Harrington House

Sweet Seat

 

Photo from Country Living

My sister informed me that if she visited my blog one more time only to see me an eyepatch, she would go flat-out crazy.  And, ooh, I've seen that before, and it's ugly.  Imagine one curling iron for two junior high girls...  

So the other day, I told Mike about a chair I'd found in an antique shop, and he hauled off and got it for me!  Isn't that sweet?  He was trying to surprise me.  I love it when he surprises me.  You know... when it's something I've already picked out.     

 ;o)

I've had this bare spot in my living room that has been crying out for a chair.

 

(Please excuse how bad the lighting is in these pictures.  This room is not as dark as it looks.  It's super bright all day long.)

And here is the new chair....

Um, it's obviously getting recovered.  Not that there is anything wrong with mauve and cream sateen...  The photo from Country Living above is one of my inspiration photos.  I just don't know what fabric I want to use yet.  Neutral or fun?  I like the idea of neutral so that the piece has some versatility in other rooms, but some pieces have to have "pop," right??  And I may or may not keep the ottoman in there.  I've wanted one for Amelia's room for a "tuffet" so I may separate these pieces.  Not sure yet.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Okay, I got a little carried away...I know all of that will most definitely not work.  I just like looking at beautiful things...like live oak alles...

 

...and happy baby faces...

  

I Should Be Doing Laundry

But we're having way too much fun...  ;o)

 

 

 

 

 

 

Powder Room Sink Skirt

I've had this sink skirt done for months, but I'm just now getting around to posting it.  I know I have shown pictures of the fabric but I don't think I had shown pictures of it actually hanging.  (Did I, y'all??  If so, let me blame it on mommy brain.)

I am a fabric girl.  I looove fabric, and this one is one of my favorites I've ever used.  It's silk-like but it has some weight to it, so it hangs great!  And it's a check.  And black.  Two of my faves.  :o)

This powder room is just off the garage entry before you get to the kitchen.  Eventually, when we redo our kitchen (way on down the line), this room will be redone along with it.  The kitchen and family room and this powder room all have gray tile flooring.  We are going to put hardwoods down there like in the rest of the house.  Until then, I'm working with what I have.  

To dress up the builders' grade cabinet, I decided to hang a skirt.  I removed the doors and drawers from the base cabinet, and then used a plain old shower curtain tension rod to hang the fabric.  As you can see, I just sewed a simple rod pocket, but I wanted a huge header on top so that it flips outward from under the counter.  Initially, I wondered if it would annoy me to have fabric covering the cabinet instead of doors, but I've had this up for over 6 months now, and I still love it.  Since this is just the powder room, I only keep things like extra toilet paper, some cleaning supplies (all non-toxic), and some stuff like that under there.  But I did make sure the rod pocket is extra roomy so that I can easily slide the fabric away to the side, and also so that it covers the rubber stoppers at each end of the rod.

 

Hanging on the wall....

I adore this old set of pictures of these two little girls.  Aren't they precious?  I love their dresses and their hairdos and that big ol' slice of watermelon.  Sweet summer sisters!  :o)  I have some other B&Ws to hang with this one but I took them back down.  I just couldn't get it right yet.

 

Still hunting for something perfect for this tiny shelf...

 

 

The fabric on the window is a black and tan toile that I found at Old Time Pottery for $5.  I sewed it into a faux Roman shade.  

 

 

 

My $2 trash basket junkin' find...

 

Another new flusher to match the faucet...

 

...the faucet that I love...

 

Now Don't Make Her Start Counting

What I see:  

Amelia standing at the top of the stairs, all dressed up and ready to go, waiting on her Daddy to finish getting ready for church.

What I hear:

"C'mon Daddy!  Let's go!  Daddy....Daddy...c'mon!  Let's go!"

Then, Amelia's fingers go up.

"ONE.....TWO...............Daddy, I'm at TWO!......"

Mike and I both about fell out in the floor!  Hahaha!

(I sorta wondered what would've happened if she'd have made it to THREE.)

(I probably don't want to know....)

A Little Bit of Life

We've been a whole lotta busy lately with a little bit of everything!  It always seems like the start of each season is crazy, then it thankfully settles down.  This time of year, for me, is fall coming up on holidays.  So I am always busy, both in body and mind, trying to plan out everything....pumpkin patch, hayrides, carving pumpkins, birthdays, Thanksgiving meal (oh, my favorite meal ever), the Advent season (my favorite), Christmas stuff, and so on and so on and so on...

