Ticking and Toile

~linen love~

2012-02-29T14:15:00.000-08:00

Hello friends!

Happy Wednesday!

this is a very strange post....

yes indeed it is....

I am in love.....

....with linens.....

pretty sure of it....

I simply l.o.v.e. them....

yummy textures...

nubby slubs...

creamy & de-lish...

~sigh~

what in the world??

why in the world??

the love of linen?

oh, and v.i.n.t.a.g.e linen??

are you kidding me?

2die4

period.

yup.

voluminous piles of grainsacks....

k.i.l.l. me....

seriously.

what has got me all starstruck?

definitely have loved them forever ~

but just recently....

I got the most

a. m. a. z. i. n. g.

european oatmeal linen

in my store....

and as we speak, I'm creating....

pillows, with ruffles, without ruffles,

with raw edges, with plain edges,

slipcovers & more raw edges, duvet covers & more!....

it's so amazing!!!

told ya I'm a little worked up....;)

but it's so yummy ~ nubby ~ slubby

and simply delicious!

I'll take pictures tomorrow when

there's better lighting around here!

speaking of "around here"

it's been

s n o w i n g

really.

weird!

still waiting for spring!

See ya tomorrow!

Hope you are all doing fabulous!!!!

xoxo,

Shellagh

{all images & credits found HERE}

~vintage bedrooms~

2012-02-25T17:34:00.000-08:00

Hello everyone!

well, I survived.....the dentist....

phew! what a relief to

have the whole ordeal over with!

if you've not a clue what I'm talking about....

you can read all about my ridiculousness

here....

....I am still a little sore....

my jaw isn't completely thrilled~ but

it's not too bad....and thank you all so

much for your sweet & reassuring

comments ~xoxo~ :)

I was looking through my "bedrooms"

inspiration board on Pinterest

and thought maybe you'd like some

yummy bedroom inspiration for your Saturday....

the pics in this post have one thing in common.....

they are all fabulous {of course!}

and all feature vintage iron beds....

who can get enough of them??

not me!!

so utterly charming.....

.... beautiful & understated....

cannot believe we sold our beautiful iron

bed a few years ago.....

yup....sold it....but it was a full size!

who can fit in that?

I n.e.e.d. my space...ya know??

me likes my breathing space....

"no touchy!" hahaha :)

so we have the mondo king size....

room for everyone to spread out...

Mr. T & T, the fat weiner dog, and

myself....with the occasional 11 year old

squeezed in the middle from ~~being lonely, cold or generally wanting to snuggle~~ a bad dream or

something....

totally should've kept it for one of

our girls....but of course it was too vintage

looking for their likes {blasphemous!}

....oh well ~ I'm sure I'll find

another someday!

what're you guys sleepin' on??

any diehards still in a little teensy

full size?? or are you with me on

spreading out as much as possible???

and seriously, if you are sleeping on a teeny

vintage iron bed {and yes, I'm jealous....}

....I ask one little question....

how in the world do you/can you do that???

do tell!!! :)

well I hope your weekend is and will

continue to be wonderful!

{oh and btw....I just need to know that you

have been watching

Downton Abbey.....right????

if not.....well there are simply no words....

we'll talk about this next week....:)}

xoxo,

Shellagh

{all images and credits from here}

~numbered days~

2012-02-23T10:19:00.002-08:00

Happy Thursday friends!!

how are you?

I am

~~very edgy, scared, nervous, freaked out and generally completely out of sorts~~

f i n e......

considering what impending doom

is ahead of me......

wow ~ almost sound apocalyptic...huh?

not so much....

just a dreaded appointment with the dentist....

yuck!!

and I do apologize to any dentists out there!

ya see.....I am getting a tooth "e.x.t.r.a.c.t.e.d."

today.....yay me....:(

this poor tooth has been through the ringer....

2 root canals, and still not happy....back to see

the endodontist & he says "oh bummer ~ your

tooth is cracked all the way down the root"

lovely....

only option is an extraction....

so today is the big day.....

and this is pretty much how I'm feeling...

"nope, not going, you can't make me, yucky pooey,

I hate dentists, and the sounds & smells, and

such..."

wait I'm the grown up so this is ridiculous.....

~gulp~

ok what is with me you must be asking?

what e.x.a.c.t.l.y. is your issue?

why such a scare-dy cat?

well, my isssssssuuuuuueeee

is......the last time (well several times ago)

I went in (different dentist)

.....they had a dental assistant sort

of person/man/~~monster~~ administer the shot

and he twice nailed my

n e r v e...

ouch!! terrible!! not good!!

and ever since ~

I've been a scaredy cat.....

yup....not good.

but today ~ I will be taking valium...

how embarrassing....she needs drugs

to handle life........

what can I say? it will be fine....

