The Ruffled Nest

A little bit ABSENT (minded)

2011-08-05T19:14:00.000-06:00

I realize that it has been a really long time

since my last post!

(again...)

My life is calming down a bit now

(or so I'd like to hope).

I've been enjoying reading everyone's blogs this Summer

and hope to start posting more frequently

VERY SOON!

In the meantime,

I have laundry that's piled up,

a house full of vintage treasures

(that need to find their permanent spots within my home),

a "studio" that needs to be organized and

re-decorated,

and 2 websites that need to be updated for sales!

www.Farmhouse-Vintage.com

www.shopfarmhousevintage.etsy.com

I hope you're all having a great Summer!

I'll be back soon!

~Destiny

Win a trip to PARIS with Oh Happy Day!

2011-06-13T11:11:00.001-06:00

Visit Oh Happy Day blog here to enter this amazing giveaway!

Jordan is a party planner and a letterpress printer who moved to Paris 4 months ago.

She has lined up this amazing giveaway for a trip for 2 to Paris!

She will cover the airfare and hotel expense!

(which will allow you to use your own money for the amazing food and fabulous shopping!)

The contest closes on June 20th, so head on over ASAP for your chance to WIN!

Good luck to everyone!!!

Mini Renovation Updates...

2011-05-09T20:10:00.000-06:00

I realize that I've been M.I.A. for well over a month...

I've been getting back to living life here in Colorado

after our changes with not moving back to TN, etc.

First thing on my list was to have the walls painted

(see previous post).

Next was to have the cabinets painted.

Both tasks have been completed and

I am SO happy with the outcome of both!

There was a great deal of turmoil

in my life regarding the color of paint to use!

(sideway shot of all of the options we were choosing from...)

Best of all, my husband agreed to hire out the work

and what would've taken him well over a month to complete,

took the contractors 2 days!

The price was right too!

We had 3 fairly large rooms

and all of our cabinetry (island included)

painted for under $1000!

Here are some photos of the finished product(s).

Click on the photos for a larger view.

(we chose Behr Sand Stone Cove for the dining/living rooms

and Swan Wing for the cabinetry)

I'm in the process of re-accessorizing now and
hope to have everything completed
before out-of-town guests arrive next month!

I'm planning on purchasing some new lighting fixtures

and adding a fixture above the kitchen sink.

Remember the ugly golden oak railings?

They look 100% better now!!!

Above is the Before Photo

Above is the After Photo

On the agenda for the dining room and living room...

new lighting fixtures.

I've always felt that the fixture above the dining table

was too large and not really my style.

(it was here when we moved in).

Next on my list of projects is to redo the

overall look of my bedroom.

It is currently browns and white.

I'm going with blues now...
I've really been craving COLOR lately!

I'll post photos when it's complete!

(having issues with curtains right now!)

Hope your week is off to a great start!!!

~Destiny

Time to Paint! (and White Wednesday)

2011-03-23T14:07:00.000-06:00

Well, I've been busy making plans for my house...

I have compiled a very long list

and hubby is ~~not~~ going to like it!

The first thing on my list is to paint the walls.

We've been here for 3.5 years and I've ALWAYS hated the wall colors.

It's time...

Most of them are a pretty sage green

(pretty if it's in one room, not your entire house).

Also, if you've been following my blog for a while,

you may recall a post I did last year about the hideous stripes painted

on the icky yellowish peach walls in the living room and dining room.

They have GOT to go!

(Who paints stripes and stops in the middle of the wall?)

I've found that I'm never completely satisfied with the

way my decorative attempts turn out

and now I realize why...

It's because the wall color is throwing off my desired look!

Once the walls are painted,

the cabinets are next!

Ugly golden oak...good condition,

just need to be painted or stained a darker color.

( I really want to paint them white and maybe add a glaze.)

Here's some photos of some of my decor for

White Wednesday!

Head over to Faded Charm to see more!

Change is in the Air

2011-03-22T14:29:00.001-06:00

As Spring commences, change is in the air.

My life has been up and down for the past month or so

and I am finding strength in knowing that

"everything happens for a reason".

In my last post, I mentioned that we had a buyer for our house

and were moving back to Tennessee

at the beginning of April.

Well....after much distress over the sale of our house,

(the market is terrible for a seller right now)

we will actually be staying in Colorado.

We took the sign out of the yard this weekend.

Soooo....

I'm basically starting fresh.

It's Spring...time for renewal and time for change, right?

I'm in the process of trying to find a new place
to re-open my shop

(I am getting "stir crazy").

I've been known as the queen of side jobs around here,

but I'm ready to slow it down and focus on one or two things max!

In the meantime,

I'm freshening up our home...

pulling out all of the boxes of goodies

(that I had already packed up for the move)

and making our home our own again.

I've compiled a list of things that I plan

to change in our home, since we'll be staying a while.
(Next post!)

Happy Spring everyone!

Let's Catch Up (long post)!

2011-03-07T17:30:00.001-07:00

The time always seems to fly in between posts for me.

This last week has been particularly crazy for me though!

We've had our house on the market for 7 months

and finally got an offer...and so it begins!

The inspection is set for Thursday, and if all goes well,

we'll be closing on March 30th.

That's right...as of March 30th,

I will go back to being a Southerner again!

(We're moving back to Tennessee.)

In the meantime,

the world of blogging has been very kind to me lately.

I received a very special gift from Adrienne (The Flying Bee) in the mail!

Anyone who knows me, knows my love for lavender!

She sent me this amazing tote bag,

a lavender candle, and a bundle of dried lavender!

Adrienne is one of the sweetest people I've encountered with blogging.

She is such an honest, genuine, and thoughtful person.

Adrienne, if you are reading this...

THANK YOU ~ it made my day/week/month!

