painting acorns

September 18, 2015

For Friday field trip today, I am painting some acorns! This is my last ‘neutralizing fall’ element. After completing some pine cones and some leaves, the acorns are my final painting project.

These little fall icons are very easy to paint and they can be painted to match any décor. I don’t use paint brushes any more when painting these small pieces; I much prefer paint pens.

For this year’s fall display, I first painted the bottoms of all the acorns with white paint pens. After the paint was good and dry, I used a little piece of a clean rag to rub the white paint with gold metallic paint.

For the tops of the acorns, I used a cotton swab to add some clear paint glitter to give them a little bling!

That’s it! Now the acorns have been painted to match the rest of my ‘neutralized’ elements! I will team these elements up with some of my hand crafted velvet pumpkins and will add some white pumpkins of varying sizes throughout my home.

Thanks for stopping by for Friday field trip! Have a fabulous weekend and remember to take pleasure in simple things, Jackie

P.S. If you prefer velvet acorns, click here for a tutorial from my archives…enjoy!

Sharing at French Country Cottage.

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old window into necklace display

August 25, 2015

In a recent post, I demonstrated how I updated an old necklace holder. Today, I am demonstrating how to turn an old piece that was never intended for displaying accessories, into a display piece for necklaces! I started with an old window.

The first order of business was to find a way to make it stand up. I wanted it to stand at an angle in the horizontal position. I achieved this by using an old broom stick handle! Cutting two pieces from the handle and screwing them into the back of the window was perfect for holding the window at an angle for display. (It did take a couple tries to find the perfect angle for the cut.)

The window itself had a nice distress to it and I did not paint it at all. But, to give a nice contrast to the pieces I would be displaying, I knew I needed to do something with the glass panes. My decision was to use paper. I used two different ones – one had a script design on it and the other was a natural textured paper.

Although I liked the natural paper, it didn’t looked aged enough for this project. So, before I started adding it to the window, I ‘aged’ it by soaking it in some strong coffee.

After it was dry, I ripped pieces of both papers and positioned them on the inside of the glass panes.

Now all I needed was a way to hang the necklaces. For this, I just hammered some nails into the top wood of the window frame. I could use one nail or several to hang a necklace, depending on its length. I think the piece came out perfect for necklace display! This project can take on many variations. The first that comes to mind is to display old black and white photos on the glass. I am sure you can come up with your own ideas! I hope I have inspired you!

Thanks so much for stopping by!

Remember to take pleasure in simple things, Jackie

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poetic chest before and after

July 24, 2015

This piece was part of a larger piece that was left out on the curb at a beachfront home. I instantly fell in love with it, because I knew the details would look awesome as a painted piece. It was a really large piece and I wasn’t sure I wanted to spend the time on it that it needed. It ended up I couldn’t resist it. After having a heck of a time getting it home, I ended up taking the top piece to the dump and started working on the bottom piece.

First, I used a sealer on it because I feared some of the stain may bleed through the paint. I decided Old White and Duck Egg would look really great on this piece, even though I was very tempted to use my favorite French Linen.

This piece would find its home in a commercial retail space that had something of a poetry theme, so I had the idea to paint the inside of the drawers and add some pages of a poetry book; roughing them up some to make them look vintage. And, because of the poetry theme, I departed from my standard coastal town name and named the piece T.S.

This redo had to be one of my toughest ever because so much of the work was done on the hottest, muggiest days we have had this summer. And, believe me; I am not exaggerating…the weather was so bad that the drawers had swollen and wouldn’t fit back into the piece when it was completed! It wasn’t until T.S. was in its new home, in air conditioning for 24 hours, that I was able to put the piece back together – and, even then, I didn’t want anyone to touch it for a while because I feared the wax wasn’t set. (The reason there are no great after photos! That and the fact that the retail space hadn’t opened yet!)

I ended up really happy with the result and I think the details are just lovely. Here is how T.S. came to be:

• 2 coats of Annie Sloan Old White on the main part of the piece
• 2 coats of Annie Sloan Duck Egg on the doors and drawers
• 1 coat of Annie Sloan Old White and water wash (50/50) on the doors and drawers – applied with a cloth
• 1 coat of Annie Sloan clear wax over everything
• Some distressing
• 1 coat Annie Sloan dark wax

Thanks so much for stopping by!

