My Weblog

A whole lot of painting going on...

 

Way back yonder I dragged this steal of a deal home from an antique store. It was painted a lemony yellow...not a color that will blend with my new decorating direction.

First coat of the Annie Sloan chalk paint in Old White applied...several more steps to go before she's finished. Didn't even use a drop cloth!!! Please don't tell my hubby...he's away on a business trip which is why I can get away with such antics.

He's a rule follower....big time. I know I give him headaches. A lot.

 

When he starts a project, he sticks with it until its completed.

Me? Well...here's a good example. Paint swatches randomly slapped on our walls have graced our abode for longer than I want to admit. {but on a redeeming note, i've made my decision and the paint is in the garage waiting for the painters to come. the painters i haven't hired yet, that is...}

I needed time to think about it. Plus, the wheels in my brain spin constantly. And before the ideas disappear I sort of need to mark my spot. That way I'll have a visual reminder of what I was thinking about earlier.  

Let me illustrate...midstream while painting the hutch, I wondered in my spinning brain if I should paint out the two curio cabinets in the dining room as well.

So I just slapped a little of the Old White Annie Sloan paint on one of 'em just to take my idea for a test run, so to speak.

 
Thankfully I like the way it will look with the dining room chairs I'm painting out. So what was my plan B if plan A didn't work? I don't know. My brain spinners never got that far..........LOL!

What I won't show you, is that in this same room, there is a wall filled with paint swatches in various shades of muted/frenchy/robin eggs blue...the new color direction for this room.

Some {all?} of you are horrified right now, aren't you? Don't be. It always works out. Usually. Just ask my dolly friend who lives in the curio cabinet I randomly slapped some paint on as stood idly by watching... 

And often times during this latest painting spree, I'll head up to my art room and go to class.

 
My recently cleaned up table is now back to its messy usual self. But that's okay because I am thoroughly ENJOYING Christy Tomlinson's She Art online class. Fun. Fun. Fun.

 
I adore her style...and her videos are so well done...for my first attempt, I'm using an 11x14 canvas board I just happened to have in my stash.

 
There are still lots more layers and techniques that will be applied before I'm finished with this board. I just happen to have a frame that will work perfectly for this canvas...

...and you guessed it....it needs to be painted first.

But I always put down protective covering when I'm painting frames. I mean, duh. Did you think I didn't know any better?!!

Are you a rule follower, bender, ignorer, or a hybrid mix? Pray for me, okay?!

Xo, Sue

 

Annie Sloan Chalk Paint

 
I first read about this paint on Miss Mustard Seed's blog. Oh my....

No sanding, no primer, no nothing needed before you paint a piece of furniture. Seriously? Even over varnish? Even over varnish.

After watching this video on her blog about waxing versus using a poly sealer I placed my orders for a few cans of the paint, two kinds of wax and the special waxing brush you see in my photo above...on this link she talks a little more about the paint and places to order it.

 But even if you're not in the market to paint some furniture, her blog is very inspiring! You might even discover after visiting that you now NEED to paint some furniture.

 
As soon as I opened the box of paint, I could hardly wait to try it out. Right in the middle of my floor. [not recommended by anyone who knows better] Sanding the piece for distressing purposes in the middle of your house is an even worse idea. Naturally....I did this too. Just once....never again!!!!! 

 
One dining room chair down...

 
...seven more to go...not to mention several other pieces I plan to tackle. The bids to have everything refinished by a pro was going to be a lot...

 
But it was obvious something needed to be done... Let's just call this style of distressing "puppy love".... Most of our chairs look as if we raise beavers inside our house!!! Grrrrr.... But our little puppy has grown up now and no longer chews furniture....thank goodness.

 
The cream colored paint from the Annie Sloan line after adding some wax matched my corner cabinet in the kitchen just beautifully. I painted part of one chair to test it out. That's the beauty of this paint...even after waxing it {or applying poly} if you don't like it, just paint over it.

Sadly enough, puppy did a number on all of those chairs too. One puppy with sharp teeth left unattended for even three minutes can inflict unbelievable damage.

But somewhere over the course of last week in all of my decorating scheming, I decided to go another direction with the chairs.

 
I ordered these........! One meal of spaghetti with a pack of teenage boys will let me know rather quickly whether I made a huge mistake. The old chairs will find a new home and purpose in our basement.

