Patriotic Wreath

It feels so good to be home!  We have been in Orlando Florida the past week.  The weather there was really cool.  I spent most of my time wearing a sweatshirt until two days before we were scheduled to leave.  Then I got sun burned and spent the last day under an umbrella by the pool.   Now that I am home, it’s time to get busy and start working on some much needed outside projects.

   Having a son and a son-in-law in the Army, I thought I would show my patriotism and change things up on the front porch this year.  For starters, I made this wreath to hang on the front door. 

  This was an easy wreath to make.  If any of you are interested on how I made this wreath, just leave me a comment and I’ll do a tutorial on how I made it.  

This is just the beginning, I have a lot more things in the making for this patriotic front porch make-over.

As always, thanks for your visit and your sweet comments.  They always make my day!

  Gail

Coca Cola Bottle Crate Wagon

Hello Everyone! 

How do you like my worn, rusty, coca cola bottle crate wagon that I made? 

Sometime ago, I had a wagon planter that had fallen apart from being exposed to the weather year round.  Being the hoarder that I am,  I  kept the wagon base and threw the rest away.    

Boy am I glad I kept those parts because it was a perfect fit for this coca cola bottle crate that I purchased at a flea market in Kentucky!   All I had to do was attached the old wagon base with screws to the underside of the crate. 

I’m thinking that maybe I will purchase some herbs and plant them in it or would you plant flowers? 

What do you think…herbs or flowers?  

As always, thanks for your visit and I’m excited to hear what you would plant in this little wagon of mine! 

Gail

Linking up to the following parties:

Savvy Southern Style for WOW Us Wednesday

Ivy and Elephants for What's It Wednesday

DIY by Design for Swing into Spring

Kristen's Creations for Share Your Creations

From My Front Porch to Yours for Treasure Hunt Thursday

Kitchen Chandelier Update

Hello Everyone!

Back in October, I purchased this brass chandelier below, for $10 at the Habitat for Humanity Restore.  My plan was to replace the current kitchen light.      

 

Because the brass had to go, I painted the chandelier and you can read all about the transformation here.   Pictured below is what it looked like after I painted it and hung it in the kitchen. 

This is what was hanging in the kitchen before I replaced it with the new “to me” chandelier.

I started to dismantle it and realized that I didn’t take a picture so you get to see it all lop sided.

My plans were to replace the lamp socket covers and add glass chimney globes on the new chandelier.  

Well, I finally got around to those plans and have replaced the lamp socket covers and added glass chimney globes.         

 

  I ordered both the lamp socket covers and the glass chimney globes from Amazon. 

The cost for updating the chandelier in the kitchen was $47.80.  The glass chimney globes were the biggest expense.  I paid $7.60 for each one and the lamp socket covers were $1.98 a piece.      

   For $57.80 which includes the cost of the chandelier, I couldn’t be happier with my new “to me” chandelier in the kitchen. 

As always, thanks for visiting and your sweet comments.  They always make my day.

Gail

Linking this post to: 

Savvy Southern Style for WOW Us Wednesday

French Grain Burlap Baker’s Apron

Happy Monday!  How was your weekend?  Ours was busy but I managed to sneak in a few little projects.   Last Wednesday, I received an order that I placed with Online Fabric Store for two burlap French Grain Sack Reproduction bags.   I paid $9.80 a piece which I didn’t think was bad at all.  And guess what the best part was…. they had no smell!

I made a baker’s apron with one of the French Grain burlap bags over the weekend.

This was soooo easy to make!  I cut the French Grain burlap bag at the seams and I drew the armhole cuts, freehand by pencil, on the front side the burlap.  I then cut my apron form and used fabric glue to attach a wide black bias tape around it.  I used my sewing machine to attach the neck and waist strap to the apron.  If you’re looking to make a “no sew apron” you could use fabric glue to attach them.    

For now, I have it on the frig.

But I’ll move it over here once I re-do this area of my kitchen.

I have another burlap bag and I just might have to make an apron for my daughter-in-law to hang in her kitchen. 

I think one would look nice in there….don’t you? 

As always, thanks for your visit and your sweet comments.  They just make my day! 

Gail

Linking this post to:

A Stroll Thru Life for Tabletop Tuesday

The Charm of Home for Home Sweet Home

From My Front Porch to Yours for Treasure Hunt Thursday

Kristen's Creations for Share Your Creations

French Country Cottage for Feathered Nest Friday

At The Picket Fence for Inspiration Friday

Placing Flea Market Finds

Hello Everyone! 

