Let Us Spray

When the weather cooperates the outdoor workroom is open.

Just a few of the painting projects we've been working on around here.....

A cute white chair rescued from the garbage. Can you believe someone was actually going to throw this away?

And it's twin sister. I had a hard time deciding on fabric, but in the end stripes won.

Formerly cherry coloured, now a lovely white and a little bit chippy.

Tiny black table, probably a plant stand.

I love this old kitchen stool in a pale robin's egg blue

A small dresser. This would be great in a mudroom for extra storage. The height is perfect for a cushion too.

The completely finished french cabinet. I love this piece, it could be used so many places.

Meanwhile, tonight instead of working on a project

we went for a walk down here....

yes, I made a lot of chatter so the bears would hear us!!

This is where we ended up. The top of the hill on the Ridgeview Trail.

The colours are spectacular, and the air is crisp with a slight smoky smell.

You can't help but feel blessed and awed at the majesty and presence of God.

We live in a beautiful country filled with abundance.

Happy Thanksgiving everyone,

be blessed,

Elaine

The Virginia Dresser (and mudroom)

It started with a dresser and ended with a refreshed mudroom.

Here's the story......

With a busy and active family our eldest and her husband needed a bit more storage in their mudroom.

The best part was they asked us to do it. Not only do we get to hang out with the kids and grandkids, we get to paint and play with

fabric and wood.

First we shopped the house. We found an awesome solid pine dresser that would make great storage for mitts etc,

and give us some counterspace for keys and the odd vase of flowers or whatever!!

Here is a-sort-of-before. One coat of primer and I remembered to take a photo.

 

It painted and chippied up beautifully.

 

 

New hardware and  it looks lovely.

One of the challenges we had in the mudroom was a cement baseboard perimeter, and an existing furnace ductwork that could not be

removed.  We chose a deep brown  color called Tilled Soil by Martha Stewart

and a warm white for the remainder of the walls.

The before. They have a really good space to work with so we added a built in bench and closet cubbies.

There is a bin for each child with room for helmets and backpacks too.

And the after......



Lots of hooks for coats and a few pretties just for fun!!

I love the luggage tags on the bins. All the cushions and curtains are washable.

A picture from Paige at http://www.vintagetrailerart.com/ I love her artwork, and it fits in with the camping theme.

The bench is stained dark like the kitchen cabinets. Due to the heat vent under the bench we made tiny slats so the heat will still

circulate. The bench is open underneath for shoe storage.

Three special places for summer fun. No the wall is not bowed!!  Just my trick photography!!!

I love the crispness of the brown and white together.

Another view from the entrydoor.  The black and white candid pics of the family look great in similar frames

all painted white.  The blackboard stakes are meant for the garden, but could be used anywhere.

I love the metal hooks. They came from an old school and are very sturdy. The slightly scratched and weathered

patina just add character. Cushions are down-filled, and the covers are removable.

The window allows lots of light and summer ventilation.

We kept the existing floor and light fixtures. As you can see there is more storage yet it still looks spacious.

Hubby did a great job on the panelling and the crown moulding.  Such a fun project.

I love when a space says "welcome",  but still looks pretty and organized.

Next up.........feeling the need to make some jam and do some canning...........

and maybe a bit more painting.

Summer Whites

Blogging and summer just haven't happened much for me this year.

I had visions of sitting in my adironadack chair on the patio blogging the summer away!!!

Not so, we've had the worst summer on record here in the west, and somehow I've bairly been able to keep up reading all

my favourite blogs, let alone write.  I'll be up for the bad blogger award for sure.

This is a picture of a dresser I just completed. It was a typical pine dresser, the type we all have in our kids room.

They are solid wood, and they paint well. A few coats of  white, some sanding and chipping, new hardware, and I wanted to keep it

myself!! This will provide lots of storage in the new mudroom at its new home.

This is a before pic of a buffet and hutch we have been working on.  No trees were harmed making that molding!!

Hubby removed the solid centre panel and the plastic molding on the side doors.  We replaced the broken glass on the upper section

with a lovely grey wire mesh.  The two lower sections also got new wire mesh doors. White paint,

new hardware and we are almost there.  Still to do.....install the upper centre door, chippy and distress, wax and finish.

