A Few Days Before Christmas and All Through the House

Several days before Christmas, in a lonely big house.

Not too many days after I'd hung this little mouse.

No cookies were baking....

No carmels to wrap.

Basically I was feeling a little like ....

The kids were all scattered 

No one coming home

It looked like our memories 

would be made on the phone.

When what to my wondering eyes should appear

but a bundle of joy that this Grandmother holds dear.

Perfect little fingers and perfect little toes

Awaiting to be wrapped in pretty little clothes.

Grabbing my camera, making several flashes

Poor little one saw spots through those pretty eye lashes.

She's precious, she's wonderful and we are so blessed.

So thank you Dear Santa

I think your the best.

Decking the Halls at the Shabby Old House...in stages

 Last week I spent most of my time up and down a ladder, in and out of boxes, but mostly on the floor and if you know anything about old houses, the floors are cold!   I have to do things in stages at the old house.  Right now we are in transition between a house in Florida and the old girl but with each trip up I try to plan to accomplish at least one thing and praying as we travel there that I have not forgotten to bring all that I need.   This week I was on a mission to get some curtains made.

 I have and will most likely always have to do this in stages when it comes to these windows.  With 4 windows in the living room requiring 8 yards of fabric,  having it done and the expense was just out of the question.  So the first thing I did to cover the window was buy the lining.  This worked at  $6 a yard and a JoAnn's coupon.  So up the lining went and I must say just having them on the windows made a huge difference in the warmth of the room.   Then for their Veterans Day sale JoAnns had a wonderful sale at 50% off on their special already discounted fabric.   I drove all over Tampa to get the 32 yards that I would need to make the curtains.  I couldn't wait to get started on my project even if it did mean a cold cold fanny.  

I have done as much bending and stretching and step climbing as if I had gone to the gym.  Up the ladder and down came the linings and away I went stretching and bending myself all over the floor. I was on a mission and a sore back wasn't going to stop me.  

 Back up the ladder and onto the window they went.   My husband is a very, very, very, wonderful man for all the help he does around this old house.  I am blessed.  However, you can imagine how his eyes rolled back in his head as I told him we still were not finished with the curtains.   I am waiting for the trim now to go on sale and saving the money to get it.   Have you priced trim lately?   You just have to love the coupons and a great sale!

The savings plan starts once again, not only for the trim but for the 12 foot tree that I would like to grace the middle of the room next year.  The very best thing that could happen and believe me I am looking, is for someone to have a garage sale and have the tree and old curtains with the trim.  Wouldn't that just be awesome!  It could happen and believe me I will be looking.

I wish you all a Merry Christmas.  May all your projects be complete I hope you get all your holiday wishes at half price!  

 Please join all of the girls today for this wonderful Decking the Halls linky party hosted by Susan of Between Naps on the Porch.  

94th Metamorphosis Monday

Today I jumped into the Metamorphosis Monday Party with Susan from Between Naps on the Porch. However I joined under my other blog Lace and Lures. That blog is about my life in Florida and the Shabby Old House is the old Victorian House we are renovating in Alabama. It had been awhile since I posted from Lace and Lures and so I decided a post was due. However, when I make comments to the girls participating in the BNOTP linky party, the comments appear to be coming from One Shabby Old House. Does anyone know how to switch that? Anyway, long story short, you can see my Metamorphosis here or you can see it there but I do hope that you see it. lol

I think this would make a great changing table if I had added sides.

One man's trash another man's treasure

It sold very quickly. I love it when that happens!

White Wednesday at Posh on Palm

I am joining Kathleen of Faded Charm for White Wednesday and wanted to share something white that I have been dreaming of. Would you look at this beautiful white sofa! This is the sofa that I have been dreaming of.

It's one of Susie Holts of Posh on Palms creations.

I think it if fabulous.

Of course it would have to have several of these beautiful pillows covering it.

This slipcover is like a wedding dress for a simple sofa.

Just look at the lace, cut lace and ruffle.

Now if I could just get the Mister to say "I DO" to it.

I think it would be the perfect marriage for the Shabby Old House.

Wishing you a wonderful White Wednesday.

Sweet Inspiration

It has been awhile hasn't it? It's not that I haven't been around, as I have, looking here and there, dipping in and out, reading this and that being inspired by those of you who are the fabric of my sweet cozy comforter called blogland.

