Old and New

We were away at the coast over spring break and had a great time with family and friends.

 The weather was a real treat, no snow and buds and blooms popping up everywhere.

Of course a trip without shopping would not be a trip at all!!

We bought a great sink for our laundry room and a set of taps that have cute little hot and cold on them.

I was waffling between a porcelain sink, or farmhouse style  like the one  in the kitchen.

 Or something old with a drain board  attached.

In the end we got a round stainless steel one from Ikea that I love.

The taps are not what I was leaning towards either but I like them and think they will be perfect in the laundry

room.

 Fickle women that we are changing our minds!!

Meanwhile, I also couldn't pass the fabric shop without  a visit, just to say hi of course.

I found some beautiful aqua and green fabrics in stripes, and patterns and solids to make some cushions for

 the  livingroom. Hopefully these fabrics will work with the taupe ticking stripe I already have.

 Somehow a cute kettle  also found it's way into my shopping cart,

 right next to the old blue canning  jars.

 You should never leave your cart unattended!!

This pic of the blue jars is not the best, but I love how the light reflects in them.

 They are so pretty.

The kettle adds a nice pop of colour in the kitchen and freshens it up for spring.

It looks like I'll be busy sewing the cushions and of course working on the laundry room.

  I may not have

 time to do any spring cleaning at this rate!!

Thankyou to everyone who stops by and visits.

 I appreciate all the e-mails and comments, you are all a great

encouragement.

I enjoy reading them all and your blogs too.

Keep decorating,

Old Bench

Have you ever had something in your home

 for so long that you almost don't "see" it anymore?

This is the case with an old oak bench

we have.

 About a hundred years ago (almost)

 my hubby made this bench for our kids.

 When they were about two, they wanted to join us at the table

instead of the high chair.

 But of course they were still small.

The bench fit them perfectly, and some of them even

had to sit on an ice cream bucket on the bench to reach the table!

I am wanting to paint the bench  a pale aqua, or should I do the reliable white that fits in anywhere?

I love that it is solid, chippy, and probably has some initials carved in it somewhere.

Hopefully there isn't any gum under the edge!!

The best part is that it has family history and was made by my hubby.

Another view just for fun. What do you think aqua or white?

slipcovers and paint

One of the loveliest things about blogland is all the inspiration. Last summer I found two great wing chairs. They are comfy, and the perfect fit for short people like me. The only problem was they were a dated 80's floral.  No problem, we'll slipcover them I thought. I had read many posts on slipcovering, and thought it can't be too difficult. ( insert evil laughter here!)

I love to sew, but usually I follow a pattern.Slipcovers do not have patterns, you have to make your own. I will spare you the details, but lets just say the first cover took me 20 hrs of labour, and a few more grey hairs. The second went slightly faster at 11 hrs.  Would I do it again? Probably, I'm already thinking about my sofa and loveseat!!

Here is a before picture of the floral beauty......

The covers are done in a light weight white denim, piping trim on the arms, wings and cushions. I haven't decided yet if I will paint the legs white or black, or leave them dark wood.

The chairs are a matching pair, I made the zipper opening centered down the back and covered with a button placket. The accent cushions are a favourite linen fabric with aqua and green.  I also painted the coffee table and 2 end tables.  This has helped to lighten things up yet keep a casual cottagey feel to the room.

I'm really pleased with the result, and am  looking for my next project.

Hydrangeas

I am sitting here remembering these............from last summer. 

But outside it looks like this....................

 I think I will be doing more of this.........

 And a little bit of this.......

and a whole lot of this. The laundry room is comming together and so are some painted furniture projects.