Stairway To Home

"Let it snow, let it snow, let it snow."

2012-01-13T14:01:00.000-08:00

Finally...snow! I wish it could have been here for Christmas, but it's hear now and I'm thankful for that. I know this snow creates hazardous road conditions and my thoughts are with everyone who has to travel in it. But fortunately for me, I don't. In fact, I even had a snow day today and was able to stay home with my babies all day. There were probably a million things I could have/should have done today, but I decided to just enjoy the time home with my children. However, one thing I did do was to treat myself to something I haven't had in a very long time....a nap. It was very much needed. And since I was home all day I thought it was a good time to snap a few pictures of our basement to share with you. My basement has no windows or natural light so it's a little tricky to get my pictures to turn out just right. It seems everything looks a little brighter than in real life. However, I hope you enjoy all we've done.

Early Morning Lights

2012-01-07T16:12:00.001-08:00

For the past 6 month's I've been very neglectful to this blog. Not because I don't enjoy blogging or the wonderful people I've meet through this technological ingenuity known as "blog land", but more so because life happens and I find myself stretched in too many directions. However, with the start of a new year I decided to take more time for myself and my passions. I will try my best to post more often because it does give me an escape from the hectic world that surrounds me. Today I will start with a small sample of pictures I took this morning while the early lights shined through my windows. Everyone in my house was still sound asleep while I sipped my coffee with hazelnut cream and decided to take some pictures. It truly is the simple things in life that make me happy. Enjoy!

DIY Colonial Floorcloth

2011-06-22T05:38:00.000-07:00

Recently while exploring the Country Sampler website I realized I was the featured DIY project. It was for making my colonial floorcloth. It really was a lot of work, but so worth it in the end. If you would like to read the how to article, you can by clicking here: Colonial Floorcloth. If you decide to start one I would love to see some pictures.

I hope everyone is having a wonderful 2nd day of summer!

Take Care,
Janice

Still a Work in Progress

2011-05-15T06:36:00.000-07:00

Hello Everyone. I know I have went on and on about our never ending basement project with some pics and hints here and there. I was hoping to have it all finished before showing more photos but I think there is enough done to give you the idea. I have some more decorating to do, more chair rail to hang, the poles around the kitchen need finished, the sink isn't put in yet...you get the idea. However, I am so pleased with the projects that I do have done I would like to share some pics with you.

Enjoy!

Here is the view of our kitchenette from the living room area. Under the plate rack a sink will soon be installed. Our cabinets are a black distressed cherry from Kraft Maid and the counter tops are custom made from figured maple.

Here is another view from a small eating area.

Here is a different eating area on the other side of the room.

A small sitting area at the end of the basement. Please don't mind the dusk under the chairs, I didn't even know it was there until I shot the picture. : )

Our bathroom is small, but it has all the amenities one would ever need in a basement.

I love my sink!

A little desk area to fill an awkward corner. I've had the primitive style table top desk for a long time and was so excited when I finally found a home for it.

There is more I will show you when I get done. If anyone is interested in the paint colors, I choose Sandpiper for the walls, and Kiln for the trim and underneath the chair rail. I got the idea for the Kiln color from a great friend, Dan. He did some extensive painting in his home using the color Kiln. Thanks again, Dan! All the colors are from Home Depot and are Martha Stewart brand colors.

I'm off to do some dusting...but thanks for taking the time to stop by and look at my never ending basement project.

Janice

Rainy Day Re-Do

2011-04-06T10:05:00.001-07:00

Today there is a chill in the air and rain tapping on the window. I'm taking a break from painting in the basement to look for items to decorate it with . I am going for a red, blue, and mustard look down there...so I decided to raid my bedroom. I stole the blankets, pillows, pictures, and even curtains to use throughout the basement. After I got done raiding my room, it looked a little bare. So then I went into the closets and did a quick "no cost" redo.

Here is a glimpse of what my bedroom looked like before....

Here is the after....

There is still some tweaking to do such as fixing the curtains, sweeping up dust bunnies, and putting back the mess that "re-doing" a room creates. Or, I could just hop in bed and take a nap. : ) I hope you enjoyed my "rainy day re-do".

Take Care,

Janice

I've Been Exposed

2011-03-25T13:03:00.000-07:00

My home is featured in the April/May Edition of Country Sampler Magazine. It was an amazing experience to have my home photographed, and an even more amazing to actually see it in print. If you get this magazine I hope you enjoy the article!

