How a clean house will make you happier

This is totally off the subject of vintage, but happiness is important so I thought I would tell you how I feel about a clean house. Don't get me wrong...my house is not always clean. I have two boys under 5, a not-so-clean husband, and a dog. It is impossible. I DO think of myself as a clean person, but not to obsession.

For me, a clean/picked-up house makes me a happier person. Just walking into my bedroom and seeing a made bed makes me think, "Oh that's nice." You might think me silly, but I like to see pretty things. When my house is a disaster, it makes me stressed-out and irritable. So I try to keep my house picked up all the time.

Let me explain what I mean by "picked-up." The one thing I can't live with is dirty dishes laying all around the house. That is one thing, mentally, I can't deal with. So I am always cleaning up dishes. As for laundry, which I hate, I try to get it done on Mondays. It's not like I picked that day to do it, I just got into a habit of doing it the first day Zach goes back to work for the week. THE TOYS...they can't be avoided. There are always toys on the floor. Of course, I want my children to be happy so I let them play with their toys wherever. And I let them get into certain things (ie my plastic container drawer for food storage) to learn and explore. To keep these said toys at bay, if you will, Cayden and I will clean them up right before Daddy/Zach gets home. Every man (I have met) likes a clean house to come home to.

Am I rambling...I think I am.

I could go on about bathrooms and organization, but I think you get the gist.

SO! This week just try keeping your house picked-up a little more. You will feel more accomplished and happier. And your partner will love it and will appreciate you for all your hard work. I just love when Zach praises me on how great the house looks. It's the little things...

A Silly Verse About Yard Selling

I walk up the lane and take in a wondrous vision. 
So many different things. I am on a mission!

I remind myself not to show my pleasure, 
but I'm jumping inside at the site of these treasures.

Slowly I gaze and wonder around some more. 
Oh look! Oh my! It's milk glass galore!

Another and another. I have found so many things
to fill my spirit. It's as if I had wings.

Walking away, I smile with satisfaction.
I MUST keep going. Its such an attraction. 

-Rachel Harvey

Finished Foyer (Almost)

So it has taken me quite a while to finish my foyer. Mostly because I don't like to paint walls. (It had an awful faux finish that made it look kinda dirty.) I've put it off till I couldn't stand it anymore! I do that quite often. NOW, It is painted and somewhat decorated. I say "somewhat" because I probably will add more once I find the perfect pieces, as in, the right shape, color, and size pieces.

Anyways, I am writing this post to tell you about a great website where you can print off high-quality nature paintings for free!

John James Audubon was an amazing artist who painted all kinds of birds in a very natural and eye-catching way. I just looove his style! All you have to do to print these great paintings to to subscribe to the email list. Easy peasy! Here is the link . . .  https://www.audubon.org/birds-of-america

I used two of his paintings in my foyer and I will probably use more around the house.

NOW on to the items I chose and their budget-friendly prices! I like to share the price of things I've found so you can see that it is so easy to decorate on a budget. Just be patient and keep searching. You WILL find great things you can use to decorate with! Everything in this foyer was under $12 each! Check out this list...

1. Picture frames - $7 each from Ikea
2. Vintage Sewing table - $10 (It got a fresh coat of paint too)
3. Refurbished Lamp - $12
4. Yard Sale Orchid(faux) - $2 
5. 1/2 off Wreath - $12
6. Yard sale rug - $3 (Threw it into the washer. Good as new.)
7. Coat Stand (not pictured) - $10
8. Bird Prints - Free
9. I got the basket and violin case at an estate sale. I don't remember the cost, but I know they weren't over $10.
10. Woven Bag - Had it for years and can't remember the cost. It was stored in a closet.

I accumulated all these things over 6 months or so. Patients and persistence is the key. I'll post more pics when it is completely finished. At least it is pleasing to look at, for now. 

Tip - That empty violin case hides the lamp cord and outlet. 

Replacing Cheap Door Knobs

New Vintage Knobs

After living in our new house for a few weeks we realized that the door knobs were cheap. Zach had to rig them up with some duck tape inside just so we can use them properly. WHAT A HASSLE!

We found the same door knobs online, which were about $17 a piece. Cheaply priced, cheaply made. Then we found the good quality ones that we need to fit the door properly. $70 BUCKS EACH! Zach kept telling me to buy one every month till they were all replaced, but I couldnt bring myself to do it. I am a cheapo and we need nine door knobs total. 9 x $70 = $630 JUST FOR DOOR KNOBS!

