Finding My Style At From My Front Porch To Yours

My post this weekend is an invitation to stop in for a visit with Pamela at From My Front Porch To Yours, where she has a series called "How I Found My Style Sunday's.

I'm this Sundays guest, but just what is my style?

Here we are, in the thick of a Memorial Day weekend.  Many people are doing a bit of reflecting and attending ceremonies. 

Spring cleaning.

Camping, fishing, picnics. 

Some folks are firing up the bbq, and cracking open a cold one right at home.

That's me.  Happiest right in my own backyard. 

As our trees turn green

Brawn comes from a family of 12 siblings 7 boys, five girls - absorb for a moment how many in-laws that creates once they all get married.  

We used to do a big family weekend at random cabin resorts in Northern Minnesota where we could all bond over bonfires and beer.  I guess that weekend was really for all us in-laws and outlaws to get to know each other, because those 12 kids had bonded years ago.

Anyway, after 15 years of doing that, some of the siblings decided to group together and buy their own resort on a lake.  At the time we were asked if we wanted in on that venture, we declined. 

Minnesota is known as the land of 10,000 lakes, and if you are fortunate enough to live on one you really have a year round resort right in your backyard.

Home Sweet Home

One of our boys asked us how come we didn't want to be a fourth partner in the lake resort.

Well son....because we have our own resort everyday, so we didn't need to pack up the car for a second job of cutting grass 2 hours away.

And hanging with the in-laws wasn't how I wanted to spend every weekend.   Yeah, well I'm sure most of them didn't want to hang with me that much either. 

So instead I had time to leisurely find my style right at home as we created a place where kids could still make houses out of appliance boxes...

And as they grow up roast hot dogs, have a brew or two, invite friends over, and do it all right in our own backyard.

Last Night

So if you would like to read what I think the style of Bliss Ranch is, ya'll are gonna have to head down South to Texas and see what secrets I shared at From My Front Porch To Yours.

$20 Bistro Set

When last I typed, I told of my fabric painting of two wing-back chairs.

I had a little issue....... I ran out of paint.  I remedied the problem and they are now ready to be waxed and will be coming soon.

Almost two weeks later.  Story of my life.

So in the meantime I crossed a few other things off on my to-do list.

I picked up this little bistro set at a garage sale last Fall for a deck off the master bedroom.  I thought I was getting a good deal at $20 for the three piece set.

Painting Fabric With Paint

It was a dark and cloudy day.....  (really)

I was out of scheduled posts......  (which took 3 months to happen)

At 6:53 the night before, I read a post from Andi at Delusions of Ingenuity........

And by noon the next day I was painting wing back chairs with Annie Sloan Old White Chalk paint and CeCe Caldwells' Virginia Chestnut, on a quest to use up all my different remnants of paints.

Also very skeptical of the process, but I trust Andi's opinion.

An Essay on Mom Stuff

An essay on random Mom stuff on Mothers Day.

By me.

I'll try to keep it short and simple, since sometimes I really do think I could write a book on the subject of parenthood.

But there are already plenty out there.

I'm an expert at almost nothing, but that's not to say there are not things I don't do well.  Even things I do very well, I wouldn't claim to be an expert on - just because that's the way I am, you know?

I can paint a wicked dresser or a dresser wicked, and maybe use clever wit like nobody's business.

However there is always someone better at or more learned in the things I do well, and claiming to be an expert at any of them seems boastful.

So not being an expert, it's hard for me to be boastful on things I might be good at.

With the exception of one thing.

Being a mom.

On that I boast here and now.... I am an expert.

I've long thought it, but would never actually admit I did.  For gosh sakes, aren't experts suppose to always be right about whatever it is they are experts about,  and everything they do turns out, well... perfect and expert like?

My credentials are hung on the wall.   Collages of hand made art work made specifically for me on Mudrs Day.  Mudrs Day from a certain 6 year old who spells the way he speaks.

And while my credentials didn't come from any famous University, they did come from my toughest critics.

Six of the harshest critics who know my expertise inside out...... #1 son, #1 daughter, #2 son, #2 daughter, #3 son and #4 son.

Which adds up to six.

I'm sure I gleaned tidbits of information here and there from books.  My two favorites are oldies, very oldies, that were passed on to me.

