House Project #29

 Our little 1942 Acorn Cottage needed some TLC.  When we bought the home, the bedrooms and hallway had carpet on them, and it wasn't until we had lived here a couple of years we discovered there we hardwood floors underneath. TREASURE TROVE!!!  They were pretty battered, with stains and dings, but we saw the potential of what could be.

This picture really isn't out of focus.....it's the blur from all of the dust floating around from Dan-the-Man sanding them!

 We decided to do two colored stains. A dark walnut with English chestnut over the top to add a little warmth.

 Coat numero uno of varnish.....2 more to go!

The final product!  Love the rich warm colors!  Just have to put the trim back up on the bottom of the baseboard and then I can move get the art room back into place. NEXT...The Guest room.  So excited as I have projects I have been working on such as a ceiling medallion to frame the beautiful chandelier I found at an Antique Shop. STAY TUNED!

What's Going On......

Seems like in a blink of an eye, someone hit the fast forward button and Christmas is nearly upon us!  Here is a quick-at-a-glance what's been going on at Acorn Cottage in a NUTSHELL!!!!!

We went to Powell Pumpkin Patch....in the bug-dee-do. My daughter Nadia and boyfriend Josh found couple doozies!

My son Faris finding the PERFECT pumpkin!

Flew out to California for my nephew Brent & Sarah's Wedding.....LOVEY DOVEY!!!

Hopefully this handsome couple is NEXT (hint, hint) my newphew Bruce and his lovely girlfriend Tanya :)

My nephew Aaron, his beautiful wife Ghea and my grand niece Ava....speaking of Ava.....

Found out my grand niece Ava, is going to be an "older' sister.........and is going to have a sister!!!! .......

and Ava and her soon to be born sister will be busy playing with their cousins,

Catherine & Bryson

along with cousin Caitlyn!

I also

                        celebrated my Birthday November 27th......               

It was a Hercule Poirot Party.....and my son Faris stole the show, we were all in hysterics!

My daughter Nadia came home from college to celebrate Thanksgiving....

and we are working on making dough ornaments....mine are enchanted mushrooms and owls :)

The painting process is still "in progress"

My daughter Nadia has this down to a science!

Dan the Man and I also celebrated our 11 year anniversary!  I love you sweetie! XOXOXOX

The elves around here have been hard at work since then....decorating and Christmas shopping, wrapping gifts, getting cozy beds together, anxiously awaiting the celebrations around the corner.

There have been many visit to Starbucks to help keep up the momentum, and many nights spent by the fireside, enjoying looking at the twinkle lights and listening to Christmas music.....taking a deep sigh and being so very thankful for all that we have!

Home Improvement #28

AFTER!!!!!

BEFORE (icky)

Home improvement number #28. Our 1942 home had the original carriage doors who had weathered many a storm and days of sunshine, but were tired and ready to go to garage door heaven. We are at the 95.5% solution and our waiting for our "panes" to be delivered and installed, but we are so excited! Dan-the-Man more than me, since this is more of a guy thing and I get more excited over paint chips.....but never the less a big improvement and one that was long over due! Kind of me not blogging in many, many months....but we won't go there...or will we?

Ok, OKAAAAAAAY...it's been a bit. I've been buzzzzzzy. What can I say?!?!?! I felt a little guilty, okay a lot, after I saw my last post was in February. What exactly have I been up to?

1) Planting flowers at Acorn Cottage

2)Playing with glitter with recklessly in the art room

3)Getting use to my new camera...we are bonding

4)Went on vacation to CA to see my Mum, sisters and niece (pictures to come)

5)Sewing (pictures to come)

You know.....stuff! Hope everyone has been having a great spring! The peonies are in bloom and smell heavenly! We have a bird nest outside our kitchen window and the babies are hungry! Love listening to them chirp! The bug-de-doo needs a good scrub and is going to be ready for the wide open roads for country drives and roadside farm stands and I got one of those fancy schmancy c.d. disk organizers so I can have all of my tunes with me. Nothing like listening to the Commodores "Too Hot Too Trot....LADY!" out on Highway 24 singing at the top of your lungs! Yeah, that's what I am talking about!

