Living Rooms

Lately, while viewing average American homes, I realized the living rooms are small. Our living room is. I'd like a little larger room but it is what it is and since this is our retirement home and we're in our 70s, it fits this season of our lives just fine . We spend most of our time in the family room, but we have guests in the living room mostly. While it's just fine for us, I wonder about the people with very large living rooms. Do they keep it for just show?

Reading one of Alexandra Stoddard's book many years ago, she said most people decorate only the public places in a home and that accounts for about five percent of a house, living room. They tend to not decorate the private areas. Why? We spend most of our time in the private places. I want my whole house to be beautiful...well, as beautiful as I can make it on a limited budget. Our house suits us just fine. How about you?
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A lovely Victorian home.

Love the pink in this room and also the 2 kinds of drapes on a window like I have on my living room window.

A pretty vintage chair done over in beautiful fabric. Love the pink inside those cups.

A feast for the eyes and tummy. Looks beautiful and delicious.

An old chandelier dripping with glittery crystals.

One of the best shots of a rose I've ever seen.

A little bit boho gypsy here.

I think having a church made over into a home would be one of the most fantastic things to do ever. I wouldn't want to do the work, but sure would like living in it.

An organized closet is the sign of a demented woman. Trust me!

Cute cans papered in gorgeous red, pink and flowers.

Yes, I love it because of the pink walls.

Beautiful entrance to an old home.

I've always loved the look of a bathroom like this.

This would be a wonderful room to live in. Lots of light. Pretty views. A stove for warmth on cold days. Love furniture in white slipcovers.

If I had to camp, this would be my ideal camper. Lots of windows, pillows and flowers. A bunting. But then I'd have to camp and we all know how I feel about going off into the wilds of Idaho. NO!

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Tidbit:

 In ancient Greece, an adulterous male was sometimes punished by the removal of his lower hair and the insertion of a large radish into another body part. (You know what I mean, but I refuse to be vulgar.)
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Hubs and His Vegetable Garden

My hubs was the best catch of the day when we met 51+ years ago. It's been quite a journey for us, probably more trying for him than me. Hah! He would never say that but it gets a bit crazy living with a compulsive person. Me, not him. He's quite easy going. I like everything organized just so in my house. He doesn't care what I do except I'd better not touch his train room. I rarely ever go out there.

But his garden is his pride and joy, both the flowers and the vegetables. He can grow tomatoes, peppers and cucumbers like crazy and therein lies the tale.

I don't can anymore. I hate it. It's too hard and time consuming and isn't worth it for two people. I can buy it cheaper at the stores without all the work. I got rid of my canners and jars about 5 years ago and haven't looked back. I did keep my dryer because we like to keep our granddaughter and great granddaughter in dried fruit. Plus it's not hard to do it.

But we can't eat the tomatoes and cukes fast enough around here. They just keep multiplying like crazy. I'll make a cuke and tomato salad, or just slice them and put them on a plate to eat. Or he'll make tomato sandwiches or we'll have them in a salad. OR we'll give bags of them to the neighbors. I'm sick of cucumbers and tomatoes. But he'll bring in a bag full and put them in the fridge. They will "disappear" every day or two until they're gone. He doesn't even seem to notice, which is good. I'll just leave them on the counter for a day or two, then put them in the fridge for a day or two while taking several out and throwing them in the garbage. It's gotten so no one wants any more vegetables from us! But the truly funny thing is that he doesn't notice at all. ;-) I think I have some rotting in there as I'm typing this post. They'll be gone tomorrow! ;-)
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I think this is a very pretty room. Nicely arranged and pretty colors.

While this is a lovely room, that side table is what caught my eye before that gorgeous bay window. Lovely and elegant while romantic and liveable.

Another bedspread from the same place I bought my ruffled quilt. It's gorgeous also.

Just some pretty embroidered pillows and a decorated box.

This wallpaper reminds me of the 1990s and the plates on the wall also but still gorgeous.

I'm sure this is something Rachel Ashwell came up with but isn't it adorable and wouldn't it be fun to have in a bedroom?

Some happy hats to make you smile. :-)

A bold color on an old French building. Love the color!

What an outdoor room! Frankly, I don't see how people keep white so clean though. In our desert, they'd look filthy all the time. Winds blowing the sand and dirt from nearby farm fields would destroy them within a couple of years at the most.

Truly eye candy. ;-) Gorgeous.

Another beautiful bottle.

A sweet card.

An adorable kitchen but I love the bright red touches. Could that be red chalk paint?

This wouldn't have to be for a wedding but could be for a fancy luncheon for friends.

Aaaaahhh, the luxury of windows to the world such as these. Beautiful.

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Make Your Own Decorative Boxes

I have a post coming up soon entitled "Feathers In My Food." I think you'll want to see the creation I made. ;-)
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Many years ago when I was crafting every single day after coming home from my office, I decided I wanted some boxes covered in beautiful papers and fabrics. Understand now that I absolutely devoted most hours outside of work to crafting. I absolutely loved it. So today I thought I'd share how to make these kind of boxes below. I'll give you the dimensions and instructions. The rest is up to you. You can use fabric or paper; it's up to you. I've shown you two of ones I've made. The purple roses box is fabric, and the red and pink roses is that gorgeous paper I love so much from The Gifted Line by John Grossman.