Those books don't deal with things like violence in school or limiting the internet, because both were unheard of when the books were originally written.

It's the basics, just the basics.

And the basics seem like a good place to start on the unintended road to being an unintended expert.

1. Children Are Wet Cement
I don't know if the current version is the same as the 30 year old one I was given.  Parts stuck with me, and not only about my own kids, but about the way I treat other peoples kids.  All these years later I should go back and read it again, just to see what it was that made an impression on me.

 

2. Making Children Mind Without Losing Yours.
This book too is in reprint, but the one I read was a 30 year old edition.  I have no idea what it's about anymore, I just remember thinking the suggestions seemed realistic - and maintaining my sanity was a top priority.



I probably read other books from time to time, and of course magazine articles, but knowing me I also "filed" most advice in the round bin. 

Saying I'm an expert at this motherhood gig doesn't mean I'm saying it always goes smooth, that I am a perfect mother, or that my kids are perfect.

Far from it, in fact those many imperfections are what taught me, the imperfect is how I gained my expertise.

It is said you learn more from your mistakes......

My kids like to point those mistakes out to me.

Of course I'm not the only expert out there, but I am the mistress of my own domain.

The six critics can heckle me all they want.  The proof is in the pudding.

I don't mind if they "lovingly" point out my shortcomings, or where I made mistakes, because as I look right back at them I'm reassured I did more right than wrong.

I get heckled about facts like; there is sugared cereal now in the cabinet.  The older ones think that means the younger ones are spoiled.  I hate to tell them it really isn't that well thought out, it just means I buy what's on sale sometimes now.

Or maybe it means I no longer care what someone might think if they see a box of evil Frosted Flakes in my shopping cart.

With age comes wisdom.  (And sometimes lack of).

I'm wise enough not to buy Frosted Flakes often, but I have the wisdom now that I don't really care what anyone thinks of my parenting if I do.

I like to believe it wasn't the lack of sugared cereal that caused the older kids to turn out well.

Certainly I had great dreams of what my children would become by using the talents they have, but really there was only one thing I truly wanted out of life for them.

To be happy.

That's the goal I set out with for each of my harshest critics.

So when they heckle me and "lovingly" point out where I went wrong with what I fed them, or the rules I set, it really doesn't matter much to me.

I met my goal.

Happy Mothers Day to all moms fumbling through the process.  

I hope you meet your goals too.  

Better yet, I hope your kids are pleased you met those goals.

In the end it really only matters what your harshest critics think of your expertise.

Betty's Vase

My friend Betty wanted a new vase for an empty corner in her living room.  Betty has never read my blog so I can tell you that while I love shopping with Betty, buying a vase was no easy task.  Hours.  It took hours.  TWO FRIGGEN HOURS!!!  At the same store in the same isle.

Betty found a ceramic one she liked but it really wasn't tall enough, and the black, gray and white pattern made it look a bit too zebra-ish but it did have the colors she liked.

Other vases had too wide a mouth on top.

Then Betty found an all black metal vase.  She thought it was blah, but the right size.

That's when I opened my mouth with the words I believed would get me the helll out of that store...... "I can paint that one for you to look similar to the ceramic one you like".

Old Metal File Cabinet

I'm cleaning out my project draft files so I'm showing projects on my own blog that were guest posts in their past life.

This week I have an old metal file cabinet that has a door and not just drawers.

Originally I posted this on Gails blog, My Repurposed Life.

100 Year Old Barn Wood Shelves

Last year Brawn and oldest son went and fetched a bunch of old barn wood from some folks a few miles away who were about ready to burn the pile.

There were beams and planks, and even some tin.

The saw marks add so much character, along with the nail holes.

Saturday morning when I woke up, that little voice that likes to put other people to work on the weekend was talking to me.

It said "Bliss.... Blissssss.... you've always wanted wood shelves above your toilet, you must have them today".  TODAY!

Big Burlap Coffee Sack Winner

Maureen from It's All Connected is the winner of the big burlap coffee sack.

I think she is going to make sweaters and party hats for her chickens out of it.
Have some fun, stop at her blog and request chicken clothes of burlap!  

Thank you to everyone who entered and welcome to all my new likes on Facebook.

A Bee in my Bonnet

This is one of those posts that isn't really written for my readers.  No photos or DIY, just something to poke fun at.  If you are a blogger, you will get it, and if you have a pet name for anyone in your life, you'll get it too.

