Sophia's

Homemade Chalk Paint

2012-02-10T23:12:00.000-05:00

Okay, I love Annie Sloan Chalk Paint, but...

it's not readily available here in Raleigh and it gets expensive if you're constantly re-painting furniture and love to have dozens of colors on-hand to work with. I've been wanting to try a homemade version of the paint for quite a while as well as the Cece Caldwell chalk paint that is another alternative to the Annie Sloan chalk paint. There have been several bloggers experimenting with concoctions for months and it seems many prefer using calcium carbonate mixed with latex paint. Hats off to Sherry at No Minimalist Here (Don't you just love that name? Heaven knows I'm not a minimalist!) for coming up with the recipe!

My calcium carbonate order from Amazon finally arrived and I couldn't wait to try it out. I haven't looked for a source for calcium carbonate locally, but I'm sure it's around. I wanted to test the new paint mixture on a small piece of furniture in case it didn't turn out and this footstool (I keep finding these!) was the guinea pig. Here's the before:

Since I had some Martha Stewart "Spring Melt" already in a small container, it was super-simple to whip up a batch. This paint color is a nice subtle green-blue-gray that goes great with taupes, creams, and other neutrals...

It took a bit of stirring to mix in the calcium carbonate powder, but in the end I'm thrilled with how it worked! I actually think the paint dried faster than chalk paint (if that's even possible), but I wasn't sure how it would work with the wax...

I added a coat of clear wax followed my dark wax and had no problems using the new mixture. I don't think it was quite as shiny after buffing compared to the chalk paint, but the wax was absorbed and protected the paint finish just fine. I'm excited how many paint possibilities this opens up! I'm going to be giving the Cece's paint a try soon too. I'll let you know how that goes... Have you tried any homemade chalk paint recipes yet? How about Cece's paint? What's your favorite?

Kristen

I Heart Baskets

2012-02-07T18:23:00.000-05:00

I love, love baskets! What's not to love about them when they're pretty, versatile, functional, often inexpensive, and they help keep me organized, so when this came in the mail a couple weeks ago...

my heart did a little pitter-patter. I couldn't wait to get my kids in bed that evening so I could pour over the pages! When I thought how much I've used baskets over the years, I felt compelled to do my own little "ode to baskets"...

I use baskets for virtually everywhere in my home. From storing toys, shoes, laundry, and office papers, and even toilet paper in the powder room, baskets are great for making things that aren't-so-pretty look so much better...

But I use baskets to store those pretty things too... like extra throws, blankets, and pillows by the couch and clean towels in the bathroom.

They're also perfect for keeping extra candles, fresh fruit, pantry goods, and other pretty items that need corralling.

You won't find a seating area or bedroom in my home without a basket of books or magazines. Although I don't knit, I love being in homes that have baskets with a current knitting project tucked in...so cozy!

Since I do quite a bit of crafting, painting, and jewelry-making, I rely so much on baskets with labels to hold all of my materials, while looking cute at the same time...

They are also perfect for holding pretty ferns, potted plants for the porch, and my "branch arrangements" that I like to use....

Unique shapes and sizes of baskets seem to be everywhere - from old locker baskets at the flea market, to new woven ones at a discount store. I've had most of my baskets (which I've never paid more than $10 for any of them) for several years, rotating them around. I'd say that's some serious bang-for-your-buck...no wonder I love them!

Kristen

Linking up to:

Savvy Southern Style

Primp

No Minimalist Here

2805 Potpourri Friday

Common Ground

At The Picket Fence

My Romantic Home

New Life for Nightstands

2012-02-03T21:46:00.001-05:00

I picked up a couple of nightstands at a local thrift store last week and thought they'd be good candidates for some ASCP duck egg paint. I'm pretty terrible about taking before pictures, but I remembered to snap a pic right before I started painting this time...

They were pretty basic and outdated, but sturdy and in good shape. I put on one coat of the duck egg blue and for the second coat, I decided to try a new chalk paint trick. Since chalk paint thickens so quickly, the second coat can go on a bit heavy sometimes so I poured a little paint in a cup and watered it down quite a bit...

Not only did I save some of this expensive paint, but I liked how smooth that second coat went on and no brush strokes.

I painted the drawers in Martha Stewart's Sharkey Gray (sample bottle) and added some duck egg blue to the detail.

I added a coat of clear wax, distressed, buffed and painted the the brass pulls in graphite for a bit of contrast...

Much better...

Nothing like the power of a little paint!

Kristen

Linking up to:

Miss Mustard Seed's Furniture Feature Friday

Funky Junk Interiors

I Should Be Mopping the Floor

My 1929 Charmer

Coastal Charm

A Stroll Thru Life

Between Naps on the Front Porch

My Uncommon Slice of Suburbia

Gratitude and Grieving

2012-02-02T17:21:00.000-05:00

Thank you, thank you, thank you! I wanted to let all of my readers know how extremely grateful for all the sweet and wonderful comments that have been pouring in for my recent posts, including my daughter's room. I feel so fortunate that it was featured at some wonderful blogs this past week. Even though I've had this blog for the last couple of years, it's only recently that my life has settled down enough to nurture it and I can't tell you how much I've enjoy it! In many ways, I'm a newbie blogger and I'm still at the point of feeling so much excitement for every comment that is left for me and thinking, "Wow, they really like it?!" Since moving across the country and leaving behind family, friends, and all the wonderful antique shows that I was able to be a part of, I've feel as though I've lost a little part of me, but blogging has really helped give this stay-at-home mom a bit of purpose and the ability to connect with such kind, talented people. I really look forward to all the sharing, learning, and inspiration that the wonderful world of blogging opens up for us.

On another note, I apologize for being a bit absent this past week. My heart has been heavy and my thoughts on family for the last several days. My beautiful, vibrant cousin has been battling leukemia for the last several years and her prognosis took a turn for the worse late last week. She is a wife, mother, daughter, sister, and friend to many. In my childhood years, she lived right down the road from me and we share some wonderful memories of times on the family dairy farm. I feel fortunate that I've been able to visit her this week as she relocated to North Carolina several years ago.

I struggle with times such as this... to trust in God that He has a plan when those in the prime of their lives are returned to Him, leaving behind young families. My own father passed away from cancer in his early-40's when I was 15, so naturally my thoughts turn to her husband and children and I pray for peace and strength in these days. Times such as these are a reminder that lives can change at the blink of an eye... Hug your babies, young and old, say "I Love You", and cherish those moments with loved ones. I don't think we can ever be reminded of this enough...

Kristen

How to Make Typewriter Key Jewelry ~ A Tutorial

2012-01-26T00:04:00.000-05:00

As much as I love re-habbing furniture, I also enjoying making unique jewelry, especially in the winter when the days are shorter and the weather isn't great for painting outside. Although I still have much to learn about jewelry-making, I think I can make typewriter jewelry in my sleep now.

When I picked up an old typewriter at a thrift store two years ago, it was just too rusted out and stained with ink to do much with besides take the keys off for jewelry. At the time I'd never made any kind of jewelry and when I turned to the Internet to learn the process, I couldn't find any kind of tutorial. It's taken a bit of time to find what type of keys are the easiest to work with, etc.

Since then, there have been quite a few fellow typewriter fans googling "how to make typewriter jewelry" and landing back at my old post of my first typewriter necklaces two years ago. Since I've been working on some new batches of necklaces this last week, I thought I'd share the process in case you come along a typewriter that isn't quite pretty enough for display.

First, as you can see from above, there are many different brands, shapes, colors, and conditions of typewriters and their keys out there. I'm usually not too picky because they generally clean up well and I love all the variations in patina, font, etc. If you know that you'll be removing the keys from a typewriter before you purchase it, do a quick check under the keys to see how they are attached. The most common I come across is the "pronged key"...

These are the easiest to work with, but since they have plastic backs, the typewriter is likely newer and most likely won't have glass keys. The older typewriter keys are soldered on and a bit more work to get them where they need to be. So far, I've come across two kinds of soldered keys...

If you see keys that have multiple layers of solder, think twice about purchasing it for jewelry. I'm sure that there is a way to get these keys off without burning your fingers in a metal grinder, I just haven't found it yet...

The first step is removing the metal arm attaching the keys to the typewriter with some heavy-duty wire cutters...

Clip them as far away from the keys as possible because the extra length of the metal comes in handy and provides leverage for the next step. I also want to add that if you do not plan to use the rest of the typewriter for any other kind of purpose, please recycle them. As you can see there are no pictures of a complete typewriter because all of these keys had already been removed when I came across them at an antique show.
Gather a scrap block of wood, large hammer or mallet, and chisel...

Placing the key on it's side against the wood, set the flat side of the chisel as close as you can to the backside of the key and drive the mallet or hammer head down on the handle of the chisel. The chisel acts as a wedge to pop that key right off!

After your first few keys, nice little divots will form in the wood, making this process easier as the key is held in place. Keep this board handy if you plan on making typewriter keys regularly!

Once that key is popped off, the next step is making sure the backside is flat in order to adhere to any kind of jewelry setting.

Use a large metal file (found at any hardware store) to grind down any leftover metal from the back of the key...

Test out your keys on a flat surface to make sure the back is flush. I've found that a quick tap to the back of a key with a hammer (only do this with non-glass keys) helps get the backs of the keys flat as well.

As you can see, some typewriters are not-so-clean when found, but soaking the keys in warm water and vinegar or glass cleaner and scrubbing them up with Q-tips does the job. After getting the keys as clean as you can, you can either use the key as-is for adhering to bracelets, etc, but I like to use a jewelry setting to make them a bit more polished and as a way to make a pendant.

