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I bought this old door for my shop last week.
Hmmmmm it is kind of plain, a little paint and a few garden inspired accessories can change that!
Transformation complete...!
This artful door is ready for a garden or whimsy sunroom today.
Available in my little shop at Forget Me Not Antiques.
:Kay Ellen
Joining in some creative blog events...
Hi friends,
I hope you are enjoying the last few days of September.
I am in the middle of a kitchen remodel and here is a "BEFORE" photo to show you.
This kitchen is about sixteen years old and my clients growing family was ready for a few new changes and extra storage.
The original cabinets maybe a little dated in their appearance but are still in pretty good condition.
My customer hoped to re-cycle them for a family member's kitchen that recently sustained water damaged. The contractor was very careful in removing each cabinet and he was successful in re-using every single cabinet for a family in need, I thought it was so great that we were able to re-use the old cabinets.
Here is a photo of the re-model in progress that I shot today. The installation of the new cherry-wood custom cabinets look terrific.
What a difference a few days can make!
Did you notice? We eliminated the soffit above the old cabinet installation and extended the upper cabinets to the ceiling. We were able to add a lot of storage with this simple change.
I had the contractor remove the small island, and added a breakfast bar which made this kitchen open and much more functional.
Next on the agenda is the installation of the new granite countertops. We had a fun filled day searching for the perfect granite slabs for this new kitchen.
Here is a sneak peek photo of the granite selected for the counters and you can also see the versailles patterned tile that we ordered for the floor.
I will update this posting as more elements are completed.
Update! Granite installed
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I had a little accident last week while treasure hunting at a flea market...I spied a tall metal industrial cabinet that looked like a cool piece to purchase for my shop... I thought the cabinet door above me was secure and I peeked in...I found out very quickly it wasn't secure and it slammed down and hit me in the head :( The doctor said I have a mild concussion and strained neck. I didn't know treasure hunting could be dangerous! Oh well~~~I guess I will keep a hard hat in the truck for future shopping adventures! haha
A big thank you to all my Facebook friends for your prayers and hugs to my son and husband that have been chauffeuring me around town for the last few days...
I am grateful to be on the mend!
See you soon,
:Kay Ellen
I thought it was about time I share a few snippets of my shop...
Shopping for unique wares for my space has become a special creative outlet. I also enjoy checking in and being surprised to see what clients have purchased!
When the crafty mood strikes me you will see a few hand crafted items in my shop, like these petite lampshades I embellished for a pair a vintage lamps.
No hot glue or sewing! I used my parents Sealah No Sew Adhesive to create these shades.
If you are interested in the tape you can check it out HERE.
Come by and visit Forget-Me-Not Antiques!
Open: Monday - Saturday 11:00-5:30 & Sundays 11:00-5:00
3774 Elizabeth Street, Riverside, Calif.
The shop is filled with great finds! I have to say the hardest thing for me is not buying everyone else's treasures! ha-ha
We have over 25 dealers in our store, each space is filled with interesting and unique furnishings.
Thank you for stopping by...and I hope to see you sometime at the shop.
Have a great week Friends!
:Kay Ellen
Joining in White Wednesday HERE
Look what I spyed while treasure hunting~~~ a cool rusty beach bike!
I was on a mission to restock my little shop with a dresser and night stands but I found this beach bike instead. Does that ever happen to you? You just never know what you will find at a flea market and I could not pass it up for 18.00 dollars!
I shared with my Facebook friends that on this particular morning I found the bike it was the 2nd anniversary of my father-in-laws passing. I felt is was a touching and poetic moment... also remembering he had owned three bicycle shops in the 60's and 70's.
The bike is pretty beat up and maybe it could be restored but I have always wanted an old vintage bike in the garden...
I purchased a bag of sphagnum moss from Home Depot to put in the base for the wire basket...this is the kind of moss you can wet and spread thin to create a liner for the soil and plants. I transplanted a hanging pot of petunias and planted it in the bike basket with a few other colorful blooms.
My husband loves what I did with the bike...and I really like the special meaning it holds for our family.
:Kay Ellen
Ten years ago ... 9|11 where were you?
For my family, we woke up like any other day and were getting ready for work and school. My children were 7 and 10 years old at the time. I would typically turn on the television each morning to catch up on the news as I packed lunches and made breakfast. Our morning routine changed in an instant as my husband and I stood and stared at what was unfolding in New York. I recall praying, and thinking that I could not wrap my head around the idea that a commercial plane would fly that low over the city and hit the Trade Center?
Not knowing, we watched as the second plane crashed into the sister tower ... and then we heard that at least two additional planes had been hijacked. My phone started ringing, my Mom and my mother-in-law calling to see if we knew what was happening in New York. We all agreed to pray for our Country.
My next thought was ... what about my children? Should I let them go to school? Would the attacks effect us here in California?
The kid's school was not to far from our home, I volunteered daily, and I was close to many of the teachers and staff. So, I decided to take the kids over to the school and talk to their teachers. My first stop was at my son's fifth grade class, it was full and they had just begun reciting the pledge of allegiance. We joined in, and proudly recited the pledge with the class. I briefly spoke to his teacher and said I would check back at lunch time.
