Exciting News!!

Hello friends.....happy to have you visit once again.
 I was away for a few days and if I have not responded to your kind comments yet, it is only because I have been a little busy.
Want to know what I have been busy doing?????
GETTING MY BOOTH READY FOR MY GRAND OPENING!!
That's right...I'm going to have a space at The Fox Den Antique Mall right around the corner from my home.

This place is fabulous, be sure to click on the link and check out all the great vendors here.

I had stopped in a couple of weeks ago to inquire about leasing a space and to get all the information.

A sweet guy named Andy let me down gently as he told me I had about 6 people ahead of me on a waiting list to get in.

I left a little disappointed, but hoping for the best.

Well Lady Luck was on my side, because not more than a week later I got a phone call asking if I was still interested...

WAS I EVER!!

Guess I was the only person answering her phone that day.

So I jumped in the car and drove over to check out the location of the booth space.

It was PERFECT!

OK...the faux Tuscan wall was not not the perfect part, but look how close it is to the front...

See that white lampshade on the left?

That's the check out counter and the front door is just to the left of that.

I like the fact that I am not in the deep belly of this very large mall.

This is the view from my inside corner looking out to the spaces across from me.

Open and spacious with a lot of light.

The size is really just what I wanted to start out with.

Fox Den is filled to the brim with the most wonderful antique, vintage and collectible items and the vendors are so friendly.

They have already made me feel so welcomed.

I looked around and I don't think I will have too much competition with my chalk painted furniture.

I might even be the only shabby chic style booth.

No one is selling handmade couture aprons.

This was the only booth I found with some very nice white painted wood pieces.

Isn't this mirror fabulous??

So I will surround myself with all of this...

And apply a little of this...

and hopefully transform my little space

 into lovely, light and inviting shop.

I will post my shop space reveal very soon.

I can't leave without showcasing a few sweet photos from around my town.

I snapped these guys restoring an old church.

Who doesn't love an old Red Barn?

For all you visiting Barn Charmers!

Add a slight tilt and you really make my heart all a twitter.

My big rose of Sharon bush is lush with the most gorgeous blooms and all the fat bumblebees are getting drunk on it's nectar.

This is my view from my sink window in my kitchen...

thousands of blooms

Heaven

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I might be a little AWOL for the next few weeks..

between getting my space ready and helping my Mom in New York after a second scheduled surgery (they found another tumor) in July, I will be way at times. 

I will let you know when my space officially opens at Fox Den.

I'M SO EXCITED!!!!

Ok...that's it for now

Until next time...be kind and stay creative.

Showing off my barn here:

Barn Charm

'Mr Secret Agent is Afraid to Stand Still' ...A Chalk Paint Story

Hello friends and welcome back to my nest.

I have been working on a couple of projects this week and have lots of photos to prove it.

Let's take a look, shall we?

I bought my Ethan Allen Sofa back in 1985. It was a very big purchase and way over my household budget back then, but I had a plan for the future.

I wanted to purchase a sofa that was well made and would last for years.

Well this beauty has lived up to that and more.

My best advice to newlyweds is to buy the very best quality you can afford. Don't go for the cheaply made upholstered pieces...they won't last.

 In my opinion, cheap will look cheap and you will end up having to replace it sooner than you think.

Especially if you have children.

You don't have to buy new either..I have seen sofas like mine at thrift shops.

All they need is a great slipcover.

I have plans to sew a custom slipcover for my sofa. I took advantage of a 50% sale at Joann's last week and ordered some white denim...lots of white denim!

I'll dress her up with some colorful throws and fun scrap fabric pillows.

Here is another sneak peak of a double project I have been working on. 

I can't wait for the full reveal. This is very different for me.

Last week at my Salvation Macy's I spotted this large quilted Euro sham. 

The colors were so cool and beachy.

I dug threw the pile of linens (who donates just one sham?) and found it's mate.

I love the colors and the pattern. They are green on one side and blue on the other.

And they are from 

POTTERYBARN!

So we are probably looking at around $40.00 to $60.00 each

They are HUGE, very thickly quilted and lined in white cotton.

I immediately knew I wanted to transform them into...

THE LARGEST BEACH BAGS IN THE WORLD!

Ok...maybe not the world, but maybe the largest in Warrenton, Va. 

I wanted to create a gusset so I flattened the bottom corners and stitched across.

Quickly breaking my needle.

A quick setting change and a denim needle fixed that problem.

I left the excess corner fabric to the outside and plan on sewing a large decorative button at that spot.

Like this!

I used a wide cotton strapping for the shoulder straps.

To give the bag extra strength, I sewed the ends of the strapping down about 4 inches.

The X inside the sewn box is your guarantee that this bag will not fall apart.

I left the original sham ties and they are now top closure ties for my beach bag.

She is all ready for the beach...or shopping...vacation or an overnight bag.

Not bad for a $1.99 investment.

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On to the next project!

I love it, but I have too much wood in this space

This is really an end table, but I think it is going to work quite well as a coffee table.

I have quite a bit of oak wood all around my home. Much of it you haven't seen yet.

The coffee table that matches this was just too big...way too long.

I wanted to break up the look of all this wood.

YUP...you guessed it...

CHALK PAINT 

The two tone you see in the metal at top right is the sun shining in

Here she is all painted and I just love it.

