Long, Lazy Weekend

I am off on a four day weekend with Monday

being BC Day (a Canadian Civic Holiday).

The Stellar Jay is the Provincial Bird of BC

I must admit I have been a lazy girl...reading

and puttering but not getting much of anything

done!  (Don't 'ya love it?)  Here's what

I am reading:

It's riveting!

In the meantime....

I did find this little mirror to fit over my dresser: 

I am still not great at remembering to take the "before"

picture but here it is with a base coat of white (it was

just plain pine from Ikea).

I liked the fact it has the little pegs across the bottom

to hang my bracelets and necklaces on.

Here it is with a coat of pink:

Next I put some little stencils on using Stayzon Ink.....

I sanded the mirror and the stencils and added some

"Distressed" Walnut ink with a makeup sponge:

Once it was all dry I added a light coat of Verathane to seal

it.  And voila - the perfect little mirror for my coved

ceilings (so low you have to duck unless you are dead

center in the room!)

So that's what I've been doing - how about you?

I have quite a few projects lined up and am going to fly 'atter

tomorrow....but that's tomorrow....

Until then, blessing you and yours - I'm

back to my book......

Peggy

I am linking this to:   http://www.bystephanielynn.com/2011/07/sunday-showcase-party-with-mudpies.html @ Under the Table & Dreaming
~and~
http://cleanandscentsible.blogspot.com/2011/08/creative-spark-no2.html @ Clean & Scentsible

What's Up Wednesday?

It seems like I have run out of a little blogging steam....
maybe I have been too verbose in my
 posting of late and I've used up

all my words.....

NAH!  Like that's gonna happen!

I finally found fabric for some new curtains for my
 livingroom makeover.  I found it at one of my favourite
 thrift stores - someone routinely donates large pieces of

designer fabric - this is a cotton twill with a great neutral strip. 
 I picked up three pieces totally about 10 yards for $8.
  When you are living in a rental - you can't

afford to spend the big bucks on curtains as who knows
 if they will work in the next place you move on to
(I sound like a nomad but I have moved quite a few

times and learned quite a few things in those moves!) 
 One of the most important things about renting is
 to try to make the house your own

without spending a ton of money. 

I will post some before pics once I pick up all the
 various projects that are lying about.  I sold almost all
of my red accents last weekend to two

ladies who were punching up their decor with a little red.
  One of them was taking the red items (a giant red leather
mirror, a red leather footstool and some pillow covers)
 to Arizona to her "winter" home.  Don't get me

wrong - I still LOVE red - but I want a change.
  I absolutely loved the armoir makeover that Nan
 @ "You Could Make That"

 posted here and it has inspired me to get going! 
 My armoir is  almost identical in shape and
original colour!  I am actually thinking I

might even copy the colour - they say
 imitation is the most sincere form of flattery
 - thanks for inspiration Nan!

In the meantime - sweet Sherri passed on some
shelves, a window frame and a mini china tea set to me
.....in exchange I gave her one of my

earliest painting projects - the little mocha bedside table
hope you enjoy it Sherri!

This little tea set is going to look great on my miniature china cabinet......

A project in waiting!

For a moment I thought that was a real cat Ms. Sherri!

Love the wall colour and the table looks great - thanks for

sharing the pics!  Now we just have to get

you that headboard!  xo

(psssst....what a nice clean bedroom!)

Love the exchange thing!

Hope you are having a great week!

Peggy

p.s. I am working on the layout of my blog - still learning
about things like  signatures and fonts and centering things
 on my pages, etc.  Stick with me
 - I will get the hang of it!

Lazy Day....Diggin' the Sun

Short and sweet post - it was a great lazy Sunday - I am

thinking that's because it was a SUN-day!

A gal can only go so long without a little vitamin "D"

in the form of sunshine!

Thought I would share a few of the blooms in and around

my garden......

Hope you had a great weekend....

Ciao Bellas,

Peg

Rollie-Pollie Fish Heads.....er...Lamps

One word:  SUN! 

Fabulous day here on the Island - Bathtub Race events in full swing - if you
don't know what they are - check them out here. 

Hung around in the sunshine much of the day - what can I
say - I've been waiting for the warm weather to
get painting and then it gets nice

and I just feel too happy to be in the sun
 to do anything!

We did take a few things to Tracy's garage sale today and we pulled
a few weeds in the front yard (they are still
overtaking everything!)  When I came back inside to

get out of the sun for a moment I checked Craigslist
 (what can I say I am OCD).  Lo and behold - there was
an advertised "chuck out"....yeehaw - here we go!
We needed to go for a drive anyway didn't we? 

