Autumn: The Season of Apples, Cornstalks, Scarecrows & Pumpkins

Hello Friends!

Everyone has a favorite season & this is definitely mine! It's such an incredible transition from summer to winter. To see the trees, in their most colorful dress, painting the sky never seems to get old to me and exchanging shorts for jeans and sandals for loafers brings joy to my soul!

What is your favorite season? Have you ever thought about why it's your favorite? For me, I can tell you right off the bat why I love fall so much! Truly my fondest memories were created as a kid and as an adult, I have just continued to grow my love and traditions of the season even more. I know they will be too many to list in one post, so I'll break them up - lest I bore you to tears!! :-)

Feel free to chime in about your favorite fall memories, I'd love to hear them!!

Childhood Fall Favorites

• New Beginnings - Although it probably wasn't truly the case, I remember getting ALL new stuff for school! Bookbags, before backpacks were cool, new school supplies - remember the pink eraser?!

          

• Football practice - Behind our house there was a large park with football fields where the city league would play. I remember sitting at our kitchen table and watching the boys doing their warm-ups for practices and as they did their jumping jacks, their voices called out the reps in a deep, rumbling kind of way - One, Two, Three, Four.... I used to go to the games by myself, get a hot chocolate, sit in the stands and just watch. I had no idea really what was going on, but I learned as I watched. Good memory!

Speaking of football - it's the big Air Force vs. Navy game today! Enough chatting, I need to get ready for the game!!

GO AIR FORCE! SINK NAVY - AGAIN!!!!

Have a Fabulous Weekend!!!

Tracy :-)

Come on Get Happy!!

Do you consider your place a happy space? If you think it's "almost there" but feel you're missing something, read on!

Most often, we put all the weight of creating a great space on the "visual." We work tirelessly to put together rooms that are functional and fabulous with furniture, window treatments, lamps & just the right amount of do-da's but somehow, something's missing. Of course, if we find something visually appealing, it creates a sense of happiness, but that's only the surface!

Consider all of our five senses - sight, hearing, taste, touch and smell

Let's suppose you've nailed the visual. While it "looks" nice, does it sound nice, smell nice, taste nice? I know, the last one is a little weird, but hang with me!


              

 Hearing - Fill your space with sounds of the season, your favorite music or nature sounds.

                          

Touch - Use accessories like throw pillows and blankets that are made of your favorite material to bring tactile happiness into your space. 
                              

    
 
Smell - DUH!!! Everyone, I think, knows the old trick of making chocolate chip cookies before showing a house because it evokes a feeling of home. Well, the same goes for creating our happy space! Burn your favorite fragrance or use diffusers to add happiness! They call it "Aroma-Therapy" for a reason!

 
                              

Taste - Keep your favorite treat in a bowl somewhere in your room. It could be anything that makes you happy like a bowl of fruit, nuts or chocolate!!


You get the idea!!! I hope I've inspired you to think about your other four senses while creating the space that makes YOU happy!!

Find the Fabulous!!

Tracy :-)

 

Happiness & Home

What makes you happy? I know, big question, but a serious one. I ask because I wonder if you incorporate your "happy" into your decor?

For example, do you love horses, sailboats, cats or football?



 

What about colors? Have you painted the rooms in your living space the colors that make you happy? (I say living space intentionally so people in an apartment have no excuse. Paint the color you love, then paint it back to boring beige when you leave!)

Do you prefer deep, rich color with muted accents that make a room feel dark & cozy?



Or do you love deep rich color with bright accents that make the room feel elegant?



How about using your favorite color - no matter what it is???



What about just plain white?



The purpose of all these questions is to make you think intentionally about your space and if it makes you happy. If it does, share it with us! If it doesn't; change it!!

Next post, I'll share what makes me happy about my home. In the meantime, I look forward to hearing about your house!

Find the Fabulous!!
Tracy

Great Summer Project

Have you ever seen these big wooden spools used for industrial wire?





My friend Rene is so super talented and crafty that this is what she came up with using wooden spools similar to this -

Pretty amazing, huh? I love to see things re-purposed! Now, Rene has a multi-purpose item that serves as a table for your poolside beverage and an umbrella holder....Absolutely Love It!!!

Share your cool re-purposed things with me, I'd love to share them!!

Cool Summer Chic - 2 Ways!

Light and airy with punches of color make this room a fun, summertime retreat from the heat!

