Garden Chair

I didn't take any before photos of this chair but it was just a run-of-the-mill ugly brown.  What it had was lovely detail and no seat.  Usually I just have hubby make a new seat that I recover.  This one said it wanted to be a garden chair.

So it could hold plants I stapled chicken wire in the seat.

I was lucky and found a plastic pot that matched the soft aqua I had painted the chair.

I really enjoy the finshed look and it is so easy.

It was the detail on the back of this chair that caught my eye in a junk store.  I placed the chair in my booth in Greenwood and it sold right away.  Hope the new owner loves it too.

Better

I had surgery last Tue. to have my arm pinned and it all went well.  Lots more pain than I expected but doing good today.  So very frustrated that I am so limited as to things I can do with one side of my body not usable.  With effort I have been getting to the front porch and painting furniture with my right hand.  If I can get hubby to take photos I will share what I have bee doing with you.

Thanks for all you well wishes and prayers.

Oops!

We had an oops last Saturday.  My hubby and I were set for a lovely dinner with friends close to our lake house.  It was a lovely night so we decided to take the motor cycle.  To make this a short story we hit some gravel on a curve and left the road.  We ended up in an 8" ditch beow the road where people going by couldn't  see us.  My hubby finally flaged a passerby down and he called for help.  We were life flighted to KC.  My hubby is fine except for lots of bruises.  I have a broken left arm and leg.  They pinned my leg on sunday and will do surgery on my arm Tue.  Will stop by to see all of you but probably won't say much as I am limited to the hunt and peck system.

Granny's Rocker

My youngest son who love to curb shop and find garage sale items for me come home bearing this rocker a few weeks ago.  It was weathered gray from sitting on someone's porch and wasn't very appealing.  It looked to me like a rocker for Granny to sit and rock in on the porch while she shelled peas.  So what better color to paint her than Granny Apple Green.

 The green spruced her up quite nicely but I thought most of us need a little cushion to sit on to rest our weary bones.  Then I remembered some fabric in my stash that I used to make a baby quilt.

Hot pink and Granny Apple Green frogs having a Frog Frolic what could be more fun.  Would you like to come sit on the porch with me and try her out.

In The Shade

Every year I try to expand one of my flower beds or create a new one so I have less lawn and more flowers.  In the spring of 2010 I added a large area to one of the shady gardens.  The photo below is the garden in April 2010.  A few tulips popped up from a fall planting but not much else is in place yet.

The photo below is April 2012 and I think the garden has filled in beautifully.  But the amazing thing to me is what our nonexistent winter has done for the plants in this area.  This is usually what the garden would look like in late May or early June.

 One of my favorite plants in this shady spot is the Columbine.  I had no idea it was such a hardy reseeder.  My one regret is they don't stand up to our summer heat.  They die back in the heat but pop up their pretty heads again in the spring.  I always enjoy seeing where a new one blooms.

Hope everyone is enjoying their spring and having some time in the garden.

Lady in White

My youngest daughter called a couple of days ago and ask if I wanted her to buy a coffee table she found at the thrift store to make over for my booth. It has great lines she went on to say and it even has a drawer.   Of course I said yes.  Remember those maple coffee tables that had a railing at each end with spindles that were so popular during the 50's.

I removed the rail and the spindles.  Patched all the holes with wood filler and sanded.  Then pondered what color to paint her.  I have been doing well selling bright colors such as lime green and turquoise so that was the direction I was headed.  

But the more I looked at her curvey lines I thought this little lady needs to be dressed in white and perhaps a little shabby.

 So I brushed on a couple of coats of Annie Sloan Old White.  Waxed her well and distressed just a little.  Than I distressed just a little more.  But I love how she turned out. Almost hate to tell you she cost $9.95.  I will have to send my daughter shopping more often.

I am going to hop over and join Treasure Hunt Thursday at From My Front Porch To Yours why don't you drop also and check and the fun things these ladies do.

They Are Early

It's amazing from this little bud springs such beauty.

All of the flowers are blooming so early this year I almost don't have time to enjoy them.  On Sunday morning I looked out to see the Peonys had popped open.

Usually we never see these pretty ladies until Mother's Day or closer to Memorial Day.

The white ones opened first so can't wait for the pink and red.  I will share with you as soon as they bloom. 

Blue Mood

I promised to share with you some of my adopted pieces once I had worked magic on them.  This desk is a curb side find from my son.  The top was the plastic laminate finish found on many pieces of furniture of this era. The finish was in sad shape and it looked like it had lots of history.

I painted it with Annie Sloan Aubusson Blue chalk paint.  Aubusson Blue is a beautiful deep gray blue that has so much depth.  I have talked about chalk paint on my blog before so I won't go into detail except to say it requires no sanding or priming. I finished it with a hand rubbed clear wax finish.  I applied three coats of wax to the top and then just buffed with an old T shirt.  I was amazed by the depth of the shine.  Check out how the objects on the desk are reflected in the top.   There is lots of information on the internet about Annie Sloan chalk paint if you want to know more about chalk paint.    Or,  if you are interested I can share more of my thoughts and experience with chalk paint with you here.

I painted the original brass hardware with Annie Sloan Old White paint and then distressed them a little so some metal show through. 

The white hardware makes a lovely contrast to the dark blue paint.

It did have little wooden knobs on the top drawers but I changed them out for white ceramic knobs and I think it looks much better.

Certainly no reason to be in a Blue Mood if you look this good.

I am going to join the Annie Sloan Chalk Paint Party over at Shades Of Amber.  Why don't you pop over and check out all the great pieces painted with Annie Sloan paint.  Those girls have some great inspiration pieces.