 We went to the free-for-all and picked up a

little stool, an upholstered foot rest, and a couple of
 grapevine/twig wreaths.  The stool and the foot rest
 definitely need a make-over but I'm on it!  We also got

one of those things that's too ugly interesting to pass up!
  Now tell the truth -

Would you have brought this home?

Can you see this baby painted creamy white, or pale blue? 
 C'mon work with me here! 

I will just have to try it and if it works....I will show you!

Later in the day I puttered around the kitchen - I have moved
out most of my  red accents and am moving toward
something more cottagey (is that a word?)

Remember I got these two little shelf boards - here's what
 I did with them - they are on opposite ends of
 the counter beside the cabinets - they are so shallow (snobby

little things!) that they don't interfere with the 
opening of the cupboard doors.

I also had this gross colourful little pear shelf and I do
so love pears - but I wasn't wild about the colours so I
spray painted it white and distressed it just a little and

now it's a happy soap and hand lotion holder beside my sink.
It even has a hook for my dishcloth.  Now if I could
just wrap my head around doing dishes.....

At the end of the day when we were bringing some
 stuff in - our resident cat (he doesn't

belong to us but he definitely lives at our house)
was standing by the "Free" sign that Mr. Biff had put on a desk
at our curb (yes occasionally I do throw things back!)

Any takers?  He's a beauty!

Hope you had a great Saturday!

Blessings to you,

Peg

Friday Finds and What "Bugs" Me....

I am going to apologize right now for the length of this post - even though I've

 only begun writing I think I might have quite a bit to say.  Friday

afternoon - took a little vacation time and wandered about

 hither, thither and yon (not really sure we made it to yon

but close I am sure!)  We were driving to meet someone and

 saw a garage sale sign (weird again on a Friday) and my little red

 truck simply does not know how to drive by.  She promptly swerves

 toward the sign and heads to the sale (gotta love her - it's totally

 beyond my control clearly).  Mr. Biff was with me too

and he didn't mind being side-tracked either.  Honestly

it was bit disappointing - we bought 5 DVDs - movies

we hadn't actually seen but nothing else so we headed

 over to meet Jackie and on the way saw this

at the side of the road:

(Bad Blogger! I took it apart before I remembered to take a picture!)

Would you have picked it up?  Mr. Biff really needs a bigger desk and
 this puppy is big and SOLID.  It was actually too heavy for us to lift in the truck with the

 drawers in - so out came the drawers and in went the desk. 

 I sanded it as soon as we got it home

and put a base coat on it.

The paint was free from the recycling depot - it's a lovely shade of pale grayish-blue - almost half a gallon!  While picking up paint - I simply had to wander through the dumpster yard (aka Skiff City) and the quonset hut and with a budget of just $5 look what I found:

The birdcage itself was worth it.  It's made of copperwire - although I think at some point I will probably paint it (do you think I should?).  The canister is called "Romantic Home" and the little plate is called "Shabby Lace" - so they must have been made for me!!  I also got the cute shade with the pink roses on it - not sure what lamp I will use it on (maybe one I haven't got yet!).  Rounding out the thrifty little collection is 2 little shelves and a crystal lid to use for a garden totem topper!    I also found this beauty of a wooden

pedestal bowl - I am going to paint it and shabby it up and use it in

 my office to hold some of the small clutter that

seems to like to gather there.



Now what bugs me you say?  While I was digging wandering through the junk recycling depot  in my lovely white cardigan - this landed on me.  It is an "Alder Borer" and is harmless but I'm just saying....whaaaaaaaa!

No one was right in the vicinity so I managed to flick it off my shoulder and carry on.  Amazing how brave you can be when no one's looking and no one can rescue you!  Would you have done the same or would you have screamed and run away? (that is my usual M.O.)  The funny thing was later on when we were driving home Mr. Biff told me one of the staff had this really cool bug in a jar - it was black and white and boy

you should have seen it......and....hey Mr. Biff - where were you when

I was wrestling this sucker to the ground?

....yeah buddy, I saw it alright! 

The other thing that bugs me is black flies and misquitoes - it's been so wet and cool here (enjoy your heat all you southern gals!) so with the damp comes the biting bugs!  Mr. Biff does not get bitten (I think he's just too tough!) - however they LOVE me and I have the bites to prove it (that's what I get for being so sweet!)

