Brightening the Day with Spring Colors

Yesterday was a cold, rainy day here in Northern Virginia.

 

And my mood went along with the day.

 

I've been working my patooti off painting furniture, so I took a break to go file the necessary paperwork to move into the new space for Mr. P's Emporium.  I had called to get all the information, and downloaded the forms, so off I went.

 

I had to go to two different places. In the rain.  And the cold. 

 

Did I mention it was very windy? 

 

And my umbrella broke?

 

So after going to the Manassas Courthouse, I trek through the wind and the rain to City Hall, only to be told I have to come back because apparently the person who signs one of the certificates is only in on Wednesdays. 

 

Seriously?? They couldn't have told me that on the phone???

 

Grrrrrr...

I really needed something to brighten my day.

Some pretty spring colors were just the thing.

A designer friend of mine sent me the new Vintage Moxie colors from Sherman Williams.  She thought the colors would perfect for some of my furniture.

 

I think she's right.

Benjamin Moore has some fresh new colors out as well:

 

 

The Coastal colors makes me think of spring and summer breezes.

 

The Pantone Institute put together this selection for the season called Sojourn.

 

Country Living

 

 

The mossy green and the lavender just say spring to me.

 

I love how colors can change your mood and pick up your spirits. Just looking at these beautiful hues calmed me, and brightened my outlook.

 

I'm dreaming of spring when the colors will be all around us!

 

 

How about you?

 

Bar Cart Before & After

When I go to my local Goodwill, I always make a beeline to the furniture section.  On this visit I immediately went up to this bar/tea cart and started checking it out.

Out of the corner of my eye I saw a woman approach, and I could tell she was keeping an eye on me while she looked over the other furniture.  When I took the "For Sale" tag off of the cart she said disappointingly, "Oh, you're going to get that?"

"Ah ha!" I laughed evilly, "Victory is mine!"

Not really.

What really happened is we chatted about the great stuff you can sometimes find in this place, and wondered about the holes in the top of the piece.

Thrifters love a great deal --even if it's not our own!

I never did figure out what the holes on the top were for.  My original thought was for another level, but then that would have covered the handles on the current top level.

No matter.  I just filled those babies in with wood filler and bye-bye holes.

I glued on the medallion that fell off when I was cleaning the cart, and painted the piece with ASCP in French Linen.

I included a little surprise inside the drawer ...

Then I lightly distressed it using the wet scrubber sponge technique.

I waxed the entire piece and buffed it to give it a nice sheen. Finally, I cleaned the brass parts with Brasso.

And here's my Goodwill find.

From this ...

Updated and refreshed to this.

 

(I hung one of my $2.96 1962 wall sconces over it to give it a Mad Man feel!)

Cocktails anyone?

Sharing at:

French Country Cottage: Feathered Nest Friday
Elizabeth & Co.: Be Inspired
Redoux Interiors: Link Party
No Minimalist Here: Open House Party
Inspiration Gallery Link Party
Miss Mustard Seed: Furniture Feature Friday
Adorned from Above: Blog Hop
Coastal Charm: Nifty Thrifty Tuesday
Green Willow Pond: What We Accomplished Wednesday
Blue Egg Brown Nest

Freebies and Cheapies

Yesterday was a very cost-efficient day!

 

First I picked up this bookcase, which was a Craigslist find for $15.  I'm going to paint it white to make it look more cottage than rustic.

 

 

On my way back from buying the bookcase I stopped at one of my favorite Goodwill haunts and found these marked, 1962 Syroco sconces for $2.96 each.

 

 

I also found this pre-WWII marked vase for 96 cents, and the faux pansies behind it for for $1.96.

 

Plus these two ivy topiaries for $4.96 each.  They both had brown bases, but I'm going to paint the bases white, and I've already started on one.

 

 

Then I went to my friend's house.  She's a graphic artist, and is helping me clean up my logo for Mr. P's Emporium, and add a new element to my tags and collateral.  Although I keep saying I want to pay her, she's insisting on doing it for free.  So I'll have to come up with a really nice gift for her!

