Easter Decor Au Naturale

Although I still love most of my sweet little ceramic bunnies and chicks, I found myself putting out fewer of them for Easter this year.  I have been drawn to a more natural look for Easter and Spring decor.

 

This old tiered server is tarnished and rusted...beyond being suitable for holding food.  So, I had fun transforming it into a mossy spring display.  The eggs could be swapped out for air ferns, succulents, mini pumpkins, pine cones, etc. as the seasons change.

 

I took apart a few store bought nests, replaced the brightly colored plastic eggs for real ones (insides removed of course) and swapped the raffia stuff for soft green moss.  I added a few dried hydrangea flowers to this one, but most I kept very simple.

 

 

 I had a couple of these pedestal dishes tucked away and I think I found their final purpose.  I am loving the combination of the rustic nest with the fancy vintage gold metal base.

 

 

I think this tiny basket once held salt and pepper shakers. 

 

 

 I went looking for some fun vintage images to make tags for my Easter crafts and of course found exactly what I was looking for and more from the Graphics Fairy!

 

 

And I thought you might like to see where I've been getting all of my pretty eggs...  This is my mom's charming little chicken house!  I have been collecting the eggs from her brood of pampered hens this week while my parents have been away.  It has been fun but I am so looking forward to mom and dad's homecoming today!

 

Thank you so much for your sweet visit!

 

Best Wishes and Blessings,

Amanda

 

 

Sharing this post with these fun link parties:

Vintage Inspiration Friday at Common Ground
Home Sweet Home at The Charm of Home

Feathered Nest Friday at French Country Home

Show and Tell Friday at My Romantic Home

Petite Makeovers...Sweet, Springy and Pink!

Spring is definitely in the air!  I just love this time of year!  We have sunshine today after several dark, rainy days, my lilacs are budding and one beautiful bloom has opened on my pink Camellia bush!  Time to start decorating for Easter!

 

This vintage telephone table and chair set ended up being much more petite in person than it looked in the Craigslist ad when I first spotted it.  Pictures can be deceiving!  I should know that by now!  Still, it was old and fairly sturdy and had such a sweet look to it that I decided to take it home with me, in spite of it being much smaller than I had imagined.

 

 

A little glue here and a few nails there and this sweet set was ready for paint

 

 

At first I tried to talk myself out of pink and started with a coat of Old White, but it just didn't cut it.  This little darling was just begging for pink! 

I went with a mix of Old White and Antoinette for a soft, subtle shade of pink and distressed it with a sanding sponge on the edges to show a bit of the first coat of Old White and the wood grain as well.

 

  The size of this table and chair seems just right for an 8 or 9 year old girl and I pictured it beside her bed, with an arrangement  of favorite books and pretty things.

 

 

I like to display some of my own favorite books during this time of year, alongside my Easter decor.

 

 

 These very old, well-loved Beatrix Potter books are such little treasures to me.

 

 

I love that the bindings are worn and frayed and the covers are a bit tattered.  I have a newer set that the kiddos and I enjoy reading, but sometimes we very carefully look through the old ones as well.

 

 I look forward to taking my sweet little pink table and chair to the shop this week along with some other pretty pastel things, a couple of baskets and even a few bunnies! 

 

 

This rather simple vintage stool needed a little something extra to make it special.  Since I've been in the mood for bunnies this week, I decided that a primitive looking rabbit silhouette in Duck Egg blue was just the ticket!  Before I painted it in Antoinette, I brushed on a bit of Duck Egg here and there that now shows through where it was distressed.  Waxed with both clear and dark wax, this piece has a new "old" look and will be a fun accessory for spring decor or a super sweet seat for a little girl's room.

 

 

Thank you for your kind visit today!  I hope that wherever you are today, you are enjoying some cheerful spring sunshine!

