Nautical Table Setting

September 12, 2017 By Linda 9 Comments

Nautical Table Setting – Summer Table in Navy & White

Yes. I’m sharing summer.

In September.

Because … technically … per the calendar it’s still summer. Technically.

And while the rest of the blog world is embracing pumpkins and pies and dreaming about Halloween trick-or-treaters and Thanksgiving feasts and (gasp) Christmas …

I’m bucking the trend and talking about how much I like to eat outside.

In fact, my desire to eat al fresco has become something of a “thing” of mine that the kids rib me about.

Which is fine. Because in the end, mom’s win to eat outdoors is a win for all! 😉

I’m not sure how or when my need to eat outside started. Perhaps at all those family reunion picnics while growing up …

… perhaps it was all that time spent at the beach in my 20’s ….

… or perhaps (most likely) it’s all the cute sidewalk cafes and beer gardens that pop up in Chicago the minute the temperature is above freezing.

Because, honestly, when I’m driving home from the grocery store or the gym an I see people relaxing and conversing and eating and drinking at any one of the outdoor cafes along my route, all I want to do is stop the car and join them.

Which would be awkward, of course.

I also enjoy eating outdoors on our screen porch.

And we push the whole eating outdoors on the screen porch well into September …

… and even into October if we are blessed with an Indian summer.

So while the calendar may be pointing towards the arrival of fall …

and others are celebrating the arrival of Halloween and Thanksgiving and (gasp) Christmas …

we will continue to buck the trend in our backyard …

with a nautical table setting …

as we dine al fresco! 🙂

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Red White Blue Americana Summer Decor

June 15, 2017 By Linda 16 Comments

Welcome to my summer home tour! I’d like to first thank Marty at A Stroll Through Life for once again organizing this fabulous event!

If you’re here from Life & Home at 2012, welcome to my humble little abode. And I have to say I love everything in Vel’s home including her kitchen. Oh, her kitchen! That is like double love! Make sure you check it out …

and now on to my summer tour!

Let’s face it, it was only a matter of time.

I mean, the moment I rolled that first coat of navy the walls we all knew that one day … some day … I would get there.

I mean here.

Sure I’ve flirted with pink. And green. And brown. And coral. And lavender.

There was even a hint of it one Christmas.

Maybe I was even avoiding the inevitable …

the inevitable red white & blue.

So this year … finally … I have embraced it. Red white & blue in the living room ….

… red white & blue in the dining room …

… and on the back screen porch.

For more summer decorating ideas, be sure to visit the other bloggers on the tour. Starting with the fabulous Summer at Simple Stylings.

And here’s the full line-up …

Monday – June 12

A Stroll Thru Life

Pink Peppermint Design

Cuckoo4Design

Nesting With Grace

Life On Virginia Street

Decor to Adore

Tuesday – June 13

Thrifty & Chic

21 Rosemary Lane

Decorating Delirium

The Chronicles of Home

Hymns & Verses

My Sweet Savannah

Wednesday – June 14

Thursday – June 15

Life & Home @ 2102

It All Started With Paint

Fri – June 16

Sharing: Between Naps on the Porch * Savvy Southern Style

Pink and Navy Living Room

June 2, 2017 By Linda 10 Comments

Pink and Navy Living Room – Decorating Ideas for Spring.

This time next week I’ll be in New York.

Alone.

Mike and the kids will hold down the fort as I reconnect with college sorority sisters …

Alpha Chi Omega sorority sisters who I haven’t seen or spoken to in 30 years.

30 years!!!!

I’m also squeezing in a mini reunion with my former co-workers who I haven’t seen in over 20 years.

over 20 years!!!

Through the power of Facebook, we’ve reconnected. And I’ve been able to piece together pieces of their lives — milestones likes graduations and weddings and major trips and major moves and major career changes — that they’ve decided to share on Facebook.

But we all know that is a tiny microcosm of their real 50-something lives.

So off I’m looking forward to finding out what’s really going on behind those smiling Facebook photos.

🙂

Now, to say I’ve been preparing for this trip would be an understatement. There has been lots of cottage cheese, lots of trips to the gym and lots and lots of Pinterest pins as I tried to pull together the perfect outfits.

So, naturally, I’ve stared to fall apart. Physically. And literally …

There is a burgeoning cold sore blossoming on my lower lip. I fear it will be a doozy.

A blemish has formed on my chin and has stubbornly stayed securitly in place for the past two weeks. We are in a constant battle and the blemish is winning.

