I DID IT!!!

Okay so yesterday Kristie came over and we ventured out in the "rain" to my second newest addiction and favorite store here in Washington, The Dollar Store!!

(The Dollar Store is my second newest addiction and favorite store because my first newest addiction and favorite store is The Good Will Store,)

Anyway, Kristie needed some supplies to make more of her shabby chic book wreath creations. So we went to The Dollar Store. Also Kristie had said she would teach me how to create my very own book wreath so I needed to buy my own supplies.

The day prior I had stopped by The Good Will Store to see for myself what all the buzz was about. Well let me tell you the buzz was spot on!!

The store was clean, the merchandise hot, and the prices mind boggling. I found and purchased 2 Twilight books for $1.99 a piece. You wanna feel like a millionaire? Shop at The Good Will Store.

Anyway, before I get carried away about The Good Will Store, I shared with you that specific information to give you this information.

I made my very own book wreath, from you guessed it, my NON-gently used Twilight books. I made a Twilight book wreath!!

It was fun.
It looks fabulous.
I burned the *B-E-E-P* out of my finger.

I can't wait to go to the store and buy more glue for my glue gun to make another Twilight book wreath.

I DID IT!!! I made a craft all on my own. I did it, and I must say I did it well.

The Gift

So last night I received an amazing gift from my girlfriend and dinner guest Kristie. Some of you may already know my dear friend Kristie from my previous blog mentions. She is the creator of the blogspot blog, Cali Girl With A Washington Heart.

Kristie and I go back years, and our families are very close, and on a recent family visit to her home I was admiring a paper wreath that hung above her fireplace mantel. As soon as I saw the wreath I was totally lost in admiration for the darling shabby chic work of art.

Upon noticing me swooning over her wreath Kristie nonchalantly informs me that she had made the paper wreath herself, just for the fun of it, and that she was more than happy to make one for me as well. I couldn't believe my ears, SHE had made these gorgeous paper wreaths that adorned her home and she would make one for ME!!

It was in that moment I understood the sensation of simultaneous euphoria and disbelief that lottery winners experience. Immediately I began envisioning where I would proudly display my new incredibly gorgeous and extremely shabby chic treasure while I smiled and nodded yes to Kristie.

A few days later Kristie and her family come and join us for dinner, and Kristie presents me with my gift. A paper wreath made from the pages of an old discarded dictionary. A perfect choice for a writer wouldn't you agree?!?!

If you are interested in buying a paper wreath from my darling Kristie you can reach her by her blog

www.CaliGirlwithaWashingtonHeart.blogspot.com

BIRD WATCHING

I have been on the hunt for novelty soaps in the shape of little birds to decorate my bathrooms in. I wanted to place the bird shaped soap in a fancy little bowl with twine and twigs to make it appear as if the little birds had created a nest. The problem I have is finding the bird shaped soaps. I am trying to avoid ordering them off the Internet because I am looking for instant gratification.

I searched Home Goods Store and Michael's with no luck. Where do the little old ladies get their sea shell soaps for their bathrooms? I guess I have to continue my bird watching around town until I find the illusive soap birds.

I LOVE WEEKENDS

What a wonderful weekend I had doing everything and nothing. Running errands here and there with my hubby, our three little blessing in toe. Gathering up little things to bring joy to our family home. Like my new wind chime, I have been listening to the soft musical chime of my wind chime fill up our home. I want to get a few more to hang in both the front and back yard. My hubby also bought me a bunt cake pan!! I guess he really liked the angel food cake I baked for him this past Friday.

My favorite thing from this weekend has to be the little project my hubby completed for me. I took an old bicycle basket that I had and decided to re~purpose it as a book basket. It was very rusty, so my hubby scrapped and sanded it clean. He gave it a fresh coat of paint and by the time we got home from church the paint was dry and my new book basket was ready to be proudly displayed in our home. I decided to placed my new book basket next to my Singer sewing machine and just love the way it turned out.

SALUT

I've become obsessed with blogging again and it feels fabulous. I need to write, it is a huge part of who I am and it is what I discovered years ago defined me and set me apart from my peers. Recently I have been scouring google for new blogs to follow and added some to my list. Of course they all have some sort of reference or connection to a french theme.

