Where I Stand...

My oldest is working on a project for school pertaining to current events.  She asked me what would be a good topic, and I couldn't think of a better issue than gun control, given everything that has happened in our country recently.  That was on Tuesday.  Yesterday, there was a shooting at the Barn. Someone shot at the owner of the antique store where Denise and I have our booth.  She was not hurt, praise God, but as of this moment, the shooter has still not been apprehended.

A full day after the drama, I'm still in shock and trying to process how someone would try to kill somebody over $35.  Yes, she was angry over a purchase put on layaway over a year ago.  I'm also trying to process that I was standing in the exact spot where shots were fired exactly 24 hours prior.  I got the call about the shooting about 15 minutes after Denise left my home to bring some things to our booth.  I was scared stiff until I heard her voice. She got there right after it happened, but it was too close for comfort.

We are like a family at the Barn.  A very close-knit group of vendors whose only worry is if we are going to make rent this month.  I call it my home away from home because I can't wait to get there and love every minute that I'm there.  That will not change because of some random act of violence, but I'm not sure if things will ever be the same.

No matter where you stand on the issue of gun control, and I'm still trying to figure out where I stand, I think we can all agree that something needs to be done.  Please continue to pray for our leaders as they try to figure out a solution.

Thanks for stopping by and have a happy and safe weekend.
xoxo,
Kim

Etsy Pillows

Loving my new pillows from Suzi of Etsy's The Pillow Studio Shop.
Here's what the sofa looked like before:

And now:

Talk about a pop of color!

 Little man likes them too!

What's making you smile today?

Thanks for stopping by and have a fabulicious weekend!
xoxo,
Kim

I Heart...

Gallery Walls...

And puzzle pieces all over the floor...

And the love of my life...

Happy Valentine's Day!

xoxo,

Kim

New Goodies in the Booth!!

Larkspur Interiors has been busy stocking our booth with new merchandise every week.  If you follow us on Facebook you've probably seen most of these pix, but for those who haven't here's a look!

These next two pieces sold fairly quickly.

You might be surprised to know that we are no longer using Annie Sloan Chalk Paint.  We have been making our own chalk paint!!  It's so much more economical and we can choose whatever colors we want!  Wanna know another secret?  We don't wax anymore either!  It's very time consuming and far too messy.   And in this freezing cold weather it's not even an option. We have found a better method for finishing that I will share in another post.  If you ever have any questions about any of the furniture you see here just message me and I'll be sure to get back to you lickety split!

In my last post I showed a pic of the bench that was supposed to go with this vanity.  I stole it for my Family Room.

And here are some pix of our Shabby Corner.

A trash-picked door finds new life as a great display piece in the Shabby Corner!

I spotted this great fabric at Goodwill last week while searching for some linens for the puppy's crate.  I knew I could use it for something and it looks great as a skirt for this desk!  We are able to store "stuff" underneath, which is an added bonus.

If you are ever in the area and would like to stop by the barn, our booth is just up the stairs and to the right (L90).  It's a fabulous place with lots of eye candy!

Antiques Only (But Not Only Antiques)
220 Ganttown Rd., Turnersville, NJ 08012

Thanks for stopping by and have a fabulicious week!
xoxo,
Kim

A Blast Of Color

Thanks to everyone for your sweet comments on my last post.  We are still getting used to having a new puppy around here, but enjoying our sweet little furball.

I have a new obsession.  Color.  It's calling me from all directions.  I can't seem to get enough of it.  I've always decorated on the safe side - using colors that don't draw attention. I think decorating with bright colors can be a bit daunting.  It's easy to overdo and mixing the right colors can be overwhelming.  I've often thought it's something best left to the experts.  But with the help of Pinterest, Blogs and the likes of BHG, I've slowly been incorporating color into my home.  What I've learned is that there is definitely a "formula" so to speak.   I'm going to try to put that formula into words for another post, but for now I'll share my own version of decorating with color.

The backdrop for this room is a buttery-yellow, Behr paint in Provence Cream.  In a bass-ackwards move, the bold patterned area rug is actually the last element added to the room.  A smarter decorator would have made that the starting point.

The Ballard giclee over the fireplace is a mirror of the rug - using the a few of the same colors, but in a smaller print so the two don't compete, but rather complement one another.

Notice there are no window treatments.  I opted instead to keep it simple in here with trimmed out windows and bamboo shades.  The rug is enough to carry the entire room.

The stool was part of a vanity set that was bound for my booth at the barn.  On a whim I decided to see how it would look under the bland sofa table and it's the perfect touch.  I bought the fabric before I ordered the rug and it was a total coincidence that the two are an exact match.

I'm a confessed pillow addict, so the white Ektorp sofa and loveseat allow me to switch these out as often as I like.

The bookcase was an Overstock purchase and is adds some much-needed storage for baby's books and toys.

The bright tray was on clearance at Hobby Lobby.  It's another fun way to add a pop of color to a room.

One thing I will say about decorating with color is that it's addicting.  Once you start you tend to be drawn to things that are bright and cheerful.  I can't seem to get enough.

I'll be sharing my very unscientific formula soon so be sure to check back.

Thanks for stopping by and have a fabulicious weekend!
xoxo,
Kim

Along Came Polly...

For those of you who still believe in coincidence, I'd like to share a funny story.  Last Saturday Rich and I took the kids to a local pet shop to "look around".  They had no idea we were actually going to bring one home and wanting to surprise them, we decided to take them home and then tell them we were going back out to run some errands.  They had already fallen in love with a sweet little Schitzu-Bichon mixer of a pup with the cutest little face and we couldn't wait to go pick her up and bring her home.  Rich joked on the way that we might see someone in the parking lot with our puppy, but I said no way, this one was meant to be ours.

Rich dropped me off and parked the car.  I could hardly wait to get in the store and pick up my baby.  Imagine my shock when I saw another family holding her as if they were already claiming her.  My mouth dropped.  I stopped breathing for a second as I tried to comprehend what was happening.  Because you see, it wasn't just any family.  It was my sister's family.  Yes.  You heard me right.  My sister, her husband and my niece Allie were taking home Yolo (that's what we were naming her).  We exchanged a few uncomfortable laughs until reality set in and after what seemed like the longest and most awkward five minutes of my life, my sweet niece came over to me, tears in her eyes and said "Here, you take her.  She's yours."  How could I?  She wasn't really mine.  I hadn't bought her yet and unbeknownst to me, my sister had actually been to the store a few days earlier and picked out this precious pup.

And in that instant I knew that this was no coincidence.  God had put us both there at the exact same time.  He knew it would be a difficult choice and was putting our sisterly love to the test.  I know without a doubt that I could have come home with that puppy and my sister would have been okay with that.  I also knew that God was telling me there was another puppy out there that needed a good home.  And how wonderful that both puppies are still in the family?

In the end, Honey Boo-Boo went home with my sister and the next day we hopped in the car after church to another pet store and instantly fell in love with Paisley.  Only she didn't look like a Paisley.  She looked more like a Polly.  I call her my little Polly-wog.  She is adorbs. And she loves.to.play.

with Cole....

Only Cole is not so sure about this friendship just yet.

Hey Mom, look at my block tower!

Hey!

Why don't you go back in here?

But I'd rather play!  How 'bout a puzzle??

I can play with that too if you want...

Or that.

Look dog, I'm not in the mood.

I wanna play, I wanna play, I wanna play...

Why are you still here??

Aghhhhhh!!!!

 I have an idea...

Don't even think about it...

Maybe if I use my super-powers she'll go away.

Fine.  I see how it is.

Thanks for stopping by and have a puppylicious day!!
xoxo,
Kim