Post Christmas...ahhhh

So another Christmas has come and gone. Its the day after and I am exhausted. We have a huge family. I mean with all the kids and grand kids we have enough to support both teams of a backyard football game and still have some people left to cheer lead!
We have 7 kids and step kids..and then add in their spouses and kids and it gets crazy. So there is a lot of work, love, mess and chaos in any celebration in our house. Add to that 3 dogs and 2 cats and it is a house full of craziness. But that after all is the fun of it.
So the day after, when I am looking around at piles of wrapping paper, empty toy boxes, unopened and opened toys everywhere, late night sandwich makings, cups left out etc....the day I really need to get busy and clean up?I have no energy left. I am spent. :)
So today amidst all the mess I will clean up..... tomorrow. I thought I'd share a few pictures.

2014 is slowly slipping into 2015.

SOME OF MY FAVORITE THINGS OF 2014

And these are a few of my favorite  things…LOL...y'all remember the song from Julie Andrews in The Sound of Music? Well, you'll just have to imagine yourself singing it as you read. :)

I thought since we were closing in on the end of the year it would be fun to share some of my favorite discoveries or just favorite things of 2014.  Just for fun….

First off, I gotta show y'all a picture of one of my favorite trees... I love this tree. It's so old fashioned and yet contemporary. Simple and elegant. I am really sorry that I can't tell ya where it's from because I couldn't find the source online.

Unknown source

And of course my favorite tree would include my own. We have a 12 ft tree in our Family room and then another 6.5 foot tree in our Living room. I'll post pictures later. But for now, here are a few of my other favorite things...

WALKING EACH OTHER HOME THIS HOLIDAY SEASON

So here we are with the holiday season upon us. YAY!!! I so love Christmas. It is seriously my favorite time of the year. People everywhere are nice! Lol…

We had a wonderful Thanksgiving with tons of family and food. We put up our tree a bit early this year because my daughter Jessica was surprising her little ones with a trip to Disney for Christmas and wanted them to open their “gift” under the tree. J  

So now I am in the frenzy of decorating for the holidays. I love it! I truly do. I love everything about the Holiday season. Baking cookies, decorating, family, fun, going out looking at lights, the friendly spirit of strangers….everything! But mostly it is a beautiful and festive reminder of Christ for me. It reminds me that this life, with all its joys and sadness are temporal. My forever home is with Christ someday. Because of his sacrifice and blood shed for me at the cross, his death brings me life when I put my hope and faith in Him. That is my Christmas wish for all!  but...

PAINTBRUSHES, RECIPES, FAMILY AND GOD

Wow…did I fall off the radar or what? I just looked at this and realized it has been over a month since I wrote anything! I try to do twice a week but obviously I fell far from that recently. It’s just been a very hectic season. I also think I was going in the wrong direction and trying to hard to be something I am not.

I’m more of a lifestyles blogger. Meaning I like to blog about life. EVERYTHING… DIY projects, style, my faith, family, food, and in general, just-LIFE! I do it because I love to write. And I hope someone will enjoy reading it. But I have been trying to be a DIY blogger. Not intentionally. I think I just happened to do a lot of  painting and projects, one after the other for a while and then suddenly I felt the need to keep up! And it’s been tough! I love paintbrushes, recipes, family and God. But NOT in that order. So time to readjust. That’s part of the reason I vanished. I had no projects to post so I didn't write. And I don't want to do that. I will still do a lot of them...because I do love decorating and DIY projects, but I'm not gonna go looking for them and panic when I don't have a project to post. So….I’m gonna just stop trying to be something I’m not, and write about anything and everything as the mood strikes cause that's what I love most. Writing.  J 

So…what have I been up to?...

FALL IS HERE! WREATHS, PUMPKINS, SCENTS AND MORE.