 

Best Wishes and Blessings,

Amanda 

 

 

 

Sharing this post with these fun link parties:

Vintage Inspiration Friday at Common Ground
Home Sweet Home at The Charm of Home

Feathered Nest Friday at French Country Home

Show and Tell Friday at My Romantic Home

Furniture Feature Friday at Miss Mustard Seed
Pink Saturday at How Sweet the Sound

 

Liqueur Cabinet Fit for the Abbey

 

When I saw this Frenchy cabinet with all of it's frilly flourish, over the top detail I knew it just had to come home with me!  I could hardly wait to paint it and get into all of those amazing intricate carvings with some ASCP Dark Wax!

 

 

Though very well made, this is not an old piece of furniture.  I am guessing it is probably from the 80's or 90's based on it's construction.  No one at the store where I purchased it had any idea what it's original purpose was and I had to do some serious Googling to find similar pieces to compare it with.  Originally I figured it was some type of a media cabinet as there is a hole in the back panel that appears to be for cords and wiring, and I still believe that is probably what it was used for at one time.  However, the pieces I came across online were old and authentic and they were actually Liqueur Cabinets.  So there you have it, I am still not entirely certain what this lovely cabinet was originally intended for but I can think of a dozen ways it could be used now! 

 

 

The doors both lock with this beautiful key, another reason why this was probably a Liqueur Cabinet of sorts!

 

 

The body of the cabinet was made over with Chalk Paint® Decorative Paint by Annie Sloan in Old Ochre while the details were highlighted with Old White.  Both clear and dark wax were applied to finish the look.

 

 

Although there is nothing wrong with painting furniture to make it look fresh and new, I have a tendency to want to create something that looks time-worn, with history and depth and a story to tell.

 

 

In it's original oak finish, it was a dated, cast-off media cabinet. Now it's a stately French Liqueur cabinet that once graced the parlor of a fantastic castle and held expensive bottles of sherry and brandy served by a serious butler to elegant Lords and Ladies.

 

 

I like to dream up stories about furniture pieces as I paint them, don't you?  I also find myself influenced by the movies or TV shows I am watching when I paint.  My mom commented that this cabinet had a real Downton Abbey flair to it.  I liked the sound of that!

 

Thank you so much for you for your sweet visit!

 

Best Wishes and Blessings,

Amanda

 

Sharing this post with these fun link parties:

Vintage Inspiration Friday at Common Ground
Home Sweet Home at The Charm of Home

Feathered Nest Friday at French Country Home

Show and Tell Friday at My Romantic Home

Furniture Feature Friday at Miss Mustard Seed

Trunk Love

 

Happy Valentine's Day!  Nothing says love like an old beat up trunk, right?

 

 

I have painted many metal trunks and in all shapes and sizes, but never one quite this large!  This one intimidated me and I can't tell you how many times I tried to donate it or pass it off on someone else!  My husband, the one who complains about all of my "junk" in the garage was the one who kept encouraging me not to give up on it! 

 

 

It was in rough shape, and honestly it still is!  But rather than worry about restoring it (I wouldn't know where to start!), I decided to embrace it's rustic charm and focus on bringing out all of the lovely details.

 

 

I painted the entire piece with two coats of Chalk Paint Decorative Paint® by Annie Sloan in Paris Grey and accented the wood slats with Old Ochre and metal hardware in Old White.

 

 

I also did a little random dry brushing with Old Ochre here and there to add to the rough patina.

 

 

Perhaps the most hindering part of the makeover was the trunk's interior.  I should have gotten a before photo.  At some point someone had lined the inside with a 1950's looking golf themed contact paper!  It wasn't attractive, it wasn't removable and it had a bad odor!  I applied a heavy coat of Kilz primer to remove the smell.  After allowing it to dry completely and air out a bit, I grabbed a stack of book pages and a bottle of Modge Podge and went to work!

 

 

If you look closely, you will see that these pages all came from various Jane Austen novels!  Perfectly romantic for a Valentine's Day post, right?

 

Well, technically it was a Text book, and I aged the pages with coffee...so there's no need to call the Jane Austen Novel Preservation Society on me!

 

 

I borrowed my scrapbook paper heart garland from the fireplace mantel for photos this morning.  I have been enjoying it so much that i think it might have to stay out a while longer.

