French China Cabinet

Let's finally talk about my French china cabinet, isn't it pretty?!
Read on to learn all about this thrifting find:

Old Cabinet

If you remember, I used to have this white and natural baking cabinet at one end of the kitchen.  I called this piece my baker's cabinet because it's where I kept my cupcake collection and cake pans, but it is actually a microwave stand.

(You can click here to see more)

This cabinet was a hand-me-down when we moved in and I liked it because it had glass doors and featured the white and natural wood combination.  It did have several flaws; crooked doors, a drawer front that had been glued into place, scratched up and stained backing that had to be covered with contact paper... but I loved it just the same.  Why?  Because it's the look I'm going for.  My eventual dream kitchen will have white cabinetry, light wood butcher block counters and white appliances.  I'm all about light, bright and avoiding trends (no stainless steel or granite counters here) in fact, I plan on doing my bathrooms the same way!  But anyway, back to the cabinet.....

Husby hated this cabinet, but he agreed that it would work until a better replacement was found.  And by 'agree' I mean he said: "Fine, but I'm not moving that cheap piece of crap to our good house, Id rather build you a new one".  Which prompted a whole, "Wait, you are planning on building me furniture too?!?!"  line of questioning from me.  (I knew he intended on building our forever home, but the furniture was a new idea to me.  So then of course I was off looking into built-ins, cabinetry and making sketches!) 😁

Again, back to the cabinet.....

New Cabinet

So let's go back to late summer/ early fall when I began thrifting.  I was in one of the local Good Will stores when I saw this gorgeous china cabinet.  But since I was new to the Good Will store, I didn't know that I had to flip the tag over to find the price.  I assumed that no price meant that the item had been sold and went on about my business.  I couldn't stop thinking about it though, I knew it would look so great painted white and standing in my kitchen!

A few weeks later I was in the Good Will store again and the cabinet was still there.  By looking more closely at furniture nearby, I realized that the prices were on the back of the tags.  I was excited until I reached the cabinet and saw that the pricing area had been torn off.  Again I assumed that the piece had sold and must be waiting on a customer pick-up 😖

A few more weeks passed by and it was time to celebrate our Anniversary.  We had an entire day of childcare arranged and were tossing around ideas of how to spend the time when Husby suggested going thrifting!  Yayyyyy!  We headed to a few different stores and shops before ending up at that very same Good Will.....where the cabinet was still sitting!  By now I figured something was up, someone must have torn off the tag and not actually purchased the item.  After speaking to the manager we found out that was indeed what happened, and.....drum roll please.... that the cabinet was only $49.99!!!!!  I asked Husby what he thought about me painting it white and he was on board, so we brought it home.

Fun Fact:  We looked up the cabinet and learned that it is a vintage French china cabinet made by the Bassett company and it's worth a whole lot more than $49.99 😉

Happy Anniversary!

Organization

Left:  A random mix of milk glass and colorful ceramic.
Right:  An organized display with the milk glass separated from the cupcakes.

Once I got the cabinet home and cleaned, I couldn't resist filling it up.  First of all, it was just plain fun!  Secondly, having the additional shelving space meant that I could finally unleash all of the milk glass I've been collecting.

Do you remember those ivy printed hat boxes that live on top of my kitchen cabinetry?  Well they are more than just decor, I also hide stuff in them.  Wonderful stuff, like milk glass that I didn't have room to display!

(You can click here to see what I'm talking about)

So I started arranging the cabinet by dispersing my colorful cupcake ceramics throughout and then filling in with the milk glass.  I didn't like it but I couldn't figure out why.  After a couple of days I finally realized that having the cupcakes all over the place made the cabinet look too busy and unorganized.  I emptied the cabinet out and started over, this time keeping the cupcakes to the middle shelf only.  When I was done it looked so much better!

Tip:  Collecting is fun, but can easily get out of hand once things begin to look cluttered.  You can cut down on the mess by grouping similar items together, as evident in the photo on the right.

Close-Up

Here is a better photo that shows the difference that organization can make.

Tip:  Ok, so after I spent a half an hour arranging everything into the cabinet, what about when I had to paint it and take everything out again?  No problem, I snapped a few photos of each shelf once they were arranged the way that I liked.  That way once the cabinet was ready, I was able to look at the photos and get everything back into place quickly.


I use this tip a lot when I do my yearly cleaning as well.  Cleaning is enough of a chore all at once, I don't want to stop and have to worry about artistic arrangement at the same time 😉

In Progress

Painting this cabinet took a lot of time.

