its been awhile....

Hello.....I know its been awhile since I have last blogged but I have been busy doing so much other things just have not had time. Since things are finally slowing down I can share what we have been up to. We had an amazing summer!! went on vacation to Miami stayed at this fabulous hotel Mandarin Oriental, talk about five star this place should be a 10 star. The service was first class, the staff was very nice. Although we had on little mishap a little gecko got into our room through the sliding doors of the veranda. So I could not sleep let alone spend one night knowing this thing is running lose in our room. After calling the front desk and having the housekeepers reluctantly couldn't find my little friend and me screaming!! they moved us to a suite that was for a celebrity oh my! you could see the pictures below.

this was my view from this stunning hotel!! Downtown Miami...

 

This was the suite we were upgraded to $1495.00 per night, but for me and hubby FREE!!

the room we had prior to this was amazing also!

 

Just a quick photo of my front door Harvest decorations!!

I really have to pull my camera out and take better pictures.

my latest sale items this gorgeous throw from Pier1 so luxurious, comfy and warm.

 

So anyone who know me is aware that I have struggled with weight for years now. Well I finally got a handle on it and having a blast with eating healthy and working out, not depriving myself of the pizza and cakes, just not over doing it. Kale & spinach are now our best friends, we have totally cut out red meat and coffee!

Well I am happy to say I am 15lbs lighter and exercise is also my best friend. Our journey started August 26th, 2015 on the right and on the left was September 26th, 2015!!

 

My husband is also down 22lbs kudos to my hubby........

We both are happy and thank God for wisdom and helping us do this!!

We are moving along nice and slow, no specific date on accomplishing our goal, remember its a lifestyle change so this is forever.

 

 

 

 

Stencils and Pictures?

Hello all I have been so busy and loving it, but I have done a few new projects around the cottage. Spring cleaning is so much dust fun!! Well I started my annual Spring cleaning and changing things around as usual I give hubby a list of things that need changing and or upgrading. See below a few new projects and let me tell you of the latest happenings in my life. First my lease is up on my 2012 Jeep Cherokee so I started car shopping went and test drove a Mercedes SUV I like the truck but with a  husband who stands  6'4' tall that didn't work. So back to jeep I went looked at the 2015 Jeep Grand Cherokee Limited this truck is gorgeous has all the bells and whistles. My main concern in a car is the sunroof a must have, well I got a panoromic sunroof in the new truck will pick it up  Wednesday so excited!!

I went into my co-workers office and she had this picture in the corner covered in dust. I inquired about it and she said its been there forever and its basically garbage!! what do you mean garbage!! Well I bought it home started taking it apart and the glass broke? keep calm and carry on I thought. Sanded the frame spray painted it white, removed the inlet painted that in a vintage retro chalk paint. Went and bought some burlap black acrylic paint and order me some stencils from HERE they have some great stencils with budget friendly prices.

I ordered so many stencils that I didn't know which one to choose.

went with this stencil (don't ask me what it say) but I love french

and this is were it went!! adorned by tub....

oh! I replaced the broken glass with a plexiglass from the Home Depot...

well my co-woker wanted it back after she seen this...LOL

Hubby and I went to Pennsylvania two weeks ago and bought back few antiques. I went looking for picture frames found this cute one and made me a "out to lunch" cork board memo board for my desk at work.  A little spray paint and a piece of cork.

BEFORE

AFTER...people was trying to buy it from me!!

 me and my best friend doing a pininterest craft class HERE

we had so much fun learned how to use MISS MUSTARD SEED MILK PAINT HERE

Now I must enjoy the rest of my weekend!!

Peace and Blessings my Friends

  

Vintage....

Hello wow me blogging two days normally I can't find enough time to blog. Well that will change I have so much to say and do that I want to share with my friends and fellow bloggers. In todays topic I am still doing what I love? Yup..you guessed it SHOPPING! see some of my best steals and deals below click the (HERE) and go straight to the website to find some of these great finds.

I was in Home Goods/Marshalls on Saturday and found these cute love the chicken wire its missing one of the rope handles so I got it for $15.00 instead of the price marked. I couldn't resist this to hold my magazines.

 

Everyone know I love vintage finds I was perusing a few of my fellow bloggers and came across a website HERE decorsteals.com (tell them I sent you) you must sign up for there emails and they will send you everyday what the steals and deals are, shipping is always $5.00 regardless of order! sign up and shop away.

 

looks good with my couch and Home Goods find!

 

Another décor steals was this bench wrapped in burlap with nail heads guess what I added to this cutie piece!!

