Why does getting something new in your house make everything else look dirty? I can't really be THAT bad of a housekeeper, can I???

All of the re-dos that were spawned by spiffing up the stairway are about to finish up! This snowball has to melt sometime, one thing has led to another, to another, and on and on. 

I even CLEANED MY HOUSE! This is getting serious, it has to stop somewhere.  I was blissfully ignorant of  the dust before I redid those stairs.

After repainting and adding trim to the corner cabinet, I realized the interior of it was a bit of a mess. Dusty and overstuffed.

So, I cleaned all the shelves, and rearranged all the pretties.

I used to store all my vintage linens on the bottom shelf, but decided that I wanted the room less country cottage and more romantic cottage.  And less cluttered!! That is a hard one for me.

But I got rid of some of the things on these shelves, packed the linens in a linen closet, and redistributed 3 shelves worth of blue and white knick knacks and dishes onto 4 shelves.

It is a bit more streamlined and less cluttery, but heck, I can't go clutter free cold turkey!

And I can't do away with all the cute stuff, I need my pixies and birdies. 

And my little angels.

I'm fond of anything winged. Well except mosquitoes of course. And those horseflies that bite.

When I went to hang my new curtains (of course, I HAD to have new curtains, that matched the new look!) I noticed the the cobwebs that had been ignored for ... well I don't want to admit for how long. Anyway, I cleaned all the pottery collection above the window while I was up there.  And while up high, I saw how dirty the chandelier was...

And of course, after taking my old table out to the studio, I could see that the tile floor in the dining room needed a good bleaching.   

Thank goodness my friends arrived to deliver the new (old) table, I was about to clean the windows!

Ta Da!!  Isn't it fancy???

How elegant is this???? I'm not usually one for unpainted wood, but this set has a nice mix, with just the top as natural wood and the rest painted.  And it kind of feels good to buy something and enjoy it as it is, to not have to completely redo it.

The set goes perfectly with the new stairs. 

I'm just in awe of the change.  I really was never too happy with my old set.

The old set will be perfect in my art studio.  It has 3 leaves that I can put in it. When I have big family get togethers, we always go into in the studio so we can spread out and have a sit down meal together.

Actually,  you can tell, it isn't a set at all, it is mismatched chairs from garage sales ($10 or less each) that I painted to match the flea market table.   

ooooh, what a difference!!!!!!!!  All of a sudden, my house looks all grown up.

But I know that no one at this house acts like a grown up, so I used two cans of Scotchgard on these chairs to protect the fabric.

I am having friends over for brunch tomorrow to try it out. It is going to be so much fun to set the table and get ready for them.

Oh by the way, the packages of tags are coming in daily for my St Pats Two Tag Swap and I am overwhelmed by the quality of the tags that are arriving! I am trying to not peak yet, I am just double checking each package to make sure all is there, and will open and enjoy them all together after the deadline. But WOW you should see some of these tags!! The luck of the Irish is with us on this swap, its like finding the end of the rainbow!!

The mail lady also brought this package back to me.  Somerset Life is using this framed vintage doll dress in their next issue and sent back the frame since they were finished with it.

There is mail that needs to go out too.  I sold a scrap pack of my stairway wallpaper remnants on Etsy ($6).  It just kills me to waste anything, plus, vintage wallpaper is so beautiful it should never ever ever go to waste!

I will be listing more, and also cut up some to put in the St Pat's Two Tag Swap envelopes when I send out the tags.   

You know, there are still a little time left if you want to be in the swap.  Have things in the mail to me in a couple days.

Well, if I am having a breakfast  party tomorrow, I'd better be in the kitchen, I need to make a fruit salad and get cinnamon rolls and muffins ready for the oven.

Comments

[bethany]

I just love reading your blog... it's like I'm following you around the house as you're thinking of all this!! I think maybe you have the spring cleaning bug. When the sun came out a little stronger and later, I realized that my wood floors really need cleaning badly!! In the darkest days of winter you just don't see it. Your dining table is beautiful and the steps are a nice backdrop to it all! Have fun tomorrow!!!

[Nerissa]

I love all your pics of your home. Beautiful! The stairs turned out wonderfully!! The dogs are adorable too :)

Take care
Nerissa

[susans at black eyed susans kitchen]

Karla, The dining room set is gorgeous. It looks down right elegant with the newly decorated staircase. You may now add the interior decorator badge to your blogscout sash. Giggles aside, the room is beautiful. Susan

[susans at black eyed susans kitchen]

Karla, The dining room set is gorgeous. It looks down right elegant with the newly decorated staircase. You may now add the interior decorator badge to your blogscout sash. Giggles aside, the room is beautiful. Susan

[Lori]

Karla, your home looks lovely...the new dining set looks so pretty...i have a lot of un~painted wood in my house d/t the hubby thinks it is a sin to paint wood...yes, he needs some re~training, i know...i sneak a few little things in every now and then...i am a about to start a de~clutter mission too...i need to get some rhyme and reason over here instead of the usual hodge~podge:)

[Katie B.]

The table looks wonderful with the new decorated stairs. I love all the pictures and other things that you have hanging on your walls. I really enjoy reading your blog.You have some great ideas. Katie
http://hummingbirdchats,blogspot.com/

[Pat]

Hi Karla!
Enjoy your breakfast party! Everything looks so beautiful!
Hugs, Pat

[michelle]

Wow! When you do a spring face lift you really go all out! That dining set is absoulutely perfect! I still love the stairs!

