I scored this old dresser for $15 at a yard sale in Denver early in the summer and it took me a while to rehabilitate it enough that it could be used.  Now it’s done, and I’m so pleased with it.

I realized after it was home that it had a strong musty smell so I stored it in the garage for a couple of months where it could get some afternoon sun every day.  I also sprayed some bleach water on the inside of it to try to kill the smell.  I scrubbed the paint but couldn’t get it to look clean enough so painting was necessary.  I chose a dark, cool gray color and went to work.

I love the detail on this dresser!  It looks as beautiful in gray as it did in aqua.  I got all the work done and then was stuck on the last part:  fixing the bottom drawer.  I wanted to ask my husband for help several times but my pride prevented me from asking him to lift a finger on this project.  He was opposed to my buying it in the first place so I had to do it myself.  The bottom of the drawer was missing and had been repaired once in such a way that I couldn’t take it apart again to add a new bottom so I had to get creative.  My handy extended family would probably be disgusted with me, but I did it and it’s now functional.

The piece was missing one of the drawer knobs so I found a similar pair of knobs to use on the top drawer.  I think they look very natural with the other hardware and don’t take away at all from be beauty of the old brass hardware which I put back on the other four drawers.  I know that brass is coming back and in general I’m still completely opposed to that, but I do think this hardware is gorgeous.

I put the dresser in my studio and my quilting fabric is now stored in it.  The piece I was using previously was white, so having the dark color in that spot does change the feel of the room just a bit.  There is a lot of natural light in there though, so it works.  The white piece went to my son’s room and I’m the lucky one that gets to look at this beautiful dresser full of vintage charm and character!

Hooray for a finished project!

Jennifer

P.S. Want to read about me and the color purple?  Head over here for my confessions!

I found it earlier in the summer at a consignment shop in Newport Beach, California and loved it instantly.  One of the things I love about my kitchen is the soothing color scheme.  Blue walls, white cabinets, dark wood floors, mirrors, silver.  My kitchen chairs are all painted different shades of blue with one bright green in the mix.

While I love this color scheme and am far from tiring of it, I wanted to add a touch of  pattern or something more graphic to the room.  I think this sign does the job.  It’s the kind of thing I fall in love with in magazine pictures.  (Are you like me, always falling in love with the one vintage piece in a room instead of all the things they’re trying to sell?)

And how cool is that, to find a sign that says “Old School House”?  When I bought it, the shop owner asked me if I am a teacher.  I said, “No, but I do have eight young children.” Her response, “Close enough!  You’re a teacher 24/7!”

Today I’m enjoying a new vintage touch in my kitchen.  What are you doing today?

Hopeful Homemaker

One of my all-time favorite childrens books is a little one written in the 1950′s.  The carrot seed by Ruth Krauss is an absolute treasure.  It tells the simple story of a boy who plants a carrot seed, then waters it diligently and carefully weeds around it while his entire family looks on telling him “it won’t come up.”

But he doesn’t quit.  He continues to tend his seed patiently until one day…

I love this story.  I love reading it to my children.  It speaks of acting in faith, believing in yourself when others don’t, of the law of the harvest.  I have also dreamed for years of somehow hanging this book in my home as a reminder to us all.  I hesitated, however, worried about the number of picture frames it would take.

Last year a friend gave us a beautiful set of two old windows.  Painted a beautiful butter yellow, they each have six panes.  One day the light went on in my head and I rushed to my copies of The Carrot Seed to count pages.  Sure enough, I could do it.   It took two copies of the book (purchased years ago from Scholastic for 99 cents each).

I cut the binding off the books and carefully taped the pages to the backs of the windows.  And now, on two old windows, we have the entire story hanging in the toy room.  It makes me smile to peek in and see the children reading it while they play.  Exactly what I hoped for.

A simple way to hang an entire book, and the windows add character and interest to the room.   Most importantly, we’re reminded daily to keep working on those good seeds we’ve planted in life.  Eventually they will come up.

Jennifer

Don’t you love those red labels?  They had me at first sight.

I bought these bottles at a yard sale years ago and we’ve used them countless times.  They’re perfect for birthday parties, barbecues and the 4th of July.   I bought an entire crate of them,  24 bottles in great condition.

I store them in my pantry with a towel over them to protect them from dust.  They’re ready to pull out at a moment’s notice.  After using them I simply run them through my dishwasher.   I’ve learned that the easiest way to use them is to serve drinks in a large dispenser with a small spout for easy refills.  We add straws and have fun!

A simple drink table becomes a festive spot with the addition of these bottles.

When we bought our lot there was an awesome old ladder leaning against the cherry tree.  I’ll admit it was my favorite thing about the land at the time, that and the size of the lot in general.   After the construction and some landscaping was done the ladder was somehow moved and broken into two pieces, then broken some more.  I rescued it from the trash pile but haven’t done anything with it until now.