{I will fill you in later....when I come back & see all your

comforting sweet comments.....I'll need them today!! :)}

so is this post all about me? and

my weakness??

of course ~~it is~~ not! it's about numbers!

we have such a fascination with them, of late!

isn't it interesting to you?

numbers.....letters....randomness.....

we love it.

numbers on baskets, pillows, drawers,

bottles, and so on.....

we even love them on stairs....

and e.s.p.e.c.i.a.l.l.y. love them on

dressers, and bureaus, and cabinets....

we see numbered cabinets and our hearts

skip a beat.....we can't breathe....crazy

over numbered cabinets....heehee...

oh you know I'm right girls! :)

and oh how we love them on pillows.....

and love, love, love them on plates....

we are funny girls aren't we?

and don't even try to figure us out....

it's just not gonna happen...

we don't make sense, we are non-understandable,

we just don't know "what's gonna strike our fancy at

any given moment", but that's ok....

cuz for sure........we get it....:)

and we love it....

we love our numbers....

have a wonderful day friends!

and.....if it's ok with you...

say a little prayer for your scared bloggy friend

who will be in the depths of despair at about

12:40pm PST.........just sayin'...:)

*update*

thank you all sooooo much for your kind

comments! I am home & it went

really well!!! My new dentist is amazing....

a young 35ish or so gal....super sweet & gentle!

so I'm chillin' on the couch, relaxing and taking it easy....

thank you again for your support & hand holding....:)

hugs & kisses <3 <3

xoxo,

Shellagh

{all images & credits found here}

~Sunday in Vienna~

2012-02-19T14:05:00.000-08:00

Hello friends!

Ok...I know it's weird....here I am

posting on another non-ordinary day!

But I came across the most beautiful

apartment and couldn't even wait till

tomorrow to share it with you.....:)

could you imagine living in one of

these beautiful apartments from

the early 1900's

in Vienna....???

evidently these sorts of places are not

in short supply in Vienna......this home

has all of it's original architecture in tact....

large rooms, high ceilings, double doors

into each room....the perfect backdrop

for the perfect decor.....

creamy neutrals of course.....;)

love the parquet floors.....wow...so beautiful...

and how about the amazing windows?

l.o.v.e. them....can you imagine a soft

breeze wafting through?

and seriously....if I don't soon own a vintage

dress form....I'm gonna frrrreeeeaaaaak out!

{heehee...cuz I'm so mature about these sorts of things....}

love the antique crib with the toile....

and yet another dress form...wait...

dress form? or does it have another

name for a man form? suit form?

?? ;)

wouldn't that be a fun vacation?

to stay in an amazing apartment in Vienna?

someday......someday......

hope you are all enjoying a wonderful

Sunday....hopefully with your families

or friends....recharging & relaxing....

getting ready for another week....

xoxo,

Shellagh

{all images found here}

~working for a living~

2012-02-18T09:40:00.000-08:00

Good morning friends!!

it's Saturday......not a normal day

for me to post....but since I missed

alllllllll weeeeeeeeeeek......

I've had good reason....our family

has just been blasted with the worst cold....

"pass the kleenex, nyquil, ibuprofen,

airborne, breathe right nasal strips,

& cold medicine"

kind of cold....

sheeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeesh!!!

we don't usually get sick around

here so it's been e.s.p.e.c.i.a.l.l.y.

annoying....cuz our secret weapon

didn't get called in soon enough.....

secret weapon? you ask??

yes.....secret weapon...

***airborne***

usually without fail

airborne will kill an oncoming cold

pronto.

but you have to take it immediately....and

this is where we failed....this time....

ugh.

anyway....we are on the mend now!

before we got sick

I actually managed to get my workroom/

studio all cleaned up!

oh you wanna see????

nope. not yet. heeheehee...

it's all spiffy but not blog worthy.....

but it's close....;)

so maybe soon...

but here's some other very inspiring

workrooms.....

this one is light & bright...

fantastic....

and with my favorite flower...

delphinium...who can resist?

I love the little pop of color in

the teal lamp....

love the vintage baskets in this room.....

and the amazing organization skills at hand....

course my workroom is way huger {k pretty sure that's not a word...."huger" but you know what I'm talking about!}

than these cute little desk spaces....

with all my bolts of fabric & big ol' cutting tables...

it's pretty hard to keep things cute & sweet....

pretty sure I need this big ol' room....

cool huh??

would love this space to work in....but definitely

wouldn't love driving into a big city to work...

nooooooo.....I do love working from home.....

this room's nice....a little modern vibe here....

I like the yummy sheepskin rugs~

they really cozy up the space

seems ridiculous to even type the words....

but having a clean & organized workroom

really makes life better....duh! ;)

and decorating it is just more bonus...

(deserves another...duh!)

so I'm working on it....here & there when I have

time.....

this room by Brooke Gianatti

is just beautiful...

more of an office than workroom...

but love it ~ don't you?

love the white floors & walls in this space....

I hope you all have a wonderful &

inspiring weekend!!

xoxo,

Shellagh

{all images with credits here}

~whatcha eatin'??~

2012-02-10T15:26:00.000-08:00

Happy Friday!!!!!

I love love love Fridays......

yes, you know this cuz I probably

say it only every time I post

on a Friday....:)

ok....the last time we chatted...I was

going on & on about our fabulous

weather.....sunshine....things budding...

etc...

welp, it's all gone...

yup....the rain is seriously back...

and you would think we could

just g r a d u a l l y ease into the

massive rain

but nah....

nope...

we gotta just go from 0 -60....

one day happy sunny flowers about to bloom spring ~ the next grey gloomy

depressing nonstop rain....

now I am most definitely not

complaining....cuz I just don't do that

sort of thing....

{yes, I know I am lying here....hahahaha}

you can't NOT complain about the

rain!!!

well yes, I suppose it is humanly possible...

