New Mantel and Changes

Y'all, it's been a hot minute since I have shared and posted. Oh, so much to tell! But, today I will just start with a few of the changes I have experienced this summer.

We became empty nesters and moved from Montana to Northern Idaho. Hubby retired from education in MT and is able to collect full retirement from MT (not enough to live on) and be a principal in another state. Moving wasn't necessarily the game plan, but Covid made it clear in about May that it needed to be the plan.

We kept our old schoolhouse in Montana (more on that to come) and bought a new, cute little house in our new hometown.

I am just starting to get it decorated and have more boxes to unpack (going from 5000 sq. ft. to 1500 is challenging, but good!). My new town does not have natural gas so propane, electric, and wood stoves are the heat sources come winter. We have a cute little wood stove tucked in the wall. 

It has a metal mantel that we are going to put a piece of reclaimed wood on that will make it a little wider and longer, but for now I decided to play with some thrift store finds to juuzsh it up (you know juuzsh, right?).

There are outlets, etc. above the mantel for a TV but we chose to make one of the bedrooms a TV room. I knew I wanted some wood, some texture, some color. I started with this this thrift store card table I found at a thrift store in my new town.

I used Wise Owl Furniture Salve to restore the wood's natural beauty.

I placed two wicker thrift store candlesticks on one side and two tall wood spools on the other side for symmetry, but not an exact match.

I silver tray tucked behind the spools and a thrift store paint by number propped in front of the card table finished the look for now. I will definitely be changing my decor on the mantel seasonally, but am happy with the flowers and bit of blue for now. 

I look forward to sharing new projects in a new home. I hope to inspire you to personalize your home. 

Sunday Verses

Happy Sunday! I often say on my Sunday devotionals to just trust, have faith, rest in God, believe. But, how do you do that, how do you cross the bridge between saying and knowing how to be at peace and actually practicing it? How do we simply trust God and believe that He will work in our favor and on our behalf? We cross the chasm of fear and worry and the unknown one step, one breath, one day at a time. Moving forward towards peace happens when we focus on Jesus, when we repeat his words, when we talk to him, when we get still and listen. It is not easy and we often run back to the familiar side--to worry and fear. Let's step back on the bridge by telling God we trust him, by being honest with him about our anxieties, by keeping our eyes fixed on Jesus who sees us, knows us, and loves us completely and  unconditionally. 

Sunday Verses

Happy Sunday! The saying, "You never know what's coming around the corner," certainly seems to be ringing true this year--catastrophic fires, murder hornets, pandemic, protests. Throw in my youngest graduating, my husband retiring in our state to go be a school administrator in another state (because he can collect retirement here and get a full salary elsewhere), house remodeling, moving and I have seen enough change to last me awhile. And I must admit, I have not been embracing all these ch, ch, ch, changes very well. Change is hard. It is uncomfortable and unfamiliar and scary. I know it can be exciting and adventurous too, but when it involves goodbyes, it is arduous. I have learned that having the right mindset can make all the difference. Learning to look for the positives, to see some changes as temporary, to welcome fresh starts, to quit fighting the shifts, and rather be content in our present situations takes mindful effort, but it is possible. The secret is Jesus--faith, trust, belief that his love is enough, that his comfort will see us through, that he is not surprised by any of the changes, and that he knows exactly how they will turn out brings peace to the weary and overworked mind. Contentment doesn't mean you can't mourn the hard transitions, but finding, choosing, and trusting contentment in all situations sure make life a little easier to live day by day.

Vintage Metal Cart Makeover

I have loved these vintage metal carts. I remember we had one when I was really little and then hubby and I had a aqua colored one when we first marries (why did I ever get rid of that?). So, when I spied one for $2 at a garage sale, I had to grab it.

It was in rough shape--had old contact paper on the top shelf and rust on the shelves. I scraped the contact paper off and sanded the flaking paint and rust.

I then used some paint that I mixed up a year or two ago, It was a combination of different chalk paints, maybe a little latex in there too. I think this dark green is coming in hot this fall as I am seeing it more and more on cupboards and walls. It is not the avocado green that a vintage metal cart like this might have come in. And it is not the forest green of the 90's. It has a bit more earthiness to it. I think that although navy is still very popular, this deep green is going to be replacing it.

One coat covered the chippy, rusty white. I lightly sanded the paint to smooth it some and then used a clear spray in a satin finish to protect the paint. 

HINT--use a paper bag to lightly "sand" over the clear coat after it is dry to make it feel smooth to the touch. These little carts make awesome bar carts, coffee spots, or a microwave cart.

