On Sutton Place

Memorial Day 2012

2012-05-27T10:40:00.000-04:00

Yesterday I was visiting with my neighbor

and really good friend, Jeanne.

During our conversation, she told me that her

younger sister was going to need some help this summer.

Her sister is married to a Naval Officer who is

being deployed for 13 months.

Yes...I said 13 months.

Out on the ocean somewhere with no leave.

He will miss over a year of life with his family.

For the rest of the afternoon I couldn't get this out of my head.

I am so grateful for the sacrifices made by the

men and women in our armed forces.

But almost more than that,

I am grateful for the sacrifices that their families make.

Although our soldiers are heroic beyond words,

the real heroes are their families.

The wives, husbands and kids who keep the home fires burning.

So today and tomorrow...think about these people.

Ask God to bless them.

Fly your flag proudly.

Thanks for stopping by...

Uptown Girl Giveaway Winner

2012-05-22T09:16:00.003-04:00

Hello to all!

I am pleased to announce the winner

of the Uptown Girl Embroidery

Giveaway.

I'm at work and really don't have time

to do the whole Random Number thing.

I probably shouldn't be blogging here at all

but a girl has to do what a girl has to do.

I asked a co-worker to pick

a number between 1 and 25.

She picked 13.

Congratulations to my good friend

Andrea from Our Blue Front Door.

Thanks everyone for commenting!

Uptown Girl Embroidery ~ A Giveaway!

2012-05-18T18:38:00.000-04:00

Hi everyone...

I'm really excited to bring you this wonderful

giveaway from Andrea at Uptown Girl Embroidery.

I haven't hosted a giveaway in way too long...

so here I am and I promise you are going to love it!

Remember the pillows I used to have in my dining room?

You can have them for yourself!

Andrea is generously giving away a set of "Bon Appetit" pillow

covers embroidered in the thread color of your choice.

The covers measure 18 x 18 (a perfect size)

and are white cotton.

Perfect for any decor style out there.

Here is how you can enter:

For one chance please visit Andrea's shop.

Come back and tell us in a comment

what you like the best.

For a second chance

either mention this giveaway in a post, share it on your sidebar,
or post it on your Facebook page.

(Please help us get the word out!)

Make sure you leave a separate comment for each entry.

Entries will close at Midnight on Monday, May 21st.

I'll announce the winner on Tuesday, May 22nd.

Giveaway is open to residents of the US and Canada.

Just so you know...

Andrea loves custom orders.

You can send her any fabric or even an already-assembled

pillow cover and she can work her magic.

I'm not using my Bon Appetit pillow covers

right now since I've done away with the red in my dining room.

I'm definitely sending Andrea some

fabric to have new ones made.

Let us know if you have any questions.

We'll watch the comments closely and get back to you right away.

Or if you prefer you can convo her directly through her shop.

Good luck!

A Piece of My Past

2012-05-13T21:15:00.001-04:00

Many years ago, 11 to be exact, there was a mother living

in a little town in Ohio.

She was a wonderful mother and had perfect children.

(Just kidding.)

When her oldest child, her only daughter,

had the nerve to grow up and go to college,

this wonderful mother fell apart. Quite literally.

She had so much time on her hands that she knew

if she didn't fill the hours with something, she would go nuts.

Being a crafty sort of gal, this mother decided to take up making jewelry.

She started out small but soon figured things out

and felt she was ready to start selling.

She named her business "Crescent Moon Designs."

Her daughter, the one who left, had pledged Gamma Phi Beta at her university.

Their symbol is a crescent moon. Thus the idea for the name.

Soon this wonderful mother was selling her creations to

friends, family and co-workers.

Basically anyone she could sucker into looking at them.

Her little business paid for itself

with a tiny bit left over to spend on gas to go see her daughter.

After a few years,

the price of silver sky-rocketed.

This mother couldn't imagine anyone in their

right mind spending $80.00 on a bracelet.

Plus, she had finally adjusted (well, sort of) to

her daughter being gone.

It was time to close down Crescent Moon Designs.