 

 

It's still an old, beat up trunk but with a new look and without the bad smell!  I hope someone falls in love and gives it a good home.  It's headed to my shop space this week.

 

I am looking forward to a fun Valentine's Day party at school with my 1st grader this afternoon and then a nice quiet evening at home with my honey!

 

I hope your day is filled with love!  Thank you so much for your sweet visit!  Happy Valentine's Day!

 

Best Wishes and Blessings,

Amanda

 

Sharing this post with these fun link parties:

Vintage Inspiration Friday at Common Ground
Home Sweet Home at The Charm of Home

Feathered Nest Friday at French Country Home

Show and Tell Friday at My Romantic Home

Furniture Feature Friday at Miss Mustard Seed

 

 

 

Romantic Notions and Scandinavian Pink

Don't you love it when odds and ends that have sat in your garage for literally years finally find their purpose?  Let's face it, when you frequent garage sales and thrift stores as often as I do, you are bound to come home with things now and then that sit around until you can't remember what drew you to them in the first place.  I try to periodically sift through my "stash" in the garage and donate the things that have been sitting untouched the longest.  And by donate, I mean sending them back to the thrift store that they originally came from!  It doesn't make sense, I know...but if you're a treasure hunter/repurposer/creative type, I am sure you understand.  Here are a couple of things that have been sitting in our garage for a very very long time that I am glad I didn't send back to the thrift store.

 

A metal candle holder and the base of an old broken lamp recently received a couple coats of Annie Sloan Chalk Paint® and then were waxed.  I added the pretty white plates with epoxy and topped them off with glass domes.  In search for something pretty to display in them, I recently found a couple of special teacup sets that were just perfect.  The paint color I used was a combination of Old White and Scandinavian Pink. 

I used the same paint color combo here on this desktop organizer turned notions display.

 

I added scrapbook paper to the little drawers just for fun.

 

 

I rarely pass up these wooden desktop organizers.  They can be a little tedious to paint and wax by hand but there are so many uses for them that I think the effort is worth it.  I had fun finding things to display in this one.

 

As much as I love Annie Sloan's Antoinette, I think I am equally smitten with this Scandinavian Pink/Old White mix.  To give you an idea of how little Scandinavian Pink you need to add to Old White to create this soft, pretty ballet slipper tone, here is a look back at a couple of other pieces I have painted with just one small sample pot of Scandinavian Pink.  And I still have a good amount of paint left in that sample pot!

 

 

Emmy's Vanity

 

 

Vintage Breadbox

 

Before I sign off today, I want to show you my new lamp!  I am always on the hunt for cute lamps, but for some reason or another I rarely ever find ones that float my boat and fit into my budget.  So, I was thrilled when I came across this one last week!

 

 

It's just perfect on my desk in my little studio space!  Can you guess what sold me?  The bow, of course!  It's just the kind of romantic detail that I can't resist!

 

Speaking of romance, are you ready for Valentine's Day?  I am looking forward to some craft time with my little boys this weekend.  We have big plans for some special Valentine projects for the fun school parties next week!

 

Thank you so much for your sweet visit today!

 

Best Wishes and Blessings,

Amanda

 

 

 

 

 

Sharing this post with these fun link parties:

Vintage Inspiration Friday at Common Ground
Home Sweet Home at The Charm of Home

Feathered Nest Friday at French Country Home

Show and Tell Friday at My Romantic Home

 

 

 

Pink Door No. 3

 

I've had a little bit of fun today painting and waxing a shabby pink Paris chic door!  As much as I have been longing for a pretty door to lean against the wall behind my chaise lounge, this one is on it's way to the shop.  The thing is, I have three more of these doors in the garage awaiting a paint transformation...and I've decided that this week my shop space needs inventory.  I can wait for my door.  Also, I have been envisioning a slightly larger door for this wall.  Now I'm not so sure.  What do you think?

 

 

Formerly part of a closet door removed from an older home, this shabby pink paneled door is now a statement piece, ready to add charm to any room.

