Unusual Garden Planters

Dear friends!!!
On the "quest" to make the house ready for my mom, 
I had to plant some flowers around...
I am NOT a gardener, but one of my best friends, 
Ingrid, IS!!!!
SO, on Friday she came over and off to the garden center 
we went!!!
Ladies. I need to make a parentheses here just to let you know my head is SPINNING from my first upholstery job 
(on my own). The compressor hose BROKE and scared the hell out of me!!! It was already more than 9pm and David said: "you are done." LOL!! And he gave me some candy and told me to sit down! So here I am!!!
Ok, back to the flowers!
I am just going to show you! I am sure you are also tired and just want some eye candy!!!

Pickle Jars made in Canada! Loved them!

We planted Dahlias and Lavender and the other yellow flower that looks like a daisy in each one. 

It took me a while to get bark mulch in both sides of the front yard. Now it looks too brown... So we are working on brightening up, but I don't want to plant a bunch of bushes, because that's how it was before...

These are in the back. Basically there is a square of gravel and one post on each side. There is grass on either side of the gravel.
Back to the front door(remember those 2 little plants on the floor):

Picked those 2 kettles in a garage sale. 

Ingrid tried to take that Fern out 

but couldn't, so we just left it alone.

We tried to plant a Fairy Garden since I saw many of them in Blogland recently!

And remember those little plants on the floor?

 I was inspired but Sherry from The Charm of Home. 
She planted a pansy in a creamer in Spring, and I fell in love!

I think this succulent is a little "unruly" LOL!

I liked the grass in the creamer better!

I hope you have fun with unusual containers this Summer!

I a sharing my planters at:

Antique Bed and Dresser

Oh My God, ladies... 

(I am not aware of any male reader, hehe!)
This decoration business is not for sissies!!!!
My body is SORE from so much moving things around!!!
I am preparing for The Olde Farmhouse Vintage Market in June, so my house is FULL.
AFTER I decorated my guest room for my mom's arrival, 
I found this beautiful bed and dresser I could not pass. 

This beautiful set belonged to the gentleman's aunt. It was passed on to him. He said it should be from the 30's or older.
This was before:

So, since I had already finished the bedroom, I thought I would "store" the "new" antique set until my mom
had left. She had already seen pictures of her room in the blog, so she is expecting her pink mirror...

Awww...

But this is what she is getting instead:

I run out of space to put it. 

This is so heavy, we even tried to put it in the office

(I am turning the office into another guest room 

for our friend Maria to stay)

but the mirror covered the window, LOL!!!!

See the little rubber thingys under its feet?? 

My friend Kika told me to buy the, at Rona!

So I could actually SLIDE this heavy baby from the office back to the guest room without much effort!

I did not know about it... duh. Sometimes I put a rug under furniture to slide it somewhere. 

But this is much better!My son and husband had to lift it so I could put it there. SO I did not want to bother them tonight to take it out. I will ask on Saturday. 

Poor guys are also tired of moving stuff around. 

I love the detail... I think I should NOT paint it... 

My mom will like that she will have plenty of room 

to put her clothes!

The bed is a little scratched. So I want to paint it white... 

Do you think it is OK to paint the bed but 

leave the dresser as is?

The paint will hide the beautiful details...

It would be nice with more white pillows but these pillows have photos of my son, my brother and my niece, so I thought it would be fitting to have it in my mom's bed. The flowers on the wall need to be re-arranged closer to the headboard, since the Ikea bed was taller.

I put the pillows down so you could have a better view of the headboard.

I think it would look gorgeous in ASCP Old White...

Since the furniture in this room was much LIGHTER, I could actually store it with no problems!

I have a friend that wants the Ikea bed. The table I painted and also the pink mirror will be for sale at 

The Olde Farmhouse Vintage Market!

I am showing off my "new" antique room at:

Parlour Chest!!!!

Hi, everyone!!
Between my son's graduation, preparing for The Vintage Market and my mom's arrival next week, things have been quite busy here. I am sore from moving furniture, LOL!


I just wanted to show you my latest finds!!! 
I got this "red box" from the same lady that sold me the Lamp Post! She did not know quite how to call it.

I fell in love...

But did not like the Asian painting on it...

I was ready to do my "thang", paint WHITE and DISTRESS it, when my friend Pam said: NOOOOO!!! Leave it alone!!!
This is three million years old (my words, not hers, LOL)!!!

SO, this will be up for grabs at The Vintage Market!!! 
Since I am not a fan of red (for my house)!


