This old dresser means a lot to me, it was rescued from a hospital many years ago, by a family member. I was gifted this beauty a few years ago, and stripped off layers of very thick paint, and then I painted it a simple shabby white. I will never tire of it!!! I need to remember when it comes to furniture, keeping it simple is better, using a neutral color, that fits in anywhere is always best...my walls on the other hand...not so much!                   #shabby chic #roses #dresser #greywalls #antiquedresser 

Here is some pictures of my ongoing progress on the kitchen cabinet project.

This is my extra pantry closet all done and rehung.

Media cabinet in progress, and I FINALLY white washed my SUPER UGLY RED BRICK FIREPLACE, I totally should of done this 10 yrs ago when we moved in, but the guys were like, "NO!!! you can't paint brick!" and then this is what I heard for years on the wood work and the kitchen cabinets, "NO!!! you can't paint wood!!" As you can see I ignored them, and finally did what I have wanted since moving here, and guess what? Yep, they now love the way it looks, even the white washed brick, I'll post another picture of the fireplace after my talented carpenter son gets my mantle completed.

Here is a shot of the kitchen drawers, and in the background is the completed media cabinet, I love how they turned out!

This is the island, I am going to be adding beadboard wallpaper for a bit more texture, it's the Wall Doctor brand, and it looks just like the real thing! As you can tell this bar has a real "swooping" situation going on, (it's a 90's thing!) so the only way to add beadboard, was with the textured wallpaper. We'll see how it holds up to the barstools and kicking, everyone on the internet says, if you paint it 4 coats with cabinet paint, it's pretty tough. I'll keep you informed on that as time goes by.

It has been raining, raining, and more raining (not correct grammer but who cares, it's raining) here in the beautiful Pacific Northwest...I've been spending all my time lately on a HUGE project, I am finally painting my kitchen cabinets, finally, after 10 yrs of saying, "I'm gonna paint my kitchen cabinets!" and then Spring comes, gardening begins, and I head outside till November! Then Christmas comes...you get the idea, right?! 

Here is the before:

I will continue to post pictures as I go along, it is a long slow process, it takes the paint 24 hrs to dry in between coats, so for each section I am working on it takes around 6 days start to finish. I am sanding the VERY HARD MAPLE doors, and drawers, coating twice with Zinsser Bulls Eye 1, 2, 3 primer, and then Ace Hardware Cabinet paint...very tough stuff, 4 coats. Two years ago, I painted every door, every baseboard, every everything in my house glorious white!

When I finally sit down, here is where I do that with a cup of tea, it is my haven from the rain and dreary leaden skies.

 I've had a big RV adventure, not only the driving around in the RV kind, but a total remodel of a rat infested mess kind...it all started over a year ago, our mission, find a really cheap RV with a Cummins diesel engine (It's a super important guy thing) and fix that sucker up. I found this ad on Craigslist in Montana, yep, Montana, and told my husband, "ROAD TRIP!!!!", we jumped in our car and headed out, making it to Anaconda Montana in just over a day and a half. Found this 34 foot mess of a motorhome, parked in a field, and let me tell you the pictures on Craigslist were a BIG FAT HAIRY LIE!!! It sucked!!!  BUT WE TALKED THE GUY DOWN TO $4000 BUCKS, SO WE BOUGHT THE GROSS SMELLY, RAT PEE, STINKIN PIT...and YES, after 5 days of work which included: NEW BATTERIES, SOME GAS, AND FIXING THE WIRING THE RATS HAD CHEWED THROUGH (can you believe this guy selling his RV on Craigslist, had no batteries, not a drip of diesel in it, and couldn't of started it to save his life, yet he listed it anyway?!!) WE HOOKED UP OUR CAR TO THE BACK AND HEADED HOME ON A WING AND A PRAYER, THE ONLY BAD THING THAT HAPPENED, A TIRE BLEW, CONSIDERING WE WERE DRIVING IN A ROLLING RATS NEST, THAT WAS PRETTY GREAT!!!

I'm showing the AFTERS FIRST...

This is the kitchen, dining area, new beadboard walls, white painted cabinets, sleek pulls, everything new and clean, oh, and love the smart tile on the kitchen walls!

 Better view of the kitchen.

 This is our motto, just me, my husband, and sweet doggie boy Teddy.

