Saturday Spotlight: Life Behind the Blogger

 Saturday Spotlight: Life Behind the Blogger is a feature done each Saturday that introduces you to a blogger you may already know or a new blogger for you to get to know. This feature gives you a peak into the personal life of the blogger.  Getting to know the special person behind the beautiful blog.

There is so much talent and inspiration in blogland so enjoy getting to know these talented bloggers each Saturday.

Bliss from Bliss-Ranch.com
January 17th

This week I am introducing you to a midwest blogger.  Bliss from Bliss-Ranch.com.  She is California raised but has settled and carved out a life on a Ranch in Minnesota.  So sit back and get to know Bliss.  Bliss and her hubby's DIY talents will amaze you.  Enjoy.

Hello to Junk Chic Cottage and Must Love Junk readers.  I'm Bliss and I have that DIY thing going on over at Bliss-Ranch.com.

When I was invited over here to share about my life I was flattered, and I do love to write, so I was excited.  Then I sat down to type.

About myself.

Hmmm.... I'm not near as excited now!

There are a lot of folks who make my blogging life fulfilling, which also crosses over into my day to day life, but I'm suppose to let you into a bit of the private side of the goings on at the ranch.

Barn Wood Coffee table made from Old Alberts Barn Door

Raised in Southern California till I was 21, it's like this.... you can take the girl outta California but you can't take California outta the girl.

No matter how far you move her and how much rural you put around her.

Pine Wood Half Moon Bay Box

I wouldn't trade my rather quiet country life here in Minnesota, but if I was ever to move to the city I'll tell 'ya my heart would lead me to the California coast.

Headboard Turned Mudroom Bench

So what do you want to know?  That I'm married to the most wonderful man in the world?  Everyone says that, right?

Well I am.

First of all, that he puts up with me is amazing in and of itself (and probably everyone who knows me would say that) but he is crazy talented and over time some of it might have rubbed off on me.  He never learned the word can't especially when it comes to building things.

Brawn has his hand in just about everything I make on the blog.  Without him most projects wouldn't get done.

Mud Pie Station

We have referred to ourselves as the brains and the "Brawn" of the operation for most of our married life, and finally the name stuck.  At least for him.  But if you would rather call me Brains than Bliss, have at it.

Our life has always consisted of DIY, building, and making the things that we wanted ourselves, that's nothing new to me, the only thing new is that now I blog about it.

We have six kids, which is really where my passion lies, but my blog isn't about my life as a mom, it's about the edges of that and making where we live a place we all want to be.

Mudroom Bins Under Coat Cubbies

The ranch is plopped down in the middle of 25 acres, about 1/4 mile off the road in the trees - so no one can see me painting outside in my jammies - and about 3 miles from town.

Looking out the driveway toward the lake

It's a playground every season if you like the outdoors.

Bean Bag Toss Yard Art

We don't have any typical ranch animals, not that Brawn or one of the kids hasn't pondered that, but we do have chickens and ducks, which as near as I can tell, other than eggs, are worthless to have around since all I do is worry about them as if they were dogs and cats.

And all they do is leave duck "stuff" everywhere.

Nothing says welcome to our porch like "stuff" letting guests know a duck or two was just there.

The Crapping Quackers

 I wonder elsewhere how many UPS men are chased by ducks when they try to deliver a package?

The oldest offspring has blessed us with a couple of grandkids - yeah they pretty much have us wrapped around their fingers.  Young minds keep our minds young.

Pink Play Kitchen made from a nightstand

There is always something going on around here, and most of the time I enjoy the chaos because it usually involves laughter and food.

Vintage Radio Turned into a Bar

Among my friends I'm an open book, but on the blog I don't often chat about my day to day life.  Suffice it to say life is pretty good even when it doesn't go quite the way I'd like.

I'm kind of a wise azz and find humor in just about anything, and I'm known to say a swear word or two.

If I had to sum myself up I'd say I'm not near as nice as some people believe, but not as bad as others think.

Dining Room Chairs with a Vintage Grain Sack Look

Stopping in here at Junk Chic Cottage is a nice change of pace for me from painting and putting projects together, and I appreciate the invitation.  If you ever want to see what I'm up too....... everyone is welcome to stop in at the ranch.

Thank you Bliss for sharing your self with all of us.  Please hop over to meet Bliss and see her lovely blog.  She does some of the best DIY re loves I have ever seen in blogland.  I was so excited she said yes to Spotlight and wanted to share herself and blog with all of us.

Have a wonderful week end.

Kris

:)

Dining Room Reveal

Happy New Week.  I have my dining room reveal for you today.  After I took down all my Christmas decor I took it a step further and took everything out of the dining room!!!

So now with some fresh paint and a new decor look I will show you the new dining room. 

This was my dining room before.  Basically cream and whites throughout.  See that old chippy cabinet door with the candle chandelier hanging on it.  You will see what Terry made that into later in this post.

