Tis The Season For Kids Stuff AND Knobs

Wow, can you believe that Christmas is just around the corner ~  11 days to be exact.  I've been picking up all sorts of precious little kid items because I know this season is all about the kids.  Don't get me wrong, I know the most important reason for the season is Jesus and after Jesus comes our kids ~ what we wouldn't do for them, right?  Well, in addition to looking for beautiful pieces lately, I've also been picking up kids pieces ~

I love finding these treasures as its not everyday that you run across these ~ I was so excited when I found this at the auction ~ and when I was able to buy it.....WOW ~ ECSTATIC was how I felt.  Besides finding these gorgeous pieces, I love picking up knobs when they are on sale....don't you love them too?  Sometimes I buy them just to have them in stock......

Another precious item I recently picked up was this little wooden kitchen sink ~ it didn't look like much but I KNOW it will be beautiful when I'm finished with it ~ can you picture funky, chic, zebra, crystal, pink/white ~ that's where I'm taking this kitchen ~

The other thing I am REALLY excited about is the new color I have recently discovered ~ I don't know what the name of it is

But I think I will be painting THIS desk this particular color and adding THESE knobs ~

Be sure and come back and I will be posting pictures of all the finished items ~

Thanks for stopping by and May God Bless You :)

The Extraordinary Women in My Life

I promised you that I would write about the women in my life that make it possible for me to create the beautiful pieces of furniture at the same time to maintain a clean home, do laundry, etc.  Although it is our tendency as women, to be superwomen, we all need help and support.  I am so blessed to have a wonderful group of sisters and mom that help me when I'm being pulled in all directions.  The very first one on my list if my beautiful mother ~ she comes over when I'm going crazy because I haven't had a chance to clean the bathrooms, fold and put away clean laundry, dust all my furniture,  ~ you get the picture....lol.  She is such a pro at this that I don't worry about anything when she's here ~ she knows where everything goes ~ she knows where I keep my cleaning supplies, etc.  LOVE MY MOM

I come from a very big family ~ a total of 7 of us.  We are 5 girls (including myself) and 2 boys.....my sisters and I are very, very close.  Our entire family is very close knit.  I have two sisters in particular that are always willing to help when I need them.  My sister Nel, who loves to paint ~ was here this weekend and I had her sand all my pieces.  Although she would prefer to paint, I have decided to take that responsibility myself as it is my business and I've learned a lesson regarding this ~ so, enough said on that ~ I DO ALL THE PAINTING.......LOL

Then I have another sister, Terri ~ she has a full time job but doesn't work very far from my home.  If I'm running low on paint, I'll call her and ask her to pick up a gallon for me.  This keeps me from having to stop working.  She is such a joy to be around ~ very funny and happy all the time.  She just came by last night and we had a grand time ~ yes, we went to dinner and spent some quality time together.

Then, here is me......these are my typical work days :)  I  feel so blessed to have my family.  My sisters are the best any girl could ask for......

The Three Men In My Life ~

I often have people ask me how do I do everything I have to do?  I have to make sure my home is kept clean, do laundry, cook (well, sometimes), purchase pieces of furniture then paint it, and be a wife too .....Well, let me tell you......its not all me.  I have a great support system that helps me out tremendously ~ introducing my wonderful dad.....he is there for me anytime I call ~ we pick up furniture, we deliver furniture and anything else I may need him to do for me.......

My son, Freddy.....where do I begin with my praise for him?  I have been stranded on the other side of town and there comes my son to fix my tire.....then when the transmission went out on my GMC, there comes my son again.   He loaded up my GMC onto his trailer and took it to the shop himself so I wouldn't have to pay a wrecker ~  ALWAYS there for me.  He also has picked up furniture for me and other things that I have needed wanted.  He is one strong young man and the most wonderful son any mom could have.

 This is my husband, Jody ~ he NEVER tells me no.  I tell him I want to buy a new sprayer....o.k.; I want to buy 5 new pieces of furniture.....o.k.; I want to ........o.k.  He does what he can for me, when he can.  He had a stroke in May of 2009 and he is still trying to recover from that.  He has a difficult time speaking, walking and much less helping me load or unload furniture.  I try not to ask him to move furniture for me as I know its a very big challenge for him ~ but he's always there to support anything I want to do.  He was recently in the hospital 11/22 - 11/27 ~ yes, we spent Thanksgiving in the hospital ~ we will never forget this year....lol.  He is now recovering from this hospital stay.     

 Yes, no one can do anything alone.......if you want to be successful, you have to have a great support system and I definitely have that.......come back tomorrow and I will introduce you to the women in my life.......

Kitchen Cabinets ~ Finally Finished AND They Now Have Knobs

About 5 weeks ago I started work on my kitchen cabinets.....don't know why I decided to do them at this time but I was so tired of seeing them in that boring, ugly, brown color. I had already had a backsplash put in about 2 years ago and I had gotten estimates on re-doing the cabinets ~ its not cheap. Now my kitchen is not very big so when they quoted me over $1,000 I said o.k., I'll wait. So, I waited and waited and I finally decided to do it myself. Here is what they look like now ~

 Somehow I really enjoy coming into my kitchen now ~ the hard work paid off.  I had always wanted white cabinets but since my backsplash was more of a tan/tan color, I decided to go with this color on my cabinets ~ I think they came out pretty nice.  AND I know have crystal knobs on each one of them.