We continue staying busy by working on our basement. When I get it a little further I will post some photos. Our basement will also have the colonial touches but be different from our upstairs. Please stay tuned, there are more photos to come!

God Bless,

Janice

Winter Weather

2011-02-02T17:06:00.000-08:00

I've enjoyed two snow days in a row now. I'm watching the local news and schools are already closing for tomorrow, but I haven't heard if I'm off yet or not. I actually the weather, and not just because I'm a teacher. : )

Here's a glimpse of all the fun I got to have with my children today.

This is my daughter's first sledding experience. I think she'll enjoy it more next year.

I think they would rather just be pulled around in the snow as I was doing here. It was so much fun...but exhausting!

And here is what we've been working on for what seems like forever now. It's our basement. The drywall is finished, the plumbing, wiring, and heating are done, too. Now on to the first fun part, the paint. I chose a neutral tan on the top and a red on the bottom. I will put a piece of chair rail in the middle and also paint it red. I think it will finish it off nicely.

The poles will be wrapped in wood and I have some blackened tin sconces that will be electrified on each pole.

Here is the other side of the room where my kitchenette will go. I have already ordered my cabinetry, perhaps the small jelly cupboard will give you a glimpse of what it will look like. They will be here on February 23rd and once installed I will show you how they look.

Here is the wall that will soon be gone. We are tearing out this wall to open up the stairway with a colonial railing. I'm very excited about the stairway.

As you can see from today's post, between two small children, working full time, and this never ending basement project...I've got my hands full. I would like to post more then I do but finding the time isn't always easy. However, I will post as often as I can and keep you updated to the basement progress. I hope everyone is enjoying this beautiful winter weather and staying safe.

Thanks for stopping by!

Merry Christmas

2010-12-22T09:40:00.000-08:00

"To everything there is a season, and a time to every purpose under heaven."

ECCLESIASTES 3:1

Please enjoy few of my Christmas photos.

May you all have a happy, healthy Christmas!

Autumn

2010-09-24T13:47:00.001-07:00

I had to post a pic of my son last year on Halloween. I thought it was so fitting with my blog title. I am in the process of getting my house decorated for fall. As soon as I finish and take photos I will post them for you all. I hope you're enjoying the beautiful weather!

Looking for ideas...but just love looking!

2010-09-07T16:06:00.000-07:00

As many of us have in common, we love decorating our houses and and making our houses our homes. I spend a lot of time thinking about my house...what I like about it and what I would change. Although I feel I am very lucky to have a home I love, the obsession with wanting to change things is still within me. So I love searching for new ideas. Not only that, but as I've mentioned many times before, we are finishing our basement. I plan on putting a small kitchen down there. Because of that I have spent a lot of time looking at pictures of kitchens on the web and trying to get ideas. I also spend a lot of time looking in magazines, blogs, and picture trail sites to get ideas. My problem is I like too many things and I can't make up my mind as to what I like best. I was convinced for the longest time I wanted a red kitchen in my basement, but after finding these images now I'm not so sure. I love rich coloial colors, but I also like the simplicity of the white. Please view the following photos and let me know your opinion of the style you are drawn to. And also, if you have any additional images or ideas, please leave a comment on my blog with the website address. I need ideas, plus I love looking at the pictures. So, if you're anything like me you will enjoy the following photos.

Wedding Stills and Sunflower Fields Forever...

2010-08-20T18:45:00.001-07:00

My sister got married a few weeks ago. She wed on the shores of Northern Lake Michigan. It was a small ceremony with only immediate family. It was honestly the most beautiful wedding I have ever been to. Way back when I got married I thew a huge production. My only regret was no eloping. Too much stress and too much worrying about pleasing everyone else but yourself. This seemed so much more special to me. Don't get me wrong, I did love my wedding...but I couldn't resist sharing these photos with anyone willing to look at them.

My brother-in-law and his oldest daughter (one of the flower girls) walking to the ceremony...

My sister's bouquet and my daughter's sandals in the background

My sister and my niece after the ceremony

After the ceremony my sister and her husband took a moment to soak it all in. Of course I was standing watch to make sure I caught a photo of the wonderful moment

My darling babies...

Then to top off an already perfect vacation, on our way home we decided to take the back country roads. Suddenly I yelled, "Stop!" My husband slowed down quickly. Look what we got to see, the most beautiful sunflower fields I've ever seen.

God Bless America!

New Chandelier

2010-07-23T10:16:00.001-07:00

I wanted to show you a few pictures of my latest find. It's a wood chandelier that's non electric. I've been looking for one for a long time to hang in my living room. When I found it the colors were a little bright for me, so I painted it and aged it a little bit. The process for aging it consisted of painting it the red base color, adding stain, then dusting it with some black spray paint. I am very pleased with the look. Enjoy!