I do have a friend who says...

*insert sarcasm here*

"I love the rain...it doesn't bother me..."

*insert very bad attitude here*

uh huh....sure it doesn't....

ya right~ hehehe :)

so what does the rain have to do with eating???

well.......nothing.

just had to update ya...cuz I know you

are just dying to know what the

weather is like & how I feel about it right??

so what in the world is this post about?

f.o.o.d.

watcha eatin????

strawberry protein pancake roll ups

Mr. T & T and I have gotten serious...

serious about leaning up....

serious about working out...

all that stuff...

ginger and cilantro baked tilapia

and unless of course you've been living

under a rock

{no offense of course if you are living under a rock or just haven't heard this!! ;)}

.....it's a pretty well known fact

that diet accounts for at least 80% of

your results.....

"you can't exercise away a bad diet.."

so we've been eating a lot of what we call

"green & white"

sweet baby ray's slow cooker chicken

that would be

green veggies & white meat....:)

but we are not so over the top that we

don't add any condiments & stuff...

but primarily smaller meals, protein & veggies

and moderate complex carbs....

and lifting weights mixed with cardio...

{and in case anyone is curious~ I am still running about 2-3x week!:)}

spinach salad with pecans, feta, and strawberries....tossed with poppyseed dressing

now granted....we are only really a week into

this "for real this time" situation....

but we've been having fun!

we've been meeting at the gym in the late

afternoons & working out together

~ ahhhhh so nice ;)

{boy am I so sarcastic today??!!}

wow~ check out those abs!!!!

well those will "never" be mine

not with the gigantic babies

I was blessed with....but one can dream huh??

Rich chocolate cake w/ chocolate protein frosting

so these recipes here are actually healthy...

even the cake!!

yep!! chocolate protein powder & other good

stuff is used in it ~

so if you try them let me know!

I'll be trying at least a couple of these

recipes in the next week or so ~

I'll let you know!

have an awesome weekend!!

xoxo,

Shellagh

{all images w/ their credits found here}

~in the garden~

2012-02-08T20:23:00.000-08:00

Hello my friends!

well have we been majorly spoiled here

in the nw....

we've had, maybe, five whole days

of beautiful sunshine......

what a treat!

(yes now we're back to rain....hmmmph!)

but all the sunshine has got me thinkin'

of the garden....

I've actually got things starting to bud.....

a.l.r.e.a.d.y.....!

and since it's been dry enough

to walk across my front lawn

(yes, we deal with this all winter...

soaking wet grass you just don't

wanna walk on!!)

I even spied my peonies peeking out

of the soil!!

yay!!

mine look just like these ones from French

Country Cottage.....

I love them!

but I am really wanting white peonies

now.....like now....

are these just amazing????

oh, do I ever need them....:)

....other things budding....

my lilacs....

mmmm..yummy lilacs....

n o t h i n g

like a bouquet of lilacs...

well unless it's a bouquet of peonies...hee hee

or a bouquet of these gorgeous

old fashioned roses....

love love my david austin

roses....they smell like pure heaven...

oh and let's not forget the paperwhites....

yes, I love them too....

pure deliciousness for the home......

.......in metal containers ~ even better!

that reminds me....

has anyone transplanted

clematis before??

we'll be taking down our pool

pretty soon & right now it's fenced

in with 4 varieties of clematis growing

on the fence....

so we'll be redoing that space ~

I'm thinking of creating a really cute

veggie garden....surrounded by

a darling little white picket fence....

can you imagine the possibilites???

but then there's the pesky

business of the trampoline....

kiddos want one....

to replace the pool...

(which has seen better days & now needs replaced or

thrown out!)

they make me nervous...

you?

we've had them before & no one has

gotten hurt.....but they still make me nervous!

my vote is for a vegetable garden, but

I know the kids are only with us so long....

~ there is always time for my perfect

little garden spot.....

here they are at Christmas...

when we were getting our tree...

little cuties they are...

Madisen is 15, Allie is almost 12,

and Mackenzie is 14...

so I'm sure the trampoline will win out!!

who can say no to them anyway?? :)

well it's bedtime in the Ticking and Toile

home.....

Have a wonderful day tomorrow!!

xoxo,

Shellagh

(all images can be found, with credits, here)

~ruffles & stuff~

2012-02-03T11:01:00.001-08:00

Happy Friday friends!!

What an amazing, beautiful day

here in the NW......

it is clear & sunny

and pretty mild ~ maybe 45 degrees heading

up to the 50's....

so lovely!! :)

I've been feeling like ruffles lately....

maybe it's the hope of spring...{oh love me some spring...}

and the lighter look of springtime & ruffles....

but, I've been sewing them....lots of them....

I guess I've been a little obsessed with ruffles ....

maybe it is the nice sunny weather

but maybe it's the huge stack of

yummy white fabric sitting here....

begging to be played with.....

so I said "ok" let me see what I can do

with you ~ yummy white softness....

so I sat down & began to play around...

you know ~

the most wonderful part of this

yummy, delicious fabric is....

it can be torn in a straight line....perfectly....

right along the grain...

ahhhhhh....a seamstress's heaven...;)

and don't you just love the torn look?

