Chalkboard Obsession!

Hello Ladies,
Hope you have had a great week, I am so ready for the weekend!  How about you? 
Do you love chalkboards as much as I do?  I love making them, and thought I would share my latest creations with you.  I've been making chalkboards for the past year or so, and I just discovered the new chalkboard vinyl!  I love it!  I used it for the three chalkboards here, that began life as picture frames.

 I really love this frame!  It has the look and feel of a vintage piece (though it is not).  I painted it Heirloom White of course!  I love the pretty ribbon motif at the top and bottom of the frame.

 Lots of pretty detailing.

 Some distressing and Ralph Lauren antiquing glaze add to the vintage feel.

I am always on the lookout for vintage Syroco pieces, so I was thrilled when I came across this large picture frame.  I knew right away that I wanted to paint it light blue.  It has some really pretty detailing, and faux wood grain that looks surprisingly realistic!

 Blue paint + chalkboard vinyl = true love!!

 A rather boring picture frame got a makeover with more Heirloom White and Ralph Lauren glaze! 

 I love the details of this frame.  While it is not old, it has a wonderful vintage feel that I really find so appealing!!

I have put these chalkboards in my Etsy shop, if you are interested.  Hope you have a great weekend!
I've linked up with the following terrific parties:
504 Main Tickled Pink Party
Cindy Adkin's Whimsical Musings Creative Spirit Challenge 
Cottage Instincts Make it For Monday

The Winter Blues

No, not those kind of blues!  I am talking about the color blue!!
Each of us has a color that makes us feel happy, energized, calm, at peace, whatever.  My special color just happens to be blue, and it's sure to help me chase the winter doldrums away!  I love all shades of blue, and thought I would share with you a few projects that I have been up to lately.

I just added this pair of turquoise mirrors to my Etsy shop.  I think they are so bright and cheery looking!  I mixed up a bunch of different colors til I came up with a shade I was happy with.  I just love playing with paint!!

 The mirrors started out life as a boring brown.  So much better now, I think!

I was so excited when I found this cute curvy little vintage corner shelf!  I painted her a pretty aquamarine, another one of my custom blends!

 I am lovin' the curves!  She also resides in my Etsy shop.

 Of course, I am always on the look out for candlesticks that I can transform.  I really love the shape of these.  After painting them a pretty light blue that I mixed up, they were distressed and glazed for a shabbyliscious look that I so love!!

 And you know how much I love mirrors!  I painted this pretty little mirror the same blue as the candlesticks (I call it "French Blue").  I really love the floral design of this piece.

That's it for today ladies!  What do you do to chase away the winter blues?
I've linked up with the following fun parties
Beyond the Picket Fence Under $100 Party
Funky Junk Interiors SNS 
Between Naps on the Porch Metamorphosis Monday

A Special Request

Hello Ladies,
I hope that you have had a chance to catch your breath a bit now that the holidays are over!  While I love Christmas, I am always ready for it to be over, and to have things put away and the house back in order!

Today I have a special request of you.  My sweet blogging friend Debbie from The Lakehouse has recently been diagnosed with cancer.  Debbie is just the nicest, most thoughtful and kind kindred spirit.  I feel lucky to have met her here in blogland.  Could you please remember Debbie in your thoughts and prayers?  She is scheduled for surgery on the 11th, and has already been thru more heartbreak than I can imagine, as she lost her first husband to cancer some years ago.  Debbie is unable to blog right now, as she feels too ill to use the computer.  Her longtime dear friend Laurie over at  Heaven's Walk   has been keeping us up to date on Debbie, and also has Debbie's address, if you would like to send her a card.  Thanks so much for thinking of Debbie, I know she really appreciates it.

Up on a Pedestal

Have you noticed how just about everything looks better on a pedestal?  I am continually on the hunt for treasures, and when I spot a pedestal anything I quickly snatch it up!  Today I wanted to share with you one of my latest creations.

I have been a bad blogger lately, as I keep forgetting to take before photos!  Anyway, this began as a vintage dark wooden pedestal bowl.  Nothing terrible, but nothing extraordinary, either!  Of course I had to paint her cream.  (Yes, I know that you are shocked by this revelation!)  I really love the scalloped design along the rim, especially after distressing, which really highlights all of the wonderful detail.  A bit of Ralph Lauren antiquing glaze in "Smoke" and she was looking better already!

