Sharing Shadymont, My Mountain Cottage

I have a collection of small benches that I like to use in my sunroom.  They are  prone to get painted and distressed at any time.  Such was the case recently with the smallest.  I decided I wanted to add a transfer to the top of it.  I also had some new ASCP in Louis Blue that I wanted to try.   I dry brushed only the top with the ASCP which dries very quickly. I stenciled the larger bench with a home made stencil some time ago.  That bench has been about five or six different colors.  I wanted the grays and whites to show through, so this is the way I left it.  I gathered my supplies together (below).  Crown graphic from the Graphics Fairy. First I painted Mod Podge on the center of the bench, then on the transfer.  I then placed the graphic on the bench where I wanted it to be.  I must have gotten too much Mod Podge because the paper wouldn't pull off very well, and my attempts seemed to make it worse...

On Friday, I decided I was in the mood to go antiquing and Hob Lobbing.  I found some great items at both places.  Who doesn't love to hear about treasures at a good price? First, I went to the antique shop, cause that's my favorite thing to do.  This place is huge, and has booth after booth of treasures.  Here is what I found there that now resides at Shadymont.   This sweet  vintage platter was $5.00.  All proceeds from this booth goes to charities.  I thought that was a great price. This lovely vase was $10.99.  I thought it was just darling. I added the roses after I got home. This lovely turquoise shell dish was $6.00.  My new favorite color keeps popping up here. Look at this sweet little fellow.  His colors just blended so well with the dish, and I knew he would also match the tin sign I got the other day.  He flew right in to my shopping cart. Get ready for this treasure..... ...

Look what I found when I was riffling through a drawer today.  I had completely forgotten about them. These belonged to my husband's family.  They are both broken, but to me that just adds to the character of them.  One of the hands on the top one is loose and over to the left side of the clock face. Just think of all the ways I can use these to decorate!  I love the old case they are in too. (top one) New England and (bottom) Elgin The Elgin front and back are off, and the inner workings can be seen. Back later to edit.... After doing some research on the New England watch (top), I learned that  The New England Watch Company came into being after the Waterbury Watch Company experienced financial difficultly in 1898. The new company offered a great variety of low cost watches in all sizes and styles. In the fall of 1914, at the beginning of World War I the company was purchased by Robert H. Ingersoll and Brothers which later beca...

Do you remember the wooden compotes that everyone had back in the sixties and seventies, maybe earlier?  I found one this week at Odds and Ends for $8.00.  I looked it up on Eb ay and found a similar one for $42.00. I got a great deal, huh?  I like the scalloped edge. When I saw the compote, I knew what I would do with it.  So I mixed up some homemade chalk paint and went to work painting it white. The paint I used was old, and I had a little trouble getting the consistency I wanted, but I kept slowly adding Plaster of Paris until I got the coverage I needed.  I added a couple of coats, and used the hand sander to distress it after it dried. I went to The Graphics Fairy  website and found the graphic I had in mind and printed it off in two different sizes.  This morning I transferred the graphic to the compote.  I tried using the larger of the two graphics, but had no luck with the first try.  I thought maybe I could subst...

I bought these faux hydrangeas with the intent of using them with my new tote.     I thought they were $2.00 each, but they were $4.50.  I decided they were much too nice to cut the stems off so I found another use for them.  I think I'm really going to like this. I already have blue hydrangeas on the mantel and this carries the look to the hearth. I think these green vases look so good with the hydrangeas which have a similar color of green within the flowers.   I love blue and white!! I changed the vignette on the coffee table also. This bird was brown until today.  It got a coat of white. Do you like tray vignettes? How about blue hydrangeas? I do!!!!!! Come join me at these great parties! Wow Us Wednesday @ Savvy Southern Style What's It Wednesday @ Ivy and Elephants Blissful Whites Wednesday @ Timewashed Tuesdays at Our Home @ Our Home Away From Home Home ...

I knew I couldn't wait very long to get rid of the dark green on the wonderful tote I bought on Saturday.  I got out my Lowe's sample paints and got to work  changing it.   BEFORE AFTER I painted lightly over the green with a creamy white.  I then painted inside the sections with a misty green color as shown below.  Again, I didn't try for perfection because I want it to show its vintage look.  I sanded it lightly in places, and added Annie Sloan Dark Wax in spots and wiped it down.  Here's the little metal tag I bought at the same store.  It was only $3.50. (It's not staying on the tote) Look at that big knot hole.  Love that!! I like it better in white, than the dark green. If you look closely, you will see I caught the "blue" hour in this photo below. I just had to cover the green, so this will be fine now, though I may add graphics at some point.  I like it better ...