"It is a beautiful ocean today, isn't it? What would you say that is, sort of sapphire? I've never seen anything like that ocean! "

Long time no see...I have been caught up in the hustle and bustle of daily life and have been neglecting home projects and this blog.  Making little progress I felt defeated.  But today I had a break through!  I finally cracked open that gallon of paint sitting in the corner, got some paint brushes and went to town.

 Before & After painting of our front porch/mud room.

Before & after of the front porch/mud room windows...

still in progress but 90% there! 

I found this warm, welcoming color in a 

bin full of returned custom colors for $3.99...

Original price $32.99.  

It is quite accurately named "Mocha Suede".

 It is amazing the immediate results you get after 

painting a room.  It can change the mood completely.

 Pugsley perched high on his pedestal 

beneath his mighty self portrait.

Not quite finished but this side of the room 

has all 3 coats dried and waiting for shabby chic decor-

I could not resist hanging a few things up.

I already rearranged some things 

as you can see in the photo above haha.

The trim obviously still needs to be painted 

and touched up a bit.  Just in time for autumn.

I feel like this photograph when I am in this room haha.  

As if I am on vacation in a craftsman cottage in the 1930's

Searching for some inspiration I came across 

this room that is almost the same color!  

I love the bright white trim against the warm mocha brown.

A cute and cozy setup.  

I want to feel like I am lounging in East Hampton.

The most adorable set up.  Notice how it is in a 

city right along a street?  Looks like a cottage in 

the woods at first glance!

I want to stick to Victorian style furniture 

in this room.  I am on the hunt for a chaise 

to put in the front room where you can sit

and put on your shoes or just sit 

and chat for a while have an Octoberfest or two.

Built in bookcases which also serve as a bench.  

Need I say more?

The prefect place to flop down in my corduroy La-z-boy 

reading a hundred year old book.

I hope you always have a shell in your pocket...and sand in your shoes...

 WELCOME!  Freshly painted red stairs.  They were a dark hunter green before.

 Close up...I love this bright colonial red.  I put a couple little pots going up the steps, now all I need are some flowers!

 The town crier ushers in his guests.

Pugsley enjoys our new bench.  I got this last weekend at a garage sale for $4!!!  It is absolutely perfect.  I was picturing a church pew originally but this is even better.

 New sheer white curtains from IKEA hung along a homemade bamboo curtain rod.  They completely change the look of this room from dark and yellow to light and crisp.  Besides they look so romantic at night when you have the windows open with that cool summer breeze blowing.

 These were the old curtains before.  Oh my.

 New blue polka dot storage bins inside the shoe cubby.  They were only $1 a piece!

 On top of the cubby I put an elegant little mirror on a plate holder that say's "dream."  I placed candles through out the room and little sea shells so it feels like you are walking into a shabby chic little beach house.

 Here is a wide view of the room just so you get the idea of where I put everything.  Excuse the power tools and paint please, this is a work in progress haha. 

 Old metal wire crate re purposed for a shoe crate to hold Danny's converse!

 My seashell owl sits proud upon some beautiful old books I just picked up at a local thrift store.  Next to my homemade wine cork lamp.  All the corks were saved by me and my fellow bar tenders when I worked at Ruby Tuesday after we would sell off a bottle of wine.

 I found this lovely statue of Jacqueline Bouvier Kennedy at a thrift store for $1.99  she has a broken thumb but it is not visible nor did it matter to me, I was going to purchase her.  Out of curiosity I searched for the vase on ebay and to my surprise in good condition she is going for $500-$700!!!  I am sure without her thumb she is worth much less however value does not matter.  I am very excited to ad her to my collection.

 The Grey Gardens corner.  Danny even hung up Edie's little American flag.  I am not sure if I like the mirrors there on the wall.  1970's plastic owl clock.

Nothing is better than a picture collage...I finally gathered all my artworks and bought some frames!  Danny is the master of hanging artwork so I let him handle the placement.  I love how it turned out.

Pugs not Drugs!  An ode to my little Pug.  A watercolor painting with some illustrations out of old books.  The shelf is from a 50's diner I found on the side of the road I cleaned it up and painted the underneath black.

 A select few of my old book collection.   Golden antique telephone and a gramophone music box for book ends.

 The artworks on the left are actually lithographs from engravings done by J.Rogers who was a well known illustrator.  The bottom left picture is of Union Square New York City in 1860.  A metal cast of a violin and the teenie-tiny picture is of a little fairy playing the cello.

 Danny and I go to these movie conventions and they always have bugs and butterflies for sale.  Sometimes even bats or birds.  But he bought me the big blue and black butterfly and I found the round glass framed moths at a thrift store.

