Houzz Professional Design Award

I guess my tree house won a professional design award on Houzz

for being for being one of the top pics saved on idea books.

a little sad for me...
both those huge trees, that made my "tree house" were rotten and cut down this past week.
Lezlee

Holiday Banners...Spring, Valentine's, and Christmas

Spring...

card board box bunnies, 

wooden spools, 

sweet cards 

hangin' on some jute...

...a little cotton tail perhaps?




other holiday banners 
                    just hangin' at PriorHouse

Valentine's
  


Autumn

holidays are a time to "Gather" together...



and Christmas

Next?
Lezlee

                           Party Time...

Knick of Time Tuesday

Faded Charm for White Wednesday

Savvy Southern Style for Wow Us Wednesday

Ivy and Elephants for What's it Wednesday

Share the Love Wednesday at Very Merry Vintage Style

Sprucin' In the Livin' Room

I really have never "done" the living room, 

when the construction was all "done"...

                         so, a beginning.

After planning to make a song sheet wreath,  well... since the very first time I spied one... a few years ago - on blog land, I finally got it done.  I thought first on selling it, at The Victorian Lady Tea Room,
 however, I soon decided to work it into the wall arrangement...
                                                                 behind one of my couches...

We have been blessed with 5 children...

& 

I am the seventh child 

&

 the 5th in , "The Five Sisters"  

My walls are a soft pale yellow...
           the wreath made more of a statement atop the frame...
The house numbers were used, as place setting numbers for my crazy pretend Christmas Tour dinner...numbers...words...individual letters...I adore using them.  The graphic quality appeals to me.
One decorating delima for this room is incorporating the black buffet, staircase and other black pieces with the brown leather of the couches and dark brown stain on the floor, plus bringing in my beloved red, which is highlighted throughout the kithcen, dining and laundry area.  (this is all one big space), while keeping it soothing.  That is the hardest part for me, becuase I tend to go overboard.  My daughter said, "The house is looking good, Mom.  Don't add anything else!"  Do you guys have have self-appoited critics, hee hee                   

The "shelf" is a scrap of antique trim from some furniture piece. 

 The "quote" for now is one I made up...I like that it can be changed out whenever...

Therefore my chalkboard makes the mark and is re-hung ...
                         this impromtu decor on a dime, started late one night...
                                                             thus, I only shopped my  house...

a tattered card board box gives texture to "Spring" letters & bunnies.
                                          While the rusty spring was added in for a bit of "Sping" whimsy.

Isn't it the little things, for true,  when it comes to our homes...?

I think I am most fond of my tiny bird, painted on the brown bottle...
done with a chalk marker.  

I used a  stencil for starters and added some detail and the branch.

 My brother, 

(yes...I have 2... )

they are always getting 2nd billing,

 behind "The Five Sisters", lol.

Anyway,

Dwayne, cut out the dove,  using an old pattern of Moma's

(back when she crafted).

I decoupaged song sheets to the cheap battery candles sold during Christmas...

they will probably just be lit during special times.

  I could use votive holders and candles, too. 

They needed a touch of black accent... to remedy that, using items on hand,

I simply clasped two necklaces around their necks.

Next, to rid the couch of the boring brown, "I come with the sofa pillows"

Hitting my pillow stash 

I unearth 

an authentic sack to turn into a pillow, along with an original hand lettered flag pillow.

What  a good start.

Suzette bought me the red ticking one...

It is Ralph Lauren.  

She snagged it from Home Goods, at a decent price.  

I love the feel and look of it.  

The dark blue ticking pillow was at Canton, a 1.00 find!

The long pillow was purchased tonight, from Paul Micheal's...

It was 24.99, minus my 25 percent off  one item.  I'll let you do the math!

 It is a sack...for now it has a body pillow in it...

I am sure William is wondering how it dissappeared off our bed!
It could be made into three good size pillows. 
We have another sofa and big chair and a half on the otherside of our living room.

The door coffee table Josh made is in the living room...

two wooden chairs waiting for the grand daughters...this is a favorite spot for them to color.

We have stained concrete, in this part of the house. 

I couldn't find the size rug needed so...

 We went to a floor store,  bought a huge pad and carpet remnant,

then paid the floor store to bind the edges...

We did this when we lived in base houses...most of them had ugly tile throughout.

My cream colored ginger jar lamp came from Goodwill...The brass one was rescued, 

before my sister -in-law donated it. 

I already had the shades, a gift. 

I had fun with paper flowers 

& the number five again,

 also adding touches of Spring...

my house lends itself to "Red Holidays" quite well, such as Christmas, Valentine's & 4th of July...

but not so much to pastel spring...

my decor has a more

 weathered, whimsical or natural look.

lol, I need to scrub this...but isn't it cool?...

thinkin' on adding tape with the words,  

"Count Your Blessings"

$5.00 dollar find!