And then there’s the sty. In the eye.

I don’t even know what to do with that one.

Sigh.

I’ve also been working on a summer home tour before heading out ….

which reminded me that I never shared some pictures of the Spring pink and navy living room.

So here you go …

before I go.

Literally.

And physically. 😉

Here’s the full series of Spring home tour posts. Featuring blue and pink.

Spring Mantel Fantel

Spring in the Dining Room

Spring in the Kitchen

Spring in the Family Room

Fantel Mantel for Spring

May 24, 2017 By Linda 3 Comments

Fantel Mantel for Spring – Decorating with Navy & Pink.

Yesterday I ran errands.

Now I realize that statement sounds like running errands is a rare occurrence. When, in fact, it’s a daily event.

So it’s pretty fair to assume that today I will be running errands too. 🙂

Some days my errands are short and sweet. A quick hop to the grocery store or the CVS. Others it’s a pre-planned-and-mapped-out circuitous route. Carefully plotted for maximum time and mileage efficiency.

Now, admittedly, there’s not a lot of personal prep to goes into these errand outings.

And by personal prep I mean outfit picking and hair brushing and make up wearing.

When said errands include a trip to the gym, yoga pants and oversized tee’s and hoodies are often the outfit du jour.

Oh, who am I kidding. The yoga-pant-oversized-tee-hoodie-combo outfit does not always correspond with a trip to the gym. It’s my go-to regardless of whether or not a workout is involved. 😉

Yet, in my mind’s eye, this yoga-pants-oversized-tee-hoodie outfit is sporty. The make-up-less face is fresh. Clean and scrubbed.

So yesterday when I headed out for errands wearing jeans and ankle boots (and perhaps a dab of mascara and bronzer) my daughter wanted to know why I was all dressed up …

dressed up?

In jeans?

And ankle boots?

And it all came crashing down. Reality hit. And it hurt. My mind’s eye was playing a cruel trick on me …

… oh silly mind’s eye. How you mislead me!

All these years I haven’t been sporty at all.

I’ve been sloppy.

Sigh.

Sometimes it takes the measured eye of a teenage girl to teach that misleading mind’s eye a lesson or two.

🙂

And what does this fantel mantel for Spring have to do with my sloppy attire? Well, let’s just say sometimes it sports a “sporty” look too …

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Shaker Dining Room Navy & Pink for Spring

May 17, 2017 By Linda 9 Comments

Shaker Dining Room Navy & Pink for Spring – Spring Decorating Ideas.

The perfect shot.

Or is angle?

Or perhaps it’s a combination of both. Angle + Shot = Perfect.

I have no idea. I’m an amateur’s amateur when it comes to photography and photography terms.

To be honest with you, I’m not claiming the shot above is perfect. As I look closer — much like a teenage girl examining her pores in a makeup mirror — I see the flaws. And imperfections. Growing larger and larger the longer I peer through that mirror …

glaring at me.

So. Many. Flaws.

But ….

but I need to remember that for me at thing point in my photography journey, this is as perfect as it gets.

For now …

as I continue to practice, practice, practice.

The funny thing is my self-proclaimed “perfect” shot above (for now) was a throwaway. I only took four frames. And I only moved the camera oh so slightly between frames two and three.

I didn’t even bother to make any adjustments to the focal point. Or focal length.

Snap. Snap. Snap. Snap.

Just four shots.

Four throwaway shots.

Versus the kajillion shots of the flower box I took. 🙂

I’ve photographed these rooms in my house so many times over the years that I keep going to my “go to” angles. Like the one above.

(And you thought I was kidding about the flower box). 🙂

The one below is another “go to.”

With the radiator top a newer addition to the dining room repertoire …

But I need to remember to always try something new. Mix it up.

Sometimes it’s a collossal fail that will never see the light of day.

And sometimes ….

and sometimes it becomes the (almost) perfect shot (for now) that earns a new position in the dining room repertoire.

With just four shots.

🙂

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Spring Decorating Ideas with Pink

March 23, 2017 By Linda 13 Comments

Spring Decorating Ideas with Pink – Spring Home Tour

Well, hello there …

long time no see.

Yes, yes, I know it’s not your fault. The blame resides squarely on my shoulders.

You see, I’ve been underwater. Okay, not literally underwater. More like under mason jars under water.

But I’m resurfacing today to share some Spring decorating ideas with pink in my home. It’s part of the fabulous Spring Home Tour series organized by Marty at A Stroll Thru Life (you can find the full list of participants and links at the end of the post).

