Lift Up & Add Light

"arts & crafts"

I am back home for now & in between my travel & home, I am finishing my projects left behind.

I am doing projects from a few inspirational sites & things. One of the few, is an inspirational shabby chic style crystal chandelier inspired by neiman marcus lighting which I am doing for my dining area.

With a little time to stencil, my new shades and re-painting my chandelier to white and cleaning the crystals and putting em’ back from an old to a new look. 

Between me & the world is a window of opportunity. i don’t take that responsibility lightly. I wanted to take my summer time as much as I can finishing my projects, once winter comes in it will be hard to paint in a cold weather.

Between my travel & home, I have to take advantage of finishing what I’ve started.

Let’s get to it, & i will post more of my projects pretty soon! 

below  is the final look of my project. see yah & thanks for visiting me!!

Project Inspired by Neiman Marcus Lightings

All set & painted

Summer is almost over and one of my project is done, my dining area’s make-over is almost complete. merci my friends for visiting & merci my friend gemma for the vintage crochet dining table cover. 

here's the story, i knew ghe since my childhood days. her best friend florci is my best childhood friend, they both live in washington state.

 ghe's mom made her the crocheted dining table cover & runners when ghe gave birth to the twin boys, soo cute when they were little. time has passed by & the boyz are in college now, they are both in their sophomore years. 

i went to washington last week to visit my friend florci and her family. ghe & i went around the area to see the garage sales. i was about to buy the crochet dining table cover from one of the garage sales, ghe asked me if i wanted one, she said she has about three of them. i said sure why not, we went to her house and she showed me all her crochet stuff. 

they were all made beautiful by her mom and with care it was preserved for many years, one of gemma's heirloom. she gave me three pieces and i will make sure that i will take care of them too, a promise!

many thanks gemma, appreciate your kindness. 
blessings!! 

Love the stencil design, do you? Contemplating on adding more crystals to the lamp. What do you think?

Thank you for the great summer fun & visits, I hope to see you again!

Cheers!!! 

ON A TRAVEL TOUR, STAY TUNED MY FRIENDS

On a vacation travel tour for a few weeks,  FROM august 24, 2012 – September 30, 2012; 'Will be posting my travel photo shoots as soon as I get home. 

Thank you friends for all you patience.

A recipe specially made for you:

Biscotti with Lavender and Orange

 Recipes

Aug 20, 2012

Ingredients

·        1/2  cup sugar

·        3 tbls butter

·        3 tsp ground lavender

·        2 teaspoon grated orange rind

·        1/2  teaspoon vanilla

·        2 large egg whites

·        1 1/2  cups all purpose flour

·        3/4  teaspoon baking powder

·        1/8  teaspoon salt

·        1/4 C toasted almonds

·        Optional: 3 oz.  Melted semi-sweet chocolate

·        cooking spray

Preheat oven to 325.

Beat the first 5 ingredients at medium speed of a mixer until well blended. Beat in egg whites. Lightly spoon the flour into dry measuring cups, and level with a k knife. Combine the flour, baking powder, and salt; gradually add flour mixture to sugar mixture, beating until blended. Stir in almonds.

Turn biscotti dough out onto a floured board or other surface to work on. Spray a baking sheet with cooking spray; with lightly floured hands, shape the dough into two 5″ long rolls;  move to the baking sheet and flatten the rolls to a  1″ thickness.

Bake them at 325 for 30 minutes. Remove the rolls from the baking sheet, and cool for 10 minutes on a wire rack.

Cut each roll diagonally into 7 – 1/2″ slices a good sharp knife. Place the slices on baking sheet. Bake the slices at 325 for 15 minutes (the cookies will be slightly soft in the center, but will harden as they cool.

Remove from baking sheet; cool completely on wire rack.

If you want dip one end of the cooled biscotti into the melted semi-sweet chocolate and place on waxed paper to cool and harden. 

Elegance in Simplicity ~ My Summer Projects

My summer Projects has made me busy these days, excited to see the outcome of one of the many projects I've finished. This is French provincial furniture I've re-finish. I will take you to my showcase with the before & after images. Please watch for it!

merci!

original image copyrighted © lisa mozo 2012

Final Projects

Summer is high season for family in my house, we have made plans for  places to travel to. This Saturday we will be heading to Alberta, then home again. Next week we will be sturgeon fishing in Oregon at the Columbia river, drive around the 101 hwy for a scenic view and a picnic day at mount rainier in Washington. Summers are short-lived here in Vancouver, my family & myself makes the most of it, when winter comes, for sure we hibernate.

No place like home~

Life at home

   bedrooms

throw open the doors, and let in the light. Make your home a happy gathering spot, a family refuge, a personal exclamation- relax!

“Everything in my house means something to me for its beauty, functionality, or maybe a personal attachment, but don't get me wrong coz' I can easily give it up” 

I am excited to tell you that I have finished 4 of my projects. My daughter is so happy to see the finished projects for her bedroom. I spent so many hours and days stripping paint, sanding and painting, then polishing the furniture. Then decorating her room and taking the image for a final look and presto it’s here.

I’ve done my projects with care & love; my projects are pretty streamlined at this point. Everything in my house means something to me, and it will travel with me in some capacity wherever I go. I’m far too sentimental to ever start again from scratch.”

modern touches enliven the traditional home.

