Little Sneak Peek~

Hi everyone, I hope you all had a wonderful holiday weekend!!~

 I just wanted to do a real quick post:

 A little sneak peek of some of the treasures going into my new booth at Country Roads. I've been making pillows like crazy, anything to get me through the day while I try to fight off my bad cold. I hate just sitting around!

Yes, the above photo is missing an element, can you guess what it is? I didn't notice until I took the photo. I'm finally finished with it now though.

I created the pillow from an antique grain sack and I stitched the monogram myself. I'm a sucker for anything with a monogram:)

My birthday is in 3 more days and I am so excited!! I was hoping to attend the ROTP show, but it just didn't work into the schedule this weekend. Hopefully I can go to the show in the Fall.

***I have a giveaway coming up soon, so be on the lookout!!~

Well, hope you all have a wonderful night.

Sincerely,

Melinda

Did You Know?~

 {Antique Euro grain sack pillow - Alabaster Rose Designs}

I stitched the monogram myself, I think it added a bit more interest to the pillow.

This one is off to Country Roads soon, hopefully I can give it up: )

Did you know?

~I'm so excited that I will be moving my space to a awesome new location in the next few weeks, thanks to the lovely Sue, and I am looking forward to really making it special. My huge hutch that I used to display my ironstone in here at home will be going as well and I'm hoping to fill it with ironstone and vintage grain sack pillows.

Did you know?

I have one blue eye and one brown eye? I was born with it.

Did you know?

I'm down 62 pounds since the end of October? I just bought myself my first pair of size 12 jeans in I can't remember how long!! Yippee!!~

Did you Know?

~I just chopped all of my hair off last weekend. It was past the middle of my back and now it's just below my ears. I know!!! But I absolutely love it and so does hubby! :)

Did you know?

 ~I think that I will be home schooling my oldest next year. I feel as though he is just getting left behind, so I think it's time for me to take the reins.

Gosh I hope I don't screw it up an make him dumb! Is that possible? 

 Did You Know?

I just got my student I.D. card in the mail today, so I am officially a photography student!

Did you know?

I'm going to be 38 in one week from tomorrow and my 19th wedding anniversary is coming up in August? Yes, I was married at 19 and I'm still madly in love with my hubby!

Just wanted to let you know! 

Have a lovely Sunday.

Sincerely,

Melinda

I'm Painting Again & Some Inspiration~

Good Morning all~

Yes, like the title says, I'm painting again! The living room is first and proves to be a bit of a pain. The previous gray color I painted in the living room is going to have to be primed first, I really hate that.

Once the living room/dining room is done, I'm onto my boys room. Poor things, their room is just a disaster! I'm going to re-do their room in a sports theme with vintage baseball's, baseball gloves, bat's, old leather footballs, and old photographs of school sport's teams from the early 1900's. I think it's about time to give them a real boy's room. My oldest is so excited.

I found some wonderful photos I thought I would show you until my rooms are done.

Enjoy the beautiful inspiration!

{via tumblr}

Love this bedroom above, that mirrored armoire is to die for!!~

 {via House and Garden}

I have a thing for vintage cabinets filled to the brim with white ironstone, so I love this photo!~

{via Country Living}

Love this for a guest room. I'm a sucker for vintage iron beds.

{via Country Living}

Love the cots and blue chippy cabinet in the background.

{via Country Living}

I've always loved this photo.

{via Country Living}

I want this kitchen!!~

The shelves, the sink , love it all!~

{via Country Living}

**SWOON**

Look at all of that glorious ironstone and transferware~

{via Country Living}

Wouldn't you love to live in a building with brick walls? Look at that ceiling!

{via Country Living}

Adore this living room!! 

{via House and Home}

This is truly dreamy!! Again, look at that fabulous cabinet full of ironstone, and the table and chairs, and white pendant lights, simply perfect!!~

{via Country Living}

Simply gorgeous living room!~

Have a great day everyone!!~

Sincerely,

Melinda

Flea Market Finds & Back To School~

Happy Monday all, I hope you had a wonderful weekend~

It was absolutely beautiful here in So Cal yesterday, warm temps and lot's of sunshine, finally!

Hubby was off yesterday so spur of the moment we decided to go to the flea market.

I am so glad we did, 2 of my favorite vendors were there and I picked up some wonderful things.

I got this great chippy aqua bistro chair from a favorite French vendor.

I made the pillow from yards of antique Euro grain sack fabric I purchased from another favorite vendor. I'll be selling these pillows soon in my booth at "Country Roads". If your interested in purchasing one or two, e-mail me and I can send you a Paypal invoice.