It is sitting on the table Josh made from scraps, 

ooh and by the way he is making the coolest scrap pie safe thingy,

 while he is out for Spring Break.

The white end table was picked up for a couple of bucks...it will do for now...

 Hanging out on the oval window is my Spring Banner...

after displaying one celebrating Christmas & again during Valentine's, 

the window looked lonely, without a banner.  I'll show you a close up another day...

This post is so long I'm sure I have lost many of you by now, lol.  I am such a random blogger..
.

I will be changing things up as I come across items and add touches of color.
And begin working on other areas of the room.  

This is so fun to me, but I had to be careful with nails.
The upstairs plumbing is behind that wall!

Livin' It Up

Lezlee 

I am joining Holly... 

Engagement Pictures~ A Leap of Faith

Laura and Josh...."at last"...having a little trouble getting the wedding pictures loaded...posting soon, I hope!

Gina Brown of "Captured by Grace" took this cool shot.


Happy Leap Year
Lezlee

East Texas Getaway

I had a four day weekend, because we hadn't used a snow day, and William had a day to burn before March, so we went on a little trip to Mineola, Texas.  I would recommend Pine Tree Bed and Breakfast the food was yummy and the atmosphere relaxing.  Here are some pics I snagged from the internet...it was mostly rainy when we were there, but still nice to sit on the porch.  The lake is not part of the B and B, but you get a perfect view of it to enjoy,  with all kinds of birds coming up to the many feeders on the property.

I'll just let the pics do most of the talking...


This is at the back of our little cottage...Hollee's Cottage, where we stayed two nights.

This is in the back yard of the owners house,
 where they will light a fire for you
 and provide s'mores fixin's.
 The cabin where you see the little back porch, to the left, was our place.

 A front view of Hollee's Cottage...it sports brown paint, now, but still as cute, just a little doll house.

So sunny, even with our rainy days...light came in so prettily.  They provided Direct TV, dvd's, and good reading material.  I started the book, "All About Him", by Denise Jackson (Alan Jackson's wife), so now I have to buy it, to be able to finish, lol.  It really is good.  Also, we brought along the dvd, "Courageous"...very worthwhile movie. There is a little electric fireplace in this room.

The cottage had a tropical theme...this was the only wildly decorated room and not my favorite decor.

I might have just gone for a more subdued lake cottage theme, but it is fun. 

I did LOVE the little bed against the wall, though.

This dresser matched the wardrobe in the bedroom.

Isn't this kitchen too darling?  On the other end was a sunny table and two comfy upholstered chairs to take in the  lake view,  while enjoying the wonderful breakfast, brought to the porch at 9:00 each morning. 

 I could get used to this kind of life, right quick!

The bed is a queen, which is what we are used too, but it was almost too soft.

We didn't have wine, like in this pic, but they did leave some delicious cheese cake in the little pink fridge for us and William let me eat both slices, hee hee.

There are antique shops galore along with plenty of eating places in Mineola, even a playhouse....It was a fun little getaway, close to home. 
This trip fell right after Valentine's Day and right before our 34th anniversary on March 3rd.

 If you find, like many of us, you can't get away for a big vacation,
then take my advice and do a mini vacation,
they are sometimes less stressful and therefore can be more fun.

Still Vacationing
Lezlee

Nursery Glider

my daughter, Jodi, recovered this glider for her sis-n-law, she did a great job!
Lezlee

Finally...My Fresh Towel Holder, Chalk Board, and Button Snowflakes

Well, we finally made it to Mindy's to pick up my sweet red rack! I purchased from her FB page...but first, we wanted to stop at a couple of other favorite places...they were not open, yet, so I took one look at the two gals waiting in the car next to us, and asked, "Hey, do you want to follow us to another cool place, instead of just waiting around for these stores to open?" After they answered, "Yes."   I warned them, U-turns would be involved and sure enough, I was right, but it was worth it!  And, I was happy to bring some new shoppers to The P!  Would you have followed complete strangers down winding country roads, just for the promise of good junk?  Oh, we got some other good things, wait and see!

 

I  used a chalk pen to write on here...

I told my family, when I bought new towels,

"Now, you guys can use these...I just wanted some new ones." 

...Still, everyone who came in kept asking me....

so, when I wanted to write something on the flat surfaces, 

  I just thought, shoot,  I know just the thing!

...Still, no one has used one!

Another finally, lol, 

finally, my sign doesn't say "Merry Christmas" anymore! 

I thought "my heart" saying would be appropriate for Valentine's.

and finally, I love my button snowflakes,

so ~ they will be renamed, stars, after the winter season...

and stay up indefinitely !

Finally
Lezlee