A Piece of History

I LOVE a find, especially when it has a little history. Every time I visit family in Pampa, Texas, it's a tradition of mine, and my mom's, to stop into our favorite store, Trash to Treasures. You never know what you'll find in there. It smells like a dingy, old basement, but it's all worth it. It's not too big and the store is jam packed of vintage finds. 

On my last visit to Pampa, I stopped in and picked up a very old collection of antique records dating back from the 1910's and 1920's. I've never been a record enthusiast, but the collection spoke to me and I walked out with two huge albums. So excited about my new find, I knew I needed something to play these records on. 

For me, not just any record player would do the job. This is when I can get a little nutty. Once I have a vision, it's not easy to see anything else. In my mind, I was thinking of playing these records on a record player that also dated back to the early 1900's. So then began my search of finding an antique Victrola. 

I found this one on Craigslist for a great deal. It definitely takes you back to an era. When the music plays, I feel like I'm in an episode of Boardwalk Empire and I love it! Music has come such a long way since the beginning of the 1900's, and owning a little piece of nostalgia makes you realize just how far we've come. 

What little piece of history do you own?? I'd love to hear about it!

Also, please be cautious when using Craigslist. I've always had good experiences with doing business on Craigslist, but I have to say be careful!  With all the recent news and incidents associated with Craigslist, I have to say be careful and cautious of who your doing business with. Never meet someone alone and always use good judgement!!

As Joan Rivers would say, "Bitch Stole My Look"

Today while I was out and about, I stopped into ZGallerie to take a look around. They always have beautiful things, although I haven't bought anything from there in years. I walked in spotting something extremely familiar to me. "How interesting"...I thought to myself. That is the same exact fabric I recently purchased from Cutting Corners a few months ago. They made the Abigail wing chair out of it! They so stole my look!! How could it be??

ZGallerie Abigail Wing Chair  $899

I couldn't believe it! It was the same fabric I had used to make custom pillows from. I loved the color palette and knew it would give our couch the pop it needed. I had two 22x22 pillows  made and found some matching trim to dress them up. I also had them make with a zipper so I could get them dry cleaned when needed.

Not only did ZGallerie have this chair, they ALSO had Silsila throw pillows in the same fabric. I thought the $69/ea price was steep (feather down inserts and the feathers were already poking out). That drives me nuts! I think the added trim looks so much nicer too!!

ZGallerie Pillow @  $69/each

Custom or store bought, it's a great looking fabric! I personally feel the chair is a little over the top, but love  this fabric in pillows.  

Make it a great day!

Dressing up your door for Fall

It's a beautiful time of the year! I love this crisp weather and all that comes with it..pumpkins, mums, fall wreaths..the beautiful colors.

Decorating up your front porch is a must this time of year! I visited Lowe's and picked up some great plants for the front porch over the weekend. I also had this architectural column I thought would be great for the space. It's a  great addition to the vignette. Added some well needed height.

Happy Decorating! Enjoy this beautiful weather.

Rocking Along

It's been a fun filled day thus far this lovely Friday morning. The DMV has had me waiting almost two hours. Luckily my trips to the DMV are few and far between.

On a more enjoyable note, I wanted to share my latest project with you and show you some before and afters. It's such beautiful time of year and a great time to spruce up the backyard. I know for me, I'm looking forward to many BBQ's and being with friends.

I've had these rockers given to me years ago and they never tire. They've gone through some wear and tear (as you can see). These are some before's I captured. With so many coats of paint throughout the years, it was time for some sanding. Very simple to do. Just make sure you wear a mask.

{In need of some TLC}

{Side table before}

All you need is a simple sander, stain, and some spray paint.

I chose a brighter green (Leafy Green) in satin and put on a light Lacquer to finish them off. I like the Satin over the Flat!

Viola...several hours later, here are the after's. 

{Stained it a black finish}

{Makes a cozy sitting place}

{Also spray painted this table yellow and bought some new outdoor yellow pillows to tie it together}

This is my next project for the backyard. I'm going to sand this one down and finish it off with some teak oil.

Have a great weekend!!

Pretty Blinds

Over the weekend, my dad and I installed some new blinds for the French doors in our den. They were very much needed. Not only for privacy issues, but to also keep the glare off the television.

