Shabby makeover in robin's egg blue and some exciting news!

It has been a very busy January. I have started working full-time again as a high school choir director, in addition to directing the music for The Sound of Music at the local arts center, and therefore have not have much time for blogging. I love my new job, and I think I am finally starting to settle into a routine at least.  Now I can finally get back to blogging and decorating. My house is still a wreck from Christmas... I hope I can manage to find time for a little cleaning and Valentine's Day decorating this week too.

 Although things have been crazy between adjusting to the new schedule and recouperating from the holidays, my husband and I have still managed to continue junking throughout January and we have had a blast!

This weekend we found this ugly little chest of drawers but we knew it could be great with some TLC. We had been wanting to try out a robin's egg blue color on something and the piece turned out so well that we are both hooked on it now. My husband isn't at all into "foo-foo" as he calls it, but he knows what looks nice so he usually indulges me on these things...

It looks great and the color really puts me in the mood for spring although I wish nature wasn't so messed up right now and winter would do what its supposed to do.

 We found the hardware at Hobby Lobby and mixed some leftover green and blue paint that we had in storage and it was exactly the color we were wanting. A coat or two of paint, a light sanding and distressing, topped off with dark walnut stain and voila! We love it!

NOW FOR THE EXCITING NEWS...

We have finally decided to open a booth at a well-established antiques mall in our area! My next post (which I hope to have up by Wednesday) will be our official grand opening post! Here is a sneak peak with this little chest all decked out for Valentine's Day. Didn't it turn out just adorable? Remember its up for sale if you are interested..better snatch it up before I decide to bring it back home!!!

                                                         Oh SOOOOOO SHABBY! 

Come back for the open house blog!!!!!

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Christmas To Winter Transition

Its FINALLY winter in Kentucky, where we just got our first light snow and true winter temperatures. I love the beauty and peacefulness of snow and ice during January and I always play with transitioning in my decorating from Christmas into the New Year using wintery items.

I like to use winter-themed decorations that aren't specific to Christmas, like this reproduction tin sign advertisement for winter boots and shoes. Of course snowmen decorations can be used all winter long.

I had been hunting for old ice skates since before Thanksgiving and finally scored a pair at an estate sale on New Year's Eve day. Perfect for winter decorating along with an old sled and jingle bells.

I decided to keep most of my Christmas mantel decor up untilValentine's Day by simply removing the silver tinsel and changing out the brown, bronze, and gold tone Christmas bulbs with snowflake ornaments, more pine cones, and vintage silver bulbs. The snowflake ornaments were marked down to two for .25 the day after Christmas at the dollar store so I bought a ton of them. The white shimmery deer look even more wintry now.

Christmas Mantel

Winter Mantel

I wanted to make the same kinds of changes with my banister. At Christmas I had wrapped the banister with pine garland and used tons of vintage Shiny Brite ornaments.

For winter I removed the Shiny Brites, tinsel and tulle, and added snowflake ornaments, silver ornaments, pine cones and icicles.

I used an old mirror in the back of the fireplace to reflect the lights on the logs and on the banister across the room. The white frame and foggy old mirror just reminds me of snow and ice.

Yesterday I found these very old winter figures and oval mirror. I will put Santa away and add some glittery snow and keep the rest out for a while.

 

Target had these adorable shabby-French birdhouse ornaments on clearance after Christmas and now
I am regretting not buying a few more.

This little snow family was a gift from my grandmother. She bought them at the time my children were about the same ages of the snow children so its very special to me.  They are taking a sleigh ride in the first Christmas decoration my husband and I bought when we were dating. I always keep it out for the rest of winter.

So far this has been the least amount of snow of any winter I can remember. Our first snow was really not much more than a dusting, and the temperatures are supposed to be back up this week so for now I am just going to have to enjoy the snow scenes inside the house, snuggled up on my heating pad!

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