Top Furniture Projects of 2011

Starting this blog last Spring has made all the difference for me this year.  I have learned more than I can say from some very generous, talented ladies who I have met through their blogs, or who have found me through my blog.  I can not stress how very grateful I am for each and every one who has ever left a comment of encouragement or validation for me!  Truly, this community is AMAZING in all that they do to teach and reach each other!

So, do I have some favorites that I finished this year?  You betcha!  For some reason I got on a buffet binge this year.  Probably because I was looking for some for myself  (look for those reveals coming up soon!) and old tired buffets appear to be plentiful right now. 

One of my favs would have to be this beauty.  When my computer crashed I lost the pictures of her stored within reach so you'll have to follow the link back to see her again.  She was in the sorriest shape I have ever worked on.  My poor husband helped me shore her up and spent hours trying to help reattach laminate tops and fill in holes.  This one was more than I alone could handle.  But she turned out so very, very pretty that it was worth every moment of work.  She found a home with a lovely gal and I'm sure they will enjoy her for years and years.

Another piece that finished up so nicely that I can't help but show you is the Beauty and the Beast .  The top on this one was a mess too but it painted up beautifully.  And those chairs, wow, they may have started out pretty crusty, but they were solid, gorgeous, and with a generous wide seat.  This set was so comfortable that I had a hard time parting with it!  I know the family that bought these were so excited about them. 

Finally, this was a piece that is quite dear to my heart.  Another buffet, I just couldn't seem to help myself this year!  This was part of a dining set that I refinished with a table and 6 chairs that matched her.  She wasn't really in bad shape at all.  Just a tired finish that needed to be refreshed and some minor repairs to make her work well.  I love, love, love her lacy little fretwork, and the oak leaf carved in the backboard made my heart go pitter/pat.  For a long time (until I bought yet ANOTHER similar buffet) she wasn't going anywhere.  But really she needed to be with her matching table and chairs, and I'm happy to report that she recently joined them.  Yeah!  It's even with a dear friend who will probably let me have some visitation rights! 

I'm enjoying seeing all the 2011 highlights out there.  I've linked up a couple of these to:
http://primitiveandproper.blogspot.com/2011/12/piece-of-work-wednesday-furniture-link_27.html

I wish I had time to do a proper top ten, but with all my photos floating all over the place on my computer now it will take too long!

Instead I will tell you that 2012 will be a happening year here in Omaha!  I am currently carving out a wee bit of time to work on some of my own home projects.  There is a master bedroom that badly needs an overhaul that is coming sometime this winter.  There are also several more need beauties in waiting in line for makeovers, and some client projects waiting for final instructions/inspirations.  And the Prairie Pickers and Peddlers are meeting soon to shore up our activities for 2012!!!  I can't wait to share more about that too!
May 2012 bring you much Happiness, great Health, a wealth of Inspiration and lots of Love!
Happy New Year!
Deb

Lions and Tigers and Bears, oh my!

Well, actually I'm surprised but we appear to be missing Tigers!  Years ago, when I was first married my Mom and Dad bought us a Creche.  Fairly simple and we replaced the ceramic figurines for some lovely wooden figures made by a dear family friend.  I loved it and set it up every year.  When our oldest two children were younger my Mom brought in a whole new element to the nativity scene.  She gave the girls some animals.  Every year our animal collection grew...and grew...and now it is quite a group that gathers around to bow before the baby Jesus!

 All three of my girls have grown up loving to set it up and move it around.  Every day it is a new visual treat and an adventure to create.  I watched my youngest this year set it up so that the animals were lined up single file around the stable to come see Jesus.  It didn't last long before she moved them to create a new scene, chattering away with the animals about why they were there and how they should behave. 

If you look closely you'll even spy a couple of frogs!

They gather on the roof to escape the crowd.

We have many animals that do not normally appear in the Christmas story typically, but we think they love being able to come and kneel before the new born King.