New Bench

2010-07-06T05:30:00.000-07:00

Last time I posted I mentioned I bought something new. Well here it is, a primitive colonial settle bench. I've always wanted one. There is a man not too far from where I live who builds furniture. His pieces are very primitive but I like to add touches of his work and other primitive styles throughout my house. I think it adds a nice touch.

I placed the bench in my foyer and replaced the plank bottom windsor style that previously sat there. I then moved that bench to another hall in my home. What I love about this settle that you don't typically see are the cubbies and small cupboard door in it. Not only is it cute, but it makes for great storage.

The settle also angles back so it's actually comfortable to sit it. I really love this bench. To check out more furniture like this go to: Old Tyme Sales/Homestead Antiques.

And Lastly...here is my baby girl. She will be 1 year old at the end of this month. Goodness, how time flies!

Monday Make Over's

2010-06-28T05:13:00.001-07:00

Master Bedroom Before

Master Bedroom After

I wanted to simplify the look so I got rid of my red curtains, changed the wall displays around, and hung my favorite quilt above my bed. I'm very happy with the look, it just feels cooler in this hot and humid weather.

Breakfast Nook Before

Breakfast Nook After

While garage saling I found this little fireplace. I instantly fell in love and had to have it. Although it was dirty and white with many ornamental decals placed on it, I could see it simplified and painted. I'm sure it will find many places to go throughout my house, but I like it in the breakfast nook for now. I'm still not sure what I'll put inside it. I have thought about a colonial fire board, or possible logs...but, the crock works for now. Perhaps I'll put some flowers inside the crock and call it good. I'd love to hear what everyone thinks.

And yesterday I found something I've been wanting forever. I've working on placing it in my home, but whenever you bring something new in it seems you have to rearrange everything else to make room. So, I'm not quite done...stay tuned, I think you'll really like it!

I hope everyone has a wonderful week and that you enjoyed my Monday Make Over's. To see more Monday Make Over's...check out this link: Between Naps on The Porch.

Outside Photos

2010-06-24T17:01:00.000-07:00

Here are some of this year's outdoor images. Below is the back and side of my house.

Directly below is the side of my house off my back deck.

I have a large grouping of landscaping on this side of the house. The large snowball bush will hopefully completely cover my air conditioning unit soon.

Here is an angle of my front porch. I added the flower boxes last mothers day. They were a present to myself. Although I love the look, they are so much work!

The window boxes on the other wing of the house.

Garage side of the house.

Here is the angle of my house to show my "island". I desperately wanted to hang a flag somewhere but didn't want the metal flag pole. Therefore, I attached my flag to the side of a tree.

This summer I choose a yellow and red flower scheme. I have many Day Lillie's planted around my house (they are my all time favorite flower). I love the golden yellow color of Day Lillie's and the fact that they bloom all summer. The red flowers are petunias, the yellow are also petunia's and marigolds.

I love working in the yard. My house is only a few years old so my landscaping isn't quite where it needs to be. I still want to put more flower beds into my back yard and bring in more trees. Anyways, I hope you enjoyed the outdoor images I have to show you.

New finds, projects, kids...

2010-06-11T19:19:00.000-07:00

Hurray...schools out for summer! It reminds me of the old song, "schools out, schools out, teachers let the fools out, no more pencils, no more books, no more teacher's dirty looks!" And although I'm so happy to be on summer vacation, I was very sad to send my students off for summer. But when one door closes, another opens, and now I can dedicate all my time to my two children who I love more than anything in this world! Who wouldn't want to celebrate that?! Below you will see what we've been doing to stay cool through the hot and humid weather. And although I would love a pool like Dan's (http://dan-yesterdayoncemore.blogspot.com), the squiggle wiggle worm will have to do for now! : )

(Oh yeah...baby!) Don't you just love the expression?!

Recently I had some time to do a little crafting. Like I always say, you all inspire me so much to get hands on and make more things myself, so I decided to do some crafting. Therefore, my mother's day present to myself this year was to make a silhouette of my son and daughter. They have already found many locations throughout my home. I just love how they turned out!

In addition to being a full time teacher, mother, and crafter...I'm a full time shopper. Below are my latest finds. A huge sampler that is perfectly prim and two pewter nesting bowls.

Here is the sampler.

Here is the smaller pewter bowl.

