Susan — Page 33

Napkin Fold Tutorial: The Butterfly

August 26, 2011 by Susan 11 Comments

Recently, I created a table setting with a butterfly napkin fold. (You can view this tablescape in detail here: Romantic Table Setting for Two.) I used this same napkin fold again for this table setting which can be viewed in full here: Romantic Candlelight Table Setting. This fold is super easy to create. I think it looks especially nice when created with a napkin that … [Read more...]

Filed Under: Napkin Folding Tutorials, Valentine's Day Holiday Home, Valentine's Day Napkin Folds Tagged With: Butterfly Napkin Fold, Napkin Folding Tutorial

Romantic Candlelight Table Setting

August 25, 2011 by Susan 34 Comments

Welcome to the 157th Tablescape Thursday! You may feel like Bill Murray in the movie, Groundhog Day as you view the following tablescape. In last week's Tablescape Thursday post, I mentioned I had created a tablescape on the porch and it somehow mysteriously moved itself right out on to the deck, turning into this romantic table setting. Since the original table on the porch was still set, I … [Read more...]

Filed Under: Romantic Tablescapes, Seasonal Tablescapes, Spring & Summer Tablescapes, Tablescape Thursday, The Holiday Home, Valentine's Day Holiday Home, Valentine's Day Table Settings, Valentine's Day Tablescapes Tagged With: Blue Hour Photography, Butterfly Napkin Fold, Butterly China, Lenox Ruby Hock Stemware, Modern Butterfly dishware, Romantic Tablescape, Valentine's Day Table Settings, Valentine's Day Tablescapes, Waterford Araglin, Waterford Ruby Hock Stemware

Painting the Closets and Office Trim

August 24, 2011 by Susan 55 Comments

How's your week going? I've had so much fun reading the comments you left about your past excursions to IKEA. One tip I wanted to share about the best times to visit IKEA to avoid crowds: try to go on a week day, if possible. If you do need to go on a Saturday, get there early, as soon as they open, or late in the day like around 5:00 PM. I noticed it was a lot less crowded come evening/dinner … [Read more...]

Filed Under: Before & After, DIY, DIY Organization and Storage, DIY Repairs and Fixes, Home Tours, My Nest, Office/Craft/Sewing Room Tagged With: Bigger Shelves for the Closet, Closet Renovation, Linen Closet, Office Closet, Painting Closets

Beautiful Lake House Kitchen Renovation

August 22, 2011 by Susan 47 Comments

Welcome to the 135th Metamorphosis Monday! Whew! What a weekend. It's been a painting marathon around here...but it's done. How was your weekend? Do anything fun or was it a weekend for working around the house? Lake House Kitchen Renovation: I'm exited to share a wonderful kitchen renovation for this Metamorphosis Monday. Wendy, a reader of BNOTP, recently shared some pics of a kitchen … [Read more...]

Filed Under: Beach & Lake Homes, Before & After Tagged With: Before and After Kitchen, Kitchen renovation, Lake House Kitchen Renovation, Metamorphosis Monday

Chaos, Progress and Mario Buatta

August 20, 2011 by Susan 37 Comments

Today my house is completely topsy turvy. If you rang my door bell and I invited you in, you'd be here for about 30 seconds before you would suddenly remember you had a pressing engagement elsewhere. And I wouldn't blame you, I'd run, too. But I live here. You know how something prays on your mind...something you've been putting off. The weekends are filled with friends and activities, places to go … [Read more...]

Filed Under: Before & After, Closets & Pantries, My Nest Tagged With: Adding Bigger Shelves to Closet, Closet Renovation, Painting Closets

How to Sew a Pillow with Piping: Easy Tutorial

August 19, 2011 by Susan 24 Comments

There are so many ways to make a pillow...just about as many ways as you can possibly dream up. You can make them from napkins, decorate them with cute buttons, applique them...the possibilities are endless. When I decided to make two pillows for the swing, as part of my 4th of July makeover of the porch, I wanted to use the same pillow inserts that were already in the existing pillows. That way, I … [Read more...]

Filed Under: DIY, DIY Crafts & Sewing, Independence Day Crafts, Independence Day Decor, Independence Day Holiday Home, The Holiday Home Tagged With: Easy to Sew Pillow Cover, How to Sew a Pillow, Make a New Cover for a Pillow

Romantic Table Setting for Two

August 18, 2011 by Susan 66 Comments

Welcome to the 156th Tablescape Thursday! Tomorrow, August 18th, Between Naps on the Porch turns 3 years old. The last three years have flown by so very quickly. Thank you for visiting and being here every day. I appreciate so much that you share your time with me! Let's have dinner on the deck tonight. It feels so nice out. I'll pour the wine...you just sit and enjoy. So romantic, dining … [Read more...]

Filed Under: Romantic Tablescapes, Seasonal Tablescapes, Spring & Summer Tablescapes, Tables for Two, Tablescape Thursday, Valentine's Day Table Settings, Valentine's Day Tablescapes Tagged With: butterfly china, Butterfly Napkin Fold, garden dining, Outdoor Dining, romantic dinner for two, Romantic Table Setting, Valentine's Day Ideas, Valentine's Day Napkin Folds, Valentine's Day Table Settings, Valentine's Day Tablescapes

How To Make Piping for a Pillow, Cushion or Slip Cover

August 16, 2011 by Susan 37 Comments

Recently, when I decorated the porch for the 4th of July, I decided to recover the pillows on the swing. The others were pretty faded and not in keeping with the red, white and blue color scheme I wanted for my patriotic porch in this post: Porch Decorated for the 4th of July. I made the two large, red pillows you see on the swing in the pic below: In an earlier post here: ( Halloween … [Read more...]

Filed Under: DIY, DIY Crafts & Sewing Tagged With: 4th of July pillow, How to sew piping, Make Piping for a Pillow, Making Piping, Making Piping for a Pillow, patriotic pillow, Piping, Sew Piping

Savannah Georgia: A Home Tour

August 13, 2011 by Susan 50 Comments

When I visited Savannah earlier in the Spring, I was with a friend who loves gawking at beautiful homes as much as I do. We pulled onto a side street and despite the humid, hot temps, we hopped out of our air conditioned car and strolled a few blocks admiring the beautiful old homes. Now, that's house love! One of the first things we came across was this wonderful gate. I'm loving those pineapple … [Read more...]

Filed Under: Historic Homes, Home Tours Tagged With: Beautiful Homes of Savannah, Historic Home Tour, Savannah Georgia, Savannah Home Tour

It’s Complicated: Lauren & Harley’s Cottage

August 12, 2011 by Susan 18 Comments

Lauren and Harley's Cottage Home in the movie, It's Complicated A few weeks ago, I took you on a tour of the house/set featured in the Nancy Meyer's movie, It's Complicated, starring Meryl Streep, Steve Martin and Alec Baldwin. (If you missed that tour, you'll find it here: Tour the House in the Movie, It's Complicated. We all pretty much fell in love with Jane's home in the movie, but there was a … [Read more...]