Here is a wide shot of the after.  I painted the walls  Stone White.  It is white with a hint of grey.  I also added back my creams and whites and a lot of my architectural pieces I love.

The best part of this re love of this room is that the only money I spent was on the paint and having my curtains made for this room.  Everything else I had already.  More about the curtain seamstress later.

I think the best way to tour this new dining room is to go by sections.  This is the back corner of my dining room that I put my reading chair.  The beautiful curtains were made for me by Karen Harmon at Designer Stitching.  If you do not sew like me and need any sewing please check her out on her Etsy shop.  She is very reasonable and quick.  Karen is a sewing angel.
I got the fabric from Ikea to cover my chairs and I  sent some to Karen to make these panels for me.  Karen also made me a gorgeous bedspread that I will show soon.

Remember these old porch posts that I framed the coffee bar with well.......

They now adorn my dining room window as a chippy header.

Hung my chippy white cage with love birds in front of this window.  They look like they are looking out to the garden in the back.

Moved this old vintage mannequin I found at my fave store Vintage in Morris  awhile back.  Hung a chippy window behind her.  She adds a little vintage whimsy to this room.

I put my chippy mantel back up on this wall where I use to have the coffee bar and shelves.  Hung my old vintage angel on an old chippy window for the top of the mantel.

I love the simplicity and beauty my angel gives to the mantel area.

This is my other corner of the back dining room.  This area is still a work in progress.  I did hang back up my old door and the birdhouses.  I am still tweaking this corner.

Kept my old blue skates out from my Christmas decor.  Love the pop of light blue  color the skates add for some winter decor.

It keeps that corner of the dining room light and brings in my love of the garden that is outside the french doors of this room.

  Here are the french doors that go out to our back deck and where all my flowers are in the summer months.  I love that I have this vintage garden sign to hang over the french doors going out to my garden area.  As most of you know I love to incorporate old vintage pieces of furniture and architectural pieces in my garden decor.  

Terry made me this old bench out of that old chippy cabinet door in the above before dining room picture.  The old legs he had in the shed.  Love that man and his use of tools lol!  

I painted my chalkboard hanger white that was made out of an old headboard and rehung it back up over the bench.

More little love birds in this wreath on the door going out to the flower garden and deck area.

I love my flowers and deck in the summer months so it was fun to add the vintage garden pieces to my dining room decor.   Right now those french doors lead to snow and freezing cold!!!!

Remember the cabinet I inherited from Terry's Nana.  This is the piece re loved with some new paint and a new cabinet door.  I was really close with Terry's grandmother so I treasure this piece and all the memories.

Here is the cabinet open with some of my vintage clocks and iron stone and some old silverware pieces.  The door we made out of an old church window I had. The door that was on this piece was cracked and the glass broken out.   So I was so excited when we saw this church window would fit where the old cabinet door once hung.

I have some of my Madonna collection and old rosaries up on the top of this cabinet.  The rosary on the half Madonna is actually Terry's grandmother's too.  Nana gave me that rosary before my daughter Jen got married.  She said just in case it might rain on Jen's special day you hang the rosary in the window and the sun will come out.  I just loved this women and all her fun rituals she would share.  Guess what it was sunny and beautiful on the day my daughter got married!!!!

Remember those old french doors I had out in the garden this summer with plants hanging on them.  I decided to bring those wonderful doors inside for the dining room.  So happy when Terry told me he could make them fit.  Again love that man and his tools!!!

They hinged up nicely to the old side light windows I had already hanging in this space between the kitchen and dining room.

Whew!!!! last area.  Are you still with me and not on picture over load lol!  This is where my mantel use to be and now I have this old picket fence and old rusty garden bench here.

So there you have it.  My new Vintage Garden/ Nordic French Cottage dining room.  

I found this rug at Home Depot for $80 for a 9X12 size.   I am going to give it a try.  I was thinking more of a gray rug but I have not been able to find anything that looks good with the cottage/chippy style in here.   So since this was was pretty reasonable I thought I would give it a try.    It looks white but it is really is a cream.

Thanks for hanging in there with my loooong post on the dining room reveal.
Have a wonderful start to the new week.
Kris
:)

Parties:
Make it Pretty Monday
Wow us Wednesday
Show and Share
Inspire Me Tuesday
What's It Wednesday
Treasure Hunt Thursday
Shabbilicious Friday
Show and Tell Friday
Feathered Nest Friday

Special Guest Feature

Happy Sunday.  This Sunday I am being featured over at Design Dreams by Anne in her Open House Sunday Feature.  I was excited when Anne invited me to be featured on her beautiful blog.

So please hop over to Anne's blog and you can see my home featured there.

Thank you Anne for this honor.

Design Dreams By Anne

Have a great Sunday and please stop by tomorrow I will have my dining room reveal!!!! Yeah!!!! finally done.  

