that we have quickly learned to love.  He's an RCMP officer.  It's good to know that there are  good Christian officers out there. 

I have finished painting the living room of my 1927 Craftsman Bungalow with Behr's Wax Sculpture Primer and Paint in one and I'm excited to show it to you.  

If you've been following along, you know that my fireplace was refaced at the same time.

I'll give you a tiny look at it today, but I want to tell you all about it in another post.   So stay tuned!

I need to move the pictures on the left to be like the ones on the right.  Still tweaking...

I think the armoire looks beautiful against the new wall color.

I took these at night, so the lighting leaves something to be desired.

This color, which is a nice off-white can look a bit green at certain times of the day and more beige at other times, depending on the light.  And in some of these photos it even looks a bit yellow.

 I covered my chair in a white blanket to get the effect of a white chair.  I am going to either purchase off-white slip-covers for my chairs, or if I can't find ones that fit I will attempt to make them.  I know a lot of talented people have made them, but I am really not wanting to tackle that project. 

 The hallway through that doorway is also painted in the same off-white paint.  

I have added the turquoise with pillows and such, because the kitchen is turquoise and I L.O.V.E. it.  But that is also another post.  I still have red in here because it goes so beautifully with turquoise.

 I am really pleased with the outcome.  One never knows what a paint color is really going to look like in a room until it's applied and then it's too late, but no worries here.  It all turned out well, I think!

I am joining two parties today,

The Delectable Home

&

Mod Vintage Life

I hope you have all had a great weekend and are looking forward to another week.

Hugs,

Cindy

~A Quick Visit~

Good morning, there are many changes going on in my little cottage.  

I want to give you a small glimpse into what I'm referring to.

I'm afraid I've not visited you, my friends like I would have liked to simply because I have not had the time.

But...as you will see I will have lots to show you... in time.

First the kitchen, can you see that little bit of turquoise wall?  The kitchen now has a coat of primer and a coat of turquoise, but it needs one more coat.  I will be doing that as soon as I finish this post.

And the living room...

My son, the bricklayer was here for two days this week and he has refaced our fireplace, and I love what it looks like now.  There will be more photos to come of that once it has a new mantel and the walls are painted.

The paint is called Wax Sculpture by Behr.  It's a primer and paint in one, I hope the living room and hallways will only need one coat.  I'm praying that it does!

I am very grateful to God that I'm capable of painting!

We received several centimeters of snow yesterday so everything is beautiful and white today.  So pretty!

Have a lovely day my friends,

Cindy

 

There are my beautiful Valentine tulips from my sweet husband.

What do you think of my paint color so far?

Happy Valentine's Day!!!!

Hi, I'm so glad you have come by today.  

As you can see my table is ready for our Valentine's dinner.

I have set a red and pink Valentine's table, with a couple of hearts, candles and cupids in the middle of the table for the centerpiece and an album of vintage valentines for us to enjoy while we eat.

These were my mother's when she was a little girl.

I have set the table with my newly thrifted dinnerware.  

They are Bowrings Celebrate Life dishes.

The dinner plates are black and white transferware and they are all sitting on a large doily that's paired with a pink place mat.

The mugs have sweet little messages in them.

It's a beautiful day outside, the sun is shining brightly through the windows,and the love songs are playing quietly in the background.  I love violin music, it's probably my favorite, my husband likes saxophone music.

I made chocolate chip heart cookies, one for each of us.

Here's wishing you a Happy Valentine's Day my friends.

Hugs, 

Cindy

I will be busy this week with my fireplace makeover and I'll be painting the living room and kitchen, too.  I am very excited to get these two rooms painted.  I also have another project on the go, it's a little different, I hope you will like it.

Exclusive Country Homes

I love giveaways, I really need to have one someday.

I particularly love winning a giveaway, don't you?  

Greet of Belgian Pearls had a fabulous giveaway, it was for the book Exclusive Country Homes and I won!!!  A great big YAY for me.

