confessions of a craigslist junkie

Happy 2015!

2014-12-31T10:30:00.002-05:00

I'm looking forward to a new year -- how about you? Wishing you all the best in 2015!

Happy Holidays

2014-12-20T13:04:00.000-05:00

The halls are decked, the gifts are bought (although not wrapped yet, I confess!), and it's time to wish you all the happiest of holidays!

Bits and Pieces of Fall

2014-10-06T16:05:00.000-04:00

It's finally Fall -- my favorite time of the year!

The crisp air. Cozy sweaters. Hot apple cider. What's not to love about this season? (Other than the thousands of leaves that will need to be cleaned up soon around here, but we won't think about that!)

I have bits and pieces of Fall décor scattered throughout the house.

For the mantle, I started with a base of vintage books...

Added mini pumpkins, a couple of vases, some votives and some faux foliage, and there you have it.

Simple.

One of the advantages of having a neutral color scheme is you can add any colors you want to reflect the season.

This year I stuck with orange, yellow and white, which are in abundance this time of year.

Today the weather is sunny with just a bit of chill in the air -- the perfect Fall day.

So enough about the inside -- I'm off for a walk with the dogs!

Hope you have a great season!

Sharing at:
Coastal Charm Show and Share

Table Redo and Making Things Simpler

2014-08-27T17:58:00.000-04:00

I'm all about making things easier, and I just found a couple of products that are going to do just that.

I found this little table at a thrift shop, I think. It's been sitting in my "to do" stash for awhile now. We won't mention how long, or the fact that half of our garage is still filled with "to do's!"

I loved its lines and the applique detail, but it obviously needed some love.

One of the reasons I appreciate finding things to make painting easier is I always seem to run into complications. I've had some bad painting mojo recently.

On this piece, I wanted to paint it in ASCP Old White. But as you can see, I had some major bleed-through. So out came the shellac.

After the shellac I gave it another couple of coats of Old White and that took care of it. After a light distressing it was done.

Now on to my new finds.

My first new item made clean-up much easier. It's this Wooster brush cleaner. No more picking at paint with my fingernails! This baby gets down deep into the bristles and really cleans the brush.

My second new find is Shabby Paints Vax. I have never been a fan of waxing so I was excited to try this product. I've been looking for a good topcoat for awhile now. Especially one that won't yellow on white. This stuff is great!

You dilute it, and put it on with a wet sponge or a rag (I used a craft sponge). It goes on easily and best of all, no buffing! I used Sheer, but it also comes in a variety of finishes. I bought some in Pearl, which I'm looking forward to trying.

I also bought some Shabby Paints paint in a couple of cool colors. I haven't decided what to use them on yet, but like I said I've got plenty of options in the garage!

I love the way this sweet little table turned out! It will be going to Mr. P's soon.

(I'm not affiliated in any way with these products -- just wanted to share a couple things that may make your projects simpler too!)

Newest Addition ot Mr. P's

2014-08-04T17:55:00.000-04:00

Hey there! It's been awhile. Today I thought I'd show you the latest piece I've added to Mr. P's Emporium.

I got this dresser on Craigslist, and like the space cadet I am, I didn't get a "before" shot. Picture it your basic brown wood with a scratched-up top. Got that in your head? Great. Here it is now.

It may look innocent, but this baby gave me a world of trouble. All my own doing, of course, but still.

After sanding the top, I painted it in the sun, on a hot and humid day. Which thickened the paint, creating blobs and bubbles. Do not try this at home, boys and girls. It was a mess. So I had to sand all that off the top and paint it again. (I'd painted the sides and drawers previously and luckily they were alright.)

Then I tried a new topcoat (General Finishes in Satin). I applied it with a sponge brush, and each stroke from the brush showed when it was dry. I've heard good things about this product, so I have no idea what I did wrong. So ... yep ... I sanded it down again. Then I painted it again. I ended up finishing it with two coats of American Paint Company clear wax.

For a simple little dresser, it took me forever! But it's finally done, painted in ASCP Paris Gray, and distressed. I delivered it to the booth today.