[Betty @ She's Sew Pretty]

Your new dining set is beautiful. I've had the spring cleaning bug too. I've been dusting cobwebs and moving stuff and vacuuming behind it. What's wrong with me? LOL
I love your little blue elf's and the cute little pitcher with the blue birds!

[Elaine L.]

I really LOVE the new changes and especially the table and stairway. It all looks PERFECT!

Change is good because it forces us to rearrange our clutter. I did that last summer.
I found that every time I had some new little dodad, I was putting it into my China cabinet, until there was no rhyme nor reason to what was there.

~elaine~

[Irma]

Your stairs turned out beautiful. Love the wallpaper you used. Also love your dinning set. Looks very elegant.

[sandra @7th St. Studio]

That table is so Romantic Cottage, looks like you brought it from a French Chateau!! I cn picture it with a large urn of creamy hydrangeas in the center! or a cluster of all shapes and sizes of mercury glass candlesticks...boy could I have some fun setting that table!! Bet your brunch will be wonderful and the table will be the icing on the cake!!!-Sandra

[Lili M.]

Ahhh Karla, you have done such a wonderful job!! That staircase...your new dining room set, it all is gorgeous and matches so well together. And cleaning as well...I'm speachless!
I have received your mail about the St. Patrick's tag swap (that I could join even I couldn't send you stamped envelopes). That's so nice of you, but I have been on a short vacation and I have had the flu. So I won't have time to make those tags and I'm concentrating on Easter eggs and a bird house of course now. But I want to emphasize that it was so sweet of you to send me that mail. Highly apreciated!!
Have a nice lunch with your friends and enjoy your new surroundings!

[Tara]

What a diningroom! And those stairs , from that angle, really light up the room! Great job as usual, Karla!

[Kirstie]

Hi Karla, Your dining setting works beautifully with your new stairs, and I must say I really love that dinig setting, and the good old clutterbug I think is in everyone right now, Oh before I forget please come visit me my little one wanted to make your cookies see how they turned out, hope you had a wonderful brunch today.

Hugs
Kirstie.

[gail]

The table and chairs is GORGEOUS! Wow, it really is fancy! And I love the corner cabinet, with the gorgeous trim and all of the wonderful things you have in it!

[Joy]

Karla, that table is FABULOUS!

[Rosieswhimsy]

I love the new look of your dining room! Everything just flows so beautifully. You are amazing :-) Rosie

[Kelley]

I adore your new table & chairs! I love the old too - but this is so darn elegant and goes so nice with all your new touches. Have a ball setting the table tomorrow and don't forget to take lots of pix (like you wouldn't, lol!). Btw, has your DH seen any of this yet??? Glad my stuff arrived safely :D

[Cheri]

Right now I am on a decorating 'fast'. I'm packing up stuff in preparation for our move in two months.

But I know I can look to you for inspiration once we are settled in TN. Beautiful job, Karla!

[Selia]

I love your new dining set, the curtains and the stairs! Just simply beautiful... You are so talented!! I am in a cleaning frenzy too...spring cleaning. Have a wonderful brunch. :o)

[Bristol]

The steps look good and I love the table, it fits in so well with everything,
Bristol

[Lynn @ theVintageNest]

Boy have you got that right (your post title). We will be having the foyer (2 stories) and other rooms painted in late Spring and I know it will lead to other changes and I kind of dread it. I love your new elegant dining table and chairs.

[Karoline]

Hi Karla! Ok, so really...who has time to dust that often. I just washed a lot of my crystal and depression glass that sits out - and I was shocked how dusty it really was - good thing it's up high so my poor housekeeping skills are only visible to really tall people. he he I love your new dining room table and chairs. Your new stairs make a spectacular back drop!
-Karoline

[joyce]

Now that i got a really good look at your old set -i can tell you that i like them and now that you have the new set in place I can tell you that it's all yummy. I like the sameness of palette but with the high contrast. Now you need to make an oval shaped table runner out of vintage music paper with a beige/taupe-y wall paper ruffle and some silver and gold ribbon. In order to store it when not in use -you would have to cut it down the middle to be able to clothes pin it to whatever it will hang from. Some thing else you might do is create some music ruffles to hang like a garland...hmmm, I wonder if you could cut the music paper into stripes like they do to make those tissue paper garlands? Another thought would be to make some rosettes to hang from the top of your windows.

[Barbara @ Southern Lady's Vintage]

Oh...it looks so pretty! And cottagey!
Barbara

[Karla]

Everything looks freah and bright. I finally picked up an unfinished birdhouse today!
karla

[Flea Market Queen]

Wow...you have been busy!
I adore the wallpaper on the stairs, so full of charm!
Priscilla

[DebMc]

I love your 'snowball' comments. I know exactly what you mean....one small thing leads to another which usually leads to something big or expensive. LOL

Your table and chairs are terrific!

[Karen Young]

I really enjoy looking at all the lovely vignettes you have put together around your home. The new dining table is great.

Karen

[karen]

I love the new curtains, and your new dining room looks beautiful. I just peeked again at your staircase, wow I love them. Karen