Buzzings of a Queen Bee

Postcard from Hibernation #6

noreply@blogger.com (Buzzings of a Queen Bee!) — Thu, 08 Dec 2011 21:07:00 +0000

Happy December to you all!

I have found a new favorite project and wanted to share. I just made this adorable sign for my kids' bathroom. What do you think? (Nevermind that neither of my kids can read!)

My husband bought some barn/fence wood from a guy off Craig's List. I love that about him! (My husband, not Craig.) He just cut some of the boards and attached them to each other in the back with some metal strips, then added a hook for hanging.

I printed some letters off the computer, then just traced them (pushing very hard) onto the surface. The wood was soft enough that it made an indentation where I had traced, and I simply went back with my paintbrush and filled in the letters. After that, I sanded to rough up the letters a bit, and slapped on a coat of polyurethane.

If you or your husband don't feel like buying old wood off Craig's List, you can just as easily go to Lowe's and have them cut you a piece of new wood. That's what I did with this Grocery sign that I made for our kitchen! I brought it home and banged on it with a hammer and nails and whatever else I could find in the garage. (Added bonus: aggression release.)

Then I stained the wood (which brought out all the bangs and dents I had just added), and traced some letters onto the wood, sanded, and polyurethaned, same as I did with the bathroom sign above. See? Looks old, but it's straight from the hardware store.

Instant vintage...I love it!

Postcard from Hibernation #5

noreply@blogger.com (Buzzings of a Queen Bee!) — Tue, 15 Nov 2011 19:03:00 +0000

These days, it's a big deal for me to post more that one thing per...six months. You know I'm psyched if it's two in the same month! I must be responding to the sweet comments you've left on my last blog post. Seriously, thank you so much for taking the time to say nice things to me...I tried to email you back if your address was attached to your comment, but if it wasn't, please know that I am thankful for your words!

I went to a local charity tag sale last Saturday. That's less than two weeks ago, girls! I am on some kind of hot streak. I picked up this red chair with cute-but dated-fabric for $15. (Nina and Henry discovered that Mama had the camera out and insisted on helping.)

We have crazy warm weather in northern California (this Midwestern girl is not used to 60 degrees in November, I can tell you). So I headed outside, whipped out the paint stripper and went to work.

After stripping, I added some color with Minwax's Dark Walnut stain, followed by two coats of satin polyurethane. Then I dug in the fabric bin for this yellow plaid that I bought a few years ago on clearance. Thanks to my husband's muscle and the staple gun, the "reupholstery" was a cinch.
It's a perfect spot for my Thanksgiving turkey pillow, and I love walking by it and knowing that I rescued this baby from ugly, all for $15. Happy Thanksgiving!

Postcard from Hibernation #4

noreply@blogger.com (Buzzings of a Queen Bee!) — Tue, 08 Nov 2011 00:20:00 +0000

Happy November! I truly can't believe it's been over four months since I've sent you all a "postcard." I think about you, and blogging, frequently. I still sit on the couch after the kids have gone to bed and read about all the wonderful things you are doing. But I am still very much smack dab in a season of life that takes all my attention. Blogging continues to take a back seat to Nina (who is loving kindergarten!), Henry (who still attends "mama school," as he calls it!), supporting Brent, and building a life here in California. I admit that I often daydream of living in my forever house, close to my family and back in my Ohio hometown, but for the time being...I am here. So.

That doesn't mean I haven't been busy! Just that my teeny tiny California ranch house is bursting at the seams, filled with projects that I do in hopes of giving them a more permanent home someday. Here are a few examples!

I found this ship at a local resale shop for $5. Though Henry is enchanted with pirate ships right now, I didn't so much fancy having one in my living room.

I took off the metal sails, covered the red bottom with a dark walnut stain, and stitched up some simple blue ticking stripe panels for some new sails. Cute!

Next, I searched for this table for about six months, biding my time on Craig's List. I wanted an antique that I could refinish to match my current dining room furniture, which I inherited from my grandmother years ago. Here it is (before), covered in at least three layers of brown paint. Pretty.

After many...many...many hours of stripping paint, I finally got it down to bare wood.

A few coats of dark walnut stain, a few coats of polyurethane, and I finally have a sideboard that is worthy of the rest of my grandmother's furniture!

Of course, the California ranch doesn't have a dining room to put it in, but a girl can dream!

Lastly, here is a lesson for all your husbands. We were out one Saturday afternoon and passed by a garage sale. Just that morning, my husband had said to me "We are not buying any more furniture while we live here!"

