MomB's buffet

This is MomB, my grandmother.  I know, she was a hottie, right?  We called her MomB because her name was Beatrice and she was way too hip to be 'Granny'.  So, MomB it was.  She was one of the first people in my life who caused this whole house obsession because her home, well, just wow.  It was a huge, two story southern home with a wrap around porch with stone columns nestled in a tiny town surrounded by the enormous mountains of Kentucky.  The town was home to formal southern belles who served their snacks on silver trays and dressed for dinner.  She was something else.  It broke her heart when she had to sell the home due to poor health.   She generously gave several pieces of her furniture to family members, which is how I ended up with the Willett buffet:

The cherry buffet

I was reminded that this was a cherry buffet and she couldn't understand people painting furniture, especially cherry.  'As you know, you and I would NEVER paint a CHERRY piece of furniture! HEAVENLY DAY!' (She used that 'Heavenly Day' phrase often, as in OH.MY.GOODNESS!)

Oh dear.  She had a way of including you in her opinion even if in your mind you were thinking, "I would love to paint that cherry buffet!"  But, at the end of the day, you wouldn't DREAM of painting that cherry buffet.

Well, folks, I painted the cherry buffet.  Oh, Heavenly Day. 

And here it is.

the painted cherry buffet

I used Annie Sloan chalkpaint in French Linen and then Annie Sloan's soft clear wax.  Once the clear wax dried overnight, I used Annie Sloan's soft dark wax to give an aged look.  This was my first true attempt to chalkpaint and wax furniture. (We won't talk about that other time...)  I was told to use the wax sparingly, that if you wiped your finger over the waxed area before it dried and you could see a finger mark that you had too much.  So that's the method I used.  Wax on, wax off, yep, I felt like the Karate Kid.   Probably the best tip I received was that if the dark wax wasn't quite looking the way you wanted, take a little clear wax and go over it.  It almost acted as an eraser, which believe me, I needed occasionally throughout this project.

Once the dark wax dried, I accented the trim around the drawers and the spiraled corners with gilding wax by Cire A Dorer (found at the same store that sold the Annie Sloan paint, so I guess it's as easy to find as AS paint?).  It was pretty neat because I literally dabbed my finger in it and just swiped it wherever I thought might look good.   It was so easy to use that I got a little carried away and started walking through the house, dabbing gold accents here and there.  I ordered new gold handles from Ebay and slapped some paint on them, not really taking care to completely paint the handles so some of the gold peeped through.

Since I'm the type that would, in addition to doing a terrible paint job, accidently spill the paint then step in it and walk through the house, I was pleasantly surprised this project turned out pretty good.  Even the hubs like it.  Heavenly Day, I think MomB may even approve. 

Nah.

My dear MomB has passed on, and although painted cherry would have NEVER been her cup of tea, at this point I think she'd want me to enjoy her furniture, however I need to, in her honor. 

How do I get myself in these situations?

Thank you, MomB.  I love it.  And you. 

Oh, Heavenly Day.

The Old Homeplace (House Exterior)

So I'm singing, 'Welcome to My House' by Flo-Rida really badly right now, but I can't help it (at least my other half can sing).  When the hubs and I planned to build this house, I wanted it to be what my dad always described as the old homestead.  Not physically like Dad's old home but the kind of place family gathers for generations.  I pictured family mulling around everywhere, eating meals of fried chicken and homegrown green beans, homemade pies and cakes.  Hmmmmmm, gotta love the South, there goes that diet.........and plenty of room for kids to roam and play outside, maybe even a pool someday?  An old homeplace, you know? 

We agreed upon a French style home, although a departure from the house in the movie, 'Something's Gotta Give' that I had first envisioned (Ohmygoodness if you've never seen it, google it, it's the best!), it turned out to be the perfect choice for us.  It's fun to have pops of elegance here and there but still be casual enough for old vintage worn rugs and chippy paint.  In almost all design decisions I make, I try to have an inspiration photo.  Along with the help of a wonderful designer/friend, we choose the color of the exterior of the home based on the home pictured below. 

Source unknown, please advise if you can give credit for the photo

Our climate here in Kentucky could not accommodate the treatment on the brick which I assume is a mortar wash.  Oh, how I would have loved to do that! (But that's another post).  I love the old world look of this house.  We have yet to add our shutters but this is probably the look and color we will go for, along with similar landscaping.

 We took a houseplan that was as close to what we wanted as we could find, and by the end of it had reworked at least half of the house. It was great after years of searching to have the exact house we were looking for:

1. One story, although we ended up with storage and a bonus room upstairs.  I hurt my back a few years ago and stairs are not my friend.
2. Tall ceilings - The ceilings are 10' - 12'.
3. Room for the baby grand piano that I was given as a teenager.  I never thought I'd design a whole house around a piano, but it's a space sucker for sure.
4. Three bedrooms with their own baths.
5. Large dining room (for all that food, right???)  Ok, I'd admit I have a problem, but let's move on.
6. Character, as much as we could afford.  Turns out character is expensive.  Boooo.

Front steps after the rain.

Our driveway is gravel.  We plan to pave it but I really enjoy the sound of driving home on gravel right now for some reason.  (I'm sure it has nothing to do with not having to pay for the driveway). Plus I can tell myself that's a French style driveway, right??

Ellie and the bad hair day.

I LOVE looking at houses and getting ideas, which is one reason I started the blog.  I have lived in apartments, a duplex and several houses and I can honestly say there were aspects of each one of them that I loved, no matter how small or large, simple or fancy.  Any house can become a home with your own touch on it.  And it doesn't have to be perfect, mine certainly isn't!  What's your style?  Are you into the vintage look?  French? Or a huge wrap around porch like the house in 'Something's Gotta Give?' I'd love to see your house sometime! 

The Lottery

I won the Lottery. 

And I still don't have the perfect wardrobe or house. Not great legs.  Not spiritually where I want to be. Could be a better mom.  Could be a better wife. (All comments made by my family members at this point will be changed to glowing reports of my efforts).

And it's because I only think about the changes I need to make and yet do the same uninspiring things every doggone day -like surf the web- (what the heck am I looking for??) instead of making decisions in my life that will make a difference. (But not perfect. I can't adult most of the time, don't make me do perfect).

Today is the day!  I am making those differences!  And it's not even Monday! (Are you serious right now? Nobody starts anything unless it's on a Monday. Sigh). I have new goals, like healthy eating and exercise, becoming more prayerful and I'm finally taking some chances.  As in starting a blog about things that really don't go together like how to have a good marriage and decorate your house and how to survive your children when they are smarter than you. 

And by the way.  I never won any cash, it's not that kind of lottery, but I have been granted freedom and choices and the same 24 hours everyone else has.  I am choosing to be grateful for my life and enjoy my winnings.

I won the lottery. 

And I bet you did, too.