Renovations

My continuing project is that of stripping the remainder of the wallpaper border in the dining room.  I love Hydrangeas, just not as wallpaper.  There was a full wall of the complimentary wallpaper to this border but I'm unable to locate that photo at the moment, that was removed a year ago.  I'm thrilled to see it go.  The walls in this room are in fairly decent shape as this room is a newer section of the house but there is still some repair work to be done.  Most of the minor damage occurred when I was removing the wallpaper.  I came across a large daddy long leg that surprised me while I was doing this, I wasn't impressed!!!

This is a close up of the same corner.  I don't know if you can see it or not but the ceiling is also a textured wallpaper.  It's in almost every room, just different variations of it.  This one I don't like but my hubby has discouraged me from removing it at the moment so that the room isn't a total mess.  We have a light that has to be replaced and moved a few feet and he doesn't want to see a hole in the ceiling at this time.  I'm looking forward to a primitive chandelier of some type right above the table instead of a ceiling fan off to the side.  Technically, this wasn't a dining room until we turned it into one so there are a few changes to be made.

This is the wall that existed before the drywall was removed which then exposed the beautiful natural wood underneath.  This was the area that I had previously mentioned, it's actually the original outside wall of the house.  Sorry for the crooked photo - it's either the picture, the house or me.  I know the house is crooked but I'm starting to question myself LOL.

This is the same wall after the drywall was removed.  The wood is just beautiful.  Unfortunately, I couldn't get the photo to show exactly what I was seeing.  There are many scratches that were created in the removal process.  We are planning on giving it a light sanding, fill the knot hole with matching wood and then decide at that point whether we want to stain it or paint it.  I hate to cover up the natural wood as it really is beautiful in person...but...painted wood is also nice. 

More photos will be shown as progress is made.  Stay tuned...

Prim Pillows

Hi Friends, I just wanted to share some of my crafty creations with you  I had a surge of creativity one weekend and finally finished these decorative pillows.  Unfortunately, the surge occurred about 3-4 weeks ago and I just completed the finishing touches now LOL.  Oh well...at least they're finally photo worthy.  I had to hide a portion of the rectangular one in a previous post as it hadn't been sewn up completely - oops.  I was hoping nobody would notice.  I did make some other items that weekend but let's just say...they're not photo worthy yet.

This heart pillow just took shape on it's own, it came together as I went along.  I just knew I wanted to make a heart shaped pillow so I thought, okay...here goes...I had no idea what size, etc.  From prior experience, I know when you're making stuffed hearts they either turn out or become very odd looking.  The flower was my first attempt at creating a prim flower from scratch.  I stained it and baked it briefly to brown up the edges.  It's not my favourite but I think it turned out okay.  I also stained the pillow itself along with the doily and attached a small charm on the front.  It's double sided, it has the word "love" on one side and a heart shape on the other.

This pillow was also something that just came together.  I had a rough idea of what I wanted, it's enjoyable to throw pieces together and see if they work.  I wanted to display this with a vintage post card but I don't own one so I added a couple of bracelets to show you the pocket.  I'm pleased with how this one came together.  With some imagination, you could display so many different things in this pocket.

This is the other side of the charm.  I just love these, you can add them to anything.  Sorry, the photo isn't very clear.

I had so much fun making this little guy.  I just sewed some pieces of fabric together and added some burlap and jute and of course a charm.  It's quite small but I think it's cute (my hubby isn't a fan of the word "cute" as I use it a lot LOL.  I think it's a "guy thing").  He asked me what I was going to do with it.  Honestly, I have no idea but it's going to sit on a shelf somewhere.  I considered making it into a pin keep but I don't know if the fabric would hold up over time, being punctured over and over.  I love this fabric as it was already aged looking when I bought it.

Based on this photo, I obviously need to find different charms for my crafts as each and every one has the same one attached to it.  When I found these in the store, I was quite excited about trying them on different things.

Thanks for dropping in again, until next time...

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Feathered Nest Friday @ French Country Cottage

A Winter Walk

I had the day off work today and thought...today is a nice day for a walk around the pond.  The sun was actually shining which is quite welcoming.  Often through the winter months the skies are grey here.  This was a perfect day to take Katie out for a romp in the snow and was she ever excited!

This is heading toward the back of our property.  As you can see by the tracks, Katie took off ahead of me, she was definitely on the move.  She enjoyed her run so much that she wasn't still long enough to take any photos.

The pond is located just to the right of the arbour.

 This is looking across the pond.

The pond is in the foreground of this photo.  You can see where Katie ran across it.  I was so concerned she was going to fall through the ice but fortunately the pond is frozen.  Whew!  

I decided to cut my walk short as it was quite nippy and I really wasn't dressed accordingly.  I enjoyed it though, it was so nice to get out and enjoy the sunshine.

This is one tired but happy dog.

Until next time friends...

Changes...finally!!