I wanted to hang things on it, but the wood was so splintered and brittle I feared things might be damaged if I did.  I decided to paint it, but chose a flat gray that preserved the old wood feeling.

On one piece I added “s” hooks and hung my watering cans.  This (hopefully) will prevent my kids from kicking them around the yard.  I leaned it against the exterior of the house behind my serving/potting table.

When I’m serving food I can move the watering cans and hang a dishtowel, serving tongs, etc. in their place.

I’m pleased with how it looks and thrilled that I’m finally using my old ladders.  Watch next week for what I did with the other half.  It’s crazy cute!

Have a great day,

Jennifer

While in Denver for Memorial Day weekend, we couldn’t resist hitting some yard sales on Saturday morning.  We drove into town around 2:30 a.m. but my eyes popped open at 7:30 and I was wide awake, ready for the fun.

It was fun to see which of my children were interested in joining us.  These two brought plenty of humor to our morning.

I scored two awesome deals that morning.  The first was these four vintage chairs for…. $15.00!

This kind of chair was the only thing on my wish list.  I was hoping for two, but would happily have settled for just one, and I expected to pay a decent amount for them because they’re rather popular right now.

I would happily have paid that price for just one, but a set of four for only $15?!?  Rather than let my chin hit the floor when they told me the price, I put the cash in their hands fast so they couldn’t change their minds.  They’re in great condition and the caning is still perfect.  Wow, talk about a deal!  I am so excited to refinish them.

The other amazing find was this vintage dresser, still wearing its original paint.   It was a steal at $15.00.

It’s so beautiful.  (To me, that is.  My husband, who came with me for the first time EVER, was NOT impressed with the “junk” I was hauling away.  It was kind of a funny moment, and perhaps I should have yielded,  but I knew I’d never see another piece like this.)

I love the oval detail on the front of the piece, and the hardware is amazing.  It’s missing one piece, and the bottom drawer is damaged, but I’m still in love with it.  I also love the detail on the bottom and the legs are beautiful.

Our van isn’t built for the kind of maneuvering and hauling that yard sales require, so it was kind of a pain to be driving it.  We also kept the back seat in, which meant we had no room for the dresser (another reason for my husband’s disgust with my purchase).  Gratefully, my sister and her husband graciously packed it in their truck for a crazy, windy drive with a big load to their home in Logan.  Now it’s waiting for me there, and I just have to find time to go and get it.

Can you believe it:  five awesome pieces for $30 total.  Fun, fun, fun!  Welcome summer!

Hopeful Homemaker

This project earns no points in speed, but it’s done.

I’ve been living without a bedside table for over a year and it wasn’t working.  Taking a cue from this piece on my husband’s side of the bed, I went to work.

I love the layers of distressed paint on this dresser, as well as the legs and the detail at the bottom.  The drawer runners are in sad condition, which was how I paid only $5 for it at a yard sale last year.  My husband stores very little in it, so it serves it purpose in function as well as adding a pop of color and character to the room.

A few years ago I picked up this vintage desk for $7.00.  It didn’t fit in the spot I originally intended to use it, so it’s been sitting in the basement until I found a use for it.

The paint job was quite frightening and took a LOT of sanding to prep for a fresh coat of paint.

What I loved about it were the legs and the old wooden wheels.

My original intent was to paint the desk, then rough it up and distress it.   When I was done painting, I really liked it as it was.  I skipped the distressing and hauled it upstairs.

Since the desk sits on the side of the bed near the windows, it gets a lot of light, which further emphasizes the fact that the desk is brighter in color than the dresser.  I was nervous about it, but I actually like it.  The two sides are balanced without being exactly alike.

Finishing the desk meant hanging two vintage oval mirrors I’ve had sitting forever.  Over the desk I hung a more feminine, wider, gold mirror.  I picked it up for $5 at a yard sale last year in Colorado.  Over the dresser I hung a mirror purchased at a thrift store.  I thought it was dirty but when I cleaned it I discovered that someone had created this gold and white finish with paint.  While my original plan was to paint one of the mirrors, I liked both finishes and opted to leave them alone, letting the oval shape tie them together without matching finishes.

And so, two projects are now done.  The mirrors are hung as I pictured and the desk is now in use as a bedside table.  The painting spot in my basement is available for a new project (of which I have an abundance waiting).  I’ve loved having a place for my lamp, alarm clock, and current reading.  I also love the way this vintage wire basket looks atop the desk.

One last look.  Before:

After:

Quite an improvement, wouldn’t you agree?

Hopeful Homemaker

project shared here and here

I couldn’t help but marvel at the irony of walking through the house Uncle Dennis grew up  in … after he is gone.   Leora graciously allowed me to take a few pictures…

The only bathroom in the house, and it had the most amazing wallpaper up in it.  I would never choose it, but still I loved it, and I was amazed at how long it’s been there.