So, after a few good years making jewelry, this mother was once again

looking for something to do.

So believe it or not, she started a blog.

She decided to share her left-over jewelry

with her amazing readers.

Incredibly good prices and not a bad selection.

So if you are interested in some fun jewelry,

visit this mother's Etsy shop,

Sutton Place Designs.

It's all there under the section

Beaded Bracelets.

Oh...

if you haven't guessed, this poor, pitiful mother is

none other than yours truly.

Still looking for ways to fill her nest.

Wishing everyone a wonderful week!

Thanks for stopping by...

Mother's Day 2012

2012-05-12T10:20:00.001-04:00

A few weeks ago I got an email from my son.

In the subject line it said "Get out your tissues, Mom."

The email consisted of one link to this YouTube video.

Let's just say that I definitely needed the tissues.

The video is very short and I promise your heart will be touched.

So click it on.

Did you have enough tissues?

Yesterday at work I received this stunning
bouquet of flowers from my kids.

My co-workers were impressed and I was delighted.
To Elizabeth, Steven and of course Kelly...
thank you.

Wishing all mothers everywhere
a Happy Mother's Day.

Thanks for stopping by.

Linen Love ~ Feature Friday

2012-05-11T16:14:00.001-04:00

A while ago I had a linen table runner
listed in my Etsy shop.
It didn't sell all that well so I decided to re-design it.
Here is the new version in Ivory and Flax linen.

All the edges are serged which gives it a nice, smooth appearance.

I also added a few new tea towel designs.

I've combined flax linen with vintage fabric.

I recently found a lot of antique pillow cases with hand-crocheted trim.

They are a bit tattered but perfect for edging a tea towel.

There are only two of these linen towels.

I wish you could feel this fabric.

It's very fine linen and has the loveliest sheen.

I hope everyone has a wonderful weekend.
I am so glad it's Friday!

Sharing Sunday ~ My Paint Colors

2012-05-06T10:10:00.005-04:00

It's been a week since I posted so I have tons to share.

Pop a Diet Coke (or a cold beer) and get comfy...

As I have posted about painting my first floor rooms over the past year,

I have received some questions about paint colors.

Here they all are in one place.

I'm still on that quest for an organized blog. (Wink.)

This custom creamy white is in every room in my downstairs.

Walls and trim in living and dining rooms.

Trim in entry.

Trim and cabinets in kitchen.

Walls and trim in family room.

I know nothing about paint formulas.

I included below the information from the top of my paint can.

I think it will work with any paint brand but I'm not promising anything!

Formula: Extra White base

EG-SHEL

BAC COLORANT OZ 32 64 128

B1-Black - 1 1 -

R3-Magenta - - 1 1

Y3-Deep Gold - 7 - -

W1-White 4 32 - -

This Laura Ashley yellow used to be on my living room walls

and below the chair rail in my dining room.

I adored it for years but eventually got tired of it.

It's very bright and I used semi-gloss which didn't help.

It remains on my kitchen island and I do still love it there.

Laura Ashley colors are available at Lowe's.

Navy paint colors are hard. I have tried over the years

to find the perfect one. I didn't have much success

until I found Naval by SW.

In my opinion, it is a classic and true navy blue.

When I was googling "Naval" to get this paint swatch image,

the results brought up a bunch of my blog pictures.

It may sound lame but I was thrilled...

my mouth sort of dropped open and I laughed out loud.

I know...incredibly lame!

To make things simple,

once I found Naval I just used the lighter versions

found on the paint strip for my walls.

Windy Blue has just a hint of periwinkle.

It's very fresh and bright.

Upward is the next lightest shade from Windy Blue.

Honestly, on my walls I can't really tell much difference.

I probably should have gone up 2 shades.

Live and learn.

Life on Sutton Place is all about finding a new normal

since the passing of my father-in-law.

Our days are OK but in the evenings we are a bit lost.

The beautiful weather has helped. My husband is golfing again

and I'm trying to get out with Kelly for a walk.

As I have said, life goes on.