Um. You can see where this is going.

We spotted this huge, sturdy bookshelf for $11.

Let's pause a moment to take in it's ugliness, combined with layers of blue goo.

I cleaned. He sanded. I painted. He added new beadboard backing. It was a joint effort!

But Nina now has a home for her growing collection of books. And I just love the beadboard and cream paint combination!

Just remember this story when your husband tells you to stop acquiring projects. :)

Well, that's about it from around here. I'm sorry it's been so long! Here's hoping you're all doing well...I miss you!

Postcard from Hibernation #3

noreply@blogger.com (Buzzings of a Queen Bee!) — Mon, 27 Jun 2011 17:26:00 +0000

Once upon a time (15 years ago, to be exact), I purchased this dresser for $20 at an estate sale. (I blogged about it here if you'd like to know more!) It was a horrible shade of green, and I spent the whole summer stripping and refinishing it.

My dresser gave me a lot of good years in it's refinished state. One day, however, I started wondering if, perhaps, it needed a little makeover. After all, how good would any of us look if we hadn't changed our style in 15 years? Don't answer that.

(And yes, that is a photo of me in overalls, circa 1996. See? We all need a little upgrade sometimes!)

About this same time, I stumbled across Miss Mustard Seed's blog. That girl is a genius! She does some amazing things to furniture, and I fell in love with this dresser:

So, when I had a few days of nothing on the calendar, I whipped out my paintbrushes and got to work.

My dresser looks like a whole new piece! I used leftover off-white paint in my garage, as well as some wall paint from my kitchen (Sherwin Williams Comfort Grey). Then I just sanded the edges and roughed it up a bit.
This girl's got at least 15 more years in her now!

Postcard From Hibernation #2

noreply@blogger.com (Buzzings of a Queen Bee!) — Mon, 02 May 2011 11:00:00 +0000

Hi everyone! I have done some research on behalf of us all, and I just had to share. First of all, let's revisit a photo of my humble little rental house in California, right after we moved in:

Ah, the green outdoor carpet. The abandoned flower beds. Lovely.

This spring, I've been trying to clean things up out there, on a very limited budget. I don't need Buckingham Palace here, folks. I'm just going for inhabited. So here's the look today, with some flowers, hanging baskets, and updated accessories:

And speaking of accessories, here's my new discovery: how to age a mirror (specifically the one now hanging in my outdoor entryway). I bought the frame below, complete with six individual mirrors, at a local thrift store for $12. And I love it when the original price is still on there. ($99.99 at Cost Plus World Market!) Please excuse the glass cleaner spray on the mirrors. I was impatient...you get the idea!

I took it apart (unscrewed the backing and took out the mirrors) and painted the frame with some off-white paint (Krylon Gloss Ivory), followed by rubbing on some stain (Minwax Dark Walnut) to age it. So then I had a situation where the frame looked all cute and vintage, but those mirrors were winking at me, all shiny and new. Can't have that!

So I looked up a tutorial of how to age a mirror (this one), and came up with this process. It works!

I started with some paint stripper (Ace Extra Strength Stripper) to scrape off all the paint on the back of the mirrors. Then I switched to paint thinner and scrubbed the backs with a steel wool pad. Then I washed them all off with some water. The last step was splattering liquid bleach on the mirror backs to get that spotted appearance, then blotting it off after a few minutes. (For more detailed instructions, follow my link on how to distress a mirror.)

Can you see how the individual mirrors look all beat up and old now, slightly foggy and age-spotted? Not bad for $12! I already had the rest of the materials on hand, but even if I hadn't, this project is much less expensive than all the other adorable-but-out-of-my-price-range antique mirrors I have seen out there!

Give it a try if you want the antique look without the price tag!

Postcard from Hibernation #1

noreply@blogger.com (Buzzings of a Queen Bee!) — Mon, 04 Apr 2011 23:06:00 +0000

Hi everyone!

I am greatly enjoying my hibernation, but thought I might send you a "postcard" now and then to say hello.

We've had a fun couple of months. In February we drove to southern California and paid a visit to Disneyland. So much fun!

Then, last month we were lucky enough to go on my husband's company ski trip to Tahoe. I love being within driving distance to all these cool places! (Don't know why the kids look so bummed out in this photo though. Too much snow?)

I promise it hasn't all been about fancy trips around here. I also discovered something new that's only 30 minutes from my house. The Alameda Point Antiques Faire! I could have spent hours wandering around this place, but probably would have gotten in lots of trouble. As it was, we fell in love with this antique farmhouse table. It took some budget rearranging (and a large delivery truck), but it came home with us!

