Thursday, April 28, 2011

A Sneak Preview

Down to the final preparations for the Open House on Saturday and
still lots to do, but I thought I'd give you a sneak preview.
This is a grouping of some of the white things we have to sell
that are currently setting on my mantel.


Sorry for the poor lighting in these pictures.  It was already late in
the day when I took them and dark outside.


I love this grouping of candlesticks.  Each one is unique and a
different height.  Not sure why I'm selling these since I like them so much.


Maybe I'll keep just one for myself.  But . . . which one?
I love the acanthus leaves on them and the chippy flowers.
 

Did you notice the white metal cloche doesn't have a tag on it yet?
I think that's because it's going to be a "keeper".


Right after I took these pictures, my sister came in with a load of her things.
More pretty things to come.

Linking with
~
French Country Cottage for Feathered Nest Friday
~
I Love Pretty Little Things for Friday Pretties
~
Common Ground for Vintage Inspiration Friday
~
 

Monday, April 25, 2011

A Desk Makeover

This is a desk I found last fall at a yard sale.  The lady selling it
seemed reluctant to part with it because it was her grandmother's desk.









After sanding it, I gave it two coats of black paint.









After the black paint came two coats of pea-green paint, followed by
distressing to allow the black to show through.









It has lovely detail work all along the front of the desk which I wanted 
to emphasize with the distressing.









I kept the original hardware since it was already black and in good shape.









I used a clear and dark wax and finished it off with buffing to give
it a subtle shine.
~
The seat came out a little to high, so unfortunately, I think
I'm going to have to take it all apart and take it down about an inch
before the open house.  I hate to do that because it sure is comfortable,
but it's a little too tight to scoot in close.









The desk top is decorated with a vintage key plate from an old home
mounted on flocked butterfly paper and a small nest of speckled eggs and
a butterfly nestled on a sweet little dish of moss.

















Linking with 
~
Homemaker on a Dime for Creative Bloggers' Party & Hop
~
A Stroll Thru Life for Table Top Tuesday
~
Coastal Charm for Nifty Thrifty Tuesday
~
My Uncommon Slice of Suburbia for Tuesday's Treasures
~
House of Grace for Twice Owned Tuesday
~
All Things Heart and Home for All Things Inspired
~
Domestically Speaking for The Power of Paint Party
~
Restore Interiors for Restored it Wednesday

 

Monday, April 18, 2011

Blue Peony

Now I have never seen a real blue peony, but here is
the pattern "Blue Peony" by Nikko that is absolutely charming.




Everything in this tablescape/vignette was found at either a
thrift store or flea market.  I am constantly amazed at what lovely
things can be found so inexpensively.




First I found the dinner plate and on another trip to Goodwill, 
I found the matching salad plate.  I have paired them with some
beautiful vintage silverware I found this weekend at a flea market.
I thought the fork was especially beautiful with the letter "N"
engraved on it.  How could anyone part with such a lovely pattern?




The lavender terrarium was a weekend find and is going to my
open house, but until then, it is hanging out with it's lavender friends.




I love the unique metal grillwork on this terrarium giving it a 
feminine touch.




And the sweet little violets I picked from my backyard which is
currently a carpet of violet and green.
 


 
Linking with
~
A Stroll Thru Life for Table Top Tuesday
~
Coastal Charm for Nifty Thrifty Tuesdays
~
All Things Heart and Home for All Things Inspired

 

Sunday, April 17, 2011

Open House

Announcing my
1st Annual Open House
~
~
Everyone welcome!
 

One Last Office Reveal

I thought I should finish off my office reveal which I started back in
January before my hutch departs for a grander life.
The hutch seen in these pictures will be going off to be the main display 
piece in our store space.  
It is a very large piece for my small office, which is wall to wall furniture,
but it is a wonderful display area for my beach collection.
So ~ without further ado ~ here is the final reveal of my office.
On the door ~ a sign depicting where I'd rather be.




And here is my beloved hutch.




As you can see, it is so large and the room so small, it is hard to
back up enough to get it all in one picture.  So ~ you'll be
seeing it in bits and pieces.







A collection of glass, pottery and seashells.




Odds and ends ~ decorating books ~ stones and sand from a
San Diego beach ~ and signs encouraging me to "dream".




A plate collection.




My favorite piece I made with a hurricane jar and vinyl letters 
saying "She sells seashells by the seashore".
 


 
Where I'm going when I die.
 


