WORDS OF WISDOM FROM MC

MC'S FIRST POST!


MC (Technical Adviser and Chief Supporter)
"I have been asked in many comments where I got my "talent" in making "stuff", such as book shelves, draperies, Little People, and the million other things I do around here. The answer is quite simple--I am CHEAP! If I can do something without paying someone else to do it, I do it. If I don't know how, I turn to my good friend Google and learn how. Patty and I are quite a team. She has the Epiphany and I have to figure out how to make it a reality. I usually make it work; that is, if I can't talk her out of it first."

MC added the above as a "comment".  I thought that it needed to be read by ALL

ps....make a note to check the new post of MC's Little People immediately before this one.

.  

LITTLE POST FOR MC'S LITTLE PEOPLE

MC HAS COMPLETED HIS NEXT TASK!

His MC sign is finished and hanging... A small step, but a very important one!  He has a new ORIGINAL LITTLE PEOPLE  in the works.  Wait until you see it...It's a Winner!

We have the wall opposite the window wall to work on this week....It's a busy week but I have "faith" it will be done soon!


 


 

 
 MC loves working on these adorable creatures!!!!  He goes in the garage and spends hours.....
I know it's his way to escape crazy Patty!

MC HAS COMPLETED THE DRAPERY PANELS !!!

 ......  What more can I say ... they are gorgeous!

 My first comment to MC was, "They look like they were done by someone who knew what they were doing!"


 When we get up  each morning and leave our bedroom, this is the first thing we see!  Great image to start each day!

 

The Room now flows beautifully from the Foyer!

 I love the way the clock's design goes with the drapery fabric!

MC has been working on his A.F. Patches'  project forever!  Doing this wall unit prompted him to complete it!

 We have to laugh at ourselves!  A year ago we thought we would take some of the "black" out of the rooms!  Twelve months later, that's far from reality!  We have added four black rugs and black accessories here and there!  So much for that!

We still have the wall opposite the windows in the Library to work on.  Hopefully that will be done in the next few days.   MC is working on his Little People sign and the stands for all the figurines.  Again, I'm hoping all this will be finished in the near future.


BUT THERE IS MORE!, we wanted to make the black unit that housed our TV in MC's room have  a home in the Epiphany Suite!  We have a smaller TV in it now than was in it when it was in MC's room!  Had to come up with something.....


 

 

MC says no one will know what BHL is!!!  I suggested to him that anyone who spends a night in our Epiphany Suite will understand......BUCKET LIST HOUSE!!!!

We are  taking reservations!!! 

FIRST DAY OF FALL

I am thoroughly ecstatic it's officially Fall!  I can't say Fall in Georgia is the Fall I knew as a child growing up on Long Island, New York, but never the less, the calendar says  FALL.

I am not a Summer Girl.  Due to my very fair skin, (oh I am so delicate...that's a hoot), and in the last 20 years, medications, I am not able to take the summer  heat or  sun.  As I child I had two very severe sun burns.   I will never forget the pain or the ghastly way I looked. I endured it and swore as soon as I was able to stand on my own convictions, I would not put myself through that torture!    FINALLY, in the last years, I  have reached a point in my life where I can remain inside and not partake in outside activities.  I no longer have to try and "fit in"! It's OK, I can be different.   That was the hardest part all these years.  In order to be one of the group I had to be OUT THERE!   NO MORE.....

Kristy and Beth authors of My Design Chic,  here ,  remarked on how they admired the elevation of our Bucket List Home and wanted me to share some of our "outside" spaces!  I have put this off.....we don't have enough outside spaces to make a big deal over!

THE BUCKET LIST HOUSE

Now adding to the fact of my reaction to heat and sun, I kill every single flower, plant, bush or tree known to man!  and.....I found if I don't kill them the deer eat them!!!  Last year we actually had two urns filled with beautiful Inpatients  stately placed at our front door.  Neighbors complimented how pretty they were!  They lasted one week!  We awoke one morning and all the foliage had been eaten down to the roots by the deer that roam here at night!  That freaked me out.  All I could think of was waking up and seeing a huge deer at my front door! 

This year, the urns, with advice from a knowledgeable gardener neighbor, we planted ferns.  She was smart.  They actually are still alive! 

Last summer we replaced the  concrete pad on our terrace with  blue flagstone.   The contractor did a wonderful job and gave it a very graceful curve.  We love it.  We had two more urns that we planted boxwood in.  They lasted two months!  They remained bare the rest of the summer!  This year, again with that smart  neighbor's  advice we tried petunias and so far they are holding up!   I don't think the deer know we have a back terrace!

We have two loveseats and a nest of tables to use,  when needed!!!  Did have two chairs, which I moved inside and am now using at my "desk" kitchen area!    I actually sat out there once in May!  Have proof.  Have a picture.  That's it.....We enjoy the space from inside!  It's pretty,  and our view is great!  No need to go outside!

Notice the sweater, didn't want that sun to get me!  It was 99 out there!  I was pretending to be happy and believe me....I did not stay one minute after MC took the picture!

The view from inside and from the terrace

Which brings me to report that MC is working on the drapery panels.....He informed me that it's going to take awhile...the fabric is very thick!  He has to take a long time to get the iron on tape to work!

See you whenever.....

MC AND "HIS" SPACE

He's getting there!
I would say we are 70% finished with the "Room".  We still have a few projects left.