So all in all a good Friday - could have been "bugged" a little less but none-the-less a successful thrifty day!  Off to the garage sales tomorrow and then home to do some serious painting before it rains again!  What did you do today?

Happy Weekend,

God Bless,

Peg

To My Sister-Friends

Although my blog is about decorating and creating what I write is always going to be influenced primarily by what I am feeling.    Some of my dearest sister-friends have had some difficult times lately.  We all know life happens and there is no escaping the sorrow and fear that sometimes take us over when tragedy occurs, health fails, or relationships end.  It seems to me that life goes in seasons beyond those driven by the calendar and so, my dear friends, if this is a season of heartache for you I will pray that a season of love, courage and faith will follow.

My special thoughts and prayers are with Brigitte, Donna J., Tara, and Lila-Mae and all of the beautiful women I work with who are now or have recently faced adversity.

"I never knew how strong I could be until I had to be strong....."
With love & blessings,
Peg

It's All About Me Baby....

Really, it is - this post is all about me thanks to Marni over at Sassy Sites - Hello Friends!  I am excited to be able to more formally introduce myself and as suggested to answer a few easy-peasy-lemon-squeezy questions so here goes:

Why did you decide to start blogging?

I have to have an outlet for all the stuff inside of me that wants to come out (now that did not sound right!)  I love to laugh, love to talk, love to create and love to give.  I always have a ton to say and want everyone to feel the joy that I do in the prospect of simply living day-to-day the best way we can!  I also thought that by blogging I might make my "pressure-prompted" self actually complete the projects I dream about instead of just having lovely fantasies!  And so far it's working!

When you aren't blogging, what are you doing?

I am sleeping, working (I work fulltime as a Manager at a large organization), hanging out with my Mr. Biff  (which stands for Best Intimate Friend Forever or Best Interesting Friend Forever or Best Insightful, well you get the idea)....he's a charmer, he's the love of my life and he's my partner in curbshopping, dumpster-diving crime!  I also have 2 dogs who round out our little family - they never fail to entertain! 

What is your blog about?

My blog is essentially about my life as a wanna-be interior decorator, home stager, craftsperson extraordinairre and comedian all rolled into one.  I hope to demonstrate a few crafty things I've learned and share the joy of creating something all by ones'self!

When do you find the time to blog?

My usual "sit down and blog" time is before bed.  I am often thinking on what I will have to say or what I want to show for the day of and sometimes week ahead.  I want to keep it interesting enough for people to simply feel compelled to check in and see what's happening.   I haven't even begun to tell some of the stories I would like to share about life, love and the pursuit of happiness!

Why do you love blogging?

Blogging provides me with an audience and a support network all rolled into one.  I am so inspired by my "on the ground" friends as well as all of my fellow bloggers - you are an amazing bunch!  I guess it's just like going out to play with a really cool group of creative people - now who wouldn't love that?

What is your favorite post so far that you've written?

I don't know that I have written enough yet to have a favourite.  I like the ones where the words just roll off me and I don't have to think about what I am going to say.  To me they are the best posts because they are, perhaps, the most authentically me! (My best project so far tho is the Sexy 'n Silver lamp I did and blogged about here).

Thank you to Marni for hosting this great little new friends linky party!  I hope that you will come and see me and please check out Sassy Sites here.

Please leave a comment to say "hi" and a link to your blog as I would love to follow you...."Follow me where I go, what I see, who I know....." (John Denver)

Blessings,

Peggy

Holding the Vision

So before my adventure into blogging began I had this vision of what my house could look like.  I started saving pictures from blogs, from real estate flyers, and from magazines.  I knew (and still do) what I wanted.  I was thwarted by the fact that I am living in a rental house that, while it is cute, it's also too small and has absolutely no room for my crafting needs.  I can't show you my real-life office because honestly it would burst even my bubble....it's one thing in my head and another in reality.  So, I am trying to hold a vision of what could be when (not if) we move into a larger home (even if it's another rental for now). 

One of the things I have longed for is a workspace/office/craft room that would not only give me space to work but would inspire me.  I knew exactly the main desk I wanted and while scanning Craigslist one evening a few months back - I saw it.....