I have been looking for some aqua colored demijohns and finally found them.
If you ever wonder how to clean them, I sprayed the inside of mine with Clorox bleach spray and it got rid of all of the stuck on dirt. Soap and water just didn't cut it.

I also picked up these amazing French letters. One of them is dated "1786".

After the flea market, we went to the beach and had lunch, it was such a great day with the family!

On another note, I'm a student again!!~
I finally registered for my Photography program this morning and I am completely thrilled!!~ It finally feels like I'm on my way to pursuing my dream.  I can not wait to start learning everything I can about Photography!!
Wish me luck!

Have a wonderful week everyone, and thank you so much for always stopping by for a visit!

Sincerely,
Melinda

Happy Mother's Day~It's a Girl

Happy Mother's Day from my new baby Lola Rose~

Apple & Blueberry Tart~

Hi everyone, I hope your enjoying your week so far.

I had promised to share my cherry, blackberry, & pear tart recipe from last week,

unfortunately, everyone devoured it before I could take any photos. Living with 3 men, this happens quite frequently! :)

So last night I made an apple & blueberry tart which I think was even better. 

I like to use fresh fruit and berries if I can, but you can also use frozen as well. Just make sure to thaw them out and then pat dry really well with paper towels, otherwise the tart ends up being too runny.

Apple Blueberry Tart

This is a super easy recipe! I just use the frozen pie crust from Trader Joe's, which is the best pie pre-made crust I have found! You can always make your own, which I usually love to do, but with 2 boys, sometimes I just don't have the time. But I guarantee you will love Trader Joe's crust and it comes with 2 pie crusts in the box, so you can save one for later.

Prepare Dough~

The first thing you want to do is to thaw out one of the pie crusts for a few hours either at room temp or in the fridge overnight.

Now, when you unroll it from the plastic wrap, it will not come out all beautiful and perfect. It will probably come apart in pieces, but that's okay, just get your bread board, rolling pin, and a bit of flour and your good to go. 

First, knead the dough into a ball on your floured surface.

Second, using your rolling pin, or smooth round glass jar in my case, roll out the dough into a large smooth circle.

Make sure you keep flouring your surface and rolling pin so the dough will not stick.

Once you have it rolled out, place it gently into a metal pie pan.

*************

Prepare Apple & Berries~

Wash & peel about 3-4 large or 5-6 small apples and cut into thin slices.

 I used small Jazz apples for this recipe, but you can use whatever you prefer.

Wash 1 small container of fresh blueberries and pat dry.

Set aside.

 Add 1/ 4 cup cold water, 1/2 cup sugar, 2 tbsp corn starch, 1 tsp pure vanilla extract, and 1 tbsp of organic brown sugar to a saucepan.

Heat on low stirring to blend ingredients.

Add fruit & berries and stir well to coat.

Cook fruit for 2-3 minutes and then set aside to cool.

The sauce will be thick.

I usually let the fruit cool for about 10-15 minutes and then transfer it into the pie shell.

 Next, fold over the edges of the dough on top of the other to create a pretty pocket for the filling.

Next, brush the top of the dough with water or egg whites, and then sprinkle sugar on top.

I also sprinkle the fruit mixture with more brown sugar.

Place in preheated oven at 400 degrees for 35 minutes.

*There is no need to cover the edges of the crust with foil. I have never had an issue with the crust burning.

Cool for 25 minutes.

Serve with fresh whipped cream or vanilla ice cream, my favorite.

 I know this wasn't the most beautiful post, but I know you'll love making this simple and delicious desert~

Hope you all have a wonderful day.

Sincerely,

Melinda

White Rooms~

I got the huge vintage gate from "Country Roads" about a year ago. It was a beautiful white and chippy piece, but I ended up putting a clear coat on top of it to keep the paint from chipping off, not healthy for my boys, and it ended up turning the piece yellow. 

So last week I lightly painted it "Horizon" from Benjamin Moore. It turned out great because you can still see some of the chippy-ness coming through. You can see what it originally looked like here.
I think once I paint the walls, it will make the piece pop a little more. Right now it blends in to the wall.

It's about time for a bedding change. I've had this gorgeous White Whisper linen duvet from Rachel Ashwell Shabby Chic for the past 7 years and I have truly loved it!! Unfortunately, it is now starting to fall apart a bit at the corners of the duvet. Plus, I think I'm ready for some color! I'll be painting the walls in a couple of weeks in a color by Ralph Lauren.

