Decorating with knock out roses, ironstone, cookbooks and wood box seasonal displays...

If you have read this site long enough, you know I am not into "froo-froo" stuff. I like pretty, but I decorate with things I really love or has meaning...I don't want something just to "have" it.

So most of what I buy at the auctions immediately go into my booths. I love the beautiful china, glass, and antiques I often buy, but I have "collectables" and antiques I have inherited from my family...it is all beautiful and has meaning.

These are just a few trinkets I took to my booth this past week! I bought the little wood folding chair so I would have extra seating...then decided I really don't want to store it! I have two more in the garage that need to be refinished or painted...maybe I'll keep those! I had the green retro bread box in my laundry room for coupons and decided it was just a place for me to toss stuff so I wouldn't have to deal with it. I love the little wooden rake tool box I made, but again, just another thing lying around that takes up space...cute, but I have enough "stuff" piled up...don't need more! I bought two antique fans...one is in my room, this one will be sold. The other will probably eventually get sold as well!

One thing I won't do is put something in my booth that is chipped or broken. Sometimes I buy boxes or flats of glassware at auctions and some of it may be unsellable because of its condition. I usually donate those pieces.

One little piece caught my attention recently...a beautiful little ironstone creamer. I know it is ironstone because it is "heavy" compared to its size, even though it doesn't have a readable mark on it. Unfortunately the bottom had several chips.

Then it dawned on me...I always want to cut my knock out roses for the house but they are tiny little things with "weak" stems. I never have a way to display them because I don't have any tiny bud vases that would work for tiny flowers.

The little ironstone creamer is PERFECT!

It is small enough to hold the delicate little roses and looks darling on my kitchen counter.

The yellow bowl with the onion in it is one that belonged to one of the grandmothers! (I left the onion in the bowl so you could get an idea of how small the little creamer is!)

The cutting board belonged to my maternal grandmother that I refinished (featured here).

You may have noticed the 1997 Southern Living cookbook. That was the year my youngest daughter was born. Recently, I found the 1988 and 1989 books in an antique store...those are the years my sons were born! I have those displayed now as well! My oldest daughter has the 1981 book that belonged to my Grandmother. I'm sure someone in the family has the '88, '89 and '97 years, but I have no idea who or where...so I just bought these when I found them!

I started buying and displaying the holiday Southern Living books several years ago as well! They are so pretty and make great holiday kitchen decor!

I like recipe books and I have a few favorites but truthfully, they usually only have a few "great" recipes in each. But these books have a little meaning since they are dated on the cover! Not sure if any of the recipes are any good because, honestly, I don't think I have ever looked through them!

Someday I may just have to do that!

While I was putzing around, I decided to dress up my seasonal box a tad. I had not done anything with it since the holidays.

Not feeling very creative, I bought a spray of sunflowers (50% at Hobby Lobby...$3), separated the stems and stuck them in the box.

This is an old wood box I bought at an auction (I see them all the time at flea markets!) I stuffed it with newspaper, stuck some cut tree branches in it, layered the top with dried moss and then added pine cones from my yard!

In the fall I dress it with fall foliage....

During the Christmas holiday, I dress it up with ornaments and such....

It is a versatile little box and allows me to decorate for the season with little effort!

It is one of my few "froo-froo" pieces. No real "sentimental" value but I love it!

My kind of decorating!

Speaking of decorating...I FINALLY decided to add some color and pazazz to my dining room decor...what little there is. Can't wait to share!

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When the mouse is away...

This has been a week of MAJOR work so I will have lots of goodies to share. I had tons of projects piled up in my garage. I even skipped a potentially awesome auction this weekend because I knew I did not need to haul anything else home until I cleared out some projects. Even though I know I put a huge dent in it, there is still so much to do.

Saturday and Sunday I painted outside. Brian (affectionately, the mouse) went out of town Monday so I rolled out my handy-dandy "sewing cart" and went to work on a few sewing projects! Seriously, I LOVE this sewing cart!!!!

I know it looks fairly organized in the picture, but truth is I had stuff strung all over the dining and living rooms for three days...compressor, staple gun and staples, fabric, piping, pillow stuffing, etc. When I project, I go all out. That is one reason I waited until Brian was gone for a few days...because the house was a disaster (I NEED A SHOP!) and I stayed pretty focused.

