Bird Bath

Julie gave me this lovely bird bath and I just love how it makes my front garden look like, well, a garden (as opposed to the sun-baked island that it really is).

A Little Decorating at Chateau Gahan

I've been wanting an upholstered headboard for quite some time. Do you know how expensive they are to buy? Expensive enough that I took matters into my own hands. And here's how I did it. Now keep in mind that an equally inexpensive way to do it would have been to buy and cut plywood, but there are two obstacles there for this single mom: 1) too doggone heavy to work with, and 2) I would have had to put it up using hardware. Two things I knew I could work around. AND, the most important reason to tackle it as I did is that I want to have some flexibility with the shape of it.

I'm starting with a rectangular shape but think ultimately I'd like a curved shape like the Cleveland below.

So here's how I created my headboard . . . I bought an inexpensive piece of foamcore. Gatorboard would have been better, but it was not in my budget. Gatorboard doesn't bow like foamcore does. So to alleviate the bowing, I stabilized the single thickness of cheap foamcore by duct-taping smaller pieces of used and ready-to-be-thrown-out foamcore onto it. Not pretty to look at, but it achieved the rigidness.

The foam. Expensive expensive expensive by the yard. Even with the 40% Jo-Ann coupon, it was still going to be costing me more than I wanted to spend. Right next to the by-the-yard foam was a display of eggcrate mattress toppers. I purchased a full-size-bed one, which after the coupon came to around $20. The foam, even with the coupon, would have been close to $60. The eggcrate side of the topper goes against the foamcore, so what is exposed is flat foam. Perfect. (Although I did have to cut the topper to cover the foamcore in its entirety and have enough to fold under the edges; not a bigee, though).

The fabric was a find at Hancock Fabrics. I so wanted an eggshell blue or dove grey velvet, but . . . someday. In the meantime, this pretty floral was on sale for $4 a yard (and it's 54" decorator fabric). A steal.

I pulled the fabric over the edges of the foamcore, pulling enough mattress topper with it to give the edges a  soft rounded feel. And I secured the fabric with T-pins. Yes, T-pins. If you put them in at the perfect angle, they ain't goin' anywhere. They push right through the foamcore.

And when it was done, I put it against the wall, resting the base within the metal bedframe. As you can see, I need to pull the fabric a little tighter to get rid of some wrinkles. And I'm debating whether to add buttons to give it a tufted look. How easy would that be??? Simply pull the thread through the foamcore and tie it tightly on the back so that the button sinks nicely into the topper foam.

So, I'm going to live with this a bit, then cut it to make the curved shape I think I'll be happiest with.

And here is a painting a friend gave to me (along with some other true treasures). She's moving and purging, and some of her items now have a home here at Chateau Gahan.

My Evolution with Color

Molly and I were chatting today about home decor 

and she was talking about a friend's house and her own home — lots of white and cream, woods and burlap fabrics, with minimal pops of color — and how much she gravitates toward that style. 

I was quite the white and cream gal awhile back 

(and to this day feel nostalgic and sometimes a bit homesick for those surroundings), 

but for some reason I've become quite the lover of color. 

Over the last five years I've fallen in love with English country homes 

and their mismatch of faded-from-washing fabrics. 

I've watched Rachel Ashwell over the years begin to pepper her white palette with color 

and still create calming atmospheres. 

I'll still always love a beachy white room 

and swoon over the interiors in Pottery Barn and Restoration Hardware, 

but I live with color now, lots of it, perhaps a nod to my own evolving, 

wanting to surround myself with whatever I like as long as it makes me happy.

Vanity Chair

While out running wedding errands near Grant Park, an area I rarely visit, I came across this little gem of a thrift shop. Lots of kitchenware and furniture, and since Harleigh and three other girls will be furnishing a four-bedroom duplex in the fall, thought it be worth a stop (especially since — with my girl's welcoming encouragement — we plan on making their house a home on the cheap). 