I also recently received an e-mail from

Shanon at Vintage Sparkle Chic

stating that she had passed along the

Stylish Blogger Award to me!

With this award comes the task of telling 7 things

about myself that you may or may not know!

I was a singer for about 10 years and started out performing at an amusement park and went on to sing mostly in casinos and bars. I also traveled on the road with a band for 6 months. I gave it up when I became pregnant in 2006.
I met my husband while I was singing at Fitzgerald's Casino.
It took me 10 years to complete my college education because I kept changing majors and moving from city to city. I started with Paralegal Studies, then Music Business, then Journalism, and finally English / Professional and Creative Writing.
I am obsessed with coffee and cute coffee mugs!
I finally completed my craft studio last week and then we got an offer on our house. I'll have to start all over in Tennessee.
I have one daughter, Bailey who just turned 4...she will be my last. I turn 35 this year and I am done! (I think I started too late).
I collect white enamelware, ironstone pitchers, vintage bottles, and vintage metal and wood signs, and wire baskets.

I am now supposed to pass this award along

to some of the blogs that I've recently discovered.

I'm passing it along to the following...

http://lisaswildrose.blogspot.com/

http://lifeinsynergy.blogspot.com/

http://countrycharisma.blogspot.com/

http://burlapluxe.blogspot.com/

http://acountryfarmhouse.blogspot.com/

http://belle-blanc.blogspot.com/

http://www.freckledlaundry.com/

http://shabbyfrenchforme.blogspot.com/

(French farmhouse 425)

http://hviturlakkris.blogspot.com/

http://stinemos.blogspot.com/

(If you've been given this award,
you're supposed to link back up to my blog,
list 7 things about yourself,
and pass the award along to 8 new blogs!)

In other news...my name was mentioned in the latest

Flea Market Style Magazine.

I will forever be known as "The Junk Fairy" now.

(page 3 under "what's your favorite nickname")

It's fun to see my name printed in a National magazine -

especially one as great as this one!

I think that's all for now!

If you have time, head on over to some of the blogs I mentioned above.

Each of them has something special!

I hope your week is off to a great start!

Happy Valentine's Day!

2011-02-14T12:15:00.000-07:00

I hope that you are all surrounded by LOVE today!

I have been spoiled this Valentine's Day...

My husband left this for me on the bathroom sink this morning...

He shopped at The Barn yesterday while I was working

and bought me a super cute T-shirt and an enamel pitcher
(I added the lavender)...

Sweet Bailey colored this card for me...

Notice the Starbucks Gift Card???

I made chocolate chip heart-shaped pancakes for breakfast...

Bailey got some really pretty pink roses from her daddy

(He did really good this year!)

My mom sent us a Gift Card, so tonight we'll be going out to eat

and Bailey has requested a trip to Barnes and Noble Bookstore

with Starbucks afterwards

(she is craving one of those yummy cupcakes!)

I hope you all have a day that's as special as YOU are!

XOXO

Website That I'm Drooling Over...

2011-02-11T10:03:00.002-07:00

Do you remember the magazine, Country Home?

I used to love it and was SO sad
when they stopped publishing it.

So...I was searching
for some decorative inspiration online one day..

doing a google search on "Country Home"
just to see what popped up.

and Voila!

The link to a website called
Country Home Interiors...

A Clean Slate and White Wednesday

2011-02-09T11:37:00.000-07:00

Happy Wednesday Blogger friends!

I've had a week full of changes and thought I'd share them with you.

The biggest of these changes is that I decided

to close my shop in Castle Rock, CO.

There were several factors that led me to this decision...

One of them being that we had our taxes done and

I came to the realization that right now,

my shop is more of a hobby than anything else!

I have some time management issues where the shop is concerned.

My husband travels alot and

I am a stay-at-home mom to an {almost 4-year-old} little girl.

My house is consumed with boxes of JUNK waiting to be sold.

I'm tired of the constant mess,

tired of not being able to devote all of my time to my daughter,

and well, just tired...period.

I will actually have entire weekends off now...

what to do, what to do?!

I am still going to run my website and etsy shops.

Farmhouse Vintage on a smaller scale.

I've been boxing up all of the excess shop merchandise and

marking it all down 40-50% OFF.

I am ready to get rid of it ALL!

I'm ready to start over with a clean slate.

With my free time, I've started decluttering

and redecorating some of the rooms in my house.

I started with the kitchen

since that's where I tend to spend most of my time.

Visit my other blog http://www.farmhouse-vintage.blogspot.com/

for more White Wednesday!

Until next time...

Loved Deeply

2011-02-04T09:55:00.003-07:00

I am linking up to Jeanne's "All Four Love" for the month of February.

It's about taking photos with a PURPOSE.

This week's theme is...

{Loved Deeply}

(photos of the people in your life that you cherish).

I have to admit, that I haven't taken many photos this week,

so I've gone to the archives for this project!

I have chosen to place the focus

on my daughter and my husband this week.

They are my life and are certainly cherished beyond belief.

(yes...even when they are driving me crazy!)

(I should apologize for the quality of some of the photos...

but like I said...ARCHIVES)

To participate in this February Photo Fun,

link up to "All Four Love" here.

Have a great weekend!

White Wednesday, Cold Temps and Shop News...

2011-02-02T13:19:00.001-07:00

Well, it's Wednesday...AGAIN!

I've been stuck in the house for a few days

because of the extremely cold temperatures here in Colorado!

We're talking -17 as the actual temperature

with wind chill temps around -27!

The shop has been closed and Bailey's school was closed....

CABIN FEVER!

It was hard explaining to Bailey

why she couldn't go out and play in the snow this time.

I basically told her if she did,

her face would freeze off!

