Monday, December 30, 2013

Top Ten Posts of 2013

#10

The Best Thing I EVER Found in a Thrift Store...



This one really got my heartbeat up. Cardio-Thrifting. 
Now there's an exercise plan I might actually stick with!

This vintage trophy-turned-lamp was waiting for me in one of my favorite little stores for under $5. I took it home and disassembled it to find the sterling stamp. I also had a very well-informed commenter who graciously shed some light on this find. Though it still remains a mystery, Robin suggested that in 1931, only very affluent people could join a country club and participate in a golf tournament. It may even have been associated with a famous professional! I have no idea of the location of the tournament, the club or the person who was awarded this trophy, but I love the very idea of it. 

#9

Befores and Afters: 7 FURNITURE PIECES



Yes we do. We all love a good before and after! This reminds me...I need to get busy and do some more "afters." I have been a tad complacent lately.

#8

CeCe Caldwell and Annie Sloan: How do they compare?



Face it. Inquiring minds want to know...especially before plunking down a chunk of change. This post is for people like me, who prefer to purchase mis-tint sample pots for .50c to pricey "designer" paints that are available these days. If I'm going to spend hard-earned cash on a product, it better be worth it!

#7

Seven Things to Do With a Rusty Rake



I had planned to do a whole series of "seven things" this year. Apparently, a series means three
(Wait...do the same rules apply to collections? I think I heard something like that.) 

This rusty rake post was the favorite of the three posts. Sorry, I really dropped that ball...but I do plan to pick it up again in 2014.

#6

Industrial/Elegant/Cottage Living Room Plans



I am still enjoying mixing vintage industrial and elegant elements into my living room. Though some seasons (like Christmas) I take much of the industrial stuff away, it always comes back. 

I DO adore combining opposite sorts of things in the same room. That sort of juxtaposition excites something deep within my soul.

#5

$1.50 Sofa Makeover



This is hands-down my favorite project of 2013. It made the biggest impact in my living room since painting the walls last year. 

My $60 1980's mauve and blue plaid thrift store find went from being a somewhat dirty dog bed to something sorta pretty. It all happened in an evening, and for only $1.50 in mis-tint paints. LOVE IT!

#4

DIY Mercury Glass - Lamp Reveal!



This post was part tutorial, part surprise and I still love it! 
I'm still a big fan of this Looking Glass paint, and mercury glass in general - faux and otherwise. I'm still "playing around" with it, so you'll most likely see more posts in the future.

#3

Yep, Another Faux Mercury Glass Post...



In all honesty, I am slightly ticked that this is my #3 post of all time. Seriously. 

If I had only KNOWN it would turn out to be 3rd place, I would have taken a little more care with the NAME, the PHOTOS, well...EVERYTHING. Now, I feel trapped. 

This was my first experiment with Krylon Looking Glass paint. I had seen other posts, and there was some pretty good information out there, so my post just elaborated on them via my personal experience. I filled in the blanks. The info is pretty good, but everything else makes me cringe. 

#2 

ANSWERS to Your Annie Sloan Chalk Paint Questions...



This post was in response to my #1 most visited post of all time below. I got plenty of questions and comments on the post, and attempted to share the information.



I NEVER imagined when I made this post that it would be the most visited post my blog. I simply had questions and I figured others might be asking them as well. 

So far, over ten thousand people have visited this post. It just goes to show - we are not alone in our interests! That is one of my favorite aspects of blogging.

Word for the Day:
Whatever you do, work heartily, as for the Lord and not for men...

Linking With

Sunday

Sunday Show-off Link Party
Monday

Make it Pretty Monday
Mod Mix Monday
Tuesday

Vintage Inspiration Tuesday
Nifty Thrifty Tuesday
The Scoop
Inspire Me Tuesday
Wednesday

Wow Us Wednesday
Blissfully White Wednesday
What’s it Wednesday
Thursday

Thursday Open House Party
Time Travel Thursday
Share Your Cup Thursday
Friday

Feathered Nest Friday
Fabulously Creative Friday
Saturday

Saturday Nite Special

Monday, December 23, 2013

Waiting for Hannah...


Hannah had planned to arrive home for Christmas today...but the weather did not cooperate with us.