The Chill Collection: Big, block feet and wide-open bench-style seat cushions create European look and a totally relaxed appeal that makes you just want to, well, chill. And, if you really must have a sofa with arms, you can con-figure the corner chairs with an armless chair or two – or even the sofa – to create a sublime sectional.

 
Chill Ottoman W41" H15" D27" Starting at $434 + shipping

Chill Corner Chair W44" H34" D44" Starting at $806 + shipping

Chill Armless Chair W41" H34" D44" Starting at $721 + shipping

Chill Armless Sofa W82" H34" D44 Starting at $1125 + shipping 

Available through Decorating Den Interiors Lockport and made from start to finish in North Carolina

Same collection but super Chic-i-fied by using grey, black and wood-tones. This sophisticated, but not stuffy, room is the way to end a long work day - preferably with a fabulous martini!

Which style do you prefer? Color Chic or Super Chic? Let me know!

Forever Finding the Fabulous!!
Tracy :-)

Summertime & the Livin' is Easy....(?)

Hola! The last two weeks have absolutely flown by! I started to tell you about my new guest room redo, but my camera was not cooperating with my computer! Technology....! So, I have finally gotten my pictures and thought you might like to see this "disaster to darn good" in just one day - and I took every minute of those 24 hours!!!

While I'd like to blame all of this on my kid, who's not here to defend himself, lol, the truth is that this "junk" room became a collection of all Josh's stuff that he didn't take and overflow "stuff" from my business. And I just couldn't take it anymore!!!


I don't know if I shared this, but now is as good a time as any, I'm supposed to be recovering from surgery....  They want me to rest, sure! I did really well resting until the Percocet wore off!! If they really wanted me to rest, they would have sent me home with an IV drip of that stuff! Needless to say, I was home, the room was there....it had to be done!

 Wanted to make sure you saw the mattress, too! A loaner from my neighbor when my US Air Force Academy, USAFA, cadet-kid, brought his friend home...last summer! Time to go back to it's home!!

After I cleared the room, I had to clean the filth....BOYS! You may hear me say this more than once! So I got my handy little Oreck hand vacuum and cleaned all the baseboards. While I had it right there, I also vacuumed both wood blinds. I then attached the long nozzle to get any cobwebs in the corners. 

Next, I took the blinds down, removed all the plate covers and started to fill the holes. It looks like the walls have a very bad case of the chicken pox!!! All kidding aside, I know how important the prep work is! Unfortunately, many people skip the prep and wind up with a bad result. Paint covers a lot, but it won't cover un-preped surfaces!!!


After the spackle dried, I sanded the spots first, but then the whole wall. After I sanded, I used my little Oreck and the floor attachment, the one with the brush, to vacuum the walls and then I wiped them down. OK - maybe that's a little much but I just wanted it to be awesome!


I decided to paint the ceiling also. A lot of people skip it, but I just know from my line of work that fresh walls and an old ceiling don't create the look I'm going for. So, with a plastic bag from the grocery store and a hair clip - I attach my plastic bandana and get to work. 


Time to paint some color on these walls!!! FYI, I AM a paint snob!! I only use C2 Paint because it is FABULOUS!!! They have great depth of color because of the European pigments they use, they have low voc's and are earth friendly!!! You can check out more info about them at www.c2paint.com/  

This is it for now - the blinds are back up, bed is in and there's light and a nightstand. It was completely exhausting but I knew my USAFA cadet-kid would enjoy it! Trust me, he's been home for a week and is thoroughly loving that bed!! :-)


Although the room isn't totally done, I've got lots of tricks up my sleeve for this room, I promised you pictures and as it's said, "Better late than never!" 


I hope you are inspired to take a junky space and turn it into something livable and awesome!!!


Find the Fabulous!!
Tracy

More Mackenzie-Childs Fabulocity!!!

Hello!!!

I'm back with Part Deux of my Mackenzie-Childs adventure! After grabbing all my goodies at the Barn Sale, it was time to head into the Shop. Whenever I am in this incredible space, I feel so inspired. See if any of these shots inspire you!

Let's start with this amazing lamp! Ok, maybe not a typical light source, but it certainly sparked some creative thoughts in my brain! This piece was made of ceramic, metal, fabric and mirror. His boots are made from broken mirror pieces, sparkly and cool!