I also made a lovely discovery on Etsy and purchased these two whimsical prints from The Black Apple. I love the colors and the vintage quality!

What else? Spring is here in northern California, so I was inspired to pull out the summer bedding last week.

I must admit that TJ Maxx helped me by selling those two blue ruffled pillows for $10 apiece on clearance!

I dug around and found my robin's eggs to add a little splash of color on my dresser.

And to finish it off, I painted our master bathroom Sherwin Williams' Comfort Grey. (And please note that when I say "master bathroom," it is in the loosest sense of the word. The only mastering that goes on in there is mastering our annoyance as we bump into each other trying to get ready at the same time!)

I have been having a wonderful time, and appreciate all your thoughtful comments and emails to me during my "hibernation." I hope you are all doing well too!

Do Bees Hibernate?

noreply@blogger.com (Buzzings of a Queen Bee!) — Thu, 24 Feb 2011 04:42:00 +0000

This was the question I typed into my Google window the other day. A strange one, to be sure. But one that has become important to me as I crafted this blog post in my head. (And, to answer your curiosity, some bees do hibernate over the winter, clustering together to generate heat. Don't ask me about the details; they are fuzzy at best!)

You see, like the bees, I am going into hibernation.

I thought about just calling it a mini-vacation. I also thought about stopping my blog altogether. Neither one seemed right. I have loved having this blog as a personal playground, a creative outlet in an otherwise suburban, husband- and kid-centered life. I don't want to cancel it, but I am also at a point where my "real" life is calling to me, louder and much more insistently than my blogging life.

It used to be that I was overflowing with ideas. Decorating, crafting, cooking, homemaking. I always had something new up my sleeve. But lately, since our move to California, I've been feeling a bit dry. My rental house is all set up, painted and decorated. At least for the immediate future, my work is done. We don't know how long we'll be here; my husband's job is stable and hopeful. His company is based here in northern California, and we've chosen to make the move here so that he can have every opportunity to learn and grow and strive. Until we know more about the next career steps, though, we don't want to buy another house...

...So, yes, it feels very uncertain and unknowable. I think we're looking at a couple of years here at least. Long enough that I know I have to put down roots. I can't just cruise through this period of life, closing my eyes, working on house projects and not leaving time for anything else, and hoping it will be over soon. I have to engage in it, live it, connect to it. And I also have these precious kids to think about. Nina is four and Henry is two, and I want to intentionally invest in these years with them, and not let them pass me by while I am pursuing other, more "important" things. (Please know I am not exercising judgement on anyone else's life with these statements. I just know my own personal pitfalls, and am trying to be honest about them.)

In essence, I feel like I am putting a part of my life in hibernation too. Turning inward, towards my family and my life here, fighting for survival through this winter-ish season in my life, hunkering down.

It's not that I will stop being creative, doing projects, loving the thrill of the thrift store hunt. I am sure I will poke (buzz?) my head in and out from time to time. If I work on a project, or discover some new craftiness, I will want to share it with you. But my buzzings will become much less frequent, for the foreseeable future anyway, and I felt you might want an explanation.

So, you see? Not just a simple bloggy break, but not a permanent departure, either. A hibernation. For an undetermined amount of time. (It's a good thing that some bees do hibernate, or else this analogy would have fallen apart a few paragraphs ago!)

Thanks for sticking with me all this time. I will miss you. Stay well.

Giveaway Winner!

noreply@blogger.com (Buzzings of a Queen Bee!) — Wed, 23 Feb 2011 12:00:00 +0000

Hey everyone! Thanks for participating in my giveaway! I randomly selected a comment number, and it was Comment #22, which is...

Tori from The Smith Scoop! Tori, email me at buzzingsofaqueenbee@hotmail.com to figure out how to collect your prize! :)

I hope you all had a great Presidents' Day weekend. I'll be back later this week with more!

President's Day Giveaway!

noreply@blogger.com (Buzzings of a Queen Bee!) — Fri, 18 Feb 2011 12:00:00 +0000

** Comments are now closed! I will be back tomorrow with the winner!

Hi girls! Do you have any big plans for Presidents' Day weekend? Feel like winning some serious cuteness for a little diva in your life?

