Our son Kevin treated us a much-needed getaway to Niagara-on-the-Lake. We enjoyed three days exploring, dining, and, of course, antiquing. By the end of our trip, we felt refreshed and ready to head back and resume our day-to-day lives. Here are some of the things we did during that time: We stayed at The Red Coat Bed and Breakfast which was conveniently situated close to both the wineries and the downtown area. Not to mention the breakfasts that were included. Omelets with fresh vegetables, muffin tops (I have since ordered a muffin top pan), apple puff pancakes... Absolutely delicious! The Red Coat Bed and Breakfast Following breakfast, we headed out for some sightseeing. Our first stop was the Hotel Prince of Wales, where we celebrated our first anniversary 33 years ago. We then visited the historic Downtown area, enjoyed the stunning views, and of course, we could not resist Canada's finest ice cream. Following our sightseeing, we returned to the bed and breakfast to freshen up for a wonderful dinner at The Waterfront Restaurant located at the Niagara on the Lake Golf Course . Our views were incredible: I admired the waterfront, while Matt had a perfect view of the first tee on the golf course. The next day was all about antiquing. The first stop was Old Towne Antiques, situated in the downtown area of Niagara-on-the-Lake. This shop featured a vast array of stunning old antiques. Although nothing initially caught my eye, the proprietor offered to show us his barn, which housed even more items. The barn was exactly my kind of place; you had to dig around to find what you wanted. While I was exploring, the proprietor took my husband to see something else. Meanwhile, I discovered an old metal shoeshine bench, missing its seat, which I use as a plant holder, and a heavy-duty candle holder that I use as a plant stand. When my husband returned, he was grinning from ear to ear; he had apparently had the chance to sit in a very expensive Bugatti sports car. Antiques on The Creek Even though we weren't certain about what we were looking for, we found it—a beautiful fireplace surround for our front room. Ellie, who helped us, negotiated the price with the surround's owner, and we ultimately paid $75 USD. Antiques And Treasures This antique shop provides a diverse selection of distinctive vintage and antique items, including furniture, blankets, glass, books, clothing, artwork, and pottery. We discovered a Wedgwood Pottery piece for my mother-in-law and a gardening book for myself. Flax And Fire After departing from Antiques and Treasures, my husband noticed a small shop at the end of the driveway. A man was unloading boxes, and we inquired if they were open. Although he said they weren't, he kindly allowed us to come in and look around. He mentioned that he and his wife had just returned from a show she was participating in. As an artist and creator, I felt inspired the moment I entered the space. It was filled with pieces that had been transformed using block printing, rusty nails, sewing, weaving, and some techniques I couldn't identify, yet they resulted in beautiful creations. We did not buy anything, but I started following them and will definitely be on the lookout for upcoming events. Lewiston Antique Mall Lewiston was the final stop on our trip. Located just across the border, it was bursting with all types of antiques. I discovered a rusty table and chairs for $25. I'll place the table on the patio, while the chairs will serve as stands for my pots. It was a wonderful getaway; everything was absolutely perfect, even the weather. If you enjoyed this post, please click on the heart to give it a like.

