Loving Green!

Green...I LOVE green, and red, and brown, and buttery yellow.  Those are my favorite colors!

My Vintage Favorites

I've been stalking various vintage inspired blogs, Facebook groups, and other corners of the internet.  Some just aren't my style, but like every excavation there will be more rocks than gems. A few are truly kindred spirits!  I thought I'd share my favorites here, in no particular order...

The Memory Budget

I get a lot of questions about how we afford to go on so many vacations.  So I thought I'd share our method regarding the finances and philosophies behind it.  We call it the Memory Budget.

Master G's Nautical Room

Ahoy Mateys....It be time for Transformation Thursday at The Shabby Chic Cottage. Argh...Git yer peg leg strapped on an' sail over ta spy ye treasure trove o'salty good projects!

When we moved into this house, Master G had to accept a slightly smaller room than in the last house. The room was painted with a cheap, flat beige builder's paint...don't even get me started on that! His last room was nautical, but I thought it would be fun to make this one a Narnia room. He was ok with the idea, but being a little homesick asked for his nautical stuff back. Ok by me...I didn't have to find or make accessories for a new room. His Dad built a platform bed so he'd have more room to play but he didn't like sleeping up high, so we added rails to make a bottom bunk on it. Now he has enough room for a buddy to sleep over.G wanted to paint something, so I put him to work painting the bed a nice nautical red. I found all the paint at The Home Depot in the oops section. Each gallon only cost $5. I bought white semi gloss paint {not that it was oops, but was dented}, red semi gloss paint, a blue satin finish. Each gallon was only $5, plus the primer {$12}. I spent a grand total of $27 for paint.Here's the finished bed...I found the curtains at a yard sale for $1. I just tacked them up with thumbtacks.I painted some old Navy buttons I'd picked up, and stitched them onto the curtains for a nice tailored detail.The two kid's bedrooms didn't have a ceiling light wired in...only an outlet wired to the light switch. We took down this metal light fixture from the dining area to put up a chandelier. I thought it looked pretty nautical so we wired it for a plug. I added the fabric sleeve to hide the wire where we spliced them together. The fabric is a small blue and white stripe.We picked up an antique child's desk for $15 at a yard sale several years ago. It was a blah dark brown color and needed refinishing. A little red and white paint freshened it right up. Master G's collection of model ships sits on a shelf above his bulletin board that I covered in the blue and white stripe. I added more painted Navy buttons to the corners for interest. The little milking stool came from my grandparent's farm.To the right of the desk is the closet. It had sliding doors. Question of the week...Why would anyone want to only ever access half the closet at a time? Ok, I digress......I took the doors off and treated the closet like part of the room. The boxes on the shelf are copy paper boxes {snagged for free from my DH's office}. I used a $5 nautical themed wallpaper border on the bottom and painted the tops. I use them to store G's off season clothes. The dresser came from a yard sale for $10. It was brown and also needed refinishing. Two good coats of red paint did the job. I added melamine shelving to hold completed Lego projects.To the left of the desk, next to the window, is G's rocking chair. This is the one I used in my nursery to rock both my babies. I added an anchor pillow...scored from a yard sale for .25 cents.The last element to go into the room will be an oar hung over the window to hold a white valance and more painted Navy buttons. I haven't completed that yet as I haven't found the oar I know we own...somewhere....
Well, thanks for taking a peek!

Oval Frame Makeovers

Jump over to The Shabby Chic Cottage to see all the great projects.

I love ornate wooden oval frames. I found this one at a thrift store for $12...with the mirror in it. It was gold leafed, and had some minor damage. I painted it white and antiqued it. Then I used an heirloom crackle varnish, and it gained a pleasantly unexpected verdigris patina due to a chemical reaction with the gold leaf.This ladylike mirror hangs above my work table in the studio. Here's a closer look at the lovely detail.I also found this beautiful frame at the thrift store for $6. I used the same painting technique with the addition of pink paint on the flowers and green on the leaves before antiquing it. I could've replicated the missing pieces to repair the frame, but I like to let the piece keep a little of its history.I added a ceiling tile covered with the floral fabric I used to make my studio drapes. The ceiling tile is cheaper than cork board, and works great to showcase inspirational and family pictures, pattern envelopes, measurements and other sewing notes. This frame is hung right above my sewing machine.