It's FALL! Yay! This is absolutely my favorite time of year. Especially living in the south. We are having beautiful sunny weather in the 70's right now. What we use to call Indian Summer up north is pretty much the normal weather here, which sometimes extends all the way into December. 
The AC (which I am not a fan of) is finally off. The windows are open and the smell of fall is everywhere. Lawn mowers buzz their last breathes of summer, breezes rustling the curtains, pumpkins all around and maple scents in my Scentsy burner. Oh my goodness I love it. 
So decorating a bit for the season is part of the fun. Surfing around the Internet for ideas, I realize it's time to change up the front door wreath and the front porch. This is how is it looks now.... 

What's on your plate tonight? Honey Horsey Glazed Salmon???

Are you a lover of Salmon??? Well check out this recipe because it is amazingly good! lol... I love it. Mix it up with other seasonings you may like and make sure to use wild caught, not farm raised salmon and buy local if you can! This is what's for dinner tonight! Throw some fresh broccoli and a salad out there and you have a feast!

3 tbsp Honey
1 tbsp Maple Syrup
1 tbsp Horseradish sauce
1 teas. Garlic powder
1 teas. Basil

I like to saute some fresh mushrooms up to cover the salmon with too. Whip all seasonings and sauces together. Lay Wild Caught Salmon out in a shallow pan. (I spray the bottom and sides of the pan slightly).
Poke some holes in the salmon with a fork. Pour glaze mixture over the Salmon and salt and pepper. Add the mushrooms. Bake at 350* for 20 plus minutes. Enjoy! C'mon! Can it get any easier than that? 

CHECK OUT OTHER RECIPES HERE...

MY WHIMSICAL TREE IS FINALLY ON THE WALL!

Every room should have a little bit of whimsy! 

I did it! I actually free hand painted a tree on my wall! Yay me. lol....

I am so pleased at how this tree turned out! And also, so pleased it is done! It was kind of a spontaneous last minute decision. I mean I have always wanted to paint a tree on my wall, but I wasn't prepared to do so. But today it was pouring rain and I got the itch and looked around to see what paint I had on hand and voila!

Roasted Redskins and Sausage Casserole

I make this recipe for a large group of people that I cook for on a regular basis and they seem to love it. I have to "up" the recipe sometimes for about 40 people but I also make it for the family in smaller portions. lol.. it's so easy. And I do like easy. 

Redskin Potatoes (or creamers)
Sausage or Kielbassi (your choice)
Fresh green onions
Olive Oil to drizzle
Basil
Onion Powder
Garlic ( I use fresh and Garlic powder)
Rosemary
Red Pepper Flakes
Paprika

Wash and cut up redskin potatoes, leave peels on. Boil for 15 minutes until tender. While the potatoes are boiling, cut the (already pre-cooked) sausage to bite size pieces. Drain the potatoes and pour all them into a baking dish. Drizzle or spray potatoes with Olive Oil. Then add bite size sausage. Season with all the seasonings listed. Chop up some green onions for added color and flavor. I use tons because I love them. I use the greens and very little of the actual onion part since it makes for a milder kick. Mix all the flavorings over the potatoes and sausage evenly. Some might like the potatoes a bit less "mashy" but I like them that way for a casserole so I kinda mash them a bit while mixing. I don't like hard potatoes in it. Put the casserole dish in the oven and bake covered for 20 minutes at 350*. Uncover to "crisp" sausage and top with more green onions in the last five minutes for looks  presentation. lol...
Note * If you don't like spicy then don't use the (Red Pepper Flakes) because they will cook up quite spicy with them!

OPEN SHELVING AND WALL COLLECTIONS

Hey y’all. How ya doin on this incredibly hot and humid day? lol...at least here in southeast North Carolina it sure is. It's absolutely stifling! And guess what? Today of all days our central air takes a dump. Thankfully, the guys are here fixing it so we will have cool air shortly. They were here within a couple hours of my call, polite and got the job done as quickly as possible. Poor guys had to go work up in the attic. Yikes!