I waited and waited. I started getting stuck in the bathrooms and the boys rooms, because they were falling apart. Once when I got stuck in the bathroom, I had to unscrew the knob plate with my tweezers. At least my two boys (5 and 18 months) were with me and I didn't have to worry about their well-being. lol Wow. This is kinda funny as I am writing all of this down.

Anyways, Zach kept telling me to buy the $70 ones. "No!" I said, "You are just going to have to push that Buy button, cause I can't do it." Zach got on Ebay and started to look at vintage/antique knobs. We found two for $30 total! YAY! Zach installed them, and they are great! They work perfectly and look old. WIN WIN!

So all of our door knobs will be different, which gives our house just a little bit more personality.

Up and Running...

Welp, our Etsy shop is up and running again. The year 2014 was a crazy year of selling/buying a house, among other things. BUT we finally got settled in our new abode and our life has slowed down a bit. So up the shop goes! YAY! I will be adding new items weekly so check back in every now and then to see if something sparks your fancy.

I haven't really given you a proper tour of the new house and all its originality. It is OOAK (one of a kind), which I love! It really is perfect for us and our two boys. Woodsy, Private, and Spacious. And it has a wrap-around-porch. I have always wanted a wrap-around-porch!

Hello Harvey Haven!

We so believe we were meant to have this wonderful house. House buying and selling isn't easy, but everything seemed to fall into place with this house. It was the second house we looked at, and we already knew we loved it from seeing it online. Zach and I still talk about how we can't believe we live here.

Back Porch

At first I thought all the wood would drive me crazy, but I find all the knots and beams interesting to look at. Another great thing is how rustic it is. I can be a perfectionist at times, especially with quality. For instance, at our old house some of the molding didn't match up perfectly, and that always bothered me. But with this house, it doesn't matter if the molding matches up, because it is rustic! And talk about the durability...especially with little boys going crazy constantly. It was meant to be!

Anyways, in the future I'll be posting new pics of completely decorated rooms. It might take a while, but it will get done! I love making my house a home for my beloved family!

Good-bye First House!

Embracing Natural Decor

So lately I have been trying to decorate with things from the outdoors. There are so many lovely, unique things you can use from nature.

For instance, Cayden and I made these wonderful ornaments from things we found outside. I want a more rustic tree this year to match the house, and I did not want to spend a ton to redecorate for Christmas.

Check out this lovely, wintery floral arrangement, created with just an old pitcher and some branches from an evergreen tree outside. Free and festive! 

It doesn't take an artsy brain to create these decorations, just some time and a little research. Research really helps in coming up with unique and inexpensive decorations. When you research more and more, you will eventually come up with things you never thought you would before. Some of these ideas are not my own, but when I come up with something all by myself, it becomes extra special. A little childish, I know, but it's just my humanity coming out.

Acorn floating candles in the bathroom

I made this star with
fire wood scraps and twine.

I'm the Worst Blogger Ever!

Mr. Owl

OMG! I really am the worst blogger ever! But I don't know if I consider myself a blogger. I guess I feel like I have not earned the right to be called a blogger. I feel that way about most titles. Like "mom", I am a mom, but I don't feel like I deserve to be a mom. Gees! What am I talking about. Lets save the deep conversations for later!

I have not written in ages. I guess life just got crazy hot and you were put on the back burner. Sorry about that! 

Anywho, we moved! YAY! We were going to move to Tampa, FL, but things just didn't fall into place so we decided to stay in Georgia. BUT! We bought a new house and we loooove it! Enough updating you on all this moving stuff...

Living room. Its coming along.

VINTAGE! That is what you are here for right?! Our vintage shop is still on "vacation" since the move. We have not had time to set it up and organize it all yet. :(

I started decorating the new abode with, of course, vintage favorites. I am going for rustic Pottery Barn. I'm hacking, obviously. ("hack" definition- going for that look, but on a more economical scale) It is taking some time to get things decorated like I want, but it is starting to look more like a home now. And I just love looking around as I am writing and seeing pretty things that I enjoy. That is most important, you know. ENJOYING what you decorate with. My motto when shopping is "When in doubt, throw it out." I learned this saying when I was a little girl, and it has really helped me syphon out the bad. 

In the kitchen.

So next time you go out shopping use this motto! "When in doubt, Throw it out!"