The Delightful Eclectic Abode

The Lingering Holiday Season Along with Some Late Night Ramblings.....

Today was a really nice day in many ways.  I enjoyed a nice lunch by myself at Panera's while surfing on my I-pad 2.  I really need to watch my spelling while using the I-pad because the keyboard is much different and I've noticed MANY typos oops!

Stopped at Kohl's and bought a new blouse and camie, with my $30.00 Kohl's cash, to wear to the holiday party on December 30th.

The camie has a little bling on it, but it's difficult to see in the photo.  It's a casual party so I'll probably wear black jeans and my really cool riding boots!

 

 

My husband and I enjoyed a nice evening while taking turns painting our kitchen table.  He's painting the top of the table (the most important part) and I'm painting the sides and legs.  So far, I'm pleased with the results.  We wanted a new look without having to spend much cash.  Here is a look at the before.  We both need to work on our photography skills.

 

 Please check back in a couple of days to see the results!

 

I'm also VERY excited about our new trash can receptacle!  Can you imagine getting excited about a trash can?  This one is a dual purpose trash receptacle that also serves as a piece of furniture and let me tell you....I love it!  Since my kitchen is quite small...I'm so happy that I can also put my coffee pot and little lamp on top.

 

Need more practice holding the camera steady!  This posting will serve as evidence of my progress (hopefully).

 

For me, the holidays last for most of December.  I usually put up the tree after my birthday, December 7th and take the tree down within the first week of January.  I figure since I went through all the trouble of getting all that stuff out.....I should enjoy it for awhile. 

 

I'm sure some of you might be tired of looking at holiday decorations by now.  The stores already have valentines day items on display.

 

When I opened my blinds this morning I noticed my neighbors Christmas tree was on their front porch with all of the decorations taken off. 

 

While walking my dogs today, I also noticed several real trees out on the curb waiting for the garbage.  Now this is just my opinion......but I'm not a fan of cutting down Christmas trees, using them for a couple of weeks and then tossing them to the curb. 

 

I know many people will only use real trees, but a faux tree is my preference.  Another reason I prefer faux is the needles bother me and I'm afraid I'll burn the tree down while leaving the lights on.

 

Dave and I had an interesting Christmas this year.  Usually, we will have my mom, sister, brother-in-law and nephew over for dinner.  Dave will make his famous Polish dish and after we enjoy a few hours with family, some of our friends will come over.  We have had this tradition for the past 20 years.  Most of my family live out of state.

 

This year we decided not to cook or have anyone over.  My sister said she had to work on Christmas, and my mother passed away in January of 2010.

 

Since we celebrated Christmas eve with Dave's family, we decided to have a nice quiet day with just the two of us plus our little furry pets.  After a few hours of sitting around in our pajamas watching movies, we began to get antsy.  In fact, we both felt a little down like something was amiss.  We decided to go for a walk with the dogs to get some exercise hoping this would lift our spirits. 

 

MEMORY ISSUES ARE SCARING ME!

As we approached our house, I saw a familiar vehicle pull up to the curb.  I thought to myself, "that looks like Betty and Greg." Shortly after that thought, they stepped out of their vehicle dressed in their red sweaters ready to attend our open house.  We were so happy to see them, but I was a little embarassed that I had forgotten to tell them that we weren't having an open house this year. 

 

Sometimes I worry about my memory especially since my mother had Alzheimer's disease.  She was officially diagnosed at age 80 so at least it wasn't early onset.

 

Do any of you who are 50 something ever wonder about your memory?

 

Our Christmas turned out really nice after all!  We were so happy to see our friends and to visit with them.  In fact, we all went out for a little "joy ride" to see the holiday lights in the little town of Plymouth that is not far from me.

 

 

 

 

 

Christmas is a time that is meant to be spent with family and friends!  Even if it had turned out to be me and Dave it still would have been a nice day because WE are family, but it was nice to have friends join us!

 

While shopping at Kohl's today....I got a little scared because I couldn't remember where I parked my car.  I'll tell you this has me a little worried.  Sometimes I walk in a room and can't remember what I walked in there for.  Do any of you who are 50 something ever experience this???