She learned to accept the
"no sledding and no snowman-building this week" policy.

In the meantime, I seem to have come down
with a slight case of Bronchitis.

I feel fine, but have a nagging cough and haven't been sleeping well.

(Like how I'm inserting random White Wednesday photos

in the midst of the boring details of my week?)

I've been in nesting mode...well, somewhat.

I was tired of my black bread box

and couldn't get out of the house to go buy a new one,

so I painted it white!

Then there was my canister concern...

Which ones to display on my kitchen counter....

My final choice was the clear canisters shown below.

Now I'm on a mission to find 2 more cute little teacups!

(By the way...if you like the silver canisters,

they'll be available in my online shop tonight.)

In shop news...

I 've been spending some time working on my website

http://www.farmhouse-vintage.com/

I've added some items for sale and changed up the look completely!

I also added some things to my new Etsy shop.

http://www.shopfarmhousevintage.etsy.com/.

As for this little guy...

I think he's dead...no green thumbs here!

I stuck him outside for some sun and forgot about him....

OOPS...at least the cute little enamel container is salvageable!

Hop on over to my other blog for more White Wednesday...
http://www.farmhouse-vintage.blogspot.com/

HAPPY WEDNESDAY!

White Wednesday (on a Thursday evening?)

2011-01-27T17:35:00.004-07:00

I haven't done a White Wednesday post in ages!

I've really been wanting to get back in the game,
but have had so much going on lately!

So, without further ado....

Here's my first White Wednesday of 2011!

First I want to share with you my latest treasure!

I recently purchased this AMAZING

vintage church pew from my friend, Linda,

at The Barn Antiques and Specialty Shops.

It was salvaged from an old Baptist church in the Ozarks.

It has the perfect chippiness

and even has some initials carved into one of the arms and on the back!

I tossed on some ticking stripe pillows

(that I bought from Pottery Barn back in the summer)

for added comfort.

I love the charm and character that it adds to my home!

Next up is another new addition!

Our house has a tiled gas fireplace...no charm what-so-ever.

I've searched high and low for a mantel that would fit
(both the space and my budget)

and never had any luck.

Sooooo....

My husband had 2 weeks off for the holidays

so I put him to work!
He built me a mantel from scratch!

I didn't want anything too fancy or detailed...

just something very simple to add some charm.

Here are the before and after photos...

I added an inexpensive fireplace screen from Target ($28)
to add some dimension since there's not an actual hearth attached.

Visit my other blog http://www.farmhouse-vintage.blogspot.com/
to see more for White Wednesday!
Also, visit Faded Charm
to see other White Wednesday participants!

ALSO...Stop by and visit Adrienne at The Flying Bee for an amazing giveaway!

You will not be disappointed!!!

Have a great weekend!

Another Year Gone...

2010-12-31T12:12:00.001-07:00

With every year that passes,

the years seem to get shorter and shorter.

I have taken down all of my Christmas decorations,

but have left the trees up.

It seems like yesterday that we were taking them down and putting them back into the attic.

We had our first big snowfall of the year last night.

(It usually comes in October, so we've been blessed this year.)

The world outside looks so calm and peaceful when it's covered in snow.

I have a million resolutions in mind for the new year,

most of them are the same ones from last year.

I never seem to be able to keep up with my own thoughts and dreams.

I sometimes just lack the motivation (and energy)!

I want 2011 to be a year of growth for me.

I want to continue to become a better person...

to my daughter, my husband, family, and friends.

I want to focus more on who I am...who I was before becoming a wife and a mother.

I sometimes forget who I really am,

because I'm bogged down with daily routines and responsibilities.

(A part of life that still takes some getting used to.)

I want to love more in 2011,

have more fun in 2011,

be wiser in 2011,

give more hugs in 2011,

savor more moments and memories in 2011,

make more friends, be more creative,

and make atleast one of my own dreams come true in 2011.

I also want to continue to raise a polite, generous, and caring little girl.

I want to spend more time listening to her sing, watching her dance, playing games,

and holding her before these times are gone.

Happy New Year to you all!

I hope you find peace within your heart as the new year presents

an open slate for you

to start fresh with your own hopes and dreams

for 2011!

Goodwill Gift Challenge!

2010-12-19T12:32:00.002-07:00

I was bored yesterday and said to my husband...

"Hey! You know what would be fun!?

Let's go to the Goodwill and see who

can put together the best collecton of gifts for the other person!

Whoever finds and puts together the best collection wins!"

So....off we went to the nearest Goodwill store.

Keep in mind that in Memphis, TN (where we moved to Colorado from),

the Goodwill stores are pretty disgusting...

I went in once and never returned!

However, here in Colorado,

they are much nicer...

cleaner, nicer products, I'm a fan.

The challenge proved to be a bit tough for me...

It's hard to find "man stuff" at the Goodwill that doesn't disgust me.

(You know...greasy, used-up tools, old socks, broken golf clubs, chipped beer mugs...)

On the other hand, I found some great treasures along the way for myself...

Like a vintage rolling cart for SIX BUCKS!!!

Back to the challenge...

I started to find bits and pieces for my collection and found

that I did better in the book/CD section.

My daughter found a cowboy hat Christmas ornament and yelled out

"daddy LOVES cowboys!"

Really? I didn't know that....

An hour later,

we had filled our carts

(peeked when the other wasn't looking)

and checked out!

I LOVE my Goodwill Gifts!

I got several like-new hardcover home decor books...

even one that I ALMOST bought at Anthropologie last week!

A John Lennon CD, a Hootie and the Blowfish CD (yes you read that right...),

A cute little galvanized watering can,

a "DODO Bird" (pronounced DOUGH DOUGH)bobblehead

(as my husband calls it...I think it's really an owl?),

a cigar box, and some other goodies tossed in as well!