I have not hung my gallery wall in my entry yet

but I made myself this little tool.

Sabrina Soto showed me how to do it.

Hopefully it will make the process easier and quicker.

I'll let you know on that though...

Thanks for hanging in there with me.

I'll close with something beautiful.

My first Knock-Out rose of the year.

I'm working on a big order for Miss Mustard Seed

so when I send that off I'll be back.

Not sure when that will be.

Happy Sunday!

Simply Klassic Sunday at Simply Klassic Home

Wow Us Wednesday at Savvy Southern Style

My Kitchen Revisited

2012-04-28T17:47:00.001-04:00

Just about a year ago I was beginning a small kitchen reno and was full of doubts about what I really wanted. I thought about it for months. I waffled back and forth while driving myself crazy. I finally had to go for it, make some decisions and get started.

I knew this reno had to be about making the most of what I had. There would be no stainless steel appliances, granite countertops or glass tile back splashes. I knew painting the cabinets had to be at the top of the list so that's what we did first.

I removed old wallpaper and painted the walls Windy Blue by Sherwin Williams. We installed new Oil Rubbed Bronze lighting and a new faucet.

This runner was added when the reno was finished.
I found it at Dash and Albert.

We kept the existing floor, ceramic tile counter tops and back splash.

Never underestimate the power of paint. By simply painting the walls and cabinets we lightened and refreshed the whole room.

After the cabinet painting, the biggest project was replacing the hardware. You can read about how it nearly got the best of me here. I think changing the hinges and handles had the most impact. It took my kitchen out of the 90's and let me tell you that made me a happy camper.

I wanted to make the separate bank of cabinets stand out and look more like a piece of furniture. I picked out the Sherwin Williams color Naval. I liked it so much it also ended up on my front door.

It took FOREVER to dry.

I waited 2 weeks to put my glasses back inside and a few still stuck to the shelves.

I had the island made by a co-worker who moonlights as a carpenter.
I designed it from pictures I found in magazines and he built it.
That front door hides my trash can.

I had fabric left from the window treatment so I made cushions and pillows for the bar stools.

Sadly, no one really sits at my island except me. I know the little pillows might not be very practical but I think they are perfect. I spend a great deal of time in this kitchen and I love looking at them. Reason enough for them to stay!

By today's standards my kitchen is small. I am always looking for new storage ideas. When I was given this new set of flatware I had to find someplace to store it. The pitchers work out great and it's certainly convenient.

I almost didn't write this post...but I decided I should go ahead for a few reasons. First, I want to update my Home Tour so I needed better pics of the kitchen.

Second, I waited until almost the very last minute

but I'm linking up to the Talent Scouting Party at

WhisperWood Cottage.

A bouquet of flowers and a bag of lemons was all it took

to provide a little inspiration and motivation.

This is sort of like playing the lottery.

You just never know...

Good luck to all the other awesome entries.

Someone has a hard decision ahead.

Elizabeth's House ~ Part 3

2012-04-26T20:50:00.002-04:00

Hello...last summer my darling daughter, Elizabeth,

bought her first house.

On her own and with her own money.

If you missed it, here is

Part 1

and

Part 2.

We finally got around to finishing her bedroom.

She's in love with gray right now so the whole room is gray

with pops of yellow.

Her paint color is City Storm by Valspar.

I made the pillows from Premier Prints fabric.

The duvet and shams are DwellStudio for Target.com.

(Some of the duvet sets are on sale right now and are insanely inexpensive.)

We bought art canvases at JoAnn and covered them with fabric.

Her furniture is IKEA Aspelund.

Lamps are from IKEA too.

The medallions were fun and super easy.

She had seen them on Pinterest and thought

it would be a great solution for such a big section of wall.

We still want to accessorize her dressers

but need to find some bargains.

She wants baskets for the top of her armoire too.

The medallions took a little time but it was

a project anyone can do.

No special know-how or equipment.

We started with ceiling medallions we found at Lowes and Menards.

After re-checking our Pinterest inspiration pic,

we decided we wanted something to fill in the center holes.