First it had to be cleaned and sanded, and then it took three coats of paint.  But you know what?  I really enjoyed the process.  It was actually kind of relaxing.  In fact, I think I'm going to tackle the curio cabinet in my living room next 😉

Pretty Hardware

I kept the existing hardware, but freshened it up with a coat of gold paint.
So.  Much.  Better!

All Done!

Here you can see the piece all complete and with the milk glass/ cupcakes properly arranged inside.  I'm so pleased with how it turned out!  Now just imagine if that pantry was painted white as well.....with beige-y walls, white trim, larger creamy tiles laid on the diagonal.....just kidding!
I'll wait on all that until we move  😁

I hope you enjoyed this post, thanks for stopping by!

-Jennifer

© Jennifer Adams Flowers 2016

New Ornaments 2016 (Part 2!)

Just when you thought I had enough ornaments, here I am adding in a few more!

These are really special though, they are the set that went on the tree that my Grandparent's decorated the year that my Mom was born.  My Grandma passed them on first to my Mom, and this year my Mom decided to pass them on to me.  (It has nothing to do with how frequently I exclaim at their beauty or how much I love them, nothing at all, haha!)

Side Note:  I was a good sister and first checked with my siblings to see if they wanted any of the set, and they said I can keep all 12! Yay!

Read on to see my new ornaments and  learn how I repaired them so that they could be used again:

12 Vintage Glass Ornaments

So, so, so pretty!

In need of repair.

The ornaments were a bit brittle at the tops.  Many of them couldn't even have their hook attached as the glass would just crumble away.  I had to figure out a way to strengthen them that would be functional and pretty.

Ribbon

I was already planning on using white satin ribbon to hang the ornaments, so why not use it to repair them as well?  I simply glued a small length in place at the top of each bulb.  This covering hid the broken pieces, kept the tops in place and strengthened the bulbs - success!

Eye Candy!

Another shot, this time after being fixed up.

On the Tree

And here they are in place.  Yes, I managed to fit another dozen ornaments into an already full tree.  There's always room for one more, right?  

And I thought I should mention that Baby Girl has already decided how they should be eventually divided up between her and her brother! :D

I hope you enjoyed this holiday decor post, thanks for stopping by!

-Jennifer

© Jennifer Adams Flowers 2016

New Ornaments 2016

A new year brings new ornaments, check them out!

My Newest Treats

Because these new ornaments are treat themed, I put them all on my kitchen tree.

Top Left:  I found this star-shaped tart while treasure hunting this past summer.

Top Right & Bottom Left:  These adorable ice cream bars are available at Wal-Mart for .99 each.  I bought Baby Girl and myself each a purple and pink.

Bottom Right:  I found this little cake at Hobby Lobby (half off) for $4.

(You can click here to see the rest of the kitchen tree)

Baby Girl's Ornaments

Baby Girl's ice creams are also on the kitchen tree, but the rest of these are hanging on the big tree in the living room.  The two angels were found treasure hunting and the ice creams are from Wal-Mart (see above).  The little dog was another half-off Hobby Lobby find for $4.

The Little Man's Ornaments

I try really hard to be perfectly equal between both kids, but had forgotten about the ceramic train that I found treasure hunting....So Little Man ended up with six ornaments to Baby Girl's five....oops! 😕 

(All of the ornaments pictured here are hanging in the living room) 

Top Left:  A Hobby Lobby pirate ship (half-off, $4) and the ceramic train found treasure hunting.

Top Right & Bottom Left:  Two Hobby Lobby planes, half off at $3 or $4 each.  I love these metal planes because they are durable.  No matter how much playing goes on, they hold up 😉

Bottom Right:  These little plastic trains are another Wal-Mart find at .99 each.

Side Note:  I just bought the two Wal-Mart trains this year (as with everything else in this post).  As I'm writing this, I'm going back through previous year's posts in order to provide relatable links.  Why does last year's ornament post show the exact same two Wal-Mart trains?????  Okayyy...obviously I like the trains...enough to buy them twice....(and now I can remember buying them last year too) but there is only one of each color on the tree.  Really. I just checked.  

So.....yeah.  Either I'm going crazy or the tree is eating ornaments.  I'll let you know of any further developments 😂😂😂

Me (again!) & Husby

Left:  I really wanted to get myself a pirate ship like my Little Man, but there was only one left in the store.  So I was a nice Mommy and let him have that while I settled on a blown glass pirate chest 😊  This was the last of the Hobby Lobby tour and was also half-off for either $3 or $4.

