Club G.W. {Goodwill} Party No. 18 and Fabulous Features

October 31, 2011

YOU CAN ENTER THIS WEEK'S CLUB G.W. PARTY AT THE END OF THIS POST !

I can't believe that Halloween is finally here.  After three school parades and one classroom party I'll be ready to go trick or treating with the kids.  Before that, though, I wanted to thank everyone who linked up last week, and to share some of your greatness!  You're awesome, guys.  I get so jealous of your thrifting and repurposing  savvy...it's truly inspiring, I mean it!  Well, here we go.



Susan @ Homeroad

Denise @ Pink Postcard

Grab a featured button from my right sidebar, ladies!

This being Halloween and all I wanted to share a proper Halloween post.  For that, all I have to do is direct you to my friends Patti and Paula at Ivy and Elephants.  Their Club G.W. party post says it all.

Patti and Paula @ Ivy and Elephants

Thanks, ladies, for an inspiring Halloween tale.

Now, on to the party!

Party Rules

Link up your thrifty finds, and your thrifty find re-dos.

Please link back to your post and not to your blog's main URL.

Please, please, Puh-lease mention the party somewhere in your post or place the party button on your sidebar.  That way others can find out where the party is and join in!

I'd love for you to become a follower so you don't miss the next party!

And be sure to visit the other party guests! 

Don't forget to Like me on Facebook and Follow me on Twitter.  

Can't wait to see what you've got this week!

Link away!

xoxo










The "During" Phase: Warning, You May Want to Look Away!

October 29, 2011

Are you ready for some pictures of the hell  "During" phase of the floor demolition?  Warning:  It's not pretty, so scroll down if you're the squeamish type.

These are pictures of the floor after all the tile, cement underflooring, mesh wire and nails were removed.  Stripped down to the original floor boards, basically.



  I had taken these pictures to highlight areas where the workers DID NOT FINISH!  For some reason the demo guys did not remove the really tough parts, the parts abutting all the walls and cabinets.  When the floor installers arrived the next morning they said, "This job is not finished!  We can't lay the floor yet...."  After numerous frantic phone calls from both me and the installers, the job scheduler and the flooring foreman got together and agreed that the floor installers needed to finish the demo guys' job.  So, add an extra day to the job.....I'm sure this sounds familiar to anyone who has had work done on their home.

Now here are just some random shots to show you what fun it was to live in this house during the construction.

The foyer.




Gotta love the plastic.  It's all the rage these days.
Here's the eating area.

And the kitchen.

The dust was so pervasive that I could taste it in my mouth for days.  Gross, I know, but true.

So, there you have it.  Just a few pictures to give you an idea of what's been going on around here lately.  And I didn't even take photos when things were at their worst.  It was just too depressing, I guess.  The one week job has {surprise} now turned into a two week and counting  job.  The good news is that the floor has been laid.  But no rest for the weary, they still have to come back to finish off some details, move the furniture back and clean up for real.  Hopefully in a few days we can breathe a sigh of relief that they're finally done.
 
I'll have some more pictures to share soon.  They get better, I promise!

Don't forget to join in Tuesday's Club G.W {Goodwill} with Charm Bracelet Diva.  I can't wait to see you there!

Here's hoping that your fall weekend has been spectacular.

xoxo
Kathleen 
     


Imagine That

October 27, 2011

I've recently considered changing the name of "Charm Bracelet Diva" to "Charm Bracelet Diva {At Home}."  I say this because what started out as a vintage jelwery-making  journey has turned into so much more ~ and I think my blog's name should reflect that.  I'm just a tad bit afraid to take the leap, though.  What do you think? Have you ever had to change your blog's name?

Ironically, today I thought I'd share some actual made-by-me vintage inspired j-e-w-e-l-r-y creations.  It seems so long since I've posted anything other than DIY and my Club G.W. {Goodwill} with Charm Bracelet Diva Party.  I guess that's why I've really been feeling the itch to post about my other passion!  

I've been getting into using text from vintage books (especially old thesaruses and dictionaries) in my jewelry whenever I can.  For this piece I used the word "luster."





Lockets have always been a favorite of mine.  Here I combined an antique brass filigree locket with vintage rhinestones, rosary beads and a vintage rosary connector.




And here I combined a vintage key, vintage rhinestones and a smashingly regal crown charm.   



Gotta love the bling.

