PatinaSoul

Things that make me smile!

fawnhlb@yahoo.com (Fawn Hamilton) — Wed, 14 Oct 2009 17:50:00 +0000

Soo...I'm not really a huge dog fan, although my kiddos have two doggies, but something about these photos make me smile!

I guess it's the use of vintage items, married with a bit of whimsy
and sprinkled with a bit usefulness.

I mean what dog wouldn't love a cute little bed like this?!

...and this would be perfect to keep those dishes from sliding around the floor.
Who has time to sit anyway?!

(Which reminds me to mention why I haven't blogged in ages.
Man life can get busy!)

...and again with the vintage cute factor! I can't get enough old stuff!...or the little furry friends. OK, maybe I do like dogs after all. Shh...don't tell me kids!

Photo 1 from The fab flea
All other photos from DYI magazine.

Shopping!

fawnhlb@yahoo.com (Fawn Hamilton) — Thu, 17 Sep 2009 18:38:00 +0000

Golf by miss Z featuring Nike

Wish me luck...I'm headed out today to shop for some golf clothes. My hubby really wants me to learn to play. Hubby and our two oldest sons play and he thinks it would be a great activity to do as a family... if I only knew how to play! :)

I think I'll give it a try! At least the clothes are cute! :)

A beautiful thing!

fawnhlb@yahoo.com (Fawn Hamilton) — Fri, 11 Sep 2009 19:17:00 +0000

First let me just say "Thank you JESUS for the RAIN"!!

It hasn't rained in sooo long in San Antonio, TX and we are in stage three water restrictions.
My grass is..."ahem"...dead!

Well, the last two days have been nothing but RAIN, RAIN, RAIN!
Glorious RAIN!! I'm singin' in the rain...I'm singin' in the rain!!

Movin' on...My last blog entry was about the new home school classroom that I'm putting together. Of course this crazy blogger can't just throw a few desks in a room, a box of crayons and a few books and call it a classroom!! NOO! The room has to INSPIRE!! It has to make you FEEL like learning!!! It has to be BEAUTIFUL and COMFORTABLE all at the same time!! ;)

So while I've been actively putting the classroom together for my kiddos...and maybe for me as well, I did have to actually START school at some point. So this week we did it! We started school on Tuesday and the kids have adjusted just "swimmingly"!!
Nope, not us in the photo...just thought it was a cute "Swim" photo. ;)

I'll show you photos of the new classroom soon,
but for now...If you remember in my last entry, I posted a photo of a sweet little travel bag I thought would be great for our on-the-go classroom...

My kiddos and I do school on-the-run on Tuesday and Thursdays so I needed a way to carry along all the little things we'll need while out-and-about.

Yesterday while waiting for my car to get out of the shop, my kids worked on their school work. See the cute little bag on the floor?
The boys named him Freddie...Freddie the fun bag!! ;)

I also wanted to tell you about this awesome new program I found perfect for teaching handwriting to your little ones. It can be used for beginners or for the more advanced child that needs practice, or is switching to cursive from print. My kids love it!!
Check it out!
They even offer a free trial if you click below. YAY!! Who doesn't love a free trial?

I Promise! You will L-O-V-E it! It's too cool!

Have a great day!!
Fawn

Adorable organization!!

fawnhlb@yahoo.com (Fawn Hamilton) — Sun, 06 Sep 2009 17:57:00 +0000

So, I'm in full swing creating a new homeschooling classroom for my kiddos at the moment. Well not at this exact moment since I'm blogging, but ya know what I mean!

There are a few things I need for sure! Two separate desks...to keep my 8 year old and my 5 year old from kicking each other under the table and from the never ending "Stop touching me!...Mom, he's touching me." argument.

I'm LOVIN' this idea!! It would be PERFECT!!!! Now if i can just convince my PatinaSoul hubby that he has to cut my desk in half! ;) ...or maybe I could just screw a shelf to the top of the desk to keep from cutting it. Hmm...but then again, that wouldn't stop the kicking under the table while I'm trying to teach.

Such a cute way to hang a roll of "art paper" for all those art projects!

Great idea for those cabinets...shelves that slide out so I can reach the items in the back!

