I Wish I Could Paint, But Since I Can't...

I have always wanted to know how to paint and one of these years I'll get around to taking some lessons. Until then I find myself drawn to amateur paintings when I see them at thrift shops or yard sales and I have found a few this past year I love.

This first little painting I found at a consignment store near my daughter's house and since it was a scene of Cape Ann in Massachusetts, right near where I grew up, I fell in love with it. I have had it on my big giant mantle in my new family. Please ignore the glimpses of plywood you may get as we have not tiled the front yet.

I have had it resting with my daisy painting I got a while ago, along with a basket and a tray my MIL gave me.

And even though it was 96 degress yesterday, it is in the 60's today so it got me thinking about autumn and I decided to change the mantle today. I picked up these two paintings over the summer and stashed them away until now. I just love the colors in them. Soon enough we will have the same colors all around us outside here in NH.

I think it makes a pretty mantle for fall. I love having that big flat surface to decorate!

I've Been A.W.O.L.

Sorry for the lack of posts but we've been busy around here. I am back to work and we were furiously installing a bamboo floor, which I love, so not much computer time. Anyways, the floor is done thanks to some very good help.

Isn't great that I have a daughter who loves power tools! And don't worry-despite the wrong footwear no toes injuries were incurred. She is a handy young woman. She does a fair amount of repairs and installations in her own old home. Her husband was there helping too. The floor went in easily but these old backs are sore from bending over that nailer. Just when you think it's time to rest I made my husband move some furniture into the room.

We bought the chairs when we were in Maine and the table we bought quite a while ago in a local antique store. It matches the one in our kitchen. The china cabinet we have had for years and the rug under the table used to be my Mom and Dad's.The coffee table I found at a consignment store, the striped rocking chair in the forground used to be my grandfather's and I am going to attempt to make a slip cover with the blue fabric. The great black phone, which I call Big Bertha because it is very heavy, used to be my mother in law's who decided not to take it with her when she moved. It's very difficult to dail a number with those old rotary dails!This craftsman style desk has been cut down so we got it for a good price and are going to use it for a large television. The little table and chairs are for my grandson.

The hearth here is two inch slate tiles which will get installed and grouted at a later date. There will also be the same tiles surrounding the fireplace and some sort of wood trim. We haven't thought that through completely yet.

And here is my sideboard which I have been loading up with some of my many dishes.
I hope you enjoyed this little tour. We are thrilled to have a room that more than a few people can fit in without being on top of each other as they were before in our tiny living room. We are looking forward to many happy celebrations here. Wish you all were here!

We're Getting There

Finally we are getting along with the family room addition and since I have had a number of questions about it by e-mail I thought I would answer them here. The room is 22 x 26 and has a cathedral ceiling which I am not sure how high it is but it is not super tall. There is a two car garage underneath. The french doors got installed this week so this is how we enter the room from our kitchen and living room. The carpenters are almost done and then we are doing the rest of the finish work to save money starting with a bamboo floor. We already had a painting marathon so it's nice to have that out of the way.
Looking back once you are in the room you can spy my kitchen.
And what is that in the left hand corner of the first picture? I have been looking forever for a sideboard and I found one in an antique store in NH that I fell in love with.
We also did a bunch of antiquing when we were in Maine and here are a couple of my finds. We bought 6 of these matching chairs which are so similar to the ones I already have. They still have a label on the bottom that shows that they were made in NH in the early 1900's. And I love the lines of the plant stand that I found.

Then one last find is this little child's table that I found at a local thrift shop this week. Perfect for my grandson as he gets older. I already have children's chairs to go with it. I also finally found a coffee table for the new family room at the same thrift shop but couldn't fit it into my Beetle so I have to go back this weekend with something bigger! Maybe I should get a truck-or maybe not-I'd come home with way too much!

A New Find

I haven't had much time to look for any treasures in my usual haunts lately, between my grandson being born and our garage being torn down, but I did manage to stop in one store that is near my work and I found this.

I found this wicker basket/bowl, I'm not quite sure what to call it. I had the quilt in case you were wondering. I've had that beauty for years. I don't seem to be as lucky as some of my blogger friends who find quilts for next to nothing. But back to the basket-I love it's turquoise color, which is a color that is growing on me lately, and it's perfect chipped paint in all the right places. Not sure what I'll put in it but I'm sure it will rotate with the seasons. Any suggestions would always be welcome. You are all so much more creative than me which is why I am stealing ideas from you all just about every day!

I am Loving Green in January!

Since I bought those green buttons I seem to see green everywhere! I stopped in a thrift shop this morning while out running some errands and found this great green platter for $6. I just love the color and simple style and can picture so many things on it. I seriously think I am obsessed with green lately because it is so green outside in NH right now. Usually by now we are buried in feet of snow but it is in the mid 60's today and raining! Unheard of here. I glanced out a window this morning and noticed that the forsythia bushes seem to be budding out. They think it's Spring. I know we'll be hit with freezing cold and snow soon but for now I am loving the green in January!

First Thrifty Find of the New Year

I made a trip to my favorite consignment store and the jar of buttons is what I found. I don't need this many green buttons but they were so cute all together in this little canning jar. I love red but my next favorite color I have liberally sprinkled throughout my home is green. Must be why I love Christmas too!

Speaking of Christmas, all the decorations, except the tree, are put away. I can't seem to get myself to take the tree down. I love looking at the ornaments and love having it lit up when I am in my family room. My Mom used to leave our tree up until the 12th day of Christmas, January 6th, so that's what I think I'll do too. Hopefully the motivation to take it down will be here by then!

I Have Too Many Ornaments

I have been decorating various rooms and trees for Christmas and I have discovered I have too many ornaments! I know some of you would say that isn't possible but I have reached my limit. I tend to look for the old Shiny Brite ornaments at yard sales and antique stores and I am especially fond of the ones without the silvering inside from WWII era. I inherited a lot of my Mom's and I am always looking for others. I loaded our tree up and there is not a spare inch left yet still, there are ornaments with no home. But hopefully this will be a temporary problem. We have plans to turn our one car garage into a two car garage with a family room above so my dream is to have a giant tree where all the ornaments will have a home. Perhaps by next Christmas-stay tuned.

In the meantime, I have put some of the ornaments my Mom made in a red bucket on a little chair that I love. My Mom was a sewing teacher and one of the things she taught was smocking and she made these wonderful smocked balls. The great red bucket I got in Maine this past summer-I think it's Chinese-and the little chair came from a yard sale. I am still on the lookout for more of these child sized chairs. Along with a few more ornaments!

Used Stuff

I would much rather buy used furniture than new. I can count on my two hands how many times I have been in a furniture store. We did get a brand new bedroom set 31+ years ago when we got married and have bought a couple of couches that way but for the most part all of our "stuff" has been given to us or purchased used at consignment, thrift, or antique stores or at yard sales. The best freebie was a desk my uncle gave us many years ago. The desk was in his chicken coop and it was on the way to the dump but asked us first if we wanted it. Hubby picked up one side of it and based on it's weight he declared it "real wood" and said we'd take it. Now you couldn't actually tell what kind of wood it was because of thick black varnish and "deposits" from the chickens. But once stripped we saw beautiful oak grain and have loved this desk ever since.

I did recently buy an oil painting in a consignment store for $18. I wasn't looking for a painting but there it was and I was drawn to it. It now hangs in my bathroom of all places. I was back at that store yesterday buying a Jelly Cabinet which I plan on using in my sewing room makeover. Those pictures will hopefully be coming soon. In the meantime here's my bathroom masterpiece.

Bye for now-Chris