Going, going, GONE!

Maisy, wants new furniture in the living room.

In order to do that I had to sell the existing pieces.

Well.....someone bought them yesterday.

YAY!!!




As you can see it is kinda modern.
That was Maisy's style in the old house.

The things I loved about this furniture was that is was very comfy and you could get ANY, and I mean, ANY stain out of it.


Now on to the dilemma....
I want slip covered furniture.

I know, I know everyone goes to Ikea and buys their slip covered furniture.
I am a firm believer that you get what you pay for.
Every time hubby and I go into that store we sit on the couch. It just feels like the boards are touching the back of my knees when I sit down.
I soooo badly want to like it. I mean for $500 you can get a couch.
I just can't do it.
I think Ikea is good for people just starting out.
I mean that is where we take our kids shopping for their college apartments.
It's also great for little things around the house.....such as storage items, wine glasses, candles or throw blankets. I think it would also be a great place to buy all the items needed to redo a kitchen or bath on a budget.

Ok....now that I got that off my chest.....
honestly, I didn't even know it was on my chest...

I'm off to check out Consumer Reports to see what they recommend.
Wouldn't it be HILARIOUS if they recommended Ikea's Ektorp couch(see I even know the name of the couch. That tells you how many times I have tried to convince myself to get it).

Hope you all had a great weekend!!

Holy Rosary

Have you all noticed that rosaries are popping up all over.
Now, don't get me wrong...I love them.
It's just that I have a hard time wearing a big ol' cross around my neck.


I came across one in my drawer.
It belonged to my grandmother.

When my mom died it was transferred to my safe keeping.
Real safe.....I totally forgot about it.

I decided to use it in my home....
(I'm sure, Bill, my Jewish husband, loves having this around the house. When he starts decorating he can have a say.)
I love it on this vintage lantern~

It feels so old to me.
I love holding it in my hands.
It's like a stress relief ball for me....just MUCH older~

Or...maybe I don't like wearing it because I feel like Mary is watching me.

Or maybe that Jesus is saying....
"Maisy, look what I had to do for you...now shape up"

Either way....I'm definitely not going to be wearing one any time soon.


PS In case you are wondering....I was raised catholic.
Even went to an all girl's catholic high school.
(loved my polyester skirt...that's why I'm not a big skirt fan)
However, I don't practice Catholicism any more.
PSS Another funny thing along those lines....not sure it's actually funny buuuuut....my Brother-In-Law is a Catholic Priest.
Holidays are fun around here :)

Have I mentioned Lately.....

how much I'm still just diggin' my Etsy shop, Maisy's Market??

The summer was a bit sloooooow for me....

BUT....


I'M BACK!!!



I just love all my new items...



For instance....

Vintage Etched Apothecary Jar.
It is just perfect~

Vintage Kitchen Scale...
Still has the original tags on it.
This is actually part of my personal collection.
Does anyone need a scale collection?!?
How come I didn't pick little things to collect...
like pennies or something??

Maybe you could help me out here....
what should I collect?

This is just the sweetest set.
Would make a perfect wedding present or even an engagement gift~
If I didn't have a set already I would not be parting with this.
Again, not something I think I should collect.

I just love these vintage flower frogs.
I have more coming in all different sizes and style...
stay tuned~

This serving piece is so much better in person.
I'm not even kidding.
It is GORGEOUS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

If you have an Etsy store.
Let me know.
I just LOVE to support my fellow Etsier's and bloggers!

HaPpY wEdNeSdAy!!!


PS..today is my first full day alone....
believe me when I say.....I have a list a mile long.
I have so much energy today!
YAY for energy~

Saying Goodbye

Today's post is going to be short and sweet....and without photos.
Today is my last full day of summer break with Bradley.
I just don't know where all the time went.
I am so going to miss my little man this year.
It was one thing for "B" to be gone all day to summer camp.
I knew that it would be for only 2 weeks at a time.
1st grade has such a different feeling for me.
Maisy, is feeling very sad today.
I am going to go and spend my last day of summer break with me and "B" alone.
No one else.
No friends, no other family members.
Just me and him.
I'm going to keep it a secret what we do...it's just about me and my boy today.
Today I am only a mommy.
So today I say goodbye for a day....I am not a friend today...I am only a mommy.
Happy Monday!~

Coincidence???