So a few things….I did baseboard trim for the first time. Yay! I added baseboard to my daughters bathroom. Unfortunately, no pictures today. I have to finish up the caulking and painting and then I will take some. I know it’s not a big deal or a hard project but it’s the first time for me and I feel like it was a big accomplishment for me. J

So my daughter and I worked on her "wall collection" too. I think she did a great job! She’s a lot more “vintagey” then I am but I love doing different styles, so it was fun helping her. She’s still not really happy with it and wants to change out a few things but its pretty so I thought I’d show ya. J 

Sorry for the poor quality pics but I didn't have my camera with me, only my phone.

Social Media at its best...and it's worst.

Social media. I was talking about it on the phone today with a friend today. A friend I went to high school with but didn’t really know. But now I do. Yep, you got it-through social media. We have connected over social media and this blog. How cool is that? I love reconnecting with old friends, meeting new ones, keeping in touch with family and friends back home and just generally seeing what is going on in everyone’s lives.

I enjoy seeing all the wonderful videos, posts and statuses from around the world. It’s truly amazing. I share stories of my family. I share this blog, along with decorating likes and dislikes. I share a lot! It’s sometimes hard to imagine life before it all existed. I mean seriously, what was it like?

Random thoughts...

So I thought I’d just share a few random thoughts and ideas.

I am very saddened by the death of Robin Williams. Such a tragedy that he must have spent the last moments of his life feeling as though he had no hope or joy. He must have been so despondent to have believed that ending his life was a viable option. My heart breaks for his family. 

I hope if there is anyone out there reading this that feels like that, you will talk to someone. Tell someone. Seek help. Scream it from the rooftops, but don’t believe for a minute that there is no hope for you. And know that you are loved whether you know it or not. And yes, I am talking about God. He is there. And He is hope. Talk to someone please if you have even considered this.

A LITTLE BIT OF RED AND A WHOLE LOT OF RAIN...

Well it's still raining here in southeast North Carolina.  I believe it’s now been about a month straight of rain! This is a place that is generally sunny. I mean every day, cold or hot -the sun is shining. But not this summer. It's the first summer like this I can remember. Tons and tons of rain. I happen to really love rainy days. They are cozy and peaceful to me. But enough is enough!

And I don't know if it's because of the rain or not, but I haven't managed to get much of anything  done in the last couple weeks. A little putzin around, doing some odd jobs cleaning and organizing around the place, but really not much. But it sure is amazing how much easier it is to clean when you are organized! I am also preparing (mostly in my mind) for a big garage sale at the end of August. Ugh... I will do this one and that's it! I really don’t like having them. It’s a lot of work.

So, I asked in a previous post "why can't I commit to the color RED in my house?" even though I like a touch of it as you can see here....

Where Oh where is my comment box????

I am being told by friends that my blog is still asking you to sign in with a Google account if you want to comment.  I don't know why this is happening, it's so frustrating! I really want your feedback and for some reason I can't get the comments to work. Please bear with me while I try to fix this issue. 

Frustrations and a Fun Girls Night Out!

Wheres the other daughter? Shooting!

So as I said in my previous post this has been a frustrating weekend. I spent all weekend trying to work on my blog’s “comments system”. It’s so frustrating to me that it was difficult to comment on my blog all this time unless you had Google account. I fix the problem but lose ALL my comments! Ugh…So again, to y’all that took the time to post a comment in the past, I thank you! And I am sad to have lost you. L And now after 2 years of blogging I am starting completely over with it! Dang.

And all week we were also having issues with our internet. It goes from slow to non existent. And we can’t figure out what’s wrong. We have an appt with our carrier to come out Thursday. 3 days with no internet??? Yikes! What will I do???

On a less complainy  note (Yes I said “complainy”) -I did something I have never done before last night. I went to Ladies Night at the shooting range here in town. I had so much fun! And talk about letting off some steam. J ...

BEYOND FRUSTRATION

UPDATE: So I updated my comments with IntenseDebate and Commentluv....someone PLEASE comment so I can see if it works!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! I think it will work better now since anyone can comment not just google users but the down side? I LOST ALL MY COMMENTS TODAY. :(  NOT JUST SOME, BUT ALL, ON ALL MY POSTS FROM THE BEGINNING. I AM SO SAD!!