Only one OOOPS moment when one of the large shelves I was holding while MC was bracing the side piece fell on my hand...but....  Really, it was OK.   One of those moments when you are afraid to look at your body part for fear of what you will see.... 

MC'S WALL UNIT

This side has been dedicated to his Air Force life!

Under the Clock is his Sword from his ROTC Corps life at VPI...Today known as Virginia Tech

 MC is making a sign to place on the back wall  of this shelf.  It will read,  MC's Little People. He also will be making stands for each of the figures

 In addition to MC's Little People

we have

His School Stuff

Cook books

and....

A special needlepoint that Patti made, just for him, eons ago!

(you don't see the copier, do you?  Just pretend it's not there.)

  The room is directly off the Foyer at the front door, at the front of the house.  This makes it very, very visible. It's one of the first things one sees when entering our home.  We never paid much attention to the detail of the room, felt good it was kept neat and orderly!

When a neighbor commented that we had put so much into the other rooms, we realized we needed to address MC's private space!

What's left for the Wall Unit are round black knobs that are on order for the lower cabinet.

The largest,  of the other projects,  are drapery panels for these two windows that face the street.  We have  Bali Neat Pleat shades which are perfect for privacy, add nothing to "design"!

I have been looking at fabrics and fabric ideas for these windows for over a year.  Never had the need to make a decision and never had a direction!

Saturday, MC and I went to OHCO Warehouse.
http://www.ohcoinc.com/

 

 

We played it safe and brought home 8 swatches, or cut off pieces, to see if one would stand out.

It's funny, the second we brought in all the cut off pieces only one said IT'S ME!  It was perfect!  Guess which one?  Clue, it looks great with the clock.
Added feature....it was a Bargain Lover's Huge Bargain!!!

MC is going to paint the old gold rods he made (that started out white) black and we picked up black rings with hooks.
He will do his IRON ON TAPE magic!  This will be fun!  It really looks great in this room!

One other project is for the smaller wall opposite the window wall.

Do

Don't you love MC's TV.  You can tell he's not into sports!  He actually uses his computer monitor more !
Told you he was "DIFFERENT".  Just give him a good book!

What we are planning here is something I've not approached before.  I am going to  use  some of the family pictures that were on the IKEA units that were behind his desk.  We bought six 11 x 14 black frames and two 8 x 10 black frames.  We will use matting and center 8 x 10 pictures in the six large frames and smaller pictures in the two 8 x 10 frames.
Best part....got these frames at the Dollar Store.....total $8

This is my starting point....Get the idea?  The TV will sit below the two pictures in the center.

I love this chest.  It's the one we bought in Senoia a few years ago.  Never dreamed it would end up here!

So, this is where we are today.

I don't think it will take too long. I'm sure it will be finished by next month.  We're having a large meeting for the 2012 Holiday Tour Of Homes.  All the "Committee Heads", Homeowners and the Homeowners that are selling their crafts in our new addition this year.  THE GIFT HOUSE!  It will be a great place for everyone to do some shopping for gifts and "secretly" for themselves!  This is the second year Steve and I have headed up the Tour.  Had a lot of assistance with another couple...That made a huge difference.  Last year our home was on the Tour.  Now, that was one of the best days we've had since we moved here.  We spent the afternoon  relating the stories of all our treasures.  The HIGHLIGHT of the show.....Erica's Christening Dress!  Our Holiday Decor was secondary!  I have tons of pictures.....will make a new post later in the year!

Wish MC Luck with his new projects.  He's resting up!!!

ERICA'S ART

After being "featured" on Beth's Blog Design Post Interiors, there has been great interest in seeing more of my Granddaughter,  Erica's, Art!
I am so proud of Erica.  She has done outstanding pieces for our homes over the last number of years.

Her first work was done for our Kitchen for a blank space we had over our counter top and lower cabinets.  Our counter tops were covered with glass tiles.  She took these tiles as her "inspiration" and incorporated a tile in each piece!

 



 




 
This is not the best of pictures, but I there is a Tile in the center of this piece....Can you find it?

Eric did another fantastic piece for that home in Norfolk.  I love this one.  She drew inspiration  from the architecture of our building.

When we moved, she did a piece that fit our new home.  We moved from our Norfolk condo to a high rise condo in Charlotte and Erica's inspiration came from the massive buildings with their height  and boldness.

We kept moving and Erica kept doing more and more.  She is fantastic and we had a ball.  I would send her a paint "chip" with our wall color and she went from there......

Our next piece was for our first home in SunCity Peachtree.  She did a beautiful interpretation of "Endless Love"  for our 50th Wedding Anniversary

We have many Asian accessories and treasures.  To celebrate this love of ours,  she did the following,

But it doesn't stop there!
For Christmas a couple of years ago, we received this gorgeous, unique GIFT!!!  It's all wrapped up in a Bow!!!

The following is so outstanding and so meaningful.  I had our family's Christening dress that went back to the late 1890's.  Every member of my extended family was Christened in this handmade dress.  It became apparent that it had reached the end of it's life.  The bodice was so delicate and deteriorating.  I left it in Erica's hands and she preserved it !  I can't thank her enough.  I have some plans with what I will put on the console it hangs over.  I thought I would try and find photo's of my personal family members that have worn this dress.  Frame the pictures and place them on top of the console under the DRESS.  This will take time and I really don't know if I will succeed......I will try!!!

 

I hope you have enjoyed seeing Erica's Art.  I am so, so proud of her.