I'm really liking this piece and may have a hard time parting with it.

Hutches of this size are so practical. Wouldn't it look lovely in a nursery?

In a bathroom filled with fluffy towels and beautiful bath products it would be very spa-like.

It could even be used as a hutch in a dining room filled with white dishes!!!

So far this piece is unclaimed and yet to be sold. hmmm......maybe I should stop hiding it, we can't keep all the pieces.

Here is a close up of some of the details.  Once the chipping and waxing are done it will be even lovelier.

Another close up....please excuse the cheesy picture taking, you all know my lack of skill in this area by now!!...

I painted the inside back in a midtone grey. I love the way it darkens in the evening light yet anything white, silver or glass

showcases beautifully. 

With the weather being so unpredictable this summer I have been doing all my painting by hand instead of sprayer.

This takes a bit longer but I love the process. To see something that was passed its best given a new look and purpose is

rewarding.  Still to come....... pics of the new mudroom we just finished at our daughter's place, more furniture  reveals, and some sewing

projects.  Hoping for a dry and sunny weekend,

meanwhile we'll  keep painting.........

The Pretend Gardener

I can't believe its been so long since I posted.

I haven't forgotten my bloggy friends, it's just that spring finally came and I had to play.

Outside.

With my toys.

In the dirt.

By no means can I claim to be a gardener, a novice at the best, but I love trying.

There's something satisfiying about planting a tiny flower or seed, and seeing it grow.  Or moving a sad plant from one area to another

and seeing it suddenly grow and develop beautiful blooms.

I love to take old, chippy, crusty items and incorporate them in the garden.

Sometimes it works better than others, but you can always move it or change it or paint it!!

The best finds are the ones from friends, or buried in the shed that I keep claiming to clean out one of these days!!

Even the kitchen can give you some great planting containers.

When we first moved to this house, the garden was growing old boots, broken hockey sticks, half a tricycle and a lot of doggy holes.

The grass was almost non existent and other than the lovely lilacs, and a gorgeous old crabapple tree, there weren't any flowers.

Gradually we are adding more beds. I don't get enough sun to put in a veggie garden so I have tomatoes, herbs, cucumbers, pole beans,

zucchini, carrots, beets, parsley and chives in pots.

It works, and we may add a greenhouse yet. You know, the kind made from old doors and windows, old bricks, a lot of white and

maybe  a weathervane on top.

 

Meanwhile, our growing season is short here. To make the most of the good weather I try to plant as big a speciman as I can find,

either from plant divisions, sales, or friends, or the nursery.

Hopefully, we will have curvy beds all over. The hydrangeas will grow big and lush, and the clematis will climb up the posts.

We will sit on our step and say, remember when we put that  vine in, and thought it would take forever to get this big?

I am trying to figure how to get rid of this horrible little-big-ugly green worm that keeps eating my delphiniums.

I moved some of them this year, in case it had layed eggs in the soil.

I hope it helps, meanwhile I'm looking for a natural pest-ridder (is that a word)

As you can see it is early days yet, more blooms to come but everything is filling in nicely.

If the weather holds I may get the adirondack chairs painted. The fence needs a touch up in spots and there is still the war on

dandelions.  I almost made my colour scheme blue and yellow in the front on account of those bad boys!!

Happy Gardening friends, and enjoy the warmth and sunshine.

Floored, (finally) and slipcovers

 When we installed the wood floor in the laundry room we had to unhook the washer and dryer.

This gave me a week to paint and finish them, then we would run out of clean clothes!!

I wanted  the floor to resemble one I had seen years ago in a shop, painted and chippy with a waxed finish.

I also liked a similar floor in our local hardware store, about 100 years old with many layers of paint showing thru.

I started with a coat of black, soft and inky.  Day 2 brought a coat of pale aqua. Day 3 a coat of palest pink.

Day 4 a coat of white. Day 5 some self doubt and a lot of hmmmm......

Day 6 brought a lot of  sanding and distressing and looking for clean socks for the hubby!

