DIY In The Middle of The Stairway Project

It's been awhile since I've done a DIY project before and after so, I thought I would give a peak at what I'm in the middle of right now.

Here's a few before....

It started out looking like this. This of course is after the carpet was ripped off the steps and the renovation was done in the bedroom. We kinda neglected to finish the stairway. Does anybody else lose steam on a project like this after the big stuff is done? It's like..heck, I can live a year or two without putting up the trim! hahaha Yup that's us too!

The neglected stairway!

Painted top stairway walls....

In October I was like....Screw this, I'm painting the stairway walls. Yeah go me. Then after a few more months, I was like screw this, I'm painting the wood walls white. Sgt was like, Wow, it's so white and bright! hehehe I got his ok before I did the painting, he just wasn't expecting it to be so white? hahaha Oh, I guess it was also so bright because I went and painted the ratty old steps white too. So, yeah it was white! So to help it not be so white, I painted the step tops black. I still have one more fun painting trick up my sleeve for the steps but I'm keeping that a secret so I won't scare Sgt!

Here's a few pics of what I'm in the middle of right now!

The steps coming into the kitchen...guess what room is next on the project list?

I'm still planning on adding this color to the steps! I love this color, it makes me happy :) I love how turquoise and black look together! The color is called Senergy from Sherwin Williams. Now is a good time for a painting project, as Sherwin William is having a sale!

I'm hoping to be finished with the stairway project within the next two weeks if not sooner! I've got a chicken coop project to jump into next!

Cheers,
~MaryDeluxe

Happy St. Chicken's Day

Let me explain something about myself before I begin this story....I like to plan out big decisions before I make them. Now, don't get me wrong here, I am spontaneous at times with certain decisions or undertakings. I however, am not swayed by quirky sales gimmicks, cute displays, or slashed prices! Yes, I tend to be the anti-consumer! Sgt on the other hand, can be rather impulsive with his purchases especially when it involves cute, fluffy peeping things! Hence the 12 new chickens brooding in my old toy box. Now don't get me wrong, I knew we would be acquiring chickens sometime this Spring. We've been talking about it for over a year now and we even knew what kind we would be getting and where the coop and run would be located. So yes, I knew the chickens were coming.... I was just planning on them coming after the chicken coop was built not before! Apparently, the chicken comes first! Now you know! hahaha Nothing like putting a little pressure on yourself to get a project done fast, is there?!

The Chicken Whisperer is pleased.

The dog is absolutely in love with the chickens. I would like to point out that she is a bird dog and Sgt takes her bird hunting. We will only be referring to the girls as "chickens" and never as "birds". The word "bird" is strictly used as a hunting term only in the field. So, her chicken training has begun and at the present time, she is only allowed supervised chicken visits where she sits quietly transfixed by the almighty presence of the chickens! I'm certain that she will end up being very protective of her chickens and the chickens will become accustomed to seeing her around!

One of the girls

Both Sgt and I absolutely love chickens and we have both raised and kept our own chickens at different times in our lives. I am so very excited to have chickens in my life again and I'm thrilled at the opportunity to embark on this backyard chicken adventure with the Sgt....even if the chicken came first!

Happy St. Chicken's Day!

MaryDeluxe

Box Lot Junkin

Sgt and I headed out to auction this past Tuesday to check out their box lots. I love looking through box lots and have found some great things in cardboard boxes over the years. I found all this great stuff below in various cardboard boxes at the auction. The chair wasn't in a box but I did pick it up at the auction when they were selling furniture.

The fiberglass lamp shade I bought this past Summer at an antique store. I will often pick up fiberglass lamp shades when I find them for cheap. It's only a matter of time till I run across a sad little lamp base in need of a shade. The lamp is in great condition and still has it's original Underwriters Laboratories Inc. sticker on the back. Safety first!

I have fallen in love recently with utilitarian metal objects and distressed old farmhouse kitchen chairs. This is the second farmhouse chair that I've picked up in the last couple of weeks. I love the carved front legs on this one.

I also found an old vanity mirror that I plan on using on a small table that I have. Look for a post on how that turns out some time in the future!

