I am so exhausted. We haven't even finished the first week of school and I'm wondering if I'll make it to Christmas break. Hopefully everything calms down soon. Ugh! And to top things off we've been having a tremendous heat wave. The kids are cranky, I'm cranky, the parents are cranky. Ick!!! Enough.
But the good news is this...

Yup I've got it already and thoroughly enjoying it when I have a chance to read that is. Hope everyone in blogland is doing great.

So if this past week at work is any indication what the rest of the year is going to be like, it's going to be a humdinger of a year and not in a good way. I'm exhausted already and the school year hasn't even started. Worked until 10 - 10:30 last night. Maybe I'll clean my new sewing room today. See ya. Hope the weekend is great. The real fun begins Monday when we add students to the mix. Wish me luck.

First Awards

I've been awarded by the very kind Jo from Secret Garden Cottage. Thank you sweet Jo. My first awards. Wow. Really don't think I deserve these when I see all the talent out there in blogland. Really I'm just a great copier not creative or anything. No original ideas here.

1. Thank the one who passed the award on to me:  Check.

2. Sum up your blogging philosophy, motivation, and experience in five words (A Blog With Substance):  Friendship, Inspiration, Motivation, Love Writing

3.  Tell seven things about yourself (Versatile Blogger):

1. Served 3 years in the United States Army

2. Met my husband while serving in the Army

3. Homeschooled my kids for 12 years

4. I love historical reenactment - though I belong to no such group currently

5. Would love to do something creative with my life - like own a shop, bed and breakfast, whatever

6. I love to cook though you wouldn't know it because I never seem to share any recipes

7. I have a huge fear of heights - why I don't like to fly

4. Pass these awards on to 10 other bloggers.  I'm passing this award on to the following people because you have touched my life in some way. I am inspired daily to get up and get going because of people like these in blogland. Thank you all so much for contributing of yourselves in so many big and little ways.

1. I would you choose you Jo, but here goes

1. Becca of Becca's Bugs and Brownies

2. Kathy of Kate's Place

3. Ann Marie of La Maison La Fortune

4. Missy of My Cottage Charm

5. Jona of Stop Staring and Start Sewing

6. Rue of PBJ Life

7. Joni of Old Centennial Farmhouse

8. Allison of Allison's Handmade Life

9. Yoli of Apron Senorita

10. Manuela of The Pleasures of Homemaking

Guest House Reveal

I'm a little nervous to share these because they are unfinished. But here goes. I hope to use mostly pieces that I have and try not to over decorate like I usually do. LOL! Just keep it simple or at least I will try.
This is the fabric that inspired it though Seth had already picked the colors - Mark Twain House Oak and School boy blue both by Valspar. The theme for the whole guest house will be cottage by the sea.

Bedroom reveal - trying to reuse pieces I had with a few additions.

The blue dish I found at the thrift store for .90 

Reused the headboard from my son's room. Pillows are new and so is the blue tray on the small bookcase. The picture frame I want to paint white and add a beach landscape. I've found one I like just waiting for the money.

Ignore Rosie the pink toed tarantula in the corner. She'll be leaving in September. The sewing cabinet was hubby's grandmother. I want to paint it and the headboard white.

Got this cool old window down at my favorite local shop. Perfect!

Just loved the way the evening sun was coming through the window.

Bathroom reveal -

Several of these pieces I already had in my master bath. So I'm reusing them here and I'll redo my bath eventually. 

The sand dollar my husband brought me while he was still a diver for the U.S. Army. It's a very small bath at 6x9 feet. The walls were originally a light purple called evening stardust I believe. My mother loved purple and the guest house was built for her. So I decorated towards her tastes. 

I've been collecting sea glass and shells for awhile now. I was dancing up and down last summer at the beach when I found this large blue piece. Kids thought I was crazy.

I had hubby install the shelf low because there isn't much counter space. 

There is still so much I need and want to do. Sew curtains, paint the furniture, install more shelves in the bathroom, shelves in the bedroom, create something for over the shower area, and the list goes on. So the guest house will be available in October should you care to visit. ;o)

Hope I didn't bore you with all the pictures and unfinished pieces. Would have loved to wait, but I couldn't. The guest house also has a large room. I won't be redoing that until after Seth leaves at the end of September. Hope everyone's weekend is a great one.
I'm linking up to Cindy of My Romantic Home Show and Tell Friday.

Cream Ware and Milk Glass - Little Treasures and some Awards

Hello! Wow the last two weeks have been a killer. Like some kind of marathon or something. At least for me. LOL! Painted the guest house along with getting my daughter ready to leave for school. Then traveling with her up to Sacramento to leave her, that was harder than giving birth. But on to the subject of this post. Sorry to wander.

I've been collecting Creamware for several years now at least 13 or more. It started with yard sales when we lived in Virginia. I kept running into this one pattern and just really liked it. It has no marks the ones I've collected, but I do know it's a Homer Laughlin knock-off. Homer Laughlin did have it's own pattern of this, but I liked the chunkier knockoffs better. Go figure. A couple of weeks ago while at an antique store I found a matching teapot. I've never seen a teapot. I do have the creamer. Found that years ago while visiting my mom in Mississippi. I was so excited. It was $11, it's even decently priced at the antique stores. Then last week I found this cute individual soup tureen. Added that to the shelf. Almost everything on the shelf has been found at yard sales, a few pieces have been gifts and a few have been bought at antique stores. Enjoy.

 Here's the teapot. Just love it.

 I loved the design on the butter dish. No bottom but felt it needed a home anyways. 

 This little soup tureen was found at an antique store in Missouri. Mom, the kids and I were on a trip many years ago when I discovered this treasure.

 These milk glass cups were thrift store finds, each a separate week but found at the same thrift store. Two are identical. The little covered milk glass dish beside it I found at an antique store but it was marked way down due to a flaw which is very minor. 

 Here's the soup tureen I found. 

These cups are on a different shelf but I kept going to my favorite thrift store and these three cups and saucers would be there every week. I finally felt sorry for them and brought them home. LOL

 One of the cups.

 I call this my orphan tea cup shelf. The cups on the left belonged to my husband's great, great grandmother. Who knows where the saucers went. The ones on the left however where orphaned by my hubby. Yup broken saucers over the years for various reasons like playing ball in the house with dog, knocking a shelf off a wall. Hubby has broken more china than my kids. Go figure. Of course what do orphan tea cups need? An orphan sugar bowl with no lid found at the thrift store. I pulled the lace back so you could see the treasures better.

 Here's the whole shelf. Seth made it for me. One of his very first projects in high school. The blue and white willow ware at the top belonged to my great grandmother. That's a treasure also. My daughter who loves blue and white has already asked for this set. In the next couple of weeks I'll box this up very carefully and find something else for this spot. I'm just glad she likes it. My great grandmother loved Willow ware. When she passed away ( I was 16, quite a few years ago) and we were going through her house we found three complete sets of Willow ware plus various pieces. 

 

The creamer to my creamware. 

Wow! Long post, sorry. I'm linking up to

Treasures and Trinkets Thursday 

I will be posting pictures soon of the guest house. I'm reluctant because there's so much more I want to do in there yet. But it's the end of summer and money gets really tight after your second month of no paycheck. Go figure. 

Jojeana of Secret Garden Cottage has given me my first awards. I'll be posting those in the next few days because this post is long enough. Thanks so much Jo!

 

Happy days are here again. I finished the guest house painting. Hallelujah!! Photo reveal coming soon.