The main principle when shopping at any thrift store is to always inspect an item carefully before dismissing it. My husband and I were at Goodwill, and he bypassed a small dresser with a crack, thinking it was broken. I stopped to see if it might be repairable. However, upon touching the top, I realized it wasn't damaged; it was actually a lid that lifted to reveal a desk with compartments. So cool! The secretary desk turned out to be a Drexel piece from the 1950s. It was quite a bargain at $19.99. I was thrilled with the piece and was eager to begin working on it. One of the first things I did was replace the wooden tracks inside the desk on each side. These tracks keep the drawer from sliding back, giving it the appearance of a real drawer. I also used spackle to fill a crack in the wood. The piece had a factory finish, so I needed to strip off the layers of paint and sealant. I started by applying the paint remover then covering it with plastic wrap, allowing it to sit for 30 minutes to an hour. Using a scraper and a wire brush for the detailed areas, it took three applications, but I managed to remove most of the finish. While removing the finish, I discovered that while the piece was really well made, it was made of various wood tones, making it impossible to leave the wood exposed. Therefore, I needed to paint it. Unsure how to proceed, I sat with the piece and waited for it to speak to me. Not talk to me like "How's the weather?" or "What do you think of those Bills?" but more like a feeling I get from the piece on how I should proceed. I opted for Annie Sloan Chalk Paint in French Linen. To achieve a translucent effect, I diluted the paint with water, applied it with a brush, and then wiped it off using a finishing sponge. I repeated this process multiple times until I achieved the desired appearance. After I got the base color just right, I used different brushes to add clear, dark, and white wax. This helped bring out some depth by highlighting and giving the piece an aged look. I then painted the interior of the cubbies with Annie Sloan's Whistler's Gray Chalk Paint. For an element of surprise, I added Decoupage Paper by Redesign with Prima to the front of the drawers. Here is the finished piece; it is exactly how I envisioned it in my mind. It's reminiscent of something you might find in a French chateau. If you enjoyed this post, please give it a like and subscribe to receive new posts as they are created. As always, I enjoy hearing from you, let me know what you think. I have listed this piece on Facebook Marketplace if you're interested the link is below. https://www.facebook.com/marketplace/item/3069579579878351/

I'm beginning to think about spring decorating, even though we still have snow on the ground and it's cold. But what better time to think about warmer weather and the rejuvenation that it brings? As I have mentioned before I am obsessed with the Pottery Barn's Spring collection.  I've already created a replica of one of their vases in an earlier post, and I'm about to attempt two more replicas to enhance my spring decor. One thing that caught my attention were the rabbits. Typically, I'm not fond of cute decor like rabbits, but the Pottery Barn versions have an appealing old, worn look. Additionally, I was drawn to an orb-shaped vase with a stunning bronze antique patina. It was displayed in the store with beautiful flowers that I couldn't stop admiring. Let's see what I did: The on the left is the bronze patina that I saw in the store. The one on the right is the vase I found at Goodwill. To get the black undertones like the Pottery Barn vase I painted the sphere using black chalk paint (all products used will be listed at the end). To get the texture of the inspiration vase I added baking soda to the chalk paint for the second coat. After donning a pair of gloves, I took antique gold acrylic paint (I chose gold instead of bronze because it goes better with my decor) and with a rubbing and tapping motion applied it to the sphere until I was satisfied. To seal it I used clear wax. The finished vase, I think, came out beautifully. To fill the vase, I purchased these florals from a craft store, as I thought the cascading look complements the vase. I think they are very similar except mine is gold and theirs is bronze. Here are the Pottery Barn rabbits I told you they were adorable. Target has a section near the front of the store where products are priced between $1 and $5 each. It was there that I found my bunnies: three smaller ones for $3 each and two larger ones for $5 each. I appreciate that they have more detail than the Pottery Barn rabbits, but I'm not a fan of the glossy finish. I applied a coat of white chalk paint to each rabbit. After they were dry, I used mineral color chalk paint on them. I liked the way they looked, but they did not resemble the concrete statues I admired. To try and remedy this, I coated each rabbit with spackle. Once it dried, I sanded them until semi-smooth. To finish I used clear wax to seal them. They are a far cry from the shiny Target ones. I think they look perfect with my birthday gift (Pottery Barn vase). If you enjoyed this post, please give it a like and subscribe to receive new posts as they are created. As always, I enjoy hearing from you, let me know what you think. Products Used: Annie Sloan White Chalk Paint Annie Sloan Clear Wax Waverly Mineral Colored Chalk Paint FolkArt Chalk Paint in Rich Black DecoArt Metallics Acrylic Paint In Splendid Gold Dex Dry Dek Spackle

