~In Living Color~

 Wishing you all a very Happy Monday ! Gary and I were experiencing very high electrical/gas bills so to put our gas bill in check we had a gas fireplace insert installed, but to do this our fireplace had to be retro-fitted, that meant building the fireplace out and making the opening taller. It was a big mess but worth all the mess for sure.
Our fireplace is designed with plaster this gives us the option of painting it or possibly using brick or other product's to embellish it. Well since it had been painted originally we decided to repaint it, but this time with a bold color, needless to say Gary and I are not afraid of color. We painted our fireplace "Blue Metallic". Now I know a blue fireplace may not be for everyone but we really love it and besides its just paint and we can change it anytime.
So come along with me and I'll show you our blue living room.

 The sofa's and rug are from Ethan Allen (slipcovers are made from Jean fabric) and I made the throw pillows

 Since red is my favorite color I had to bring red into the room, we have red in every room of our home.

 The new fireplace insert really warms up the house and our gas/electrical bill has gone down considerably! "Yeah" toasty warm....

 The fireplace has a ledge that is perfect for decorating and us girls just have to decorate right ..I found the letter's GEM that are me and Gary's initials at Hobby Lobby. I thought they were fun and we can change them out anytime to something different.

 This is a photo of the fireplace wall when we purchased our home. The fireplace was very pretty but we needed  a fireplace insert for heating.

 Closer look at the fireplace

Gary and I still want to add crown molding, we hope this spring to start work on the crown.

 Gary has two leather chairs in the room and he has to have his "Candy" by his side, he loves to pick at night and of course I eat the candy too...not a good thing...LOL

 I try to hide the candy from myself in candy dishes so I won't feel the impulse to eat one, two and three pieces but it just doesn't work.

 Please help us eat these!!

 The coffee table is full our favorite things.

Home made pillows by me..I love mix and matching pillows, there so many fun fabric to choose from. So I just keep sewing pillow slip covers to change the look from time to time.

 Behind one of the sofa's is our red buffet sitting on a small rug also a little sitting area to rest and view out side our  Grandkids playing in the pool.

So there it is....Our very colorful living room. Don't be afraid of color its only paint or fabric I say.

A footnote to this post....This morning I woke up to someone else in the mirror.... I did, I didn't look the same and when I tried to sip my morning coffee my lips were nub and my smile crooked, also my eyes were very sore. Only one side of my face would move... I told Gary and we thought it best to call the Doctor (of course), even brushing my teeth was weird with all the numbness..
You know how it feels after you have been the dentist and he has given you Novacaine to numb your mouth, well that's how my face feels its nub from under my eye to my lips. 
After a few hours in the emergency room I was diagnoised with Bell's Palsy...
Bell's Palsy is a problem involving the nerve that controls the muscles on one side of the face. The cause is unknown we were told. I was given three medications to take..on a good note it will not last forever and will go away..but for now I told Gary no family photos..LOL
I am feeling OK except I am really tired and my face just won't do what I want it to. It looks so weird to raise my forehead and only one side of my face will go up..

Enjoy your week and remember I will be thinking of you all and getting around to visit soon..


Linking up with the following girls;

Mary-Boogieboard Cottage Masterpiece Monday

Susan-Between Naps on the Porch metamorphosis Monday

Shannon-Cozy home Your Cozy Home Party Tuesday

Kim-Savvy Southern Style WOW us Wednesday

Bunny Jean -Bunny Jean Decor and More Bunny Hob Wednesday


Honey-2805 A Potpourri Party every Friday

Cindy- My Romantic Home Show and Tell Friday

Courtney- French Country Cottage Feathered Nest Friday

Sherry-The Charm of Home Home Sweet Home Party Fridays

Meg-Nutmegplace Show Off Saturday

~Crochet Blanket Gifts & A Thank-You~

 Happy Monday to you all...What do you do while watching TV ? I crochet or knit, I know it must look like watch a  lot of TV..LOL, but really I don't, well OK every night I watch TV.
The first blanket I would like to share with you is a gift for my little brother, I  had knitted him a sweater that turned out way to big, so I thought a blanket was a much safer gift to make.

 I used Vanna White yarn, I really like her yarn and the color choices she has. The pattern is from  (Goose Berry Patch Farmhouse Crochet). I changed the colors to use the ones my brother Mark would like. Also I prefer to slip stitch my panels together, I think to goes much quicker than using a darning needle.

 This Red sweetie was a Christmas gift to two very special kids that we adore.

 The pattern is one I have used many times, I don't even have it written down, you know its one of those you keep in your head..I also used Vanna White yarn for this project.