We went to Hobby Lobby and looked for any sort

of round, flat disc that would fit the open circles.

We ended up with 2 carved circles

and 3 flat circles that were actually painted like baseballs on the other side.

We added little embellishments to the flat discs.

Hot glue worked great to stick them to the medallions.

We propped them on paint cans, spray primed them and then

sprayed 2 coats of paint.

We used Command strips to hang them

and let me tell you they worked like a charm.

We didn't measure anything...

Elizabeth eye-balled it and I stuck them to the walls.

Easy peasy.

We had a little helper for this project.

We couldn't have done it without her.

When I was settling into my first house (a million years ago)

with my husband, my dad would come and help me with projects.

If he didn't know how to do something, he would "read up on it"

and figure it out somehow.

He was so willing to help and we made a great team.

I'm now able to pay it forward and help Elizabeth with her house.

We make a pretty good team too.

Link It Up Thursday at These Peas Taste Funny

Inspiration Friday At The Picket Fence

Feathered Nest Friday at French Country Cottage

Fridays Unfolded at Stuff and Nonsense

Jennifer Rizzo

Saturday Night Special

Coastal Cottage Dreams

2012-04-24T20:45:00.001-04:00

About a year ago, Kelly from Coastal Cottage Dreams

jumped on the blogger bandwagon.

As her blog name says, she lives

on the coast in the Low Country of South Carolina.

Lucky girl.

A while ago Kelly had a wonderful giveaway.

I actually won...shocker.

It was such a fun package to open.

First was this burlap bag.

Then came this Sweet Pea picture and vintage bottle.

True to form my favorite part of the package

was the bag of Benne wafers.

I ate them before I thought to take a picture.

They were awesome.

Kelly is a delight.

If you have time, pay her a visit.

The Art of Fine Dining at Antique Farm House

2012-04-23T21:55:00.002-04:00

The girls at Antique Farm House

have hit it out of the park once again.

Today's event is called The Art of Fine Dining.

I just happen to have one of the pieces included in this event.

Allow me to introduce the

Antique Metal Flora Tray with Handle.

The thing I love most about trays

is that they make layering so easy.

Pop a tray on a flat surface,

add bits and pieces of your life

and you have instant warmth.

I added classic accessories like boxwood, candles

and darling little nests.

This event is still going on so check it out.

You might just find the perfect thing.

Thanks for stopping by!

Table Top Tuesday at A Stroll Thru Life

Sharing Sunday ~ Thank You and A Decision

2012-04-22T10:04:00.001-04:00

Hello...
I've started to write this post several times but
haven't made it past the first few sentences.
I've never been gone this long from my blog
and, for some reason, I'm nervous about coming back.

It's sort of like when you were sick from school for a few days.
Your first day back you wonder if someone else
took your seat in the cafeteria.
Well...I sure hope someone saved my seat.

I guess the only way to overcome this silly feeling is to just jump right in.
So here goes.

First, I have to say thank you to everyone who

left a comment on my last post.

When I opened my blog after several days of being away

and saw that 75 (now 78) people had commented,

the tears welled up instantly.
I was a huge, sobbing puddle.
I have read every single one and

I am so incredibly grateful for your kindness.

Thank you all from the bottom of my heart.

I've decided that now is the time to make a fresh start, so to speak.
I am, after a great deal of thought, going to clear out my email
and quit obsessing about all the unanswered comments.
I love getting comments...and I love visiting you all
and commenting on your blogs.
But before my father-in-law died
I got so behind that I couldn't see how I would ever catch up.
I cannot tell you how much it bothered me and weighed me down.
So I hope you understand.
Please know that I'll be by for a visit very soon.

I'd like to close with something good...actually it's really, really good.
I'm almost finished with my entry.
Here's a tiny peek.

I have to re-hang my gallery wall and then I'll post about it.
It turned out so much better than I ever expected.

I hope to be back in a few days.
Have a wonderful week!

The Circle of Life

2012-04-13T14:39:00.001-04:00

Life On Sutton Place is a bit out of sorts.

