First Summer Dinner

With the weather finally getting into the swing of things, hubby and I decided it was time to fire up the bar-b-que.  Okay, well, maybe hubby is the only one firing it up, but I did help him clean it.  : )

I got the bug in me to set up a nice "outdoor" dining area.  I went out to our backyard, took a look at our crappy outdoor furniture, and went, okay, inside in the sun room it is.  (Yes, the sun room is also affectionately known as my craft room.)  I just threw on a white tablecloth over my blue blanket/tablecloth, used some beachy feeling fabric napkins for place mats and looked for white and blue dishes/serving ware for the rest.  I think it turned out pretty nice.  

My newly recovered chair, I even let hubby use this one.

My other newly recovered chair, let the little man use this one.  He got the vintage fish napkin holder.  I thought it suited him that day, since he had been swimming twice. 

Hubby's vintage napkin holder, the King Elephant.

My vintage napkin holder, the little woodpecker.

Mmm..dinner time!  Steaks, corn, au gratin potato's and our favorite apple-blue-cheese-cranberry salad.

I thought it was cute that little man noticed my steak was shaped like a heart.  I do love my blue cheese topping!

Little man enjoying his dinner.

Big man enjoying his dinner.

And for dessert...roasted marshmallows, of course!

How we all felt after our first official summer time meal.

I didn't realize what a great spot my craft room is to eat in.  Still nice and bright and breezy from all the windows, but no sun glaring down on us and no bugs flying around.  I'm sure we'll be doing this again soon now that the weather has realized it's summer. 

I'll take that!

A few weekends back, I jumped on CL's and found this, for FREE!

French Curio Cabinet.

I moved it right in and started filling it up.  I couldn't believe that by the end of gathering all my milk glass, brother's antique thimbles and button hooks, Grandma Quinby's pill boxes and vintage linens, my antique butter pats and salts, and my other favorite things, I had filled it all up!  I love it! 

Top shelf

Other side of top shelf

Second shelf

Other side of second shelf

Third shelf

Other side of third shelf, sorry, a little blurry.

Fourth shelf

Other side of fourth shelf...I think you've got the pattern now...

Bottom shelf

Other side...

I couldn't believe how much Milk Glass that I rounded up.  I even have two lamps that wouldn't fit in the curio.

Grandma Q's vintage linens

Grandma Provancher's anniversary charm bracelet.  Round flute that I got when I was a child from the Renaissance fair.

Justin's hand in wax.  The milk glass to the left hold all of our pressed pennies and quarters.

Mom's childhood charm bracelet, my hand painted bust pin from the Vatican I got when I was 15 in Italy.  The little Indian girl I've also had since childhood and for the life of me, I can't remember where I got it. I would guess a craft fair, as we did tons of those when I was little.

My vintage mini teddy bears with John's dad's pocket watch.

Our found dried out purple sea urchin.  You wouldn't believe how many fully intact specimens we have found.  I even found a completely intact monarch butterfly one day while raking the leaves.  Amazing!

My little handmade mouse from my trip to England with my parents when I was 12 (?), a set of English thimbles and my Irish Claddagh ring, also from our trip to Europe.  Stack of Grandma Q's linens.

Vintage wooden napkin rings from my parents.  We used to use these a lot when I was little as well.

My two jade bracelets from my fathers trips to Asia and my hand poured angel wing from the Renegade Craft Fair.

Justin's first pair of shoes.

Grandma Q's pill boxes and mom's screw on costume studs.

 I love walking out in to my craft room and looking at all my little treasures and adding more to them.  Hope you enjoyed my little tour. 

Hello there...

Hello there lonely little blog.  Did you miss me?  I missed you!  I have been busy though, with life in general.  I'll just say that Baseball season is over in this household and we are looking forward to the slower pace of summer.  I have been working on a few projects though that I wanted to share.

 

A couple of chairs and some pillows.  The two chairs both started out in a lovely 80's wood.  Painted one a nice glossy white and the other a Spa blue.  Recovered the white chair in a lovely blue striped vintage fabric from my mother.  She's had it in her stash for so long, probably from when my brothers were little, it has to be at least 45 years old, if not more.  (Sorry brothers...you all are getting old...damn, that does include me as well!)  I was pretty pleased with my first ever match-the-striping-piping attempt.  Even had to go over and check out my p's professionally upholstered stripe chair, and realized they cheesed out and used a solid piping.  Even more proud of myself!  hahaha! 

