{ Happy Easter }

{Bagels & Bargains}

Phew, it's been a whirl wind month. Things have been crazy busy at The Painted Home, so I wanted to get you all caught up with what in the hairy heck is goin' on over here.

First, I am thrilled to be hosting a private shopping event at Impact Thrift Store (in Feasterville, PA).

The event will include breakfast, tips and tricks on how to spot a treasure while thrifting, shopping, giveaways, swag bags, and more shopping. Psst - your all invited. and double psst, it's FREE!

Above is just a small sample of what will be in the swag bags. It's all you'll need to take you Impact purchases home and create something wonderful.

Doors open at 8am April 6th at Impact Thrift of Feasterville.  

If you're one of the first people in line, you are going to get the best swag. so, duhh, get there early.

(please do your best to say that in your best Southern Belle voice. Unless of course that already comes naturally.)

I'm not sure if Phaedra will make it or not, but, I'll have swag for the first 100 guests. (99 if Phaedra comes, 'cause you know how those reality stars are with their swag. I just hope she leave Dwayne at home.)

As of today we are 75% sold out! Wah who!

This shopping event is a carefully curated collection. What does that mean? It means I've taken several trips to Impact's main warehouse (where all the goods come to be cleaned and priced, then shipped out to 1 of their 5 stores). These trips are like Christmas morning for me! You would not believe the treasures people get rid of.

Here's some instagram images from my shopping trips to the warehouse...

I've done my very best to pick all the items that I would use in my own home, just for you!

So, if all this sounds good to you , and you'd like to take part in the vintage madness, register here...

Okay, raise your hand if I should continue on with this wordy post.

Uugh, me too. I'm exhusted. 

So, I will leave you with this.

I will have retail space in a indoor co-op market place starting April 1st. (I typed that really fast, so I image you reading it really fast, like I'm trying to get that last word in before you close your laptop)

More on the store soon...but I'll leave you with a few teasers...

{Shaggy Baggy Burlap Bags}

Have you heard of Shaggy Baggy yet? It's run by a woman named Sharon who makes bags out of coffee bean sacks, burlap webbing, gorgeous fabrics, and more.

Her etsy store if full of great bags you're going to need for spring. And to celebrate, she's offering 20% off to my readers! And, since I am opening my own retail spot soon, I know that 20% is like givin' it away!

Just use the code PAINTEDHOME when checking out and you're good to go. (expires 4/3/13)

My first ever shaggy baggy bag is made of a gorgeous butterfly covered coffee bean sack with burlap webbing handles. It was like Sharon knew exactly my style.

The bag is perfect for me,  I was so excited about my new bag that I created a whole outfit around it.

And apparently I've given myself some plastic surgery while I was at it.

If we've ever met, you know that I am not a girly-girl. But, I love a hippie-ish look instead.

So, of course I threw in a pair of Birkenstock sandals to finish off the look. Just the think to go with my burlap bag.

Sharon also sent me some adorable fabric buckets, that Camille & Lucy have quickly claimed as their own.

While I was checking out Sharon's Shaggy Baggy Shop I spotted these little numbers.

 

I'm hosting BUNCO soon, and I think I found my prizes. And with the 20% discount, I'm going to do a little Mother's Day shopping too.

So check out Shaggy Baggy and don't forget the coupon code PAINTEDHOME.

Have a great day!

Glimpse of my latest project

Over the next few weeks I am going to post glimpses of my own farmhouse which is still a work in progress.  We have been working on it, be it in bits of time here and there, for the last few months.

Here is my cat Mini making herself at home in the church hall. The grey walls are Dulux "Timeless Grey" and the trim "White On White". The window is a reclaimed window we had in the shed that matched the originals fairly closely.

The floors are the original hardwood which we did not have time to sand and finish before moving in for Christmas so we left them raw. We quite like the unfinished boards and we are considering what techniques we can apply that will give them a finish but keep that raw look.

Any suggestions?

Re-Thinking The Way I Live

Well it has been an extended blog-cation over the busy tourist season, but I'm back with more inspiration and ideas to share and there are a few house stories coming out in the glossies too.