Today is one of those special events... 

 HAPPY BIRTHDAY, MIKE!!  

 

He spent the weekend with his good friend John at a Detroit Lions game.  He sent me the above picture from his seat on the front row (because he knows how excited I get over football stuff....hahaha!)  Anyway, here is the fun part....  As Mike was sitting there watching the game, he looked beside him and recognized one of his camp counselors from church camp when he was a boy!!!!  Of all the games of the season, in a stadium that seats that many people...really and truly...what are those odds?!?! 

 

Amelia, Jack, and I have been getting ready for his birthday for a couple weeks now.  Yesterday, we ventured out in the rain to get some final stuff at Wal-Mart. 

 

Jack Jack still isn't used to me taking pictures all the time -HAHA!  I love that look!  Bless him's heart.

 

 

Amelia is very accustomed to Momma's photo sessions... ("Uh, hurry up, Momma...")

 

(How precious is her new "yady-bug" raincoat?  Thanks, Aunt Kiki!!  We love it!)

 

Well, I'm fixing to go wrap some presents and bake a cake that Amelia will be certain is hers.  :o)

Mall Rats

We ventured out today to look at stuff at the mall.  I say that because I have put myself on a spending freeze.  (Well, at least a little frost anyway.)  We started Dave Ramsey-ing this month.  We are really motivated to get our house paid off.  Really, really, really motivated.  I don't feel the need to be filthy rich (which is good, because I'm not), but I want the financial peace.  And to be able to help other people.  I am thankful that one of the things my family raised me on was that TO WHOM MUCH IS GIVEN MUCH IS EXPECTED.  And I've been given a lot.  I have no doubt where my blessings come from, and I want to use them for Him.  :o)

 

We spent half our time today waiting on Amelia to hug every single mannequin.  Every single last mannequin in all of Dillard's.  

 

 

 

I think she loves the mannequins so much because they remind her of her beloved Barbies!  haha!  

 

 

I had to change Jack out of his cute outfit and put him in this back-up onesie.  (Shhh, he doesn't want me telling everybody what a tee-total mess he made out of the previous outfit.)

 

Check out them knees, y'all.  I'm proud as punch over those legs...just so you know.  ;o)

Amelia just loves a fountain.  I'm pretty sure she thinks that one day she's going to finagle herself into one.

Oh yeah, I knew she was thinking about it...

 

 

 

 

 

By the way....any of you long-time readers of mine recognize Amelia's top???  hehe

 

 

 

Bar-B-Q for the Barber Crew

On Saturday afternoon, we had some serious celebratin' to do (for some personal accomplishments!), so we hit up Williamson Bros.  Mmmm, now we Barbers love us some BBQ! 

Jack Jack was taking it all in...just waiting for the day that he can pick some pig!!

Till that blessed day, he reckons he'll settle for some BBQ milk.  ;o)  Bless his heart...

Well, this is how my time is spent these days, y'all...loving on my Jack Jack and being silly with my Amelia Kate...throw in a basket of laundry and some chicken in the skillet, and there you have it!   ;o)

 

YEA!   BBQ!!!

 

WE'RE HUNGRY - FEED US!

RIGHT NOW!!

OOPS!  WE MEAN...PLEASE?!?!

OOOOOOOOOOH.............RIBS...........

 

OH GOSH!  WE FORGOT TO SAVE ROOM FOR TWO-MILE-HIGH PIE!!!!

OH WELL, NEXT TIME!  ;o)

Amelia's Saturday Checklist

1.  Enormous hair bow.....check

2.  Best Friend Binky......check

3.  Naked Barbie doll.....check

4.  Sunglasses (on a rainy day, no less).....check

5.  One highly entertained Momma.....check

I love you, my sweet, silly girl!

Junkin' in Tuckasee

Just showing a few of my finds from the past month while I was away, for those of you who are interested....  

I found a sweet little sauce boat ... instant love!  This is one of my favorite things to collect:  buffalo china (or restaurant china/restaurantware), and with a brown pattern to boot.  I'll say it again...sigh, instant love.  (This isn't where it is going to stay.  It's just sitting there at the moment...looking alllll pretty and such... ;o)

It's impossible for me to stop collecting footed bowls, compotes, preserve dishes, trifles, and the like.  Highly impossible.  I have entirely too many recipes for delicious dips and bowl desserts.  