Filed Under: Movie House Tours, Movie Houses Tagged With: Cottage in Movie, It's Complicated, It's Complicated Movie, Lauren & Harley's Cottage, Movie House Tour, Movie House Tours

Bridal Tea Table Setting

August 11, 2011 by Susan 30 Comments

Welcome to the 155th Tablescape Thursday! I love it when you share your beautiful tablescapes with me! I was so excited when Sue, a reader of BNOTP, emailed a few pics of a bridal shower she recently gave for a friend. Sue loves growing lavender in her own garden and prior to the shower, she visited a lavender farm, Yule Love It Lavender Farm in Michigan. She was so inspired by her visit to the farm, … [Read more...]

Filed Under: Shower Tablescapes, Tablescape Thursday, Tablescapes Occasion, Tea Party Tablescapes Tagged With: Bridal Shower, Bridal Table Setting, Lavender, Tablescape Thursday, Tea Party

Screen In Your Deck Easily & Inexpensively

August 8, 2011 by Susan 47 Comments

Welcome to the 133rd Metamorphosis Monday! How was your weekend? Did you spend any time outdoors grilling or just sitting on your porch, patio or deck? Would you spend more time outside if you didn't have to cope with the bugs and that hot summer sun? I'm so excited about the metamorphosis I'll be sharing today. Recently, Terry who blogs at La Bella Vie, shared a few pics of her answer to enjoying … [Read more...]

Filed Under: Before & After, Porches Tagged With: Instant Screened-in Porch, Screen in a Deck Inexpensively and Quickly

Displaying and Decorating with China for the Seasons and Holidays

August 4, 2011 by Susan 48 Comments

Welcome to the 154th Tablescape Thursday! Jeanne blogs at Selep Imaging. Jeanne has a wonderful hutch she changes out with each holiday or season. I was so impressed with her lovely china collection and the creative way she displays it, I couldn't resist sharing it for Tablescape Thursday. As you scroll down, notice how Jeanne mixes so many different patterns beautifully. There's a wonderful … [Read more...]

Filed Under: DIY Organization and Storage, Independence Day Decor, Independence Day Holiday Home, Independence Day Table Settings, Independence Day Tablescapes, Seasonal Decor, Tablescapes Holiday Tablescapes, The Holiday Home Tagged With: 4th of July Decorating, a, China Storage, Decorate a hutch with dishes for seasons and holidays, Decorating with China, Dishware Storage, Displaying China, Displaying Dishware, Holiday Decorating, Seasonal Decorating, Valentine's Day Decorating

Near Abductions: My Story

August 3, 2011 by Susan 128 Comments

Sometimes you see something on TV and it hits home. A couple of weeks ago, I caught part of the show, 60 Minutes. They were interviewing two young ladies who had been kidnapped as children but were miraculously able to escape a few days after their abduction. That virtually never happens...escaping. The abuse they suffered permanently altered their lives in very negative ways. They still struggle today … [Read more...]

Filed Under: Inspire

A Bath Restoration and Renovation

August 1, 2011 by Susan 33 Comments

Welcome to the 132nd Metamorphosis Monday! Happy Metamorphosis Monday! For this Met Monday, I'm excited to share another fabulous update for historic Tyson-Stedham home in Adel, Georgia. Dustin, owner of Van de Fleet Designs and Restoration has been bringing this 1912 Arts and Crafts bungalow back to life over the past few months. (If you're new to this ongoing restoration, you'll find links to all the … [Read more...]

Filed Under: Before & After, Historic Homes, Home Tours Tagged With: Bath Renovation, Bath Restoration and Renovation, Historic Home, Historic Home Restoration, Historic Southern Home, Metamorphosis Monday, Octagon Tile Floor, Subway Tile

It’s Complicated

July 30, 2011 by Susan 50 Comments

Tour the Home in the Movie, It's Complicated It's been almost two years now, but I still remember how excited I was when I heard another movie written and directed by the talented Nancy Meyers was about to be released. It's Complicated was released in December 2009 and since I'm a self-confessed movie house junkie, I wondered if another amazing house would be "starring" in this movie, too. Nancy Meyers … [Read more...]

Filed Under: Movie House Tours, Movie Houses Tagged With: Alec Baldwin, Famous Movie Houses, It's Complicated, Meryl Streep, Movie House Tours, Steve Martin

Beach Themed Table Setting

July 28, 2011 by Susan 56 Comments

Welcome to the 153rd Tablescape Thursday! I must be craving a beach trip because it seems whenever I plan a tablescape lately, it always ends up being a beach-themed table. I started off this tablescape with white flatware. But I decided to change to blue since I was in the mood for soft muted colors. Beach-themed tablescapes always feel so restful with the soft blues … [Read more...]

Filed Under: Beachy Tablescapes, Seasonal Tablescapes, Spring & Summer Tablescapes, Tablescape Thursday Tagged With: Beach Themed Table Setting, shell accents for the table, shell table setting, shell themed tablescape, Tablescape Thursday

Jan’s Beautiful Bottle Tree

July 26, 2011 by Susan 32 Comments

A while back I shared some images of a bottle tree I had purchased at the Ballard Designs store in Atlanta. It was on sale, marked down from $349 to $60. I've gradually been adding a few bottles to it, including the glass float ball you see on the top. It's still a bit naked...a work in progress. While in Savannah on vacation a couple of months back, I told my friend, Jan, all … [Read more...]

Filed Under: Gardening & Birding, In the Garden, Nature Tagged With: Bottle Trees, Garden Art, Southern Folklore, Southern Superstitions

A Vintage Dress Form for the Sewing Craft Room

July 25, 2011 by Susan 78 Comments

Welcome to the 131st Metamorphosis Monday! Happy Met Monday! Hope your weekend has been a fun one! I don't have a dramatic Before and After for this Met Monday, but I do have some fun little changes I can't wait to share. But before I show you what I've been working on... A Few Mini-Mets for this Metamorphosis Monday: A Naked Porch: Recently, I blogged about having the house and … [Read more...]

Filed Under: Before & After, DIY Crafts & Sewing, DIY Decorating Tagged With: Metamorphosis Monday, Sewing Room, Vintage Dress Form

So Much for Hot Seed

July 24, 2011 by Susan 59 Comments

Apparently, Mr. Squirrel likes his seed on the spicy side. He keeps coming back for more and he brings his friends! Can you see where he's chewed on the window feeder? He gets mad after he's twisted it so much the seed quits coming, Yep, he's got quite the temper. The chewed up spots are really bad in some places. Grrrrrr... Don't let that cute face fool you. You won't believe all the damage he's … [Read more...]

Filed Under: For the Love of Birds, Gardening & Birding, Nature Tagged With: Bird Feeders, Bird Seed, Bird Watching, Hot Seed, Squirrels

Easter Breakfast Table Setting with Royal Copenhagen, Musselmalet

July 21, 2011 by Susan 37 Comments

Welcome to the 152nd Tablescape Thursday! Earlier in the spring, Cornelia had a ladies breakfast in her beautiful home in Switzerland. It was near Easter and she created a gorgeous table setting for the event. Cornelia said, "I had an Invitation this morning. I invited 5 ladies for breakfast and had a Royal Copenhagen, Musselmalet tablescape. " "The Musselmalet is also known as Blue … [Read more...]

