Home Repair Minimalist

I NEED TO MAKE A DECISION

And it’s a difficult one…sales have been getting less and less on my website and it’s getting more difficult to make the decision to close it. It’s getting so I don’t have enough in PayPal to make the monthly payment and when you start putting your own money in to cover it – it’s time to think differently.

So…do I hang on for another month or just bite the bullet now and get it over with.

But I do have a question…if I close my website, I would like to sell a few items on a Selling Blog but I don’t know how to get the BUY NOW button on and link back to PayPal.
My webhost designer did all that for me so I’m at a loss as how to do it.

Now I have my patterns on my website but they are also on the two Pattern sites so that won’t hurt anything (sell from those two anyway – none from mine…lol)

And I’m going to ask a favor if I do get a Selling Blog…
Being I’ve tried with all my might to promote all the wonderful selling blogs out there…I’m asking ‘Would you all please help me and put my Selling Blog on your blogs sidebar if I start one????
I’m asking anyone and everyone EVEN IF YOU DON’T HAVE A SELLING BLOG…If I do this I need all the promotion I can get.

So that’s my dilemma right now…that and that I CAN’T leave comments on your blogs. Blogger is being a BUGGER again and it just keeps wanting me to sign in…and I’ve been signed in!!!

Hope to hear from you with some suggestions here on my website…what would you do?

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Have you decorated your garage lately?

Have a street facing garage? That is an asset in the "fairy tale" town of Carmel-by-the-Sea, in California. Let's examine together.....you might have another decorating project!

LOVE the above patina, it never occurred to me to put such effort into these often neglected doors.

notice how the drive pulls everything together?

A perpendicular wooden trellis is perfect for supporting Rapunzel like vines.

Noticing the hardware on these doors? It gets even better.......

This is my favorite! Oh the weathered patina, the hand hewn beams turned supports.......that hardware, the whole look is very French Normandy

Notice the subtle upturn of the roofline? How about those integrated columns, the exterior sill under the tiny window?

Reminiscent of over scaled French shutters. the size and scale of the light fixtures are perfect

Let's examine this closely; notice the stone columns? As in most of these examples the garage is an additional focal point......how many of us can proclaim that? Take a close look at another aspect I love; all of the garage doors are made to 'look' like they open from the center, see the horizontal lines? Nearly all US garage doors are roll up's. When Steve built our barn we wanted the same look for our overhead door. He accomplished that by building it himself, purchasing the overhead fixtures, assembling horizontal boards, and adding handles like the photo above. The hunt will resume for killer hardware.

Carrying forth the architectural elements

These architectural elements have made all the doors special, yes the inherent architecture helps....a lot, but here are some ideas you can do now

- add "center opening" hardware

-add side hardware 'straps' taking it a step further

-they all are exceptional extensions of the homes architecture (repeating elements)

-be certain your lighting is up to date and to scale

How about no garage, just a portico....perhaps if life was in a California climate, i can only dream

Utter perfection in a one car garage.

Utter perfection in a vintage car; my dream; a British (of course British);

Morris Minor

Fifi O'Neill

The charming Fifi at our shop.

I was not aware that she is French; "Fifi"-yes, of course! And I fell in love with her instantly, charming, funny, self-depricating, lovely................

I would recommend this book highly. My personal style is not feminine, prairie, shabby chic, etc. but there are many elements in this book I enjoyed and will attempt to replicate. Did you also know it is not really a decorating book? It weaves the tales of the women who not only created their style but indeed live the lifestyle. Shhhh.......she is working on a second book, hint; it will be 'yummy'

Happy week

debra

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Grow Herbs That Attract Hummingbirds to Your Garden

You may already know that hummingbirds are attracted to the color red (orange too), especially when red blossoms have a deep, trumpet or tubular shape.

Herbs That Attract Hummingbirds

Herbs have gourmet fragrance hummingbirds love too. If you enjoy having fast fliers around your patio, deck or garden, make them welcome with a few strong scents and colors they'll appreciate. Hummingbirds aren't

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More treasures from friends

I have had a wonderful week so far – nothing but ‘good’.
Can’t say that every week but I can right now.
The weather has been gorgeous one day and rainy/windy the next….but as long as the sun peeks out once in awhile I’m okay.

