# 1

THE FIRST .....WHO KNEW THERE WOULD BE SO MANY.....

Erica suggested I undertake a tremendous project. She is so clever at ideas. She has challenged me to post my "design" development over the past 51 years.

Here is #1 !!!

Don't you love that lamp!

This was our first apartment at 214 Clay Street, Blacksburg, Virginia. We shared the first floor of a gorgeous Victorian home with the owner, Mrs. Kemp. She had the second floor converted into two additional apartments. Entering the foyer you could enter our apartment straight ahead through a regular wood door or go to the left through French Doors that entered her apartment. There was a small table with a telephone. The two apartments upstairs, and ours, shared this phone. The apartment was furnished, so I really didn't have the ability to design! I did clean though. I remember I washed the wood floors every morning.....I hope I didn't ruin them!!! These pictures do show some signs of a design future in the accessory arrangements!

Now that's a Kitchen!

My design talents will grow over the years. You are all in for a treat! And...........some big laughs!

10,000 HIT CONTEST

NAMES AND DATES

Henry W......................................................June 7.....6:07:54pm EDT
Pat W...........................................................June 8

Helen M.......................................................June 20
Phil T...........................................................June 28
MK W..........................................................July 1
JT.................................................................July 11
Pam D..........................................................July 12

Patti M........................................................July 13
Janet G.......................................................July 16

Bobby D......................................................July 17
Russ K........................................................July 19
Roxanne B..................................................July 22

Claire W......................................................July 24......1:23pm EDT
Barry M......................................................July 27
Nancy S......................................................August 1
Carla D........................................................August 3
Erica D........................................................August 9
Patch Bobby W..........................................August 14...2:14pm EDT
Linda W......................................................August 16
Sue W..........................................................August 23
Carol W.......................................................Sept. 1

GIADA

MEET OUR NEW PRINCESS!!!

Master Carpenter and I were FINALLY able to drive out to Tennessee and meet our new Granddaughter, Giada.

She will be 3 months old on May 3rd.

Of course she is the most adorable, beautiful, precious, little baby girl anywhere.......Grandma's can say these things.

We had a wonderful couple of days "bonding" !!!!! Fun...Fun....Fun.....and...it was great seeing Carla and Bobby also!!!!

Naturally, I took Giada and showed her a fabulous "ladies" Southern restaurant that she now is looking forward to enjoying having lunch with Grandma some day down the road. We also did a lot of shopping !!!! Did manage to find some necessary items for her wardrobe!!!

Now without further ado here is GIADA !!!!

AND HERE SHE IS.......OUR NEW PRINCESS !!!!!

THE PROUD PARENTS

....I HAVE MORE, BUT I MUST QUIT.....

WAIT UNTIL YOU SEE THIS...

OUR LATEST ADVENTURE.......

This was going to be THE BIGGEST News of this century and probably the last Century also...


....36 hours after the conception .... it was OVER !!!

Are you ready for this .....Master Carpenter and I were going to learn how to play GOLF.....YES, GOLF !!!!

We were signed up and ready to go...........but..... I was being cautious and had a call into my doctor's office just to make sure it would be OK......he returned the call JUST before we were ready to sign up for lessons. He said: "Are you out of your mind......you can NOT be in the sun, NO, NO you can not be out on a golf course!"

So there it went...all gone. All the pretty clothes !!!.....and did you know they have golf clubs in lilac!!! I was so excited. I was going to be so coordinated!!!

Not to be defeated, Master Carpenter and I adventured out and found our GOLF CLUBS AND NEW OUTFITS.........

DON'T YOU LOVE THEM !!!!

They are the perfect fit!!!!! Actually .....it is Me!!! Don't you think?

Patti and I found this wonderful piece while she was here. The moment we entered the shop, I knew I had to have it!!! We haven't had a storage piece in years...so it fit the "functional" need along with the "form".

There is this jewel of a town, Senoia, about a 30 minute drive from here. Two years ago it was just a sleepy farming community. Now....after a renovation of the "Historical" downtown it is the talk of the State! What was a hardware store and closed businesses is now a street full of many quaint shops, bakeries and wonderful dining, from a coffee shop to at least three other fine dining restaurants. The claim to fame up to now was Hollywood had filmed Fried Green Tomatoes in the surrounding area!!!