Filed Under: Breakfast Tablescapes, Easter Holiday Home, Easter Table Settings, Easter Tablescapes, Tablescape Thursday, Tablescapes Holiday Tablescapes Tagged With: Blue and White China, Blue Fluted China, Easter Breakfast Table Setting, Easter Breakfast Tablescape, Easter Holiday Home, Easter table setting, Musselmalet, Royal Copenhagen

Pressure Washing the House and Porch

July 20, 2011 by Susan 20 Comments

On your last visit to the porch, it looked like this... All decorated for the 4th. Today it looks like this... And this. Stripped down...no cushions. The view out the breakfast window... The view from the office. So, that's what color the pergola really is. Clean and shiny! … [Read more...]

Filed Under: Home Tours, My Nest, Porches, Porches & Decks Tagged With: Cleaning the Decks, Cleaning the Pergola, Cleaning the Porch, Pressure Washing

Adorable Cottage Gets a Wonderful Update

July 19, 2011 by Susan 45 Comments

I have a soft spot in my heart for cottages, especially cute little Cape Cods. Southern Living recently showcased this lovely home (located in Atlanta) on their website. Here's how the exterior looked prior to being purchased by its current owners. Check it out now! You can see they really stayed true to the character of the home. The porch overhang looks like it was beefed up just a … [Read more...]

Filed Under: Before & After Tagged With: Cape Cod Renovation, Cottage Makeover, Cottage Update

Beautiful Bath Renovation

July 18, 2011 by Susan 53 Comments

Welcome to the 130th Metamorphosis Monday! Recently, my friend Mary completed a full renovation of her master bath. It was an amazing transformation! Mary totally cracked me up when she described her bath in an e-mail to me. She said, "First, it is not a spa, it is more like a Muggle Telephone Booth that takes you to the Ministry of Magic. Do we have any Harry Potter fans out there? Mary's bath, … [Read more...]

Filed Under: Before & After Tagged With: Bath Makeover, Bath Renovation, Metamorphosis Monday

Summertime Salad: Arugula with a Fresh Berry Dressing

July 15, 2011 by Susan 19 Comments

Happens every time. Yep, I'm a rule breaker...a real rebel. ;) (hee, hee) Okay, technically when you have friends over for dinner or a party, you are NOT supposed to try out a new dish/recipe you've never made before. I guess that's in case it doesn't turn out right or you just don't like it. But, wouldn't ya know, that's when I always get in the mood to experiment and try something different...not … [Read more...]

Filed Under: Independence Day Holiday Home, Independence Day Recipes, Recipes Tagged With: Arugula Salad with Berry Dressing, Recipes, Summer Salad

Coastal Summer Table Setting

July 14, 2011 by Susan 56 Comments

Welcome to the 151st Tablescape Thursday! Though the porch is still decorated in red, white and blue for it's 4th of July makeover, the heat here in Georgia has me dreaming of sandy white beaches. Recently, I ran across these bright spring-green glasses in Old Time Pottery. I love this color green. I guess you could call it chartreuse. It very much reminded me of the green color in … [Read more...]

Filed Under: Beachy Tablescapes, Seasonal Tablescapes, Spring & Summer Tablescapes, Tablescape Thursday Tagged With: Beach Table Setting, Beach Tablescape, Coastal Table Setting, Lantern Centerpiece, Lighthouse Style Lantern, Shell Napkin Holders, Starfish Table Decoration, Tablescape Thursday

Make a Pottery Barn Inspired Flag

July 11, 2011 by Susan 94 Comments

Welcome to the 129th Metamorphosis Monday! Whenever the Pottery Barn catalog shows up in my mailbox, I know I'm going to be inspired. There's almost always something in there that grabs my attention and gets those creaky wheels in the brain turning. The challenge is always how to get "the look" without the cost. Recently, I decided to do a complete makeover of my screened-in porch for the 4 … [Read more...]

Filed Under: Before & After, DIY Crafts & Sewing, DIY Decor Knock-offs, DIY Decorating, Independence Day Crafts, Independence Day Decor, Independence Day Holiday Home, The Holiday Home Tagged With: DIY Wood Flag, Independence Day Tablescapes, Make a painted flag for the 4th of July, Metamorphosis Monday, Pottery Barn inspired wood flag, Pottery Barn knock-off

Father of the Bride

July 9, 2011 by Susan 38 Comments

Tour the Home in the Movie, Father of the Bride Recently, we took a tour of some beautiful neighborhoods and homes in the south. This house, located not far from my home, was included in that tour. Each time I drive by it, I'm always reminded of a famous movie home we all know and love. Do you know the one I'm thinking about? Yep, it's this one! Recognize it? It's the house from the movie, Father of … [Read more...]

Filed Under: Movie House Tours, Movie Houses, Valentine's Day Holiday Home, Valentine's Day Movies Tagged With: Diane Keaton, Famous Houses, Father of the Bride Movie, House Tours, Iconic Movie Houses, Movie House Tours, Steve Martin

Welcome to the 150th Tablescape Thursday

July 7, 2011 by Susan 54 Comments

Can you believe it...150 Tablescape Thursdays! Wow! The time has gone by so quickly. Things have changed quite a bit since that first tablescape party on August 25, 2008. There are so many more participants now, which is wonderful! Linking up is easy and you get a little sneak preview of the post, thanks to Inlinkz. The photographs of our tablescapes have improved tremendously...you feel like you're … [Read more...]

Filed Under: Tablescape Thursday Tagged With: Tablescape Thursday

Peach Trifle, Great Summertime Dessert

July 6, 2011 by Susan 34 Comments

One of my favorite desserts for this time of year is a trifle made with fresh Georgia peaches. Georgia is the "peach" state so you just can't get much better than a yummy peach trifle for a summer party on the porch. This dessert is super easy to make and is loosely based on one I tore out of a magazine many years ago. The recipe didn't make enough for the huge trifle dish I use and I wanted it to … [Read more...]

Filed Under: Recipes Tagged With: Dessert, Georgia Peach Trifle, Peach Bourbon Trifle, Peach Dessert, Summer Desserts, Trifle Recipe

After the Party

July 5, 2011 by Susan 59 Comments

If this is your first visit to this blog, skip this post now...quickly, before you change your mind and never come back. ;) Pictures in this post may have you running away, never to return. Max had a big day yesterday. He partied hard, as you can see. In the spirit of keeping it real, (are you tired of that phrase yet?) here's how my kitchen looks today after running the dishwasher once and … [Read more...]

Filed Under: DIY, Laundry Room Tagged With: After the Party

Patriotic Porch for the 4th of July

July 4, 2011 by Susan 115 Comments

Welcome to the 128th Metamorphosis Monday! Happy Independence Day weekend! Hope your weekend has been going great! I'm having a little cookout tomorrow so I've been busy with preparations. Did you already have your 4th of July celebration or will you be celebrating tomorrow? I'm excited to share big changes I've made out on the porch over the last week. I've been busting to decorate the porch in a … [Read more...]

Filed Under: Before & After, Home Tours, Independence Day Decor, Independence Day Holiday Home, My Nest, Porches, Porches & Decks, The Holiday Home Tagged With: 4th of July Porch, Before and After Porch, Decorating in Red, Metamorphosis Monday, Patriotic Porch, Porch Makeover, Porch Makeover for Independence Day, Screened-in Porches, White and Blue

You’re a Grand Old Flag: Touring Main Street America

July 2, 2011 by Susan 35 Comments

In celebration of Independence Day, I thought we would take little tour of "Main Street America." These beautiful, historic homes all have one thing in common...they are all flying the colors! I love seeing an American flag blowing in the breeze from a wonderful old porch. These homes are from various places in the southeast. Some are in Greenwood and Columbia, South Carolina and Asheville, NC but … [Read more...]