You can find settings like these at specialty jewelry supply shops or Etsy. Most typewriter keys are 15mm in diameter, but just double check before you order. To adhere the keys in the settings, I use E-6000 adhesive, which can be found at any craft store.

This glue seems to run out of the tube quickly so have some Q-tips handy for clean up and put something disposable down under your workspace. Also, I cannot stress enough to have adequate ventilation when using this stuff! I always go outside with it, winter or not. As much as I hate using products that can have harmful side effects, nothing adheres like this glue.

E-6000 dries fairly quickly, but I usually let it set overnight for good measure. To make a standard typewriter key pendant, it is then as simple as gently bending back one of the scallops on the setting with jewelry pliers and securing a jump ring through it...

Run your choice of chain through the jump ring and there you have it!

You can get even more creative by adding the typewriter keys to keys...

or to watch faces for steampunk jewelry...

or to bracelet blanks (also found on Etsy or other jewelry suppliers)...

The possibilities are endless!

Kristen

Linking up at:
No Minimalist Here
Stuff and Nonsense
Common Ground
The Charm of Home
2805
French Country Cottage
At The Picket Fence
The Shabby Nest
Home Stories A to Z

A Cozy Rustic Fireplace

2012-01-20T15:20:00.000-05:00

Remember that evolving great room that we have in our new house? I've been slowly adding elements to the room as inspiration comes and I find just the right pieces. I really concentrated on the fireplace wall this last weekend, filling in some of the large wall space around the stone. Since this is our main family room and where our television is placed, I want it to feel cozy and homey.

It's been a bit challenging since the ceilings are very high and with exception of the white slipcovered chair, we didn't own any of the furniture, rug, etc when we moved in back in August. Let's just say, I've had to shop carefully!

I've also had to design around the rustic stone fireplace that came with the house. I love the color variations in the stone and although I rarely decorate with these colors, I've enjoyed the warmer color palette of the rusts and golds.

Much of my inspiration for the room has come from Pottery Barn's traditional, rustic feel with new and old mixed.

Now I know that not everyone is a fan of rustic decor or antlers, but my husband hangs out in this room the most (naturally because of the TV) and after growing up in North Idaho and being a hunter most of his life, he's drawn to that sort of thing. He's very good to me about allowing my taste and style in most of the house, which leans a bit more feminine, so he deserves some decor that makes him happy!

All of the antlers came with us from North Idaho when we moved to Raleigh. If you look closely, one pair is actually painted in ASCP French Linen! These antlers were my husband's grandfathers (and banished to the garage in our former house) because they had been painted an awful green color! I remedied that with a bit of chalk paint! I actually have grown to love these antlers over the last few years...

My favorite addition to the fireplace wall is my new rustic tobacco basket I picked up for $30 a few weeks back. I'd never seen one of these until I moved here. I find myself loving all things southern like cotton, tobacco baskets, etc. After hanging the basket and the antlers, I was a little at a loss as to what I wanted to put on the mantel...

Suddenly it clicked... I needed something that would pop against the stone, but not compete with the antlers and basket. I was going to hunt down every white or ivory chunky candle I could find for cheap and fill the mantel.

So after scouring the Dollar Store, Walmart, TJ Maxx for all sorts of shapes and sizes as well as using some I already had, I filled it up this week without spending a lot of dough!

Now we have a cozy little place to put our feet up...

read a book with a hot cup of cocoa...

or watch a movie with the family!

In case you're interested, sources are as follows:

Rug - Overstock

Arm Chairs, coffee table, trunk - all from Craig's List

Ottomans, floor lamp, various candles & accessories - TJ Maxx

Tobacco basket - Suzanna's Antiques, Raleigh

Antlers - Sandpoint, Idaho various locations

On another note... I wanted to thank Debra from Bungalow for featuring my blog for her "Friday Feature" series. I feel honored! She has a beautiful blog full of inspiration...go check it out!

Kristen

Linking up to:

Funky Junk Interiors

Between Naps on the Front Porch

Coastal Charm

A Stroll Thru Life

Uncommon Slice of Suburbia

French Country Cottage

The Shabby Nest

A Little French Room

2012-01-18T17:20:00.000-05:00

I shared a few sneak peeks of my youngest daughter's room a couple of days ago and the time has come to show the whole room. I've been excited to share it as some of my favorite things reside in here...I wouldn't mind sleeping in here myself! Pull up a comfy chair and a cup of coffee and get ready for picture overload...

My decorating motto is always about living beautifully, but without the price and this room is no exception. I wanted to make a comfy, sweet room that my daughter will enjoy for years to come without spending much. The room may look a little stark (at least compared to the rest of my house), but I wanted it to feel serene, calm, and uncluttered with just touches of softness. At this point, I have not painted the walls and they are the original pale ivory that came with the house. After painting bright colors in my older two daughter's rooms, I wanted the opposite here. I will probably paint them sometime this year, but since we've only been here a few months, I want to live with the room a little longer and see what inspires me.

While we moved the bed and settee across the country on our recent move, I was on the hunt for just the right dresser at just the right price (el cheapo) until I found this a few weeks back for $60.

This was one of my first projects with chalk paint. The body, detail on drawers, and handles are Old White and the drawers were painted with a 50-cent bottle of clearance Martha Stewart tester in Ballet Slipper Pink. It's the perfect pale pink! After having her clothes in baskets for the last several months, this dresser has been a welcome addition.

I found the adorable little pink-striped settee at a thrift store in Spokane for $50, but the frame was pretty ugly. I painted it and the little white $15 table in the white chalk paint this last week and it's amazing how much better this looks!

$4 garage sale lamps

Now for my two favorite things in the room...the rug and the bed. The rug is very old and special to me because it was my grandmother's. I was very close to her as she lived in the main farmhouse on the dairy farm that I grew up on. Naturally, I spent countless hours with her and she is the reason why I love antiques. I always loved this rug that was in her spare room and it's one of the few things I have of hers.

As for this bed....it is my favorite piece of furniture! It also has a bit of a story behind it...

I found this bed back in the Northwest before we moved to Raleigh. It was in a sorry state and the beautiful ornate headpiece was broken in several places. My INCREDIBLY talented step-dad that I can only describe as one of the most detailed people I've ever met, spent hours repairing it, even whittling wood to fill in where extensive damage was done (he also illustrated and designed my logo above too).

As much as we would have liked to salvage the beautiful wood finish, it had to be painted. The funny thing is that this bed has been for sale at several shows, but no takers. As much as I wanted to keep it, I needed to be practical since my two older girls already had beds.

When it came to pack up and move across the country last summer, we sold our last crib and were in need of a new twin bed! It was a no-brainer, it was coming with us. I guess this bed was meant to stay in the family.

Here are a few more details from around the room...

Lamps re-cycled from another room with ruffle and ribbon trim added.

$50 clearance chandelier from Home Depot

$25 goose-down comforter from Ross

$10 pillows from Bed, Bath & Beyond...I just got these a couple days ago so there is probably more out there!

Lastly, I just found these yesterday! After looking for just the right curtain panels (on a budget), I found these on sale right now for $16/panel online only at Target. I'll share them as soon as they arrive and I get them hung.

I hope you enjoyed the tour!

Kristen

Linking up to:

Miss Mustard Seed Furniture Friday
DIY by Design
The Charm of Home
The Vintage Farmhouse
Stuff and Nonsense
Common Ground
French Cupboard
No Minimalist Here
2805 - Potpourri Friday
French Country Cottage

At the Picket Fence
Shades of Amber
Romantic Home
The Shabby Nest - Frugal Friday
Funky Junk Interiors
My 1929 Charmer
Between Naps on the Front Porch
Coastal Charm
A Stroll Thru Life
Uncommon Slice of Suburbia
Home Stories A to Z
Primitive and Proper
Faded Charm
Savvy Southern Style
Primp

Furniture Transformations and Some Sneak Peeks

2012-01-16T16:19:00.000-05:00

I can't believe how fast this last week has flown by... Are you ever in one of those stages when it seems like you're working so many projects, but none of them are "there" yet? I'm in one of those! I've been slowly picking away at painting side tables, a dining set, dresser, french love seat, and a small cabinet along with other little projects that have been keeping me busy. This is my husband's busy time of year at work, so I lack that extra set of hands with the two-year old, homework, baths, reading, and dishes...so maybe my productivity has gone down a bit? Anyway, I wanted to share some of the projects that I have completed and a little sneak peek of my daughter's little french room that I've been working on.

I picked up these leather-topped nesting tables recently and were they ever tired-looking. Dried out leather, beat-up wood (wish I had a before picture)...

A couple of coats of ASCP Old White with clear wax and a good buffing brought them back to life!

I also applied the clear wax to the leather and I still cannot believe how replenished it looks. Guess that stuff is good for more than just wood! I also experimented with this little side table that I picked up at a thrift store...

I painted it in ASCP French Linen, but then I thought I'd make a wash with equal parts of Old White and water to fill in some of the detail. I think adding the wash to the French Linen color made it more of a Paris Grey color. Speaking of ASCP French Linen...Did you know that you can paint antlers with it? More on this to come...

Last, but not least, getting the big furniture pieces set-up and completed for my daughter's little french room is what's been consuming most of my time...

I'll be sharing her room in the next day or so...stay tuned!