Painting and reupholstering. For me, they are time consuming projects because I firmly believe in doing it right, even if I do plan to sell the piece! Whether I am keeping it or selling it, I treat it the same. Maybe that is why it is so hard for me to step out of my comfort zone and go bold on some upholstery projects.

When I rehabbed this side chair and rocking chair a few weeks ago, I picked a very nice and neutral pallet and meticulously painted and reupholstered them. Only to have the person who bought them ask how much I would charge to REupholster them...go figure!

Completed this week..six throw pillows, four upholstered chairs, three wood folding chairs, two antique oak school desks, one small table...if I had a partridge in a pear tree I would have painted and stuffed it!

The BIG chore is always the upholstered chairs. My first mental block is the fabric choice. I want something that will appeal to a lot of people, but is unique and interesting as well!

I dropped a little tease about this chair here!

Again, note the grass...dormant...that tells you how long this chair has been stuck in limbo!

When I pulled the back upholstery off this old chair, I found layers of old fabric...including a really cool piece of hand stitched quilt someone had used as padding at one point. I am always amazed at the history these old chairs reveal!

Several of you were fired up about the prospect of PURPLE! Truth is, I'm a tad too boring and conservative to actually paint the entire chair purple. I bought purple paint, but in the end, I just couldn't bring myself to do it.

But purple is the "color of the year" (or so the ads at Lowe's say!) so I wanted to use a bit on this chair!

I chalk painted and distressed the frame an "off-white" and then covered the back and seat (yes, I had to make a seat!) with this awesome fabric!

Since the fabric had purple in it, I went with purple trim! Aren't I just a wild and crazy gal!

So many other projects completed and I will share a few "before and afters" over the next few weeks. I made a large note and stuck it on the table to remind myself to take pictures before I hauled anything away!

Unfortunately, I don't have the space right now in my booths...so now the question becomes, WHAT DO I DO WITH ALL THESE STINKING CHAIRS!?

I guess I could throw a party...Lord knows there would be enough seating for everyone!!!

AWESOME RECIPE PERFECT FOR GARDEN VEGGIES!!!

I haven't shared a recipe in a while but I tried this totally awesome CRISP CUCUMBER SALSA and it is TOO. DIE. FOR! And it is low cal for those who care!

&nbs… — Photo and recipe curtesy of ***tasteofhome.com***

Usually I try a recipe verbatim and then mix it up a bit to my own tastes. This recipe has cumin and honestly, I'm not a fan...so I was certain I would change it after the initial try.

Nope. Not changing a thing (except I added a little more tomato.) It is wonderful and perfect for chips or on a salad.

Give it a try...this is a perfect time of the year for fresh cucumbers and tomatoes and there isn't a better way to prepare them! (Okay, sliced with salt is pretty awesome!)

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How we REALLY feel...

I have learned over the years that the best way to garner respect from my children is to treat them with respect.

"I don't talk to you that way, you don't talk to me that way."

I can't force my children to respect someone, but they are expected to treat everyone WITH respect...at all times.

Because of my personal commitment to speak kindly to my children, and my desire to always treat them respectfully, I tend to stiffle what I REALLY want to say sometimes.

So when I saw this sign on Pinterest, I darn near fell off the couch laughing...because let's be honest Moms...this is how we REALLY feel....

I am on my 4th child...she is an exceptionally intelligent child and mature beyond her years. My two sons are both college graduates and even my oldest daughter, who is a wife and mother of two boys, has returned to college and made the President's List (4.0 student) this semester.

But when it comes to laundry, I have failed miserably as a mom. I can not for the life of me figure out a way to get my children to do their laundry from start to finish or even put it away after I have washed, dried, and folded it for them. Because honestly, that is what happens when they "do it themselves." Why, because they wash one load, put it in the dryer, start another load in the washing machine...and then disappear...for days...like, they are no where to be found.

So if I want to walk through the laundry room, or maybe even do my own laundry, I have to clear theirs out first.

Brian believes the best solution would be to take it all out to the garbage bin. I'm not that mean.

I discovered that for me personally, the best way to keep my laundry room in order was to make it "pretty." Earlier this year, I froo-frooed it up a bit.

Every day this room gets "Pinned" so I know I did something right! Because it is such a pretty and functional space, I keep my laundry washed and put away and I keep the room neat and clean all the time!

SOOOO...when OTHER people in this house leave their clothes piled up on my machines for even a day, I WANT TO PUNCH THEM IN THE FACE.