Filed Under: Historic Homes, Home Tours, Independence Day Decor, Independence Day Holiday Home, The Holiday Home Tagged With: 4th of July Decor, Decorating with Flags and Bunting for Patriotic Holidays, Flag for the front porch, Historic Home Tour, Independence Day in America, Patriotic Decorating

4th of July Napkin Ring Tutorial

July 1, 2011 by Susan 30 Comments

While we continue enjoying all the wonderful tablescapes linked yesterday for Tablescape Thursday, here's a little tutorial for the napkin ring I used in the 4th of July tablescape I shared. This is a super easy napkin ring to make. It reminds me of beautiful patriotic bunting. I found this napkin ring craft design online HERE, but I changed it up a bit using a … [Read more...]

Filed Under: DIY, DIY Crafts & Sewing, Independence Day Crafts, Independence Day Holiday Home, Independence Day Table Settings, Independence Day Tablescapes, Tablescapes Holiday Tablescapes, The Holiday Home Tagged With: 4th of July Napkin Rings, DIY Napkin Rings, Make Patriotic Napkin Rings for the 4th of July, Patriotic Bunting Napkin Rings

4th of July Table Setting

June 30, 2011 by Susan 42 Comments

Welcome to the 149th Tablescape Thursday! It won't be long now, Independence Day is just four days away. Do you have any big plans for your 4th of July celebration? It was so nice out, I decided to put this tablescape out on the porch. I used my fave patriotic dishware by Warren Kimble. The pattern is called, "Colonial." A red lantern decorated with a … [Read more...]

Filed Under: Independence Day Holiday Home, Independence Day Table Settings, Independence Day Tablescapes, Tablescape Thursday, Tablescapes Holiday Tablescapes, The Holiday Home Tagged With: 4th of July Table Settings, Independence Day Table Setting, Patriotic Table Settings, Tablescape Thursday

Brother SE-400, Embroidery & Sewing

June 29, 2011 by Susan 70 Comments

When I was just 8 years old, my sister bought a Sears Kenmore sewing machine. She used it for many years then passed it down to me. Over the years it became very ornery, breaking thread despite a tune up and servicing. I haven't sewn in 24 years but I've been itching to get back at it. After a bit of research online, I decided on a Brother SE-400. The best price I could find was on Amazon. I was … [Read more...]

Filed Under: DIY, DIY Crafts & Sewing Tagged With: Brother Se-400 Sewing Machine, Learning to Sew, Making Piping

Historic Cottage Restoration, Part V

June 27, 2011 by Susan 51 Comments

Welcome to the 127th Metamorphosis Monday! Happy Metamorphosis Monday! For this Met Monday, I'm excited to share another update on the historic Tyson-Stedham home in Adel, Georgia. This beautiful Arts and Crafts home will be turning 100 years old next year. Wow! Unfortunately over the past 99 years, previous owners had made renovations that were not in keeping with the original style of the home. Dustin, … [Read more...]

Filed Under: Before & After, Historic Homes, Home Tours, Porches Tagged With: Historic Home Restoration, Metamorphosis Monday, Porch Restoration

Blue & White Tablescape with Meissen Onion

June 23, 2011 by Susan 46 Comments

Welcome to the148th Tablescape Thursday! For this Tablescape Thursday, I'm so excited to share a beautiful table setting created by my friend, Cornelia. Cornelia lives in Switzerland and she recently had a very special, formal dinner event. I rarely entertain formerly so it was exciting to see Cornelia's beautiful table and to hear about this special occasion. Have I mentioned lately how much I love … [Read more...]

Filed Under: Blue & White Design & Decor, Tablescape Thursday Tagged With: Blue & White Table Setting, Formal Table Setting, Meissen Onion, Tablescape Thursday

Another Piece of the Puzzle

June 20, 2011 by Susan 97 Comments

Welcome to the 126th Metamorphosis Monday! Happy Met Monday! Hope you've had a wonderful weekend and a great Father's Day! This Metamorphosis Monday I'm excited to share an important addition to my home office. Have you ever searched and searched for a particular piece of furniture for your home and being unable to find it, gave up, only to have it immediately appear the next day? If so, I … [Read more...]

Filed Under: Before & After, My Nest, Office/Craft/Sewing Room Tagged With: Chair-side chest for reading corner, Home Office, Pottery Barn Office, small chest for office

Something’s Gotta Give

June 18, 2011 by Susan 124 Comments

Recently, I took a little vacation to Savannah, Georgia. It was a wonderful trip and when I returned home that weekend, I couldn't wait to pull out one of my favorite "beach house" movies, Something's Gotta Give. Do you remember this amazing living room from that movie house? Come along and let's take a tour of the whole house...it's an amazing movie house! Somethings Gotta Give is … [Read more...]

Filed Under: Beach & Lake Homes, Movie House Tours, Movie Houses, Valentine's Day Holiday Home, Valentine's Day Movies Tagged With: Beach House, Beach House in Something's Gotta Give, Diane Keaton, Famous Movie Houses, Jack Nicholson, Movie House Tours, Something's Gotta Give

4th of July Tablescape

June 17, 2011 by Susan 11 Comments

While we continue viewing the beautiful tablescapes linked for yesterday's Tablescape Thursday, here's some additional inspiration for your Independence Day dinner. Tina, a dear reader of BNOTP, sent along these wonderful photos of a festive table she created for this great holiday! Tina told me, "I really love designing tablescapes. I may have 14 sets of dishes, but I mix them all up for holidays and … [Read more...]

Filed Under: Independence Day Holiday Home, Independence Day Table Settings, Independence Day Tablescapes, Tablescapes Holiday Tablescapes, The Holiday Home Tagged With: 4th of July Table Settings, 4th of July Tablescapes, Flag Napkin Rings, Star Plates, Striped Placemats

A Patriotic Celebration Table Setting

June 16, 2011 by Susan 77 Comments

Welcome to the 147th Tablescape Thursday! A Table Setting for the 4th of July-Independence Day Happy Tablescape Thursday! I've been working on a couple of 4th of July table settings and having the best time! A table setting for Independence Day is so much fun to put together since it's all about celebration and love for our country. Time to break out the Red, White and Blue! This table … [Read more...]

Filed Under: Independence Day Holiday Home, Independence Day Table Settings, Independence Day Tablescapes, Tablescape Thursday, Tablescapes Holiday Tablescapes, The Holiday Home Tagged With: 4th of July Table Settings, 4th of July Tablescapes, Independence Day Table Setting, Red, Tablescape Thursday, White & Blue Pinwheel Centerpiece

Litter Box Solutions

June 15, 2011 by Susan 35 Comments

Recently, a reader e-mailed to ask a question no one had ever asked me before. The question was, how did I handle/cope with having a litter box in the house? What a great question! Back In The Day: When we bought this house 20 years ago, one of the things I liked most was it had a basement with an unfinished section, perfect for hiding the litter box. My last house didn't have a basement and we spent a … [Read more...]

