Feeling Homey

Just hanging around enjoying this beautiful day! Hope your day is special, too. Lots of kids running around outside and I'm doing some gardening. Here's some new pics of the living room with a new camera lens.

A Giveaway

Cynthia at Cynthiascottagedesign.blogspot is having a giveaway for her one year anniversary with blogging. Check out her beautiful site!

Vintage Chalkware

I have found myself starting to collect vintage chalkware. I love the patina and the sweet faces of the figurines! This one I found at an estate sale.

An e-bay find. The guy who sold it said the hat had been painted blue by someone but I think it's original. Look at those eyelashes!

These two are a pair. Sigh.

Isn't she a cutie pie?

Who is that letter for?

These little figurines just melt my heart.

Pizza Making Assignment

Brittany is our oldest daughter - she's in 5th grade. She had to make a pizza for her assignment - with all the food groups. She's allergic to milk so her pizza couldn't have any cheese! She made a yummy one - with spinach, pepperoni, onions, tomatoes, beans and pineapple! Great work, Brittany!

My Favorite Lake House

Welcome to our Lake House! We are so excited that it is finally summertime and we can go up to our Lake House for fun summer weekends! We go swimming, boating, jet-skiing, we have friends and family over, play games, watch movies, bbq, read, and just have wonderful family time together!

Dover eating my Hostas at the Lake House - naughty puppy! (He mostly just tears them out of the ground - I don't think he actually eats them.)

I planted some flowers last weekend while we were up there.

View from our back deck - it was rather chilly - not too many boats yet.

Elizabeth says, "Come on in!"

We have a tiny eating area in the kitchen. It is surrounded by forest - in the winter time the deer sleep outside next to the house. Really neat! We don't get that in the city.

Dresser in the bedroom.

The Master Bedroom is in the basement/lower level. We have a screened in porch off it.

This is where we hang out - the main family area. There are decks and screened in porches around it. That's Maddie in the rocking chair - she's daughter #3. She's in Kindergarten - soon to be promoted to 1st grade! The girls play so well together when we are there - they play board games, watch movies together, draw, swim... it's so much fun and I know they will have great memories!!! This summer two of them will take sailing camp with their cousins from Seattle. We'll stay there for a week when they do that. I'm looking forward to another delightful summer spent there.

Relaxing on the Balcony

This is the balcony off my master bedroom. I have some rockers out there, too. In the summertime it's nice to sit out there looking at the trees and just enjoy being outside. In the evening (if I still have the energy!) I pour myself a glass of wine, sit and listen to some music. Someday I might even have a cup of coffee out there in the morning...it just doesn't work at the moment with four girls and two dogs needing me!

Girly Fun

This is Elizabeth looking for the right shade of lip gloss to go with her outfit. She wants to look like a princess. Preferably Cinderella.

Elizabeth and Maddie playing Polly Pockets. I love when they play nicely together!

More Polly Pocket fun.

Vintage Typewriter

I found this old typewriter in a resale shop. My husband told me never to complain again about what he buys. I told him it was great fun for the kids to get to see one and try one out! All they know are computers! The kids did have fun trying it out! That's Bridget in the picture. Plus I think it's cool looking. I do not regret my purchase!

Tablescapes, Etc.

It's a beautiful day in Chicagoland! The kids are playing outside and having piano lessons. Here are some pictures from around the house - I did some dusting and rearranging last night. I am always tweaking my house! It makes cleaning much less of a chore for me.

Springtime at the Bungalow

Spring is such a wonderful time! All the flowers coming up, being able to plant, move things around, create, dream. The fresh air, open windows, kids playing outside! A time to enjoy God's beauty all around us. Birds building nests and preparing for new life. I just get lost in peacefulness when I am outside in my garden. No matter what may be on my mind, going outside and spending time in the garden cheers me.

Garage Sale Finds

I used to think all that was at garage sales was a bunch of junk that should be thrown out. And that is the case in many sales I stop at, but you never know when you will find something beautiful - or something that could be used in another way. This old chair looked like it belonged in the trash but how cute is it with some flowers on it out on my deck? The platter is Limoges - $5! Reuse-Reduce-Recycle!!

Trash to Treasure

Another garbage find! You must think I'm biggest trash picker! I'm really not! It's just when I'm driving down the street my eye catches some cool stuff that people throw out! This time I found an old desk. It had been cute at one time but was very warped and damaged...but the drawers were neat...I thought, "What can I do with these?" Flower planters! Of course!

Aunt Ruthie's Chairs

While taking the garbage out to our alley I spotted these cute chairs by my neighbor's garbage cans. I quickly called her and inquired about them. "What's wrong with them? Why are you throwing them out?" I asked. She said "NOTHING! I have no where to put them in my house! It's breaking my heart to throw them out - they were my Aunt Ruthie's chairs!" I asked her if I could have them and she was delighted that I wanted them! I think they are so cute! Thanks Lea my awesome neighbor and thanks to Aunt Ruthie, too! I am glad to have your chairs! You never know what treasures you will find in the trash!

Our Dining Room

Our dining room is on the small side but still holds a lot of stuff! My china cabinet is loaded with collected dishes from family, antique stores, thrifted finds, estate and garage sales. I always feel like I can squeeze just one more in my collection! My chandelier is new - it's designed by Tracy Porter. She has a wonderful website http://www.tracyporter.com/ if you are interested in seeing some of her beautiful home and decorating ideas. She has a blog, too.