I would never do that..I do not advocate hitting one's children.

Maybe just the threat that I MIGHT do something like that will motivate them.

(Trust me, when they read this post, all four of them will be laughing hysterically! AT me...not with me)

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HAPPY BIRTHDAY KATIE!!!! Tales of a teenagers room...

First, I want to say happy birthday to my baby girl! Seventeen...wow! I can't believe you are 17!

In honor of her birthday, I am going to share her room. She is a teenager so it is rarely this organized and clean! But it is her creation and she loves her "stuff" and her space.

I featured the mural on Katie's wall here....and her "unstuffy" wing back chair here. Since we remodeled her room, she has added a lot of her own touches that make the space her own.

As with most teens, her room in a constant state of OH MY GOSH...CLEAN YOUR ROOM!!!! Dirty dishes, dirty clothes in the clean clothes basket (with the clean clothes still in it!), make-up and hair covering the floor and trim, dust bunnies EVERYWHERE! Just a mess.

She is a busy girl. She is an outstanding student (4.2 this last semester...she rocks), she works part-time and she was the lead in the spring musical. (Seriously, the girl has some crazy chops!)

So in spite of all my pleading, begging and bribing, her room stays in a constant state of "mess." Usually the result of just too much "stuff." So a few weeks ago, I decided to take action and tackle the mess.

Since it was in a half-way decent state, I decided it would be a good time to share pictures of ONE of the rooms upstairs!

I also came up with an idea that MIGHT give her incentive to get rid of "stuff." Keep in mind, kids lack the ability to organize and like most of us, they hang on to stuff that they really don't need or want any longer. It is important to "purge" on a regular basis!

I left this bag on her trunk. I told her I would pay her $20 for every large trash bag she fills with clothes, shoes, books....stuff! What many don't know is you can donate "stuff" to your local non-profit thrift store (Salvation Army, church organizations, etc) and get a receipt for a nice tax deduction. So $20 for a bag of things they no longer want or need benefits both you AND your teen...you get a nice little tax deduction and they get pocket change (or gas money!)

Younger kids can be enticed into "giving" their unwanted toys to kids who NEED them. Start them young!

I have learned that teenagers tend to be a bit more myopic and aren't as eager to clean out closets and drawers for the benefit of those in need...sad, but true! They want hard, cold cash!

So far I haven't seen the bag...we'll see. This is why I don't give parenting advise.

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Bedroom makeover...part 2? 3?

I don't know how many times I have griped about my master bedroom. So this past month I began chewing away at a few little things I dislike.

It is my favorite room in the house AND my least favorite. My favorite because it is an awesome room...big, bright, cozy. Least favorite because after 13 years, I STILL haven't decorated it the way I REALLY want it.

I blame it on the furniture.

Ornate, heavy, dark, veeeery traditional! I paid entirely too much for it, so I can't bring myself to get rid of it. One bad thing about furniture...no matter how much you paid for it, chances are you are only going to get pennies on the dollar.

There are a few pieces I would never get rid of...my dad's walnut chair and my grandparent's old trunk. The rest of it...honestly, if I had unlimited funds, it would all go.

But I don't...so it won't. The next best thing is to change it up a bit with a little bit of paint!

I featured the beside tables and the high boy here!

The next big project was the bed!

Honestly, this set would be perfect for a chalkpaint and distress treatment. I painted it with Kilz and sanded it and it was so cool looking. But alas, that is not my "thang" so I just went with my go-to Valspar Dune color.

I did finally paint the top of the Duncan Phyfe drum table...bye, bye beautiful mahogany!

I still need to do some kind of little vingette around this table...in time!

I'm not real thrilled with the bed. I had originally planned on painting all the raised part of the head board and just leaving the inset stained but Brian talked me into just painting the top scrolly part...which is really the part I disliked and it seems the paint just highlighted it. (See, I take his advise!) Oh well...it is different and that will do for now!

I also picked up this darling little antique fan at an auction. I'm not really into "froo-froo" stuff just sitting around and eventually it will probably go to one of my flea booths. But I like the color and retro style and it looks kinda cool on top of the highboy...for now! Until I have to dust it!

Now that all the furniture is painted, I REALLY want to install hand-scraped laminate flooring. And I really want to reupholstery the big chairs. Someday!

I found this AWESOME color chart on Pinterest....