If you find yourself here from Duke Manor Farm, can I just say welcome, welcome, welcome! And don’t you just adore my friend Laura’s beautiful home and stunning photography! I actually really know Laura. Like really, really know her and met her in real life. We shared wine. And food. And laughs. And forged a bond that exists to this day. And she’s equally as fabulous as her home and her blog!

But now it’s time to get this Spring home tour going. Featuring spring decorating ideas with pink.

The Kitchen

The Family Room

This is the space that Sam (when home from college) and Mike occupy each evening. Usually with Ernie curled up on the couch in between them. So, needless to say, it’s typically full of testosterone …

until now …. 😉

Pink has invaded the (man) family room.

There you go. Lots of photos. Not a lot of words. My head is filled with mason jars. As is my home …

hopefully I will resurface again soon. With lots of words. 🙂

Next up on the tour is Sarah’s gorgeous home at Life on Virginia Street.

And here’s the full line-up of Spring Home Tours:

Monday – March 20

A Stroll Thru Life – Marty

Decor To Adore – Laura

Southern Hospitality – Rhoda

Pink Peppermint Design – Tammy

Cuckoo4Design – Julia

21 Rosemary Lane -Barbara

Tuesday – March 21

Setting For Four – Heather

The Chronicles of Home – Jennifer

Nesting With Grace – Brooke

Refresh Restyle – Debbie

Haneen’s Haven -Haneen

Simple Stylings – Summer

Wednesday – March 22

Decorating Delirium – Jennifer

Dimples & Tangles – Jennifer

Hymns & Verses – Doreen

Remodelando La Casa – Christina

Sand & Sisal – Kim

Common Ground – Debra

Thursday – March 23

Duke Manor Farms – Laura

It All Started With Paint -Linda

Life on Virginia Street – Sarah

Bliss At Home – Kristin

Rain On A Tin Roof -Jenna

ZDesign At Home – Bree

Friday – March 24

Thrifty and Chic – Alicia

Our Fifth House – Carmel

Inspiration For Moms – Laura

Far Above Rubies – Anita

Life and Home @ 2102 – Vel

Making Home Base -Chelsea

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Christmas in the Kitchen with Mini Wreaths

December 23, 2016 By Linda 11 Comments

Christmas in the Kitchen with Mini Wreaths on Cabinet Doors.

In the years B.B. (Before Blogging) I would put up my holiday decor 7-10 days before Christmas day. I’d shoot for the 15th of December (give or take a few days to account for a weekend day) to get the tree.

And if you told me that A.B. (After Blogging) I would have my Christmas decor up the first week of December, I would have laughed …

and laughed and laughed. A long, hard, guttural laugh.

And yet, there I was. Decking the halls on December 1.

Well, the truth is, I only decorated some of the halls on December 1.

Other halls have been a little bit slower in coming together …

… and this past weekend I found myself on my old B.B. blogging schedule.

Which now, A.B., feels like I’m so, so, so very behind. 😉

Which is weird. Because in my B.B. world, it would’ve been normal … natural … expected … for me to spend the 17th of December adding Christmas in the kitchen with mini wreaths hung on the kitchen cabinet doors …

… and putting painted pine cones in my two-tiered wired basket …

… and hanging the Christmas advent-less countdown calendar on the chalkboard door.

Okay, I’ll give. The Christmas advent-less countdown calendar should have been up by December 1st.

My bad. 🙂

Christmas In The Kitchen: How I Hung The Mini Wreaths

You may be asking, Linda, why would I need a tutorial on how to hang mini wreaths in the kitchen? Well, let me tell you. You see, starting in September and extending through December my Christmas in the Kitchen post from last year drew a lot of new visitors to the blog (welcome!). And these new visitors came armed with many, many questions about the mini wreaths on the cabinets. Like where I got them. And what are the dimensions. And what size ribbon. And how did I hang them …

Materials*

Mini Wreaths

(I purchased my mini faux pine wreaths many, many years ago. But here are the details: The inner diameter measures 3″ and the outer diameter is 5″; here’s a link similar ones I found on Amazon*

5″ mini faux pine wreath on Amazon (click here)

Selection of mini pine wreaths ranging from click here

Another idea is to make your own using wired faux greenery. Click here and click here for some options

Jute Ribbon – Natural & White

(the ribbon is 5/8″ and I found mine at Michael’s; last year I used 5/8″ red & white grosgrain, which you can click here for the link)

Painter’s Tape

(You could also use thumbtacks or Command hooks hung upside down)

Stapler

*some affiliate links included.