It arrived yesterday and oh my, there is so much eye candy in there.  It's huge and it will take forever to read it all the way through...so I can see many happy hours ahead of me...sigh, I love beautiful European homes.

That is just one example of what I have to look forward to.

These homes are all lovely estates.

Greet, of Belgian Pearls, along with her brother and her husband run a business that has been in her family for four generations.  They create elegant rooms with lovely wood paneling and built-ins of all sorts.  She refers to them as cabinet makers, but they are that and so much more.  These artisans do truly amazing work.  If you have not been to her blog, you need to go, especially if you love beautiful interiors.
Greet was one of the first bloggers that I "met" on-line, she won a pay-it-forward giveaway that I had.  I sent her an apron that I had made and since then she has become a real friend.  She is so warm and genuine.  

Thank you, dearest Greet for sending me this amazing book, I will think of you every time I see it and especially every time I read it.

I admire the simplicity of European design, don't you?  

Have a lovely weekend my friends,

Cindy

~Hearts Are Showing Up Everywhere!~

I love Valentine's Day, for several reasons, but I have never decorated for the day.  Not that I can remember anyways.

But this year is different somehow.  For one thing I am going through a very creative phase, creative for me anyways.

Let's start in the living room...

...hearts on the fireplace in the form of a small paper banner,  and the mantle...even a couple of little cherubs up there, too.

A heart in the bird cage... hanging from the centre hook, can you see it?

Even in the kitchen...over the window...

...so there it is, hearts showing up everywhere!

Do you decorate for Valentine's Day?

It's a very special day in our family, we have two Valentine's birthdays, how fun is that?  Well, to tell the truth, my brother, the first Valentine's baby, has never thought it was much fun.  But my grand-daughter, the second Valentine's birthday, thinks it's wonderful!

Did you notice that I have a new "I Was Featured" button on the side of my blog?  Two of the challenge bloggers featured me, I am so thrilled!!!  I am reminded again of how important the blogging world has become to me.  Most of my friends and family have never been interested in the fact that I love design and decor.  Only in the blogging world have I found people who are interested in it and I've found many kindred spirits here.  Thank you, my friends!

And special thanks to Karianne of Thistlewood Farms and Linda of It All Started With Paint for featuring my armoire in the Imagine the Impossibilities Challenge.

Have a sweet day!

Cindy

~Ice Skating~

When I was nine years old my family moved from the coast of Washington state to the frozen northern regions of British Columbia.

Our first Winter there, I received a pair of ice-skates and I was very excited!

But I fell again and again, until I finally learned to put my weight on my heels, so the picks at the front of my skates would not catch and send me flying.

Despite the pain and embarrassment of falling and losing my glasses time and time again, I loved ice skating from the moment I first set foot on the ice.  And to this day, I still enjoy the thrill of flying across the ice on winged feet.   That's how I feel at least!

Just outside the backdoor of the little log house where we first made our home, we had a creek with steep sides.  

We tobogganed down the hills and skated on the creek, it was truly a child's winter paradise.  Our school had an outdoor rink that was taken care of by the school board, so we were always able to skate at recess and lunch time, also.

Our son and his family gifted my husband and I with ice skates for Christmas this year.  We've been ice-skating at least once a week, ever since then.  I know I will miss it when Spring arrives. 

I'm in my early 50's now, and I'm afraid to fall, but it doesn't stop me from skating as fast as I can.  

I love the feel of the icy wind whizzing by...

...and it's such great exercise!

These photos are of myself and my two oldest grand kids.  They were with us on Friday and we took them skating.  My grand daughter is accustomed to skating with boys skates, so I spent time teaching her how to skate with figure skates.  She was skating very well by the time we were ready to head back home for some hot chocolate.

Skating with them brought back so many great memories from when I was a kid!  It seems like yesterday!

What outdoor recreation do you enjoy in the Winter time?

Do you go ice-skating?

I wish you could join me some time, we could have some great fun.

Have a lovely day and stay warm wherever you are. 

Hugs,

Cindy