Interior Design Ideas for Your Modern Home: July 2013

Wednesday, July 31, 2013

TUTORIALS TIPS AND TIDBITS #59

Welcome to...

TUTORIALS TIPS AND TIDBITS #59

So glad you stopped by! By the time you are reading this I'll be packing for Haven. My flight leaves tomorrow morning. Think of me and say a little prayer. I'm not the best flyer in the world!

I'm going to Haven with all of you in mind! I hope to come back with lots and lots of great ideas to share... especially DYI's!

Now let's see some of last week's creative entries...

Isn't this a gorgeous PAINTED FARMHOUSE TABLE! Makes me wish I would have held on to my old table. See how Debra from COMMON GROUND painted a honey stained table.

Ashley from ASHLEY'S DANDELION WISHES shared THE PREFECT APPETIZER... and I agree. It's my favorite for lunch too!

Hayley is a TEXAS GIRL IN PHILLY and she shared this so precious NO-SEW CANOPY. Don't you think every little girl should have one?

It's LAVENDER WEEK at Rattlebridge Farm (Don't you love that name?). Michael Lee is not only a fabulous novelist but an accomplished cook. You don't want to miss all the lavender culinary beauty of the NOVEL BAKERS! I've been following Michael Lee since my first blog post!

HOW TO ORGANIZE A CRAFT ROOM.... really? Oh, yes!!!! Head on over to Marti's at SEWLICIOUS HOME DECOR and she will get you on the road to organized in no time at all! Printing this post!!!!!

If you love to... or wish you could paint with ANNIE SLOAN CHALK PAINT head on over to Danielle's blog SILVER PENNIES for a fabulous, fabulous post filled with the BEST TIPS FOR PAINTING WITH ASCP. You will thank me for pointing you there... your're welcome!

Elizabeth, I just love love love this fun and easy summer project. Now I know what to do with all my collected shells...make a SEA SHELL MONOGRAM. You will find this fun diy at PURPLE HUES AND ME.

I am not above begging a blogger to come and share a post at TTT! When I saw this VINTAGE SEWING PATTERN WREATH from NUMBER FIFTY-THREE I sort pleaded with Angela to share it. Isn't it awesome!!!! THanks, Angela!

Andrea from WILLOW WISP COTTAGE shows-off (in the nicest way) her beautiful MODERN FARMHOUSE COTTAGE KITCHEN REVEAL. I love a white kitchen!!!

The title of this post really got my attention, "A CAKE FOR EXHAUSTED COOKS". Betty, this is my kind of cake!!! You can find it at MY COZY CORNER.

There were lots of HOME TOURS last week. Here's mine... and links to 25 wonderful homes that were also on tour!

Thanks again for joining in this week...,

as I always say...

"SHOW UP AND SHOW OFF YOUR CREATIVITY... ANY LITTLE TIDBIT WILL DO!"

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A HAPPY SUMMER VIGNETTE

Of all the flowers... zinnias are the happiest! Colorful and easygoing, they love to congregate in bunches and spread their happy disposition everywhere!!!!

Don't they make you smile! These cheery zinnias came from my garden to brighten up my kitchen table and your day...

If you have Zinnias in your garden you can have them year after year. It is sooooo very easy to collect the seed heads and scatter them the next Spring. I always think reseeded Zinnias do so much better than transplanted ones!!!

Check out my HAPPY ZINNIAS... CARE, CUTTING AND COLLECTING SEEDS.

Lots of information and ideas for the zinnia lover!

I put together a little summer vignette for my recent HOUSE TOUR.

I think these colorful blooms look their best surrounded by white! So, I shopped my cupboards and found some white dishes... and a few blue and white plates... to make a little vignette.

I felt it was safe to put the bunny terrine with the zinneas because they are not a rabbit's first choice for a snack. I can't imagine why!!!! I guess the bunnies think they are too pretty to eat!

Zinnias are my favorite summer flower!!!! How about you?

Don't forget..

