A Sneak Preview

Down to the final preparations for the Open House on Saturday andstill lots to do, but I thought I'd give you a sneak preview.This is a grouping of some of the white things we have to sellthat are currently setting on my mantel.

Sorry for the poor lighting in these pictures.  It was already late inthe day when I took them and dark outside.

I love this grouping of candlesticks.  Each one is unique and adifferent height.  Not sure why I'm selling these since I like them so much.

Maybe I'll keep just one for myself.  But . . . which one?I love the acanthus leaves on them and the chippy flowers. 

Did you notice the white metal cloche doesn't have a tag on it yet?I think that's because it's going to be a "keeper".

Right after I took these pictures, my sister came in with a load of her things.More pretty things to come.
Linking with~French Country Cottage for Feathered Nest Friday~I Love Pretty Little Things for Friday Pretties~Common Ground for Vintage Inspiration Friday~ 

A Desk Makeover

This is a desk I found last fall at a yard sale.  The lady selling itseemed reluctant to part with it because it was her grandmother's desk.

After sanding it, I gave it two coats of black paint.

After the black paint came two coats of pea-green paint, followed bydistressing to allow the black to show through.

It has lovely detail work all along the front of the desk which I wanted to emphasize with the distressing.

I kept the original hardware since it was already black and in good shape.

I used a clear and dark wax and finished it off with buffing to giveit a subtle shine.~The seat came out a little to high, so unfortunately, I thinkI'm going to have to take it all apart and take it down about an inchbefore the open house.  I hate to do that because it sure is comfortable,but it's a little too tight to scoot in close.

The desk top is decorated with a vintage key plate from an old homemounted on flocked butterfly paper and a small nest of speckled eggs anda butterfly nestled on a sweet little dish of moss.

Linking with ~Homemaker on a Dime for Creative Bloggers' Party & Hop~A Stroll Thru Life for Table Top Tuesday~Coastal Charm for Nifty Thrifty Tuesday~My Uncommon Slice of Suburbia for Tuesday's Treasures~House of Grace for Twice Owned Tuesday~All Things Heart and Home for All Things Inspired~Domestically Speaking for The Power of Paint Party~Restore Interiors for Restored it Wednesday
 

Blue Peony

Now I have never seen a real blue peony, but here isthe pattern "Blue Peony" by Nikko that is absolutely charming.

Everything in this tablescape/vignette was found at either athrift store or flea market.  I am constantly amazed at what lovelythings can be found so inexpensively.

First I found the dinner plate and on another trip to Goodwill, I found the matching salad plate.  I have paired them with somebeautiful vintage silverware I found this weekend at a flea market.I thought the fork was especially beautiful with the letter "N"engraved on it.  How could anyone part with such a lovely pattern?

The lavender terrarium was a weekend find and is going to myopen house, but until then, it is hanging out with it's lavender friends.

I love the unique metal grillwork on this terrarium giving it a feminine touch.

And the sweet little violets I picked from my backyard which iscurrently a carpet of violet and green. 

 Linking with~A Stroll Thru Life for Table Top Tuesday~Coastal Charm for Nifty Thrifty Tuesdays~All Things Heart and Home for All Things Inspired
 

Open House

Announcing my1st Annual Open House~

~ Everyone welcome!  

One Last Office Reveal

I thought I should finish off my office reveal which I started back inJanuary before my hutch departs for a grander life.The hutch seen in these pictures will be going off to be the main display piece in our store space.  It is a very large piece for my small office, which is wall to wall furniture,but it is a wonderful display area for my beach collection.So ~ without further ado ~ here is the final reveal of my office.On the door ~ a sign depicting where I'd rather be.

And here is my beloved hutch.

As you can see, it is so large and the room so small, it is hard toback up enough to get it all in one picture.  So ~ you'll beseeing it in bits and pieces.

A collection of glass, pottery and seashells.

Odds and ends ~ decorating books ~ stones and sand from aSan Diego beach ~ and signs encouraging me to "dream".

A plate collection.

My favorite piece I made with a hurricane jar and vinyl letters saying "She sells seashells by the seashore". 

 Where I'm going when I die. 