Ok, today I am beyond frustrated! I can not work out my "comments" box on this stinkin blog. I didn't realize when I 'hooked' up with Google plus comments that only people with Google accounts could comment. No one else can! I don't like that idea and lately I have had people telling me that they tried to comment on my blog and couldn't. So I have decided to go with another comment system such as Disqus or Intensedebate which appear to be some of the top comment systems out there. But I can't do it!!!! I have followed all the directions for both and neither show up. Only Google plus. It's like it attached to my blog and I can't destroy it! I "took my blog back" from Google as I read to do. All that seems to have happened it that I lost my openID, and it removed my google profile from my blog. But it left behind the Google commenting system! The one thing ...

MAD MAX AND THE REST OF THE WEEK

Meet Max. He’s the newest addition to our crew. -Or I should say Mad Max cuz he's an absolute adorable, but psycho kitty. Non stop running through the house, up the stairs, around the corner, back down the stairs and yes....right up your shoulder on to the top of your head. All in a split second before you have time to duck. :) But he is a doll. He is a rescue from a rescue group in town, as are all our little four legged family members. You can see the others here.

So there’s not much going on here around the old homestead other than... 

Putzin around the palace....lol

Me, my daughter and granddaughter

Oh my goodness what a busy couple of weeks it has been. But it is summertime and I am lovin' it.We celebrated Independence Day with a big outdoor pool party and barbecue and it turned out amazing with a great group of people, both family and friends, and a whole lot of food and fun! This week I just putzed around the palace. Y’all know putzin means doing a whole lot of nothing in particular and a little of everything in general. Just sorta cleanin' a little, movin' and rearranging, and all around just tweaking things here and there? And well, my palace? lol..I try to make it our home our own humble little castle.

KITCHEN DECISIONS THAT DRIVE ME CRAZY!

Well, just like my home which is continually going through changes and being redecorated, I thought it was time to give my little blog a re-design. So with a little tweak here and there Building Sand Castles in the Wind has a bit of a new look. I hope you like it. I do!

But on to other things...

LOVIN ON THE GARDENS AND OUTDOOR SPACES

So instead of writing about DIY projects or decor in the home, I thought I would just write a bit about the outside of my home today. The gardens. One of my favorite things about my home is the greenery around it. I love planting flowers, gardening and working in the outdoors. Living here in North Carolina there is just so much beauty and it lasts so long since winters don't really exist here as they do in the north. At least not the freezing low temps and mounds of snow I was use to in Ohio.

THIRD TIMES A CHARM!... NOW IT JUST FEELS RIGHT.

I think one of the most fun decorating trends of the last few years is Chalkboards. It's just plain fun. C'mon, it's like being the teacher and being able to write on the board any time you want. And talk about functional. I use mine for grocery, "to do" lists, writing favorite scriptures and welcoming greetings at parties. Oh and the most fun???

MY DIRTY LITTLE SECRET UNDER THE STAIRS....

What lies behind this beautiful door????

I have wanted to get this one post written simply because I like the title so much! lol.... Seriously, secrets aside, we all have those junk drawers, junk rooms, dumping areas etc that we don't let others see. Especially if you blog and take pictures. We all know pictures lie. We don't all keep our homes "Home and Garden" beautiful all the time. At least this girl doesn't! We live here. So, I have this area that is just off the kitchen hallway and is under the stairs. I have used it for everything. It was my "Hurricane Hideout" when Hurricane Hannah hit here in 2011? I think. And it has been my junk room. The little area that EVERYTHING gets thrown in because no one will see it and I don't know where to put it. So off it goes...into the junk room. Okay so here is a picture of the before. 

DON'T JUDGE!!!

LOST IN NORMAL LIFE, HAVING FUN AND NOT DOING MUCH DIY!!

