The Not so Perfect Bed

I just read a great "how to" on making a bed look messy, on a blog called Funky Junk Interiors. And I am itching to give this a try.


Normally I make my bed... just so... each morning. And I like it.
 I really don't mind making it. 
But recently I've come across a few intriguing photo shots of shabby chic crumbled up, messy looking beds that have me... well let's just say, fantasizing. They look so romantic. I think I can do it. I'm going to try.


Here is how my bed at the Beach House normally looks:

 

Now I am leaving for a while to go try this... messiness...

Ummmnn ....that was fun. 

 I really love how it turned out and it was pretty easy, interestingly enough I had a duvet cover I purchased 2 years ago on sale that I never used, because I really like my rag quilt, and I was  thinking I would have to switch it out entirely. 

But with this idea from Funky Junk Interiors I could use it with my rag quilt, as an accent piece...yippeee! Get that pretty baby out of the closet! 

And i just crumpled up that duvet cover and fluffed it up on top of the rag quilt, and viola!

Here is the result...

                        

Pulled the bedsheets down a bit..

I just had to take another shot.

I love the new crumpled up look!

It's inviting.

And I have to show you the the cute little nite table that came with the house!

It stands on the right side of the bed.

I just gave it a fresh coat of Behr Cottage white paint.

It's chippy is ala natural, cause it got painted 4 years ago!!

The adorable plate on top serves as a landing spot at night for a drink, glasses, etc... I got it for 25 cents at a thrift!

Seashell found on the beach.

I love the touches of aqua in the leaves.

 Now I wont feel so bad when by bed's not picture perfectly made.

Comfy old chair gets a Beach Lift

  I had this old chair that I purchased around 1995 that was desperate for a re-do.It started out in my bedroom at home as a little escape for reading. Then it got pushed out of there for a exercise bike and relegated to the basement to withstand some character building abuse from the kiddos. 

  So in mercy, I drug it down the shore and stuffed into my tiny serene bedroom, where it hardly got any use till recently, when we had the back deck renovated and made it into a sunroom right off my bedroom which now houses all kinds of comfy furniture for taking in the view.

  So here is the before.... hardly fitting in with the beach vibe we were going for....right?

I really wanted to find a fabric similar to the one in this Coastal Living magazine picture below.

With a bit of a nautical vibe. (This was in my vision file since 2002) 

My vision file is just a file of stuff I love.

So I finally found the fabric I would use!

But I am such a procrastinator some times.

This was one of those times. I'd made a slipcover once before for my sofa and I sewed for 12 hours straight, just stopping for nourishment! It's not something I am great at and didn't really look forward to.

Finally though this job was going to get done!

And here is the end result:

It fits in the room much better now in it's new skin. And it's still one of my most comfy little chairs!

My little piece of Heaven

I found a Cottage in the best possible location. Everywhere i go is another great view.

This was driving back from dinner one night. I just love the sky blue pink. 

Remember that crayon color?

This picture was taken with my cell phone while the car was moving. Such a handy dandy device that blackberry! I love this sunset!

And the picture below of pink streaks across the sky from the sun setting, which I ran out to the bay to see but was a bit late to get pictures, but these pics I took from my Cottage, in the sunroom on the second floor... what used to be a tatty old deck... I love that I get to see the sun rise and when it does a fancy setting I see the colors from this location. Sometimes on a really clear night I can see the red lights of Atlantic City, some 60 miles clear up the coast.

And below are the gorgeous sunrise that sometimes wakes me.

 I love how the little boat was gliding by.

This is the place that has bought so many fine memories for me and my family.

I am forever grateful.

Thanks for stopping by!

The Pleasures of the Sea

There are always times when I relish the bussyness and the lovely summer colors that come with the activity of tourist season.
Here is one such moment. It remains one of my favorites.

I was just puttering around cleaning up in my sunroom and this came upon my view.

There were 2 sailboats, just off the coast.

 The great pleasure in this was a feeling of being at the beach, without even leaving home.
I watched as they glided on the surf.

I would have missed this 2 years ago, before I had the sunroom built.

Where the sunroom is, used to be a old cricketty deck that was too hot to go sit on, because the sun beat on it all day.

