Be Inspired Top Visited Links

Hey Everyone...
It's Wednesday and time to check out 

the most visited links from last week's Be Inspired!

Julia from Vintage With Laces shared her wonderful studio from Where Bloggers Create. I just love this frame with hanging hearts. I'm blessed to have one of Julia's wonderful heart creations!

Penny from Penny's Treasures took us on a Thrifty Decorating spree 

where she transformed this coffee table...

and found this adorable birdie pillow.

And Cindy from Dwellings took us through a wonderful tour

of the Mast Farm Inn in North Carolina.

 Love this wonderful split log home on the property.

thanks so much ladies!

Hope you all will come back and join in for tomorrow's

Be Inspired
11am "ish" Central

xoxo,

Painting a tabletop and grainsacks...

Last Friday at 4 in the afternoon, I got the idea that I would paint my kitchen table top. I'm one of those people who always underestimates the amount of time and trouble a project will be. I think, "Let's see, that should only take a couple of hours, and I'm going to use chalk paint so it should be a piece of cake". I'm also the person who thinks she still looks 40, until I catch a passing glimpse of myself in the mirror... Actually, it wasn't a big deal, just took me longer than I thought since I wanted a more protected finish. And speaking of "finishes", I'd like a new one for that mirror reflection, please.

The table top was a light "Honey" stain manufacturer's finish that had seen lot's of wear and tear over these last eleven years and needed some help in the worst way. No kids or grandkids living here, just us two and the cats, but I DID have a run in with a bottle of scented oil that you use to refresh potpourri a few years ago, and after that the table wasn't the same. lesson learned the hard way.

You can't see all the places where the finish had actually worn off, scratches, dings, and not to mention I'm not a fan of "Honey" stained anything...least of all my table top. I bought this because of the pretty antique white paint finish and the fact that I fell in love with the chair backs.

I had reached my threshold of "blah" with it, and decided that paint was easier than stripping it and re-staining, even though a dark stain would have been beautiful. I used my palm sander for just a little extra help on getting rid of the inconsistencies of the finish.

Here's a pic from last Fall. Covering what I can of the table top has always been my way of dealing with the problem.

So I did 3 coats of ASCP in Old White and then 3 coats of Minwax Liquid Polyurethane, which I love, and is super fast and easy and gives great protection. I just "lightly" distressed it around the edges, it will have enough "distressing" on it's own.

The painted tabletop color is pretty close to the original finish on the rest of the table. Maybe just a hair lighter, but not noticeable. (The liquid poly adds a little depth of color) The chairs still have the stained finish, but I can live with that at the moment.

I'll continue to keep some sort of table runner on it just to ensure a little more protection. Things tend to float over here and land, like cell phones, mail, keys, etc. so I've told hubby, everything has to fit on the runner. Right now I have my antique heavy grainsack runner with the red stripe. This thing is durable and nubby and I love the look. I've ordered another one with a caramel stripe in the center, and it's on it's way from Austria. Christina from Grainsack on Etsy has beautiful antique grainsacks for great prices. You can take out the stitching like I did, and it becomes twice as long and works wonderfully as a tablerunner.

My tool caddy with vintage blue Ball Jars and faux hydrangeas

 is a staple here, year-round.

Wish I'd have done this sooner, because this looks so much better. Now, if the fur girls will just not attempt any crafting on the table top things will be good...

joining in on these great parties:

Inspiration Gallery at Yellow Bliss Road

WOW Us Wednesday at Savvy southern Style
It's a Party at DIY by Design
Homework at Worthing Court
Inspire Me Tuesday at A Stroll Thru Life
Blissful Whites at Timewashed
Treasure Hunt at From My Front Porch to Yours
Tips and Tutorials at Stone Gable
House Party at No Minimalist Here
Share Your Cup at Mrs. Olson's
The Shabby Creek Cottage
Redoux Interiors
French Country Cottage
The Charm of Home
Furniture Friday at Miss Mustard Seed
Shabby Art Boutique
Blitzed on Pinterest at Debbiedoos
Inspiration Gallery at Craftberry Bush
Funky Junk

hope you're having a great week,

xoxo,

The Marketplace: Etsy and Online Boutique Showcase

Hi Everyone, and welcome to 

The Marketplace!

And welcome to the place to share all your Etsy and Online Boutique items,

then stay for some great shopping.

Here are a few links from last week that I really love.

Farmhouse Kitchen Bread Box

The Zoe Bird

Vintage Bisque Couple

Vintage Old Post Road

Rustic Canning Jar Lid Wreath

Sweet Magnolias Farm

Vintage Lamp with Shade

from Fishtail Cottage

Rusty Metal Farm Basket

from the Penny and the Pearl

Thanks Everyone, that joins in for the Showcase!

And in the Sponsor Spotlight today we have Judy from 20 North Ora, who has been participating in the "Christmas in July" on Etsy, so I wanted to share a few of her items with a little Christmas flair. You'll want to see her fun pillows and stockings that not only work for Christmas, but would be charming year round.

20 North Ora

Set of 3

Wooden Spool Trimmed Christmas Trees

Vintage Linen and Chenille Christmas Stocking

Red and Pink Cabbage Rose Pillow

thanks so much Judy!