What's coming in June is going to be wonderful. Southern Living Magazine is opening their 2010 Idea Home smack in the center of it all. I will be there for sure, and hope to share lots of pictures. Their concept will be "brownstone" homes.... retail and businesses on the street level with two and three additional floors of living space and terraces. The town is located fairly near Atlanta and other communities which will be a great draw.

Here is a website to learn all about it!!


http://www.historicsenoia.com/residential.html


Still have more ideas up my sleeve.....came up with a good project for Master Carpenter to start on and will be talking about it down the road....

So.....continue to check that mail.....
Patty

THE BIG OOOPS.........

.....AND HOW I FIXED IT...............

Boy, did I goof when I designed the mirror tiles behind the sofa! I should have had them go at least two rows higher. instead of a row lower than the top of the sofa. I never realized this, until I removed the sofa table. With the table out...they appeared to be falling to the floor. It was driving me nuts.....

I thought the fix would be easy..... Just remove the framing and add more rows to the top. Not so ...Master Carpenter couldn't remove the frames. They weren't going anywhere! When he glues...he glues.
Nix Plan A !

EPIPHANY.....Plan B!!!

Such a simple idea....why it took two days to figure out is beyond me?
Put up a row of tiles, leaving a space between the main piece, creating a transom !! and.....frame them the same as the large tiles....

Worked, in fact they were "beginning" to look pretty good. Did you notice the "beginning to look good"? There was too much BLACK. I was beginning to OVERDESIGN in black!!! OK, now what??

Another day another Epiphany. Change the color of the frame! Duh!

With that, I applied gold metallic paint over the black on both frames. ( I have silver and metallic paints in the garage ready for such instant fixes.)

It was getting there.........still not there.......something wasn't quite right. Now it need a Little" black! Needed to bring a hint of black into the frame to carry the color to the wall.

I called in Assistant Designer, Erica, and she said: "No problem, just add some black cording to the inside of the frame. Grandma it's easy, just buy a glue gun.......(A GLUE GUN...I NEVER USED THAT...HOW DOES IT WORK?) ....and glue it on.

Now, I'm really out of my comfort zone. I love to design, but I am not "crafty" and I will be the first to say so. I found myself on the floor of Hobby Lobby, on my cell phone, describing the choices I found in glue guns and which one I needed. I must have been a sight for sore eyes to the crafty shoppers walking up and down the aisle!

With all my supplies, glue gun and a great buy of black cording I was happily driving home to do my new project. I could do this, it would be easy!

Well...........Master Carpenter and I almost ended our 50 years and 10 months of happy bliss!! This was a PROJECT of enormous skill! I only wish we had a picture of what took place. The two of us, a six foot ladder, four chairs (so one could hop from one spot to another quickly because the glue dries FAST), the glue gun, an extension cord to keep the glue gun plugged in because it has to stay hot constantly, and the 13 yards of black cording!!!!! Can you picture this? Master Carpenter worked the gun and I pressed the cording into place. We now are doing quite a dance from one chair to another with four arms and four hands getting into each other's space. It went FAST......and it looks pretty good if I say so myself!!!

I am still not a CRAFTY person and don't think it's my "thing", but one way or another I was not going to let a little mistake in design ruin the look I was after. I do not give up!!!

.......and the REVEAL......



There are more surprises coming.......watch your mail...
Patty

NOW THE WAIT

The Deadline Has Passed....

All entries are in! ...

Now we wait to see who the lucky winner of $25 will be. ......Not a fortune, by any means, but it will buy a nice lunch at your favorite casual dining place!!!! Naturally, my choice would be Panera Bread!! I remember when I would join my friends once a week at the Panera's in Virginia Beach. We would sit for hours and just talk. Those were very special days!

I have been up to my usual mischief since you last heard from me. I want to share some new "stuff" that has appeared here at the "Epiphany House". Those who have visited recently have seen the additions, but the rest will discover changes have occurred!!! Will save some for later posts. Can't reveal all at once.......and some are still in the making........

To begin......I decided to put the chandelier that was in the great room over the dining table in the kitchen. Of course that led to....What to do with the one that was there? Easy Fix......install it in the guest room. The kitchen isn't quite ready to be photographed......need to work on the shades for the chandelier..... That will come later. Erica has some ideas and we will work on them when she visits next month.

