Something Quick & Easy

Sometimes you just want a quick and easy project to do.  This is one of them.  I had a cut glass bottle that I had gotten years ago from Pier 1 to hold the dishwashing liquid by our sink.  I used decorative cork toppers to cap it and recently bought a few of those toppers used with syrups or oils, but they didn’t fit this bottle.  I bought a new bottle with topper at Walmart last week to hold the dishwashing liquid.

Problem was {in my eyes} it was rather plan looking.  The cut glass bottle on its own had looked so pretty.  I decided to add some rub-ons that I had to the new plain glass bottle.  You should probably do something like this before you put the dishwashing liquid in the bottle. 

Simple, quick, and easy enough to dress up this plain bottle. 

I am still going to be on the look-out for this type of stopper, though, for my cut glass bottle, but this one makes a nice change for now. 

Plants Potted, Perennials in Place

I usually wait until Mother’s Day weekend passes before I purchase and plant anything.  This year, there was a frost warning for two nights past Mother’s Day so I got a little bit of a late start.  I finally made it to Lowe’s last week and got some plants for the urns by our garage door and front door.

Last year I used coleus by the garage door in a variety of colors as well as some other trailing plants.  Those plants got huge and grew wonderfully in our hot and humid summer last year.  Plus, keeping flowers away from the door keeps us from having to dodge bees, but I still get color.  This year I planted one particular coleus ~ a purple and chartreuse color, along with some potato vine.

For the urn by our front door {same bee thing} I also planted a pot with  two different colors of coleus.  Last year I had a fern here, which did well, but I kept brushing into it and getting fronds in our entry.  I also planted up an extra hanging pot I had in the garage with more coleus and potato vine.

It would probably be nice if I took the sticker off that pot or, at the every least, turn it around.  I do expect the potato vine to grown down nicely and cover most of that pot.  I also got two daisy plants and two salvias to fill in some blank spots in the front.  The azaleas, phlox and liriope were already planted here when we moved in.

Split a piece off this hosta 

and put it here, since it seemed like it was an awkward spot with no plants.  The hosta was here when we moved in and I put the three hydrangeas in last year.  I was surprised, and relieved, that they survived the Summer last year.  Of course, I was out there with a bucket of water every. single. day.

I have a few more free spots that I can put some plants in without overcrowding things.  I would like to get a rose bush in, as I miss my roses and hydrangeas from our old house.  Since I’ve been coveting my neighbor across the ways lilacs, I think I’m going to see if I can’t fit in a lilac by the guest bedroom window.  I’ll bet that would smell wonderful when the windows are open.

So, not a lot of gardening going on, but enough for me to handle, at this point in my life.  I can live vicariously through my daughter and son-in-law on the big projects {and not have the aches and sore muscles}!

Pretty Little Shelf

I hit three garage sales a day over the course of three days.  Days one and two yielded nothing, but the third day definitely was the charm!  One of the things I found was this pretty little shelf. 

Its pretty shape caught my eye as soon as I walked up the driveway and, for $2.00, it came home with me. 

I also found a black six-drawer dresser at this same garage sale {for $10.00}, but it took up the whole back of my Sorento, so I headed right over to my booth with it to offload it.  Next time I’m there, I will get a photo and share that with you.  Back to the shelf ~ all it really needed was a freshening up.

It turned out it was a light grey color, but I gave it a fresh coat of paint with Annie Sloan Old White and some clear wax.

I put some of the Mother’s Day rosebuds, that I dried, on the top shelf just for styling, and a couple of dainty little teacups that will also be going to the booth.

I think it looks much fresher and cleaner looking now.  I wish I had somewhere to put it here, but I’m about all out of wall space now!

Linking up with

Nifty Thrifty Tuesday at Coastal Charm

Inspire Me Tuesday at A Stroll Thru Life

 

Clothespin Bag

Do you know those cloth bags you sometimes get with new bed linens?  Like this one that held a new dust ruffle I got {from the Shabby Chic line} from Target.

What do you do with it?  It’s a nice little bag with a velcro closure.  I couldn’t throw it away and had no other use for it, so I decided to add a couple of graphics to it and make it a clothespin bag.  I searched on Pinterest and The Graphics Fairy and came up with these.

Source: Reading, Roses & Prose

I used transfer paper and ironed them onto the front of the bag.  One is on the flap and one is on the body of the bag.

It is now in my Etsy!  With several clothespins to get you started!

 

Linking up with:

The Creative HomeAcre Hop at A Cultivated Nest

Brag Monday at The Graphics Fairy

Make It Pretty Monday at The Dedicated House

Nifty Thrifty Tuesday at Coastal Charm

Be Inspired at Common Ground

 

Warm To Cool In The Guest Room

I’ve had very warm colors in our guest room, which is great for the chilly and cold months, but it’s time for a change.  I am typing this post on an 80 degree day and, while breezy out, it’s still warm inside.  Since I now have everything I need to do my change over for the warmer months in the guest room, I decided to get started.  Here is the room as you last saw it.

I got the sheets from Ikea along with a lightweight comforter to fit inside a duvet I already had.  The dust ruffle is the Shabby Chic line from Target. 

The sheers are also from Ikea.  I couldn’t pass them up at $4.99 a pair and they are nice and long.  They are very much like a netting so if you were looking for something like that to do a bed canopy, these would be perfect.

The only other thing I have to do in here now is repaint the armoire and the two little shelf pieces I have flanking the window.  They are going from black to Old White {for the armoire} and Heirloom White spray paint for the little shelves.

Just changing the bedding and the curtains has made this room feel much cooler for the warmer months.

Garage Sale Chair Updated

You might remember that I showed you this chair that I found at our local community garage sale.  For $10.00, it’s a sturdy chair and in good condition.

Nothing drastic.  I decided to leave it “as is” after a gentle cleaning and just change out the fabric seat.  The previous owner made it easy for me because the green fabric she had used was just push pinned in under the wood seat.  I decided to use this graphic {which I believe I found on Pinterest}.

I did it as an iron on transfer onto Osnaberg fabric.  After adding a few layers of batting {of which this chair had none to start with}, I covered the seat, stapling the fabric into place.

Screwed it back into the chair base and done!

Simple enough update and I think it made a nice change.

Linking up with

Make It Pretty Monday at The Dedicated House

Nifty Thrifty Tuesday at Coastal Charm

Open House Party at No Minimalist Here

Be Inspired at Common Ground

 

Chalkboard Makeover

Any time I can find a chalkboard and just repaint the frame, I’ll take it!  That was the case with this chalkboard I found at our community garage sale a couple of weeks ago.

I liked the checks on the side of the chalkboard and I thought the overall shape was great.  For $5.00 it came home with me.  I gave it two coats of Old White chalk paint.

I purchased a wood wreath applique, since that top space seemed to be calling out for something.  I painted it black and attached it to the top portion of the chalkboard.  After applying a clear and dark wax to the whole piece, I then added some Antique Gold Rub n Buff to the detailed areas of the wreath.

I love its new updated look!  Hopefully, someone else will, too, because it’s going to my booth!