LAVENDER BLUE, DILLY, DILLY

Okay, I know my blog is supposed to be about things that I 'pick' and then 'paint', but I just had to share my gorgeous hydrangeas with you.  Every time I look at them, I hear Burl Ives singing, "Lavender blue, dilly, dilly".  I'll bet there are very few of you out there who even know Mr. Ives.  So, I decided to look him up on Google and came up with these You Tube videos.  Burl Ives sings Lavender Blue.  What sweet memories.   And, then this one with Mickey and Minnie. After coming across this clip from the 1948 Disney movie "So Dear to My Heart" with Mr. Ives and Beulah Bondi, I've just got to find the movie and watch.  I don't even remember seeing this one. This would be a good one to give to the grandkids.  Love those OLD movies.  


Anyway, I didn't mean for this to be a commercial for Mr. Ives music or movies, I just want to share my flowers with you and wish all of you a WONDERFUL Memorial Day Weekend!!!  

Hey, I did pick a great ole big bouquet of these gorgeous lavender blue flowers last night so that I could enjoy them inside the house.  So, I guess that qualifies for 'Pickin', don't cha think???

Thanks for stoppin by and ya'll come back soon.  8-)

Linking here:

http://romantichome.blogspot.com/

Ms Duncan Phyfe

I fell in love when I saw this unusual table.  That's not a good thing when you're at an auction.  Go here to see the before, as she sat at the auction site.

And, click below for a quick tutorial on the transformation.

HALF TABLE MAKEOVER

Okay......here's the AFTER on this one.  To see the before and how I acquired this little table, click here.

For a quick tutorial on how to achieve this look, click below.

YA BOUGHT IT !!!

I've not had the opportunity to go to many auctions lately, but, I did get to sneak away recently for a couple hours.  Now, if you're buying for yourself, you can pay a little more for the items 'comin up for bid'.  But, if you're buying to RESALE, you've gotta be more careful.  And, sometimes that can be difficult.  When someone is bidding against you, it can start to feel like a competition.  And, every now and then, ya just HATE to let that other person WIN.  

N E WAY.........on this particular night, most things were going a little high.  So, I didn't come away with a truck load.  But, I did purchase these three items.

I thought this little 3 legged table would look cute sporting a new coat of some BRIGHT color paint....to use as a plant stand, maybe?  Or it'll make a nice side table.

This one?  Well, it's one of those that I let my emotions run away with me.....which means I paid a little too much.  But, isn't it a neat piece?  I'd never seen one with the 3 surfaces like this.  Again, it shouts PLANT STAND.  

And, then, this old depression era china cabinet was my 'score of the night'.  I got it at a great price, but it does need some work.  

I love, love, love to go to an auction.  It's always so much fun when the auctioneer yells "Ya bought it" and You ARE the one who bought it.

Hopefully I'll have AFTER pictures soon to show transformations of these pieces.

Ya'll come back soon.  8-)

RED

So simple MAKEOVER. 

WHAT COLOR???

How should I paint this old piece.  It had sat in my garage for at least a year.  I'd even taken the hardware off waaay back then.  But, today was the day she was to get a NEW LOOK.

I couldn't decide.  Should she be turquoise or celery green.

It looked as though she'd sat in a barn maybe, since the finished had bubbled up from the heat.

There were even spider nests on the bottoms of the drawers.   

 

 

 The mirror had to be removed from it's frame so that I could get to all those edges.  Just look at the finish.  First I thought I'd sand all those old varnish bubbles OFF.  But, after trying to do just a little of that, I decided that I REALLY just LOVED that bubbled up finish.....part of this girl's character, don't cha think?  

Okay, after just a bit of sanding, I painted the entire piece black.  But, I still wasn't sure what color she should be for the next few years.

Then, after looking at that gorgeous old hardware again, I finally decided.

Click below to see her new color.

EASY MIRROR MAKEOVER

         BEFORE

I recently purchased this great old mirror at an auction at a reaaaally good price.  I wasn't crazy about the wood finish, so, of course I did what???  PAINTED IT.

STENCILING ON FABRIC

Yesterday, I gave directions for painting this lil girl.  Click HERE for that tutorial.  And, today, I'll show how I redid the seat.

For SEAT DIRECTIONS, click below.  

EASY CHAIR MAKEOVER

 This neglected little girl sat in my garage for some time.  Then, one day recently, I decided it was time to give her a face lift.  Here's her sad BEFORE picture.

Look on the next page for the 'process'.

VINTAGE FINDS IN THE GARDEN

I'm really not much of a gardener, even though I do have a Master Gardener Certificate.  But, I'll blame that on lack of TIME.  You'll see from these pictures that my beds are just thrown together, but I can call them COTTAGE GARDENS and get away with it....don't cha think??

I just thought I'd show you  how to add a little whimsy to your garden using some of your vintage finds.

I love, love, love my old birdcage.  The ivy has totally covered the stand now.  I'll have to keep it trimmed back or it'll cover the cage as well.  That's an old ice cream bucket down front, and it'll soon hold impatients.  

Abby is enjoying a sip of fresh rain water from the lid of this old teapot.  It has lost it's handle, but still looks sweet sittin in the flowerbed.

And, yes, I know my grass weeds need to be mowed..........again that TIME thingy.  But, it'll happen.......one day soon.  I promise.

Here, a  little vintage frog figurine hides among the creepin Charlie and wild violets.

An old work boot holds ivy.  An enamel canning pot holds creepin Charlie, and I luvvvv my concrete leaf made by a friend..........add a little bird seed or keep water in it for the birds and butterflies.

Oh, and I bought a box lot of those paperweights at an auction, 8 of them, I think it was.  But, when I got home and inspected them more closely, EVERY one of them was cracked.  So, methinks, these will just have to go into the garden INSTEAD of into the shop.  

SOOOO, what cha think?  Do you like to use vintage goodies in your garden too?

See ya'll back here soon.  8-)

I'm linking to these parties:

http://asoutherndaydreamer.blogspot.com/

http://www.sidewalkshoes.com/

http://www.michellestastycreations.blogspot.com/