Filed Under: DIY, DIY Decorating, DIY Organization and Storage Tagged With: Cats, Great Litter Boxes, Hiding the Litter Box, Litter Box Solutions

Bottle Tree Shopping

June 14, 2011 by Susan 26 Comments

Has anyone seen my computer mouse? I was planning on posting again today, but I can't seem to find the mouse. ;) Bottle Tree Shopping: Not to beat the bottle tree "horse" to death, but I do want to share a resource I found recently in case you have a bottle tree and are looking for hard-to-find colors and unusual shaped bottles. Turns out Hobby Lobby carries bottles of all sizes and in … [Read more...]

Filed Under: Gardening & Birding, In the Garden, Nature Tagged With: Bottle Trees, Garden Accents, Garden Art

A Visit from Miss Mustard Seed

June 13, 2011 by Susan 41 Comments

Welcome to the 125th Metamorphosis Monday! How was your weekend? Was it a productive one or more along the lines of laid-back and relaxed? Mine was a little bit of both. I've been working on a few things around here that I'll be sharing real soon. For this week's Met Monday, I am so excited to share a guest post from a wonderfully talented and creative lady and blogger. Marian, alias Miss Mustard … [Read more...]

Filed Under: Before & After Tagged With: Chest Makeover, Living Room Before and After, Living Room Makeover, Metamorphosis Monday, Miss Mustard Seed, Painting a Chest, Painting furniture

4th of July Craft or Party Favor

June 11, 2011 by Susan 27 Comments

A Flag Day and 4th of July Inspired Craft: Today is Flag Day! With today being Flag Day and the 4th of July just a few weeks away, I thought I'd share a fun little craft/party favor you could create to use as a centerpiece for your 4th of July table or as a gift for your friends. If you are a regular reader of BNOTP, you may remember when I created this milkshake/sundae centerpiece for … [Read more...]

Filed Under: DIY, DIY Crafts & Sewing, Independence Day Crafts, Independence Day Holiday Home, The Holiday Home Tagged With: 4th Of July, 4th of July Craft, Candy Sundae Parfait, Candybar Sundae, Party Favor, Red, White & Blue Candy

Bottle Tree Dreams and Yard Art Fantasies

June 10, 2011 by Susan 62 Comments

Help! I'm becoming one of those people! You know the one...the crazy neighbor down the street who has so much yard art, the addition of just one more tchotchke will take his yard from tasteful to tacky, from whimsical to wacky. Okay, I'm not that bad. Yet. But I'm working on it. ;) If you've been reading BNOTP for a while, you may remember I started saving bottles about a year ago for a future bottle … [Read more...]

Filed Under: Gardening & Birding, In the Garden, Nature Tagged With: Bottle Trees, Garden Art, Southern Folklore, Southern Superstitions

Seaside Tablescape

June 8, 2011 by Susan 57 Comments

Welcome to the 146th Tablescape Thursday! For today's Tablescape Thursday, I've put together a little beach themed table setting out on the porch. I still have beach dreams running through my head after my recent trip to Savannah. Hope you enjoy! I started out placing different types/colors of starfish on the napkins and I scattered lots of shells all around the centerpiece. I decided … [Read more...]

Filed Under: Beachy Tablescapes, Seasonal Tablescapes, Spring & Summer Tablescapes, Tablescape Thursday Tagged With: Beach China, Beach Dishware, Beach Inspired Table Setting, Beach Themed Table Setting Shell Centerpiece, Beachy Tablescape, Sailboat Napkin Fold, Warren Kimble Coastal Breeze Dishware, Warren Kimble Coastal Breeze Plates

Designing and Creating a Home Office: The Journey

June 6, 2011 by Susan 125 Comments

Welcome to the 124th Metamorphosis Monday! This was my office, if you could call it an office. It was really just a dressing room off my master bedroom with a built in dressing table that I was using as a desk. After several months working in this space, I began to have neck pain and tingling pain down my arms. It turned out my makeshift desk was about 4 inches shorter than a real desk. I decided it was … [Read more...]

Filed Under: Bedroom (Son's), Before & After, Home Tours, My Nest, Office/Craft/Sewing Room Tagged With: Home office renovation, Pottery Barn Bedford Office

A Beautiful Limoges Table Setting

June 2, 2011 by Susan 36 Comments

Welcome to the 145th Tablescape Thursday! Welcome Friends! We're jetting off to Switzerland this evening for dinner with our friend, Cornelia. It's always such a treat to have dinner here in Cornelia's beautiful dining room. Cornelia has set a lovely table for us this evening! The tablecloth and napkins are by Le Jacquard Francais. Salad plate is Limoges by Raynaud & Co. The … [Read more...]

Filed Under: Tablescape Thursday Tagged With: Bohemian Stemware, Limgoes Dishware, Tablescape Thursday

Historic Home Restoration, Part IV

May 30, 2011 by Susan 32 Comments

Wecome to the 123rd Metamorphosis Monday! Hope your Memorial Day weekend has been relaxing. I've been busy scrubbing labels off colorful bottles...ummm, what might that be about? :) I'll share this little project soon but today I want to bring you a fabulous update on the Tyson-Stedham house. When we last left this historic home, Dustin of Van der Fleet Designs and Restoration, along with his crew, … [Read more...]

Filed Under: Before & After, Historic Homes, Home Tours, Porches Tagged With: Historic Home Restoration, Porch Restoration, Tyson-Stedham Home Renovation

Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil

May 27, 2011 by Susan 67 Comments

Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil: Touring Mercer House I've just recently returned from a few days in the port city, Savannah and my trip had me thinking about the movie, Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil. The movie was based on the book of the same title written by author, John Berendt. I've visited this beautiful Georgia city several times over the years, including back in June 1995, the … [Read more...]

Filed Under: Halloween Movies, Movie House Tours, Movie Houses, The Holiday Home Tagged With: House Tours, John Cusack, Kevin Spacey, Mercer House, Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil, Movie House Tours, Savannah Georgia

Summer Tablescape with Magnolia Centerpiece

May 26, 2011 by Susan 71 Comments

Welcome to the 144th Tablescape Thursday! It's gorgeous here today...lots of sunshine! I love this time of year! Let's have dinner out on the porch tonight. Sound good? I've only used this china once before (I think) in a tablescape HERE. For some reason it always inspires a magnolia blossom centerpiece. The huge magnolia tree in my front yard had more flowers this year than it has ever … [Read more...]

Filed Under: Seasonal Tablescapes, Spring & Summer Tablescapes, Tablescape Thursday Tagged With: Magnolia Leaf Centerpiece, Syracuse Orchard Dishware, Tablescape Thursday

Isle of Hope Home Tour, Part II

May 25, 2011 by Susan 39 Comments

As promised, here are the rest of the beautiful homes facing the marina and Skidaway River in Isle of Hope in Savannah, Georgia. (Click on any picture to further enlarge it.) The green door was really pretty on this house. This one was my favorite...it just felt like a storybook home. Even the tree on the left felt like it belonged in a storybook. Doesn't … [Read more...]

Filed Under: Historic Homes, Home Tours, Travel Tagged With: Coastal Cottages, Home Tour, Isle of Hope, Savannah Georgia, Waterfront Homes

Isle of Hope Home Tour, Part I

May 24, 2011 by Susan 33 Comments

Recently, I visited Wormsloe featuring the unbelievably beautiful mile-long avenue of Live Oaks. During that trip to Wormsloe, I stumbled across a lovely community located along the Skidaway River called Isle of Hope. According to Wikipedia, "Early maps refer to Isle of Hope in French as Isle Desperance (modern French:'Espérance). Legends abound of pirates using the island to hide their treasure, and … [Read more...]