The other night I was woken up by the smoke detector going off.
Well, it was actually morning...4:32 to be exact.

I layed there for a few minutes wondering if I had just dreamt that.
After a few minutes of foggy confusion I got out of bed.
I looked at the smoke detector and the lights were going crazy.
My eyes weren't focused yet so I had no idea what that meant.

One thing I did notice was that there wasn't any smoke.




Now, the smoke detector is right outside of Bradley's room.
So I thought I should just check on him.
When I stepped into his room.....

It smelled sooooo bad. It was so bad I could feel my throat burn a bit.
I ran to the fan and realized it was about to start on fire.
It was overheating.
I turned off the fan and woke Bill up.

He said that the battery in the smoke detector needed to be changed.
Can you believe it?????....we actually changed it right then in there....normally we would do rock paper scissors to see who had to change it.
Then we would agree that someone will change it in the morning.
HEY....it was 4:30 in the morning.
We grabbed our sweet Bradley and put him in bed with us.....safe and sound.
ahhhh..


My question to you is this....

Do you think the battery going out in the smoke detector at that exact moment was just a coincidence?
I really have a hard time believing that.
I think Bradley had his guardian angel with him.

I ended it with a saying out loud a BIG FAT THANK YOU to whatever was watching over him.

Well....that's my story..have a great weekend....go do something realllly fun. It's our last weekend of summer break :(
(I hate routine)

Gasp, Ugh, Yikes

I got the new Anthrologie catalog the other day.

I GASPED!!!!

Now, let me give you a bit of history here....
I always go into Anthro with the intention of buying clothes.
However, I never buy anything.
Why you ask....because I just think it's not worth the money.
I mean $128 for a skirt.
YIKES!
$98 for a shirt....OUCH!!
I'm not a good clothes shopper....
I do much better buying stuff for the house~

I do have a few pieces from there but not many.
I just can't seem to bring myself to buy anything.

However what I ALWAYS walk out with are kitchen items.
Such as tea towels, aprons, measuring spoons and.....

LATTE BOWLS...

It's actually a bit of an addiction for me.





These are what's left of my latte bowls.
I just love the vibrant colors.
I find them cheerful.
They can even make freezer burned ice-cream taste yummy.
Wait....did I just let you know that my ice-cream has freezer burn.
UGH!!!!!


However, they changed them....

These are the new colors.
YIKES!!
They are just too dark for my liking.

I know, I know......lot's of you probably like them.

Is it inappropriate for me to throw a temper tantrum?
How about a fit?
OK, OK...I will just yell from my roof top.

Looks like everyone in my family better be extra careful while using these beauties.
Otherwise, Maisy may just have to throw a temper tantrum.

For some reason these just give me comfort.
Weird huh??

Facelift

I'm really bad at before pictures.
I'm always so excited to start a project that I completely forget.

So this is how the story goes....
Haley needed an nightstand for her new apartment at school.

I had a dark wood table I had purchased off of Craigslist for $5.

I had painted it my favorite shade of white.

It just sat and sat and sat and sat and sat and sat.....well you get my point.....in the garage waiting for a home.

See that's what happens....I do projects and I never know what to do with the final product.

She said we needed to buy a nightstand.
THEN....dun, dun, dun, dun....I remembered that I had the white table.

I agreed to get a little creative.
I remember her loving my desk...seriously, who wouldn't...

So I did my version of it...




TA-DA!!!!
Here is the final product.

Now this was my first time working with Mod Podge.
I've had it forever...just never used it.

I just used it to get the 1893 music sheets to stick to the table.
Of course then did the top with it.
Put 2 coats of poly on it and POOF....it was done.
Sure hope she likes it.

PS...the apothecary jar filled with vintage spools is for sale on my Etsy sight~

Just a Bit of Change

I have a bay window in my kitchen.
Before I painted it it held all my plants.
That was just ugly!

When I repainted it I knew I didn't want in to be my plant stand.
I wanted to use it for seating at our kitchen table and that didn't work.

I thought I could just turn it into a cozy nook.

