White Goes the Cuckoo (A Little Bird Told Me...)

Years ago, in a land far away, I found a vintage German cuckoo clock for a few dollars at a thrift store.

My great-grandmother had a similar one, and hers actually worked. This one never did, but I thought it was charming. 
For years I used it for strictly decorative purposes - usually in one of my children's bedroom. 

Most recently, it has lived in a hallway I just painted in December. When I took it off the wall to prep for painting, I decided to use it in my middle bedroom. 

For that to work well, it needed an update. 

A coat of white paint was in order. (Maybe one day, I'll run out of things that need a coat of white paint, but not this month.) 

By the way, the green chest of drawers is my next white paint project. 

As I was painting, I thought..."oops...I forgot to get a before shot..." Such is the life of a woman with a blog.

This is certainly not a precious piece - it's missing a little man on the right side, and its hands.

Still, I like it. It has taken on a new life in white for my garden-ish middle bedroom, surrounded by an assortment of birds, bird houses and cages. 

This room is done in shades of white with a mix of small items in a variety of greens and aquas. 

I hope to be ready for the final reveal next week! Heaven knows, it's been a project since July!

Word for the Day:
Ecclesiastes 10:20

Even in your thoughts, do not curse the king, nor in your bedroom curse the rich, for a bird of the air will carry your voice, or some winged creature tell the matter.

Possibly Linking With:
Sunday
http://www.twiggstudios.com	Sunday Show-off Link Party
http://www.niftythriftythings.com/	Nifty Thrifty Sunday
Monday
http://betweennapsontheporch.net	Metamorphosis Monday
http://modvintagelife.blogspot.com	Mod Mix Monday
http://westfurniturerevival.blogspot.com	Revival Monday
http://boogieboardcottage.blogspot.com/	Masterpiece Monday
http://thededicatedhouse.blogspot.com	Make it Pretty Monday
Tuesday
http://www.knickoftimeinteriors.blogspot.com/	Vintage Inspiration Tuesday
http://linda-coastalcharm.blogspot.com/	Nifty Thrifty Tuesday
http://www.cedarhill-ranch.com/	The Scoop
http://www.astrollthrulife.net/	Inspire Me Tuesday
http://cityfarmhouse.com/	Inspiration Exchange Linky Party
Wednesday
http://www.timewashed.com	Blissfully White Wednesday
http://restoreinteriors.blogspot.com/	Restored it Wednesday
http://savvysouthernstyle.net/	Wow Us Wednesday
http://www.notjustahousewife.net/	Show Me What Ya Got
http://ivyandelephants.blogspot.com/	What’s it Wednesday
http://lavendergardencottage.blogspot.com	Cottage Style Party
http://www.thethriftyhome.com/	Penny Pinching Party
Thursday
http://revisionarylife.blogspot.com/	Thrifty Life Thursday
http://bec4-beyondthepicketfence.blogspot.com/	Under $100 Link Party
http://staceyembracingchange.com/	Creative Inspirations
http://nominimalisthere.blogspot.com/	Thursday Open House Party
http://thebrambleberrycottage.blogspot.com/	Time Travel Thursday
http://www.jannolson.blogspot.com/	Share Your Cup Thursday
Friday
http://frenchcountrycottage.blogspot.com/	Feathered Nest Friday
http://www.missmustardseed.blogspot.com/	Furniture Feature Friday
http://redoux.blogspot.com/	Friday Redoux Link Party
http://shabbynest.blogspot.com/	Frugal Friday
http://www.commonground-do.com/	Vintage Inspiration Friday
http://www.remodelaholic.com/	Fridays on Remodelaholic
http://www.jenniferrizzo.com/	Fabulously Creative Friday
http://chiconashoestringdecorating.blogspot.com/	Flaunt it Friday
http://vintageinteriorblogs.blogspot.com/	Weekend
Saturday
http://www.funkyjunkinteriors.net/	Party Junk
http://too-much-time.com	Get Schooled Saturday
http://www.bedifferentactnormal.com/	Show and Tell Saturday

Thrifty Life Thursday #2

Gathering Guidelines:

• This is a gathering for people who enjoy hunting for treasures that have lived a former life elsewhere. Please share your pre-owned treasures only. 