Next on my list of things to find is a new desk for my kitchen. Yes, that's right, I have decided to install a desk in my kitchen as I'm always in there anyway!

This idea was re-affirmed by a book I received at Christmas, "Re-Think The Way You Live" by former UK Elle Decoration writer and stylist, Amanda Talbot.  Amanda, who is now a Sydneysider, writes frankly about how she fell "out of love" with glossies when the effects of the Global Financial Crisis started to hit home.

All of a sudden many people she knew no longer had the cushion of a well-paid, glamorous job, if they had one at all. Although the priority often became finding the next rent or mortgage payment, the design gene never got completely suppressed - it just morphed into a new, more "real" attitude about interiors and a more inventive approach to how we live in them.

One of my favourite chapters is about a Japanese family and their quirky box-like living quarters, shown above. Having lived in Japan myself I would have to say that the Japanese are no strangers to small spaces and have been living like this for centuries and have made it into an art form like everything else.

"Re-Think" is a tactile journey to houses on different continents which share in this new wave of resourceful style. It resonates with many of us who feel the responsibilities of making sustainable design choices but never want to - or could ever give up - creative expression in our surroundings.

Turning the pages is a sensual experience thanks to the thoughtful design of a former colleague Kate Dennis at Ikon. Great job, Kate and congratulations to Tracy Lines and Murdoch Books for taking a punt on such an a-typical interiors book.

{Mix & Match Bedding}

My girl's room is constantly a mess. So much so that I've given up all hope and usually just close the door.
It's exhausting. I'm wavin' the white flag.

But I have noticed one thing. The crazy mixing and matching of all their stuff is cute.

They're old enough to make their own beds now, and fix there room how ever they like.

Occasionally I'll get a made bed out of them, and I'll tell ya', they done their mama proud.

They even flip over the comforter at the top.

Even their hodge podge way of setting up the pillows rocks.

And what I've noticed, is that everything seems to go together. It all says "Camille" & "Lucy" so perfectly.
There's not less than 7 different patterns going on on their beds, all bought at different times, yet they all flow.

So, the moral of this story is buy what you love. Not what you think is trendy or hip at the time (unless of course that's what you love).
As long as you love it, it will "go".

Here's a little more of those sweet darlin's room...knicked up walls and all.

(Lucy's littlest pet shop collection in a glass OWL cookie jar that was left at our back door one day)

{Painted Brick Walkway}

A few years ago we lived in a teeny tiny house in Glenside, PA.

It was adorable! But, we needed some more room, so in the summer of 2010 we moved.

Even though my kids were only 1, 3 and 4 at the time, the older ones still talk about that house and how much they loved it.

I think what they really loved were the sidewalks, and that they could run up and down to friends house. 

I miss that too.

During the time that we lived there I did lot's of changes to the house.

This one is still one of my favorites.

The painted brick walkway.

Here's what is looked like before...

and after....

Was that the cutest house or what?

{ Lucy's Owl Birthday }

Lucy turned 7 yesterday. crazy for me.

We had a party last Friday night. We always have house parties  (except for Jonas, 'cause he's a summer baby, so we have his party at the local pool).

Lucy's a big owl lover. She has been for years. So, decorating for her is easy. Owls are everywhere.

For her birthday, we had a owl themed craft night. 'Cause Lucy's crafty too.

Lucy helped me set everything up and even drew the owl on the chalkboard below.

I set up a little "ode to Lucy" area.

We hung up the birthday banner.

and the torn t-shirt garland. (which I happen to love, but no one else seems to. and that cracks me up)

We set up craft supplies in the center of the table and all the kids started off coloring.

TG owls are in, so it wasn't hard to find these cupcake toppers.

The cupcakes needed a little lift, so I popped them on top of a birch log.

The cutest craft was the one I found on pinterest.

they turned out pretty darn awesome.

After the 17 girls arrived, I had no time for pictures. So these are all I have. Not a single one of Lucy.

Ahh, the calm afterwards is pretty nice.