You don't have to have a blog to participate, just link up to three of your Etsy Shop or Online Boutique items. Please have direct links to the item if possible. And if you have a blog post about your store or products that's great too, just make sure your items are FOR SALE. This party link will be open all week, so be sure and drop back by to check on the new links that are being added.

If you'd like to grab the image below for somewhere on your blog that would be so nice, and please be a follower of Common Ground. 

Thanks so much for joining in,

Have a great week!

Black tole tray, sunshine quilt, and some tweakin' going on...

Just wanted to share a few little Summery changes out here on the sunporch with you all, and show you my latest black tole tray that I've added to my illness  collection. Dee is having a super summer sale over at the French Bleu Vintage Shop, so you will want to go see what she has in. Check out her blog, I think she has a 30% off code going on.

The yellows, golds, peaches and reds just look so summery.
(from French Bleu Vintage Shop)

I had some cute comments on the post I did on the Patriotic Sunporch a week or two ago. It was suggested that it needs it's own book. It DOES have it's own personality for sure, and it's always wanting attention... So to indulge it once again, I found a sweet little quilt that was a substitute for a vintage version that "got away". Yes, I didn't buy something, then got home and thought about it. I went back the next day and of course it was gone. boo hoo. But I found this one, which is really bright and pretty, and filled the bill for my desire for "Yellow".

I've been enjoying the red fruity pillows out here, so I didn't want to start over, but it was time to put away the flags, and the blue accents, and concentrate on Summer, with some Apple pottery, which was the idea behind the reds and yellows. 

This is a vintage quilt from my hubby's family that has pieced sailboats on the front. I'd forgotten it was a sunny yellow on the reverse, so it's part of the color scheme, too.

My paternal grandmother's Hull Apple Cookie Jar, salt and pepper, and stove jar love to be part of the Summer Baker's Rack decor. I remember that this cookie jar always had fresh homemade oatmeal cookies inside. I can see her kitchen like it was yesterday...sweet memories...

(actually it's two peppers because the salt took a tumble a few years ago, and I need to find another one that's not an arm and a leg).

Can you imagine that everyone used to save their bacon grease?

gag-o-rific...

Ironstone pitcher with some faux daisies.

I recently found this little oval plaid lunch pail,

 Love these little versions.

That checked pillow that's in the middle has the flag on the other side,

so I just turned it around to keep the great black/white check.

And speaking of "apple" things,

 here is a new little "skinny wreath" for the front door,

Lady Apples and Black-eyed Susans

And some appliqued feed sack tea towels that Ive been saving for Summer.

joining in for these parties:

Amaze Me Monday at Dwellings

Tweak it Tuesday at Cozy Little House

The Scoop at Cedar Hill Ranch

Knick of Time Tuesday

Wow Us Wednesday at Savvy Southern Style

xoxo,

Be Inspired: She's Got Style

Hi Everyone, Time for Be Inspired!
the place to share what's been inspiring you this week.

And speaking of "inspiration", this Southern Gal "Wows" us each week with her decorating skills and paint transformations. We all know Kim, and love her gorgeous Georgia home where she has created a warm and personal style. Kim has an eye for color combinations and isn't afraid to paint, paint, and repaint, sharing her chalk paint and milk paint creations along the way.

I've been a fan of hers early on, and one of my favorite rooms is her wonderful sitting room/library, where she has recently repainted her walls and changed up her sofa and color scheme. Kim's mix of Traditional and Country French is always beautifully pulled together, and she absolutely lives up to her blog name, Savvy Southern Style.

I love the mix of the browns and blues.

And the piece de resistance...

her amazing antique French Vaisselier.

thanks Kim, for always sharing your home and style with us!

Now, on to some other great links from last week...

Leslie and her dad created a wonderful DIY Rustic Plank Table
with salvaged weathered wood  at Gwen Moss.

You'll want to see how Little Miss Maggie morphed
a ho-hum metal flower container
 into this gorgeous Decorative Wall Basket

Jody and Stan from Rooted in Thyme  have gorgeous gardens in their
California home. Take a peek at their Paris Flea Market themed garden room

Vanessa from At the Picket Fence recently completed a
Staircase and Foyer Makeover that is fresh and bright.

And I love this "Table turned Island"

from Karen at Redoux.

One of my weaknesses is any kind of chocolate...

Doesn't this Guiness Chocolate Cream Cheese Frosting

from Pattie at Olla-Podrida look melt in your mouth?

thanks gals, for joining in for the party!

And today I'm excited to introduce you to a new sponsor, 

Eleanor Brown Boutique. 

Jennifer and her husband are also the proprietors of the website Santos Cage Dolls, but have now expanded their shop to include even more beautiful items to choose from. Alongside their amazing Santos and Ex Votos, they are now carrying lovely crowns, select vintage items, decor and kitchenware: all with a French flavor. I hope you'll visit their Eleanor Brown Blog, and Facebook page to keep up with new items and promotions.

thank you so much, Jennifer!

OK, time to link up all your inspiration from this last week.
If you can, please take a minute to visit the person ahead of you in the links,
and please be a follower of this blog, Common Ground.
Thank you everyone for always showing up ready to party!
If you've ever been featured feel free to grab the image below.

and while you're out, please check out these other Friday party gals:

 Have a great rest of the week,
xoxo,