When you set up a space, especially the kitchen and dining room, sometimes it isn't really as efficient as you would like. But the thought of rearranging keeps you from tackling the problem until you have time to do so, or you reach a breaking point. For me, it was the latter. Let's see what I am talking about: These are the three areas that weren't working for me: the small pantry off the kitchen, the buffet, and the shelves in the laundry room. The small pantry was too tiny for the cleaning supplies; to find anything, you had to take everything out. The buffet was equally cramped; items were so tightly packed that I had to re-iron tablecloths or napkins every time I needed them. Lastly, the shelves in the laundry room, intended for shoes and boots, never actually made it there, and I eventually gave up on that idea. The small pantry now holds all my entertaining essentials: candle holders, candles, napkins, napkin rings, and vases. This means I won't need to re-iron tablecloths or napkins for a second time. We are now able to not only keep our cleaning supplies in the laundry room but also laundry detergents and backup supplies. I would say that is a win! Lastly, the buffet, which now contains my fine china that used to be in the pantry, along with my good silver. Can you believe it? I even have two empty drawers. Who would have imagined? If you enjoyed this post, please give it a like and subscribe to receive new posts as they are created.

The Spring Collection from Pottery Barn has been released, and if you like Pottery Barn, it doesn't disappoint. I was especially taken with the vases and vessels collection. To my surprise, my mother-in-law gave me a beautiful two-handle vase from the collection for my birthday. I was thrilled with my new vase and wanted to create a spring vignette, but I needed an additional vase. Since I didn't want to spend the money for another Pottery Barn vase, I decided to get creative. What if I could revamp a different vase to resemble the Pottery Barn style? Let's see what I did... This is the vase I received for my birthday. I could look at it all day! I bought a vase from Goodwill for $6.00, so if it didn't turn out well, I wouldn't feel too bad. I began by applying a primer coat (all products used are listed at the end of the post). After it dried, I painted the vase with moss green chalk paint. Then, I sketched a design on the vase by hand that resembled the one from the Pottery Barn vase. After completing the design, I blended acrylic paints to create colors that would complement the Pottery Barn vase. Finishing with clear, white, and dark waxes for depth and to seal the vase. The completed vase in a vignette with my birthday present looks good, if I do say so myself. Products used: Annie Sloan Chalk Paint Old White Annie Sloan Clear, White and Dark Wax Waverly Chalk Paint Moss Craft Smart Acrylic Paints

I visit the Goodwill stores frequently and have discovered many incredible items, but I have never been to the "Goodwill Bins". The bins are where unsold items from regular Goodwill stores end up, and the cost is tallied up by the pound. I've watched YouTube videos of people visiting the bins where they have found cool items at great prices, so I decided to try it out. I ended up finding a wooden tray that was in good shape except for a piece missing on the bottom, which could be fixed easily. In order to repair the bottom of the tray, I needed to shore it up so that I could use wood filler to eliminate the spaces. In this case, I used balsa wood. First, I measured the wood, then mitered the corners and glued the pieces on, securing them with a clamp. Next, I filled the space with wood filler. Once it dried, I sanded it smooth and finally painted the whole tray with a primer to prevent bleeding. To add something special, I selected a beautiful decoupage paper to place in the bottom of the tray (all products will be listed at the end of the post). When I positioned the decoupage paper in the tray, I didn't like how the vase was cut off. Luckily, I had leftover pieces from another project where I had used the same decoupage paper. With these pieces, I was able to complete the vase. As I adjusted the paper for the vase, the flowers were out of sync. To correct this, I cut the flowers out and rearranged them to fit. Once everything was in place, I used craft glue to attach the paper. Initially, I was going to paint the background but decided to lay the extra pieces of the paper in a mosaic style. I finished by painting the tray with a lovely blue color that matched the decoupage paper. I liked the piece, but it was a bit bright and needed to be toned down. I lightly stippled the surface with a moss-colored chalk paint. Once it was dry, I applied a diluted antique wax over the entire surface, wiping off the excess. To finish the tray, I applied two coats of water-based sealant. This is the finished tray styled in my office. I made the right call to tone it down. It fits perfectly in the room without taking over. Looking back, my first jaunt to the Goodwill Bins was not what I expected. It was loud and a bit overwhelming. But I am not one to give up on the first try. I went late in the day, so next time I'll go in the morning. I will let you know how it goes. Products Used: Annie Sloan Chalk Paint Provence Waverly Chalk Paint Moss Waverly Antiquing Wax Mint By Michelle Decoupage "Karens Technicolor Bouquet" MinWax Polycrylic Finish If you enjoyed this post, please give it a like and subscribe to receive new posts as they are created. As always comments and suggestions are appreciated.

