I'm Not so much into VDay but I really like these tags.....

I saw these so awesome tags made by Vicki at Rusty Rooster Vintage --she takes vintage recipe cards and "alters" them by embellishing them with old lace, beads, trinkets, photo graphics, buttons you name it and she somehow puts it together and it works!  She embellishes all kinds of things you should really check her out, a sweetheart too!!  Disclaimer:  she is not paying me to say this...

I did not take any pics of how I made my tags.  I bought big shipping tags from Staples and I had everything else and just went for it...I had stamps and distress ink and a box of vintage buttons from my grandma and other stuff...
                                              

I wanted to give some friends a small gift so I found some relaxation CD's and wrapped them in brown paper & tied with jute twine...

I rubbed on some transfers and put a rose sticker in the middle...

And since I like things not perfect and to give a more vintagey feel I didn't rub it off completely {Ha} it's just cuz I forgot those places....
                                                               

Attach the tags and maybe a rhinestone or two and a simple cute gift!

I love these!  Go check out Vicki's site and get inspired too!                                                            
                                                                
                                                          
                                                  
                                                    

Looking for inspiration & ideas for a problem room...

I came across these pics in House Beautiful which they were making over a long narrow room kinda like what I have and its always bugged me how and where to put furniture.  I've asked others more experienced than I and it seems to be quite a brain teaser.

This is not too much unlike the size of my room

And here's what they did.  Check out that rug wow not for me...all the fabrics cozy it up, lots of seating too.  They say to notice your furniture placement after a party when people have moved chairs around and that's how the room wants to be.  Well I wish my room would speak to me and quick.  I want to stage it better cuz we are looking to move and just want it more appealing since its a small house gotta make the most of it!!  

And {I hesitate} here is one half of the room in question:
                                                                        

                  You can see the sofa is at an angle and that big and heavy armoire is a pain. Behind the plant is a piano no less.  Can you see my problem??? And we need access out that door.  Hmmm...well here's the other end of the room.............

 

     That poor lonely white table is waiting for just the right chairs to go with it for seating in front of the fireplace....Off to the right is the kitchen.  All the furniture I am redoing or finding now is for a different style and look completely so I'm in transition.
                                                                             
 Here are some pics of a cool looking kitchen and neat gadgets all from House Beautiful:   

Really nice huh?  Let's see what I can come up with!

                                                                                                                                                      

Maybe the third or fourth time's the charm----

I swear I've sanded this down so many times the wood is 1/2 inch thinner than I started!  Each time a different idea, don't like it, try something else, I think I like it now, maybe, I freehanded the dang thing sorta,  I did trace the words on but could barely see the lines and the designy thing is a stencil...

Here I started hand painting the words, a little scarey, but I love all the colors in the  board.  I painted on green, red and black and just swooshed them all together just layering it on...

And here it is done in crappy lighting in the bathroom.  I love the vintage door handle which will act as a hook for only lovely things not hubs sweats and not a wet towel!!

Not happy with these pics but I'm tired and what the heck anyway I'm gonna link to a couple of parrrtaaay's like:

miss mustard seed.copy me challenge (ya I'm in)

french country cottage

Old grungy cabinet to new grungy cabinet

Here she is this ol' thing I've been dragging around for years.  It's been living out back, rusty and stinky so I brought her in [after hosing down] and cleaned her up--just so ya know, I finally got rid of that date in the corner of photos-sorry I'm such an amateur, you would never know my dad was a professional photographer I wish I'd learned more when he was still with us!

                                                                     

                          Love the rusty screws and hinges

                     So I took it apart

                       Painted it white and distressed with the palm sander and stained the top

   You can see I left the metal mesh inserts cuz they're neat looking.  I stained and wiped it off so it has a very distressed look and I  added these cool knobs for a little understated bling...

      and now she will live in the bathroom!  I cut down 2 of those big old embroidered towels of my mom's and made little guest towels to hang on the handles I added to the sides of cabinet.  Cute!!

Why Rustic?

There's something so earthy and raw about worn out weathered wood & rust speckled metal why do so many of us crave this look?  Pair that look with vintage dishes, soft linens, aged photos actually anything old and carefully staged and we're in heaven.  What is it that attracts so many of us?  If we don't find it old we take great pains to make it old, scratch it up, distress, antique, or generally just junk it up.  Of course, its a personal thing, many don't like that look but those who do REALLY do! Is it an ERA we are trying to preserve or bring back? Is it a feeling of going back to times when things were simpler?

small alarm clock all metal circa 1930's

I also have this pile of embroidered pillowcases my mom made back in the 40's when she was a teenager. They are that flour sack fabric but no flour sack stamping on them (dang) but I still don't know what to do with them all.  The pillowcases are awesome as seen here with the kitchen towels.

And here is a pic of my grandma's pitcher and bowl, so delicate I keep on a higher shelf in the bathroom, and a replica of the pitcher I found at GW a few years ago.  You gotta really look and be sure you aren't buying a replica when you wanted an original, just sayin'...

                     
Ok guys, this is the best!  I hoped someday I would have this antique secretary desk my grandma had and now I have it.  She said she found it in 2 pieces on her soon to be mother in laws back porch.  When she asked about it her mil said "that old thing? You can have it" so grandma took it home and cleaned it up and had it til her passing in 1997.   It's still full of some old stuff which is where I found the clock.
                                                                            

moms baby dress made by her mom and grandma, and a pic of my grandma (in middle), my great grandma on right and I think my grandpa or one of her brothers.

Love this silver pitcher-  and the silver fork and spoon are about 80 years old....                                         
                                                                          
I love the rustic elements mixed with traditional styles, I think it's just a way to keep those memories alive.
           










                                               

Finish that furniture already!

I really like this little coffee table...and I want it white with distressing of course...

BUT I keep changing the finish

it didn't look just right so I sanded it

down again and went to all the lovely

             

blogs out there to help give me a better idea..........

so many ideas, so little time.  Everyone has a different

way or method.  I've refinished some pieces of furniture

along the way and was always successful for the most part.

I discovered there are tons

of people out there refinishing

their furniture in all different ways

some sand, some don't, some prime,

some use Duct Tape to lift off paint

for that distressed look!  Ok well I'll just do what works

                 

cuz obviously it's not a total science.   Here's that table:  7 bucks at GW

I'm using Behr Swiss Coffee but I mixed in a darker beige to tone down

the white a bit.  After sanding smooth I painted, no primer here, then painted

2 coats and sanded and distressed edges...Yikes! The orbital left round

sanding marks, crap, I dragged the sander too much, so I just sanded the

whole thing down again and repainted and here it is before the glazing......

              

                                      

and now here it is with the glazing...

                                         

I believe I like it!!!!  Whatcha think?  My house is

                                              

Spanish Colonial inside and out but I love the white

and I DO want to change things up a bit...my styles

are always changing HENCE the name

<Tumbleweed Home>

                                  

This cute little bench was made by Julie my DIL  she stenciled my house numbers on it
                                                  and I love it!

                                                         
                                                       This wrought iron base had a bird bath
                                                                  on it in another life
                                                    

                                            This is the beginnings of its new life as a table
                                                    I hope it works out! Afters coming up soon!!