Rumor ~ My Little Gossip Bench

A few weeks back I was out at one of my favorite antique shops in the Heights ~ its called Grace Hart & Company ~ they have everything from glass, jewelery, furniture, antiques, lamps, etc. ~ you get the idea.  That day I was really out looking for something different.  As I walked into the shop, this precious piece is outside screaming "take me home" ~

I knew when I saw it that it had to be mine ~ the price was a little high but I REALLY wanted this.  Normally if something is overpriced, I can walk away from it ~ but this piece I loved.  Why?  Well, could it be because I knew that "back in the days" (in my younger days)......I always wanted one of these to sit down and talk on the phone on.  My parents had a phone but we never had one of these ~ so, now that I can buy my own things, why not?  So, I brought her home and named her RUMOR ~ I changed the color and reupholstered the seating area.  Here is RUMOR now:

I think she looks a little more modern now ~ don't you think?  I have her on sale for $125 so we shall see how long she lasts ~

Thanks for stopping by and May God Bless You ♥

Plants, Post Office, Wall Makeover & Younique727 Will Now Be In The Heights ~

In our business, we all know that we are constantly on the go.  Today was  no exception ~ my day started at 5:30 a.m. ~ made breakfast for my hubby and I and he was out the door at 6:30 a.m.....then I have to decide where do I start........I had jewelery pieces to ship out, pieces of furniture to finish, new pieces to pick up, a wall makeover to get done and I REALLY want to pick up some flowers, plants for my garden (they're 70% off right now ~ I ♥ that!).  So, I get all the jewelery wrapped up and ready to go......and my first stop........70% OFF ~ yes, I better stop now because this sale may end and we can't have that...

O.K., so I get my little flowers, plants, dirt and I'm happy now ~ REALLY happy as I haven't gardened all summer ~ been too busy.  Next stop, the post office; lets get the gorgeous jewelery shipped out to all my wonderful customers ( I have the best fans/customers in the world.....really, I do).

One more thing done....yahoo ~ that's a good feeling.  Now I need my daily Diet Coke ~ I ALWAYS go to McDonalds for this ~ ALWAYS McDonalds. Why?  Their drinks are $1.00 ~ no matter what size, they are $1.00 ~ that means alot to me.  No, I'm not cheap, I'm frugil....lol

Aaaaahhhh, this diet coke tastes sssssoooo good.  Isn't it awful that we get hooked on these drinks?  I love the fountain drinks ~ I can't explain it, but I just love the taste of these drinks as opposed to the can drinks.....I wonder if anyone else feels the same way....hmmmmmm.

Now, I'm headed over to do a wall makeover ~ this lovely lady had a bare wall that needed help.  She had recently bought some crosses and wanted to do something different with them.......that's where I come in.  I did the lettering for her and then placed the crosses and the frames she had on the wall.  One suggestion ~ buy some more crosses ~ I like walls with lots of stuff; well, not just any stuff, they have to go together and look cohesive ~ here is what the wall looks like now ~

Finished here then I have to stop by the pharmacy to pick up my husband's prescriptions ~ he's a diabetic and its very important that I get these medicines ~ o.k., so, make another stop ~ sorry, no pictures here.  Then the real fun begins ~ I am in the Heights ~ this is an area in the Houston area where you can find all kinds of antiques and really different things.  While I'm in one of the shops ~ I find this great piece ~ I think its beautiful.  They used to call these "gossip benches" ~ remember when you would have to actually SIT DOWN and talk on the phone?  No cell phones back in the days ~ well, I couldn't resist this one so I brought it home with me.....

While I was at this shop (Grace Hart & Co.), I decided to talk to the owner, Grace Hart herself.  I started asking about putting some of my pieces in her shop ~ this place has tons of traffic and is in the middle of antique shopland ~ perfect opportunity.  Ms. Hart and I talked and we came to an agreement that was favorable for the both of us ~ YEAAAHHH.....I am now going to start selling pieces at this great shop ~ in the Heights.  I'm really excited about this opportunity and can't wait to get started.  Now have to decide which pieces to take and which ones to sell myself ~ more to come......so, Younique727 is now going to be at Grace Hart & Co ~ Houston, Tx.......

Wow ~ I thank God for all the opportunities HE is placing before me ~ I will not let HIM down.  I also want to thank all my customers, friends and fans for the continued support.....I ♥ all of you.