Have a wonderful weekend and remember to take pleasure in simple things, Jackie

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a window view

July 17, 2015

The last time I went into the city, I had a fascination with windows. Sounds crazy, right? I started looking out some old windows with chippy molding and was mesmerized! It seemed the older and dirtier the windows, the more beautiful they became in my eyes. And, if something interesting was near the window – all the better!

You know I am all about a good theme and, apparently, my visit on that particular day was going to be windows!

For Friday field trip today, I am sharing a few of my favorite photos from my ‘window day’ in New York City. I will post a few additional window photos on my Facebook page.

In the words of Anne Spollen in The Shape of Water: “I discovered windows one afternoon and after that, nothing was ever the same.”

Thanks so much for stopping by! Have a wonderful weekend!

Remember to take pleasure in simple things, Jackie

Sharing at House of Hipsters, Craftberry Bush, The Shabby Nest, and French Country Cottage.

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annie sloan chair redo (before & after)

June 2, 2015

It’s baaaack…painting season, that is! Once the weather gets warm, I love being outdoors and transforming some old furniture with a little paint! This season started with an old chair. When I saw the detail on the back of this chair, I was hooked! I needed to paint it!

I had some great fabric left from a chair project I completed last summer, so that spearheaded the color choice for this chair. I started by putting a sealing coat, since the type of finish on this chair often bleeds through paint.

Then, I painted the entire chair with a coat of Annie Sloan Paris Grey.

The next coat I painted was Annie Sloan Old White. Using those two paint colors and, also, some Duck Egg, I mixed the paint to add a design to the back of the chair. Because the chair fabric had an abstract kind of a look, I went with the same type of feel for the back of the chair, using soft, loose strokes.

Once that was complete, I added a coat of Annie Sloan clear wax to the entire piece. I then did some distressing of the piece before adding a second coat of wax.

What do you think?

I am calling my first piece of the season Rockport. :)

Thanks for stopping by. Remember to take pleasure in simple things, Jackie

Sharing with House of Hipsters, Sand & Sisal, Thoughts From Alice, and Finding Silver Pennies.

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diy decorative file folders

April 21, 2015

Something about my sense of aesthetics makes it really hard for me to use manila file folders in the office. And, keeping them in plain view is irritating!

It would really make my work life more pleasant if I could keep a dozen or so file folders handy on my desk for current projects. So, I set out to find some pretty file folders to replace my manila eyesores!

After shopping around in stores and online, I was shocked to find out that any cute looking folders would cost me $15 for a package of 6! How could they be $15? A box of 100 plain manila folders cost $7.95!

The solution, of course, was to make some myself. I would simply cover some of the inexpensive plain ones I already owned. And, with Earth Day on my mind, (it is tomorrow – April 22nd) reusing something to decorate the folders seemed an appropriate and earth-friendly solution!

I would transform the inexpensive, manila folders at no cost by reusing something I found visually appealing. Right away I thought of my favorite item to recycle – Terrain shopping bags! Perfect!

There are plenty of attractive options for reusing that can substitute for Terrain shopping bags if you don’t have a Terrain store near you – here are a few ideas:

• Sheet music
• Old maps/nautical maps
• Newspaper from a significant date or a foreign newspaper (if you use newspapers, you will need to cover them with a clear laminate paper to prevent the newsprint from making a mess!)
• Pages from unwanted books or magazines (library book sales are great for this!)
• Wrapping paper (when you get a gift with great paper, don’t you always save it?)

If all else fails, and you have no paper you can recycle, pick up some decorative paper at a paper or craft store. I love Paper Source for finding great decorative papers. (The feather motif paper shown here came from Paper Source.)

Attaching a decorative paper to the manila folders is pretty easy. Be sure to have one straight edge. Then, apply spray adhesive to the front of the folder – masking off all surrounding areas from overspray. Use that straight edge to line up your paper on the folded edge of the front of the folder – good side of the decorative paper facing out – smoothing the paper flat. Trim excess paper with a craft knife or scissors.

