Thanks Annie Sloan and Santa

Finally, I finished my little table project. Honestly, this working full time is for the birds! I am soo glad I can finally show you the results. I hope you like it. I was not sure if I wanted to finish the top or not since it was in such bad shape. Hubs sanded it down as much as he could without ruining it. There are still some spots and it is not perfect but I think it is beautiful.



I painted it Annie Sloan's Old White, waxed with clear, buffed. I then mixed some dark wax with mineral spirits and painted in the grooves w/ a small bush. I must admit I think I did things backward.

I think I figured out the art to this staining with dark wax, ceramics! Yest ceramics like painted in the 70's and 80's. Seems that is the closest thing to compare this process to. Now if your not old enough to remember, the rage in doing projects back then was ceramics (Santas, vases, plates you name it). In the early days we painted over raw material and it would be fired, but later you would buy a piece and paint and stain it. I did this Santa in the late 70's. The comparison

would be, you have to learn to control the stain on the painted project. 

Anybody else done ceramics?

BTW, I have no idea what ended up being stamped on my pic from my old blog. My Santa, my pic, my blog, my house. Anybody have any ideas what is embedded on the pic?

Top before:

Top after:

Big, big change. I think he did an awesome job. I don't know what the white bits are.. there wasn't anything on the top.

Before:

After:

I think she is a beauty.

Thanks Annie, glad to have a familiar project back.

I do love hearing from you guys when you take the time to stop by! Thank you so much... I know mine is no big fancy blog, but I love the friendships I have made, so I am keeping at it. 

http://www.dittledattle.blogspot.com/

http://savvysouthernstyle.blogspot.com/

http://typeadecorating.blogspot.com/2011/08/anything-goes-31.html

http://mollysusanstrong.blogspot.com/

http://missmustardseed.blogspot.com/

Don't want an "Old Lady House".

Hey blog friends! I am still trying to hang on with this blogging and my new full time job. Whew! Half way there to getting to work from home... whooo hooo! There are 101 reasons to be a blogger but I think following you guys is the #1 reason. I learn soooo much. Such wonderful decorators out there. 
I really do study on what you guys are doing. Why? One reason is your homes are so beautiful. Two, now that I am quickly approaching my late 50's.. yep past the half way mark... I really don't want the house to turn into an "old persons home" as my kids used to say when they were young.. I don't know exactly what that emcompasses, I just know I don't want mine to be one.. Lol. So slowly, I am changing out some things and adding some new things. 
I found this beauty while on vacation in Hendersonville, NC. Funny out of everything I could have bought in the lovely mountains of N.C., I chose a cow! Looking around in Blogville, I am not alone in move love of the bovine. I paid a whooping $7.00 for her.

When I excitedly showed her to my Mom, her comment was, "it's a cow". I guess you are a cow lover or you are not, huh?

I think she a beauty. Of course, hubs was on board because it was a cheap puchase. 

Somewhere along the way she lost her mate. Looks like she was part of bookends.

  Moving on.. I have admired the wall clocks at Ballard Design for a while now but the prices were steep for me for a trendy item. But low and behold yesterday at .... yep you guessed it, Home Goods, one clock made to order for 30 whole bucks! Sure beats that price tag of $119.00 - $229.00.

Before

After.

   Another change, kind of a trickle effect. Move of the bunnies meant moving another picture. Yea, hubs was sure I couldn't make room  for the new clock. I bought this painting from a lady in the early 80's that painted reproductions for $50 a piece .. I have loved it every since. 

Before

After

Better, huh?

And, you know what? I said my walls weren't really this yellow in person but, they are sort a buttercream and we are sooo tired of this color. I would love some suggestions for a good neutral light wall color.. I am going to tone things down in here.. I love my green cutains but I have had them for over 11 years now. Got to go. 

Last thing,

Now I know I am no decorator, but wasn't this change a little obvious? I don't think I would have ever thought about it if sweet Marti over at A Stroll Thru Life had not done a blog on changing out spec house fixtures. Where in the world was I at? After having custom cabinets and granite put in I didn't think of the lighting? It has been like this for a little over a year. For Pete's sake. 

I was headed quick to an "old lady house". 

What the world?

Don't you love that scripture?

After

HOLD UP. Is that a gold doorknob?! Geeze.

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