Any change, even one, leads to... a Domino Game! Everything changing places and functions!!!

With the great room chandelier "out", so many possibilities to reposition the furniture became apparent. I no longer needed to have the red ottoman "centered" under the chandelier in the middle of the room. That one change, created many more!!!

I decided to take the sofa table out and use it in the guest room as a desk/table. So functional..... and with Sexy Sadie as a chair, the room not only affords a nice desk for guests, but a place to sit!!!! Our guest room is becoming a fairly nice place. A huge improvement over the blow-up bed our guests endured in Norfolk and Charlotte!!!!



Are you getting the idea.....everything moving and changing............It's so rewarding! One discovers how different a room can look by making just a slight change. A room's function can become something entirely different. If you don't try.... you will never know how great something old can look new and fresh again!

The great room has been opened up ... seems more spacious and less cluttered. The two slipper chairs are a "pair" by the fireplace creating an intimate seating area. The sofa and two wing chairs... although just across from the slipper chairs, actually are a separate seating area. A great plus all around. The lady's desk has been relocated. It actually is being used in an entirely new way! Have to wait on that.......

............. While browsing my favorite websites... one of the BEST finds I have ever had appeared! There was this fabulous CHANDELIER. Another chandelier ......I can't quit acquiring them!!!! It didn't take long to figure out a place for it...... it was IN that "shopping cart" in a flash!!!! There was nothing special about the foyer. Now there is...and it says "WOW" as you entire the house!!




PS....If you look closely you will notice a big change in the great room I haven't mentioned. That will be featured in the next post...........

Scroll down to the previous post for all the entries to the contest. Good luck to all !
Let the contest BEGIN....................

HURRY.....YOU DON'T WANT TO LOSE YOUR DATE!

THE GUESSES ARE COMING IN...........



Only one guess for a day....so hurry and get the day you think will be it. You can enter until midnight on April 16th. We can watch and see who the lucky winner will be...........

The Entries:

Carla DelGiorno..........................................May 5
Meredith Fochetta.....................................May 8
Helen Miller................................................May 17
Carol Wheller..............................................May 18
Maggie McDonald......................................May 21
Claire Wihnyk.............................................May 23 @8:20 am EDT
Linda Wiley.................................................June 1
Henry Wihnyk........................................... June 7
Pat Wihnyk.................................................June 8
Pam Dardar................................................June 11
Patch Wihnyk.............................................June 14 @2:14 pm (14:14)EDT
Barry Miller................................................June 15
Bob Wihnyk................................................June 17
Patti McDonald..........................................June 19
Sue Wihnyk................................................June 23
MK Wihnyk................................................July 1
Russ Keldorph...........................................July 11
Anonymous (JT)........................................July 12
Janet Gibson..............................................July 16
Roxanne Bridges.......................................July 22
Erica Dougherty........................................July 28
Nancy Steele..............................................August 1

Good Luck ....
Patty

ARE YOU ALL READY !!!!!!!!

CONTEST TIME !!!!!! Can you believe it!!!
We have just hit 8016!!!!

It's hard to believe that number of hits ....over 3000 since mid October. I can't thank you enough for all the support you give to this blog. Without your part.....Patty's Epiphanies would not exist!!!

With that in mind, it's Contest time... again!!! On October 13, 2009 at 9:20 am we hit 5000 !!! Now when do you think we will hit 10,000?????????

Send in your guesses. Just a date (don't think we need a time). If needed, we will figure out how to deal with a tie. As before I will post your guesses.

Remember..... we have a prize for the winner.............Now that should get you all into action!

Figure out when you think the magic 10,000 will happen.. and Thank You ....Thank You

Patty

WHAT.....NO PAPER TOWELS !!!!!

Gotcha!!!

What is she writing about now???

What I am writing about is an idea from Erica. She asked me over the weekend to let everyone "out there" know the REAL ME !!! She was referring to the "cleaning freak"!!! But, in the same breath said that everyone would love to know my cleaning secrets....What wonderful magic solutions do I use? What methods? So on and so on...

I have to say now that.. I don't consider myself a cleaning freak! You that know me, don't laugh! I consider myself SMART!! I call my house keeping style PREVENTIVE CLEANING !!!