And here's how Mr. P's is looking now.

If you're in the area, come by and see us! We're located in the Home Store, 9720 Liberia Avenue, in Manassas, VA.

Happy July and a Desk Makeover

2014-07-02T11:42:00.000-04:00

Wow, it's July already. Happy new month! I'm particularly glad to see it, although it's not usually one of my favorites. Here in Northern VA, July is typically hot and muggy and buggy. Not my favorite combination.

But this July is different. You see, a couple of weeks ago I had a numerologist give me a reading at a Solstice fair in Shepherdstown -- an adorable little town in West Virginia. The woman looked at my numbers and the first thing she said was, "Have you been having a bad year?"

Honey, you don't know the half of it!

But the good news was that my year was almost over, and would change in July, my birthday month. So here I am, ready for new energy and positivity! (Is that a word? Well it should be if it isn't!)

One of the good changes we've had around here is we've taken our house off of the market, and have decided to stay here awhile. That means no more getting up early every morning to make sure the house is sparkling clean by 9am for showings. No more gathering up the dogs and trying to find something to do with them for an hour while people were looking at the house. Sometimes we had to do that two or three times a day. What a hassle that's been -- especially when my foot was broken!

So although I was kind of looking forward to a new place to decorate, I'm really glad we're staying. That also means I've been able to start painting furniture again.

Like this desk. I got it a couple of years ago at a thrift shop. Yes, it's been sitting in my basement, then garage, for more than two years!

It needed a lot of work. When we pulled it out of the pile in the garage for me to get started on it, part of it fell off! So first it went to my furniture repair guy, who knows much more about this stuff than I do. He took it apart and re-glued and nailed it back together. Luckily I got it cheap! Now its as sturdy as new, but the top was badly scratched and some of the veneer was coming off on the side.

So I sanded the top until it was smooth and patched the veneer. Then I gave it two coats of ASCP in French Linen, lightly distressed and waxed it. I replaced the original hardware, which I left with its original patina.

Here it is now, at my booth, given a new life. I love taking sad- looking pieces and giving them a second chance!

Next up is a dresser which I'll get started on soon. The weather today is hot, humid and labeled "unhealthy" by the weather service, so I won't be painting. A typical July day!

Hope your month is off to a great start!

Little Dresser Makeover

2014-06-20T12:11:00.001-04:00

I found this little vintage dresser on Craigslist. I love its lines and the size ( 24" high, 41 1/2" wide) makes it perfect for a bedside table, in the foyer, or even in the family room to put a flat screen TV on.

It was in good shape when I bought it. Just some stains on the top, and some holes where some sort of attachment used to be. It might have been a mirror, but since the dresser is so short it must have been a tall one.

I filled in the holes, cleaned it, and gave it two coats of ASCP in Country Grey. Then I lightly distressed it and waxed it.

I'm not going to lie, waxing is my least favorite job when it comes to painting furniture. But this time I used my new wax brush, and what a difference! I usually just use rags to wipe on the wax, but the brush made the whole process much faster and easier. After letting the wax cure I buffed it with a cotton cloth and put back the original hardware.

It's just a simple little dresser, but I think it's adorable. No time to bring it inside to style it for a photo -- it went straight off to Mr. P's Emporium!

Speaking of Mr. P, thank-you so much for the kind comments about his passing. We miss him every day. We did get the vet to acknowledge he shouldn't have been given the medication and waive their charges. They also posted a notice to stop giving it to small dogs, so hopefully we saved another dog from experiencing what Pepper did. It turns out the pharmaceutical company had changed its recommendations, but did not do anything to formally notify vets. A complaint is being filed with the FDA. According to the FDA, over 3,000 dogs have died from complications related to the medication. Again, a cautionary tale to make sure you read the information on any medication you're given for your pets.

Good Bye Mr. P

2014-06-14T11:50:00.000-04:00

It has taken me awhile to write this post because I tear up every time. Our beloved little dog Pepper, whose nickname was Mr. P, died last week. He was prescribed medication that we later found out isn't supposed to be given to dogs under 12.5 pounds and he died from the complications.