He ended up with

a metal security box, a brand new Hank Williams (Sr.)CD,

A brand new package of shoelaces (LOL),

some REALLY nice Civil War History Books

(He loves anything to do with the history of the Civil War)
Three "Sniglets" books (remember those?),
A David Letterman Book of Top Ten Lists,

a brand new feaux leather CD case..haha,

an organizational box with label holder,
some heavy-duty rope,

and ofcourse, the cowboy hat ornament!

I think he won the challenge...my collection from him was much better!

We had SO much fun with this!

I think we may go for round 2 this evening at a different Goodwill!

Hope you're enjoying your weekend and are having

LOTS of Holiday fun!

Check out my new blog!

2010-10-17T22:35:00.000-06:00

Hello My Bloggy Friends!

I just wanted to invite you all to check out

my new blog - Farmhouse Vintage

at http://www.farmhouse-vintage.blogspot.com/!

I would love to have you follow my new blog...

it will be more shop, vintage, and decor-related than this one.

I am changing the name of my shop/business to
Farmhouse Vintage.

I hope you all will join me!

Have a great week!

Catch up Time - the world's longest blog post!

2010-10-15T13:18:00.001-06:00

I knew that my life had been busy lately,

but when I realized that it had been TWO months
since my last blog posting,

I nearly hit the floor! Really? TWO months already?!

I can barely recall what I did yesterday,
much less for the past 2 months.

I'll have to go back to photographs to help me remember...
let's see....

My little girl started preschool in August...

I had to release her into the real world...
hard at first, but loving it now!

I really look forward to those 5 hours a week
to call my own!
(I'm the room parent for her class,
so I've been doing some volunteer work on the side as well...
currently planning their Halloween Party!)

I participated in an outdoor market...

The Towne and Country Market in Castle Rock, CO

My grandmother AKA "Mammaw Margie"
escaped Tennessee to visit us for a week...

We drove up to the Georgetown Loop to ride the train,

then drove up to the top of the Rocky Mountains BRRRR...

I found a new friend in an antique store in Georgetown...

Street-lined shops and businesses in Georgetown...

Who knew there was a lighthouse in the middle of the mountains!?

In other family news...

We took Bailey to the Denver Children's Museum last month

and I oohed and ahhhhed over some of their decor...

While Bailey played, I snapped pics of all of the fixtures and decor...

I would love to someday create a space like this for her in our home!

On October 1st, there was a trip to the Children's Hospital...

heartbreaking and scary.

It was a planned visit for a dental procedure
where she was under general anesthesia.

It was pitiful to see...
but everything turned out just fine in the end.

(sorry the pic is blurry - took it with my Blackberry)

Next came my 34th birthday on October 9th...

Bailey woke me up singing "Happy Birthday"

and insisted on having cake (store-bought brownie cake)
at 9:30am!

(Love the pjs?
Ignore the messy pantry behind me (next project)...
got a new coffee maker too!)

My aunt in Boulder kept Bailey for the day

so that my husband and I could go up to Estes Park -
child-free!

It was so nice and relaxing!

We took the Ghost Tour at the Stanley Hotel,

then sat outside on the gigantic porch of the Stanley
with our Starbucks : )

(Watch Ghost Adventures tonight on the Travel Channel

-they are investigating the Stanley!)

In business news AKA shop talk...

I was planning to close down my shop in The Barn...

even had a 75% off sale...got rid of everything

and THEN...

My friend Amy offered to let me rent a small space in her shop!

I wanted to downsize because
I have no idea when our house will sell...

Just needed a little less upkeep, I guess.

Sooooo...here's the finished product.

I have decided to change the name of my shop/business to

FARMHOUSE VINTAGE!

I am currently working on a website to sell from.

I am also creating a new blog for Farmhouse Vintage
and setting up a shop on Etsy as well.

Stay Tuned for more info on that...

Our house is still on the market -
but the market is VERY SLOW right now.

I have decided to re-claim my house in the meantime.

In August, I turned my craft studio into an extra bedroom

and have been MISSING all of my supplies...

So...now I have turned it back into my crafting studio...

new and improved!

My sweet hubby went shopping with me

and stayed up late the past 2 nights putting together furniture

to allow me to get organized in a fashionable manner!

I am so excited about my new creative space!

I hope to finish it up over the weekend and will post

photos of the finished product!

So folks...this is what has been keeping me busy.

I promise not to be absent for so long this time!!

Thank you for taking the time to catch up with me!!!

More Staging...

2010-08-09T13:27:00.000-06:00

I spent some more time this weekend

staging the house to sell.

I tackled the biggest job yet...

I turned my craft studio into a fourth bedroom!

I wish I had taken a before photo of the craft studio,

but just imagine a million shoebox-size rubbermaids

full of craft supplies and vintage finds,

cabinets stacked on tables, baskets of fabric and ribbons,

you get the picture?

Here is the "after" photo of the room...

It took me 9 hours to transform it,

and it was somewhat difficult to do considering that I had already

boxed up most of my decorative items and accessories.

One of the other things I did was switch out the decor

in the upstairs bathroom.

This is actually "Bailey's bathroom",

so there was lots of pink and lots of flowers!

I bought a shower curtain for $10 at Home Goods

and a Laura Ashley towel for $5!

Now, it's a little less "taste specific"

and more versatile in style.

I've added some little touches here and there

and I'm still decluttering.

I decluttered the entry table and set our brochures on top of it.

I'm hoping that this amazing view will help to sell the house!

On a clear day, you can see the mountains

and Pikes Peak!

Jeff re-sodded the front and back yards,

so we now have the GREENEST grass in the neighborhood!

We haven't had any more requests for a showing,

but I'm hoping that with all of these changes,

when we DO show the house again,

it will SELL!!!

