Quarterly recap

Can you believe it ladies, 2012 is almost half over?!  Jup, the first six months of the year are behind us. I cannot believe how fast time is moving. Hard to fathom that after the summer holiday we will be plotting Fall decorations again and snuggling up with blankets and hot cocoa.

But we are not there yet. Summer has to be celebrated first.

Well anyway. I thought this would be a good time to see for myself what I have been up to, this past three months.

Like always it feels as if I haven’t accomplished anything (like why isn’t that #@%^&()&#@ craft room yet!).

Anyways. The semester started with me being a bit out of it…..

Turns out I was not the only one who sometimes thinks blogging requires a major juggling act.

Not that we let it stop us……

First Flea Market, wine box, woodworm

Flea market season starts here around Easter and I took advantage of it. Here you see some of my first flea market finds. The little wine box received center stage in my kitchen. That is after I showed you how to get rid of wood worms the easy way in smaller objects like this.

Speaking of season. With higher temps the season for spray painting has started too.

That’s why I shared some of my best spray paint tips with you.

Of course there was decorating too……

A lot of mantel decorating.

This simple all white mantel came about when I found two big lanterns in a discount store. You’ll see them return several times in this post.

Funny we haven’t had much of summer until now, it wasn’t the best of Spring’s either. But looking at my outdoor garden decoration brings back memories of sunnier days.

I have replanted those little plants in a border in my garden and they are still blooming! Love that.

Oh yes the craft room makeover project…….

At least I built some new storage for my craft room and updated a revamped IKEA cupboard. So I guess I did make some progress on this room.

But I wonder what is taking me so long?

Maybe it is all the baking?

I love harvesting from my garden, I loved walking out there and gathering stalks of fresh homegrown rhubarb, I LOVE these rhubarb walnut breakfast muffins I make with them. I have since made several more badges. I have never eaten my breakfast so faithfully…..

Oh and I did a tutorial too:

A tutorial on how to make a silverware wind chime. Ha, with all the winds we have been having this baby has gotten a workout. But a lovely sounding workout, so all is good.

Mantel again, this is number 2

A natural mantel in white and brown, hmmm still liking this one very much.

I introduced you to Chez Larsson a wonderful, talented and oh so organized Blogger from Sweden.

And then there was mantel 3:

Purple and white mantel this time. And I didn’t even put proper pictures in the frames….

Ok and then there was the post that combined cookies with screws and a candlestick….

The loose screw had to be fixed before the candle stick could get a makeover, and than that was such a success that it inspired me to bake cookies and experiment with frosting.

And there is the mantel again (nr 4)……

Turquoise and white mantel

Ha, another craft room project:

I showed you how to build a radiator cover. And all my mistakes at that. I shall not say that this baby is still waiting for it’s proper coat of paint…..

………………. darn I just said it. Yes, this particular project is still not finished. But I’ll get there, I’ll get there…..

In the mean time enjoy this bit of light decorating for free. Cow’s parsley from the side of the road was a huge garden bouquet that I enjoyed for at least a week.

Ok, the next one I added because I love that picture so much.

I love this image of my I am a list keeper post so much that it is now the wallpaper on all my devices. I know, what can I say……

Ha, moving on to more garden harvesting….

This elderberry blossom syrup is so easy to make and quite delicious. I hardly ever drink a glass of bubly without it now. It ads such a nice elegant, sweet touch to it.

My Pink Peonies made me feel a whole lot better, when I was under the weather for a bit. I can almost smell them again, looking at them.

In my disclosure and privacy post I gave you the heads up about how I try to earn a bit of money through my blog and how I handle all the legal issues that come with that.

This quarter definitely had me working in my garden.

I even built myself a vegetable garden for beginners, and I haven’t bought a head of lettuce since. Loving it, and it is already crazy to see how big those plants have become.

The online furniture store Fashion for Home invited me to dive into the world of modern design. My Love and I took the challenge to both decorate a room (online) with their furniture in our own exclusive styles. And Oh boy do they differ. But as I showed, we make it work.

Then there was a two day work trip:

That showed you and me some proper traditional images of Holland and windmills. It was work, but with my camera in hand, it felt a bit like vacation.

Mantel again. This time a proper makeover.

My Summer beach mantel.  I am sitting here across from it as I type this, and it still looks exactly the same. I guess that means it was a success, I haven’t found the need to fiddle with it yet.

I started the semester about how some times blogging can be difficult, and require some major jugglers skills, I ended it on a different not, because I can not NOT  blog anymore….

Blogging made me whole and I don’t ever want to be without it again.

Last week I shared one of my favorite, very easy soup recipe with you

This French onion soup is easy, (fairly) healthy and is the best comfort food ever. Try it, and let me know what you think.

And as if you hadn’t seen enough of my ‘faux’ mantel these past months, I dared to go on a trip down memory lane passed mantels past en present.

It ended up being a post about (more than) 25 ways to decorate your mantel.

I guess it was a full three months after all. And that is what I love about looking back like this. It always makes me feel better about myself. I felt I hadn’t accomplished much, and yet this is a full post of good times. I guess all is well then.