 

I must have had "free" vibes floating around me, because as I was leaving her place, I saw that her neighbor down the road had put out this dresser and night stand on the street.

 

 

Free!

 

It's big, well-made out of pecan, and I can attest to the fact that the sucker is heavy!  Luckily it has wheels and we were able to roll it to her house, and my son was home for the weekend, so I was able to bring him back with me to load it into my SUV.

 

It was meant to be!

 

I forgot to put it in for the photo, but the night stand has a really cute scalloped shelf. The only thing wrong with the set is one of the drawer pulls on the dresser is broken.

 

Didn't its former owners know people would have paid for it if they listed it on Craigslist?

 

But I'm not complaining!

I haven't decided what I'm going to do to the set refreshing-wise yet, but I'll come up with something. 
 

This week I have to focus on painting so I can move all the furniture I've been accumulating to Mr. P's new space on the 1st.  Then I'll have room to accumulate more to paint for Lucketts!

 

Whatever you have planned, I hope you have a great week!

 

Eye Candy

I'm getting that urge again.

 

You know.  That urge to change things up and redo a room.  Specifically, our family room.

 

But it's not like I don't have enough things on my plate right now. I mean, between moving Mr. P's to the new location and getting ready for the Lucketts Spring Market, I have projects up the wazoo.

 

So for now I'm just thinking about the things I'd like to do to the room.  And after Lucketts maybe I'll make a change or two. 

 

But in the meantime, I thought I'd treat myself to some eye candy and dream. 

 

Want to join me?

 

Country Living

 

 

I'm drawn to neutral and white rooms. You probably figured that out with my Living Room Refresh.

 

 

 

 

 

 

I just find them calming.

 

 

Country Living

 

 

 

Peaceful.

 

 

Romantic Homes

 

 

But that's not to say I don't like a pop of color with the whites and creams.

 

Sometimes pale and muted.

 

 



Country Living

 

 

Sometimes bright.

 

 

 

 

My color choices are usually blues and greens.

 

 

 

 

Maybe because I love the ocean.

 

 

 

 

But sometimes I'll surprise myself by being drawn to something totally different.

 

 

 

 

So who knows what I'll decide to do to the family room?

 

But at least for now, my color choices are limited to the furniture I'm painting!

 

Hope you have a wonderful weekend!

 

Happy Valentine's Day!

I'm a putzer.

 

I can't help myself.

 

Of course I've added some things to my Valentine's mantel--it's what I do!

 

So while I'm sending you my best Valentine's wishes, I thought I'd share some of the additions.

 

A little collage ...

 

Some hearts and cards I made ...

And a vintage postcard copy.

All to add a little more Valentine spirit.

Which I hope you have in abundance today!

 

Wishing you love and laughter, and sending you a big THANK-YOU for reading my blog!

 

Happy Valentine's Day!

Auctions, Snowshoeing & Stuff

Happy Monday!

 

Sorry I didn't get a post up on Friday as usual.  I went off with a group of girlfriends for a fun weekend winter get-away in West Virginia.  Snow activities, board games, charades, lots of good food--and of course a glass of wine or two in the evening--were all involved!

 

 

That's me, the snowshoeing queen (lol), on the left.

 

 

Some of us went cross-country skiing, and some of us went snowshoeing.  I tried snowshoeing for the first time.

 

For those of you who haven't tried it, basically you strap plastic boards with spikes on your feet (I was expecting the tennis racquet-looking things you see in old movies!).  Then you're able to tramp across the snow without sinking into it. After that, all you have to do is tramp, try not to trip over your snowshoed feet, look at the scenery, and chat--my kind of sport!

 

Earlier in the week I went to an auction.  This is only the third auction I've ever been to, and I'm still getting into my groove.

 

One thing I've learned is if I'm not bidding--sit on my hands! 

 

Yep. I'm a hand-talker.  These things float around all over the place when I'm talking to someone, and I don't even realize it.

 

Not a good thing at an auction.