I love that my girls enjoy the telling and retelling of the Christmas story to their little animal friends throughout the holidays.

The animals and baby Jesus are even surviving Pepper's curiosity! 

New friends and old, let me take this time to say, from our home to yours Merry Christmas!

Blessings,
Deb

Linking to:
http://savvysouthernstyle.blogspot.com/2011/12/wow-us-wednesdays-45.html

Bright & Merry

I know this title would leave you to believe it is all about Christmas, but it's not necessarily!  After months and months of staring at my "new" table and chair set in the corner of the workshop I finally found a minute, or 150, to dig them out and complete the set! The minute I bought that lovely chunky legged table I knew it would be mine, however you know how it goes with your own stuff.  I will warn you, I'm not afraid of color, really, I'm not.  My kitchen is red until I can convince my husband to paint it for the 3rd time in 2years  for pity's sake.  I actually love surrounding myself with happy colors.  Until I can lose some of this inherited  heavy oak all throughout my house (the 5 year plan) I'll probably continue to go with saturated colors.  So, her she is...

I used the same process that I had with my old  table and chairs and painted each chair a different Chalk paint color and the table base in Old Ochre.  The top is stained in Minwax Jacobean and poly sealed. 

I love those legs!  Truly, they've become an obsession.

This cabinet filled with my Fiesta Ware proves how much I like color.  I have 1 place setting of nearly every one of the colors available.  I've been collecting the pieces since 1994.  They are nearly indestructible.  I have enough pieces to easily entertain indoors or out with these dishes by mixing and matching.  Just like me, they're eclectic!

Here is where I waffled, the seat cushions, I chose this fabric because it had some of all the colors I wanted to use on the chairs.  In the end I nearly changed it out for some duck cloth because I felt like I might be getting just a bit too colorful here.  I may still change it out later, but for now, with 3 busy kids sitting here for all meals I will probably let them live here for a while.

The season continues to get busier and busier here at my home, so I would like to take an opportunity to wish you and yours a Bright & Merry Christmas!  May you and your family be truly Blessed during this special time.

Believe!
Deb

http://primitiveandproper.blogspot.com/2011/12/piece-of-work-wednesday-furniture-link_13.html
http://missmustardseed.com/2011/12/furniture-feature-friday-favorites-link-party-2/

Epic Fail

I had a great tutorial post I was going to be blogging about today...but it turned into a big dud!  I am so bummed because I was ready to tackle something fresh and new (to me).  I LOVE all the cloches out there.  So much fun.  I bought myself one of the new glass bottle cutters out there, some great glass bottles, some filled with the cheapest wine I could find, and a slew of lovely Christmas accessories to create some wonderful gifts this year.  I watched every You Tube out there about how to successfully make it work, several times.  I have years of stained glass experience so know all about break lines, cutter pressure, etc.  And none of that did me a bit of good :-(.  All of my bottles cracked in crazy waves, not once on the score line.  So, sorry, no tutorial and no recommendation on bottle cutters.  Now, if someone out there has had some great results with cutting glass bottles with a system I would love to hear from you!  I'm so frustrated I may have to go buy a bottle of good wine this time!

I'm sorry to have been ignoring the blog.  I'd love to share some gorgeous mantle or tablescapes, but I'm still limping around with the Christmas decorating/cooking.  I have been trying to finish the table and chairs that I bought for my family.  It needed some staining and painting, and now the chairs need the some painting and upholstery work.  Hopefully I'll have a nice reveal next week with the set all complete.  Don't even begin to believe I could have it beautifully staged for Christmas!  But I promise to show it anyway.  Now, off to to a bit of shopping and hopefully a bit of shopping for another storage piece for my family room.  I have new furniture arriving soon, and I'd love to pull that room together for a nice photo shoot soon too!  I'm not totally slacking...just a bit scattered these days.

Holiday Blessings to you all!
Deb