Fall Garden Cleaning and Planting Time

Ah, Fall...when the cooler temperatures of early mornings are quickly warmed up by the bright golden sun. The trees are turning into brilliant colors of yellows, oranges, and reds all around us. The blowing winds causing them to come fluttering down to cover the ground. Fall reminds us that change is a beautiful thing!

Just when you thought you could sit back and enjoy this new season, after the endless and exhausting Spring and Summer months of tending lawns and gardens, it's time to start Fall clearing out flower beds and vegetable gardens, pruning perennials, and planting new bulbs, trees, and shrubs to start the whole cycle all over again!!

THERE'S SO MUCH TO DO!!

AND SO MUCH INFORMATION!!

Which season do you prefer to cut back and plant - Spring? Fall?

I actually like to be working outside on these beautiful Fall days. When the flowers have gone to seed and then cut back, the bushes get a good trim, and the garden vegetables have all been harvested, it's rewarding to see  the end result of all that hard labor! A clean slate that's already prepared for the next season. 

I do have a helper, though...

Shelby, (my Grand-dog), loves to be outside and seems eager to help

She's easily distracted

And likes to take breaks!

I should try to be more like her! 

Stay happy and well, my friends!

    XOXO

The Perfect Addition to Farmhouse Style Decor

I love old country kitchen cabinets! You know, the chippy white paint ones that stand on their own like a piece of furniture. The most common style has open shelves on the top and more storage shelves below covered by cabinet doors. They are the perfect addition to the Farmhouse Style decor!

Decor idea

They're not easy to find in good condition! When modern kitchen cabinets became popular, these free-standing cabinets became relics and ended up in old abandoned houses, barns, and sheds. I've been lucky to acquire a few over the years. Mostly at sales throughout my 'junkin trips', garage sales, thrift shops or FREE in a trash pile!

Thrift Store find!

I found this one a few years ago at a local Thrift Store. (no 'before' photo!)  It was big and HEAVY! It must have been stored in a barn with farm animals - IT SMELLED LIKE A BARNYARD! After a good soapy washing, and a couple days airing out, it was ready to be revived!

The doors had solid wood insets that I cut out and replaced with chicken wire to give it more of an open look. I painted it white on the outside. Then I used sandpaper to give it a slightly distressed look. I took it to the Fall Antler's Lane Sale that same year, and it sold right away! I was hooked big time and on a mission to find more of these treasures!

Another thrift store find!

This narrow cabinet was a home-made cabinet covered with thick enamel paint! It needed a lot of cleaning before I could start working on it! It's a smaller version of  the larger vintage kitchen cabinet that offers the same impact to a small space.

After cutting out the wood insets on the door, I added my favorite chicken wire so you could see the inside much better. An antique spoon is used for the door hardware!

Curbside trash pile find!

I took a second drive by this pile of rubble to get a better look at a wicker chair. Then as I looked closer, I couldn't believe what I saw under a pile of wood laying there on the ground! A tall antique wood cabinet! As I began to put it into my truck, the homeowner came out (turns out I knew her!) and told me there were glass inset doors for the cabinet, too! It was my lucky day! (I got the wicker chair, too!)

This is the best cabinet I've done! And the most difficult! It was basically in pieces The original hardware for the doors was missing, so after a lot of research and purchasing replacements, and a couple of unsuccessful attempts, I went to my go-to construction guy (my son-in-law!). He trimmed the doors to accommodate new hinges. Perfect!!

The glass insets are the original glass - antique and wavy - in perfect condition! I cut new boards for the shelving. The backing is a beautiful blue pattern wallpaper covering that really gives it that WOW appeal!

I love doing these projects with the ultimate goal of selling them! Although, with some projects I say "I wish I'd kept it", I REALLY WISH I'D KEPT THIS ONE!!

Yard Sale Purchase!

This primitive cabinet is hand made out of a heavy wood. It has a very country design that can easily be transformed into the Farmhouse Style that I love! A quick fix with white paint, some decorative trim pieces and updated hardware. I added beadboard-look wallcovering behind the shelving to add more style. After a bit of sanding to give it a slightly distressed look, it got a smooth wax sealer finish.

What a difference paint makes! A fresh new look! Ready to be filled with a collection of Ironstone items or other Farmhouse/Cottage/Country accessories! 

This piece has been sold and headed home with a nice young family. Now it's time to go on the hunt for a new project!!

Thanks for following my adventures of  Rescuing* Re-cycling * Re-furbishing

the Tossed and Found!