I mixed some Provence & Old White and got this beautiful pale blue.

The inlay is accented with a little OW which I watered down.

She looks fresher and more up to date.

Mr. Secret Agent even thinks the paint makes her legs look lighter

He loves it.

He smiled when he came home from work and said..

" I am not surprised that you painted something today...I better keep moving or I'll get chalk painted also"

He is so tolerant of my projects...love ya Hon!

I am really happy with how the table turned out and I think my white slipped sofa is going to look fabulous next to it.

Now tell me what you have been up to this week?

Inquiring minds want to know.

Until next time...be kind and stay creative.

Sharing this week with some creative blogs

Imperfectly Perfect

Elements Interiors

Hope Studios

Tea Rose Home

The Shabby Chic Cottage

The Shabby Nest

How Dare You Jenny Craig!

 Hello Friends...so glad to have you visiting once again.

Todays post is going to be a little different than my normal project post.

I hope you will allow me to get on my bandwagon for just a few minutes.

Just please bear with me here...

Ok, so the other day I'm working on a sewing project and I have my television on for a little background entertainment.

I happened to catch the latest Jenny Craig commercial featuring Carrie Fisher. You will most likely know her  as the Princess from the Star Wars movies.  

Please watch the You Tube version below and we'll talk after...

Hear anything in this add that you were bothered by, because I sure as H*ll did!

I quote...

"Thank you for letting me be PRETTY one more time"

REALLY!!!

I guess they are telling women of all ages that thin is pretty.

When will this nonsense stop?

So sorry Adele...looks like your not pretty after all.

Girl, never mind your musical accomplishments...you are just NOT pretty.

Don't even bother wearing beautiful clothes.

Jenny Craig says you are wasting your time...you won't be 'PRETTY' until you slim down.

Really Jenny, is that the message we want to send to young girls (and us older ones)?

How about having her say.."Thanks for letting me feel 'HEALTHIER' again".

I would not object to that, although being slim is not a prerequisite to being healthy. 

And if this is Ms. Fisher's opinion, she is entitled to it. Jenny Craig does not have to publicize it.

Am I the only one who finds this type of advertising offensive and damaging.

Shame on you Jenny Craig!

Please tell me I'm not being too sensitive or overreacting ...Please!

Ok...I'll get back to my sewing machine.

Thanks for listening to my ranting.

I'll say good-bye with a little Adele, but be warned she is pretty hideous to look at...according to Jenny

;->

Until next time...be kind and stay creative.

Sharing my thoughts with:

Dittle Dattle

Hope Studios

Between Naps on the Porch

My Uncommon Slice of Suburbia

Debbie Doos

UPDATE:

I woke up this morning to an e-mail from a Jenny Craig client telling me I should be ashamed of myself.

That shows you how brainwashed we have become to this 'thin is beautiful' mentality.

Funny...I don't feel ashamed.

Coco Chanel Chalk Paint Sewing Table

Hello friends...happy to see you again. 

A Big HELLO

to all my new readers...welcome!

So here is my antique Singer sewing table, minus the working machine.

I bought this from a co-worker back in the 70's, when I lived in Houston.

Back then I paid $70.00 for it and it has been used as a sofa/end table ever since.

My boys would play with the treadle when they were young.

For the life of me I could not find an upright photo of my table.

So forget the fact that it is lying on it's back and pretend it is upright...

Come on ..use your imagination...

There...that's better.

I have dreaded all the prep work I would have had to do to transform my sewing table into something more in tune with my current decorating style.

Until now.....you know what I am going to say, don't you...

CHALK PAINT!!!!

May I introduce:

Mademoiselle  Coco Chanel

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I thought it fitting to name her after the great Coco, since she preferred hand stitching and this is missing the machine.

I first gave her a coat of Old White

The edges and drawers I painted in Paris Grey. 

I wanted to introduce more color, so I painted the side slates with Arles which I lightened with some Old White.

When my table was dry, I distressed it and applied a coat of clear wax.

After lot's of buffing my right arm looks like Popeye's!

The next day, I buffed and applied another coat of clear wax and accented with some dark wax.

I love how the clear wax will lift off the dark, so if you apply too much you can easily correct it.

I left more dark around the hinges and corners.

 I love how the Old White shows through the Paris Grey along the distressed edges.

It gives the look of a table that has been painted more than once during it's many years .

I followed Miss Mustard Seed and Shaunna's advice and distressed deeper around the keyhole and the knobs.

Don't you just love that dress in the background?

It is a Laura Ashley from England, 100% soft, flowy cotton with boning in the bodice.

I found it at a local thrift shop for $5.50.

It has such gorgeous ruching, but it is very small.

I don't know anyone it will fit, but I had to have it.

Really love the beautiful sheen from the wax.

I know...you are thinking to your self.."she is going to go on and on about how wonderfully chalk paint distresses".

No, I'm not

;->

Thought you might like to see the inside.

So that's been my latest project.

I hope you like Coco, she was fun to work on.

She looks happier, don't you think?

Until next time...be kind and stay creative.

A little sneak peek at my next project.

Be sure to come back for the complete reveal!

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Sharing with these lovely blogs:

At the Picket Fence

Miss Mustard Seed

The Shabby Chic Cottage

French Country Cottage

The Shabby Nest

Whipperberry