(almost) Anything Can Make a Vanity!!!

I realized that  I wasn't done showing off my buddy, Kris's home!!!!!

I meant to show y'all her powder room that is just off her kitchen.

I took pictures of it.....

I edited those pictures.....

and then I forgotted!!!!!!

Sooooo.......

Here's a shot of her leetle bathroom.

We wanted to be very clever and find something for a sink,

 that wasn't a sink,

 but could be a sink, 

if we made it into a sink.....

Sooooooo.......

Kris and I were boppin' around one day.....

looking at a bunch of old stuff.....

'cuz we really like old stuff.....

when we found this table.

I says to her.....

"Hey Kris!!!!! This be way cool!!!!!"

Where upon, she answered.....

"YUP!!!!!"

So she bought it.

The End.

(No it isn't the end)

( It's never the end)

We had to have the table worked on a little to allow for the sink's plumbing,

so the drawer was altered to accommodate the drain pipe.

The drawer still functions, which is WAY cool.....

The top of the table is covered in decoupage.

How fabuloso is this?????

Here's another shot.....

We had the guy who reworked the table give it a good coat of water repellent top sealer.

I don't remember what he used.....

So don't ask me!!!!!

After finding such a great table, we wanted to honor it by finding an equally excellent sink!

We went to Home Expo which is now no more, 

Home Depot having pulled the plug,

which is a cryin' shame, I tell ya, a cryin' shame.

We found both the sink and faucet there.

Kris did some internet diving and found the scones. 

I don't remember who they're from,

so,,,,,

don't ask me!!!!!

She wanted a somewhat rustic feel, to work with the sink and faucet.

So, of course,

since she did this with me.....

We had to spend a lot on the lampshades!!!!!

We had oil parchment ones made, with scored lines.

 You can sort of see the lines in the shot above.....

We covered the walls in a fun wall paper that looks like maps.....

Don't ask me who makes the wallpaper 'cuz

(all together now.....)

I don't remember!!!!!

And lastly is the mirror.

We looked for almost a year.

It couldn't be too wide, because it had to fit in this narrow space, 

and it had to be simple to work with the room, 

and it had to have a beat up feel,

and it had to be just what I had in mind.......

Kris kept showing me stuff, 

I didn't like it,

or it was too wide,

or it was too short,

or it was the wrong feel.......

And then one day!!!!!

Kris and I were boppin' around .....

looking at a bunch of old stuff.....

'cuz we really like old stuff.....

when I found this mirror.

It was leaning against the wall of a group antique shop.....

The daft woman walked right by it!!!!!

(She's going to yell at me for making fun of her.....)

Well!!!!!

I saw it!!!!!

AND I SCREAMED!!!!!

Well.....

I didn't really scream.....

I said,

HEY!!!!!

Kris!!!!!

What about this???????

So she bought it.......

The End.

this really is the end!!!!!

Later, Gator

Partying at: A Delightsome Life

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Vintage Floral Prints

I love me some old framed prints.

From the 20's.

From the '30's.

From the 40's.

At which point my love comes to a screeching halt.

I had collected quite a few when I lived in Watertown, and needed a place to hang them

 in my (now, not so) new condo.

I hung them all over the walls of my guestroom, along with some plates I had knocking about in my closet inventory.

I had found 4 prints years ago that look to me like they come from the 40's.

I hung them on either side of the bed, tucked into the dormer.

This is a weird shot, I was trying to show both sides of the dormer at the same time.

I am not an awesome photographer.....

I am very sad.....

anyway.....

the prints have really cute mats, with a scalloped edge.

And I love the way the plates work off of them.

Over the chair in the back is another print that I think is also from the 40's.

Betsy's decorating rule number 74.....

If there's an empty space on the wall.....

Hang something!!!!!

Over by the other chair, the one I plan on replacing with something larger.....

I have more floral prints....

(quelle surprise!!!)

I love it when I find shapes other than square or rectangle.

Round frames are a nice change.

 I hung some prints in between the closets doors....

because I had them.....

and because there was an empty spot!!!!!

I'm not sure of the vintage of these babies, I've had them so long, I barely even notice them.....

One thing I made a point of, and something I am partial to......

is that they are all framed in white or a cream color.

I love the old white frames that so many florals have.

On a different point.....

Let me show you guys the view out the window.

It's the nicest view in my home, and I wouldn't have had it if I hadn't added the new dormer.

It looks out over the wooded hills.

Now, ain't that purdy???????.

A big advantage to an iron bed, is if you only have room in front of a window for the bed placement, the headboard doesn't block the light, or view.

The last item I want to share with y'all

 (I'm down heah in the south....)

is, the bedskirt.....

I had this skirt made for a different bed, that wasn't as high.

So when I changed the bed to my iron one above, the skirt was too short, and no longer hit the floor.