BEFORE:

This photo was take late afternoon yesterday.
I just love all the light.
Although, I think I am making those fake lemons feel a bit self conscience.
Smack dab in the middle without a single friend.

AFTER:
(sorry for the bad picture)
This photo was taken really early this morning.
That is why the lighting is so different
All's I added was a candle chandelier and some throw pillows.
The dilemma here was that I didn't want to block the windows with big pillows.
This is all I could come up with.

This is a candle chandelier that I picked up along the way. I uncovered it in my closet.
I impulsively purchased this an didn't have a spot for it.
However, I loved it and couldn't get rid of it.
I knew that at some point I would find the perfect spot for it.
I think I did....what do you think?

This is just a sea of pillows.
Comfy, comfy, comfy.......

They are all down filled so when someone wants to sit and enjoy they will just be swallowed up by pillows.

Well, I'm off to grab my morning coffee and to sit and gaze out the window while laying on a "sea" of pillows~

Happy Tuesday!

P.S. Is anyone else sad that their kids are going back to school?
Am I the only one?

Cleaning Out My Closet

A couple weeks back Haley & I cleaned out my closet.
She's the organized one...I'm the one who has no problem getting rid of things.
I would show you a before photo of the closet but I'm even embarrassed.
It takes a lot to embarrass me.
Now you know it must have been bad.
I didn't have a floor.
Shoes & purses everywhere.
My closet was not a pretty sight~



This is what came out of my closet.
Just one closet.
Ok....I lied...and a couple of my drawers.
But seriosly, I just moved a little over 2 years ago.
When I was packing I went through everything.
How did this happen?
UGH!!!!!!

This is the new and improved Maisy closet.
Look...can you believe it???......I actually have shelf space available for me to fill.
Yes, that is what I will do.....I will work very hard at filling that shelf space.
I don't want to have a sad shelf.
Always wondering why it's not good enough to hold clothes.
I just can't do that.
Don't worry shelf....I will take care of you~

We went and bought all new hangers.
While I was at Target I picked up a new shirt.
Yep....that's the way Maisy rolls.
For every piece out a new piece comes in.

I am so glad that my master bedroom has 2 master closets.
Bill never comes in my closet....he has no idea what I have in there.

HEY BILL....IF YOU ARE READING THIS DON'T LOOK IN MY CLOSET.

Today it's raining here in Chicago....
Sounds like the perfect day to go shopping!

~Happy Birthday to Me~

Today is my 40th birthday.

Yay for Maisy.



I would say in the the last 5 years I have really become aware of how I tick.
The first 2 years I tried to changed everything.
The next 3 years I'm learning to really like myself.
As a matter of fact I think I'm hilarious!
(not sure the family would agree)

The first 40 years have been good....not great.
I will not settle for that for the next 40 years.
HECK NO!!!!
I have learned that if I want something I must get it.
I spent a big chunk of my life looking at others to make me happy.
That didn't work.
Today, tomorrow and all the days after that I get a "Do-Over".
I get to make myself happy!!!

YAY...for do-overs.
YAY....for happiness.
YAY....for me!

Hope you all have a great day....I know I will.

PS One of my gifts was an IPhone.
Help!!!!! I can't put it down!
Hi.....my name is Maisy and I am an IPhoneaholic~

Check These Out!

Check out these storm clouds.

We were at my SIL & BIL's lake house for the day.
We were minding our own business doing a little bit of water fun and the police stopped us.
I did have a glass of wine in my hand so I thought that was the problem.
Nope, the problem was that they were warning everyone to get off the lake....."a couple storm cell's are heading our way".

Sooo...off the lake we went...
well...after we whipped my other SIL, Kathy, around a bit!

So, as some time went by it was time to go.




This is what we drove home in.

I did feel a bit like a storm chaser.
I think I should have my own TV show.

How fun would that be???

~You Asked For It~

You all have been commenting and e-mailing that you want photos.

Well....the photo fairy showed up and granted your wish.

These are truly just misc. photos.

SSSSSSHHHHHHH....I didn't ask anyone if I could put them on The Maisy Report.
Heck, they are mostly family...they can take it up with me at Christmas.