Thanks for stopping by and May God Bless You

Life, Daughters & Furniture

In life we all have many experiences ~ good, bad, happy, sad and of course, painful.  I recently had some issues with my daughter ~ this has not been the first time.  My problems with her go way back ~ she had been on drugs since the age of 13 ~ she then had her first child at age 20.  Of course, she could not take care of this baby, so I took the baby at 1 yr.old ~ my daughter would be gone for months and months ~ I wouldn't hear from her nor did I know where she was.  But I figured it was her choice ~ I had my granddaughter, Alexis and I knew that Alexis was fine.  Melissa's behavior was out of control all the time ~ drugs, alcohol and who knows what else.  Four years later, she became pregant again, this time I ended up with the baby at the age of 6 weeks ~ again, taking care of her as if she was my own child.  Six months later, my daughter decides she wants to go to Rehab for help.  Fine ~ of course, this is not free ~ so, here I go again.  Paying money, making sure she had all her toiletries and whatever she needed while she was in there.  In the meantime, I still have both of my granddaughters to take care of and working full time.  I actually owned and ran a small boutique selling clothing, jewelery, accessories and home decor.  My business was going very well but then it got to be too much for me to handle having two small children to take care of.  I ended up selling my business, which made me very sad.  She wrecked three of my vehicles through the years and has made me spend thousands and thousands of dollars on so many things in life.

Through the years, I have struggled with my daughter's addictions and trying to guide her and help her.  My granddaughters are now 8 and 12 and have lived with me all these years until recently.  Alexis and Samantha moved in with their mother, when she got her own apartment (previous blog on this also).  Although she now had her own apartment, she continued to need my assistance, financially and also with my car.  I would have to take her back and forth to work ~ I would take my granddaughters to school, to the dentist, etc. ~ all the things that parents are supposed to do, I have done.

Our latest incident all started because I wanted to take my granddaughters to CCE class ~ I was brought up as a catholic and have always felt that our faith is very important to us.  Teaching children about the bible and about our God is also very important.  Since things did not go the way my daughter wanted, she got very angry and upset.  I also exploded as I felt so tired of always playing the role of a parent, as opposed to a grandparent.  Things got way out of control and the rest is facebook history.

I had no idea that Melissa was posting all the nasty things she posted ~ I was away from my computer and did not know.  When I arrived home, my son called and said to me, "mom, I don't know what's going on, but you better get on your facebook page now".  I couldn't believe what she was doing ~ she knew how important my business is to me and she went right to it.  This is a picture of my son, Freddy, and my granddaughter, Alexis.  He is the best son any mom could have.

Well, I felt as if my business was down the drain at this point ~ who in the world would want to do business with someone who has these kind of issues going on?  But guess what?  I found out that I have the most wonderful fans/friends out there.  The outpour of support, encouragement and love I received was unbelievable.  I know now that life will go on and my business will continue as usual.  My daughter, who is now 32 yrs. old, must now learn how to take care of herself and her children.  I no longer want this responsibility and I refuse to feel guilty about it.  I feel as I've done more than I really needed to, as a grandparent. This is my other granddaughter, Samantha, now 8 (in the middle)

Thank you to all my facebook friends/fans for your words of encouragement.  I couldn't have made it without you. I love you guys and hope to meet each and everyone of you one day.

May God Bless you and thanks for stopping. by

Mirror ~ Mirror On The Wall

I have never really been a big fan of "mirrors" ~ maybe because they show us things we don't want to see sometimes......wrinkles, frowns, gray hairs, etc. ~ but on the other hand, we need them to make sure we also can look beautiful, happy and vibrant ♥  A couple of months ago, I started looking for mirrors to buy; but not the usual ugly everyday ones we see at Hobby Lobby and Michaels.  You know what I mean?  I remember my mom having this big, ornate mirror in her living room, about 15 yrs ago ~ it was made of durable plastic but it looked gorgeous.  Those are the types of mirrors I look for now ~

Aren't these just beautiful?  I must say everyone else thinks they are too ~ they have sold within three days of posting them.  Now how great is that?  I love the curves, the details and the fact that there aren't too many of these around anymore ~  the auctions are a great place to find these but they too know how popular they are as they are not very cheap but they are so worth it♥

So, I will keep on searching for these ornate, goddy looking mirrors ~ we love them as they make statements about us.  We love to be different.

Thanks for stopping by and may God Bless You ♥

My Birthday Celebration

A few weeks back I had blogged about how stressed I was because my house was in such chaos ~ I had been so busy with painting, refinishing, looking for items, etc. that I could not keep up with my home.  Well, my birthday came around (9/2) and I decided to start a new year with a clean slate......yes, on my birthday I spend the day doing this:

My dining room had been turned into a painting area as it has been TOO HOT to paint outside ~ so the dining room table was no longer here, instead here is what I had:

My family room didn't look quite as bad ~ well, I had to try to keep at least one room clutter free and paint can free.....lol.  Although you can see I had a desk waiting to be claimed and a little end table (these have since been sold since these pics. were taken.).....

Now, on top of trying to keep up with all this, I had this SMART idea to start repainting my kitchen cabinets ~ yeppers, they have looked this horrible for over 7 years now and I decided to start painting them NOW......what am I thinking, right?  Here is what they looked like before;

Here is what they will eventually all look like ~ I'm not finished yet ~ its a work in progress:

Then, later in the evening, although I was completely exhausted from cleaning, scrubbing, moping, etc. my husband took out to dinner ~ we went to one of my favorite place ~ Lupe Tortilla's.  I love their margaritas ~

This was the end of a tiring but much accomplished day ~ all is fine at younique727 ~

Thanks for stopping by and have a blessed day ♥