Mr. P was the inspiration behind the name of my booth, Mr. P's Emporium. A portion of the sales proceeds go to the rescue organization from which we adopted him. A photo of him is on the back my price tags.

Pepper climbed into my heart the first time I saw him. He was a cuddler, a killer of dog toys (which he would try to shake to death) and a joy to be around. His antics and personality always brought a smile to my husband and me. To say he will be missed is an massive understatement.

If you have furry child, hug them close. And if you are given medication for them, always read the product insert or check online to make sure it is appropriate for your dog or cat. Ask lots of questions. That's something that I wish every day we had done. The company that makes the medication was very specific on all of its materials that it wasn't to be given to small dogs, and that a blood screening should be done first. After doing some research online we found out we aren't the only ones who have gone through this with this medication. Vets don't always get it right. We found this out the hard way.

Good bye Mr. P. We love you.

Pretty Porches

2014-05-26T13:57:00.000-04:00

Now that summer's here, it's time to sit out on the porch! One of the things we're hoping to find in our new house is a front porch. We don't have one in our current home. I'm envisioning how I would decorate it -- with a little help from Pinterest. Here's some eye candy I've found.

I'm hoping we sell the house and find a new home soon so I can get started decorating!

All photos are from Pinterest. You can find the sources here.

Broken Foot - Or How I'm Getting out of Doing the Laundry

2014-05-08T10:32:00.000-04:00

As you know our house has been on the market for about a week and a half. We've had showings but no offers yet.

Since this is a three dog, two cat family, there is a whole routine we have to go through prior to a showing: We take off the covers on the furniture in the family room (we have slip covers but they're white and get dog hair and foot prints on them, so I throw a drop cloth over them when we don't have company or showings. It helps limit the times I have to wash the slip covers.). We stash the dog beds and cat beds, put their bowls in the dishwasher, make sure the kitty boxes are clean, etc.

This is also a house with two men who, although they are trying, just don't have the same definition of a clean house as I do. To them, a rinsed bowl in the sink is fine ("Well I rinsed it!). That means I've been spending my days making sure the counters are always clean, the bathrooms sparkling, and the floors are vacuumed, so we'll be ready at a moment's notice if someone wants to see the house. In between all this I've been hoping to find time to paint some furniture. Mr. P's Emporium needs some new merchandise.

The whole process is proving to be quite stressful. So what do I do?

I break my foot.

Yep. I stepped on a stone the wrong way, twisted my foot and fell. I walked around on it for a week hoping it was just a bad sprain, but the pain finally sent me to a doctor. Now I'm in a boot, on crutches, and am supposed to stay off of it for at least two weeks.

I haven't quite figured out how I'm going to keep the routine going, but it is kind of nice to have my husband wait on me a bit! Hopefully the right person will come to see the house soon and fall in love with it.

Please hang in there with me as I know I haven't shown you any projects for awhile! As soon as our lives get back to some sense of normal I'll get back to DIYing.

House Tour

2014-04-29T12:14:00.001-04:00

Well, as of last week, our house is officially on the market. We're hoping it sells fairly quickly, so please keep your fingers crossed for us! And if you know of anyone looking to move to Fairfax Station, VA, send them my way!

The MRIS photos came out pretty good, so I thought I'd share some and give you a tour. I've never shown you the full house. Hopefully soon we'll be settled in a new place and I'll be able to show you befores and afters of it!

Here's the entry looking into the dining room to the right:

And here it is looking into the living room on the left.

The living room ...

The dining room ... Everything in this room was found on Craigslist and painted, except for the "famous butt chairs." I didn't paint them, but they're from Craigslist.

Here's the family room, with the fireplace I painted.

And the kitchen. (I had to take all my doo dads off of the counter to "declutter.")

I've never shown the bedrooms before because there was always more I wanted to do to them, and I never felt like they were particularly anything special to look at. But here they are. The master bedroom and my office right off of it:

One of the guest rooms (my favorite):

Another guest room/den:

The last bedroom is my son's room, who is now out of the Marines and living back at home. It looks cluttered, so I won't show that. We tried, but he has a lot of stuff! :-)

And here's the basement. Now it may not look like much, but picture it filled with furniture in the midst of being painted, and unpainted furniture stacked around it. This room took the most work, so even though it isn't especially beautifully decorated, I'm just proud of myself for getting it cleared out!

