FALL!
Although I don't think this is how the trees around here will be looking this year. Leaves are turning color all right - BROWN! And there's piles of them scattered all over the grass, sidewalks, and streets. I guess that's a pretty good sign cooler weather is not far behind!
Those of you who've followed me throughout the years will probably remember posts about my little cottage bungalow. The little bits of decorating I added to it and my never-ending transformation of the landscaping with the addition of numerous perennial gardens. Well.....I recently sold it! It was kinda planned, but not really. You see, it was on the market early last fall for a brief time and then I took it off. This past spring, I was contacted with a potential buyer wanting to know if I was still interested in selling. Long story short, I decided to "Just Do It"!
I'll miss my little house, but I'll miss my yard and gardens the most......
Buh-by beautiful flowers.
So, now I've taken up residence (temporarily) in an even smaller place - I know, I find that hard to believe, too - with a small yard and......right away, I just HAD to plant my own flowers!
Most of my stuff is boxed up in a storage unit, but I do have a few tools and paint supplies with me in case I found a project I wanted need to work on. Ah, ha, ha, ha! You KNOW I'll find more than one!!
Shortly after moving in, I spied this on the curb in the neighborhood.....
The condition of it wasn't too bad - a broken foot piece,
the top surface was all scratched up, and some of the veneer was damaged.
The inside was pretty good except for a bad crack right down the middle of the bottom!
Most likely caused from being dropped really hard on the end
that had the broken foot piece.
AFTER:
For some reason, I visualized this chest with a more feminine look. I used Annie Sloan's Ochre
paint overall, Khaki color on the trim as an accent, and added
a rose vine stencil for a pop of color.
I did some heavy distressing, since the chest had so many deep scratches,
dings, and rough exterior. It gives the well-worn look in a more well-loved manner!
Next, I found this on the curb........
(does everyone KNOW that I moved into this neighborhood and they're
leaving stuff out for me to find? FREAKY!)
Of course, very heavy! Why can't I ever find the light-weight stuff! Anyhoo....
dragged it into the truck (a gal that was leaving for work from the house next
to this was nice enough to offer her assistance)
and unloaded it in the garage.
You can see how TALL it really is! It's a nice piece of furniture.
I think it's maple or cherry. There was one (?) cabinet door on the bottom
where there shoulda been two - how do you lose a door??
The finish on this was so nice, I just couldn't bring myself to paint it.
(I DO have some restraint when it comes to fine furniture!)
I removed the cabinet hinges and decided to leave it at that.
Not knowing what else to do with it,
I ended up giving it to a young couple I know
to use in their new house!
I did keep the single cabinet door, though!
Turned it into a chalkboard message board!
I figured painting it didn't matter!
I hit a few garage sales since I've moved, too.
This commode is cool, but missing ALL THREE DRAWERS!
WHAAAAAT!
Well, I didn't let that interfere with my plan!
I cut some plywood to fit in the empty slots for shelves.
Added a couple of beautiful burlap toile print baskets and VOILA!
Added a toile print craft paper to the door insert to match.
JUST LOVE IT!
At the same garage sale, I got an old pair of tall window shutters.
That I turned into a display shelf!
I painted the slats different colors to resemble
odds & ends wood floor/wainscot planks.
Can you guess what this is?
It's a divider with shelves - you know, the kind that
was built-in at the front entryway
as a buffer between the door and the living room!
This one even has a planter box to put those lovely tacky plastic flowers in!
I dolled it all up with paint, of course! But forgot to take
"AFTER" photos!
I'll get those in the next post! You'll be amazed at the transformation!
Here' a nightstand I got and neglected to take
a "BEFORE" photo!
Am I getting forgetful, or what??
I painted it with the AS Ochre
and then wiped it with a damp cloth
for a more distressed look.
It has more of a Colorado look than cottage.
Maybe that's why I like it!
I've been searching for some old rusty barbed wire.
When I was a farm wife, eons ago,
helping mending fences and fun stuff like that,
there was scads of it EVERYWHERE!
Big rolls of it! Smaller coils of it twisted up and thrown in piles!
Well, up at the Oronoco, MN "Gold Rush Days" Flea Market
I finally found me some!
I wanted to try to duplicate something I'd seen at another 'junk' show.
This is my version of it!
It's more difficult to twist and mold into a shape than I thought!
(That's usually how most of my project ideas turn out to be!)
This'll most likely be the only piece I do!
OK! So, I got that idea outta my head!
On to another idea that I just had to try!
Since I like wine, and who doesn't, I decided to do something
with all the wine corks I've accumulated and that've been
given to me by the bags full from other 'wine connoiseurs'!
Wine Cork Necklaces!
This is one of my most recent ones I threw together.
Using old jewelry pieces, old keys,
beads, bling, and rusty whatever's!
The sparkly things in this eclectic creation don't show up
very well in the pictures.
It's fun to put old stuff all together!
Old earring with some funky animal print glass beads!
These are some that I did this past spring.
The hazards of a 'junker'!
There's so much junk,
not enough time!
Stay well, my friends!
XXOO
