Happy Holidays

Merry Christmas everyone, wishing you a blessed holiday season.

Shabby Chic Sign - Christmas Inspiration - JOY Sign

I was so pleased with my shabby chic Eat sign that I decided to duplicate my idea to add some color and Christmas cheer to my living room. Since I had three pieces of scrap wood left over, I decided to use the word JOY. I used the same method as with the EAT sign.

My daughter came to visit and said "Joy to the world, there's color in the living room." So thanks to this simple project Christmas cheer now abounds in my house.

Linking to:
Frugal Friday @ The Shabby Nest
Show and Tell Friday @ My Romantic Home
Meet Me Monday @ You Are Talking too Much
Monday Link Party @ Craft-O-Maniac
Turquoise Lovin #18 @ Sweet Little Gals
Wow us Wednesday @ Savvy Southern Style
Whatever Goes Wednesday  @ Someday Crafts
Wanna Party @ Chatty Chics
Mod Mix Monday @ Mod Vintage Life
Fall into Fall #44 @ DIY by Design
Frugal Friday @ The Shabby Nest

Shabby Signs - Kitchen Inspiration - Eat Sign

 

My daughter told me I didn't have enough color in my kitchen and that was after I had painted the walls a lovely light blue--that she swears is gray. Anyway, I have seen  several blogs featuring EAT signs and it seemed an easy way to add some color. I decided I wanted a shabbier version than the ones I had seen.

I had some left over scrap boards that would be perfect for this project. I painted each board off white. As you can see from the picture above, I played around with the paint to get three varying shades of blue-green colors for the background. Instead of measuring a rectangle for the color I decided to free hand it which was quicker, easier and made for a better shabby chic sign. Next, I stenciled a letters in white on the colored background. Once I was satisfied with the size and shape, I trimmed off the excess board from the bottom and painted the bottom edge. Lastly, I lightly sanded over the surface for a distressed look and waxed it with clear wax, then added glaze.

This eat sign was a fun and easy project and onIy took about 30 minutes (excluding drying time).
This shabby sign adds an additional splash of color to my galley kitchen and makes me smile whenever I see it. Best of all they cost me a whopping $0 since I already had all the supplies. I'm not sure it will be enough color for my daughter but it's a start. What do you think of my EAT sign?

Linked to:
Polly Wants A Crafter
Terrific Under Ten Tuesdays @ At Home with K
Trash to Treasure Tuesdays @ Kammys Korner
Tuesday Treasures @My Uncommom Slice of Suburbia
Tuesday To Do @The Blackberry Vine
Tales Of A Trophy Wife
Thursday Blog Link Party @Somewhat Simple
Frugal Friday @ The Shabby Nest

Another Dollar Tree Tray Transformation

I have had this fall themed tray for several years, I loved it when I first got it but my love affair with it has definitely waned. I love the detailing around the frame but wanted something on the front other than leaves and acorns. The fall color scheme really doesn't fit my shabby chic decor.

I loved the way the last tray turned out so I decided to repeat it. I painted the frame my favorite Eucalyptus Green,  then lightly sanded it to reveal the highlights and antiqued it. Isn't the detailing gorgeous?

The last step was decoupaging the same scrapbook paper as the other tray. I think I like this one even better. The handles really add a lot. What do you think?

Linked to:

Catch as Catch Can @ My Repurposed Life
Nifty ThriftyTuesday @ Costal Charm
Turquoise Loving 16 @ Sweet Little Gals
Trash To Treasure Tuesday @ Kammy's Korner
Terrific Under Ten Tuesday @ At Home With K

Estate Sale Weekend Finds

 I've been trying to avoid yard sales because I have to many unfinished to do projects. However  on my way to the Library, what did I spy but an Estate Sale sign. I just couldn't pass that up.

It turned out to be mostly Christmas items, but I did manage to find a few interesting items for only $1 each. I really liked the shape and height of the above pictured shelf and you know I am always looking for unique storage pieces, so of course I snatched it up.

I am also a huge fan of metal wall hangings and I loved the textured finishes on these. With a little paint, these will make beautiful shabby pieces.

The next piece I grabbed was this traditional looking Grecian style planter. I'm not a fan of the gold, but love the shape and the detailing. I see more paint in my future.

Seeing these topiaries really got me in the Christmas spirit. I didn't really need any of them, but I think after a little paint and antiquing, they will really add something special to my holiday decor. The trees are already silver and sparkly, so I might actually leave them as they are (gasp).

All in all, not a bad haul for a few dollars. I can't wait to spruce these items up and see how they turn out. I'll keep you posted.

From Depression to Hope

Do you ever loose your joy and motivation?  How do you get it back?

At times when my back pain is worse than usual  I started wondering "Why me?"  At this point depression slips in like a thief in the night robbing me of my hope, energy and joy.  There doesn't seem to be any reason to get out of bed much less tackling the seemingly overwhelming tasks of daily living like getting dressed, cleaning and cooking;  or doing things that previously brought me joy.  That's where I have been for the last week or so, not a great place to be.