Marili Jean is a fantastic mama-owned company based in Colorado. I first met up with the owner while at a harvest festival with my family. She started the company in 2009 when she couldn't find anything stylish and practical for her own three kiddos. There I was, wandering the festival booths, when I spotted Marili Jean. I think it was this hat that got me:

Seriously? I bought Nina a hat on the spot. She was just barely three years old at the time, and now that she's four and a half, the hat still fits her. I love it!
So many cute options! She's got hats, headbands and barrettes. The one I bought for Nina is called the "Mini Diva," and it comes with a detaching flower barrette in the color of your choice. But if I ever have another baby girl, I think this one below is precious!

For this weekend's giveaway, Marili Jean is offering a $20 merchandise credit for one of my readers! Yippee! All you have to do to enter is head over to her website. Take a look around and then come back and let me know which hot little number you'd pick. And, if you'd like a second chance at winning, go become a fan of Marili Jean on Facebook. Then come back and tell me that you've done so in my comments, and you'll get another contest entry!

If you fall in love with Marili Jean and just can't wait to start shopping, head on over to her website, add some sassy stuff to your cart and simply enter "buzz" when you're checking out. That'll get you 20% off on the spot. Score!

The contest will be open through Tuesday night at 8 p.m. (Pacific Time). Have fun!

Shadowboxing for Mamas

noreply@blogger.com (Buzzings of a Queen Bee!) — Mon, 14 Feb 2011 20:30:00 +0000

Hey everyone! Today I am posting at Your Baby Booty, all about making a shadowbox to hold some of those little baby and kid clothes that you just can't bear to part with. Come on over if you'd like to read more!

Caledonia

noreply@blogger.com (Buzzings of a Queen Bee!) — Fri, 11 Feb 2011 12:00:00 +0000

This post will end with me telling you about one of my most favorite musicians in the world, who I hope you will immediately listen to and fall in love with. But in order to do that, I need to give you a little back story.

Years ago (almost 12 years ago to be exact) I went to Scotland. My family roots are Scottish (among other things) and I met up with my dad and his wife to explore the country. Here's my dad and me in Edinburgh.

We could trace our family to two different clans, Grant and Menzies. My maiden name derives from the Menzies clan, so I was super-excited to walk the halls of Castle Menzies. (Sorry for the glare on the glass in the photo below, but you get the idea.)

I remember walking through Castle Menzies with a proprietary air, imagining my ancestors sleeping in the rooms and walking the halls. It wasn't until dinner that night that my dad broke the news: our ancestors weren't the ones to live in the castle. They were part of the clan, surely, but not at the top of the food chain, so to speak. Most likely they lived in a cottage somewhere on the clan lands. Here's a photo of my dad, explaining to me that, if the Castle Menzies was the big red napkin, then our family lived in the little white speck down the road.

Needless to say, this took me down a notch! However, it didn't diminish the distinct feeling of homecoming that I had when I went to Scotland. I've been there again since that first visit, and the feeling of home is the same each time. I don't know if it's a self-fulfilling prophecy or what, but there it is.

And now, on to the music. Have you ever heard of Dougie MacLean? That's pronounced Doo-gie Mac-Lean. He's Scottish. He's a folk singer-type. He's kind of like James Taylor but with even more of an acoustic, soothing thing going on. His music has the same effect on me as Vince Guaraldi and A Charlie Brown Christmas. It's calming and somehow makes me breathe a little slower when I listen to it.

Dougie MacLean wrote a song called "Caledonia" about Scotland, which is his home. (Caledonia is a somewhat more poetic name used for Scotland.) The lyrics are all about missing home. Going home. How home will take you, no matter what shape you're in or what you've done. Chances are that you treasure home, whether it's Scotland or somewhere else, as much as I do, or you wouldn't be here. I wonder if the song will speak to you the way it speaks to me?

Now, seriously, don't focus on the fact that Dougie MacLean looks a bit like an aging hippie here. Or that this video is cheesy. (It's the best version I could find on YouTube.) But if you end up falling in love with him like I did, may I recommend my favorite of his albums, called "Craigie Dhu." I hope it brings you a moment of peace this weekend!

Let me know what you think!

"Art" for the Poor

noreply@blogger.com (Buzzings of a Queen Bee!) — Mon, 07 Feb 2011 12:00:00 +0000

What I am about to share could be considered sacrilegious to some of you. But I'm going to risk it, for the sake of the rest of us.

What in the world am I talking about?

Art.

I constantly rip out pages from magazines to use for inspiration. The pages above and below both have unique wall pieces that are real art. Like, from people who are artists.