Like many people, when January arrives, something clicks in my mind, prompting me to start organizing and cleaning. However, due to recent gallbladder surgery, I wasn't able to start until now. The first thing I am tackling is the pantry. When I first set up our pantry four years ago these are the items I used for organization. I still stand by all of my choices. They are not only "pretty" but they also clean up easily and are very accessible. The first thing I did was take everything off the shelves and give it a thorough cleaning. Next, I emptied the containers and washed them inside and out. I used a toothpick to get out any "schmutz" that wouldn't come off with a cloth. Finally, I measured and cut new shelf liner in a textured gray color. I'm just going to throw this out... Is anyone else puzzled by having a lid on the breadbox being a problem? To hide the unsightly power cords, I found a breadbox that fit perfectly on the shelf, concealed the cords, and looked cute. However, over the years, I consistently found the bread on the counter or beside the breadbox. When I inquired about this, the response was that they didn't know there was bread in the box, forgot, or couldn't see it. So, I removed the lid, and there hasn't been a problem since. Who knew? Here's how it turned out. All clean and refreshed! If you enjoyed this post, please give it a like (heart at end of blog post) and subscribe to receive new posts as they are created. Don't forget to leave a comment I love hearing from you!

My pantry is done! I have to say, it was quite an ordeal. Not because of the work involved, but because of the opinions of everyone in the household. I wanted it to be functional and pretty, but the males in the house did not seem to understand the "pretty" part. When I work, I find it most conducive to my creativity to be alone. This allows me to think clearly, make adjustments and work through things. With the pantry being in the hub of the home (the kitchen), that is not how it worked out. Throughout the process of organizing the pantry, there were many questions. For instance, my son wanted to keep his cereal in its original box for easy identification. I decided to cut out the cereal name from the box (a trick from "Home Edit") and place it discreetly at the back of the container to help him identify different cereals (even though I believe it's easy to differentiate between Frosted Flakes and Cheerios).  My mother-in-law also questioned me about my choices for item placement, which occurred multiple times with various items. Each time, I explained that I was trying to optimize accessibility and need. At one point, my husband moved the toaster next to the coffee maker which made it too cramped. We compromised; I moved the toaster below the coffee maker giving it more space to maneuver. It became apparent to me that I would have to finish the rest when everyone was not there. I worked last night after everyone went to bed and this morning when everyone was asleep. I was finally able to complete the pantry at my own pace without any questions. To attain my perfectly organized pantry I used hard plastic air sealed containers, labels, glass containers and Lazy Susan's. I also had my book on how to organize your pantry in my arsenal (all products used in this post will be listed at the end). My pretty pantry! Everything is categorized. First shelf baking, second is canned goods and dinner items, bottom is for breakfast, snacks and treats. The recipe for Toll House cookies was on the back of the bag, so I cut it out and taped it to the back of the container. I also cut out the names of cereals and put them on the back of the containers. I honestly think that taking everything out of the packaging gives you more room. Using containers and being able to stack them on top of one another is also a plus. The outlet for the appliances was placed above the bottom shelf. We drilled a hole in the shelf where the Keurig and smoothie maker were located and dropped the plugs through. To hide the outlet and plugs, I placed a basket for bagels and one for bread in front of it. This is the spot for the Keurig and smoothie maker. There really wasn’t enough room for the toaster. I did however find a more convenient spot with room for bagels and bread right next to it. I now have room to store all my entertaining items. Extra plates, glassware and platters . Having the pantry will cause a domino effect for storage in the house. By moving the entertaining serve-ware to the pantry, it will free up storage down in the basement. We can also move extra linens to the basement closet to give us more room in the linen closet and be better organized upstairs too. If you enjoyed this post, please give it a "like' and subscribe to receive new posts as they are created. Products Used: The Home Edit OXO Good Grips Containers Large Glass Containers with Lids Talented Kitchen Pantry Labels