I have some white and tan in the throw pillows and bedding but the majority of my white is a little more "off-white" and my walls are more of a "cream" than a tan. I can live without the grey...I like black better. But the blue is the color of my fireplace wall and I am itching to throw the cranberry color in there somewhere. Maybe in the upholstery on the chairs or a large rug on my new floors!

The paddle fans? Hum...might have to do a little a little paddle fan treatment!

So much I WANT to do.

That is one thing one has to understand about home decor. Unless you have A LOT of money and can afford to have a professional designer come in and do it top to bottom (my choice would be Candice Olson!) the best approach is a little bit at a time.

Don't be afraid to buy used and do a little work to make it your own. As much as I disliked this furniture when it was all stained and matchy-matchy, I'm kind of digging it now! Still want something different, but I like it a lot more now than I did two weeks ago! The floors will come in time and I know someday a piece of upholstery fabric for the chairs will "speak to me" ...someday.

I always tell my kids...it's a good thing we don't have a lot of money...think of all the great things we would never have learned to do had we had the money to pay someone else to do it!

Seriously how much personal satisfaction could one get from having a bazillion dollars and being able to design, built and decorate your "dream" house without concern for costs?

See what paint fumes do to you....

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Happy Father's Day....

My father is no longer with me...but I think about him daily, even after 19 years. I still have a few fathers in my life...Brian and my son-in-law Joel. Both are awesome dads, so today, I want to thank them for being great role models for my sons and grandsons.

Brandon, Mitchell, Matt, Brian and Joel. Christmas 2013....the only day of the year I get a picture of all of us together!!!

You are both AWESOME!

My dad would love what I am doing right now. One of the reasons I think about him all the time is because of the work I am doing! He loved wood working and "projecting."

Yesterday Brian and I went to a great estate auction. One of the pieces I picked up was a magazine table...solid walnut.

My dad's favorite. I have several pieces he built out of walnut and I buy everything I can if I believe it to be constructed of this amazing, beautiful wood! You will rarely see it in new pieces because of the cost, but in the past it was used extensively in furniture because of it's durability!

I picked up a few other great pieces as well. One was a little antique oak school desk. I bought one identical to it at a garage sale Friday. Funny...I see something unique and the very next day I find one identical. Both have a few "oops" and I am in the process of glueing and clamping so I will share them eventually! Not sure if I am going to restore them to their original finish or give them a little paint treatment!

I bought this amazing buffet and an armoire that is just too big to put together and photograph right now.

I am debating whether I want to give them a little "paint treatment" or just sell then as is.

I also bought several smaller items...an old Emerson fan, an ornate iron shelf, lamps and several boxes of glasswares...Bavarian china pieces, Fenton, milk glass and what-nots.

Auctioning is NOT easy...you have to load it, haul it, unload it, clean it, load it, haul it, unload it, tag it and stage it. Something I had planned to do this morning. So I loaded my truck with a bunch of stuff we had hauled home yesterday and put in the garage, only then to notice the dark clouds rolling in. So then I had to unload it AGAIN! Curses.....

I have a garage full of projects that need to be tended to but it's raining. So what do I do? I tear my room apart so I can paint the bed to match the other furniture I gave a little makeover!

Sometimes I think I should be medicated!

There is a method to my madness...the headboard is just too heavy for me to handle by myself. So I am tearing the bed apart today so Brian can help me haul it to the garage so I can work on it this week.

Course after tearing the bed apart, I realized I had never shampooed UNDER the bed...and it was kind of nasty. One of the perks to having apartments is you have a rug shampooer...and since we have a puppy in the house, I am keeping it here for the time being (yes, I have had to use it a time or two!) So I shampooed the carpets. I can't WAIT to put down the hardwood in this room...it is the ONLY room in the house that still has carpet!

Normally we "bloggers" only share the finished and staged products. I am sharing this picture with you so you will understand that "projecting" can create a little chaos in your home. To do what I do you have to have a VERY patient and understanding family. People who know that no matter how comfortable THEY are with the way things are, you are going to make messes!

Fortunately my family has been around enough to know that 1) when I get a bug, it's happening, 2) when it is done, it will be beautiful!

Trust...or tolerance...whichever!

Have a GREAT Father's Day!!!

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Bedroom furniture before and after...

As I mentioned in my Home Tour I am not real fond of my master bedroom decor! I built this master suite 13 years ago and have never decorated it the way I REALLY want it...clean, simple, modern!