To the front, I decoupaged a copy of a  beautiful French soap label, which I found over at the Graphics Fairy (thanks, Karen!).  Isn't it gorgeous?

 And for a fun little surprise, I decoupaged vintage sheet music to the inside of the bowl.  Love!

Here's one last look!  Now to find some more pedestal anythings!
I am linking up with the following fun parties:
The Graphics Fairy Brag Monday
Faded Charm White Wednesday

Best Ever Baked Potato Soup Recipe

Hello ladies!
It's a cold and nippy day here at the Chateau, and what a better thing to do than make some home made soup for lunch! 

Once cold weather hits, I like to make a different soup at least once a week.  I never buy canned soup!  For one, I don't care for it, and it's just so easy to make it yourself (not to mention a whole lot healthier!).  Today I made one of my very favorites, Baked Potato Soup.  It is very hearty, and oh so tasty!  I have made so many variations of this soup.  Today I added some Black Forrest ham that we had, as well as some shredded white cheddar cheese.  It was delicious, if I do say so myself!  In the past, I've also added a can of tiny shrimp for a chowder type soup (you can replace the chicken stock with a can of seafood stock).  I am sure that it would be equally good with a bit of broccoli, or even left over diced chicken as well.  the possibilities are endless!

          The Best Baked Potato Soup

• 2 large or 3 medium baking potatoes, baked (I like to bake them ahead of time.  They are much easier to dice when they have been refrigerated.)
• 1/4 cup (1/2 stick) butter or margarine
• 1/4 cup chopped onion
• 1/4 cup all-purpose flour
• 1 can (14.5 fl. oz.) chicken broth
• 1 can (12 fl. oz.) NESTLÉ® CARNATION® Evaporated Milk
• Cooked and crumbled bacon, shredded cheddar cheese, sliced green onions (optional)

Directions

MELT butter in large saucepan over medium heat. Add onion; cook, stirring occasionally, for 1 to 2 minutes or until tender. Stir in flour. Gradually stir in broth and evaporated milk. Scoop potato pulp from 1 potato (reserve potato skin); mash. Add pulp to broth mixture. Cook over medium heat, stirring occasionally, until mixture comes just to a boil. Dice remaining potato skin and potato(es); add to soup. Heat through. Season with salt and ground black pepper. Top each serving with bacon, cheese and green onions, if desired.

Recipe courtesy of Carnation Evaporated Milk

Here is a tip from me on baking your potatoes:

After scrubbing and drying your potatoes, prick with a fork a few times, then coat entire potato in a bit of olive oil, then sprinkle with Kosher salt.  Bake are usual, about 1 hour at 350 degrees. It is amazing what a difference this method makes! You will never want to make plain ol' baked potatoes again!  

 

Enjoy, and keep warm!!

Out With The Old!

Happy New Year!
Hope that you had a great holiday, it sure is hard to believe another year has passed.  Are you they type that makes resolutions?  Not me!  Although this year I do have goals that I want to meet, like becoming more organized, and getting back into my exercise routine.  I am afraid that I've become a real slacker and my treadmill has been gathering dust!  At any rate, it does feel good to have a fresh start with a new year ahead of us!

Today I wanted to share a few pictures with you that I took on our trip to Quebec City a few weeks ago.

 Aren't these murals amazing?!  They are on the sides of buildings in the oldest part of the city.  They are so realistic, that it feels as if you could walk right in and become a part of the incredible scenes!

 The murals, known as "tromp l'oeil", which means "to deceive the eye" in French, are some of the best examples that I have ever seen!

Look closely (you can click each photo again to enlarge), there are really  no windows on the side of this building!  It is all faux painting!

The above photo was taken on a trip to Paris a couple of years ago.  The Fromagerie (cheese shop) features  two floors of beautiful and realistic scenes.

And I showed you this faux painting the other day.  I painted a "stone" patio onto a concrete slab.

 And I couldn't resist sharing these last two photos of murals that were painted on the ceilings of a chateau we toured outside of Paris.  Can you imagine painting all of this laying flat on your back?!  Way up high?  Just amazing, don't you think?

I want to wish you all a very Happy New Year! Your visits and comments mean so much to me! If it weren't for you all, I would be talking to myself, and that wouldn't be nearly as fun!  Enjoy the rest of your weekend!

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!!