 I will miss this special piece of furniture.  My sister gave me the top ofthe hutch and my brother-in-law made the bottom to go with it.  It was originally destined for the dining room of a lake house we almosthad, but I couldn't bear to part with it, so it has kept me companyover the years and reminds me of my dream to live near the water someday.I will miss all the special items on it, for they'll all have to be packedaway for safe keeping, and it has often been the background formany of my blog photos and vignettes.Fortunately, the store is less than a mile from my home, so I'll bevisiting it often and constantly arranging new and pretty vignettesand sale items on it.  I have to keep reminding myself that it isnot leaving me permanently ~ just going "on stage" to show off a little.

Linking with~Boogieboard Cottage for Masterpiece Monday~The House in The Roses for Show Off Your Cottage Monday~Dittle Dattle for Amaze Me Monday~Little Red House for Mosaic Monday~Smiling Sally for Blue Monday~Faded Charm for White Wednesdays

Pale Yellow and Creamy Whites

First of all, I want to apologize for not responding to the kind commentsleft on my blog the last few weeks.  Rest assure, I read and appreciate every one of them.  I have been busy preparing for my upcoming Open House and justrecently, my sister and I made the decision to rent a space in anewly opening home decor store in town.  We move into our boothspace the day after my Open House.  So ~ needless to say ~ I have beenscrambling to find new items and refinish furniture.  Not to mention my Etsy shop, which I have sorely neglected lately.~Anyways ~ today's post is showing off some sweet finds fromyard sales that will be appearing at the Open House or shop.My first find was this sweet butter yellow vintage container.

I promptly went out to find silk flowers to make an arrangement withand came home with these creamy peonies.

They almost look real with their floppy petals.  I paired thepeonies with a little yellow bird and my next find ~ a lovelyvintage frame.  Now I have seen this type of frame at flea markets,but never at a yard sale and it was a very sweet deal.

Add to that, my next find ~ a lovely tray with lattice sides.

While working on arrangements, I finally found something to putin this terrarium that I shared in an earlier post ~ just simpleivy and a candle arrangement.

By the time I was done arranging everything on the mantel for photos,I wanted to redecorate my living room from it's dark colors to paleyellow and creamy white.

Better get back to painting the new furniture pieces I also found.  All in all ~ it was a very good yard sale weekend.
Linking with~Faded Charm for White Wednesday  

Pink Tea

It's tea time and today everything is coming up pink.Found these pink and white linens upstairs while sorting through thingsand they were just too pretty not to show you. 

  I mixed them with little pink tea cups and they make a delightfully cheerful vignette.

I am not a tea drinker, so these tea cups and linens are really just formy Open House, but I still enjoy their sweetness and beauty.Makes me wish I liked tea ~ but I don't.

So ~ leaving you with a little pink sweetness for this spring weekend.

Linking with~How Sweet the Sound for Pink Saturday~The House in the Roses for Show Off Your Cottage Monday~Dittle Dattle for Amaze Me Monday 

A Furniture Transformation.

My first furniture makeover for this year.  This humble nightstand

I found late last fall at a yard sale.  Please excuse the

messy garage background :)

When my daughter saw it, she said, "Why did you buy that ugly thing?"

But I knew she had potential.  

Here she is in her naked stripped down stage. 

She may be simple on top, but her bottom leg work is lovely.

How do you like my paint caddy?  It's an old bottle carrier that I

purchased at a flea market last year.  Perfect for holding stir sticks,

paint brushes and can openers.  I even can keep my cut up pieces of

sandpaper in it, so that everything is handy and I don't have to hunt for it. 

I must have forgotten to take the in between pictures, so I'll just tell

you those steps.  Because I discovered the piece was solid maple, I

couldn't bear to paint her entirely.  I gave the entire piece two coats

of stain and then just painted the bottom section and drawers.  I

pre-waxed some areas I wanted to distress later, but I'm not sure

that technique worked so sell, because the paint went right over the wax.

Here she is finished.

I love her shapely legs and generous curves.

It took me three tries, but I finally found some hardware I liked.

So glad I left the top unpainted since it's such nice wood.

So she's shed her humble appearance and is dressed and

ready for her debut at my Open House.  Going to be hard to part

with her ~ we grew rather close during the transformation.
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Linking with
~
Dittle Dattle for Amaze Me Monday
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Boogieboard Cottage for Masterpiece Monday

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The House in the Roses for Show Off Your Cottage Monday

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Between Naps on the Porch for Metamorphosis Monday

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Marvelously Messy for A Marvelous Mess

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Domestically Speaking for The Power of Paint Party
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Primitive and Proper for Piece of Work Wednesday
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Restore Interiors for Restore It Wednesday