The Douglas County Fair

2010-08-06T18:26:00.000-06:00

We've lived in Douglas County, Colorado for almost 3 years now

and have never gone to the Douglas County Fair.

So....we decided to check it out last night.

I'm used to huge fairs in Tennessee,

forgetting that I'm living in a pretty small town now,

the fair was less than impressive.

Bailey had a blast though!

There were mostly kiddy rides,

and unfortunately, since she's under 42",

we had to ride most of them with her!

(Seeing Jeff get into this tiny airplane with her was HILARIOUS!)

There were lots of farm animals...

some very LOUD and hungry pigs,

some goats and cows, etc.

Although, I've been to much better carnivals,

I'm glad we atleast gave it a chance this year.

On another note...

our house has been on the market

for 2 weeks now and we've only had ONE showing!

The feedback was good, however.

They said it showed "excellent" and

they are "somewhat interested"

and rated the house a 4 out of 5.

Now....

I'm flipping my craft studio into an extra bedroom.

I'm hoping that a 4th bedroom will be more appealing to buyers

than a room that resembles a disoriented Michael's Craft Store!

Staging is tough work!

I sent the family out tonight so I can get some work done!

Have a great weekend everyone!!!

And so it begins...

2010-07-28T16:52:00.000-06:00

Our house is officially on the market now...
in the MLS, on the web, sign in the yard, etc.

We had one call that someone wanted to view it, but...
They never showed up!
I scrambled and cleaned,
left the house (stuck the dog in the pickup)
for 2 hours

all for nothing!

And so it begins...

Selling a house is so exhausting, as many of you know.
Everything has to remain spotless, de-personalized, and "unlived in"
until the right person comes along to buy it.
I'm hoping and praying
that this will not be an extremely lengthy process.

I miss my things...
my clutter, my photographs,
my energy...

We received the flyers today...
the photograph they took of the front yard is terrible!
We definitely should've waited until AFTER we re-sodded the yard
and the angle is not good.
We're going to take another one!
(It's really hard to keep grass alive in Colorado!)

Here's the link on the web...
http://www.coloradohomefinder.com/idx/listings/911204/details.html

We are having to list the house $16,000 below what we owe on it...
OUCH!
There's no other way around it though..
the market is just really tough right now.
Great for buyers though!
I can't wait until I get to go hunting for our new home!

I was really hoping to be back in Tennessee before Fall.
There is nothing like a Tennessee Fall!

I love it!

In the meantime, I've had everything in my shop 40% off
for over a week now.
I was able to get rid of ALOT of things.
Now, I guess I'm sort of starting with a
clean slate
until we get the house sold.

Staging My Home to Sell!

2010-07-20T01:24:00.000-06:00

If you're a fan of HGTV, you've seen shows like "Get it Sold" and "Designed to Sell".

I've been glued to these shows lately

in an attempt to receive all of the best advice possible to sell my home!

We are putting the house on the market this weekend

and I've been hard at work DECLUTTERING!

This is the hardest thing for me...

If you love the cottage style, then you know that clutter is part of it.

It's hard to take apart all of my displays throughout my home,

but it's something that needs to be done

so that a buyer can envision

his/her own decor/belongings in the house.

Here are some before and after photos

of some of the things I've done

to declutter my home.

Here's a list that I pulled off of the HGTV "Get it Sold" website.

(Selling a home is SO MUCH WORK!)

1. Eliminate half of your belongings as clutter can cost a sale.

Rent a storage unit or portable pod for extraneous pieces of furniture or knickknacks.

2. Use "home wash" (hose attachment available at home improvement stores) to clean the outside of the house.

3. Clean rain gutters as well as outside windows and screens.

4. Make sure the front door is inviting. Paint the door if needed.

Also, replace any outdated outdoor lighting fixtures.

5. Buy new house numbers if the old ones are dated or faded.

Be sure buyers can see the new ones from the curb.

6. Buy a new welcome mat.

7. Organize all closets and drawers. Buyers might look there.

8. Make any necessary repairs so that buyers don't have to add that to their list of expenses.

9. Rearrange furniture to make rooms appear as large as possible.

10. Make every surface shine, from ceiling fans to baseboards.

Don't forget interior windows, mirrors and floors.

11. Scrub every inch of the kitchen and bathrooms.

12.Depersonalize each room, removing photo frames and posters or artwork.

13.Buy new linens and pillows if necessary.

Be certain they are a neutral color.

14. Buy air neutralizer and spray it often.

15. Let go emotionally of your home, and get ready for an offer!

Well, looks like I've tackled number one on the list!

Now I have to box it all up!

Anyone else getting their house ready to sell?

Have you recently sold your home?

Any other advice for me?

I have to throw in a photo of my little helper...

She's the GREATEST!

Vacation Photos

2010-07-05T17:51:00.000-06:00

Well, we're back!

It was a short, yet long,

week in Tennessee.

Bailey did wonderful on the plane

- both flights!

We flew back in last night

after an "emergency landing"

in Amarillo, TX

(the plane was out of gas!).

After MUCH airborne turbulence,

we arrived back in Denver (3 hours late).

Our week was filled

with lots of family chaos

and TONS of kids!

We spent most of our time

catching up with everyone,

but I managed to squeeze in

a few hours of antiquing!

This is one of my favorite little shops

in the small town of

Henderson, Tennessee.

Henderson is a small town in TN -

about 30 minutes from "Jackson"

(enter Johnny Cash song here...)

Here are some other photos taken in Henderson.

I love the historic downtown area

and all of the old homes.

We always go to the Old Country Store in Jackson, TN.

It's been a favorite of mine since I was a kid!

I love all the old signs....

American Pickers would have a great time here!

World's largest Ball Jar???

