Fall Planters with a French Twist

I know, it's been awhile.

I decided to take a bit of a break.

We had a full summer and guess what?  I'm homeschooling now.  It's taken some time to get into the swing of things, ease into a schedule that works for us, and of course keep up with my little projects.

However, I'm back and have lots of fun stuff to share.  I figured I'd jump right in with something that I just finished up today.

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It's a wall planter.  I found it at Hobby Lobby and it's 50% off right now!  I loved the simplicity of it - perfect for adding my own touch.

I went to the Graphics Fairy and found this French graphic.

I printed it onto a piece of canvas and then cut it down to size.  I added a piece of burlap behind it to add some texture.  Finally, I attached the fabric to the planter by wrapping a piece of jute twine around the whole thing {more texture}.

Now I have these super cute planters with a French twist...all decked out for fall!  

I can picture these with greenery at Christmas too.

Happy Fall!

xo and God Bless,

Kathleen

I'm linking up to Brag Monday over at the Graphics Fairy

Card Catalog Drawer Makeover

I wanted to say thank you again to everyone who voted for me in Circle of Moms Top 25 Design Moms.  I really appreciate your votes.  I finished up at No. 61 and while I didn't quite make it into the top 25, I was thrilled that I made it as far as I did. 

Thank you for helping me get there!!

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I thought I would share a quick project with you.

One day, I would LOVE to find one of those really big card catalogs like the ones I can remember from elementary school. 

However, I also love these little single card catalog drawers too and I have been on the hunt for one for quite some time.

 I was in the Salvation Army a couple of weeks ago {it's my favorite place} and I came across this nice one for a dollar.

I sanded it down to the original wood with my brand new {awesome} sander that Mr. French Cottage bought for me.  I love this sander.

 I left just a little bit of the original green so that when I painted it gray and then sanded it again, I would see some of the green peeking through.

A nice, layered effect is what I was going for.

Once the paint was dry, I sanded and distressed the drawer and as a final step, I went over the whole thing with Minwax stain in Dark Walnut.

I applied it in small sections and then wiped it off with a paper towel.  I left the hardware in its original condition

 {a little rusty and crusty}

She looks pretty now!

Much better!

Have a great week!

xo and God Bless,

Kathleen

Happy Mother's Day

 Wife to him...mother to them...there is no place I'd rather be



Happy Mother's Day!

xo and God Bless,

Kathleen

Ironstone and Silver

What is it about tarnished silver and old ironstone that is so inviting?

I think it speaks of a simpler era. 

It's pretty to look at and it warms up a room.  It's  inviting and it's homey.

It says welcome, come on in.

It's heavy in the hand,

solid, yet feminine.

I came across this amazing stack of ironstone in perfect condition and it was priced at 25 cents per plate.  I bought all eleven plates.

When I walked up to the cashier to pay for them she said, "these things are so heavy, I just gave away a whole box of them.  I never did like them." 

I had to pick up my jaw off of the floor.  She didn't like them?  Too heavy?  What?

I just couldn't imagine not liking them.  Ironstone to me is just about as pretty as the finest china. 

In fact, I might even prefer it over the finest china.

Hope you're having a great weekend!

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Thank you to everyone who has been voting for me.  I really appreciate it.

I'm halfway there!!

Please keep voting ~ contest ends Wednesday and I'm so close!!

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xo and God Bless,

Kathleen

Laundry

I love baskets.  I guess you could call them a weakness of mine.  I never pass up a good basket when I see one.  I especially love the old ones and the patina they acquire. 

I recently put this one to use in the kitchen.

  We seem to go through several dish towels in a day, and this is the perfect place to toss them until they're ready to be washed.

Not only is it functional, but the towels look pretty in there too.

Today was wash day...

I love the way those towels smell when they come off of the line, still warm from the sun.

I hope that you're having a happy day.

xo and God Bless,

Kathleen

Linking up to Feathered Nest Friday at French Country Cottage

Thrift Store Treasures, a Nightlight, and Circle of Moms

Guess what?  I have something to share that I'm pretty excited about.

I am in the running for the Circle of Moms Top 25 Home Design Moms!!

I would be thrilled to get your vote!

All you have to do is go to the top left of this blog (just under the header photo) and click on the purple circle button. Then click "vote"

You can do this once a day, every day until May 15.

If you've already read about this on Facebook, I apologize for the repeat of information.

Thank you to everyone who has already voted! I sure do appreciate it a lot!

On to the thriftin'...

I was in the Salvation Army thrift store last week and found a few things that I really liked.

I've got something fun in mind for those wicker paper plate holders and for the old spice rack too.

I really love the old Paris Opera House painting!!  I just don't know whether or not to paint the frame.  What do you think? 

I thought that the face on this chalkware boy was adorable!

I did paint these cherubs. 

They got Rosemary's gesso treatment.

This Madonna here was my favorite though.  I found her at a church rummage sale.

She is ceramic and had this hole in the back.  I had an idea.  I knew right away that I was going to turn her into a nightlight.

I had a little light on a cord that I bought about a year ago and

I decided to use Rosemary's Old World paint technique to make her appear a little older.

I love these little holes that the light shines through.

I like the way she turned out.

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Don't forget to vote!!

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Have a great afternoon!!

xo and God Bless,

Kathleen

Featured at Knock Off Decor!

I wanted to give a HUGE thank you to Beckie at Knock Off Decor for featuring my Pottery Barn knockoff lamp shades!  I was super excited to be featured on her awesome blog!  You'll have to go over and pay her a visit.  There are lots of amazing projects to try over there.  You will definitely come away inspired.  Becky is also the author of Infarrantly Creative and Roadkill Rescue.Thank you Beckie!!