Cut a length of ribbon and loop it through the mini wreath.

Staple the ends.

Attach to back of cabinet using painter’s tape.

And you’re done!

And regardless if you get these mini wreaths up on my A.B. or B.B. schedule, they still look fabulous! 🙂

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Holiday Home Tour with Neutral Christmas Decor

December 6, 2016 By Linda 38 Comments

Welcome to my 2016 Holiday Home Tour! I want to thank Marty from A Stroll Thru Life for organizing this event. Once again. And for inviting me to participate. Once again.

If you’re here from Cuckoo 4 Design, welcome! Don’t you just love Julia’s style? I had the pleasure of meeting her a few years ago and she is just as lovely and glamorous in person as she is on the blog!

Now on to the holiday home tour with neutral Christmas decor …

Once upon a time I had a Christmas house.

Before i added the board & batten walls. Before I painted the top third navy (and gray in the entry). Before I purchased a new Pottery Barn couch, my house was always ready for Christmas.

There was a red accent wall, and a red couch and sage green dining room walls and jeweled-toned area rugs and pillows filled with greens and reds and purples. And it felt like all year long my home was just waiting, waiting, waiting for Christmas to arrive. Through Spring, Summer and Fall, with arms folded and toes tapping, it waited (sometimes patiently, sometimes not) for it’s time to shine.

(Here’s a link to the burlap stockings)*

And sliding in decorations was easy. Natural. It all went. Green tree. Check.

Red ribbons & bows. Check.

Old fashioned Santas sitting on the fantel mantel. Check.

And then ….

Then I added the board & batten walls. And painted the top half of the walls navy. And suddenly my Christmas house was a Christmas house no more.

And I’ll admit it … I’ve been struggling every Christmas ever since.

Because the addition of red throws me into a Fourth of July house. A patriotic house. Not that there’s anything wrong with that. But …

When it comes to Christmas, I want comfy. And cozy. And warm. Surrounded by twinkle lights.

I was faced with two choices: (1) Paint the top half of those walls a more neutral, Christmas-friendly color or; (2) Adjust the decor to go with versus compete with the navy.

christmas-decorating-ideas-neutral-burlap-white-navy-rustic-dining-room-it-all-started-with-paint-6-of-17

I opted for (2).

christmas-decorating-ideas-neutral-burlap-white-navy-rustic-dining-room-radiator-it-all-started-with-paint-3-of-5

And after many, many, many trips to Michaels, I returned home with pine cones to paint and white ornaments for the tree and white poinsettas for the table and lots and lots of faux burlap wired ribbon.*

christmas-decorating-ideas-neutral-burlap-white-navy-rustic-dining-room-it-all-started-with-paint-4-of-17

And this year I transformed my house into a neutral, rustic-ish Christmas home.

And I’m loving it.

The perfect combination of comfy and cozy. And warm.

And you should just see it when the sun goes down and the twinkle lights take over! 🙂

If you’re looking for even more Christmas decorating inspiration, be sure to visit the next stop on the tour: Tammy at Pink Peppermint Design. I think there’s a good chance there will be some pink in her holiday home decor! 😉

And here’s the full line up for the week:

Monday – Dec 5

Common Ground – Debra

Life on Virginia Street – Sarah

Decor To Adore – Laura

Haneens Haven – Haneen

Hymns & Verses – Doreen

Nesting With Grace – Brooke

Tuesday – Dec 6

Cuckoo4Design – Julia

It All Started With Paint -Linda

Pink Peppermint Design – Tammy

Remodelando La Casa – Christina

Simple Details – Pam

Decorating Delirium – Jennifer

Wednesday – Dec 7

21 Rosemary Lane -Barbara

Lynzy & Co. – Lindsay

A Stroll Thru Life – Marty

The Chronicles of Home – Jennifer

Simple Stylings – Summer

Design Post Interiors – Beth

Thursday – Dec 8

Thrifty and Chic – Alicia

Our Southern Home – Christy

Setting For Four – Heather

Life and Home @ 2102 – Vel

Dimples & Tangles – Jennifer

Our Fifth House – Carmel

Fri – Dec 9

Making Home Base – Chelsea

Inspiration For Moms – Laura

Far Above Rubies – Anita

The House of Silver Lining – Shauna

Duke Manor Farms – Laura

Rain On A Tin Roof – Jenna

Holiday Home Tour with Neutral Christmas Decor

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Christmas Decor in Neutral Colors with Navy and White

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*Some affiliate links are included in this blog post. Click here for my disclosure policy.