My father-in-law passed away yesterday afternoon.

He was surrounded by his family and went peacefully.

He was finally ready and at the age of 94 had led a full life.

Some people might say his passing was a blessing...

and maybe it was.

But we will still miss him...we will still be sorry he is gone.

My kids are sad and that in itself breaks my heart.

I know life goes on when a loved one is lost.

It's hard though and it takes time to adjust.

I have to be gone from my blog for a while.

I'm not sure when I'll be back.

Hopefully when things are sorted out I will be ready to write again.

Thank you for listening...

Bunny Blog Hop Features

2012-04-06T17:47:00.000-04:00

Before we look at the features

I want to thank everyone who linked

up to our Bunny Blog Hop.

I couldn't believe how many links there were!

I am trying to get around and visit

as many links as I can...here's a few that

caught my attention.

aka design

Aiken House & Gardens

Villabarnes

Love and Life at Leadora

Confessions of a Plate Addict

White Weathered Hutch

town and prairie

There is still time to enter the giveaway.
Click HERE to go back to the party.

If you were featured and you want to grab

my button it's on my sidebar.

My goal over the next few weeks is

to catch up on blog visits and emails.

I have to admit that I'm doing a dreadful job

of keeping up.

If any of you have words of wisdom on this

subject I would be grateful if you would share them with me.

Wishing you all a blessed and happy Easter.

Tartan Parade 2012

2012-04-04T10:11:00.000-04:00

Last year shortly after I started my blog,

I met two absolutely wonderful women.

Babs from upstairs downstairs

and

Alison from The Polohouse.

Last year Babs hosted a "Show Your Tartan Day."

You can read my Tartan post from 2011

where I talk about Gordon Tartan.

Gordon is my mother's maiden name.

This year Babs and Alison have teamed up with

Sarah and Dolores

and are hosting a Tartan Parade.

I had to join in the fun of course...so here's what I came up with.

Pillows (shocker) made from Gordon Tartan.

They fit right in my family room.
Classic navy and khaki.

I added a tartan ruffle to my lumbar pillow.

The reverse side of this pillow is monogrammed.

I just pinned the ruffle on so it's not permanent.

Here's the flip side of the pillow.

Thank you to these 4 fab women for hosting
their Tartan Parade.
I'm already looking forward to next year!

The Tartan Parade at upstairs downstairs.

Let's Do the Bunny Hop!

2012-04-02T08:30:00.000-04:00

Even though Easter is 2 weeks earlier

than last year,

I feel as though Spring has been here for a while.

The recent warm weather has given just about

everyone spring fever...including me!

In honor of the arrival of Spring and the Bunny Blog Hop,

I made a few changes in my living room.

I sure hope you can (pretty please) link up and join the party.

We'd love any post that is Easter or Spring related.

Link up here or on any of the other 3 blogs listed above.

Your link will appear on all four blogs...sounds like a deal doesn't it?

OK...let's look.

I started by picking up Garden Roses at my grocery store.

I put them in my blue mason jars and popped
the jars in my vintage caddy.
(Caddy was found at The Petite Market on Etsy.)

I added 2 cute bunnies.

I brought in my Anthropologie market basket

filled with grass and eggs.

I thought I was getting 12 stems of garden roses.

What I didn't realize is that each stem has about

3 or 4 blooms.

Pleasant surprise there!
These jars and the caddy are the absolute easiest
way to do a flower arrangement.
No thought or effort needed.
Just cut the flowers and plop them in the jars.

I picked up a couple of these carrot bunches

at Pier 1. They have super cute Easter stuff

this year and very reasonably priced.

I showed you this bunny nest a few weeks ago.

When I saw this straw bunny at Pier 1

I thought it would be perfect in my nest.

He looks right at home, doesn't he?

I added another carrot bunch.

This nest sort of has a mind of it's own.

It just keeps growing.

I hope you all get a chance to visit a few links

at the Bunny Blog Hop.

Inspiration and Ideas right at your finger tips.

And puh-lease don't forget
about our giveaway.