Sunday Verses

Happy Sunday! I need to preface this-- I am not trying to be political or divisive with this post, actually quite the opposite. Our governor passed a mandatory mask order this week

 (as many other states have) and boy howdy, have tempers and opinions been flying. And in it all, I am saddened to see the accusations and assumptions that are being made from both sides of the issue. Why do so many of us assume the worst? We post conspiracy theories and accuse government officials of managing the numbers to control us. We call people uncaring and fearful, we assume one thing or another based on whether a mask is being worn or not. Even the ability to breathe in a mask or not seems to be decided by party lines. And in it all, I am disheartened to see so many people angry and so many assuming that people are only making decisions based on personal gain. The information is changing daily and yes, some people are being deceitful. But, please, let's not assume the worst and let's not accuse others who have different opinions than us. Let's lead with love and good, sound judgement rather than looking for and accusing others of plotting harm. Love first and foremost, that is what Jesus would do.

Rustic Farmhouse Bookshelf

Lately, I just cannot get enough of this old curragated tin.

 I love the patina and the rustic, industrial, farmhousw feel it adds to a piece. (see it on my walls HERE and a jelly cupboard HERE). So, when I sold a cabinet in my booth and needed something to hold smalls, I knew a bookshelf with a rustic industrial vibe would be perfect.

Camper Makeover

Y'all, why do we wait to improve things until we are doing it for someone else? We have done this with homes, cars, and now our 29 ft. travel trailer, aka camper.

We bought this 2005 Jayco Eagle camper in 2012 and enjoyed many fantastic family trips in it. But, the youngest birdie is leaing the nest so it is time to sell it. First, though, it needed some improvements. I am going to try and share the details of the makeover, but we are by no means experts. This took a lot of sweat equity and I wanted to quit more than once. While I don't have an exact number, I know we spent less than $750 on the total remodel.

Sunday Verses

Happy Sunday! I love daisies--they are simple, unassuming, happy flowers and seem to grow well in many different conditions. In the movie, You've Got Mail, Meg Rain says she thinks daisies are the friendliest flowers. This verse reminds us that as believers we need to simply choose kindness, and gentleness, and compassion when interacting with others. We don't need to complicate it, we don't need to be angry and divisive, but rather we are called to be patient and kind. Things are "getting ugly" out there, let's be friendly. CHOOSE to be kind, CHOOSE to be love to someone, CHOOSE to be unassuming, CHOOSE to do good.

Sunday Verses

Happy Sunday! We have had quite a few woodpeckers in our yard this year (including this Red-Naped Sapsucker). They are fun and interesting to watch as they peck away in spots that aren't going to help feed them--our flag pole, windows, metal stove pipe. Seeing the bird furiously persist pecking at a dead wood or metal pole is a great picture of what we so often do in our lives. How many times do we continue down or return to paths that we know are not right for us only to eventually feel like we are banging our heads against a brick wall? You know the saying, if you want different results, you have to try different approaches. We need to quit making choices that we know aren't good for us and aren't life-giving. And, I know that it is so hard to not follow familiar paths and patterns and habits, but looking to Jesus and relying on Him makes the hard things possible. Let's quit poking and jabbing at dead activities, actions, words that lead us the wrong way and rather focus on those paths that guide us to the vital life God wants for us.

So Many Show Projects

Y'all, i had a show last week, woohoo! And while the crowds weren't huge the sales were absolutely fantastic. We practiced social distancing, spread out the booths, etc. 

As is typical, I intended to stage and take good pictures of all of my projects. Alas, I did not take the time to do that, but I will show you some photos from my booth and walk you through some of my favorite furniture items.

This bookshelf was a brown, wobbly, thrift store purchase. I painted it black and added some old boards to the back that I sanded and stained. (The boards are off of my house--they were behind the gutters for some reason, making the gutters useless so hubby removed them.) I really liked how the black with the old, chippy wood looked together and adding the back made the bookshelf sturdy and rock soild.

I made a cattle crossing sign and painted another cow (like this one HERE) on the bottom of a warped oak tray out of an old trunk. You can also see a barnwood coat hook. This piece of barnwood has a hole in it (lower left) and I was happy I found  use for the holey wood.

This sunflower painting sold right away. I painted it using ONLY wood scraps as my paintbrushes. It is sunny and bright and happy. A potting bench/outdoor bar has an old metal hoosier drawer in it for potting soil or ice and drinks. My large watermelon and carrot were purchased by the local FCC teacher for the classroom kitchen.

Old door hall trees are always popular. I chose to plane the reclaimed wood and leave it natural, using only Wise Owl Furniture Salve to finish. The mirror was purchased from a thrift store and the wood beads around it was the inspiration for the natural wood seat on the hall tree. I made another Yellowstone Park sign since the first one sold in one day.

Hubby and I had purchased some huge butcher block type pieces of wood (they are actually cut off pieces from large beams) at a garage sale. We made one into a rolling island. I used coconut oil to season the butcher block. 

I was happy and thankful that customers came out and were there to buy! Sales have also been great in my booth at The Antique Barn in Gallatin Gateway, MT.