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.