B & A - Chest

I picked up this old chest of drawers at the local Goodwill for $20.00 because I really needed some storage in the Living Room area.

After a good cleaning up and a light sand - it got primed and painted black.

Here it is today in its new home:

 Gotta love Goodwill Hunting!

Painted Brick and Mortar

I have been dreaming of painting the red brick on my home white for some time. I love the look of painted brick and mortar and I am still hard at work trying to sell the husband on the idea. This lovely little house by Harrison Design Associates is a perfect example of how amazing it can look - I already have the black door and the ivy - so I am almost there! 

Now that's Curb Appeal!

B & A - Black Interior Doors

The exterior of my front door has been black for years and I have finally gotten around to what I like to call Black Door Decor!

 I painted the inside of the front door and the closet in the foyer as well. What a difference - Why didn't I do this sooner?  I added some great glass pulls to the closet doors and I am really happy with the way everything came out!

I am trying to continue Black Door Decor throughout the whole house but for now at least the main level is done and I get to enjoy this:

Pumpkin Topiary

I love to make a stacked pumpkin topiary every year for the front porch sometimes with three pumpkins - sometimes with two. Here are the steps I followed to make mine:

Materials:

Large urn

fill dirt or gravel

1 large pumpkin

1 small to medium pumpkin

Wooden skewers

Dried moss

Hot glue gun

1. Fill urn with dirt or gravel

2. Break the stem off of the large pumpkin and position it in the urn

3. Stick some wood skewers in the large pumpkin with the sharp side facing up - I usually use 4

4. Position small pumpkin on top of large, gently pushing it onto the exposed skewers. This will stabilize the topiary and hold the smaller pumpkin in place.

5. Hot glue pieces of dried moss in between the pumpkins for a finished look. You can also use fall garland or raffia.

Badmiton

Via 

Badmiton has been around for centuries and I just love it because it so much easier for me than tennis.  We love to play when we are at the lake, especially in the early fall when the weather is a bit cooler and always have a great time.  Badmiton is said to have been originally played at a garden party of the Duke of Beaufort at his home in the country so we feel a little fancy (but don’t look it) when we are swinging away at that birdie!

How to play:

You need rackets, a birdie – also called a shuttlecock, and a net

Stand on opposite sides of the net in the opposite corners

The first player serves underhand

If the birdie hits the ground or goes out of bounds – the server gets the point or the receiver wins the serve

 The first player to get 15 points is the winner

It's even better if you can find some great vintage rackets.  I am always picking up them up at flea markets when I see them.  Sooooo much fun !!!!!

Packing a Picnic

Via

The weather is just absolutely perfect right now to get outside and enjoy a lovely picnic with your friends and family.  Here are a few tips for packing that picnic basket:

Choose foods that travel well and don’t require more than one utensil to eat

Pack the plates and utensils

Pack last what you will need first - like the picnic blanket

If your food requires cutting – do it at home and then wrap tightly

Pack cold foods in a small cooler so they stay cold

Remember:

Cups and glasses

Napkins

Salt and pepper

Trash bags

Citronella candles

Corkscrew

ENJOY!

Going to the lake...

Friend: "What are you doing this weekend?"

Me: "Going to the lake"

Friend: "AGAIN?"

But a weekend at the lake is something special - even if it is every weekend. A Saturday at home is very different than a Saturday at the lake. A Saturday morning at home is heading to the grocery store with a list and then Target, maybe even Home Depot. Saturday morning at the lake is getting out early with the fishing poles or just taking your coffee down by the water in the adirondack chair.

Saturday afternoon at home is watching your kids run out the door to be with their friends for the day and probably the night. Saturday afternoon at the lake is packing up the boat with the cooler, snacks, rafts, noodles, snorkel masks and most importantly the kids.

Saturday nights at home are in the kitchen preparing dinner or maybe ordering a pizza. Saturday nights at the lake are picking up fish and chips from town and bringing them down to the beach to watch the sunset or having long alfresco dinners on the deck until its time to start the bonfire.

Sundays at the lake are pretty much the same except with maybe the added benefit of bloody mary's and long bike rides- so Target and Home Depot will have to wait - this weekend I am "going to the lake".

 Via