New Whites in the Dinning Room

I finally finished my dinning room chairs.

It wasn't really a daunting project, well maybe in my mind only.

Four chairs to paint.

4 Times x 4 chairs.

Sand and stain.

Remove the 3 layers of upholstery.

Add a layer of cotton batting.

Reupholster in simple white fabric.

Sew four seat slipcovers.

It sound like a lot, but really, each chair only took 2 days to paint.

One day to reupholster all of the chairs.

One day to make several of the slipcovers.

All in all, I think I finished the whole project within 2 weeks with lots of swimming breaks in between.

The best part is that I had to purchase nothing.

The chairs came free from one of my cosigners at my old shop.

I used fabric I already had, a cheap lightweight cotton denim from Walmart.

The paint was some I had used on some of my interior walls.

First, two coats of flat paint, a coat of Annie Sloan Old White and the top coat was semi-gloss.

You may be wondering why I painted the semi-gloss over the Annie Sloan.

The first chair I tried to like the chair before the semi-gloss, but I did not like just plain waxing.
I used my go to method of using semi-gloss and either let life (meaning 3 children) distress a piece of furniture or sand and stain the furniture.

Simple ruffled slipcover.

Look at those legs!

Ballarina ties on the back.

I like the look with the full slipcovered parson chairs, my newly slipcovered white chairs and the vintage farm chairs.

Now, if only I could do something about that table!

How about you?

Have you finished any projects lately?

I am sharing my white chairs with Kathleen from Faded Charm for White Wednesday.

and

Miss Mustard Seed for Furniture Feature Friday.

and 

Courtney from French Country Cottage for Feathered Nest Friday

and

Cindy from My Romantic Home for Show and Tell Friday.

Beachy White

Last week I took the sea shells out of storage to bring summer into the house.

I would love to say that I was able to collect the shells while walking on the beach.

Afraid not.

Sea shells on the kitchen island.

Great details on one of a pair of vintage iron urns. 

I love the look of the white candle and sea shells.

I am sharing this with Kathleen from Faded Charm for White Wednesday.

Flea Market Whites

My sister and I went to a local flea market and I scored!

In fact, we met up with our other sister at a garage sale on the way.

Chippy and Ironstone.

Two of the best whites there are.

You should have seen us carrying all of this to our car.

I am not including the cute little round metal table I found for the deck.

It is yellow and is not allowed to show its' face until it has been painted white.

I was told the pitcher was worth much more than I was being charged.

But, that's not what I am paying.

I took it home at my price.

It pays to haggle.

The bed, well, I am not too sure where it is going at this very moment.

But.

I knew I couldn't leave it.

Actually it was my little sister who sold me on it.

For that price, you can put it on the deck she said.

SOLD!

We were quite a spectacle.

Laughing with sisters is always the best way to spend a day.

I am sharing my new whites with Kathleen from Faded Charm and WHITE WEDNESDAY

and

Cindy from My Romantic Home for Show and Tell Friday.

Party Like It's Your Birthday

As you may have guessed, I have a birthday today.

I posted a couple of days ago about a little bit of color.

Well, it seems that I am just bursting with color.

I did some shopping this past week at TJ Maxx and I found lots of COLOR!

I quick covered four ice cream chair seats.

I used this lime green outdoor table cloth.

I just love all the pretty colors on these pillow cases.

This crib will look even better when I add one of my vintage quilts.

Perfect for a summer party.

Now all I need to look for are some simple tables to set your drinks on.

These stripes are a long way from all white.

More lime green.

I just love the color green.

All of these new cushions are from my father for my birthday, THANKS POP!

Don't tell him until I do, for my family readers!

My friend June from Laughing with Angels left me a comment about my white flowers post,
she tried to plant all white but then found she needed some color.

I thought about that, and I thought I did too.

I still planted lots of white, but now my little bits of color stand out even more.

These planters are ready to be placed around the deck.

This one I still needs a couple of plants added.

I am thinking of maybe trying a couple of white Hydrangeas.

I just love the white and green.