The Porch Project

This was a productive 3 day for some people (Dan the Man) and not so much for others (yours truly). Dan the man.... the myth, the legend...home improvement Mr. Extraordinaire, worked deligently all three days and we now have a loverly place to contemplate the birds singing and watch the woodland creatures even better than before! Of course now matter how long I've been blogging I always manage to load the pictures in the reverse order I meant to...one day, maybe, I might do it right! Dan built this whole number from SCRATCH! No pre-made stuff, no sirree!

Our comfortable new settee with cushions that beckon you to stay longer than anticipated! We added the flower box behind the settee for an added touch, and like it so much we want more...greedy I tell ya!

Up in the top right corner is my Squirrel Bell so when Dan the Man is in the back 40 of the yard I can ring-a-ding to catch his attention. (Note: this only works 50% of the time)

As you can see Dan the Man didn't tackle this project single handedly....OH NO, he had a helper...okay so maybe some of the tools were delivered with a little drool on them, but at least he didn't have to constantly go up and down the steps!

See that look of concentration? Or is it the look of "I can't believe you just took a picture of me" Oh well, what's done is done.

Here's the officially "BEFORE" picture. Well, actually there's a real "before" picture when this puppy used to be completely screened in. you can see the last remnants of that on the bottom left corner. It must of served as a place to trap all the bugs. Unfortunately that picture was pre-digital and the chances of me finding it, and converting it just for one show-n-tell picture are slim to none. You'll just have to take my word for it.

Tonight we will be sitting out on our porch, enjoying a chilled Limoncello by the light of a Tuscany Currant scented candle, eating bruschetta and relaxing watching the fireflies!

Dreamy Linens

These lovelies are from COTTAGECHICSTORE which carries all of my favorite vendors. I daydream about having a bed like this........

or this.....It just kind of puts you in another place and time. I believe these are by Bella Notte. It would make for a perfect place for reading fairy tales and sipping a cup of Earl Grey tea don't you think?

Sew What

I recently did some updates to my arts-n-crafts room I thought I would share with y'all. I have a little spot that I love to hang out at....my little sewing table! I bought the table at a garage sale for $10 and it was painted metallic turquoise blue....hours and hours of sanding and I finally got to the wood!

I found these giganto wood scissors at Michael's Craft Store and HAD TO HAVE THEM!!! I painted them to match my room and painted the "blades" twice before I got the right shade of silver.

I bought these two toile inspired pictures from a co-worker at her garage sale as they were the perfect color for my art room.

My little collection of pin cushions and I bought Heather Bailey's pattern booklet to make even more! I can't help it, there are so many cute things she has! Below, I sewed the curtains myself, a little idea I borrowed from a cute little shop in town, of mixing prints and used gingham, toile and a paisley mix. I added some decorative trim and I thought they came out so cute! I love the way they look when the sun is filtering in through them in the morning.

I decided to do what Nell Hill does, and hung a little picture board between my windows.....speaking of which we are getting new windows this Wednesday!!!! I am so very excited! Our house was built in 1942 and we still have the original windows....on the old rope and bar weight system. Some of you out there are scratching your heads saying WHAT IS SHE TALKING ABOUT???? That's right, because they are so ancient and made waaaaayyyyy before most of your time, you haven't even heard of it. Let's just say about 80% of them don't work, and I am so delighted we will have functioning windows! Right outside this view are where my peonies grow, and right now sweet peas, my all time favorite flower. It's a cozy little spot to be in our home. Nothing like listening to some Stacey Kent and humming away on my little machine.

R & R

Hope everyone had a nice relaxing Memorial Day Weekend! We had a BBQ and invited some family and friends over. I have failed you all by taking no pictures. This weekend just seemed to fly by, but many things were accomplished, which is good...right? I was on mission organization, and made a small dent into orderliness around Acorn Cottage. I wish it was a weekend spent being artsy craftzy....who knows maybe this upcoming weekend!

We bought a new crisp American Flag to hang out front, and I noticed many homes in our neighborhood acknowledging Memorial Day. It always makes me very sentimental and tear up thinking about the sacrifices many, many families have made and what they have been through. I'm so very proud to be an American and the fact the Dan-the-Man is a retired Army Captain has made me even more aware of how much the men and women of our country do to keep us safe and out of harms way. GOD BLESS AMERICA!!!!