Wow! Talk about organization!! Too cute!! :)

A closer look

How is this for a way to hang all those art projects!?! I can put them in plastic page protectors, punch four holes, and insert rings!

...And all those days when this "Home" schooler and "stay at home mom" isn't at home...what a perfect lil' bag to have on hand for those class assignments in the car or in the Dr. office waiting room, park or where-ever life takes us this year!!

I am so blessed to be able to homeschool our two boys!

What are you grateful for this year? Tell me... I'd love to hear about it!!

photos from DYI Magazine

Antiques on Holiday!!

fawnhlb@yahoo.com (Fawn Hamilton) — Fri, 28 Aug 2009 21:36:00 +0000

While on vacation in Destin Florida this month, my adorable hubby went golfing and I ventured out to a few antique shops.

My first stop was a great antique mall:

Bienvenue Antiques & Interiors Market
11840 US Highway 98 W
Miramar Beach, FL 32550

They had some really neat finds... I wanted to bring them all back with me!

This lamp was covered in oyster shells!! So cute!

Loved this armoire!! Unfortunately it wouldn't fit into the RV! :(

Great little booth!

Loving the blue shutters and all the starfish. Who knew they came in grey?

Another shot of the booth with the great starfish. Check out the little bathtub!

So many great beachy accessories!

Cute lil sailboats!

Would love this bench at my kitchen table!!...

...these in the kitchen corner...

...and these filled with sand from our summer vacation and a cute little label marked with "Destin Florida summer 2009"!

Lovin' the color of these oars!

One day I'll attempt to replicate this finish on my bedroom dresser.

a closer look

And last but not least, I adore this blue paint color for my little boys bed!

I also visited another GREAT antique shop in Destin FL

Antiques On Holiday
105 N Holiday Rd
Miramar Beach, FL 32550

It was even better than the first...probably why I forgot to take more photos than just the one above of the blue bed.
If you visit Destin, you have to stop in at these two places!!

Florida vacation!!

fawnhlb@yahoo.com (Fawn Hamilton) — Tue, 25 Aug 2009 23:13:00 +0000

We had a great time in Destin Florida...relaxing, relaxing, shopping and more relaxing!

The view was amazing and the water crystal clear...

Our boys had a blast playing in the white as snow sand...

...catching a cat nap on the beach...

burying each other in the sand...

building more sandcastles with dad...

and catching minnows...
Oh... and lets not forget all the eating we did!!...

Welcome to Fudpucker's! Careful how you say it! I cant tell you how many times we had to think before we spoke about our visit to see the gators and eat at this awesome restaurant. The name can be a little tricky! ;)

Me and Mr. Patina Soul...AKA the love of my life enjoying our yummy lunch at Fudpucker's on our "Honeymoon"...12th year anniversary! :)

Back soon with more photos of our trip...I visited some mighty sweet antique shops during our visit to Destin Florida.

God is in the details...

fawnhlb@yahoo.com (Fawn Hamilton) — Mon, 24 Aug 2009 02:59:00 +0000

Well, we pulled it off! Jeff and I celebrated our 12th anniversary together and renewed our vows in a lake side ceremony with our family and friends.

This is just a few of the photos from our big day...waiting to get the rest of them from the photographer.

My bouquet...check out the sweet bug in the upper right.

My hubby and I reading scripture to each other...I'm peaking at my sister out of the corner of my eye...she's a crier. ;)

Love him... love him... love him!!
Mr. Patina Soul, I don't know what I would do without you!
Thank you for the best 12 years of my life!

The big day!!

fawnhlb@yahoo.com (Fawn Hamilton) — Sat, 01 Aug 2009 01:36:00 +0000

It's finally upon us... The date of our vow renewal. I posted a few months ago about planning for the upcoming wedding/12th anniversary celebration, and its finally here!! ;)
August 2nd we will stand before our dear family and friends and commit, once again, to love and cherish each other forever! I am married to the most wonderful man alive. Sorry girls...he's taken! :)

After the wedding, we will hit the open road with our 3 boys for an extended family RV trip to sunny Florida!! We cant wait!

When I'm back and settled, I will post photos of our lakeside ceremony and trip!