I don't know why I have been away so long from posting.

I have enjoyed many friendships that I have found here.

And Lord knows my camera card is loaded with so many wonderful pictures to share.

This is just a sweet taste of what is to follow.

You may recognized this wonderful place as what was once known as the Cat's Meow but now is Posh on Palm and owned by Mark and Susie Holt located in Sarasota FL.

This is always the place I run to when I need to surround myself with beauty as the posts to follow will prove. This is also the place that I will study carefully as I get ready to decorate the Shabby Old House for Christmas.

So join me once again and let's get reacquainted.

I've missed you!

Yes Honey...let's clean the garage!

We have one of those garages that is packed with wonderful things that I have collected over time.

When opening my garage door and peering in, few people would see the potential of all the bits and pieces that I have collected. In fact you might just say that I am way over due for a garage sale or a clean out. But I know the treasures that are there and the creations that can be made.
This weekend my wonderful Metamorphosis man worked on a this project.
From a wood pile and these old pieces of discards he made this:

Afterwards, I was thrilled with our new potting bench. Or as my pregnant daughter-in-law and I thought about it...a wonderful changing table.

See the flowers in the window. Funny story, a bit sad one day a few years back however. I had a great little table. It had a round glass top that sat on 3 wonderful metal flowers. As I mentioned...I had a table, until son backed over it with the riding lawn mower. It was smashed flat.
I kept trying to get it to bend back to it's original state with no luck. I couldn't throw it away. No matter how many times hubby dear asked that I would I kept saying not yet. He finally gave up. lol
I am so glad now, as I love it!

Just this weekend I got the old flowerpot holder for .25cents at an estate sale. Funny story behind that too. There was a gal at the sale that was throwing a fit because the estate sale people had sold several items the night before. She brought the items back all in a tizzy and made a rude comment and left demanding her money back and as she left I said to the lady....I would like that please. :)

Another delightful discovery was the yellow under the window as hubby distressed it. It caused us to add the yellow to the rest of the potting bench. The yellow tin on the top, I flattened by backing the truck over it. It flattened just perfectly and then hubby cut the spindle in two and added it to the legs.
All in all I think it is a wonderful metamorphosis don't you?
Have a great time looking at all the other transformations out there today by joining Susan at Between Naps on the Porch. Just click on the butterfly on my sidebar and if you would like to see a White Wednesday post then click on my Lace and Lures blog.

Hugs
Becky

Rachael Ashwell's Shabby Chic Couture....and my Dreamboard

As I promised, I wanted to show you the beauty that I found inside Rachael Ashwell's new London shop. This wonderful, and as she called it, a Mushsy chair, was one of my very favorite pieces of furniture. The fabric is glorious and of course I had to take a sample away to put on my "DREAM BOARD," as it truly would be a dream to find this wonderful Mushy chair in my Shabby Old House.

I have never had a dreamboard before and I must say that creating one has been so much fun. That too was Rachel inspired. I can see now why this works. I am making one for the Shabby Old House, for my shop space and for my garden and flowerbeds. I may just fill up a wall with Dreams. Do you have a Dream Board?

I think everyone needs a pillow like this, don't you?

One of the fun things about going to a brand new store is seeing the wonderful new merchandise and of course it was so Shabby Chic Beautiful!

Look at this glorious tablecloth. I want it...I want it...I want it!!! Back to the dreamboard!

Thank you Rachael, for not giving up on your Dreams. You have been an inspiration to so many of us and by the way....did I spell Mushy right?
Hugs
Becky

Rachael Ashwell Opens New Shop in London

I've been to London to visit the Queen, Queen of Shabby Chic that is. Rachel Ashwell.
As mentioned in my previous post, Rachel Ashwell has been a big influence in my life.

What I didn't tell you was that I was actually going to be able to meet her.
This month found my husband traveling to London on business and the beauty of his business is that I get to go along on some of his trips. It just so happened that the trip lined up perfectly with Rachel's Grand Opening of her new shop in London and there was going to be a party.

This lovely lady, dressed in a pretty vintage prom dress, greeted us with champagne.

Floating down the stairs to speak to her guests, our gracious hostess took time to warmly greet each one of us.