Stay healthy and safe!

XOXO

What the Heck is it??

Ah, Spring! The warming temperatures, sunny days, 

greener grass, flowering trees...AND....

the start of 

GARAGE SALE SEASON!!

Due to the current on-going 

Pandemic restrictions,

garage sales of the past

 may be a bit different this year.

Social distancing, plenty of 

hand sanitizer, protective gloves,

and face masks

will be required!

So, shop garage sales responsibly!

A couple years ago, (without ANY restrictions!)

I spied an odd object at a yard sale!

It was marked $1!

Now, most people walked right on by

seemingly not knowing what the heck it was!

Can you guess what this metal piece used to be?

If you guessed an old electric ironing machine base

(obviously missing the big round tube-like ironing part)

YOU'D BE CORRECT!!

Can you imagine dragging that heavy piece out

every time something needed ironing??

Anyhoo…..this sat in my 'to-do' project pile

mainly holding other projects

waiting to be competed!

Finally, it was the LAST project in my garage -

I HAD to finish it....

I used all of the old barn wood 

I got at the Nebraska Junk Jaunt last year

just waiting for the perfect project!

I figured out how to make the bottom shelf

and asked my favorite go-to expert,

my son-in-law, Richard,

to cut the top pieces!

I KNEW he'd make it look perfect!!

His cuts are always perfectly

STRAIGHT!!

I was going to paint the metal base

(it'd been used and abused

and had lots of scrapes and gouges)!

But, I decided to leave the

 'patina' as it was! 

It shows the story of it's past!

Adding the aged barn wood 

gave it a new life!

It's the PERFECT PAIRING!

Stay safe, Be well, my friends!

XOXO

Nostalgic Feelings of Spring

What's your favorite season? 

I always look forward to Spring! Thoughts of

 longer days of sunny and warmer weather, green grass, 

green leaves on the trees and, of course, colorful flowers
 in bloom that fill the air with an abundance of fragrance!

I love to work outside in the Spring! My favorite things are:

planning garden spaces, (whether vegetables, flowers,
trees, or shrubs), digging in the dirt, watering, weeding,
 and watching everything grow!

I've lived in many homes over the years,
and with each one, the first thing I did
 was create new landscaping or 

a total renovation of the existing lawn and gardens.
It always made me happy to come home

and see the beautiful gardens
that came from all my efforts!

Currently, I'm living in a condo complex, which restricts
 being able to have any gardens. I miss that a lot!
So, thankfully, 

I've found a remedy to my dilemma -
I'm fortunate to get to have a garden at 

my daughter and her husband's house - and I help them out
with the enormous landscape gardens they have! 

It's a win-win!

In these uncertain times, when life itself seems 

out of control, take time for your health and welfare.

Being active outdoors can be productive

 and it can be the calm that you need.

Stay well, my friends...

XOXO

Time To Start Some New Projects!

It's still technically 'WINTER', but the weather can be 

confusing! One day it's blustery, cold and cloudy,

then the next day sunny, cloudy with rain, 

then sunny, again, all on the same day! 

Cold, then warming up, and back to cold..... 

That's kinda how I've been feeling about 

tackling the many projects I have

waiting to be given a new life!

I've got a dilemma... 

Which one do I pick to work on first?

The vintage electric ironing machine base?

It's really stretching the imagination

and it'll need a major re-construction!

My idea is to turn it into a coffee/wine bar.

I already have half of the idea done...

I used an old window I picked up 

at the NE Junk Jaunt last fall,

 applied the lettering and

added the black checkered stencil

as trim at the top and bottom.

I think it'll look great on 

the wall behind the bar!

The next project piece has been 

around for awhile! I found this old door at 

the city's "Trash Days" 2 years ago!

I keep moving it to the back of the

 project pile until the right idea comes along!

When I saw it laying in a pile of debris, 

I didn't have a plan, but I knew

some great vision would come to me!

Any suggestions? 

I'd really like to get it done and outta here!

Project option #3...

These retro chairs caught my attention

with their unique curved wood seats

and scalloped detail.

While I do respect nice natural wood, 

in this case, I think painting these chairs

would make them more upbeat and appealing!

Maybe some 'Pop Art' to enhance the 

retro look would make them frivolous and fun!

 Pretty cool, huh!

Well...After some deliberation,

 and since I'll be staying home more

due to the current COVID-19

restrictions, I've decided to start work

on the chairs! It'll be a fun project!!

I'll keep you posted on the progress!

XOXO