Day 7 I added a coat of dark ebony stain. This took a good 2 days to dry.

We hooked the washer and dryer back up ( new ones have yet to arrive )  and moved the sink section into place.

The trim needs to go up, as do some of the other cabinets.

This is where we are at today. I'm liking the finish, and it does resemble an old floor and nothing like the pine it actually is.

Meanwhile, we are back in clean clothes and painting again.

I have this old bench my mom gave me that was in a dark wood with a worn tapestry seat.

Sorry I forgot to take the befor pic. I took the worn uphostery off, hubby made a wooden seat and re-tightened the legs.

A new coat of white, light distressing and slipcovered cushion made all the difference.

I had been wanting to try using a dropcloth  and it worked great. I prewashed and bleached it to make it lighter, and has a nice soft feel.

The texture is a bit like linen and it drapes well.

The slip is simply tied on at each corner and the cushion is down filled.  This little bench looks so much better to me now.

I never really liked it much before but I think it will be a good addition in the laundry room.

Of course our week isn't complete without moving something around!!

It was time to move the black hutch back into the main living area. Picture one short mama and hubby muscling this guy up the stairs.

At almost 7 ft tall it is a good thing it comes apart into 2 pieces. I like to keep all the white  dishes in here and currently some of the white jugs are out.

I love white jugs and have some old and some new. Flowers always look good in them as do silverware and many other things.

Next up is the trim in the laundry room and the next section of cabinets. I am still wondering what to select for a countertop.

Any thoughts?

Painted Floors

Today we have been installing the wood floor in the laundry room. I have been pulled in so many directions trying to settle on a finish.

I love a painted floor, and having had them in the past, I know they can be a bit of work to keep up, but so worth it.

My dilema is stripes, diamonds, white or  faded-distressed-chippy-layered-greyed-down-a-bit????

They are all so beautiful, how can a girl choose!!

I love the distressed look that has many layers of faded paint. But, I've done the math....

I won't live that long to see that many times painted over!!!

So I have taken matters into my own hands.

The first layer on the sample board has been done. Hubby has the floor installed, and tomorrow I will add the next layer to the test board.

I can't show you until it is all completed, but so far I love it.

Hubby can't figure it out. I use my Olay faithfully everyday, you know the one that fights 7 signs of aging...

Yet I want an aged, distressed floor!!!

We decided on a six inch wide plank and it came at .48 a foot. Great price and perfect for our purposes.

The laundry room is nine by eleven, and the boards came in fourteen foot lengths. This means minimal waste and fewer cuts.

Enjoy these images and I will post pics of the floor when we are done.

Back to work...........

Abby's Room

A girl can dream....... 

This pic was last spring, a window box waiting to go up on the dining room window.

Oh well, another month and we might be there!!

Meanwhile, indoors where it is nice and warm  it was time to do Abby's room.

I love "interviewing" young clients. They always seem to know exactly what they like.

In this case it was yellow and grey, lots of cushions grandma, and can we please have chippy white furniture?

No problem!! With grandpa's help we built a closet system, mommy painted, grandma painted, mommy painted some more,

grandma sewed, mommy and grandma shopped, mommy painted some more

then we sent the kids skiing for the day with daddy.

Mommy, grandma  and grandpa (me and hubby) spent the day putting the room together for Abby.

This is her first big girl room all to herself, and I think we got all the things she wanted.

A comfy chair to curl up and read in.

Homework and craft area is a must.

A place to do your hair. (bad photography, the mirror really doesn't lean forward!!)

Closets, nightstands and lamps are always handy.

And a comfy bed that is just right. The grey curtains have a blackout liner which helps with room darkening in the summer.

The wall colour I love. It is  Veil, a Behr colour, and all the trim is Simply White.

 Abby loves her new space with lots of room for her stuff.  The funny part is, now that both girls have their own room, they still spend a lot of time "visiting " or having "sleepovers".  I love when sisters do that!

I'm sorry I forgot the before pics.

 Imagine loft bunkbed and shared with her sister.

Now if the weather would only warm up we could get the paint sprayer out and play!!!

Happy Spring!!