Just A Little Peak

It seems like I forget my camera every time that I go to Heather’s house.  Yesterday was an exception.  I actually remembered to take it with me and managed to get a few shots of her living room and studio. 

Just to clarify things, this is Heather as in my daughter.  Not Heather from Pretty Petals  who's living room I mentioned in one of my recent posts.  Confusing, I know.

So anywho…….I would have to say that Heather’s tastes are much like mine but more colorful.

She has been collecting vintage floral oil paintings for some time now and has them hanging across the wall where her sofa is.  They are just TOO CUTE!

The horns are resin.  I love the contrast of the horns with all of the fou fou.

This house is soooo dark that I had trouble photographing with enough light.  I lightened  my pics. in Photoshop but that makes them a little grainy.  Sooorrry!

This chest sits on one end of the sofa.  I don’t know why I didn’t photograph the entire room.  Duh!  If you look in the mirror, you can see the hand painted detailing that she did on the opposite wall in a small area.

In the studio…….

Few words, cute stuff!

Cute pic. above ordered from another artist on Etsy.

Miss Bella of Bella Dreams fame.  (Or so she thinks.)  Just taken’ it all in!

Cute Kitty ordered from another artist on Etsy.  Digital images by yours truly!

I saved the BEST for last.  Heather hand painted her floor!  It is WONDERFUL.  I asked her why the cabinet in my studio that she painted didn’t look this gorgeous.  Huummm. 

GIANT GIANT flowers.

These pictures really don’t do it justice.  You would have to see the entire room to really tell how adorable it really is!!

I’m not sure, do you think I’ve used the word “really” enough?  I mean…..REALLY!!

And…..let me leave you with a sneak peak of something that I’m working on right now.  Hopefully the finished product will look as darling as what I have done so far.  You never know with these things though.  Especially when you are just flying by the seat of your pants and creating as you go.

Can you tell what this is?  Don’t you just love puzzles?

Seeee Yaaaa!

Denise

Check This Out #2

You would think that after a good year and then some of obsessive blogging that I would have fallen onto just about every blog out there.  Thank GOODNESS that isn’t true!  Isn’t it just so much fun to find  beautiful blogs that you can just cruise through for hours?

Last week Shari, from Little Blue Deer happened upon my blog which led me to hers. 

It was blog love at first sight for me!  First of all the name……is that not just the cutest?

Shari sources wonderful images and leads you on one magical tour after another of the world around us.

With everything from fashion to home decor, she covers it all and often her sources lead you to OTHER magical places! 

If you haven’t visited Little Blue Deer you’re in for a treat!

Denise

Inspired (Again)

Whether I’m happy, sad, glad, mad, bored, or what ever……I can’t go more than a few days without some kind of a project.  I swear, sometimes I drive myself crazy.   It’s apparently my therapy for….well….just life in general!

As always, the best inspiration can be found in blogland.

My latest inspiration comes  from Heather at Pretty Petals.

I just love what she has done with her living room.  It’s a wonderful mix of whites with beautiful blues and chocolate browns thrown into the mix.

You can find more of her beautiful and inspiring home HERE.

I can’t repaint my walls.  Not without a divorce anyway.  They peak in the living room at about twenty feet.  Which required two huge sections of scaffolding with a ladder on top of that and six gallons of paint the last time hubby painted.   Which I promised would be the last time.   But I CAN repaint furniture and rearrange.

This weeks projects………

Moved the chippy tea cart to this wall and repainted the pic. frame cream.  Much cleaner and more simple.

Changed my little monkeys shades to cream.  Look……he’s smiling he’s so happy.  He’s just one of those little whimsical things that I love.

Move two of my apothecary jars to the bottom shelf.

And…….this was a BIG project.  In terms of decision making anyway.

  I painted my big three drawer chest.

It still needs polyurethane but I REALLY do love it!  For one thing, the mirror above shows up so much better.  AND…it distressed beautifully.

Just enough of the color underneath shows through.  And it looks all chippy and wonderful.

Next, I painted the little French end table that was where the tea cart is now, a pale blue.

It’s at one end of the sofa.

  Just a couple more projects and this room is done. 

Anywho……I’m close to showing you an all over room shot.   So far, the only thing that I’ve spent money on is two quarts of paint.  AND I have a cute little French chair that will be for sale at the
Rink next week.  So I’m ahead of the game, money wise.

Back to scheming and dreaming!

Denise

For Our Pets

Gosh, it seems like I have heard of so many people that I know and in blogland who have lost their beloved pets this year.

