Grandma's gate leg table

One of my most prized possessions is the gate leg table that came to me from my Grandma.  Called Bobo by everyone who knew her, she had this table in her living room for as far back as I can remember...where it originated, whether from a family member or not, I don't know.  This table was painted brown until it came to me about 20 years when I  painted it two tone green with a crackle finish.  Over the years it got scuffed and stained so this year, chalk paint came to the rescue.

Hubby and I sanded the top and used a cherry stain with many coats of varnish to get the look I wanted.  Not sure what the wood is, but it had a green tone which according to the internet could be sassafras.

Duck Egg Blue was painted on the legs with accents of Aubusson followed by light wax.  Here's how the final result.

 

Quite a difference from that old brown table.  Bobo would be proud.



Shades of Amber Annie Sloan Chalk Paint Linky Party



Domestically Speaking 106th-power of paint party

Bookaholic...

Bookworm, book lover, bibliophile, reader...what do these words mean to me.

They mean stacks and stacks of books waiting to be read, traded, given away or returned to the library.  When will I ever find the time to read them all?  Books make me happy, content, and relaxed so I'm not bothered by all the books laying around the house.  This stack of books on my night stand include the top three paperbacks that were just waiting for me at the local Goodwill store.  Yes, that's a Kindle you see. The convenience it offers is wonderful but...there's still something about holding a book.

It saddens me to hear children say they hate to read and books are a waste of time.  Oh the adventures they will miss!  Some of my favorite books are those I read as a child; I'm so happy that my children are sharing the same books with their own children and their niece and nephews that I shared with them so many years ago.

Chalk paint x2

Several months ago, I discovered Annie Sloan's Chalk Paint through several of the blogs that I follow.  Knowing that this paint was something I had to try, I found a stockist, Shades of Amber, located in Monument, Colorado which is about 50 miles from my home.  My daughter, 2 grandbabies and I were planning a visit to the Cheyenne Mountain Zoo in Colorado Springs so I made arrangements to pick up some paint from Brad and Amber.  My first try was this mirror inherited from my mother;  it was originally my grandmother's mirror that was hung over a beautiful quarter sawn oak dresser.  Through the years some wear and tear had occurred.

Before

My first attempt to paint the mirror with Old White went fine until I applied the dark wax much too heavy.  The wax made the curliques and swirls on the mirror look dusty and dingy; the mirror was placed over the table in my entry hall until I decided what to do next.

version 1

Enter a new mini-stockist located close to my home...Little Black Chair.  Going to their storefront to pay for a beginning Chalk Paint class, I spied a beautiful night stand painted in Chateau Grey with accents done in Paris Grey...gorgeous, simply gorgeous.

That color combination was so lovely that my mirror called for a change.  Using Chateau Grey as a base with accents of Duck Egg Blue and a grey I mixed, I know my mom and grandma would be proud.

version 2

Lovely, don't you think?  I'm as proud as punch...


linked to:  Miss Mustard Seed,  Shades of Amber,  Remodelaholic

The Colors of October - My camera is always ready

I’m so glad I like in a world where there are Octobers.

~ L. M. Montgomery, Anne of Green Gables ~

“Autumn the year’s last and loveliest smile.”  ~William Cullen Bryant~ 

“Oh Autumn how I have missed you.  Cool nights, sunny days, school starts and summer fades.” ~Caroline Glen

"The chile, it seems to me, is one of the few foods that has its own goddess." - Diana Kennedy, cookbook author

I think that I shall never see a poem as lovely as a tree
by Joyce Kilmer


Thank you Miss Reed, my 8th grade teacher, for making your classes memorize this poem.





All photos by little ole me