So that's it. We're located on a 1.5 acre wooded lot with lots of birds, squirrels, deer and foxes running around. I'll really miss this place, but I keep telling myself that change is good!

My Hoarding Confession

2014-04-09T11:41:00.000-04:00

When my friend used to call me a hoarder because of my stash of furniture, I'd just laugh. I knew I wasn't a hoarder because I bought that furniture to paint and sell ... I had no problem letting go of it.

And while getting ready to put the house on the market I've made about a gazillion trips to Goodwill with clothes, household items, basically a ton of things that we don't use and don't need. What kind of hoarder does that?

But then came the time to go through my shoes ...

I have shoes in two closets, plus in bins in the basement. Winter shoes and spring/summer shoes. I switch them out seasonally.

Now the reality is at this stage in my life, because I don't really work much outside of the house anymore other than occasionally having to go to a meeting and working at the vendor mall where I have Mr. P's, I only wear about a handful of my shoes regularly.

But when I started sorting through the shoes to give them to Goodwill, something snapped.

I just might need those 15 pairs of high heel pumps in a variety of colors in case I ever go back to work full time. And those 12 pairs of dressy shoes? Who knows when I'll be going to a black tie event?

Those silver flats are actually quite versatile. And you never know when a pair of turquoise wedges are going to come in handy!

Then I started finding doubles of things. Like two pairs of new knee high black boots because I forgot I bought the first pair. Which I didn't actually need because I already had a pair of knee high black boots. Actually a few pairs. Flat ones and ones with heels. I just really like boots.

So I mustered up my strength and gave a couple pairs of the boots to Goodwill. It wasn't easy, but I did it.

Whew!

But that leaves a lot of shoes I still need to go through and weed out. I'm actually afraid to count them!

And it's really hard for me.

So I admit it. I'm Deborah and I'm a shoe hoarder. There, I said it!

Now I just have to force myself to go through them and give a bunch to Goodwill.

I'll do it.

(But you never know when you might need a pair of sequined black sandals ...)

Decorating for Spring

2014-03-31T08:07:00.000-04:00

Technically it's spring, but the weather around here isn't cooperating. Yoo hoo, Mother Nature -- have you looked at the calendar lately?

Anyway, weather aside, usually around this time of year I'd be having fun decorating my mantel for spring and Easter. I'd have a little vignette in the foyer to greet you when you came in the door. And I may even have an Easter egg tree somewhere in the house.

So what do I have this year?

Nuttin.

The real estate agent says no "clutter." I can have some flowers, but not too many. Now personally if I was looking at houses, (hey wait a minute -- I am!) I wouldn't mind seeing a cheerful spring display when I walked in the front door. But I want to get this baby sold, so I'm listening to the agent. If the weather cooperates so we can get some outdoor projects done, we'll be going on the market around mid April.

Last week was filled with clearing counters, meeting the carpet estimator, getting garage doors fixed, and having to reschedule the window washer for the second time because of the cold. Nothing fun like decorating.

So I've had to get my spring decorating fix by perusing Pinterest. For now I'll just have to look at pretty pictures. Sigh. Here are some that caught my eye. Hope you enjoy them!

Dear Lillie The Blog

It all started with paint

Shelterness

Shelterness

Adventures in Decorating

My Style Décor

How about you? Have you done any spring decorating?

All photos from Pinterest and sourced where available.

A Tough Week & Checking In at Mr. P's

2014-03-24T12:10:00.000-04:00

Last week was a tough one, and I'm sorry I didn't do a post. First of all, we had to put Louie, one of our beloved cats, to sleep. We called Louie "the lump of love" because of his temperament and heft. Long story short, he had two types of lymphoma and after fighting it for almost a year, it was his time to go. We will miss him dearly.

