fall porch

No way!  Are you kidding me?!?  It’s already the weekend before the first weekend in November???

Well, that can mean only one thing . . . it’s time to pull-out the Christmas decorations at the shop.  argh!

Please don’t hold it against me.  We’ve got to play by some of the rules set-up by the big guys.  heck, if you gauge me by most of the “big boxers” you will find me lacking.  I’m sorry.  I am doing my best.

So, today it began and I am amazed at how much we were able to get done.

Around the house we are enjoying the warm glow of the fireplaces, but falling behind on the current holiday season, let alone the future ones. 

I finally got the front porch situated, sort of.  I hung a tobacco basket instead of my fall wreath.  I found several at the flea market a few months ago.  The really cool thing is that they were all marked with  Clarksville, TN.   I was already fascinated with the barns all over Tennessee.

I moved the wicker chairs we once used in the kitchen to the porch.  I tried wrapping the legs with sisal rope (the wicker wrapping has come undone); it probably would have worked if I started the process a little differently, but for now, they could stand a little more attention.

 

A few weeks ago, I participated in a wonderful barn sale hosted by Shirley and Knox Thomas.  When I went out to see the barn—prior to the event—I noticed stacks and stacks of tobacco sticks.  (These are the sticks the tobacco is hung from while curing in the smoking barns.)  Shortly after returning to my shop, I messaged Shirley to ask if I could buy a bundle of the sticks from them.  She happily obliged and even delivered them to me!  I’ve decided to display a bunch of them (7) in the rusty milk can on the porch.

 

Note the planter above.  This was an idea Patty found on Pinterest.  We used a vintage floor lamp and a wire hanging basket with a coco liner.  The Pinterest pic had the planter filled with succulents—it was lovely.  Mine is filled with ornamental cabbages and mums.

 

I need to find a better color for the wicker chairs.  I had painted them a greyish-taupe when they were destined for the kitchen.

 

 

Those tall flowers blocking the view of the porch were a mistake, but I cannot get rid of them.  I think if I took the time to cut them back before they develop those white blooms (which blow around like dandelion seed), I think we’d have far fewer, but . . .

 

The others, the peach colored asters at the front should be named Clarksville official flower.  There are actually more of them than the tall white-flowered things (can’t remember their names) in our yard—on Dog Hill—all over Clarksville, for that matter!  They are prolific.

My yard has more color in the fall than the spring.  Is yours like that?  I’d love to hear from you.  Thanks for sticking with me—especially while I’ve been a sporadic blogger.

Thanks for your indulgence,

barn sale EXCITEMENT!

Okay . . . yesterday I visited the location for The HayLoft at Port Royal—it’s a barn sale that will take place Oct 19 & 20th—and to say I was blown away would be an understatement! The host, Shirley Thomas, had a vision; with the help of her husband, Knox, and friends, Bubba (introduced as “like a son”) and Dave, she has brought that vision into reality.
Shirley has been a long time customer and, as I tend to do with my customers, we have becomes friends. Often she will stop by Hodgepodge just to kick-around an idea for decorating, but about six months ago she brought the idea of a barn sale with her. We talked about it for quite a while. I told her I had been hoping to have something like that take place here in Clarksville for years. I have been invited to participate in numerous barn sales in the past few years, but I am often stymied by the issue of distance. (I just can’t be away from the shop—with inventory—for very long.)
Anyhoo, long story, longer . . . Shirley and crew have been working like animals to get their former milking barn ready for the big event. So I went out to see it yesterday.
On my way to find it, I was happy to notice a few barns were being utilized for smoking tobacco. I am fascinated by this practice, which is rather ironic, as I really abhor the use of tobacco products, but we all have our vices, don’t we? (As I live in a glass house, I will leave it at that!)
Back to smoking (as in, “curing”) tobacco . . . the scent is a herald of the season for many folks living in the south. Imagine my thrill when I pulled-up to The HayLoft location and saw those wistful plumes of smoke billowing out of the eaves!
Shirley was gracious enough to stop her hard work and take me on a tour of the place.

We started here—Shirley refers to it as “downstairs;” she was originally going to to just offer spaces on the main floor and had spent most of her time preparing that space, but the interest in this event has grown to the degree that she needed more space!

 Those are tobacco sticks she has used to fashion a wall to delineate spaces for the vendors. Love it!

Here is the main floor. It is vast and wonderful. I love the chandeliers—a barn isn’t a barn without chandeliers! Be sure to take a look-see at those lights around the perimeter of the Hayloft—they’re fashioned from Mason Jars, ingenious!

Tobacco sticks—I’m obsessed.

Here is a view of the chandeliers Shirley has constructed. She plans to add burlap slipcovers to those shiny new chains—a woman after my own heart!

A view of The Hayloft—food services will be available there in the room with the windows (she has thought of and provided for everything).

The smoking barn . . . major l-o-v-e!

As I was leaving, I turned around for one last shot—this is going to be so much fun!!!