TUTORIALS TIPS AND TIDBITS

begins tomorrow at 8:00 pm!

Show up and show off your creativity... any little tidbit will do!!!!

Tuesday, July 30, 2013

NEW SOFA SLIPCOVERS...

This started out as a very sad saga... I bought a beautifully made sofa about three years ago. Chose the custom fabric carefully...and was thrilled when I first got it. But, over those three years I changed the decor and colors of the family room so much that I grew more and more unhappy with the piece!

The sofa itself is comfortable and large enough to stretch out on but it's color and pattern were NOT playing nicely with with rest of the room.

So I kept the sofa and changed it's look... with slipcovers! And what a change it was...

Here is the before...

And here is the... Ta-da... After!

I found this AMAZING slipcover lady in my area... she is almost famous for her fabulous work!

Diana came to my house... and taking the 18 yards of Calico Corner Ranger Twill that I washed and dried and ironed for 3 hours... pinned and cut until she had slipcovered my sofa!

Albeit, the slipcover was held together by pins... it was still pretty amazing. I had never seen anyone pin together a slipcover before!

I have to learn this skill.

She took her white-twill-pinned-masterpiece home and in a week and a half had it back on my sofa... without pins!!!!

Ta-da!

A perfect fit!

So snug...

NO ONE is allowed to sit on it!!!! EVER!!!!

No, just kidding!

The nice thing about having slipcovers is that they can be washed. But I am taking the extra precaution of Scotch Guarding them. So, no sitting until I get that done later today.

I have some big plans for finishing this room!!!

It includes words like hardwood floors... and new windows... and wall art... and more slipcovers... and more painted furniture...

You can read about my painted curtains HERE and see a Tutorial about how I painted them HERE.

Next week I'll show you the corner of the family room you can't see in this picture!!!! I've been painting!!!

Here's just a little peek at what I'm working on...

Stop back next week for the reveal!

This is the one room in my house that just keeps evolving and changing!

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Thanks!

Sunday, July 28, 2013

ON THE MENU MONDAY

We just got back from a fun trip to the Chesapeake Bay this weekend. I love getting away, but I really love coming home!

On the drive home I had time to think about what veggies I could use from the garden in this week's menu...

The zucchini are just about finished. Bless them... they give it their all and one day finally say... "that's it"! Well, I think that day has come. I should get another meal or two out of them! Thankfully I have stored bags and bags of shredded zucchini in the freezer!

The eggplants are almost ready... they probably need a little longer. But the peppers, cukes, collards and tomatoes are reaching their final destiny this week... my dinner table!!! They are all healthy and full of flavor and ready to make some delicious dinners!!!

Here is what's ON THE MENU...

MONDAY

KILLER FAJITAS

SLOW COOKER REFRIED BEANS

TUESDAY

GARDEN GASPACHO

Grilled Cheese Sandwiches

WEDNESDAY

TOMATO MINI PIES

ARUGULA WITH SHAVED PARMESAN, PINE NUT IN A LEMON VINAIGRETTE

THURSDAY

SALMON, ASPARAGUS AND BOW TIE PAST IN A SHERRY CREAM SAUCE

CEASAR SALAD

FRIDAY

LOBSTER BISQUE

JORDAN POND POPOVERS

SATURDAY

ASIAN GRILLED CHICKEN

CUCUMBER SALAD

SUNDAY

ZUCCHINI STUFFED CHICKEN BREASTS

COLLARD GREENS

OTHER EATS AND TREATS...

CHOCOLATE FILLED SHORTBREAD COOKIES

STONEGABLE ICED TEA

HERBED CHICKEN SALAD

I hope you have a yummy week!

Here's what I am working on for this week at StoneGable...

Friday, July 26, 2013

WELCOME TO STONEGABLE 2013 SUMMER SHOWCASE OF HOMES

Hello! I've been waiting for you all week!

I was thrilled to be asked to be part of

Summer 2103 Showcase Of Homes!