On top of that, we had the real estate agent over to begin the process of selling our house. The good news is the house is worth more than we thought it was. The bad news is even though I've been busting my behind clearing things out and making numerous trips to Goodwill, I still have more work to do. Plus, apparently houses are selling quickly in our neighborhood, so we need to get going on finding a new one to live in. We've narrowed our search to a cute little town about an hour from where we live now.

It's been awhile, so today I thought I'd take you over to Mr. P's Emporium and show you how things are looking there these days.

Out front is a painted washstand and a couple of end tables, and we have a lot of drawings, vintage prints and paintings in stock right now.

There are smalls like platters and serving pieces.

Milk glass ...

And these old seltzer bottles.

A vintage console/buffet with grain sacks, an old pudding mold and ironstone platters.

A small table -- perfect for a small little breakfast nook or sun porch.

The buffet I showed you here.

And a great Old White buffet with Provence details.

We also have hand made sachets, candles and soap!

I hope you enjoyed this little tour of Mr. P's. It's always changing as things get bought and new pieces move in, so if you're in the area please come and visit! We're located at 9720 Liberia Avenue in Manassas, VA in The Homestore.

Dream Kitchens

2014-03-10T10:40:00.002-04:00

All I've been doing lately is decluttering and cleaning, in anticipation of the real estate agent coming to look at the house. She'll probably have me declutter some more (I like to think of it as collections and decor, not clutter!), but I'm keeping my fingers crossed.

With the forecast of some warmer weather on the horizon, I'm hoping I can start painting outside or in the garage. I have a desk waiting for me (along with a stack of other projects) in the garage. We'll see.

In the meantime we've been looking at houses online in the area we want to move to. Since we're downsizing, I haven't been too enthusiastic about any of the kitchens I'm seeing in our price point. I'll have a budget to update, but it won't be huge, so DIY within my limited capabilities will be involved. I can do things like paint cabinets and change out hardware. And I'm really good at directing!

That got me thinking as to what my ideal kitchen is. For me it's cottage or farmhouse style.

A farmhouse sink would be a must.

Some kind of architectural interest like these planked walls or bead board would be nice.

And while I love all-white kitchens ...

These made me swoon as well.

Here are some others that caught my eye.

Love the reclaimed wood, corbel and planked ceiling in this one.

What does your dream kitchen look like?

All photos from BHG

A Difficult Decision

2014-03-05T15:23:00.000-05:00

Normally at this time of the year I'd start getting ready for the Lucketts Spring Market. With a heavy heart, I've had to make the very hard decision not to do it this year. I love doing Lucketts, and it's been quite profitable for me. Even last year when we had a downpour and everything almost got soaked!

I put off making the decision for as long as I could, even reserving the space, but I just don't see how I can do it this year along with trying to sell the house.

The last couple of years the weeks before the Market my house has looked like this:

Furniture piled up in the living room, the dining room, and in the basement.

Fast forward to this year, and I just spent weeks getting the basement cleared out so it doesn't look like a hoarder lives down there. Not to mention once the house goes on the market it needs to be "show ready" all the time.

Somehow I just don't see rooms filled with piled-up furniture as being show ready!

So I had to bite the bullet and pass on this year's Market.

But my friend Connie from Hartwood Roses will be taking over my space with her painted furniture. Connie shared the space with me the year before last, and she is one talented lady!

And since I can't stay away, I'll be there helping her out.

It won't be quite the same, but at least I'll get my Lucketts "hit." And I'll be back next year with my stuff!

I know those of you in the area won't want to miss it, so mark your calendars for this year's Market: Saturday and Sunday, May 17 and 18. Please plan on stopping by to say "hi!"

The Perfect Find at a Perfect Price

2014-02-25T15:45:00.000-05:00

You know that feeling you get when you're at an antique mall or thrift shop and there in the corner you spot it? It's just what you've been looking for! But while your heart is going pitter pat, your brain is saying "I bet it's going to cost more than I want to spend."

Well I've been looking for a coffee table for my family room for awhile now. It had to be something fairly small in scale because there isn't a lot of space in that room.