Right:  Husby's ornament this year is a lazer cut piece of wood depicting a welder at work.  I found this ornament On Etsy in the PalmettoEngraving shop for $8.99.  They have some great pieces, check out the shop!

(You can click here to see the rest of the living room tree)

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So those are the ornaments I purchased this year (I mean I think so, but clearly I'm losing credibility 😅).  Anyhow, I hope you enjoyed this holiday post, thanks for stopping by!

-Jennifer

© Jennifer Adams Flowers 2016

Christmas Design 2016

Another year, another tree (I'm up to five holiday trees now)!
Come in and take a look at my current holiday decor:

Living Room  Tree

Other than adding our yearly ornaments and newly wrapped gifts, our living room tree has stayed the same.  I'll share the ornaments in an upcoming post, but for now you can click here or  here to see more about our living room decor.

I did add a bit of 'refreshment' to the coffee table though..........

Cookies & Milk For Santa

To me nothing says holiday magic like cookies and milk left out for Santa!  I received two sets of faux cookies and milk for my birthday, and I think they are my absolute favorite holiday decor items!

Side Note:  For a lot of people, the most important decorative item would probably be a nativity scene.  I am not personally a religious person (spiritual, not religious), but I do think it's important to include those who are 😀

Not Really Cookies

Here you can see the faux cookie and milk sets in better lighting.  The sets come packaged with one glass of milk, one plate and either two chocolate chip or two gingerbread men cookies.  The milk glasses are real glass, heavy and look amazing.  The cookies look great, but are made of spongy material instead of the hard plastic I was hoping for.  Because they are spongy, the kids can't really play with them as they will tear right apart.  That's too bad because I like to let my kiddos play with as much as possible.  The plate looks like heavy glass, but is actually a very thin plastic with silver foil detailing.  I'm not a fan of silver, so I'll be switching out the plate with something from my own collection eventually.  Overall, I am very happy with the food replicas.  So happy that a few more things ended up on my Christmas list, but I'll post about that in the future.

How did I find these?  I was browsing on Amazon one day looking for milk glass collector's guide books.  I found a great selection and then - out of curiosity - decided to type in milk glass.  Well, I did in fact find a great selection of milk glass, but also these fake glasses of milk!  😂  My birthday was coming up, and the rest is history.

To order your own, go to Amazon and search 'Discount Warehouse'.  There you can find cookies like these, or all sorts of fabulous food replicas.

Kitchen Tree

The only thing different about this tree is the handful of yummy looking ornaments that have been recently added - post coming soon!

You can click here or  here to see more of my holiday kitchen decor.

Tree & China Cabinet

I was concerned that with my new cabinet, I wouldn't be able to fit my kitchen tree in anymore.  But as you can see, it worked out fine.    I really like the way that the glass panels reflect the dining room tree.  But don't look too long, I've got a whole entire and separate post dedicated to this cabinet 😀

Kitchen Tree #2

I decided to add a string of lights to this little tree and keep it on one of our kitchen counters this year.  To be fail, the tree is only about a foot and a half tall, so it's not like I went and put two whole trees in the kitchen.  Because that would be crazy, right???? 😉

Dining Room

I was going to do a whole project this year that involved adding personal photo ornaments to this tree.  Last year Dollar Tree had gold sparkly snowflake photo ornament frames that were sold in packs of two for $1.  I had been planning on buying a few sets and adding family pictures to the dining room tree, but the ornaments are not currently available.  I've decided to wait it out and see what I can find this summer.

Until then, I ended up weeding out a few ornaments that I no longer cared for.  I pulled about eight red ornaments as I prefer that the tree be just chocolate and gold.

You can click here to see how the tree looked during previous years.

Dining Room Village

I didn't make any changes to the village this year, but you can click here  or here to read more about this cute little town.

Festive Dollhouse

Before I talk about the kid's tree, lets look at how Baby Girl decorated her Lalaloopsy dollhouse.  I love the colorful lights, but my favorite part is the tiny tree in the living room corner.  Complete with lights this tree absolutely makes the decor of the house complete.

Complete...opposite of incomplete...as in; our dining room village is incomplete because the little decorated tree is missing.  Oh, wait...never mind...😁

Kids Tree

And here we have the kid's tree decorated in a rainbow of colors.  Baby Girl herself requested that this tree have rainbow ornaments, so I scouted around treasure hunting and found all of these for a total of $3.

Tiny Rainbow.

Ok, so I found the ornaments, but will they stay on the tree?  I mean, really?  Let's face it, that tree is going to end up on it's side eventually (has happened 6 times so far at the time of this writing).  So how am I going to decorate a tree for the kids and put it in their room?    

