Ok, ok. I know that you didn't ask, but Julia over at Hooked On Houses did! And she wants to know what you're Hooked On too! She hosts a weekly Hooked On Friday's Blog Party!
So feel free to join in the fun!
Even if you don't want to play this week, be sure to stop by and see the Craftsman Bungalow that she's Hooked On. It's a beauty!
.............................

So, to answer the question...

I am currently hooked on Slipper Chairs.
And for a good reason!

But first, what is a slipper chair?

For the long answer see here.

The short answer: An upholstered chair with a low seat and a high back.

Several features distinguish a slipper chair. The first is the very clean design, which tends to feature two rectangles for the seat and back of the chair, with no arms. Slipper chairs are typically low chairs, and the back may be reclined for greater comfort. As a general rule they are also upholstered, and some people may add throw pillows to their slipper chairs as a design accent.

Here are some examples:

Fingerhut.com


HenryRoad.com


Nate Berkus for HSN


PierOne.com


PotteryBarn.com


UrbanOutfitters.com


Want to know why I am hooked on Slipper Chairs?

Because last summer I scored a pair of them for FREE!
My best friend's sister was selling them in her garage sale. I tried to convince her that she should keep them - "Think of the potential they have!" But she was set on getting rid of them. After a weekend of greeting passerby's in her driveway she still had the pair of slipper chairs sitting there. Frustrated and wanting them gone, my best friend called me up and said "Come and get them". OK!

They are in sad shape and this is how you would find them, tucked away in our master bedroom, if you came to our house...


our kids call it "the couch"

They have obviously had a lot of use because they are extremely worn.


There is a short fringe all around the sides.

Around the bottom was a long, braided fringe that hung to the floor. I took that off right away. It was just too much...


The legs are pretty beat up...

...but the chairs feel solid.


There is a date stamped on the underside that says Jan. 10, 1952. And the tattered, worn label gives a company name of
J. L. Chase Company, Chicago, Illinois.
I'll have to do some research and see what kind of information I can come up with!

To be honest, I feel kind of ridiculous having had them since the summer and I still haven't reupholstered them. But I haven't yet decided what I want the fabric to look like and there's no sense in having to do it twice! So I'll just wait until I find the perfect inspiration!

And to be totally honest, I'm a little nervous about it! The only thing I've ever reupholstered (if you can even call it that) are the seats of my dining room chairs. Hardly challenging! Luckily, a friend of mine just finished reupholstering her couch - as in, took it down to the frame and reupholstered it! So I have someone to walk me through it when the time comes.

The thing is that I see it being done all the time in Blogland, so it can't be that hard...can it? Help me out here. If you have done any reupholstering and lived to blog about it, send me your link for inspiration. I would really appreciate it!

All of that being said, I think with a little love and a whole lot of care and attention to detail, these could be a really great pair of chairs!

You know what they say...
One man's trash is another man's treasure!

So true!

I'm spreading the word about a super cute kids clothing line called

BABY ALA MODE

Two friends of mine had the talent and know-how to start a business that they were passionate about and Baby Ala Mode is the result of that!

Everything is handmade and some pieces are one-of-a-kind for a truly unique look! They create fun, trendy, comfortable clothes for trendsetting babies and kids!

Here is just a sampling:

Ahoy Matey
Striped Sailor Shirt



Fauna
Two-piece Owl Set



Green Apple Skirt
*comes with cotton bloomers



Ahoy Matey
Navy Stripe Skirt



Rockabye Babe
Argyle Rebel T-shirt



Mod Squad
Short-sleeved Star Hoodie
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Be sure to check out their website at

www.shopbabyalamode.com

to see their full line of kids clothes and accessories!

Cute!Cute!

I take a painting class every Friday. I love to paint seascapes. The teacher puts on some wonderfully soft music and brews us Cinnamon Tea. I sit on my stool and try to imagine the real sea. While I paint my mind wanders and I dream of where I would paint if I was "real" artist. Here is a picture of an artist's loft in NYC. It comes pretty close to my dream.
All photos Ochs Design
The 2700 sq ft abandoned warehouse space was converted and renovated into an artist's loft by Ochs Design. The painting studio retains the original industrial asphalt floor. The light is incredible!

The studio work table was fabricated from stone and wood left behind by former commercial occupants decades earlier. Only the steel frame is new. I love the wonderful mix of textures every where you look.


Platforms replace walls to define the living space. To the right is the painting studio to the left the living area. Raw industrial surfaces provide the backdrop for art and sculpture. A large skylight lets in daylight to paint by.

The client's desire to leave the space as open as possible led to this luminous fabric sleeping enclosure. Isn't this so romantic?
I love the spare furnishings - what a wonderfully unique side table.
The client likes to cook and entertain. The spacious open kitchen features a 1925 bistro table that seats 16 people. I could have some great parties here!
Just wanted to give you a peek of where I dream about painting when I finally get discovered!

