Bon Giorno!

I just returned from a fabulous trip to Italy! I feel like such a worldly traveler now! Although this this is the first time I've been out of the country :} In a week's time I saw Rome, Siena, Montecatini, Florence, Santa Margherita and Portofino. That's a lot to see in a short amount of time! Magnificent architecture, fascinating culture and so full of history. I enjoyed the Tuscany region the best. What beautiful scenery!! There's no way to describe just how picturesque it really is. Unbelievably decadent food, wine, and my absolute favorite - gelato! Good thing there was so much walking involved to work off those extra pounds! If you haven't been to Italy,you have to experience it for yourself. You won't be disappointed. It's a very romantic place to be!

Ciao bella!

Peter, Peter, Pumpkin Eater

Here's something fun for your fall outdoor decorating. I got the old window screen at the What Cheer Flea Market this Summer and thought I would try painting a design on the screen part. Doesn't Fall make you think of pumpkins and Halloween! BOO!

Little Girls Are Special

It's a beautiful gown with a flowing train of silk organza and a sheer overlay. Pearls and appliques were applied with the utmost care. No, I didn't buy this dress with the anticipation of a marriage proposal!I got it at a garage sale to use for the fabric! For some reason it's owner no longer felt a romantic connection to the dress with a $1 price tag! I envisioned using the sheer part to make chair skirts on one of my current projects. I took this photo to commemorate the dress before I dismanteled it into sections!

Here's how my vision turned out! It's a child-size table and chairs that's been transformed into a fairy-princess tea party setting! That wedding dress would have been boxed up in somebody's attic and most likely never to be seen again. But look at it now! All sweet and frilly little chair skirts! What little girl wouldn't LOVE to be the princess seated at this table? Isn't that what you always wanted to be? I know I did!

Bloom Where You're Planted!

I've been spending most of my spare time working on the landscaping of the house I just moved into. It's been more of a challenge than I anticipated!

Apparently an extremely large tree used to stand majestically in this spot in the backyard for many decades. By the size of the remaining stump, it must have been massive. I could see that there was no way to get equipment in to remove the stump so I incorporated it into a perennial garden! You can see that I even used the stump to display my newest acquisition, an old ventilator from some farm building. I really wanted a cool cupola off a barn but this rusty piece will work fine for garden art!

I hauled these three deer with me from Colorado and they seem right at home among the hostas! They're not just for Christmas decorating anymore! They actually light up and I thought it would be fun to have them twinkling out there under the tree. Kind of like those lightning bugs that come out after dark!

I've got a lot of outdoor projects that need attention! And I still need to get things in order inside the house, too. I had to do some major downsizing moving from a 3 bedroom house with a large 2-car garage to a 1 bedroom place with 1-car garage! That was the hard part. So I had a garage sale, closed my eyes, and let a lot of my favorite things go. But, I'm doing OK with it. Sometimes change is a good thing! We could all use a little less STUFF!!

Before and After

I always like to see what something looks like before a make-over, don't you? It's interesting to see how it looks after! In doing my own projects I usually forget to take a 'before' photo or else I think of it when I'm partially into it! I made a point to take these pics of projects in the condition I got them and then the finished piece. Sometimes I forget just how bad these items started out!

Hey Baby! Gold velvet was hip back in the '70's!

Now, isn't this much better? It just looks like it would be fun to sit in!

Yikes! By the looks of the oil stains, it spent time in an old garage. A little bit of paint and it has a new life with a French Country flair!

This is a genuine 'Roos' cedar chest that still has the original labels inside. It might have looked OK 'as-is' except for the dog chewed off corner! So I painted it! Not a great shot, but you get the picture!

Once I get a spot cleared out in my compact garage to work on my projects, I will be on the look-out for more 'trash-to-treasure' finds! I guess my truck will just have to get used to sitting outside!

Dreams Really Do Come True

My favorite place when I would come for a visit in Cedar Falls is the Barn Happy. www.barnhappy.net It was always a top priority to have lunch there. The sandwiches and quiches are awesome, and I was hooked on the flavored ice teas! The vintage tables and serving trays really made it a nostalgic experience and the atmosphere is upbeat and .... well ... HAPPY!!

Barn Happy also has some interesting items to purchase both in the main part and upstairs in the 'hay loft'. There's a plethera of unique things upstairs! Everything from antiques to vintage, with some retro thrown in, too. I always wished that I could have a place like this to sell my unique one-of-a-kind pieces.


And now, I am excited to say, my wish has come true!! I am a part of the Barn Happy family! It took some major effort to get my projects completed, what with not having an adequate workspace and moving, but it was worth the effort! I've found my bliss!!