Pretty little hutch

One of my goals this year is to clean out my storage sheds. So far I've been doing pretty good. This little hutch had been in storage for about two years. Finally got around to painting it and 'finding' a home for it in the cottage. (That was the hard part) :) This is the 'before' picture. I got it moved inside and actually painted it in there....in the dining room. So much easier for me that way. It was a dirty off white color. The shelves inside were painted a dark hunter green. It didn't have the glass shelves when I bought it. They knocked off $20 for that so I ended up paying $40.00. I thought that was a fair price since it is a nice heavy piece.

 This is after one coat of creamy white (Heirloom Lace) paint. I use that color a lot. I even painted the hardware the same color. I love the arched glass fronts and the scroll work on the bottom cabinets. I had some glass shelves cut for it. That cost around $12.00.

This is the 'after'. I think it turned out pretty. It's perfect for displaying my carnival glass. I'm sure I will change the contents from time to time. :) Well...I have vacation time coming up soon. I wonder what I can clean out of storage next. :)

Have a great day!

My buffet makeover

I wanted to show you my buffet 'make-over'. This is how it looked to begin with. I've had it for many years. My dad gave it to me when I was a teenager. I thought it needed an update, even though several of my friends thought I was a little 'crazy' for painting it. 

This is the 'after'. I love it. I left the top of if unpainted for contrast. I kept the original hardware. Didn't paint them but they do seem to look darker now. I made the chalkboard sign out of an old plastic tray that I bought at a thrift store. Here is the 'before' picture. 

 I just painted chalkboard paint right over the print that was decoupaged on the tray.

 I change the message often. Always be thankful....from Thanksgiving. Happy New Year 2013 in the top picture. The mirror above the buffet is one that I've had for many years also. It came with an old dresser that I bought on one of my 'junkin' trips. It is so heavy! I love the scalloped edges and the flowers etched around it. I think it looks so pretty in it's new spot above the buffet.

This is a picture of our Christmas tree. Here we are in April and I'm just now posting it. I am so glad to have my computer back. :)

Someboby help me, please...:)

I'm feeling 'blue' today. I have tried and tried to upload photos for days to my blog and I cannot get it to work. Don't know what is going on. If anyone out there has some 'fix it' ideas for me, I would love to hear from you.

Have a great day. :)

More kitchen updates

This is a little shelf that my brother-in- law made for me about 12 years ago for my little boy's nursery. I had painted it then in a denim blue and it held little teddy bears, cars, airplanes, etc. This is after a good coat of primer.

This is how it looked at Christmas. I painted it the same red as my chalkboard door that leads to the pantry. It was perfect for displaying some of our Christmas dishes.

Here are our cabinets after I painted them white. I kept them white for a year or so and loved them but decided I wanted to try to make them look 'old'. So I wiped them down with some antiquing glaze.

It was pretty easy to do. The glaze dries fast so you have to work quickly.

I really like how they turned out. The knobs were some that I bought at a discount store for only 1.00 each. Solid brass and very heavy. I sprayed them with the same 'rubbed bronze' paint that I painted the doorknob with.

Now to get the molding done....maybe soon.

My pantry door

Just wanted to show you my pantry door re-do. It was a plain old door...stained an ugly orange color. I wish I had taken a picture before I primed it. Ooops!

This is after one coat of primer. It was looking better already!

After painting the inserts with blackboard paint.

After painting the rest of the door red. I removed the doorknob first. It was an ugly shiny brass...I sprayed it with an antique bronze spray paint. Looked so much better.

This is the finished pantry door. I love it now. It's perfect for making a shopping list or a 'To do' list....or just a little note to myself. ;)

Perfect day for a picnic

A few months ago, we went to Natchez, Ms. for the annual balloon races. The next day on the way home we decided to stop at an old plantation home and have a picnic on the grounds. It was a beautiful place and the perfect spot for a picnic.

Garrett really enjoyed it. He loves being outside.

After our pinic, we decided to pick up pecans. There were tons of them on the ground. We also picked them off of the trees when our backs started hurting. :)

It was such a pretty day with the breeze blowing through the trees. I sat back and took pictures of Stevie and Garrett while they were working....imagining what it must have been like living on that plantation back in the old days.

Garrett thought it was a little easier too piking them off the trees instead of  picking them off of the ground.

He really had a good time. We made some good memories and some delicious brownies using 'plantation' pecans when we got home that night. :)

Look at these 'southern' jewels. So yummy!

We decided to take a walk afterwards on the grounds. I wanted to see what the barn looked like inside. I loved it! So shabby!

The perfect backdrop for some 'frozen in time' memories. That's what I call photos.

I wanna go back to Natchez soon. It's such a pretty little city and we see something different everytime we go. Next time we plan to take our camper that we just bought and camp on the Mississippi River. I can't wait to wake up and drink coffee outside and watch the sun come up.

Hope y'all have a great day!

What I've been up to...

Hey Y'all! Just wanted to pop in and let y'all see what I've been up too the past few weeks. I was without a computer for a couple of months. My laptop bit the dust! My hubby bought me a new one for our  first anniversary which is coming up soon.

I decided to put some bright colors in my booth. Lots of reds and blues! 

All ready for the 4th of July! We sold the quilt really fast. It was new and I only put $40.00 on it. I knew it would go fast. I had originally bought it to re-do my son Garrett's room....he wanted a sports theme instead.

 This cute little print with the flag, I bought years ago and just framed it in an old frame that I had in storage.

 Lots of items that were mine from years ago and a few that I've found on my 'thrifting trips'. I love to go thrifting.

 The banner didn't hang around for very long either. As well as the flag needle point pillow.

The chalkboard next to the hutch is one that I made from an old mirror frame that I bought while on my mother/daughter trip. I sold it for $22.00.

 An older picture...sold all of the cobalt fiesta and both metal strainers frames, soup bowls with lids,...made me so happy. :)

 

I added a glass cutting board and some black mugs the other day. I've been going through tons of boxes in storage. It feels so good to be de-cluttering and making money at the same time.

 Every time I run across table runners, I snatch them up. They always sell fast.

 I purchased this large decanter years ago and had forgotten all about it. It was still in the box. At first I was gonna keep it but after unpacking it I realized that it was just too big to use in my kitchen. Maybe someone will have room for it in theirs. :)

This was my first chalkboard to make and it sold on the very first day. $25.00. They are so much fun to make. I actually started a smaller one yesterday for my cottage. Hope y'all enjoyed seeing a little of what I've been up to. So glad that I have a new computer. I can go visiting y'all now!