Last night I got the urge to bake cookies.
This never happens.
I am not a baker.
Lucky for me, I married a man that is!
And for the past ten years I have happily assumed the title of "cook",
while he held the title of "baker".
Until last night...

I was in the mood to bake, so I went online to my favorite recipe sharing site, Allrecipes.com, and found the highest rated Chocolate Chip Oatmeal Cookie recipe that I could find. Luckily,we had all of the ingredients sitting in our pantry.
Like it was meant to be!

Here is the recipe: Chewy Chocolate Chip Oatmeal Cookies.
They are really good.
A tip: they need more flour than the recipe calls for. I added an extra cup. It was perfect!

The boys actually thought it was funny that I was baking! But I got the greatest compliment from our seven year old:
Mom, you make the best cookies!

At that moment I was given the title of "cookie maker".
I'll take it!
A couple of hours and a double batch of cookies later, I realized that I had nothing to keep my super yummy cookies in. I needed a cookie jar! Tupperware wasn't going to cut it. So this morning I got this...

Perfect!
Just what I was wanting!
It's big and holds a ton of cookies!

So I have made a promise to myself...
I am going to bake cookies once a week to fill the cookie jar!
I want to be that kind of mom.
There's something comforting about having a jar of cookies on the counter.
And besides, what kid wouldn't want to come home from school to a homemade cookie and a glass of cold milk?

I had a volunteer to test out the jar...

...and the cookies and milk.

He was happy.
And he had no idea how happy he had made me!

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If you're feeling inclined to do some cookie baking, give this recipe a try.
You won't be disappointed!


All I have to say is, if you have a question...ask it! Because someone out there in Blogland is bound to know the answer!

Yesterday I had posted a picture from a makeover on HGTV that Candice Olson did. I have always wanted to know more about a particular accessory that she had in the room...

Much to my delight, Kelly from Design Ties, found it for me!
Yeah!
THANK YOU, Kelly!

It comes from a store in Toronto, Ontario called Stacaro.

Check out this bedroom from their website!

Unfortunately, they don't have pictures of many accessories on their website, but you can bet I'll keep checking back to see what they add! And even though I don't get to see a better image of the Bistrot Cutlery Holder that I would so like to have, I feel just as lucky having been shown the way to the Stacaro website! They have awesome furniture! Definitely inspiring!

So, thanks again to Kelly at Design Ties!

And don't be afraid to ask for help if you are looking for something, but can't seem to find it!
You just might get an answer faster than you think!

It really is the little things that make a house a home...

Making your home a personal reflection of you requires adding objects that you love! I'm a fan of the BIG stores as much as the next girl, but it's those items that you can't find in every major store across America that make me
oh so happy!

When I saw this gorgeous makeover by Candice Olson on HGTV quite a while back, I quickly fell in love with most of the major elements in this shiny new kitchen!

But it was a small, overlooked accessory that really caught my attention and I have wanted one to call my own ever since!

Despite my efforts to find it online, I have no idea where it came from, if it is an antique or a reproduction, what it's original use was, or if it is something that can be purchased online.

Whatever the intended use, I love that it is now being used as a silverware holder! It is set close to the eating area and provides easy access for someone to set the table without having to walk through the kitchen while the cook is preparing the meal!
Perfect for helpful kids!

Have you ever come across something that you wanted to know more about, but all paths lead to nowhere? Do you have an item or two on your wish list that you can't find the source for?

If anyone has any bits of knowledge about this item, I would love to hear from you!

For now, I think I will try my hand at my own reproduction of it.
I'll let you know how it goes!


Sometimes we all need a metaphorical kick in the pants, right?

Well, you're in luck!
Today, the Nester gave it to us!
In a good way!


If you think you need to have the "perfect" house to be happy (see above), then you're well on your way to never having a home that you will love.

Head on over to the Nesting Place to see ten sure fire ways to
Avoid having a house that you love!

Maybe it's time for a new outlook...
"No more excuses!"


photo courtesy of HGTV.com

Off for a weekend of skiing in New Hampshire, but I leave you with a few photos of a wonderful ski chalet near Chamonix, France.


Have a lovely weekend!


Audrey over at Barking Mad is having a Giveaway!
The prize: A $250 gift certificate to Target!
Nice, right?

All you have to do is post five to ten of your own favorite posts. And they don't have to be chosen for any particular reason - just simply because they're your favorite!
Don't forget to link your post up to her giveaway post!
The contest runs through March 4th when she will pick a winner!

Easy enough to play?

Check out her blog and join in the fun!

Here are my favorites...

The first five are all makeovers that we've done in our home that have made a big difference in the look and feel of the rooms and even how we use them...

..1..

Our Family Room



The last one is my very favorite because, well...
because they're my babies!

..6..

Wordless Wednesday


Come join in the fun!

Show us your favorites!


 

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