Board and Batten Begins in the Family Room

It has taken awhile, but we got some work done on the board and batten in our family room this weekend.

We have basically finished the kitchen side of this wall, 

but I had trouble deciding what to do on this side (and we needed some special cuts for the two differently sized sides of the fireplace insert.) I'm happy with the progress but as luck would have it the hardware store ripped one of the boards wrong and we couldn't finish. I will be busy painting this week for a friend, but as soon as that is done I am getting a board ripped and continuing on. I'm also trying to decide whether or not to paint the old sideboard we use as a TV stand. I could leave it as is, strip it or paint it (probably black.) It is a really solid old piece with wide plank backing and square forged nails. I would love to hear your opinion.

I'm sharing this with...

Wow Us Wednesday at Savvy Southern Style

Adding to My Collections

I love finding affordable pieces to add to my favourite collections.

This weekend I found some great vintage items at a local thrift store and at Saturday garage sales.

Two more vintage Crown canning jars have joined my collection, the clear glass one for 50 cents and the aqua one for $3. One of my larger vintage Crown jars is leaving this week (now that I figured out how to hopefully safely wrap it for shipping) for a blogger friend's home is the US.

This large ironstone platter was $5, more than I usually spend but I loved the heaviness and age of it. 

The smaller oval ironstone plate was 99 cents.

This little wood butter press mold was $1. It is the first one, but a few more will make a collection :)

I also picked up an old yardstick for 50 cents. I was happy to find so many items I love collecting all on one Saturday morning.

I hope you enjoyed your weekend. We are having lovely summer weather (hot but at least our grass got a good rain once or twice last week.) I am doing some painting at a work friend's home this week and looking forward to a long weekend coming up. Did you find any good deals this week?

I'm joining...
Thrifty Treasures at Southern Hospitality
Nifty Thrifty Tuesday at Coastal Charm
Weekend Bloggy Reading Link Up at Serenity Now

A Date with Some Library Books

Until my 13 year old son asks to visit the library a couple of times a year I always forget that there are great books at our local library.

We love to read and are fortunate that reading material around here is plentiful. I come from a very large family of avid readers who buy and keep most of their books, in a range of genres. Luckily for me my sisters, brothers and nieces and nephews lend books, but unfortunately there is not a decorating enthusiast in the bunch. I own a few favourite decorating and DIY books but it is always fun to read more.

Yesterday I browsed the home and craft section and brought home a few to enjoy. After baking a double batch of chocolate chip cookies for my guys (and a couple for me to sample) I'm going to enjoy my tea and a date with some books.

Do you mostly order online/in bookstores or are you a library regular?

Our 20th Wedding Anniversary

Today my husband and I celebrate our 20th Wedding Anniversary.

(please excuse the scanned, somewhat distorted and dark photos)

July 25 1992 was a beautiful and warm day. It was the only Saturday so far that summer that it didn't rain. Our wedding Mass was celebrated in the small town near my husband's family. Afterwards we had refreshments on my sister's lawn while guests waited for the evening dinner and dance (in the arena of the little farming village my husband grew up in.)

It was a lovely country wedding and I loved planning it. If I could go back I would change the photographer we paid way too much and I would have ditched the short permed hair ;) 

But I wouldn't change the gorgeous cotton moire dress with all the hand rolled roses on the neckline and train that my oldest sister sewed for me. And lots of crinoline! It was exactly what I wanted and so comfortable for a summer country wedding.

My father-in-law hitched up his Percheron team and his old wagon to drive us from my sister's home up the country road to our dinner reception for 150 and the dance that was open to the community. Although it doesn't show well in the photographer's photo, the chippy green wagon had bright red wheels. After a magical evening with family and many friends, we honeymooned in Disney World.

Twenty years later my husband is still that kind and great guy I married and I would do it all over again. 

Quilted Watermelon Pincushion

I bought a kit to make this watermelon pincushion in St. Jacobs two summers ago and finally completed it.

I love that this pincushion is nice and large and the fabrics are so pretty. 

This is the first time I have used a combination of batting and crushed walnut shells but I really like how the crushed shells add some weight and shape.

Night time shots in my hobby room of the fabrics being pieced.

The 'seeds' are made from french knots.

My studio needs some tidying and I am planning a few changes, but you can see it for the Where Bloggers Create 2011 tour here.

The instructions suggested cross hatch stitching on the 'flesh' and a free motion on the 'rind'. Mine isn't perfect, but it was fun trying the fee motion.

This hot weather is keeping us indoors more than usual but at least I am getting a few projects completed. 

I'm sharing this with...

Cowboy Link Up Party appearing on 8 blogs including:

The Ivy Cottage

Red Hen Home

Cedar Hill Ranch

Confessions of a Plate Addict

Crafty Texas Girls

Lookie What I Did

The Farmhouse Porch

From My Front Porch To Yours

and Wow us Wednesdays at Savvy Southern Style

Freckled Laundry's Air Your Laundry Friday

Vintage Croquet Balls and a Wood Bowl

Love the pop of colour these vintage croquet balls add to our mostly neutrals family room.