Kristen

Linking up to:

A Stroll Thru Life Tabletop Tuesday

Footstool and Flea Market

2012-01-08T22:25:00.000-05:00

Since my conversion to chalk paint last week, I've been busy hunting down furniture and painting like crazy. I call it my "instant gratification paint" since it dries so quickly and I can get projects down a lot faster than I used to. I already used most of a can of Old White and I'm anxious to get a hold of more colors for the furniture I'm stockpiling in my garage. I had a fabulous weekend shopping (and adding to that stockpile) at the Raleigh Flea Market on Saturday and painting outside for most of the day yesterday.

One of my favorite things about North Carolina so far is that I can paint outside almost all the time! I still can't get over the fact that I can sit in the grass (not snow) in JANUARY and paint. I get giddy over it every time I think about it. Since paint fumes really bother me, this is a big deal for me. Even though I finished my daughter's dresser and few other pieces, it's rainy and too gloomy today for pictures, but I'll share my little footstool that I painted and recovered during a naptime last week...

I'm still really just playing with the chalk paint...layering, figuring out it's differences from latex. Before I start working some some bigger pieces of furniture (dining set, bedroom set), I've been experimenting on smaller side tables, frames, and this footstool. I first painted it in Duck Egg Blue and added a layer of the Old White, but thought it needed something else to go with the fabric I had on hand to recover the old cushion.

I then added a coat of French Linen, distressed, and (waxed). I love how easy it is to get the paint to reveal all the layers... an easy way to transform an old tired $10 stool!

I also picked up a few fun things at the flea market this weekend. I just love the shape of this style of furniture...I think it's empire?

I'm always drawn to old bottles, particularly in this color! I spotted the "Gardner Dairy" milk crate on my way out and just had to grab it for my mom. Her last name is Gardner AND she owned the dairy farm that I grew up on. Last, but not least, I scored this solid antique armoire. It is heavy! It's got the most beautiful wood that I will not be painting over.

Sorry about the terrible lighting in the garage... I'll show more of this beauty when I get it all cleaned up. In all, it was a pretty great weekend!

Kristen

An Antique Media Center and an Evolving Great Room

2012-01-05T17:51:00.000-05:00

Almost all of my furniture is a mix of antiques, reproductions, and various pieces that have been found and re-habbed. Not only do I love the uniqueness this provides for my home as well as it's cost-effectiveness, but there are always those items for the modern household where it is a bit more difficult to achieve. For example, it is a challenge finding an antique queen bed. They just didn't have beds that big back then... Media centers are another example. You wouldn't find anyone sitting around fifty years ago watching big flat-screen TV's with DVR's, Blu-Rays, Wii consoles, or satelitte boxes attached to them. This poses a challenge for all of us out there who desire a unique, stylish way to house our televisions and all their trappings without paying an arm and a leg.

I was no exception when I started contemplating how to put together our tv/great room when we bought our house a few months back...

painted tv wall in progress...

Since the TV hookups were on an adjacent wall to the fireplace, it meant setting up a room with "dual focal points"....if there is such a thing.

Rather than the traditional bonus room tucked upstairs, this room is off of the kitchen and readily visible in the center of the home. This means I needed some kind of TV wall unit to hide all of the cords, etc. I started shopping around before closing on the house and even though I loved those awesome antique reproductions turned into media centers from companies like Pottery Barn, etc, I was on a serious budget! Time to think outside the box...

When my husband and I were moving our antique carved sideboard into the house, it dawned on me to move it into the great room instead of the dining room where we've had it for the last several years. We previously had the TV on another antique sideboard, but with tall legs, I could always see the cords and it bugged me! The viewing height was just right and when I found the antique brackets, I knew I could pull off some kind of media unit.

A few painted and distressed inexpensive boards were added and now I have wall unit with presence in this big room, plus a place to store some of my favorite things...

I initially envisioned my large collection of antique clocks here, but I ended up just putting a few out. I suspect I'll be playing around with these shelves quite a bit...changing, re-arranging constantly like I always do!

And do you know what the best part of the project was? It only came in around $100!

Linking up to:

Miss Mustard Seed Furniture Feature Friday

Savvy Southern Style

At the Picket Fence

2805 Potpourri Friday

The Charm of Home

Feathered Nest Friday at French Country Cottage

Between Naps on the Front Porch

Uncommon Slice of Suburbia

Primitive and Proper

A Break and Some Chalk Paint Love

2012-01-03T16:35:00.000-05:00

I hope everyone had a wonderful Christmas and New Years! December seemed to just fly by, didn't it? My two oldest girls have their birthdays right before Christmas making the already hectic season a bit more crazy, but I can't complain... Traditionally, my husband's firm gives the employees the week between Christmas and New Years off and this was the first year that we enjoyed a renovationless holiday break! Since this was pretty much the only time he got off during the year, we saved all the big projects in our former house for Christmas week, including a kitchen reno to get our house ready for sale back in Spokane...

and we added a fourth bedroom to the house the year before that in preparation for our new baby...

Years before that we were ripping up flooring, installing molding, re-habbing a bathroom...you name it. Our kids associated Christmas break with house demo until this year when we could finally spend time together as a family without all the added stress. Since my husband was off of work, I was sorely tempted to burn the candle on both ends and drive everyone crazy with my endless list of projects, but I didn't...and I'm glad. Instead, we stayed up late watching family movies and playing games, sleeping in and hanging out in our pj's, and other completely lazy things. It was a good start to my resolution of adding some balance for the upcoming year.

Another resolution for 2012 is to get back into the groove of re-finishing furniture. Although, I've been painting furniture for several years for local antique shows and shops, the big move across the country came at a time when Annie Sloan's Chalk Paint started really getting big.

Excited to try it out before I moved, I was unwilling to haul the paint cans across the country and into storage until we could get settled here in NC. I think I may be the last person out there to finally give it a whirl, but I've been painting like a mad woman since my shipment came in after Christmas. I'm still trying different techniques, but I already am in love with the professional feel of the wax finish and I may never go back to poly again! I know that this has been discussed all over blogland for months, so I'll just leave you with some pictures of a little french table I finished for my master bath...

A coat of duck egg blue, clear wax with a hint of dark wax, and some distressing was all it took. I've been working on a dresser for my daughter's room, some picture frames, a step-stool, and another side table in the last couple of days that I'll share with you soon.

Kristen

Linking up to:
Savvy Southern Style Wow Us Wednesday
Primp

Snuggled in for Christmas

2011-12-24T12:44:00.000-05:00

I hope everyone is all snuggled in with their families this Christmas Eve...

Enjoying some Christmas baking...

and relaxing in front of a warm fire and glowing Christmas tree with a hot drink.

I feel so very fortunate this Christmas. Our family has finally settled and we feel very blessed. It's been incredibly nice to finally slow down a bit and share some of our new life here in Raleigh, NC. I want to thank all my new followers and those who have read my blog for a while for all your wonderful and sweet comments that you've left recently. I appreciate them beyond words! It's been wonderful to connect with so many talented individuals out there! I also want to wish everyone a very wonderful Christmas this year...may it be merry and bright.

Merry Christmas!

Kristen

One Chandelier at a Time

2011-12-20T17:50:00.000-05:00

As much as I am enjoying our new house, I vowed from the first day that I would change out a majority of the builder-grade light fixtures that most new construction houses come with. I may not have an adorable farmhouse cottage or stately home with rich old character, but my intent is to slowly infuse as much vintage charm as I can into our suburbian home. The first change out was in the dining room last month...

I purchased this chandelier from Ballard Designs through their "Bring Home Ballard" sale and saved about a $100 doing so. This was my first Ballard purchase. As much as I love their stuff, I can't afford it most of the time. This was also the first "new" chandelier I've ever bought. I usually scrounge around flea markets, yard sales, etc for vintage chandeliers, but I've always loved the branch-style chandeliers, so I splurged a bit...

Since I've been focusing on completing the dining room and adjoining formal living room, the next light fixture I wanted to tackle was this basic ceiling mount fixture...

This may sound a bit crazy, but I've literally been collecting vintage chandeliers for several years. I've just been waiting until our family finally landed after moving twice in the past year! I literally have been lugging these things across the country, so I finally spent a couple of hours on Sunday scrubbing and re-habbing my favorite glass chandelier.

This was a very dirty chandelier, but after taking every strand of crystals off and washing them in mild dish soap and rinsing them in a mixture of warm water and windex, I finally got it shining to it's former glory again.

My husband and I hung it up afterwards and all that washing was worth it!

Much better than that old fixture, huh?

And the best part is that it's just in time for Christmas...

Two chandeliers down...many more to go!

Linking up to:

Savvy Southern Style Wow Us Wednesdays
The Charm of Home
No Minimalist Here
Common Ground
From My Front Porch to Yours
At the Picket Fence
French Country Cottage
Savvy City Farmer

Rustic Stone Christmas Mantel

2011-12-19T15:11:00.000-05:00

I feel lucky to have more than one mantel to decorate this year in the new house. I completed my formal living room mantel several weeks ago, but wasn't sure if I was going to get around to the great room stone fireplace this year. Out of all the rooms in the house, I feel that this one has the most potential for spectacular Christmas decorating, but it will have to wait until we are a bit more settled in next year. Our great room (family room) has almost 20 ft ceilings and a curved wall of windows that made us fall in love with the house.

It also has a beautiful rustic stone fireplace that my husband and I enjoy as a bit of change from the femininity in the rest of the house. It is very much a room-in-progress and it is slowly coming along. There will be much more on this room to come, including a my antique TV wall unit I just completed this last weekend!

On to the mantel... It doesn't really scream Christmas, and all the items I already owned, but the white pine garland does wonders to soften the stone and chunky wood mantel. Working with the current decor, I was going for a European, woodsy feel...

