chalkboards anyone?!

i decided to make a culmination of posts and one dedicated specifically to chalkboards.  they are the rage as you know and there are SO many items and surfaces that work incredibly well with chalkboard paint.  so without further ado, here are my chalkboard paint projects. 

this one was used at this wedding and again at our son's a few weekends ago

(pics coming soon!).

it now hangs in our kitchen after i stenciled MENU on it

for the last wedding.

you will find the tutorial for the next chalkboard here. 

this was a gift for my bff and so fun to embellish with

a little bit of this and a little bit of that.

the side of our vintage kitchen cabinet is covered in chalkboard paint

where i like to add quotes, scripture and birthday/holiday messages

like this

and this

( btw deck door is now painted black)

and last is a vintage 1950's heywood wakefield schooldesk

with a chalkboard painted writing surface.

(currently for sale and can be personalized)

 

thanks for stopping by!

linking up to funky junk interiors SNS #93

Isn't She Loverly?

We took a whirlwind road trip to Waterbury, CT two weekends ago (4/17).  A mere 4 hour drive (one way) to retrieve an item from Craiglist, but well worth the time and effort.  A stop at Whole Foods for lunch and shopping along with another stop at Ikea was included in this day trip. 

So are you curious?  What could possibly be so grand that one would devote an entire day of traveling to retrieve?   Well, it was something that I had been searching and researching for some time, well over 9 months, since first seeing a similar item.  I asked questions of bloggers who had possession of this, searched Ebay for pricing and then Craiglist.  I continually expanded my search in areas outside of my hometown until I "found" this item. Inquiring about its availability was my next step and when she it was, a trip was in the making!  Ok, so I gave you a bit of a hint but have you guessed yet?  Is the suspense killing you?  Well here's a little peak...

Did you guess what it is????   Look at that patina and metal love going on there!
Ok, ok,  I won't keep it from you any longer.
This is my most recent "find" off of Craiglist. 
Isn't she bee-A-u-tee-ful!

The condition is so remarkable for its age.  A date of Dec 1, 1908 is located near the base set screw. Can you see it?

I was told by the seller that the original owner was a 90 year old Polish woman who sewed her own clothes...ALL of them.  Her name was Gorniak and I am awaiting her first name, if the seller can remember or locate it.  It has been suggested by my blogging, mannequin-owning friends that she needs a beautiful name, any suggestions???  I was hoping to name her after the original owner, of course, depending upon what that may be.

Here are more loverly pics of my beautiful, old girl...hmmm she's about 102 years old!  She certainly looks great for her age, dontcha think?!  I hope I look that good when I get that old...haha

Take a look at that cage and those legs!

And notice the detail & craftsmanship of that vintage cast iron leg & caster, they just don't make things like they use to!

A SPECIAL thank you to Laura over at 52 Flea for some guidance, she was a dear blog friend to offer advice when i was trying to decide between two mannequins.  I am indebted to your kindness!


I have another post in the making regarding a first for me in the auction world that Mr. Farmhouse and I attended several weeks back.  All I can say is "I did real good!"

Until then, thanks for being patient with me...I am not a regular die-hard blogger, suffice it to say there are priorities that must be attended to on the home-front.  If you haven't seen Amy's post over at WhisperWood Cottage , you must take a look...some food for thought.

The Lamp Revamp

I've been really excited about revamping, repurposing, and renewing since I found  JunkMarketStyle.com and the Shanty2Chic blog.  I had this great lamp in my living room, a gift from my sister many years ago when I was into "theme" decorating.  We purchased new furniture a few years ago and it just wasn't working for me.  So, it went off to the craft studio for extra lighting.  Then last July we had a multi-family yard sale and tried to sell it for $10.  I even tried Craiglist but not ONE person wanted this poor lamp.

After surfing through blogland, gleaning ideas, I had a lightbulb moment. (I think it may have been when I was painting and spraying everything black).  The lamp had great lines being a jug style and several blogs including Design-a-holic were referring to lamps such as this from Pottery Barn (no longer available):

 

and this French Canister Lamp from Shades of Light

another from Park Designs

and these Park Design milk can lamps from Country Porch

 

And what's a lamp without the perfect shade?  I love the following except for one small detail....
This 18" shade is from Anthropologie and a mere $148...yes that's JUST for the shade!   I do love the graphics of this "All Around The World" lamp shade and surely a creative mind could replicate this style quite simply. 

but I digress... 

Here is what my "apple" lamp has now become...

The lamp shade was found in the clearance area at HomeGoods for a mere $5!  It is fully lined and the style is so perfect.  The lamp is not quite finished as I'd like to add a stenciled number to the body...just not sure which number to choose.  It will come to me in time....perhaps "28" would be fitting since my dh and I will  be celebrating our 28th anniversary this year!?

*I do need to get a taller harp but was too impatient to wait until I bought it before posting.


I leave you with this simple vignette of black and a few of my favorite things.

* edited 11/10/10

I used Krylon black satin spray paint

Fall Decor on the Inside

Thought I would share some inside decorating.  My fireplace mantel is my favorite decorating spot.  I love to change it with the seasons.  Here it is in all it's fall splendor.  Enjoy!

Most of these items were bargains, gifts or found objects.  

My favorite stores to bargain shop for decor are TJMaxx, Marshalls, & Christmas Tree Shop.

 

Plate and box came from either TJM or Marshalls.  Iron stars from CTS

 

These old glasses were found inside an interior wall of our house- aren't they just the cat's meow!

Wood toy blocks were purchased at a local antique/junk store for about a $1 each.  

The "B" is for our last name.

Love that crusty rusty star made from barbed farm fencing.

1950's Schooldesk

This 1950's Heywood-Wakefield schooldesk was found stored above garage when we moved in over 27 years ago.  Painted a tacky green, written on with black marker and stuck with stickers, it has been patiently waiting for a makeover.  The paint was removed but the wood was not in the best shape so I opted again for a little black satin to spruce her up.  A can of spraypaint for the metal legs and frame along with painting & distressing of the wood got the job done.  I may go back over the desktop with chalkboard paint so it could be used for a message board in an entryway or for a child's use.

Closeup of detail

Here's the only before pics that I took.  But you get the idea.   

Note the lovely shade of green-what were they thinking!?

As you can see, the seat was discolored and needing some coverage.

For paint removal I use Back to Nature Multi Strip. It's a "greener" product and will encapsulate any lead paint. We've been using it in our kitchen renovation of an 1829 farmhouse- works great! Most of the time it comes off like butter. The key is putting on a thick enough layer and waiting 24-48 hrs.  It is well worth the wait. 

All Dressered in Black

Before this thrift store find was a sad sight but solid. I could have refinished the poor thing but opted for the "cottage" look of painted wood.  The knobs came with this thrift store find, however, the previous owner left the extra hole (for a handle) exposed.  A bit of wood filler, some light sanding for adhesion, black satin paint, some distressing and it's now "looking fine".  I love it's new junk-over!  This dresser would work well in the diningroom for table linens; entry or mudroom for hat, scarves & mitten storage; craft room for fabric, etc. or wherever organization is needed.

Before: tired and sad

Here she is in all her splendor - love how this came out, I surprised myself!

A closeup

Products used:

Zar Wood Patch in Neutral

Pittsburg Pure Performance Eggshell Paint in Black Satin (2 coats)

3M Block Sander w/80 grit paper

You may see additional posts at junkmarketstyle.com under itsnotjunk2me

Bookmark this website- it's great for sparking new decorating ideas!