We now have two croquet sets because our youngest son brought one home from someone's big garbage day pickup pile. The first set was $2 at a neighbour's garage sale a few years ago. I decided to add them to a big black wood bowl on the ottoman in our family room. 

At least I think the bowl is wood but I do know it is NOT vintage as I bought it at the Milton Country Heritage Park spring craft fair. The vendor had some really nice primitive looking repurposed and reproduction pieces, displayed so nicely, and I just couldn't resist this. 

Hoping you are having an enjoyable summer weekend. 

I'm sharing this with....

SNS at Funky Junk Interiors

Inspiration Friday at At The Picket Fence

Southern Hospitality's Thrifty Treasures

Coastal Charm's Nifty Thrifty Tuesday

Revisiting a Vintage Cattle Tag Centrepiece

I know it is still July and too early to decorate for Fall, but I am joining the Autumn Decor Talent Scouting Party at WhisperWood Cottage.

I am revisiting a few photos from Autumn of last year and sharing a vintage cattle tag centrepiece I used for a tablescape in our dining room.

The simple centrepiece was arranged with a square platter and seasonal candle with a leather and metal tag. The vintage brass tags are nestled in a wood berry wreath in earth tones. I also added a few pinecones.

The brass cattle tags have engraved numbers and great patina.

Simple white dishes, linen napkins, crystal stemware, and a vintage crocheted tablecloth await a dinner of hearty Fall soup.

It may be hot and very very dry here, but I am enjoying visiting all the inspiring links at the Talent Scouting party for Cottages and Bungalows magazine. 

Vehicle Quilt Finished

Another unfinished project has been ticked off my list with the completion of my youngest son's quilt.

The two year story behind making this quilt is here. The binding went on really nicely and I'm so glad I tried the blind stitch.

I still need to work on better colour and pattern arranging, but overall I am very happy with the way it turned out. (I think I may have mixed up the row placement when sewing.) Originally I wanted to cut the 10" pack of squares into smaller pieces but Josh wanted to keep them intact.

Josh is very happy with it!

He will enjoy snuggling on the couch under it.

I love the backing fabric and that it looks good from both sides. 

Really hot weather is continuing today, so it is a perfect day to stay indoors with needlework projects. Let's see, only three or four unfinished quilt projects left. 

I'm sharing this with...
Wow Us Wednesday at Savvy Southern Style
Quilting by the River's Link Party Tuesday #22
Quilt Story Fabric Tuesday
Freckled Laundry's Air Your Laundry Party

Brown Black Transferware Plates

Do you keep a list (or mental list) of items to search for at thrift stores and yard sales?

My collections list is fairly long but keeping a list helps me remember and narrow in on my favourite collectibles. Transferware is on my list and today I found some brown / black Myott English Ironstone in the Royal Mail pattern. The dinner plates were $4 each and I picked up four. I have a few blue and white pieces and I'm happy to add these lovely plates to my collection.

Now to decide whether to place them in a cabinet or hang them on the dining room wall.

I am sharing at the following parties. Be sure to stop by for lots of great ideas and beautiful projects.

Southern Hospitality's Thrifty Treasures

Coastal Charm's Nifty Thrifty Tuesday

Quilt Binding -Taking the Time to Learn Something New

Since I am spending a lot of time relaxing this week I thought I should work on some unfinished projects.

Two years ago our youngest son Josh and I stopped by our local quilt shop. I was looking for a 1/2 metre of fabric for another project and ended up coming home with a stack of squares and extra yardage for a vehicle themed quilt. For him. He saw it and might have begged and pleaded until I caved.

The quilt top was pieced a looong time ago, and I finally got around to finding fabric suitable for the backing and binding. Yes, almost two years later. Josh also reminds me every time he goes in my hobby room that it isn't finished. He might be a wee bit old for a themed quilt now but he is the kind of guy that is always going to love vehicles so I'm finishing it. 

Quilt fabrics are fairly expensive for my budget so I don't make as many quilts as I would like to. That and not always having enough time. Oh, and a crappy sewing machine. I am noticing though that with each new quilt my techniques are getting a bit better. This time I have really improved on the neatness of the binding by using a blind stitch. Totally awesome and I am so glad that I took the time to watch a few on-line tutorials on hand sewing binding to the back of the quilt top. I'm half way around and I will share photos when I finish. And it will be very soon, not two years lol. 

*I took my camera off auto and I'm trying my hand at manual, so if my photos are a bit more wonky than usual I blame my eyes not my camera. : )

Hoping you are having a great week!

I'm sharing this with...

Link Party Tuesdays at Quilting by the River