Hope you're having a wonderful summer!!
God Bless you my sweet friends!
Fawn

VinTage StyLe

fawnhlb@yahoo.com (Fawn Hamilton) — Sun, 19 Jul 2009 17:24:00 +0000

vintage style by Patina Soul featuring American Eagle Outfitters

I'm having a blast designing "Vintage Inspired" jewelry to wear. Incorporating my love of all things old with that perfect PaTiNa SOuL into my wardrobe, is somewhat addicting!! I must admit it is my obsession.

The design board above is totally my personal style! I had a blast putting it all together.

I've been busy this summer spending time with my boys and hubby, and A LOT of time designing more jewelry.

Even though I have spent the last 13 years in the interior design industry, I have always fiddled with jewelry...it seems it has morphed into more than just fiddling now. It keeps me up at night, designing new pieces in my head...when I'm trying to get much needed sleep. ;0

I've built a pretty large collection of personal jewelry but still have the need to design more.

What is it with us creative people?!
One of these day I'll get around to taking some photos to show ya!

May God show himself to you in all his beautiful creations today!

Fawn

Back porch & a cup of coffee

fawnhlb@yahoo.com (Fawn Hamilton) — Thu, 02 Jul 2009 04:20:00 +0000

As I sip my coffee this morning in peace and quiet, before the rest of the house is awake & stirring, I realize that I feel the Lords presence.

It's funny how much easier it is to hear him when I wake before the rest of the family and have my quiet time with him. Sitting on the porch sipping coffee as the sun comes up, I'm reminded how beautiful his creation is.

We work and work to make our nests beautiful and comfortable for our family, which is great, but spend so little time out in the world he created for us to enjoy.

I think if we all made ourselves spend a little more time outside each day, we would be much happier and healthier people...even if its just a little time on your porch swing each morning reconnecting with nature.

His creation amazes me each day...when I slow down to see it. Like yesterday as I sat in a fast food line waiting for my food, I noticed all the flowers around my car. They were gorgeous! Birds and butterflies zipped in and out of the flowers, enjoying his beautiful creation, while I sit in a man made car, windows up, a/c on, and then drove back to my man made four walls.

I think I will make a point to get out more often and really SEE his creation...really make a point to SEE it. I'll sit still and hear his voice more regardless if its inside or outside. I'll look around my home and find those little corners I can curl up with his word and my cup of coffee each morning before the kids are up.

I'll carve out more time for myself so that I can hear his voice. So that I can feel the peace that only comes from a real relationship with him. I will be still...

Psalm 46:10 Be still and know that I am God.

I know one thing for sure...waking up before my children, getting quiet time with the Lord before the boys are up and around, sure does make me a better wife & mom the rest of the day...way more than that extra hour of sleep does. ;)

God's Blessings!
Fawn

Photos from Coastal living

Awesome Industrial space

fawnhlb@yahoo.com (Fawn Hamilton) — Mon, 29 Jun 2009 20:22:00 +0000

Oh my goodness! I love this space!! This lovely loft is located in downtown San Antonio in the revamped Pearl Brewery.

The Pear Brewery Company is located on the East side of the world famous San Antonio River "Because you need good water to brew good beer"!

...An old ,of who I assume are the original founders or at least some of the original brewery workers. I bet they had some fun parties!!

In 2002 the site was purchased by an investment company and the redevelopment plans began. Now the Original brewery is home to the Eveda institute, Texas Farm to Table Café, Pearl Stables, Center for Foods of the Americas and of course the residential loft spaces.
There are not many spaces like this in San Antonio. The ones that we do have, are all downtown and too far for me. I wish they were closer because I would rent one as my new studio in a heartbeat!

This is what it looks like today. A 900 sq ft loft apartment is currently available at the new Pearl Brewery development for around $900 a month! Oh how I wish I could move in!!

...A shot of the bedroom. I'm totally diggin' this space! It would be allot more shabby, frenchy and girlie if I lived here, or used it as my studio, but even just the way it is now makes me drool!

Honey...I need some more money! I want to build a loft! :)

If you wanna check it out yourself, head on over to
http://www.pearlbrewery.com/pages/development.html.

Have a fantastic week!!.

Bathroom Makeover !!

fawnhlb@yahoo.com (Fawn Hamilton) — Wed, 24 Jun 2009 12:08:00 +0000

Simple and lovely!! ...