I sure do....torn everything...

torn ribbons, torn paper, torn books,

and of course....torn fabric...

and because of that ~ I left the ruffled edges

raw ~ and frayed....and I'm loving it!

so new to the Ticking and Toile Linen Shoppe

is the The French Prairie Collection "Layered Ruffles" Pillowcase

made of the softest, highest quality

premium muslin....

and ready to add some springtime

shabby chic, romantic charm to your

"boudoir"

{love that word....boudoir....so fancy & romantic! :)}

if you'd like to take a look click

here

so of course ~ I couldn't stop there....

{nooooo....sun's still out ya know! ;)}

I thought maybe we needed another

shabby ruffly chair slipcover...ya?

I named her "Cecilia"

another swedish name to honor my swedish

heritage....

love that name!

so I did hem her edges....although I'm still thinkin

I might make another one with torn edges...

but here we have Cecilia

light & ruffly for spring ~

romantic shabby chic yumminess for your home...

I'm also working on some designs for

chair backs....

the challenge is making them "one size fits all"

so I'm playing with it & coming up

with some ideas...

if you'd like a closer look at Cecilia

you can see her here

well do you have wonderful plans for

the weekend???

I'll leave you with

a little something to dream about...

a little hollyhock love...

a little path to stroll down...

a little nature to admire...

a little porch to relax on...

have a wonderful weekend!!!

hope the sun is shining wherever

you are! :)

xoxoxo,

Shellagh

{garden images from here}

~new in the Linen Shoppe~

2012-02-01T19:37:00.000-08:00

hello friends!!

Happy Wednesday night to you :)

I thought I'd do a quick little post

to show you all my latest

slipcover design.....

"shabby No. 7"

I've been loving the look of frayed -raw

edges.....so I incorporated them in this

cute little slip....

it's made of a natural...distressed...creamy

cotton....lots of nubby texture that you will

l.o.v.e........

it's very durable ~ can be washed ~

the raw edge has been reinforced to

minimize string clippage....

{is that a word???? hehehe}

I played around and made a little

slip for the top of the chair as well...

but it's looking a little plain to me

so you're not gonna see too much

of that yet....got some refining to do!

so if you are interested ~ you can

hop over to my little Etsy shoppe...

right here

let me know what you think!

have a wonderful evening!!

xoxo,

Shellagh

~inspiration for today~

2012-01-31T11:59:00.000-08:00

Hello there!

how are you all doing???

are you warm? cold? sunny? rainy??

s.n.o.w.y.??

we've been fairly mild ~ 46 today overcast ~ with

a peek....and I mean a teeny eensy wheensy peek

of blue sky....

ahhhh ~ all I need

{well that's all I get so we'll call it "all I need" ;)}

my post has no purpose.....

none..... whatsoever.....;}

so I thought I'd just share with you what

inspires me today.....

did you know I love ticking??

bet ya could've never guessed that huh??

hehehe

and old clocks....oh yeah...

love those too....

~*~

sun alert!!!!!!!

holy cow!!!

it's out!!!!

~*~

excuse me ~ we get a little excited over here

in the middle of winter when the sun shows it's face!

I have to laugh ~ because my sweet 15 year

old "Madi" is soooooo her mom's daughter....

I guess a little ray of sunshine came into the

classroom through the window &

she blurted out "sunshine!" in the middle

of class yesterday!!!

don't think her teacher appreciated it much....

but seriously.....it is a big deal

we are sun-starved in the NW...

ok so back to inspiring things.....

can we talk chandys here?

and chandy's mixed with chippy things...

oh yeah.....love for sure.....

I absolutely love mixing chandys with

rustic stuff.....I haven't completely jumped

on the industrial lighting trend yet ~

because I am so in love with

chandeliers....

ahhhh.....just does something for the soul....

beautiful.

plank walls...vintage luggage...dress forms...

shabby bins.....

all in one shot.

yum.

~*~

sun is gone.

yup.

gonzo.

~*~

just in case you were wondering....

I just have to come back to this photo....

so much to love about it.

first of all ~ I need a chaise like that.

for the record...

nope ~ no place to put it ~

but I'll figure that out later...

it's just such a cozy wonderful spot...

vintage linens & quilts~

dried hydrangeas~

chippy paint~

terracotta floors~

vintage paintings~

could totally handle it.

next up:

um...yeah....grainsack love.

love them.

and might I just add how adorable

little white flowers are in little zinc

buckets???

love them too....

any white flower will do....:)

anything french...french script....

yumm-0.

are you crushing on anything right now?

{well of course you are ~ but tell me what it is!! :) }

did I mention it was Mr. T & T's birthday

yesterday???

yay!!! love him.

I am a very lucky girl to have such an amazing

hubby.....

we had fun!

out to dinner...

visiting....opening presents....

eating too much (ugh!)

Hope your week is fabulous!

xoxo,

Shellagh

{all images via my pinterest boards :)}

~locker love & storage ideas~

2012-01-25T13:03:00.000-08:00

Hello friends!!

How is everyone doing today???

