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Flag of Switzerland, Painted on Vintage Stools
I love Switzerland!

And the Swiss flag is SO AMAZING!!!



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Flag in Switzerland
Did you know it's square, rather than the traditional rectangle flag shape? A red rectangle with a white plus-sign {not to be confused with the white background and red plus-sign for the red-cross....}.....

Sooooo, I decided I needed to involve the Swiss flag in my kitchen decor......

Because I want one.....

Happy memories.....



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Swiss Flag Stools
I sanded and painted and VOILA,
Two "brand-new" stools for the kitchen.










Now as to why I have such a passion for Switzerland?
One of my very favorite childhood memories took place in Zollikofen Switzerland:

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My parents joined the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints when I was just a wee-little-one...  And we got to go to the Swiss temple together as a family to be sealed for time and all eternity when I was four years old.....!!!  we rented a Volkswagen bus and drove through the night from our little home in Utrecht, the Netherlands....  I slept on the floor, and when I woke up:  we were in Switzerland!!!!  It was like a fairy tale for a little girl like me....

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Getting Sealed in the Swiss Temple
I remember it well.... and I remember especially how I felt.....  Wow, I thought those ladies in the temple were angels, directly form heaven.  They probably were....!!!!

In the picture I am the little girl in the middle. The bear and my brother are on my left, my father on my right. 
My sisters and mother must have been close by....  We weren't much into taking family photographs growing up, so this is as good as it gets.......   I LOVE IT!!!!!!   Brings back all those good and happy feelings....!!!

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Swiss Flag - Painted onto Wooden Stool
So now I get to look at the Swiss Flag all the time in my kitchen, and remember those warm fuzzy feelings.....Ahhhhhh.....

I'm a lucky girl!!!!!


They are not the right height for our bar {too short}, but we use them all the time anyway....
As it turns out it is super-handy wonderful to have a portable flat surface around the kitchen.  {Makes for great climbing too.....}







P.S.  I     In the pictures below {click on them and they will gt bigger} you can see how the stools match the vintage red oven we have {came with the house!!!!}.  Yee-Hah!!!!
P.S. II     Note how we use the oven as a dry-erase board for everything form  'art' to chores to positive quotes.....

 
 
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Happy St. Patty's to YOU
Just checking in to wish you a Happy St' Patrick's Day!!!!

My 10 year old asked me, "Why does it say Lucky?"
I told her the Irish story, but then added,
"I think it is because I feel so blessed, and Lucky is a fun way to say Blessed....."

And I do feel very blessed....  
A fun family....   Nice sunny weather....
A hard-working hubby who happily hands over the whole paycheck twice a month, so I can keep pluggin' away at silly creative stuff....  And play with the kids....
....And I have so many other blessings.....
I can't count them all....
Lucky me.....!!!!!

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'Keep Calm and Pinch On'
I borrowed this "Keep Calm and Pinch On" print from Stephanie,  the Hands-on Housewife....
she was so kind as to design and share it....
Thank you!!!!


(p.s.  Disclaimer of sorts.....  Sorry the photo's aren't excellent, I am not really good with indoor photography.... And then all those reflections on the glass and mirrors.... Yow-zi!)


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Fun Shamrock Bowl
And this is my favorite St. Patrick's Day Item on Etsy....  from OwlCreekCeramics....
Love it!!!!



Enjoy your St.Patty's! 
I will have to think of some green food for the fam.....

 
 
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happy white kitchen cart in its new home!
Remember the white kitchen cart I used to have....  Well, it now lives in its new home in Santa Margarita, California...
Isn't it sooooo adorable in its new home.....?????
I LOVE the green door, the white walls, and the sea-turtle art with it....
I am glad it has found such a fabulous new place to live...
Thank you Claire, for sharing this photo with us!

 
 
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Where do you fold your laundry.....?
I fold mine on the bed.  That way I HAVE to get it finished before I go to bed.  Works like a champ...
But yesterday.....  my daughter disguised herself as some laundry on the bed....
Did it work?
Do you see her....?
She is soooo tricky....!!!
She certainly had me going there for a while....!!!!


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before
As per the request of one of my favorite blog followers (thanks Ashley...!!!!!): here is a way to protect your fabric upholstered chairs from getting dirty....
And it is wonderful because you can even wipe it off!

To the left you see a fun vintage solid wood chair I found.  I love this chair.  It even has lovely woodcarving!  Lucky me for finding it!
I painted it red and covered the seat with new fabric...

But this fabric I chose is light in color....
Do you really think it will survive my children (and me....) without getting smudged? 
I think not....!!!

So I need to do something to protect the fabric....

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plan of attack
Here is my plan of attack!

I bought some vinyl from the fabric store....
I bought a whole yard, which is WAY too much, but I might need it again, so now I have it on hand...

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materials needed
Materials needed:
  • vinyl, cut to size (larger than the seat....)
  • staple gun
That's it!
Easy schmeezy....

Just pull it tight as you cover the front and staple the back.....

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after
Here it is....all done!

You can't even tell it has that sterile looking plastic on the chair....
Right....????


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now you can wipe this fabric covering clean!
OK, so when the light hits it just right you CAN tell, but that is totally  worth it, because I know the light colored upholstery cotton fabric would last two weeks around here (maybe) until it would be brownish.....


Makes me smile to see the happy colors.....
and they will stay that color!
YAY!!!!!
:)

Crystelle

P.S. You can also use this method to protect potato sack covered chairs, as the loosely woven jute fabric has a tendency to snag....

 

    Crystelle

    If you truly want to know all about me, drop me a note and I will try to come up with something exciting. Otherwise ~ suffice it to say, CrystelleBoutique is just a product of my impulse to always be creating something....  Something that will bring a smile to the faces of everyone around me......  including YOU!
    :-)

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    Please ask to use my pictures.... 
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    :0)  Thanks much!!! 

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    I belong to the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (aka Mormons)

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