 

I'm really enjoying being off from work.  I've been off since Saturday, December 25th, and I go back to work on Tuesday, January 3rd.  I noticed I've been staying up later and getting up later too.  On Sunday I'll try to go to bed early to get back into my regular routine.  I don't do well on little sleep.  I'm also a all or nothing type of gal.  Since being off, I'm posting like crazy so.....we'll see how long this lasts??

 

As I type this posting, my dogs are snoring, my gas logs are burning in the fireplace, and I'm enjoying the lights on my Christmas tree.  Do any of you get a nice peaceful feeling when you look at your dogs while they are sleeping and snoring???  I do.  It makes me feel content.

 

Boy, these pictures look like crap but I'm leaving them anyway.  Hope this doesn't scare anyone off because sometimes I can take some really COOL pictures but I need practice taking evening shots.

 

Good night and sleep well.  I'd love to hear from anyone out there who could relate to anything that I was rambling about during this blog post.

 

~Sandy

2011 Delightful Projects

Hi there!

This evening I'm linking up to Rhoda's "Top Projects of 2011" party. Her blog is gorgeous and there is a lot to see...so please go on over and say hello!

This is the year that "The Delightful Eclectic Abode" blog was born!  My husband Dave and I have tackled a few projects this year and I've completed a couple of solo projects.  So....here's a peek.  It's 11:30 PM so I had to hurry to get this blog post finished.  Sorry that I don't have a before picture for a few of the projects.

This is a little update to one of our small bathrooms (we have 3).  The walls used to be purple and I had touches of yellow in the room.  This is what it looks like now.

 

 

 

Simple little window treatment that I created.

 

Some changes to the outdoor garden..... Painted the back door that leads out to the covered patio.

Painted the side door to my garage.  It used to be a plain white faded door.  Painted all kinds of plastic pots bright colors.  Painted the wood on some old stained glass windows for the garden.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Painted the front door turquoise.  The picture doesn't do it justice.  It doesn't show the true color but this will give you an idea of what it looks like.  The door used to be green.

 

 

 

Kitchen redo that is still in process.....due to be finished in the next couple of weeks.  Here is a peek.

 

Before

 

 

After

 

 

I'm in the process of painting my kitchen table and chairs and should be finished tomorrow...so if you come back you can see the transformation!!!

 

I'm a few days late with the table and chair painting project.  This project was completed on Saturday December 30th so it qualifies as a 2011 DIY project.

 

To really appreciate a transformation, it's alway good to see a before and after picture.  Here is what the table looked like before (after many years of use). I'm going to show you the products that I used.  To avoid sanding, I used a deglossing formula.  After applying this to the table and allowing it to dry overnight I was ready to begin painting.  I don't think it's necessary to wait until overnight before painting but it was late and I was tired.

 

 

I used Valspar black paint in a satin finish.  Lowe's asked if I wanted a primer added to the paint and I said yes.

Okay, I'm ready to paint!  This is me in my work outfit with NO makeup and my hair isn't done.

I'm only making one new year resolution.....to exercise more because diets never work for me!

Okay, one chair down and three more to go!

 

I think I'm going to like this transformation but wow, this is a lot of work.  Rhoda suggested spray painting but I couldn't wait until spring to do it ouside.

 

 

 

My friend Geniva said I should leave the chandelier decorated like this for the winter and I just might do that!

 

 

Thanks for stopping by!  I have a lot more projects planned for 2012  (maybe I can talk my husband Dave into painting our maple fireplace mantel white).  I have an old corner cabinet that is really dated that might look good in my kitchen painted a cream color? 

 

~Sandy

 

 

Christmas Eve at the Delightful Eclectic Abode

It's CHRISTMAS EVE morning and the sun is shining!  We slept in today and got up at 8:30 AM to a light dusting of snow on the ground.

I just love the way the sun streams through my leaded glass sidelight in the kitchen doorwall.  Do you have a favorite room to sit in where the sun shines just right?

 

 

 

One of our family traditions is to spend Christmas eve with my husband Dave's family.  I love this tradition and enjoy spending time with our family.  We'll pick-up my father and mother in-law about 4 PM and head over to my nephew and his wife's house.  This means we get to have a nice relaxed morning.

 

So.....I decided to make a light breakfast and set a pretty table.

 

 

 

 

I love the color red all year long....and I also love birds!  Isn't this a pretty little tea set? 