Although Sunday night we had some awful storms (as did many areas). We were fortunate to just have trees falling on wires causing outages all over our town.

I had mentioned to a ‘friend’ that it would be good to be Amish right then…
I would have gas lanterns
I would not have TV or radio to worry about
I would have a gas generator or propane for my refrigerator
I would have a wood cook stove
Now tell me...what more do you need????

Sometimes I think they have the right idea – depend on yourself and the Lord and not the outside influences that only frustrate us when things go wrong.

On with the ‘treasures’!

Last week I received some beautiful ‘wax bowl filler Pansy’s’ that I ordered from Misi at http://1890gablehousemusings.blogspot.com/
Aren’t they real looking? And you should smell the gorgeous aroma they give off.

Then on Monday I received a package from Kriss at Kountry Porch Primitives: We did a swap and knew what we were swapping…she saw something I had and I saw a cute pillow she made.
It came in a large box and all grunged up…grunge story follows!

Okay…so here’s just a little bit of what Kriss e-mailed to me that she went through at the post office trying to get a ‘grungy’ package mailed:
”When she looked at the paper on the box (okay...I realize only us prim people get THAT) she said "what is wrong with this!" I laughed and told her it was fine, it's SUPPOSED to look that way, she INSISTED it was leaking and couldn't be mailed! I told her it was a staining process...decorative...she looked at me like I was crazy and wanted to know if the person receiving the package would be happy receiving it THIS way. By this point I was honestly getting angry. I asked her if she could send it priority so I could just get out of there!
Sooooo, you and I get it but she didn't and obviously didn't appreciate my handiwork LOL!!
Talk about going postal LOL”.

I think people that DON’T like Primitive or Grungy JUST DON’T GET IT…am I right? But I did have a good giggle over it.
Thanks so much Kriss…I love it!

Kriss has a give away going on at her blog too…
See what she’s giving

Little Blue Saltbox Sampler Pin Keep
This little pillow is from my pattern line and measures approximately 4 3/4 x 4 3/4 and is rag stuffed.
So give yourself a treat and visit her and sign up – you just may win.
http://kountryporchprimitives.blogspot.com/

I haven’t been on the internet much lately – I’ve had a bad case of Bronchitis. Caught it a week ago Saturday and it’s still hanging on even after antibiotics and cough medicine. I think it hangs on no matter what you are given for it. Some things just need to run the course. But I don’t have time for feeling sluggish!!! I’ve been selling my patterns quite nicely…mainly through the Pattern Cupboard. Haven’t sold any from my site. How ironic. I make and sell them but sell better on someone else’s site…strange.

I also have two huge orders from a couple quilt shops that will now sell my patterns…yeah! It took a long time to get them to reply but when they did…WOW.
Hope they re-order and order Christmas ones too.

And…I’m in the process of getting some of my designs made up and patterns too to send to IN GRANDMA’S ATTIC (just outside of Lancaster, PA) for their show which is on the 10-13th of June…go on out there if you live near by. She’s having a Wholesale Cash & Carry as well as a huge sale.
http://ingrandmasattic.blogspot.com/
3545 Lincoln Hwy. (Rt. 30 )
Kinzers, PA. 17535
(717) 442-4337

Made a new design last week – it’s my Pansies in a Watering Can

Close-up – the flowers are not stitched down on this design

Karen

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Reverse Anthropologie Dresser

I thought about giving this post the title:

And now...for something completely different

My last furniture re-do was of a more soft, pretty, romantic style...but woman cannot live by pleats alone!

So for this piece, I took my inspiration from the Anthropologie Ordinal Dresser but reversed the color scheme!

Here's what I started with:

It was a good solid wood dresser, and only needed a couple of little patches, as you can see above. But the finish was in terrible shape.

I gave everything a light sanding, and then used my Silhouette to cut the numbers and letters out of vinyl, which I applied directly to the drawers. Then I painted right over them! I carefully lifted the numbers off while the paint was still wet, letting the original wood show through.

At this point, it really didn't look too good.

It needed to be distressed.

It wanted to be distressed.

(yes, furniture talks to me...often)

Looking better...

And better...

So, do you think I understood it correctly??

This dresser has sold (although I heard it say it would have been happy to stay with me).
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Thanks to the following blogs for featuring my dresser!

Apartment Therapy

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Linking up to these great parties!