Blog Archives

File Storage Ottoman

2/27/2015

Remember I showed you my pretty remote storage in the Studio the other day?

Well, that ottoman below is actually our file storage solution for the time being:

It holds all of our non-sensitive items that are not under lock & key. It is also a great place for miscellaneous items and battery storage:

Of course, I was being stalked the entire time I was trying to photograph this darn thing. Raven photo-bomb! LOL...

Now that I'm looking at this thing closer, I think I will upgrade the system. Maybe some new colorful folders & labels and a hanging file frame perhaps? Hmmm, new project! ;-)
Have a great weekend everyone! Stay warm!
Cheers!
M J

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Pretty Remote Storage

2/25/2015

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Have you ever noticed how many remote controls we seem to accumulate in our houses? It is, honestly, a bit ridiculous. We tried the whole universal remote thing, but to no avail. It just didn't jive with all of the electronics all the time and became more of a headache than a solution. When we created the Studio, I realized I would have the TV, Blu-ray and Roku remotes with which to deal...

I don't know about you, but I don't really like walking into a pretty room and seeing 3 ugly remotes scattered all over. A pretty candle holder from Target was my solution:

See that beautiful perforated candle holder? All three remotes fit perfectly in there and are still easily accessible...

I am still trying to figure out how to deal with the remotes in the living room - perhaps I'll look through the house and see if I have something that will work. It's always nice to re-purpose what you already have instead of buying something new.
I hope you are all having a great week! Happy clicking! ;-)
Cheers!
M J

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Monday Boost

2/23/2015

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Yesterday was our Niece's 20th birthday! What? Huh?? How did that happen?? It feels like yesterday that she was a cute, chubby little baby doll... Well, she has been with Hubby and I for almost two years now and she has blossomed into a beautiful young lady with some serious ambitions...

We are very proud of how far she has come in such a short time. Of course, it has not been without a few hurdles for all of us, but Hubby and I know we have done something to, hopefully, make her life better!
There is no greater joy nor greater reward than to make a fundamental difference in someone's life.
- Sister Mary Rose McGeady
Happy Monday Everyone! I wish you all a joyful week ahead.
Cheers!
M J

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Beautiful Hand-Painted Pet Portrait

2/20/2015

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For our anniversary last year, I ordered a Custom Pet Portrait of our Raven boy from Yellow Brick Home. They were super easy to deal with over email and did a wonderful job! Here is the photo of Raven I sent for them to re-create:

Isn't he purdy? :-) Here is our custom 4" X 4" pet portrait on my nightstand:

If you are looking for a sweet gift for that animal lover in your life, this is a wonderful way to immortalize that beloved pet for them. Raven turns 16 this year and we try not to think about life without our grumpy old guy. We will deal with it when the time comes, but, for now, he is still a spry old kitty! I love knowing we have something personalized to remember him though...
I hope you all have a wonderful weekend! Stay warm!! (Hopefully snuggled with a fur baby of your own!) ;-)
Cheers!
M J

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Old Canvas Art Rehab

2/18/2015

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When I told my Mom that I was doing a bedroom makeover, she gave me two topiary canvas prints that were sitting in her basement. Here they are in our bedroom above our nightstands:

They were cute when Mom gave them to me, but they needed a little MJ update... :-) First, I took them outside, laid them face down on some clean cardboard and spray painted the sides gold. Then I added some pretty turquoise washi tape and some brass corner plates:

They turned out really nice and I am happy to have a contribution from my Mom in our new bedroom. I love how the lamps make them shine!
Happy Hump Day Everyone!
Cheers!
M J

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Monday Boost

2/16/2015

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I am currently spending a few days visiting my Parental Units and the drive up Sunday morning was a bit treacherous with the low temps, high winds and snow here on the East Coast. I made it fine and we have been having a great time staying indoors, watching the chickens to make sure they don't freeze, cooking, eating and listening to my Parent's old vinyl records. One of my all time favorite songs is on the Woodstock album, Joe Cocker singing With A Little Help From My Friends. Gives me a good feeling every time I hear it! I found a great photo of my visit last year around this time when we went to a local winery:

What a great time we had! All smiles, not because of the wine (it wasn't great), but because we were together. I came across these three quotes and was struck by the similarities between the three faiths:
Every time you smile at someone, it is an action of love,
a gift to that person, a beautiful thing.
-Mother Teresa
Be kind whenever possible. It is ALWAYS possible.
-Dalai Lama
When you are kind to others, it not only changes you, it changes the world.
-Rabbi Harold Kushner
Pretty awesome, huh? It hit me in a very good way. We always get more back when we give selflessly, when we don't expect anything in return.
Let's all try to change our worlds just a little this week - just smile! :-)
Cheers!
M J

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Scrapbook Confessions...

2/13/2015

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I'm taking a break today from the decor posts to make a little confession about my scrapbooking procrastination. I had all the best intentions at the beginning of 2014 to document the entire year in one 12" X 12" scrapbook:

Yeah, here's the story alright... I started out great:

...Then I stopped around about April. Awesome. I have given myself the deadline of finishing this 2014 scrapbook by this April. So far, I've gotten all the way to July 2014:

I realized while trying to cram so much of our awesome summer into this book, that I could (most of the time) fit 2" X 3" photos of the entire month on one page. This may help me get through 2014 by my self-imposed deadline. I hope. :-) Five more months to go... Urgh...