For my full Seasonal Home Tour Gallery, click here …

Simple Fall Dining Table Centerpiece

October 25, 2016 By Linda 9 Comments

Simple Fall Dining Table Centerpiece.

My daughter came down with a case of teenageritis this past weekend.

For those unfamiliar with this not-so-rare condition, symptoms include mystery ailments that can’t properly be verbalized to parents and can’t quite be used to pinpoint a specific diagnosis. The most visible sign is a (sometimes audible) retreat to their bedroom — and their beds — with covers pulled up tightly to chins and backs turned to doors.

dining-table-decorating-centerpiece-ideas-fall-thanksgiving-table

They may emerge silently from time to time for sustenance (a sure sign it’s teenageritis and not the flu or stomach virus because appetite suppression clearly is not a problem) only to retreat once again. In some cases, long baths/showers are taken. Using my mom superpowers, I’m deducing this is a ploy to avoid the dreaded weekend homework.

I suspect the root cause may be related to Snapchat. Something someone snapped or chatted or perhaps did not snap or chat back? I really have no idea because: (1) I’m clearly not on Snapchat and; (2) asking if she has literally “snapped’ because of Snapchat will just get me a look of sheer and utter disdain. Accompanied by an eye roll and exacerbated sigh. After which she would loudly stomp upstairs to her room again. With door firmly closed.

So, no, I will not ask. 😉

fall-centerpiece-ideas-dining-table-itallstartedwithpaint-com-5

The most acute cases of teenageritis develop on Friday afternoon shortly after they return home from school and last straight through Monday morning. But pleas with parents (read: me) to stay home from school on Monday morning with words about exhaustion and stress and mental health and how the day will be a bust because she’s just so tired fall on (read: my) deaf ears …

especially when there is no fever or vomiting involved. A litmus test I’ve stood behind since Kindergarten. My I’m-sick-cry-wolfer knows better. I didn’t fall for this in elementary school. Why would high school be any different?

fall-centerpiece-ideas-dining-table-itallstartedwithpaint-com-12

Luckily this particular bout didn’t emerge until sometime Saturday morning. And by Sunday afternoon the bedroom had been abandoned and contact with not just one but two parents had gingerly been reestablished.

There was even an apology issued for a Saturday night overreaction to a firm parental “no” to a Sunday evening outing.

And by the time Sunday night dinner rolled around — dinner that we three sat down together on the very table where this simple fall dining table centerpiece continues to hold center court — all was back to normal.

fall-centerpiece-ideas-dining-table-itallstartedwithpaint-com-18

For now. 🙂

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Fall Mantel With Cotton Stems

October 11, 2016 By Linda 10 Comments

Fall Mantel with Cotton Stems – Simple Fantel Mantel Decorating Ideas.

October 8, 2016.

Write it down.

It’s the day we finally succumbed and turned the heat on. Okay, the day Mike succumbed and turned the heat on. After walking the dog in 41 degree Saturday morning weather.

Me? I would have held out a bit longer. But then again, I was busy taking a steaming hot shower while Mike and the dog braved 41 degree weather.

🙂

Each year, we hold our breath with that first flip of the thermostat switch and turn of dial. Convinced this is the year the furnace is going to say, “nah. I’m tired. I’m old. I’m done providing warmth and comfort to your home …”

Fall Mantel Cotton Stems Decorating Ideas

And after that turn of the thermostat dial, we wait …

and wait …

and wait.

Radiator heat takes awhile to warm up. Especially after months and months of laying dormant.

Fall Mantel Fantel Ideas with Cotton Stems

We don’t even have the clunking and banking type of radiator heat.

Ours is silent. Mysterious. And can take hours before the heat travels from the furnace in the basement to the radiators upstairs.

So we left the house and left the dog in charge of monitoring the heat. He did have the to brave that 41 degree Saturday morning walk after all. 🙂

And on our return, we were greeted with the smell of heat. And warm-to-the-touch radiators …

just in time for another warm up on Sunday. 😉

But then again, what’s the fun of a furnace breaking down when the temperature is above freezing? It’s more likely to happen on the coldest day of the year (yes, that has happened) when we have no choice but to dish out the big bucks for an emergency replacement.

Ah, the joys of home ownership!