A look at the whole bathroom:

Ten foot ceilings throughout the entire main floor of the house.  Gorgeous.  And  fun detail on the openings between rooms.  More vintage wallpaper.

Awesome transoms above every door.  The glass has been painted on all of them, and on a few there was wallpaper.  I loved that a couple of them will still open.

Original doors still in place, with their original hardware and detail.  Wow.  They’ve been there for more than 100 years.

Upstairs there were sloped rooms, more vintage wallpaper, an armoire filled with quilts Leora has made over the years.  This vintage wallpaper stopped me in my tracks.  Can I have some?  Please?

The house sits on the family farm in Malad, the cemetery just across the ravine.

I really wouldn’t mind watching some sunrises from this spot.  Wouldn’t mind it at all.  It was breathtaking to pause and look up, marveling at the grandeur of the sky.

And then we drove home.   It was a great little stop on our way out of Malad.  Many thanks to all the Browns for sharing this treasure with me.

HH

Last spring I picked up this rusted metal wreath for a song.  It was the bow that got my attention, reminding me of something Dr. Seuss would have drawn, but here it was in three dimensional form.  I’ve been waiting all year to use it for Christmas.

I took it with me to a favorite shop where the owner and I played with different ideas.  I wanted to do something to dress it up, but I didn’t want to detract from the whimsical nature of the simple wreath.  We settled on some simple white and clear acrylic sprays  coming out of the bow, and I added a large (5 inch diameter) round Christmas ornament to the center of the bow.

When we held the ornament up to the wreath, we both laughed.  It was so over the top that it was perfect.  The scale was just right for the wreath as a whole, and the bling was just plain funny, especially on the simple rusted metal form.

I love the unexpectedness of the entire thing.  And as usual, I love that it’s one of a kind,  totally original.

It doesn’t hurt that we did it all in neutral colors, either.  I don’t have to take it down in January.  I think this wreath will live in my kitchen for a while, along with these lights.  It adds to a simple but sparkly feel in the room which is just what I need to get through the gray winter.

Every time I walk through the room I look at this wreath and laugh.  I love it.

HH

shared here

It was the pattern that made me stop.  A picture of golden wheat on each plate:

My mind’s eye automatically pictured a few treasured pieces of vintage Madeira linen I had at home.
This wheat pattern I have in a set of four placemats.  The detail on them is intricate and lovely.  I marvel that someone spent countless hours placing each stitch by hand.

But this is the piece the china reminded me of most.  A Marghab piece in the New Wheat pattern.  Breathtaking.

In my ultimate Thanksgiving dreams I would have 30 of these placemats to serve Thanksgiving dinner on.  The pattern is so simple and sophisticated.  I love it.

And so I stood there, pondering the china, reflecting on the timeless symbol of golden wheat and how aptly it communicates appreciation for simple things:  for sustenance, for harvests, for the beauty of the earth.  I turned one over.

22 karat gold!  Usually I’m not interested in gold, but my heart quickly made an exception.  I counted the pieces.  Twenty-eight in all.  Twenty-eight pieces of china for $18.  They came home with me.

Later that night I stood at my kitchen sink and carefully washed each piece.  I noticed how the gold has largely washed off many of the dinner plates, leaving only a hint of the shine that once graced each rim.  I noticed stains on a few, and scratches on the wheat image in some places.  I couldn’t help but wonder about whose Thanksgiving table was graced, obviously many times, with these beautiful pieces.  I wondered at the memories the plates held, the family recipes they’ve seen, the conversations held around that table.

Part of me felt sad for whatever twist of fate sent this lovely stack of dishes to the thrift store.  Did someone pass away?  Did enough of them finally break that they no longer were used?   Why did no one want them?

My sister-in-law serves Thanksgiving dinner on her grandmother’s china.  Each year they are carefully washed by hand and stored lovingly.  I watch this ritual take place in honor of a wonderful woman, and feel a twinge of envy that no such heirloom will ever be mine.  I envy the act of remembrance it represents, not the dishes.  I look at my newly acquired china and wonder why no one wished to do the same with it.

I wish to.

My heart whispers a silent “thank-you” for the twist of fate that brought this treasure to my home, for the chance to use them tomorrow.  There aren’t enough for the large group we’re expecting, but we will use them for dessert.  The thought makes me smile.  It means that tomorrow night I get to stand again at my kitchen sink to carefully wash them as I reflect on the memories of the day.  Tomorrow these plates begin a new journey, gathering memories at my kitchen table to be carefully stored away until next year.

The thought makes me smile.  And would you believe there’s even sunshine outside?
Life is good.

Jennifer