Back of the house.
We were actually on a lake.
The ocean was a block away~

The living room...
AKA "the jig-saw puzzle" room.
We finished 3 1/3 puzzles...and they were hard ones.

The family room.
The boys watched a lot of those shows where they show people getting hurt doing stupid stunts.
Those are definitely not Maisy shows.

Thank goodness it was a big house and that I just adore the boys.

The kitchen.
Needs a little updating but my beer and wine didn't seem to mind.
Hey, if they're happy so am I.

Upstairs hallway.
Not sure why I threw that one in.
Are ya still with me?

Jakob....my Jakob.
He had to leave a couple days early but heck, we had him for 6 days.
I'll take what I can get.

The oldest and the youngest.
Jakob going in for some Bradley love.

This is my ever moving brother-in-law, Michael (Bill's bro)
He is so easy to be around.
We were always the first two up in the morning.
He exercised....I didn't.

My nephew, Cody, with a crab in the net.
I'm such a proud aunt.

My hilarious sister-in-law, Kathy.
I miss her energy now that I'm home.

She's so fun to talk to.

Bradley after catchin' a wave.
He loves to ocean...
Just like his mama~

Bradley felt the place needed a little sprucing up with balloons.
Only a kids would think of that.
Hey B....thanks for the party all week!!!

Michael and Kathy puzzlin' it out.

Kids playing Yahtzee.

We played so many games.
If we weren't on the beach we stayed inside.

Me and Haley.
This is the only photo of me.
I'm always the one with the camera.
I didn't even do my hair there....lots of humidity.

The boys doing a little fishing.
We kept seeing fish jumping...
I don't think they caught anything.

This is John (Cody's friend) and Cody.
They are such cool kids.
I loved spending time with them.

Bradley doing what Bradley loves....
Gotta love a DS.

This is Jakob and his friend, Sam.
Sam is really interesting.
He's in med school in Florida...only a 3 hour drive.
Maybe next year he can stay longer that one night.



SOOOOOOOOOOOOOO.....there ya have it.
This is the final chapter to my vacation.
I really do need to snap out of it.

I'm just not ready for summer to end...
I don't want Bradley to go back to school.
I don't want to have to pack a lunch for him everyday.
I don't want to have to worry if B got his homework done.
I don't want to have to put him to bed early....I actually like being with him(most of the time).

However, with new seasons comes new memories, challenges and experiences.
I guess all I have to say to that is......
BRING IT ON!!!!!!!!

Spanish Moss

Only in the south do you have this~





I love Spanish Moss!

I remember reading The Divine Secret's of the Ya Ya Sisterhood.
I remember how the author, Rebecca Wells, went to great length to describe Spanish Moss hanging from the trees.
I think it was because of that book that I fell in love with it.

Well, it was all over the island we stayed at.

I would sit on the deck and just stare at it hanging from the trees.
The above photo is what I was looking at.

I don't know what it is about it that I find so dreamy.

OK...I think it's because we don't have it in Illinois.
I am always the girl who wants what I can't have. UGH....why do I do that to myself??

Just another reason to not come back from vacation.

If any of you feel the need to ship some to me feel free to.

Not only did I forget to grab some of the moss...I also forgot to grab some sand.
I think I was in denial that I actually had to come home.

I guess I will have to wait to grab some of each when we go back next year.

Yep...that's right....Maisy's goin' back.

I'm back....

Hey all....I'm back!
Not voluntarily.
I had to be forced back.
That's right...KICKING AND SCREAMING.
I even tried the cry tactic.
Nope...that didn't work.
I refused to get out of the car at the airport.
That didn't work either.
Sheesh....what does it take for my family to get the hint that I like them much more when we are on a beach.

I would load all kinds of photos if Blogger would let me.
For some reason it won't let me.
See...just another sign that I should be laying on the beach.....
Not holed up here in my house where I have housework to do.
UGH!!! I need a PERMANENT vacation.

I turn 40 in just a few days...do you think a permanent vacation is too much to ask for?
OK...OK...I will settle for 6 months.
FINE, how about another week??

Hope you all have been great.
Anything new and exciting happen?
Give me the scoop....I gotta know.

Happy Tuesday~