The paint bug bit me...

...at a really bad time!

We got home last night from a really great Mother's Day weekend in St. Louis with our kids. Of course we did a lot of flea marketing and found some incredible antique malls, but did I take pictures?... No, I was too busy going crazy and I forgot my camera in the car. So much inspiration to soak up. Now I have loads of laundry and need to put things away, but what am I doing? Grabbing my paint brush and making more of a mess!

My honey surprised me earlier in the week with this amazing new piece of furniture for the entry way, from Inspirational Home. I mentioned earlier that I am on a mission to "lighten up" my house. Nothing drastic...well, at least not yet, but just some paint and a new mirror and rethinking a few things like chair slips. More on this later.

The mirror is vintage, found this weekend. I loved the gold, but it didn't fit with the gray distressed table, which looks better with cream or pewter. So I whitewashed it. Fits the shape of the furniture and the look I'm going for.

And then you know how the "domino effect" kicks in. Well, the paint was already out, might as well take care of a few other projects...candle holders found a few weeks ago go all white.

Another header piece for a doorway to beef up my wimpy woodwork.

Another old mirror...

a flea market table find from this weekend...

finished projects!

Love the way this mirror turned out.

Thanks so much to all of you that welcomed Brian and Meloney

of The Seed Box on our new blog.

And for dropping by with me to get acquainted.

If you haven't been by to see them,

just scroll down to the next post.

OK, now I need to get back to the unpacking and mountain of laundry!

Just wanted to check in and say Hi to everyone.

I'm linking up with

Linda at Coastal Charm

Kathleen and White Wednesday

Domestically Speaking  Power of Paint Party

Cindy from My Romantic Home

My Favorite Things

 

and Laurie from Bargain Hunting and Chatting with Laurie

Have a great week everyone,

love,

Debra

Introducing The Seed Box Antiques "Shop Blog"

Last week I shared several posts about the

Garden House-Open House

at

The Seed Box.

I took you inside the new Garden House that is

showcasing all the great garden and architectural pieces

that are Meloney and Brian Russell's trademark style.

Then, inside their wonderful house in the country

near Chadwick, Missouri.

So today I'm teaming up with them to start a "Shop Blog".

We will be sharing new projects and designs that Brian is building,

 taking a peek at the shows they will be doing,

and giving you advanced news about show dates and times.

Here are a few more pictures that I promised

from their master bath and wraparound front porch.

So be our guest to the first blog post at

The Seed Box Antiques

See you there!

Debra

Vintage Botanicals and a Garden Table

This little metal outdoor table

at one time was in my booth space at the antique mall,

funny thing...

it never sold.

And you know what happens when things sit too long,

yeah...

they come to live at my house.

So now it sets right under

my kitchen window on the deck.

You can see it from the sunroom,

 so I really enjoy decorating it with my vintage

garden thingys.

A black birdcage covering some hearty ivy and my "Collegian" botanical notebook that I found several weeks ago at Spring Creek, are sharing the table with some silver of the galvanized zinc kind. I have several old watering cans, but this was a Birthday present a few years ago from my older daughter from Restoration Hardware, one of my favorite stores.

 Marion Bradway (lady or gentleman?)

must have had a Botanical assignment

to catalog wildflowers back in their college days.

My best guess is from the 1940's.

I thought about dismantling the pages and framing them out.

And I still may do that, but for now,

they are all together.

My kitties were very interested in the old pressed flowers,

but every time they went near them they started sneezing!

Funny how after so many years there is still pollen of some sort.

...choo!

I love the typewritten pages and the aged tape.

You can see my white garden gate behind the table.

 I have two of them.

Can someone say ...selfish...?

And my old hose hanger.

Just gotta love that color of blue!

I'm linking up with these wonderful parties.

If you have time go visit and say Hello.

The French Cupboard

My Romantic Home

A Few of  My Favorite Things

Bargain Hunting and Chatting with Laurie

Gypsy Fish Journal

Have a Wonderful Weekend everyone!

