Perch Home

Flashing my Livingroom

Angela  showed hers.  So did Beki.  So here is mine.  Still a work in progress, but I love it. 

Those chairs came with the house.  The original owners from the 1800's owned them.  I had them upholstered in a plain cotton duck to show off their lines.  Back on the window seat is the birdcage I plucked from the trash.  And that blue cabinet is from an estate sale a few weeks back.

I plan on removing the top and replacing it with a slab of stone or marble.  It's the perfect sort of chippy paint.

This is the "fancy" living room.  Mostly I hang out here alone or it is used for holidays and parties.

And I picked up this mirror at the church sale last week.  I think I'll paint it because it is a little too goldy-gold for me...do you know what  I mean?

Thank you for all the kind and supportive comments you left about opening a store!  Some days I think I'm a little crazy.  I've never even worked retail before!  I was always a waitress kind of girl.  But between reading Retail for Dummies and A Shop Of One's Own I'm learning as much as I can!  This week the interior of the shop is being gutted.  It has been somebody's apartment for 50 years!  I'm going over tomorrow to snap some pics.

Outside

We are spending lots of time outside although it's really starting to deteriorate into the sweaty mess of late summer.

I love this old planter.

I found this round wrought iron plant holder at a yard sale.  $2!

And here is our fish pond.  Those goldfish were feeder fish we dumped in 4 years ago.  7 have survived and have gotten quite large.

And does anyone know what this flower is?  I love them.  So happy, I want more!  Can they be divided?

Now go outside and play!

Celebrate & Decorate!

We're gearing up for a fun July 4th!  The banners are up:

The back patio is ready for the BBQ:

I stitched up the banners inspired by Cassie of BellaDia.

Inside is ready too:

Lucia made festive Rice Krispie treats with me:

Somebody asked and yes all pics are clickable for detail.  I think it is a Type Pad thing.  And now we are off to decorate the wagon for the old fashioned 4th of July parade!

White

I'm playing along for Color Week.  A bit of my white pottery.  It's all garage sale, rummage sale cast-offs, but I love it.  My newest piece is up in the left corner and looks a bit like a lotus blossom. 

It's a busy week.  My step-daughter is visiting and we'll be doing lots of trips and adventures.  Very few involve crafting or creating!

Corners of my Home-Bedroom

This a look at my new scrumptious totally indulgent treat to myself-gorgeous bed linens from ABC Home and Carpet.  Have you ever been there?  Totally over the top inspiring and heavenly..,  And expensive.  I work across the street, and visit often just to stare at everthing.  I have been mooning over these sheets for a long, long, long time.  I had to have them.  I've mixed in some vintage pillows and a throw that match.  You can't be all thrift all the time, right?

And  a new place to toss the mail:

Check out other peoples Corners here.

This and that

The garage  sale was a huge success!  I wanted to take pictures, but never got a minute all day.  I had so much stuff it looked like a flea market.  My neighbor did it with me and we are on a main road, so it was crazy.  I made over $900!!!!  I was going to get a new sewing machine, but all of your good advice about cleaning, and tension, and compressed air worked and the machine is working again.  So I am going to be responsible and put it into our landscape fund.

And just because the sewing machine was working again, I tried one of these:

A little skirt for Lucia from a thrifted pillowcase.  Of course she wouldn't let me measure her so it's a little too long.  I think it will be good for the beach though.  Question-how do you keep elastic laying flat inside the casing?  Should I use wider elastic?  It folds over  when she pulls it on and off and I think it is going to bug her.  I'm going to make another, so maybe I will try the kind that ties, but she can't tie yet so I prefer elastic.

And a little corner of my home to celebrate spring...

Vintage Playroom/Nursery Part 1

Like many of you, I love incorporating old, vintage items into my children's decor.  It's sometimes hard to strike a balance between old things and safety...so as much as I love them, I don't have a ton of old toys for them to play with.  What I do have I love though!  I thought I'd post some pics and start a Flickr group   for everyone to share their vintage playroom/nursery items and decor.

I bought this little guy at an estate sale and he is the perfect size for a 1 or 2 year old.  My daughter loved this horse, and Toby is just starting to enjoy him.

I'm always seeing little old children's stools at yard sales;  I've seen this particular one many times.  I have them all over the house.  Here  is another that I see a lot.  I think they are 50's or 60s'.

It flips up into a chair/bench.  Very useful! 

I just got this little doll crib this weekend.  The side comes down just like a real crib.  Lucia loves it!  It's made of wood and has a tiny turtle on the side;  I would never find anything as nice for $3 in the store!  I'm planning on making some bedding for her.

This little table and chairs was all rusty and sad at an estate sale.  I painted it white and  poly'ed it and now Lucia has little tea parties ther for her "friends."   It's metal and sturdy and has an ice-cream parlor like charm that I adore.

I had this little guy when I was a baby.  The original is long gone, but of course I found one on Ebay.  Doesn't he just make you happy?

I'll post pics next of the playroom and some other vintage kids things I have.  Please visit the group and add  yours!

Corners of my Home

While I was looking around for corners to photograph, I found this jumble in the corner next to my bed.  I found the lovely framed Mary print at a local church tag sale.  When I brought it home I wanted to hang it on the wall and it freaked my husband out a bit.  We are not particularly religious but there was something about this print, it's warm, slightly faded colors and her fiery heart...I just love it.  So it's been sitting here in the corner of our bedroom and I look at her whenever I want without it being a big statement in our  house.
Strangely enough, when I looked further I realized I had lots of religious iconography scattered about.  Buddha is right next door, on top of the wardrobe.  He belonged to my grandparents and when I was a
little girl his hands would often be holding something for me...a polished rock, a rose, a nickel...

So there you go.  My poor husband has to sleep with great religious figures staring at him all night, but it somehow feels right to me.

Messy craftroom corner

I am a neat person.  But for some reason this part of my house is in chaos no matter how hard I try.  Everytime I get an idea, I plow through my things looking for the right trim or glue and the next thing you know...total disaster.  But I'm trying to leave my Corners natural and not posed, so here  it is...as is!

kitchen window

kitchen window
Originally uploaded by Bessilu.

We were buried in a blanket of snow.  20 inches!  This is a peek through my kitchen sink window.