Unfortunately, our budget for pieces of real art from real artists is nonexistent. But what I did have was two of these oval frames. With nothing in them.

I really liked the look of some of those line art drawings in my inspiration photos. But, alas, I am not an artist, and, well, we've already discussed where my budget is in that department. So, I went to Michael's instead and bought a piece of nice artist paper and some charcoal pencils.

I found some free clip art online. (I just Googled things like "free" "images" "bee," "bike," etc. until I found something I liked.) The bike is for my husband, whose garage is not complete unless it holds at least five bikes at any one time. And the bee is for me. :)

I used graphite tracing paper (also from Michael's) to transfer the line art onto my fancy paper.

Then I went back with my charcoal pencil and traced over the lines.

I mixed my knockoff bike and bee art with my family wall in the kids' playroom.

Thank you free clip art!

Dealing With My Dated Den

noreply@blogger.com (Buzzings of a Queen Bee!) — Mon, 31 Jan 2011 01:18:00 +0000

Sorry for the silence last week, girls! I had some kind of flu bug rip through our house and it took us all down with it. Feeling better now, and I have saved the best for last in my new house Before & After series!

Behold, the horrific Before photo of the den, from the day we toured it:

And the same room, minus the laundry, clutter, huge television and dated wood paneling:

From another angle, here's a During shot:

And the same wall, after three coats of primer and one coat of "Pearl" by Olympic:

I love the built-in bookshelves and the iron chandelier I got to hang from the ceiling. (Note: I did not love the built-in bookshelves when I had to paint them all four times!)

This house was built in the 1950s, and I'm telling you, those fifties chicks knew how to work the storage. I have lots of cabinet space in here for all my crafty business, plus a cubby that holds all the over sized stuff. I just sewed a few squares of fabric and hung them with a tension rod to hide the messiness!

This bulletin board was part of the room already, and I really like how it looks now that the wood paneling above and below it is painted. I've already used that work table for a few projects, but it also doubles as a catch-all for mail and the usual junk!

A close-up of the bulletin board, with some of my inspiration clippings, fabrics and paint samples. I love having a place to hang up all this stuff!

I also have a little basket for my latest magazines, with a pen handy to circle stuff I like. I know, I am a big geek who gets all excited about a marker and a pile of magazines! I realized that as I was typing it.

So there you have it! How I Made Over Every Room In Our House With Paint for Under $500. Too bad there's not a House Painting Olympic Team. I would SO try out for that.

But now I'm off to take a nap!

Master Bedroom Changes!

noreply@blogger.com (Buzzings of a Queen Bee!) — Fri, 21 Jan 2011 12:00:00 +0000

Hello again! Today I'm sharing the updates we've made to the master bedroom. Just like in Henry's room, you're gonna have to look closely to see the changes, because I didn't get a true "before" photo. But here's the master bedroom with it's white walls and general messiness.

And here's the same room, after a little lovin'. The walls are painted "Bristlecone" by Olympic (just like Henry's room; I am nothing if not frugal!).

As you can probably tell, the room isn't all that big. Compared to my master bedroom in Colorado, or even the one in our previous California house, it's a tight squeeze. And would I love some crown moldings or hardwood floors? Um, hello? Do you know who you're talking to? Of course I would! :)

But it's a comfortable room, and at the end of the day I feel safe and cozy there. That's got to count for something, right? The patchwork quilt (Pottery Barn) adds to the general coziness, and it's nice for the winter.

But I've already tested my "summer look" and definitely plan on rolling this out when it's time to open the windows again! Like it?

A girl's gotta have options, right?

Kids' Rooms in a Rental

noreply@blogger.com (Buzzings of a Queen Bee!) — Tue, 18 Jan 2011 12:00:00 +0000

This is fun! You guys are a great audience, and thank you for being so complimentary of the changes in our house. Are you ready to see what else we've been up to?

You'll have to look close to see the before and after differences in this post! I wanted to share with you my son Henry's room, but, as usual, my impatience prevented me from getting a true "before" photo. But just notice the white and boring walls before:

And the after: Henry's room is painted "Bristlecone" by Olympic. It's a nice taupe, with some slight overtones of gray. I'll keep saying this: adding paint is the only thing we did in here, and it made such a difference between feeling like a rental and feeling like a home.

We added our usual cowboy accessories in here, mostly focusing on warm browns and reds as the accent colors.