{Before}

I ventured to my other favorite place besides home, Lowes. They have a wonderful selection of wooden blinds as well as natural woven shades. I prefer the woven to anything. I love the texture they provide a room, plus they look amazing and are pretty inexpensive. You can also have them custom cut at Lowes to fit the window/s you need.

So I wanted to share this easy fix with you and point you in the right direction if your needing help in that department. With my dad's help, we finished the project in less than an hour:)

As far as my choice selection, I went with something lighter, but not too light. I didn't want to go too dark either. The shade I chose was Origami. Right in the middle.

{After}

Thanks for stopping by and remember, if you have a design dilemma and need help, 

contact me about our design services!

So "Succulent"

I've been wanting to buy some succulents for a ceramic pot I bought recently. Succulents are very "hot" right now and I've heard are pretty easy to grow. You can see them at Restoration Hardware and they are gorgeous.

{Image via vignettedesign.blogspot.com/}

                             

So today, I decided to try my hand at planting some succulents I picked up at Home Depot. They carry lots of varieties so I bought a few. I wanted to make sure I got enough to make my display look full. Hopefully they grow out nicely. Will be interesting to see how they do. 

{Several different varieties}

{Fill up 1/3 of dirt in pot}

Tip: Also, just a little tip I've learned when planting in containers and pots. Once you take the plant out of plastic, break up the roots real good and soak those in water. I typically dunk the roots in water for a few seconds and then place them in the dirt. Also, when planting in containers, you don't have to be afraid to plant flowers close to each other. The closer the better and I've had lots of luck with my containers doing it that way. 

{Always a good choice}

{Viola}

Will take additional pictures in a month or so to show you how pretty they've got (I hope).

Make it a good day!

New Find! Love Craigslist!

It's been awhile since my last post and lot's of progress with the house thus far. I haven't posted pictures yet because things are still not quite finished yet. With work and running around, I haven't been able to get everything done yet and I know I'm not expected too. It definitely takes time and I don't want to rush the process.

I've been trying to focus on one room at a time, but I've been a little all over the place. Today I'm excited to show you my find on Craigslist. I've been wanting an iron bed for the guestroom and found one today! $75 dollars!! Can't beat it. I've already got it home and cleaned it up real well. The seller told me the original buyers loved antiquing and flea markets. He believes the iron bed was picked up during the 1950's and possibly as old as the turn of the century, no older than the 1920's. Very cool. He also threw in an old singer sewing machine that I can use as a plant stand somewhere.

Sometimes it's so easy to run out and buy what you need rather than waiting and taking the time to find something you love. For me, I shop around (A LOT) and wait for it to find me.

                                                     {bed frame for guestroom via Craigslist $75}

{breakfast dining via Craigslist $350}

{fabric for chairs via Cutting Corners}

Thanks for stopping by! More to come. Just bought some great new fabric for a few projects in the works.

Time for beddy byyy. Have a great day!

Let's do some Faux Finishing

I LOVE Faux Finishing!! It's such a fun way to change the complete look of a piece! Plus, you don't need to go out and buy something new, right?? We all like to save a little money where needed, I know I do. Depending upon the project, my supplies typically come from Michael's. They've got great acrylic paints in different finishes such as golds, silvers, and metallics. I love to mix up my palette and use multiple colors. It gives the piece your working on more depth and interest. You can take an ordinary piece that has no life and make it something completely unique.

So without further ado, I'd like to share with you a piece I just finished today. The piece was originally bought by my husband. He really loves his Greek culture and this was one of his I finally put to good use. The color drove me nuts. It was bland and the paint was chipping on the surface. I had to scrape off the chipped paint and sand it down to get a smooth surface.

                                                                        {Before}

                                                                  {Paint Chipping}

                                                                           {After}

I opted to use it in our bathroom and put a candle on it and some bath salts. Now it has purpose and brings added interest to our master bath. I used Restoration Hardware paint, color Slate, for most of the coverage. Then I mixed in other paints from Michael's to create the weathered, aged look. Once it dried, I sanded off some areas to give it the look I wanted. Now it's time for a relaxing bath:)

There may be something in your home you could do the same with...I'd love to hear about projects your working on!