Monday, December 31, 2007
~Happy New Year!
Monday, December 24, 2007
~Christmas Eve, Joyful Wishes, Joyeux Noël, Buon Natale! Etc..
If you wander by here on your journey of home tours or just playing tourist in Blogland, I wish you a very Merry Christmas and PEACE in the New Year. Maybe we can create Peace in the World one person, and one family at a time.
My heart is filled with Christmas Joy even as there is an ache over the war that wages on beyond our sight and sound. War is evil, said a wise and wonderful Noble Peace Prize winner. Very seldom ever necessary and always evil. I pray for the young soldiers so far away from home this HolyDay , their families, and for all the people there.
to Men of Good Will!
Sunday, December 23, 2007
~Christmas Joy, Happy Sunday
Saturday, December 22, 2007
~Snowflakes & Silver, Christmas Joy Saturday
It's cookie day at our house! We will be baking my favorite chocolate chip cookies and some white chocolate macadamia nut ones to take to my in-laws. That's if I can hide enough from Sweet Husband, because he loves those, too.
I'm trying to take a few breaks now and then to go on the Home Tours, from both Tracey's site and BooMama's. What wonderful homes, people and decorations! It has been such a joy to visit each of you. And it makes me wonder, are you making cookies today, too? And are those little presents all wrapped? I'll be doing some of that the next day or so as well.
Happy Saturday!
Wednesday, November 7, 2007
~Beau Bunny's Christmas Tree
Monday, November 5, 2007
~Autumn's Amber Glow, Leaves
The paintings often took months for sweet husband to finish. I didn't have that kind of patience. Each one was woven out of his imagination and love of painting. This one pays homage to Autumn's Beauty.
Friday, November 2, 2007
~Decorating with the Colors of Autumn
The entry table hopefully will get a new arrangement sometime today to greet Autumn instead of celebrating Halloween.
Thursday, November 1, 2007
~Water, the Enchanted Element on All Soul's Day
Today is All Soul's Day. A strange and old holy-day. But it's nice to remember all those who have been with us in our lives and gave us Love, but who are no longer here on Earth. Blessings to all who have Loved us.
Wednesday, October 31, 2007
~Happy Halloween
Thank you for your notes on my husband's painting. I love his art and I wish he had more time to paint now. But it was so much fun sharing it with you.
Monday, October 29, 2007
~Snickers, Pumpkinheads & Bears
I remember more how excited my daughter was. I wish she would still go out Trick or Treating, but at 28, she just won't go. But she still finds the Snickers bef0re the little kids get here. But that's kind of part of the plan of the Holiday.
Friday, October 12, 2007
~Celebrate ~Autumn
Thursday, October 11, 2007
~Thursday, Re-Creation....Delightful Dolphins & Dessert Lady
It is way too easy to take all of this for granted in your backyard. It isn't until I hear all of the accents and listen to how much it cost others to come here that I really appreciate it. This is such a wonderful place to relax. We got annual passes to Sea World so we can come back to Discovery Cove at a discount for the next year. Yipeeeeee, sounds good to me.
We spent quite a bit of time just watching the dolphins and their interaction time with the humans who come to be with them. Funny, no other animals pay to spend time with humans do they? :)
I've done this twice and it was an amazing experience to touch these magnificent creatures. Oh yeah, we get a kiss, too!
So after spending hours and hours swimming, snorkeling and beaching, all I could think of was the fact that I had ordered chocolate cake at several places lately and none were really great. Somehow I came to my senses and instead of going to the "Dessert Lady" and eating 5 portions of different cakes, we went to one of the health food stores and got the best chocolate cake, by Just Desserts. It was worth every single calorie and bite of fat! After working all morning doing more gardening, it was easy to rationalize it anyway.
Monday, October 8, 2007
~Monday ~ Re-Creation...Believe
Wednesday, October 3, 2007
~October Already!
Monday, October 1, 2007
~Happy Monday, the Backside of a Good Tale (2 Chairs)
If you look closely, you will see that the cane is actually installed on the front and then there is a piece holding it in place. Turn the chair around and look at the back and you will see the the cane is snuggly inside that area you just looked at on the front. Gently push the cane away from you. See, there is a tiny space.
Take your final piece of fabric, center it so that it is 1/2 inch over the inset area on all sides.
Friday, September 28, 2007
~The Tale of 2 Chairs, Twin Sisters :)
Ah, this is exactly what happen happen to our twins, the Chair Girls. It also could have been titled the "Ugly Duckling" but neither of them wish to be compared to a duck and didn't understand it was really a swan. Oh well.
Wandering into this thrift store is not one of my favorite things. And even though I've complained about such trips, I have to admit I have saved a few forlorn little gems from this place. So through the crowds of women checking out the clothing I go, all the way to the back. I really need a cheap chair.
And what do I see, oh a set of uglies! They were French inspired, but they were "inexpensive" to began with and had truly seen better days. In the first photo up there, you can see there was work to do to even get one in the house!
I only needed one is what I thought at the time. I kindly paid them the price of $20 that they had on all 3 chairs, and told them to just keep the other two and took the best one and put it in the car. Then I thought better of my decision and decided maybe down the road I could fix the second one as well. The third, sorry there was no hope for it.
