Winks...

Reclaimed things almost always have what I call winks.... that little nod acknowledging that this is something from a time gone by, and a reminder of it's life before.  I like these winks from the past.  They provide markers and continuity, and are part of the story of the life cycle of the object.  They lend character to a piece, like well earned crow's feet add depth to eyes.

I am also a bit of a perfectionist.  This morning I am doing battle with a wink that is too impudent to leave unadressed. I am really pleased with how the buffet in Old Ohcre is turning out!  Just one thing is bugging me.  One corner of one door drags just slightly when I shut it.  So I got out the sand paper.  No.  Now the rasp.  Not so much.  It feels like a stubborn, mischevious child.  Of course it could just be that the door is solid wood and nearly two inches thick;)  Wink.  Back to it!

This Year's Christmas Ornament

Each year at Thanksgiving, we make Christmas ornaments, usually in the company of dear friends.  I can't take credit for either this year's idea or design.  My oldest daughter found this cute idea on Pinterst. 

They were easy to do, even for the little ones!  First cut copper wire (I used 20 gauge.) and turn back one end so that the buttons don't come off as you work.

Next, get your buttons together, and cut ribbons for the bows.  String your buttons on.  Have fun with the colors and sizes!  When your ornament is the size that you want, twist the wires at the top to close the circle and create a top loop for the wire hanger.  Then tie your bow and and voila!  Super easy and cute!

And here they are!  Making ornaments together each year gives us something to remember our celebration of what we are thankful for by.   It is also is creating a stash of ornaments and memories that the girls can one day hang on their own trees. 

It's Going to be Gorgeous!

Just a few finishing touches to go, and this beautiful buffet will be ready for a new home!

Just Saying...

It ain't nothing for a girl to get up and get our her power tools, make a missing piece of trim for a beautiful old buffet, wash up and get to church with earrings on by 11:00am :)

Sad, but True...

I am going to have to say goodbye to my 99cent brush, and after all we have been through together!  A buffet, a nightstand, a chair, and half of another buffet.  Well, I guess the little guy couldn't last forever.

French Medallion End Table with Marble Top $95

This beautiful little end table is done in Annie Sloan's Chalk Paint in Arles, with an aged effect, and fun little caster wheels.  28"L x 18"W x 23"H.  It will add a special touch to almost any room of the house, with it's warm, buttery, yet neutral gold tone offset by the cream marble top and medallion.  reclamationdesignsgmail.com

Anticipation...

I have the buffet that I am working on next washed down and taped.  I am so excited to get started with painting tomorrow!  If all goes well, it will be ready for sale before Thanksgiving...

Being Comfortable at Home

Many years ago, I remember a woman, who was years down the road from myself in age and life journey, say that she didn't want anything in her home that she would be afraid for people to use. 

Amen to that!  But, I love beautiful things. 

Utilizing reclaimed and redesigned furnishings is a way to create a beautiful atmosphere in your home while honoring people over things. 

A hand painted chest of drawers can be truly remarkable... and it had a previous life... and it can have another if your great uncle inflicts a large scratch with his cane, or your great niece adds to the artfulness with her new Christmas crayons.   Instead of mishaps signalling trouble in the relationship, all they need signal is that it is time for a touch up... or perhaps even another new era for an old chest of drawers:)

End Table Teaser...

This is the fun stencil that I just applied in Old White over the Arles on the end table I am working on.  The contrast between the two will fade a bit, and be a great color combination when I wax it... and the colors are yummy with the Marble top!

Spurred by Thinking about a Dragonfly Stencil and Proportions...

"Shape and idea and measure will always beautiful;  but the Authentic Beauty, or rather the Beyond Beauty, cannot be under measure... the beauty of that higher realm must be, simply, the Nature of the Intellectual Good."  Plato

Not sure I can explain.  That is just how my mind works:  I thought about something that is lovely to me, and then I went to find some words for why:)

Itching to Get Started

I am in the middle of working on a small end table... a great little guy on casters with a marble top.  I am doing it in Arles, and think it is going to be adorable when done.

I am itching to start my next project though!!  I will be working on a BIG buffet:  It has great detailing.  Stay tuned, and let me know if you need a buffet before the holidays!

This picture is just a little teaser on the buffet before I get started....

Old Ochre with Light and Dark Wax

This is after a coat of light wax, followed by a coat of dark wax the next day.

To Remove Annie Sloan Wax from Hands and Brushes Try...

I accidentally discovered that this J.R. Watkins Home Care Dish Soap will remove the wax from your hands and your brushes if the wax is still 'wet'.  Rub the dish soap in thoroughly before putting any water on.  Work the wax out, rinse and repeat as necessary.  It smell a whole lot better than mineral spirits!

She's Done!

I am going to get a better camera soon that will show the finish better, but couldn't resist putting this photo up since I just put her jewelry on!

Old Ochre pre-Wax

On Chairs, People and Beauty...

It's hard to see the details while it is in this stage.  With differing light levels, and while the first coat in a process of many is drying.  I wonder what it will look like when it is done, which imperfections will show, and if they will add to it's beauty as a finished piece. 

This chair is so much like me.  Maybe like many of us.  I am sure it started out well and was enjoyed for many years.  But then somewhere along the way, after many knocks and scrapes,  it must have gotten relegated to an old barn or a back porch, judging by the damage and the dirt. 

Life does that to us sometimes, but even more often we do it to ourselves.  We relegate ourselves to the back porch because we don't believe we belong in the dining room anymore.  But the Designer  intends for us to be there, and has plans for a gorgeous restoration that we haven't had the imagination to see. 

We are called to be beautiful and to take our place at the dining table.

Cracks in the Veneer on the Back

Old, Beat Up Chair..

The camera on my iphone really does not capture the details well enough on these photos.  I don't think this pic helps you appreciate how beat up and dirty looking this chair is.  I am going to try a coat in Old Ochre.  I am hoping this will turn out well, as I have a set of these that I bought at the Benevelenza (Hannah and I's Italian name for the Goodwill:) that I would like to use in my dining room.  We'll see how the experiment goes!

Detailing

I am going to call this set Morning Coffee

The nightstand id done!  It was a lot of work... I will have to eat my wheaties before I tackle the dresser.  The set wil be available for sale when the dresser is done.   I like the combination of cream and white.  So French looking and relaxing.

Detailing on a Pinecone..

I have had this unfinished wood pinecone sitting with a grouping of objects on my buffet.  I decided it would be improved with some character... aka, paint and wax.  This is the first round in Versailles.  This is easy to do with a fairly dry brush.  Stay tuned for waxing..

Nice Discovery..

When painting various planes and trim pieces like this, I have method for which pieces to paint first.  I paint those, and then wait for them to dry before moving on to the next set.  This helps prevent a buildup at the edges and corners. 

During the process of applying the 2nd coat to this piece, in Pure White, I stepped back and realized that I really liked the effect with the border trim in Old White.... so voila, a slight change in course.  As with so many creative processes, I think this piece has taken on a life of it's own, and I have changed my thoughts to go with the flow of the paint:)

Drawers: First Coat in Old White

Next Up...A Nightstand with Great Detailing and a (currently) Dreadful Finish!

The Best Use of Beautiful Things

It goes without saying that things are to use, and people are to love.  That is not to say that we can't deeply appreciate beauty wherever we find it... even in things. We can, and we should!  The capacity to enjoy beauty, and for creativity are important aspects of how people are made in the image of God, and provide us with amazing glimpses of who God is.

This beautiful video clip from Les Miserables is one of the best pictures of things serving people and people loving people that I have seen.  It is 5 minutes, and well worth every one of them! 
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=t-KRbQFtQ0w