Thanks for indulging me.  And I promise the new floor reveal is on the way.

Don't forget to link up with this week's Club G.W. {Goodwill} with Charm Bracelet Diva Party here!

Have a great weekend.

xoxo

Kathleen


Tuesday's Club G.W. {Goodwill} Party No. 17 and Features

October 24, 2011

You can join this week's Club G.W. Party at end of this post!

First off, I have to tell you about a bizarre experience I had the other morning.   A new local Club G.W. was having it's Grand Opening and of course I had to be there.  In all fairness, I went because my daughter (who is hooked on HGTV) begged me to go - they were giving out some HGTV design book free with any purchase while supplies lasted and, well, she just had to have one.  And yes, I'll admit that it was better than a sharp stick in the eye to have to go to a Club G.W.  I mean, that's what I do, right?  But when I got there that's when all we know to be normal and good went right out the window.

I had never seen the parking lot of this particular shopping center so full.  Never, not even close.  Music was BLASTING from the store because they had a D.J.  Yes, I said D.J.  There were no shopping carts left and the place was so crowded you could barely even move.  I don't know about you but I can't stand crowded shopping situations like that so I ran like the wind right out of there, sans free HGTV book.  No fair!  Since when did Club G.W. {Goodwill} become THIS popular?   They were giving away prizes.  PRIZES.  It felt more like The Price is Right than a thrift store.

Oh well, I guess even Club G.W. {Goodwill} has to make a buck
 just like the next guy.  But I was really blown away by their savvy marketing and ability to bring in the crowds.  I guess the current horrendous economy is making Goodwill hip. And I'm not ashamed to say that this makes me sad.   I almost feel like I've lost a tried and true friend.  Crazy, I know, but do you feel that way, too, in your neck of the woods?

Enough of my kvetching and on to last week's features!   First off, though, I do have to say that the outpouring of party love was quite weak to say the least.  Makes me once again rethink this whole party thing.  I know there are SO many similar parties out there, and maybe I was a bit overly ambitious to think that I could compete with them participant-wise.  Who knew?  If you have any thoughts or ideas on it I'd love to hear them!

All the participants had something fabulous to share.  Here are two:

Patti and Paula @ Ivy & Elephants
I have a new collectible love!

I've been looking for these!

Thanks for linking up, ladies!  Feel free to grab a "Featured" button from my top right sidebar and share some Club G.W. love.

Party Rules

Link up your thrifty finds, and your thrifty find re-dos.

Please link back to your post and not to your blog's main URL.

Please mention the party somewhere in your post or place the party button on your sidebar.  That way others can find out where the party is and join in!

I'd love for you to become a follower so you don't miss the next party!

And be sure to visit the other party guests! 

Don't forget to Like me on Facebook and Follow me on Twitter.  

Can't wait to see what you've got this week!

Link away!

xoxo



There's No Place Like Home

October 22, 2011


Our home remodel has gone the way of most home remodels......it's behind schedule and not without a few hiccups along the way.

The dust was so bad that we were all feeling the effects and had to get out of the house.  Sooooo we're spending two nights in a hotel.  We'd probably stay here longer but we NEED to be home for Monday's school, work, etc.  We'll just have to continue to deal with the inconvenience (and sneezing and headaches and dry eyes and sore throats) and wait patiently for the completion of the new floor.

If we're LUCKY we should have every last worker out of our house by Thursday or Friday.

Please?????

Have a great week.

xoxo

Kathleen

P.S. Oh yeah, we haven't had internet for about 5 days so posting has become a real challenge:)  Can't wait to get back to normal!  










Yikes, The Contractors Are Here! "Before" Floor Remodel Reveal

October 18, 2011

Tuesday would normally be the Club G.W. {Goodwill} party day but due to "Life Interrupted" the party will have to take a back seat to all that is home remodeling!  {Don't worry, I'll be sure to do features next week from last week's party!  Thank you ladies for linking up!} This very morning the contractors showed up to start work and interrupt our daily life as we know it.

I'm not sure if I told you that we had a wee bit of a flood on our first floor back in March.  Okay, so maybe a bit MORE than a wee bit.  Let's just say that after dealing with most of the damage/remodel issues, we're now left with replacing the tile floor.  Which is actually no small feat since it covers a large portion of our first floor.  So here we are, almost Halloween, still working on the damage from a St. Patty's Day flood!