The way they use multiple fabrics in upholstery isn't just custom, it's creativity on crack!! But here's the trick: mix patterns of varying scale and pattern. For example, using two stripes or even several for that matter, is okay as long as you have a mix of big, fat thick stripes along with medium and skinny stripes. Using decorative cording in between provides a break for the eye.

The prevalent black and white check is one of their signature patterns called Courtly Check. Note the use of it on the edge of the table. It's that level of attention to detail that, to me, makes this brand so remarkable.

Are those not the sexiest candles you've ever seen? I love them!!











There were several chandeliers in the shop but two I thought were so cool I had to share!

This fixture was made entirely of spoons and, believe it or not, is really elegant! I believe that it's a one-of-a-kind because it's not listed for sale in any of their catalogs. What a treasure!!

 Half traditional and half Alice in Wonderland! The polka dotted hand-blown glass center of lime and blue contrast with the seemingly traditional candelabra arms. This fixture is gigantic but I think would be amazing in the right two-story foyer.....

Even a little topiary can get dressed up by  hand-painting a container and adding bow!

 And this last picture is something I'm going to try out in my new compote! At first, we thought this fern was artificial, but it's not! They've "planted" it in this compote using moss as the dirt. By keeping the moss moist, the roots are watered and the fern grows! 


I'm sure this isn't a forever thing, but if the plant gets too big, just transplant it into a pot! If you've ever tried something like this, let me know, I'd love to hear how it turned out.



My two biggest take-away's from all of my visits to Mackenzie-Childs are; fabulous design isn't always serious, it can be fun and whimsical and inspiration is in everything, you just have to look!


Be Inspired to Find the Fabulous!!!
Tracy

Mackenzie-Childs Barn Sale - AMAZING!!!

Good Morning All!

In the midst of redo-ing my son's room, I had to make our annual trek to the Mackenzie-Childs Barn Sale - some things are THAT important! Above is the sign to happiness... :-)

And this is the line to happiness...! The sale starts at 8 am and we got there about 11:30. This line is considerably shorter than when they opened at 8 - people line up for a mile....I'm not kiddin'!

If you've never heard of Mackenzie-Childs before, it is a company that produces fabulous glazed pottery, enamelware, fabrics, lighting, furniture, accessories, etc. all with their very distinctive style. Some love it and some just don't get what the fuss is all about. I love it! When I'm at the property I am get so creatively inspired! This is not a typical "store." It is an old farm with a Victorian farmhouse, several outbuildings and a ton of land with barns that are used to create the pottery on site. It's a cool place to visit.

The top picture is one of the outbuildings and the picture to the right is just the view from where I was waiting in line. Beyond the treeline is a lake and it's simply breathtaking! 

Ok - enough of that because the Barn Sale means cool stuff for less! Here's a tip if you ever plan to attend - make a "hit list" of items you really want and find them first. There is so much available it is easy to be overwhelmed! 

On my hit list were two very special items; a paper towel holder and an enamelware compote. My mother-in-law has the ceramic one and it cost a lot...I can't say because my father-in-law might read this. Anyway, he's never allowed to touch it or move it (it sits on her kitchen table which is granite) because husbands seem to have a "break that" gene in them. Well, at least her's & mine do...! So, to be able to ENJOY my compote without being terrorized by its fragility, I opted for the enamelware one!

So when we first hit the barn, what do I see????

My Compote!!!! Come to Momma!!! One down, now where is that paper towel holder?

YES!!! There it is, my fabulous new paper towel holder!!! Have you ever known anyone to be this stupid-gitty over a silly kitchen accessory??!! Here's why though, I bought this cute little one from Hobby Lobby, it was all black with a small rooster finial. Looked cool for about a month. Every time I had to change the paper towel roll, I had to unscrew that finial 1,022 times, UGH! And when my husband did it, you remember, the one with the "break that" gene? Yea, he unscrewed it and dropped the rooster on the counter and chipped his little beak right off. Not to mention that it just was a wobbly mess because it was junk! So, it has been replaced with this and I'm over the moon!!! No more unscrewing anything, the roll just fits right over the blingy finial!!

More pictures from the sale tomorrow. Right now I have so much to do to get ready for Jake's homecoming - the room still isn't ready, my hubby's coming home from his fishing trip and we're having a big family party at my Mom's house! It seems like a lot for one day - Carpe Diem!!!

Finding the Fabulous - In Life!!!

Tracy

Guest Room Almost There!!!

Good Morning!!

