The lovely and talented Kate over at Centsational Girl posed the question, "Where do you blog?" The answer, a room we call the sun room. It's a room we added on a few years ago. We have a small family room off the kitchen, but it's really not big enough for large gatherings. So we broke out the dining room wall and added the sun room. It's a big, bright and happy room. And the spiral stairs lead down to a play room.
I have a little cottage desk tucked away in the corner. I love it because it's private, yet in the heart of everything at the same time. I keep a pretty tidy little space with all the usual necessities. I have another desk in the kitchen for taking care of household related chores. So this space is just for me!
If it's late at night, I may end up on the loveseat with my feet up on the coffee table, conveniently located within reach of the always present bowl of Hershey Kisses.
I love this room. It really shines at the holidays. And it is at it's very best filled with family, friends and laughter! I also love it on a cold winter night when I can curl up in the leather chair with a good book and watch the snow fall. As you can see, it's still in summer mode at the moment. Since today is the first day of school here, I guess that means I need to break out the fall decorations. Good-bye summer!
I love to read. My books are overflowing on shelves in the family room, but did you notice all the shelter magazines in here? Yup, I love them. And this baskets holds every issue of Cottage Living - a sad day when that stopped publication!
Overall, I love my blogging space and my gathering space. But I'm ready for a few changes, the room is a bit more country than I'd like. So, that's definitely on the list of upcoming projects. But for now, it's a warm and cozy space and my favorite place to blog.
And did you notice the market bag? Yup, that's mine and it's from Molly. Don't forget that today is the last day to enter my 100th follower Thank You Giveaway. You could win your very own market bag Handmade by Molly. ..... Quick, before it's too late!!!
I love furniture finds and this was a really good weekend!
I hit a few yards sales and a small flea market.
I came home with a few goodies, but these were my favorites.
A really great dresser with a matching mirror.
And a cute little nightstand.
Yes, it was a good weekend for furniture finds!
I found this sweet little nightstand on Craigslist. The owner had also purchased it from Craigslist with the thought of painting it for her daughter's room. But she was a busy mom with a couple of little ones and decided she just didn't have the time or the energy. She even asked me to send her a picture of it when it was finished. I bet she wasn't expecting a blog post.
I knew I wanted to do a nice deep french blue with a little more distressing than I usually do. Then I used a white glaze to bring out the details and a final coat of wax. I hope she thinks I did a good job!
I was on my way to a flea market a week or so later and I found this headboard and footboard out by the curb waiting for bulk pickup. I thought it was a perfect match for the nightstand. I had to put it in the car quickly as it was early in the morning and a dog inside the house was barking like crazy. I imagined that everyone was looking out their windows watching some crazy lady go through the trash.
And here they are together. Both pieces have really great curves. A perfect pair, don't you think?
I get a lot of questions about glazing and waxing. I think there are actually a variety of products and techniques out there that work well and everyone has their favorites. Here's what I've found that really works for me.
This is my absolute favorite glaze. It's Valspar's Clear Mixing Glaze in the handy pourable bottle. You can pretty much mix it with any color paint - white, black, brown, blue, etc. You can totally customize the color you want without having so many different products on hand. The directions say mix 4 - 8 parts glaze to 1 part paint, but I really don't measure exactly. I just mix it up in an old margarine tub. I brush it on with a foam brush and wipe off with a soft cloth. Have a wet one and a dry one handy and wipe until you get the look you want. The glaze will bring out the details on your piece and it really gives a nice smooth finish.
And I generally give most of my pieces a nice coat of wax as a finishing touch. Even if I don't glaze, I still wax. I have really good luck with the Minwax Paste Finishing Wax. It's a natural color and works on everything. Just rub it on with a soft cloth, wait about 15 minutes and rub again with a clean cloth. You will really be so pleased with the finish.
Don't forget to enter my 100th follower thank you giveaway. One lucky winner will receive a beautiful market bag from the Etsy shop Handmade by Molly!