I can't believe Christmas is already less than a week away! I have a bit more Christmas decor to share before then...stay tuned...

Linking up to:

Savvy Southern Style

Common Ground

My Uncommon Slice of Suburbia

Between Naps on the Front Porch

No Minimalist Here

My 1929 Charmer

From My Front Porch to Yours

At The Picket Fence

French Country Cottage

DIY Wrapping Paper

2011-12-15T17:42:00.000-05:00

I promised last week when I shared our family Christmas tree that I would give a little tutorial on my DIY wrapping paper. For years I've wrapped presents in brown and white Kraft paper and dressed them up with satin bows, raffia, burlap, tiny pinecones, and ornaments, but this year I was inspired to dress them up a bit more after purchasing several different stencils online.

There are so many great stencils out there these days and the number of uses for them is endless, including making custom wrapping paper. One of my favorite stencils I have is a brocade stencil that I purchased through Overstock for under $10.

I also purchased a book of stencils for furniture and walls through Amazon last year. It was only $16 for 10 quality stencils. I love the birds, Moroccan petals, butterflies, polka dot, and houndstooth stencils that are included.

After you've selected the stencil(s) you'd like to use on your gifts, gather some basic supplies, and you're set:

Kraft Paper in either brown or white (Note: the thinner version of the brown Kraft paper works a little better for wrapping gifts)

Paint in any color: I used both acrylic and a $1 bottle of clearance Martha Stewart tester bottle. The latex does take longer to dry. Scissors
Stencil brush
and/or
Sponge roller and tray
Blue painter's tape (or other low-tack tape)

Next: Roll out your paper for the desired size on a large flat space. It also helps if you pre-cut your paper for the specific box that you are wrapping before stenciling.

I taped the edges of the paper and stencil down to help hold the paper in place as I moved the stencil around and minimize any paint leaking under the stencil.

For a non-repeating stencil design, I used the sponge stencil brush and just dabbed the paint on without overloading the brush.

Repeat by moving the stencil around in a desired pattern and size...

After you've stenciled the amount of paper you need, just set it aside for a few minutes. The acrylic paint dries very quickly and I was able to wrap a gift within 10-15 minutes. The paint does make the paper look a little wrinkly (especially thinner paper), but this disappears as it dries.

A quicker way to achieve results is to pour some paint in small roller tray and roll it out with a sponge roller...

Butterflies for Christmas? Well, it fits with my nature-themed decor...

Stencils are only the beginning of the options you can use to personalize gifts...

Document paper and vintage sheet music...

Stamps and feathers...

and even decorative wallpaper...

This was a chocolate box but is now re-purposed as a gift box with some of my favorite wallpaper!

The possibilities, colors, and variations are endless!

Linking up to:

Potpourri Friday at 2805

Inspiration Friday At The Picket Fence

Feathered Nest Friday at French Country Cottage

Vintage Inspiration Friday at Common Ground

Christmas Cabinet Vignette

2011-12-10T21:21:00.000-05:00

I couldn't resist spreading my free greenery everywhere I could around the house for Christmas. I love the way it drapes and softens the hard edges of cabinets and mantels. I have a wonderful old cabinet that used to hold my clock collection that I've decided to swap out for my wedding china and it too was covered in greenery and topped with a little Christmas vignette...

I was so happy to see that my "perfect shade of blue" antique wine jug and the wedding china made the move across the country without breaking!

After liberally spreading the greenery, I simply intertwined some of my patio lights (purchased from Target) and played with different arrangements on top of the cabinet by varying the height and depths of the objects.

I replaced my indoor fern with a cotton arrangement that I put together and added a few glass ornaments to a bird nest that I had on hand...

...just to add a little Christmas cheer in unexpected places.

I love how the lights of the Christmas tree across the room reflect off the glass of the cabinet...

Hope you enjoyed!

Linking up to:

Funky Junk Interiors

Between Naps On The Front Porch

French Country Cottage

At The Picket Fence

Vintage Friday at Common Ground

Potpourri Friday at 2805

Miss Mustard Seed Furniture Feature Friday

The Trick to a Larger-Looking Christmas Tree

2011-12-08T20:46:00.000-05:00

Right now I have a very small artificial tree that you can practically see through after setting it up. It may have fit in our old home, but it looks a little lost in the new house. Since my husband's allergies prevent us from having one of those wonderful North Carolina Fraser Firs, my job is to use the one we have and give it a little presence...

Instead of placing the tree on the floor, I set it up on an old wooden trunk from the garage and draped a ruffled blanket and other linens over it to soften the look and cover the metal tree base.

I added a small side table, my antique rocking horse, and an antique laundry cart for a unique way to hold gifts and to help fill in the spaces around the trunk.

The trick is to add as many layers as you can using baskets, gifts and other decor. Don't be afraid to pull things from around your house to fill in areas around the tree. I pulled in my antique bird cage from the screened porch and a vintage suitcase from the living room to add a bit of height and balance the visual weight of the laundry cart on the opposite side.

After you get the larger elements in place, fill in with gifts of all shapes and sizes!

I rarely buy wrapping paper from the store anymore. It's so easy and fun to create your own. I'll be sharing how I made the wrapping paper with you soon.

Since I've barely begun shopping, this area around the table will be piled high with gifts closer to Christmas.

To fill in those large holes in an inexpensive tree, I simply added branches, picks, bird nests, keys, and other items that I have in and around the house. Go foraging and see what you can find! I didn't buy a single ornament for the tree this year.

There's nothing better than a Christmas tree casting it's warm glow throughout the house...

and watching my three girls playing around the tree and wondering what is in each gift.

Linking up to:

2805 Potpourri Party Christmas Blogger Block Party
Common Ground Christmas Blogger Block Party
French Country Cottage Christmas Vignettes
The Charm of Home

Nature-Inspired Holiday Dining

2011-12-07T19:38:00.000-05:00

I'm crazy over birds. I know they've been popular for a while now, but my love of them goes back to my childhood on the dairy farm when I'd rescue baby cliff swallows from the barn cats after their little mud nests had broke. I spent most of my time in the summer hunting down food for the little guys to eat and eventually set them free when they were big enough.

My love of birds has continued over the years and my much of my decorating style revolves around nature-inspired elements like birds, nests, branches, and moss. When it came to decide what my holiday table was going to include this year, I knew that it needed to be subtle, muted and coincide with my new dining room that I just finished furnishing.

I don't have any specific Christmas dishes so I keep it casual with with my favorite bird dishes. With the kids eating at the table, I don't have to worry about breaking fine china.

To add a little more "Christmas" feeling to the table, I simply used my favorite fancy ornaments and attached little bird tags for place-setters for the guests.

Some glowing candles, little sweets, rock placemats, wood shaving orbs, walnuts, fresh greenery, and cotton all help complete the Christmas-nature theme...

Someday I'll find a set of french chairs for this room, but for now I'm working with what I have (wicker chairs from Craigslist and sprayed painting in an almond-ivory color). The upholstered dining bench was my splurge, but I still bought it at a very reasonable cost.

Adding to the nature, bird-themed decor...

And to think that the room looked like this at the end of August and sat empty until October!

Linking up to:

No Minimalist Here Christmas Block Party

The Lettered Cottage Tablescapes for Christmas

Between Naps on the Front Porch Tablescape Party

My Romantic Home

Censational Girl

Will This Tree Ever Stop Blowing Away?

2011-12-07T09:05:00.000-05:00

I couldn't help myself... I have been wanting to share my little front porch with all of you, but my darn tree literally keeps blowing away. The fact that it's in a big bucket with a bunch of large rocks and water and it still blows away tells you that our street (or maybe it's North Carolina?) gets some gusty winds. It seems like you have to keep things nailed down around here. Anyway, my little front porch tree isn't looking too swell anymore and either is my cute little black lantern...because the tree fell on it and broke the glass out of one side. Live and learn, huh? Note to next year self: Do not buy cute little Fraser fir tabletop tree at Home Depot for the front porch!

The front porch is still very much a work-in-progress for me. I've been focusing most of my attention to the inside of our new house and if I hadn't found these $15 Ballard Design chairs on Craigslist, I probably wouldn't have anything out there yet. They need a bit of cleaning up and some cute black and white damask outdoor pillows, don't they? Wonder if they'll blow away too?

This is pretty much the only time you'll see the traditional Christmas reds and greens around my house. The color of the brick is very muted combined with a taupe siding and dark charcoal gray shutters. This isn't a color palette that would have come naturally for me and to be honest, it was the floor plan that sealed the deal on this house, not the exterior.

The color scheme does give me a chance to decorate with black and white (an all-time favorite for me). The cranberry door is still growing on me and I don't have the constant urge to paint it everytime I see it anymore. It helps adding some pops of lime green into the mix...

I can't believe I still have kale in December. These would freeze and die before November in Spokane, WA. It's still so alien to me that I can go outside in a t-shirt to take pictures and it's almost Christmas!

To add a little zing to the porch, I simply wrapped a faux present (with rocks in the box so it won't fly away). My kids still don't get this...no, it's not for you...just for decoration.

Another idea to add a little low-cost personalization to your porch is to pick up a basic galvanized bucket at a craft store, stencil on any image in chalkboard paint, and add a message with chalk. I went with an inexpensive $6 tree at Home Depot, but topiaries, poinsettas, or any kind of plant will do.

I added simple bows from ribbon that I had on hand to the planted trees in my urns, but I'm going to be adding some white twinkling lights as soon as I can.