This morning when pain woke me at 4 a.m. I couldn't go back to sleep as  negative thoughts were running rampant through my mind.   It dawned on me that I haven't been writing in my gratitude journal and I have been  focusing on all the things I can't do instead of the things I can.  In the past I've found I can't be depressed and grateful at the same time.  So as I start this day looking for things to be grateful  for and counting my blessings, I can feel the dark, heavy and oppressing cloud of depression giving way to the gentle rays of  light and hope of a new day dawning and the promise it holds.

Thanksgiving

Wishing everyone a blessed day filled with family, friends, fun and great food.  There are so many things I am grateful for including my family and all of you for all your lovely comments and encouragement.

Homemade Chalk Paint

I just love all the look of ASCP, but being the queen of frugal I wanted to try a cheaper version. There were several options, unsanded grout and plaster of paris found in craft stores and home centers and calcium carbonate, which I would have had to order. There was also baking soda which I had, since I was anxious to get started, I oped for the baking soda.

I had found 2 folding chairs at a yard sale for $2 each, one was painted blue and the other a battered, shinny dark wood finish. I had found some blue-green oops paint at the Home Depot and decided to use it for this project.

I used 1/3 baking soda to 2/3 paint ratio and added a little water. You do have to stir for a while, but it mixed pretty well. I was thrilled I didn't have to sand or prime before painting [except for some rough spots on the seat].  I used a brush to apply the paint mixture, it covered well and there were no brush marks. So far so good.

I wanted a distressed look , so I tried to lightly sand it but it didn't want to come off,  I ended up using my electric sander. So if you don't want to distress your piece this is  perfect, it sticks to shinny surfaces very well.

Since I didn't have any dark wax I decided to use a clear glaze I found on sale and tinted myself.  It gave it an aged appearance, [but I really want to try the dark wax in the future] I then waxed it with a clear wax.

Over all I was pleased with how it turned out. Would using less baking soda make it sand easier?  I don't know, I intend to experiment and find out and I will let you know.

Linking to:
Frugal Friday at The Shabby Nest
Transformation Thursday at The Shabby Creek Cottage
My Repurposed Life
Terrific Under Ten Tuesday at At Home with K
Meet Me Monday at You Are Talking Too Much

Fall in the Blue Ridge Mountains of Western NC

My son and daughter-in-law visited me recently from Los Lunas, NM near Albuquerque. They arrived hoping to take in the stunning fall foliage of the Blue Ridge Mountains that surround my hometown of Asheville. Unfortunately the Fall leaf season was already over and most of the Blue Ridge Parkway was already closed for repairs, but we still managed to ride up about eight miles and enjoy some of Western North Carolina's wonderful scenery. Here are a few pics of the views just a few miles out of Asheville.

My son, Ron, and his wife, Irene at Tanbark Ridge Overlook - Mile Marker 376, Blue Ridge Parkway.

Since we could only go a few miles on the Parkway, we decided to head over to Davidson River. The weather was nice in the 60's, and there were hardly any other visitors. It was great

Next we meandered on over to Sliding Rock.  

Here I am!! 

We decided to make one last stop at Looking Glass Falls. 

We had a great time. Irene was so impressed with the majestic of my beloved mountains. I'm so glad we were able to spend some quality time outdoors together. What great memories we made that day. Now I guess I need to customize some picture frames so I can display some of these wonderful shots throughout my home.

Turquoise Serving Tray

     
One of my favorite places to find decorating treasures is the Dollar Tree. I love it because you never know what you will find there, and whatever you do find is only $1. So whenever I'm pondering new decorative accents, the Dollar Tree is one of the first places I go hunting.

Most recently, I wanted some type of board to pin up notes and recipes in my kitchen. So I decided it was time to make a Dollar Tree trip. This metal  tray was the solution, I could customize it to match my kitchen colors and it fit into the space under my cabinets.

First,  I primed the tray. Next, I painted the edges with Art Deco's Dark Eucalyptus Green paint after lightening it some with white paint (since they no longer carry the Light Eucalyptus Green color). Then, I antiqued the edges with FolkArt Antiquing Medium.

I had some scrap booking paper with a beautiful turquoise floral design that I loved and thought it would be perfect for my tray. I measured and cut the scrap book paper to size and then applied a layer of Mod Podge Matte-Mat to the tray and affixed the paper to the tray. I then applied two more coats of Mod Podge over the paper to seal and protect the surface. Finally, I glued a sawtooth hanger onto the back for hanging. Now I have a decorative wall hanging and magnetic board.

This was a very simple, easy and inexpensive project that is not only functional, but also also adds a huge pop of color to my kitchen. I love it!

Linking to:  MY Repurposed Life    The Trendy Treehouse    At Home With K            
                
                 Tales of a Trophy Wife              

Inspiration for Secretary Desk

While recovering from a bout with food poisoning I found a couple of secretary desk ideas I wanted to share with you.

This first makeover was featured in "Do It Yourself" magazine and transformed a small bookshelf into a mini-secretatry. Wouldn't this make a great addition to almost any small space?  I love that they added a door to the bottom .

BEFORE

The next secretary idea I found is from MarthaStewart.com and is efficiently organized to use every inch of space. I have a smaller desk that I'm hoping to incorporate some of these ideas to.