I may have found a chair...

If you remember from the post about my bedroom redo, I said I was looking for a second chair for my cozy seating area. I think I may have found a contender. What do you think?

I was browsing Craigslist tonight and came across a listing that piqued my interest for "Vintage and Antique Furnishings". I clicked on it and found the web address for a decorating business whose mission is to "offer older and antique furniture at reasonable prices". And this little gem of a chair was on the site. Wouldn't it look perfect in a blue and white, romantic, French Country bedroom? It doesn't match the style of the chair I have in my room now but this one is so pretty, I may have to find a new spot for my step-mother-in-law's chair (shown below). The one above looks much more comfortable and inviting. But of course that would mean I am still on the lookout for a second chair.

This shop is about an hour away from my home but it is near the hospital where we go every Friday for my son's chemotherapy treatments so I may have to make a little detour tomorrow (depending on how Michael feels, of course). I will let you know if I stop and what treasures I find. Thanks for stopping by, JoAnne

I went to the store to buy grapes...

...since tomorrow is Michael's turn to take snack for the class and grapes was what he chose to share. The grocery store I shop at just happens to be in the same plaza as our local TJ Maxx - so I had to stop - right? I'm sure I heard somewhere that if you are within 500 yards of a TJ Maxx and you don't stop that your decorating creativity can suffer and wane. What, you never heard that? Okay, but if my husband asks...

I have to admit, the shelves at our local TJ Maxx have been pretty empty lately but not tonight. They must have gotten truckloads of new stuff in the last couple of days and there were some things I just couldn't live without. Like 2 of these pretty embroidered pillows with crocheted trim. They are going to look absolutely divine on my restyled bed.

And I couldn't pass up these pretty canisters with filigree tops and antiqued brass labels that say "Sugar", "Treats" and "Tea". There is also a bread box and cake plate to match these that I think were very sad that they didn't get to come home with me. I may have to rectify that - hhmmm - I do have a birthday coming up.

And as a certified decorating and gardening magazine junkie (or is that "certifiable?"), this rack looks so much more stylish than my current storage system - which is my kitchen counters, coffee table, etc...


And to think, I found all this with just one quick, cursory trip around the store. Imagine what I could have discovered with more time. Oh well - at least I remembered the grapes!!


Have a great night and thanks for stopping by, JoAnne

A peek at my bedroom projects in progress...

My vision for my master bedroom is really starting to come together and I couldn't wait any longer to share some of the details with all of you.

I have started sanding the precious 4-poster bed that I purchased for $100 last month. It is even more beautiful in person than it was in the pictures on Craigslist. Since it is made of knotty pine, I will put a little polyurethane over the knotholes and then I can begin painting it a pretty cottage white. I also purchased an applique and a wooden plaque to cover the funny little cutout on the headboard. (I don't want to spoil the surprise on my plan for the plaque but I will say that it will make the bed uniquely mine and my husband's.)

I have also been on the hunt for the perfect armoire and I finally found it. It, too, was listed on Craigslist and I snatched it up for a mere $275. (Remember, you can click on any picture to enlarge it.) There are a few surface scuffs and scratches but since I will be painting it to match the bed, that should be no problem. The detail on the armoire is exquisite and the scale is just right for our room. The applique I bought for the headboard is almost a perfect match for the carving on the top of the armoire.

And here is my color palette - shades of blue and white. You may have figured out by now that my bedroom will be done in classic French Country style. The bedspread and shams I wanted so desperately were on sale a couple of weeks ago and they have arrived home to wait patiently to cover my new bed. The tissue box cover was made for me a few years back by my favorite aunt and has graced my nightstand since the day she gave it to me. And, the little bear came in a beautiful flower arrangement my husband surprised me with when I was pregnant for our son.

This little table belonged to my grandmother and the chair is from my husband's stepmother and together they are the beginnings of a cozy sitting area in front of a sunny double window. And, the dainty floral fabric will find a home covering the shade on the pretty table lamp. I am still searching for a second chair and the perfect bedside tables but my romantic French Country bedroom is definitely starting to come together. Thanks for stopping by and I hope to see you again soon, JoAnne

I hope this becomes a Mother's Day tradition...

Last year for Mother's Day 2007, my 3 children took me to a local nursery and allowed me to pick out a couple of trees for my under-landscaped yard. We brought my treasures home and my sons planted them for me. (And considering our soil is some of the heaviest clay I have ever seen, that was no easy task.)

Big brother Brian and little brother Michael planting a pretty Autumn Flame Maple last year.

This year it was Michael and Daddy planting a total of 3 Autumn Flame Maples to completely line the street in front of our home. And when they grow, they are going to be absolutely beautiful and our "new" home will feel like it is in an "old" neighborhood. I can't wait! And wouldn't it be nice it if that is how we spend Mother's Day for many years to come - planting lovely trees on our 2 acre lot? Do you have any favorite Mother's Day traditions in your family?

I am not sure how often I have to water this little sprout!!

But being the fortunate woman that I am, the trees being planted weren't my only gifts I received. My wonderful husband gave me a dozen roses and a card that touched my heart. My 3 kids got me a beautiful necklace and Michael gave me an organza bag with homemade soaps (which I have a passion for).