I adhered the decorative covering to the front of the folder – the part I see – but, I also wanted the visible part of the tab covered. I decided to use chalkboard Contact paper for the covering on the tab. This way, I could easily update the information on the tabs. Since I will be using these folders on my desktop for current projects, the chalkboard tabs will make for easy updating!

I cut 12” x 2” strips of chalkboard Contact paper for this purpose and adhered them to the inside tab section of the folder, smoothing the paper to eliminate air bubbles. Then, I trimmed the excess with a craft knife.

Cute file folders? Check! Sigh…so much better! :)

Happy Earth Day! Other fun Earth Day projects:
Items to make from Terrain bags, click here.
Instructions to make decorative pencils from tissue paper, click here.

Thanks so much for stopping by! Remember to take pleasure in simple things, Jackie

Sharing with Sand & Sisal and Elizabeth & Co.

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top 10 spring obsessions 2015

March 10, 2015

Now that spring is almost here, it is time to share my top 10 obsessions for the new season! Here they are, in no particular order:

1. First, I must tell you, I am totally in love with gladiator sandals! I have had this obsession before. I know what happens. I get a pair, I wear them once or twice and then, I am over them. Because of my history, I am trying so hard to resist some of my current gladiator favorites. Valentino and Stuart Weitzman (pictured here) both have pairs that make a sandal lover swoon. But, neither pair is within my budget, so I will surely be shopping Marshalls, TJ Maxx, and Target for a similar look this spring.

2. I can’t spend spring in Paris? How sad. But, how about a little hint of this romantic city with my morning coffee? These darling city vignette mugs at Anthropologie really hit my fancy! A new mug for the office is an easy and inexpensive way to celebrate the new season. If you would rather dream about New York or London, mugs celebrating these cities are also available at an Anthropologie store or on their website.

3. Ben & Jerrys has done it again! The new ice-cream flavor The Tonight Dough is inspired by one of my favorite all-around entertainers – the talented Jimmy Fallon. What do you get when you put a Jimmy Fallon inspired flavor together with Ben & Jerry’s? Caramel and chocolate chip ice creams with chocolate cookie swirls and gobs of chocolate chip cookie dough and peanut butter cookie dough! Whoa! If you are a big Fallon fan like I am, you may have seen the new ice cream flavor introduced on the first episode of the Tonight Show’s second season. Jimmy is donating all proceeds from the sales of the flavor to the non-profit organization SeriousFun Children’s Network. So, you can feel good knowing your indulgence is giving back by helping children with serious illnesses. Click here to learn more. Thanks for giving me two more great reasons to love ya Jimmy!

4. Particularly after the long, hard winter we are experiencing here in Connecticut, I am tired of wearing the heavy sweaters, long underwear, mittens and scarves that have been required in below freezing and subzero temperatures! I am so looking forward to wearing dresses! I am not saying I can’t wear a dress this winter, but with a real threat of frostbite when any scrap of bare skin shows, choosing a dress has not been a fun option! I will definitely be buying a few new fit and flares to mark the occasion of some warmer weather!

5. Quick breads are always good and, with the help of Food Network Magazine, it is easy to create one of 50 (yes, I said 50!) different varieties in a snap! Using a few basic recipes, they have come up with easy variations to create 50 different and delicious choices of quick and easy-to-make breads. With both sweet and savory recipes, ranging from sun-dried tomato-pesto to cinnamon bun, it is easy to find one to suit the occasion or the ingredients I have on hand! Click here for the link to the recipes. Enjoy!

6. I am obsessed with Michelle Masters’ art! Michelle combines a gardening love with her artistic talent by creating topiary inspired designs. My obsession with her art is not limited to the season, but her fresh garden creations scream spring and are just beyond cute! With a wonderful selection of home products and stationery – and always new items to choose from – I love picking up some new designs for myself and for gifts! You can see all the beautiful items she creates by clicking here for her website.