Incidentally, you can use this paint to make chalkboards too....check out the Annie Sloan website to see all the colors available. Or mix a couple of colors for your own custom color.

Wishing you all a wonderful week of living creatively!

Inspired

Been missing in action...meaning, I'm in full action mode, just missing from blogland! Too many fun things, life, the daily grind...you know that story.

But these recent offerings from Pottery Barn are way too inspiring not to share. Especially for all those still stuck in winter...mostly against their own will, I might add!

!!!all photos to follow are from pottery barn website unless noted differently!!!

 
 
 
 
 

...those plates in the delicate pastel shades and ruffled edges make me swoon....

...i'm convinced that food even tastes better when served on pretty dishes!

 
 
 
 

 

 
As much as I prefer "real" flowers, I must say that these apple blossom silks are deliciously lovely.

 
...same to be said for these spring magnolia blossoms which are currently in full-glorious-bloom in Georgia. They are stunning in person...and there is also a white version of this magnificent tree.

But as much as I love so many items in the recent offerings from Pottery Barn, if I could only pick one, this would be it....

 
....ahhhhhh.....place your orders for Mother's Day girls!

 I'll sign off with a couple of photos from what's happening just outside my windows...

 
 

 
 
 

Happy inspired Spring wishes to all....let us all do our part to make the world a more beautiful place. {and i don't mean with just "things" :) }

Xo, Sue 

 
It's supposed to be delivered today. Months of searching...debating...she made a decision!

 
Meet my new family room coffee table.

Handcrafted of unfinished, solid reclaimed pine timbers from 100-year-old buildings in Great Britain (source) {love this store}

I've debated about it for a long time. More than I wanted to spend...but I love the casual feel, the ability to tuck some neat storage bins underneath...and you're welcome to put your feet on it. And my Mr. Fun {aka my dear husband} liked it the best of all the choices.

 

I think it will look wonderful with the new rug and the vintage blanket chest that I'll be using for a footstool with a chair. I've had my eye on this chest for a while as well...found it at The Queen of Hearts in Buford, GA. A favorite  antiquing haunt...

 

After a long time of having green being the more predominate color in my decorating, moving over to a softer blue, taupes/browns/neutrals is proving to be a fun change.

 
I've got a long, long, long way to go on this room. But I've always been one to sort of let things evolve [unlike Mr. Fun who gets it done NOW!]. However, the vision is coming together nicely...

As a side note, that soup tureen is one of my favorite pieces of ironstone. It is a discontinued Spode pattern called Gadroon. Replacements Limited has it for sale at an asking price of $339. I paid........$50 for mine. Scream with deeeee-light!

 
This is a sofa table I bought at least a dozen years ago. It was a fantastic bargain way back when, but more importantly, I loved it.

Which is something I've learned the hard way......whether it's furniture or clothing, ONLY BUY what you really LOVE {and can afford} and not because it was a good deal. In the long run, especially with furniture, you'll keep it forever. I've used this piece in at least 5 different rooms through the years. And now it's being moved into the new family room redo.

Working on lots of house things, being mom and wife, and a few other hats have kept me from spending a lot of time blogging. I keep up, so to speak, in my google reader, but very behind in leaving comments to so many amazing bloggers I so enjoy peeking in on. 

 And still waiting for Spring to arrive....lol! xo, Sue

Choosing paint colors...

 
The dreaded task of choosing new paint colors for our interior walls has come to visit me. I've saved notes, collected paint swatches for some time but the perfect shade of a deeper, richer taupe/brown/neutral is eluding me. Either too much of a pink hue, or too much green, or not dark enough, or....

And, no! None of the colors found on the ends of my old mill spools are in the running...I just love the looks of them all gathered together as they currently sit in my art room. I'm removing the vintage trims I had wound around them because I've come up with a different storage solution for those...more on that in another post.

 
One thing's for sure though...I'm going to need to repaint! Scattered throughout the house are swatches of paint colors I've slathered on the walls in gobs of places. I'm liking this color up close (and how it appears in the photo)...but from far away (and in real life), in addition to the combo of our high ceilings and lots of windows, it gets washed out. Just doesn't add the warmth I'm looking for... 

 
As and added bonus, I was lucky enough to have the oldest son spend some time sanding down our breakfast table chairs. Or chair. Several hours later, one done, five more to go.

