Making a House a Home: 2019 in Review

During the late Summer of 2018 we made a decision to purchase an older home here in our small Midwest city. It might have seemed like a spur of the moment event from the outside, but we had known since we moved into our previous home 5 years before, that we needed a place with more space on one level. We knew that it would need to be a home in an older subdivision close-in town so it would have a bigger yard to accommodate a house that was more square footage in the main living areas. We found a place, but it was not my dream home to say the least. It would require a lot of updating inside and out, but we made a plan to get to work. That takes me to the beginning of 2019.

Decorating with Fall Naturals

I think we're seeing a trend in decor more and more each season, and that's decorating with nature's elements. I've found "mixing" faux and naturals goes a long way in making my home more inviting and giving it a more uncomplicated and spontaneous feel. There are so many beautiful, well made silks and faux elements that I'll never give them up, but finding that balance of combining the two has become a place where I'm enjoying the creative challenge.

If you read my post earlier in the week, you know that we've been literally neck deep in having a new roof put on our home. This was a more involved fix than just a composition roof, as after a really bad hail storm in June, we've decided to follow what everyone else in our 25-30 year old neighborhood has been doing, and that's replacing wood shake shingles with new super nice top of the line composition shingles. So, I've been under "house arrest" this week, as I didn't want my car out on the street for over a week. I opted to just stay home and not risk a flat tire or worse yet, vandalism.

So, I've had to play in the house this week, when all I want to do is get outside and do some puttering with plants and pumpkins. "Hedge Apples" are pretty common around this area; also called "Osage Oranges", I've been looking at them through different "decorating eyes" these last few years. What used to be a nuisance in the middle of the road, and half eaten messes, now I'm finding their wonderful color and texture to be something worth celebrating.

I bought two of these wonderful antique pottery flowerpots a few years ago,

after seeing them at Meloney and Brian's Seed Box Open House.

Anyone know the name for this type of flowerpot?

Somehow I got it in my head they were called "Vanilla" something or other?

You can see just part of Mel's great collection.

Sorry the photo is all blurry; that was 3 years and 3 cameras ago.

back to hedge apples...

I added some other natural elements on the coffeetable on the sunporch, so I at least could make a little vignette. Oh, and I added in a sunflower head that Julie sent me. love it!

Preserved leaves, hydrangeas, and bittersweet all join in.

And of course, anyplace you have sunflowers

 you will automatically have some birdies.

just a little nibble

Here's a really ugly photo of what I've been looking at all week.

30 years of tree debris, dirt, rotten shingles,

and torn off guttering looking out from the Living Room.

See the plywood against the house?

yep, that covered all the windows so it was like a cave downstairs.

I couldn't go down there it was so depressing.

what you can't tell is that this pile is at least 3 feet deep.

uh huh...

And this is what most of my prints and wall decor look like

after 5 days of pounding on the roof.

sort of like how my head feels...

But the good news is that most of the new roof is on and they're working today on the details, so the end is in sight. now for clean up... And making my hubby take me out for dinner!

Hope you're having a great weekend...

we're expecting rain, but I think we're covered.

joining in on these parties:

Blissful Whites at Timewashed
Amaze Me Monday at Dwellings
Nifty Thrifty Tuesday at Coastal Charm
Make it Pretty Monday at The Dedicated House
Tweak it Tuesday at Cozy Little House
Knick of Time Tuesday
The Scoop at Cedar Hill Ranch
Savvy Southern Style
TTT at StoneGable

xoxo,

Heads Up...

I guess this post could be filed under several topics, but firstly it would have to be the top contender for "you don't know how wrong something looks until you photograph it and then put it out on the blog for thousands of people to see". The next category would be "coming super late to the party". 

The second category, first...

This is my first shot at Annie Sloan Chalk Paint.

I know, I know....

don't judge me for being a little slow to get to the party.

LOVE this paint...

dried quick, distressed so easy,

but then you ALL know that don't you?

I've had a can of Old White for over a year, but when you have a husband that's sick

or any kind of family issue, most projects just don't happen...nope. not happening.