7. Lately I am experiencing a real fascination with old, weathered brick. Currently, my dream house (the one that is ever evolving in my head), has a messy mortar backsplash. I recently discovered Robin Sprong’s amazing wall coverings that speak directly to my obsession for messy mortar and old brick! Sprong has made it possible to put up wallpaper with a very realistic pattern of old bricks or concrete – how cool is this?! A messy mortar backsplash can be installed as easily as putting up some wallpaper! Thank you Robin Sprong!

8. Have you heard about ManCans? When my son requested candles as gifts for his new place, I started looking around for some alternative scents to florals and I found ManCans. These candles come in wonderful ‘manly’ scents like Fresh Cut Grass, Bacon, Sawdust, and New Car. These candles are made in soup cans after the contents have been donated to a soup kitchen. So, in addition to finding a great and inexpensive ‘nongirly’ candle, a purchase is also helping feed people! Wouldn’t one or a few of these make a great Father’s Day gift? Maybe the scent of Memphis Style BBQ or New Mitt would appeal to your Pop? So fun! Click here for the website.

9. When visiting other cities, there are always certain stores that are just prerequisites for inspiration. Like Ballard Designs when visiting Atlanta, Lillian August in Connecticut, ABC Carpet & Home in NYC, or Terrain when visiting Philadelphia. In Boston, one of these spots is Lekker Home. A cool collection of brands and an interesting variety of products make it a fun place to peruse. For the spring, I am ‘jonesing’ for many of the non-breakable sea life themed items that are perfect now that entertaining will soon hit the outdoors. Reusable lobster-motif picks and sea life melamine plates are a couple of my favorites!

10. It is so fun to change up accessories in the spring and Timex makes it really easy to add a couple new casual watches to the mix! I am obsessed with their weekender watch with gold polka dots on the (reversible) band. You may know I have a polka dot obsession -heck, I even have a Pinterest page full of dots and stripes! Love this watch!

I hope you enjoyed sharing my top ten obsessions for spring. I would love to hear about some of yours!

*Please note that photos in this post were not taken by me, but were taken from the respective websites.

Thanks for stopping by! Remember to take pleasure in simple things, Jackie

Sharing with House of Hipsters, Thoughts from Alice, Craftberry Bush, Sand & Sisal, Elizabeth & Co., and Homework.

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powder room redo

March 6, 2015

Who doesn’t love to see a good before and after? For Friday field trip today, I am sharing the progress of a pretty little powder room update.

My good friend, Phyllis, decided she needed to update the bathrooms and laundry room in her beautiful, historic home. On a recent visit, I found her downstairs powder room was almost complete. With only a little styling left to finish, I had to admire the beautiful update she created.

After removing floor to ceiling wallpaper, Phyllis started the powder room project by adding some molding detail on the bottom half of the walls. This is where a handy husband is very important! He crafted both the chair rail and the panel molding. This type of detail on the walls is a great way to add some interest to a small room! Next, for the toughest part of the renovation – removing the old tile floor. (I know, I know – the old floor looked great too, right?)

Phyllis picked out a pretty geometric mosaic tile pattern that also coordinated well with the tile she chose for the upstairs bath and the gray marble she chose for the nearby laundry room. (I can’t wait to see the finished laundry room – I will try and share that with you on an upcoming field trip!) The mosaic tile pattern was installed with a black tile border. For the wall color, Phyllis chose a lovely shade of gray called Pike’s Peak by Benjamin Moore.

Phyllis kept her sink, but decided to install a new, more efficient toilet.

We all know good taste is not limited to shopping at expensive stores and Phyllis proved this, big time, with her mirror choice. After visiting many stores, she chose this beauty she found at Marshalls to hang in the new powder room.

A little bling in the light fixture choice and shine on the wall switch definitely add an elegant touch to the space.

Coordinating with a little bit of shine, Phyllis created a little orchid planting in a silver container specifically for the space.

Phyllis has plans to add a white plantation shutter to the window and a few more accessories to complete the space, but with the styling almost finished, you can see how pretty the new area came out!

Thanks so much Phyllis for sharing your beautiful new powder room on Friday field trip!