 This was the first time I used Deborah Noville yarn. Its very soft but I think it knits up nicer than crochet.

  We have another niece expecting a baby in July..We are thinking Pink since she has been blessed with two boys already, but will not know if its a girl or boy until the end of the month.

 I love crocheting the trim, I just never know what I'm going to do until the blanket is done. This baby blanket is a new born size.

 Now for a really BIG thank you to Carolyn of Just One More Stitch ! I won the yummy sweet Candy Apple bundle fat quarter.
The bundle is from Jodi of Fort Worth fabric Studio. If you have not meant Carolyn or Jodi please drop by for a visit. I know you will LOVE their blogs as much as I do. Carolyn has the most amazing quilt studio I have ever seen. It should be in a craft magazine or Romantic Home magazine and you should see her quilts so beautiful every stitch! 
 Jodi has gorgeous fabrics the prints and colors are so pretty, its hard to choose wich ones to buy, I LOVE all of them, my mind was whirling around with pattern ideas of what to quilt with all the beautiful fabric choices.. I can't believe my name was picked, I am so thrilled. Now what am I going to make..Well I think this sweet valentine bundle fat quarter will make a fabulous baby quilt. Thank you so much Carolyn and Jodi I Love the fabric so much..


This week I'm joining in the following parities;

Susan-Between Naps on the Porch Metamorphosis Monday

Shannon-Cozy Home Your Cozy Home Party Tuesday

Kim-Savvy Southern Style WOW Us Wednesday

Bunny Jean-Bunny Jeans Decor and More Bunny Hop Wednesday

Mrs. Hines Class-Show & Tell With Mrs. Hines Wednesday

Honey-2805 A potpourri Party Every Friday

Cindy-My Romantic Home Show and Tell Friday

Courtney-French Country Cottage Feathered Nest Friday

Sherry-The Charm of Home Home Sweet Home Party Friday

Kitchen Dilemma

 Happy Monday everyone!
Our kitchen had  "Two BIG" problems (can you see what the first one was?) If you guessed that the refrigerator was to close to the wall, well you are correct-o-mundo. Our refrigerator door was to big to completely open it up. I had to squeeze myself into the door and hold it open with my tush just to get inside. You should have seem me..(well maybe not)lol.
Anyway it was quite the dilemma, so with our heads together (yes sometimes after being married 36 years Gary and I share a brain)hehehe, and with the skill of  "Paul" our daughter Desire' boyfriend's custom wood craftsmanship, Paul designed the solution...a built in Chalk Board.

 Paul used the same molding design around the door, base board and chalk board to match the banquette. I love all the molding! Paul cut the custom size board for me and I painted it with chalk board paint, it took three coats. The grand kids have been having fun with the large chalk board. And look I can now open the refrigerator door all the way. Refrigerator dilemma solved.

 Nice big ledge that holds all the chalk and you can actually use it as a seat too...

 I think it looks like it has always been there. You know how your house will speak to you and tell you what it needs, well I think my house was screaming out loud (Chalk Board !!!)

 Second dilemma, after building the banquette the chandelier was not centered..well it was not really centered before either. So after having the electrician move the electrical outlet over so it would be centered over the table, we were left with a hole in the ceiling, so what do you do? Just ask "Paul" and he went to work designing the solution.

 A custom ceiling medallion that matches the banquette! Yeah Paul.. I love this guy!

 It added so much to the boring ceiling...

 So after looking at the plain chain that held the chandelier up. I thought it needed a cover, so off I ran ( well I drove) to the fabric store and found the perfect print (I thought) and  made a chain cover and two pillows.

 The red and cream check gingham was so pretty and it really caught my eye. I had the pillow inserts already and the lace, so just the cost of fabric to add more color and whimsy to the kitchen.

 If you were wondering what happen to all the folk art pictures that were on the back wall that the chalk board is now on, well Gary and I moved them all over to the banquette.

 I just couldn't stop decorating and my mind was going wild on everything I would like to do the kitchen. I have always wanted a fancy stove you know the ones with the pretty colorful knobs that cost a small fortune..well I thought what if I just spray painted the black knobs red, what the heck, why not...so I did...

I had fun working in the kitchen...more upgrades to come, like pull outs for the cabinets, base boards and crown molding. Thank you for letting me share our kitchen with you all today.

I will joining the following parties this week;

Susan-Between naps on the Porch Metamorphosis Monday

Shannon-Cozy Home Party Tuesday

Kim-Wow us Wednesday

Bunny Jean- Bunny Hop Wednesday

Honey-2805 A Potpourri Party Friday

Cindy-Show and Tell Friday

Courtney-French Country Cottage Frethered Nest  Friday