Emily and Harleigh have the two upstairs bedrooms, both with a portion of the ceiling at an attic-charming slant, and with dormer windows. Their shared bathroom (with shower, tub and a double sink) is the size of a small bedroom, so there's room for a big chair and even a dresser or vanity. We might even be able to put in a three-panel screen for some dressing room drama.

I fell in love with this wooden vanity chair (in a pretty mustard yellow), which I know they can find use for in the bathroom. In the meantime, it fits nicely at my small kitchen table, its shallow depth perfect for the ken, where space is at a minimum.

Troop Chair

On Saturday morning as I was nose to the grindstone working on last-minute wedding preparation, I noticed a sign for a yard sale with all proceeds going toward the troops. The sale was in an empty store, the space generously donated by the barber shop next door. Lots of furniture (in fact, a huge kitchen hutch that I would have snapped up had it not been for my new arrangement in the ken that has a cafe table and two chairs now populating real estate on the main wall in the room). This chair had to come home with me (and at $30, duh). I have another wing chair in the study that is navy with a white pin stripe, so this fits in nicely. And there was a spot in the living room made exactly for it.

A little bit o' this, a little bit o' that

A post of randomness, but then again, this long weekend, as focused as it's been on the upcoming wedding, has been so wonderfully full of happenings. Time with Harleigh, probably more one-on-one time than we've shared in a while, long talks at the kitchen table in the early mornings over coffee. Lots of episodes of Parks & Recreation because we love laughing with each other as much as we love our gabbing. A long overdue trip to Target (I honestly haven't been there in for-e-ver) where we stocked up on summer sunscreen and goodies for her campers. Grocery shopping and then cooking dinners together. Working out together, our earphones on as we catch up on the Bravo Housewives. Tomorrow for Memorial Day I will be at church for a good part of the day painting scenery for Vacation Bible School.

Here is a small sampling of my hydrangea cuttings 

(I so need to add some other colors to the purple blue ones I have). 

When Gideon was younger, he loved to move furniture and pillows.

We'd come home and find a chair pushed to a new location, the pillows

rearranged on the sofa. A would-be interior designer?

Whatever the case, this poor boy, living in a house with two girly girls,

is bound to appreciate beauty in his surroundings. 

His bed is no exception. He loves to sleep with his head resting on something.

And so we added these pillows to his bed.

Big spoiled boy. Adore him.

Mandy, the bride stopped by today to drop off more stuff that I'll need to transport to the 

reception site. The living room and study are covered in boxes and bags.

Keeping my fingers crossed that everything fits in my SUV.

Here are just a few of the items I've crafted. Mandy and Tod are doing a cookie bar, with homemade cookies for the guests to take home in sweet little paper envelopes. I took one of her fabrics and decorated the jars; each will have a label with the type of cookie on it. They are also having a photo booth which we've created using a camera on a tripod, her signature yellow fabric as the backdrop, and enough props, hats and chalkboards to make for some fun picture keepsakes.

The fake gift that I created for the gift table is made especially for them (despite the fact that it's empty). The coral paper fits in with one of the main colors of her wedding, and the shells on the paper and as a topper are reminiscent of the beach where they got engaged (literally on the beach!).

Wedding Bliss

I'm in the midst of working on a wedding, my first for a bride who came to me via a recommendation (my dear friend Ali, who just happens to be photographing the wedding and reception). It''s been a whirlwind!. The bride, Mandy, has impeccable taste and so it's been pure pleasure to work with her. From the yards and yards of beautiful fabric we purchased (so much fun to shop for fabric, especially when it's an integral part of the feel of the reception) to her appreciation for all the little touches, I couldn't be happier. Will have so much to share! The wedding is June 4.

(Image are just random shots I took today around Chateau Gahan.)

Pink Grapefruits and Peonies

Two things I'm into lately — 100% pink grapefruit juice and peonies. If I have fresh pink grapefruits, I'll squeeze those. But bottled is also scrumptious. And the color pink is so doggone pretty. And my white peonies are going crazy this year. The pink ones should be blooming soon. So very English country garden.