Tuesday night is Bluegrass Night in the ice cream parlor...

This is the home of Casey Jones...

Remember when playgrounds had merry-go-rounds?

Probably one of the last operating Piggly Wiggly stores...

Maybe this is why...

Notice anything strange???

That's right...

they don't refridgerate the cheese or butter!!!!!

I passed on both...

These are my parents...

they divorced about 28 years ago,

but my father always insists on having

his photo taken with my mom.

My sisters, husband, and brother-in-law...

Me and my hubby relaxing while Bailey napped...

My sweet Bailey-doo

Gotta watch out for Tennessee boys...

they start 'em early!

My brother roasting marshmellows...

Now it's back to the real world...

I need a vacation after my vacation!

I'm exhausted and caught a cold / allergic reaction

after hiking in the woods on Friday night.

It's good to be back home though...

Next on the agenda...

getting the house ready to put up for sale!

Anyone want to buy a house in Parker, CO?

No Energy + "Vacation" Coming Up...

2010-06-23T23:39:00.001-06:00

I've been SO tired lately...

nothing too unusual, but for some reason,

I've had even less energy than normal!

I spent the entire day doing laundry and packing for our vacation.

We're heading back South to Tennessee this weekend

to stay for a week at Chickasaw State Park.

I've written about it before...

It's a place I've been going since I was a kid.

My family (paternal) rents out most of the cabins

and we spend the entire week catching up.

I haven't seen my father in a year and a half

(or my step mom or sisters)!

I'm so excited for them to see how my little Bailey is blossoming

into such a sweet little girl.

She's changed drastically since they saw her last in December 2008!

Bailey is going to have so much fun playing with her cousins

and there are about 4 different playgrounds there

along with a lake/beach area

paddle boats, horses,

and lots of Scrabble to keep her busy!

(She likes to draw the letters -

just as I did for my dad when I was her age!

Scrabble is a family tradition...taken a little too serious at times!)

I have 3 days to catch up on my rest

and then we fly into Nashville on Sunday...

just me and Bailey...

sort of a little "girls day" for us.

She has always done well on planes.
I think this will be her 17th or 18th flight.
She has done some travelin' that's for sure!
She's an old pro now!
(The difference now is that she
REALLY likes to talk and sing...
that could be bad...)

I'll post more later regarding the latest news

involving our possible move back South!

(Hint: Due to the housing market being so horrible,

things aren't looking too good for us...)

White Wednesday!

2010-06-09T15:40:00.002-06:00

I've been forgetting to post for White Wednesday!

Life has kept me pretty busy lately,

so I haven't spent much time blogging!

Here are some recent treasures that I've acquired.

Enjoy and don't forget to go over and check out the rest

of the White Wednesday participants!

My husband brought these beautiful

Garden Roses home for me this week!

They are so pretty and they smell as beautiful as they look!

I bought this vintage sugar canister from my friend Alice

a few weeks ago and started selling these Jar Dispensers

in my shop last month.

I cozied up my bathtub a bit with this old wooden bench

that I found at a local consignment shop.

I bought this AMAZING vintage street sign from Alice

(...who knew when she brought it in that I would buy it)!

I got this amazing vintage doctor's cabinet

from Gerry at The Barn.

He was kind enough to let me carry it home...

even though it's still on layaway!

These items sit on top of my (very dusty) refridgerator.

I found this cute little mailbox at a consignment shop.

It was very blue, but I painted it white!

I purchased this adorable window message board (chicken wire)

from Alice as well.

I bought some miniature clothespins

and I'm planning to hang vintage photos on it.

This old enamel tub keeps my books organized and

sits on top of a vintage suitcase.

These items can be found in my bedroom.

I thought they added some romance!

Below, you will find two of my favorite things in the world....

Starbucks and my sweet Bailey : )

Enjoy the rest of your week!!!

Spring Cleaning...

2010-05-20T13:11:00.000-06:00

I cleaned my patio area yesterday...

just before it rained.

I'm planning to cozy it up a bit!

It's amazing how the Colorado sun

can deteriorate everything that once was.

All of my pots are cracked and crumbly...

even my ceramic birds.

My cushions are all faded and the paint on my rockers

has seriously faded and cracked.

(Natural Shabby Chic!)

I spent the rest of the day

cleaning, organizing, and redecorating my basement.

We have a finished basement

that holds my husband's office,

my so-called "creative studio"
(that resembles a small Michael's store),

and our "movie theatre".

For the longest time,
there have been rubbermaids stacked

full of shop items, things to be painted,

out-of-season clothes, and who knows what else!

I finally got tired of looking at them

and just trashed a bunch of things
to haul off to the local Goodwill.

Now the entire basement
is beginning to look cozy and relaxing again.

(I'll post photos when I'm finished!)

My husband took Bailey to the mall while I cleaned last night.

True to form...send a man to the mall and he buys man toys...

This time, he bought me a new

LAVENDER BLACKBERRY CURVE PHONE!

(I was still carrying around my little silver flip-phone...very simple, no frills.)

This phone will probably take me atleast a month to figure out!

Sometimes technology is good,

but

sometimes I just miss the old rotary phones!

Today I'm allowing myself to get excited about our

upcoming vacation!

37 Days until we leave for Tennessee.

If you follow my blog, you may recall me talking about

a place called Chickasaw.

We are going there to meet up with family at the end of June!

I've been going there every summer since I was a kid...so has my dad.

There are TONS of memories there!

On another note...

My husband has been waiting for months to hear about a new job opportunity

that would possibly take us back to the South.

They are apparently still in limbo with the position

and we are STILL waiting to see if our lives will change.

I'm REALLY wanting to move to Florida...

if not soon, then someday.

I hope you're all having a wonderful week!