Have a wonderful weekend, my friends! Remember to take pleasure in simple things, Jackie

Sharing at Nancherrow, Shabby Nest, Coastal Charm, and French Country Cottage.

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anthro inspired leather tassel necklace

March 3, 2015

Tassels are definitely cool. I have made them from paper or yarn, never really thinking about substituting these materials for leather – until now. I happened to notice a leather tassel necklace on display at Anthropologie and that sparked my desire to make my own leather tassel and create a necklace.

I have a whole box of scrap leather in my basement that came from the dumpster of a factory that manufactures some very famous (and expensive) handbags. After seeing the leather tassel necklace, I knew I needed to use some of that scrap leather to make my own tassel!

My inspiration to create a leather tassel necklace. On the left is a photo from the Anthropologie website. On the right is an Anthropologie in-store display.

A leather tassel is so easy to make and only requires a small piece of leather and some scissors or knife! I was surprised at how easy it is to get really great results. Basically, I just cut a rectangle piece of leather, cut fringe, added a loop for hanging, and glued (I used Gorilla glue) and rolled the piece of leather. Measuring is not even required. I made mine pretty much by eye, although I did measure the width of the pieces of fringe (1/4”) since I wanted to be sure they were consistent.

To turn my tassel into a necklace, the only supply I would need? A chain. I decided I would purchase the chain and just hoped to find a reasonably priced one. Guess what? I found the perfect chain (40” long – more than I needed) on clearance for $1.97 at Jo-Ann Fabric and Craft store! At this price, I decided I would make two necklaces and I picked out and purchased two chains. I could make each leather tassel necklace for under $2.00! The one I saw at Anthropologie was $78! Plus, I would like mine better because I could eliminate the shiny gold metal piece I didn’t really care for on the Anthro necklace.

I used a rectangle of green textured leather for my first tassel and I cut a separate small piece of leather to fashion a loop for hanging. I used black leather for the second tassel I made and created the loop by folding up and gluing the end piece of fringe. The black leather was much heavier than the green, and I found this method for creating a loop worked better with the heavier leather.

I got a little adventurous creating the black tassel – I glued pink felt on one side before I cut the fringe so that hints of pink would show on the completed tassel. Love it!

Didn’t they come out great?

If you want to make some tassels and don’t have a scrap box of leather, think about using leather from handbags you were planning on discarding or from handbags from the thrift store. Give it a try! I am making more tassels – and, I have plans that go beyond necklaces! ;)

Thanks for stopping by! Remember to take pleasure in simple things, Jackie

Sharing with Craftberry Bush, Thoughts from Alice, House of Hipsters, Sand & Sisal, and Elizabeth & Co.

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restoration hardware gallery in ct

January 2, 2015

Don’t you love walking through Restoration Hardware? Their use of a neutral color palette, thoughtful mix of textures, and minimal use of accessories is definitely right in line with my taste. And, the light fixtures? O.M.G.

All the stores are worth a visit, but if you happen to live near Boston, Greenwich, Atlanta, or West Hollywood; you have access to a very special store – the Restoration Hardware Gallery Store. If you don’t happen to live near these places, you can catch a little glimpse of what you are missing on today’s Friday field trip to the Connecticut store.

Formerly on Greenwich Avenue, the store moved a short distance up the street to occupy the old historic Greenwich Post Office and become one of the four RH gallery stores. But, this did not happen until after the space was completely gutted and renovated. Click here to see more about the project.

The grand scale and dramatic lighting of this magnificent store make for a museum-like experience…

The store displays a luxury lifestyle with dramatic interior and exterior installations of home furnishings in a gallery setting.

Some pieces are a little too masculine for my taste and some a little too heavy on the industrial vibe, but for the most part, I would love to own any one of Restoration Hardware’s furniture pieces (if I had a large enough space to accommodate it, of course!).

I love examining paint finishes and have had fun trying my hand at recreating (in look anyway) them in some of my refinishing projects using Annie Sloan Chalk Paint.

The Greenwich RH Gallery provides some amazing inspiration and I urge you to visit one of the four gallery locations if you should be provided the opportunity.