My next stop was my daughter's second grade classroom. I could hear music beginning to play in her classroom as we approached and kids had begun to sing ... My Country, "Tis of Thee" I felt my eyes water with pride for our awesome country ... I sat down and joined the beautiful young voices. A meaningful way to honor the United States of America and those suffering in New York. I gave my daughter's teacher a huge hug and decided to let my daughter stay in class that morning too.
My children's little public school blessed me so much that morning, under such uncertainty of what was happening in our world on that day, they were embracing their students and teaching them how America would not waiver on the principles our country was founded upon.
My heart aches for the lives that were lost on that horrific day. I am so thankful, beyond words, for the countless heroes that bravely ran to rescue those in harms way.
My Country, Tis of thee sweet land of liberty, of thee I sing; land where my fathers died, land of the pilgrims pride, from every mountainside let freedom ring.
:KayEllen
Do you remember this photo I posted a few weeks ago?
So sorry for the delay but I am finally sharing a few photos of the finished install.
What an amazing journey to work with the owners of this building. The construction of course was very messy and took a lot of time...but as each element was installed you could see the space come alive with character and warmth. The first time I saw the bistro completed I seriously teared up! I had visualized the space completed but until the last brush stroke was painted and the last nail was hammered...I was overcome with joy to see the space finished.
This new bistro will serve as a charming place for a vibrant companies staff to meet for lunch, host events or stop in for a quick cup of jo. Speaking of coffee~~~the shutter cabinet you see in this last photo is where the coffee bar and drink station will be located.
More photos to come as this beautiful space is accessorized and furnished.
Tables and chairs are next on the "To Do List"
I am having trouble with my internet connection this week...so if you would like more information or details about any of the elements that were chosen for the bistro please feel free to leave a comment or drop me an email.
Back to work!
Thank you for stopping by,
:Kay Ellen
Are you a pet owner? I am such an animal lover. I know if I had more room I would have a farm full of animals...but time and life's busyness has kept our furry family to these three below.
This is pretty Miss Gracie almost 6 years old. Gracie is our sweet and very polite miniature schnauzer.
We lost our rescued schnauzer Annie to cancer almost seven years ago and found Gracie while I was recovering from knee surgery. I potty trained her while I hobbled around on crutches. A playful and kindhearted puppy but if she sees a critter on the back fence ~~~ watch out, she will go in to full battle mode. Gracie loves to play with any size stuffed animal that she can fit in her mouth even if it is bigger then her! She also enjoys taking naps in my lap.
Here is April our feisty full of life Jack Russell mix. She is only a year old. We adopted her this past spring at the San Jacinto animal shelter. This girl is difinitely a tomboy. She loves to play tug a war, jump up high for tennis balls and I am pretty sure she could run a marathon if she wanted too.
Meet Napoleon the coolest cat in the neighborhood. Oh my, he is quite the hunter. I can't even begin to count the critters he has left for us on the front porch. Plays outside all day and sleeps inside at night. A tabby mix with lots of fur. We have decided he is the pack leader in the animal kingdom at our house and most of the time he thinks he is a dog. He never hangs out with other cats... but he is very comfortable with dogs. We enjoy watching him keep our puppies in line and when he is in a playful mood it is pretty funny to watch the three of them play together.
No big plans at our house for the weekend...I do have to work today but I am hoping to do a little relaxing like my kitty Napoleon over the three day weekend:)
I hope you all have a great weekend friends and be safe!
We have had some scary brush fires locally on service streets and highways this past week. Our close friends home came 100 feet from being burned. We are thanking God that no one was hurt and praising the amazing Riverside Firefighters for taking action so quickly!!
:Kay Ellen & Family
Back to school time has arrived at my house. The pile of inspirational vintage books shown above are from my collection ~~~ not text books:)
My son rents books for his college courses. The campus library has books available for students to rent if you are first inline to grab one off the shelf. The renting does curve the price downward but still very pricey! The books not including the cost of each course can range from 65.00 up to 125.00 per class. Talking to other parents with students in college agree that this is an average price for books but I think it is very high...I kind of freak out each semester my son blurts out the extra money he needs for books...What? How much?
Why can't the college come up with a universal system for students enrolled to be able to download books at a lower cost online? Maybe some colleges are practicing this concept I sure hope so!!! So far it has not happened for my son. We have found a few good deals on Amazon to buy the books, but it just depends on the course subject.
Any new parents out in blogland sending your kids to college make sure and budget for books because a full time student will spend an average of 500.00 or more for one semester. Yikes!
I was remembering how I use to complain about all the books my kids would need for Junior High and High School~~~ well not anymore!
This photo above is from Pinterest I love the inspiring images I have come across on their site. Check it out some time!
I captured a fun photo with these two "back to school" young ladies.
My niece on the left and daughter on the right...reading my old weathered and worn books :)
Back to work, thanks for listening to my whining!
Sorry to my son for freaking out for another semester. Love you Kyle!
:Kay Ellen