We FINALLY have Spring weather here in Colorado!
The temps are in the 70's now!

I'm enjoying having the windows open and listening to the birds sing!

New Desk, Rearranging, and A Room With a View

2010-05-07T00:05:00.002-06:00

I purchased an old white table a few months ago

from my friend, Alice.

I stored it in my shop for a while

and finally brought it home a couple of weeks ago.

Formerly a drop-leaf table, this cute little table is now my desk.

I wanted to create a relaxing place

for me to sit and relax, write, blog, surf the internet, etc.

I convinced my husband

to rearrange some of the furniture in our bedroom.

(The only room in my house not taken over by the Fisher Price Little People)

He was sweet enough to move his dresser

into his closet to free up some wall space.

I moved my vanity to the wall and placed this cute little table

in front of my bay window.

I have a beautiful, panoramic view of an open space with

Pikes Peak off in the distance.

I have been spending SO much time sitting here during the day

with the windows open enjoying the view

(and MANY cups of coffee)!

The next thing on my wish-list

is something to hide the cords beneath the table!

All creative ideas are certainly welcome!

Until Next Time...

I "Heart" Ruffles!!!! - Check these out!

2010-05-03T14:23:00.000-06:00

Okay, so most of you know Jeanne from

A Bushel and a Peck

~~(and a hug around the neck)~~

If you don't,

I demand you to come out from beneath the rock

that you've been hiding under!

You HAVE to check out her new line of merchandise at

http://www.etsy.com/shop/abushelandapeck!

I love Ruffles! (...hence the name of my shop!)

She has created the cutest line of aprons, totes, lampshades, and accessories

with TONS of RUFFLES!!!!!

I'll share with you some of her beautiful creations here...

The Linen Ruffled Tote -

MY FAVORITE!!!

I have the original Ruffle Tote and adore it!

I get sooooooo many compliments on it!

The Ruffled Apron -

My second favorite!

I admit, that I don't cook too often these days,

but if hubby would buy me this...

things could change!

The Chloe Lampshade

This is just SO adorable!

Okay, wipe the drool off of your face now...

and get on over to Jeanne's shop to purchase some of this

Ruffled bliss!!!

Did I mention that she's having a giveaway?

Yep...a $200 credit to her Etsy shop...

that would buy all of the things I mentioned and more!

http://www.bushelandapeck.typepad.com/

But don't enter the contest...

It's my turn to win!!!!!!!

My Favorite Things

2010-04-28T23:04:00.000-06:00

So, I may be easily amused, but I truly get excited each month

when my favorite magazines hit the shelf.

I look forward to some relaxation time...

A cup of coffee and page after page

of inspiring photos that take me away for just a while.

I picked up the new copy of Romantic Homes tonight.

I'm about to put my little one down and then off I go...

I wish you all a little relaxation time this week!

Pretty Pictures

2010-04-20T15:01:00.003-06:00

I bet I spend half of my life looking at

pretty pictures.

Magazines, Books, Blogs, Websites...

I am constantly looking at inspiring photographs.

This is what makes me happy...

This is my hobby...

This is how I dream...

So on this overcast, somewhat chilly day,

I am looking at pretty pictures

and dreaming of ways to make my home

more comfortable and relaxing.

Here are some photos that I've saved to my computer over time.

Most of them are from other blogs and websites...

(Sorry, I can't recall exactly where each of them came from,

but if they were yours,

thank you for sharing them with me

and feel free to comment that they are YOURS!!)

I hope you're feeling inspired now!

Flea Market Info and Belated Easter Pics!

2010-04-13T23:05:00.002-06:00

I was just reading Jeanne's blog

(A Bushel and a Peck)

and realized that I'm also

fashionably late

with posting my Easter photos!

I've been so busy preparing for a flea market

that I'm helping to plan.

Here's the flyer that I created for it...

(My neck is about to fall off

from sitting at my laptop all day!)

I am so excited to be a part of this fun event

and I'm REALLY hoping for a good turnout!

On to the Easter photos...

I won't blab too much about what we did that day...

just typical Easter stuff.

We had lunch with my aunt in Boulder

and pretty much spent the entire day/evening there!

Here are some photos of my precious Bailey

in her dress that she refused to take off!

I thought for sure that she'd only keep it on for a few minutes,

but she wore it ALL day!

She's always full of surprises!

I hope you're all having a nice week so far!

FINALLY OPENED MY ETSY SHOP!!!

2010-04-01T22:04:00.000-06:00

Well, it's been a VERY long time

since I decided to start my own little shop on Etsy!

Tonight

(with an internet connection of only 13%

and running off of someone else's network)

I FINALLY listed some items in my Etsy Shop!

I'll be adding more items

over the weekend once my modem is replaced!

I'd be honored to have you stop by and take a look!

http://www.therufflednest.etsy.com/

Dreaming of St. Augustine...

2010-03-23T23:13:00.003-06:00

Do you have a favorite vacation spot?

That place that you constantly
dream
of going back to?

If you close your eyes, you feel like you're there...

That place for me (well, one of them..) is

St. Augustine, Florida.

Have you ever been?

It's labeled as

"the oldest city in the United States"

and you can literally feel the history

when you walk down its cobblestone roads

filled with unique shops and quaint restaurants.

I lived in Jacksonville (about 45 minutes north)

for a couple of years (on and off),

but I dreamed

of living in St. Augustine

SOMEDAY.

I still have family in Jacksonville,

and though we don't get to visit very often,

we ALWAYS take

a day trip

to St. Augustine

when we're there.

If you've never been...you should go!