(He's much better, long road...but better.

Inner ear surgery for Meniere's Disease)

I've had this wonderful old piece of detailed wood hanging out in the garage for months, taunting me to get my rear in gear and paint it. 

but when I saw this photo (below) from a post I did back in March I cringed,

'cause the teensy header I had was lost on the door and flanking windows.

(btw, this post was my highest viewed post ever)

"Spring in the Entry"

So I finally got around to doing the deed and hopefully making the entry look a little more thought out. I love using old headers and furniture remnants to help beef up the moldings above the room openings. This space could use something even bigger, but until then, I think this will work.

Skinny moldings must have been all the rage in 1982...

This one is above the Entry in the Dining Room.

another smaller one heading toward the Kitchen.

Here is the culprit from the entry that found a new home in the Hallway, 

going into the Dining Room.

(I need to straighten it up a bit)

 from the Hall into the Powder Room

(and no, that's not dust on the door panels,

I just like a gray film all over things...)

But here's my fave baby of them all.

The hunky piece that got me started on this.

I swooned over those scallops.

In the Kitchen going to the Living Room.

That's just one little thing I can cross off my to-do list.

and a note from Tornado Alley...

we're all so so tired of this.

Joining in on these parties:

Amaze Me Monday at Dwellings

Make it Pretty Monday at The Dedicated House

Met Monday at Between Naps on the Porch

Nifty Thrifty Tuesday at Coastal Charm

Tweak it Tuesday at Cozy Little House

The Scoop at Cedar Hill Ranch

Knick of Time Tuesday

Have a great weekend,

xoxo,

Come, walk through the garden gate...

...and experience one of the most beautiful 

and one-of-a-kind residences in Texas.

The Bandera, Texas homestead of Robin Brown and John Gray;

aka Magnolia Pearl.

 38 sprawling acres, three homes and 18 outdoor structures;

 this is truly a magical place.

Please step inside...

Handpainted and handcrafted artisan touches are at every turn...

  

 (via)

This lovely home is clearly a labor of love. 
Twelve years in the making,
it was where Robin's
internationally acclaimed
clothing line began.

And it has been featured in numerous
magazine publications as well as a book 

published by Country Living,
"A Bit of Velvet and a Dash of Lace".

To read more 

about this wonderful home and property,

and to enter an amazing Give Away

please click here for the details.

all images also found on my Pinterest Board, Magnolia Pearl.

If you pin any images please pin them from Fiona and Twig.

 Hope you're having a wonderful weekend,

This is what I'm doing this weekend...

After 4 days of trying to find just the right shade of "taupe"

this is how I feel.

Too pink...

too green...

too brown...

too gold...

looks like cement...

does that look purple to you?...

I've looked at so many paint chips and tried almost as many.

my walls look like a patchwork quilt.

I've finally found the right one, and my daughter Aly will be here with me

this weekend painting the master bedroom and master bath

...and maybe my closet if we have the time and haven't fallen over.

keep a good thought for us,

this is just the beginning...

que music from  "2001 A Space Odyssey"

Don't forget the Give Away from

French Bleu Vintage

click here, ends Saturday night.

Hope you've entered, Dee has some wonderful items.

See ya on the other side.

p.s. Happy St. Patty's Day

xoxo,

Mini Home Tour

There's a Home Tour going on today over at

Poppies at Play

so I thought I'd grab a few photos from my stash

and give a little look-see.

Entry Hall

Kitchen recently re-done.

Laundry Room view from Kitchen

Sunroom off of Kitchen

Living Room

(photos from last fall)

Dining Room 

Buffet from Christmas

Sitting area in Lower Level

Studio/Office

(repainted last summer)

This was taken for Where Bloggers Create

before re-painting

All my photos were lost last summer when my computer crashed

so sorry some of these are random taken from earlier posts.

I know none of this is new to all you friends that hang out with me,

but if this is your first visit, hope you'll come back!

Thanks for coming along,

I have a crazy weekend going.

I'll share the madness next time!

lots of love,

Debra