Much of it had to do with the furniture I bought...traditional. And VERY expensive, which is probably why I can't bring myself to get rid of it.

The matching large mirror and dresser that was in my office/dressing room got hauled upstairs...until someone buys it. It was just too big. I replaced it with a very small and simple "modern" styled dresser.

But I am kind of stuck with the bed, side tables and high boy for the time being. So it was time to change things up a bit.

For years I have grumbled about people painting wood. Brian has taken that to heart so every time I mention painting stained furniture he freaks. I pretty much do what I think will look best, but I do seek his opinion (he will tell you I rarely actually take it...but that is not true) In this case, we disagreed.

I didn't think painting would hurt it since I didn't really like it anyway...he believes you shouldn't paint stained wood.

He likes "dark," I like "light."

Differing opinions are what makes the world go round...course they also cause wars but if you respect someone's right to think differently than you, life just goes smoother.

Who makes the final decision? The one who is right...ME! (hahahahaha!)

Anywho, I finally bit the bullet and decided to paint the bedroom furniture. The bedside table on the side I use was a mess, so it definitely needed some TLC!!!

Obviously I do not use coasters....

The table on the side I don't use was in good shape...but I had to do them both since they are a matching set!

This furniture is a classic example of how manufacturers use stain IN the finish...when it chips or you strip the finish, most of the stain color goes away.

I wanted a stained top and painted bottom, so I decided to go with the gel stain on the top...it just seemed easier than stripping the tops down completely to apply a new stain.

I removed the hardware and painted it black. These are a little froo-froo for my tastes, but I really didn't want to invest money on all new hardware! Remember my little trick about sticking hardware in styrofoam to make it easier to paint!

I didn't like the little "scrolly" things on the corners so I removed those and puttied the nail holes. I kilzed, sanded and painted the base and drawers and gel stained the top!

Before and after....

At some point I may remove the drawers in one and do an open shelf...would make them a little less "matchy-matchy" and I really don't store anything in the bottom drawers.

After I finished the bedside tables, I moved on to the highboy dresser....

This is a rather large piece so I didn't want to haul it all out to the garage. But honestly, you can't spray paint in the house!!! So I removed the drawers and doors and took them to the garage to spray. I had an oil based paint mixed to match the spray paint I was using and used a brush and sponge roller on the cabinet itself. (I primed it ALL with Kilz and sanded!)

It turned out pretty good EXCEPT...I wanted a satin finish...the formula for the oil-based paint that matched the spray paint color didn't come in satin, so the guy at Lowe's did a "color match." Only problem is, it really doesn't "match" exactly.

Truthfully, no one but me will probably notice the slight color difference...and as my Daddy always said, "You'll never notice it on a passing train." (wise man!)

Again, before and after....

Now, here is my quandary...I gel stained the tops of the bedside tables in the java color. But after I finished the highboy, I kind of like the original color of the stain on the top...

...so now I don't think I want to do the gel stain on the top of the highboy or the bed! Which means I will have to go back and strip the tops of the bedside tables and try to stain them to match the original stain color...IT IS NEVER ENDING!!!

That will have to wait! My next BIG chore is the bed. I have decided to paint the posts and the frame part of the head board, and leave the "inset" of the head board, the side rails and the panel between the posts on the footboard stained!

While I was in the painting mood, I finally broke down and partially painted one of my Duncan Phyfe drum tables. (As I mentioned here the Duncan Phyfe chairs are for sale at Midtown!)

And for the first time ever, I actually "distressed" a piece I am putting in my home!

(You may notice to the left of this table is one of the mid century cane chairs I featured here. I finished one almost a year ago, but this one sat in my garage waiting to be stripped and refinished...FINALLY!!!)

I am still having a hard time making myself paint the top of the table...the mahogany is just so beautiful! But I know if I am going to keep this piece in my room, I probably need to paint it to coordinate with the other furniture!

Someday I want to put down dark, hand scrapped laminate flooring. And eventually I will paint the bed. When I do I guess I will paint the top of this table as well. For now, I put another coat of tung oil finish on it and will enjoy the beautiful wood until the day comes when I paint it and the bed!

I would also like to do something awesome on this wall...a beautiful painting, a simple vingette...something. It's only been blank for 13 years...someday.

