What I Love About My Bedroom

I'm in love with my bedroom at the farm. I wanted a peaceful, relaxing room to sleep in, with of course, some farmhouse whimsy thrown in. I think I achieved that!  Every time I walk in, I heave a deep sigh of happiness. Just what I was after!

So what's my favorite part? That's a hard one - there are several things I love in this room.

I love the color of my walls. I was a bit worried when I first started painting them that it was going to be too dark. It's not. Instead, the color adds a richness and cocooning feel that was lacking with the plain white walls.

The curtains and furniture are neutral in color too. That way there isn't a lot of visual noise and I can control the amount of bright color by using accessories; in this case a few pops of color from my artwork and red accents, like the quilt Bruce's grandmother made us.

Also, I really love my new rug - I bought an indoor/outdoor one - it's soft underfoot but has a great textural look. Perfect!

source

My old door turned headboard with its metal accent piece is another thing I love. I actually found some tin ceiling tiles I think will work in the panels, so I will be replacing the metal piece with the tin eventually. It's such a great farmhouse look!

And of course, I adore my sliding barn door. I wasn't too sure about my paint treatment but after living with it a couple of weeks, I really like it. Plus, we don't have a door that eats up floor space. :o)

I love all the things that say "this is us". Like the bench with its stenciled saying,

the artwork that reflects country living,

Currier and Ives Four Seasons Prints

farm stitchery - a thrift store find

the pet portraits of my boys I painted in a colorful, whimsical style,

Herbie and Buddy - these make me smile every time!

 and then small touches like my posh rabbit, old toy truck (mine), tractor (Bruce's), wood crate, fox, and rooster lamp.

Last and probably most important, I love our bed and soft sheets. They are essential for a good night's sleep!

We splurged and bought a really good mattress then I made sure we had soft and comfortable sheets to put on it. I have to admit I'm a sheet snob...I can't stand scratchy sheets. Parachute, a bedding company, offers luxurious bedding with attention to quality. I really want to buy a set and try them out. Their bedding sounds so sumptuous. Just what I like!

All these things add up to make this a room I truly love and enjoy. And very definitely us!

What's your favorite thing about your bedroom?

Having fun linking at these parties:
Savvy Southern Style Wow Us Wednesdays
Coastal Charm Show And Share

Fun Finds and a Visit

How much is that chicken in the window? The one with the adorable dots? How much is that chicken in the window? I want it lots and lots!

Cute, isn't it? And yes, it did come home with me. My twin sis and her husband, along with their border collie, Tag, came up to visit us at the farm. She and I went shopping in downtown Palestine while the guys cleared brush, trimmed a couple of trees in the front, and cleaned out Martin houses.

We found some really cool stuff -
A cute chicken mug:

Don't you love her kerchief? She makes me smile!

A metal heart ( I want to find some freeze-dried roses for it )

A old coffee tin and a Gingerbread-scented candle and of course, my chicken pitcher.

I can just see it in various places over the house.

I had Theresa hang up my husband's baby clothes on my clothesline in the laundry room as I can't climb a ladder yet, and no, I didn't take a picture of them. I forgot. Lol.

I also took a canvas painting someone was going to toss, repainted it with chalkboard paint ( can you have too much chalkboard? ), and then wrote wintery sayings on before hanging it over the mantle:

 I love it! I'll be changing it up each season. Oh what fun it's going to be!!

We really enjoyed our visit. The guys got to go flying with our neighbor in his little airplane:

 He flew them over the property and Bruce took pictures. How cool is that? You can see the barn, house, and shop:

In the next one, you can see the neighbor's vineyard to the left:

We also walked the dogs around the acreage - Tag is a good influence on my rowdy youngsters:

 He doesn't run off so we were able to let Buddy run leash free and Herbie only had to be leashed when we got close to the pond ( he tends to bolt after wild life ). Herbie did so much better in listening and staying when told. Ha, ha, I need to borrow Tag to show them what to do more often.

We had a great time with them.
Here Michael and Theresa are watching Bruce plant a couple of blueberry bushes:

Me and my twin sister:

You can see we are not identical.