I've been looking for a piece to paint, but to be realistic, I only have time to paint things for the shop. Anything for me gets pushed down to the bottom of the pile. Especially these days when I'm overwhelmed with trying to get the house ready to go on the market.

So recently I was checking out an antique mall for the first time, and I spotted it. There was one painted furniture booth in the mall and right in the front was a darling little vintage table. Already painted white.

I approached it cautiously. Was I setting myself up for disappointment? I peeked at the tag ... it was marked down from $45 to $20! Seriously, $20!

I did a little happy dance right there in the booth! The perfect size, a great price -- and I don't have to do anything to it!

I don't know which is better, the price, or that I don't have to do anything. The table is sturdy, in good condition, and already painted!

I love it in the family room. It's just the right size to sit in front of the loveseat so people have a place to set their drinks, without taking up a lot of space.

The perfect find! The perfect price! That's what I love about the thrill of the hunt!

Sharing at: Coastal Charm: Nifty Thrifty Tuesday

Spring Fever

2014-02-17T14:02:00.001-05:00

Are you as sick of this weather as I am? We got a dumping of snow last week, and more is in the forecast for tonight.

I. Just. Can't. Take. It. Any. More!!

Luckily for my sanity, we are supposed to get a reprieve later in the week with temperatures in the 60's. That makes me realize that Spring is just around the corner.

It can't get here soon enough for me, so I decided to cool my Spring fever with some eye candy.

One thing that always says Spring to me are tulips. I grew up in the Pacific Northwest, and a trip to Skagit Valley to see the tulips in bloom was usually a yearly must-do.

Bryan Swan, Flickr.com

Tulips just always look cheery and happy to me. Aren't these adorable bunched in this "Tulips" crate?

Pin4You.Blogspot.com

And these in this wire basket.

Mooiwatbloemendoen.nl

Bring some tulips into the house, and well the photo says it -- you've added a touch of Spring!

Sylvia's Simple Life

But it's not just tulips that make me think of Spring -- any flower will do.

Don't these Forget-Me-Nots look sweet?

Ingrid Henningsson. Flicr.com

And I can day dream about sitting in this meadow on a warm Spring day.

sonjabannick.de

Ahhhhh.... Makes looking out at the dirty snow and the thought of more to come almost bearable! With photos like these and the promise of warmer weather to come, I might just make it through!

All photos from Pinterest. Sources and links provided where available.

Valentine's Mantel

2014-02-12T13:40:00.000-05:00

What are you doing for Valentine's Day this year? Anything romantic?

We're supposed to get 5"-10" of snow tonight and tomorrow, so shoveling the driveway a deux will probably be about as romantic as it gets around here! (Can I just say I'm sick of this weather?)

Oh well, at least I got my Valentine's mantel done!

I'm happy with the way it turned out.

Some pink carnations in tarnished silver pitchers.

Vintage-inspired Valentines I made last year.

The heart wreath I bought at Home Goods a couple of years ago and some rosy votives.

This year's rendition looks soooo much better against the white brick. Here's last year before I painted the fireplace and mantel.

It just looks so much crisper now.

So even if we're snowed in, we have a bit of Valentine's cheer in the house.

And whatever you end up doing --

Have a Happy Valentine's Day!

Buffet Makeover

2014-01-27T00:02:00.000-05:00

Because I lost photos when my camera was stolen, I have no work-in-progress shots of this makeover. But luckily I had taken a "before" photo with my phone so I at least have something to show you!

I bought this buffet on Craigslist. Although it doesn't look too bad in the before photo, it needed a lot of TLC. I loved the two-toned style, but the top and the wood weren't in great condition and there were some veneer issues. It was also missing the back piece so there was a space between the top and the back. I say the "backsplash" piece because I have no idea what it's actually called. I'm sure it has some fancy dancy name.

I had a furniture restorer put on a new backsplash for me since that's not something I could do (no saw, limited talent).

BTW, sorry for the unstyled photos. This baby is heavy, so rather than bring it upstairs to style it and then take it back down or to the garage, I just took it outside so I could take some pictures.