The rug works well in here, although it probably wouldn't have been the one I'd choose if I had an unlimited budget. We liked the price tag though. (Free! It used to be in my husband's basement office in our Colorado house.) The curtains came from Pottery Barn Kids. I love them because they aren't too babyish and can grow with him as his room changes.

And just because this photo cracks me up, I had to leave you with one of Henry in his new digs:

He looks like he could be reading the Wall Street Journal with a latte and a muffin. Nope, it's just his Thomas the Train books. (Big business for a little man of almost two years!)

Upgrading the Playroom

noreply@blogger.com (Buzzings of a Queen Bee!) — Fri, 14 Jan 2011 12:00:00 +0000

OK girls, you know I must like you if I am willing to share this photo. It will help you to understand how nervous I was about decorating our new house. Without further ado, I give you the "before" photo of the playroom, taken on the day we toured it:

Fluorescent lights. Dated vertical blinds. White, white walls.

But I shouldn't have worried. This place has been fabulous for us in so many ways, and once I added some things to cozy it up, it felt like a new room. It sits on the far side of the of the house, and is accessible by both the kitchen and the family room...an ideal playroom for the kids!

We painted the walls (Vanilla Brandy by Olympic) and added some curtains to the sliding doors. Just opening the blinds made a huge difference. And of course, adding some family photos made it feel like home!

I know this room will never win any design awards, and that's not the point. But I thought it was a great example of how some cozy furniture, rugs and artwork can distract you from the fact that this could be a rather sterile room.

It's a good fit for our young family. It's practically indestructible, and we need that these days. And it reminds me never to judge a room based on first impressions!

Decorating a Nursery on the Cheap

noreply@blogger.com (Buzzings of a Queen Bee!) — Thu, 13 Jan 2011 17:09:00 +0000

Hey everyone! I am guest posting today over at Your Baby Booty, an awesome website and blog designed for new moms. I can't say how much I wish this tool had been around when I was trying to figure out what to buy for my first baby! Alas, now I can just share my thoughts on decorating a baby nursery on the cheap. At least I've got that skill down pat. Check it out!

I'll be back tomorrow with some more distraction decorating for you!

Being Happy With Small Changes

noreply@blogger.com (Buzzings of a Queen Bee!) — Tue, 11 Jan 2011 12:00:00 +0000

Guys, I think I may be setting some kind of record. We are less than two months into the lease on our new house, and I have ONE...ROOM...LEFT...TO...PAINT. Can I get an Amen?

I can't exactly say why I am so inspired to get things done around here. Maybe it's all the upheaval we've had for the past few months, but I am ready to give my family a place to settle down and make a home. I seem to have some kind of crazy energy that kicks in between the hours of 2-4 p.m. each day (nap time, folks!). Here are my latest results:

This is our front porch. If we owned this place, I'd be scouting house painters to take care of that wood siding. As it is, though, I am content to just do some small things. Starting with that green outdoor carpet. Buh-Bye.

Here is the same front porch a few weeks later. I ripped out the green stuff and found a perfectly serviceable cement step underneath. It was a bit discolored from years of carpet glue, but I doctored it up with some furniture stain. I spread the stain with a sponge brush, then immediately wiped it up with paper towels. Done!

The cement color isn't an exact match, but believe me, it's an improvement!

And here is the even less exciting post-Christmas version of my front porch.

Renting a house is giving me lessons in "good enough" decorating. It's the cousin of "distraction decorating." And I am becoming intimately involved with both!

Rental Bathroom Fixes

noreply@blogger.com (Buzzings of a Queen Bee!) — Fri, 07 Jan 2011 12:00:00 +0000

First of all, thank you so much for your comments on my last post. The January Blahs have been a little less intense since I wrote, and hearing how so many of you feel the same way...well, that helps a lot! Let's all keep reminding each other that we don't have to let that Christmas influence go, just because December is over!

With that focus on home, I have been taking the past weeks to cozy it up around here. As I mentioned before, we have become home renters in California, after being home owners since we got married. But, since we don't know how long we'll be in California, we didn't want to jump back into another home purchase until we know more about our future here.

Renting has definitely changed my perspective. How do you know how much effort to put in a place that isn't yours? Well, I don't plan on tearing out walls or adding granite countertops, but painting is definitely on the list. Check out my rental bathroom, B.P. ("Before Paint").

It was unoffensive. It was all white. It had a scary sliding door on the bathtub. But I can work with that. I added some green paint, called "Crocodile Tears" by Olympic.