Our booth will be located on the upper level, right next to Elizabeth Vaughn, of Artistic Works by Lu. I will have a full stock of Chalk Paint™, a few creative items, as well as some painted furniture samples; I will also be doing some demonstrations with Chalk Paint™. My sister, Kendall Welsh, will share the space with me. She will bring along some of her signature window designs and picture frames, as well as other items.
At last check she had more than 30 creative vendors beating down her door to participate! There will be handmade items, one-of-a-kind creations and antiques for the home and for yourself. You will not be disappointed!
I provided a link to her blog at the beginning of this post, but here’s her facebook page, too. (it’s her personal page, where she seems to be doing most of the posting about the event.)
One more item to note, there will be a special preview event on Thursday, the 18th from 4 – 7 pm. The cost is $10, which will cover your entrance to the event, food and music! (I say come early!)
Hope to see you at The HayLoft!
Thanks for your indulgence,

A Restful Repose

About three months ago, I purchased this nice, but less than perfect oak bed.  Pieces like this are ideal candidates for my paint brush.  I love painted furniture, but I do not paint pieces I feel have value in their original, untouched state.  You see, I have a fear of one watching the PBS show, Antiques Road Show, when the experts are studying a lovely piece of painted furniture and commenting, “If only it hadn’t been painted, this piece would bring $5,000 at auction, but in it’s current painted state, we have to value it at $200.” 

Consequently, I only want to paint pieces which, otherwise, might be over looked.  This bed, for instance, had made it all the way through the Nashville flea market and was still there on Sunday.  The veneer on the headboard was slightly warped and the footboard had been repaired where it connects to one of the rails, but otherwise it was sturdy and had lots of potential.

 

 

(Will I ever remember to take the “before” pictures in a timely manner?)

When I snagged this piece, I knew right away that I wanted to give it a Country French/French Country makeover, so I would be painting it with Old White and Paris Grey Chalk Paint™ . . . or maybe with French Linen and Louis Blue . . . or maybe . . .

Needless to say, the bed waited and waited for me to decide how to paint it.

It moved from the work area to the storage area.Then, during one of my Chalk Paint™ workshops, I had an epiphany!

Back story:  Travis (my workshop assistant extraordinaire) and I are constantly amazed by the way all of the colors of Chalk Paint™ work together. During our workshops we pull-out all 30 colors and use them in various combinations.  In this process, we have yet to place one color next to another and say, “Ooh, yuck!” Usually, it’s more like, “That is amazing—look at how nice that looks together!” (Then we set about looking for a piece to paint in that newly discovered paint combination!)

Okay, so you’ve peaked already and know that I didn’t use Paris Grey or Louis Blue.  No—my epiphany involved Old Violet, so that is what I chose for my base coat.  I then intended to add Paris Grey and Old White.  I knew I would distress it and, more than likely, I’d finish it with dark wax.

 

So there it is, ready for the next step . . .

Here’s where I changed my mind again!

I decided I wanted the overall look to be muted and thought the Paris Grey would be a little crisp looking.  I finally settled on painting the inset panels with French Linen, then topped with Country Grey.  I used a wet cloth to spread and blend the two colors.

I then added a stenciled motif in the center of the headboard using the French Linen again.  I applied it very lightly—wanting it to be very subtle.

 

I then applied the clear wax to the entire piece and commenced to sanding!

 

After reapplying the clear wax, I applied a light coating of dark wax and called it done.

Here’s what it looks like now:

If you take a close look at the footboard, you can see I did a lot of sanding on the inside—where I figured it would naturally have a lot of wear.

The same is true of the headboard—years of propping-up in bed to read, would cause the finish to wear-away. 

And one more photo of this beauty. 

I am very pleased with the results and once again amazed by the way all of these colors work so well together.  In fact, if you’ve used Chalk Paint™ decorative paints, I’d love to hear about your favorite color combinations.

I will be linking to  Vintage Inspired Fridays, I hope you visit and take some time to check-out some of the other links there.

Thanks for your indulgence,

Teach the World to Sing

The other day, a friend/customer (same thing, right?) told me she was looking for a globe. The next day, I happened into Miss Lucille’s Marketplace and found one. I wasn’t completely sure what type of globe she wanted, but this was a great deal I found in one of the booths of a wonderful Chalk Paint™ fan, so I thought, if she doesn’t want it, I am sure I can do something with it! So , it came back to the shop with me (along with a large silver plate pitcher, which actually went to my house . . .).
As it turns out, my friends was looking for something that had an “old world” look to it—which I naturally understand. So I had a globe to use for a project!
My first thought was to “age” it with some stain, then I thought about the ideas Patty had recently shared with me. My little hamster started spinning on his wheel and, a few minutes later, I had an actual creative thought!
That’s when I grabbed the Mod Podge®, a vintage book of music and a paint brush.