I took a few "before" pics to share with you what our floor looked like before, and then a picture of what they'll ultimately be replacing it with.  I'm getting pretty excited to see how this project will turn out!

THE FOYER




I know, I know, you're scratching your head saying "So what's all the fuss about?"  Well, the fuss comes about because water from the septic back-up flood got underneath some of the tiles and they're loose and cracking as we speak, not long for this world.  So before they all get in a bad way we'll be replacing them with - - wait for it -- wood!  I'm pretty excited about that, can you tell?

Now here are some pictures of the bathroom.

 The tile that started it all.  Yes, there's been blue tape on my floor for months.


 A full shot of the newly remodeled bathroom which they have to un-remodel (uh, otherwise known as rip that toilet up and vanity out even though we just put them in).  I've been loving it since it's been finished, but I guess now I'll have to wait and see if  all the king's horses and all the king's men can put it back together again.  The. right. way.  Post to come on THAT.

Menard's (Midwest big box hardware store, can you say Home Depot?) sconces.  Absolutely love them and will go into more detail after this round two is all done.

Here's the kitchen floor.  Boy, do those cabinets look so 80's.  I feel a stainless steel appliance and white cabinet transformation in my future..... 



And here's the big eating area.  We had the table custom made from the side of a red barn.  Gotta love the Kane County Flea Market and it's talented vendors.  Tune in later for a post on THAT. 



This is a long shot from the family room straight into the kitchen.  And yes, that is an open refrigerator door with a child standing in front of it at the far end of the room.  That happens a lot around here.  (I guess you've figured out by now that these photos were not styled in any way, shape or form.)

So there you have it.  Oh, and what are we replacing the tile floor with? 


No, not a green pumpkin (technically it's a gourd).  But the wood underneath it. We're going for wide plank farmhouse feel, but we couldn't go too light because the existing woodwork in this house is so dark, the contrast can't be too extreme.  Have you ever had this problem?  It was a bit frustrating, but we compromised on this flavor of wood.  Hope Mr. CBD likes it.

Well, suffice it to say that since the day is done I sit here in a room that has been plastic-ed and taped off from the rest of the house due to the severe dust fallout from a job like this.  Demolition is a real bear.  Anyone with me on that?

Stay tuned for pictures of the ongoing demolition.

Have a great week!






 

Revisiting Ode to Fall in a Small Town (and some special photos)

October 14, 2011


I'm sharing a post that I wrote last year around this time for those of you who might not have been followers then. It's the same post, with a few additions. So even if you remember, it's worth checking out again! 

Have you ever been to a flea market, antique store or estate sale and found a treasure that makes your heart go thumpety-thump? And then your heart drops because you see the asking price? This has happened to me more times than I can count. But sometimes I’ve been able to haggle the price down and bring that baby home.

The first time I saw this painting at a local church barn sale it was way too expensive for my wallet. I left without it and hoped that it would be there the following week at a reduced price. My prayers were answered because against all odds it was! Well, the price hadn’t been reduced, but I knew they wanted to unload it so I haggled them down to a third of the asking price!  And it's HUGE, exactly what I've been waiting for to hang above our family room fireplace. 


We live in a “Village” of around 2,900 people. This bucolic and historic village is known for its horse properties and 76-year-old riding club. The village itself will be 177 years old this year. Each fall, fox hunts are a mainstay in these parts (don't worry ~ no foxes are injured!). It’s quite common to see the riders in their red or black blazers trotting down the street or on one of the many horse trails in town. A few Sundays ago was the annual Blessing of the Hounds ~ an event where the pastor of the village church blesses the hounds who participate in the fox hunts. The blessing is always followed by a hunt, and that's how we know that fall is officially here! This painting portrays polo players but the overall homage to horses remains the same.


Look at the open book, the wire-rimmed glasses (which may be hard for you to see), riding gloves, riding hat and the vintage clock.




You can also see "paintings within a painting" as well, which I think makes it all the more unique.  Below I've added some pictures of the Village we call home.


The Hunt


Riding Club


The Main Drag


 Country Store


Little Home Church


 Village Hall


Christmas swags are still made every year by the Wayne Garden Club and placed on EVERY street sign in the Village! All photos courtesy of  The Village of WayneWayne is beautiful in any season. We are very blessed to live here.

Well, that's it for today, friends. I hope you enjoyed 
my little walk down memory lane and the 
beautiful photos of my small town.  

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