More Items in My ETSY Shop

This past weekend, I went to an estate sale in one of the most beautiful suburbs of Chicago. It seemed like the suburb and house from "Home Alone." Needless to say, they had some beautiful pieces for sale; I wanted to take all of the furniture home with me but I had to leave it all there. Here are pictures of what I found; they are up on my ETSY site now....

My first love are these three candlesticks. I adore blue and white rooms and I thought one could use a chic addition such as these. I imagine them on a bookshelf, side table or a massive white carrera marble kitchen island.

You can find these candlesticks here.

My next love that I happened upon was the letter "H" as a paperweight. I am very into monograms, even though I don't own many things monogrammed. But I am a sucker for the preppy look. However, I found this paperweight to be more sophisticated then preppy because it is gold plated. I would love to have this on a desk to bring some glam to a working day. I don't even think you need to have the letter H in your initials, H could stand for home.

This item is up on my ETSY site, click here for more details.

I did pick up some more loves at the estate sale but I am waiting until I have my shadow box built so that I can take better quality pictures. But the above items are my favorites.

Besides shopping, I was working my newly acquired DIY muscles by sanding, painting and upholstering a bench which I transformed into an ottoman.

Here is the before...

And the after

This is also for sale on my ETSY site, click here for viewing. I plan to make matching pillows soon.

What do you think?

Kate Collins Interiors ETSY Shop

I opened up my ETSY shop doors less then a month ago. It has been an exciting new challenge for me and I have loved having a shop of my very own. Here's what I have in store...

Tartan and tweed are all the rage now in decor and while this first item is neither tartan nor tweed, I think it goes very well with the general theme. There is a hint of the traditional Ralph Lauren Home look with updated touches. As seen in the latest issue of Lonny, the wild west is very much in style -

Click here for my ETSY shop.

My next find was the cutest collection of vintage pink depression glass all in mint condition. They have so many wonderful uses. Obviously the glassware is meant for serving food; however, I would use the small bowl on my bedside table to put my ring and necklace in at night. I love the pink…

Click here to go to my ETSY shop.

You can find this platter here.

My final pink depression item is a vintage glass divided bowl. I would use this for a spot to stash change and my watch or sunglasses.

This can be purchased here.

The next item is a little lovely bud vase that I added to my shop. I think there is something so elegant about a single flower in a bud vase. That and I am terrible at arranging flowers so this is an easy out for me.

This glass bud vase can be purchased here.

I put together a display of the items as a way to entertain myself as my husband wrote a paper…

Sorry my husband’s wallet is not for sale – that’s all mine. Ha ha.

Martini anyone? Well, for those who like their martinis stirred, I have added a glass martini pitcher and stirrer. The pitcher can be used for other things than martinis – but I believe that making a martini is the absolute best use.

To purchase the martini pitcher click here.

That’s all the goodies for now. What do you think?

Dedicated to Dad with Love

It is amazing what the human spirit can endure. I know many have endured much worse then me but I am surviving my own personal hell.

I come from the dream family. I have three older brothers and parents that met at 17 years old and remained in love for their entire marriage.

A month before I was married, my father, the pillar in our family, was diagnosed with pancreatic cancer. My perfect universe was shattered and life will never be the same but I do endure.

Three months after my father was given six months to live, my husband and I had to move to Chicago from San Francisco for his business school. The rock of my life was dying and I had to move 2,000 miles away. I began to endure a long distance relationship between my father and my husband. Flying back and forth between a new marriage of less then six months and a dying father who was probably going to live less then six more months, I was hurting someone wherever I was and I longed to be in both places. Then December 31, 2008 Dad’s symptoms became worse. I decided to stay home in California. After many tests they figured out that the cancer had spread to his brain and it was time for hospice. My mother and I endured helping my father be comfortable while he slowly died. It was months of the hardest, most emotional, most labor intensive work of my life. On March 29, he passed away. I lost the man who made me who I am. I lost my best friend. I lost the rock in my life. My world broke.

I am now in Chicago with my husband full time. I have traded a year of hectic flying, care taking and giving of my whole self for silence. I am lost. I don’t have the desire to return to my career in teaching. I can’t give of myself to my young students. I am not whole.

Recently, I have started to realize something that helps to mend my brokenness. As silly as it sounds, it is décor. I love the thought of a beautiful, warm, homey home. As I am broken on the inside, I desire my surroundings to be beautiful.

On a strict budget in an income less marriage, I turned to the Salvation Army. I found a chair with “great bones” and I sanded it. I took my anger for losing my father and all that he had to endure and I rubbed the chair down to it’s natural wood. Then with even and tender strokes I painted the chair. For the first time in years, I felt excited and I hurried off to the fabric store to reupholster the chair. I picked a fabric that was fun, light and vibrant. It was the light at the end of my gloomy tunnel. I reupholstered the chair and sat back and admired my creation.

I have since sold the chair to a lovely lady. I hope she loves the chair as I love all that it has done for me.

I’m currently onto my second project and I have realized this is the impetus to starting my new life. I know that I am making my dad proud. I am following my heart. He taught me to dream and so I am. I'm dreaming big, Dad. This is my blog for my journey from shattered roots to becoming whole again one project at a time. This is my beginning again through a new business: Kate Collins Interiors. May it bring me some peace as I endure the hardest part of my journey - creating a life without my father. I love you dad!