The soap actually came from the unit where Michael has his chemotherapy every Friday. They had a table full of gifts that the kids could pick from to surprise their mothers and Michael picked the perfect gift for me. Also, the children in Michael's class put together a Cookbook for their mothers. Check out Michael's blog for the details on that.

Here is a closeup of my necklace (which my daughter found on Etsy). It is just perfect!! It is shaped like a nest with 3 little pearl eggs for my 3 little chicks. I will cherish it always. What is your favorite Mother's Day gift?

I hope everyone had a wonderful Mother's Day -

I know I sure did. JoAnne

A Few of My Favorite Things...

Tracy at Notes from a Cottage Industry challenged all the readers of her blog to tell 6 unimportant things about themselves. It sounded like fun so I thought I would take the time to tell you about a few of my favorite things.

1. Sour cream fudge - I have only found one place to buy it locally and that is from a couple that goes to all the local craft fairs. Being able to only buy it occasionally makes it special and I savor it all the more.

2. Cuddling on freshly laundered, 1000 thread-count Egyptian cotton sheets - They are one of my little splurges and I find them reasonably priced at Overstock.com. (And then I take care of them like they are the most delicate priceless china so they last a long time.)

3. Having my hair done - If I ever hit the lottery the first thing I am going to do is hire someone to come to my house every morning to do my hair for me.

4. Working in my gardens with my young son - and seeing the wonder in his eyes at the beauty that is Mother Nature.

5. Browsing antique shops, thrift stores, Craigslist and Ebay for treasures (ie. bargains) that make my home more and more a reflection of me and those I love.

6. Getting up before everyone else on Sunday morning - Making myself a cup of tea, grabbing the latest decorating magazine and snuggling next to the fireplace in the winter or out on the deck in the summer. And then I just enjoy the absolute peace and quiet (while I can).

What are your favorite things? JoAnne

I have some good news and some bad news...

The good news is... I got my new bed home and it is even more beautiful than I thought it would be!

The bad news is... I am in the middle of refurbishing an old desk (pictured below) that was my Dad's while I was growing up so I can't start painting the bed just yet.

The bad news is... I took our old bed (pictured below) down and we are sleeping on our box spring and mattress on the floor. My husband complains that it makes him feel like a college kid.


The good news is... I listed my old bed on Craigslist and sold it for $150 more than I paid for my new 4 poster bed. That means I have enough money left over to buy new linens. These on Linensource certainly caught my eye. (Now I just have to wait for their next sale.)



The bad news is... we had to travel six hours today for a doctor's appointment for my son.

The good news is... I got to stop in my favorite store in the whole world, Country Curtains. Usually when we are in that area, Michael is not feeling well from treatments or tests, so today I took advantage of his feeling great and got my Country Curtains fix.



On a side note -If you are not familiar with Country Curtains, check out their website and request their catalog. And if you are ever near one of their stores, stop in. You won't be disappointed.

Well I am off to work on that desk. The sooner I finish, the sooner I can get to that beautiful bed. Thanks for stopping by, JoAnne

I'm sooo excited...

I just checked my email and someone has made my day. More on that in a minute - first I have a confession to make. My name is JoAnne and I am a recovered Ebayaholic. I live in a very rural area and antique shops, thrift shops and the like are few and far between (good ones anyway). With my discovery of the internet and Ebay, I was able to fulfill my craving for bargains, treasures and trinkets.

Then the unthinkable happened - someone successfully hacked into my Ebay account. I was devastated (and more than a little nervous). I immediately closed my account and went cold turkey! After awhile, I opened a new account and took certain precautions to safeguard my personal information. But alas, the thrill was somewhat tarnished.

A few months ago I discovered a new outlet for bargain hunting - Craigslist. The hunt for treasures was on! But to my dismay, none were found locally. Then I discovered you can change the city you are searching for in Craigslist and I was delighted. I started searching in the Syracuse and Utica areas, which are only an hour away but are filled with a wider variety of interesting and unusual items.

This brings me to my email and excitement this morning. For some time, I have been looking for a canonball 4 poster bed for my bedroom. I want to paint it white and I have some guilt about painting "new" furniture so I was looking for a second hand one. I was very particular - I needed a queen size bed. I wanted something substantial in scale (no pencil post bed for me). I wanted a quilt rack on the foot board. And of course, it had to be a bargain. This picture from Ashley Furniture shows the style I was looking for.



I was growing discouraged that I would ever find exactly what I wanted when what should appear on Syracuse's Craiglist but the PERFECT bed. I quickly emailed the owner yesterday morning. Since she listed the bed Sunday night, I was on pins and needles waiting for her to tell me that nobody else had snatched up my treasure. She only wanted $100 and I was afraid other bargain hunters would be quicker to the keyboard than me. Well, this morning I received my response - the bed is mine! Here is my new find -

Isn't it beautiful? The posts aren't canonballs but the rest of it is so perfect that I can overlook that. (And actually I kind of like the detailing on the posts.) I can't wait to get it home and make it mine. I think I will paint it a creamy white. And I would like to add an applique to the headboard like this one on Do It Yourself Chic.

I think Craigslist and I are going to have a long and happy relationship. Now if you will excuse me - I am off to sweet talk my brother-in-law who owns a truck into making a trip to Syracuse. JoAnne