"they're fun and unexpected" 

age-defying beauty 

A hundred year old tall boy dresser passed from generation to generation, it’s made of solid wood. Re-finished with intricate moldings and crystal knobs added for vintage style.

details on the dresser & added moldings 

i've added the crystal knobs to complete the

 shabby look

on the second dresser, I have picked up this antique knobs from one of the antique dealer around town, love em' ~ so pretty.

bottom details of the other dresser. More images to come, I will also post the before photos. 

I will be partner with "all that's wood" in the upcoming week. she will be my regular guest on my blog soon" please watch many exciting things that we can offer.

Thanks for dropping by friends. Merci

What if summer never ended?

What if summer never ended?

Imagine, all year of summer. I don’t know if I will feel elated or bored thinking about a year of summer. Albeit I love summer, the last few days I don’t think I can stand the heat; it’s way too much for me.  I love week-end; lives slow down and let us catch our breath. We have time to exhale. Time, perhaps. For a lingering kiss. Time to sit down for a leisurely meal, eating good food with family and friends. Week-ends are so important, when the days go longer, the air is warmer, and the sun shines brighter, no wonder it’s easier to get inspired & motivated. And no surprise a healthier lifestyle beckons.

I have tackled a few projects and that’s why I have been missing for a while, I wish I am a superwoman and in that sense I can turn a project with just a swift of the wind. I spent days and days of painting, from my daughters wicker bench to dresser, to my country dining table & chairs and as well as sewing, which I haven’t finish yet. I will give you a sneak pick of some of my projects on the process I have to be smart setting my goal to finish my dining AREA rejuvenation.

Well one thing, I treat myself to the season’s lighter fare-fresh with fruits and vegetables. This morning my granddaughter and I went to the local farm here and pick a few berries, the bluest of the blues blueberries and some succulent juicy strawberries and some veggies for grilling. Just in time for a savory grilled fish, sockeye that we got from Kent, BC yesterday, it’s fishing without the rod & reel

(ALL IMAGES ARE ORIGINAL & COPYRIGHTED © LISA MOZO 2012)

Yummy strawberries…

Blueberry/strawberry parfait

Made of yogurt & wild flower honey

Blueberries fresh from driediger farms , Langley, bc 

http://www.driedigerfarms.com/delicious/)

Wicker/wood bench project, I am debating which

Of the two material to use; the toile or the vintage fabric

 Ana never get tired even after a long day at the farm and playing outside; she asked me if she can visit her old friends from her old neighborhood today. We did went & visit them. She made a special card and a bouquet of flower for her friends. She loves arts & crafts too, just like mama.

My new teapot I picked up at aggasiz, bc yesterday from a garage sale.

The two materials I am debating which to use for the bench & baskets.

Stay tuned for more photos…. See yah later!! Thanks for visiting.

...from Love the World's Notebook

Anyone still believing that country style must be limited to farmhouses need only, with a creativity eye and a passion for salvaged antique treasures, it proves that country style can be right at home in any setting - even an elegant city house... walk-ins welcome! ~ thank you!

Lisa Mozo 

Summer Clean Up ~ take a shine to it!

WHAT MAKES IT COUNTRY?

AUTHENTICITY RULES “True country style for me means nothing that is contrived.”

“That doesn’t mean that you need to decorate with prized, pedigreed antiques, but with so many wonderful castoff treasures out there.”

FORM FOLLOWS FUNCTION “If you have kids and pets, bare floors and washable slipcover areas are a must. My home is meant to be enjoyed by everyone in my family.”

PATINA “And don’t prêt over it. When someone runs into a piece of furniture in my house and leaves a mark on the wood, my quip is. ‘That’s the look we’re going for!”

FINDING BEAUTY IN EVERYDAY “I love to celebrate plain fibers by using them in place of luxurious ones. For me it’s a simple country valance I made for my window in my old house a few years back, makes a country perfect window treatment for the living room”

EVERYTHING IN OUR HOUSE ~

a photo by Lisa Sabater-Mozo on Flickr.

"For me and my home, I collect what I love and figure out a way to make it work."

Which HAPPENS FIRST?

A COLLECTOR FINDS SOMETHING THAT SPARKS A COLLECTION? OR DOES THE OBJECT FIND THE COLLECTOR, WHO THEN BEGINS A LIFELONG PURSUIT?

The answer remains a mystery. But the affection we feel for this things-however they come into our lives-is a comfort, an inspiration, a constant delight.

A mixed of flowers from my garden & wild flowers

Let’s not forget our cup of tea, An afternoon delight!

And yes, I’m a Martha follower too! Isn’t it obvious?

Upcoming project: An old desk that needs a tlc & a new colour

I love changing pictures, I rotate them often, I place them on the  shelves above.

Just the matting and ready to go.

“There’s a romance in objects that come to us from the past.”

CREATING A QUIET STYLE

Creating a quiet style

Palette choices I HAVE DETERMINED THAT EVERY ROOM in my home incorporate a palette of white, browns, and pastels. While the limited spectrum of colours certainly makes

Coordinating an easier endeavor. It’s challenging (albeit a fun one) to find the right elements.

To keep a self-impose palette.

Beyond colour although certain colours appeal to me, it is equally taken with texture and shapes. I love baskets for their inherit warmth, and shells for the luster. I group things in odd numbers and off center.