If you link up below you are automatically
entered in the giveaway for each link. (No more than 4 please.)
To get an additional entry just visit my shop
then leave a comment telling us what you like the best.
This is great feedback for me and I appreciate
the time it takes to leave that extra entry.

Thanks for stopping by...
and a very special thank you for linking up to our party!

The giveaway will close at 11:59 p.m. on Sunday, April 8th.
You must be 18 years of age to enter. Open only to the lower 48 states.
If your email isn't hooked to your Google acct. please make sure
to include your email address in your comment.
Winner will be chosen by Random.org.

Bunny Blog Hop

2012-03-29T09:44:00.002-04:00

Not too long ago I wrote a post about

My Grown-Up Blog.

One of the things I hoped for was to participate in

a linky party or blog hop.

Thanks to darling Judy at DIY by Design

my wish has come true.

Check out this rockin' graphic...see my name?

Please join us for our Bunny Blog Hop!
On April 2nd we are asking you to link up your Spring and Easter posts
for one, big, huge hoppin' party.
You can link up to the party on any of the four blogs
listed above and your link will appear on ALL of them.

As an added bonus (at least I hope you think it's a bonus)
we are giving away one of my new
Garden Script Pillow Covers.

Please help us spread the word
by posting our button on
your sidebar.
Just grab the code below.

Thanks and we hope to see you there!

Front Porch Sitting Area

2012-03-28T09:21:00.000-04:00

Well...the weather here in Ohio seems to be back to normal.

Even though I loved those wacky high temps,

I didn't want to skip over spring.

A few changes on my front porch to welcome the warm weather.

New navy chevron pillow covers.

My Welcome/Bienvenue linen pillow covers stayed

and I brought back out the green cushions.

I covered a lampshade with the same flax linen

I used for the pillow covers.

The lantern was a birthday gift from my good friend, Nancy.

I think it's perfect out here.

No porch photo shoot would be complete

without a picture of my cute assistant.

I am happy with this look...at least for now!

Newbie Party Reunion at Debbiedoo's

P.S.

Here is the first post I ever linked to a party.

That party was Debbie's Newbie party.

I didn't know how to properly link in my post,

so there's a URL address instead of text.

You know what they say...

You've come a long way baby!

Those of us who cut our blogging teeth at Debbie's party

are grateful for her patience and encouragement.

She was always there with a fun comment,

no matter how bad the post.

Thanks, Debbie.

We love you.

SNS Porches and Patios at Funky Junk

Newbie Graduation Party at Debbiedoo's

2012-03-27T16:33:00.000-04:00

Just a reminder to pretty-please don't forget

about the Newbie Graduation Party

Debbiedoo's

on Thursday, March 29th.

That's in two days people!

There are so many of us bloggers

who owe Debbie a huge thank you for hosting

her Newbie party every week.

I know I still miss it.

So if you EVER joined the Newbie Party

feel free to head over to Debbie's on Thursday and link up.

I'd love a GIGANTIC turn out.

See you there!

If you are having trouble finding Debbie's blog it's because she

migrated to WordPress and in the process changed her URL.

You may have to delete her old URL from your blog roll

and add her new one.

www.debbie-debbiedoos.com

A Brand New Wreath

2012-03-26T17:41:00.003-04:00

Hey everyone...before I get started on this post

I want to thank you for the totally incredible

response to my giveaway at Miss Mustard Seed.

Thank you doesn't seem like enough...

but I mean it from the bottom of my heart.

OK...moving on.

It's been a long time since I made a new wreath totally from scratch.

I like to reuse and recycle so I usually can find what I need around here somewhere.

Not this time.

I had in my head what I wanted it to look like so off to Hobby Lobby I went.

I got a 24 in. grapevine wreath

and this garland, both half price.

I talked about this moss I discovered

when I was shopping for my bunny nest.

I had some left and I had the wire.

I found the watering can at JoAnn.

I have had the nest for years and just added moss.

I have burlap ribbon in the pic (but I ended up not using it.)

I attached the garland to the wreath using the wire.