A little shot of my living room above. The gray wall is not really doing it for me, so I will be painting that as well.

It doesn't look dark in the photo because I was playing around with my new PSE actions that I got from "My Four Hens".

I actually got them downloaded to Photoshop and I was so darn excited!!~ It's not an easy thing.

Also, excuse the ugly blinds, I still need to get curtains to hang in this space.

Joining the lovely Kathleen for White Wednesday at Faded Charm~

Hope you all have a lovely day!!~

Thanks so much for stopping by!!~

Sincerely,

Melinda

Guest Post ~ Becky From Houzz ~ Salvaged Sinks~

Hello everyone! My name is Becky and I'm a contributor at Houzz, a home design site focused on helping design professionals and homeowners manage the remodeling and decorating process. Thanks so much to Melinda for having me!

Hi Everyone! One of my favorite design moves is re-purposing and reusing salvaged items inside and outside of the house. One of the best items to reuse or track down is a salvaged sink. Whether you're in an older home that still has these fixtures intact, go on a treasure hunt at architectural salvage yards or cruise Craigslist, a vintage sink is often worth saving and can add loads of unique character for a fraction of the price of a new one. These beauties will add patinated style to bathrooms, mudrooms, potting benches and kitchens.

Be warned: Using a salvaged sink may mean you'll have a few tough conversations with your plumber or contractor as they may not have experience working with these pieces or may think that making a salvaged sink work will take a little extra elbow grease (it very well may). Stick to your guns and fight for your salvaged prize. I promise it will be worth it. Here's a little evidence. 

 traditional kitchen design by burlington architect Smith & Vansant Architects PC

The homeowner of this antique Cape in Vermont had been dreaming of a renovation for years, and while she dreamt, she amassed a vast collection of antique fixtures. In the case of this large vintage kitchen sink, her architect, Pi Smith, had to design the counters, cabinets, back splash and windows around it, but the results were well worth it. 

 traditional kitchen design by minneapolis interior designer RLH Studio

This large and unique silver sink originally hailed from Germany, but was put into this home in Minnesota many years ago. During a recent major renovation, the architect, interior designer, contractor, carpenter, plumber and the rest of the team worked very hard to save it and make it work in the reconfigured butler's pantry. The stunning result is an absolute showstopper! 

 mediterranean bathroom design by new york architect David Howell Design

Architect David Howell re-purposed this agricultural trough into a sink in a San Miguel, Mexico bathroom. He obtained the sink from a local farmer, and notes that there is even a notched-out section which let the little lambs drink beside the larger sheep. Charming stories like this one turn a sink into a fun conversation piece, as well as tie it to the home’s locale.

There's really no limit to the variety of styles available on the salvage market, whether you're craving a metal trough from an industrial shop or porcelain from a Victorian-era dentist's office. A quick internet search for architectural salvage will help you find sources in your community. Conversely, if you have one you can't use, a lot of these places are willing to buy and/or trade.

Thanks so much to Melinda for letting me stop by Alabaster Rose. I hope if you have a salvaged beauty you'll share it in the comments section! Find more salvaged material ideas from Los Angeles interior designers and more design professionals at Houzz.

Happy Weekend~

Hi everyone, I just wanted to wish you all a lovely weekend!!~

Coming up next week, I will have a special guest post from Houzz, and I will also be showing you a few photos of my bedroom mini re-do. 

I'm planning on painting it in the next couple of weeks, but I just thought I'd show you some of the changes I've made.

 You will be seeing these lovely flowers all around the house in the next couple of posts. I picked them up at my favorite store, Trader Joe's~  It was a hard decision because the store was packed full of beautiful blooms! What's your favorite flower right now?

**I also wanted to let you all know that I am sorry that I'm a little behind on my e-mails in regards to your sweet comments. I think from now on I will be replying directly to you underneath your comments here on my blog, that might make it a bit easier for right now.

Well, I'm off to take the cherry and pear tart that I made out of the oven. I'll post the recipe for it next week and hopefully I can get some photos taken of the tart before all of my boys devour it :0) The whole house smells delicious right now!
Wishing you a beautiful weekend and I hope to see you all back next week!!~

Sincerely,

Melinda

Dining Room~

Hi all. How's your day going so far? Mine is good. I took some photos this morning of my dining room that I switched around a bit. 

Take a look~

This is dried Ornamental Oregano. It smells so good~

This is my dresser in my bedroom. I changed things around in here as well. Photos coming soon.

Hope you all have a wonderful afternoon.

Sincerely,

Melinda