Grab a cup of whatever and a snack and settle in... lots and lots of pictures here!

Ready for a tour?

Here are other homes on the tour today... Make sure and visit!

OUR SOUTHERN HOME
THE EVERYDAY HOME
RECREATE AND DECORATE
SOPHIA'S
VIGNETTE DESIGNS

StoneGable is a farmhouse inspired home we built 18 years ago. It sits among the bucolic farmland of Lancaster County Pa... the heart of the Amish country. This land is rich in history and deep in tradition. If you would like to read about StoneGable click HERE.

One of my favorite thing about StoneGable is it's big wrap around porch.

If you like we could sit a little bit and rock... it's a great place to have a good cup of coffee!

Let's go inside...

Today I'll be showing you rooms that have been decorated within the last two years. We are updating and redecorating every room in our home... what a job!

We have lived large at StoneGable and it was beginning to look a little tired!!!!

Here's what we have updated so far...

The Kitchen...

Truly the kitchen is the heart of my home. I love love love to cook and entertain, so this is a kitchen that get tons of use!

It has a real modern farmhouse feel...

We freshened up our kitchen a couple of years ago. Not huge changes but lots and lots of character.

I keep the countertops pretty clear of clutter...

The island is the "meeting place" in our home!!! Family and guests seem to gravitate here.

Say HI to Earl! He is the guardian of my kitchen! I got him at FARMHOUSE DECOR... what a great online site!!!!

Aprons are a part of my "uniform" around the house!!! This is my "summer apron collection"!

Don't you love this fun dish hook? I got it at Luckett's a few years ago.

The Breakfast Room...

Our little breakfast room is where we have family meals. It connects the kitchen to the family room. If only these wall could talk. We are big storytellers so we have had many great laughs at this table!

Zinnias from my garden add to the vignette on the kitchen table.

The Family Room...

I like to call our family room... cozy! That's code for... boy is it dark!!! Taking pictures of this room is a bear!!!! I don't think I have ever tried to get a shot of the whole (well, almost whole) room. This is a first!

Do you have a room that you are always and forever will be changing and rearranging? This is mine!

I have plans to knock out the exterior wall and add tons of windows. The older I get the more I need light! But that project is down the road a bit.

This room is not done (surprise!)... keep an eye out for some big changes in the fall!!! Hint... hardwoods and painted furniture!

Last weekend I finished painting my curtains. To see how they turned out, click HERE.

To learn how I painted the curtains, click HERE

My sofa got a new slipcover!

This is it's debut!
I'll share all the slipcover details next week.

No one is allowed to sit on it until I Scotch Guard it!

The Dining Room...

This is a room that mixes the old and the old!!! Don't you love giving old pieces a second decor life? I sure do!

I was most excited about updating this room!
Getting rid of my 18th Century Mahogany tables and chairs was out of the question... so I painted the chairs and reupholstered them. What a job!!!! To see THE SAGA, PART I and THE SAGA, PART II click HERE and HERE

I also painted the buffet... I used the same paint on the chairs and buffet but applied them using different techniques. Different techniques equals very different looks! You can see how I painted the buffet by clicking HERE.

The Living Room...

In making over my living room I wanted a room that was on the formal side but very comfortable. The old living room furniture was pretty but not conducive to plopping down to read a book or have a nice chat.

This furniture is comfortable... and stain resistant! Both very important when you have light colored living room furniture!

My most recent addition to the living room is the Curlacue Chest. You can find out more about it by clicking HERE.

J and J Guest Bedroom...

The J and J stands for Jacquie and Jon... this room was my sweet daughter's bedroom. It was the very first room we worked on after Jacqueline got married.

Out went the pink and frills and pom-poms. We replaced her girly room with a serene bedroom for any guests... and of course our very favorite's... Jacquie and Jon.

You can read a sentimental post to my daughter about "Mapping Way... Home" by clicking HERE.

And a Tutorial about Aging A Map HERE.