Bows Arts

My newest Etsy purchase is from Heather Kelly of HK Collection. She has the amazing talent of taking cast off 80's clothing (hello shoulder pads!) and turning them into chic, modern pieces. I just love the top I bought. Such a great teal color and silky fabric. I also love the whimsy of the oversized bow. Be sure and check out Heather's work at her Etsy store and her website. I'm sure you'll love what you see.

Changes My Friend Are Blowing In The Wind

Exciting things are happening at my little white house. In the front bedroom room, the floor had a bad spot that was sunken a good six inches. We thought that the floor joists were running in the short direction across the room and that one joist has slipped off of the sill plate. After our carpenter, Gary, tore into the floor, we discovered that the joists were running the long direction along the room and that SIX different joists were snapped in the same place.

Gary (see below) shored them up. He attached treated 2" x 8"s to the broken joists and then put treated 4" x 4" posts running perpendicular under the ends of the joists. The 4" x 4"s rest on concrete blocks. This new floor is not going anywhere. The floor was then covered plywood. I'll put pictures of that up soon.

The Transformation Begins

Today was my first real work day on the house. My boyfriend D is in town, so we decided to takkle some rotten exterior trim around the windows.

We began by removing the storm windows and the rotten trim.

Then we added new boards and re-caulked the windows. I also primed the new boards. Once they get a coat of paint, I'll put up the final results.

Somethings Cooking in the Kitchen

Here are two recent antique mall finds that will be added to my collection of kitchenalia. The baking dish is Pyrex, probably from the 60's. I have two oval casserole dishes that match, as well as a set of mixing bowls in the same color palette. I would say that the apron is probably from the 60's as well. Its handmade, but by some one who knew what they were doing.

I See a Theme

I apparently I have a thing for travel accoutrement. It's really no wonder, because I am a bit of a wanderlust. I won't keep this little cutie to myself. As soon as I clean it up a bit, its going straight on Unusual Form.

It's Always Sunny....In My Sewing Room

Vintage bed linens and curtains from the local thrift store. These are going to be, you guessed it, tote bags. I may actually keep the pillow cases for myself. I love the pattern and they could be a cute start to a mismatched bed set, which seems pretty popular at the moment.

Picnic Anyone?

Train case and table cloth that I found at a recent estate sale. I'm not sure what to do with the train case, but I thought it would be great storage.

This yellow table cloth is another find from the same sale. I do know it's destiny. As soon as I find the right matching/contrasting fabric, this is going to be a tote bag or two.

...Or a Nightmare

This fairytale may not be all it's cracked to be. It could actually be a whole lot of work.

The Grand Salon

Space

Space

The Formal Dining Room

The Custom Cabinets

The Six -Burner Viking Range

Space

The Exquisite Inlaid Wood Floors

A Fairy Tale of Sorts...

Once upon a time a grammy lived in a little white house protected by an eagle. The mustachioed father, the permed mother, and the bunny-toting little girl would visit often and spend holidays there. The grammy eventually sold the house and it remained shut-off to the family for 15 years....until now. The little girl grew up, went to architecture school, and decided to buy the house. Then chaos ensued.....

The Imposing Front Facade

The Garage (Note the grounds-keeper standing in the formal garden.)

The Rear Loggia

The Guest House

Red, White, and New

This is an upcoming tote to be added to Unusual Bag. As soon as I sew it up. The plaid is vintage fabric found in an antique mall in Opelika, AL and the navy fabric was thrifted from the local Methodist rummage sale. Look for it and other bags at Unusual Bag.

Where the Magic Happens

This is where all the magic happens. My sewing nook is set up in my childhood bedroom (awwww!). The desk is a $25.00 vintage find, which I hauled home from an Opelika, AL thrift store in the back of my Toyota Celica. Still not sure how that worked out.

My grandmother purchased the sewing machine at a yard sale and gave it to my mother way back in the day. I call her "Avi" (after avocado green ) and she's still going strong.

The Eames shell chair is also vintage, rescued by my uncle from the hospital dumpster. Apparently our local hospital used to have tons of these and over the years, one by one, they have been pitched. The other accessories are from various rummage sales/flea markets.

The last special piece is the painting with a bird to the right of the window. My parents commissioned this piece for me as a graduation-from-architecture-school-present. The artist is one of my friends and former professor, Laura Terry. Check out her work at her website and her Etsy store.