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Monday, April 30, 2012

Busy & Relaxing Weekend

Kind of an oxymoron huh?  Busy and relaxing?  We had both on our anniversary weekend at the cottage.  No kids.  Just us.  No disasters.  Everything as we left it.  Bliss.

We both agreed that it would be a project free weekend and we stuck to our plan.  Our only job was to pay two guys to put our dock in.  We watched from inside the cottage next to the fire!  Worth every penny!

We managed to stay busy as well.

After traveling this same route for 6 years, I demanded we stop at some small towns along the way.  Actually, I was driving so I just pulled over when I saw the sign.  

One of our stops was to Van Wert Ohio.  I found this store on the main drag, ReHab Fab.

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I love the buildings – so much character.

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Beautiful big display windows.

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Once inside, there were so many colors and wonderful furniture items to see.

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They have great pieces at affordable prices.  I spoke with the owners and they said their best selling color is…

Purple

Who knew?

They also finish most of their furniture in a glossy finish.

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Across the street was a traditional antique mall.

It is a quaint area and well worth the stop if you are ever close by.

On Saturday we hit three auctions.  Yes, we braved the hail and hit all three!  I hate to report that I got nuthin’, nada, zip.

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The second auction took place at this home.  It was spectacular!  The acres, the pool, the barns and of course this home were unbelievable.

The house was not for sale, but I snuck in and had a little look around.

It did not disappoint.  Sorry no photos, thought that would be pushing it!

The prices were a bit high and despite having three rings, was taking a long time. 

Had I stayed, I know I would have overpaid, just to have something to show for my time.  Anyone else do that?

Overall, it was a quick trip with good activity, lots of relaxation and excellent food.  A perfect way to celebrate 17 years of marriage.

Just a heads up…a very busy week ahead.  Getting ready for the Anniversary Sale at Heritage Square Antique Mall on Friday evening from 6:00-10:00.

And, I did not learn my lesson…I am participating in a garage sale on Saturday.

Lots to do.

Have a great start to your week!

XO-

Friday, April 27, 2012

Hello Weekend!

I hope you share my enthusiasm for the weekend! 

Hubby and I are heading out of town in honor of 17 years of marriage! 

That is a long time.  

In preparation for a quick getaway, I restocked both spaces. 

I also marked down a ton of items!

Have a look.

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Yes, the buffet sold.  I’m busy finishing some items to fill the space.

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This 100+ year old window has been repurposed with chicken wire.

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Vintage hankies hang from a frame finished with chicken wire in B-20.

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The red caddy is fantastic!  It has different size cubbies to hold just about anything!

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This bakers rack is the perfect potting bench!

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A pair of wood window/flower boxes hold terra cotta pots.  When you’re ready to plant, there are lots of items.

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I couldn’t resist the groovy file box.  Next to it, are vintage cameras complete with the cases. 

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Someone needs to buy this Hoosier cabinet!  It needs to go!  Hubby wants me to paint it but I must say, I’m not feeling it!

We are off for some R&R, hope to hit an auction, run through some garage sales and complete a book or two.  No Projects!

If you’re ready to shop…Heritage Square Antique Mall Friday and Saturday 10-9 and Sunday 12-6.  Spaces B-10 & B-20.

Have a great weekend!

XO-

Thursday, April 26, 2012

A Manly Desk

Black seems to be my color of choice for a few pieces lately. I hope you’ll agree that this desk screamed black.

I originally started with Annie Sloan Old White for this antique.

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The color of the wood came right through the paint.  Not good.

So I applied another coat.  Still not good.

So I left the desk for a few months a while hoping I could find inspiration.

The top of the desk is leather and has a wood outline.  You can see where I sanded the wood.

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It seemed rather manly to me.  So I busted out the black latex paint.

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I stained the wood on top and cleaned up the leather.

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I was able to use the beautiful original hardware.

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Forgive me – it’s a manly desk and has the heft to go along with it.  Wasn’t able to drag it outside for a better photo.

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It’s a great restyled antique desk.  I am pleased with the black.  Hope you like!

XO-

Wednesday, April 25, 2012

Hired Help & Getting it Done

Hi All,

One of the things I love most about my business is the thrill of the hunt.  It’s amazing to take a discarded item and transform it or repurpose it.  Since I love the hunt, I have accumulated a bit more than I can get to.

With Hubby’s guidance, I have limited myself.  I cannot bring new items in without finishing what I have already.  Easier said than done, especially since I secretly shopped on Monday!

The stuff in the garage did not excite me.  I just kept avoiding the 6 chairs, misc. tables, frames etc.

To get moving, I hired my 13-year-old neighbor to assist.  She was hard working and eager to paint!  Just what I needed.

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See the gal standing behind the hard working neighbor?  Yea, that’s my kid.  My kid that wants nothing to do with paint!

But then Daughter #1 got involved.

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Let me show you some of what they were able to accomplish.

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Step 1 – as found.

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Step 2 – paint aqua.

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Step 3 – paint with grey.

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We had another abandoned chair.  This had been painted oil-based green.  Rather than strip it, we scraped the peeling paint and painted over it.

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You can see the original green, as she paints with the blue.

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I love how the green shows through along with the gray and blue.  I did sand it lightly and covered it with a stain to bring all the colors together.

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Poor girl also painted 4-farm chairs.  Wonder if she’ll ever come back?

She did help me tremendously!  I needed to have these done!  I am forever thankful for the help!

Have a great day!

XO-

Tuesday, April 24, 2012

Vintage Love

I secretly shopped yesterday.  It’s a secret because I vowed to work through my garage and storage before I bought another thing.  But some days a girl just has to get her shop on!

Obviously, I can’t show you any of these items because they are in the before stage.  But I can pass along some vintage eye candy that has been my inspiration as of late.

Enjoy…

Vintage Love

Vintage Barn Doors-love them as a backdrop to the chandelier!..entry table in Spring

 

Im in {LOVE}Barn door + old ladder + vintage linens~ what's not to love?great pic

Doors for officeold shutter made into a shelf!Washtub light fixtures

These pictures are on my Vintage Love Pinterest Board for reference.

Here’s a few more to get your day off to a good start.

locker baskets @ Maple and Magnoliafor office ?Natural palette and textures in a room by Phillip Mitchell.

XO-

ShannonSig0

Monday, April 23, 2012

Painting Table & Chairs

Hi All,

Hope you had a good weekend.  It was cold and dreary here – which made me less productive than usual.

I do have a quick before and after to share.  Actually, a before and almost after.

You may recall our cottage nightmare last month.  Within 2 days, we painted the kitchen cabinets, island, laid flooring in two bedrooms and cleaned!

Since painting the wood in the cottage will protect from mold and mildew, I also painted the dining table and chairs (yep, during those 2 days).

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We bought this round table and 4 chairs from friends nearly 6 years ago.  We loved the knotty wood and style for the cottage.

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The 4 chairs and the table base were painted with my paint recipe.  You can find it here.

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The chairs are complete.  The table base is complete.  The tabletop will be stained or painted on our next trip.  Then everything will be sealed.

Since the cottage has a very shabby chic feel, if paint wears from the chairs due to heavy use, it will look even better!

Here are a few shots of the cottage furniture I painted last summer.

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The table and chairs will fit right in!

Have a great start to your week!

XO-

ShannonSig0