I like to start with a pretty picture cuz that's what shows first!  lol

Its been weeks since I wrote anything! Yikes...no apologies though. I am just living life so sometimes I just don't blog. Sometimes I get so busy just livin my normal life...I actually forget about blogging or facebooking or twittering this or that! Imagine that???? OOPS....lol......

So what has been goin on?

HELLO YOU GORGEOUS SWEET DOOR OF MINE !!!

The ability to paint just about anything in your home is what makes decorating so much fun! And furniture so versatile. Paint changes the look, feel and temperature of a room. It takes an old piece of furniture and makes it new. It brings a room or a piece of furniture to life. It should make you smile. I love painted wood and I don't think for a minute that it ruins a piece.

20 SOME YEARS LATER AND MARTHA FINALLY GETS A FACE LIFT!

So this week I decided to give my "Martha Washington" sewing cabinet a much needed and belated face lift. These little stands were made popular back in the early 1900's when everyone was broke and manufacturers were looking for smaller wares to sell during the Depression. I bought mine in my hometown of Madison Ohio at a yard sale back in the 80's. They actually have nothing to do with Martha Washington and came along after her time. 

They sell on eBay, depending on the condition anywhere from

HALLELUJAH....HAPPY EASTER WEEKEND!!!

While y'all may come here simply for a little DIY or decorating tidbits...I have to share a more personal side sometimes. I hope ya don't mind, but if you do...sorry but...It is my blog! hahahaha...

I am posting this video

THE "LITTLES" NAUGHTY CHAIR... NOW A STOOL

My beautiful mom

If you will allow me just a personal moment of gratitude. My mom who lives several states away in Ohio had major back surgery this week. It was scary to think of her going through it. She wasn't alone, my sister Bev was with her. And it was a pretty anxious time for me being so far away and I spent this week worrying and praying. My prayers were answered and she is doing good. Thank you Jesus! She is up and walking. She is a fighter. She is the one

DOWN TIME, A VISIT WITH FRIENDS AND A POLLEN ATTACK!!!.

Wow, I am tired. Sooo tired. I haven't posted in a while. I've just had so much going on around here. So many distractions. Both good and bad. The good and bad...We spent a week with a dumpster in the drive cleaning our garage and attics out. ugh...that was a strenuous week. The good... we had some wonderful friends from Ohio come in for a visit. Our good friends Kay and Mark and their son Matty. I love these guys..and we had a lot of fun with them and some much needed quiet time with good friends. We went to see Noah's Ark...(YUCK) and Captain Phillips (LOVED) and just sat around and talked. They are friends and good people. 

DESPERATELY IN NEED OF SOME DECORATING TIPS FOR A NAKED WALL!

DELILAH CURTAINS FROM PIER 1

I've been working on my living room for a while now. Its forever changing. I posted the finished room picture here. But alas, it's changed again. And it's still not really done. I've changed the curtains from my beloved Pier 1 Citron flowered ones (which I will not part with and will use again) here to some beautifully delicate lacy white ones which I equally love. I can't wait to have the windows open and see them waving in the breezes...

OH MY, WHAT A BRUTAL WEEKEND!!!!

Pink-Trashcom-Coastal-Ladies-Carting-Inc

Oh my gosh - I am exhausted!!! This has been one of the busiest and most brutal weekends my body has faced in a while! lol... So let me tell ya how I spent my weekend. We rented a dumpster to clean out the garage and the attic. I never would have believed we could have so much junk! I guess years upon years of accumulation finally added up to a near explosion in our garage. We have our own junk and then all our kids have their junk. And then they moved out and moved back with more junk and so on and so on...

NOOKS AND CRANNIES, CORNERS AND BASEBOARDS...WHAT A BUSY DAY!

Now I'm not trying to tell y'all how to clean or anything like that, I am just sharing how I do the whole "nooks and crannies" thing at my house. I found a good way and it works well for me so I thought I'd share.

Every 3 or 4 months I have what I call a "nooks and crannies" day. It's a day that I grab a bucket filled with lilac smelling pinesol, Windex, paper towels and a clean rag.