Whether it be in design, baking, living, or fashion, they are all french related.I was not surprisingly captivated and enamored by the blogs that were focused on design. I was both jealous and inspired by these bloggers eye for french design. So much so that I started to feel inadequate and sheepish about my recent posts of my shabby chic inspiration living room creation.

Some of the rooms showcased on these blogs are just simply gorgeous. Then I thought my post pictures probably looked awful to me because I took them on my IPhone, but that wasn't it either. So I have come to the conclusion that the hubby and I need to start going to estate sales,garage sales, and the dreaded Home Goods Store!!! The hubby hates that store because I want EVERYTHING!!

So clean out the trunk honey cause we are going shopping!!! Oh and today's french word of the day was... goodbye [informal] *salut* I will use it in a sentence... My hubby began to cry as he said *salut* to all his hard earned money. *Salut*

BONSOIR

Bonsoir mon amie!! You know those IPhone commercials that boast "We have an app for that" well guess who found an app for Basic French For Dummies?!?! That's right moi!! They really do have an app for just about everything so now thanks to my Apple IPhone I am learning how to speak french. My goal is to try and learn one new french word a day.

I wanted to share with you my finished shabby chic inspired formal~informal living room. I know I had spoke about it a lot in the past but I finally think I'm finished and wanted to share it with my blog world amie(that means friend in french).

My Table


Couch with new throw pillows and wall painted in French Silver


Display of coffee table


I tried to recreate true french style by incorporating nature into the design of the room by adding seashells, birds, bird cage, flowers, and decorative twigs to the comfortable elegance of the room.

Inspiration

Today my Cali Girl in Washington inspired me to create my own *copied* french shabby chic design accessories. I was introduced to a gorgeous shabby chic store in my hometown by my hubby. He himself happened to stumble across it as he was heading to an appointment in town. He said I would love it and that I HAD to go and see this store. * Hubs is a catch I know* Before he could put the car in park I was already calling out things I had to have and gasping and pointing in every direction, I was in heaven!! I wanted everything in the store and swore to him I had a perfect spot in our home to put everything I wanted.



As my excitement settled and my husband hid his wallet, I really started to examine all the expensive and very expensive little furnishings. In my head I kept thinking, I can recreate this, I know how they made this, they want how much?!?! I mean I really loved the items they were selling but thought perhaps there are other shabby chic design lovers on a budget out there. Other people who like me want the look but can't take the price tag. Which got me thinking maybe actually I could recreate the look and blog about how I did it for less and how you can too!! I explained this brilliant idea to my Cali Girl in Washington, Kristie and she encouraged me to do it and so I am.



So Staples, Michael's, and Target here I come!!! I'm going to go back to the shabby chic store in my hometown to take pictures of the accessories I am going to try and duplicate. Candles, bottles, tags etc. and you can decide if I accomplished the task of recreating these items or not.



I ask that at this point in the blog you wish me luck because I will be using a hot glue gun and if a hot glue gun in my possession doesn't make you spontaneously erupt in laughter, well then I'm sure the pictures will!!

Home Improvements

We have been up to some home improvements lately here at The House of Jones. I had mentioned in earlier post that we had purchased a new couch set and even tho it is not a traditional over sized, overstuffed, shabby chic couch. Leather can be shabby chic and work in a shabby chic look with the right accessories. I softened the hard lines and modern look of our leather couch with my toil pillows and a crushed velvet throw blanket. Leather is also to this point a smart fabric choice for those with young children.



My fabulous hubby was kind enough yesterday to hang the shelves he painted especially for our boys. Now my next project is to take tons and tons of pictures of our beautiful babies to fill the frames and then some. A task I find easy well because they are just so darn cute!!! That is not a bias opinion all my friends and family think they are adorable too!!! *smirk*



I have a feeling our summer will be filled with projects, adventure, trips, and most of all FUN!!!! I can't wait it seems we are off to a good start 82* degrees is what the days weather forecast is for today.



I hope in my next post I will be announcing the arrival/addition of a new member of the family!!! Fingers crossed everyone fingers crossed.