Thanks for all your kind comments the last few days! It was good to hear from people I didn’t know were out there, and also from friends I hear from regularly.
I wish I was at Sissy’s house and I could use her cool hand made witch’s hat to draw the name from for the prize!
Actually, I just wish I was at Sissy’s house anyway, because I miss her.
Its a fun place to visit, she has such cool stuff at her fairy tale cottage, like these old witchy boots.
And a real cauldron to make up some Halloween potions.
I always borrow the witchy hat when I visit her. I wonder what that says about my personality, that I am so comfortable looking like a witch?
Well, no pretty Halloween Witch hat to draw a name from, but I was able to randomly select a name without it, even though it wasn’t as much fun that way.
The winner is:
DENISE DUNLAVEY
I have your address from past purchases, Denise, so I will mail out your Foof of Life book and rose painted bookmark.
Thanks again to everyone for entering!
All of those comments were also entered into my October giveaway and you can keep entering until the end of the month.
Besides taking care of Sugarwings and walking to the park with her in her little pink convertible, my week has been full of boring details.
Like touching up paint around the house. uck. But it had to be done before the Holiday Home Tour.
And it does make a difference.
I touched up all the dings on the walls throughout the house, plus this grate in my dining room floor.
While I was at it, I trashed the dining room rug, since Twinkle thinks it made a better toilet and chew toy than a floor covering.
Taking out the black flowered rug made the rest of the things in the room off kilter a bit, so I repainted the bench, slightly.
Here it is a year ago (It was white before this, pink before that, and maple when I got it from my mom’s estate 5 years ago)
This is the room last spring.
(before the rug was Twinklized)
This is the lighter version of the bench.
I’d like to get a new rug, in a sisal maybe? But Twinks worries me with her bad puppy habits for now. I’d be better off with the scrubbable, bleachable tile until she learns.
My great grandmother made this table cloth!
We didn’t realize it, this one and some others were in the linen closet at my mom’s home, and when she died, we were getting things ready for an auction and also dividing up between family members.
One job I had was to go through all the video tapes. While I was looking at a tape of my Great Aunt Caroline’s visit to my mom’s, someone else was going through linens, and we both noticed that on the tape, Caroline was giving mom these linens and telling stories about them. We wouldn’t have known that it was made by my great grandmother if we hadn’t looked through all the videos.
Lightening up the dining room yesterday also meant redoing the center piece. I have had some fallish colors out for the last couple of weeks, and was ready for a change. This is still autumn themed, but has a lighter quality to it.
My rooms change a lot. Here is the dining room about 3 years ago in a photo taken for Paint Magic magazine (taken by Bill Mathews, styled by Gloria Gale).
I took the stained glass lamp from the dining room and moved it upstairs to the library.
That room still needs a spiffing up, it is rather blah. But I will worry about that when I get out my holiday decor.
I also had to repaint a bed this week. Didn’t want to.
But Ry’s back has been bothering him and it dawned on me that there was a really good mattress in the guest room that we should switch out with him for his older one.
But then, of course, the new mattress didn’t fit the old frame, yet another snowball effect like taking the rug out of the dining room. You change one little thing and all of a sudden, you have a chain reaction of things that need changing.
So, I repainted Ryan’s oak bed to go into the guest room. It looked a bit manly, but I don’t think that is a problem anymore.
While I was out in the driveway painting the bed, I decided to spray paint this little sewing stand (Goodwill -$5!) pink.
And that just about sums up how my days go. One thing leads to another and never seem to do what I planned.
Today, I am not babysitting,the house is put back together, and I have a casserole ready to go for dinner. I am going to get those signs painted that I mentioned last week!
ps- lots of nice people have tagged me for some fun things, I’ll get to those soon too
Karla, not only do your rooms loook beautiful, YOU look beautiful! No wonder sugarwings is such a cutie, it’s genetic.:)
LIdy
I love all of your painted furniture! Your whole house is like one big painting! I had the same issues with Ellie chewing up rugs. She managed to get to a handhooked one right away when we first got her, so needless to say, we don’t have any throw rugs right now! (And she’s still here too!)
I wish I could come to the Holiday Home Tour…I would love to see your rooms in person 😉
I LOVE the painted bed, wow, wish I had you do that to my antique bed, which is dark walnut and I paid to have stripped and refinished, I would much prefer it to be flowery roses than dark brown! And I love your great grandmothers tablecloth. I have a runner that my grandma embroidered, which I love, too.
Everything is beautiful, as always! Love the painted furniture. Great picture of you with the rainbow over your hat!