What a glorious weekend!

The weather couldn't have been more perfect. I didn't have a ton of TO DO's but was kept busy anyway, spurred on to get things done around the house simply because the inspiration of an open window was there to make every chore a joy! Got the refrigerator and freezer purged of expired food and wiped down to sparkle. The yard boy came and turned my overgrown lot into a lawn fit for royalty. Crafted on my new table. Mopped and vacuumed. Ran errands just as an excuse to enjoy everyone's good moods.

At a yard sale of a family selling a household of furniture from a relative recently passed, I fell in love with this heavy wrought iron coat tree. It comes apart into two pieces. I do believe I'll give it a coat of white paint. She possesses such fine bones and adornment. How could I turn it down?

Mr. Gidoen got a bath and a grooming, having taken on a mighty stink from the past week of endless showers.
At Goodwill I found this vintage bed jacket, which I think Harleigh will love to wear with jeans and a white cami. Love how the button adornments look like musical notes. And don't ya just love the fonts used on vintage clothing labels?

With Easter around the corner, I'm thinking about how I'm going to dye eggs. In the meantime, the church has asked us to take home empty eggs and fill them for the upcoming Easter Egg Hunt. Two bags of eggs came home with me to fill with not candy, but trinkets I have on hand in ye ol' craft room.

The Craft Table is Home

Remember the craft table that I inherited from a stash of items my boss was wanting to get rid of? Well, she's home. Thanks to my Dad who put it all together for me, it is now THE nucleus of my craft room. The top measures 40" x 97", the base is on casters so it rolls so very easily, the wood braces at the base are perfect height to rest my feet on from my tall stool perch . . . it is so everything I've ever wanted in a working surface!

The top is a plain ol' piece of MDF which was paint-splattered, so I knew I needed to cover it. Tried finding white oilcloth, but the cheapest to be found online was at Amazon, and when I put it into my cart, it came up as out-of-stock. I called around, and the girl at Hancock Fabrics told me they carried white oilcloth. When I went in to buy it, turns out it isn't white oilcloth, but fleece-backed tablecloth plastic. On sale for $1.69 a yard (and at 60" wide), I figured it might be the better option. Not to mention that it's a bit easier to fold than oilcloth.

With a few folds and a staple gun, my table is now covered in a wipeable, water resistant fabric. I have a cutting matte for when I use an exacto blade, and a piece of glass for when I need an extra-hard surface. Not too shabby for a free piece of furniture. I plan on sewing a gathered skirt for around the table, to hide all the storage I'll be creating below.

Now I can use the filagree bicycle basket as a holder for all of my event folders.
And the framed Home Arts cover mirrors my very own table and stool!

A Whole New World

The lovely Tiffany blue and cream pitcher I've had forever took a nose dive early this week. I had pulled it down from the study shelves to use for Karla's shower and when I did, the pitcher was unglued from the base. I tried glue of every kind, but nothing seemed to work. With a little bit of floral tape, I was able to keep it whole through the shower. Once home, I put it back on the shelf but had my doubts that it would remain intact. Well, home that evening, rounded the corner, and there was the pitcher, in a zillion pieces on the study floor (poor Gideon must have been quite shaken when that sucker hit the ground). But the base — on the floor as well — was unscathed.

I've held onto this globe just 'cause I like the colors. I'd taken off the stand because it was red plastic. Cradled now by the new base, and topped off with an old wooden drawer knob, the world couldn't look any better.

Birthday, Spring Day

Gideon is four today! I left our dog walker a note, along with a special clover necklace from the birthday boy. Hopefully she'll bring one of his BFFs over to play. That always makes for a special day for our little man.
Here is a close-up of one of the elements for this coming weekend's baby shower. So much fun to handcraft so many of the items. This evening I'll be focusing on the cups.
This morning out my kitchen window . . . it looked like a fairy garden.