• Home decor, furniture, collectibles, garden items and even wearables are welcome. (If I neglected to mention something, please ask!) Please, no food items.

• Treasures may be listed as you found them, or with your updates, tweaks, and re-purposes; befores and afters are both welcome.

• Hand-me-downs and curbside finds are welcome, as are items found in thrift stores, garage sales, antique shops, flea markets and other interesting places.

• Items need not be "vintage" but must be pre-owned.

• Posts including Etsy and other shop links are welcome! For visitor enjoyment, please link to your blog post, not directly to your Etsy shop. 

• Please link back, and follow Revisionary Life some way - via Blogger, Pinterest or Facebook or subscribe via email. (I'm not really into Google Plus...sorry.)

• Please visit at least one other party friend. (You'll probably want to visit lots more!)

• I'd love for you to comment and introduce yourself if we've never met before. :) Otherwise, don't feel obligated to leave a comment. 

Hebrews 10:24-25

24 And let us consider how to stir up one another to love and good works, 25 not neglecting to meet together, as is the habit of some, but encouraging one another, and all the more as you see the Day drawing near.

Features from the First Thrifty Life Thursday Gathering

A note about my Thrifty Life Thursday image:

This piece is circa 1979 plaster of Paris. My sister-in-law bought it new at a craft festival, I think. She tired of it, and brought it to a garage sale I hosted. 

I had always liked it, so I bought it and hung it in my house. It was originally stained a sort of antique terra cotta color. I painted it patina green at some point, and most recently, light gray. I loved it way back when, and I still love it.

I would like to thank all 12 thrifty-lifers for making it a real party! I don't know about anyone else out there who already has a well-established blog and party, but when I hit the publish button, I wondered if anyone would come...

You have to start somewhere, right? 

Thanks for being there with me, for showing up, and for having such great style!

I was impressed by a nice variety of thrifty finds - the kind that made me want to jump up from the computer and run to the nearest thrift store. You know what I mean...else you would not be here! 

It was like torture to pick, but I promised I would have features, so here goes:

Audrey from Timeless Treasures shared some beautiful handmade wooden tool boxes. Other than some polish and elbow grease, she kept them original. I LOVE the juxtaposition of the silver candlestick next to the primitive tool boxes... 

Here's another one that is unexpected, ingenious in its simplicity, and yet totally gorgeous:

Mary Alice of Chateau Chic used some iron brackets to add a creative bit of the unexpected to her WINDOWS! Brilliant! 
"Borrowing" ideas is another reason I love blogging.

The next feature pretty much knocked my socks off. 

Bliss from Bliss Ranch shared a long-term project that turned some nice but ho-hum dining chairs into true statement pieces. She stripped and stained and waxed and painted fabric and did transfers and hand hammered over 100 vintage tacks into each chair!!! Whew. No wonder it took her a while to finish. Perseverance really paid off!

This feature showed not only creativity in re-purposing an item, but we got to see it change with the seasons. 

A vintage lantern became a cloche of sorts, or a mini theater for various props and vignettes. To see more seasons, visit Tina at What We Keep. We're glad you chose to keep this one, Tina!

Word for the Day:
Proverbs 15:16

Better is a little with the fear of the Lord than great treasure and trouble with it.

Click back over tomorrow to share your treasures with us!

A gathering place for 

thrift store shoppers, garage salers, 

flea marketeers, and curbside junkers!

Gathering Guidelines:

• This is a gathering for people who enjoy using previously owned items. Please share your pre-owned treasures only. Home decor, furniture, collectibles and even wearables are welcome.
• Items may be listed as you found them, or with your updates, tweaks, and new purposes.
• Hand-me-downs and curbside finds are welcome, as are items found in thrift stores, garage sales, antique shops, flea markets and other places.
• Items need not be "vintage" but must be pre-owned.
• You may list items that are for sale in your Etsy shop, etc., but please link to your blog post, not directly to your shop.
• Please follow somewhere - via blogger, subscribe via email, Pinterest or Facebook. Please introduce yourself if we've never met before. :)

Last week, the gathering opened at midnight on Thursday. I might see if I can back the time up to 9 p.m. central on Wednesday...

Back to the Middle Bedroom...