She will hopefully be able to drive tomorrow from Dallas. 
I pray the sun will make an appearance to clear away the snow and ice from the roads. 

Meanwhile, the little fake Christmas tree stands ready to welcome her...white lights twinkling.


A bin of ornaments in white, silver and gold are waiting for us to hang them together. We'll sip Mexican Hot Chocolate and listen to Christmas music as a Frasier fir scented candle simmers on a warmer.

Why didn't I remember to put the "blanket of snow" around the bottom before I took this photo? Oh, well.

The mantel, a final tribute to faux mini-trees, is ready to meet Hannah, and say a final farewell. Faux trees are not making an appearance in my Christmas Future.


Please join me in praying for Hannah and all travelers this Christmas - for safe arrival to their homes and loved ones.

Update on Dad: Thank you for your prayers for Dad, who spent his Thanksgiving in the hospital with double staph pneumonia and other things. He's home, free from the infections and regaining his strength. We'll spend Christmas Eve and Christmas Day together!

Wishing each of you much love, gatherings with your favorite people, and that you feel the tangible presence of the one whom we are gathering to celebrate!

Word for the Day:

Isaiah 9:6

For to us a child is born,
    to us a son is given;
and the government shall be upon his shoulder,
    and his name shall be called
Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God,
    Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace.

Saturday, December 21, 2013

Christmas Mantel - Tarnished Silver, Greens, and Mercury Glass


Designs rarely happen exactly as I imagine them. This year, this statement is true to the MAX.

I had imagined having my home decorated inside and out the weekend after Thanksgiving, or maybe the following weekend. (SOOO didn't happen. Still happening.)



I had imagined a mostly white with metals again, and plenty of faux greenery. (I have used faux greenery for decades, and have been happy with it.) I also anticipated using small amounts of red. I love red. So far, that has not happened. 



I have added to my collection of faux greenery every year - Hobby Lobby after Christmas sales, garage sales, thrift store finds, etc. It is seriously overtaking my garage.

This year, I imagined arranging my growing collection of tarnished silver plate pieces and mercury glass across the mantel, and filling each of the containers with a faux mini tree. I was pretty excited about the idea!



But when I stepped back and took a look, it was just plain yucky to my eyes.

Too many faux trees. Yucky. It may have looked good with real trees, but the fake ones just sorta got me. In case you're wondering, the photo above is AFTER taking many of them away.

I have decided to ditch them altogether after this year. Yeah, I'm going to purge big-time. All the faux has gotta go.



I may keep the teeny-tiny ones...but the larger ones will be leaving. Same for the garland. 

See the sprigs of cedar above? It's real...cut from a tree in my front yard. It looks ever so much nicer than fake stuff.



As as long as I have a real tree or two from which I can clip low branches and bring something real into the room...why do I want a silly little tree like the ones above?  

I can just stick branches into pots if I want a "tree". 
I can even make my own fresh garland and wreaths. (Here goes the old imagination again. I have way more imagination than time.)



I've always had a real tree - until two years ago. Today, I was putting the fake one together and thinking about the number of fake things in my living room. I didn't like it. I've always been a bit of a snob about having things made from "real" materials - metal, stone, wood, glass, ceramic. I avoid plastic like the plague. WHY didn't I realize fake greenery is plastic? Why did it take so long to hit me, then hit me like a ton of fake bricks?

I rationalize. It's just me here, and putting a real tree into a stand is a two-people job. The fake ones take a while to "fluff" and stick fake branches into the fake trunk, but it's easily doable by one person. 

I can only imagine trying to do a real tree alone. It would be worse than installing my dishwasher.

Next year, I need to enlist a friend to help. Maybe I can return the favor at HER house. 

And next year, my goal is to do all fresh greens. (Never mind that in my semi-arid city they'll all be toast in a matter of days.)

Note to self: Google ways to prolong the life of fresh greenery. Pin them.



Word for the Day:
Luke 2:8-9
8 And in the same region there were shepherds out in the field, keeping watch over their flock by night. 9 And an angel of the Lord appeared to them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were filled with great fear.