This year, it will be a very simple front porch. I plan on shopping the "after Christmas sales" and hope to pick up some high-quality wreaths that I can use on the windows every year and I'm still trying to convince my husband to help me hang some Christmas lights...maybe next year? In the meantime, I'll just be trying to figure out how to keep my tree from blowing away.

Linking up to:

Christmas Blogger Block Party At The Picket Fence - Front Porches

Christmas Stairs

2011-12-06T23:19:00.001-05:00

Ever since I was a little girl, I've always wanted "Christmas Stairs". I grew up in a one-level home and I thought houses with stairs were the best, especially those with banisters that could be decked out for the holidays. Even our realtor would say when we went through houses last summer, "It has Christmas Stairs!" Well...I got my Christmas stairs in the new house. This is what we saw when we first walked in the door a few months back...

Looking down to the front door

I've been really excited about decorating the banisters for Christmas, but the tough part is affording those gorgeous garlands, trimmings, ribbon when it seems like there have been so many more important things that have had to be purchased in the aftermath of moving like washer/dryer, mattress sets, etc. I knew I needed to be thrifty as possible, and as I mentioned in my Christmas mantel post, I didn't spend much this year thanks to a truckload of free trimmings from a local Fraser fir tree farm. I may have saved buying greenery or artificial garland, but I certainly spent a bit of time because I individually wired and wrapped all this greenery to the banisters....each little branch.

I then added all the copper ornaments individually by wiring them to the greenery and then added the cutest "Happy Holiday" ribbon from Michael's that reminded my of that Pottery Barn garland from their catalog last year. If you look closely, the bottom banister doesn't have the ribbon because I ran out! I've scoured many Michael's trying to find more and just when I thought I would have to give up, I found one roll tonight that I'll be adding tomorrow!

As much as I hated to do it, I purchased the "shatterless" ornaments. I really like the good ol' glass ones better, but with a two-year-old that thinks they are "bouncy balls", the shatterless is probably a better option.

Although my formal living room is predominantly decorated in a silvery theme, I chose to use the copper and golds for the staircase and entryway because of the current decor and pictures already there.

Up next... the front porch all dressed up for Christmas!

Linking up to:

DIY by Design Christmas Block Party - Banisters
Savvy Southern Style Wow Us Wednesdays

A Christmas Mantel

2011-12-05T23:25:00.000-05:00

After showing you some sneak peeks of my Christmas decor, I wanted to share the finished mantel for my formal living room. Even though it's a new house, I only purchased a few items for all my Christmas decorating, including the boxwood wreath. I've always wanted one and I figure I can use it all year around in different places around the house.

All my greenery throughout the house was free from a local tree farm. I stopped by to see if they had fresh garlands...which they didn't, but I got a truckload of free trimmings that they were about to haul away. Score!

The mirror is antique and my husband gave it to me for my birthday the first year we were married. The glass jars are from TJ Maxx and are usually around $10. I always have a few of those around to swap out seasonal decor. The chippy urn, saint statue, glitter "wish", and mercury glass votives were all picked up for under $5 each.

Still trying to decide if I like the fireplace screen there or not?

Hope you enjoyed!

Linking up to:

Home Stories A to Z Mantel Party

Southern Hospitality's Holiday Party

Savvy Southern Style Wow Us Wednesdays

From My Front Porch to Yours

Faded Charm White Wednesdays

Uncommon Slice of Suburbia Mantel Party

Aged to Perfection

2011-12-04T19:22:00.001-05:00

Three and a half years ago, I came upon a set of furniture (dining chairs, buffet, and cabinet) that I fell in love with. Even though they'd been stored away for many years and were covered in grime, I could see through the dirt to the wonderful shape and ornate detailing. The woman that I purchased them from told me that they had belonged to her grandmother, then mother, and at last came to her. They had even been moved across the country from Pennsylvania all the way to Spokane, WA (hmm, sounds familiar). Her mother had painted them many years ago and since she wasn't a fan of painted furniture, I was happy to take them off of her hands.

Little did I know at the time that these "projects" would take years to complete. I refinished the chairs and sold them at an antiques show right away and the buffet was scrubbed down and has been used in my former dining room and now serves as our television cabinet in the new house, but this cabinet has remained in the last three garages of our former residences...

Maybe it was all the grime, and the fact that one of the bun feet was obliterated, that held me back from getting it all fixed up again. It was just too much time to get it where it needed to be and furniture for antique shows and shops took precedence, not furniture for my home. Now that I'm setting up house and this is the last piece of furniture to finish off the formal dining room, I decided not to wait any longer. Time to attack the grime...

It took a toothbrush and several hours of scrubbing to get it clean. I was on furniture auto-pilot...thinking, "re-paint, distress, glaze, etc". I took a step back and realized that I was about to re-paint and "faux" distress something that has already been authentically aged and was certainly distressed. Hmm... I should have just cleaned it up years ago.

I finally got to haul it into my dining room today and dress it all up (that's my favorite part).

At last, the dining room is complete!

More of the dining room to come...

Linking up to:

Miss Mustard Seed Furniture Feature Friday

Savvy Southern Style Wow Us Wednesdays

It's So Very Cheri

Between Naps on the Front Porch

A Few Christmas Peeks

2011-11-29T15:33:00.001-05:00

A new home is always exciting and fun to decorate for Christmas and to be honest, I was pulling out my Christmas decor before Thanksgiving. I really needed to take stock of what Christmas decor I still had after the big move, but I couldn't resist putting a few things out. I was sad to see that all of my wreaths that I used on the outside of my previous home didn't make it. I don't remember donating them, but when the moving truck was filling quickly, I had to be picky about what went in. Darn, I had big plans for those... maybe next year. I've feel like I've been knee-deep in pine needles, glitter, and Rubbermaid totes for the past few days, but I only have a few little areas to finish up and I'll be done! Here's a bit of what I've been working on:

I can't wait to get it all finished up so I can sit back and enjoy it...and share with you, of course!

Linking up to : Savvy Southern Style's Wow Us Wednesdays
The Vintage Farmhouse

Faded Charm- White Wednesdays
Potpourri Party at 2805
At The Picket Fence
Common Ground

A Great Day with Miss Mustard Seed and Fellow Bloggers

2011-11-27T09:07:00.001-05:00

I've always been so inspired by Miss Mustard Seed. Not only is she amazingly talented, but her blog is so authentic and a joy to read, so when she put the call out to do some shopping and socializing in Raleigh this weekend, I was so excited to have the opportunity to meet her and some fellow creative women from the area.

Since the dust from moving has settled a bit, I've been longing to meet some women in the area that share the same creative passions and yesterday fulfilled my wish. There truly is nothing better than chatting with some new friends and junkin'! I got to meet wonderful women that are antique dealers, farmhouse fixer-uppers, crafty moms, and it was good day... Here are some the fellow women that I will hopefully see again out and about in Raleigh:

Rie - Home and Harmony

Fiquet - Farm House to Home

Brittany - Pretty Handy Girl

Tammy - Tattered & Timeless

We met up at the Raleigh Flea Market and each of us found some great treasures. I found a typewriter, some fantastic old metal scoops, an ornate silver set, and a chunky old blue glass bottle. After the flea market, we headed north to Suzanne's Antiques to some more shopping. Being so new to the Raleigh area, I didn't know about Suzanne's. What a cute shopping destination! Here some of the goodies to be had there...

Can you tell that I love architectural salvage? I will definitely be back to Suzanne's. After shopping Suzanne's, a few of us enjoyed a wonderful lunch. Since meeting these ladies, I feel rejuvenated and inspired to continue following my dreams. It was a great day!

My Favorite Collection Ever

2011-11-23T10:15:00.001-05:00

As I've slowly been settling into our new house by unpacking, painting, and moving furniture around, but there is one box that has remained unpacked though it's contents are my favorite collection ever. I actually didn't trust putting the box in the big U-haul truck, so it rode with me all across the 3,000 miles it took to get here... Until this past week, these guys have just been waiting for me to unpack!

I've been working on a special location for all these vintage alarm clocks and another for the big school-house clocks that I've collected over the years. As much as I love them in the big, rustic cabinet like in these pictures, I thought I'd move them around a bit in the new house. Even though it's a work-in-progress, I couldn't help unwrapping the clocks a bit early. I'd forgot how much I love to look at them and it brightened my whole day.

I can't wait to get them all arranged in their new location and with most items that I collect and furnish my house with, these clocks have a story. That's one of the reasons I love them so much. I look forward to sharing it all with you in next couple of weeks as I complete my "clock project". In the meantime, have a great Thanksgiving holiday!

I'm linking up to the following party (which I'm totally new to), but excited to start joining them!

At The Picket Fence

Potpourri Friday at 2805

Add caption

Vintage Show Love

2011-11-03T09:51:00.000-04:00

When my husband and I were deciding to take the plunge and move across the country for his new job, a big factor for me was that I would be missing so many incredible vintage and antique shows that are a part of the Pacific Northwest. Since The Farm Chicks Show began several years ago, the Pacific Northwest has become a mecca for these incredible shows. I knew that I would miss them.... a lot! Sure enough, now that I'm mostly settled in the new house, I'm pining to be a part of the shows again and I certainly miss all my wonderful and talented friends that pour their hearts into these shows, like Jennifer and Kathy Walker of Unexpected Necessities. This mother and daughter team have their annual show this weekend in Nine Mile Falls, WA. Even though I won't be able to be there, I'm living a little vicariously through my oh-so-talented mom and step-dad of Angel's Attic right now. As they've been getting ready for the first show in which we haven't shared a booth, they've shared some of their projects and I'm in love...