 

I purchased it a few years ago at a lovely little shop in Ypsilanti Depot town called Quinn's Essentials.  Sadly, the shop closed a couple of years ago because the owner wanted to focus on interior design.

 

The Detroit Lions are playing today.  This is a big game for the Lion's fans.  If they win, it will be the first time in 12 years that they have gone to the playoffs.

 

 

The Lions have a loyal fan base in spite of being a losing team for so many years.  My husband and his family are loyal fans.  Our town could sure use a win today.

   

Historically, sports are a way to unite people and give them a sense of hope.  When times are tough, jobs are scarce, and the local economy is bad, a win for a local team is even more important.

You can bet my family will be watching this game!  They love sports!  I'm a fair weather fan and only get excited when we have a winning team.  Detroit has had their share of wins with the Red Wings winning several Stanley cups.

 

 

A couple of poached eggs for breakfast.  We're keeping it simple today.  I'll toast some English muffins and top the eggs with some ham and cheese.  The table was set for esthetic purposes to have some pretty pictures for the blog.

We really don't eat like this with a fancy table setting because I'd be too worried about stains. Now isn't that a shame? Oxyclean usually gets out just about anything so maybe we should have a fancy meal some time. I'm not a fancy kind of gal though (well occasionally I am).

 

 

We have so many reasons to be grateful.  Every day is a gift.......

 

 

Kayla and Kensie are ready for their walk.....

 

It truly is a beautiful day with a light dusting of snow on the holly bushes.

 

I believe in the power of the holy spirit and the spirit of love during the Christmas season and all year long......

 

 

 

 

 

 

So as you go about your day.....let your inner light shine!!!

 

Have a blue bird Christmas Eve day!  This little bird is for you Kim!  You have inspired me all year and you are the first person who followed my little blog.  Thank you for your kindness and your support!!!

 

XXOO  ~Sandy

Uncut version - December afternoon at the Delightful Eclectic Abode

It's a cloudy snowy morning at the Delightful Eclectic Abode.  We have parties to attend this weekend so we're preparing food to take to the gathering.  My hubby is making his famous kielbsa, sauerkraut and cabbage dish that doesn't look appetizing, but wow is it good!  Every time he makes this dish people want us to make them a plate to take home!

So.....this is what life is really like in a small kitchen and a small home!!

 

Come on in.....

 

Finally wrote out Christmas cards and dropped them in the mail. We've been receiving some beautiful cards from friends and family. We really enjoy reading the christmas letters that some include with their cards. It's nice to catch-up with what's happening in their lives, especially when you haven't seen them in awhile.

 

 

What do you think of the turquoise door? 

 

So come on in and meet Dave my hubby! 

He's cooking up a storm.

 

We love to watch or listen to televison while we work.  I usually have HGTV on or a Saturday afternoon movie.  Dave usually watches anything sports related, but he's beginning to like the DIY projects that are documented on HGTV.

Had to take the lovely tablecloth off the table so I could peel potatoes.  We're power cooking today!

 

Thinking about painting the table and chairs while I'm off from work for 10 days after Christmas!  We don't plan to go out of town this year.  Our grandkids live in Delaware. We haven't been there during the holidays in a long....time. The last time we saw them was in July. It's difficult sometimes to maintain long distance relationships so we do the best we can.

 

 

 

Dave checking the food on the stove.  I'm sure you can notice that our kitchen re-do is still a work in progress.  Still deciding on how we want to finish the end of the cabinets.  We're still lacking counter space but we make it work.

 

 

Kayla looking for scraps.  She's a food hound!  If you want her to come just open a bag or box and she'll be at your side in a New York minute!!

Temporary storage from the grocery store visit this morning.  We have a new pantry door planned soon.

I'm not fond of having a trash can out in the open in the kitchen or dining room.  Since we installed the granite and an undermount sink, I don't have any place to put the trash.  We're looking for a nice cabinet to store the trash can; hopefully something that can serve as double duty for storage.

So.....this is what we're currently using.  This has got to go soon!

 

Luckily everything in the pantry is sealed in a can or box or this would not fly!

I'm looking for something similar to the picture below.  I'd like to be able to put the coffee pot on the top of the cabinet.

We've been looking for a pantry door.  I think I might like something similar to this.

