Toile Corkboard/Mirror, a Fun Drab to Fab Makeover!

Today I'm sharing with you one of my newest favorite drab to fab transformations, a fabric covered memo board/mirror combo.

Here is a glimpse of the "after"...............

 And here is the before!

What a difference, don't you think?  As soon as I spotted this vintage mirror/cork board last week, I just knew that she was begging to be transformed into something pretty!

First off, I could hardly wait to cover up that oh so boring brown, with my favorite creamy white paint.

 Just the right amount of distressing gives her timeworn appeal.
She was looking better already!

I then went thru my stash of fabric, in search of just the right material to cover that boring and tired looking cork board.

I was so excited when I spotted the blue and white toile barkcloth.  I purchased the toile several years ago in Hawaii, of all places.  I don't know about you, but I don't usually associate the tropics with French toile, so it was a pleasant surprise when I discovered this lovely fabric in a shop on the Big Island!

 It turned out even prettier than I was hoping!

 The piece de la resistance is this pretty fabric flower push pin that I created.  It has just the right amount of glitter for a bit of bling!

 I've placed her in my Etsy shop, though I wouldn't be sad if she didn't sell!!

Hope you have a fun and creative week!
Sharing with Becky at Timewashed for Blissful Whites Wednesday
and Junkin Joe Party at The Cottage Market

Fun on the Lake

Bonjour Mes Amis!

The past few days here at the chateau have felt anything but fall-ish!  Hot, muggy and in the 90's was the perfect excuse to spend some time on our lake. I finally remembered to take the camera with us on the boat the other day, so that I could snap some shots of Katie in action!

This is her favorite spot, helping Daddy drive the boat:) 

All geared up for a lap around the boat, in her cute little doggie life vest!

 Checking out the water...............

 Ok, I had to crop my head off in this shot, below. You really don't need to see me with wet hair and no makeup!!

Katie's life vest has a handle on the top, so I always swim right behind her, holding onto the handle so that I can keep her headed in the right direction!

Just looks at that scared little face!

One very quick lap around the boat, and she heads for the ladder!

 Ahhhh, the best part!  Getting air dried as we head back to shore!

I think that our swimming days are most likely over with, til next summer, as we are headed for cooler temps.

I wanted to thank you for your prayers for hubby and his mercy flight yesterday.  Thankfully they made it down to Memphis safe and sound with the young boy and his mom.  They were fighting a very strong headwind all the way, so what should have been no more than a 4 1/2 to 5 hour flight took 6 1/2 hours.

Hubby and copilot ended up spending the night, as a strong storm front moved in here in Michigan.  They were pretty beat, but happy that they could transport the family to St. Jude's.  

So today the two of them are headed back home, hoping that their flight is much quicker, and that the weather cooperates.

Hope you all have a great day!

Mercy Flight Prayer Request

Bonjour Mes Amis,

Hope you are all having a great week.

Awhile back, hubby joined the Michigan chapter of an organization called Pilots for Christ, a great organization that provides air transportation to those in need.

Hubby has had his private pilot's license for 39 years. Together we have taken many wonderful trips in his plane, everything from fun day trips, to overnight stays in Toronto, Chicago, and more.

For quite some time, both he and I have wanted it to be more about, well, just fun stuff.

Now that he's retired, he has the opportunity to volunteer his time with Pilots for Christ.

So tomorrow, we are very excited and happy that he will be flying a young cancer patient here in Michigan down to St. Jude's Children's Hospital in Memphis,Tennessee. We have been hoping and praying that the weather will cooperate, so that they are able to fly, and this young teenager will be able to go down for his treatments.  A pilot friend will be flying down too, as co pilot.

If you are the praying kind, could you please keep this boy in your prayers?  He has had leukemia for the past two years, and goes down several times a year to St. Jude's.  And if you could say a prayer about the weather, and a safe flight, we would so appreciate it!  There is a chance for thunderstorms tomorrow, but later in the day when hubby is returning.

The boy's mother is going along, and she doesn't speak English.  My heart goes out to this family, and we are humbled that hubby has the opportunity to try and make things just a bit easier for them.  

It also really touches my heart, as 9 years ago this month, my dad passed away from leukemia.  I remember what a sad and scary time it was for our family.  I didn't even know how to spell leukemia back then, let alone know that adults could get it.

This is us, a few years ago when we went down to Ohio, to pick up hubby's new airplane.

Thank you so much for your prayers and thoughts, for the boy and his family. And for a safe flight.

I'll keep you posted how things go!

Vintage Porcelain Flower Pushcart

Bonjour Mes Amis!

It's hard to believe that not only is September here already, but that it's been an entire week since I did a blog post!  I've had a good case of blogger's block, and for the life of me just couldn't think of anything remotely interesting to talk about!!

 So anyway, today I thought I'd share with you the cutest little vintage porcelain flower pushcart, which I found earlier this summer while out thrifting.  At only $1.99, this cutie just had to come home with me!

I had never seen anything like it before, so I was super excited to discover it at one of my favorite thrift shops.

I've included it in a little vignette that I created on my wooden curio shelf.

 I have so much fun changing out my shelf with the seasons, and thought for this I would give it a sort of "farewell to summer" theme!

Ok, let's look a bit closer at the treasures inside...............

 I've filled my pushcart with bright and cheery zinnas from my cutting garden.  I really have had a bumper crop of them this year!

 Adding to the late summer time feel, are two cute little vintage bottles that I've embellished (and glittered, of course!) with a seafaring theme.  Of course I just had to add this pair of sweet little birdies, because, well, I love birds!

 I also am in love with vintage silver creamers, the more patina, the better!

I've filled this little one with more blooms.

 And I've tucked a little bird's nest, as well as a few glittered sea shells, that I collected on beach vacations

('cause I'm not yet totally ready to give up summer!).

 A pretty little demitasse cup and saucer from hubby's mom's collection.

 To a vintage flower frog, I added a neat vintage postcard featuring a ship and pretty blue forget me nots.

 Oooh, la, la!  I just had to add one of my little Eiffel Towers!

This is my very favorite vintage creamer.  I really am going to miss not having fresh flowers to pick by the arm full! 

 One of my cherished treasures, a cast iron lion bank that belonged to my dad when he was a little boy.

It still has some old pennies in it that he collected.

And here is one last look.

 Ok, getting back to my cute pushcart.  I did a little research, and discovered that it originally would have come with a porcelain flower  frog insert.  While mine doesn't have it, it still is in excellent condition, and it marked "made in Japan" on the bottom.  The cart is in my favorite colors of light aqua blue, white, and shades of pink.

 Here is what the other side looks like (above).

I think it would be so cute filled with a nest and eggs.  Or glittered little pinecones!

And last but not least, I thought I'd share with you what our puppy Katie and hubby like to do in their "spare time" (tee, hee!). She sure is a daddy's girl!

Have a great weekend!