Welcome to my HOMEMaid Blog!

Welcome to my world - of old HANDMaiden charm. Yes, yes - of course - a play of words on homeMaid and handMaid - but I hope that you will truly enjoy.

My blog is offering tips and ideas on how how to truly save $Cents on doing simple projects to maintain the upkeep and care of your home or property. As a self-taught visual and landscape artist - I truly enjoy the challenge of tackling a project from start to completion; creating a custom look that reflects my world and the environment around me. My yard is a good example of using the environment as your palette - as everything that I create or build MUST come from the earth. Simple - isn't it!

Sinn
handmaid


Remodel

Remodel
Suite Bath - Earth tones - various sizes of stone tiles and mosaic.

Mistress Suite

Mistress Suite
The finished Bath suite - Earthen colors, mosaic tile.

HandMaiden Pergola

HandMaiden Pergola
All recycled materials - found and purchased from the Habitat RESTORE. The pergola is built using old wooden column posts from a porch, topped with 2x4's, table - I painted it blue to go with my color theme. The spool/table was found in a trash heap behind the ReSTORE. The top of the spool is tiled with a glossy blue octagonal mosaic tile. The brick walk is old pavers that was used at a school. It took approximately 600 bricks for my walk. Not perfect - but fits my outdoor 'lost in nature' scene.

Sunday, June 15, 2014

MO Concord Grapes - 2014
The concord grapevine in my SECRET garden is - FINALLY yielding grapes. I planted the vine in 2005 or 2006 from a very small starter plant. Over the years - the vine would slowly but gradually creep up the walkway arch trellis that begins the entrance of the garden.On top of the trellis is old barbed wire for the vine to intertwine. The archway trellis is built from old recycled barnwood purchased at one of the local Habitat ReSTORE, lattice and 4 (4x4) posts. The grapes started forming sometime in 2012 but very small in size. Last year during the summer of 2013, the size of the grapes formed and grew at a larger size than the summer before. Now - it would appear that we will have a good crop of nice sized grapes after waiting a long time for the plant to become acclimated to the soil, humidty and other climatic changes
Link provides history behind the Concord Grape. http://www.concordgrape.org/bodyhistory.htm


Sunday, May 4, 2014

Gardens at Versailles

On my April 2010 marathon trip to Paris, I was very interested in the gardens around the Louve, the Tuillieres, Normandy other such notable places.  Although - I cannot create the uniqueness and the beauty of the gardens which had evolved over centuries - I can take some elements of the artistic designs and re-create in my own garden. The pictures below reflect some of the aspects that I would like to capture in my own garden.





Return after a LONG HIATUS

After a long hiatus - I am back.   Handmaiden will continue to bring new ideas and other fun stuff - remodeling tips of course to the blog. New pictures - tips and Girl Cave.
Girl Cave - my GC is a small travel trailer with all the amenities of  home that is pulled by my truck.  What fun.  It also matches my truck which is a good thing.  Last year - I took the trailer out 5 weekends.  Not bad for a handmaiden that did not know anything about a girl cave on wheels. Here are several travels with the GC of which I thoroughly enjoyed.
Truck with Girl Cave   
Salmon 

Morrell Falls
            Odd looking creature in the scene.   Did not see it until on my pc.
And what's the deal with the face?