Easter Tea Loli

I found a divine cupcake fabric with sparkles...but, alas there wasn't enough to make a skirt...so I went perusing the calico section and found a sparkly stripe that matches it exactly! Miss H wanted to attempt to make the skirt herself, so I let her go ahead with a little instruction from Moi. She managed to make about 3/4 of it before running out of steam, so I finished it for her with only a few hours to spare before the big debut at church on Easter morning.This is her design. The small ruffles in the front and the large bottom ruffle sport a decorative stitch in dark purple thread. The ribbon woven in the lace is a vibrant blue sheer.

I was planning to make her a blouse, but ran out of time. Fortunately, I spied this cute shirt at the thrift store. It was about 2 sizes to big. But hey, it only cost $2 and I didn't have to make it!Of course, it need to be Lolified, so I cut off 4 inches from the bottom and used that fabric to craft a ruffle. I had to add a button above the existing buttons so it would be more modest. I used a button from the bottom fabric I cut off.The back of the shirt is 1 1/2" longer than the front. It makes a nice subtle bustle effect.I sewed the hem of the ruffle with a pretty scallop stitch.So, VOILA! Presenting the Easter Tea outfit....{minus the striped hair bow and other accoutrements...}

Transformation Thursday...My 50 Cent Chandelier

Hey all, I'm participating in Transformation Thursdays at The Shabby Chic Cottage. Stop by and check out all the lovely projects there. You might just be inspired to clean out the attic and makeover that ugly 1970's lime green tchotchke your mom used to keep on the mantle! He he he. Following is my first installment for Transformation Thursday.

50 Cent Chandelier:
When we moved into this house, there was a dining room fixture that reminds me of an old school light. Its a white metal...sort of upside down dishpan look with a large round light bulb. Its a nice retro light but not appropriate for the dining area. I'll move it to Master G's bedroom when I decorate it in a nautical theme later this month.

Several years ago, Home Depot carried a cute wrought iron piece with red checked shades and colorful roosters adorning the arms of the chandelier. I loved that thing, but didn't buy it...should have. So, the hunt began for an affordable substitute for my dining area.

I was out yard sale perusing about a month ago and spied a brass chandelier. It's a colonial style with 6 lights. (Pardon the weird angle...the big ball end is the bottom.)I wasn't crazy about the style, but decided it could be reworked. I asked the guy how much he wanted for it and he said "Its free if you take this other box of lights too.". The other box had an ugly mushroom light and another interesting light. I figured I could put them in my own yard sale later or take them to the thrift store.

About 6 weeks ago, I found a new can of Krylon spray paint in a yummy apple red at another yard sale for 50 cents. Hmmm, a marriage made in heaven me thinks!

I unscrewed the bottom 3 pieces of the chandelier and discarded 2 of them. I kept the ring from the end and screwed it onto the newly uncovered bottom of the chandelier to keep the whole thing together. I was happy with the result. It didn't look so colonial anymore. Then, I sanded the brass to rough it up, wiped it down, and started painting.

The finished result is awesome!The fabric on the chain was a piece I had leftover from another project.

I still need to find 6 chandelier shades. Of course, they aren't sold anywhere off the rack anymore. I'd have to order some. But then again, I'm not paying $6-$20 each cause I'm a cheapo! I'll either live without, make my own, or just wait to find some at a yard sale or thrift store. They don't have to match, just be the same size and shape. I plan to cover them in a cute plaid with a little black, yellow, red, and green to tie in the other colors in the main floor. I just might applique a nice rooster on the shades too...we'll see.