After our remodel, the kitchen, dining, and family rooms were seamlessly open to one another. My husband wanted the TV on the back wall in the family room for optimal viewing, but I didn't want a large black screen to be the first thing you see as you walk in. As a compromise (bribe) we purchased a larger 50" TV which would be placed on a wall where it wouldn't be immediately noticeable, with the couch positioned on the back wall. This setup worked for years, but when the TV started acting up, we considered a replacement. I saw an ad for a TV with a frame that displays artwork, which was more appealing than a large black screen. I mentioned it to my husband, and we decided to explore it. This is the framed TV I saw in the advertisement; however, it proved to be quite costly, and installing it required making a hole in the wall, which ended that idea. Still interested in something similar, we inquired with the tech store salesperson whether artwork could be displayed on a regular TV and if frames were available for the TV model we selected. The answer to both was yes. This information prompted us to purchase the TV (a 65" this time, not sure how that happened). Besides having it delivered, we added installation; we both agreed that it was worth it rather than taking any chances of something going wrong. Meanwhile, we ordered the artwork software and explored frame options. (All products used will be listed at the end of the post). We were very pleased with the installation service provided by the store we purchased the TV from. They not only installed the TV, but when we told them about the art software, they activated that as well. Next up was the actual frame for the TV. We looked online and decided that my husband would be able to make a frame in the style we wanted at a fraction of the cost of buying one. Because the frame would hang directly on the TV, we chose a lightweight composite molding with a natural wood look to use for the frame. My husband mitered the corners and connected them using corner brackets. To hang the frame, he cut small pieces of wood for the top, affixing them with small brackets. Finally, he placed Velcro on the top, sides, and bottom to keep the frame in place. I absolutely love the way it came out! No black hole on the wall, and the best thing is you can change the artwork to match the decor, season, or holiday. If you enjoyed this post, please like (check heart at end of post) and subscribe to receive new posts as they are created. As always, I look forward to your comments and suggestions. Keep them coming! Products Used: Best Buy Lowes Brackets Velcro

On a recent trip to Goodwill, I spotted a large plastic horse in the toy section. It had graceful lines, a lifelike look, and it was not too cutesy. It reminded me of the large horse sculptures I have coveted in the past. When I saw it, my first thought was whether I could turn it into a piece that looked like a sculpture with some adjustments and paint. I went back and forth: yes, I could, maybe not, perhaps? In the end, I chose to add it to my cart for $6.32, figuring it was worth trying. Let's see what happened: This is the horse I discovered at Goodwill. It stands 20" tall and 18" wide. As I said earlier, it has beautiful lines and resembles an actual horse rather than a cartoon character. After thoroughly cleaning the horse, I applied a mineral color chalk paint that significantly changed the horse's appearance, making the lines I mentioned more visible. After the paint dried, I began working on the horse's mane and tail. First, I crafted a mane with spackle and water, smoothing it until I was satisfied. After trimming the tail, I shaped it into a circle using wire and fastened it securely. Before I could apply spackle to the tail, I needed to create a surface that would adhere. To achieve this, I paper-mâchéd the tail. Once it dried, I formed a tail using spackle (A list of all products used will be provided at the end of the post). Next, I used a sponge to apply chalk paint in fawn and truffle colors to add depth and texture to the horse. Once the paint had dried, I used a creamy white chalk paint, applying it with pouncing motion to add even more texture. I love how the subtle undertones of the fawn and truffle chalk paint shows through. The final step was using dark wax to create shadow and contour. The final result: What a transformation! It is hard to believe that this is the same horse. I intend to mount it on a wooden base, making it a beautiful piece to display on the table behind my sofa. I love it when a plan comes together like this! Before and After Products used: Waverly Mineral Chalk Paint/Fawn Chalk Paint/Truffle Waverly Antiquing Wax ModPodge Annie Sloan Old White Chalk Paint DryDek Spackle