Right now, I am worn out with these little projects! It may all sound simple, but truth is, it is hard work! So the bed will have to wait...for now.

In the meantime little Ms. Cleo can enjoy the bed! (As you can see, she has grown a bit since Mother's Day!)

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Mid century chair SCORE!! And a Duncan Phyfe chair repair!

SCORE! Seriously, major score!

Okay, so they don't look so hot right now and they didn't look any better piled on a trailer at the auction, covered in gunk and spider ick!

Which is a good thing because nobody knew what they were...which means SCORE for ME! Baumritter mid-century dining chairs! Oh my!

I know they look rough right now, but let me work my magic on them!

Truth is, mid-century furniture hasn't really hit the big time here like it has in other parts of the country and honestly, we don't see a lot of it around here. But occasionally I can find pieces here and there.

I love them...everything about them. The grain and color of the wood after it is refinished (usually walnut or teak), the clean lines, the incredible construction! I love the entire process of restoring these pieces because I know they will take my breath away when I am finished. I also know it is next to impossible to find solid walnut and teak furniture these days.

So...what is my hard-fast rule? If I bring one in, I have to take one out. So sacrifices have to be made and the sacrifice is going to be the rest of my antique Duncan Phyfe chairs! I have already sold 2 and have four left...two painted side chairs and two caption's chairs.

Last year I featured the chair I had to repair. I was so proud of myself. I glued and sculpted the chair back that was broken and then painted the two side chairs, which kind of goes against my grain but they turned out beautiful. I didn't paint the caption's chairs....

The repair lasted all of about 6 months...and then the back busted again. CRAAAAAP!

So this time I decided to "rebuild" rather than repair.

This would have been SOOOO much easier had I just gone and bought a scroll saw. But oh no...I figured I could do this with my jig saw and Dremel. And I did...but next time I am going to buy a scroll saw!

First thing I had to do was deconstruct the chair to get to the "broken back." Fortunately, these chairs are constructed with dowel rods and the top pops right off...okay, you have to beat on it a bit and chip the paint...but it eventually comes off.

Then I had to find a little piece of wood the same thickness as the back...3/8". I figured that wouldn't be a big deal. It was. I ended up finding some 3/8" pine, but it wasn't wide enough...so I had to do the ole' clamp and glue thing to create a piece wide enough.

This is no big deal...truth is, most large wood slabs, and even smaller ones, are nothing but smaller pieces of wood glued and clamped together...most table tops are constructed that way!

After I let the piece sit for a day or so, (I was busy priming, sanding and painting my bedroom furniture...can't wait to finish and share!) I used wood filler to fill any gaps in the joints, sanded the piece smooth and traced the broken piece onto the wood...

....then I cut it out with a skill saw and dremel.

This is not a job for the faint of heart, impatient people or someone who has had more than 1 cup of coffee. You have to go slow and use a light, steady hand. I actually cut on the outside of my mark and then used sand paper to sand down to the mark.

This process would have gone a bit quicker had the wood not split a time or two. It never split at the glued joints, just on the grain, which meant I had to glue and clamp the split and wait! Grrrr.....

Anywho, after hand sanding and sculpting for a few hours, I had a piece that was pretty darn close to the original! Then it was just a matter of priming, sanding and painting it.

I reconstructed the chair and hit the entire back with another light coat of paint and sealer.

Presto...ALMOST good as new! Can you tell which is which?

I can...the chair on the left is the repair. The big difference is the "lines" that are missing from the middle...after all the cutting and sculpting and sanding, I wasn't going to risk messing it up by trying to chisel lines in the wood.

And I will be honest...fitting it all back together was NOT as easy as it sounds...there was some additional sanding and grinding and even a few curse words! But in the end it turned out pretty good!

Also, I noticed the paint has "yellowed" over time. That is pretty common for "whites." Something to keep in mind when contemplating "touch ups." There is a good chance you will have to paint the entire project if the color has faded, yellowed or changed over time!

Now that it is repaired and I feel good that it will hold up, I plan on selling this chair and the matching one and the two caption chairs so I will have room for my mid century chairs when I get them refinished.

If I bring one in, I have to take one out!!!

Hopefully I will get that done before Thanksgiving...or we may all be sitting on lawn chairs!

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Repurposing antique dresser drawer fronts...

Last fall I went to a really nasty auction. The place was nasty, the stuff was nasty...and honestly, some of the people were questionable.