Just think about it.....I use a system that allows me the freedom of never having to really have to clean in the sense of CLEAN ... Why??...because it is ALWAYS clean! It never gets DIRTY... Now, do you Get It????

The system or routine is very easy. I lightly, and I repeat, lightly wipe down counters, tables ..just about all the surfaces daily. This includes the windows as I pull up the "wiped" shades. It takes no more time to pull up a shade wiping it as it would without. I always hated the blind and window job and now I don't have it. It also includes a little "wipe" in the refrigerator as I prepare breakfast. Again no more time to do it as you are removing food ....Tonight I was asked about the appliances. And yes, I do them also. The biggest job is the range top after Master Carpenter (Master Chief also) has cooked a meal. But again, I use the vinegar solution and it removes all the cooking grease and mess. Doing it daily keeps it from building up.... and...the best invention in years has been the self cleaning oven. Use It!!!

The only secret I have is what I DON'T use. PAPER TOWELS !!

I buy washcloths from a discount store in a package of 24 for $9.99. They last forever. I never buy or use paper towels. I save a fortune and for those "green" followers....look at all the paper I don't throw away.

I lightly dampen the wash cloth with a solution of white vinegar and water (one third vinegar to two thirds of water) I keep it in a spray bottle and just spray and wipe! Actually I just have to spray once or twice and the cloth is damp enough to go over most of the house, except for the baths. This solution works on everything......counters to windows to mirrors to tile floors!! It's fabulous. I do have a cleaning product for the wood floors that I use with a clothed mop.

I was having a problem with the stainless steel appliances. Janet, a loyal reader and our Sales Associate, shared with me a great idea. Wipe them with olive oil!!! It works!!! I bought some in a spray can and found I could spray a dab on a cloth. I wipe it over the appliance and then wipe it off with a clean cloth. I only have to do this every once in a while. The vinegar solution works on a regular basis.

I do vacuum and go over the wood floors daily, but it takes 15 minutes at the most. If I miss a spot you can bet I'll hit it the next day!

So there you have it.

Patty's Preventive Cleaning.

The benefits are great! The house is always clean. If I can't do it one day for some reason, it doesn't really matter...it's not going to get that dirty in two days!!!!! No big long dreaded days of scrubbing, etc.

Another benefit is the physical exercise it gives me. Think about it. I am up and down a step stool many, many times, on the floor wiping the tiles and pushing the mop and vacuum around.

The best benefit is the cost............supplies are cheap and the labor is free!!!

There is a product I do use for the shower tiles and glass. This product also removes most spots off painted walls. It's Arm & Hammer's Scrub Free with OXY.

After I have all these little chores done I am ready to meet the day!!!!!
(over all I would say the time involved is less then one and a half hours)

Erica, I have opened my secrets to the world and now everyone knows how crazy everyone will think I am.......but I have a clean house!!!

THE MAGIC SOLUTION

MOP AND CLEANER FOR WOOD FLOORS

MY FAITHFUL BUDDY (CAN'T LIVE WITHOUT HIM)

I HEAR YOU...

Thank You!

We are back at the "Epiphany House" . I have received many comments over the last year and a half and I do "listen".

The large mirror over the mirrors in the Great Room has been a very interesting topic! One comment caught my attention. It looked like a Spare Tire to this reader! I have thought about that comment over and over. Each time I entered the room I tried to be a visitor seeing the space for the first time. I finally decided, maybe this reader has a point.

The other topic that has generated quite a following is the positioning of the garden statue of the lady. She has been popping up all over these last weeks. Many will be happy to see that she's Back in the Master Bath. The favorite of many!!!

Actually I worked the two together. The Lady and the Mirror are sharing the same space.

Keep your ideas and comments coming. I appreciate every single one. They inspire me .......

Thank you all!

JEWELS

MY FAVORITE NEW PLACE ........

Last month Master Carpenter and I went to Asheville, North Carolina to visit our Granddaughter and this Blog's Design Assistant and Co-Blogger, Erica, and her husband, Adam. The area, and the "village", are so picturesque and a shopper's heaven!

I hate to think of the shopping I have missed by waiting so long to visit this spot! Erica took us into many of the local boutiques. It was freezing and windy, but we managed to work our way through a number of the great shops . Must, must get back there when the weather is warmer.

