Using burlap and buttons & an odd ball placemat.

I don't know about you..but I LOVE burlap. The texture it adds to a room is down right brilliant. It comes in many different colors but the khaki/choc. brown standbys are still my favorite. I have been making pillows from it the past week. One I started months ago and just now finished it. The first pillow is actually a placemat I fell in love with at Fred Meyer and bought it knowing I would marry it with some burlap. The second I mixed some choc. burlap with a ticking stripe. Now I don't stop at pill0ws.. if you look closely at the bird prints (bought for .25 at a garage sale..sorry thought you ought to know) you can see that they were a bit small for my frames I already had. Well I am too cheap to go out and get ones to fit. Have you been in a frame shop lately? Eghads. I took some ribbon and strips of burlap and used it as a sort of mat. May not be for everybody but I like it. Now another thing I love...and I know I am not alone...buttons. Old buttons. Mother pearl buttons really get me going. Be still my heart. I tend to horde them...but this week I decided to put them to work. I covered another tired old frame with the same ticking I used on the pillows (there is a theme here some where) on purpose of course so that there was some repetition with my patterns. Remember Christopher Lowell always saying that? I added buttons to the frame and an old pic of my Daddy. I also decided to add some to a pillow using our last name as a monogram. She isn't perfect but I like it. I used double sided tape to put them in place and than hand-stitched them on. Lastly I had to show you my garage sale plate I found today. I love the crazing on it. I had to find a home for it right away. I wanted to say Thank-you sooooo very very much for all the sweet comments. You all have made my week! Happy over the hump day! Cherry

Painting, puttering, and a little project.

As I start to write this I can hear sprinklers going....which to me is the epitome of Summer. I hear a few frogs mingled with the sound of water. I LOVE These sounds. I can't wait for the crickets to start chirping. While that might entail Summer coming to a close...I am sorry to see it go. It never stays long enough for me. Don't get me wrong I love to decorate for Fall and love the cool crisp mornings but there is something sad about Summer departing for another year. I like the feeling of knowing that I have no where to go, nothing planned...I can putter to my hearts content. NO constraints...except for fun spur of the moment types of things. I feel blessed to not have time constraints at this point and time. I thought I would show you what I did today. While not much...I enjoyed doing it...in my own due time. Thursday was my shopping day in the big city and I picked up this little metal sign "family" for 1.50 and this mirror that I painted the edges black for .50. I added some scrapbook paper and ribbon/key and glued the little plaque inside. It is a little symbol to me that family..is the key. Maybe a little corny...but just a good reminder. I picked up the butterfly pics at our Humane Society the same day. Of course painted them as well. The shelf was another score second hand..also painted. The heart is filled with lavender and I attached the french flash card that means "blessed" or "happy" with an old button and hat pin. I can't take credit for sewing the heart..because well it was another thrift store find. Since I repainted the shelf I of course had to play around with things that would sit there. This is what I came up with. I framed a little nest sticker on old ledger paper inside the round frame. I think just about anything looks like art once framed. The urn and bird/on nest were spray painted ivory. Nothing ever stays the same long at my house. The wreath I found at a garage sale in Georgia of all places. While going on a cross country trip. I look at all this stuff and it reminds me just how cheap I really am. Not one of these pieces were bought new in a store, well at least not by me. I know many of you relate to that. So many bargain queens out there. While I sure didn't save the world today...and I certainly never will...I had fun painting and puttering. Happy evening to all. xoxo,

Things that make me smile...

I just wanted to share a few little things and spots that make me smile. I never tire of wreaths large or small. I love simple ones..not adorned. I did hang a little skeleton key off this one. This hangs in our little entry way. I love bird cages and this was found second hand. Painted it black...are you surprised?
I have collected little bell jars here and there...so fun to change out. Than of course you need a bird plaque with all the nests. Flowers kinda go with the theme as well. This floral is my favorite in my collection. I am sure some consider roosters passe or whatever the fancy term is..but this one I never tire of and yes he makes me smile. I picked up these old paper mache trays up in an antique store in Crescent City, CA while on vacation. So when I look at them I think of the fun times my family and I had camping. I also just love their worn patina. The last one I had to add because of course..my family makes me smile. I like to have the familiarity there. When I may be alone at home....I still have the reminder that they are not far away. So what little places in your home make you smile? xoxo, cherry

I "shutter" at the thought

Not really.. but I thought it was a semi-clever little title. Pun intended. Actually these are not even shutters...although I want them to look like they are. They started their life as 70's bi-folds.....NOW THAT.. does make me "shudder at the thought." DARKKKKKKK wood...spindles at the top...you get the picture. Now are house..proud that I am of it.. isn't one of those glorious old beings that have oodles of character. I think adding shutters and old archectural salvage kinda remedies that. So I of course have shutters etc. everywhere. These I had my manly man cut in half removing the spindle top (I have ideas for this part as well). Waste not want not. I wanted an undercoat so I painted them white first and than black. Sanded and distressed and now they are hung! They hang in our hallway on either side of an old dresser, mirror,and some slipper chairs. Not bad for an after church project. I even got a Sunday afternoon nap in. Anyone else get some weekend projects done? Now I got to get back to "Breaking Dawn"....I know I am sadly behind my friend who is probley almost finished with it. Bless ya, cherry