Not so lovely... Ok here it is...My hideous bathroom! Or at least it was my hideous bathroom until I got sick of looking at it and got my hands dirty repainting!

It was so dark and gloomy! Gross sponge painting on the walls and a dark finish on the dresser that holds the sink. Yuck!

Check out this awful lighting! How can anyone put on make up in this lighting?

So this is how I did it...(Please excuse the wonderful no hair, no make up photos...oh, like you put on make up when you paint! ;)

I'll take it slow for you newbies out there. Notice the blue line just above the white paint. That's called a chalk line. We snapped a line of chalk on the wall to define a place for the white and blue paint to meet.

I rolled the bottom portion of the bathroom...twice! ...to cover up all the evidence of that horrible sponge paint!! Then I brushed in the corners and as close as I could to the chalk line. Be careful not to run your paint brush through the chalk or you can smear it into the white paint.

This is a bubble level. It's what you use to get a straight line on the wall. Don't try to eye ball it...I promise you it will not turn out well. You will need two people to do this correctly unless you're a MOM used to doing a hundred things at once...

... like balancing a baby on your hip, opening the car door, talking on the cellphone, holding your purse, your keys and 18 bags of groceries all while making sure not to hit the car parked way too close to your car door, and yelling at your other 2 children to get in the car, on the other side, and not get run over doing it...YES, WOMEN RULE!!

If you wanna be real cool...like me ;) ...you can use a laser level to get your straight lines. This is especially helpful when the line will be on more than one wall. This level will shoot a laser light out each side of the level, and the laser light even wraps around inside corners!! It is so COOL!! (Can you tell I'm a tool freak!?) You can purchase one of these at Home Depot or Lowe's for around $15.00.

Once you get your level line, you will want to mark it on your wall. The easiest way to mark a straight line is to use a chalk line. This is a photo of a chalk line and the container of chalk that comes with it. Don't forget to buy the chalk if the one you purchase doesn't already have chalk in it. I don't think they come prefilled...just check to be sure.

So this is where you need either a nail or another person. If you have a person to help you, one person holds one end on the line and you stretch the line out to the other end of where you want the line marked on your wall. Once it is where you want it, make sure the line is tight, then pull the string away from the wall and let go quickly. If you did it right, you will have left a chalk line mark on your wall.

My wonderful hubby...Mr. Patina Soul helped me with some...and I do say SOME, of the painting even though he HATES to paint!

He was even nice enough to remove the toilet tank for me so that I could paint behind it without all the normal headaches of painting behind those things...and he didn't even complain! :)
Thanks honey!

After I finished painting all the white on the bottom 3/4 of the wall...

I rolled a beachy blue on the top half of the wall and "cut in" ...meaning used a brush... near the trim and molding. Oh lookie there, my trademark paint on my elbow.

Over the white and blue line we hung a "chair rail"...fancy lingo for a painted board... Hubby installed three old hooks and brought back in the dresser I repainted, and reinstalled the sink for me.

...then we hung the mirror and changed out the lights...

...The chair rail and three hooks...

While we had the dresser out, I asked my super handy dad to cut the drawer fronts off one side of the dresser and turn them into a door. The drawers were not working very well for holding towels. So now I have the look of an old dresser but it works way better for storage! Thanks Dad! Btw, this is pretty easy to do...I could have done it myself, but my dads love language is doing things for others, so I let him do it for me! Work = love to him. :) Works for me!
So don't be afraid to try this on your own. You can do it!!

Here's the other side of the dresser...still all drawers.

One more shot of that ugly bathroom before...

And the AFTER photo! Much better!!! I still need to fancy it up with all my pretty bathroom elements but I'm way pleased with the results already!

Happy decorating and God's blessings!

Summer is here!!

fawnhlb@yahoo.com (Fawn Hamilton) — Wed, 17 Jun 2009 21:02:00 +0000

Summer is finally here!!
Time for fresh cut flowers in the kitchen...

...a baseball game in the backyard...

...Searching for shells on the beach...

...hours of telling my boys to "get off the couch and go play outside"...
"When I was your age, all I had was dirt and a stick to play with."

...time to play with Kodi...

...and buddy...