THIS WEEK'S DIY PLAN WAS A TOTAL BUST!!!!!!!!

The Blissful Bee Blogspot

Well this week was a bust. I had it in my head all week that this was the weekend I was building my brand new beautiful Factory Cart coffee table for the living room. I have the coffee table in there that I "checker boarded" and I'm using but it just doesn't work with the room. It isn't my style and quite frankly...I just don't like it.

MY LIVING ROOM FACE LIFT...SHE LOOKS 20 YEARS YOUNGER!

Here is my new living room! It's not exactly "done" because my home is always a work in progress. Always. But is done for a while. And it is definitely a much happier room. :) I think it's smiling now -I know I am!  Take a look! I absolutely love it...what do you think??  

So we went from this room which I also loved once upon a time too for all it's color.. 

MY WONDERFUL CHARLESTON TRIP AND MY BEAUTIFUL COW!

Charleston was fun! It was the first time I had ever been there. My son Eric moved there for a job opportunity about 4 months ago. I miss him so much and hate that he is 4 hours away. Yes I know 4 hours isn't much and lots of grown kids move far away from their parents, but I don't have to like it! I miss being able to just meet him for lunch or go listen to him play out at one of the local music venues. (He is also a musician)  I simply miss him. Okay, I am done venting and I will share with you the upside of him living in Charleston where I will continue to visit him...

MY LIVING ROOM REVAMP -PROGRESS!!!

Well I hope everyone's Valentine's Day was special! Mine sure was. Mostly because, as I said before, it is also my anniversary. And my wonderful hubby and I spent it in the beautiful city of Charleston SC! We had a lovely time. I got to visit with my son who recently moved there, visit the downtown the City Market and I brought back a wonderful souvenir for my kitchen that I absolutely fell in love with. Thanks to following Miss Mustard Seed! lol..... I will post about that later!

But for now.... 

HAPPY "NON PINK" VALENTINE'S DAY!!!

Happy Valentine's Day!   

I am not a very sentimental person and I gotta admit- Valentine's Day is just one of the most over done holidays to me. I just don't really think much about it. And I am not a "pinkish" kind of gal. Not at all. I think it's a cute little holiday for kids to give and receive cards in class, but that's about all. That said, believe it or not it is also my wedding anniversary. Hmmmm...how'd that happen? lol... I'm not really sentimental but if either of us are, then it would be my husband. He's a sensitive guy. I guess we wanted to get married and didn't want to do it at Christmas because it would be so hard to do and quite disruptive to the holiday etc...so we waited and decided Feb 14. My husband says it was so he would never forget our anniversary. :) And he hasn't yet. So we are off to Charleston SC tomorrow to celebrate! Yay!

MY LOVE/ HATE RELATIONSHIP WITH LEATHER...

Google image, Source not found

Yes, its true, I have a love/hate relationship with leather. I hate it for its stuffiness, dark and formal feel. I love it for its beauty, comfort and durability. I just purchased a small new leather love seat to replace my fabric couch in the formal living room. And please understand.... that it really isn't a "formal" living room at all but since we have a family room open off the kitchen that is what they call it. But, believe me, there's nothing formal about it. Or any other part of my house for that matter.

LETS MAKE A KITCHEN CHALKBOARD ON A SNOWY DAY!

I love chalkboards! I have one on my pantry door I made quite some time ago, or should I say had one. Until today. But it was made on thin wood and was starting to warp. So I decided to take it down and make another. Only this time on the wall in the kitchen instead of the pantry door.

STILL NEEDS A BORDER OF SOME KIND

It's so easy to do them so I just decided on a whim to start it last night. That's me again. Poor planning. I ran out of painters tape and didn't have spackling to take care of previous nail holes. (Something I would have done if I planned this!) And I still need to do a border around it but its up for now. I can't figure out if I want to do a wood type frame -I was thinking a yardstick look- how cool is that thought?...

WAY OFF COURSE WITH THIS PAINT JOB

VERY subtle colors on it...maybe too subtle for my tastes.