This one is a zinger! This would be such a cute addition to an entryway or any place that needs a little pattern.

Since they are coming to visit us in North Carolina next week, I told them that I wouldn't mind if they squeezed one of these on the plane for me! If you're in the Spokane, WA area this Saturday, be sure to check out the show! These beautiful projects and many other great vintage goods from several vendors will be there.

Raleigh Historic Home Walking Tour

2011-10-30T21:24:00.000-04:00

Despite the fact that our new house in the Raleigh area is brand-new construction, I would have loved to have settled into an older home that is full of charm and character. When my husband and I first visited Raleigh this past May, we drove around the city to explore a bit. We'd heard that there was a pocket of beautiful, older homes from our realtor and it didn't take us long to find it...

This is my all-time favorite house...My mom and I call it "The Storybook House". You can read more about it here

As we drove up and down throughout this large neighborhood, I was immediately smitten and I knew I'd have to come back and take a walk. It took a few months to get back , but we packed up the kids after work this last week and meandered through the streets, enjoying the fall leaves and warm North Carolina evening.

I just loved the tropical trees planted in the black urns and those spiders on the columns are great!

Love the vines!

Beautiful Southern Mansion tucked behind classic wrought iron gates

I love the white-washed brick...This one is for sale!

Doesn't this hidden cottage make you want to climb the path and explore?

I would sip my coffee here every morning!

This ornate lattice-work was very eye-catching.

There are street after street of beautiful, inspiring homes, but we didn't get too far as it was getting dark and our two-year-old decided not to ride in the stoller, but we'll be back.

It was the perfect end to a perfect fall day! Although, our new-construction home doesn't have the mature trees and pure charm these houses have, we still love our new home and it fits our family's needs perfectly. Maybe when the kids are all grown, we can get a cute little older home? In the meantime, I'm trying to add as much vintage goodness to our new house and make it as homey as I possibly can.

Happy Autumn!

2011-10-28T04:00:00.000-04:00

The leaves are just beautiful in North Carolina right now and it's been one of the most beautiful October's that I've ever seen. I usually associate the colorful leaves with cold, chilly weather from the Inland Northwest, but it's been so warm and pleasant here this past month that I'm still wearing shorts, t-shirts, and flip-flops. I think I can get used to this!

I got this sweet little table from Craigslist a couple of weeks ago. I knew it would be just right in my new foyer and be fun to decorate for the seasons. Also, it was a rare find that I didn't have to do any work to it!

Kristen

The New House

2011-10-26T18:29:00.000-04:00

If you've been following my blog you'll know two things: 1. I haven't posted in a long time! It's difficult to blog without having the Internet and I haven't had consistent Internet since last June and it took six weeks to get the cable company to come out to the new house to hook it up. Yes, it's been torture :) 2. We have finally, finally, FINALLY settled into a house! I was going to go crazy there for a bit... I'm definitely a "put down roots" kind of a gal - a real nester. I have a whole new appreciation for military families. To cut to the chase, this is my last year of moving in review: Last October - Spokane, WA to Sandpoint, ID, June - Sandpoint, ID to Fayetteville, NC, August - Fayetteville, NC to Raleigh, NC. We had to live temporarily at a family member's house with the bare minimum while everything else was crammed in a storage unit in Raleigh until we could find and close on a house. This was our summer....

Yes, those are sheets for curtains...really they are. A couple of toys, mattresses on the floor, living out of a few boxes, outdoor furniture in the living room, and no TV and some restless kids. The most common phrase of the the summer was, "It's in the storage unit!" Did I mention it was hot in North Carolina in July? I was beginning to wonder if we made the right decision moving.
Before we left Sandpoint, we made an offer on a short sale that we'd never even seen, but from the pictures it looked incredible. We found out that we were outbid shortly after arriving in NC, so our search continued for the perfect house that we could comfortably fit our three noisy kids, my furniture/antiques hobby and all of my various collections, a man cave for the hubby so he'd have a place to hang his bear and deer head, a nice size yard for a future dog, some sort of privacy, a reasonable distance from work, all in an outstanding school district. Yes, the list is long and I was picky, but darn it, I'm not moving again...this house need to be "the one". 60-70 houses later...we found it. Of course, it was not without a bit of a headache. It was a new construction and new ground for us in terms of dealing with builders, but we felt that we got a lot of house for the money and we were in a hurry. We ended up closing only 5 days before the kids were due to start school!

We've only owned an older home that we renovated, so it felt fabulous just to move in and all I have to do is paint, decorate, some landscaping. Plus, my husband and I learned from our previous house that if we want to stay married, no more DIY renovations! Here are a few more quick photos I took before we moved in...

The kids also love the fact that this is literally a one minute walk from our front door...

The house is pretty "builder-bland" right now as far as the paint color goes, but I've been working on that! Needless to say, I feel very blessed to live here. I really had to pinch myself quite a few times the first weeks in the house. I kept sitting down on the couch and looking around and thinking that I can't believe we live here... we finally made it...and we are a bunch of happy clams now!

Kristen

Life's An Adventure, Right?...

2011-08-12T08:51:00.000-04:00

Wow, what a whirlwind it's been the last few months! My family had just moved to Sandpoint, ID for my husband's new job and I had even went back to work full-time when our lives were once again turned upside down when husband received an incredible opportunity to be part of a brand new tax division in Raleigh, NC for the CPA firm that we had both worked for in Spokane. Before I knew it, I was scurrying like crazy trying to find housing in Raleigh, wrapping up the last projects at work, packing our house, and get all my projects done for my favorite show ever, The Farm Chicks Show.
As soon as the show was over, everything went into boxes and was loaded into the biggest U-haul truck we could get and an additional trailer and off we went...almost 3,000 miles away from everything we've ever known.
It's been quite an adventure to say the least... There are stories of our "travels" that I'm sure our kids will tell their kids like attempting to drive across South Dakota during tornado weather, a 5 year-old with the stomach flu, and me driving a large trailer for the first time and trying to keep it on the road in the wind. Needless to say, we got stuck in a rundown hotel in the middle of nowhere for two days. It rained so hard that the walls in the room were leaking! Slowly, but surely, we finally made it to North Carolina and we all cheered when we finally made it across that stateline. My undramatic husband even wanted to kiss the ground when we got here and declared that we were never doing that again!

Now that we're here, I'm so excited to explore the South! There is such history and a unique beauty here! True to form, I've already buying been buying up some fabulous antiques that I can't wait to share with you. I hope you'll join me on my new "Southern Junkin' Journey"!

Baby Boy Shower

2011-05-01T14:00:00.000-04:00

I recently returned to the workforce as a financial analyst and one of the things that I've missed so much the last few years staying home with the kids is the kind of adult interaction that you get working together in teams with really great people. I'm fortunate enough to be in great department with a couple of gals that are fun to be around. One of them is due to have a little baby boy in June and I had the pleasure to help plan and throw a "work" baby shower. We had so much fun coming up with ideas and setting up that I wanted to share some of the fun with you...

Blueberry Lemonade

Words of Wisdom for the new parents

Glass baby bottle vases

Tea lights in jars with jelly beans

Cotton candy, lemonheads, and mints

Tons of cheerful tissue paper balls dangling over the party

We all had a great time and I can't wait to see the sweet little guy when he makes his arrival!

Funky Junk Show Highlights

2011-04-16T00:53:00.000-04:00

Alas, Funky Junk Show...you came and went so fast, I already miss you.

Funky Junk Show - Spokane

2011-03-26T11:02:00.000-04:00

Two weeks away to the first big show of the season! Mark your calendars - you won't want to miss this!

Can't wait to see you there...

Things That Make Me Smile

2011-03-20T11:29:00.000-04:00

When our yard is still deeply covered in snow and there are giant mountains of dirty, gravel-filled snow all over or when it still snows 2-3 times a week here in Sandpoint, ID and I am now in a gray, lifeless cubicle 40+ hours a week, I need things that can make me smile. Although we are in a transition stage of renting until we permanently settle (which means no painting walls, drywall anchors, etc), I found that it's important to surround yourself with the little things that brighten your day and make you smile...

Coffee always cheers me up, but drinking it in a favorite cup is even better.

This old cabinet filled with my collection of clocks will always remind me how precious time is.

Birds, birds, birds... I've loved them for as long as I know.

Doesn't everyone need more than one set of bird salt and pepper shakers?

Favorite china is a must...

mixed with vintage suitcases and...

old trophy cups.

That favorite piece of furniture in all its distressed glory

And everyone needs a light-filled window and a big, squishy sofa to soak in some quiet time.

But most of all...it's the important things in life that make you smile!

I hope some of the things that make me smile put a smile on your face too!

Kristen

XOXO To You!

2011-02-14T19:09:00.000-05:00

Happy Valentine's Day! May your day be filled with xoxo's!

Your Friend,

Kristen

Taking Some Time

2011-02-03T18:21:00.000-05:00

I've been taking some time the last few months...

Spending some serious time with these guys...

Visiting the happiest place on earth....

Curling up with a good book or two...

And, I can tell you what we haven't been doing...no gutting our house, no hauling furniture everywhere, and no going days and weeks without having my husband home for dinner. The weekend after last fall's Angel's Attic Show, our family moved up to Sandpoint, ID for my husband's new job and some serious downtime for all of us. We are happy to report that we've enjoyed weekends playing Wii games, reading books, and bumming around the house for the first time EVER! We also took our first family vacation to Disneyworld in Orlando a couple weeks ago and had the time of our lives! It's been so good for us to recharge after so many years of constant stress. We tease now that we all feel almost "normal"!

