my point of view

new blog ...

2010-03-31T08:05:00.000-04:00

come over and join me. i've decided that this blog will be solely for my photography business. other such ramblings will take place here … with one crazy chicken (that's me!)

eeeeeeek!!!

2010-03-30T16:53:00.002-04:00

what happened? my blog was changed to minima. oh.my.goodness. you'll have to pardon the terrible mess as I redecorate.

Media Console … it's Fabulous!

2010-03-26T22:31:00.000-04:00

So … remember that I wanted to learn woodworking? And how my Dad is teaching me ♥ ? And that we decided to make the Knock Off of the Logan Media Console from Pottery Barn? Well …

This is it after it was assembled, but didn't have any trim or any holes filled with wood putty:

Today … preparing to wash it down so that the primer will go on nicely:

Ooo … I ♥ these things! ...

Ready to prime:

My lovely hinges that arrived today! I had to order them, but they were worth the wait:

The media console primed:

The doors primed:

Look at the woodgrain showing through …. that is fabulous primer! Painter's Touch by Rustoleum - I swear by it!

I put the first coat of Sweet Molasses on this evening and I cannot tell you how good it looks! You'll just have to wait and see for yourself!

It is Finished!

2010-03-24T16:12:00.000-04:00

I know I haven't been posting my daily photos for the project 365, but I have been taking them! Maybe later, but right now I wanted to introduce you to:

She is finished! Remember what she looked like when I first brought her home?

She is so lovely. I couldn't wait to take pictures, so I took them even though the kitchen hasn't been carried up to the bonus room yet. Here are some more shots :)

I ♥ faces week 11 - Bundled up!

2010-03-15T09:14:00.000-04:00

When I saw the theme for this week I knew immediately which photo I was going to enter:

♥

See more bundled up photos at

65/365 Bed!

2010-03-13T07:45:00.002-05:00

I was tired yesterday. It was a long day of shopping and errands and chores and helping my daughter finish her science fair project (that is due Monday - nothing like procrastination!). So at the end of the day I was beat and thinking about the bed …

64/365 Rocker

2010-03-12T11:15:00.002-05:00

I found this fabulous antique rocking chair at the thrift store yesterday. I paid $10 for it. What a find!

I think we're painting it red. What do I mean "I think"?? … I bought the paint yesterday … this will be red in a week or so :)

Pottery Barn inspired Media Console ...

2010-03-12T07:13:00.001-05:00

It's coming along quite nicely!

… and it's huge! I'm sooooo glad that I am building this with my Dad. First, it's special bonding time for us. Second, he's really good at it and I have learned a lot! There's no telling what this might look like if I had tried to do it on my own! All that's left is to make the doors, add the bottom molding and it's done!

I've been playing house ...

2010-03-11T07:37:00.000-05:00

I have been dreaming of a farmhouse kitchen, of renovating my kitchen to make it fit my style. Well, I have been playing house. Instead of renovating my real kitchen, I am in the process of renovating our new play kitchen. I was at a consignment sale the other day and I found a 4-piece wooden play kitchen set for … $50!! Yes. I said that right. All it needs is some TLC from me :)

oh, and I just wanted to add that my current favorite tool is the sander. I love this thing immensely. So much so that I want to run to the thrift store and see what I can find that needs to be refinished! I'm serious!

Anyway, here is the play kitchen that I bought for $50!!! I still can't believe I got it for such a steal! I was thrilled and snapped this with my camera phone to show my facebook peeps right after I bought it. How cool. Four wood kitchen pieces for $50!

I went right out and purchased primer and paint, new hardware, paper to decoupage on some of the shelves and fabric for a curtain under the sink. All I have left to buy is something for the knobs on the stove, the kitchen faucet (going to put a real one in there) and somthing for the sink itself. I'm still only out $!00 for this fabulous wooden kitchen!

I am giddy and my husband asked if this was for our chilren or for me. I said a little bit of both :)

So I spent Tuesday sanding (at the times I wasn't working with my Dad on the media console) and was done that evening. Here is the result:

Can you say super thrilled? They are ready for some paint, and I am ready to paint them. It's a rainy day here today. Can't think of a better way to spend it that renovating this little farmhouse kitchen!

I'm dreaming of a …. farmhouse kitchen!

2010-03-11T07:16:00.000-05:00

I enjoy watching renovation shows and the DIY network. But my taste in kitchens is very different from what I see everyday when watching the professionals. I like farmhouse kitchens. I like farmhouse furniture. I think I just like farmhouses!

But I don't live on a farm. I used to once think that I wanted to live on a farm, but now I am sure that it's just the idea of it that I like. I really can't see myself getting up at the crack of dawn EVERY morning and going out to milk the cow! I think it's the idea of the simple life that makes it so appealing to me, times gone by and all that.

Currently I am still working on my living room. My dad and I are building a media console, which will be huge and lovely when we're done! As a matter of fact I'll be spending all day tomorrow with him working on it and I'm quite excited! And after that we STILL need to buy some new furniture for that room (our couches & chair are, well, quite literally on their last leg!!).

But I have this farmhouse kitchen in my head. I know exactly what I want to do … paint the cabinets white, change all the hardware on the cabinets to black, new countertops that are either black, some mixture of black, grey and white, or greyish, pale yellow walls, beadboard in the eat-in area, a new light fixture … I could go on and on.

We went to a play last night that was set in the 1950's and it had a retro-y kitchen. I liked it. I didn't like the turquoise color, but the elements were cool. It had me dreaming of my kitchen while I watched the play (which was very good by the way!).

So this morning on my favorite site I read this: Farmhouse Kitchen Style In Your Home … perfect! So I'm reading it and I come across the idea for retro appliances. Now, I really don't see me spending the money for them (they are $$$), but I just had to share them, they're so cool!!!