I can't believe I'm saying that after 4 1/2 hours of sleep! So, I made significant progress yesterday on Josh's room, however, for some reason my laptop is still fighting with all the pictures I'm trying to post!!! I promise I'll try to repost them this evening.

I haven't painted in a long time - for some reason, I thought that I enjoyed this....!!! Ok, I think the real issue here is that I'm have such a short timeline that it's hard to enjoy it and take my time. It's also difficult to be accurate - as my 2 am pictures will show....!!! So my first painting tip would be this: Make sure you give yourself sufficient time to do your project!! If you tend to think like I do, like I'm some sort of super human person, you'll put yourself under pressure and then it won't be fun!

I tried to make sure that I followed all the steps to proper painting. I first cleaned and dusted the walls and baseboards and I have to thank my little Oreck handheld vacuum for making that part so easy! It was also very helpful after I had filled ALL the holes with spackle and sanded, and sanded, and sanded and created enough dust to build another house!!! 

The one are I will admit that I fell down in is my materials. I should have ensured that I had not only the right tools, but that they were clean and serviceable as well!!! So yes, I had most everything, but I ended up wasting time and not getting a good result on some things - like edging, because I should have had a new tool!  Now I will have to go back to fix those things....and I will, because bad edging will drive my little OCD brain insane!!!!

After 5 pm the new bed will be delivered and this room needs to be at least ready to receive it. I would normally say it would be fine, but I am getting ready to leave for my Mother-In-Law & mine annual trek to Mackenzie-Childs in Aurora, NY. Our journey will take most of the day, so I'll get home just in time to get the room ready for the bed, but I can't pass up the Mackenzie-Childs Barn Sale.....!!! :-)  If you've never heard of Mackenzie-Childs, their stuff is Fabulous!!! Check out their website http://www.mackenzie-childs.com/

Ok folks, I've finished my ONE cup of tea and need to get showered to get out of here soon!!! I promise as soon as I get my pictures on my desktop I'll post!!! Thanks for hanging in there with me!!

Hey - I'll try to see if I can post from my phone at Mackenzie-Childs too!!

Find the Fabulous!!!!

Tracy

Turning Sons' Room into New Guest Room - In a Hurry!

Hi All!

What a crazy week it's been & today's topic should be about PRIORITIES!!! Haha!! My garage sale-ing last weekend was a bust, ugh! And this week, my son Jake is coming home from the US Air Force Academy, where he is a cadet, for two weeks. My hubby left on his annual fishing trip with Uncle Paul and this is ALWAYS my time to do some crazy stuff in the house, hence no blog writing!

I've decided to clean out my youngest son's bedroom - he's 22 and gone but boy did he leave me a mess, boys are gross!!!

So a picture of this mess is supposed to go here, but my camera and laptop are not playing nice. ;-(

 

So, my plan is to finish clearing the room of the stuff he left behind which means sorting, garbage and moving to another room....ugh! I got a lot done yesterday and have to scrub the room down to get it painted today so that I can get the new bed in sometime before Saturday. Oh, and I forgot to mention that tomorrow is my mother-in-laws & mine annual trek to MacKenzie Childs barn sale in Aurora, NY - an all day event. So I am against the clock to get all this done, but I'm determined!!! I'll keep you posted on how it comes out! 

I haven't even picked a paint color yet!!!

I'll try to update throughout the day - perhaps it'll force me to take a mandatory break! 

First priority, PAINT color - so it can be delivered by the time I'm ready to start this afternoon!

I'm off to work!!

Creating the Fabulous!!!

Tracy

It's Friday! Are You Ready To Hit The Sales???

Happy Friday!

This post is really for the newbies to garage and estate sales, so veteran's of the conquest, have patience with me as I share some helpful tips for them! Also, if you have a great tip or idea that I neglect to mention - PLEASE share it in a comment below! 