This Mommie has some fun time planned,

with her big kids.

And if you have a few mintues and you'd like to know me better,

click on my Bible Study Blog here

and you can read what I've learned by being a mother.

love you all,

Debra

Did I hear you correctly...?

Just taking care of a few leftover Easter items...

Why do my kids buy me this stuff?

Mother's Day Blessings

With Mother's Day this Sunday

it was about time to put away Easter

and pay tribute to all the Mothers in our lives.

My hall sideboard is my favorite to decorate

 because each month it is wiped clean

and I start from "scratch".

This area is hard to photo

since there is no direct lighting,

and the stairway is immediately in front.

(think...hanging from a chandelier)

But it is one of my favorites to view

because I see it from my kitchen.

So, like the sunroom, it's changed up frequently.

 I have a collection of Mother's Day framed verses,

(yes, I know, another collection)

but most special are my prints

 from the artist Mary Gold,

which signed her work "marygold".

Roses, flower bouquets, ironstone, and old linens,

 bring the nostalgia of Mother's Day past to life.

This little lady reminds me of the print.

Broken but not discarded...

like so many of us,

we find a place of joy and redemption

with our children.

I'll be sharing more of this wonderful

vintage flower album later.

And if you look closely

your will see the word "Mother"

embroidered on this lovely linen towel.

I'll leave you with this passage from Proverbs.

Proverbs 31:25-30

25. Strength and dignity are her clothing, And she smiles at the future. 26. She opens her mouth in wisdom, And the teaching of kindness is on her tongue. 27. She looks well to the ways of her household, And does not eat the bread of idleness. 28. Her children rise up and bless her; Her husband [also], and he praises her, [saying]: 29. "Many daughters have done nobly, But you excel them all." 30. Charm is deceitful and beauty is vain, [But] a woman who fears the LORD, she shall be praised.

I'm linking to Kathleen from Faded Charm
today for White Wednesday!

And a small note about my mysterious news.
I can't wait any longer...

Sunday evening I will be introducing
The Seed Box "Shop Blog"
that I will be doing for Brian and Meloney Russell.

(remember the wonderful Garden House)

Please come back Sunday Evening
 as I link up and publish our first post.

Love and blessings for all the Mothers.
Have a beautiful week!

 

Debra

Thank you!... thank you very much.

As "the king" used to say...

This post is long overdue.

Do you ever have weeks that just fly by

and you don't know where it all went?

That's the way these last couple of weeks have been.

 I want to thank three lovely ladies

 for a couple of great giveaways,

and another for a sweet surprise!

Beth from Old Tyme Market Place had this

nifty and "oh so cool" tape measurer

from Pottery Barn

as her give away a few weeks ago.

Wow, do I love this handy little gadget.

So classy.

You have to go by Beth's

and check out her latest post,

oh my gosh! you will love all her shop photos!

(wait, not yet!)

Then another lovely Beth

from Beth Gales Designs

had a giveaway of these gorgeous earrings

from her wonderful jewelry website.

Guess what?

They now reside on these little lobes!

Thank you Beth!

And if you haven't visited Julie, from Junkin'Julie,

then you need to go by and say Hi.

She and I have the "white ironstone gene"!

I recently purchased a couple of gorgeous

 rosary and crucifixes

from her and look what she did!

She blessed me with the most amazing

little English creamer!

(plus some vintage goodies and photos)

It has a special place on my counter in the kitchen.

I adore it!

Thank you, sweet Julie!

Life has been really busy this last couple of weeks.

I've missed checkin' in with you all!

I have some fun news coming in the next few days!

(can't tell yet. I know, I'm so mean!)

and I've attended some really wonderful Barn sales,

so I have bunches of wonderful things to show you.

AND, I'm on a mission to lighten up my world,

so...

stay tuned!

Hope you're off to a great week!

love,

Debra