Every Time I Turned Around

Attic Gal Alysa says:

Last night my family and I arrived home from our vacation in Gatlinburg, Tennessee. It was absolutely beautiful there and the weather was fantastic. I loved being outside every day -- unlike our desert here. While visiting Gatlinburg, I realized that every time I turned around there was a church. There was a church at one corner and then across the street there was another one. I fell in love with them and really wanted to take pictures of them all but ran out of time. I did capture two of my favorites.
This is the actual size of this "small church in the country" church. It was on a main road amongst bigger, modern buildings. Charming, isn't it?
This Roaring Baptist Church we saw every day driving down the mountain road from our cabin. I love the stonework.
There is something wonderful about old churches and their architecture. Since our area is newer, we don't see these beautiful pieces of art. What neat churches are in your area?

What Would You Do With a Free Quart of Paint?

Attic Gal Rachelle says:

Last month I discovered that Glidden had an offer for a free can of paint.  All I had to do was pick a color and go online and give them my address and color choice, and they would send it in the mail absolutely FREE!  Well, the only thing I love more than cheap is free!  So I picked a color that I loved, eggshell Vintage Yellow.

The little box arrived in the mail this week containing a shiny green can of yellow possibilities!  Yippie!

I got started right away.  Wanna see what I did?

I have this old hutch that I found at a garage sale years ago for like $20. It holds all my table linens nicely. I just love the shape and height of it, and it fits perfectly in a spot in my family room.  But, I'm embarassed to say, it has been in my family room, in this condition, this whole time - a beat up, scuffed up mess.

Until my free can of paint arrived...

I quickly sanded then carefully painted it the creamy Vintage Yellow.  Four coats.  But in the morning light I wasn't quite pleased.  It was too pale, too pastel, too pretty.  It looked like it belonged in a baby girl nursery, not a family room.

So I bravely pulled the sander back out and gave it a good roughing up.  Hubby and kids all thought I was crazy.  I had just carefully painted it to make it look new, and now I was beating it up to make it look old again.  Then they really thought I was insane when I pulled out the antiquing glaze and started to rub brown stuff on it to make it look dirty.  Kids rolled their eyes and Hubby kindly said, "If you like it, then I like it."

They really should learn to trust me. (Plus, I could always repaint it, right?  Except I'd have to actually buy the paint this time.)

No need to repaint.  It worked out beautifully!  The free paint really transformed the piece, and the antiquing gave it a golden warmth. The yellow hutch really brightens up the whole room.

Here is a close up of the pretty detailing that was not really noticeable before it was painted.

And this morning when my Hubby walked in the room he said. "Wow, it turned out really terrific!"  I knew he'd come around.

So thanks to Glidden for the free paint.  It is a smooth and easy to use paint.  Very nice!  And an offer of free paint was just the motivation I needed to get this project done.

So, what would you do with a free quart of paint, or a purchased one for that matter?  

Great idea!  Now go do it!  Nothing brings such quick satisfaction than a little paint. (Just ignore the eyes rolling at you, and for heaven's sake don't roll them at yourself.  Trust yourself!  It will be terrific!)

Priceless!

Attic Gal Rachelle says:

The perfect pair of red patent leather pumps from the Rack: $40

A matching patent leather red belt from the Rack: $14

Strands of glass beads and a pendant from Michaels: $18

Feeling totally put-together: Priceless!

 Yes, I did pay a whole $40 for a pair of shoes at Nordstrom Rack, which seems like an awfully lot for a garage sale fanatic, but please know that I wear a gargantuan size 12 - a size seldom to be found at many stores, let alone garage sales.  So when I found these precious ruby red pumps and they actually fit my honking feet, I HAD to get them.  I love shoes, and whenever I find a fabulous pair of size 12s (a rare, rare treat) I snatch them up and worry what I'll wear them with later.  And when I found the belt, I knew it was fate - and a call to assemble the perfect ensemble.  I knew I had to have the perfect jewelry (shiny and red, of course) to balance out the shoes.  But I didn't run around the mall searching for the right bling. I went to the craft store instead where  I found some great beads and the fantastic glass flower pendant.   Perfect!   Now there was no doubt that fate was stepping in.  So I made the necklace, watch band, and even a pair of earrings.  I just love that with so many terrific beads out there, we can make jewelry to match any outfit with just a few simple skills and a little creativity.  And that, my friend, is...

PRICELESS!

Meet Our Two New Friends!

Attic Gal Alysa says:

We had lots of fun "saleing" a few weeks ago.

What should I name my new friend?

I love the shelving that actually can fold up if I want it too. Someday when my daughters' room is clean I'll show you how it turned out holding colorful quilts on it.

The little table will come in handy in a small place and the quilt -- love those quilts.

Attic Gal Rachelle says:

Those white shelves Alysa grabbed are extreemly cool. Wish I had had a place for them!

I found an old Golden Book of Christmas Carols, to add to my collection, and some pretty seashells for my summer apothocary jars. My nickname is Shelly, so I have always been partial to seashells!

I found these fun French prints. I plan to paint mats pink, and they will be perfect in my pink room, (if I can find wall space -yikes!). Also some lovely French-milled soaps that would match perfectly in my pink room, only I better put them in my bathroom instead, huh? (If I seem to be getting a bit into all things French, maybe it's because I am going to Paris next month!!! Oh la la!)

