Sharing Shadymont, My Mountain Cottage

Today I'm sharing my fall cloches with you.  Marty at A Stroll Thru Life is hosting a cloche party on Tuesday, instead of the Table Top Party.   Hope you will join in the fun.  No one does a cloche party like Marty!! You won't believe all the beautiful inspiration at her parties. I will party with some other fabulous hostesses this week as well.  Please pay a visit to:  Saturday Nite Special at Funky Junk Interiors Nifty Thrifty Tuesday at Coastal Charm Wow Us Wednesday at Savvy Southern Style Feathered Nest Friday at French Country Cottage Potpourri Friday at 2805 Talk about fun and lots of eye candy!!! Apothecary Jar filled with faux sugared fruit. I bought this fall towel at a yard sale on Friday for a dollar.  Here you can see the entire table including the burlap lamp shade cover I made recently.     A Dollar Tree pumpkin on a pedestal plate I made using a candle stick. I saw this idea in a recent magazine.  I wrapped a piece of styrofoam

Help!!! It's contagious and there's no cure for it!  Annie Sloan Chalk Paint Makeover Fever!  I've caught it!  Symptoms: paint everything in sight, sand it, wax it, and show it off!  Yep, it's a new condition with no cure.  I bought this mirror several years ago at a consignment shop.  I don't remember the price, but if you know me, you know it was a bargain!  If it's not, it doesn't come home with me!  It hung in the guest room for some time, then I moved it to the guest bath where it hung until Sunday.  Excuse the blurry picture, but you can see the carving at the top.  Here it is, ready to be painted. I wiped off the dust and started painting with ASCP Olde White.   I put the paint on fairly thick with a sponge applicator, pushing down to get it into the carving.  After allowing about an hour for it to dry, I sanded the entire frame, down to the black paint along the edges.  Then I lightly waxed it with dark wax, then wiped it off really well.  

This candlestick has sat in the floor beside the china cabinet for a while now.  It is extremely heavy and this UGLY brassy color.  While cleaning this morning, I had a revelation.  Maybe this would look better painted! You have to agree, this thing is ugggglllleeeee! I don't know why I'd never thought to paint it. So....... out came the Annie Sloan Chalk Paint.  I brushed it on a little heavy  and one coat covered it well.   After it dried, I sanded it off some, especially on the design areas. Then I rubbed some Annie Sloan Dark Wax over it, heavier in some spots than others.  Then just wiped it down with a clean cloth.   Now isn't this better?  It has a little character. Now to dress it up a little: I added some burlap ribbon and this sweet "Paris" post card .  I ordered some burlap ribbon from French Nest Etsy Shop, and  it was wrapped in  pattern  paper, and this little card was included. Here are some shots of the vignette I created around this upda

Since I haven't bought anything new to show you, I'm going to share a few of my favorite spots.  These french doors lead from the sun room to the master suite.  I love the reflections from  the sun room against the view of the bedroom.  Look closely and you can see a thrifty chair that was one of my very first consignment shop purchases.    Just gotta have some good reading material when relaxing in the sun room.  Love Romantic Homes Magazine!   Come sit here in the rocker and enjoy a magazine. Shabby Little Stool, old books, flowers and a cupid, what could be sweeter? Old jars, insulator, and wire basket.   A Little Fall on a table I painted with ASCP.    Linking to 2805 for Potpourri Friday The Thrifty Groove for Thrifty Things Friday My Romantic Home for Show and Tell Friday Please stop in for both of these parties.  They're fabulous!!  Ladies, thanks for hosting!!

I'm so impressed and in awe of some of you who make such lovely photographs for your blog.  Pat from Back Porch Musings, Brenda at Cozy Little House, and many others do such a wonderful job.  I absolutely am not a photographer, but I'm having fun trying different special effects on these photos taken throughout my home. You don't have to be a wonderful photographer to use the editing options in photo programs like Picasa, Photoscape, etc.  I've used Picasa in these. Focus on the candy dish. Love the way this turned out.  Do you like editing your photos to see what you can come up with?  By changing the focal point the photos change entirely.  So much fun!!! Hope all of you have a great week!!

My photos usually focus on a particular object, or a vignette.  So today I am sharing a few photos that were shot at a wider angle in my home so you can get a better look.  This shot shows a wider area of the family room.  Please ignore the throw on the sofa.  We live in this room and we both have our throws.  :) The wall color is candlelight. The molding is painted with a glossy exterior white (holds up well to washing).  This is a different view.  Again, there are those throws.  :)  You can tell this wasn't "staged".  A view of the breakfast nook.    These flowers were a great bargain at Michael's yesterday.  They had selected Ashland brand florals at 70% off so I got these for $1.19 per bush.  The colors were perfect for an autumn arrangement. The piece on the stand is a straw placemat that I attached an orange/brown ring to.  I sat it on the easel for elevation.   Hope you have a wonderful week. Parties I'm linking to: Show Off Your Cottage Monday