Adoption

As you all have probably noticed I haven't spent much time blogging lately.  My life has been so busy something has to receive less time and attention.  I decided to open a second antique booth in another small town close to Kansas City.  Keeping two booths stocked and pretty is very time consuming and I also have to find things to add to my booths.  One thing I have found while doing this is I love to adopt and restore orphan furniture. My youngest son has been aiding and abetting me in my quest by picking up curb side finds.  So I am not the only one responsible for all the adoptees on the front porch.

Since the only place I have store all this bounty is my front porch it now looks like a used furniture store.  With some pieces half finished and the rest waiting for my attention.

Really, they all do have potential for being beautiful, useful pieces that someone is going to love.  At least that is what I have been telling my hubby.  I thought he would he glad I am now adopting furniture instead of dogs.  At least you don't have to feed them or take them to vet.

I know it's hard to see the beauty in this piece.  But remember beauty is in the eye of the beholder.

Before it became furniture storage my front porch used to be decorated for every season.

 Spring saw her decked out in lime green.

On the 4th of July she shined.

In fall the oranges and golds glowed in the autum sunshine.

Some days I wonder if I am sane cluttering up my front porch  So I will be back soon to share some of my finished pieces with you and we can decide together. 

Spring

Usually spring in the midwest is a shy little miss and arrives so softly one is awed by the first daffy and soon an eager tulip bursts into bloom.  Then the dogwood and lilacs will open and spring unfolds day by day.  After a mild, short winter this spring blew in to  town with gusto and made her presence known.  Flowers that usually don't bloom until late April or early May have already opened.  It seems as though every spring flower jumped up to to sing in harmony spring is here, spring is here.

With 80 degree days in March I have to wonder what summer will bring.  But for now I am just going to enjoy the beauty the Lord has sent and enjoy every blossom.  Have a Happy Easter and remember that Jesus died for us and rose again.

Thanks

Thanks to all you, my friends, who have dropped by to leave such nice comments through the years even when I haven't been the most timely of bloggers.  I appreciate each and everyone of you and have enjoyed spending time with you and sharing your day to day life.  Stella

Backless or Not?

I picked up this little end table to fix up and take to the shop.  When I found it I thought I would have my hubby close it in witha a beadboard back. But decided it was kind of cute and had an open look without the back.  Also thought you could put larger books or boxes on it and not be limited by the back.

I brightened it up with a couple of coats of Ducks Egg Blue and a white wash over that.

The sides are nice and curvy which I thought would make it appealing.

Put a cute little design on the top.  Alas! it is still sitting in the shop.  My questions is would you buy a table without a back.  Does it appeal to you or would you rather have it closed in?

How Did This Happen?

How did this happen?  Christmas decorations are still sitting in the hall waiting to be put away.

Valentine's Day has come and gone.  But the memory lingers on all over the house.

And the bunnies are waiting in the wings for their grand entrance.

And I could swear it's only been a week.  Anyone else feel this way?

Sunshine On My Sholder

We had the most beautiful sunrise this morning and it brought to mind the song "Sunshine on My Shoulder Makes Me Happy".  So I thought I would share it with you.  Happy Friday to all of you.

Cinderella

This is Cinderella.  I found her languishing on a shelf at the local thrift store.  It seems no wants old brass lamps anymore and she had no place to live.

So I gathered her  up and took her home knowing what a few spritzes of hammered spray paint can do for a girl who is shining a little to brightly.

I used a metallic bronze to paint with and it covered very nicely.  It only took one can to do two lamps.

I tied a tassel around the base to break up the look of the metal and soften it a little bit.  Now she is already to begin a new life.  I originally thought I would take these to the shop but found I liked them well enough to keep them for awhile.

So if you have old brass lamps sitting in the garage or stored away a new lamp is only as far away as a can of spray paint.

gossip

Bet you thought I had some really juicy gossip to relay.  Nope,  just wanted to show you this cute gossip bench I finished redoing.  It was in sad shape when I found it.  Some young man had carved his name into the desk part.  Or, it could have been a young lady,  talking to the love of her life carving his name into the top as she talked to him on the phone.  Don't you just love to make up history for old furniture.

I was going to paint her a light aqua as I found some great material in aqua and chocolate brown that I fell in love with.   

After I covered the seat I could see that a dark chocolate stain would look so much better.  I tend to like lighter colors so I usually am drawn that way but I know some people like the richness of dark furniture.  And it does pop against light wall. 

I liked how the flower petals picked up the shape of the detail on the back.

I know we don't sit in one spot and talk on the phone anymore so I hope someone can see she really isn't just a telephone bench.  I thought it would look cute in a entry as a place to take off your shoes and drop the car keys.  In the bedroom as a night stand.  Plenty of room for a lamp and clock plus a place once again to take off your shoes. Or how about a laptop station.  Great storage under the desk top to keep it out of the way.  What other room can  you think of that it might work in?

Beauty and the Beast Update

Update!  she choose the Beast.  Said he was perfect the bench of her dreams.

A friend of mine saw a bench my husband had built and wanted one to put at the foot of her bed.  However, she thought the one she was looking at was too pretty.  Not quite rowdy enough for her.  She wanted a beast with  a few rough edges and some hulk to him. 

So here is the beast.  Made of reclaimed wood with all his scars from his former life and nail heads showing. No pretty paint for him.

Here is beauty.  She is painted a light dove grey.  Her bench is smooth and no nail holes showing on her unblemished surface.  Her style is a little more graceful and refined.

Here are the beast and beauty together.  My friend is coming to today to take one of them to live with her.  Which would you choose?  Beauty or the Beast.  I am kind of hoping she leaves beauty for me.  Can't you just see her stenciled with a bouquet of hydrangeas in light lilac and purple gracing her seat.