We actually found TWO of the black dress forms, so we each got one!!! Just that morning we were saying how we wanted to find a fun dress form at a garage sale, and then we found two for a great deal! How 'bout that? We were like a couple of silly school girls with our new find, as we tried to gingerly get both of our new friends into our small car.

I have to admit, I do like finally having another gal in the house, even if I am jealous of her figure! (I bet she never had 6 kids!)

Now we just have come up with something cool to do with them. Any ideas?

Windows of Opportunity

Attic Gal Rachelle says:

Last week I found this very cool old window at a garage sale.  You must understand that we live in a relatively new area, and we don't have very many old buildings, thus very little of the fun architectural salvage you might find in other older parts of the country.  So when I find something as cool and colorful as this, I don't dare pass up my window of opportunity, even though I had NO idea of what I was going to do with it.

Several months ago I had also found this great old narrow window with beautiful beveled glass at a garage sale.  I didn't pass that window of opportunity either.  Its been just propped up in the corner of my bedroom ever since.

But I was afraid to leave my newly acquired colorful window sitting around, for fear that in this crazy house, it might get broken, so I took the initiative and this is what I did...

With a few hooks and eyes, and a stud finder, I was able to hang them in the hallway and entryway.  I just love the glowing gem-like colors.

The long one looks great in the entryway.  The picture cannot capture how the bevels catch the light and draw the eye up and away from the always-messy floors.

I just love how the old windows add some color, sparkle, and vintage architectural interest to my relatively new house. 

One more project crossed off my list.  I'm so glad I took that window of opportunity and just did it.

Star Spangled Interior

Attic Gal Rachelle says:

My house has been officially festooned - the inside anyway, and since I added a bit since last year, and have a better camera, I took new pictures of my patriotic pad.

First, I had a bunch of fun Americana ribbon that I got super cheap after the post-911 patriotic fever cooled down.  But I snatched it up, because at least where I come from, patriotism never goes out of style.  These green leaf wreaths were and after-Christmas purchase a few years back, but I keep them up all year.  All I did was wrap the star-spangled ribbon around the wreaths that were already there, and tucked in the edges.  It took all of 2 minutes.

Recognize the flag stands from my previous post in the two bottom niches?

I used more of the wide ribbon just tied and looped in the chandelier.

I also glittered some chipboard stars, and hung them by fishing line from the chandelier.  I love the look.

From the entry you turn right and are in the dining room.  I have flags everywhere -  all garage sale finds.  

How fun is that?

I just have to say that Betsy Ross was brilliant!  I love the American flag - the colors are great and the stars and stripes are graphically  stunning.  Oh, and I also love it because America rocks!

I love the look of the parade flags in my various milk glass bud vases.  They look great a lined up at attention like this, or clustered together in the middle of the table.

I scrolled some of my super-wide ribbon along the niches in the entryway.  I sure wish I had more of that stuff!  And last night, since I couldn't sleep I made a fabric USA banner.  I think it is my favorite banner yet, though I think I say that with each banner I make.

I used more of the fun ribbon for bows between each pennant...

and I glittered more chipboard stars.  This is my favorite antique silver glitter from Martha Stewart.  It looks like old German glass glitter. (again, after-Christmas clearance).  Very pretty!  Then, since I didn't have blue glitter I just punched some blue stars out of blue CS and stuck them in the center.

Oh yes, I really love this banner!

I also pulled out some old archetectural iron stars.  The glass block was a gift from Attic Gal Alysa herself.

And then, just to be silly, I made a little Uncle Sam pixie with a baby picture of one of my twins.

I just drew stripes onto his overall cuffs with a red marker, and drew white stars with a white gel pen (Uniball makes a fabulous white gel pen!)

The flag was cut from a piece of the same ribbon I tied on the banner, and a tooth pick.  The hat was taken from an old WWII poster and a star brad and some glitter were added to punch it up.  He still needed something, so I drew a little Uncle Sam goatee with the white gel pen.  I don't know.  It is silly, and that is good enough for me.

The red, white and blue just pops in my yellow kitchen.  Just more old flags.

This spirit of 76 is my favorite flag!

Remember the red chair I found saleing a few weeks ago?  Attic Gal Alysa and I found the blue star quilts on our girl trip to Utah in May!  Perfect.

Another favorite flag, this huge old 48 star coffin flag hangs over, and completely covers, the tall stone fireplace - (but nobody build fires here this time of year anyway.)

Did you know that when hanging a flag vertically, you always hang it with the stars to the left?  According to the US Flag Code, the flag represents a living nation, so should be treated and respected as a living thing.  In reality, the stars always hang on the right, the flag's right that is, so it is to the left when you are looking at it.

My kids have so much fun looking at all the different American flags in this fun display I found saleing a few years back. 

The painting on the wall is mine - an old schoolhouse window - and the one on the bottom was done by one of my boys a few years back.

During the days of the revolution, and early Republic, there was no official flag, so there were lots of different designs.  My personal favorite - the yellow one with a snake that says "Don't Tread On Me".  We need to fly that one today, I think.

Another flag and a pair of buntings I found cheap last summer drape the entertainment center.  The kids wouldn't let me cover the TV, but now I wish I had hung the huge fireplace flag there instead.  Then maybe then they'd forget all about the TV and the Wii this summer.  Maybe not.

Some of my vintage tablecloth are in great patriotic colors.

So that ends this Fourth of July parade.  Thanks for all the flag waving! 

Happy Fourth to all you fellow patriot readers out there, and for our wonderful foreign friends, Happy Saturday!