I want to share some of the beautiful "Jewels" I saw! We are all getting tired of seeing pictures of "Patty's Epiphany House", I know I am!! Actually, I think it would have been Heaven to have been able to bring home ALL of what we saw and redo the Epiphany House. Wouldn't that be fun!!! I did buy one small treasure. I will show the fabulous way it was marketed in the store and it's new home here. Really wanted the entire display!

YOU KNOW HOW I LOVE MIRRORS, AND THAT LAMP IS TO DIE FOR.

LOVE THIS NEW LIGHTER WOOD FINISH AND THE COMPOSITION DISPLAYED IS VERY "ME"

LOOK, LOOK AT ALL THOSE FLOWER SPONGES WITH THEIR POPS OF PINK

I WANTED TO TAKE THE WHOLE THING, TUB AND ALL.

ONE IN IT'S NEW HOME

I saved the best "Jewels" for last......Erica has done a fabulous job in designing a Spring Window for her shoe boutique, Talloni, ("Heel" in Italian). The place is filled, not only with gorgeous shoes, but scarfs, handbags, and jewelry to make any girl's dreams come true!! Actually, I have no idea how she can not spend her entire salary in a day! The pictures will speak for themselves, no need to comment.....Entire project is a winner!

SKETCH OF "SECRET GARDEN"

.....DO YOU WISH TO USE YOUR AMERICAN EXPRESS, VISA OR MASTER CARD????

THE NIGHT THE LIGHTS WENT OUT IN GEORGIA

Not Quite What the Song Was About......

I am taking a little "Literary License"! I have moved things around ...after getting ideas trying to fall asleep (with the lights out) !!! Nothing great or big, just enough to keep things "new" and "fresh"!

FOUND A NEW HOME FOR A PICTURE FROM THE "WAREHOUSE"

I WARNED YOU THE STATUE WOULDN'T STAY FOR LONG

ADDED TREASURES FOR "POPS" OF COLOR

THE STATUE FINDS A NEW HOME

CHANGED LAMP, ADDED FOO DOGS, AND NOTICE NEW BOX

Kenneth mentioned on his Twitter site... (Yes, can you believe I follow someone on Twitter!) that it's almost Spring and he's getting ideas on changing his entire house!!! So, so, Kenneth and OH how I can relate! He asked for everyone to send him words "to be sensible" .....Not me, I wrote back and said "Sense...and take the fun out of life!" His philosophy is one reason I love his work! Always changing and mixing things up. I can't change the entire house, but moving an accessory here and there keeps me alive and feeling good!

The staff here at Patty's Epiphanies has a lot of projects in the works. Nothing I can show yet. Some will have to wait until April and May!!!

Master Carpenter is planning to build a Pergola in the back. We submitted the plans and they have been approved by the ARCHITECTURE Committee !!!! That's the first, and most important step! With the help of John DeRosso (and his truck), supplies should start arriving on "site" next week. Of course, I will follow the progress and keep everyone up to date on the work! Should be equal, if not top, the built-in unit! Maybe not as refined, but much larger!!!! Let's just hope Master Carpenter can survive .............

While on the subject of Master Carpenter....he must be bored waiting for the Pergola lumber to arrive, because he decided to do "finishing" work on the spaces where the sliding doors were removed. He has built new trim and will caulk and paint in the next few days. He's "designing" a way to connect the two flooring elements. The noises coming from the "SHOP" are very loud right now!!!!!!

Erica has two projects in the works......I do keep that girl busy!! It amazes me, she does have a life outside of my projects!!!! You should see what wonderful design work she did in the shoe boutique where she works. Her window display is fantastic. She's planning on adding some photos to her website.

In April, Patti, will bring me the first of her new projects. She has made four 20" x 20" throw pillows for the sofa. They are in two different black velvets. Erica did the shopping for supplies, so I will be "surprised" when they come. She finds the prettiest fabrics at her favorite sources and I trust these new pillows will be beautiful!

