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!

Old Suitcases

I'm still sick but I so enjoyed Kim's post about her train case that I thought I would post about one of the ones I have.This little case is in the nursery now and I'm sure I'll be staging lots of little treasures in it. But for now in it is a Yo-Yo doll my grandmother made for me when I was a little girl. The arms, legs and body is made up of fabric yo-yo's that are strung together. I absolutely treasure this doll. Crafts made of yo-yo's seem to be everywhere on the internet but I have one from long, long ago. I just won't tell you how long!

My grandmother was from Canada and spoke very little English so communication with her was hard for us kids but the one language we understood was her love of sewing. She made lots of crafts and quilts so I am lucky to still have these treasures. The little daisy oil painting is an amateur painting I picked up at a consignment shop a couple of weeks ago. I just think it is a happy cheerful painting and it reminds me that Spring is coming even though it was below zero this morning! They say it will be in the 40's tomorrow so time to break out the shorts! Wait a minute-I better not do that since I'm still sick. Have a great weekend.

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