Drum roll please.....pipe cleaners!  I'll wire that stuff to the tree, that's what I'll do 😉

Pipe Cleaner Strategy

By using pipe cleaners, I was able to group the rainbow ornaments into sets of threes and wire them directly to the tree.  I've used this technique before in making wreaths and even for attaching the chocolate/ gold combinations to my living room tree.  But, never before has it been such a life saver!  Each time the kid's tree 'accidentally' falls over, I just pick it back up ornaments and all.  Everything stays right in place, easy peasy!

You can click here to see more about those wreaths that I mentioned.


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That's all for now, I hope you enjoyed this holiday post!  Thanks for stopping by!

-Jennifer

© Jennifer Adams Flowers 2016

My Birthday & Thanksgiving 2016 - How We celebrated

A couple of weeks ago I had the fun of celebrating my 36th birthday!
My celebrating started off with lunch and shopping with my Grandma and then a date day with Husby.  After our day together, Husby and I met up with the kids to have pizza dinner at my parent's house and I then finished up my weekend by pulling out my Christmas trees.

This is the first year that I set up the trees before Thanksgiving.  Normally I like to wait until the day after, but this year I knew I would be busy with my sister in town.  If I waited until after all of the feasting and family visiting, then it would be a week in to December before I would find time again.  I'm not sure how I will do it next year.  I loved that the trees were up and ready to decorate (I only had the lights on), but I didn't really like the mix-match of holidays.  Time will tell, but for now read on to see a few photos from all I've been up to:

Birthday Cakes

Both of these cakes were decorated for me by my Baby Girl.  The top one was a Pepperidge Farm ice cream cake and the bottom cake was a chocolate mix.  Baby Girl got to help Mamaw make the chocolate cake while Husby and I had our date day.

Dollar Tree Pumpkins

Remember those new ceramic pumpkins from last week's  post?  I bought them with the intention of spraying a couple of them in gold paint.  I liked the orange, green and reddish brown ones as they were, but the mottled brown and plain white had to be helped.

It was a funny week leading up to Thanksgiving as I was finishing up a few chores from my fall decorating list while at the same time setting up Christmas trees 😆

Made-Over Pumpkins

These are a couple of pics taken after I sprayed the pumpkins.  It's not a huge change, but I like the subtle difference.  It's all in the details you know 😏

Golden Buckeyes

I had a glass pumpkin full of buckeyes on the dining table and since I was spray painting anyway.....well, why not?  A handful of now golden buckeyes helped the glass pumpkin to better complement the rest of the table top.

I think these would look even better with a coating of gold glitter.  Maybe next year 😀

Evergreen Candle

Most of the time, I prefer to use my Scentsy warmers to make the house smell wonderful.  But when the holidays come, I do like to have a candle on the back of the stove (where little people can't blow it out every 30 seconds 😄).  When I was shopping with Grandma, I got a selection of new wax cubes and an evergreen candle.  

And since I was going ahead with setting up my trees, I also made sure that this candle was burning.  If you remember from past posts, I prefer to use artificial trees for many reasons such as their lower overall cost, longevity and ease of decorating.  However, the one drawback is the lack of evergreen smell!  I get around this with pine scented candles and wax cubes.

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While we are on the subject of artificial trees, why don't I provide a few decorating links:

Click here to read about using garland to improve the look of artificial trees.

Click here to read lighting tips.

Click here to read about ornament placement.

Pumpkins & Cupcakes

Remember that birthday date day with the Husby that I mentioned?  Well one of the things we did was stop by a Good Will store (we are both into thrifting now, yay!!!).  I found this little red and brown ceramic cupcake that had a chocolate scented candle inside.  I knew I was going to be getting out the trees in a matter of days, so I went ahead and stuck it on the counter with a couple of pumpkins.

Fun Fact:  I already have ceramic cupcakes that go with this one!

You can see my Christmas ones by clicking here or click here to see my winter cupcake.

Trees & Pumpkins

Like I said, I managed to get my trees up and lit, but didn't want to overshadow Thanksgiving.  Soooooo, I stuck my pumpkins under the tree in the dining room 😂

Tiny Pumpkin Pies

While I didn't host my family's Thanksgiving this year, I did go ahead and make everyone their own individual pumpkin pie.  Do you remember that miniature silicone pie mold that I picked up treasure hunting?  It worked out perfectly!

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So that's how we've been celebrating lately, I hope you enjoyed the post.
Thanks for stopping by!

-Jennifer

© Jennifer Adams Flowers 2016