 Cutie Hooties...1970's Syroco-esque owls with a big red lone star.

 More candles on my round Victorian side table surrounded by some river rocks.

 This is the color I am planning on painting this room to really give it that east coast beach house look. 

stay tuned...

If a June night could talk, it would probably boast it invented romance...

 Spring is in bloom but it just won't warm up.  This has been one of the longest winters I can remember in New York...Lately I have been trying to preoccupy myself with visions of summer to bring some light to all the gloom.

"In the midst of winter, I finally learned that there was in me an invincible summer."

 I made little bird's nests in my antique Victorian tea cups complete with little ceramic swallows.  I would like to add something in the middle cup's nest.  Maybe some mini eggs?  Or a cute bow?

 

In the past I have gone for more BOLD bright colors in the spring and summer...pastels...psychedelic hues with a 60's vibe but I have been falling head over heels for the 1940's.  I love the muted "dusty" tones on Sienna Miller  here in The Edge of Love.

 Adorable cardigans everywhere!  A romantic lace dress like this would be perfect for a warm summer's day.  Throw on your pretty pink cardigan and lay in a field watching the sun set. Ahhh...

Found this dress on eBay...way out of my price range but without a doubt one of the most breathtaking vintage pieces I have ever come across.  The dress is almost a Hershey-copper brown, very unique. 

This is by far my favorite summer dress of all time.  Worn by Allie (Rachel McAdams) in The Notebook.

Actual vintage dress from the 1940's and just my luck, I found it on etsy yesterday!  I looks almost identical except for the trim and neckline are a bit different.  It even buttons all the way down the front.  I want to roll the sleeves up and put a darling floral fabric around the cuffs to match the collar like the blue dress seen above.  I will cherish this dress it is too good to be true.

Could you imagine waking up to this every morning right outside your window?  Out in the middle of the woods.

The 1940's brought us some great blouses in woman's fashion.  Kiera Knightley wears this sheer floral blouse/robe in Atonement.

Even under garments were prettier back then.  Silky, smooth girdle you would have a matching corset or bra under your pencil skirt.  Complete with garter belt to clip up your stockings.  Too sexy.  These look crazy but they truly do wonders for your curves.  There is nothing you can buy today that would work better than a girdle under formal wear trust me I have tried. 

Her majesty is a pretty nice girl but she doesn't have a lot to say...

Alas!  My french dresser has arrived!  A HUGE thanks to my cousin Peter for helping me pick up the large parcel and deliver it to my humble abode.  Sorry for the iPhone pictures I was far too excited and needed to share them ASAP!

The little drawers have green velvet liner and spots for each item of silverware you would have.  These will be fantastic to put dog leashes, car, keys and all sorts of accessories. 

(My darling Pugsley can not resist the spotlight.)

 This was originally the bottom to a dinning room hutch set made by Harmony House Company.  

Here is a photo of one just like it I found on Google with the top section included.

Ohhh the details in the wood I adore.  The entire piece is dovetailed except for a few screws to keep drawer pulls in place.  I did a little research and found one almost identical to this one.  Come to find it is made of solid Mahogany.

Here is another shot of it at night.  I was trying out a few display options.

This is where I have her right now.  Looks so much more inviting than a mound of boxes and an electric floor heater when you walk in the door.  I am working on the curtains as you know.  Some flowy sheer panels would look so romantic behind this piece.    

As you can see the whole thing is pretty scratched up.  Have no fear!  I plan on refinishing this big beaut!  I think I will paint the body a nice grayish blue with an shabby chic look to it.  Sand the paint down make it look weathered again.  

The top I would like to sand down and re-stain the same color as it is now with a nice satin finish to stay true to the original piece.  Similar to this adorable dresser seen in The Restoration Shoppe

Close up of white paint and stain to highlight the detailed woodwork.

 

So since purchasing a church pew is a bit far fetched right now, I have been on the hunt for simple designs I can use for a model to build my very own.  I found this church pew on eBay.  I think it would be really easy to make.  Use a jigsaw to get that nice rounded shape on the sides.  You will be able to sit down and put on your shoes and store them beneath it's genius!

Time to shop for some supplies...

This is the dusty blue color I would like to use on the body of the dresser and church pew/bench.

Accents will be painted with a nice bright antique white.

This is how I would like the top surface to be when I am done.  You gotta have respect for Mahogany.

The smell of it reminds my orchestra days.

And because you were thinking about it the entire time:

Ron Burgundy: I don't know how to put this, but I'm kind of a big deal.

Veronica Corningstone: Really.

Ron Burgundy: People know me.

Veronica Corningstone: Well, I'm very happy for you.

Ron Burgundy: Um, I'm very important. I have many leather-bound books, and my apartment smells of rich mahogany.