A room to call her own

Betsy's little room has been such a work in progress!  We're in a rented house, far away from home sweet Seattle.. and far away from the comforts of home decorating (my favorite stores & fremont sunday market!!).  When we moved to Houston, I left behind all of my favorite things.  I don't know why.. I think it was because I knew that I would eventually come back to them, and seeing them in their perfect little places would make me feel like I was HOME again.

But that was a dumb idea.  Because now I'm far away, and I miss my stuff.  My vintage suitcases that I fill with christmas ornaments.... my collection of white ironstone.... my favorite and totally cheap spatula (I can't find the same one and it's driving me mad).

Anyway, the one room here that I really wanted to get right was Betsys.  She is almost two and I'm sure she couldn't care less... but I tackled this room first.  I mean, how could you resist pleasing this face??

Everything was done and fine, but one wall remained.  I couldn't find anything that I liked for it, so last night I made my own little masterpiece (errr, pieces).

I started with five "butt ugly" frames, as my mom would say....

        Then I got a little crafty

      and a little messy

   and here's what I came up with

I also added this cute little hook combo that I found (on another wall)

The americana print is from my husband's childhood home

every girl needs a place to hang her hat 

after a long day of roundin' up raisins and ropin' dollies

Her royal sofa..

photo credit: Robin Stubbert. Country Living Magazine

Check out this gorgeous english roll arm sofa!  Ever so "in" right now, a version of this sofa can be purchased by little old ME. Here is ours below, shown in

 "Rubino Flax", but also 100% customizable. 

www.sofasavvy.blogspot.com for details

Marburger Farm

I was just being a nosy neighbor, checking up on my favorite blogs, and I noticed over at Sweet Pea that the Marburger Farm antique show is coming up.  After quickly mapquesting where the heck Round Top Texas is, I found out that I am just 1 hour and 45 minutes away.  I googled Marburger Farm and found all sorts of wonderful photos from past years.

I am really excited to add this to my calendar!  Mark the dates if you live in Texas... March 30-April 3rd.  And please don't take all the good stuff.  With a stroller, I'm just not able to run as fast as I used to.  But I can use it as a weapon if need be, so watch your heels.  Shelley from Sweet Pea will be in Tent H and I can't wait to meet her in person.

Chalk talk

I am really missing my favorite flea market in Seattle right about now.  It's always around this time, after the dawn of a brand new year, that I'm inspired to buy a hunk of junk, save it with a facelift and bring it back to our 100 year old dutch colonial.  But this year, we are in Houston (until May.. so the countdown begins now!) and I just can't seem to find a comparable flea market.  I've found a few junk markets. And a few markets where I think I brought actual fleas home.. but no shabby chic sellin', vintage suitcase findin', flour sack buyin' flea markets.  If anyone out there knows of a place, please share.

I'm desperate..

will drive far

can bake you cookies...

Last week, I stumbled upon a review for the Texas Junk Company.  If you live near Houston, you should probably check this place out.  It wasn't quite all I hoped it would be (because it was dirty~ and I do mean dirty), but they have a ginormous selection of used cowboy boots in all sizes which is quite a sight, along with more frames than you can ever dream of.

Unfortunately, the place was cash or check only~ and of course, I had only nineteen dollars in hand, but I was lucky enough to come away with this, before I used the remainder of my chump change (is it chunk change or chump change?  I like chump) for an emergency Starbucks run on the way home.

30 x 40 with great details

and a burlap inset which made me do a jig in the middle of the junk

So, what to do with this little lovely?  Only one thing of course.  Chalkboard!!!!  We went over to Home Depot on Sat and bought a piece of cheap birch plywood and had them cut it down to 30x40. I primed and then spray painted the board using chalkboard paint.  Several coats later, I realized that I hate spray paint.  It makes me feel sort of out of control and I don't like relying on a tiny ball in a can to regulate my paint distribution.

Anyway, once the board was dry, I prepared the rest of my supplies.

The snapple seems irrelevant, but it was considered necessary.

The process was as follows:
tape, prime, paint.  Paint, paint, paint.  Sip.
Check on sleeping baby.  Still asleep.
Wait. Watch paint dry.
Sand.
Secure back with hinges.  Swear a little.
Remove hinges and start over.
Sip.
Secure wire on back to hang.
Hang on wall and admire work.

Here it is!

A nice big board for this nice bare wall.

with hints of the grey peeking through

please don't fall.

Favorite things

This new dresser in my favorite shade of grey

shabby chic goodness

symmetry
except...what is this I see?? 
top row, #4...do you see it?
oh it's going to drive me crazy! 

 a comfy cashmere throw..

a quilt which doubles as a tablecloth.. just because it can

This girl

A Christmas dinner do-over on Jan 5th because I was sick on real Christmas

our master bathroom, with separate his and her walk-in closets..

"hers"

Baby Jennifer makes her comeback

In 1977, I was given a Vogue Doll, which many of you will remember.  My grandmother picked her out just for me because she said that the doll looked like me.  Naturally, she was bald and so was I (at 16 months old).  I named this doll Baby Jennifer, after myself of course.  Baby Jennifer and I were inseparable for many years.  She went to the grocery store, the doctor, the dump... everywhere we went, Baby Jennifer went.  She tells a story of once being left at Mervyn's department store (back in the day when Mervyns was a pretty big deal).  My dad had to drive the 40 miles back to the store to retrieve her before she found her way to the trash.  Oh the things she's seen in her lifetime.

Years later, Baby Jennifer was stashed away in a drawer.  She was missing a leg and had been very well loved and worn.  What she needed was a nice long sleep.

Fast forward to Christmas of 2009.  My mom retrieved Baby Jennifer, had her repaired and given the once over by a baby plastic surgeon, and gave her to my daughter Betsy (20 months) for Christmas.  Betsy immediately took to her.  Maybe it was the blinking eyes of the little old cherub face, but it was such a treat to see her excitement with her new (32 year old) baby.