I twisted, cut them off and tucked the rough end under.

I wired on the watering can

and used hot glue to attach the nest and eggs.

The green garland shows up

great from the street and pops off the blue door.

Thanks to our mild winter

the ivy in my planters never died.

I watered it a little and it's growing again.

Crazy.

I figure this look will get me to summer.

Don't you think?

I switched up my sitting area too
and will be back with that in a few days.

Thanks for stopping by!

Table Top Tuesday at A Stroll Thru Life

Be Inspired at Elizabeth & Co.

Spring Door Decor at Southern Hospitality

Favorites on the First at The Polohouse

Sharing Sunday ~ Privacy Policy and Feedburner

2012-03-25T10:50:00.001-04:00

When you saw the title of my post I bet you thought to yourself "oh how boring." I'm glad you clicked in though because I think you'll be interested in what I've found out about Google AdSense. I don't want to sound like all I care about is making money. Nothing could be further from the truth. I blog because I love it...but if we can make some extra bucks with a few simple changes, why not go for it?

I enabled AdSense on my blog about 6 months ago. I did it in stages. Whenever I had time I would check my Monetize page and see how things were going. It took me a while to figure out that I had to submit payment information. Anyway, I finally got things working properly and sat back and waited for the big money to roll in. (Just kidding.)

So far I have earned about $55.00. At this rate I won't get an AdSense check for at least another

6 months. I didn't know until recently that AdSense doesn't pay out until you have reached $100.00 in earnings. So...the other day I googled "How to make more money with AdSense." Several blog posts came up but this one from Christian Personal Finance had the best information presented in an understandable manner.

Christian Personal Finance

This guy's name is Bob and he has been able to make a very good living from his blog. In fact, he says he makes more than at his previous day job. He admits at the beginning of the post that there is a ton of information and it probably should have been a series of posts instead of one big one. So hang in there and take your time. It's one of the best posts I have seen on the subject.

The most important thing I learned is the need for a Privacy Policy and Disclosure. Honestly, I didn't know what these were. He provides a link to a Privacy Policy that you can copy and paste into your blog. All you have to do is input your blog name/URL. I installed a picture gadget linked to a Google Doc at the bottom of my sidebar. A better way to do it is to install a new page with a link under your header. (I tried to do that but my links were installed by my blog designer and I couldn't get a new one to install correctly.)

The section of Bob's post that deals with increasing income from AdSense is towards the end. Scroll down until you see the title "How I Increased AdSense earnings $1500 in less than 3 months." He gives a few other pointers in addition to the Privacy Policy tip.

I will gladly serve as the guinea pig. I'll report back in a few months and let you know how I'm doing with AdSense earnings. If you are curious, install that privacy policy page and test drive it yourself.

In regards to Feedburner...I have a question. I look at my Feedburner number every time I open my blog. I try not to obsess but must admit that sometimes I do. It has been hovering around 750 for weeks. It goes up and then it goes down. Does anyone know why that happens? Are readers unsubscribing to my blog when it goes down? I just can't figure it out. Any insight into this would be greatly appreciated!

Thank you to anyone who entered my giveaway over at Miss Mustard Seed. The response has been overwhelming. If you haven't entered, it closes tonight at Midnight so there's still time. I'll be back this week with a new front door wreath and another WUSLU treasure. Happy Sunday!

Giveaway at Miss Mustard Seed

2012-03-23T17:42:00.000-04:00

Just a quick post to tell you to puh-lease visit

Miss Mustard Seed

and check out the giveaway on her blog.

It's a $75.00 credit to my little Etsy shop.

What are you waiting for?

Get going and good luck!

Inspired by Nature

2012-03-22T12:24:00.000-04:00

Just listed in my Etsy shop.

Pillow covers from fabric Inspired by Nature.

Neutral, earthy colors to go with any decor.

Perfect for a porch or patio.

The Inspired By Nature line coordinates

beautifully with The Linen Collection.

Next up is Matelasse and Red Ticking.

If you'd like to visit my shop just click on the link below.