Her shop was filled with many well wishers so I couldn't really get pictures of how beautiful everything was inside. But that was fine with me. It just meant another trip back and she encouraged me to do so as she would be there for the next week or so. I couldn't think of a better place to come while hubby was working and I couldn't think of anyone else in London that I wanted to spend time with except the Queen. And so I did!

It's Aint' Over Until the Shabby Old House Sings

I was innocently sitting watching HGTV one day and little did I know that my world was about to change in a very big way. There was a series that came on every day and the hostess was the most interesting lady. Her style, " Shabby Chic," captured what I knew was lurking in my soul, and yet until then I had never let myself express it in my own personal decorating style. Did I dare bring to my nest, roses and ruffles and lace and "WHITE," where baseball gloves and fishing lures and footballs reigned free.
So I became her student of Shabby Chic style, tuning in each day and coming away with ideas of what my beautiful home would one day look like. However, the problem was that we had just built a home and decorated it and I couldn't for all practical reasons change my decor without having my head lopped off by my most wonderful husband. But the Shabby Chic passion seemed to be an incurable one. What was I to do? I found myself finding little shops and antique booths that would scratch my itch for just a bit but it wasn't enough. The passion persisted. I soon rented space in an antique mall and started the hunt for wonderful old furniture that I could transform. I found such satisfaction in seeing the end result and soon I opened a shop which lead to buying trips in our RV which I of course turned into a rolling Shabby Chic haven. Then one day on a buying trip through a sweet old town in Alabama I found her, our sweet Shabby Old House. What if we bought her and made her a Bed and Breakfast. And so started the beginning of our retirement plan. As you can see from the previous post, The Shabby Old House has seen many changes over the course of time, and I owe it all to that fateful day watching a TV show on HGTV and a style called Shabby Chic and now, due to Ms. Ashwell's inspiration,

I will never own a bed without roses and down covering it.

Before my table would have all been surrounded with matchy matchy chairs and dishes had I not discovered the beauty of mismatched items.
And God forbid that my windows be covered with anything but lace having seen the beauty of morning's light through it's beautiful design.

I don't miss details like I use to.

Give me lots of lace and roses and put it all over the house even the throne room.

Find me a beautiful piece of old furniture and I will find a purpose or repurpose for it.

Old mirrors, old lamps and old wicker..my joy.

Mirrors with age and chipped old washing bowls don't bother me now. There is such beauty in their imperfection.

Rose dishes are beautiful anywhere you want to place them.

And holidays aren't holidays unless they are dripping with lace.

And by all means thrill me lots of architectural details.

And who can have enough chandeliers dripping with sparkling crystals.

The old sofa awaits my paint brush of creamy white paint to bring out the details of the carved birds on the wood trim. I may have passed her up in her horrible kelly green cloth had Rachel not caused me to see beyond the ugly to the possibility.

And what can be said about beautiful hard wood floors except cover them with beautiful hooked rugs.

Pocket doors and old hardware.. In fact I look for old doors and hardware now to create things for the shop.

A room comes together and all from great flea market finds. Once my rooms were put together from the showroom floors and most likely my neighbor had the same look.

Old buffets and sideboards painted and distressed just so.

Slipper chairs now come dressed for dinner.

What discoveries I have found of other kindred spirits and their wonderful finds.
I have made so many new friends because of this passion.

I have never had a chandelier in the bathroom before or lace shower curtains.

I became a collector of rose dishes and drank more tea just because!

My holidays are not only filled with special memories and people but beauty!

Old green cabinets became PINK and distressed to see the green.

I began to cover my chairs with "White." ( ruffles are in the making)

Walls were painted to make the creamy white furniture pop.

The ceiling tins were painted with a slight bit of PINK.

And somehow I just don't mind this old kitchen now. She is shabby and old however fresh paint and roses make her blush with new found charm.

Again with the PINK!

Remember how the old bath was yellow and blue before?

Glass knobs and rose dishes...who knew how pretty this old green kitchen could be.

There is still much to do but I imagine there always will be.
But I look forward to finding just the right fabric and lace. The thrill of the hunt keeps me going.
I know it is out there. I found the valances in an antique mall so I must be patient,
for that is the secret to Shabby Chic living.
Beauty is out there.
We just have to go find it!
And it won't be over until the Shabby Old House Sings!