...impromptu sprinkler fun...

...new discoveries...

...trips to the park...

...summertime naps...

...daily surprises for mom...

...a summer full of Birthdays...

...and even more birthdays...11 in our family to be exact...

...trips to the skate park...

...fun with my boys...

...they grow up so fast...

...time to jet ski...

...and make memories with my hubby...

...and many, many hours cleaning the boat. Oh, a man and his big boy toys. ;)

So if I happen to disappear for days... or even weeks this summer without a word or a new post to my blog, it's not because I stopped loving you... or blog land. It's not because I don't have anything to say...I always have something to say... it's because time fly's when your having fun and I want to have lots of fun this summer with my hubby of 12 years and my three wonderful little boys while I can....Before their all grown up and move away from home.

If you think about it, we only get about 18 summers with them before they leave the nest...I'm making THIS one count... before I know it, I'll wake up and it will be September. Time for them to head back to school, home work, carpools, sports, you name it... The daily grind.

Gotta run...summer is beckoning!! Off to Sea World tomorrow, a day relaxing, grilling and swimming at the lake on Friday,... Saturday, a GIANT home made slip-n-slide on a huge hill at my brothers...add a sprinkler, inner-tubes and some kids = tons of fun!! Sunday relaxing and off to church...that is if were not in the hospital after the Texas size slip-n-slide!! ;)

What do you have planned this summer?
Go have fun with your family!!
Computers can't love you back. (or take care of you when your old) ;)

Lovely Lakeside wedding!!

fawnhlb@yahoo.com (Fawn Hamilton) — Thu, 04 Jun 2009 17:33:00 +0000

I'm getting MARRIED!!

Well actually I'm already married...11 years to the same wonderful man!
( I love you Mr. Patina Soul)

We decided this year on our 12th anniversary to renew our vows and our commitment to each other with a celebration ceremony at our lake house!

The wedding will be very casual yet beautiful and elegant at the same time.
It will reflect our personalities and my love for old things with a PaTiNa Soul!!

I stumbled upon this invitation and fell in love with its informal feeling.
Who doesn't love a sweet chandelier!?! I think I'll make it the theme for the wedding!

I love the idea of using old crystal, tarnished silver trays and platters
with white and pink flowers as the colors for the ceremony.

For the reception, atop a collection of old farm tables spread out on the lawn and facing the lake, we will have simple centerpieces with pink flowers & white china.

Still deciding what type of farm tables to use...guess I have to go shopping and find some!

So cute and casual!

Perfect centerpiece!

hmm?... Now where can I hang this?!

OMG! So Perfect!

These will hang from the trees!

I'll wear something very casual like one of these white sun dresses...

Our three boys and my husband will wear a white linen button up shirt with khaki shorts...

My two nieces...the flower girls...will wear this adorable little dress from Justice! I adore the pink bow and I found them yesterday on sale for $29.00!

We might rent a tent for a lil' shade...Texas sun in August can get pretty warm!
More causal than this one however.
Possibly with flowing white linen! How great would that be!

And this darling little gem hanging from the center!
(Remember the chandelier theme?)

The wedding will be at 11am on a Sunday so we will be serving brunch and of course some sweets like these for the kiddos.

Now, off to find Something Old, Something New, Something Borrowed, Something Blue!
Anyone have a chandelier I can borrow? :) LOL!

Have a great day my sweet friends!

Beachy blue

fawnhlb@yahoo.com (Fawn Hamilton) — Tue, 02 Jun 2009 15:19:00 +0000

Wanna run away to the beach with me?!!!
I think us blog sisters should buy and decorate a beach house together. Wouldn't that be fun! ;)

The color blue evokes such a relaxing feeling!!
Just like in nature, the sky, blue accents or wall color go with just about anything.

Welcome...come on in!

Amazing!

I adore this! I HAVE to recreate this paint finish on something soon.

I'm diggin' these blue accent pieces.

ooooh!!

aaaahhhh!

That reminds me... I still need to show you my bathroom makeover. You're gunna love it!

More beautiful blue accent pieces.

...and even more! LOvE eM!!

Uuum honey, can I repaint the bedroom walls like this. ;)

Lovely!

Have an awesome day!!! Take care and God Bless!!