 Take a peek at the chewed up rung on the chair to the right. "Puppy love"...woof woof! Since Sophie {our doggie} is almost two, and has "matured" beyond the I-must-eat-only-the-good-furniture stage, I think it's now safe to repair or replace the pieces upon which she's placed her chewing signature.

  Yes indeed, time to step it up from the beaver chewed look to something more along the lines of this...

 

 The corner cabinet in the photo is a recent nab at a steal of a price from a dealer at the Scott Antique Market that comes to Atlanta once a month.

 
A shot of the top of the cabinet...isn't the detailing wonderful?

Even hubby loved the painted look and the warmth that it oozes... so much so, that he is trying to convince me to have our {GULP} cherry kitchen cabinets painted out as well... 
What a job though...not one I'd tackle myself. I would hire it out. What do you think? Would you?! On one hand, it seems horrible to paint over cherry wood...on the other hand, as my DH answered that question..."Happiness is worth a lot too..."

He's got a point. Sort of. Happiness may not be the right word. But still....I think we'll sit tight for the time being and when all is finished with the other phases of this redecorating project, we'll take another look at it. In other words....mull it over. After all, I'm an expert at that activity!

French Laundry

Mull-er. I am one. On big decisions--or big to me--I mull. and mull. and mull some more.

Drives me crazy. Really crazy.

Finally. I made the decision. I know the direction I think am heading with respect to redecorating. More neutrals, a softer palette of colors...

There's been this bedding. I've drooled over it. Even lusted over it. Each time I ask what he thinks, the Mister says "do it"....but still, I mull some more. and more. and more. Then I receive an email. For two days, and two days only it will be on sale for 25% off and free shipping.

That's it. That's the incentive I needed to hit "buy"...

 

So on Saturday morning I meticulously study my notes carefully adding each item to my cart. Then with the biggest grin, I type in the secret code to receive the 25% off and free shipping deal.

Error code. The code you have selected is either typed incorrectly or has expired.

Silly me. I incorrectly typed it. Recheck my email. Type it again.

Error code again. OH NO! Has it expired? Recheck my email. Yes. It expired....like 8 hours ago. Eight hours. How did I let this happen?

I'm sick about it. Sick. Sick. Sick. But I'm still determined. I want it. And I want it for 25% off and free shipping. Period.

 
sigh. bigger sigh. even more sighing. Besides, I even have the bestest vintage phone I found that will look so cool sitting next to this bedding on the night chest. It even came with the monogrammed "S" in the center dial...that's the right initial not only for my first name, but our last name. And it came from France too...not to mention this bedding is from a line called French Laundry.

Come on. These are no coincidences! This was meant to be...

Hey wait. What if I call this company and beg? Politely of course.

Uh, huh. Great idea...so that's just what I did. And guess what? My order has been placed and I am receiving the 25% off and free shipping. Oh happy day!

Several of the pieces I wanted are on back order for two months. But hey...I've mulled for months and months and months over this purchase...what's a few more?

Morals of the story/Lessons Learned:

*Where there's a will there is a way?

**When the first person who takes your call says "no" emphatically, ask to speak to a supevisor.

***When they put you on hold forever and then come back and say that all the supevisors are still busy, say you'll be happy to hold for as long as it takes.

****Remind them that you've been a good customer through the years. The economy is rotten and you will be buying new bedding, it's just a question of will it be from them {at the expired promotional rate}? Or from a competitor?  

I sure hope I like this as much in person as I do in the photos. Whenever I splurge on something nicer, I force myself to keep it for a long, long, long time. Our last bedding, also purchased from this same company is now at least 12 years old and looks brand new.

 
Guess who else will look wonderful in this new bedroom decorating theme?

Are you feeling the love? I am...

The joys of bleach...

 
A few posts back I had mentioned that Linda had wrapped some cards in some yummy vintage crepe paper. Well, lo and behold, she zipped me a note to say this wasn't vintage crepe paper at all....rather, she had bleached it to make it appear old! How cool is that...{linda, send me the link to your tut on this process and I'll update this post! little ole challenged me couldn't find it}

EDITED UPDATE: Click here to see Linda's tutorial. Thank you, Linda!

So I guess you could say that one good bleach has led to another...

 

Ruffled sham is the original color...and larger piece is the duvet after taking a swim in the washing machine with a generous amount of bleach added!

Not long ago during a quick once and over look at a fav thrift store I found this bag of bedding. Mint condition. King duvet. Two shams. Dust ruffle. And three add'l yards of this yummy floral fabric. The weight and texture of the fabric is similar to a painter's drop cloth. It even reminds me a lot of the vintage barkcloth fabric used in drapes.