Acorn Cottage

After

Before

This is my home Acorn Cottage. It was love at first site. I saw it sitting there, all alone, like it just needed a hug. It was vacant, but there wasn't a for sale sign up. We were out visiting my in-laws and were driving around looking for houses just for fun. I made my mother-in-law stop, jumped out of the car, and ran to the living room window. I peered in and saw the hardwood floors, the cute nook in the dining room and the french door over looking the backyard and I was done for....I didn't care if it had running water, or how many bedrooms it had, I knew I needed to live there for all eternity. I walked around to peek at the back yard and it was HUGE!!!! Things like this in California would have a 20 unit condominium complex built on it with a cement drive down the center. Instead, I found old trees, lilac bushes and just deeply sighed knowing it had to be mine. Now Dan-the-Man didn't get out of the car. He thought, "Oh that Nancy".....but I knew in my heart of hearts this was it! Long story short...or what's that? You want me to carry on? Okay, you talked me into it. Fast forward to us returning to Ca. Me with my nosed pressed against the airplane window looking over all the little patchwork of farms and my heartstrings tugging at me. I randomly traumatized Mr. B (who is now the bestest next door neighbor) and called him from Ca. after doing a reverse address search on the computer for his phone number, and after introducing myself, and trying to convince him I wasn't a complete kook...found out the house had not been lived in for a couple of years, and that is was going to be coming up for sale. Dan-the-man had no idea at the time that he was going to be deployed to Ft. Sam Houston for national Security for a year. While I was in Ca., and Dan-the-Man was stationed in Texas, loan papers were flying across faxes, pictures were downloaded and site unseen, he let me buy our new (old)home. (Now that's great husband isn't it?) We've been in heaven ever since!

Warning: It's 6:55am as I type....I haven't showered, and need to be leaving out the door for work in 35 minutes. Eeeeeegads! More later! Have a great day!!!!

Day Dreaming About Spring...and Jane Austen

We've had two days of rain mixed in with occasional thunderstorms....which I love! I like turning off all the lights in the house, lighting a few candles and watching the storms roll in. Usual from the west, heading east. Our bedroom is upstairs and I love hearing the rain coming down on the roof and being in bed, safe, cozy and warm. I even have a rain c.d...it has a mix of birds and piano in it too, so relaxing to listen to....and then I want a cup of tea, followed by the urge to bake something....then an urge to watch Emma on dvd for the 487th time usually follows. I love the evening scenes in the movie when the houses are lit by candlelight, all the ladies looking so elegant and the men so handsome. I love the Regency era and Jane Austen.

What is your favorite Jane Austen movie???

Acorns Everywhere!!!!

Here are the cutest little place card holder I purchased at Nell Hill's store in Atchison, Kansas.
No surprise to anyone in my family that I found fall leave & acorn confetti to put on our table!

Oh yes...Acorns are EVERYWHERE at Acorn Cottage. The kids have given up that our home looks like perpetual Fall, and for better or worse realize their Mom has an

issue when it comes to acorns. They are in the hall......

They are in tea sets. Now C'mon! How cute is that? That was a surprise one day on my desk when I went to work from a co-worker who knows my heart!

This little decoration just happened to have Acorns on it....it needed to come home with me and is on our fireplace mantle!

Nutcracker with of course a real acorn in it's mouth!


My oldest sister Barbara bought this for me for a birthday present. She's the best!

Of course there is an assortment of Acorns that I've collected or have been given as gifts over the years.

My most favorite coffee mug in the whole wide world!

A gift from my Mother....I couldn't live without! And of course if you scroll down the page a tad, you'll see me acorn plates....and there is more around the house...the acorn trim that Dan-the-Man installed above our bead board in the dining room, the acorn napkin rings from my dear friend Melinda, the acorn chocolate molds I just had to have, the acorn birdhouses out in the yard....oh yes, the list goes on and on and on.

What collections do you have that you would like to share?

(curious minds need to know )