Here is the larger bowl on my breakfast nook table filled with apples.

I hope you all enjoyed this post!

Dreaming of...

2010-05-07T11:19:00.001-07:00

Life has been super busy for me lately. I'm finishing up the school year and have been up to my neck in paperwork, testing, and meetings. I have also been very busy at home. We've been working on our landscaping beds by freshening up the mulch, clearing and cleaning out an empty lot behind our house, bringing in trees, and beginning our plantings for summer. With all that's been going on with me at work and at home, I haven't had much time to make any posts. However, I have been checking every one's blogs that I follow and greatly enjoying them! I'm amazed by how talented you all are, you are all truly inspirational. I wish I could show you my new garage sale or thrift store finds, but unfortunately I don't have any. I wish I could show you the crafts I've been working on, but I haven't been working on anything. I also wish I could show you how I've been rearranging my house, but nothing has changed. I do have a plan for my bedroom so as soon as I get it done, you will all be the first to see it. But because I don't want to leave you all high and dry...below are some photos of things I wish to someday see at my house. Please enjoy the following photos!!!!

This is my dream shed and pool. I don't have either one of them yet, but when (or if) I do...I want them to look exactly like this!

This is the red kitchen I want to put in my basement when we get ready for it. I also would like the beams if I could have them. I haven't decided if I would paint the trim in the basement the same red, or accent the red with a more greenish or pewterish color trim. (Are greenish or pewterish real words?!? I think you get what I'm saying.)

Okay, after seeing this kitchen I might want a pewter/greenish colored basement kitchen cabinet with red trim and matching red island. Again, I would take the wood beams.

This is the sink I would like to put in my basement bathroom. It's a red cabinet with a vessel sink on top of it. Every time I'm out junkin' I keep my eye out for a piece of furniture I can make into a sink, but so far I've been unsuccessful. I also like the sconces and will take those for each side of my mirror.

Thank you all for visiting me today!

Spring Break

2010-04-07T06:11:00.000-07:00

Spring Break is here and gone for me. I enjoyed my time home with my children and will be sad to have to go back to school tomorrow. However, we had a wonderful time on Spring Break. My husband was also off this week so we were able to spend quality family time together, get some house projects done, and I also got some much needed "mommy time" doing things without children.

I've been wanting chair rail in my kitchen since we built our house. It was one of those things my husband said, "we can always add that later" because we were on a budget. The problem with that is that later can mean way down the road. But since we were both on spring break I said we are getting it done. I painted it up and my husband and his brother hung it for me. I think it looks great! Now I'm contemplating painting underneath it the same color as the trim, but for now I'm enjoying it just as it is.

New Chair Rail in the Kitchen

After we finished the chair rail I had a rug that I've been working for for a very long time (almost a year). It was one of those projects you need motivation to finish. And since I had got the chair rail complete, I found my motivation to finish the rug that goes under the kitchen table. It's not really a rug, it's more like a floor cloth. I'm not the best at doing them, but there are something I love and couldn't afford to buy, so I just starting making them myself. Below is a photo of my new kitchen rug.

Kitchen Floor Cloth

Here is a photo of the chair rail and rug together. I just love the look!

In addition to getting some house projects done, one day I took some "mommy time" and ventured off to Findlay, OH to explore a shop I had never been to. It's called Early American Home. If you are ever in the Findlay area I highly recommend going. There is so much to see and really great prices. I didn't take pictures but you can go to their website and click on gallery. It will show you some good pictures of the shop. http://earlyamericanhome.net/

I also visited many of our local antique and country shops. Below are some of the goodies I purchased.

PRIMITIVE WOODEN SPOON HOLDER AND PRIM SPOONS

PRIMITIVE THERMOSTAT COVER

PERFECT SIZED COLONIAL LOOKING GLASS

Spring Throughout

2010-04-02T08:30:00.000-07:00

Spring around my house. I will admit, I'm not the best photographer but I've tried my best. Enjoy!

2010-03-27T14:05:00.001-07:00

Today my son turned 3 years old. I can't believe how quickly time flies by. Between

my husband and I we have a pretty large family so I decided to rent out the swimming

pool at our local Holiday Inn. My son loves anything John Deere, so of course we

had to have a John Deere themed party. I've been meaning to post some pictures of

my house decorated for spring, but planning a birthday party is exhausting! Enjoy a

few pictures from my son's 3rd birthday party.

Check back soon for a peek into Spring at my house.