After finishing the white chair, I wasn't so put off by the other little rocker chair.  Oh yea, it's a spring rocker, the little blue chair.  It had a piped cushion that I was a little afraid of, but after tackling the white chair, I grew some courage up.  So, whipped out the blue flower fabric, the cream vintage poly, added my piping and away I went! 

The little pillows were sort of an after thought.  I've had this really cool stencil book that I've been wanting to use.  I finally did, and now I'm addicted.  I've got two more pillows in the making, and one dreamed up.  Can't wait to get started on them! 

In other news, my little boy is just about to graduate from 5th Grade!  I can't believe it.  We just found out yesterday that he made Honor Roll for the year!  We were so proud of him we had to go celebrate with my parents and take him to his restaurant of choice.  I can't wait to see what next year brings. 

19 Years and counting...

Yes, it is true. 

Today is my 19 year wedding anniversary!

As I stood in my shower this morning contemplating, "19 years...Really?"  I looked around and realized, this is exactly where I want to be.  In our home that we have created, with our son sleeping soundly next to his daddy in our big comfy bed, loving every minute of it!  The little memories we have made scattered through out the house...I wouldn't want it, and can't imagine it, any other way!

I love you Fowler boy!

You are my Knight in Shining Armor!

Forever....and a day. 

Christmas Fowler Style

The first sign when you enter the house!  After Santa has been here, he flips the little hanging sign over to let us know he's been here. 

 We collect our Christmas mail in the little tin mailbox I've had for years.  It gets stuffed every year!  After resting a bit on our chair full of Joy and St. Nicks, you can pass by my other reading chair and sit for a cute Christmas story from any one of the books.  Or perhaps your more in line to take a quick wintery shot in one of our Peppermint shot glasses tucked in amongst our rolling bar.  Don't get frost bite from the snowballs as you are looking!

 

 After your warm Peppermint winter shot, you can figure out which day we are on and choose the "Word of the Day" from our newest advent calendar.  Didn't know what else to fill those darling little envelopes with, so if one us is having a conversation during the month of December with you, and all of a sudden a random word or phrase pops up, don't be alarmed and think we are crazy, it's probably just "Word of the Day."

Yikes!  

It looks like today's word may have been hot!  Poor Frosty melted right into his hat!

 The fire place area includes our Native American Creche and Santa holding ALL of our stockings waiting to be filled (although, Justin's is not up in this picture due to him needing a new one this year and I am in the midst of making it...).

 

 The mantle is the perfect spot to highlight all of Justin's letters from Santa and Marcus, Justin's elfman.  The awesome 3-D glasses are when we drive through Vasona Park for Fantasy of Lights and watch the twinkling lights turn into twinkling snowmen and stars.  Super cool!

Around the corner from it all, is our advent calendar corner.  It's loaded with Justin's advent calendars we've collected through the years.  The Playmobil set hanging on the right wall, makes the cutest Christmas scene in the paper house display!  It changes every year as Justin decorates the scene himself. 

 The last room to get a little Christmas spirit, is the water closet. 

 Love my bubbling glittery Santa nightlight!

 The Musical Bears were given to us last year, and they have filled our house with Holiday songs.  If you don't want to hear an instrument, take the bear off the main stage and move him to the lower platform, you'll no longer hear that instrument.  When he's ready to come back, he'll jump in like he never left!

 

 This beautiful vintage Christmas scene, came from my mother and is the perfect little hiding cloth for my vintage bowls to stay warm behind.  On top of this cabinet (above pictures) are my vintage chocolate molds and little mini cookie presses.  I love this corner of the house!

 Even the collection of baseballs are touched with cheer!  They are highlighted by the most beautiful glass block ever!  Nanny and Poppy, you rocked these!  My parents made these amazing Holiday glass blocks by drilling a hole in the back, filling it with white lights, and printing vintage images onto shiny card stock which they ran through a sticker maker and stuck to the front of the blocks.  I have two, and love them both!  

 

I hope you had a good visit.  Come back soon as we still need to wrap up our Christmas tree!

On a side note, and to shamelessly promote myself, I've been working on posting items in my Etsy shop.  I read a tip that one of the best ways to stay out in the public's eye, is to post daily.  At .20 cents per item, you really can't go wrong!  So go on, check it out. I may have just that right gift you were looking for.  : )  

~nic