I'm doing good.....got a kiddo here sick

but we're doing fine :)

I swear they just get tired of

going to school.....and the "illness" starts

from there....she really does not feel

good but sometimes I wonder how much

could be self induced...ya know?

my parents moved us in the middle of my

8th grade year & I remember wanting to

get sick soooo bad so I didn't have to go....

then wham-o a major flu bug...

not fun...I remember it like yesterday!

self induced perhaps?

who knows...but how about some

storage ideas?

seems like this time of year is perfect for

streamlining things.....

so, ya like the lockers??? yes...

and the bench??? yes...

love, love, love the look of old lockers...

but probably not the most practical

maybe? maybe not?

this "mudroom" below is awesome...

tons of room for all the stuff the kiddos

need but I personally do not have

room for this sort of contraption....

and not much character....right?

but it's almost worth it to be so

o r g a n i z e d....

I am loving this idea....

we just happen to have dead space like this

under our stairs....wonder if Mr T & T

would feel like ripping the wall apart???

**cricket**cricket**

hee hee ;)

this one is 2die4!!!

love it!!

need room...

big room...

need farmhouse....

big farmhouse....

fun to dream but now it's

time to get back to work!!

Hope your week is going great!

xoxo,

Shellagh

{all images via}

~chair makeovers~

2012-01-17T09:49:00.000-08:00

Hello my friends!!

Happy Tuesday to you!

It's snowing here in the northwest....

crazy!! we really haven't gotten too

much but they got 6 inches in Seattle!!

but the kiddos are bummed since they've missed

no school yet.....

here's what I've been working on....

{I played with Picasa for different tones

of sepia & black and white}

I've been working on

~chair rehab~

that's what's been happenin' here

while I've had time off from the

Linen Shoppe

you may recall a few hundred years ago

my crazy chair extravaganza via craigslist??

no?

well read here for the full scoop....

I was actually relieved to see it has only

been a little over a year since I bought them....

phew....wouldn't want to be seen as a

procrastinator or anything like that....

I have a reputation to uphold ya know....

here is my dining room filled with all chairs

and no table a year ago....

see now you may be intrigued....no table?

what did she do with it???

read here to recollect my craziness

well since I had some time off from sewing

& such ~ thought it'd be a good time

to finally tackle these guys....

so here's the before!

a big part of the problem is the

gaping hole in the seats...

ya see it there? he he he

I really wasn't quite sure how to fix it

(only 2 needed the holes "filled" thankfully!)

but I did figure it out~

since the chairs (6 of them) all came with

these lovely & fashionable seat cushions

so purdy.....;)

we cut a piece of plywood & secured

it to the seats ~ no one will e v e r know....

I decided to try a homemade chalk paint

recipe since I didn't want to spend much

$$ for the Annie Sloan chalk paint...

{although I really do want to try hers soon}

I can't take credit for the homemade stuff ~

definitely not that smart....

It was Joy over at Savvy City Farmer

who posted on it awhile back...

you mix about a third of plaster of paris

{available for about $3 or 4 or 5? can't quite remember! at Lowe's or Home Depot}

with regular paint & start painting!

so I mixed some white (on hand) with

some beige (on hand) with a little grey

(yep on hand as well....) along with

some artist tints I had laying around...

came up with a nice creamy grey tone...

then I went over it with an antiquing glaze from

Lowe's....{American Tradition Antique Glaze ~ about $8}

I did 2 coats of paint & then the glaze...

& then used a dry and a wet rag to take

off the glaze ~ you just have to play with it...

I have to apologize for my picture quality...

my camera is officially broken & I'm looking

into what to buy....meanwhile it's the.........

shhhhhhh don't tell....

cell phone camera....

yikes.

well I had to show you something right??? :)

here's a couple shots in b & w

wow way to stage a shot with

no props....whoops!

sepia....gotta love picasa!

glazing works best (in my humble

non-professional opinion....)

when there are grooves & such

in the furniture....

it gets in those little cracks & crevices & stays...

gives it a nice aged look...

so next is the cushion recovering....

I've gone back & forth with the idea

of using my antique grainsacks....

or a yummy french linen sheet...

or painter's dropcloth...

the grainsack is so beautiful but very

thick.....and the chair cushions have piping

so I'm not so sure it'll work....

thoughts????

anyone ever tried to make piping out of that amazing

luscious fabric??

so there ya have it!

the chairs are painted & ready for seat cushions....

yay!!

next the dining table gets an overhaul as well....

here's a sneak peek at what we have in there

now.....

{don't mind that beautifully upholstered chair there! I know you all

love green upholstery but no I'm not selling it!!}

so it's just a queen anne style table that I picked up

at goodwill.....{spent like $10 and you'll recall if you went back and read my insane post we had n.o.t.h.i.n.g. in there! what a mom I am!}

I'd really like to build a farmhouse

table like I've seen around but for now ~ I'm thinking

just doing the same paint treatment on the legs &

maybe a natural bare wood finish on top ~

ya??

I'll be sure to update you on my cushion progress...

it's on the agenda this week!

oh, and a little sidenote....

the Ticking and Toile Linen Shoppe is

open again

so take a look if you like!

Hope you all have a fantastic week!

xoxo,

Shellagh

~inspiration love~

2012-01-12T21:43:00.000-08:00

It's almost Friday.....

and you know what that means???

oh you don't?

hee hee :)....it means ~

it's my favorite day of the week!!

