Totes & Toile Chair Re-do

Totes & Toile Chair Re-do

Gals, I have found some of the most gorgeous market totes ever on this etsy site here called Sew Gracious! AND she is having a give away (ends the 10th), so run to her blog, sign up for a wonderful free tote, & tell her Steph sent ya!! I just love these!! Especially the chocolate brown & pink damask one!! Imagine that!!

I didn't make a post in time for the 4th, but here is a little pillow I cross-stitched for the occasion ~ I love LOVE decorating with the red, white & blue!

Now, if you are the sort who shudders at re-painting antiques, ruining their resale value, shabbying up stuff, you are hereby warned NOT to continue.........I'll have you shaking in your boots.

On the other hand, if Rachel is your best friend, the people at Home Depot know you by name in the white paint section, & you love pink, green, & toile, chippy white, & ruffles.......forge ahead........

DH & I found 3 of the most awesome barley twist oak (yes, OAK) dining chairs. But I just couldn't abide with the dark finish. And the crumbly fabric & stuffed cushions were falling apart, so imagine my surprise when DH said yes, we could get them & YES!!! I could re-paint them WHITE!!!!!!

This was just the primer, but you can already see what a difference it is making & how it helps bring out the beautiful detailing!
Here is the finished product after .....a) a trip to JoAnn's Fabric Store b) locating WHICH closet my seldom used sewing machine was in & c) another trip back to JoAnn's for MORE fabric......



I used Waverly's Rustic Country Life toile in a lt green / reddish pink pattern, & coupled it with a green/white/pink small cabana stripe discontinued fabric for a little bit of unexpected fun.
Still need to do some paint touch-ups from where the molding was added to the chair backs, & STILL have 3 more kitchen chairs to re-do that I will mix & match with these, but for a girl who doesn't really sew, I feel very proud that I got this accomplished (AND that DH didn't staple my foot to the floor while helping me attach the ruffles!)

Next on the to-do list is to re-paint the kitchen table white. I'll show more pics when it is all finished.

Hugs,

SHOW & TELL SUNDAY ~ Storage

SHOW & TELL SUNDAY ~ Storage

The wonderful Cerri at Little Pink Studio is hosting this Sunday's Show & Tell. And it is all about ~ Storage ~ this week! Where we store it, how we store it, & WHY we store it! Just kidding about that last part! Click here to see other bloggers who are participating today.

I'm in major need of some storage solutions, so I'll show you my stash, then I am quickly heading off to see how some of you store yours artfully, beautifully, at least neatly!!

I use my handpainted traincase in my bedroom to hide excess ribbon, lace, trim & scissors in.

This nifty ribbon holder was given to my by my parents. I just love it!

Love its crystal knob

and all the detailing on the sides. I think I need another one!!

I store my fabric, vintage linens, & other assorted paraphenalia in these pretty boxes.

Little pink upright cabinet holds my fairy dust & loose pearls & beads.
Fabric & Linens

I keep my cards, patterns, & stationery in this Rachel Ashwell Shabby Chic tote. I love being able to carry things around to whatever room I'm working in.



Dull plastic stackable totes ~ but they are great for holding tagging supplies & crystal beads & felt.

I use a few pretty boxes to keep some of my jewelry making supplies in. They sit on top of my pine farmhouse table upstairs in the gameroom. I'd love to show it to you, but that will DEFINITELY have to wait til another time ~ it is loaded down with a huge mess on it today!

Love this old fashioned looking trug with the little handle ~ oops, can barely see the handle for all the crud, I mean charms, that are in the little plastic bags!
Don't know the original use for this piece, but it works perfectly for envelopes & small paper sacks.

Hey, I'm not above using a man's fishing tackle box ~ they have great tiny storage compartments! Perfect for my jewelry pieces & chains.

This one also has a roomy bottom compartment. Best thing is I WON IT at a BINGO game on Chili Supper night locally ~ my little nephew wanted it & I felt kinda bad that I already had a use figured out for it! He did win 5 other prizes that night, so I decided to keep this one!
One of my favorite tote-able pieces ~ another for my jewelry with tiny sections. Two inner sections ~ top & bottom.


And the old boring stand-by, stackable cabinets. This one is currently in my gameroom, which is soon to undergo a major renovation.

I just snapped my pics hurriedly Saturday tonight without even trying to straighten anything up. So... now you know.....I'm not as neat & orderly as I should be! I'll be checking after church to get some wonderful ideas from all you other pack-rats out there on how & where YOU organize your stuff.

Hugs,