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Simple Mantel with Cotton Stems - Fall Mantel Fantel Decorating Ideas with Cotton Stems and Driftwood Miror

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Navy White Screen Porch

October 5, 2016 By Linda 7 Comments

Navy White Screen Porch – Rustic Screened In Porch Decorated in Navy & White Stripes.

Yes, yes, I realize the rest of the online publishing world is all about the fall decor. The pumpkin decorating projects and the home tours and the welcoming front porches with the hay stalks and the lanterns and the spider webs …

oh, and let’s not forget the celebration of autumnal colors. Russets browns and pumpkin oranges and Sugar-Maple -leaf golden yellows.

And here I am firmly stuck in summer. Out back on the screen porch. Celebrating the nautical navy and white colors of summer.

Sigh.

At this rate, I’ll be sharing my Christmas home sometime in mid-February of 2017. 🙂

But back to the summer-nautical-navy-and-white. Can we talk? Because sometime in mid-August it hit me over the head like a sledgehammer that there was a confluence of home decor and fashion going on. With me. And my wardrobe.

I was dressing like my home. Including the newly redecorated navy white screen porch.

Clunk! goes the sledgehammer.

Seriously, as summer progressed I became increasingly camouflaged in my own home.

It started innocently enough with the most amazingly comfortable Old Navy white stretch denim shorts. Followed shortly thereafter with a collection of navy & white tops. Solids, stripes, polka dots. You name it, I collected (and wore) them all.

Every. Single. Day

But the tip of the iceberg — my breaking point also known as the point of self-awareness — occurred while on vacation, away from my native navy & white environment where I could easily fade into background. In a navy & white polka dot tankini I found myself standing out on a sunny Florida beach. Standing out among a sea of brightly colored bathing suits and beach toys and beach chairs …

I could no longer fade into the background.

So what does this mean for me and my home? Perhaps a fashion intervention is needed? Or perhaps, to quote the late great Albus Dumbldore, “we need a little change of decoration.”

If only I could clap my hands and make that happen. But I’m still waiting on my letter from Hogwarts. 🙂

Seriously, though, I’ve been pinning new paint colors and area rugs. I even purchased new fabrics (last year!) in preparation of my “change of decoration.” Just don’t tell my family. They already think I’m a little bit nuts with all my projects …

though, if I keep dressing in navy & white maybe I can make my ‘change of decoration’ in stealth mode. 🙂

Navy White Screen Porch Sources

[show_shopthepost_widget id=”1992395″]

P.S. Here’s a peak at my current … and future 🙂 … navy & white summer wardrobe …

[show_shopthepost_widget id=”1992383″]

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Radiator Cover Fall Mantel Fantel

September 23, 2016 By Linda 11 Comments

Radiator Cover Fall Mantel Fantel – Dining Room.

HGTV has become the soundtrack to my life.

Sad, right?

In my defense, it’s really only the soundtrack on the weekends. Weekdays are filled with Good Morning America and Gilmore Girls repeats followed by a long afternoon of Grey’s Anatomy on Lifetime …

Okay, now that’s sounding equally as sad.

I can’t help it. As much as my kids are addicted to their phones … I’m addicted to my television.

But back to HGTV. It’s not like I’m just lounging on the couch with eyes glued to the tv as I pop bon bons (whatever they are) in my mouth. It’s background noise.

Though, from time to time something catches my attention. And I stop.

I listen.

I look.

Most of what catches my attention is any one of the variation of house hunting type show — be it tiny or beachfront or traditional American dream house.

Inevitably, words about “open floor plans” and “double sink deal-breakers” and “this fill-in-the-blank is too small” and …

the most odious. Perplexing. Lathers Mike and I up into a fit of crazy ….

the “this is so small” comment on any one of the tiny house hunter shows.

Argghhhh! Didn’t the producers tell you the name of the show?!? 🙂

There is one common denominator of all those house hunting shows making up the soundtrack of my life: they inevitably wear me down and make me feel bad about my non-open-floor-plan-no-double-sink-space-challenged house.

Honestly, I fear my home would be eviscerated by those picky, demanding house hunters marching through.

Which leaves me darting my eyes around furiously looking for my home’s saving graces. The arches are pretty cool. My family room addition always commands a “wow.” The screen porch is a deal-maker. And then there are the radiator covers. Custom made by the previous owner. Holding up swimmingly for over 20 years …

… and offering me a place to create fantel mantels for each season. Like this year’s radiator cover fall mantel fantel design.

Now if we can just keep those pesky home buyers out of our needs-a-major-gut-rehab master bathroom we might just get a sale …

😉

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