Meanwhile, 2015 had started already and I vowed not to let this same mess hit me next year. So I ordered a 4" X 4" mint scrapbook from A Beautiful Mess, one of my all time favorite blogs...

If I can't finish this tiny thing in 2015, I have a real problem! I also ordered extra page inserts and got started filling them up while working on the 2014 scrapbook. A Beautiful Mess also inspired me to take the year by the week, highlighting life one week at a time...

Week one was pretty bad for all of us in this abode, hence this little addition: :-)

We were all in such a funk that there were hardly any pictures taken! So I added a photo of the winter mantel, something that makes us all happy.
The next four weeks were spent recovering from that first week and just trying to enjoy life...

I have to admit, this tiny album is so much easier to keep up with! I am already on this current week and am ready to do some journaling:

Do any of you scrapbook your year? Or do you keep the scrapbooking for special events and vacations? I have mostly done scrapbooks for vacations and trips in the past, but since we haven't been able to travel for the past few years, it seemed only logical to document our year. Besides, we live in our vacation home now so everyday should feel like a vacation, right?
(Yeah, right!) ;-)
I hope everyone has a wonderful weekend and a very Happy Valentine's Day!

I think you know what I'll be working on this weekend... Sigh...
Cheers!
M J

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How to gussy up a cheapo lamp (i.e. - Wow, she uses that hot glue gun a lot...)

2/11/2015

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Ok, by the title of this post, you already know my glue gun will have a starring role yet again. You all must be thinking, "Most of her house has to be held together by hot glue!"... Well, you wouldn't be far from the mark, but I also use E6000 glue as well! :-) Hehe... Anywho...

Remember the little reading area in our bedroom?

Well, that little lamp on the three-tier table was a cheapo lamp from Ikea that I attacked with gold spray paint and my low temp glue gun. Here is a before and after:

As you can see, the original lamp was just flat black, which goes great with our French decor in the kitchen, but not so great with the new bedroom decor. Soooo... I taped off the lamp & lampshade, toted them outside and sprayed them both with my favorite gold spray paint. Of course that wasn't good enough, so I decided to glue on some wooden buttons that I found in my Hubby's woodworking supplies:

I love how different the gold spray paint looks on the metal of the lamp and the cloth of the lampshade. I also love how the wood grain on the buttons gives just the right detail without being too ostentatious. They also pick up on the wood of the window blinds just behind...

The little hanging ceramic bird was found at a local junk/estate shop for 25 cents. He was just too darling to pass up! Now the lamp is just right for this little spot and gives the perfect glow in the evening, especially with that gold gleaming!
I hope you are all having a wonderful week!
Cheers!
M J

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Monday Boost

2/9/2015

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This weekend I found myself thinking about how different the lives of children today truly are. Everything is available to them in the blink of an eye. They are so overloaded and over-connected every second of every day that I often wonder if they know the joys of simply being alone, on their own, writing, reading or just thinking...

In solitude we discover that our life is not a possession to be defended, but a gift to be shared.
- Henri Nouwen

It is rather sad to think that many kids haven't had the chance to be still, quiet and learn to know themselves without being defined by how they are seen on Facebook, Instagram, Snapchat, etc., etc., etc.... I keep the hope in my heart that as my Nieces and Nephews grow into adulthood, they can continue to learn their true selves separately from the constant barrage of instant connectivity.
Besides, learning to enjoy solitude is as easy as sitting down with my cat, being comforted by his purr, and watching the sun warm his soft fur...

He teaches me everyday that we do not possess life. He shares his life with us and chooses to be near us in quiet, beautiful moments. This is my wish for the children of today: That they will learn to enjoy enough healthy solitude to know themselves without the influence of anything or anyone else.
Happy Monday Everyone! Know thyself! ;-)
Cheers!
M J

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DIY Sunburst Mirror

2/6/2015

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I mentioned in my Master Bedroom Makeover post here that I would talk about a few of the DIY projects that I did to complete that makeover. Today I would like to tell you how I turned a plain, beveled mirror into the sunburst mirror over our bed:

We had that oval mirror in the attic from the other house and I had fallen in love with all of the star and sun burst mirrors I had been seeing everywhere. Instead of buying one, I decided to DIY one. I bought a few packages of bamboo BBQ skewers, grabbed my cutters and low temp glue gun, sat in front of the TV and got to work:

After a few hours of cutting, placing and gluing, I had an oval sunburst mirror! All that was left to do was cover & tape off the mirror and spray paint the points and edges gold.

Now we have a beautiful mirror that is, to be honest, a bit terrifying. If this thing ever fell off that wall, good luck to whatever/whoever is under it! Luckily, my hubby suggested using industrial strength glue to attach pieces of lumber to the back and then hung it with heavy duty frame hardware and wall anchors. It also has a ton of 3M picture hanging strips holding it to the wall. If we move anytime soon, that thing may be staying with the house... ;-)
Happy Friday! Enjoy your weekend!
Cheers!
M J

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File Storage Ottoman

Pretty Remote Storage

Monday Boost

Beautiful Hand-Painted Pet Portrait

Old Canvas Art Rehab

Monday Boost

Scrapbook Confessions...

How to gussy up a cheapo lamp (i.e. - Wow, she uses that hot glue gun a lot...)

Monday Boost

DIY Sunburst Mirror

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