As always, time flew by and it was time to leave and head back to the city. But until the next time, our memories will keep us smiling.


Hugs,
Cecilia

Juggling Several Projects At Once

I am working on several projects at one time ... Why do I do that to myself? haha. I guess it keeps me from getting bored and I feel like I'm getting more done.

I actually have a list so I can mark them off as I go. My plan is to get as many done as possible before Friday.

I have these that need a new paint job - some will be going on the wall in the guest room:

I plan to paint the covers of these and use them for display. Later, I will repurpose some for the holidays.

This is going to get a label and will be added to the bottles on the bathroom shelf:

This is going in the bathroom to go with my other dog things:

These will also get painted and will hold my travel pictures. It will be easy to switch them out:

This was $2 at the Habitat Restore - I'm thinking chalkboard:

And this could also be a chalkboard message board or maybe a recipe holder. I love its shape:

The clock will get new works and a fresh coat of paint. It is going on the mantel:

These will be made into a garland for the 4th of July and will stay for the summer:

 along with this:

I'm thinking of taking out the candle and placing starfish inside. Nice and summery!

Then there's this chair of my daughter's:

I'm recovering so it will be fresh for her new apartment as she starts her new jobs. She just graduated in December with an Art Degree and has gotten two jobs working in two museums. We are so happy for her!  She picked out this fabric:

It is a chenille type; soft and nubby.

Then there's this:

I can't tell you how excited I was to find this at a local antique store (cheap too!)...it has the windows I was looking for plus peeling paint:

Oh, I have grand plans for it! It will replace my plain, beat up, hollow core laundry room door. I am so EXCITED!!

All of this besides my painting. I am working on a portrait right now plus some just for fun paintings.

Fortunately, most of these are small projects and go quickly. But, yikes! I may need my head examined.

How about you? Do you work on multiple projects too or am I just crazy?

Hidden Beauty Revealed - Dresser Redo

I finished the dresser. She's gorgeous with an English twist:

I knew she could be pretty even though she was rough around the edges and sporting golden oak - a color that had seen more popular times. Here's a refresher on what she looked like:

Now we had a chest of drawers, but it was too small. And even though I had painted it inside and out, there was still a lingering cigarette smell. ( Trust me, if I had realized that when I got it, I would never have brought it home but it was free. And I have plans for Still Stinky). 

It took me a long time to find the right piece. I looked at all the GoodWill and Salvation Army stores. All were either too damaged and "are you kidding me it cost that much for that piece of junk?" or just plain too expensive for a used dresser. (they're thrift stores for crying out loud! But that's a rant for another time).

Then I saw this one...ok, maybe she would work. She had beautiful lines but there were some issues:  a peeling finish, the top coming loose, a perfumey smell (spilled perfume?), and some rough spots. Nothing I couldn't fix. The size was right, the price ok, and the smell not too obnoxious. I double-checked her and decided to pay a little more and take her home with me.

We got her up to the farm, in the garage, and away I went getting her ready for her new life. I screwed back down the top, patched the holes, and got ready to paint. Then Mr. B wanted to know - "Are you painting it? Why do you have to paint everything and what's wrong with stained wood?" 

UH, nothing if it's pretty wood. I decided to humor do something nice for him and stain part of it. :o) . The top was in good condition, as were the doors, so they got sanded and stained a darker color, then  finished off with a clear coat of poly for extra durability. I  primed the rest, using Zinsser BullsEye primer, making sure to paint all the porous surfaces to seal off the smell (this included the undersides/sides of the drawers and inside the cabinet. Perfect.

 Next, I chose one of my sample color cans of paint (Benjamin Moore's Shenandoah Taupe ) and mixed up a homemade chalk paint recipe which I then used to paint the sides, door panels, and all the drawers.

I also decided the doors needed more oomph so added an British Flag design using neutral colors; in this case Behr's Creamy Mushroom and White. I also stenciled numbers on the drawers, lightly distressed the whole piece, gave it a clear coat of wax, and then added the hardware. All done!

