Rusty Rave Monday - Polished-Off Projects

It's been a long while...Merry Christmas, Happy New Year and coming up on Valentines Day, already.  Well, how time flies...

Christmas was awesome!  I flew my Son, his wife and my granddaughter out for the week.  It was the best present ever for everyone in our family!  Then I flew to Calgary to be with my husband for a week until New Years, and my husband and I just got back from a business trip in Newport Beach last week...busy!

 

It has been in my plans to make a Valentine's Day bunting, but I hadn't gotten to it yet.  It may not have happened at all, were it not for my oldest daughter...she came for a visit this last weekend and brought the supplies to make them.  She and I hadn't even discussed it, but just must have been on the same wave length.  Cool, I can check that one off!

 Anyway, I hope you have a happy one!  I probably won't be posting again before then, I've got so much in the works...my life is crazy and unsettled, but I guess, I wouldn't want it any other way!

Also, here's my finished, $5, rickety, vintage ladder, that I was excited about in my last post.  

I tried home-made chalk paint and painted-over-the-paint in seafoam green, with a dry brush to get the blotchy coverage.  I love how it turned out...just what I had pictured in my mind.  Now on to the next big thing!

HAPPY VALENTINE'S DAY!

Rusty Rave Monday - Polished Off Projects AND Pillow Pride!

Over the last week or so, I have been in a project frenzy...trying to complete things that I have started and make some new things.  If any of you follow me on Pinterest you know that I have a ton of projects posted that I want to try my hand at.  Here are some of the results, and you just may recognize some of them...

I love this little gem of a wreath!  (It can be found here at Jones Design.)  I recycled some linen napkins that I purchased at the Habitat for Humanity Restore (the same linen napkins that I used in making the following pillows in this post). I created this very close to the original, but of course, made it my own with small silk flowers, an organza ribbon bow and opted for "non-sparkly" eggs.  Part of the beauty of it all was that I had everything on hand and just used whatever I found in my craft supply stashes!

 

I just adore wreaths...I have them all over the house, inside and out!  This one was from another Jones Design tutorial, found here.  I took the same linen napkins to wrap the form, then added the rolled paper flowers that I made with old sheet music.

After rolling my flowers, I "smushed" the top of them down a bit, so that they looked a little more like real petals, added the paper leaves, and then satin ribbon to finish it off (I wasn't about to spend all day making flowers to fill the whole circle!).

I made this for the entrance to my little "frenchy privy" facilities in the master bath

...and it just makes me happy!

Another idea I discovered on Pinterest found here, a stenciled pillow.  Here again, I made it with a couple of my linen napkins.  Of course, I too, had to have my own quote...that's the beauty of creating your own stuff from ideas that you see around you! 

Mine is actually a quote from Dr. Suess, and if you are a child of the 70's you would also recognize it as the words to the closing song that Carol Burnett sang at the end of her show each week!  I love what it says, as well as, have fond memories of watching that with my mother when I was growing up.

From my sister's blog here at Something Special.  I just love her pillow ideas and I am pretty sure that she got the images from the Graphics Fairy.  Once again, it's the linen napkin re-purposed!

I acquired 2 of these little wood boxes at a moving sale in my neighborhood.  They were painted "checkerboard country cutsey" which was okay, but I had a vision for them...

...so they got painted, and distressed, then the cute drawer pulls were added (purchased at one of my most favorite places, Hobby Lobby).  These will be so versatile for fabulous little vingette's over time...

Last, (but not least by any means) I whipped up this stool idea

found here.  I didn't use Annie Sloane paint, like the decor-chick, just got the idea for a stool that I already had.

I recently visited my son and his family in Texas and while I was there we, of course, went "antiquing".  I found this stunning handmade, scalloped edge, vintage apron.  (I should probably iron it...)  I didn't know how I would display it, but was just delighted with it...then the idea hit me...and I tied it to the stool!  Gotta have a bit of whimsy in your life, too cute!

Thanks for stopping by...until next time...

...here's to the little things that make us happy!

Rusty Rave Monday - Black Battered Bookcase

 

As part of my family room redecorating, I finally got the bookcase painted and distressed...

 

...and got my dishes displayed.  I need opinions...What do ya think about the placement of the items on the top shelf and bottom shelf?

Look at the three pictures and please let me know which one looks the best.

I am also toying with the idea of adding the music sheets to the back of the first three shelf areas.  Might you have an opinion on that, as well?

Just FYI:  Here's the before green.

 

The process...

 

...and before the distressing...

  I would appreciate your thoughts!  Thank you and have a great day!

Plum Perfect Friday - Setting the Stage

Yay! The painting is done! I wanted to "Stage" it before I personalized it completely, so that I would have an example to show. I'm loving the new look, but it will continue to evolve...the domino effect is really in motion...there are several items that I now have to repaint! I am completely and thoroughly enjoying myself, however, it's my passion and just what I do!

Rusty Rave Monday - Summer Stand Out's!

I have been otherwise occupied with travel and projects and haven't posted in a while, so here's a little bit of what I've been up to...

I refinished a table that I have been storing in my garage!

I was inspired by this Pottery Barn beauty which is priced at $700.

I found this table about a year ago and picked it up for $25!

It wasn't in too bad of shape, but was in need of some sanding and TLC.

I didn't want to totally mimic the Pottery Barn style, so I sanded down to the wood as much as possible to smooth out the scuffs and scratches.

I decided that I was just a bit crazy, beginning a project like this during July in Arizona! I was up early in the morning to try and beat the heat, but we were still at three-digit temperatures.

So I took it inside to paint!

After I let it cure for a day or two, I had to take it outside again to sand some more.

But I love the way it turned out!

We got out the glaze and did some finishing touches!

Cooool!
I have also taken to using wallpaper remnants to "paper my drawers". It's a fun finishing touch!



From this...

...to this! Then more glazing...

Yay!

While I had the glaze out...

This used to be black, much better now!

I got these candlesticks at a garage sale for $1. They used to be gold--so lovely in white with a little glaze for good measure!

Fun, fun, fun!