For Mother's Day my little sister came over and helped me plant this flower bed.

It is a little sparse for my cottage garden loving ways.

I can always add a plant or two or hundred if necessary.

This is not my initial white garden, that one may have to be put on the back burner for this year.
We were more in need of a privacy board for the pool.

I did end up adding a little color purple through Lavender plants and some creeping Phlox.

So how about you, how long do you do all white before you bring in little bits of color.

It is Spring, let your colors burst.

I hope all of you mothers had a wonderful Mother's Day.

White Garden

I was going t o try to create this flower bed last year but I was not able to convince Mr. M.
I think I will have better luck this year. 

Of course I am not done weeding the flower beds I already have,

 but that doesn't stop me from dreaming of new ones.

I found these on Google, but I can't find the original source or artist.

I would like to make at least one of these for my new garden.

I think I may have to put a call into my brother the carpenter.

I could let him help me make some for my birthday coming up.

I found this beautiful picture here and it is a garden full of inspiration.

This is almost how I want mine except for the wood enclosures. 

I even love the fountain but without a water source a statue may work better. 

I found this inspiration here by Goggling white gardens.

This is what I am thinking for the pathways, inspiration found here, love the green and white.

My planting list for the parterre gardens.

Each of the sections will have: 

One Snowball bush

One tall Arborvitae bush

Three Boxwood bushes

Three white Rose bushes

Three white Saliva plants

Three white Baby's breath plants

Three white Aster plants

Three white Delphinium plants

Three white Phlox plants

Also depending on the size and necessity I will also add in a variety of white annuals

 and maybe some grasses.

Now, this is only in dream form right now.

I have to slowly break it to Mr. M., who thinks I have enough gardens right now.

He does not understand, a gardener can not have too many gardens.

I am sharing this for White Wednesday with Kathleen from Faded Charm

Better Than Just a Canister

It seems that one of my posts Better than a Bread Box is very popular according to my stats.

I thought I would show you what I made this past weekend to go along with my Bread Box.

Because they are simply Better Than Just a Canister!

TA DA!

I found these canisters at a local antique shop last week.

Of course they did not have the french script.

Graphics Fairy to the rescue.

I forgot how I did the project with the bread box the first time.  

I had to go back through my old posts to find the original link to Heaven's Walk.

  Thanks Laurie for sharing your tips with us.

This is really a simple project to do and it has such dramatic results.

If I hadn't told you, you would never had known that I did not buy all of  these at the same time.

I am sharing my new Better Than Just a Canister

 with Kathleen from Faded Charm for White Wednesday.

And a new link party

with Angie from Knick of Time  for Knick of Time Tuesday Vintage Style.

Thanks for stopping by and don't forget to check out all those wonderful WHITES and VINTAGE.

White Christmas Around the House

I am mostly done decorating the house for Christmas.

I thought I would share some pictures with you.

I have two Christmas trees decorated in whites, the kitchen and the dinning room.

Snow flakes and snow balls hanging from the kitchen chandelier.

Dinner by Christmas tree light.

Wreaths that I usually leave up for the whole winter.

Paper whites in the windowsill.

I love the little snowmen.

They usually stay out longer after the holidays.

Living in the North East you have to get used to the snow.

This is the entrance to the dinning room from the kitchen.

Wooden houses my sister gave to me many years ago, before I was so into white.

I love my little snow girls.

Silver ornaments and frosted silver pine cones hang from the dinning room chandelier.

The candles on the table are one of my favorite finds this year. 

Timed candles that will light up at 5:00 each night and stay lit for 5 hours.

Stockings I prettied up last year with buttons, ruffles and bows.

I should be done decorating, I wish I could be,

 but I am a crafty person and I am constantly coming up with new ideas to make something.  

I find it hard to sit and do nothing.

Today I am making fudge and cookies, mmmm, butter nut balls my favorite.

Are you like that?

It's party time!

I will be joining Kathleen from Faded Charm for White Wednesday.

 Debra from Common Ground for Vintage Inspired Friday.

  Cindy from My Romantic Home for Show and Tell Friday.