A Blogger's Rite of Passage

Could you guess from the post title that I am talking about making a chalkboard? I have seen a lot of chalkboards made from frames and mirrors, and lots of other stuff, since I started following blogs.

I now have a chalkboard under my belt too!

I started with this great frame my mom gave me last week, an antique, wooden, oval frame with plaster decoration. I had a piece of glass cut to fit it, painted the glass with chalkboard paint and painted the frame with Heirloom White.

I didn't distress or antique it, yet. I may do that. But for now, I hung it on my living room door.

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Thrift Stores, Estate Sale, Rummage Sale, Antique Store & Mom

In addition to hitting the consignment stores this week, I made it to a rummage sale at the Senior Center and an estate sale.


Here are my finds:

Consignment store find. I think it's a green ballerina pattern depression glass vase. Sure of the pattern, not sure if it's real or a repro. $5.

This was my most expensive purchase. A chippy, old, wooden, primitive tool box. $22 at an antique store. I am going to use it to display some old game boards.

Two oval Irvinware chrome trays and one round Shelton tray at thrift/consignment store. $2 each oval, $3 on the round. Like new condition. I think these will be used in my flower garden for some bling!

I love to collect sprinklers (especially red) and old clippers. I think these are marked Stalwart. Along with the little funnel, all great garden junk! $4 clippers, $4 sprinkler, $1 funnel estate sale.

I don't think I could have too many watering cans and I couldn't pass up on this one at the estate sale. $4. Condition is fair.

More fun garden junk at the estate sale. Long handled Artisan grass clipper. $4.

Great old suitcase, 75 cents at the rummage sale.

Consignment store primitive aluminum scoop $2 and estate sale American Thermos lunch box $4. The lunch box is a great outdoor planter. (My dad and grandpa carried one of these to work in the paper mill every day! Memories!)

A rusty vintage bottle capper from the consignment store for a couple bucks. Interesting garden junk.

This is a double sided dart board. Regular darts on the back and baseball darts on the front. Marked made in England. All wood. $5 at rummage sale. Great condition.

My mom gave me one of her finds, this McCoy ovenware bowl with brown stripes.

This is the second brass holder I have run across recently. The last one I painted white and displayed Christmas cards and Valentines in the clamps. This one was a couple bucks at the estate sale. Also a Walker Ware vintage aluminum water pitcher $3 at the consignment store.

Total spent excluding the primitive tool box $47.75.

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De-Formalizing the Living Room

Now that my living room walls are back to white (after 10 years of yellow), I am changing up the decor slightly.

The de-formalization of the living room includes, a few less doilies, new burlap curtain panels, using more baskets, and the addition of more painted furniture.

I recently purchased this great shelf, with a bead board back, and three color paint distressing, at the Tattered Angel, a local shop.

The great shelf in the above photo will replace this shelf in my living room:

This mirrored shadow box shelf is vintage. Definitely from the 1960's. When I purchased it at a rummage sale in the late 1970's, it had a blonde finish. I didn't really repaint and use it until the late 1990's. I am keeping some of my blue and white dishes up in the living room but with the new shelf.

I like this shelf with the blue and white china!

I would like to add at least one more cream pitcher, but this is the new look. The blue willow plates at left and right are from my Churchill, England, blue willow collection.

The shelf's finish up close, black, jute, and seal skin paint colors, and distressed.

The plates: Bluebonnet Ironstone

Country Inns, Grindley, England

Churchill, England

Royal Homes of Britain, Enoch Wedgwood, England

I like the new look.

Coming soon, more de-formalization, and then the reveal!

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A Vintage Baking Vignette

I decided to dismantle the "spring" vignette in my kitchen corner that I have used for a couple months or more.

I put together a vintage kitchen vignette from stuff that I have on hand, like: a crockery mixing bowl, a Bromwell flour sifter, a Bake King baking pan, a wooden rolling pin with green painted handles, aluminum Ekco measuring cups, a craft shop sugar advertising sack/pillow, and a faux potted plant. And of course my trusty red star!

One would think that I like to bake, but I don't.

I like vintage kitchen utensils, bowls, etc., just for their decorating value!

I have a roast chicken in the oven for dinner, but no baked goods here!