Christmas in Michigan!

I rarely find time these days to post on my blog, but I wanted to take the time to do so today.
This is my home decorated for winter/Christmas. I have fallen in love with neutrals over the last
several years and that shows in my decor. I did add a few pops of red this year though.
 I know...shocking! lol

Most of my decor I have accumulated over the years adding a piece or two every now and then.
I found these reindeer at Home Goods this year and I love them!

How cute is that little spool with printed fabric on it? I found it at a local antique store.

This is my antique buffet. I have mulled over painting it WHITE for years, but haven't
taken the plunge yet. I'm thinking maybe I can remedy that soon. I KNOW it would
make the details POP and it isn't perfect so...what do you think?

I've had my cement angel for years as well and I just love her. She gets dressed up for winter,
fall and other sesasons, but I love her winter robe most of all.

This pottery set is Rae Dunn which I'm sure you all know. It has the word plant and two other words
 on it. I forget just now what the other two are.. lol I just turn it backwards in the winter so the words
don't show and then I add snowy trees. 

I just LOVE, LOVE, LOVE my crooked little tree! I picked it up at Lowes last year after
the holidays or right before. I don't remember. It was the last one they had and the
display model. The lights worked for one month and then half of them burnt out. ugh.
This year we added our own lights and hopefully they will last through the holidays.

See the trees in the background. Yep, hubby is still turning trees. These are BIG ones.
I think the biggest is 17 inches tall. LOVE THEM!

My birdcage that I have had forever and it seems to sit in the same spot. I really need
to move things around a little. I just get so busy and then tired and don't think about it. 

I add an ornament every year for our beautiful stillborn granddaughter Eden Rain and
this is the one for 2019. I added the paper banner. We miss her so...

This is on my back porch/laundry room. We live in an old house and while it has it quirks and issues I
don't mind one bit. It just seems cozier somehow.

Back to my buffet again. You would think I could get my act together for just ONE post. HA!
I give up.

This MIRROR! We bought this a trillion years ago at a garage sale for 50 cents because it was coming apart.
A little glue and clamps and she was good as new. She is even beveled!
She looks perfect with my buffet that hubby purchased before we were married and had stored in a barn!
Goodness. I'm glad that I rescued it. :)

Still in LOVE with this old faux fireplace. The theme of this post seems to be LOVE doesn't
it? This is in my tiny bedroom and it make me happy every time I look at it. I really enjoy
decorating it for the different seasons.

Back to our back porch/laundry room. Hubby made this pallet box for me a few years ago and I white
washed it and added the words. It is perfect for faux candles that are on a timer.

My Target basket and greenery that I purchased for a song last year when a store
was closing. I bought many quality greenery items. A girl can never have too much
can she?? lol

It is what the season is all about...Jesus is the reason for the season.

My fun piece in the kitchen. I bought the star lights at a discount store where you
never know if things will work, but I took a chance and they did. I adore them.

Back porch decor again.  This is on a long shelf above my washer and dryer. I should
have taken a photo of the whole room. If it had been clean I would have....lol
I can do close-ups,but for heavens sake don't pan out in the whole room right now. My house
usually looks like a bomb went off at this time of year from all the decor here , there and
everywhere until I get it all done. 

That was a little glimpse (Okay a LOT of glimpse) into my Christmas decor this year. I do have
more, but all good things must come to an end right? I'm tired and I'm sure you are tired from
viewing all these pics.

(I must change my header now! I just noticed it is still fall up there. HA!!)

 I pray you all have a wonderful holiday season!
 God bless each one of you!!

A Forest of Trees!

HELP! I'm living in a forest and I can't get out!!
HAHA!

Hubby has started making wood turned trees and they are absolutely beautiful! I have sold several
for Christmas gifts so I thought I would share them with you in case anyone is interested.

Each one is unique and they are also different sizes. I didn't have time to really stage them so I just took
a few photos. 

He amazes me. He has worked as a machinist with metal for over 40 years and this came
natural to him. His brother-in-law gave him a lathe and he loves playing around with it. One day I
said "you should try and make a tree" and the rest is history. He loves turning wood and that
is a 'good thing' as Martha says.

Has the GM strike hit your household? It just hit ours. His factory supplies parts for GM and this is
his first week of layoff. ugh. I sure hope they get this strike settled soon. In the meantime, he will
keep making trees. It keeps him busy and out of my hair. Just kidding!

Trees range from $20-$45 depending on size, base etc.

Give me a hollar if you think you might want one. My email link is on the left side of my page.
Happy Fall everyone!!

Chippy WHITE Project Finally Completed!

You know those projects that start out as one thing and then along the way they
morph into something else? Yep, that is how this project came about.

Do you remember this starting out as a bench/ potting bench. {If not I have added pics
at the bottom of this post} 

It was a potting bench that hubby and I created this past summer while he was laid off and
now it is a vanity on our back porch/ laundry/mud room. The vanity we had out here was

NASTY!

I didn't realize how nasty it was until we took it out. ugh. NO, I didn't take before pics.
I didn't even think about it. ha!

I was laying in bed one night with my mind racing a million miles an hour {couldn't sleep
AGAIN} Does that ever happen to you?

Well, I was thinking about the brand new porcelain sink that I had picked up at the Route 127
 garage sales in August for $15 and inspiration hit! Why not make the potting bench into
a vanity. We can always make another bench right??!! yep...it was on.

So, I timidly boldly broached the subject to my hubby.

He was INSTANTLY on board!! Can you believe it??  He is always indulging my whims,
but I know he secretly thinks knows I am crazy!!

So we got started and we both
LOVE 
how it turned out!

I had fun filling the little pockets/shelves with lotions , Christmas decor etc. Think of the
decorating possibilities. Unlimited! 

I thought my little white twig tree was perfect for this spot.

This mirror is old with some patina and a little cloudy, but I love it.

Do you see the Merry Christmas HUGE burlap piece?

It is a huge lavender sachet that I won a few years ago. In fact I won two of them along
with a burlap bag. These exact pieces were featured in a magazine and I forgot
what magazine! HA! Romantic Homes or Country Living or something. There
was a giveaway on a blog and I won. They still smell wonderful!

We picked out the perfect faucet for the sink. Whoever sees this almost always says,

"Does the sink really work"...ha! YES, it does! 

I used an old feed-sack to hang in front of the shelves at the bottom.
{After all I had to hide the plumbing. :) }

This is another corner of my porch where the vanity is.

I would show you all of it, but there is a bag of cat food, a can of kerosene and other
 "lovlies" sitting around that doesn't really make for pretty pics.
 Keeping it real here folks.

The long tin coat hanger is made from old tin ceiling panels from a store that I remember
 going to as a child. Loudens was the name and it was in Montpelier , Ohio. Loved that store!

Okay, here is how the vanity started out. I picked this up at a garage sale this past summer for $2.00!
It was a yucky bluish gray color and had a lot of grease on the top as it was used for a work bench.
I cleaned and cleaned and cleaned and got it painted white.

Then it morphed into this potting bench above and now into my vanity.

Somehow I see a new potting bench in the works next summer. SMILE.
I will have to hit those garage sales again and see what I can find to start our project!

Yep...loving my new/old vanity!

Some of these photos are out of order , but oh well.

My dear friends... always remember that

LIFE IS BEAUTIFUL...

no matter what is happening in our lives
that is one thing we can be sure of...Life is a beautiful thing!

Blessings~