I am not one for cliff-hangers, so I apologize for leaving you hanging about my progress on the middle bedroom that was supposed to take two weekends to finish last August.

After a plethora of technical issues, which left me feeling like an older version of Goldilocks, I must say the middle bedroom has been functioning since before Thanksgiving. There's one last major-ish item to address...

The Free French-y Chest of Drawers: 

Yes, it was free. It has a few issues - like a drawer that needs some glue and clamps. Mostly, though, it needs paint. 

I can do that. I have missed painting! I don't think I have painted a single thing since the week before Thanksgiving.

The pale green finish was not horrible in the room, since I have used a variety of green accents.

Most of the room is done in shades of white. There are green decorative items, like my vintage books, and the outdoor light fixture I replaced from my front porch years ago. 

The wiring was shot - even hazardous. Still, I found the shape and patina nothing short of charming. So I kept it.

Back to the dresser; I will be painting it this week; shades of white, of course.

I may keep the pulls as they are...I think they'll work just fine without tweaks. 

With the current paint finish, the carvings seem a bit clumsy...

so I'll just have to see how they look with some paint, and maybe a bit of tinted wax...

sort of like the collection of vintage mirrors sitting on top.

Aside from painting the dresser, I have a few small tweaks to do, then I should be able to show you a FINALLY completed room. Well...completed for the moment, anyway.

Word for the Day:
Luke 14:28

For which of you, desiring to build a tower, does not first sit down and count the cost, whether he has enough to complete it?

Possibly Linking With:
Sunday
http://www.twiggstudios.com	Sunday Show-off Link Party
http://www.niftythriftythings.com/	Nifty Thrifty Sunday
Monday
http://betweennapsontheporch.net	Metamorphosis Monday
http://modvintagelife.blogspot.com	Mod Mix Monday
http://westfurniturerevival.blogspot.com	Revival Monday
http://boogieboardcottage.blogspot.com/	Masterpiece Monday
http://thededicatedhouse.blogspot.com	Make it Pretty Monday
Tuesday
http://www.knickoftimeinteriors.blogspot.com/	Vintage Inspiration Tuesday
http://linda-coastalcharm.blogspot.com/	Nifty Thrifty Tuesday
http://www.cedarhill-ranch.com/	The Scoop
http://www.astrollthrulife.net/	Inspire Me Tuesday
http://cityfarmhouse.com/	Inspiration Exchange Linky Party
Wednesday
http://www.timewashed.com	Blissfully White Wednesday
http://restoreinteriors.blogspot.com/	Restored it Wednesday
http://savvysouthernstyle.net/	Wow Us Wednesday
http://www.notjustahousewife.net/	Show Me What Ya Got
http://ivyandelephants.blogspot.com/	What’s it Wednesday
http://lavendergardencottage.blogspot.com	Cottage Style Party
http://www.thethriftyhome.com/	Penny Pinching Party
Thursday
http://revisionarylife.blogspot.com/	Thrifty Life Thursday
http://bec4-beyondthepicketfence.blogspot.com/	Under $100 Link Party
http://staceyembracingchange.com/	Creative Inspirations
http://nominimalisthere.blogspot.com/	Thursday Open House Party
http://thebrambleberrycottage.blogspot.com/	Time Travel Thursday
http://www.jannolson.blogspot.com/	Share Your Cup Thursday
Friday
http://frenchcountrycottage.blogspot.com/	Feathered Nest Friday
http://www.missmustardseed.blogspot.com/	Furniture Feature Friday
http://redoux.blogspot.com/	Friday Redoux Link Party
http://shabbynest.blogspot.com/	Frugal Friday
http://www.commonground-do.com/	Vintage Inspiration Friday
http://www.remodelaholic.com/	Fridays on Remodelaholic
http://www.jenniferrizzo.com/	Fabulously Creative Friday
http://chiconashoestringdecorating.blogspot.com/	Flaunt it Friday
http://vintageinteriorblogs.blogspot.com/	Weekend
Saturday
http://www.funkyjunkinteriors.net/	Party Junk
http://too-much-time.com	Get Schooled Saturday
http://www.bedifferentactnormal.com/	Show and Tell Saturday

Don't forget to check back tomorrow to see the features from the first "Thrifty Life Thursday" gathering!