Welcome to my blog!

Thanks so much for stopping by! I believe that everyone can have a beautiful home without spending a fortune! One of my favorite things to do is find creative ways to re-purpose things I already have on hand, or have picked up at yard sales and thrift stores. Join me as I share with you some of my favorite ideas for crafting and decorating, as well as travel adventures, and fun things that I pick up on my treasure hunts! Much of my work is influenced by my love all things French, nature, and of course shabby chic! I have gotten so many creative ideas from you very talented bloggers out there, and I hope that I can be an inspiration to you as well!

Thursday, December 30, 2010

Can't Get Enough of Heirloom White!

If you have been following me for any length of time, you know that I love painting anything I can get my hands on with Heirloom White!  I guess that you could say it's an obsession!  Since so many of you ladies out there are doing a "year in review" this week, and since I am at a total loss as to what to blog about this week, I thought I'd share with you a few of my favorite "white redos" from the past.
 I am always on the hunt for vintage Syroco.  I even have my hubby looking for it!
 If you are unfamiliar with Syroco (which is the trade name, there are many different "brands"), it was very popular in home decorating parties, most often they were a gaudy gold.
 So much better with a coat of Heirloom White, I think!!
 I sold the above wall plaques in my Etsy shop.  I really love this candle sconce, which is available in my Etsy shop.
 Here is what they looked like in their before state!
 I am in love with this little cute iron door stop! (and I am keeping it for myself!)
 But she didn't start out so cute!  I could hardly wait to paint her!
 As soon as I spotted this vintage shelf at a garage sale, I was in love!  I adore her curvy lines, and think she looks oh, so much better in white!
 While it was so tempting to keep her, I sold her in my shop to a happy new home!
 Ok, I was a bad blogger and neglected to get a before shot of this pedestal bowl in her "before" state. She wasn't terrible or anything, but I knew that a coat of Heirloom White was in order. I just love anything on a pedestal, so I quickly snatched up this vintage wooden bowl as soon as I spotted it!
 This cute little box is also in my Etsy shop.  If you had seen her "before" you probably wouldn't have given her a second chance!  But I knew that she deserved a makeover so that she could look her very best!!
 Vintage sheet music (another obsession!) and a pretty floral motif give her a new lease on life!

 Ok, are you ready for her "before"?  Pretty icky, don't you think?!
 And last but not least, another favorite pedestal project (which I don't have a before shot of either, unfortunately!)
 A vintage pedestal bowl got a much needed makeover with the addition of paint and vintage sheet music!
 This is one of the things that I sold that I wish I would have kept!  Maybe someday I will get lucky and find a similiar pedestal, so I can recreate one that I will keep for myself!!!
 Oooh, la, la!
So, I hope that I have made you into an Heirloom White convert (if you are not already one, that is!).
Have a great day, and a very Happy New Year!!

Tuesday, December 28, 2010

Looking Back

If you are anything like me, once the holidays are over, I get a major urge to clean, organize and purge!  I can hardly wait to tackle organizing projects (well, I am not looking forward to tackling my craft room, to be honest!!), and I have been busy filling bags and boxes full of items to donate.  While I am so ready for "out with the old", I thought I would take a moment though to look back at some of my favorite projects this past year.

 Paint and some pretty wooden appliques rescued a formerly seriously dated and ugly clock.
 Don't you just love this cheery shade of aqua?!   And in place of the really icky faux stained glass insert (see below for the "before" shot), I added a cute little chalkboard.
 I sold this in my Etsy shop, and I would love to find more to transform!
There wasn't much to love about the "before"!

And while we are on the subject of clocks, one of my all time favorite projects is my jewelry organizer, that I made from an old clock that belonged to my parents.
 Paint, some pretty blue and white toile fabric, and more of my favorite wooden appliques turned a once "blah" clock into a pretty and functional piece!
 A bunch of cup hooks make it oh so easy to find what I am looking for!
And this is what she used to look like!
 And last but not least, one of my absolute favorite transformations!  What used to be a really ugly piece of cracked and unlevel concrete becomes a beautiful and relaxing spot in our yard!
 You will have to check out the last photo to fully appreciate just how far this area has come!
 This was my first attempt at faux painting, and I am just thrilled with the results!  While it was quite a bit of work, it was alot of fun, too!  Paint and concrete stain turned this ugly duckling into an area that we actually want to spend time in!
See, I told you it was pretty nasty looking!  Hubby gave it a good power washing, then leveled it up and repaired that giant crack!
Here's one more look!

 


That's it for today!  I'll share a few more of my favorite projects thru out the remainder of the week.  Have a great day!

Friday, December 24, 2010

Wishing You a Very Merry Christmas!!

Wishing you and yours a wonderful Christmas!
A few vintage ornaments in my china cabinet.
A cute little Hummel I received when I was a little girl.  The angel with the harp to the left is not a Hummel (I bought her from the woman who created her), but she looks as if she could be!
Glittered trees and a pretty deer.  The deer used to be gold, but of course I had to paint him Heirloom White!
Wishing you all Peace on Earth!!!

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Wednesday, December 22, 2010

3 More Days!

Can you believe it?  All the planning, all of the decorating, baking, cooking, gift wrapping...........To think that it will all be over in just a few short days!  Today I thought I'd share with you a few Christmas views thru out our home.
Everything looks better under a glass dome, don't you think?  I picked this ornament up a year or so ago, and just love the vintage feel to it! (though it is new)
You've probably seen my little curio cabinet before.  I really enjoy changing it out with the seasons.
 Bottlebrush trees.  (love!)
Vintage flower frog and a vintage post card, plus a bunch of faux greenery.
 Jelly jars (both vintage and new) filled with a few of my favorite vintage ornaments.



And an adorable little house!
Now for a few whimsical ornaments on the tree...........
 My aunt made this adorable little angel.  Doesn't she have the sweetest face?
 And dog lover that I am, I adore this little doggy angel!
 I had originally purchased the above ornament for a gift, but loved it so much I decided to keep it myself!!  It's a doggy snowman!
 You can't really tell from this photograph, but this cute little dog has a bone dangling above him!!
 Now this little guy makes me smile each time I look at him!  See what he is?  A S'more!!!  And since we are avid rv-ers, check out his hat, and his little blue retro trailer!  Cute, cute, cute!!
 And last of all, I will share with you a few shots in our sunroom.  Aren't these poinsettias pretty?  Usually we just buy one at the most, but I thought it would be pretty to fill our wire planter with them.  Can you believe that I have since killed all but one of the plants??!!  And I actually think I have had a pretty green thumb!!  So next year it will be faux for sure!!!!!
 I brought my little angel in for the winter.  Isn't she cute?
And my concrete dog got into the act with a little fresh greenery wreath.
Oh, we had some visitors to our backyard this morning.


What a treat it was to see!
That's it for now, hope you are having a great day!