We (cough!...I mean my husband) added an inexpensive bamboo shade on the window, just to warm it up and add some texture. We changed out the light switch covers. Put some cute accessories on the walls. And hung my new monogrammed towels (a lovely giftie from my mom for Christmas!), which just glams it all up in there!

Can you see the shower curtain in the photos? Its a Christmas gift from my sister (who knew my family cared so much about my rental bathroom?), the Audrey Organic Shower Curtain from Pottery Barn. Of course I see it is no longer available on their website, so I guess I'm not the only one who got this for Christmas. But it covers up the dated glass doors, which makes me happy.

The good news is that, except for the paint, I can take all these things with me whenever we leave. So I don't have to feel worried about investing too much, but I can enjoy this rental bathroom for the next few years.

More to come next week. Have a great weekend everyone!

Can We Still Be Home for the Holidays?

noreply@blogger.com (Buzzings of a Queen Bee!) — Tue, 04 Jan 2011 17:19:00 +0000

[This post is dedicated to Edie of Life in Grace, who lost her home to fire a few days before Christmas. I can't imagine how you feel, and I pray your sense of home is restored, with much grace from God.]

I've been thinking a lot about the holiday season.

Christmas is my favorite time of year. Like most of us, I love the cozy nights by the fire, the excuses to see family, and the many special treats and traditions that we look forward to every December.

There's always something that bothers me, though. It starts to set in bright and early on December 26, and by January 2, it's full blown. The Let Down. Everyone talks about it, everyone fears it. I can't say why for the rest of you, but for me, here it is:

The holidays give us permission to value the things that are really important to us. We walk into a store and the songs are playing over the speakers: "Chestnuts roasting on an open fire," "There's no place like home for the holidays," "Since we've no place to go, Let it Snow, Let it Snow, Let it Snow!" It's like our whole culture allows one big recess from the usual focus on achievement, acquiring, and conquering. We are told it's acceptable, even preferable, to sock in, cuddle up, turn to our families and friends, and allow that to be enough.

I know we have control over our own lives and we can choose what messages we allow to penetrate during the other 11 months of the year. We can sock in and cuddle up anytime we want to, right? But somehow it just feels like the hurdles are bigger, and that we have to defend our choices a little harder.

Does anyone else just feel a bit bummed about having to get back in the fight?

In an attempt to remind myself that "home for the holidays" doesn't have to end after Christmas, I posted this quote in my kitchen:

It reads:

Winter is the time for comfort. For good food and warmth, for the touch of a friendly hand, and for a talk beside the fire. It is the time for home.

--Edith Sitwell, British poet

May your January have as many open fires, chestnuts, and comforts of home as your December.

Dreaming of a White Christmas

noreply@blogger.com (Buzzings of a Queen Bee!) — Fri, 24 Dec 2010 12:00:00 +0000

Merry (almost) Christmas everyone!

I am just stopping in today to wish you all the coziest and merriest of holidays. I'll be curling up on the couch with my little family and reading Christmas books, drinking hot chocolate with candy canes, and watching Charlie Brown Christmas.

So what if we live in California and won't be seeing one speck of snow?

Merry Christmas!

My Christmas Advent Calendar

noreply@blogger.com (Buzzings of a Queen Bee!) — Tue, 21 Dec 2010 12:00:00 +0000

If you've been around here for awhile, you know all about my Christmas advent calendar. I made it a few years ago, back when Nina was a toddler and Henry wasn't even born yet!

Now that I have two kiddos, it's proven to be a great tradition for our family! The boxes are cardboard, with scrapbook paper on the lids. They are a great size to stash little goodies for each day. This year I'm using little chocolate coins from Trader Joe's. The boxes have magnets on the back so they can stick to the metal sheet that I framed and painted black.

Anyway, enough blabbing, Carrie! I wrote a detailed tutorial on how I made this, so if you're interested, just follow the link for more info.

I hope you have a great Christmas week!

Distraction Decorating in the Family Room

noreply@blogger.com (Buzzings of a Queen Bee!) — Fri, 17 Dec 2010 12:00:00 +0000

Happy Friday!

As promised, I want to show you our new family room, with some Distraction Decorating techniques thrown in. Here's a photo of the room on the day we toured the house, taken on my cell phone. Yikes.

As with the kitchen photos, just using a good camera and lighting makes a big difference. But here's a photo of the same room, from the same angle, today:

Just hanging my faithful buffalo check curtains warmed up this room immensely. (Since I always get this question, I'll go ahead and tell you that I made the curtains with fabric from Calico Corners. I believe it's just called Buffalo Check, in the color Bisque.)