 

 

 

One plus.  I can see the fireplace when I'm sitting in the kitchen depending on which chair I sit in.

 

View of front door from the living room.

 

Hubby's temporary storage for kleenex.  Every day I move these boxes.

 

Messy guest room bed serving as temporary storage for unwrapped Christmas gifts and laundry that needs to be put away.  That large white thing draped on the bed is my white tablecloth.

 

My little desk in our tiny little home office.  Just noticed my hubby is using the bottom of the cabinet for shoe storage and my chair to hang his belt.

 

 

Another view of hubby's messy desk.

 

This is what our home typically looks like on a Saturday after a long work week.  We'll tidy up later today before we head out to the holiday gathering. 

I used to let stuff like this drive me absolutely crazy but I've mellowed since turning 50 something.  It's not worth stressing and ruining a relationship because my small house isn't perfect and everything isn't in its proper place.

So....gotta hop in the shower and get ready for my day.  We'll squeeze a little shopping in too.

 

Hope you enjoy your day!

 

~Sandy

 

 

 

 

Decorating a small house for the holidays

Hello!

Welcome to the Delightful Eclectic Abode.  Today I'm participating in Claudia and Brenda's series "Defending the Small House: Holiday Edition.

This is series #5 so if you would like to see other postings about the joys of living in a small home, please visit their blog and enjoy some reading about living life in a small cozy home.  You might want to prepare a cup of tea, coffee or hot cocoa because I think you'll want to stay awhile. They both have lots of interesting content and the photos are divine!

My current home is 1100 square feet.  I also have a finished basement.  Since real estate doesn't count basements into the square footage when listing homes, I guess I still qualify for the small house series.  We do have small rooms and small closets so It's important to efficiently organize storage space.

So.....come on in!  Today I'm going to show you the foyer, kitchen and living room. 

 

It's difficult to see the true color of the front door due to the flash on the camera and my amateur editing skills.  We painted it a turquoise shade this summer and we love it!    

Here is our teeny tiny foyer that leads directly into the kitchen as you walk through the front door. To the right is the living room. 

 

 

 

This year we decorated lightly.  I have a beautiful Santa collection and also have many buildings from the Department 56 Snow Village.    It was a lot of work so this year the village remained in storage along with the santa collection.

I'm trying to do things a little bit simpler this year.  I've been VERY busy with new job responsibilities at work (grateful to be working).

Come on in and take a look at my eat-in kitchen.  The kitchen is still a work in progress.  We have lots of trim and molding to finish and I want to install a new pantry door.  More DIY projects are in the works for the long winter months...

My kitchen cabinets are 20 years old so to go easy on our budget we installed granite, subway tile, and put new hardware on the cabinet doors and drawers.  I'm so pleased!  It feels like a whole new kitchen and we didn't have to pay thousands of dollars!!!

 

 

 

 

The Christmas cards are beginning to arrive!  I need to get busy and begin writing mine out so I'll have time to get them into the mail!  Last year hubby did them because he wasn't working and he was enjoying his retirement (which was short-lived). He found out that he didn't like retirement as much as he thought he would. I loved having him home because dinner would be ready and the clothes would be washed and folded.  He did a thorough job of cleaning house and in record time!  I miss those days.

 

 

As you can see I love birds!  What do you think of my decorated chandelier?

 Here is the view from the kitchen back into the living room.

 

 

I just love this ceramic dish that was purchased a few years ago from a little gift shop in Saline!  It's so enjoyable to change the decorations for each season.  I love this on my coffee table because it doesn't block any views.

 

Since we don't have a live Christmas tree....I burn a balsam and sage candle from the Yankee Candle company.  It makes the house smell divine!!  I don't burn too many candles any more because I'm afaid of starting a fire.  Sometimes I forget to blow the candles out.....oops, that's another story for another blog post.

 

 

I've always wanted a fireplace so we had this gas one installed several years ago.....that's another story too....

 

Kayla with her little ducky is wondering......what is mommie doing now!!!

Thanks so much for stopping by!  I hope you'll leave a comment or two.  I'd love to hear from you!

Wishing you all a peaceful, joyful holiday season with many blessings!!!!  Remember....there is always, always, always something to be thankful for even while in the midst of life's challenges...

 

~Sandy