My first Silhouette sign!

This little sign is in celebration of a yet-uncharted new phase of my life. I took the pictures outdoors (because I'm wickedly challenged getting a passable indoor digital shot), but this now hangs in my foyer, as a visible reminder of the choices I make to enjoy every single day!

Okay, so please be honest...is this one too "busy?" As a new home decor blogger, I SO value your comments and suggestions!

Three of my grandchildren will be travelling with their parents from Ontario tomorrow to spend the whole summer with me here in Nova Scotia...all little boys, ten, seven, and five years old...aaahhhh, life is so very GOOD!

Okay...onward! I've had my Silhouette for a couple of years, but really haven't used it much. Seeing all the great signs all over blogland, I think that's about to change.

I cut the letters from black vinyl, using a couple of different fonts, then mounted them on this kitchen cupboard door I bought at the local Habitat for Humanity ReStore. I sanded the door, primed it with Zinsser Bin, painted it with Old White Chalk Paint, dry brushed a little Louis Blue Chalk Paint after the white dried, distressed it with my mouse sander, and applied a simple glaze of brown acrylic paint mixed with a little water. (The distressing seems to show up only when I enlarge the image.)

I see MORE of these signs in my future...and all around my house! (lol) Total cost $7.00!

I used a Dreamweaver Stencil and Black Matte Embossing Paste for the swirly heart design at the end.

After I'd finished this, I decided to make it a little more practical, and added coat hooks for the grand-boys' jackets 'n' such, after painting them with Rustoleum Oil Rubbed Bronze. These are inside shots, as you can see by the grainy yellow cast...a photographer I am NOT!

This watercolour is a grandson at White Point Beach here in Nova Scotia, where we spend many delightful afternoons...and no I didn't paint it (lol)

I'm partying here and here and here with these fabulous women!

Thanks SO much for visiting today...your comments mean so much to me.

PS Sending a great big hearty Nova Scotian shout out to Jennifer for featuring this over at

Accent table...

Well, I was so excited to find this little old table at the thrift shop that I started it right away, and plum forgot to take "before"pictures. It was such a wreck, held together with screws and nails. It needed lots of clamping-and-gluing with Gorilla Glue (SO much that it took three days!), scrubbing with TSP and sanding. Then I used wood filler...a LOT of wood filler...and sanded again. After priming with Rustoleum Zinsser Bin, I used my favourite Rustoleum spray paint...Heirloom White...then it was starting to look better!

Although I wanted to stain the top, it was too far gone, so I painted that too. After that, I applied a glaze mixture of brown acrylic paint mixed with water, and then a coat of Minwax Polycrylic water based finish. I just LOVE redoing small tables, so I decided to accent it with a heart. I used this "Dangling Heart" Dreamweaver stencil with Dreamweaver White Embossing Paste on each side. Is that hokey? I use Dreamweaver stencils fairly often when I'm doing small furniture re-do's. They're so versatile! I have a couple of other small stenciled pieces I'm working on right now, for posting as soon as they're finished.

Finally, I did a chippy finish with my trusty mouse sander.

I LOVE how this turned out!

Thanks so much for visiting today. Hope you'll find time to check out the fabulous inspiration at these blog parties!

Nesting tables...

I just brought these little tables back from our cottage. We've had them for maybe twenty years.

After scrubbing with TSP, I primed them with Rustoleum Zinnser Bin, then painted the legs with my favourite "go-to" colour...Rustoleum Heirloom White, then I used my trusty little palm sander to chip the legs a little. I stripped and sanded the tops, then restained those with two coats of MinWax Onyx (water based stain), and finally, applied two coats of Polycrylic to the table tops, and the legs too. The finish is gorgeous, but really doesn't show up so well here. Sigh.

Now I have a couple of cheapie little tables that'll serve me well for another twenty years...hmmm...either ME or my HEIRS (lol). Total cost: zero, used products left over from other projects I'm using these on the patio for the summer...just perfect for holding tall cool drinks!

NOW...I need some advice. I renewed this old hope chest a while ago, and am thinking of painting a muted blue harlequin pattern on the sides. I am VERY new to all this painting, and although I'm enjoying it thoroughly, I'm wondering whether the harlequin pattern might be too much. What do YOU think? Sure would be grateful for your thoughts.

Partying here and here and here and who knows WHERE!?

THANK YOU Christina for featuring my little tables on your decor site!

And thank YOU so VERY MUCH for stopping by.

For my daughter...

It just THRILLS me when I see people coming to my new decor blog; thank you so VERY MUCH! Your comments are like little presents, lifting my spirits every day.

Okay, hmmm...just not sure about this redo. Siiigh.

This old chest has been with me for several decades, brought over from the middle east. If you click on for a larger image, you'll see a story told in the wood...it's "The Elopement of the Princess."

As you can see, this has been very well used, and the top has been a frequent race track for small boy's toy cars. It's a beautiful piece, and worthy of a make over, I think. The cedar lining is as sweet smelling as it was the first day it came to me.

I did a base coat with a Sherwin Williams acrylic ooops paint, and removed the brass hardware.

I used Minwax Onyx Stain, rubber on and off as quickly as I could, then I lightly sanded some of the details, and finished with three coats of Polycrylic.

My daughter wanted it redone to match her blue and black bedroom theme.

This chest has such beautiful wood detailing!

It was fun redoing it, but I just HAVE to say, the colour scheme sure wouldn't have been my first choice...too dark...I'd have done it in Annie Sloan's Old White with Louis Blue as a base coat.

What would YOU have done with it?

Oh well, my daughter loves it, and that's what's important.

Here's some of the detail after sanding and acrylic top coating.

Partying at Wow Us Wednesdays Twenty Below Thursdays and at these other fine parties this week.

Thank you again for visiting me.

Just a little thing...

I wanted to do something new for my guest bathroom. Bought these at the dollar store (lol)

...primed them with Zinsser Bin...painted them with Rustoleum Heirloom White...

...stained with brown acrylic paint mixed with water......used some leftover burlap and shells...

...and hung them on my bathroom wall. Total cost four dollars.

THANKS for stopping by!

Partying here today.

Cedar lined hope chest

I'm still new to this decor blogging thing, and I need to say a heartfelt THANK YOU to the people who take the time to stop by and leave me such encouragement! It's amazing to me that folks actually LIKE some of the things on my puny little blog! So...thank you thank you THANK YOU!!

Now, just look at this beauty I found on Kijiji for TWENTY DOLLARS!! This belonged to an older lady, and it had been given to her by her mother during the era when young girls were given hope chests. I was so lucky to be the first in line to buy it! It's a Deilcraft, made in Canada, and completely lined with the most sweet smelling cedar.

I cleaned her up with TSP, then, because the lock no longer works, so I added small wooden embellishments, to cover the key hole and to add a little more interest.

I used Old White and Louis Blue chalk paints. I did use Zinsser Bin primer first, because the piece was so dark. Here she is all painted, ready for chipping and waxing...

...and here she is, all finished. I used a coat of Annie Sloan's Clear Wax, with just a little dark wax over that, then I buffed and buffed till I thought my arm would fall off, sanded in a few places. I am SO not a "minimalist," like my daughter, even though I have visions and dreams of being so (lol), so this piece gives me a LOT of storage!

Thanks so VERY much for visiting today! I'll come see you too.

Linking here

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these other fabulous parties.