So the painting of the coffee table went a little off course. I planned this and then planned that and then back again...I ended up painting the bottom white and the top grey and went for a checkerboard on the top of that. I failed. Major fail. But...

WHITE ON WHITE??? THE COFFEE TABLE BEGINS...

So the first coat is on the coffee table...and I'm kinda diggin the white. But I'm not sure if I want to keep it white? Or maybe, two tone it with possibly a dark top? Or do the whole thing colored....

MY JUTE RUG, GOD AND THE HOMELESS....WHAT'S GOING ON?

Let me start by apologizing to y'all. I know, you certainly don't come to this blog to be depressed. And that's not my intention. But this blog is about my life. The good, the bad and the ugly. And sometimes I gotta vent because I am more than someone who likes to decorate. So I will be back tomorrow with a little decor thing I am doing. But...

This evening I am overwhelmed. Not because of DIY or decorating issues. But with life's injustice. Here I am lamenting about my rug falling apart and money down the drain and well, God gave me a little nudge tonight. Somewhere, someone is wondering where he's gonna lay his head on this freezing cold night...

MY GORGEOUS JUTE RUG IS GOING BACK!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Ok, in a matter of just 3 days I've gone from over the top madly in love with my new 100% Jute rug to so very disappointed and sad in the fact that I have to return it. :( 
I mean, I truly can't tell you how much I love this rug! LOVE!!!

Waaaaaaaaaaaa!!!

But 3 days in and this is what it looks like... It is coming apart in about 4 different spots. The weave is actually coming apart and big, and I mean huge loops are sticking up! And they are not end pieces they are actual loops so you can not cut them. I could pull them back through the underneath but at this rate I'd be doing it constantly. I am just really sad about this. It IS a beautiful rug. 
I have dogs, kids, grandkids, and a hubby. So what to blame it on? The dogs nails? Grandkids playing? Shoes? Who knows? I haven't seen anyone "catch" on it so I really can't say. And since I saw the first one I have been on a vigilant "eyes wide open" rampage trying to figure out how it's happening. But not luck. 
Fortunately, thanks to the wonderful return policy of where I bought it online... I can return it. Sadly. Did I mention how sad I am????? And now I have to start all over and search for another rug to fall in love with....

Bloglovin’

So.... I started using BLOGLOVIN'  which I recently discovered and just love! So just to let you know, you can now go online and download the new App for Iphone. Yay!! It’s a really easy and practical App that will help you follow all you favorite blogs including me at Building Sand Castles in the Wind!! :)

IT'S HERE! MY NEW JUTE RUG HAS ARRIVED!!!

100% JUTE RUG

So my new rug has arrived. I bought it online and received it in just 3 days! I love the site and order almost everything from this store. As I mentioned in a previous post I am doing a very small budget friendly "redo" of my living room. I am still working on my family room so I don't want to spend a lot of time or money in this room right now but it definitely needed a minor face lift. I called it a "re set" in my previous post, but I guess that's wrong. In a 'reset' you would normally empty out your room and get a clearer picture of what you have. Take an entirely new look at your space. And then mostly using things you already have in the room or from other rooms, change it up. Mix it up. Rearrange and move things in and out of the room for a new fresh look. 
While I am indeed doing that, I am also buying a few new items and I am going to add an old fireplace I have sitting in the garage collecting dust. And possibly a faux surround for it. So I am doing a bit more than just looking at it differently and moving things around. 
I bought this new rug and a new love seat. As I said the rug was from (?)(edit:I have decided to remove the name of the company so as not to give them a bad rap. They are a wonderful online company and have a great return policy so I want to honor them) and I got a great price on it with a coupon code and shipping was only $2.95! The love seat was also very inexpensive ...(cheap). The room needed it badly. At this point the room, which used to be my favorite spot, has become a room filled with mismatched items, (thrown in until I find a place for them or get rid of them) and an over sized couch. And it needed some love because it has become a "walk though" room. You don't sit and stay, it doesn't draw you in or feel welcoming. So....
I am still waiting on the love seat to be delivered. From a different seller. I wish it had been from the same one because I have had nothing but problems with the delivery from this other dealer. We shall see.
But the rug is here!! It is 100% Jute. And it is extremely thick and comfy under your feet and yet very pliable to bend and pick it up to vacuum under. I just LOVE it and now I am getting very excited to get moving on the rest of the room. 
Don't mind the junk in the room that's all being painted or moved about. The coffee table is my next project. The way this picture is taken the rug looks much smaller than it is. It's really quite large. And its beautiful! I'll keep ya updated!!!!!!!!!!   (See the sad update here)!