I really look forward to Fridays....

and the hope of ~~what projects Mr. T & T will get done~~

what the weekend will bring!

now you all don't think I'm that laser focused do you??

well, ok ~ yes you're right, you know me so well.......I am.....but I do try to

restrain myself......ok not really little....he he he...

no seriously...I do try....;)

I've been hitting the inspiration

jackpot lately....and officially

addicted to Pinterest

in fact maybe you can relate?

or my personal favorite...

because it happens to me

all. the. time.

oh my goodness ~ if it wasn't for

all the amazing plethora

of yummy pictures...

it's like thumbing through

your favorite magazines anytime ~

and they never end.

so funny....but definitely

a potential time waster *ahem*

just possibly.

here are a couple more pics I was

so excited about I just had to show you

right now.....

k, now do you love these stairs

as much as I do???

so perfect! yes?

what could be better than grainsack stairs??

and here I am back in love with this

bedroom.....I have posted on this house

before because I am seriously in love with it.

seriously.

and another all time favorite...

this room just makes me happy...

another true love...

and perfect island / floor chippy-ness

yumyumyumyum...

ok officially ~ Mr. T & T

wants his laptop back...boo!

I wasn't done showing ya stuff!

but allegedly he has to "work"

sheesh! ;)

I'll leave you with one more yummy

place to soak your tired bones...

and I'm off to dreamland....

g'night all!

xoxoxo,

Shellagh

{all images found here}

~what's on the "LIST"

2012-01-09T11:51:00.000-08:00

Happy Monday everyone!!

How was your weekend?

Mine was great!

~ with the small ittty bitty

exception of....

the worst migraine of my life

so yes, lucky me suffered through this from 4:40am

to 12:30pm yesterday morning....goodness me,

wouldn't wish it on anyone.

but!

I am feeling great today! yay!!!

I'm waiting for the fog to clear....

and the sun to show up and I'll be heading out

for a run.....

I wanted to share with you my list and what's on it......

for me 2012 is all about finishing....

yep....finishing our house....

it's long

it's scary

it's overwhelming

but it's reality....

and I'm ready!

I'm not going to make you all tired

by giving you the whole thing

cuz it is just Monday

and you need to feel uplifted & inspired

not exhausted & disturbed by my long as

humanly imagineable list!!

but here's what's on top of it:

1) replace doors upstairs

we have many antique doors sitting in the garage,

taking up valuable man-cave space,

waiting for us to install

{well strip, and re-finish and fit

to our door jams}

up until now....it was too

overwhelming

to me to even think about

but not now...

now is the time....

to finish....

****please excuse this interruption***

where we'll be testing Mrs. Ticking & Toile's

good mood & patience today....

the toilet has just overflowed, there's an inch of water

in the bathroom, it has gone into the

hallway, onto her beautiful plank floors, and under the refrigerator....

and Mrs. T & T will (while attempting to soak up

the water) spill melted red wax all down the wall

and onto her cute shabby table, onto the floor & down the

hallway.....

~*~

where was I?

yes, what you read is true....

um...how's my mood?

well, slightly dampened...

s l i g h t l y...

it's all good. problem fixed~

water cleaned up, waxed cleaned

up ~ just a minor diversion~

;)

sheesh.

ok...

we were talking about doors.....

I'm thinking with the "replacing the doors"

portion of my list~ I'd really like to strip

them & go for the natural, worn, slightist

bit of paint left over look~ like these....

don't you love this?

here's another example

I love how the worn doors look against crisp

white door frames...yes?

you like??

lots of prep work to do...

a little resizing to do...

door knobs to find & buy

{anyone got any they'd like to sell?????;) }

etc... etc...

wish me luck!!

Got anything on your list??

got a major focus for this year??

do tell! :)

Have a wonderful day!!

xoxo,

Shellagh

{all images found here}

~too early to wish for spring?~

2012-01-05T10:40:00.000-08:00

Hello guys!

Yes, I suppose it is to early....

to wish for spring...but we can dream...

I came across some beautiful photos

that really got me dreaming of spring....

this picture pretty much captures everything

yummy we love ~ chippy paint, vintage books,

faded roses, and drippy chandys

don't ya think??

they are by the amazing & talented artist

Jo-Anne Coletti

of Vintage Rose Collection

her work is so beautiful...jump over

and take a look!

here is just a small sample of some

of her gorgeous photography~

oh, is there anything sweeter than

roses in ironstone?

nope...don't think so...

mmmmm, can almost smell them from here....

can you imagine if we didn't have beautiful

art or pictures to remind us of spring & summer?????

hop over & say hi!

and

have a wonderful day!

xoxo,

Shellagh

{all images Vintage Rose Collection}

~what not running will do for you~

2012-01-03T13:28:00.000-08:00

Hello my friends!!

Happy New Year!

I hope you all had a safe & wonderful

weekend :)

Well with the New Year comes the

"new pounds" hee hee ~ oh the fun

of eating too much fudge & any other

kind of sweet lurking about.....

veggies? huh?? what are those??

sound familiar?

well I knew it would all come screeching to a halt

this week....I knew the days of decadence and laziness (so to speak...more about that later!) would be out the window come today....

yep...today is the day....

