Picky and Pickier were at it Once Again

I have been very busy lately with lots of stuff and  with some painting my sister and I recently did, so I really kinda laid off the blogging for a few weeks. It's raining now so I am back.  I thought I would show you a little transformation my sis and I did, last weekend. We really had a lot of fun doing it, even though it was a lot of work. You may recognize some items here thrifted on our previous adventure !

Today, I can start with the "after"

A few years ago my sis sold her home in Pa. and bought one at the Jersey Shore and one in Florida, and retired. With them came the Hutch that they had for 30 some years.
The "Before'

Marilou ( my sis ... otherwise known as Pickier.. from the "Adventures of Picky and Pickier") desperately wanted to lighten and brighten,  and had purchased a lovely yellow table, with some white, some yellow chairs and all decked out in blue and yellow. But the hutch just wasn't to her liking anymore...so an idea was launched. She decided to paint it the color of the table. "NO, NO" screamed her grown children, as she presented this idea. "It's an antique," They protested.
Errmmmnnn no, it's maybe 35 years old kids.. not an antique. But they persisted she keep it as is, in honor of all the Thanksgiving and Christmas dinners it presented and presided over. She caved.:(

But neccessity is the mother of invention!

So another idea was launched. While out junking one day with "Picky"( that would be moi) she spotted, a real antique china closet from about 1930, with nice details, that was in dire need of attention.

Thinking "they won't care if I paint this, it means nothing to them".. she bought it.
And we tackled that baby, Primed her up, in her garage over good music and hare of the dog from the night before. :)


 and a bunch of other stuff she had bought out junkin.

Since we didn't dare paint the sentimental hutch, it got moved to another spot and the back removed from the shelves.

This was her daughter's idea and it really helped to brighten it up. And made room for the new lighter brighter china closet.

The white cabinet on the left had been where the hutch is now.
 It replaced  this darker piece, below, which made it's way to a goodwill, with the dark wine pictures.

And the right corner got a piece that's been around for also 30 years paired with a thrifted shelf.

Some of the details on the vintage china closet...

Rescued from this..

Thanks for stopping by!.. Smooth sailing to ya!
Going off to join some parties... come along.

Furniture Feature Friday

Show and Tell Friday @ My Romantic Home

Feathered Nest Friday @ French Country Cottage 

Vintage Inspiration Friday @ Common Ground 

The "Frenchification" of my Studio/Guestroom Phase1

One thing I really enjoy doing is changing things. There are a lot of things that need it, in my world ;)

So I  have finally found some time to begin the process of Frenchifying the room my son moved out of.
I like that term " Frenchify"... I picked it up from Debra over at Common Ground, who just yesterday had a Design Challenge, featuring the room I am currently working on.
 Design Challenge: Eileen's Guestroom/Studio

So the Frenchification began today with this old mirror, I gave it the first coat.

Preparing her for her "White Wedding" ( cue Billy Idol)... she has the prettiest details, and a bit of chippy, layered, vintage charm.

I just need to give her another creamy white veil of color

 Then distress her up a bit for her marriage to the big dresser which will be my next paint project.
The way she looked before was kinda tired and old, and my daughter said give it to goodwill..

I think she is starting to look pretty sweet now.

This is my first attempt at Frenchifying!  This is the beginning stage of my Studio/ Guestroom re-design, you can see the plans in a previous post My Studio/ Guestroom redesign

I have previously "Beachified" many things, and I've posted some of the more miraculous changes, in the posts below, 

 It's been Beachified

Cottage Beach House Table Intervention

Cottage Beach House: Florida Dining Room, finally Completed Re-do

When I went down to Florida for 3 weeks, to paint and party with my sis.

 Oh and speaking of my sis, We just finished painting a slew of furniture for her Beach house. I'll post about that later... I am trying to get her to start a blog.... she loves to write, and she is so good at it. Some of the stuff we used for her place, we found on one of our thrifting adventures.

 The Thrifting Adventures of Picky and Pickier ...

Joining the fun at these linkies:
Good Life Wendesday @ A Beach Cottage
~White Wednesday # 118~ @ Faded Charm
Wow Us Wednesdays #32

My Studio/ Guestroom redesign

I am participating in the Design Challenge at Debra's Common Ground

I have this great room to redecorate and move my office into that I want to also function as a guest room.
The way it looks now is bad.  typical boy. Don't come in my room and do anything mom!
I know it's messy, but this is the reality, now, but not forever.

I want the wall above to look like this sketch.

And this wall where he had the bed right on the floor.

To get a vintage bed post and old nite table... like in this sketch

We want to turn this completely around and give it a
 French look.

I am using stuff that I already have around. Taken from other rooms that have been re designed.
I have sketched out the look I want, for all the above walls:

I am planning to paint this bureaux white or dove grey and marry it with a mirror that used to be in my daughter's room.

Another great piece I will paint white is a night table that has been sitting in the basement. I also plan to pull an old bed frame from the shed to paint up and include in the redesign.
My challenge is to only spend on paint and a new comforter, because I have so many pieces I can use already.
But as you can see from the sketch, I can't figure out what to do with the entrance.
Here it is now. Below
Yuk

help me out will ya?
Any suggestions or ideas would be appreciated.
You can go see the entire Design Challenge Feature at Common Ground
Where there are lots more sketches, and pieces I plan to use.
Debra and I would love to hear your thoughts on how to make this room a French Inspired Haven!
Also Sharing at
Coastal Charm
http://funkyjunkinteriors.blogspot.com

http://www.houseofhepworths.com

http://www.theshabbycreekcottage.com
http://www.astepinthejourney.blogspot.com
http://missmustardseed.blogspot.com/

All settled into College

Last weekend we moved my youngest daughter into college. I miss her.
 They gave us a late move in time so,
We only had an hour to get everything into the room and then attend a parent meeting. There were some tears involved when we said goodbye. But not from her, from the rest of us. She is really looking forward to this.
When we arrived this was the look.

 This is after we got everything inside.

We did our best to transform it in the short amount of time we had. Dad set up the TV, I set up the printer connections and the bed. Her sis helped us with everything, and her other sis stayed home and watched the baby dogs.
 She picked a red and white color scheme.

And then we had to leave because of set up activities for the students, and she had to finish the printer hook up and T.V. cable hook up, later . She did good. Wow they grow up too fast. Time moves too quickly.
 I know everyone says it, but it feels like yesterday she was this inquisitive, little squirt on the beach. Picking up big horseshoe crabs, larger than her head and peeking into them.

Then suddenly,
It's senior prom:

Enjoy your little angels they sprout wings way too fast.


Do you remember your college days? What did you like the most about them?

 Here's a pic of our new baby dog which she will surely miss.!

Have a great weekend!

a Pretty Rainbow

My cottage survived the storm very well. Thank you all for the emails and the prayers!
 I've been very busy lately putting things back in order, and cleaning up.
I thought it might be a good time to post a couple of nice rainbow pictures that I took in  North Wildwood.

It was a full arch and I don't have a wide angle lense so I had to take several separate shots!
Below is the other side of the arch.

And I just luv how the sea birds have a glow about them in this one:

Also been busy getting ready to move my youngest into a college dorm room tomorrow.  Making pillow covers and picking out bedding, and printing pictures for her new frames. We are trying to decorate with lots of pictures so she doesn't miss us all too much. I'll post pics of her dorm room  re -do, after we get it all set up.
She wanted to make a statement. Can you guess what color scheme she is going with?
The choices:

• black and white


• black, pink, and white


• red and white


• red and black

We've got everything ready now and packed in the car!
hasta la vista, baby