Here are some of my best practices for sale-ing:
 

• Keep a List - I keep a list of things I may want to find and add to it during the week. It's easy to forget about it when you are out and about!
• Use Technology - I go on the internet or use a paper to find the sales in my area or the ones I am most interested in going to because they may have an item listed that I want.
• Map Your Route - I will try to map out the sales, so I can work in an organized manner. I find this is helpful so I don't end up jumping from one sale to another and then backtracking to get to another sale. That's a waste of time and gas!! 
• Early Bird... - I try to start Friday. If you work or have other commitments, don't fret. If you get out EARLY on Saturday morning, like 7 or 8, you can still find lots of treasure!
• Fuel Up - Before I start my early Saturday, I round up my partner and grab a bite to eat - you need fuel for this endeavor!!! *Side-note: Sale-ing is not for the weak or easily discouraged. You may encounter many junk sales before you find a treasure trove!! So remember what your mother told you, "Don't give up!" :-)
• Negotiate - If you see something you want and you think the price is too high, never be afraid to negotiate. But when you ask, make sure you offer a price. For example if a vase if $5 and you'd like to buy it for $2, ask them, "Would you take two dollars for this?" If that's not acceptable to them, they will counter-offer. Work it until you are comfortable with the cost of the item, and if you're not comfortable with it, walk away. 
• Have Fun - You are not solving any world problems here! This should be an adventure to find amazing things that will enrich your life, be it a book, a lamp or a piece of furniture! Remember that some days you'll score big and other days not so much!! 

OK, I've tried to dump as much out of my little head as I could think of for today - I'm excited to get moving on my own treasure hunt, but I wanted to share these things with you before the weekend!!! I truly hope that it helps you find the gems you have been looking for!!!

Find the Fabulous!!!
Tracy :-)   

Fabulous Find - Silver-plated Serving Pieces!!

Hey There!!

We are almost to fabulous Friday!! I hope that you are getting inspired to head out this weekend and find some lost treasures for yourself! I wanted to post some pictures of the fab finds I ran across the other day, some dreadful looking - to the non-creative eye - tarnished silver-plate serving pieces. I got the whole lot of them 11 pieces in all for $10.

If you're wondering why I'd buy these pieces, the answer is two-fold. First, and foremost, because they SPARKLE & SHINE, and they make any occasion feel like a special one! Secondly, it seems like every holiday, I'm looking for more serving pieces. I hope this addition to my collection solves that problem!!

 Above - These are seven out of the eleven, the other four, below, are just junky silver-ish plate pieces. Although they'd still work as serving pieces in a pinch!

In my opinion (IMO), fabulous finds are even more fab when you get a great deal! If you were to exclude the not-so-fab-four pieces, I ended up paying a little over a dollar a piece. Not bad!! Often times, people disregard these pieces because they think they are out of fashion, that means a good deal for us! 

Be advised though, silver-plate has a maintenance factor and some people are turned off by that. However, it's really not that hard, and if you take care of it properly you will have pieces that sparkle for years to come!

What to look for before you buy:

 Above - Note the markings on the oval tray I found. It tells me the pattern; Primrose, the maker; Wm. Rogers & Son, and the date it was produced;1880.

• look for any stamped markings on the underside of the piece. You may see the maker's name, date produced, country of origin, or E.P., which stands for Electro Plating. If you see the word "Sterling" grab it - that means it's solid sterling silver and can be worth a great deal of money!
• if the piece is tarnished, try to rub a spot out with a piece of cloth. 
• if the piece has any bubbles or bumps on it, pass it buy. It means that the silver-plate has come loose from the base metal.
• be cautious when you see scratches or dents, as these could cause the silver-plate to come loose as well.

How to clean your silver-plate when you get it home:

•  DO NOT use harsh household cleaners - it could ruin the silver-plate!
• If you don't have a silver cleaner, try this - make a paste of baking soda and water. Rub the paste on the silver, rinse and dry with a soft cloth.
• if there is still tarnish, perhaps inside an intricate design, you can line a pan with a sheet of aluminum foil, add 2-3 inches of water, 1 tablespoon baking soda and a teaspoon of salt. Bring water to a boil, then add the pieces, making sure each piece is covered. Boil for 2-3 minutes, remove and dry with soft cloth. **And for the Love, please be careful with the boiling water....!!! :-)

Now that it's clean, you'll have to take precautions to keep it shiny! However, don't be discouraged you need to polish it up again after it's been sitting a while.

The best way to store silver-plate:

• keep it in a tarnish resistant cloth or plastic when it's not in use.

After you have used your pieces, try to clean them promptly. Leaving oil or acids from food particles on the piece too long could ruin it. Simply clean them with a mild soap and warm water and dry them thoroughly.  I leave mine out overnight to ensure the moisture is gone completely.

For a minimal effort, I think the reward of using silver-plate is enormous - glamor, sparkle and that je ne said quoi that will leave your guests envious of your haute hostess skills!

Find the Fabulous!
Tracy