Filed Under: Historic Homes, Home Tours, Travel Tagged With: Coastal Cottages, Historic Home Tour, Isle of Hope, Savannah Georgia, Waterfront Homes

Wormsloe

May 24, 2011 by Susan 28 Comments

I've been to Savannah, Georgia many times over the years. Each time I've visited this historic city, when it came time to leave and head back home, I always thought, "Fiddlesticks! I did it again!" I came all the way to Savannah and didn't find that awesome road...the one with the arching trees overhead. I was always so disappointed and mad at myself that I kept forgetting to ask where it was and how to get … [Read more...]

Filed Under: Gardening & Birding, In the Garden, Nature, Travel Tagged With: Savannah Georgia, Wormsloe

Cat TV

May 20, 2011 by Susan 52 Comments

Office Window Feeder Day 1: A Brief Visit Day 2: A Skirmish Day Three: Accceptance. Friends? … [Read more...]

Filed Under: For the Love of Birds, Gardening & Birding, Nature Tagged With: Bird Feeder, Bird Watching, Cats, Squirrels

Dining Alfresco: Spring and Summer Table Settings

May 19, 2011 by Susan 34 Comments

Welcome to the 143rd Tablescape Thursday! Today I'm sharing some spring settings for this Tablescape Thursday, including some of yours! Click on the titles of the tablescapes to view them in full. Dining with Lord Byron Sand and Surf Garden Party The Faerie Ball A Beach Escape Boogieboard Cottage Words on Wheels Bargain Hunting and Chatting with … [Read more...]

Filed Under: Romantic Tablescapes, Seasonal Tablescapes, Spring & Summer Tablescapes, Tablescape Thursday Tagged With: Beach Picnic, Dining in the Garden, Dining Outdoors, Floral Table Setting, Spring Table Settings, spring tablescape, Summer Table Settings, Summer Tablescape

Pottery Barn Bedford Office Update

May 16, 2011 by Susan 106 Comments

Welcome to the 121st Metamorphosis Monday! Hi Everyone! Hope you've had a wonderful weekend! I'm excited to share some significant additions/improvements I've recently made to the office. You may remember in a past post I mentioned I had decided to move my craft/wrapping center from behind the shutter. I had originally placed it there so I could wrap gifts on that end of the desk, within easy reach of … [Read more...]

Filed Under: Before & After, Home Tours, My Nest, Office/Craft/Sewing Room Tagged With: Ballard Design Bulletin Board, Office Updates, Pottery Barn Home Office

Significant Headway Has Been Made

May 14, 2011 by Susan 37 Comments

Well, well, well. Things were kind of interesting around here in Blogland the last couple of days, huh? Were you as happy as I was to see your disappearing post, magically reappear again? When I was finally able to access the dashboard, our Tablescape Thursday post was still missing along with all of your beautiful tablescape links. I temporarily created a blank post with just the script/code from … [Read more...]

Filed Under: Uncategorized Tagged With: Pottery Barn Office Updates

Dining in the Garden

May 11, 2011 by Susan 44 Comments

Welcome to the 142nd Tablescape Thursday! Happy Tablescape Thursday! Our friend, Cornelia, has invited us all for dinner in her beautiful garden in Switzerland. Don't you just love the romantic feel of the wisteria climbing up the back of her home. We will be dining this evening surrounded in the fragrance of lovely flowers. It's a perfect day to be out in the garden. The tall hedge … [Read more...]

Filed Under: Seasonal Tablescapes, Spring & Summer Tablescapes, Tablescape Thursday Tagged With: Dining in the Garden, Garden Party Tablescapes, Outdoor Dining

Tole Chandelier for the Office

May 9, 2011 by Susan 74 Comments

Welcome to the 120th Metamorphosis Monday! Happy Metamorphosis Monday! Things are about to get cranking once again with the home office. I'm still waiting on a component that's backordered, but the chandelier is here. Unfortunately, the contractor who will install it (along with the crown molding) is currently out of town. He is supposed to be back in town this week, so hopefully I'll have some neat … [Read more...]

Filed Under: Before & After, My Nest, Office/Craft/Sewing Room Tagged With: Home Office, Tole Chandelier, Whimsical Chandelier

Happy Mother’s Day!

May 8, 2011 by Susan 31 Comments

"Motherhood is the longest-running, continuous production of your life. Every day. Seven days a week. It doesn't matter if it's SRO or an empty house: You play to it. It doesn't matter if the critics love or hate your performance. The show never closes. Every day you climb into your costume and do the best you can, writing the script as you go along."Erma BombeckMay 14, 1989Happy Mother's Day to Mothers … [Read more...]

Filed Under: Uncategorized

Easy Centerpiece for a Spring Table Setting

May 5, 2011 by Susan 58 Comments

Welcome to the 141st Tablescape Thursday! If you remember this Bottle Tree post, you already know I've been collecting bottles for several months in hopes of creating a bottle tree some day. Recently, I found the perfect tree for the bottles. It was just what I had dreamed up in my head. Unfortunately, when I checked on the price, it was much more than I wanted to spend. Rats! In the meantime, I've … [Read more...]

Filed Under: Spring & Summer Tablescapes, Tablescape Thursday Tagged With: Dragonfly Napkin Rings, Easy Centerpieces, Easy Spring Centerpiece, Gerbera Daisy Centerpiece, Kim Parker Emma's Garland, LaRochere Bee Glassware, spring table setting

A Lovely Easter Tablescape

May 4, 2011 by Susan 20 Comments

Marilyn recently shared pictures of a wonderful Easter tablescape and they were just too lovely to keep to myself another whole year before sharing them with you. Marilyn created this a beautiful table setting for her family and it is completely delightful! Love this view of the table! China is Old Country Roses by Royal Albert...so elegant! Marilyn even created a bunny rabbit … [Read more...]

Filed Under: Children's Tablescapes, Easter Holiday Home, Easter Table Settings, Easter Tablescapes, Tablescapes Holiday Tablescapes, The Holiday Home Tagged With: Children Table Setting, Easter table setting, Easter Table Settings, Easter Tablescape, Easter Tablescapes, Fitz and Floyd Bunny Rabbits, Old Country Roses China by Royal Albert, Whimsical Table Setting

Squirrel Outwits Bird Feeder: The Story of Leon and Pearl

May 3, 2011 by Susan 46 Comments

Once upon a time there was a squirrel named Pearl and she lived on a Leon's deck. Whenever Leon wasn't looking, Pearl would creep over to Leon's bird feeder and throw it off the table and onto the deck. The poor bird feeder became badly bent and broken. Leon was not pleased and he chased Pearl away whenever he saw her. "How can I keep Pearl from totally ruining my feeder?" mused Leon. "I know, I'll tie it … [Read more...]

