A few little finds from the week.....

I thought I would share some of my "guaranteed" good finds from the week.  I love to run across great things and/or ideas and share them with others.  Well....I have three really awesome items that you MUST know about now!

Many of you know that Stacey from The Little Brick House is my sister.  She has her boutique open every other weekend Friday, Saturday, and Sunday.  I did sneak up there the other day and found a couple of things that I will "guarantee"you to LOVE!

Let's start with the Daisies and Dukes products.  Not only does the label make me smile each time I see it....the scrub is scrubby and soapy (who would have thought) and smells really nice.  I selected Good Butt Jeans (what's not to love about that) which is a blueberry scent.  I have used it every night in the tub and have no regrets.  The body butter is great to use after your bath or shower.  It's thick and creamy...but dries fast and smells wonderful.  She carries a variety of fragrances and just received a shipment of a men's line.  I took a little preview of it and the names are so awesome....Cammo was one that just made me giggle!  Think about it....what guy doesn't need to exfoliate and smell good.  Give 'em a gool ol man scrub in a name like Cammo and he will be livin' the dream.  I plan to tell Mr. Craig that I heard somewhere.... that some fella killed a giant buck while wearing it....ha....probably won't work but he will smell great!

Next, take a look at the beautiful gypsy turquoise necklace with the chunky cross.  I LOVE toggle clasps and it's got one!  I can't wait to pair it up with a small thin necklace and a leather bracelet this fall with a white t-shirt and jean jacket.  I had a heck of a time picking out which jewelery I was bringing home.  She has a ton of cute things and very reasonably priced.  There is always next time unless all of my favorite things sell this weekend.

Finally, I am going to give a BIG GUARANTEE to the Pumpkin Pie Jamesport Candle Co. candle.  I started burning it this week one of those nights when it was cool and my air was off.  It is nothing short of amazing and almost felt like Fall.  The other aspect I noticed was even after burning for 6 or more hours, not much wax looked gone.  I suspect it will last a long time.  My next purchase will certainly be Mulled Cider.  She does carry a variety of sizes and even melts in all of the scents.

Be sure to stop by and visit her this weekend.  She is located in Saint James on Highway B just beyond Subway.  There is great parking and lots to see in the shop. Like I said earlier, she is open Friday/Saturday 10-4 and 12-4 on Sunday.  She has some very neat furniture, modern country home decor, gifts, and jewelery.  You will be glad you stopped by. Be sure to check out her Facebook page by going to The Little Brick House. 

Have a wonderful weekend,
Christy

Summer Project....Let's Make Over Your Kitchen!!!

If you know me then you know that I LOVE a good project.  I also love to start one very spontaneously when nobody expects it either.  Sometimes you can "over think" things too much and some of my best work has turned out when I jumped in and took some risks.

I am not really one that loves to cook or bake, however, I do love a good kitchen.  With my four kids it seems like we spend a lot of time in there. I was very fortunate to have a beautiful kitchen in our previous home.  When we built our home it was super easy to design and plan the kitchen since it was basically a blank canvas.  The only thing that limited me was my budget.  I worked with one of my best friends, who just happened to own a cabinet company, and she helped me design an awesome kitchen. Probably one of the hardest parts of selling was the fact that I was going to miss my pretty kitchen.  

When we looked at the farmhouse on the new property I was very mixed on what I was going to do with the current kitchen setup.  My first thought, obviously before I put numbers to a budget, was to tear out the current cabinets and put back exactly what I had in the other house.  A part of me was scared to spend the money since the cabinets were nice quality oak.  There wasn't a thing wrong with them except they weren't what I had in the previous kitchen.  My cabinet friend even said it would be silly to pull them out as they were structurally sound and in good condition.  Then....the risk taker came out in me!  I had seen many posts on Pinterest where folks had painted their cabinets with Annie Sloan Chalk Paint.  The rest is history!!!

Before

Before

I jumped in and took the plunge with ASCP and have not had one regret!  There are numerous benefits and you will save a lot of time with awesome results.  I researched all of the particulars and found a cute little shop in Pacific, MO called Nettie Suze who was an Annie Sloan Stockist.  They carry all colors and are super in helping you select what you will need.  There are even great "recipes" to mixing the paint for unique colors of your choice.  I went with Old White and love them.  Some of the best parts are: 

• NO sanding existing cabinets...just clean them and you are ready!!!
• NO priming them....how about saving $$$ without buying primer?
• Annie Sloan goes a LONG way....I only used 3 quarts!
• Works really well especially if you want to distress them a bit!
• Dries fast and looks professionally finished when waxed

I purchased new hardware very reasonably priced at Menards too.  We did replace the counter top with granite (which is not always necessary just personal preference) to complete the project.  It turned out better than I had expected and looking back....easy...compared to some of the other projects we tackled.  

So here is the reveal......

The distressing technique and new hardware!

#livingthedream

As I mentioned before, there were just too many amenities to pass up when we first looked at the beautiful Tall Oaks Farm.  I grew up living in the country where the mornings had a low fog that just settled on the fields and the evenings made you wish that the sunset would stop and hang around over the amazing corn and beans that were almost black they were so green.  I sure have missed hearing tractors going up and down the road in the heat of the summer, the smell of a fresh cut hayfield, seeing lights out after dark knowing that someone has already put in a hard day of work, and feeling that smug layer of humidity out over the hills that makes you realize it's a really hot day for a farmer.  

I just couldn't resist sitting outside today, even though it's hot, because of the smell and sounds across the road from our house were just too irresistible.  There have been a team of "good ol boys" putting up hay there for the past few days.  It has felt so good to hear the machinery coming and going...I must admit I am a bit sad as I see them pull in to load up their efforts.  Thank goodness we have people who still love the "craft" of the hayfield.  I know they are hot, tired, and probably just praying nothing breaks down at this point.  

There was a point in my life that I would have considered an "amenity" having a swimming pool in the back yard and living close to town near the Redbox... my dream.  Don't get me wrong, the pool will come back one day....but for now I am rethinking what makes me happy.  

Finally.....

   

After purchasing a farm three months ago, I can finally say that things are starting to be normal again. We are past working 12-14 hour days remodeling, we are (finally) not wearing paint as an "accessory" and in our hair, and we can actually watch some of our favorite TV shows at night and use the internet!  

    When we first saw this beauty last fall we all knew that "she" had great bones and a lot of potential.  We had already been through the building process and made a house a home....so this didn't look like too big of a deal.  WOW.....little did we know....remodeling is very hard work.  With all of the hours and sweat, we are proud of how much we love "her" now!  I remember sitting in our previous home and thinking to myself all of the nice things I would be giving up.  You know the pretty floors, the beautiful kitchen, my relaxing tub.  Then I realized that those are just "things" and the farm had a great deal of amenities.

    Well... here we are in the heart of summer with beautiful pastures and shady oak trees that make you peek hard to see the amazing sunset!  

     I have a whole lot of posts in mind from all of the projects we have completed where I did some cool before and after photos.  Not to mention....there have been some pretty funny stories along the way too.

Tall Oaks Farm
(keeping the name from the previous owner)

Welcome to our porch!