I have to say, I am grateful for the warm, mild air

this morning with the tiny peek of sunshine~

I happened to notice when I was sleepily doing one of my "usually annoyed at"

morning chores....... feeding the cats....it requires going out

on our back patio, shuffling to the big cedar box (wow what a whiner I am!!) & feeding the always starving (?) cats...

but had I not done this terrible rotten chore, I would not

have noticed the fresh & mild morning air....and

probably wouldn't have noticed the little ray of sunshine,

seemingly urging me on~ prodding me to just do it.

to just go..

get on your stuff...

get on your shoes...

and go for a run...

oh so true....it's that first step....

~all I could really think about this morning.....was how long it's been....since I last went ~3 weeks to be exact... (yep an excuse!)

and that: it's gonna be hard, it's gonna

be cold, my feet will hurt, I won't be able to go

very far, I won't be able to go very fast, I've lost

so much momentum...........................!

sound familiar?

but yes, I am chasing a goal.....

of being a "runner"

and I worked my way up to 4 miles ~

and I'm not about to give up

because of a little time off!!!

and a little (ok a lot.hee hee..) of fudge & goodies

and inactivity.....

so to answer my own question of

what not running will do for you??

here's the answer....

when you do begin again......

it will....prove to you that you can re-start!

help you notice the wee little bit of sunshine

in the midst of winter

notice the birds chirping & make you think of spring...

notice the seagulls against the blue sky & remember

warm beaches....

notice your thigh muscles with every step

and visualize the lean legs you are building....

and lastly, realize you don't have to give up!!!

I can tell you this......I feel good now....:)

have you been feeling a little sluggish too??

are you dreading "getting back into it??"

do you need a little push?

here's your push!

go on now ~ go do it....

whatever it is....

a walk, a run, or even a little bike ride....

go get some fresh air...

move around & breathe....even sweat...

oh yeah...feels amazing!!

xoxoxo,

Shellagh

{all images via pinterest}

~what to do what to do!~

2011-12-28T20:40:00.000-08:00

Hello there!

Hope you all had a wonderful Christmas

and are enjoying this week!

I've definitely been enjoying some

much needed down time......

in fact ~ I stayed in my new fuzzy

bathrobe all day yesterday!!

well ~ I did change out of it for about 2 hours....

just long enough to go to dinner with my

family.....;)

then I was back in....snug & warm....

& settled in for movie....

I'm thinking I might be ready to do something

tomorrow......something productive....

but let's not rush things....hee hee

will it be working out????

possibly....

{not that I need it or anything after

living on fudge and chocolate covered

pretzels for um well 2 weeks....}

will it be cleaning something???

highly recommended since I have

company coming this weekend.....

yikes.

or......... will it be redoing something??

like....say.....ripping out the bathroom

vanity & putting in an old dresser???

tempting...tempting...

why yes...the dresser is sitting out in the garage....

oh to twist Mr. T & T's arm....

alas...he's so much more

r.a.t.i.o.n.a.l.

and r.e.a.s.o.n.a.b.l.e.

then me.....

hee hee

I'm just glad that the urge to

do something

is beginning to return....

have to admit ~ I was getting a little

worried at my majorly lazy self....

I think I needed this little staycation.....

What are you up to??

Where are you at???

ready to jump back in to projects?

or ready to jump back into bed?? :)

love to hear from you!

xoxoxoxo!!

Shellagh

all images found here

~need a little getaway?~

2011-12-16T09:50:00.000-08:00

Happy Friday my friends!

yep, it is definitely my favorite day

of the week.....love my Fridays....

and guess what? the sun is peeking out

from the fog....it's gonna be sunny today!!

yay!! :)

well, we're winding down here at the Linen Shoppe...

only a few more orders to finish & then it's

r*e*l*a*x*

and I think that's why I'm so drawn to this

today....this escape....

~*~

because....

~we've had a lot of Christmas....yes?

~we've seen a lot of crafts....yes?

~we've got our lists written, shopping

done ~~(what?? I do?),~~ been crafting away,

decorating away, baking & fluffing,

wrapping & stuffing....and now....

....we need a little break....

we need a little nap....

right here....

with the window open...

and the soft breeze drifting in...

with the faint smell of lavender....

ahhhh......

and maybe a little bubble bath?

and a little toe painting?

those always go hand & hand with me...

bubble baths & toe painting....

oh wow....take a look at those travertine floors

up there.....oh my....I cannot get enough

travertine!!!

ok...can you be in love with a sink?

because I seriously am....{and there we have more

travertine too...ahhh....}

shall we make a 'fresh from the garden' salad?

because it's the middle of summer ya know?

add a little fresh herbs?

we can sit in here....or

here

or here...I'm thinking we better go out here....

and soak up a little sun.....

when we're done eating our lunch & sipping

on lemon water....

maybe we'll feel like reading a great book...

or thumbing through several hundred

magazines....

or pinning a few pins...hee hee

{now, I'm trying to keep the techy stuff

outta here on this little getaway ~ so

I'm thinking we're unplugged...all the way...}

I know scary...

but who needs to be pinning when we can

soak up this view??

and breathe the fresh air?

I'm thinking a little walk would be perfect about right now...

maybe there's a cute little market down

the road....where we can pick up yummy stuff

for dinner?

some fresh bread?

and cheese & fruit?

{I could be perfectly content eating baguettes,

cheese & fruit...forever...period.}

maybe there's a darling little hole in the wall

antique place....to browse about....

and when we're all tuckered out...

and ready to come back...

we'll make some dinner here....

and then relax by the fire....

ahhhh......

