Star Lamps

I'm so excited!

I went to the Kane County Flea Market this month 

with my brother and sister in law 

and found some real treasures. 

(You can also read about what I scored there when I went with Kim, 

from County Line Road blog, here.)

I think the December Flea Market is great 

because it's the last one they hold until March

 and the dealers are really dealing! 

My favorite find was a pair of metal star lamps, 

spotted by my sister in law, Joan.

(Someday maybe I'll get to show you their house... It's fabulous!)

They are brand new, in perfect condition, with great shades 

and a cool patina finish.

They were a steal and the colors work beautifully in my family room. 

I put this one in a boring dark corner and it fills the space up so well!

Possibly over accessorized... 

Must edit...

I do love the green hounds tooth fabric on the table, though! 

Hmmmm. Is this any better?  Not sure...  

Must continue to play with things instead of doing anything really important....

I love these lamps 

and when my new end table arrives, 

I think the lamp will look great on it.

The family room is still in progress, ever since our recent kitchen remodel, 

which you can read about here.

Can't wait to get it finished and show it to you!

I also spotted this little tea caddy at the Flea Market 

and couldn't resist.

And this shelf with a mirrored back and Chippendale/bamboo spindle trim.

It's either very grandma or very cool...

I can't decide, but it was a steal and so I couldn't resist.

But where to put it?

Should I paint it white? 

Fun dilemmas.

We'll see! 

Happy New Year!

Linking to:
Metamorphosis Monday at Between Naps on the Porch
Wow Us Wednesdays at Savvy Southern Style
Feathered Nest Friday at French Country Cottage

Great Big Balls of Christmas Fun

 Just had to share my latest Christmas Decoration Masterpiece....

I know you'll appreciate it. 

You'll probably want to run out 

and buy up all the giant Christmas ornaments you can find 

and put them in something...  or not.

Probably not.  

But maybe this will at least make you smile!

I was sitting in my comfy chair last week, 

thinking about decorating for Christmas and

bemoaning the loss of my beloved window boxes.

You can see them here.  

And decorated for Christmas here.

We decided to remove the window boxes this summer.  

They were rotting and falling apart 

and repairing them would have taken a major effort.

We are gone so much of the time in the summer 

that I couldn't keep them looking Grand.

So we made the decision to remove them.  For now, anyway.

So, I have all of these giant Christmas ornaments 

and I was wondering what I could possibly do with them this year. 

What to do, what to do???  Hmmm.

Sitting right in front of me, just staring right at me, was my coffee table.

Suddenly, Inspiration happened.

I slid the glass off the table and dumped the giant ornaments inside.

Instant whimsy.  

They made me smile.

My kids loved them at Thanksgiving, so I knew I wasn't crazy.

(Unless they are, too?)

Any way, I hope they make you smile too!

Burly likes them too!

Who doesn't like shiny things?

I'm working on my Christmas tree truck thing next.

Needs a wreath on the front 

and maybe some colored twine to tie it down?

Have fun decorating!

Linking to:
The Scoop at Stone Gable
Inspire Me Tuesdays at A Stroll Through Life

Wow Us Wednesdays at Savvy Southern Style

Jumping on the Bar Cart Bandwagon

I've done it!  

Because I can do it now.  

Because we are empty nesters with adult children!

(Trying to find the bright side of that...)

I have jumped on the Bar Cart Bandwagon.  

And it's kind of fun!

I have been collecting bar cart ideas on Pinterest. 

You can see them all here.

I like this one

And this one 

And I love this idea to re-use a wardrobe as a bar!

But, alas, I only have a small slip of a space for my bar cart

and a very small "cart"  

so this is where I put it.

It's opposite the island in my new kitchen 

(which you can see here)

I'm hoping the new layout will give us a better traffic pattern when we entertain.

I can set up drinks or a buffet on the island 

and keep the crowd out of the work space.

Well, I can hope...

I added the wreath for the Holidays, but I may keep one there year round.

Here it is before the wreath...

And after...

Mr. Grand likes a little whiskey 

and so I thought I'd make things easier for him.

Still need to add some wine bottles and wine some glasses below  

but I'm a little nervous about our crazy dog 

tearing around the corner to greet our guests 

and crashing into things.

We may be empty nesters, but we still have Burly to think about...

I added these sparkly lights to my Mom's opalescent pitcher, 

one of my favorite things.

And this ice bucket that I scored on ebay...

And these pretty starry glasses.

Everything is very handy now 

and ready for the Holidays!

Cheers!

Happy Thanksgiving!


Linking to:
Wow Us Wednesdays at Savvy Southern Style
Metamorphosis Monday at Between Naps on the Porch