 Long view from the front to back.

 From bedroom to the front, painted everything white.

 Grey painted stripes in the bathroom.

 Tufted headboard, coral and grey theme.

 Recovered the old blue velvet cornice boards.

EXTERIOR AFTER: My husband put the stripes on, and I painted everything with Rustoleum Hammer Paint...Yes, I spray painted my RV!



UGLY UGLY UGLY BEFORE:

Are you digging that glorious eagle????

 AMAZING CLOSE UP OF THAT BEAUTIFUL EAGLE

 GOOD GRIEF, WHAT WERE WE THINKING?????

 Nothing like 1980's brass mirrors, mirrors, and more mirrors

 YUMMY, look what's under that beautiful blue shag carpet!

 UMMMMMM...YUCKY!

 OH, parquet floors my absolute fav!

 WHOA...

 BATHROOM BEFORE...floors just a bit gross, ya think?!

 Yep, falling down splatter painted pink and blue plastic wallpaper.

 Husband putting up the new beadboard!

 New painted cabinets, and my tufted headboard, beats those brass mirrors for sure.

 Exterior BEFORE

BEEN AWHILE...

Been a loooooooong time since I have blogged! I kinda, (no I totally did), lost my mojo after my husband was diagnosed with cancer 3 yrs ago, we have had quite a battle both bodily, and emotionally...both of us, the cared for, and the caregiver, which would mean ME. Lots of things have changed, some for the bad, but mostly for the good because God is above ALL after all!!

LOSING and GAINING, it's life, isn't it? 

Hope all is well in your world today, till next time,

Donna Lynn

Summer Peach Pie

SUMMER PEACH PIE JUST LIKE GRANDMA MADE

PERFECT PEACH PIE

Ingredients

pastry for a 9 inch double crust pie, (I am a cheater and use the organic pre-made ones from my health food store, they are whole wheat and taste amazing, what a huge time saver!)

5 cups sliced peeled peaches

3 tablespoons fresh squeezed lemon juice

• 1/2 cup organic  flour, I used white spelt
• 
  
• 1 cup organic sugar
• 
  
• 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
• 
  
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 
  
• 2 tablespoons organic butter

1 organic egg well beaten

Directions

1. Preheat the oven to 450 degrees F (220 degrees C).
2. Line the bottom and sides of a 9 inch pie plate with one of the pie crusts. Brush with some of the beaten egg to keep the dough from becoming soggy later.
3. Place the sliced peaches in a large bowl, and sprinkle with lemon juice. Mix gently. In a separate bowl, mix together the flour, sugar, cinnamon,  and salt. Pour over the peaches, and mix gently. Pour into the pie crust, and dot with butter. Cover with the other pie crust, and fold the edges under. Flute the edges to seal or press the edges with the tines of a fork dipped in egg. Brush the remaining egg over the top crust. Cut several slits in the top crust to vent steam.
4. Bake for 10 minutes in the preheated oven, then reduce the heat to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C) and bake for an additional 30 to 35 minutes, until the crust is brown and the juice begins to bubble through the vents. If the edges brown to fast, cover them with strips of aluminum foil about halfway through baking. Cool before serving. This tastes better warm than hot.

This turned out perfect, usually I make peach pie with tapioca, but the flour made for a much thicker sauce and it seemed to slice better. Nothing says Summer like a peach pie!

My BFF , Victoria Lynn, won tickets to the Farm Chicks show in Spokane, Washington, the problem was she was in Franklin TN, she called me and said, "I won those tickets,and it is just so sad cause I am way down here in TN...SIGH", well I told her to get a plane ticket, and get her little old self up here to Washington,  because we absolutely had to go! 

The two of us had been "meaning" to go for 8 yrs. but we always had something going on, (mainly our antiques business, husbands, children, dogs, etc. etc. etc.) but after all I have been through these past few years with my husbands cancer...well, no more letting life slide by! YA KNOW WHAT I MEAN???!!! 

So here we are two BFF's, so happy to be together, so happy to be at the Farm Chicks, just so happy! 

Thanks Serena, meeting you was lovely, you are so down to earth and sweet, and getting a picture of you and Heather was great, see you both next 

year! We heart you both...

The amazing Heather Bullard, fun meeting someone you admire so much, her photography truly inspires me to create and make things beautiful around my home...

XO,