The first one was painted creamy white with accents of the taupe color that I used in the master bedroom at that time. It was also aged and antiqued with a glaze of raw umber. There was a lot of work with a small artist's brush. It makes a huge difference in your finished piece if you can do this when there is some carving to play with.
The second chair went black, of course. My two different loves, light furniture and black. Both were recovered in medallion toile fabrics and with different kinds of trim. Although I still love them both, the lighter medallion print is not one I'm using anymore in any of the rooms. I guess I'll have to strip it and redo it one day soon.
In the close ups, you can see some of the ways the chairs became transformed. Light sanding on the black one showing the wood along edges.
I always use Krylon Satin spray paint. I've found that it is the best for me.
The one that says dries in 12 mins. or something like that. Great paint.
~Wishing you all a Wonderful Weekend!
As always, thanks for coming by and to all who take the time to say hi, it's so nice to "see" you!
New in the Shop
Wednesday, September 26, 2007
~Let She Who Has Wisdom be the Keeper of the Spells :)
I don't really get things out until Oct 1.
Wednesday, September 19, 2007
~Wednesday, a little Elegance for Halloween
Hope you are having a great Wednesday!
Tuesday, September 11, 2007
Monday, September 10, 2007
~It's a BOOtiful Day in the Neighborhood
**SOLD**
Thank You!
(Clicking on the Picture takes you to Etsy.)
My DD has been a Boo almost since the day she was born. So at Halloween time we love to find Boo things. Here's a cute little Boo Wall/Door Decor with a dangling Ghost. A little holiday preview of things to come in the shop. But it's one of those things that takes way more time than you think it would. So I'm not sure how many different will show up. I still want to do a few black and white without too much orange.
And it's another way to use the Handmade Paper Flowers!
Thursday, August 30, 2007
~St. Francis & St. Augustine
Thanks for your notes on the previous posts. I know so many of you love vintage and antiques, and of course old houses. They just call out to you don't they?
Tuesday, August 28, 2007
~Save Me from Old Houses!
Friday, August 17, 2007
~Rest, Re-Create and just BE
Sunday, August 12, 2007
~Monday Corners of My Home, Painted Armoire
The first picture above shows the detail hand painted work called grisaille style painting. This is usually done in all grays, but I used raw and burnt umbers as well. The shading is pencil work over the paints. The background area did have some kind of crackle medium applied to it. However I was a bit quick to start working it and sanding. This is how that great peeling finish just happen to come about. I then rubbed or dry brushed darker to lighter colors on it.
The pattern is a take off of one that was offered in Paint Decor magazine a few years ago. I used part of theirs, reworked it on paper, then traced my pattern on to the wood panel and painted it free hand from there.
Monday, August 6, 2007
~Monday, Corners of My Home
In the midst of hurry and scurry, it's good to stop and just appreciate what you have. Stop the thoughts of hunting for the next thing and just be happy for a moment with what already is. That's just my own reminder. I might be the only one who sometimes gets moving too quickly and needs to slow down a bit.
Sweetie Husband and I went to an auction to benefit the local PBS station but hardly anyone showed up due to the lack of advertising. There was no auction, instead they just sold the items that were there for basically the starting prices. We found an old English wardrobe that was the perfect size for our little home.
I'm sure someone who loves original English pieces would not approve of my Frenchy makeover. We added the top piece for a French flair and and added others on the doors with some decorative painting techniques. It turned out to be one of our favorite things we have.
Good glazing takes a bit of practice, but is really pretty simple. The antique glaze on the top of this piece has some red in it (burnt umber) but mostly raw umber. It easiest to buy it premixed if you are not familiar with mixing colors. But the safest way is just to go with a raw umber. Go through the tubes/bottles and look at them. They will all be a different color even though they have the same name.
What makes a big difference when you are doing glazing like this is to go back over the piece and dry brush the lightest shade again, the white or cream. This brings out the highest areas of the carved areas and shows off the carvings.
Hope your weekend was a splendid one.
Donna
Thursday, August 2, 2007
~Temptations, Part 2 ~Winter Park
Appenberrys! Very popular, and people come from all over to shop. Unique, gardeny, very cool. And a bit pricey.
We discussed price. Talked her down to $2300, not bad for all down, 1920's frame rebuilt and upholstered by an expert! The match was perfect. Italian fabric which runs around $85 a yard.
But....we actually live with our sofas. This one needs a place where it won't get kind of jumped on. And fortunately, it was in a dusty blue. I would have to change some colors. Good excuses anyway to keep my hands in my pockets! We have a trip planned soon and I just might need a couple of dollars for shopping then.
Have a most wonderful day! Hope you enjoy the window shopping.
Monday, July 30, 2007
~To Market, to Market to Buy a Fat Eclair
The colors are so amazing. Actually I don't buy much fruit and vegetables here since I find organic ones at Whole Foods and now Publix for just a bit higher price. But look at these colors! I don't eat eggplant but love the color.
And mushrooms, not my taste either. But the color of those gently aging blue cardboard fruit baskets just calls out to me. Delicious color.