 

I started by painting one coat of antique white in a latex paint.  I am so used to the quick drying of my ASCP that I could hardly stand how long it was taking for this paint to dry!  I got impatient and starting slapping on a coat of Antoinette.  The latex paint still seemed to be tacky, which made the chalk paint go on rather unevenly, but being that I was going for a distressed look anyways, I just went with it!  The result was a lot of wonderful texture that really became prominent with the dark wax.  To create the worn away look in spots and reveal the layers of white latex, and then dark wood stain, I took a damp cloth and rubbed gently before the second coat of paint was dry.    

 

 

Before waxing the top panel, I decided to add a little more interest to the piece by painting No. 3 in Graphite chalk paint.  I lightly distressed it with a piece of sand paper before completing it with the wax.

 

It's a bit shabbier than my usual style but I love it and I am loving how it plays off of the more formal furniture in my front room.  I can't wait to work it into my display at the shop!  Now, I have a few more pink pieces to wax this afternoon that should pull the whole look together.  Time to head back to the garage!  I will be praying as I work...I have friends and family on my heart who need help and healing today. 

 

Thank you for your sweet visit.  Take care!

 

Best Wishes and Blessings,

Amanda

 

 

 

Sharing this post with these fun link parties:

Vintage Inspiration Friday at Common Ground
Home Sweet Home at The Charm of Home
Inspiration Friday at The Pickett Fence

Feathered Nest Friday at French Country Home

Show and Tell Friday at My Romantic Home

Furniture Feature Friday at Miss Mustard Seed

Au Revoir Rustic Trestle Table!

I am so glad I got this photo of my booth space last week after spending a few hours moving things around and fluffing my display.  I say this because it doesn't look quite as nice today after having sold my trestle table which I had just brought in.  As thankful as I am for quick sales, sometimes I wish my pretty displays would just stay put until I had time to gather more treasures to replace them with.  Silly, I know.  At least I have the photo as evidence that it really was this full and nicely arranged!  I also snapped a few shots of the table at home before taking it to the store and have been looking forward to sharing a bit about it with you here!  I hope it is all settled in and looking beautiful in it's new home now!

 

In spite of the layers of thick old sea foam green paint and a few spots of warped wood and water stains, I knew this little table was a treasure when I spotted it on Craigslist.  Still, had I thought it needed to be sanded and stripped, I might have passed it up.  Thank goodness for Annie Sloan Chalk Paint!  I simply wiped it down and cleaned the spider webs out of the nooks and crannies before slapping on two coats of Old White!  Our garage is so cold right now that the paint was taking a little longer to dry than normal and I was not enjoying my painting time as much as I usually do.  My mom suggested that I buy a space heater.  A quick trip to our little local hardware store and $20 later, I was feeling so much more comfortable and the paint was drying much quicker!  My mom is so clever, isn't she? 

 

 

I slapped the Old White on thick and in an uneven, criss cross motion to produce lots of texture on the surface that would become even more pronounced with the dark wax, giving the table a very rustic, weathered look.

 

 

I love the look of sanded, distressed edges on painted furniture, but in this case I didn't want to sand back to reveal the sea foam green paint, so I relied on the dark wax settling into my brush strokes to give me a worn, aged look.

 

 

 The dark wax was also used to accentuate the neat detail on the sides of the table.

 

 

A basket of freshly laundered and pressed vintage linens looked so pretty on the rustic table.  I love the contrast of the crisp white against the creamy paint finish.

 

 

 Thank you so much for your sweet visit today! 

I am working on more pretty things to share with you!  I am enjoying all of the Valentine's Day inspiration out there in Blogland and on Pinterest, aren't you?  It puts me in the mood for flowers, hearts and lots of pink!

 

Have a wonderful day!

 

Best Wishes and Blessings,

Amanda 

 

 

 

Sharing this post with these fun link parties:

Vintage Inspiration Friday at Common Ground
Home Sweet Home at The Charm of Home
Inspiration Friday at The Pickett Fence

Feathered Nest Friday at French Country Home

Show and Tell Friday at My Romantic Home

Furniture Feature Friday at Miss Mustard Seed