Sometimes I get a bee in my bonnet.

Now doesn't that sound nicer than saying a bug up my butt?

That's just what this post is about, people getting bugs and bees in places that make them talk smack.

And that really sticks in my craw.

The Family Votes on Laundry Room Flooring

Back home here on the prairie....
when last I wrote.....
I asked for help deciding which flooring I wanted to update the 20 year old laundry room floor with because, well.... I suck at picking flooring. 

Without a doubt most of you picked the wood look vinyl.  This narrowed it down so next I brought in the experts who have suffered of my poor flooring choices in the past.

The family.

I gave the family the choice of the wood look vinyl.....

Or the next popular choice, the vintage hex tiles in gray tones....

Laundry Room Flooring, Help Me Pick

Things around the ranch the last few months have been hectic and full of anxiety, not to mention all I remember of the winter is snow and freezing temperatures.

We were just starting to wind down on stuff, like two surgeries and tests, only to have someone suffer a broken heart (not of the medical kind), another one have a mysterious new suitor, and then catastrophe of all catastrophes ......

                                                            the washing machine broke.

There are plenty of appliances, gadgets and technologically advanced things that I can do without in my life, but my washing machine is not one of them.  And you know how it goes in the home of DIY'ers - one project leads to another.

So while we were busy taking out the old machines and putting in the new.....

I got the brilliant idea that it was time to update our laundry room flooring.

Seed Starting

Over the years we have had many gardens - some a sorry excuse, some quite bountiful.

 
Our very first garden we had a bumper crop of cantaloupes.  Dozens.  There were only two of us back then to eat them all.  The last time I planted cantaloupes we harvested 3 the size of a dolls head with 6 people wanting to eat them.  Many went hungry.

Winner Winner Ducky Dinner

Clyde the Birthday Boy

Winner winner, ducky dinner

Ok, no.... not a duck dinner, or a duck winner, 

but I do have a winner and news from the land of duckens.  

In case you don't know what a ducken is, 

that's what you get when you are a 3 year old little girl.......

 and you put the words duck and chicken together.

Halloween '13, but appropriate for this time of year

So we don't have chickens and ducks here, we have duckens.

Last year I held a name the new ducken contest.   

If daughter #2 picked one of the suggested names the winner received a cake tester.  

Tina from What we Keep won with her suggestion of Clementine.

Now a year later I am happy to announce that Clementine, Cleo, and Hazel 

have started laying eggs - just in time for my Easter basket.  

So in addition to the two chickens laying eggs for us, we get up to 3 duck eggs a day. 

Duck eggs are suppose to add extra "umph" to baked goods.  

I haven't made a cake yet, but I did make a duck egg asparagus quiche.

Anyway.... Clyde the original duck and keeper of the ducken harem, had a birdday, 

and in honor of his second birdday 

I thought I would let him announce the winner of last weeks cake tester giveaway......

Enjoy the Easter weekend, we'll be having ham.... the duckens are all safe.

P.S. If you want to enter the giveaway for the big burlap coffee sack, go {here}.

Junkers United Barn Wood Window Cabinet

Welcome one and all and thanks for stopping in if you're visiting from one of the linked blogs.  I'm Bliss and you're at the ranch, where I redo junk and try to make projects for little or no cost.

This post is filled to it's junky little rim.... with a party and best of all links to the other Junkers United Team members and the projects they created specially for this party.

For my junk project I've upcycled one of the gazillion old windows I've accumulated.  It's not an earth-shattering-never-before-seen project, but for us it solved a storage problem......

the storage problem of where to keep the toilet paper.

Black Purses

Today I have a tale to tell about purses, JC Penney, and a random act of kindness I received.

~ The Purses ~

Now I am not a purse snob in any way shape or form.  I can use a $10 purse just as easy as a $100 one.  I've got Gucci and I've got Garage Sale.

It always comes back to features for me, so in that way I am a purse snob, I like what I like for comfort and ease.

I don't like to fiddle around looking for my phone when it rings, in fact I don't like to answer my phone at all so there is a good chance I won't even if I can find it.

I need a certain kind of handle to fit comfortably in my small hands.  Not too long so it drags on the ground, and in the perfect purse world the handles would be just long enough to also wear on my shoulder.