Photo sources:
1, 2, 6 & 12 unfortunately are unknown sources
3 & 4 House Beautiful
5 Graham & Green
7, 8 & 9 Coastal Living
10, 11 & 13 BHG

Mirror, mirror on the wall...

fawnhlb@yahoo.com (Fawn Hamilton) — Mon, 01 Jun 2009 18:14:00 +0000

I'm nuts about mirrors! I noticed the trend as I scrolled through my photo files this weekend.

Pretty sure the photo above is most likely a window peaking into the next room from the entry, but I could totally see it as a beautiful mirror greeting guests as they come in the front door.

A great old door turned mirror. Christina Schmidhofer

Gorgeous!!

Speechless!! Chez Fifi

Love it!!! BHG

Wood or metal? MarieClaireMaison.com

Simple but oh so elegant. BHG

Love it... want it.... need it!!! :) Country Style

Designer Shannon Bowers

Heather Cameron

I think this is my all time favorite mirror above! It's simple and understated but adds so much charm to the room propped against the wall with all its vintage charm.

Not sure where I found some of these photos....Ive had them in my files for awhile.

Have a great week...Be sure to stop and take a look in the next mirror you pass...you'll see the image of a person God loves dearly...just the way you are!

Imitation Is The Best Form Of Flattery

fawnhlb@yahoo.com (Fawn Hamilton) — Fri, 29 May 2009 17:04:00 +0000

First let me apologize about these first two photos...the quality is not the best and they are very small but you get the idea. Hopefully you can click on them to enlarge the photo.

Did Better Homes and Gardens copy me? OK JUST KIDDING BHG... but WOW. I was so surprised yesterday when I picked up the June issue of BHG to find an article about letters and decorating with Vintage fonts. Guess what it was titled? JUST YOUR TYPE!!

I recently blogged about decorating with vintage letters about two or three weeks ago and It was titled.... JUST MY TYPE!! Crazy weird!

BHG, can I have a job? ;)

More letters...These are from the amazing and beautiful HouseOfAtmosphere blog.

Check out their blog, you wont be sorry!

Simple yet so beautiful...

I just purchased this lovely shabby "N" this morning from VintageEmbellishment.etsy.com.
I Plan to use it in my studio to spell out PatinaSoul... They have a few more if you head over quickly.

I also have a few vintage letters that are still available for purchase...just keep scrolling down to find them. I blogged about them on May 8th. They are amazing and I'm having so much fun decorating with them. I will also be posting some more adorable letters soon so stay tuned! ;)
Have a great weekend!!

Beauty all around us

fawnhlb@yahoo.com (Fawn Hamilton) — Tue, 05 May 2009 18:41:00 +0000

Pink roses floating in an old white bowl in my kitchen... it makes me smile!?

I woke up this morning grateful for life!! After attending a Relay For Life fund raising event with my family and seeing so many lives that have been touched by cancer, I'm seeing beauty in the simplest things around me once again. I am so grateful for my life and my loved ones.

Take time to enjoy the beauty in your life. You can find it even in the darkest time, if you just slow down long enough to look...

...the patina of my old white metal porch swing next to fresh hydrangea blooms...

...the soul of this old broken bird bath turned into a plant stand...

...rusty, chipped and worn...like all of us...but still loved and fulfilling a purpose...in this case holding my herb garden...

...the worn paint of my kitchen hutch, touched by the length of its life and scarred by life's mishaps...

...but still useful and with a purpose... just like us. We might have a few blemishes (OK maybe more than a few for some of us) but we are made more beautiful with each day that passes and brought into our life's purpose as we learn the lessons that only time can teach us...

...the beauty of a rose given to me by my husband...even though it's on its last leg, it speaks of his love for me...

...the chips, dents and scratches of my kitchen table...from all those special occasions, B-days, Thanksgiving, Christmas, every night family dinners...and all the times my kids jammed their forks into the table top. Good thing I like everything distressed! :) ...

...the patina of dirty little hand prints and scratches from toys on my boys
white play house door... enough said. :)

Have a great day and look for beauty all around you! It's there if you just take the time to look!