I don't want to wake you up.....

I'll just quietly sneak away~

and wish you a wonderful weekend....

xoxo,

Shellagh

{images}

~the best of the best Christmas crafts~

2011-12-14T14:37:00.000-08:00

Hello hello!!

It's Wednesday a.l.r.e.a.d.y.....

crazy how the time is speeding by!

I have pinned & pinned & pinned

a bizillion Christmas craft ideas...

I'm hoping to have time s o o n to

play & create....

here's a few that made the A list....

cute angel wings....

wouldn't these be sweet hanging on the tree?

I couldn't find a template for the wings....

but I think you could almost trace gently over

your computer screen, no?

probably a big no-no for sure....

otherwise maybe free hand it?

sticking with the book pages, newsprint theme

how about this darling little birdie ornament??

I love the little doily & button...

so cute!

here's a similar bird template you can

print & trace....

you can also go here to get it:

what I really really reeeaaallllyyy

want to make are these little bird ornaments....

this is from Lulu's tree

at Dusty Lu's blog

they are just precious ~ but I'm thinking they

would be quite time consuming & I need

a lot. of. them....

but who knows? maybe the urge will

strike & I'll give it a whirl....:)

so what else is super cute, you ask??

I love this wax paper garland!!

so easy & looks dreamy on a tree

don't ya think?!

and how about wax paper garland

mixed with little paper birds??

ok...actually think that is button garland (down below)

but either way...cute!

ya got a lot of buttons in a jar somewhere?

I know you do....:)

this is the sweetest little button star....

I have no clue how they made this one, but

I'm thinking....cut a star out of super

sturdy cardboard....spray paint cream

if you like...and hot glue the buttons on!?

wouldn't this make a nice gift as well?

love all the different vintage buttons...

are you still with me??

are you bored yet??

ok then ~ just checking....:)

who has made these clay tags?

definitely want to try...

and can't forget about my cones....

so easy & darling...

AND cute to hang

a.n.y.w.h.e.r.e.

ok I lied...now just a couple more!

got little ones??

I thought these were too cute!

and lastly cute little candy cane hearts.....

wanna make these too...

my goodness....too much to look at & make huh?

well I'm off to take my daughter Madi

to Drivers Ed...yikes...yep she's got

her permit now & is practicing

practicing....:}

~*~

hope this inspires you to get crafting!

head on over to here

and here

to get instructions &

such!

Happy crafting & creating....

xoxo,

Shellagh

~a glimpse of Christmas at home~

2011-12-12T12:30:00.000-08:00

Hello everyone!

Happy Monday to you :)

I had fun decorating a little

over the weekend......

we've had our tree up & decorated for a week

now but not too much else......

but I finally had some time to "play" and

it was so much fun!

I really didn't want to "think" too much ~
just wanted to let it flow....

so I opened all my bins &

grabbed a little here & there

and started playing around....

robbed the Linen Shoppe of a display

stocking....thought "hey, I know where

some cute stockings are ~ might as well

use them!"

climbed & tugged on branches from our

cedar tree for some nice greens to play with....

and mixed it up w/ a little glitter here & there

I started with my front entry table....once I got

it done, I was motivated to keep going....

I actually did a lot on my front porch, but

will have to show you pictures another

day ~ because my camera is really acting up!!

I got this cute bundle of books from

Michelle at Petite Michelle Louise

I replaced the floral ribbon with

the red plaid for Christmas

she has the cutest little Etsy store~

head over if you haven't been there...

you won't be disappointed!

I actually had this old enamelware bowl

in the goodwill pile not too long ago....

{I know a moment of sheer insanity...}

Mr. T & T snagged it out & gave me a tongue

lashing!! ha ha not really but he did snatch it out of

the box!

I swapped out the antique blue striped

grainsack, on my sofa, for a red striped one....

I love the touch of red this year!

I made up this little "believe" pillow ~

thought it so fitting for our girls...

those who don't "believe" don't get any presents

from Santa...right?

I remember my mom never would admit

the possibility of "no Santa" to me...

n.e.v.e.r.....

I've never admitted it to my kiddos either ~

they've pretty much cornered me & said

"Mom, we know..."

"know what???" I say...

they just laugh & go on with their day! hee hee

I just remember how depressing it felt when

I knew for sure.....

it definitely put a bit of a damper on the season

for me....but that only lasted until I had my own

children.....and what a joy...to have Christmas with

little ones!! :)

my little Allie....still wonders about Santa....

although I think this will be the last year

for her....it's kinda hard for a kiddo to believe

when all the kids on the school bus tell them

"it's your parents!!!"

argh!!! I wish they'd stop!!

my camera completely pooped out after this

shot....so this is just a snippet of our tree....

it's pretty simple along with the rest of our decor

this year....a little red, a little white & cream

a lot of homemade ornaments of the kids'....

little school pictures glued onto construction

paper & such...

I love it!

almost forgot to show you this darling

little postcard I picked up last week....

the little "frog" is so teeny & adorable!!

it's probably less than an inch wide!

I was sold instantly, although I'm sure

I paid too much.... ;)

I hope you're all doing fantastic &

merrily going about getting ready

for Christmas!

xoxo,

Shellagh