After the whirlwind of selling our home, being part of several shows, going through a housing emotional roller coaster of trying to find a place to live in Sandpoint, and packing and moving two giant U-haul trucks (one unloaded in the middle of a very rainy night), I didn't want to look at another piece of furniture for a while and to be honest, I wasn't sure when I would... Family before furniture, right?! In the last few weeks, I've been pulling out my decorating books and magazines, dreaming of projects, and I even think the furniture in the garage has been calling my name :) Clearly, I've been cured from the "I just want to relax a while" phase.

I'm very excited to be planning out projects and setting some show dates for this upcoming spring which I'll keep posted here. I've also been creating some new jewelry that I can't wait to share with you!

This Isn't Your Grandma's Attic...

2010-09-21T02:10:00.000-04:00

We've been busy transforming "The Attic" for the next big sale this Saturday (9am-4pm)! The driveway is going to be full too! The first few customers in line will receive something special as well. Hope to see everyone there...here are some preview pics of what we've been working on!

Angel's Attic Autumn Open House!

2010-09-19T13:18:00.000-04:00

Come join us Saturday, September 25th from 9am-4pm for the last Angel's Attic show of the season! As usual, we will be packing out every inch of the attic and overflow onto the beautiful grounds of my mom's house! There are some incredible furniture pieces to be had at this sale that have been lovingly restored by my talented step-dad, Jon along with one-of-a-kind art pieces, french decor, harvest goods, and newly designed jewelry pieces. In addition, we'll have some great end-of-year prices! Come browse the displays with a hot beverage and tasty treat that will be provided and enjoy one of the last few vintage sales of the season!

(Look for these signs! Directions below...)

(Autumn Open House 2009)

(Spring Open House 2010)

To get there...

• Starting from the "Y" on North Division, go WEST on Country Homes Boulevard.
• At the next light (Wall Street), turn RIGHT (North).
• Take an immediate LEFT (West) onto Price.
• After one block, Price will come to a "T" at Mountain View Lane. Turn RIGHT.
• Look for the sign (like the one above) on the street. Park out front, then walk up the driveway to get to the Attic. We look forward to seeing you!

Dresser Anyone?

2010-09-01T10:00:00.000-04:00

My goodness, I have too many dressers. I think I'm magnetically attracted to them at sales. I always make a beeline straight to an old dresser...maybe it's because they're so versatile. Besides the fact that every member in the family needs a dresser for clothing, they are also great for using in an entryway (with a cute mirror above it, of course) to store hats, gloves, dog leashes, etc. Put two small matching dressers under a door and you now have a workspace with storage. The possibilities are endless which brings me to my point...I have FIVE, 5, cinco dressers in all shapes and sizes that are coming with me to The Funky Junk Show this weekend. I will have some other great pieces of furniture as well, but I'm telling you, if you're on the lookout for a new dresser, Funky Junk in Sandpoint is the place to be. Where else would you rather spend your weekend? Sandpoint has fabulous shopping, restaurants, a gorgeous lake, and an awesome antique show happening all at once this weekend. Here are a few sneak peeks of some of the items that I'll be bringing:

(ok, not exactly a dresser, but a pale blue buffet/sideboard)

(I'm positive that I'll have your initial in stock of bubble necklaces - plus many other images!)

(stylish coasters)

Enough peeking, you'll have to see the rest at the show!

Funky Junk Sandpoint!

2010-08-31T01:38:00.000-04:00

No I didn't fall off of the face of the earth...although there were days, many of them, this past summer that sounded nice. A while back, my husband took a new job in Sandpoint, ID and our home has been on the market during arguably one of the worst housing markets in years. Not.fun.at.all. Between losing skin on my hands from so many Clorox wipes, constantly nagging at my kids to clean up their toys, picking up in the wake of destructo-child (my one-year-old), and having "surprise" house showings where realtors and their clients are suddenly in the entryway of your house...right after getting out of the shower. Yes, a transposed phone number entered into the MLS listing is never good. Somebody was getting messages about my house being shown, just not me... But the bright side is we finally sold the house, completed the home inspection, and finally expect to be settled in Sandpoint sometime in October. Thank goodness my poor husband doesn't have to keep driving the 3 hours a day for much longer. The icing on the cake is that a family with THREE girls, just like us, will be moving into the house just like I had secretly wished. And I'd almost opened up that can of beige paint, closed my eyes, and did away with the girly bedrooms...Sabrina Soto from "Get It Sold" was getting to me.

Even with our house on the market, I was trying to squeeze as much junkin' and painting in as possible. I know one couple that came to see our house in July got to see my furniture projects in action. Half way through painting the top of a dining table...phone rings...realtors says "we'll be right over"...husband and I madly pile furniture into the corner of our backyard. And I'll never forget the couple that came during one of the "surprise" showings that peeked into the garage and saw the naked vintage mannequin that I'd just picked up laying right in front of the door. I hadn't had a chance to take it to storage yet. Needless to say, the shut that door quickly and left! Doesn't everyone have one of those laying around? I couldn't quite give up the junkin' habit, I just had to squirrel it away elsewhere (No, I'm not a hoarder).

But on with the show...The Funky Junk Show that is! I'm so excited to be part of this weekend up in Sandpoint. I knew it would be a bit challenging with potentially moving, but I wouldn't miss it for the world. The gals that put on the show, Hollie and Jennifer, are incredibly awesome women. There isn't enough I can say about them. Hard-working, talented, and moms to boot, they put on such a great show with a friendly atmosphere. Here are the details:

September 4th & 5th

Saturday & Sunday; Labor Day Weekend

Oden Hall Grange (134 Sunnyside Rd.)

10 a.m. to 4 p.m.

$2 admission (good both days!); 12 and under free

To get to Funky Junk: Wait until Labor Day Weekend, then go through Sandpoint on Hwy. 95; be in the right lane at the junction & continue on Hwy. 200; about 7 miles NE of downtown, take the Sunnyside Rd. exit and you're there! Follow the Funky Junk signs to the junk retreat of the season!

And an added bonus - I've had the privilege to make the official Funky Junk Bubble Necklaces for the show! Look for them next to the Funky Junk t-shirts and the first two shoppers in line get a free necklace!

Funky Junk

love.fun.junk

Hope to see you there!!

Summer Fun!

2010-07-08T13:33:00.000-04:00

I can't believe my baby (Summer) is 1! It's been a whirlwind year with full of changes, challenges, but filled with plenty of smiles from our miracle baby! Even though the 4th of July weekend was rainy, we made the best of it with our little family party...

Thank you!

2010-06-08T16:14:00.000-04:00

An huge "Thank you!" is overdue to all the wonderful (and patient) Farm Chicks shoppers who braved the crowds and came out this last weekend. This wonderful show would not be possible without you and it what makes all of this special. I only wish I would have had more time to chat with everyone. I hope you all found a treasure or two to take home and enjoy!

Fellow Farm Chicks Vendors

2010-06-08T15:43:00.000-04:00

One of my favorite things about The Farm Chicks Show is seeing the awesome amount of creativity that exists. It is inspiring and makes me feel so wonderful to be a part of! Although, I seriously could have taken a million pictures, I had about 15 minutes to walk around the show before the floodgates opened. I snapped a few, as I was carrying around some purchases, so some are a bit blurry, but I wanted to share them anyway.

The adorable Farm Chicks Carnation milk truck

Heather Bullard - so beautiful

Funky Junk Hollie and Ballyhoo Christy (just love them!)

Lisa Souers - always a huge inspiration for me!

Unexpected Necessities - some of the sweetest women I know

Wild Whimsy - talented local gals

Tarte- what can I say? She's awesome!

Happy Endings- more local talent

Forget Me Not Dreams - the wonderful neighbors across the way

The Big Farm Chicks Load-up

2010-06-04T03:08:00.000-04:00

Tonight was the big load-up night for The Farm Chicks Show this weekend. As tomorrow is the unpacking and display day, the long process of cramming as much furniture as we possibly can into TWO trailers is done the night before so we can be out to the Fairgrounds bright and early! I tried to snap some pictures of the huge amount of furniture that's going to the show, but it was hard with the kids and the furniture always moving! Here are a few little sneak peeks:

We squeezed it all in! I couldn't help but notice that the U-haul trailer that was randomly picked out for us has a picture of a man driving a tractor on the side. How perfect for The Farm Chicks Show!

Up next...Some preview pictures of the booth and some of the amazing talented vendors.

Come Say Hello at The Farm Chicks Show!

2010-05-26T18:22:00.000-04:00

I can't believe the big show is already days away! Come see me in Bay 2 - Spaces 36 &37. I still have to pinch myself for me to believe that I'm part of this incredible show!

It's Official! Our Home is on the Market...

2010-05-19T15:39:00.000-04:00

After it seems like many hard weeks of never-ending projects, we've finally wrapped up all the loose ends and were able to list our house a few days ago. All we need now is someone to love our home and neighborhood as much as we have. Although we've lost some sleep over trying to sell a house in the current market conditions, we know that everything will eventually fall into place...hopefully.

Since the dust has settled and we finally have a completed home, I find myself sad to leave a home that has been with us since the beginning of our family. Our first home has seen a family grow through happy times as well as painful moments. Through blood, sweat, and tears, it has seen almost every square inch transformed from its former 70's self to something we are so proud to call home.

When we purchased our home, a deck didn't exist. All we had was an unsafe "apartment balcony" that was hanging on the side of the house by a thread. My husband built this two-story deck over three summers. The bottom half is screened and it is relaxing to sit out and watch the kids play in the yard.