Spring Break . . . for real

This Spring Break (for Harleigh, not for me) is true to its name. In the 70s today. Heaven. Dropped the girl off this morning at a college friend's house, to meet up with 6 others, heading up to the mountains for hiking and camping. Perfect weather for their excursion (although tonite will be chilly). Once home, I immersed myself in readying for Karla's baby shower next weekend. Sewing to finish (evidenced here in a shower project that utilizes her nursery fabric — the one with the little birdies). A gift to finish making. Decor to craft. Painting of things. It's all coming together.
Took a brief break and went outside to prune and prod, discovering the sprouting perennials, the hints of Spring. And, of course, Spring is not complete without the Japanese Cherry outside my kitchen window. Cut back come shoots at the base of the tree and gave them a place of grace on the living room coffee table.

Cooking Up Happiness

My kitchen is less than ideal. Oh how I would love a vaulted ceiling. An island with chair-backed stools. Loads of counter space. And marble counter space, if you please. An above-the-sink window that looks out on something more spectacular than my neighbor's driveway and patio deck would be nice. White subway tile. Loads of it on the walls. A few glass-front kitchen cabinets would make me smile. And a new floor. Ee-gads, my ancient linoleum screams kitchen makeover.

Yet as I stand at my stove (electric . . . ahhh, to have a gas stove again would be the bomb diggity), I look at the small shelf above it, and there is happiness to be found in its inhabitants. There is the baby food jar snow globe, one of many that Harleigh and I made one year for Christmas gifts. This one has a gold-horned unicorn and a bottle brush Christmas tree. I never tire of shaking it as I stir something stovetop.

The Bless This House tile is one that Harleigh gave me for Christmas one year. It was purchased at one of those makeshift Christmas bazaars that elementary schools have so that students can purchase gifts on the cheap. I love how each word begins with a capital letter. Makes me want to read it with emphasis on each and every word.

The ceramic turtle is. Well. He just is.

I've had the Lux timer since I first started keeping house as a college graduate. The ticking off of minutes conjures up a lifetime of kitchen memories.

The three vintage pieces are all thrift store finds. The two salt and pepper shakers are simply there to look pretty. The miniature cup holds toothpicks, a must for testing the doneness of cakes.

And the picture "Welcome to Baltimore HON!" is clipped from a very old edition of The Baltimore Sun newspaper. Seems that this Welcome to Baltimore sign on a Maryland expressway is constantly being edited to include the moniker "hon," which is what every waitress uses when addressing a patron in the diners of my hometown Bal-mer.

And the hodgepodge of trinkets hanging from a cabinet knob are things that Harleigh created as a little girl. You'd think that they'd get in my way, but instead, they seem like just a part of the kitchen hardware.

All in all, my kitchen will never grace the pages of Elle Decor or Country Living, but it sure warms my heart just by being . . . me.

Knee Deep in The Things I Love

Things have been a bit all over the place for me since Harleigh went back to school on January 18. I've been fighting a bit of depression which hits mostly over the weekends, but luckily has not been crippling. The after-holiday gray-weather season is heavy upon us and except for a day or two reprieve as of late, is probably going to be living with us for awhile. Church duties have been more stressful (although always rewarding). I'm working from home this morning (but did get this blog post in!) and then heading into a dentist appointment for a routine cleaning; being home on a weekday when I know I then have to head into the office is always twilight zoney for whatever reason. Harleigh and I talk probably 10 times a day, but I find myself missing her more than usual (I suppose having her home for such a long winter break got me back into the routine of her pre-college days). Don't mean to sound all boo hooey. All is truly well. Sometimes I just get to feelin' a little blue.

But what I'm truly reveling in these days is all of the fun events I have coming up. A baby shower, two bridal showers, a daughter's 19th birthday, and helping with a wedding. Folders of inspiration everywhere. Staging, crafting, knee deep in the things I love.

Some random pix from around Chateau Gahan. The fabric picture is swatches I'm using in one of the event projects.