 
Do you see the nubbies in the fabric? It has a percentage of flax in the fabric content and the bleaching process only accentuated this wonderful texture. Despite the fact that the laundry instructions read DRY CLEAN ONLY!!! this laundered well with no shrinking, but I didn't put it in the dryer...you can only get lucky so long....

 
 Despite the fact that I could make this work into the scheme of my new decorating plans, I'm leaning towards more neutral tones...maybe some accent pillows? Or I could sell it to help fund these expensive booties I would love to buy and have snuggled on my feet as the colder weather sets in...

 
Wouldn't these be great with jeans?...and you wear them baretootsied, like an Ugg boot. The manufacturer is Quoddy. They are all handmade... J Crew has them in their most recent catalog. Every year they feature a pair of Quoddy's and every year I drool over them...and every year I never buy them! Full circle.

And as long as I'm mentioning great things, you have to go and see these pumpkins Theresa made here. She was inspired by another blogger and gives a link to that tutorial. Love the inspiration available in blogland, don't you?

Buying time... {Mentionable Giveaways & Free Image}

...does anybody know where I can buy more time?

Oh, if only it were that easy. No doubt the line would be long and the scuffles in the store would make for some great comedy show episodes.

Well, sometimes TIME is for sale...and these are two of my most recent "time" purchases. I found them both at the Scott Antique Market this month. 

And speaking of good finds...

Look what I dragged home from an antique store. It's not antique...and it's not in any color {lemon yellow} that matches my decor...but look at all those yummy curves, details, and frenchy-style to this piece. And the best parts? It is in mint, like-new condition...a high end piece of furniture with a low end price tag on it. Pennies on the dollar for what it originally cost...my kind of deal.

Love the hardware...a creamy white distressed finish...Which is exactly the type of paint job that will eventually be given to this piece...............

I think I mentioned that we are going to "re-fluff" the nest a bit. Partly because it needs some updating and also to FINALLY repair/replace furniture that our 22 month old Lab chewed to pieces during her puppy months. GRRRRRR....

Not sure if I'll tackle this one myself or pay someone to do it. Time will tell...

And while we are on the topic of TIME, there's still time to enter these two wonderful giveaways by two darling bloggers. 

Patty at THE MAGPIE'S NEST is a Virginia cutie-pie who is celebrating having posted in excess of one thousand two hundred posts..........whew. That girl has her fingers in every sort of artful adventure known to man and has such a creative spirit! {and a sweetheart of a person to boot!} She's offering up three of her beautiful wool felted heart pendants. Click here to enter the drawing! I've thoroughly enjoyed having met Patty through blogging many months ago.

Linda at Linda Jo's Obsessions is a Texas cutie-pie who is celebrating 500 posts! As we all know, everything is bigger in Texas so she's stretching her party over five days. Each day this week she'll be showcasing yet another giveaway! So far there's a copy of Tracie Lynn Huskamp's beautiful book NATURE INSPIRED, a darling little embellished notepad and a gorgeous lace heart. I've recently become familiar with Linda Jo's blog and she has the most deeee-lightful sense of humor and has lots of artsy adventures going on as well.

Go visit both for the prizes but stay for the inspiration....

Here's a photo of my large clock face I'll share with those of you who collect old images for your artwork. Please feel free to save it to your computer for your own personal use. This girl was way too big for the scanner bed...

The only reason for time is so that everything doesn't happen all at once.  ~Albert Einstein {What? My life feels like living proof that it can all happen at once...I see you nodding your head in agreement!}

Xo, Sue 

 Credits: Textured onlays from Kim Klassen's collection
 

Smile Big!

I am! I am! Such a simple gesture but oh, such a delightful way to spend your time. I'm guessing you've heard that smiling, from a physiological standpoint is much easier to do than frowning. Here's some other interesting facts on smiling for all you Cliff Clavin types who love to collect trivia... 

Wandering back to why I'm smiling...

I was forced {{{aw shucks!}}} to head to the monthly flea market held here in Atlanta (Scott Antique Market). A couple of darling antique dealers from Florida who do the show were bringing up some items I purchased while vacationing in their neck of the woods last month.

Big smile when I finally pulled into the lot and began taking in all the fabulous junk. 

