Time Worn Style

Blackboard message boards and easels

As we head into Autumn here on our Mountain

Our hydrangeas are cheering out their last hoorah...

So I picked you a bunch..

I hope you like them

all in white..

 

As I've been busy trying to get this house organised

between phone calls to insurance companies

and quotes for repairs...

I thought it was time to get a better messaging system going for this family

but of course it had to look good

and fit in with our houses aesthetic...

What ever that means, but it sounds impressive like I know what I'm doing don't you think?

I hope you are impressed.

Anyway, I didnt have a door that I could paint like Sarah at the Beach cottage  as basically there is no where to lean it where it could be read

And I sure do love that door she has rockin' that cottage...

But I had to think of something else...

My friends already know this, but I am actually an artist by trade, studied at Uni for three years so needless to say I have a bit of a collection of artists bits and bobs around the house...

Including this easel

which had been sitting in a corner

not doing much

because I havent been doing a lot of art work lately..

So I thought I would put it to use and add this very old School chalkboard to it..

I gave it a couple of coats of blackboard paint first to freshen it up..

and it was ready to go..

 

Tried to think of something clever to write on it but that was all I could come up with sorry..

Its the best I could do..

I'm tired from cleaning up flood damage..

Anyway I want you to be impressed with the chalkboard not the message :0)

Currently it has "Buy Rabbit Food" on it

Which we have

So job done, its a great message board me thinks.

And just to be super efficient I added this old wicker trolley in the space next to it..

Which is now our new recycle bin,

the kids can wheel it out to the big recycle bin.

I'm so glad I didnt listen to those people who told me to paint it white.

I love the old worn French Provincial look about it, just as it is...

So there you have it,

efficiency with no huge effort, just using what I had around the house

Next time I will think of a more impressive comment to put on the chalk board..

I promise

Alicia

 

Linky linking with..

super dooper treasures all the way over here in the land of Australia and my ebay store

 

The sweetest Murano lamp in pink and gold...

 

The sweetest little chippy white ballerina pictures...

can you not feel the shabby sweetness ooozing through this photo?

I sure can..

 

 

 

 

Decluttering with Vintage and Antiques

You know that old saying

"You can't see the trees for the forest" ??

That is how I am living at the moment

the room downstairs had a wash of water across it from the last huge downpour.

Our house is normally as tight as a drum

but this lot of rain was an absolute downpour

Nothing could have stopped it coming in and ruining the carpet..

So everything that was downstairs is now upstairs

My nicely organised upstairs rooms have now become a huge storage room

I'm not sure what is mine and what is stock for Time Worn Style anymore..

Does it make your head spin too all this clutter??

Does it stop you thinking straight??

It does me

I need some serenity...

So that is what I have been doing for the last few weeks

sorting out the stuff

and finding serenity

when I should have been doing a blog post or two..

But when you are embarrassed to have people come to your house

because they may injure themselves on tripping over a chair or two

It's no laughing matter...

But I can assure you I will be back blogging with lots of new pictures and ideas

very soon..

Once I find my camera again which I am sure is under that stack of eiderdowns over there...

Just focus on the serenity..

 

Alicia

 

 Mind you that hasn't stopped me from stocking up my ebay store

The good thing about this is that I have found more treasures to list

so I can make more room!

 

Beautiful Queen Anne Sideboard

 

Gorgeous lamp pair with crystal inserts..

 

 

Painting....

I don't know what it is but as soon as I get a paint brush in my hand

I have to keep painting

I've told the kids not to stand still..

they could be next..

heaven knows there is a child like shape somewhere against a white wall..

So as I mentioned in my last blog post, I painted me a large bedroom..

with all that bead boarding..

It took a while

Lets just say..

which didnt help me get over my Autumn flu symptoms..

But I had the brushes out so thought I might turn this..

 

 

Into a little French Shell Grey number...

 

Holds a stack of books

and a cuppa

and of course rather than clean the brush..

I thought I might finish these as well..

 

Two of them infact...

I think they would look perfect next to a white slipcovered sofa..

You do share my vision don't you?

 

Both are available in my ebay store

if you are wanting a little French Grey in your life..

Now..

what else can I paint...

Alicia

 

My summer painting project..

At the end of last month I realised I was posed with a problem

You see, each summer I set myself a large decorating task

This summer just gone was to paint out the red in our bedroom.

Great idea..

Then suddenly I realised that there were only two days of summer left..

so I had better get cracking

I've never liked the red

Its a large room our bedroom ~ used to be a seperate cottage to  the house ~

with large french doors to the verandah

but the colour made it dark..

And it is lined completely ~ roof and walls ~ with wooden panelling

(the name of which escapes me, do remind me someone!)

~ Tounge and Groove ~ thanks Sue

So painting with a roller was out of the question

It had to be by hand

I was going to paint it a lighter colour

this maroon red...

so it would take several coats to cover it

So with only two days of summer left

I got stuck into it.

 

Decided to spend a little more and use my favourite undercoat sealer

Zissar ~ and the oil based one at that as didnt want any of this red seeping through

I would thoroughly recommend it to anyone (small tip though, get them to mix it for you at the paint store on their shaker machine first as otherwise it is very runny initially)

 

All the grooves painted first

(note my special painting technique of leaving treasures in place till the last minute ie. laziness)

then the boards themselves

I can't believe the difference in light it makes by doing such a simple thing..

The room has always had big windows but the colour just swallowed it up

So now it looks like this...

 

with the light streaming in...

 

 

Its so nice to be in here during the day now...

I still have to do the trims and the french doors which are still in a red "stain"

however I did do the walls..

which is what I promised myself this summer..

 

It was a lot of work...

 

 

and it did involve a lot of ladder climbing...

and a few coats to cover that red...

 

Will share some more "after" photos soon..

I'm still deciding which treasures I will put back in..

Some I am moving on through my ebay store such as these..

 

and this...

 

so do check back for more "afters"

as I'm not quite finished yet..

 

Linkity Linking with Miss Sarah over at ....

These boots were made for walking (and carrying a flower or two)

Can you believe it

Australia is heading into Autumn already

Not that we have had much of a Summer this year

The plus side of that is we didn't need to be concerned with a Bush Fire season

and thats a big plus...

The Autumn flowers have started in the garden

showing their pretty heads first are the Japanese Windflowers..

Love pretty pinks against a blue..

So when my eldest daughter spotted these Baby Cowgirl Boots at an op shop

Well I knew they wouldnt fit any of my three girls...

But they would take a little vase inside full of water

and pink blooms..

 

They are probably the most adorable little boots I have ever seen..

Made in the USA too, where the real cowgirl boots come from..

 

 

In all their blue leather glory...

And the best thing about them

When I walk past them, they give me a smile

and

sometimes........ a laugh

 

What do you use to put your flowers in?

Alicia

Great little furniture items in my ebay store this week.

 

A very vintage chocolate box..

a petit point footstool..