Hi friends, so glad to have you back.  I have included some new photos of my antique corner posted last week.  Unfortunately, I wasn't able to get photos of the complete room.  You see...changes are finally happening here and I'm quite excited.  Hubby and I have had sooooo many discussions on what changes we want to make to our home.  He can do just about anything so it's really handy having him around.  In fact, I just may keep him LOL!! 

There is that horrible wallpaper border again (just close your eyes).

  

The previous owners left the window coverings when they moved.  We have a HUGE abundance of lace curtains, they're in nearly every single window.  I used to love lace but its no longer my thing - it has to go.  I haven't replaced any of the window coverings yet because I just can't decide on what I want.  I'm looking for that farmhouse style but there are so many variations out there.  Any suggestions?

I purchased these silk flowers from Hobby Lobby.  Although I'm not into decorating with fake flowers, I love these ones.  They add a nice touch of colour.

I purchased this old grain scoop at The Brass Armadillo in Colorado (did I already mention how much I LOVE that store????)  LOL!!  It's such an amazing place, it's a good thing I don't live anywhere near one of these stores, I'd be broke for sure.

This is the penny rug I had on a previous post.

This is one of the crafts that I was working on recently.  I have a few more items on the go, it feels so good to be crafting again.  Now, if I could just start doing it on a regular basis.

This blanket was purchased at an antique store in Ontario.  I was told it was hand woven.  I just love the colours and the texture, it was definitely a must have.

I purchased this antique sieve in Michigan along with the primitive pears.  Somebody had crafted these pears and sold them in the antique store.  I have always wanted to make some of these.

Well, this was the start of tearing down a section of wall to put in the french doors, we figured that there would be lathe and plaster behind the paneling and we were right.  If you look into the hole you will see the original boards that are on the outside wall of the original house.  This is where hubby and I hope to remove the drywall on the original outer wall to expose these boards.  Once these are exposed, we can then determine if we will leave them as is, paint them or have to cover them back up again.  I'm quite excited to see what we'll discover.

This is a close up of the hole with those wonderful old boards.  The photo doesn't quite show the natural colour.

So if you remember from last week, this is what this area looked like before the section of the wall was removed

And this is what it looks like now.  There is still lots to be done with these doors.  The trim needs to be replaced, doors cleaned, everything repainted, etc.  The dining room behind the doors is an absolute disaster right now so don't look too closely.  We have a major clean up to do.  I'm also hoping to start painting the dining room in the very near future.

Thanks for dropping in.  Hope you'll visit again soon.

Some of my Favourite Things

These are some of my favourite things.  Some of the areas in my home are awkward for decorating purposes, this is my favourite corner as I can actually do something with it.  Since I moved here 1 1/2 years ago, this corner has changed a few times and I'm sure it will change again. That's half the fun of decorating.  A couple of items are still hanging on the wall from the prior set up so they're not quite in the correct place.  (Please excuse photo blur LOL!!).

I debated on showing parts of my home at this time as there is still a lot of work to be done.  The walls and trim need painting and there is still remnants of a wallpaper border that just isn't my taste. I'm looking forward to finishing this area.  Currently, in this area of my home there is paneling on the walls, I may just paint over it as it provides a bit of that farmhouse look.

My Hubby just gave me these two Ironstone pieces for Christmas last month.  I absolutely love them, especially the pitcher.  I'm just starting to collect Ironstone and the pitcher was definitely a must have. 

I purchased this wooden churn in Michigan a few years ago.  I flipped the top upside down and it makes for a great display piece.

Oh yes...another piece of Ironstone that my Hubby purchased for me (under the lamp).  I think I'm becoming addicted to this "stuff". 

This black cabinet was purchased at The Brass Armadillo in Iowa (oh how I LOVE that store).  It's a newer piece made to look old but I love it regardless, it makes for great storage too.

This antiques sign was purchased at a local craft sale.

I wanted to take these photos today as my Hubby is removing this door and replacing it with two french doors.  As my home is a bit choppy, we're hoping this will provide more of a flow and allow more light through.  This is the original outer wall of my home, my Hubby discovered beautiful, old wood on the other side and we hope to leave it exposed in the next room (this will be shown in a future post).  This is the closest thing to shiplap that we'll find (just love it on "Fixer Upper"). 

My Hubby bought me this old washstand shortly after we were married (for Christmas of course LOL). We have only been married just over three years so he learns quick.  It's another piece I love.

I just love the knobs on it.  One is missing so I'm hoping to find a replacement for it.

Unfortunately the light was shining too brightly through this door but it's all I have at the moment. You can see the wallpaper remnants at the upper corner of the photo.  At the time I was removing the wallpaper, it started to peel the paint off in this area so I left it until it's time to paint.

I purchased this bucket (I believe it is for measuring "something") at a local antique store.

These pictures were given to me by my wonderful Mom 3-4 years ago.  She purchased these cards and placed them in frames for me.  She always knew how important it was for me to live in the country, it was her way of giving me a piece of it,  I wish she had been here to see it come true.  I will cherish these always!

I hope you enjoyed this little tour.

Partying at:

The Charm of Home @ Home Sweet Home