White striping added

Creamy Mushroom over the white and distressed

Numbers added to drawers

Isn't she beautiful? 

She now sits happily in our bedroom enjoying her new look and lease on life. All she needs is some dresser top adornment but I am thrilled with how she turned out. I've finally hit on how I want our room to look. I will be working toward achieving that over the next several months...after all, it takes time to find all the right stuff. :o)

Thanks for dropping by,

Cecilia

Going to these great parties! Be sure and check them out for all sorts of amazing projects!
The dedicated House Make-It-Pretty-Monday-week-49
Coastal Charm Nifty-thrifty-tuesday-no-163
DIY Showoff That-DIY-party-16
Kammys Korner Trash-2-treasure-tuesday-link-party_13
KatheWithane Youre-gonna-love-it-week-54
The Rustic Pig Creatively-Tuesday-33-a-giveaway
A Stroll Thru Life 164th-inspire-me-tuesday

A Productive Week at the Farm

I am feeling very blessed right now...

I got to spend the whole week at the farm last week. Just me and the puppies. It was wonderful. Quiet, peaceful, Springtime loveliness - like these irises that were blooming:

Someone at one time planted a lot of pretty flowers. I just love discovering them as they bloom.

It was a productive week - The front and back doors finally got painted after being primed for a year ( I can procrastinate with the best of them! ) :o)  :

This is the first coat on the backdoor - used Benjamin Moore Wethersfield Moss
Same color on front door; inside is white

The bathroom shelf is in place - here is the before:

Mr. B added the bun feet for me

And after:

Sweet bird figurine, wild flower bouquet, and extra soap

Close up of flowers

I need to get another basket to place on the bottom shelf along with the other one (to use for extra TP), possibly another galvanized bucket, and also I want to find more bottles to add to the red one. I love how it adds to the bathroom. I like using extra mason jars to hold the band-aids, etc.

My burlap eggs are also finished and placed in their basket in the kitchen:

I cut pieces of burlap and used Mod Podge to glue them onto plastic Easter eggs (if you can find white or pastel eggs, I recommend that - had a hard time covering up the color). I numbered them just for fun. The basket I found at Target in the dollar section.

I was also able to finish and place a couple of my Canton treasures. The chickens were too cute to pass up:

They have claimed a spot on the entry table and are quite happy to declare "It's farm time"! Don't you love their long legs? They make me smile!!

I was really excited about finding this:

 Our jackets kept ending up all over the place so I wanted to find a coatrack. And there it was! I liked it's slender profile. It doesn't take up a lot of space in my small farmhouse. The finish was a little rusty but  I really liked the shiny chrome accent pieces:

To preserve them, I taped them off and covered them with foil before spray painting the rack:

I sprayed it a off-white. I left the chrome accents as is which was a little peeling - gives it a rustic feel.

It fits my spot just right!

hurray! A spot for our jackets!

I also found an old spring cot (cheap!) in perfect condition so I snatched that up. It fits nicely in the closet and can be pulled out when an extra bed is needed.

 Of course, what's a trip to Canton without a burlap coffee sack? Yes, I bought another one. LOL. I am going to use that in my laundry room redo. I have a great idea for it.

Canton is addicting...looking forward to going back. I still have things on my list to look for! :o)

One of the last things I worked on last week was a dresser I picked up from GW. We needed a bigger one but I was having trouble finding one that either wasn't too expensive or not overly damaged/cheaply made. I was pretty happy when I found this one:

Oops! I had already taken off one of the doors before I remembered to snap the before picture. There was only slight damage to that side. The drawers are nice and big too!

It's coming along nicely - I will soon be able to show it off!

All in all, a very productive week!

Next on the list? A laundry room redo...got to get Bruce on board as I need his help. He's already rolling his eyes..."It's a utility room! Why does it need to be pretty?"

Um, seriously? He should know me by now. Just because! Trust me....

Smiling,
Cecilia

Linking up here: Transformed-Tuesday-35
Make-it-pretty-monday-week-46