Vickie
Oh my goodness!!!!I’m in shock,what a very special feeling when I saw I won the book and tag.Thank you so very much.I love the new lighter painted bench it looks fabulous,you have amazing talent.If I lived closer I would love to see your home on your Holiday Home Tour,that would be a dream come true for me.Thanks again for sharing so many beautiful pictures,hints etc.on your blog.Oh yes I have a little shih tzu and can relate to your rug story.Blessings,Denise
Karla, you have some of THE most beautiful things…I love the dining room and I love Sissy’s witchy things…so well displayed too!!
Karla, You have been very busy! These pictures are great. I love the one of your sister in her witch hat…does she always have a rainbow hanging over her head? So much nicer than a dark cloud. Congratulations on getting to 200. So many words, so many pictures and all very much appreciated. Thank you. I am now going to read about the holiday house party. Susan
Oops, was that you with the rainbow over your head…well, no surprise there. You obviously inspire beauty! Susan..again
How wonderful it is to make changes to your decor and to do it so beautifully and with such personal style. Congrats again.
Congratulations Denise, lucky girl.
Karla as always and entertaining post from you with all kinds of delightful wimsical and creative photos.
Pretty spruce ups! One change always calls for another…yes.
Come put in your two cents on the craft fair 🙂
and so it goes on and on, the ever changing house of Karla! Love it! The table cloth is exquisite and very spooky how sorting the linen cupboard out and watching the video at the same time was so meant to be. Hand stitched linens are heirlooms that should be passed down to generations. Have a fun day – Rachael -xo
That is so cool, finding the videotaped story of your great-grandmother’s linens. That is so special!!
And I love your bench, in all it’s stages. Your painting is so beautiful, I wish I could do that.
Debi
Hi Karla….thought I should check on you I haven’t been here in a while. You always inspire me to get with it on my house, but then my back always cries out…..NO!!!! All your painting is so pretty. Aren’t you having a Christmas swap that I missed?? Seems I heard something about it. I miss everything. You look darling in the witches hat!
Karla…
I feel like I’m watching a decorating show on HGTV when I visit your blog! You can get more done in one day than I can in a week!
Priscilla
You always pass on so many good things! I just had to tell you I finally picked up “your” Romantic Country. Just love it! You are such a doll in the witches hat. Don’t think you could really pull off the witch thing !
Love the bare floor look & your term “Twinklized”. A bit better than my term “Shih Tzued”. Gosh!!
Look at cute you in the witch’s hat!!
Hugs,
Stephanie
Angelic Accents
Look at you as a witch! You are far too beautiful to pull that one off!!! LOL!
The witches hat is so cute. It is only Halloween fun your sweet personiality show through in your great posts and the lovely things you have in your home. LOL Mary
Wow! I’m speechless………everything is just so AMAZING! I’m in awe…….
Amanda (aka Cottage Contessa)
I love your sister’s witch’s hat and the shoes! I want some, too.
That is a beautiful picture of you.
Is the table still painted with the blue? I really like it.
~elaine~
That’s a great picture of you, even if you are wearing a witch hat! You must be a good witch. 🙂
Visiting you is like having this really great conversation where I learn the most fun things–I’m always fascinated.
I agree with everyone; you’re too pretty to be a witch. I love that bench. I just found some fabric that is black with little pink roses. I love the combination.
Hi Karla! You look great as a witch!! I’ve enjoyed this post again! Still wanted to thank you for postponing the ‘what do you love …christmas home etc.-event’. You are so inspiring! Giving me energy and a positive vibe!
Thanks! Lidwien
I love the rainbow above your hat in the picture! Just proves that if you feel you must be a witch – you must be Glenda!
The bench is beautiful. And I love the tin behind the desk. Congratulations to Denise!!
Love,
Julie
Oooooooh that tabelcloth is amazing! Love every picture in this post, and you are quite lovely yourself!!!!
Where do you get all that energy?! You must work fast, too. Any one of those projects would be a two day happening for me.
I’ve been needing to do a centerpiece for a dining room table. You’ve given me a bit of inspiration. Thanks!
Great picture of you as a witch! I love what you did with de bed frame. Reminds me to finish my own French bed! Congratulations Denise! Well I will be on the look out again for this fab book.
Isn’t dumpster diving the best. That mirror is a wonderful find. I’d love to have a half ounce of your energy, you seem to get so much into one day!
OOOOOHHHH! I adore your painting on furniture. I have done that on curb-sided things I’ve dragged home and improved with paint and also on things I get from garage sales. I am still trying to be brave and paint some maple things that were my Mom’s. I have plans but when I pick up the paint brush I chicken out. All Mom’s things were Maple because weren’t things always Maple back when….
Amy