Home Tour part 4 ~ The Library

Let me first start by saying, I totally waited until the wrong part of the day to take these pictures. And I was afraid if I waited until the next day to take the pictures, a) I would wait too long in the day and take them in the same light and b) the room would not be as clean as it is right this moment. The probability of the latter is about 99%, soooooo I decided to post these anyway, not-so-great pictures and all.

The "Library" which is really the home office, functions a few ways, so that is why we call it the Library. It is another smallish room in our home but functions big. Before we actually moved in, I had the furniture laid out in my head totally different. And while it IS packed with furniture, I tried to keep everything on the smaller scale so it all worked. It isn't sparse by any means, but we can all sit in here nicely doing all different things. Which was what I envisioned from the beginning, so it works well.    We can read, play piano, play on the computer and (last but not least) one of our favorites... listen to our record player!!!!

Nothing in this room was purchased "new" except two things. The bookcases are from Ballard Design. We bought them while living in our old house and I love them. The panels were purchased from Tuesday morning years ago and I did use them in our old house as well. I still may change them, but it felt so naked in here with nothing. I'm sure there will be changes in here to come but for now this is it. :)


This is the view from the foyer

A little closer (I used flash, because I HAD to, I usually hate flash, the end, lol)   We bought this piano from a neighbor in our old development. Both boys take lessons and are doing well!

My cousin knew I was on the lookout for a crystal chandelier and she found this on her local Craig's list.  So she drove this all the way up here from Alabama when she came to visit.  Like Forrest says,  she and I are like "peas and carrots"!!!

Packed with our books and pictures

My old riding boots, trophy's and other chatckies!

I love old cameras

Bought this photo "roller" at a yard sale a couple of years ago, thought it was neat.

My desk where I play online  :)

I still need a chair for here, this one works, but is temporary

 
This is one of my FAVORITE Salvation Army finds.  It's a Baker desk I found about 7 years ago.  I didn't buy it when I saw it, I thought about it ALL NIGHT LONG and drove right back there the next morning and bought it!  Love this desk!

One of our favorite records we listen to, the story of Annie!!

My mom found this adorable little french footstool for $10 in a thrift shop in Florida and then asked "would you like this?"  Ummm YES mom, I most certainly would!!   I recovered it in a plaid scrap I had in my collection.

This was my mother's sofa, it's about 32 yrs old.  I had it reupholstered and had the cushions wrapped in down and it's very comfy but small scale, which nothing seems to be these days new.  Nothing big would have fit in this room!  The little wood throw blanket I found on ebay.   The check pillows I found at TJ Maxx years ago and matched the panels.   The needlepoint pillow I bought from Des over at Peeking at the Sunflowers.  Couldn't pass it up!

Mary Kay Crowley, love her art.  I bought these gliclee's online and then framed them myself.

Found this oil painting at one of my favorite consignment shops. I painted the black on the frame to break up the gold.

My mom found these cut glass lamps for me at City Mission, they were $5.99 each.  I paired them with lamps from another thrift shop.    I made the table topper from a scrap piece of fabric, cut it in a square and glued the trim on with fabri-tac. The tablecloth underneath is not as hideous as it looks, but I still am on the lookout for another one.  This table is an odd height and circumference.  I think I need an 84" round.

Vintage riding books, I LOVE books!  Old, new and everything in between!

Coffered ceiling



Well, that's it for today!  I hope you enjoyed the tour of the Library!

I am joining these parties and hope you will come and join the fun with us!!


WOW us Wednesday's at Savvy Southern Style

Open House Party at No Minimalist Here!

Feathered Nest Friday at the French Country Cottage


Vintage Inspiration at Common Ground

XOXO

First Holy Communion

I am going to sneak this post in with the home tour, hope you understand! :)    My boys made their First Communion a few weeks ago at our church.  This is an important milestone for all of us.  Our faith has always remained the same, but our church road has taken some turns.  I know we are finally "home".  

In our church the kids take a communion class and actually make the unleavened bread.  They put all ingredients together, knead and then roll it out.  They each put a small cross on it before we baked it.  Our Pastor explains everything while we are in this process.  The next day the whole congregation receives the holy communion that the kids have made the night before.  

Here are some pictures we took with the ipod so they aren't great quality, but at least we have some. :)

Kneading the dough.

Kristopher

Johnny

My very humble attempt at making their cake.  Not my forte but I try! :)

                                              Love these boys with all my heart and soul!

                         It was really a special day for our family!  Thanks for sharing it with us!


                                                                        XOXO

Home Tour Part 3 ~ Powder Room

Today I am sharing the powder room.  Technically, it should have been the Library (home office),  I didn't clean good enough  but the lighting wasn't wonderful today.  I have been trying to take pictures ahead of time, but the library was left out.  


So here is the little hallway off the Family room and foyer to get to the powder room.  Keep in mind this is a very small room so taking pictures was a bit of a challenge!   The walls are SW Ivorie.