Dreaming of an art studio

fawnhlb@yahoo.com (Fawn Hamilton) — Mon, 27 Apr 2009 21:28:00 +0000

I'm dreaming of a larger art studio. I stay awake at night thinking about it. I know I'm blessed to have a studio to begin with, but I can do so much more with a larger one! ;)

It would have amazing walls with great character...Like this...

or this...

It would be filled with sunlight and have lots of space to decorate and move about.

Although, I do have to say I'm also very intrigued by the more cozy spaces like this...

or this darling "shed"

and I do live in Texas, so of course something like this!! ;) Maybe some day.

Photo credit in order as photos appear: http://www.saintlouisartfair.com, istock, www.zazzle.co.uk, diglloyd.com, Osch Design, The Outpost Inn, www.schulterestorations.com, Texas tiny house

Vintage tin photo gallery

fawnhlb@yahoo.com (Fawn Hamilton) — Thu, 23 Apr 2009 17:59:00 +0000

I'm in love!! I adore these frames from www.thepepperkids.com. I think I'll start a collection of vintage frames from all my shopping travels... wood & tin in all varying shades of white.

Then I'll hang them on this wall just off my entry. When we built the lake house, I found salvaged ceiling tin in huge sections. These are the biggest you have ever seen. They are waist high and half the length of this wall, which is about 15 feet long. They were VERY dirty and rusty. I cleaned the panels up and painted them, letting just a little rust peak through to show their age. (You can't see the rust in the photo) Then I topped them off with a pine board painted white to match the trim in my house. I love this vintage wainscoting!

A closer look

There is of course the pottery barn style collection like this (photo from from www.dooce.com)

hmmmm?? Don't you just love an empty canvas!!

or in black (photo from dominomag.com) ...

or the frame less look like this, from photographer Alison Beachem. You can see more of her work at www.photographybyalison.com

What do you think?

lake House Outdoor Kitchen

fawnhlb@yahoo.com (Fawn Hamilton) — Mon, 20 Apr 2009 17:42:00 +0000

I surprised my husband for our anniversary and built this outdoor kitchen for him while he was out of town visiting his family in Virginia.

It started as a VERY ROUGH sketch so that I could explain to my dad what I wanted the finished product to look like. We started building the cabinets at my dads house two weeks before my husband left town. Since he was only planning to be gone for 2 1/2 days, we knew there was no way we could finish if we didn't start before he left town. Once the cabinets where transported to the lake house, all we had to do was paint them and install them once the foundation, wall and counter top where installed.

That's me above, making sure the sink faucet was going to fit into the holes we drilled.
"Gosh I look beautiful when I work in the yard."
Can you say July in TEXAS!!?!
Can you say get the hair off my face and neck any way you can?!

The first thing we did was dig a trench for the foundation and poured the concrete pad. We used a concrete mixer to save some time. That's what that weird round thing with legs is in the photo above. After the concrete had set up, we started stacking the cinder blocks and once they were all in position, we poured concrete down the center hole in the blocks and inserted a steel rod called re-bar for reinforcement.

We worked day and night and through the elements to get finished in time for the big surprise...He had NO IDEA we were planning this for him. We even had to pull out an umbrella to cover our concrete work because we got a HUGE rainstorm right in the middle of the day.
It was pretty funny to see us huddled under the umbrella setting concrete. This is a photo of the approaching storm...it got pretty dark for 3 in the afternoon!

After the blocks set up, we poured a concrete counter top and added the rock work on the sides, over the cinder blocks to make it pretty. He hung the painted cabinet doors, installed the sink, faucet, refrigerator and the grill and called it a day! When my husband came home he was so surprised to find this...

The finished product!
We use it all the time for parties and everyday grilling. It's so nice to take just a few steps from my chair to grab a cold drink from the under counter fridge or to flip the burgers on the grill while watching the family jet ski, swim, boat or fish. I made sure we installed a sink so that we can even wash dishes out here. In the cabinets we store everything needed for an outdoor party so it is very convenient and no back and forth to the kitchen for more supplies. Everyone should have one of these in their backyard!

Designer Lake house Secrets

fawnhlb@yahoo.com (Fawn Hamilton) — Thu, 16 Apr 2009 03:39:00 +0000

Behind the console in my living room hides one of my best kept secrets...
(hmm, looks like I should have closed that door a lil better when taking this photo)

The secret I've been keeping for years is the ugly a/c intake vent that wasn't about to spoil my decorating fun. As a designer, the details are everything, so when my a/c guy told me this is where the vent would have to go for proper air circulation, I went through the roof!