The rug is very thick and is light tan, brown and flecked with grey. :)

MAMA'S LAMP

Just a little update. My mom gave me this lamp long ago. She had two of them and they were in our home while growing up for as long as I can remember. Although they looked much different. You read about my re-purposing household items here. 
But it has finally found its resting spot after years upon years in my garage. It seems like nothing to all of you I suppose but to me it's a lot. It says hello at my entrance and its says "mom" to me every time I walk in my door. :)

A little Cottage with a little Vintage

GOODBYE 2013.... HELLO 2014!!!!!!

Well, 2013 has come and gone. I started with so many ideas and good intentions for the year and fell flat on so many! I did get a lot accomplished though. The family room re-do and kitchen update were pretty great. But...oh well, here's to 2014! And a fresh start.

Here is a list of some of the things I hope to accomplish in the coming year.

The floors look great from a distance but up close...not so much.

1.) THE ENTRANCE. Refinish the hardwood floors.
Wainscoting on the stairway wall you see there.

Do you see these ugly stairs???????

Yes, we have a dog. 3 in fact. She was a puppy though, so she is forgiven. 

2.) THE UGLY STAIRS!!!! - YUCK!! I am so dreading this job! I know it's gonna be nasty and dirty. I hate even showing pictures of them! I need to rip up all the old carpeting. Sand, paint and finish off the stairs. I think it's simply beat up plywood under them so I may try staining them in a striped fashion to mimic hardwood. Or do the traditional black treads with white risers. I haven't decided yet. But anything would be better than the ugly carpeting on there now.

3.) THE LIVING ROOM. Short term - This room is just so boring and unfinished. I have been working on the other side of the house for so long that this room just got overlooked. I don't want to do a full remodel of anything -just a reset. I need to empty it out and take a new look. A couch or loveseat, companion chair and rug. Paint that coffee table!!!! Rearrange the entire layout of the room. But not a major redo...just tweaking....

Can't wait to paint the coffee table and get a new love seat and rug!! And then do a whole re-set here.

Although, I think I want to do a chair rail in this room? And maybe wainscoting that matches with the dining room that it opens to. You will notice that I would like to do a common theme of wainscoting throughout the downstairs. I think it adds such a gracious charm to homes. And a 2 story in the south begs for it!
4.) Dining room - Wainscoting. I had thought of doing the textured wallpaper that gives the illusion of wainscoting but I think I may save that for another project upstairs and just do the real thing here.
5.) Kitchen - New counter tops! Maybe a white solid stone???? A new backsplash? The kitchen was recently redone (new appliances, and an overhaul on the cabinetry). I would also like to add a wine cooler to the kitchen. Possibly under the counter. And maybe paint the one wall with a chalkboard paint.
6) Downstairs powder room. Paint, beadboard,shelving, and new vanity and sink.
7.) I would like to checkerboard paint my back deck. I saw it on Pinterest and fell in love!!! Check it out.....

8.) Finish my bedroom and master bath. I've painted both already. I want to paint the vanity and figure out some kind of window covering for the large bathroom windows. Finally get new bedding and new drapes are in order too.

9.) Family room, I may continue the wainscoting from the entrance into this room.  

And we won't even start on the front porch, painting the shutters and garage door, the flower beds, stamp the concrete around the pool, landscaping, etc etc etc.... First I must win the lottery and then...Oh well, then I can hire people!!! ugh....