We got the vanity at Lowe's.  It was one of those "all in one" where you get the sink and top as well.  I wasn't crazy about the top that came with it, so we brought the sink and top to our Habitat store.   I had our granite guy cut a remnant he had for this room and he made me the little arch on the back. I LOVE the way it turned out!  Helps with splashes too!   The sink is copper and I found it on Overstock.com. 

I guess I could have straightened the towels better!! ;)

Here are a few close ups of the top, sink and faucet.

Again, VERY small space so the pictures aren't wonderful.   The florals were from Goodwill and got a make over.  You can see that here.

Ok, now here is a funny story.  On the original plan of this house, there was supposed to be three and a half baths.  And the laundry room downstairs.  Since I am the unpaid cleaning lady here, I did NOT want 3 and a half baths.  So I took one out upstairs and made it my laundry room.  And everyone questioned me why and I will miss the extra bathroom, etc, etc and etc........  So I panicked.  Not enough to leave the upstairs bath (I LOVE MY UPSTAIRS LAUNDRY)  but panicked enough to add this itty bitty shower in the powder room.  Luckily the room behind this had a big closet and it's just an extra room,  So we made the closet smaller and made this lil shower.   It  does get used, so it was a good thing. :) 

It's SMALL so again hard to photograph...

This was a silk panel (part of a pair) that I found at the thrift store.  They were 63inches, so I couldn't really use them as panels.  So I had my very sweet mama sew the sides "up" so it looked like a london shade.  I LOVE london shades, but wasn't sure I wanted to commit to a custom window treatment in here.  I had the trim in my craft room, so valance was about $7 total!!

And that's it for the powder room!  Here is the hallway you see walking out.  Straight ahead is the kitchen, to the left is the playroom and family room.  And to the right is the foyer.

If this is your first time visiting, you can see the tour so far here.

                                        Thanks for continuing the tour here!  Stay tuned for more!

                                                        I will be linking up to these fun parties!

                                                                            My Romantic Home for Show and Tell Friday
                                             French Country Cottage for Feathered Nest Friday
                                             
                                                 The Thrifty Groove for Thrifty Things Friday
                                             Common Ground for Vintage Inspiration Friday
                                             The Charm of Home for Home Sweet Home Friday's

Home Tour part 2 ~ Dining Room!

As promised, here is part 2 of the tour!  The dining room is off to the right when you come in the front door.  I had this furniture from my old house and I had the chairs redone before I moved because I had 100 yards a lot of this fabric.  Thankfully I still love it!

The walls are good ole Laura Ashley 4, which I had in my old DR too I think, I can't remember, but I know it I had it somewhere.  It's a great medium shade green that really goes with a lot of other greens.   We did the faux molding on the bottom to look like panels to break up the green.   The rug is another Overstock find.  You will find a common theme throughout this tour (if you stick it out, LOL) that I found GREAT wool rugs on Overstock.  Picking colors can be tricky but if you really aren't sure, you can order a small one and send it back if it's not right, just to make sure.

This is what you see when you look to the right at the front door

This is a different shot from the entrance off the Family room

Another shot from that way

Hutch with all my thrift store, consignment store and freebies.  I love vintage, junk and etc, what can I say? 

I have a love/hate relationship with flash on my cameras.  I took this picture with flash and without.  No flash won....   My mom found the lamp at one of our favorite consignment shops and I got the leopard shade at The Christmas Tree shop for $6.99.  I actually bought two, there is another one later on in the tour. ;)

Hutch again

I love tole.  I have some in my kitchen and some in my DR.  I don't think I have ever paid more than $10 for any of them.  Most of my trays were $2.99 at the thrift store.  This is a shot of the whole wall.

This was a china cabinet in my old house.  But I had my open hutch (which is now on the opposite wall) in my parents barn, waiting to be used for literally years.  While I did love the china cabinet, I really needed a buffet.  So I took the top glass part off and donated it.  Voila!  Instant buffet!

Still need a center piece here.  No clue what I want.  I drive myself crazy with these things.  I think I need a leopard chandy chord too!

The "BLANK" wall.  I'm still not sure what I am doing here, but the ideas are a'swirling.  I'm going to leave it with nothing until I decide.  Could be a long, looooonnnngggg time!  Any ideas?  I'd love to hear them!   I am also going to cover the chandy shades with leopard fabric. 

Just a few shots of some of my junkin' treasures!

A long shot of the panels my dear friend Kathleen made.  She has been a busy bee helping me!  She takes my crazy ideas and makes them a reality.  God bless her.  I really need to learn how to sew......
The rods were all pieces I have collected over the years, brackets, finials, reeded rods and rings.  All at thrift stores and garage sales for literally pennies.   I spray painted them all black so they were uniform.  It's the little things that excite me.

                                                      If you missed Part 1, that is here.


                                                  I am linking up to these parties today!

                                                         Between Naps on the Porch
                                                      Show off your Cottage Monday
                                                 Coastal Charm Nifty Thrifty Tuesdays
                                                                     
                                           WOW us Wednesday's at Savvy Southern Style

                                                               No Minimalist here


Come join the fun!