I have taken some time to place some of the flea markets items that I purchased a few weeks ago.  I placed the wooden dipper, you see below, on the side of our Frigidaire.   

The side of our frig is one of the first things you see when you enter through the kitchen door.  So I treat it as if it’s a wall. 

  Everything you see on the side is attached with a command strip.  They work great!   I haven’t had any problems yet…knock on wood. 

I placed one of the crock jugs on a little stool beside the trash can cabinet.

The white enamel ware bucket is on a side table in the kitchen.

 

Looking at this picture I think I need to work on this table top vignette! Originally, I had a white pitcher with the berries in it.  I just switched it out.    

The demijohn and another crock jug ended up on the top of the dining room china cabinet. 

I always think it’s fun to see where other people place some of their flea market, yard sales and auctions items…don’t you? 

Thanks for your visit and for your sweet comments.  They always make my day! 

Gail

Linking this post to:

From My Front Porch to Yours for Treasure Hunt Thursday

Common Ground for Vintage Inspiration Friday

At The Picket Fence for Inspiration Friday

French Country Cottage for Feathered Nest Friday

Furniture Stripper and Steel Wool

Hello Everyone! 

   The weather here has been absolutely beautiful except the pollen has been terrible.   I’m really trying to accomplish some of my indoor projects but it is hard as my attention is drawn outdoors.   My “To Do List” for outdoors is steadily growing but until the pollen stops falling, I’ll just keep right on going with my little projects inside.  Hopefully, in the next couple of weeks, I’ll be able to get outside. 

This indoor project was a quick and easy one.  About fifteen years ago or maybe longer, I purchased this calendar holder at a craft show.    

It didn’t look like this when I purchased it though.  It was originally stained. I’m showing you the backside because I forgot to take before pictures of it in 2009 when I painted it white. 

In 2010, I made changes to the calendar holder again.  

I added the wooden appliqué to the top and removed the wooden pegs and replaced them with black hooks. 

Well, here we are in 2012, and I made changes to this poor old calendar holder again! 

This time around, I removed the wooden appliqué and applied a paint and varnish stripper to the entire piece. Then I used steel wool to remove some of the paint. 

Using the steel wool gave it a grayish undertone which I really like. 

As the old saying goes, three strikes and you’re out!  I wonder if this will be the case with this poor dear thing!  It has been through three make-over's already.   For now, I have it back in the kitchen.

I only hope that this next project…….. 

  

…….is as easy as the calendar holder was. 

As always, thanks for visiting and hope you all have a wonderful day.

Gail

Linking this post to:

Savvy Southern Style for WOW Us Wednesday

Ivy and Elephants for What's It Wednesday

DIY by Design for Winter Blues Wednesday

Happy Easter

Wishing you and your family a blessed and joyful Easter. 

Gail

Kentucky and Tennessee Flea Markets

Hello Everyone!  We had a wonderful visit with our son even though it was for just a few days.  Most of our time was spent with him and we also managed to visit a couple of flea markets.  One was in Kentucky and the other was in Tennessee.  

Both of these flea markets were warehouses full of antiques and collectibles. 

Pictured below are just some of the things that came home with me. 

Crocks, an old medicine bottle, a demijohn…..

……mason ball jars, a red 1930’s lunch pail/bucket, vintage ice hook/tongs and a coca cola crate.

I love how worn this crate is. 

I also purchased some vintage kitchen utensils, an old coffee grinder, a cedar wood dipper and an enamel coffee pot. 

I have been looking for an antique sad iron and for $8, it came home with me along with two wooden spools. 

An enamel chamber pot with the lid.  I have already placed this in the powder room and it’s looks cute in there.

This was my husband’s purchase….a copper ash bucket with ceramic handles. 

I’m thinking that maybe I’ll use this one as a flower pot since we already have an ash bucket by the wood stove.

There’s still a few more things that I haven’t taken pictures of yet. I’ll save them for another day. 

Now, I need to get busy and re-accessorize with my new treasures.

As always, thanks for your visit and your sweet comments.  They always make my day! 

Gail

Linking this post to:

Savvy Southern Style for WOW Us Wednesday

Ivy and Elephants for What's It Wednesday

Coastal Charms for Nifty Thrifty Tuesday

Knick of Time for Vintage Style Link Party

From My Front Porch to Yours for Treasure Hunt Thursday