 

I ran into the woman who runs the antique mall I am moving into at the auction, and was having a great time talking to her.  Until I realized they thought I was bidding on a group of chairs!  Luckily I was outbid!

 

Another problem is I have to learn to walk away from something I really want.  For instance, I knew how much I was willing to pay for this French desk in order to make a decent profit when I sell it. 

 

 

I knew how pretty I could make it.

 

And I really, really wanted it.

 

Well, so did someone else, so we got into a bidding contest. I went $50 above the very tippy-top level I was originally willing to stretch to.

 

 

But she's mine.  And she may look a little sad right now, but she's going to be a beauty!

 

She has now joined the pieces in my dining room that are waiting to be painted.  Everything there should be moving down to the basement this week, and I'll start some power painting to get ready for my new space.  I'm picking up a Craigslist table this afternoon, and with that and what I have left in my current booth, I should have enough to fill the space.

 

But then I have to find more pieces for the Lucketts Spring Market.  Which means more Craigslist-cruising, thrift store-hunting, and auction-attending.

 

And if I don't stop flying my hands around at those auctions, who knows what I'm going to end up showing you??!!

 

Have a great week!

 

Valentine's Mantel

Hey there!  How is the week going for you?

 

I've  been busy clearing, cleaning, and organizing my basement so I can paint down there again instead of the dining room. (Then we can use the dining room for something really different, like ... I don't know ... maybe actually eating in there?)

 

I did take a break to do a little decorating though.  I changed out our mantel decor to a Valentine Day theme.

 

 

 

(As an aside, every time I take a mantel photo it makes me realize how much I dislike the ugly brick, heavy wood mantel, and dated brass surround.  I've been planning on painting the brick for ages, but I keep putting it off because it just seemed like such a major undertaking.  However, I recently saw a project on another blog--which name I can't remember, if it's you let me know--where she painted the brick with chalk paint.  It looks great!  After I'm ready for Lucketts you know what my next big project is going to be!) 

 

 

Since I went with a "more is more" approach on my last mantel decoration, I decided to keep this one a bit more simple.

 

 

 

I hung my heart wreath above the two layered mirrors, and bought some fresh Baby's Breath.

 

I kept the topiaries from the last design, and added some of my milkglass bud vases to a couple of the white candles.

 

 

 

A few romantic looking boxes, some vintage-looking pink bottles ...

 

 

 

 

And my favorite vintage cranberry glass bud vase.

 

 

 

More white candles and a white orchid on the hearth to complete the look.

 

 

 

I'm thinking it looks quite romantic.

 

 

 

Hopefully my husband will get the hint and pink roses and chocolates will be in my future! 

:-) 

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Elizabeth & Co.
No Minimalist Here

Just a Quick Update

Happy Friday!

I don't know about you, but I'm glad this week is over! 

Yesterday the planets must have been out of alignment or something, because one thing after another got messed up.  Ever have one of those days?

Among other things, I mucked up the project I was planning on telling you about today, but hopefully I'll be able to salvage it over the weekend and show it to you next week.

 

 

Today I stayed away from the paint brushes and went out to the shop to give my notice.  Yes, I finally made up my mind on where to relocate Mr. P's Emporium!  Thanks to all of you who gave me advice and encouragement!

 

 

 

I decided to go with the location that's closer to my home, and less expensive--and I'm feeling good about the decision.  My space is actually right in the window, so anyone passing by will see my pieces. It's also right across from the cash desk. Great visibility! I'll be moving in on March 1st.

 

I also hope to consign some pieces at the beautiful new place out by Lucketts (my other choice) to see how they move.  Who knows what will happen down the road? 

 

But for now I'm focusing on getting pieces ready for my new space, which is quite a bit larger than what I have now, and also getting started on pieces for the Lucketts Market in May.  Plus, I'm about to launch a new website for my marketing business.

 

Hopefully everything will go much more smoothly than they did yesterday!

 

Have a great weekend!  It's going to be a cold one here in the DC metro area!