It was listed for $40.  I thought it was a thing of beauty and I simply had to have it.  Mr. Biff (who is always the haggling, go-to-get-it-guy, promptly brought it home for me for $30.  My hero!  Since then it has sat under a bevy of boxes in our entry way as we make our way through the combined households that have been in storage for the past 2 years (another post, another time!).  What I am thinking of is painting this desk a creamy white right up to her neck....and then keeping the dark stained (altho I will refresh it) on the top.  The good news is that I have plenty of time to think about it as I don't think I want to paint it before moving it....  Here's a couple of angles of the desk to give you a better idea of it's size.

(that's not my junk in the drawers...yet)

Holding the vision....what will be....soon....

I read this quote the other day and loved it:  "The bad news:  time flies.  The good news:  you are the pilot."
Winging my way to a new place (even if it's in my head)
Good night and God Bless,
Peg

Time for Something Different!

Kind of sounds like a line from Monty Python - no?  And, now for something completely different......

I sometimes wonder (do you?) if there's anything new to make - it always seems like I am a step or 2 behind the blogland sisterhood - but then I suppose it just speaks to the creativity out there in the world doesn't it?  So, I have seen a few examples of clock do-overs and thought I would like to try one myself.  Mr. Biff found this tacky lovely plastic clock at a garage sale for $2 (the vendor was asking $3)....even Mr. Biff thought it was kind of ugly showing potential so we brought it home. 

I did the only sensible thing - I took it apart and spray painted it with Rustoleum Ivory White.....then, guess what?  It looked like a tacky lovely white plastic clock.  Never say "give up" is my motto - so I perservered and brought out the sand paper - perhaps it would suffer look better with a little scouring.......yup, it did a little but more is better so I rubbed it with diluted burnt umber craft paint to highlight the crevices (kind of a poor man's version of glazing).  Next came a new face (I could use a facelift myself!) - I am trying desperately to remember where I got the graphic from - I don't think it was the Graphics Fairy - but I will have to dig some more to find where it came from (if you recognize it  - please let me know).  I printed the face on a laser printer and used spray adhesive to afix it to the front of the clock.  In the photos for some reason it does not look centered - you are going to have to take my word that it is - not sure why it looks off kilter (maybe I am off kilter....?haha).   I topped off the new paper face with a light rub of the burnt umber solution then sealed it with some matt modge podge.  I gave the whole thing a good spray with Krylon clear to seal and protect it.  Here's how it came out:

It's not perfection but I am happy with the result.  I put a dear friend's name on the face as the clock maker.  So that's how I spent my Monday night.....what did you do?

Whatever it was - I hope it was fun!
Peggy

Raindrops Keep Falling on My Head....

But that doesn't mean my eyes will soon be turning red....crying's not for me....no (but man oh man would I love to get reacquainted with summer)  I keep thinking any day soon the heat will turn up and we'll all start complaining about how hot and humid it is....bring it on sista!!

In the meantime - I am busy trying to do "inside" things to avoid smelly paint in the back hall.  I have been working on many things (I think I am the ultimate multi-tasker and then I realize I am just a little crazy trying to do too much at once!).  Mr. Biff and I went to our favourite "Skiff City" yesterday and got a great little table - here she is:

The table is definitely "Bee" approved!

The table had wobbly legs and so I took the top off and with a little magic "Gorilla Glue" I fixed the one side that was loose.  It's plenty steady now!  I wanted to use this table to try the french label inspired table that Lorrie at the Red Hen (here) created.  My table would be smaller scale and as it was only $5 I kind of figured it would be ok if all didn't go quite right.  I printed the label (I pulled the graphic from the Graphics Fairy here into Excel) - it was three 8.5x11 pages wide.  Here's how it looked once I had taped it together:

I didn't have any fancy transfer stuff so I used the old-fashioned lead tracing method....covering the whole back of the image with pencil:

I flipped over the paper and then traced it with a pencil:

Sounds good in theory but it was hardly legible....I will try something a little higher tech next time!  It transferred enough for me to attempt to go over it with a fine black Sharpee.  I then went back with a slightly thicker (altho still fine) Sharpee and filled in the remaining lettering.  Once it was done I sanded the surface lightly to take some of the Sharpee shine off.  Here's where I left off:

I plan to stain it with Minwax "American Walnut".  I am going to paint the bottom of the table a delicious creamy white with a little light distressing.  I couldn't finish it today because of the rain!  Stay tuned - I will post the finished product this week.

When I read that Lorrie used a Sharpee - I actually had trouble visualizing how it might come out - but trust me - it comes out quite well and it much easier (for those of us paint-brush challenged) than trying to paint the lettering. 

I hope that it's warm and dry where ever you are and that the sun is shining!
Blessings,
Peg