Filed Under: For the Love of Birds, Gardening & Birding, Nature Tagged With: Bird Feeders, Bird Watching, Squirrels

A Kitty Cat Rail for the Porch

May 3, 2011 by Susan 19 Comments

While we continue enjoying all the fabulous "Before and Afters" linked for yesterday's Met Monday, I wanted to share a little addition you may want to consider adding or building into a screened-in porch if you have kitties living in your household. Recently I received an e-mail from Marcy who shared a fun feature she and her husband added to their porch: a kitty cat rail. Marcy told me, "The post … [Read more...]

Filed Under: Porches Tagged With: DG Porches, Living with Cats

Historic Restoration, Part III

May 2, 2011 by Susan 43 Comments

Welcome to the 119th Metamorphosis Monday! For this Met Monday, I'm excited to share an update on the historic Tyson-Stedham home in Adel, Georgia. This Arts and Crafts home, built in 1912, had been "renovated" over the years by previous owners and had lost its original personality and beauty. Dustin, owner of Van der Fleet Designs and Restoration, along with his hardworking crew, have made some … [Read more...]

Filed Under: Before & After, Historic Homes, Home Tours Tagged With: Historic Home Restoration

Two Mysteries: Houdini Squirrel and Every Word

April 30, 2011 by Susan 58 Comments

Mystery 1: Today was car-tire(s)-buying day. Yuck. So, as I'm talking on the phone with the guy at the tire store, I opened the kitchen door that leads to the screened in porch. A gray blur ran by. Ummm, not good. I walked gingerly out onto the porch and I saw it. And, it saw me. A squirrel. Mr. Squirrel began frantically running around my porch, scaling the screens and in general, FREAKING OUT! I … [Read more...]

Filed Under: For the Love of Birds, Gardening & Birding, Nature Tagged With: Every Word Game, Kindle, Squirrels and Bird "Feeders

Styling by Coty Farquhar

April 28, 2011 by Susan 103 Comments

Welcome to the 140th Tablescape Thursday! I have a wonderful Giveaway this week for Tablescape Thursday. This giveaway will have 6 winners so lots of opportunities to win! I'm so excited to share the gorgeous and breathtaking designs of Coty Farquhar. Are you familiar with her blog, Styling by Coty Farquhar? If not, you are in for a wonderful experience! Coty lives in one of the most beautiful … [Read more...]

Filed Under: Romantic Tablescapes, Seasonal Tablescapes, Spring & Summer Tablescapes, Tablescape Thursday Tagged With: Dining Outdoors, Garden Party Tablescapes, Garden Table Setting, Tablescape Thursday

9 Great Features For Your Screened Porch

April 26, 2011 by Susan 121 Comments

A little over three years ago I was faced with a big decision. I had a badly deteriorating deck and I knew if I didn't replace it then, I would surely have to replace it before I ever listed my home to sell it one day. How often do we do that--wait until it's time to move before we fix things or make improvements we've dreamed of for years? Then it's the next homeowner who gets to enjoy our hard work. If … [Read more...]

Filed Under: My Nest, Porches, Porches & Decks Tagged With: Building a Screened-in Porch, Deck and Porch Additions, Great Porch Features, Must Haves for a Porch, Porch Addition, Porch Dining, Porch Fans, Porch Furniture, Porch Outlets, Porch Swing, Screened-in Porch

A New Plan for the Office

April 25, 2011 by Susan 44 Comments

Welcome to the 118th Metamorphosis Monday! I hope you've had a wonderful Easter weekend. I don't have a major "Before and After" to share for this Metamorphosis Monday, but I've made some pretty big changes regarding the layout of the office. I wasn't thrilled with where I hung the wrapping paper/craft center in THIS post. The shutter being partly tilted didn't bother me that much but it just made the … [Read more...]

Filed Under: Before & After Tagged With: New Plan for the office, Office Updates, Pottery Barn Bedford Furniture, Pottery Barn Bedford Office

Bunny Rabbit Napkin Fold: Great for Easter or a Springtime Tablescape

April 22, 2011 by Susan 36 Comments

While we continue enjoying all the beautiful tablescapes posted for yesterday's Tablescape Thursday, here's a tutorial for the bunny napkin fold I used in this tablescape: Easter Tablescape with Daisy Centerpiece and Bunny Napkin Fold. All you need is a little ribbon and some small pom poms from the craft store and you'll be all set for Easter dinner. This fold … [Read more...]

Filed Under: Easter Holiday Home, Easter Napkin Folds, Easter Table Settings, Easter Tablescapes, Napkin Folding Tutorials, Tablescapes Holiday Tablescapes, The Holiday Home Tagged With: Bunny Napkin Fold Tutorial, Bunny Napkin Folding Tutorial, Bunny Rabbit Napkin Fold, Easter Napkin Folding Tutorial, Napkin Fold, Napkin Fold for Easter, Rabbit Napkin Folding Tutorial

The Easter Bunny’s Magic Compass

April 21, 2011 by Susan 80 Comments

Welcome to the 139th Tablescape Thursday! With Easter only a few days away, I couldn't resist bringing out all the bunnies for a little Easter table setting. It was a beautiful day here and I almost put this table out on the porch but it ended up here in the breakfast room, instead. Chrysanthemums make for a great springtime centerpiece. I tucked a sweet … [Read more...]

Filed Under: Easter Holiday Home, Easter Table Settings, Easter Tablescapes, Tablescape Thursday, The Holiday Home Tagged With: Bunny Napkin Fold, Daisy Centerpiece, Easter Decorating, Easter table setting, Easter Table Settings, Easter Tablescape, Easter Tablescapes, floral centerpiece

A New Market Umbrella for the Deck

April 19, 2011 by Susan 60 Comments

It's that time of year--the time when we go outside, look around and take stock. Mother Nature has a way of taking her toll on our outdoor furniture and my green market umbrella had definitely seen better days. When I first bought this huge, 9-ft umbrella for my patio furniture, I was so proud of it I never left it outside. Back then the deck wasn't a very fun place to entertain or to spend any time. The … [Read more...]

Filed Under: Home Tours, My Nest, Porches, Porches & Decks Tagged With: Deck Umbrella, Market Umbrella, Outdoor Umbrella

Office Additions

April 18, 2011 by Susan 88 Comments

Welcome to the 117th Metamorphosis Monday! How was your weekend? Did you have gorgeous weather and spend some time outdoors gardening or playing? I've been potting up a few tomatoes on the deck and doing a little cleaning after all our recent storms. I love trees but they sure do create a mess on the decks. If you've been following my office metamorphosis you may be surprised to hear: I finally hung … [Read more...]

Filed Under: Before & After Tagged With: Bulletin Board with Doors, Home Office Updates, Pottery Barn Wrapping Paper Organizer

A Behind the Scenes Tour

April 15, 2011 by Susan 53 Comments

Sometimes the most fun stuff to see in a room redo are the things that are hidden from sight. So though I haven't hung this bulletin board, yet... Or, this cute shelf... Or, this wrapping center I shared HERE, I have been busy with a few other little things in the office. Come take a peek. Remember the steps I found for Max for only $10 at an indoor flea market HERE? I had Home … [Read more...]

Filed Under: DIY, DIY Organization and Storage, For the Love of Birds, Gardening & Birding, My Nest, Nature, Office/Craft/Sewing Room Tagged With: Bird Watching, Birding, Home Office, Organization and Storage Ideas for the home office, Window Bird Feeder

The One That Got Away

April 13, 2011 by Susan 44 Comments

Yipee! The furniture is back in place at last. It feels like the office grew several feet. You can just see Max's steps peeking out from behind the desk. He is using them and they are working well. I'm looking forward to finding a great chandelier to replace the overhead ceiling fan. From the very beginning I knew I didn't want this home office to feel too officey or too serious. Early on, I set my … [Read more...]