Big Chill Appliances (they sell that yellow fridge above) … very awesome and completely out of my price range. But very awesome.

I'm dreaming on ….

I really have been taking my photos ...

2010-03-10T16:38:00.000-05:00

I just haven't had the time to get on here and post them! So here is 58 - 63 …

58/365 Sweet Feet's Shoes

59/365 Sanding

60/365 Chocolate!!

61/365 Scootering

62/365 Nest

63/365 Toaster

Sorry … been feeling puny, so I'm behind ...

2010-03-05T06:43:00.000-05:00

Here are my pictures of the day from Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday! I did take them, and I posted them on fb, but I have been feeling yuck so I just didn't come here to post them … sorry to all 2 of my readers ;)

55/365 - Snow Birds (quite a contrast from the beautiful sunrise to the robins out on the snow!)

56/365 - Mixer

57/365 - Sweetness

I'm hoping to be feeling better today … :-P

54/365 …. The view from here ...

2010-03-01T13:30:00.000-05:00

The sunrise this morning … absolutely breathtaking!

53/365 … not much to say

2010-02-28T21:07:00.002-05:00

52/365 Old and New

2010-02-27T09:28:00.000-05:00

I read this article this morning: Making a New House Look Old. It was on Apartment Therapy, my favorite site for inspiration and ideas and information on all things home.

For me, it's not so much about old, per se, as it is about character - the aggregate of features and traits that form the individual nature of some person or thing. Yes, I threw in a definition. I think it's important to define what I mean when I say character. There's absolutely NOTHING wrong with this house! It is large and lovely and provides us shelter from the rain and the cold and heat that is so prevalent here in the deep south. But I simply want to make it mine.

The article started me thinking about how we're trying to add character to our home and all the ideas that I have. So I got out my camera and took this:

And to me it represents the old and the new. That's an antique stool that belonged to my husband's grandmother. And in this photo you can also see the new window trim in our kitchen. Trim happens to be one of the things that the article suggests to make your new home look old. Good.

The transformation from new to old (or character-laden) is coming along nicely. I am excited about new projects that are right around the corner if it will ever warm up enough!

51/365 Paint Brushes

2010-02-26T12:40:00.002-05:00

I'm still painting stuff …

50/365 Primer

2010-02-25T15:31:00.000-05:00

Primer. Oil-bsed primer. I loathe this stuff. I'm currently researching latex primer use on wood. 'Cause I hate this stuff. I really do.

49/365 Sweet Feet

2010-02-24T14:01:00.000-05:00

48/365 … watching

2010-02-23T16:45:00.000-05:00

Grace watching Nick Lr ♥

Adding Character ...

2010-02-22T13:42:00.001-05:00

My dad has been trimming out our windows. They look fabulous! The above pictures I snapped of the trim because I love it so much and it's not even finished. He still needs to caulk them and I need to paint them. But I love them.

It's amazing what a little bit of wood and nails can do to add some character to a home! ♥ I can't wait until I finish this project, and more, and can show you how we're making this house our home!

47/365 Treats!

2010-02-22T12:22:00.000-05:00

It's raining today … again. I'm trying really hard to not be bummed and to be happy that the Lord is feeding His creation. I am trying to imagine the lush plants that will explode in the spring from all the water they have had. So today's photo is another one that I snapped while in the kitchen making lunch.

That's our treats jar (obviously) that sits on our counter with Hershey's Kisses and such inside waiting for Grace to take one (or 2) when she's had a successful potty experience. She's taking more and more from this jar these days!! :)

46/365 Laughter & Joy

2010-02-21T21:03:00.000-05:00

I ♥ watching my kids just being kids and having fun. This weekend has been so lovely. Last weekend was lovely too, in its own sort of way with the snow - completely opposite of this weekend. We used pizza pans last weekend to sled on the snow and they were still outside, so the girls decided to try them on the grass. Lo and behold they worked great. The girls spent hours sledding on the hills today:

and yesterday:

Ahhhh youth!

45/365 … Be Still My Heart!

2010-02-20T15:02:00.002-05:00

My dad and I working together again today. I used the compound miter saw for the first time today. It's a little intimidating, like the first time I shot a gun, quite honestly. But I quickly got the hang of it. Oh be still my heart, do I want one of these!!

Lesson #2

2010-02-19T19:08:00.000-05:00

Today my Dad came over. He's finishing out our first floor windows by trimming them out and placing stools on them. They look lovely already and he's not even halfway done! Anyway, I planned on just watching him today and learning some more about woodworking. My first lesson was how to choose lumber, and we had it the other day at Home Depot:

We spent 3 hours in there just looking at lumber and I loved every minute of it!

So today while he was here he asked me if I wanted to cut the stools, to which I replied, "YES!!" So here I am working the jigsaw for the first time. It was a blast. I feel so powerful now!

My mom snapped this with my iPhone :)

I can't wait to share more photos with you of me learning and our progress with the TV console. I'm super-excited about learning something new like this! I told my dad today that now I understand when he gets a power tool for a present and he's thrilled :)

43/365 and 44/365 …. sorry!

2010-02-19T12:46:00.000-05:00

I have been doing my 2010 Project 365 everyday! And I have been posting them on facebook and on my Flickr, but sometimes I don't get the chance to pop over here are post them. Sorry about that! I know that all 2 of you, my readers, look forward to see what I have each day :)

Yesterday we went by the library and I took this:

I ♥ our library system … it's fabulous!

And today I took this:

♥ Moxie … our beloved little dog, basking in the sun … finally (it's been so cold here in the deep south!!)

Gotta run!