Notice the rounded handles on all those retired purses.

Cake Tester Giveaway & Moo Cards

It's that time again when I raid my daughters pretty baubles and decide I should give a cake tester away, compliments (unbeknownst) of her.

Plates, Plates, and More Plates

This post contains a things that some of you might not want to read.  It's probably going to provoke death threats and suggestions that I have an exorcism, as surely the devil is making me do what I do.

The threats will be a kin to what happens when someone paints a vintage piece of furniture and the crowd goes wild, and not in a good way either.

They don't like the message or the messenger at that point.

Alberts Barn Burn

This post is not for the faint of heart.  Or at least not for those who see a decrepit old barn and want to load all of it's wood in the trunk.

(Now that would be funny - someone trying to fit a whole barn in their trunk).

Old Alberts Farm

Vintage Pump Organ Knobs Turned Wine Stoppers

I'm not sure why I didn't think of this sooner, I mean I've had these knobs for two years.

They're vintage knobs from an old pump organ I believe, possibly Victorian.

At least that's what Google tells me.

Restoration Hardware inspired Clock Knock-Off

I was gonna refrain from entering a project for a link party at East Coast Creative where a Creating With The Stars contest is going on for the next four weeks.  I just didn't have a new idea.

For the main contest Bloggers have been paired with Super Bloggers and each week they compete/create in a pre-determined category and the rest of us folks can vote for our favorite till there is one blogger left that wins it all.

There is also a link party of the same theme that anyone can link a project up to.

But I had to create something, I couldn't resist....... the theme this week is my fav - knock offs.   All the people of the land know I love a knock off challenge, so before the clock struck noon I was plotting.

The Mark
(The original photo has been removed, so I don't breech any copyright laws, but lets just say mine looks exactly like it)

Basil Click and Grow Kit

Bliss you grew a green thumb?

Not hardly.  But I am going to grow some basil.

{source}

Lets Play Kitchen

When I was a little girl, play time was usually all about being a mommy.  I never played lawyer and can't talk about those times playing doctor.

I loved dolls, playing house or going to the pretend store.  I have all my old dolls, they are pretty scary and hidden under my bed.  Any with curly hair got a hair cut.

The play food was really tiny back then too.  If I'd of eaten that size portion all my life there would never have been any discussions with my thighs about their girth.

I think I need to find an old armoire and convert it into a play store like this one from  Inspired Whims....

For the past year I've been pinning ideas to my Kid Stuff Pinterest board of cute play kitchens, with the intention of making one for a certain 3 year old.

Soda Crate Storage

Originally I made this crate for a guest post over with Angie at Knick of Time, and I decided that since a year has gone by it was time I showed it right here on my own blog.

Bedroom Redo with a Door Headboard

Still cleaning out the archives here at the Ranch.  Today I have a glimpse into daughter #2's bedroom, that is while it's sort of clean......

(Originally this guest post was for Shanna at Just Us Four).

I laid in wait till my daughter was gone and sprang on her room with my camera.

Door headboard with original back plate, glass door knob and key

Tree Branch Alphabet Art

I regularly pin things to the Bliss Ranch Pinterest Boards that I intend on doing.  I'll be busy making stuff till the year 2050, which when I first typed that year it sounded so far away, but for a baby born today they would only be 36 years old.  Wow.

Baby Boy Gift Sign

Half Moon Bay California, quaint, fun town on the ocean.  That is where my BFF lives.  I'm not sure where those two young girls we used to be have gone, nor how we grew old enough for our babies to be having babies of their own, but you won't hear us complaining about that second part.

When her #2 kid welcomed #2 son into the world I set out to make a rustic gift for new little blue bundles' woodland themed nursery.

DIY Enamel Look Tags

The year was 2012.  Spring sometime, who remembers.  I made these faux roller shades out of burlap coffee sacks from a tutorial by Donna at Funky Junk.  

Talking Java At Cozy Little House

This post is for coffee lovers.  If you don't drink the stuff you probably won't get it.  Maybe water is your deal, and you start each day with a big glass and you're satisfied, happy, and ready to conquer the world.

More hydro-power to 'ya.                   

Maple Syrup Make'n

Bliss Ranch has a lot of maple trees.  And you know what you can make from maple trees right?

Maple syrup.

Clothespins

What sort of collections do you have?