But I scored some really nifty old pieces. Most had to be scrubbed with straight ammonia.

I bought an old solid mahogany dresser that was literally in pieces and had obviously been outside for quite some time. (This is AFTER a good scrubbing with ammonia!)

What I really wanted was the mirror...and sure enough it sold in days! The couple who bought it knew exactly what they were getting...solid mahogany, amazing carvings and unique style! Truly stunning! What was really incredible was the original mirror was still intact and unbroken!

I really wanted to do something with the base, but it would take a pretty extensive repair and rebuild to get it back in shape. A fairly large critter had obviously nested in and nibbled on the drawers and insects had made a snack out of some of the wood. I stuck the base and drawers back in my garden cubby and knew I would eventually have some "stroke of inspiration." I just can't bring myself to toss old wood. I don't normally stick wood furniture out in the elements...but seriously, it had already been outside for who knows how long and I was fairly certain not much more damage could be done!

A few weeks ago I decided to clean out the garden cubby. The drawers had again been nested in and all of it was covered in ants. And I am not sure what kind of spider crawled out of the drawer when I moved it but I'm pretty sure it intended to make a meal of me.

I carefully pulled apart the dovetail joints of the drawer ...it really wasn't to difficult since any glue used to construct the piece had long since "disappeared." I tossed the bottoms of the drawers, set aside the sides for future use and went to work on the drawer fronts.

The fronts are not what one normally finds with older furniture...veneer over solids. Nope...these drawer fronts were solid mahogany. Surprisingly, they were not warped or twisted which tells me the wood was well cured when the dresser was constructed.

The black stuff is the old finish...it literally flaked right off when I scraped it with my fingernail.

The old hardware is amazing. I suspect the plates are copper. There are two eye bolts through each side of the plate and they are affixed to the back with little square nuts. A decorative "handle" is looped through the eye bolts. I decided not to paint them or even clean them up. I pulled them off so I could easily sand the pieces. The bolt threads and nuts were pretty rusty so I sprayed them with a little WD40 just to make them thread easier.

I sanded the drawer fronts, scrubbed them with varnish remover, and then wiped them down with Watco Teak Oil Finish. After the finish had dried, I added two cast iron hooks I've had in my hardware stash for some time!

I attached two loop fasteners to the back.

Beautiful! I love them so much there is a good chance I may keep one for myself. The wood is magnificent! They would be perfect in a bathroom or by a door for hanging coats and purses!

Not sure where the inspiration came from, but they are beautiful, useful, AND unique! Mr. Morris would be proud!

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Arch window covering and temporary window coverings!

It's that time of the year...time to put up the blinds and shades to keep out the blazing sun and cool down the house a bit!

This past week Brian and I put up the outside roll-down blinds that cover the west-facing windows in my den! I love all the natural light, but when the sun hits those windows around 4:00 on a hot summer day, oh my!

Hanging the blinds on the OUTSIDE makes a huge difference...and honestly it makes this room much more comfortable in the summer! (As you can see, I turn the couch around in the summer!)

The arch window in my living room is another story! I know....arch windows are soooo 90s. But that was when this house was built so that is what is there! It is a great place for fall and Christmas displays!

It would be very difficult to put a blind on the outside of the this window...so I had to settle with putting something on the inside.

This is how bright it is BEFORE I put up a blind....

And AFTER...

Seriously, no Photoshop and no camera tricks. Before and After...within a few minutes. That is how much difference there is and it makes a huge difference in the temperature of the living room!

Fortunately my living room is two stories, so it still FEELS bright and airy, I just don't have the blazing sun heating up the room!

I couldn't really afford a "custom" blind for this arch. When I was searching for a solution, I stumbled across a "temporary" pleaded blind...maybe $15.00. It is perfect! When I put my fall decor up in the fall I take it down, fold it up and store it away until late spring. It has a clear plastic "base" that sits in the middle of the window and you just drop one end of the pleated blind into the holder, "fan" it out and secure the outside ends. It came with a "peel and stick" adhesive on the base of both sides, but that was pretty much shot after the first year. So now I either tape it or tack it down. Even though it is just a cheap little thing, it has lasted a good 5-6 years! Worth the small investment!

So if you have a room that is uncomfortable because of the heat generated by the summer sun, think about using temporary window treatments! You just might find the room a little more enjoyable and you will help cut down your cooling bills.

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