(upper story of deck)

You should have seen the kitchen & bath before we got a hold of it!

A part of me hopes that the next family that moves in has three girls too :)

It isn't a fancy mansion, but it's been the best first home we could have asked for and I hope the next family enjoys it as much as we have.

Lolo Boutique

2010-05-05T12:39:00.000-04:00

Has anyone been to Lolo Boutique in downtown Spokane? I think I could live in that store. If you love Anthropologie, you'll love Lolo's. It reminds me so much of all those great boutiques that I got to see on my recent Seattle trip. I love seeing places like this in the area!

Needless to say, I was more than a little flattered when one of the owners of Lolo happened to notice some of my jewelry creations a few weeks back at The Funky Junk Show! This is a first for me since I just started experimenting with jewelry, but I'm so excited to be making my bubble necklaces for Lolo's. I just received my supplies yesterday, so besides getting the house ready to sell, I'll be burning the midnight oil and making these goodies.

I had originally made just one of the initial necklaces, but there will be a wide range of these at Lolo's in the next few weeks!

Just Breathe...

2010-05-04T00:58:00.000-04:00

“Just Breathe” is what I’m currently telling myself about a thousand times a day right now. It is so easy at times to get completely wrapped-up in the lists and details of the overwhelming task of preparing a home for sale…well, make that the Dobson home. You see, my husband and I are the absolute rulers of unfinished house projects, but to our defense, we have changed every square inch of our home in the past five years, had two of our three girls, and both had jobs in public accounting (which means VERY long hours), and of course, my little antiques hobby takes up some time as well. It’s quite natural in these circumstances that window and door trim doesn’t get painted and hung after new windows and doors are put in or that house numbers don’t get hung FOUR years after we painted the house! These little open-ended projects are just the tip of the iceberg and the mental and written lists of things to accomplish before we list our house in the next week are waking me up at night and making me swear that we’ll never remodel another house or sell another house, ever.
Yep, the Dobson’s are moving to Sandpoint, Idaho. After six years of working between 55-70 hours a week year-round at a job that has robbed our family of so many special times, moments, and holidays, we’ve said, “Enough is enough!” My husband accepted a wonderful job opportunity up in Sandpoint and we are working around the clock to get the house projects completed and the house Q-Tip clean (which lasts about 5 minutes before cereal is dumped all over the floor or the 9-month crawls to the front of the stove and licks the glass on the door).

I am so very excited for the adventure and the positive changes that I am certain the move will bring to our family. I honestly can’t imagine what it will be like to have my husband home for dinner more than a third of the year. I can’t wait to see the transformation in my husband as he will begin to have balance in life and I know this will all benefit the kids so much… as soon as we can all get up there!

By the way, as of yesterday, we now have house numbers on our house!

Mom's House - aka Angel's Attic

2010-04-22T00:53:00.000-04:00

Just a couple more days until the Spring Open House at Angel's Attic! We've been so busy setting everything and finishing all those last-minute projects. I promise a few sneak peaks in the next day or so. In the meantime, I wanted to share a little of the story behind the Angel's Attic sales. You see, even though I may have started out being part of The Farm Chicks Shows the last couple of years, I've always said that my mom has more talent in her pinky than all of me. As she's helped me out in the past couple of years at different shows, I've slowly convinced her of the fact that she should be doing this too. I also was always telling her how perfect her house would be to set up our own sort of shop that could include the creative talents in all of our family including my seriously talented step-dad, Jon, and step-sister, Jessica Cobb. It took a while, but she came around and last fall we had our first sale!

My mom's house and the little neighborhood on Mountain View Lane is such unexpected treasure on Spokane's northside. It is hard to imagine a quaint little street lined with South Hill-esque homes right off Wall St. (just north of Country Homes Blvd), but sure enough, just up the hill and nestled against the Five Mile bluff, is a little slice of country life. The houses on Mountain View are on large lots, many 3 acres or more, and it really feels like you are out of town, not five minutes from the "Y"! It's been almost 10 years since my mom and I discovered this street as we followed the small red "For Sale by Owner" signs to this house...

Of course, we both thought it was adorable and at the time I had my oldest daughter and we practically squealed when we saw this playhouse off to the side...

It seemed like it was meant to be. My mom had just had to sell our family farm in Chewelah after my dad passed away and moving into town would be an adjustment after having endless space on a farm. The little house on Mountain View was perfect with it's country feel, but was close to everything. Even though I think we all miss the farm at times, this house has been a wonderful substitute for our family gatherings and my girls love to go to "Grandma & Boppa's" every chance they get. Now that we have our Angel's Attic sales from here, it seems even more perfect for our family!

Funky Junk Fun!

2010-04-14T17:33:00.000-04:00

Ok, I've finally located my camera with the few pictures that could snap before the battery on my camera died and the show was about to start. I can finally share a few of the pics of the Angel's Attic booth that I participated in at the Funky Junk Show this past weekend. First of all, I have to say that I had an absolute blast at this show! Jennifer and Hollie were such great hosts and we couldn't have asked for anything. The other vendors all had great "junk" and it was hard setting up our booth because I like to peek at all the goodies that everyone else has brought! The shoppers that came out were awesome and it was a fun, crazy, whirlwind weekend.

Remember this chippy old door?

Next up, the Angel's Attic Spring Open House on April 24th!

Easter Highlights

2010-04-07T03:01:00.000-04:00

I realize that has already been a few days since Easter, but I left my camera at my mom's house (oops) until today. I wanted to share some of the lovely Easter moments that we had. Luckily, the sun made an appearance (after snowing the previous two days) and all the girls were able to make it outside for the egg hunt. This seemed to be a particularly special Easter as both of my brothers were able to be in town. My oldest brother lives in Atlanta and he doesn't usually make it to the Easter dinners, but happened to be in the area for work. My husband was also able to be part of the festivities. That may sound odd, but he's had to work on Easter quite a few times (he's a tax accountant). It's a shame, but that's all about to change soon...stayed tuned!

(My husband with our youngest girl, Summer)

(My little Easter bunny at 9 months!)

Instead of buying candy and filling Easter baskets for the older girls, we decorated cupcakes and put them in these cute little baskets. Even the green grass is edible!

I love coming up with creative ways to dress a table. My mom usually does the table decorations because the meals are at her house, but I wanted to plan this one just because I love spring! Any excuse to decorate...

I hope everyone had a great Easter this year!

Trying New Things

2010-03-29T23:19:00.000-04:00

I've always been a furniture girl. At every sale or thrift store, my eyes go straight to the furniture. Fixing up and painting furniture is what got me started on this path of junkin' and I still make a beeline to the furniture before anything else, but I've got a new love... jewelry. Yes, I know, I'm a complete late-comer to this. Creative women have been making awesome jewelry since way back and I never really took notice of it. Yes, I've always thought the typewriter jewelry was so cute, but I never dreamed I'd make it. I just didn't do the jewelry thing...until now. My mind started to wander from paint treatments for furniture to ideas for necklaces and took the plunge, ordered some supplies, and started out with some easier (but still cute!) things to make, i.e. typewriter pendant necklaces and bracelets.

Another good beginning jewelry project has been the popular Scrabble pendant necklaces that I can whip up fairly easy. I made these with vintage ephemera images and I have some more batches coming with vintage seed packet and cute bird images - just in time for spring!

Next up was crafting some pendants with some funky pictures out of an old dictionary...

I purchased a vintage backgammon game with these cute and chunky chocolate brown and cream colored game pieces and I've been crafting different necklaces out of them. These have pink clock faces and I was lucky enough to find some metallic chocolate brown chains to go with them. I've been adding sheet music and other images to these as well.

And last, but not least...my favorite! I'm so excited about these! These pendants have a big glass bubble on the top that magnify the images underneath. The image looks different at every angle and though I started out making the birds and cameos, the next batch I make will have more letters and words.

(with silver settings and chain)

(with black setting and chain)

Of course, I had to make one for me!

All of these little babies are going to be at the upcoming Funky Junk Antique Show on April 10th as well as the Angels Attic Show on April 24th. I still love finding great pieces of furniture, but now my mind is always open to what I can create with those little treasures I may come upon!

Spokane Funky Junk Antique Show - April 10th

2010-03-22T13:03:00.000-04:00

It's time to shower yourself with optimism and join us for a junking party like no other, the Funky Junk Antique Show!

Saturday & Sunday, April 10th & 11th

10 a.m. to 4 p.m.

Irish Dance Hall Grange, just 15 minutes north of the Y in SPOKANE!
Get there: take Hwy 2 North, turn right on Elk-Chattaroy Rd, veer right onto Big Meadows Rd and go 3 miles. Follow the Funky Junk signs and we'll meet you there!

$2 Admission; 12 and under free (good both days)

Train rides available for the little ones!

See you there!

I Heart Typography~

2010-03-12T03:00:00.000-05:00

I can't remember a time when I didn't love typography, the art and technique of arranging type and type design. It's been popular for a few years now, but it's so classic and clean, I can't imagine it will go out of style anytime soon.

I tend to pick up anything and everything that has a number, letter, or symbol when I'm out shopping or junkin'.

And I love to drink my morning coffee out my favorite mugs with my initials.

I picked up this sweet stamp set in a recent Seattle trip and you can see some creations with these stamps coming soon (April 24th - Angel's Attic).

I just pulled these keys off a typewriter and I'm all set to make some rings, pendants, and bracelets with them.

I could spend hours (if I had them) searching and downloading the hundreds of awesome fonts at dafont.com. Do you love typography too?