Shelf Above the Washer and Dryer

I had to forestall telling you about my cute shelf in the laundry room because I was trying to get in all my Christmas posts. I still have one more room I'd like to show before Wednesday but it won't be the end of the world if I don't get it in.

Here is what the laundry room usually looks like.

It cleans up really nice when we hide the cat food and the laundry stuff. 

I don't know if he saw it on Houzz or on This Old House but Bill said we should put a shelf above the washer and dryer to hold the laundry detergent. 
Actually he said he would prefer that we rip out the existing shelves and put in cabinets.
The time to say that was 23 years ago when we had   
three kids and a family of five with lots of junk that we needed to hide but we were never really willing to spend money on the laundry room. There were always plenty of more visible improvements that took precedence.
 I wanted cabinets for years but at this point I don't care if we have them or not.  
We are almost empty nesters so there isn't as much laundry as there used to be.

I wanted to hide the pipes and outlets. I hid them for a few months with an old piece of faux ceiling tile.

It wasn't perfect but it got the job done.   
My outlets were pretty high so I had to mount the shelf several inches above the washer and dryer. I couldn't "rest" it on top. 
 I put my thinking cap on and realized that the shelf would work if I made a skirt to cover the stuff I didn't want to see.
I don't know why suddenly it became important not to see the workings of the washer and dryer but it did.

So I hung two little gingerbread brackets that we have had since the 90s.  
I found some wood in the garage. 
It was the perfect width but not the perfect depth. 
I found another thin board to sit behind the thicker one and cut it to the correct length. I love it when we have scraps in the garage. I really do.
I painted the shelf. 
I made a ruffle out of drop cloth using my ruffle method.
I stapled the ruffle to the bottom of the shelf and then drilled the boards into the brackets.

Oh my, 
I think it is cute.

Laundry soap and button and clothes pin jars look adorable sitting on the shelf. 
I always like to have rags handy so I found a basket for them. 

My favorite gingerbread creation brightens it up for the holidays. 

I love that all the workings are hidden.

I'll show you the revamped sewing table in another post.  
Katie 

Linking with,
French Country Cottage   
The Charm of Home   
Savvy Southern Style

White Christmas in the Dining Room

I was thrilled to find a white feather type tree at the thrift store. 

It was only $8.00.

It looks perfect on my newly painted buffet.

I plopped some white trees from Walmart into a vintage sleigh in keeping with my "keep it simple" philosophy.

I actually had two of these sleighs. 

I bought one a few weeks ago at the thrift store and then I found one in a bag in the Christmas closet. 
(?When did I buy that?) 

I gave the better looking one back to the thrift and kept the rustier of the two.

The little deer came from the thrift store for 75 cents. I created a few vignettes in jars. What a cutie!

It's just an old candle jar that I cleaned out. To clean out a candle, I will put the almost empty jar in the microwave for 10 seconds or so at a time until I can scrape out all the melted wax. I take it very slow. I think the jar could crack if you heat it too fast. Make sure that you pull the metal end of the candle out if there is one. I love old jars.

Here is the other bifold door.

I found this print in a hideous frame at the thrift store. Reframing it from one in my stash made all the difference. Bill says I really need to dial back my frame collection. :( 

Rude! 

But...

My favorite nativity is white. It is Sacrart from Goebel and it's just like the one I had growing up from 1960 or so.

I still have Mary from the original set but Joseph lost his head and Jesus disappeared completely. I really think Jesus got thrown away accidentally because I always wrapped him in white tissue. I spent years digging and looking for him until finally I decided to hunt e-Bay until I found a replacement. 

Katie    
Linking with,
My Uncommon Slice of Suburbia 
Savvy Southern Style  
The Brambleberry Cottage 
From my Front Porch to Yours 
French Country Cottage   
Common Ground    
The Charm of Home

Christmas in the Kitchen

Everyone is doing it

I've seen so many cute cars with trees strapped to them that I had to have one too. 

I pondered where to get an old vintage vehicle when I remembered I had this one upstairs.

I got several mini white trees at Walmart. 
Oh so cute!

This little item has set the tone for the rest of the kitchen.

I loved the car so much that when I saw this little truck at CVS, I knew it had a perfect vintage style for a tree of it's own.

The pie safe was in the laundry room. I moved it in here and painted it when I painted the buffet in the dining room. 

You haven't gotten to see it yet but let me say, I love it white!  

It fits perfectly under the stairs. 
I think this piece was once part of a bedroom set from the 40s.It had solid panel doors but I took the panels out and put in chicken wire so I could see my cute white stuff.
When I was a new teacher just starting out, I found a pie safe out in Canton (you have got to come to Texas and go to Canton,) for $100.00. I didn't get it and have kicked myself a dozen times over it. Back then $100.00 was a fortune. I had a choice between eating or getting the pie safe. I like to eat! 
Bill and I saw this piece shortly after we got married for $35.00. It had the same lines as the pie safe that I left behind. I've pondered letting it go but it has such a redemptive story. :)

It has been in almost every room. 

I carried the cottage and pine tree theme around the room.

There are pinecones in this room too.

The bear was a birthday gift bought for me in Alaska.
  

I'm wild about pinecone dishes.

I found the white Santa mugs years ago. 
 They are one thing I put out every year regardless of my theme.

There are a few pops of red.

The vintage stockings were from my grandparents.

A very gnomish elf sits next to our Target lantern.

I knew I would love a wreath on the new vent hood cover.
  

Thank you all for your kind words on my last post. 
Blogging is so therapeutic. It is my journal of sorts, and it soothes the soul to share my struggle. 
Thanks for stopping in,
Katie   
Between Naps on the Porch   
Amaze Me Monday  
A Stroll Thru Life     
Cozy Little House