Gotta love Craigslist

Ok folks, I love Craigslist.  I have found such neat things over the years.  An iron headboard, a wonderful three piece bedroom set, desk and hutch included, end tables and coffee tables, futon, and chairs, and a great Wisteria side table and pedestal.  Every single thing has been redone in some fashion or another, and I always love the results.  I LOVE Craigslist.  I feel like re-doing furniture is just anther way of saving the environment.  :-) 

So, if I lived in Omaha, I would be in serious trouble.  Since I don't, it keeps my projects to a minimum.  I brought home a chair yesterday, which is great.  I had hoped to bring home the fabric too, as it was 1/2 off.  All that is, except the one I wanted.  So, I'm waiting for just the right thing, at just the right price.  Three chairs are waiting patiently.  Maybe the Goodwill desk should be the target?  Pictures of the desk and chair will be posted today.  I hope the afters will be posted before too long. 

Project Black Chandelier

My niece is getting married in September, and she wanted a little black chandelier for the entry to our very plain community center.  This was made with a wire plant hanging basket, black Christmas garland, and wire.  It took about 3 hours to create, and it cost me about 17 dollars.  Can't beat that!

Another give away....

And this time, it's Anne Sloan paint over at Robyn Story Designs.  Take a look.

Give away fun!

Hey, I am so loving exploring the blog world.  One of my favorite blogs, Savvy Southern Style is giving away some antique French sheet music.  Check it out at http://savvysouthernstyle.blogspot.com/2011/07/its-giveaway-time.html. 

Picturaholic

I love pictures.  I collect them from everything, magazines to internet.  I have books full of them, cd's full of them, and now, I have discovered something to make my picture keeping easy, organized, and online!!  I love, love, love Pinterest.  If you haven't seen it, used it, explored it, seriously, you need to.

Good Will Treasures

My husband hates it that I go to Good Will.  Not sure why, but I always find treasures there.  Blue glass happens to be a collection and I pick up odd and end pieces when I go.  Last time I was there, I found a great desk.  I left, kept thinking about it, and then eventually went back to pick it up.  Of course it is a project, but it is going to be so cool.  I am going to use a product I found on a blog I follow called Perfectly Imperfect,  http://www.perfectlyimperfectblog.com/2011/06/chalk-paint-faqs.html   The Anne Sloan Chalk Paint looks like a great product.  I'll post before and afters.  The decision is what color should I use. The before picture coming soon...

Newest Love...

I love to decorate, design, and create.  Without a doubt, I am a traditional girl.  I appreciate and admire all styles, by my own home is very much traditional Italian decor.  I love it, but I feel the winds changing.  I am NOT going to redecorate my whole house, but I COULD see a room two undergoing a transition.  I happened across a retailer, Layla Grace and was blown away.  Layla Grace absolutely captures my new found loves, with factory like traditional antique furniture.  Blues, whites, greys.  I will be watching this website...and we'll see down the road how that inspires a new room in my home.

Garden Totems and flower stakes..new hobby in the making??

I went with my husband's sister and mother to a garden walk.  We had a great day walking through some beautiful gardens.  Some were perfectly manicured, the ideal wedding setting, and others were more bohemian.  No matter where we went, we were inspired.  Take a look...

Now I have to tell you a story, as you are seeing the beginnings of things, and later, hopefully, the fruition of some sort of vision.  A friend and co-worker has retired.  I stopped by to wish him fairwell, and let him know how much he will be missed.  Our conversations digressed, as they did when we had the chance to linger over conversation.   It turned towards activities done for pure person fulfillment.  He has his plans, and I shared my desire to learn to make slump and hump pottery, when someday I find a kiln.  He turned to me slowly, asked if I ever pray about these things, and then smiling, said he had a kiln he'd like to give me.  Wow.  That's all I can say.  I have a kiln, and a promise to make him something some day. Yeah....now to learn how to use that kiln.

The project...

Second option...

First option...

In the beginning...

So, it is Sunday morning, and I am contemplating how to begin this blog.  Well, I am a project person, and so it makes sense to start this blog with a project.  Stay tuned, because I like turning junky to awesome.  I have always been told I have an eye for things that other people can't see.  True or not, who knows?  But I do see past some pretty nasty fabric to envision a beautiful chair in the end, for example.  So today, you will see the chair, ugly in all of it's not-so-amazing current state, and the inspiration.  And, confession time.  I have a thing for chairs and boxes/trunks?  So, stay tuned for the project.  But first, the inspiration.