Compromise

2010-03-15T17:00:00.000-07:00

My husband doesn't usually care how I decorate, as long as he has a comfortable place to rest...and of course his tv. I tried talking my husband into no television in our front room and just putting a television in our basement when we get it finished. Of course that idea didn't fly. So...while out on a routine antique/thrift/junk outing, I came across the most beautiful cabinet. I thought and thought about it, actually, I think I obsessed about it. Finally I told my husband I was just going to look at it one more time this weekend to admire it. Once I looked at it again I was hooked and had to have it. I bought it on Sunday, hauled it home, and spent the afternoon getting the television and all it's components put back in it. After much grief and griping, my husband has finally admitted how much he too likes it. It's so much better than how the tv was before. Now I've been playing with the much needed storage and display space on top. Compromise is a good thing, my husband still has his tv and I have a beautiful cabinet to hide it. What do you think?

DECORATING ON A BUDGET

2010-03-07T07:20:00.000-08:00

One thing I've always been able to do fairly well was to buy items on a budget. I love to garage sale, shop thrift shops, and shop online auctions because it helps achieve the look for less. I've been pretty good about purchasing almost all my furniture used, then I paint it or reupholster it to make it look new. When I tell people that, they don't believe me. But trust me, if I had an unlimited amount of money there are a few shops that I could go wild in buying everything. However, there are some pieces I don't have much of yet and would love to begin collection such as salt glaze pottery and blue agate Bennington pottery. I haven't been able to find deals on these things yet, but in time. Here are a few more home pictures showing my budget decorating.

A Recent Email I Recieved

2010-03-02T06:20:00.000-08:00

It seems many people have been dealt some bad hands in the card game of life lately with passing of loved ones. A month and 1/2 ago my husband and I lost his grandfather to pancreatic cancer. We were fortunate enough to be able to tell him we loved him until the end. Unfortunately so many people aren't able to do so. That is why I feel this email I received is so significant and important words to live by. Enjoy...

What if there isn't anymore?
One day a woman's husband died, and on that clear, cold morning, in the warmth of their bedroom, the wife was struck with the pain of learning that sometimes there isn't "anymore". No more hugs, no more special moments to celebrate together, no more phone calls just to chat, no more "just one minute." Sometimes, what we care about the most gets all used up and goes away, never to return before we can say good-bye, say"I love you."
So while we have it, it's best we love it, care for it, fix it when it's broken and heal it when it's sick. This is true for marriage, and old cars, and children with bad report cards, and dogs with bad hips, and aging parents and grandparents. We keep them because they are worth it, because we are worth it.
Some things we keep -- like a best friend who moved away or a sister-in-law after divorce. There are just some things that make us happy, no matter what.
Life is important, like people we know who are special... and so, we keep them close!
I received this from someone who thought I was a 'keeper'! Then I sent it to the people I think of in the same way. Suppose one morning you never wake up - do all your friends know you love them?
I was thinking...I could die today, tomorrow or next week, and I wondered if I had any wounds that needed to be healed, friendships that needed to be rekindled or three words that needed to be said.
Let every one of your friends know you love them. Even if you think they don't love you back, you would be amazed at what those three little words and a smile can do. And just in case I'm gone tomorrow...
I LOVE YA!!!
Live today because tomorrow is not promised

Our Home

2010-02-24T12:05:00.001-08:00

It seems like only yesterday I was pregnant with my first born. At the time of my pregnancy my husband and I had our home on the market, hoping to sell before the baby arrived. We needed to get out of our current house as soon as possible because we had bought some property and were so excited to start the process of building our second home closer to our jobs. The months passed and we hadn't got much activity on our old home, and the pregnancy was getting further and further along. Then it happened...I went into labor! While at the hospital for the joyous occasion we received a call from our realtor...two competing offers. Throughout the 32 hour marathon labor and the phone calls going back and forth from my husband to the realtor, we agreed to the number and sold our house! After returning from the hospital we had two weeks to move. Perfect timing don't you think?! However we managed to move, rent a home, and begin the process of building our new home. During the building process we lived out of boxes, I took care of a newborn, worked full time, and began going back to school to get my master's degree. Not so fun! Since then we have happily moved into our new home which is pictured here, decorated rooms (although some aren't quite done yet), done some landscaping, I finished my masters degree, and oh yeah...had another baby. My life is a crazy life, but it's a darn good one. Enjoy some of the photos from the building experience.

Home Photos

2010-02-23T12:25:00.000-08:00

I call it cleaning, my husband says I only move things around. I guess when I move things around it seems like cleaning to me...only much more fun. This is how I've been cleaning lately...