(The lighting on my work bench makes my photos look like I am working on a science fair project . . . “the rotation of the earth in relation to the sun”)



By far, one of the easiest project EVER! I still may add the words, “Teach the World to Sing” and paint the base, but I’ve already taken too long to follow-up on the project teaser I posted on Facebook the other day.
Funny thing is, though, I just saw a Pinterest post about adding glitter to Mod Podge®, which would have been a great “layer” for this project, eh? Going to have to find something else to Glitter Podge soon!
Do you have a favorite Mod Podge^® project?
I’m going to link to Vintage Inspiration Friday, because I love it!

Be sure to visit—you will love it, too!
Thanks for your indulgence,

June Workshops

Annie Sloan Chalk Paint^TM Brand Decorative Paints

Programming note: All classes require advanced registration and a minimum enrollment. Deadlines are three days prior to event.

June 10^th or 20th—Chalk Paint^TM Brand Decorative Paints Basics Workshop

In this workshop, participants will learn everything they need to know to tackle their first or fifth painting project. You will have hands-on experience with three painting techniques. We will go over basic distressing and crackling techniques, as well as wax washing. Participants will learn to properly and effectively apply Clear and Dark Wax. Participants will also paint their own complete palette of Chalk Paint^TM Brand Decorative Paints. This palette will be ideal for determining which colors will work best in your home. Throughout the four-hour workshop, we will regale you with enormous amounts of information about Annie Sloan, her creative process and, of course, Chalk Paint^TM Brand Decorative Paints. $125 June 10 from noon – 4 PM and June 20 from 9 am – 1 pm

June 6^th or 16th—Chalk Paint^TM Brand Decorative Paints Redux Workshop

This workshop will teach participants the three basic techniques and wax application described in the Basic Workshops only. You will have hands-on experience with three painting techniques. We will go over basic distressing and crackling techniques, as well as wax washing. Participants will learn to properly and effectively apply Clear and Dark Wax. (No palette, sorry but this is a budget offering.) Workshops will last approximately 2 hours. $75 June 6^th from 9 – 11 a.m.; June 16^th from 1-3 PM

June 9^th and 16^th—Let’s Get Started

This is for those of you who just want to get started painting your first piece of furniture. Bring your own piece of furniture to our workshop space and we will paint it together. During this workshop, you will have unlimited guidance from your favorite local retail partner, umm . . . that would be me. In addition to the “technical expertise,” I will provide the paint and wax you need to tackle your project. We will work from 8 – 11 each morning. You are responsible for bringing your furniture to the shop. The fee will include up to two Chalk Paint™ colors, wax and other supplies needed (such as brushes and sand paper). We will learn from each other along the way. Join us. $175 June 9 & 16 from 8 – 11 a.m.

June 19^th—Lighten Up, Chalk Paint™ is easy

This is a workshop designed to help you salvage that old lamp you were planning to toss in the trash. Bring your own lamp (or one you pick-up at the flea market) and we will teach you to transform it into a show piece for you home. Three techniques will be offered—you choose your favorite. All supplies needed are provided—except the lamp. $45 begins at 9 a.m.—about 1 ½ - 2 hours (depending on your technique).

June 7 and 21—Wax on, Wax off

And finally . . .for those of you who just want to learn how to apply the wax—let’s face it, you know you’re stressin’ about it—we offer this mini-workshop. Learn how to apply clear and dark wax on a distressed finish in less than an hour. Fee: $20* Drop-in between 10:30 – 11:30 a.m. (does not require registration)

*this fee will be applied as a credit toward any workshop over $100 if you register within one week of your Wax on, Wax off workshop.

Check your calendar—workshops are filling-up!  Call us to register today.  931.647.0444

Thanks for your indulgence,

The Vintage Marketplace

Make plans to attend!

Our first day at The Vintage Marketplace  is complete, so I thought I’d give you some incentive to come see us—as if you need some encouragement.

Some pictures of our booth.  We’re here to represent Annie Sloan Chalk Paint, so we brought a cross-section of items we’ve transformed with this wonderful product.

And then, a few other vendors:

This is the Time Worn Interiors booth—it’s talented owner, Theresa Smith, seen in the picture below with her husband, Craig, who pieces together a lot of the industrial items you see, although I understand that Theresa is rather handy with the welding torch, too.

 

Lavender & Old Lace has beautiful linen recreations.  Donna Shannon uses old linens to  create beautiful clothing and home accessories.

Then you can wander over to visit with Jackie at Shambora Studios.  She has the most imaginative displays and the easiest disposition! You will enjoy visiting with her.

Then—oh my, oh my—Kim Boyd-Hughs of Bungalow has the most amazing vintage furnishings AND the fabulously feminine attire from Magnolia Pearl

Here’s Sue Whitney’s display—she gathered items from all of the participants.

And then, oh, then, you must peruse  the Recycled Recreations booth of Erika Cady.  Beautiful jewelry made from found objects.  I feel sure I won’t be able to leave without a piece.

But across from our booth, the entire event, we have been delighted with the ever changing display of Urban Farmhouse.  I have been following her blog for years.  What a delight to finally meet her!

I hope if you have some time today that you will visit us in Hendersonville, TN at The Vintage Marketplace.

Thanks for your indulgence!