Kris

:)

Saturday Spotlight: Life Behind the Blogger

 Saturday Spotlight: Life Behind the Blogger is a feature done each Saturday that introduces you to a blogger you may already know or a new blogger for you to get to know. This feature gives you a peak into the personal life of the blogger.  Getting to know the special person behind the beautiful blog.

There is so much talent and inspiration in blogland so enjoy getting to know these talented bloggers each Saturday.

Linda: It all started with Paint
January 10th

Good Morning.  Happy Saturday.  I am excited to introduce you to a fellow Chicagoan.  Linda from It all started with Paint blog.  Sit back and enjoying meeting Linda and seeing her beautiful 100 year old home in the City of Chicago.  So beautiful every room.  You will feel like you are flipping through your favorite decor magazine as you read her feature.  After you have gotten to know Linda please hop over to her lovely blog and Etsy Shop.  Have a wonderful week end.

Kris

Hello Junk Chic Cottage readers! I'm humbled, honored, and so excited to be spotlighted here on Saturday Spotlight! Thank you so much Kris for sharing me with your friends and fans!   

 My name is Linda and I blog at It All Started with Paint …

I’m a born-and-bred Jersey girl who currently lives in Chicago with my husband, two children, and beagle Ernie. And when I say “currently,” I don’t mean we just moved here. In fact, my husband is a born-and-bred-Midwesterner. And my kids are official “L” train-riding Chicago city kids.   You see, I’ve been here since 1993.   And in 1995, my husband and I bought our first home.With a 5-7 year plan in mind.     And here we remain, closing on 20 years later!   I started my blog a few years ago to document my efforts as I redecorate our home, room-by-room, on a very tight budget. It was slow going at first, but I made some real progress in 2014. In fact, I’m just one room away from starting all over again!   I kid you not. I thought it would be appropriate to start this tour at the front door. Which I like to dress up for the holidays. Here’s one of my favorites, my Halloween porch …     And I share how I painted that no-math-required diamond patterned porch rug here.   Once inside, you’ll be greeted by my board and batten entry. This space used to be very, very sad. A poor first impression. And a wasted use of space. But now it’s not only pretty … it's functional too. With plenty of hooks for coats and backpacks and hats ...     After we installed the faux board and batten wall treatment in the entry -- using only hammers, nails, and lots of hard-earned sweat equity – I made an executive decision that I needed it EVERYWHERE!   So the next day I ran out to the home improvement store and bought a brad nail gun and compressor.   I kid you not.   I’ve gone a bit batty for board and batten. It just seems to suit our 100+ year old home. So I installed it in our remodeled living room …     I just love how the navy pops against the crisp white board and batten ...     And I installed it in our remodeled dining room …     A remodel inspired by my amazing navy and white striped rug …     When you turn around, you’ll see I haven’t installed board and batten in our kitchen …   The kitchen.   *Sigh*   Where it all started. And where the blog name came from. My “honey, I think I’m going to paint the walls in the kitchen” steamrolled into a new quartz counter top and new glass tile back splash and new sink and faucet and ripping out and replacing the rotted out sink basin and me painting the builder-grade oak cabinets …   Funny thing … I’m gearing up to give the kitchen a second makeover. Tee hee. Don't tell my husband. ;)   I see chunkier top molding on the cabinets. I see a lighter cabinet color palette. I see a chalkboard wall. I see subway tile. I see exposed shelving. I see making better use of that load-bearing wall that separates the kitchen from the dining room.   Yes. It will be a big project in 2015!   Then there’s the teeny, tiny first floor powder room.   It got in on the board and batten action as well ...     But it’s probably best known for my painted bathroom sink …   That’s right. I actually painted the sink …   Yeah. I’m crazy like that!   This past year, I finally finished the remodel of our family/sun room. This space was looking a ripped and ragged after 14 years of love. So this was a top-to-bottom redo. Paint. Rugs. Curtains. Bamboo blinds. A new Ikea sectional …   It’s officially our favorite space in the house! {You can explore more of the family room by clicking here …}   Although, for me, the new work space/craft nook I carved out for myself in the basement runs a close second.     You can find out more about my industrial look workspace by clicking here.   To wrap up the first floor tour, one of our favorite places to be in the summer months is on the screen porch.     A refuge for us Chicago dwellers. A place we dream about for nine {and some years, ten} months out of the year. Depending on the polar vortex … You can see more of my home tour and room remodels by visiting my Home Tour tab on my blog {click here}. And when you’re there, be sure to check out my project galleries for my crafts, recipes, and sewing projects.   Oh, and I have a second blog too. Mason Jar Crafts Love. It’s all about the millions of things people do with their mason jars ...   that doesn’t involve canning! Thank you Kris for featuring me at Saturday Spotlight! Again, I’m honored and humbled!

Thank you Linda for sharing yourself and your beautiful home with all of us.  It was a sweet pleasure to have a fellow Chicago blogger to Spotlight this week.  :)