I loved the inlaid wood which was in good condition. Because of the buffet's overall condition though, refinishing would have been a major job. I thought the piece called more for a refinement than a restoration. So I decided to paint it, but keep the inlay the original color. I had the backsplash stained to match the inlay as closely as possible because I wanted a touch of that color at the top as well.

I sanded and filled where the veneer was missing and fixed some other issues.

Then I painted the it with Annie Sloan Chalk Paint in Paris Grey, taping off the backsplash, inlay and applique.

I wet distressed it, gave it a couple of coats of American Paint Company clear wax, and it was done. Another piece out of my basement stash finished!

Before ...

And after.

What do you think? It will be going to Mr.P's as soon as there is space for it.

Have a great week!

Sharing at:
Coastal Charm: Nifty Thrifty Tuesday
The Dedicated House: Make it Pretty Monday
A Stroll Thru Life: Inspire Me Tuesday
Cedar Hill Farmhouse: The Scoop
Elizabeth & Co: Be Inspired
Green Willow Pond: What We Accomplished Wednesdays
Domestically Speaking: Power of Paint Party
The Dedicated House: Before & After Wednesday
Redoux: Link Party
Miss Mustard Seed: Furniture Feature Friday

Snowy Snowy Day

2014-01-22T10:51:00.000-05:00

I have a makeover to show you, but we got hit with a snow storm yesterday. In order to get photos to show you the "after" I need to move the piece outside from the basement, and that's a little treacherous right now with seven inches of snow and ice out there. As a little teaser, here's the "before."

So I'm hunkering in today and working on the basement (still!). I've taken three loads to Goodwill, and I'm not done yet!

While I'm working, I have some chicken soup in the crockpot for dinner tonight. It seemed like a good choice for this snowy, cold day.

Gluten Free Goddess

Here's the recipe if you'd like to try it. It's delicious and originally from the Gluten Free Goddess. Thanks to my friend Lynn for sharing it with me!

Chicken Soup for Body and Soul Recipe

Ingredients:

Extra virgin olive oil, as needed

3-4 split chicken breasts (free-range organic, if possible), rinsed, patted dry

8 cloves fresh garlic, chopped

Sea salt and freshly ground pepper, to taste

2 heaping cups thinly shredded cabbage (bagged cole slaw mix is fast and easy)

1 green bell pepper, cored, seeded, cut up

1 yellow summer squash, cut up

2 zucchini squash, cut up

6 to 8 baby Yukon Gold potatoes, cut up

1 4-oz. can chopped green chiles- mild or hot, to taste

1 teaspoon rubbed sage

1 teaspoon each of: dried basil, oregano and parsley

Hot red pepper flakes, shake to taste

1 14-oz. can Muir Glen organic fire roasted diced tomatoes

2 or more cups organic chicken broth, as needed

A dash or two of balsamic vinegar to taste

Instructions:

Drizzle some extra virgin olive oil into the bottom of a Crock Pot or slow cooker. Lay the chicken breasts in the bottom; top with half the chopped garlic. Season with sea salt and pepper.

In a large bowl, combine the shredded cabbage, bell pepper, yellow and zucchini squashes, potatoes, and green chiles; and toss them with a drizzle of extra virgin olive oil. Season with sea salt, ground pepper, herbs and a shake or two of hot red pepper flakes. Toss to coat.

Pour the veggies into the crock in an even layer. Pour on the diced tomatoes. Add the chicken broth and a dash of balsamic vinegar, to taste. The liquid should just about cover the veggies. If you like more of a brothy soup than a stew, add more broth.

Cover and cook on high for 5 to 6 hours, until the chicken is tender and easily breaks apart into pieces with a large spoon (my chicken was very cold when it went into the pot, so adjust your cook time accordingly, if you need to).

Taste test for seasoning adjustments. I added a pinch of brown sugar to mine to balance the tomato-garlic and spice. Stir in any seasoning adjustments and serve.

Makes four hearty servings to soothe you- body and soul. This recipe is gluten-free, soy-free, dairy-free, corn-free.

Stay warm!