Filed Under: Uncategorized Tagged With: Poppy Chandelier, Tole Chandelier, Whimsical Lighting

Historic Home Restoration, Part II

April 11, 2011 by Susan 38 Comments

Welcome to the 116th Metamorphosis Monday! Greetings! Hope your weekend has been a fabulous one! I'm excited to share an update this week on historic Tyson-Stedham House, a wonderful Arts and Crafts home that's undergoing a complete restoration by Van der Fleet Designs and Restoration. Dustin (owner of of Van der Fleet Designs and Restoration) along with his dedicated crew, have been hard at work these … [Read more...]

Filed Under: Historic Homes, Home Tours Tagged With: Historic Home Restoration

A Paint Panic Attack

April 9, 2011 by Susan 116 Comments

Update: Home Depot has changed the paint formulas again so ignore the formula further down in this post: You'll find the correct formulas in this post now: My Fave Yellow Paint Colors: Duron Sugar Cookie & Duron Tea Biscuit Does this ever happen to you? You finally decide on a paint color, go to the paint store, buy the paint, come home, start painting and then, PANIC! It happens to me every. … [Read more...]

Filed Under: Before & After, DIY Repairs and Fixes, My Nest, Office/Craft/Sewing Room Tagged With: Choosing the right paint, Duron Sugar Cookie, perfect yellow paint

Fantasy Garages

April 8, 2011 by Susan 31 Comments

Recently, I received an e-mail from a friend and it contained these pics of dream garages. Well, actually the e-mail was titled: "What a man's garage should look like." I have a love for luxury vehicles, antique cars and going to car shows, so I'm renaming this: "What a woman's garage should look like." HA! Whether you love a well-built touring machine or your taste goes more toward the racing side, … [Read more...]

Filed Under: Uncategorized Tagged With: DG Garage

A Country Rooster Table Setting

April 7, 2011 by Susan 65 Comments

Welcome to the 137th Tablescape Thursday! It was gorgeous here today. It was so pretty I was tempted to put this tablescape out on the porch, but the pollen is insane right now. If you look closely, you can see it out there on the porch floor. That isn't dust...that's pollen! Yikes! We'll tablescape out there soon, but for now let's stay inside where it's a little less messy. So come on … [Read more...]

Filed Under: Fall Tablescapes, Spring & Summer Tablescapes, Tablescape Thursday Tagged With: fall table setting, Rooster Themed Table Setting, Table Settings, Tablescape Thursday

Candy’s Beautiful Porch Addition

April 6, 2011 by Susan 35 Comments

One of the best parts of blogging is receiving e-mails and photos from readers of BNOTP. Candy e-mailed back in September to let me know she had been so inspired after seeing my screened in porch, she decided to add a screened-in porch on to the back of her home. Along with the photos of her porch, she wrote: "It is truly a work in progress. Thank you for your blog; if it wasn't for your porch, I would … [Read more...]

Filed Under: Before & After, Porches

Tour an Historic Home Furnished with Gorgeous Antiques

April 5, 2011 by Susan 29 Comments

While we continue enjoying all the great links for yesterday's Met Monday, I thought I'd take you inside of the beautiful historic home where our garden club meets each month. But first, a little update on two small changes I made recently at BNOTP. Each month my garden club meets in this wonderful, two-story Victorian home. It majestically sits on over 3 acres of land, surrounded by beautiful gardens. … [Read more...]

Filed Under: Historic Homes, Home Tours Tagged With: Historic Home furnished with Antiques, Historic Home Tour, Victorian Home

Some Little Updates Around Here

April 4, 2011 by Susan 32 Comments

Welcome to the 115th Metamorphosis Monday! I spent today putting a second coat of primer over the mural wall in my "under construction" office. I think one more coat and I can start painting. Yay! You may remember yesterday I shared some steps I bought for Max at an "indoor yard sale." You can read about that HERE. I bought them to assist Mr. Max (yes, he's spoiled) with hoping up onto the end of … [Read more...]

Filed Under: Before & After, DIY Tagged With: Kitty Stairs, Painting steps

A Roller-Coaster Day

April 2, 2011 by Susan 93 Comments

Today was a crazy, roller-coaster day, filled with highs and filled with a few tears. The day started with an e-mail that a chandelier I had bid on (and lost) on eBay for the office, might actually get to be mine after all. :) It hasn't been confirmed for sure, but there's a good chance. Keep your fingers and toes crossed...I should know soon. Next, I found this in my e-mail Inbox and I rushed to shower … [Read more...]

Filed Under: Before & After, Favorite Fashions & Home Goods Tagged With: Child's bedroom becomes home office, Painting over a mural

A Beautiful Herend and Royal Copenhagen Tablescape

March 31, 2011 by Susan 41 Comments

Welcome to the 136th Tablescape Thursday! Rain, rain, go AWAY. Come again another day. On second thought, don't come back for a few weeks. We are water logged here in Georgia. How is it in your part of the country? I am seriously craving some sunshine. Fortunately, my friend, Cornelia sent some all the way from Switzerland via a lovely table setting. Welcome to Cornelia's beautiful dining … [Read more...]

Filed Under: Tablescape Thursday Tagged With: Formal Table Setting, Herend, Nymphenburg, Royal Copenhagen, Tablescape Thursday

Pottery Barn Home Office Update: Sharing Some Fun Stuff

March 29, 2011 by Susan 40 Comments

Several folks have e-mailed or left comments asking how the office is coming along. (If you're new to reading BNOTP, check out THIS post and THIS post for some background info.) The weather has certainly slowed my progress down a bit. I have a small amount of sanding left to do and I haven't been able to complete that since it turned cold. Max, my four-footed furry shadow, won't stay out of the room … [Read more...]

Filed Under: Uncategorized Tagged With: Wrapping paper Organizer

Historic Home Restoration

March 28, 2011 by Susan 69 Comments

Welcome to the 114th Metamorphosis Monday! Hi Everyone! Hope your weekend has been a fun one. Today I have a metamorphosis I'm super excited to share. Well actually, it's the beginning of a huge metamorphosis. If you've been reading BNOTPfor very long, you know I have a passion for historic homes. Recently, I met Dustin with Van der Fleet Designs and Restoration. He not only has a passion for old homes, … [Read more...]

Filed Under: Before & After, Historic Homes, Home Tours Tagged With: Historic Home Restoration

Spring and Easter Inspiration for Your Decor

March 25, 2011 by Susan 37 Comments

While we continue enjoying all the wonderful tablescapes linked for yesterdays Tablescape Thursday, I wanted to share a little spring and Easter decorating my friend, Cornelia has been doing. Cornelia lives in Switzerland and loves to collect exquisite pieces to decorate with for the seasons and holidays. I love how she used branches to display her collection of beautiful ornaments and Easter decor. … [Read more...]

Filed Under: Easter Decorating, Easter Holiday Home, The Holiday Home Tagged With: Easter Decorating, Easter Tree, German Collectibles, Spring Decorating, Vintage Easter

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