I would not have seen such a sight because I would never spend much time on the deck. Even though it had a great view and I wanted to, it was just too, too hot!

Now I am so glad I decided to have it built. Now I enjoy it so much, it serves as a whole other room for the family,and has served as a sort of family room on the second floor. It is just off my bedroom, and even sleeps people when everyone comes down together! 

This is the whole sunroom on a cloudy day. Later I will post some ideas I've used to decorate it.

That little starfish on the top right corner is what I used to make my signature below, tell me if you like it.

I'm linking up with "Show and Tell Friday" at Romantic Home

Thanks for stopping by!

Sepia Saturday

I found a fun new past time for Saturdays! It's called Sepia Saturday and it's a linky party at 
http://sepiasaturday.blogspot.com


You know I'm in!


In searching through some old photos I came across one of my Grandmom and Grandpop
 on my mom's side, circa 1915. How far photography has come! In this picture you can just about see the outline of the tree on the right in the background. Nowadays you would see every detail in the bark, and every leaf!

I really don't remember my Gramdpop as he died when I was very young.
 But I remember Grandmom very well. Because my mom and us 3 kids lived at her house with her starting in 1960.
I remember always making a beeline thru her kitchen to get to the back yard so I could go out to play.
Her telling me to "Slow down young lady, what's your hurry?"
I have my Grandmom's wedding dress. She was married in 1910. One day I will take a pic of it to post. It is in great condition, except for one thing. There was a 5 inch square cut from it when I found it in my mother' s chest. And mom told me someone must have cut it for something old for the wedding tradition. Perhaps one of my aunts or their daughter's. 
She had 10 children. My mom and her sister Marge looked alot alike. The only one left now of those ten is my Uncle Bill I usually see him once a year down the shore, at Labor Day. last year I grilled him for all he could remember. And he has an amazing memory. 
I had to write it all down because he remembers so much.


I loved helping her grind up ham for hash with that old steal meat grinder we'd clamp onto the table.
And Grandmom did her chores all day except she took a 3 hour break each and every day to watch the soap operas from 12 to 3. "As the World Turns" so do the sands of time.... Anyone remember that?
And 2 others, maybe General Hospital. Then she went back to more chores. 


I remember when Grandmom took to her bed and died at home in her own room.
It was around the time  JFK was killed. Maybe 6 to 10 months prior. 
I think passing away at home with your loved ones near is a true blessing.

Oh How I love white!
White on white. Off white on white. Blue on white. Green on white. Pink on white.

the pillow warehouse


Loving the touch of yellow below:

Coastal living

Below is just one of the most adorable things you can do with fabric:


Coastal Living

A splash of any color looks exceptional against a white background. Here pink works it's magic.
I especially love the rug!


Coastal Living

1st on the list..Kitchen chair makeover

It's time for my once gorgeous kitchen chairs to be renewed. They have taken a severe beaten over the last 5 years from a set of 3 otherwise fine teenagers. My son has continually rolled back on his chair, and completely loosened up the bolts underneath the chair to the point that the leg is practically dangling off.
And the screws have worked their way out of the seats as well,on 3 out of 6 chairs.
Will be posting pics of the before chair tomorrow!

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Here is how the chair re-do turned out.

Some new Fabric-----> It only took 2 and a half yards for 6 chairs!

 

Some fresh Paint

<------ remember this looked like this:

 

The final chair

Remember how bad they were:

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It's time for my once gorgeous kitchen chairs to be renewed. They have taken a severe beaten over the last 5 years from a set of 3 otherwise fine teenagers. My son has continually rolled back on his chair, and completely loosened up the bolts underneath the chair to the point that the leg is practically dangling off.

And the screws have worked their way out of the seats as well,on 3 out of 6 chairs.

 Pics of one of the before chairs :

Yes, that is a leg hanging off that you see!

And your eyes are not playing tricks on you, the seat is hanging by one screw!

I'm all for chippy,  but this is a bit much.

So out comes my trusty paint brush and some brand new fabric.  Let's see if I can tackle these chairs, There are 6 of them... hummmnnn ....this could take  time. 

Maybe next week.

Linking up with Funky junk Interiors