Winter Wonderland
Today is another snowy day here in Illinois. Thick sheets of ice have kept me at home again today. The house is cozy and warm, watching Christmas movies, but outside snow continues to fall. The dog and I went out to play in the snow for a bit, before getting back to some work. Here are some quick pictures of our snowy day. For those of you in warm areas, enjoy only having to look at these pictures!
Our snowy back yard.
You can see the snow still falling down.
Homemade Doggie Treats
Romeo. He might look big, but he's only a year old!
I know this isn’t exactly decor related, but it is home related. We have been shopping for some Christmas gifts for our puppy, Romeo. We have gotten a few treats and bones, and a new sheepskin bed. But, dog toys and goodies are EXPENSIVE! The other day I came accross a psot on Apartment Therapy for a bunch of homemade dog treats that are owner tested and approved. Not only do the posters say that the treats are less expensive, but also that their pets love them. I think I’m going to give it a try, and if Romeo approves, I may even give some out for Christmas gifts to other pet owners on my list. This is the recipe that I am going to start with:
Peanut Butter Doggie Bones
Ingredients:
2 cups whole-wheat flour
1 Tablespoon baking powder
1 cup natural peanut butter
1 cup low-fat milk
Preheat oven to 375 degrees. In a bowl, combine flour and baking powder. In another bowl, mix peanut butter and milk. Add wet mixture to dry, and mix well.
Turn out dough on a lightly floured surface and knead. Roll out to 1/4-inch thickness and cut out shapes. Place on a greased baking sheet and bake 20 minutes or until lightly brown. Cool on a rack and store in an airtight container.
For the other recipes and tips, here is the full link:
http://www.thekitchn.com/thekitchn/good-questions/good-question-looking-for-pet-treat-recipes-071098
The Little Red Stool
Being cooped up in the warm house yesterday as the snow blew outside, I had time to finish up a few projects. One was the stool that I posted about yesterday. It started out green and dirty, but now is a beautiful red. I’m not sure where I’m going to use it yet. I thought it would look cute in the kitchen, but when Tony brought it up the stairs for me, it struck me that it might make the perfect odd edition in our bedroom. Hmmm…
It looks perfect in red.
Here it sits in the kitchen, but might not stay there for long...
Let It Snow, Let It Snow
Romeo wanted to go out and play in the fluff, but I was just to cold. It was only about 7 degrees out.
I left work early today due to the immense amounts of snow we are getting here. I spent the rest of the afternoon doing chores, drinking hot cocoa, and finishing up that cute little stool. When I opened the door to let the dog out, whoa, snow blew in everywhere, and I was so glad to be cuddled up inside instead of making the long commute home in the dark. I know these photos are dark (it was dark out!), but the snow was really pretty, as long as you weren’t driving in it.
I think we had a few inches at this point. It kept snowing for a few more hours.
End Of House Tour- The Living Room
So, I have given a quick tour through our new home at its current state. The only room left to show you is the living room. We are in this room most, and love the feel of it. The black console table was made just for me by Tony (aw). The pictures do look a little dark even though I did turn on the overhead lights, which we never use. Let me know what you think!
Console table with the shelves above it. The black chair was a project I redid.
The TV area. The TV didn't fit into the cubbie that was preexisting, so we just decorated the cubbie and put the TV below.
The close up of the TV cubbie. I love the little antique picture. In the small jar is also small little glass candies. I need to find a better place for them.
These old movie theater seats were a salvaged find. They sit next to the TV on the right. The vintage ad above matches them so well.
The other side of the TV. We love our movie display. Again, I love anything with cubbies, so this was perfect for me!
The couch is directly facing the TV. We still want to replace those flowery curtains, but the couch is comfy and cute- we got lucky for a hand-me-down!
Next to the couch is my pride and joy! My Eames era lounge chair!
My Baby!
One Little Project At A Time
When I get excited about something I lose all patience. Tony tells me constantly, “Calm down Jess, one thing at a time.” I’m trying, but just can’t control myself. Here is one small project we have completed. Just before we moved in here we went to an auction. We found this old little kitchen cupboard and scored in for $10. It’s back was burned and the sides were wrinkled, and paint was falling off. People probably thought we were crazy for even taking it home. But, a new back, a few dollars, and a lot of work later, we have a cute vintage kitchen island. The kitchen was too big not to have a table for more counter space, and this little guy solved our problem. Take a look! (I need to get better at remembering to take before photos of our projects! oops!)
I love those old tin tops! It does have one chip we would like to fix, but overall... Cute! What do you think?
Moving On To The Dining Room
We have also got the dining room pretty much set up (for now). We do have many projects on the list, but Illinois winters don’t allow for too much outdoor work (sanding and painting). Here is the mini tour of the dining room. And, as always, suggestions and comments are always welcome and appreciated!
This is a little corner of the dining room. The door leads down to an old basement. This was a hand-me-down metal desk. We fell in love with it. We don't really use it as a desk, but more as a table and storage (the house has NO extra linen-type closets!). The little jar is a bag of HUGs! The paiting is one by my brother, which he gave me for my birthday this year. I love this little area.
A close up of the painting by Ryan.
This is the corner of the dining room between the kitchen and the living room. The antique table and antique lamp are from my grandmother. The silver balls are modern and I think provide nice contast here. The little primitive box was one that Tony made when he was in high school. I think its adorable. I added antique bottles.
A close up of Tony's little box and the apothecary bottles.
This is the other side of the window. The plate rack obviously still needs to be hung.
This is our little red dining room table. The mismatched chairs are all painted black. if you can see the curtains here or in any other pictures, they, too, need to be replace. They are covered in fruit. Its on the project list!
This is the little wall space next to the window. I love this set up. I always love antique frames.
This is the wall behind the dining table. It is pretty bare for right now, but we are working on redoing a giant antique desk for this spot. We got the desk at an auction for $5! The candles and shelves will stay.
The Kitchen Comes Together
- The little window to the dining room. Enless possibilities. The clock happens to have faces on both sides!
Close up of the window and beautiful bottles we have collected.
View heading out kitchen door. The artsy rolling pin was an auction find. The curatins have to go, but that will be an upcoming project.
Some of the DIY the landlord tried above the microwave. He had it hidden by a mass of leaves wound in lattice. It was so dusty and ugly. So far I spruced it up with a vintage lunc box of recipies. I love the little vintage tea pot Tony found for me.
The other corner of the kitchen. Same old ugly curtain. I was also thinking about painting the cabinets. We are renters, so this might be a project for after we have been here a while. But, they are old, shabby cupboards, so maybe, just maybe...
Some More Pictures
A few more before shots.
This is the before of our living room and boxes. And the UGLY curtains!
A view from the living room into the dining room. Stuff was everywhere!
Where To Begin
So, as I said, my boyfriend and I have just recently moved into a new house. The place is cute and cozy, but it will take some work for us to arrange, decorate, remodel, and combine all of our belongings. We have been there for a couple of weeks now. But, to backtrack, here are a few photos of the house as we were moving in, and the empty rooms just asa we are starting to arrange.
Tony is making dinner in the new house with our pup Romeo.
Make Mine Eclectic 