No...these chairs aren't my items. But if the pair of chairs with the caning on the side had not been sold I would have been sorely tempted to make them mine. But I did buy several of their screen printed images for future projects.

And I'm still kicking myself for not having grabbed the pair of doors second from the left.

 We {that would be me, myself, and I} are in the beginning throngs of taking on some major redecorating and finishing a big chunk of our lower level. Hubby likes to tease that he's given me an unlimited budget and I will most likely exceed it! Okay. Maybe you have to be married to an accountant/businessman to think that's funny. But truth be told, he knows that I am a terrific bargain hunter who will dig and dig until I find most of my stuff at great prices.

I've been scouring consignment and antique shops for several months. It will take quite a few posts to share it all...but I've found some yummy stuff. Some you needed a little vision to see what it "could be" ....and some, no further explaining needed.

No further explaining needed...

The little bench with the barley twist legs {huge smile} is one of the pieces that came up from Florida. It was fresh out of their container that arrived from France. The framed art is like a petit-point tapestry...gorgeous to me. I'll probably do something with the frame...maybe some antique white paint & glaze.  

Guess what else I purchased from the Florida antique dealers? Squeal and smile.

I'll stop my show and tell for now on recent finds. We are long overdue to spruce up the place...we moved into this home about 9 years ago and most of the original decorating is still staring at us. Normally I am someone who is constantly changing and fluffing up one area or another. But as a family we went through so many twists and turns and one challenge after another that "normal" just sort of went out the window for a long, long season.  

Part of my smiling big goes beyond the fun of getting something new. It's about finally feeling like doing some decorating. Some fluffing up...taking on some long overdue projects. 

And the icing on the cake? Mr. Accountant is even smiling because he not only likes what the little shopper of the house is bringing home, but he also likes the deals I'm scoring as well. Or is he smiling because the mama is smiling? You know..."if mama ain't happy, ain't nobody happy..."

I'll go ask him which one it is...  

Xo, Sue

Falling in love while on vacation...

I did.

I freely admit it. I fell in love while on vacation. More than once...and many of them I dragged home with me. To live. Forever!

The few who wouldn't fit in the car will be hitching a ride in mid-August and heading this way.

Here's the first boy. He is quite youthful in appearance, much younger than the rest I've taken in before...and despite his flaws, I instantly fell in love...

If you share my love of old European antiques and dress forms in particular, I know you would have wanted him too. He's unlike any dress form I've ever laid eyes on before...and fresh off the boat.

One of my favorite antique stores in the Destin area of Florida, Antiques on Holiday, were just unpacking their newest arrivals from their latest shopping trip in Europe. Nothing was even priced yet...but the beyond sweetest shop owners said to just ask and they'd check their inventory list and price anything I was interested in...

Do you see this little name plaque of sorts written on this little boy's chest? Misty, one of the sweethearts I met at the store explained the purpose behind this tag. It was her best guess that this form was custom made for some little boy probably back in the mid-1800's. More than likely he was from a very wealthy family, perhaps even nobility since his name was on the form. Rather than having to be present and go through fitting after fitting while his new clothes were being made, a custom dress form was used for the fittings. As this child grew, a new form would be made.

While standardized dressforms were commonly employed during this era, the presence of the name plaque is the dead giveaway that this form was custom made for a particular person.

As you can see, he's hit a few rough patches in life...but those battered places have found a way to add more character to his being...same as real life, huh?

Don't miss the word PARIS in the diamond-shaped stamp...

Not sure exactly where or how I'll display him yet. Any creative ideas?

He stands quite nicely when propped against something...And by the way, that pedestal and planter were clearanced-priced items I snagged at Hobby Lobby years ago for very little jingles. By running around to several Hobby Lobby's in my area I was able to find two of each. The money I saved I now put towards this newest little "manny"...at least that was my story to Mr. Wonderful who didn't even roll his eyes when he saw this tattered treasure.  

Still have lots more FUN STUFF to share when I get a chance. And the three items that didn't fit in the car but will be arriving in mid August are hitching a ride to the Scott Antique Market held monthly in the Atlanta area. If you're local to the area and love European antiques at very fair prices, Antiques on Holiday are located in the North Building, C2.

I'm so glad this little guy, or any of my other wonderful finds weren't made of wax or they would have melted on the ride home. Our dashboard thermometer read anywhere from 100 to {{{see photo below}}} for the whole six hour ride home...

How about you? What are the temps in your area like?