I'm Just a Gold Digger!

No, I'm not that kind of gold digger!

But I am sure that the checkout people at the thrift shops and antique malls that I frequent think I must be!  Just look at the latest loot that I brought home!

 Wow, that's alot of gold!  I was super excited to discover all of these solid wood frames the other day.  I actually liked them in their golden state, but I just had to give them a makeover (of course!).

I was also thrilled to find two matching vintage syroco wall pockets, at two separate thrift shops!  Score!  I've not yet painted the wall pockets, but I'll be sure to show you the finished product.  Anyway, I'm not painting them my usual Heirloom White (shock, gasp!), but a color that is totally new for me!!! (I  know, you will be on the edges of your seats just waiting for the big reveal, right?!)

 Ok, so here are my transformed frames and mirror, in all their shabbilisciousness!

 The details of these frames are just amazing, and I think their new paint job and distressing really highlight all of the wonderful details.  They are even prettier in person, as the photos just don't do them justice.

 I've added this collection to my Etsy shop, if you want to take a peek.  Pottery Barn style without the PB price tag!!!!!

 The frame below is one of my favorites.  Actually there are two in the collection just like this.  They were made in Mexico, and feature heavily carved details, and even faux "worm holes"!  I've been having so much fun creating frame and wall decor collections.  This is actually the second one that I've put together for my shop this week!

I've got a bit of exciting news!  I finally have a booth at a local antique mall, that I'd been trying to get into for awhile!  Yippee!  This is my first time having a booth, and I went in today to set up (hubby helped out with the heavy lifting!).  The mall had a long waiting list of people who wanted a spot, and the owners liked me and my work, so they invited me to come aboard!  I'm beyond thrilled!  I'll go early next week to add more treasures, and take some pictures of my space to share with you all!

Enjoy the rest of your weekend!

I'm linking up with Cindy over at Shabby Chic Girls' Club!

More Island Hopping Fun!

Hi ladies!  Hope you all enjoyed a nice long holiday weekend!

Today I wanted to share with you the trip that we took yesterday to Orcas Island, which is part of the San Juan Island chain.  It was a glorious day, perfect for flying!  So, take your seats, fasten your seat belts, and come along for the ride! 

 This is our second trip to the San Juans, and I must say that these are some of the most beautiful flights we have ever been on!  The scenery is beyond gorgeous! 

 You can click on any picture to get a larger view.  In the above shot, you might get a glimpse of Deception Pass bridge, which is covered in a coat of fog.  Actually, fog covered much of several distant islands, and the effect was just ethereal!

 Here we are, getting closer to our destination!

 Lots of little islands to see!

 And Mount Baker was in its full glory! Just stunning, I think!

 Ok, we are almost there!

 And here is the runway!  Yikes!  From above, it looks very short!  Whew, thank goodness it is just an illusion!

 After a short walk into town, I just had to check out a few shops!  I was afraid that being a holiday, everything would be closed.  But, I was in luck!

 Aaaaahhhhh!  This amazing boutique was right up my alley!

 Suspended from the ceiling were a bunch of paper parasols.  Love!!

 Yummy wire cloches, and all sorts of other shabbylisiousness!

 And lots of wonderful burlap, too!  Be still, my heart!!

 I really love these galvanized metal shelves.  They would look so nice in our house!!  In fact, I would love to have a bunch of these in my dream kitchen (someday!).

 Check out this awesome mirror!

 Lots of pretty blooms on the island!

 Not sure what this white flower is, but it's just gorgeous!

I've got many more photos to share with you, so I'll save that for a post later this week!  Now I need to get caught up with all of you !  Enjoy the rest of your week!

A Few Seattle Sights

Hello everyone, hope you are enjoying a nice long weekend!

The other day was hubby's birthday, so to celebrate, we went to our favorite restaurant in downtown Seattle!

It was a beautiful night, perfect for walking along the waterfront.

The Seattle skyline is pretty amazing!  Notice the snow covered peak in the foreground?  That is Mt. Ranier, the tallest mountain in the state.  It looked just stunning at sunset!

photo courtesy of Seattle Pedicabs

We discovered Anthony's several years ago, when we stopped in Seattle enroute to Hawaii.  It is right on the water, and the food is amazing!

Like many downtown eateries, they also have a walk up fish bar.  We are real fish and seafood lovers, so we are lovin' it here!

If you are ever in Seattle, I would highly recommend a visit to Anthony's on the pier!

I had halibut cakes, with garlic mashed potatoes.  Delish!  Not to mention shrimp cocktail, the best clam chowder, wonderful sourdough bread (which is really popular here, love it!), and the most delicious Baily's Irish Cream chocolate mousse!  Did I mention that we both were totally stuffed?

We love walking along the waterfront enjoying all of the incredible boats and yachts.

Notice the name of the pretty boat below?  "Knot too shabby"!  Loved it!!  Chic, yes, shabby, no way!!

A gorgeous sun set over the distant islands.

photo courtesy of Seattle Pedicabs
 After dinner, we took a fun (and fast!) ride in a pedi cab!

Gorgeous flowers!

When I first saw this large metal sculpture from the front, I thought it must be some strange piece of modern art!  Then I walked around the side, and noticed that it was a very large "wind blown" umbrella!

Thanks for joining me on our little outing!  We are really having fun exploring our new home, can't wait to share more photos of beautiful Washington State with you!

Enjoy the rest of your weekend!

Feeling Blue?

Hello, hope you all have been enjoying your week!  Lest you think I paint everything in sight cream or white, just wanted to show you some of my recent projects that I've painted my favorite shades of blue!

 I adore blue, it's been my absolute favorite color since I was a young girl!  Light blue in particular makes my heart sing!  So when I found this vintage syroco mirror recently, I knew that baby blue would be perfect for her transformation!  The mirror itself was super heavy!  And I mean heavy!  Since I was planning on putting this in my Etsy shop, I knew that the weight would be an issue when it came time to shipping.  So, my handy hubby replaced the mirror with a new piece of masonite, which I covered in chalkboard vinyl.

 And viola!  A gorgeous new and oh so shabby chic chalkboard is born!

 I also was thrilled to discover this amazing vintage syroco shelf while out treasure hunting.  She went from gaudy gold to baby blue, and is oh so much happier now!

 She's even prettier in person!  You would never guess that she's not made of hand carved wood!

 I also used the same baby blue on this gorgeous pair of vintage syroco candle sconces.  Love!

I'm always on the lookout for syroco candle sconces, as they have always been a good seller in my shop.  But, I'd never come across any just like these.  The details are just amazing!

 And to think they spent the first part of their life as "gaudy gold"!

 I also have been busy painting this set of wooden candlesticks in what I like to call "beach cottage blue", which is my own custom blended shade.  I love playing around with paint, mixing it up and creating a bunch of different hues from just a handful of bottles and jars of paint!

 And last but not least, I painted these super fun huge vintage decorative keys a bright and vibrant aqua!

 One of the keys is syroco like, the other is metal.  The syroco one actually looks and feels like wood!  It's quite heavy!  They are even larger in person than they appear here, the largest being over 2 feet long!

 Love all of the details!  And of course I had to shabby them up with a bit of distressing!

You can find everything you see here in my Etsy shop.

Now I'm off to do more painting!

What have painted lately?  And, what is your favorite color?  I'd love to hear all about it!
I'm linking up with Debra over at Common Ground, for Vintage Inspiration Friday.  be sure to check it out!