Thanks for looking!

Living Room Before and After

2012-03-21T16:44:00.005-04:00

Thank you for all the lovely comments on my living room. Like I said, it took me a while but things turned out more or less like I planned. I kept existing items that I love and mixed them with new or vintage items. There's a little bit of several different styles. It probably wouldn't work for everyone but it definitely works for me.

Here's a quick rundown of before and afters.

Before

After

Before

After

Before

After

Before

After

Before

After

Before

After

I was asked about a few things so here are some sources:

Paint color ~ It's a custom mix from years ago. I just keep having it matched
at different places. It started out at Home Depot, moved to Lowes
and now I get it at Sherwin-Williams.

Fabric~ I ordered all of it from Fabric.com with the exception of 2 patterns.

The blue animal print fabric can be found here.
The Thomas Paul print (it's on the chairs too)
was ordered through L.A.Design Concepts.

Linen lamp shade with buttons ~ I found this at Hobby Lobby.
I couldn't believe my luck and it was half price too.

Yellow Rug ~ Garnet Hill
Available in several other colors.

Occasional Tables ~ The 3 Queen Anne tables were a gift
from my husband when we moved into our home.
They are solid cherry.
I have kept them the original finish and doubt I will ever paint them.
I have lightened up the rest of the room and I think now
the dark tables ground everything.
The round table between the slipper chairs
belonged to my in-laws.
It's mahogany and will never get a paint job either!

I haven't said this in a while but I want
you all to know I appreciate every time you click
on my blog and stay for a visit.
Short visit, long visit...it doesn't matter.
I am honored that you stopped by.

I have something exciting happening on Friday
so I'll be back then to share it with you.

Link It Up Thursday at These Peas Taste Funny

Vintage Inspiration Friday at Common Ground

Inspiration Friday At The Picket Fence

air your laundry friday at freckled laundry

Open House Party at No Minimalist Here

Fun Etsy Finds

2012-03-20T14:44:00.001-04:00

When I first started my blog there were many things I didn't know. You can breathe a sigh of relief because I'm not going to bore you with the whole list. It's just too long. One of the things I discovered through blogging was Etsy. I don't know what I did before I found it. Seriously. I have purchased everything from lavender to graphic designs. The artisans who sell their wares on Etsy are among the most talented to be found anywhere.

Here are just a few things I've picked up.

I got this chair to use as a prop when I take pictures for my Etsy shop.
It's old and chippy and just perfect.

Moxie Thrift

Gorgeous, organic lavender I'm using in my grain sack sachets.

Stress Tamer Spa

Cute number tags.

Simple Home Life Studio

This darling yellow bird candle.

rosecraft

Tiny, adorable quail eggs.

Bird In Hand

See the blue bottle here on the corner? It came from

Vintage Pastimes

No Etsy post would be complete without mentioning my sponsors. I love having them hang out on my sidebar. My newest sponsor (not an Etsy shop but I'm throwing it in anyway) is The Elegant Travellers blog. It's a very interesting women's traveling network. If you are interested in well-planned trips you should check it out. My other sponsors are:

Rose at The Cozy Corner

Vintage Finds

Window Treatments by Melissa

No Minimalist Here

Last but certainly not least is my friend Jody at

the petite market.

Etsy has grown leaps and bounds since the beginning. It's getting bigger every day. Many think it's too hard and takes too long to find what you want. Personally, I think the people at Etsy have tried to make their search engine as efficient as possible. They are constantly offering online workshops to sellers that focus on marketing. Recently I have started linking up to three blogs that highlight Etsy shops with a linky party. Common Ground's is on Monday, SJ's is on Tuesday and Remodelaholic's is on Saturday. Pay these blogs a visit and you will find Etsy shops all in one place and very easy to access.

Common Ground

Remodelaholic

Homemaker on a Dime

I'll be back tomorrow (hopefully) with a

before and after of my living room.

I've had a few questions on sources so I'll

make sure and include that information.

Today is the first day of Spring.

Here in Ohio it's going to hit 81.

Crazy weather for sure.