She is also working on a very special art piece. This one has a LOT of sentimental meaning. The seeds of this project were planted over the last couple of months. An art piece, pictured in a room in a magazine, caught my attention. It was a large, heavily textured, all white, canvas. If you looked closely, you could see the shape of a dress in the texture. It looked like something I knew Erica would love to tackle!!!! While we were visiting Erica and Adam a few weeks ago, I showed her the picture. Her eyes lit up and in a split second asked..........."Grandma, do you have a dress we could use, I think that would be a great way to duplicate this idea?" It took me just another split second to answer......"Yes, I have the perfect dress...will ship it to you and we can go from there!" What came to my mind, instantly, was a Christening dress. It has been in my Mother's family since the early 1900's! All the babies in her family were Baptized in this dress....including yours truly, my children, and the latest, my Granddaughter, Tess. The dress is now completely unwearable. The top is dry rotted! It has been mended and patched many times and yet, it remains BEAUTIFUL !!!!!!!! Now, thanks to Erica, it will be preserved and seen by all who visit my home. The hardest part... I have to wait until May to receive it. She and Adam are visiting in mid-May and will carry it here with them.

So, dear readers, this has been the week here in "Senior-ville"!! Oh, I must relate one additional little "story"!

The other day as I walked through our great room, I noticed something different with our new chair ...IT HAD MOVED!!!
Now, all my original followers know what this means.............Yes, Bill is at work!!! He has been back since he inspired me with the Asian screens and I believe is still here!!! The reason he moved the chair.......( I MUST state that Master Carpenter refuses to believe this!!!!).... I found out that the Thomasville Outlet Store still has one of these chairs in stock! I think, and Bill agrees, it's the perfect opportunity to have a pair of these fabulous chairs.....at an unbelievable price!!!! So far, Master Carpenter, has won this decision.................

Welcome Spring this weekend and enjoy all your wonderful inspirations. Go with them.... What do you have to lose?

GRANDMA'S PARTY CURRY CHICKEN

Well..........who knew? You asked for a recipe from ME!!!!!

Here goes...the amounts are for 10 to 12 people. Adjust accordingly!

6 to 8 Chicken Breast with bones and skin
6 to 8 Chicken Thighs with bones and skin
3 cans of Cream of Mushroom soup
2 cans of Golden Mushroom soup
1 can of Mushroom Bits and Pieces

Sherry to taste
Curry Powder to taste

4 cups Rice
Fruits and Condiments of choice......the more the merrier!!!!!
.....note........it is not necessary to add any salt or pepper

Cook chicken in a large pot of water. Remove the cooked chicken, set aside to cool. Continue to cook down the chicken stock for about an hour. After the chicken has cooled, bone, skin, and cut into large chunks. Put the chicken in a large baggy and refrigerate. Strain the stock. Add the soups, mushroom bits and pieces, sherry and curry powder. Cook at low temperature for about an hour. Allow it to set and cool and put in the refrigerator.

About an hour before serving remove chicken and soup mixture from the refrigerator. Add the chicken to the soup mixture and heat to serving temperature.

Assemble all the ingredients in gorgeous bowls, plates, and serving utensils!!!! Serve buffet style and allow guests to add their own choices to their plates!

Enjoy,
Patty

LADY OF HOPE AND LOVE

WHAT A LADY



The piece is titled: Lady of Hope and Love. It is the icing on the cake! Erica explained the "Lady" is blowing the petals of the flower towards our new dining room to shower the room with hope and love to all that enters !!!! She also wanted to add that "Pop" of red to center the other reds that are scattered from the kitchen to the new dining room!






THANK YOU ERICA

POST OF THE WEEK

JUST CAME TO ME!!!

I really didn't expect to put up a new post this week........but.........I had an EPIPHANY !!! Who knew!

We have had the two egg shell panels of birds for years. They are hand made, entirely from egg shells, from Asia. I love them, especially because "Bill" found them for us. He always told me to place them next to each other, on the floor, (not hung) to portray a Gallery Look. There isn't wall space to display them that way in this home, so I have had them on each end of the large wall in the Great Room (book end style).



We were reminiscing with friends about Bill over the weekend. As he has done over the years since he passed away, he did his thing and POW....I got the idea. Bill is our personal "Ghost" and he inspires me in fantastic ways. I believe he is my source for most of my Epiphanies!! Thank you, Bill, so glad you are back!!!!

The Epiphany: Attach them together with hinges and Presto a Screen!!!




After THREE trips to Lowes, Master Carpenter, got the correct hinges that would do the job. Actually Master Carpenter will gladly go to Lowes ...so the three trips were not a chore!!!!

We love the result. Now my two panels are together again. Thank you Bill............