 

I ordered several stencils from HERE

artistic stencil designs they have great designs and sale is going on now.

such an easy DIY to a great piece.

 

 

Have a blessed day and Happy Shopping.....

 

 

 

 

New projects!

Hello beloved's I have so many new projects in the works. I just placed an order for several new stencils and getting ready to make over my best friends guest bedroom so excited. I also have caught some uber good sales for the month of February and March. We all know that is the best time to shop for you winter clothing for next year? this is when you buy that coat you wanted that cost so much but now its 75% off yess!! go shopping....

So I found this great burlap fabric on website called Farmhouse wares Here

this fabric is so nice I decided  just do a small project with it. I re-upholstered a pair fold away stools that I keep in my kitchen for extra seating for guest. I said let me try them first before I do my wing back chairs.

 

turned out pretty cool!

 

Well remember I said catch those sales after the season. I had my eye on these cute UGG boots but the price oh my! they run for about $250.00. Well I waited until after the season and scored these babies on Here The Walking Company can I just say I love them.

Oh! and we still had some snow here in the big NY after I purchased them :)

 

You ever had a plant that died and you were left with the pot or those rolling cast iron thingies that go on the floor to keep the plant of your gorgeous hard woods or carpet!

After removing the wheels and putting some soft felt on the bottom (no scratches on my granite)

 I use this as a trivet does not take up a lot of space on the center of my island.

Goes so well on my kitchen island to hold my napkin and other items.

it really looks like that trivet came with the set?

Was shopping on Farmhouse Wares again and could not resist these wooden blocks.

I am still decorating them trying to decide what I want put in them? Here

 

Have a great day all!

Happy Passover and Easter He has risen!

 

 

 

 

 

Love shiny things!!

Hello beloveds, snow and more snow here on the east coast, but we are getting through this rough winter. I tell you February has been one month of just storms and piles of snow oh! and extremely bitter cold. With the bitter cold days it's wears on my allergies and sinuses. I would normally sleep with a window cracked just a little bit for some circulation of air in my bedroom, because its so hot in there . Well with all the -0 degrees we have been having that does not work. So I had a humidifier that I was using for a couple years but just wasn't misting, and getting in/out of bed to get the correct settings was annoying. So upon watching QVC (Love it) they had this cute humidifier with a remote, and it mist so well I keep it right next to my bed, this one actually keep the room moist not dry and I feel better.

Homedics dehumidifier Love this click link for great easy pay.

 www.qvc.com/HoMedic-Ultrasonic-Cool-Mist-Humidifier

 

Remote!!

 

So I found this beauty on JossandMain.com this is what I meant by Love Shiny things!

This lamp was worth and estimated $300.00 but because JossandMain has fantastic deals I actually got it for $150.00. Well the story behind this gorgeous bling is when the lamp arrived it had several imperfections. 1. the base was bent 2.the shade was broken. Me being my pleasant self was a little disappointed given the amount that was spent on the lamp

(courtesy of my husbands credit card)

Love you Honey!!

I called JM and immediately they was so sympathetic with my dilemma, the sent me another lamp at no cost to me told me to keep or toss the broken lamp!!! The broken lamp I banged out the bottom glued the shade and my living room is adorned with (2) of these beauties. Don't you just love customer service that take care of there loyal customers.

kudos to JossandMain!!

 

Me and Hubby hanging the crystals on lamps

 

 

another purchase recently was the infamous my pillows you all have seen those infomercials right! So I purchased (2) again my favorite internet shopping channel QVC Yess!! so when they arrived the instructions was place in dryer hummm!! for what I thought, well to make them fluff alive after doing that I can say, we sleep like royalty and I absolutely love these pillows.

you can also purchase directly from website or bed bath and beyond

http://www.mypillow.com/

 

 

 

Have a wonderful day Lovelies and happy shopping.

 

 

  

Change is good!

Hello beloveds another snowy, icy and wet day here in the east coast, but God is good. I have been busy making a few changes in my home. Starting with the wall color, I have been married five blissful years and love my husband dearly. When we first completed the renovation we painted the house a lovely light yellow. At the time I was in love with the color, but over the years of buying new furniture, curtains and nick knacks my lovely yellow has grown gruesome. So out to the home depot we go for a color change. I choose antique white paint and primer!  http://www.homedepot.com/p/BEHR-Premium-Plus-Ultra-8-oz-1823-Antique-White-Interior-Exterior-Paint-Sample-1823U/202181247

We absolutely love the color for now!!! that's my cute husband professionally painting I was told to stay away from the walls....LOL

In other DIY I painted a few tables to match this Antique White paint. I love any blues but my favorite is teal and robins egg blue. I just think these colors go well with my cottage chic décor of my home. So we painted a few tables and changed some things up.

