Iron Parlor Chairs

 I have started my iron parlor chair makeover.  I have, however, hit a bump in the road.  You know when you imagine how something is going to look and then when you do it, it looks nothing like you imagined.  In fact, it looks awful.  So, for now I am gonna just sit on it for a while (haha, pardon the pun).   I know it will come to me.

So here is what we have so far.

BEFORE

AFTER

I just need to figure out what to do for the backrest.  Out of the four chairs only two came with backs.  The two that did have the backs were in really rough shape.  A friend suggested I just leave them open. What do you think?

Nesting With Nests

 I love to collect.  I have a lot of collections, in fact, too many to count.  Two of my favorite things to hunt for are cloches and nests.  What better way to nest and jump start my Spring decorating than by combining the two.  All of my nests are real.  I found some and was given some.  It is incredible the gathered pieces of nature that make up a nest. They are all so different and represent whatever is available in the area.

This one we found about a month after Easter.  The birds used some of our Easter basket grass to make their nest.  It is so amazing.

This one we found out at my family's ranch.  It was not far from our horses stall.  It is made mostly of horse hair.  Soooo cool.

I fulfilled my need to nest for today.  Find a way to showcase your collections.  It is a shame to have your treasures hidden away.  Put them on display so you and others can enjoy them.

To get back to My French Country Cottage press here.

Lexi Mae Has Arrived

My nephew and his wife just had there first baby, Lexi Mae.  It has taken me back to those sleepless nights and thinking I would be tired for the rest of my life.  Those thoughts are quickly replaced with holding their tiny little bodies, smelling their sweet breath and baby smell.

My nephew was so excited for Lexi Mae's arrival that he got started on her nursery right away.  He asked if I would get involved in brainstorming for decorating ideas.  I was on it right away.  He is not into Pinterest, so I searched for inspirational photos, emailed them to him, and he did all the work.  I love that.  Here is what we came up with.

This was from Pinterest.

This was his take on it.  I love it.  The frames add much needed detail to the room.  The colors of the letters were pulled from her bedding.

We loved this idea of a wall of books but he just didn't have the room for this.  Instead, he just scaled it down and put up a couple of shelves.

Sorry I don't have a better picture.  The book shelves are to the left and I just happened to have the chandelier in the attic.  Sometimes my hoarding comes in handy.

So glad sweet Lexi Mae is finally here.  I can't wait to spoil her.

Lamp Shade Transformation

 Hi guys.   I hope everyone is having a wonderful weekend.  The sun came out for awhile today so that Vitamin D kicked in and I am a happy camper.

Some time ago I found the most adorable lamp at the Alameda Flea Market.  I fell in love with the color and detail on the base.  The only problem, it didn't have a shade.  That same day I also found a shade but the fabric was horrible.  I loved the scalloped edge, it was different.  Since it is an awkward shape,  I wasn't sure how I was going to recover it.

I have had the lamp and shade for two years now.  Believe me I have tried a couple of ideas and it either didn't look right or failed completely.  I have been going through photos I had saved of design ideas I liked or inspired me.  I happened across a photo I know I have had for awhile, so why this idea hadn't occurred to me sooner, I have no idea.  Maybe the timing just wasn't right.  I am happy to say that this attempt didn't fail and I am thrilled with the result.  I hope you like it as much as I do.

Isn't this lovely?

This is my inspiration photo.  I found this on Pinterest a while ago.  I apologize that I don't know where it originated from or I would give credit where it is due.  I love this pendant.  Can you see how this design worked so well for my bare lamp shade?

This is my lovely shade.  On top of it being a difficult shape, the top was more narrow than the bottom. I created a paper template.  I measured the top and bottom scallop and the length from top to bottom of the shade frame.  I added a 1/2 inch to each measurement.  I then used my pattern to cut my fabric.  I ironed the fabric creating that 1/2 inch seam.  I  then just sewed it down.  I left the ties rough cut and sewed them down as well.  It added that shabby look I love.

Here is the lovely base I couldn't live without.  I love all the details.

I am so glad this little project is done and I can move on to the next DIY.  I also hope this encourages you to find inspiration in others work and put you own stamp on it.

Enjoy the rest of your weekend .

Pine Cone Terrarium

 It is very difficult for me to decorate during this time of year.  You have to decorate for Winter but you don't want it to look like Christmas.  I also want to incorporate Valentines simply because I don't want to have to redecorate in a couple of week.  Recently I was checking in with Folk Lifestyle.  They have a lot of great ideas and inspirations.  They had a DIY post for a pine cone terrarium.  Here is the wonderful thing about creativity.  You can take someones ideas and put your own spin on it.

A couple of weeks ago my sister gave me some pine cones she got on clearance, after Christmas, at Target.  She said she knew I would figure out something to do with them.  When I saw this post I had a moment.

So here is my take on Folk Lifestyle pine cone terrarium project.

This was my original inspiration..

How cute are these pine cones?  I also adore the silver glitter accents on the edges.

Love the price.

So this is my take.  I think it turned out pretty cute.  I added a glass heart to incorporate Valentines.  Also, I learned that there are different mosses.  The one I used was Reindeer Moss.  I love it.  It is really soft and pliable.  I also love this shade of green.

I topped my terrarium with a dome, of course, my favorite.

Have a great week my friends and please share with me any pine cone inspiration you might have.