**Design problem + Designer = Solution... So, during one of my "3 am I can't sleep because I'm decorating in my mind modes", I created a solution to the problem. I built this console out of old chippy window shutters! (Yes, I build furniture too...shhh, don't tell anyone.)
This way the air can still flow through the gaps in the shutters and it doesn't block air from the intake vent. Problem solved!

Another view of the console. Hey wait! What's that little door there?

That's the door to my lil' guys playhouse. I designed the pint size room and door to fit under the stairs. This way they can have a room all their own just off the living and kitchen area and I can keep an eye on them while I'm cooking dinner. LOL!! Like I cook!! Ha! That's the funniest thing I've said all year! ;) (Wait...Do frozen corn dogs count?)

Lake House Entry

fawnhlb@yahoo.com (Fawn Hamilton) — Tue, 14 Apr 2009 18:27:00 +0000

Hi all!
Hope you had a great Easter!! God is awesome to send his son Jesus to die for us...and then he rose 3 days later! If that's possible with God, then anything with God is possible!
Never forget that!

On with the lake house tour...

Here's a close up photo of the front entry wall to our lake house. This is the first thing you see as you enter. I painted the diamonds to set the tone for rest of the house... I really wanted something different. (The cabinet top looks warped but it's just the photo...weird)

A side view...notice the beautiful wood ceilings! I love 'em!!!

Just off the front door, I have an old dresser I use as an entry table... the extra storage is nice too! *Side note...I've been married for almost 12 years now and I still display my wedding photos...that must mean I still like him. ;)

I'll post more photos of the lake house tomorrow.

Sweet Lake house

fawnhlb@yahoo.com (Fawn Hamilton) — Tue, 07 Apr 2009 21:22:00 +0000

Back in 2000 my husband and I purchased a run down fishing shack and turned it into our dream home. At some point I will post the before photos...they are shocking!

This is the back of our home. The deck faces the lake.

Our dock and boat.

Beer anyone?
This is the view from our deck. We just finished trimming the trees this past weekend (I say "we" but I really mean my husband and my dad.) So the view is even better since I took this photo.

My kitchen:
I love it! Probably my favorite room in the house.

Living/Family room:
I'm in the middle of a drapery change so there are empty drapery rods in the photo...
Decisions, decisions.

Our guest/powder bath:
We actually found this bathtub in the backyard when we bought the house. I sanded and cleaned and painted till I got this! A labor of love.

The master bath:
Well part of it anyway.

Master bedroom:
Updating this room as we speak. Adding new luxurious white bedding, new paint, you name it!
Can't wait to show you the new master when I'm finished! (Btw, the VRBO letters in some of these photos are from the online photos I posted to Vacation Rental By Owner. We used to rent out our lakehouse when were at our other home in the city.)

Our Guest room:
With faux painted logs on the wall. This used to be my sons room (minus this particular bed and bedding) He had a fishing theme. I didn't have the heart to paint over the logs...yet...but I'm getting there. It's really cute in person but I'm ready for a change.

This is the bunk room...I don't know why we call it that since we don't have bunk beds in here, but I guess it's easier to say then "The room with the two red twin beds." ;)
We use this room for overflow guests, which we have allot...something that happens when you live on the water.

I'll post more detailed photos another day of the rooms and designer items I incorporated in the lakehouse as we remodeled and added on. Im in the process of updating some of these rooms. As I do, I will post the new photos. Have a great day!!

Flea market finds!

fawnhlb@yahoo.com (Fawn Hamilton) — Mon, 06 Apr 2009 16:06:00 +0000

I was sucked right into this adorable booth because of the clever entry they created...Window screens, rusty tin and old porch columns. ;)

Lovely old & white chippy corbels...these can be used in so many creative ways...Like for shelf supports or hung on the wall as a piece of art, or placed on a piece of furniture to accessorize a room with cottage charm.

Visualize this...

...Or this

...cleaned up, mirrors installed in the screen or window, and then hanging on the wall above this gem!