Happy Hunting,

MaryDeluxe

Charmed I'm Sure....

I had lunch today with SusieQT from "Practice in Time" blog. At lunch, I noticed she was wearing a delightful little charm bracelet with the cutest phone charms on it. The bracelet belonged to her grandmother who had worked for the Bell Telephone Company. I loved hearing the story behind the bracelet. When I returned back home from my afternoon outing, I went looking for my own charm bracelet that I haven't worn in years. I found it amongst a jumble of other forgotten jewelry in my old jewelry box. It was just like I remembered it! I fell in love with this heart charm bracelet when I saw it in a vintage shop back in the late 1980's while I was still in high school....I felt like a gypsy girl every time I wore it. I wanted to be like Star, with a wrist full of charms, from the movie Lost Boys. It seems like every generation has a vampire movie to love doesn't it?!

An interesting NPR piece on charm bracelets....History on a wrist: "Charmed Bracelets".

"Truly, to wear one is to wear your history upon your sleeve. And while the adornments women choose have always been an expression of personal style, few ornaments, barring the engagement ring, have held as dear a place in women's hearts—or create as big a commotion, both literally and figuratively—as the charm bracelet. Walk down the street wearing one, and a woman will stop you in your tracks to share stories about her own treasured charm bracelet, her mother's, or even her grandmother's. Charm bracelets encourage a connection. Like quilts or samplers, they are a woman's art and such a "girl thing."

~Tracey Zabar 2004

Homesteading: Vintage 1940's Style

Homesteading is not a new concept. Living a simple, self reliant lifestyle has been going on since... well, forever. My favorite historical time period for a peek at this "self-sustaining lifestyle" of course would be during the 1940's when planting a victory garden and making do and mending became an important role of every freedom loving American. Below are some wonderful early 1940s pictures from LIFE magazine depicting life on a farm.

If only I could look as glamorous working around our homestead this Summer.

Eva Braun

A couple of weekends ago, Sgt and I stopped briefly at an auction we passed as we were on our way elsewhere. They had some WWII items that they were auctioning off. Sgt bought a set of WWII uniform patches and included with the patches was a picture of this woman below. The auctioneer said it was a picture of Hitler's girlfriend and then laughed. I don't think they really knew for sure if it was or wasn't. Hmmm, this got me thinking so, when I got home I began doing some research on Eva Braun. Is this really a picture of Eva Braun? If so, how did a WWII soldier get a picture of Eva Braun? I should call the History Detectives and see if they can find out for me. (I love that show!)

My photo. Is this Eva Braun? I simply love her hat!

Here is a picture of Eva Braun from life magazine.

Eva

Eva from Getty photo

So, what do you think? Do I have an original picture of Eva Braun?

~MaryDeluxe

I Heart The Public Library

Like clockwork, every Saturday morning I go into town and visit the public library. The library I visit is housed in a very old county building and contains what I like to call that "quintessential library smell". I could spend hours roaming through the stacks of books and getting my library high. The thrill comes for me at the end when I get to take out a stack of magazines, dvds, and books all for FREE! I never felt that good back in the day when I would leave Barnes and Noble with a book or two and a smoking credit card. Libraries are great friends to those of us living on a thrifty budget and I just never know what I might find waiting there for me. Imagine my surprise Saturday morning when I was checking out the new books section and came across a copy of "The Vintage Tea Party Book" by Angel Adoree. I've been hearing great things about this book for awhile from other people's blogs and it just looked like it would be a wonderful book full of vintage goodness. ( I was very jealous of all my vintage UK gals!)It wasn't a book I ever thought I would have the pleasure of viewing.... as it's from the UK and also because of my thrifty budget. But thanks to my little country library and it's eclectic tastes, there it was waiting for me and all the other library patrons to enjoy!

Yes, I know...lots of eye candy!

I spent my Saturday devouring the book from front to back and was left dazzled by all the delicious eye candy. The great reviews I have heard about the book are all true and I was so inspired by the recipes, glamour, and whimsical settings that perhaps there will be a vintage tea party in my future? We American girls should have more tea parties... don't you think?! :)

Thank you once again public library!

~MaryDeluxe