Now, "The Secret" must have happened (you know, "like" attracts "like" because last night I found another one!!!!!
YEEEESSS!!!! And the lady called it "Parlour Chest"!!!
She said it was used to carry magazines!!!
Awwww.... So here is my new treasure!!!

Isn't it adorable???

I wish I could use it as a mail box in front of the house, but somebody might steal it!
I am keeping this beauty!!! The sweet lady told me it belonged to her aunt, "and she would be happy for you to have it"... Awww... poor lady barely got a word in because I talked non-stop!!! I think I made her dizzy!!! 
She also had a box of books she was giving away and she asked me if I wanted any. I spotted this Etiquette book and asked if she was giving that one away, too! She said yes!
She said it was a famous book, by Emily Post! 

I said I recognised the name! So there! 
My FIRST VINTAGE book!!!

I need 2 more to make a bundle, now! And put on a table, like Miss Mustard Seed! I normally don't look at books at thrift stores, but I might, now! But this one has a special meaning, because she gave me!

Ok, this was my morning adventure!!!
In the afternoon I met a guy that rents medieval furniture and utensils for the movie industry, another load of fun!!!
But I will post about the afternoon treasures another day!!!


I just cannot believe how many WONDERFUL people I am meeting because of this blog, and the start of my business! I was always impressed by people's generosity (as a fundraiser), but I am shocked by the amount of amazing people I am meeting (virtually and in person)!!!

God bless you all!!!
Claudine
Today I am partying at:

Stand Lamp turned Candle holder!

Dear friends!!!
I am behind on my posts!!!
So I bought this old lamp post from a lady that refurbishes furniture for 25 years... she is moving and needed to get rid of her stuff.
She gave me the idea to turn it into a candle holder...

So I took it apart...

Cleaned and took the wiring out... and the light bulb socket...
And painted it with ASCP Old White! Distressed a bit and...


TA-DAAA!!!!!

My friend Pam bought it the night she came help me pricing for the Fair, so I took these pictures in a hurry!!!!

We needed something for AROUND the candle, so I got a cheap fake pearl necklace I had...

I was going to hang some crystals (I am not sure you can see it but there are 3 little screws we can hang crystals from) on the base, but she said she had crystals for it at home!


I owe you a picture of it in Pam's house, she added the crystals and put a red candle on it, I can't wait to see it!!!


This is a GREAT SIMPLE project and the result was amazing!!!


Today I am partying at:



http://www.finecraftguild.com/party/

My First Fair!!!

Dear friends, 
Last Saturday I participated in my first fair! 
It was a school Spring Fair here in my city.
My friend Kika kids study there and she asked me if 
I wanted to participate, for experience!
The table cost only $25 so what did I have to lose?

The Fair was GREAT! 

By the time I took this picture I had already sold three items. Two of them did not make ANY photo...

I tried to make some silver trays with chalkboard paint in the middle... argghh did not turn out so good...

SO, I kept doing the stuff I like, my painting!

The 2 candle holders on the left sold!

The silver pot on the right, sold!

The silver "thingy" behind the teapot sold, too. 

You can see it opened in the picture below. My friend Pam suggested to put cu-tips in the lid and cotton balls in the "body" of the container. Who knows what the real use was for? (I loved them... do you have a hard time letting stuff GO?)

For my first experience, I say it was a success!
I sold 9 pieces. All kinds of items, some stuff I painted but most of them were treasures found here and there.

The chubby candle holder on the very left was sold, also.
The cake plate on the back was also sold, here is a better picture:

When I told my friend Christine I wanted to make cake plates, she gave me this one... And it was the first one SOLD! 

 

I was reluctant to glue the plates to the bases but Pam encouraged me and SHE CHOSE this winning combination!!

Here are the other ones she suggested!
I don't know why I am such a chicken!

If they don't sell, I can always keep them!
These pictures I took with my cell. I have some in my camera, like a candlestick I made from an old lamp, ADORABLE... But my friend Pam came to help me price the items and fell in love with it!!! I am so flattered she bought it Friday night and took it home, LOL!!! We even had a fight over the price, what a dilemma is to sell to friends!!!
I appreciate suggestions on a policy in how to sell to friends, if you have it!

This mirror was my biggest item sold!

I painted the white mirror. I got lots of interest in it but did not sell it. I love it... I love everything I sell, lol!

My friend Kelley, from The Upholster's Wife, suggested me to make the chalkboard out of an old frame, to write Condensed Love Home, on it! Pam suggested to add ASCP painted furniture to add interest!
AMAZING how everybody comes together to help us, right?
I feel so blessed!

I better get started in my bigger items for the Vintage Market! That's coming up SOON!!!