 
I will miss this special piece of furniture.  My sister gave me the top of
the hutch and my brother-in-law made the bottom to go with it.  It 
was originally destined for the dining room of a lake house we almost
had, but I couldn't bear to part with it, so it has kept me company
over the years and reminds me of my dream to live near the water someday.
I will miss all the special items on it, for they'll all have to be packed
away for safe keeping, and it has often been the background for
many of my blog photos and vignettes.
Fortunately, the store is less than a mile from my home, so I'll be
visiting it often and constantly arranging new and pretty vignettes
and sale items on it.  I have to keep reminding myself that it is
not leaving me permanently ~ just going "on stage" to show off a little.




Linking with
~
Boogieboard Cottage for Masterpiece Monday
~
The House in The Roses for Show Off Your Cottage Monday
~
Dittle Dattle for Amaze Me Monday
~
Little Red House for Mosaic Monday
~
Smiling Sally for Blue Monday
~
Faded Charm for White Wednesdays

Tuesday, April 12, 2011

Pale Yellow and Creamy Whites

First of all, I want to apologize for not responding to the kind comments
left on my blog the last few weeks.  Rest assure, I read and appreciate every one 
of them.  I have been busy preparing for my upcoming Open House and just
recently, my sister and I made the decision to rent a space in a
newly opening home decor store in town.  We move into our booth
space the day after my Open House.  So ~ needless to say ~ I have been
scrambling to find new items and refinish furniture.  Not to mention my
 Etsy shop, which I have sorely neglected lately.
~
Anyways ~ today's post is showing off some sweet finds from
yard sales that will be appearing at the Open House or shop.
My first find was this sweet butter yellow vintage container.


I promptly went out to find silk flowers to make an arrangement with
and came home with these creamy peonies.


They almost look real with their floppy petals.  I paired the
peonies with a little yellow bird and my next find ~ a lovely
vintage frame.  Now I have seen this type of frame at flea markets,
but never at a yard sale and it was a very sweet deal.



Add to that, my next find ~ a lovely tray with lattice sides.


While working on arrangements, I finally found something to put
in this terrarium that I shared in an earlier post ~ just simple
ivy and a candle arrangement.


By the time I was done arranging everything on the mantel for photos,
I wanted to redecorate my living room from it's dark colors to pale
yellow and creamy white.


Better get back to painting the new furniture pieces I also found.  
All in all ~ it was a very good yard sale weekend.

Linking with
~
Faded Charm for White Wednesday
 

Saturday, April 9, 2011

Pink Tea

It's tea time and today everything is coming up pink.
Found these pink and white linens upstairs while sorting through things
and they were just too pretty not to show you.
 



 
 I mixed them with little pink tea cups and they make a 
delightfully cheerful vignette.





I am not a tea drinker, so these tea cups and linens are really just for
my Open House, but I still enjoy their sweetness and beauty.
Makes me wish I liked tea ~ but I don't.





So ~ leaving you with a little pink sweetness for this spring weekend.





Linking with
~
How Sweet the Sound for Pink Saturday
~
The House in the Roses for Show Off Your Cottage Monday
~
Dittle Dattle for Amaze Me Monday
 

Sunday, April 3, 2011

A Furniture Transformation.


My first furniture makeover for this year.  This humble nightstand
I found late last fall at a yard sale.  Please excuse the
messy garage background :)


When my daughter saw it, she said, "Why did you buy that ugly thing?"
But I knew she had potential.  
Here she is in her naked stripped down stage. 


She may be simple on top, but her bottom leg work is lovely.


How do you like my paint caddy?  It's an old bottle carrier that I
purchased at a flea market last year.  Perfect for holding stir sticks,
paint brushes and can openers.  I even can keep my cut up pieces of
sandpaper in it, so that everything is handy and I don't have to hunt for it. 


I must have forgotten to take the in between pictures, so I'll just tell
you those steps.  Because I discovered the piece was solid maple, I
couldn't bear to paint her entirely.  I gave the entire piece two coats
of stain and then just painted the bottom section and drawers.  I
pre-waxed some areas I wanted to distress later, but I'm not sure
that technique worked so sell, because the paint went right over the wax.
Here she is finished.


I love her shapely legs and generous curves.

It took me three tries, but I finally found some hardware I liked.



So glad I left the top unpainted since it's such nice wood.

So she's shed her humble appearance and is dressed and
ready for her debut at my Open House.  Going to be hard to part
with her ~ we grew rather close during the transformation.
~
Linking with
~
Dittle Dattle for Amaze Me Monday
~
Boogieboard Cottage for Masterpiece Monday
~
The House in the Roses for Show Off Your Cottage Monday
~
Between Naps on the Porch for Metamorphosis Monday
~
Marvelously Messy for A Marvelous Mess
~
Domestically Speaking for The Power of Paint Party
~
Primitive and Proper for Piece of Work Wednesday
~
Restore Interiors for Restore It Wednesday





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