Just today, I heard that a friend lost her beautiful German Shepherd and my sister in law lost her darling Jack Russell.   Earlier in the week, my brother lost his buddy, Bear.

In memory of Ace the German Shepherd , Gizmo the Jack Russell Terrier, and Bear, the best mutt ever!    And all of your beloved pets out there.

He is my other eyes that can see above the clouds;
my other ears that hear above the winds.
He is the part of me that can reach out into the sea.

He has told me a thousand times over that I am his reason
for being by the way he rests against my leg;
by the way he thumps his tail at my smallest smile;
by the way he shows his hurt when I leave without taking him.
(I think it makes him sick with worry when he is not
along to care for me.)

When I am wrong, he is delighted to forgive.
When I am angry, he clowns to make me smile.
When I am happy, he is joy unbounded.

When I am a fool, he ignores it.
When I succeed, he brags.

Without him, I am only another man. With him, I am all-powerful.

He is loyalty itself. He has taught me the meaning of devotion.

With him, I know a secret comfort and a private peace.
He has brought me understanding where before I was ignorant.

His head on my knee can heal my human hurts.
His presence by my side is protection against my fears of dark and
unknown things.

He has promised to wait for me...whenever...wherever--
in case I need him.
And I expect I will--as I always have.

A poem by Gene Hill………

And doesn’t this just express how we all feel about our “babies.”

Denise

Once Upon An Armoire………

Yep….this armoire has a history.  Not so much a pleasant history.  But a memorable history!

Years ago, I’m gonna say twenty, so that means probably twenty five, I found this armoire in a small furniture store.  It was on sale of sale of sale.  You know, one of those amazing mark downs.  Which should have been my FIRST clue. 

“It’s an exact copy of a French antique” the sales lady said.  I was duly impressed.  I HAD to have it.  Just Had Had to have it.  Of course, it weighed a ton.  But it was stamped on the back “made in France”……ooohhhh…….aaahhh……

So I got it home put the shelves in, and filled it with glassware.  Lots and lots of glassware. 

One night a couple of years later,  I heard a crash.  A HUGE HUGE crash.

The wood expanded and all of the shelves crashed.  Broke everything in it.   Huh….apparently it was an exact copy of a French piece of crap!

So for years it sat with just some junk in the bottom.  We tried to repair it but nothing worked. 

Recently I thought “ye olde trusty glue gun.”  It worked like a charm!

Just to be on the safe side, it’s become my quilt armoire.

Both sides……full of quilts.  Is it still a collection if you didn’t realize that you had a gazillion of something?  Crazy how many quilts and blankets I have.

So time to redecorate the outside top.

I had one of those “what was I thinkin?” moments.

When I looked at this arrangement.

I drug out a super cute crate/box and painted it cream.  I originally intended to paint numbers on the front.  But then thought, why not chalk board paint?

I love it!  Now I can change the message for the season.  “Boo” for Halloween and so on…..  And no, that number has no significance what so ever.  Don’t have a clue where I came up with it.

I sat one of my other fav. things on top.  My Mandeville seed display box.

Picked up some other goodies this weekend.  You’ll never guess what!  Oh, okay, another suitcase.  I know, you’re amazed.

Did a sweet swap for the cute basket. 

Hummmm……something still wasn’t right.  The suitcase was sitting too low.

Much better.  I used my chippy grey corbels for risers.

All done!

Before…….

  I briefly, very briefly, thought about painting the armoire white.  I’m really into that right now.  I decided against it.  It would be a major ordeal.  The door hinges run all the way down the sides.  And I never could figure out how to get the key hardware off.   And I’m happy with the touch of white on the top. 

I left the botanicals that I already had hung.

I also picked up this tray over the weekend.

It’s metal.  I love it with the mercury glass and the trophy sitting on it.

I’m doing a major purge of accessories.  I’ve already pulled quite a few things from the living room.  I promised a friend first dibs and then the rest of it will be going to the Rink.  Whatever is left should be there by Saturday morning.   Watch for more new stuff in the weeks to come.  This is just round one in the living room!

Denise  

Check This Out!

I’m working on a couple of new projects to show you later in the week.  But while you’re waiting on some new pics. from me, you’ve just GOT to check out this new (to me anyway) blog!

Such cute and clever ideas.

How cute would that little hanging lamp be above the kitchen sink!

Here’s the link…….

http://sjarmerende-gjenbruk.blogspot.com/

And if you’ve already been there……why didn’t you tell Me!  :)

Denise