Fun with Paint Stripper

This week I am stripping the spindles on the staircase.  

As much as we walk up and down the stairs, the paint on the spindles was constantly chipping from wear and tear.  So I decided to strip the paint and give it a ceruse wood finish.

This is a tedious and time consuming job.  There is layer upon layer of paint.

I've decided that stripping paint isn't much fun!

As of today most of the white paint has been removed.  Now I am starting to remove the brown paint from the spindles.  Hopefully I'll get this thing together soon.  Say a prayer for me!

PS.  I'll post all the details, like what products I used, once I'm all finished.  Stay tuned!

Meet Sasha

Last week I was browsing through Pet Finder, just looking, not expecting to find a puppy, fall in love with her and bring her home. We have 2 dogs, so the thought of adding another didn't excite my husband.  Once we went to the shelter to meet her, he was all for it though!  My kids love having a new puppy in the house and surprisingly my other dogs get along really well with her too.  I was worried about how Princess my oldest dog would react to Sasha.  Princess is not the friendliest dog.  She loves us, but does not do well around strangers.  After a few days together they have become fast friends.  Bella our middle dog is the sweetest!  Most people are intimidated because of her size, but she is gentle and very calm.  I love watching her and Sasha play.       

When we adopted Sasha, we were told that she wasn't fully house trained, but that she was learning well.  I prepared myself to clean up accidents here and there, but to my surprise she hasn't had any(knock on wood!).  I let her out at the same time as Princess and Bella.  Having them all on the same potty schedule helps out a lot.

The first night we bought Sasha home was ruff rough!  Trying to adjust to having a new puppy in the house is like raising a rambunctious toddler!  She was into everything!  My kids quickly learned that they cannot leave their stuff lying around.  Regardless of the amount of toys she has my slippers are not safe!

Who could resist that face?!  We were told she is mixed with Rottweiler, Doberman and Boxer.  In other words, she's gonna be big!

Princess- our Jack Russel mix as a puppy

Many years ago, I used to volunteer at an animal shelter.  One day while I was working in the kennel(shoveling poo), I noticed Princess.

She turned 7 this month.  If the front door is open for too long Princess will seize the opportunity and run out.  She hates being bathed and having her nails clipped, but she is very alert.  She cries whenever my husband leaves the house and starts wagging her tail as he's pulling in the drive way.  My husband taught her how to dance.  They have a special bond.

My Bella-Bella will be 4 in September.  We adopted her from Paws of Atlanta, 3 months after we moved into our house.  She loves to catch treats in her mouth.  She is the sweetest dog I ever owned.

She hates cats though and goes crazy if she sees a cat while she's outside.

She once broke off her leash and chased a cat up a tree.  Poor cat.  I felt really bad.  

Sasha has bought our family a lot joy.  Most of my friends and family think I'm crazy to have 3 dogs, but they're not in my shoes.  As much as my dogs drive me absolutely bonkers at times, I adore each of them and I wouldn't have it any other way!

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Plants Around the House

Today I'm joining The Nester for a plant party!  Here's a look at the plants around my house. 

Plants and flowers inexpensively brighten up any room.  I have plants in, just about, every room in the house.  I love the texture and color they add to the rooms. 

A plant on a barstool

Plants in a wooden basket

 In the kitchen

 In the bathroom

On the entry table

In the laundry room

In my bedroom

In the family room 

In my daughter's room 

In the dining room

Upstairs in the hallway

Faux plants in the linen closet

Thanks for stopping by.  I hope you enjoyed my tour! 

Satin Flower Pillows

I'll admit it - I'm not ashamed - I have a small obsession with making pillows!  Eventually I would like to turn my obsession into profit by opening an Etsy shop, but for now I enjoy making pillows for my home, family and friends.  So when my friend celebrated her birthday last month, it came as no surprise that I'd make her a couple of pillows(in the colors of her choice).

Rather than cut out a bunch of felt I decided to purchase some polyester satin to embellish her pillows. I purchased the polyester satin from Hobby Lobby.  It was cheap, and easy to work with and a very forgiving fabric.

I added the flowers to the pillows using a method I saw at Jones Design Company.  Once you cut out your shapes they do not need to be perfect.  As the fabric edges melt and curl, they will take on their own shape.
To protect my hands, I held the fabric over the flame using my tweezers.

Using my glue gun, I attached each flower to the pillow.  I added the detail in the center of each flower with puffy paint.

So simple and easy to make!  Thank-you Emily for inspiring me!