Visit one of the many bed and breakfasts,

take a ghost tour,

climb the stairs of the "haunted" lighthouse

(any Ghost Hunters/T.A.P.S. fans?)

dine on the balcony of a historic restaurant

while overlooking the water,

visit the old fort,

take a carriage ride down the old cobblestone roads,

spend a day at the beach,

shop 'til you drop,

visit the Fountain of Youth....

There's so much fun to be had!

Perhaps someday I'll live there

and own my own shop on

historic St. George Street.

A woman can dream...

Click here to watch a video
from the Travel Channel.

And the Winners Are...

2010-03-14T14:46:00.000-06:00

First of all,

THANK YOU

to everyone who commented on my previous post

and offered your creative solutions!

My decision was a tough one...

there were so many good ideas.

There were a couple of people who really

"GOT ME"

With a 3-year-old

and a husband who travels all the time,

I don't have a lot of time to do major renovations.

This leads to the winner...

Laura Ingalls Gunn

of Decor to Adore!

Her idea was something that can EASILY be done

and it was one that I hadn't considered before.

(I'll post photos after I complete the project!)

Thank you Laura!

Second place goes to...

Linda

of Coastal Charm!

Thanks for spreading the word about my contest!

If both of you can e-mail me with your contact info

and your preferences for the prizes,

I'll get them right out to you!!

I hope everyone has a great week!!!

GIVEAWAY and What I Hate About My Home!

2010-03-02T22:16:00.001-07:00

As bloggers, we tend to write a lot about

our new home fashions and

we bounce ideas around about

how to make our homes look prettier, cozier,

more elegant, more French, etc.

I've decided to take a time out

from that today

and share with you...

the things that I HATE about my home!

First and foremost....

I hate the stripes on the wall

in the front living room AND dining room.

When we moved in 2 years ago,

the former tenants were using the front living room wall

to display guitars on!

They didn't leave the matching paint, so we've never attempted

to match it up so that we can paint over the stripes!

My second least favorite thing in the house

are these terrible cheap-looking wood rails

that separate the dining room from the front living room

and the kitchen from the den....

If you ask me, it was a cheap way to get out of adding walls!

It is SO hard to decorate around these hideous obstacles!

The third thing I hate about my home is the fact that we have

extremely HIGH ceilings and ledges.

(Okay, sometimes I like the ledges...)

and slanted ceilings

Every time I change my mind

about how I want to decorate the ledge,

my poor husband has to climb up

on the big ol' ladder and spend about

40 minutes listening to me say things like

"now stack that on the left"

"turn that on its side"

"scoot that over in front of the..."

you get the point...

I also hate the fact that I have a

teeny-tiny laundry room.

It's stuck between the hallway

and the door/steps to the basement.

So you see, the room is the size of a small bathroom

and has a door on each side of it.

There's barely room to move in there

without closing yourself in first.

Other than these things and the fact that

I want to paint my kitchen and bathroom cabinets white.

(and add a frame around the big ol' bathroom mirror)

I LOVE MY HOME!

I've found ways to work around its "flaws",

but I sure would like to fix them...

Now for the giveaway!

I'm going to have a contest...

I'm hoping to get some clever ideas

on how to easily change some of the things that I hate about my home.

I will choose one idea that I like the best

and the person who shared the winning idea will receive

either

A subscription to the home decor magazine of their choice

A $25 Giftcard to the home decor store of their choice.

Happy 3rd Birthday Bailey!

2010-02-27T12:51:00.000-07:00

My sweet Bailey-Doo (as we call her)

celebrated her 3rd birthday yesterday!

We had a full day of fun - it was HER day!

It's bittersweet to look back on the last 3 years

(and 9 months)

to see how my daughter has evolved

into such a beautiful little lady.

Evolution...

We had a fun-filled day with Chuck E. Cheese,

Toys 'R Us, Barnes and Noble Bookstore,

cupcakes, and presents!

I'm anticipating another year of firsts,

and of watching my daughter evolve even more.

She's my sunshine!

A "Digital" Decorating Idea

2010-01-25T16:26:00.001-07:00

According to Jeanne d' Arc Living,

2010 is the "year of the digit".

They're everywhere...numbers that is.

One of the latest decorating accessories

is the "number orb".

You've probably seen them all over the place...

a little white porcelain ball

with a black number printed onto it.

(I found a set of 20 for $9.99 at Marshalls.)

I turned 4 (inexpensive) stemmed glasses upside down

(and used a handcrafted vase).

I placed an orb on top of each one to

create my daughter's date of birth

2-26-07

I then placed a black and white (2007) photograph of us together

behind the glasses and

VOILA!

A cute little display idea for number orbs!

Enjoy!

It's Tax Time (for me anyway...)

2010-01-22T14:08:00.001-07:00

Well...according to my calendar

(and the reminder that I got in the mail),

Tomorrow

is my day to do taxes for 2009.

We have our taxes done at the end of January each year

to get a head start on the rest of the world.

I organized all of my receipts

by categorizing them

and placing them in ziploc bags.

Then I put them all in a container

to make it easier for me to add them up.

I've got my notebook for writing down the numbers,

my calculator for adding the numbers,

my expense book, and

my coffee to keep me awake

during this horrifying process,

AND

Some of the "repeat" receipts for 2009 include:

AND

I have TONS of receipts for these stores

because I tend to linger in the aisles for hours...

Trying to come up with ideas for new creations.

I'm hoping to receive

a nice refund check

this year since

the economy took a toll on my bank account.

My shop rent & expenses vs. my shop sales

didn't leave much of a ~~profit~~ in the end.

I had fun though...

and learned some things along the way.

I need to get motivated

to make 2010 a better year for sales.

I can't blame it all on the economy anymore...

it's up to me to make the difference!

Well...I have to go add it all up now!

Good luck with your taxes

and

Have a great weekend!

UPDATE: I don't owe any taxes and I DO get a refund! Whew!