Rooms To Go...

~ My little study secretary~

Yes, I KNOW I have been a bad blogger and not visited everyone as I love to and should. Just been one of those weeks...so, first, let me apologize and ask for your forgiveness. And second, as a way of retribution, here are some photos of my house. So many of you asked, I promised, here they are. When I say *retribution*, well, I had yet to clean so you will soon see that I was quite coy in taking these images. Uh huh. You will not see the unmade bed or the laundry waiting to be put away. You will not see some areas that are in need of a good brush up or the cat/dog toys that seem to reproduce while we humans are asleep. These are un-staged and raw..well, so to speak! I will take some better shots eventually but, by way of an apology, here they are...now. Be nice...no throwing tomatoes ala RMS on HGTV.com. I quickly soured on that save for the fact that so many of the dearest souls there are now bloggers! Whoo hoo! But helpful criticism I can take...do tell me what you think I could do to make any spot better. Well, except for one thing. My stuff stays. I love stuff. I crave stuff. believe it or not, I do edit. Really! But my stuff soothes my soul and makes me smile so parting with it ain't gonna happen. No way, no how. Each picture can be enlarged by clicking on it. Soo....*gulp*...here goes...

This was Dan's room but when he prepared to move into an apartment, he boxed up his treasures and books and pictures and Mom turned his space into a guest room. After the roommate was transferred and Dan's move faded away, he moved into the basement. But, eventually he moved back upstairs. Still, I kept it mostly as a guest room. He uses the desk for his computers and the chest for clothes but I can turn this baby back into a guest room at a moment's (or 4) notice!

Those are baskets from Savannah, Georgia and that wooden carving on the book shelf came home from China in my lap.

Shells are from all over the world...our trips and Bill's Navy voyages. The desk...

Moving into Grace's room...my little photographer's assistant, Henry, followed me everywhere!

The new, sophisticated Grace hide away. It is still a work in progress so I *artfully* photographed it! You can see the new color, the new curtains (which match the bedding) and the new chandy. She LOVES it so much...

The dress she got for Christmas on what was my dress form. Grace added the pearls and her new handbag. A little note about the bag...it was a huge surprise from Santa. It was screen used by Brenda Song, the actress who plays London Tipton on The Disney Channel's Suite Life of Zak and Cody. Grace loves the show AND London/Brenda. From what I hear, Santa bid for it on Ebay during a charity auction and ended up as the only bidder for it. It arrived with pictures of Brenda/London using it in the episodes. Can you guess how excited one Miss Grace truly was to see it?

The bath used by our kids. It used to exactly match what was our guest room and then Grace's room. (That was before Grace became sophisticated!) I have been told that i should re-do it to co-ordinate with her room or Dan's/the guest room but I LIKE my green bath. A friend sponged it and I added the roses and I think it is very Monet's Garden-y and it makes me smile. I may change it someday...we will see...

The master bath counter's stuff

The master bath mirror, the top of an antique dresser.

Above our bed...a reminder to *dream* and more stuff.

Uh huh. We do have a blue bed and I love it. I was told that I would hate it in 5 years...it has now been 10 and I still like it. Hmpf. Treasures from friends ands family kept in an old box. I saw this look in the film Hannah and Her Sisters and tried to duplicate it.

My blue cabinet and the ubiquitous stuff that is found all over our home...a poem Danny wrote to me for Mom's Day 1999, pictures of my little sweeties (Son, daughter and nephew), a painting my folks gave me in 1979, treasures from friends and family, silhouettes of the kids...Dan's was done in Disney World when he was 10. Grace's was done in Disney World when she was 8. Same lady did both!

Books and Eiffel Towers...I have way too many of both and would not part with even one!

Why yes, that IS a ceiling fan you see off to the left. One of those things that design shows tend to rip out of ceilings straight away. Nope. I am not gonna lose mine thank you very much. So I added a chandy across the room over the little sofa. Gotta have my fan...I am menopausal ya know. *sheesh*

Yes I am a big kid and I love a sense of whimsy. You won't see this look on HGTV but I love it and it makes me smile! Our living room fireplace...uh huh.Books, stuff and more books and stuff. Just to the right of the fireplace, next to the corner cabinet housing the royal memorabilia... yeah, yeah. Books and stuff. Told ya. The front entry. Yup. That would be books and stuff. That is the door to the study on the left... The small secretary in our study...stuff, stuff and books. My Grandfather's papers and pocket watch, Bill's Grandfather's spectacles, Grace's shoes from China, old Victoria magazines in a wooden Chinese basket... Um, that would be MORE books...oh and the chest I rescued from a neighbor's garage just before it was burned. I LOVE it! The study window with Henry looking out at the snow and more, you guessed it, stuff. An antique child's chair and some forlorn teddies...yes they DO classify as stuff.

Our dining room...that is Danny's HS Senior picture, books and, yes, stuff. Have you detected a theme here? *grin*

Dining room hutch...

This is our newest resident at Rabbit Run Cottage. His name is Harvey Norbert Burns.

That is his little cousin Stanley on his shoulder. Norbie was a gift from my husband and son and I think he is marvelous. He is a reminder of a perfect day with two of my dearest friends in the world. We discovered him on a girl's afternoon out and my guys went back later to get him.

I adore him and think he is just too special...

Our kitchen...Kipper's treat jar and the treat jar for Lucy and Henry.

This is the counter I only use when we have guests so it also houses things we use a lot for cooking...oh, and some treats for the humans in the family!

By the back door...

More stuff on counters...

Grace created these frames for pictures of the family. She put them on our doors so, just in case we forget, we can find our rooms. I think they are wonderful...

So, that is it for now. I promise to post more soon but I think your poor eyes can only take in so much stuff at once. Yes, my stuff is any decorator's worst nightmare. But to me it is pure fun and joy. I hope I haven't scared you all away....

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I wish you a sweet weekend, a

safe and warm weekend...

Love and hugs

to you all,

Susie Q