GREAT, FABULOUS FIND!!!

THE UNEXPECTED .....ALWAYS THE BEST

Who knew while searching for something to fill the empty Master Bedroom, I would literally fall upon the most "Perfect" host chairs for the Dining Room!!! Just the fact they are completely the opposite of all the existing furniture makes them so correct. The red seats carry the entire theme off and the contrasting styles adds so much interest to the space!!! The ideal solution in making such a small room full of Importance!!!

I must thank Kenneth for his wonderful suggestion of the hurricane lamps and books as the accessories to adorn the table. Actually, I only have one hurricane lamp at present (candle sticks are now stand-ins)......two more are in Patti's attic. They are from Erica's wedding. She had one at every table, each filled with a different candy. Guests were given small decorative "bags" and traveled from table to table filling them with their favorites. Side note...... The M & M table was the most popular, by far!

The Dining Room has come together so well and much quicker than I ever dreamed.

I have come to the realization that my "Home" is my laboratory....my private Design Workshop!

.....and ......the Master Bedroom is still empty!

JACKPOT......... THREE SEPERATE EPIPHANIES

MY LITTLE MIND JUST WON'T QUIT!

It all began last week when I got the brainy idea I needed a console or serving piece to use during a dinner in the Dining Room. It would have to be placed in the Great Room. There isn't room in the new space for any additional furniture. Naturally, as anyone would dream up, a tea cart instantly came to mind. It would be a perfect piece to put behind the wing back chair .....very functional and it would add a little whimsy.

I envisioned a gorgeous cart with mirrored shelves, large shinny rear wheels, and a handle to die for. Simple Elegance! To my horror this piece doesn't exist in my non-existing budget! I spent the week looking at all my regular sources and some not so regular ones!

Enter Plan B

Look for a console table that would fit in that space. In order to visualize what amount of space I was thinking of, I went around the house looking for a Stand-In that would give me a sense of how it would look. The search was short and sweet......my Mitchell Gold/Bob Williams mirrored Dressing Table and Sexy Sadie Chair would be perfect. (Purchased at their outlet store in Hickory, N.C.) It took no time at all and they were in place. To my amazement ......they looked so good, I decided why look any further...... Oh, boy, I just saved a fortune on my budget!!!!

I now have a lovely "Lady's Desk" and chair in the great room... and... when we use the dining room, a beautiful console table and extra seating!


BUT ........I NOW HAVE A HUGE EMPTY SPACE IN THE MASTER BEDROOM.......


I mentioned three Epiphanies. On to number two!

While placing the Lady's desk into it's perfect spot I finally figured a way to eliminate the narrow walking space through the room. I wasn't happy having to walk between the back of the chairs and the fireplace. The fireplace was never a "part" of the sitting area. To my surprise, by placing the chairs up to the fireplace, the entire room was opened up. Now, you enter the ROOM and just proceed! All it took was a little push and pull and it was done! Subtle, but what a change it has made! The "hall" is gone!




#3

Completely different subject. Loved my mirror over mirror hanging by the silver chain....but I wasn't that happy with the hooks holding the chain.

I knew what I needed, but had no idea where to find it. Master Carpenter found it!!!!!!

He comes into the house from the garage holding this perfect, shinny, knobby "thing" saying "Will this Work?" It was one of the brackets from a towel bar we had removed from the guest bath months ago! In less than an hour .......it was attached to the wall with the mirror and shinny chain hanging from it!!!!!

ps....if you don't happen to have spare towel bars in your garage another solution is Inactive Door Knobs (also called "dummy knobs") sold in hardware stores. Either is perfect for hanging pictures, mirrors.....just use your imagination!






...now........ that EMPTY space in the Master Bedroom..........

COMING SOON

THIS WILL BE WORTH THE WAIT

I can't imagine anyone that knows me, or that has been following this blog, would think this space would remain blank for very long.........

Well, you are right!

A very DIFFERENT "ERiCA" creation is on it's way........

Master Carpenter and I are visiting Erica and Adam on February 25th and will bring the new art back home with us.

Again...............Erica has planned something very different than her previous works. This will be such a new approach and I can't wait to see it hanging and be able to share it with the world!!!

Look for the Reveal around February 26th..............

.....by the way.......Erica is available to Commission.....you can have your own Original ERiCA !!!