Update: We have a winner. Stay tuned for a new contest in February. My monthly contest to win a “Love the House You’re In” custom collage will continue this year, with collage artist extraordinaire Mel Kolstad remaining with scissors and vintage ephemera in-hand. Do you realize that Mel’s collages are just 4 inches square? A bit smaller, even, than what you see on your screen. To get us started for January, I asked Mel to make a collage for Susan, who was the winner of my first annual “The Hard Way” award. I love it! Click on through if you want to enter to win our next collage -> .
Meanwhile, Mel explains her journey in crafting Susan’s collage:Susan’s house is wonderful in that it incorporates so many different textures: wood, brick, stone and glass. It was the first time I’d ever “made stones” and I really loved the process. It was also a hoot to feature many of her kitties on the collage as well!
😀
Mel
Thanks, Mel! Read more about her work on her cool blog, Ephemeraology.
Karen knew that the secrets to life could be found every year at the Home Show 
Back from the Aneta barbecue 
Win a set of vintage Paris coasters that Pam found at World of Tile 
Available today: Vintage seed packet stamps 
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Another cute collage- love those cats!
This year I am not tackling any huge projects (did some expensive exterior work last summer that is limiting my budget)- my goals for 2011 are to decorate my home with thrifty vintage finds on a budget. So far it’s been a fun challenge!
Thank you Melanie! 😀 Those kitties were fun to add to the collage! 😀
My HOT project:
Declutter, decorate and paint two bedrooms upstairs, including making walk-in closet in one more useful
I already have the vintage cowboy bedroom set for one of the rooms, and both rooms have new windows and plantation shutters. Let the decluttering continue til it’s done this time!
Hottest project is the kitchen floor. My husband tried to redo it himself about a month ago, using commercial floor tile. That was a disaster and a half…he is generally very handy, and I have never seen him give up a project, but this one did him in. The tiles would not stick and it was a total mess. I had to go to the dreaded big box store and get replacement stick-ons for the tiles he’d pulled up. Sad day, and we are back to our ugly floor that we’ve lived with for 5 years (since we bought the house). We are going to go “real floor” shopping soon, and see if we can find something that he can install and that we both can love.
Funny how many of us are “un-doing” kitchens; that’s on my plate, too. My house had a lot of un-doing, in fact. Folks, if you don’t like old houses, don’t buy one to mess up. Just buy new.
Un-doing = back dating = “Retro Renovation”!
I am going to add a window to let in more light to my only living area, and paint my horrible 80’s fake oak kitchen cabinets.
We are warming up to un-do our kitchen as well, but for this year we will be installing more built-ins. First up, a series of shelves in the bedroom to house my ceramic owl collection.
My hottest project for 2011 is to finish building the shed that looks like a younger sibling to my 1955 mid century modest house. Clerestory windows, period perfect paint colors and a security gnome to keep watch complete the look. Because the house is less than 1,000 sq ft, the shed is a must.
Love love love the little 4″ collages.
Hope it’s not too late to enter…..I would love to win such a unique, and personal, collage! My first project is to get the Crestview doorlite kit I received for Christmas installed. Unfortunately the handyman gene seems to be missing from this household.
I want to enter! Yippy!
Lets see, the project I am itching to get done is the bathroom in our 54 bungalow. We started it this weekend. We are ripping out the new toilet and putting in a Mammie pink toilet and wall mounted sink with chrome legs. So far, its a huge pain in the butt! As most vintage things are, it will be worth it in the end!
XOXO
Dollie