Winter Whites

2014-01-13T11:06:00.000-05:00

As part of "Operation Basement Clean-up" I'm trying to get all of the pieces I have stored in the basement painted this month.

I wish I had "befores" of these pieces to show you, because the difference is dramatic. But I lost my camera, and the before photos were on the memory card that was in the camera. :-( Actually I think the camera was stolen, because the last time I remember seeing it was at Mr. P's when I was taking some photos for Facebook. Of course it's my fault for forgetting and leaving it lying around in the first place ...

Anyway, these are my first projects of the new year, taken with my old camera. I hadn't done anything in white for awhile, and I wanted to do something cottagey with these pieces.

The first piece is an old, small buffet. I bought it from a woman who came into the shop one day, and it's been sitting in the basement for months. It was originally dark brown wood and missing a knob.

Because I was worried about bleed-through, I used KILZ primer as a first coat. Then I followed that with two coats of ASCP Old White on the outside, and General Finishes Lamp Black Milk Paint on the inside. (The white spot is a hole in the back piece.)

I distressed and waxed the piece and added cute knobs from Hobby Lobby. I used the wax from American Paint Company, which I LOVE!

I think it would be darling in a cottage style dining room or kitchen. It's smaller size makes it very versatile.

The second piece is a washstand I bought at an antique store when I was 19. It was one of my first antique purchases on my own. It wasn't in the best of shape when I bought it, and that was ... ahem ... a while ago! It was originally a medium brown finish. I haven't had it out in the house for years, so I decided to give it a new life with a coat of paint and sell it.

First I sanded the top down to bare wood because the finish was peeling and there were water marks. The rest of the piece was okay to just take the paint.

I used Annie Sloan Chalk Paint in Old White again for this piece.

I gave it a distressing and waxed it, and put back the original hardware, which was my favorite thing about the piece.

Both pieces are for sale at Mr. P's Emporium.

On to the next project in my basement stash!

Sharing at:

Coastal Charm: Nifty Thrifty Tuesday
Les Chateau des Fleurs: Monday Party
The Dedicated House: Make it Pretty Monday
Elizabeth & Co.: Be Inspired
Green Willow Pond: What We Accomplished Wednesday

Staying Warm and Cozy

2014-01-07T11:33:00.000-05:00

I'm finishing up a couple of pieces that I'll be sharing with you soon. But today I'm feeling a bit under the weather -- which is 10 degrees outside right now! Despite having the heat cranked up, our house isn't getting any warmer than 65 degrees. It was built in the '80's and isn't very energy efficient.

So I'm thinking today is the perfect day to curl up with the dogs, some hot tea, a good book,

and a cozy throw. Sometimes you just have to sit back and take care of yourself.

If I get some more energy later, maybe I'll make some homemade soup.

In the meantime, for those of you who are dealing with this artic blast, take care, stay warm and think cozy thoughts!

(All photos from Pinterest, but original sources not found.)

Happy New Year, and Thank-you!

2013-12-30T12:32:00.001-05:00

I wanted to take this opportunity to thank you for reading my blog in 2013, and send you best wishes for the New Year!

2014 looks like it will be a year of major changes for us. My husband has decided to retire, which means downsizing, selling the house and moving to a different part of Virginia--or maybe even out of state. While I wasn't really ready for this yet, change is exciting, and it will mean a new place to decorate and make our own. I'm guessing plenty of DIY "before" and "after" photos will be in the blog's future!

January is my month to get the house in order and try to get the hoard of furniture in the basement painted and out of here. Hopefully that means I'll have lots of painting projects to show you!

I'll be keeping Mr.P's Emporium's booth open in it's current location as long as possible. Between the pieces stacked in the garage and in the basement, I'm set for a bit and have plenty to keep Mr. P's stocked. Of course, looking for the next big find is an addiction for me, so I can't guarantee I won't be searching for treasures--I just want to get the treasures I already have painted first! Stay tuned.

Whatever the new year holds for you, I hope you're happy and successful in all your endeavors!

Merry Christmas!

2013-12-25T10:00:00.000-05:00

Wishing you all the joy of the season!

- Deborah