Possibly Linking With

Sunday

Sunday Show-off Link Party
Silver Pennies Sundays
Bouquet of Talent
Monday

Masterpiece Monday
Amaze Me Monday
Make it Pretty Monday
Mod Mix Monday
Give Me the Goods Monday
Tuesday

Vintage Inspiration Tuesday
Nifty Thrifty Tuesday
The Scoop
Inspire Me Tuesday
Inspiration Exchange Linky Party
The Gathering Spot
Wednesday

Wow Us Wednesday
Blissfully White Wednesday
What’s it Wednesday
Cottage Style Party
Centerpiece Wednesday Link Up Party

Sunday, December 15, 2013

Why Thrift Stores are Like eHarmony - Christmas Edition


They were not what anyone would consider "couple material."

He was old school - classic, hard-working, yet possessing a certain style. He was no spring chicken, but still, he was a real catch. I was surprised to see him there.

He had learned that sometimes you just have to go where life leads you, even if it means losing a job you never imagined would end, and going somewhere new. 

Attitude is everything.



She, on the other hand, was a hot mess. She'd been a party girl, and life in the fast lane had taken it's toll. She'd been on the market before, and there were no takers. The sparkle that once made her seem exciting now somehow just looked cheap and tacky.

But, she had a kind heart. She was nothing if not flexible and she was open to something new.



You would never expect to find them at the same party. But, fate had brought them together at the same place and time. At first, they just chatted. Party talk. It was a tad awkward. 

Then, a bit of her old sparkle shone through, and the hard-working fellow was charmed. She made him smile. She was really quite funny. He need some fun and sparkle in his life.

So, he invited her to leave the party so they could really talk.
They shared a little about themselves. He was non-judgmental, and she liked that. She was impressed by his steadfast ways - she needed some stability in her life. They decided to meet again. They planned a real date for the next Sunday afternoon.



He had a hot shower, but otherwise he did nothing new. He decided the best thing was to be himself. If she didn't like him as himself, it wouldn't work anyway.

She, on the other hand, took the advice of a true friend. She decided it was high time for a makeover. A coat of copper metallic, and some silver on top of that, and she felt pretty; like a real lady. 

She still was the same sparkly girl on the inside, but she knew it was finally time to grow up. 



She relaxed. It felt right. Still, she was a bit nervous. She really liked this guy...and she hoped he might like her, too. What was the old saying, "opposites attract"?



She took one last check in the mirror when the door bell rang. She liked what she saw.

He had been a bit nervous, too. He wondered if they'd have anything in common, or if the chemistry he'd felt at the party would still be there.

Still, he was a gentleman. He would treat her to a nice evening, and if there was no chemistry, that would be the last time they'd see each other. At this point in his life, he was past wasting time if there was no real connection. 

When she answered the door, he was nearly speechless!
She looked more beautiful than he remembered, though he was not really sure why. He complimented her. 

She was pretty sure he liked the way she looked; his mouth sort of hung open for a millisecond...was that a good thing or a bad thing? 



The afternoon was really fun! Effortless. They felt like they had known each other for a long time. Could this be the beginning of something real?



Only time would tell. But for now, it was delightful. Before the afternoon ended, they had made plans to see each other again...maybe they would make dinner together. 

He told her he made a great beef stew, and she had a new trifle recipe she'd been waiting to try...

Word for the Day:
Luke 2:1-5
In those days a decree went out from Caesar Augustus that all the world should be registered. 2 This was the first registration when Quirinius was governor of Syria. 3 And all went to be registered, each to his own town. 4 And Joseph also went up from Galilee, from the town of Nazareth, to Judea, to the city of David, which is called Bethlehem, 
because he was of the house and lineage of David, 5 to be registered with Mary, his betrothed, who was with child.


Linking With

Sunday

Sunday Show-off Link Party
Monday

Make it Pretty Monday
Mod Mix Monday
Tuesday

Vintage Inspiration Tuesday
Nifty Thrifty Tuesday
The Scoop
Inspire Me Tuesday
Wednesday

Wow Us Wednesday
Blissfully White Wednesday
What’s it Wednesday
Thursday

Thursday Open House Party
Time Travel Thursday
Share Your Cup Thursday
Friday

Feathered Nest Friday
Fabulously Creative Friday
Saturday

Saturday Nite Special