Show and Tell Monday ... I stopped in at an antique center on Friday in the next town over that I haven't been in in quite a while. I really never take the time but at the last minute I decided to stop in. I had so much fun! I think I was there for well over an hour. I found some great new china pieces that I started listing on my site ...

We had a really nice sunny day here on Saturday. I hauled all of my furniture pieces I have collected over the past two weeks outside to sand and wash. I should have taken a photo. My husband says it looks like Sampson and Son when I'm working outside. Oh Well!!! It worked out great because it ended up raining all day Sunday. I like to work on kind of an assembly line ... sanding & washing a whole bunch of pieces, then priming them all, then painting. I think it makes me a little more productive. Off to run errands today. Thanks for visiting ...

Pink Friday at Make Mine Pink ... Easter Memories
Friday March 27th

http://www.cottageflair.com/catalog.htm?category=62

http://www.makeminepink.com/pink-friday/

I am so excited. I placed an order in Atlanta back in January with a lovely woman who ran her own business. She designs vintage inspired hankies that she has made in India. Well, the order arrived today. I posted all 16 new hankies on my site but thought I'd share a few here. I think they are so great for so many things in addition to their obvious use ... wrapping a small gift, putting on your dresser under a lamp, special bridesmaids gifts, filled with a bit of lavender and tied with a bow to sweeten your drawers ... There is even one that says Mother and one that says Grandmother.

Can you tell that I love them?

Show and Tell Monday ...

First I have to say WHERE IS SPRING???!!! Here in the Northeast it still feels very much like winter. On Friday, the first day of Spring, there were a some snowflakes flying around. Today we got up to 25 degrees and very cold wind. It's sunny, thankfully, but oh so cold.

I did get a few pieces done this week. I finished a special order for a client. This pretty secretary is for her daughters room to serve as a desk and storage. It is pure white with no distressing.

This piece was fun. I used to paint mostly children's furniture in a mix of colors and patterns. I did this cute little dresser in pink and white with pink knobs. I think it can be for a little girl or for a cottage bedroom.

I finished another white distressed dresser for a shop display but forgot to take a photo. Thanks for visiting ...

Please join us for Pink Friday ... One of a Kind

http://www.cottageflair.com/catalog.htm?category=60

http://www.makeminepink.com/pink-friday/

I have not had a ton of time to work lately just because. I was happy to finish this big buffet I've had for quite a while. It is very simple in shape but so pretty. It had a few issues when I bought it so I got my husband to do some repairs. I replaced the plain hardware with pretty vintage hardware, painted it, distressed it and here it is ... I have several more pieces I am finishing up. It's such a good feeling to put the final touches on a piece and have it ready to go.

Show and Tell ...

Today I thought I'd show a project I am working on. It's a little bit out of the box for me because I am a furniture painter, not recoverer but I thought I'd give it a try. Some of you may remember the photo of the chair in it's original state. I posted it a long time ago with all good intentions of working on it but it got put to the wayside. I have begun again and am gung ho to finish it. Here are the stages as I went along. Hopefully, it will be completed by next week's show and tell.

The legs were blue so I painted them white. I would have kept it in it's original state but the fabric was damaged beyond repair.

Linen floral fabric. I actually covered the whole thing in plain white first so the fabric wouldn't show through and to help it be a tad cleaner.

I want it to look fun and girly. I found a coordinating fabric to use as a ruffle.

I also want it to be a little bit funky so I did the back in the coordinating fabric.

Coming next is beautiful soft green velvet ribbon the cover the top of the ruffle. I haven't quite decided what to do with the back yet but I'm thinking maybe a bow.

We'll see ... it's kind of evolving on it's own.

Thanks for visiting ...

Run and sign up!!!!
Make Mine Pink is hosting another fun Shop Hop ...
"March into Spring"

March 16th - 21st
To sign up and to see all of the participating boutiques please click on the photo on the sidebar ... it will take you to where you begin

LOTS of GREAT PRIZES!!!!!

Please join us for Pink Friday

A Touch of Whimsey

March 13th

Once in a while, it's fun to take a detour from the normal "a place for everything and everything in its place" ritual and include some whimsical touches in our daily routines. Add a few teasing twists to the poised beauty around us with unexpected delights that give us a little flutter.

Celebrate your whimsical side and surround yourself with things that make you smile.

http://www.cottageflair.com/catalog.htm?category=58

http://www.makeminepink.com/pink-friday/

Get Ready ...
Make Mine Pink is hosting another fun Shop Hop ...

"March into Spring"

March 16th - 21st

To sign up and to see all of the participating boutiques please visit:

Click on the photo on the sidebar ... it will take you to where you begin

Please join us for shopping with a twist on

Friday, March 6, 2009 as we present

An Altered Point of View.
Pieces of lace, vintage postcards, time-worn mother-of-pearl buttons. Each piece exquisite in its own right, but coming together to bring art to a new height. Used postage stamps, a well-read letter, shimmery beads, a butterfly’s broken wing. From an altered perspective, they are no longer insignificant souvenirs of times past, but innovative creations that inspire new memories to be made. To soar to such heights of beauty, inspiration requires a sturdy foundation. An altered piece of art might be built upon a beloved book, pulled from a forgotten shelf. Begin as an empty cigar box, scented with fading memories. Another may have once been a forlorn jewelry box, still eager to display an unexpected gem. These are stunning works of art born from abandoned items, repurposed in the most exciting ways. To a careless eye, they may look to be a random assemblage of objects. From an altered perspective, they join together for a united purpose. Perhaps they combine to evoke an emotion – radiant joy, enduring hope, an unspoken sorrow. A collage that celebrates a color, creates a texture, reminds us of a scene. Or perhaps each itemhas been thoughtfully selected in honor of a day, a season, someone you love. Possibly they were first brought together with no intended purpose at all; the only intent in joining them was to discover what they could become. But as the objects blended and merged and found their own space, an altered perspective revealed a meaning that could not have been anticipated. Where there was once nothing, we now find a myriad of meanings significant to many, or a single meaning decipherable by one. An altered work of art that forever changes one’s perspective.

Here we go again ...
We woke up to 9+ inches of snow and another day off of school for the kids. It has been a banner year for snow this year. Living in New England sure brings it's surprises and challenges but I really do love it. As of right now, CT ( where we are) got more snow than VT. We're hoping the day brings more snow for them so the skiing will be amazing this weekend. Here are a few pics of the beautiful snow and what my older son enjoys doing. I love the fresh snow on the ground before it gets all trampled and sledded on and the trees look so beautiful all dressed in white.

I did manage to get a few furniture pieces completed over the past week.

Here is a sneak peek at a few fun things that came in that I have to list on my site this week. Aren't these chicks so cute?

I love this ... It's four separate cardboard letters emellished in gorgeous papers. It looks great on the shop mantel but can go anywhere.

I redid the one of the rooms at the shop ... our challenge is working with the raw wood walls and trying to look shabby chic.

Thanks for visiting ...