They are approximately the same size. I'll give you the instructions and measurements but it's up to you to do the construction. These little boxes are more for show than actual storage boxes; although, I keep pencils in them or my sealing wax and Dyno Label Maker in the other one. But I wouldn't keep anything heavy in them. Again, just for show. ;-)

You'll need foam board. I used 3/8" so that I could "score"—meaning to go a bit of the way through the foam board without cutting all the way through so you can bend it. You'll need to bend it but keep it together. For my size box below, I cut a piece 16" long and 8 & 3/8" wide. I scored it at 6 & 1/2" from the one end and then 9 & 1/2" from the same side. Or in other words, I scored it 6 & 1/2" from each short side. I then bent it carefully as to not split it. Be very careful. Then I cut another piece of foam board 28 & 3/8" long and 2 & 1/2" wide. I scored that piece at 6" and at 7 & 3/4". Using glue to attach together the 2 ends of the LONG piece I scored.

You cover it with your paper or fabric before you start making it, just after cutting it out. Then you glue. I used a glue gun. You can use any glue you want that sticks though. After covering the large piece and the long piece, you glue it together. Then I hot glued a ribbon around it to secure it.

I've read this so much I'm not sure if it makes sense to you, but if you want to try this and it's not clear, email me and I'll help you all I can. It truly is easy.

These boxes are 6 & 1/2" front to back and 8 & 3/8" wide and 2 & 1/2" high or deep.

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I love this living room setting. Just the way the homeowner has everything arranged, very cozy.

A beautiful approach to a rustic door.

Okay, no privacy here at all. I'd feel like Sasquatch was always watching me.

Just simple eye candy for you.

Be still my beating heart. However, I would keep wondering when it is going to come crashing down on my head. Looks a bit heavy.

Smiling at ya!

I don't know whether this is a fabric or a painting but it's one of my favorite photos of roses.

Just a beautiful setting for you. Very peaceful.

Sweet vignette at a bistro.

An old Victorian in San Francisco, my favorite city in the whole world. I love shopping there.

Did you hear that the mailboxes in the hometown of an Olympic Gold Medal Winner in the UK gets its mail boxes painted gold? Usually the boxes are a bright red. But what a sweet idea to help the hometown men and women celebrate a hometown victory. Bless their hearts for doing this for them!

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A Spirited Serene House

It's April Fools Day! But I don't usually fool anyone.
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I was wondering the other day how many of you bloggers actually read my sidebars. It's there you know for a reason. You can see what I like or dislike, what I looked like many years ago and what I look like now, a bit about my life before moving to Idaho, a few tips on blogging, etc., a place to go to see my laundry room, family room, my white and pink Christmas tree I decorated one year, to look at what I like to read, pillows I've made, lamps I've decorated, a tribute to our Marines, etc. In essence, do you get the flavor of me?

The two things I don't post about are politics and religion, at least anything that might be contentious. Oh, I may throw in a saying or two once in a while, but this is a serene home, and I wish to be kind and gracious to people who enter my home (my blog is an extension of my home). So you'll rarely, if ever, see any contention here. My hubby and I live a pretty quiet life. That is not to say we're not spirited people. Oooooh, noooo. We definitely are spirited! We fuss, struggle and push/jab each others buttons on a regular basis. But we love each unconditionally and wholly. We're committed to each other now and eternally. So now you know a little bit more about me. ;-)
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Of course I fell in love with this antique door knob with key lock on a red door so I thought I'd share it with you.

A painter's drop cloth could be used as a chair cover and look just as lovely as this chair does, plus it would be much cheaper than anything else.

The light coming through the windows on this yellow curtain is what drew my attention.

Yep, my kind of bed.

Looks good enough to eat. ;-)

This is pretty but it makes me dizzy looking at the yellow dots.

Just think of the possibilities a swath of netting can lend to your decorating. I use it lavishly around my home—bedroom, dining room and office. And it is very cheap to use.

Is it time for a snack and some lemonade yet? Yes! Go get some and enjoy.

Another McKenzie-Childs type sofa. I love their style.

I normally use the shower but once in a while I want a tub soak. When I do, I take a book, my glasses, a scallop shaped back rest and read. I love soaking. I just wish I could find a holder that would go across our garden tub. It's quite large and wide and nothing has fit so far. I may have to get hubby to make something acceptable to me, not too heavy or cumbersome.

Another dream dining room of mine. I'll never have a sun room but if I did, I'd want it to be this gorgeous.

Isn't this back yard patio lovely?

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Never be bullied into silence. Never allow yourself to be made a victim. Accept no one's definition of your life; define yourself. This is a creed I live by.
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Photos courtesy of tumblr and pinterest.

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