Me.... I've got all sorts.  Some I could part with, some I don't even like anymore, and some I can't get enough of.

Boys Bathroom Price Pfister Faucet

In the last century we, no scratch that, they, started a bathroom redo.  They is the boys, and since I don't use the boys bathroom and only go in their when forced, I was a bit stunned at such an ambitious undertaking by the males at the Ranch.

I did take care of one important detail...........

 The Ashfield Price Pfister faucet.

CitraSolv Transfer Method, Napkins and Chairbacks

As my faithful readers might recall, recently I redid some dining room chairs I bought on craigslist.  The "recently" part was, ohhhh, a year in the making.  Obviously I didn't rush into that redo!

Working with anything fabric is out of my comfort zone.  I can't sew and even fabric projects that don't require sewing intimidate me.

Unlike my chairs, this project is quick, simple, and took me less than a year.  Originally this project was a guest post for Fox Hollow Cottage.

I was trying to look all crafty and impress Shannon's readers.  Hopefully no one passes out because I actually did a tutorial.

Throwback Thursday Link Party Guest Host

Thursday has a new meaning here at Bliss Ranch.  Well at least one Thursday a month.

And that's because I will be a monthly guest host for the Throwback Thursday link party.  Now I didn't say throw down party, I'm not taking up wrestling.  Throwback Thursday is a link party that as soon as it hit I loved it.

Why did I love it?  Because it didn't matter if I had a new post to link up, in fact that's the idea, a NOT new post, get it.... a throwback.  You are SUPPOSE to link up a post from your past.

I thought about linking ones that were so old most people never saw them....
like my very first feature ...
                                  from my very first month of blogging....
                                                                           of my very first ever link party.....

A Valentine vignette from The Copy Cat Challenge at Debbie Doos.  If you want to see the magazine vignette that I copied you will have to click {here}.

The Napkins, The Barn & Fox Hollow Cottage

You've seen the dining room chair backs, and heard how I loved the whole process of redoing those chairs (my nose just grew because that is a complete lie) but you did not see a tutorial on how to transfer the image.

Mostly that's because when I'm in the zone, stopping to take photos almost never happens.  That and my tutorials usually suck.

But when I do a guest post I don't skimp.

So while my friend Shannon is on vacation in my old stomping ground of Southern California, I'm at Fox Hollow Cottage today with a tutorial on how I took some old muslin napkins and used the image from my chair backs and made matching napkins.

Lamp in a Box

Have you heard of Lamp in a Box?

Well let me just tell you; they are P.D.C.... Pretty Darn Cool.  This one arrived at my house as a Christmas gift from the Lamp in a Box folks.

For the base there are several styles and the usual finishes.  Mine is satin nickle.

There isn't anything extraordinary about the base, but that's because for me it's all about the shade.

I have this little corner in our bedroom where I like to curl up to read.  I'd tell you that's with a good book, but more than likely I'm answering emails or reading blogs on my Ipad. 

Laundry Room Makeover Plans

I have a laundry room makeover coming up.  The thing is, it's not my laundry room.

That means there has to be some trust that I won't do something stupid in there.

Nope this isn't my laundry room, this one is much cleaner with by far less laundry.

Basic downstairs laundry room

However I remember the days when I happily washed this little girls clothes for her.  I also remember after she started washing her own clothes - static cling caused a thong to stick to one of her dads sweatshirts.  I deposited it in her room out of sight - dad wouldn't of been able to handle that!

Favorite Mug Desserts at Bliss Ranch

It's January and while everyone is busy getting organized, eating healthy and shedding pounds, I'm snuggled in for a long winters nap with a goal of my own.

Chocolate Fudge S'mores Mug Cake from How Sweet It Is

Dining Room Chairs With a Vintage Grain Sack Look

It's been a while since I first posted about the 6 dining room chairs that came to live with me from an ad on craigslist - they came along with two turkeys on sale from the grocery store for Thanksgiving - that we ate.

You know how you are so excited to finish a project that you hurry up to work on it and then you love the whole process so much you stretch it out for a year because you wanna extend the process of the whole mess since you are having so much fun and you don't want it to end?

Me either.

But Thanksgiving 2013 arrived, two more turkeys were purchased and eaten, and the chairs were completed.

And now 2 months later, January 2014, their debut......