Well, the fabric was mucho expensivo, so I just used what I had.....

and lo and behold!!!!!

I REALLY LIKED THE LOOK!!!!!

This was years and years and years ago.....

(around 30.....oy oy oy oy oy)

And now, whenever I do a cottagey look,

I make the bedskirt short!!!!!

Even shorter than what I have in the picture above.

Sooooooo.....

I think I have exhausted all that I have to share on this room.

I bet you can't wait to see what I have next up my sleeve!!!!!

till then,

Later, Gator

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Toile Apron Give Away Winner!!!!!

Hoe Kay Campers!!!!!

We have a winner for the 

toile apron give away!!!!!

But before I get to that.....

What is with the spell check on blogger???????

It doesn't know important words like.....

armoire

toile

papier mache......

Just wondering.

I mean,don't the geeks in computer land know anything about decoratin'??

?????????????????????????????????????????????????????

NOW FOR THE WINNER!!!!!

her name is....

mmballard@att.net

Betsy Speert!!!!!

I can't believe I won!!!!

I never win anything!!!!

I swear this wasn't rigged.......

O.K.... O.K.... JEESH.....

Her email is.....mmballard@att.net

I don't know her name, 'cuz she only gave her email.

Soooooo.....

if you are mmballard@att.net, email me at:  betsyspeert@gmail.com, 

give me your name and address, and the color fabric you want.

Give me the three initials you want in your monogram, but remember.

Give the initials in the order of your name, not in the order of the monogram.

For example, my name is Elizabeth Klee Speert.

Sooooooo.....

I would submit my initials as:  EKS.

Not....ESK.

You got it?????

That's it for today, I just might reward you faithful followers by actually writing about design tomorrow.

till then.....

Later, Gator

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Dressing My Guestroom Bed

I love a romantic bed, even though I have no more romance in my life....

(good riddance, stinky lousy mushy pain in my nether regions...)

So I like to pull out all the stops when making up my guest room bed.

 A big advantage to not letting people

 (you know who you are....)

 stay in your guestroom,

 is that you can spend lots of time making the bed look pretty, and know that you

 won't have to redo it!!!!!

One trick I use,

 which works if the bed isn't used very often.....

Is to wrap a thin quilt around a down duvet.

This gives a more plush and cushy look to the quilt.

I found the quilt at the Christmas Tree Shop for 

really cheap!!!!!

(oops, I mean....for a really good price!!!!!)

I couldn't believe how the floral print went so well with my Rose Cummings fabric.

I had a vintage pink and white quilt in my Watertown home,

 but it was old,

 and I used it every day, 

and my dog and cat slept with me, 

and it got all worn out.

So, I had to find a replacement.

Who would have thought that a cheapo bargain store would have the perfect quilt?????

Sooooooo.......

As I was saying,

to create a more luxurious look and feel, wrap your well priced  quilt around a duvet, and it instantly looks thick and fabulous!!!!!

I'm not crazy about the look of a bedspread.

I like to see the bed linens.

I feel it's more interesting giving a nicely layered look.

So, I often use a blanket cover.

A blanket cover is a light weight piece of fabric that is placed over the blanket.

It's practical purpose is to keep the blanket clean.

The only reason I use one is 'cuz I think they be purty.

I like the ones that are seersucker.

The blanket cover is usually made out of three pieces of fabric, as most fabric isn't wide enough to cover the bed.

Traditionally, eyelet lace is set into the two side seams.

I grew up with blanket covers like this.....

so this is the way I like mine to be!!!

I also love monograms.

Soooooo.....

I had mine sewn onto the middle of this cover.

I am very elegant.

I am very cultured.

I am very cool.....

I also like the look of lots of different patterns, as you all have probably figured out by now.

So I piled some of my old pillows from my Watertown living room onto the guest bed.

If you tend to use the same colors throughout your home, you can just move the stuff from room to room.

Below is a picture of my old living room.....

'course, in this case, it was house to house.

One of my gentle readers

 (hunh!!) 

(her alias is nutbird!!!)

said the pillow in front looked like a loaf of bread.....

Well it's not!!!!! It be lace!!!!! 

So there.

She also asked about making old double beds into queens.

Well, the bed above is a double, 

but what I do when I want a queen,

 is to have someone extend the side rails from 75" to 80" in length

 and have the mattress width overhang by 3" on either side.

Another thing that I've done, 

is if the length of the bed can be the same as a double,

(the person sleeping in the bed, not being of the tall persuasion),

 then I have a custom mattress made that is the width of a queen, but the length of a double.

Custom mattresses are no more expensive then regular mattresses.

Just look in the yellow pages, or google it, or ask your mother.

So, campers.....

That's it for today!

Don't forget!!!!!

Saturday I announce the 

WINNER!!!!! of the give away.

So, till then....

Later, Gator

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