The Christmas decorations make a big difference in cozy-ing up the room too!

I don't have a true dining room in this house, but this nook of the family room has a chandelier, so it seemed like the place for my dining set. We had our first meal here when my family came to visit last weekend, and it's actually quite charming to eat within view of the fireplace and Christmas tree, rather than in a separate room. But don't look too closely or you'll see the dust on that table...oops!
I painted the walls "Vanilla Brandy" by Olympic. I really like it, though I wish I had gone a shade darker. Oh well, maybe in the next house! (But please, God, not for a few years...I am so tired of moving!)
The fireplace creates one of my favorite scenes. Sitting here at night is so cozy! And, just like in the kitchen, putting some area rugs around the room helps to distract you from the older carpet in the house.
Lest you think I am some kind of miracle worker, the rest of my house is very incomplete! But I wanted this room to feel finished so we could relax and enjoy it for Christmas. It helps me forget the boxes that wait for me in some of the other rooms!

I hope you all have a great weekend!

Distraction Decorating in the Kitchen

noreply@blogger.com (Buzzings of a Queen Bee!) — Tue, 14 Dec 2010 12:00:00 +0000

OK, I think I would like to officially coin a new phrase: Distraction Decorating. As in, parts of my new house are a bit dated, and I'd like to distract you from noticing. Make a big fuss over here, and maybe you won't notice stuff over there.

Here is a photo (taken on my phone) of the kitchen and breakfast area, the day we moved in:

And here is the same vantage point, today:

Of course the lighting and the camera are better in the second photo. But mainly I have added paint and fabric and rugs to distract you. Now, instead of staring at the linoleum floor and older carpet and dated wood paneling, maybe you will stare at my cute stuff instead. See? Distraction Decorating.

Here's another angle of the same kitchen, on the day we toured with the owners.

Same angle, after some paint and other little tricks.
I am loving this combo of plates on the wall:

I replaced all the light switch covers with brass ones. I think it makes it feel more glitzy or something. And the wall color is Sherwin Williams "Comfort Gray."

Below is one of my favorite shots, because you see my wall of plates AND my most favorite curtains. There are birds on that fabric, maybe partridges or quails, I really have no idea. But the red pattern on the butter-colored background is so pretty! I bought the fabric on clearance at Denver Fabrics in (you guessed it!) Denver before we moved. I think it was $3 a yard.

My chalkboard looks great on the other wall, and it's fun to have the table coming out from the wall at that angle, instead of floating in the middle of the room and blocking the traffic flow. Plus it gives me a good spot for my favorite lamp, which I use at night instead of the fluorescent lights in the ceiling. Another Distraction Decorating trick!

Renting a house is a new world for us. I am used to being able to rip up carpet, paint anything I want, and generally wreck it all up as I see fit. As a renter, I have to tread carefully, and it's a new challenge. Hence, Distraction Decorating. Wait till I show you what else I've done! The family room is up next. See you soon!

Re-Loving Old Furniture

noreply@blogger.com (Buzzings of a Queen Bee!) — Fri, 10 Dec 2010 12:00:00 +0000

Today I'd like to tell you about the desk in Nina's room. That desk has seen many lives. I got it (free!) from a friend of my mom's when I moved into my first apartment as a single girl. It was originally a honey-colored wood and I painted it white, even before I understood the utter magic of painting things white! And here is the desk in my Colorado guest room a few years ago. It's on the right side of the photo if you look close.

Fast Forward: Then my dad came out to visit us in Colorado in August of 2010. I coerced him into doing projects in my garage all day. And by the way, I think I know from where I inherited this "project" gene; he secretly (or not so secretly) loved it. Can you tell?

Anyway, my dad did some work on the desk to make it more stable on the bottom, and I took the opportunity to re-sand the piece. Here it is in Nina's new room today:

I changed out the knobs too. It's always amazing to me what a little change like that can make to a whole piece! (The new knobs are from Hobby Lobby.) I also added some scrapbook paper as drawer liner, with a little Mod Podge to help glue it down and seal it:

I also roughed up the drawer edges with sandpaper a little more. I love the effect!

Not bad for a freebie from ten years ago!

Do you have a piece of furniture sitting around that you could "upgrade"? Before we all head out to the malls, or even to the Goodwill, it's even easier to wander downstairs to the basement or out to the garage. I still have a few pieces that I'd like to paint or update, right here in my own house, without spending a dime!

I'll be back with more next week. Have a great December weekend!