Another addiciton...cookbooks.  Y'all've heard me say it before...I could read cookbooks all the live long day and not be bored.  Plus, it's Julia Child....hello.  

(P.S.  Have any of y'all seen that Julie and Julia movie?  Thoughts?)

(P.P.S.  Did you notice the double contraction up there...."y'all've"?  Impressed?  Or did you cringe?)

Loved the coloring on this cover below.

 

I got a new swing arm lamp for the living room.  I loved these details.

Baskets.  Of course.  What can I say...

This old licorice box I don't get to keep.  It's for Kelly Jo, but don't you just love it?

I found this set of buffalo china platters with a smoky blue transfer and a crest that reads "Felicitas Multos Habet Amicos" - which translates "Prosperity has many friends." Not necessarily one of the sweetest sentiments in my mind, but hey, at least it's written in Latin and looks pretty.  Haha!  When I found these in an antique shop for a price so ridiculously cheap, I literally clutched them so tightly till I could pay for them and haul tail out of the parking lot before anyone in there realized what had happened.  The mixed sounds of my triumphant cackle and spinning gravel was all they knew.  Mwahahahahahaha!         

 

Back in the Swing of Things

HEY Y'ALL!!  I've missed terribly my little blogging world!  I ended up taking a longer blogging intermission than I had expected.  Thank you so much to all of y'all who were checking in on me.  So sweet!  It actually feels kinda nice to be missed...  ;o)  So where was I???

"The sun shines bright on my old Kentucky home..." 

 Yup, I went back home to visit all my family (aka "Momma and them").  Mike had about a month of back-to-back traveling planned, so I just up and went with the babies!  Actually, we flew Momma down here so she could ride the trip with me.  Then she rode back with us and flew back home.

Amelia waiting for Chewmomma at the airport...sign and balloons and all...gotta have balloons (according to the law of Amelia Kate...)

 

This was the longest time Mike and I have been apart since we were dating, when he lived in Charlotte and I was in Bowling Green at WKU.  It was almost a whole month this time!  But when he is gone traveling so much for work, I just get so lonely at the house all by myself.  I am probably the BIGGEST homebody of all time, and I get homesick so easily, especially when I am away from Mike.  But...it's also so special to me to get to spend time with my family...Momma and Daddy, Granny and Papaw, Aunt Sue and my cousins Becky and Rachel, Uncle Doug and my cousins Hannah and Abbie...they are all so good to me, and good for me.  And I was so happy when the rest of my family traveled in over Labor Day.  My Uncle Jim spoke at church on that Sunday, and it was just awesome.   I love being with my family...it sure does my soul good.  :o)

Momma had to work while we were there so I spent my days at the pool and park, or visiting with Granny and Papaw.  Jack Jack looooooooooves Granny.  I kinda think she is sweet on him, too!  ;o)  

I spent the summers at Granny and Papaw's when I was growing up.  It started as a two-week thing one summer, and it just kept getting longer till it was practically the whole summer.  We spent days upon days at the pool.  It's called Tranquilin.  It was so fun for me to watch Amelia Kate playing in the same pool I did growing up.

I think she would live at the pool.  Who wouldn't at that age, though, right??

I also took the babies to the Central Park to walk just about every day.  It's a beautiful park right down by the hospital in Ashland where Momma works.  So I would meet her for lunch, and then we'd hit up the park.  This is far and away the best park I've ever seen.

  

There is a great sidewalk all around the perimeter of the park that is just over a mile each time around.  I usually walked it three times, and by then Miss Amelia was ready to get out and play.  While I was up at Momma's, I lost 10 more pounds!  YEA!!!!  I am now in the 150s!  I celebrated with my beloved Giovanni's pizza.  :o)  All in moderation and balance...right?

I, of course, got to do some serious junkin' while I was up there.  So many great places to go....the flea market, Boneyfiddle, Berea...I bought so many wonderful things.  (Well, okay, so I bought a FEW things, and in my mind bought the rest...my sister Kelly Jo and I decided those were the best kinds of buys...the free ones.)  I'll have to show y'all all of my goodies!  I'm busy finding new places for my finds.

Like I've said before, it's always nice to get away, but it's always nice to get back home!  And I missed my home!!  And my routine....and my blog friends....and most of all, MY HUSBAND!!!!  :o)