decorating
House Number Sign From Wooden Spool
It’s been quite awhile since I’ve shared a Junk Whisperer project. I missed them! I missed The Junk Whisperer more though. And yes, that is shameless flattery. I’ve invaded her home and I need all the brownie points I can get. Me + Children = Lots of noise, mess and groceries. Now, back to the point of this post: a good “why didn’t I think of that” project. When The Junk Whisperer shares her projects with me I usually have nothing more clever to say than, “that is SUCH a good idea!” over and over and OVER. It’s mildly embarrassing. This project started with an old wooden spool, similar to…
Junky 4th of July Wreath
I went dumpster diving and found treasure! Let me clarify something though. Dumpsters in Ireland are called skips. They range in size from 2.5 cubic yards to 35 cubic yards. You can also order a gigantic bag for your yard waste/other debris and that is called a baby skip. Aw, so cute! Aren’t you glad for all the random information you learn on this blog? Here’s what a skip looks like when it’s being hauled away on the lorry. This is not the one that held my treasure though. It held some old windows that were replaced in our house. I walk by skips in front of houses and businesses…
Memory Rocks
“Tell me a story, mama.” Every night when I go through the bedtime routine with my son, he asks me to tell him a story. A real story. THE PRESSURE!!! He likes stories with drama and danger the best. Like that time I got a flat tire going 60 mph down I-84. Or when the security guards at JC Penney used to duck behind garment racks when they were trying to catch someone stealing. The problem is my memory is TERRIBLE when it comes to these little, every day memories and experiences. Especially ones from decades ago. I’m not sure what I’m doing with all my brain cells, but saving…
Wine Rack Upcycled Into a Display Shelf
A million years ago when Handy Husband and I grew up and started purchasing real furniture, we bought a buffet table for our dining room that included a built-in wine rack. Here it is in our last house. I miss that old house, by the way. Turns out we prefer a mixed drink over wine in this house and the wine we did keep on hand was properly stored in a wine fridge. The wine rack has bugged me, off and on, for YEARS. First, half of this piece of furniture is a waste of space. Second, that thing is a dusting nightmare. Third, it looks dumb without wine. I’ve wanted to take the wine rack…
Vintage Key Project Inspiration
I about tripped over myself with excitement when I realized the keys to our Irish house were old-fashioned. It’s probably my favorite part of the house, even if it did take me two weeks to figure out how to unlock the back door. True story. Vintage locks are tricky! We recently got a new back door with a boring modern key. Sure, the door is more energy efficient and secure, but couldn’t they make the keys just a little more interesting to look at? Now I have two vintage keys that are of no use to anyone, but me!! That’s also why I feel okay sharing pictures of these keys on the…
Linen Bath Towels: Should I Make the Switch?
I keep tripping over linen bath towels. Online, not literally. In my own house I’m tripping over regular cotton towels. Note to self: put towel hooks at height where kids can reach them. It has me wondering, should I make the switch from cotton (terry cloth) towels to linen towels? I know, I know. It’s a big question for a Monday. Real life changing stuff here. Photo by Anthropologie – More bathroom photos According to what I’ve read, linen bath towels are more absorbent than cotton towels. They are faster drying, so no musty smells. They take up less space. They last longer – up to 30 years! Craziness. Apparently, linen towels get…
The Great Guitar Hanging Debacle
I’d like you to think that all of our home projects go off without a hitch. We don’t encounter any unexpected challenges. The husband and I always agree about the ideal method of approaching a project. We always come in under budget. Heck, we probably make money because we find a suitcase of $100 bills hidden in the walls – every time. Furthermore, my husband reads my mind when I have a vision of how I want something to look. It saves so much time with the communication process. Doesn’t this happen in your house too? Hahahahahahahahahaha. Real-life home projects with your real-life significant other are slightly less perfect than that. At least, they…
The Tale of 3 Houseplants
I bought a houseplant. Yay me. It’s still sort of alive a month later. Yay me? It’s not looking good though, which is a shame because I had to carry it home from the grocery store like this. People don’t even look at you strange here for carrying home a plant on the train. I’m not confident the plant is going to survive. Something weird is going on with the soil. And the stem. If we’re going to be thorough, then fine. The leaves too. As for the obvious question, yes, I have watered it. And not just that one time. I have dutifully followed the directions that came on its…
Irish Flag Centerpiece
Our celebration of St. Patrick’s Day would not be complete without showcasing the Irish flag on our dining room table! Isn’t this Irish Flag Centerpiece festive? My flag holders are milk bottles filled with green mung beans, white basmati rice and orange split lentils. My son and I poured the dry ingredients in the milk bottles in color order as it relates to the stripes on the Irish flag. The simple design of the Irish flag was very helpful in this regard. The Irish flag, also known as the Irish tricolour, has been in existence since 1848. However, it didn’t become Ireland’s national flag until the rebels hoisted it over Dublin’s General Post Office during…
Quick and Simple St. Patricks Day Wreath
My kids are counting down the days until they get the day off from school to celebrate Ireland’s biggest holiday – St. Patrick’s Day. Waiting is oh, so hard! Until then, they did help me make a super simple felt wreath to decorate one corner of our home. We traced shamrocks onto green felt, then cut them out and hot glued them on a wreath form. Super simple and not overly obnoxious! Those are my two main criteria when it comes to holiday crafting. I used a wire wreath form like this one so I could easily remove the felt shamrocks if I want to reuse the wreath form in the future.…