In a previous blog from last year I painted this cute table white. It was wood and I just didn't like all the different woods. I found this at Marshalls about 2 years ago for $38.99 great find for solid wood table.

Stenciling walls or furniture just gives it a whole new look. So I pulled out my trusty stencils that by the way have adorned my walls in the foyer and bathroom. I put on top of this table! remember to use a little tacky spray along the edges of the stencil so that the stencil will not move while you are painting

 

Everyone knows that I am a fan of Annie Sloan chalk paint, but while getting paint at the home depot I was standing waiting for my paint to mix and came across this color and its the blue I was looking for! Its not Annie Sloan's but its a lot cheaper only $8.99 in Home Depot. You won't get that chalky chalky finish that you feel like Annie's but for this small stencil job and painting another table it did the job. You can also find this in Michael's craft store! Yup!! also $8.99 with 30% with coupon.

 

Ok!! so what do think?? cute I agree

 

I am in love!

This was the other table that I used the chalk paint with.

 

After painting I used a low grade sand paper to add just a touch of distressing.

 

After distressing the dust from the paint can get a little out of control. I bought out my Black and Decker small hand vacuum. This works wonder on dust and so quick and easy to use.

 

Then I made this burlap and hydrangea floral bouquet for my new tables and walls.

love using acrylic water in faux flowers makes it look so real.

 

Have a Blessed day Lovelies!

 

This picture of me is old when I hade silky brown hair.

debating should I let me hair back or keep it short?

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Crafting and more crafting!

Hello my darlings, I have been just a busy as a bee....first let me start by saying that nor'easter/blizzard we endured on Tuesday was a lot! Thank God I bought my husband a snow blower for Christmas, and guess what he couldn't wait to use it. My driveway is long and wide we can fit 6 cars in side by side. So imaging trying to shovel that, normally we would just shovel at the tip of the driveway and just leave the rest, but thank God for increase we got a snow blower!! Hubby was so happy playing with it he stayed outside yesterday for 3 hours. This was the best picture I could get of my wonderful husband using his new toy didn't want to put him on blast.

 

In other news I took a craft workshop at this place called the Suite Shop suitepieces.com this darling of a place offers crafting workshops once a month or every two weeks (click link for details). Well I decided to sign up for the classes and the first time I went didn't quite know what to expect? but it turned out to be great night, meet some great woman and had so much fun. Meet two lovely woman turns out one of them makes the prettiest jeweled broaches I will add her contact information as soon as I find the business card. Also meet another woman who husband just opened his on restaurant called HUSH hushamericanbistro.com well can I tell you after meeting her I made reservations the same night of the workshop for that Friday and this place the food is excellent, her husband is Celebrity chef Marc Bynum mbynumcreations.com and he made hubby and I feel right at home. 

 

These workshops go fast so when you see them better register....I had to friends very upset with me because they missed the registration and wanted to take the burlap wreath workshop which by the way was an encore workshop. Move fast!!

 

The workshops you can register on line and the class was $49.00 plus tax, only because you are paying for materials and the lovely wine and delicious homemade baked coffee cake and pastries that are so good! When you register for this particular class you have to give them the initial that you want on your wreath. I choose of course an O and painted it a Provence color blue with Annie Sloan chalk paint that they provide. Amanda the owner gives you step by step instructions on how to make it, and she also have workers that are right there to help you out.

 

 

The finished product of course I added a little bling to my wreath! You can put whatever you want they have an array of things to choose from the color matches my chair. This beauty is going to adorn my front door in the spring, I did not want to hang now with all the snow and rain. Although I will add some more bling to it also! Check out there website and register for some of there workshops you will not be disappointed.

 

before

after

Also in the Suite Pieces there are several antiques to purchase, this place is (2) floors of some of the greatest finds. They have a vendor in there called the Drapery Lady thedraperyladystudio.com well she reupholsters and make curtains the chair above is some of her great work. She is making me (2) covers for my wing back chairs made of drop cloth I cannot wait until they are done

(pictures to follow)  check out her website above and also on Facebook.

 

Hope you check out all the links that I have added and explore the places you will enjoy each and everyone of them.

 

Quick shout out to my NASA engineers niece Sabrina for finding love so happy for her and John.

Ladies it can happen!!! Stop being so picky and let God do it "wont he do it"

its ok to have list of what you want in a husband, I had one but I also asked God to send me who He knows is the right one for me.

 

 

 

 

 

Be Blessed!!!