Farmhouse 4th of July Foyer Decorating

Last week I did a little red white and blue 4th of July decorating in the foyer.  It all started because I finally cleaned my studio to the point that I was able to find the hooks and hang the giant, heavy mirror that used to belong my grandparents.  I can't tell you how good it feels not to have that beast leaning against the table in the dining room any more!

Rustic French Country Milk & Chalk Paint Grandfather's Clock Makeover

Today I'm sharing a rustic French country painted Grandfather's clock that I made over using both Annie Sloan Chalk Paint and Miss Mustard Seed Milk Paint.  I love using both types of paint on the same piece and have been doing it for a couple of years because I really like the crusty, rustic, layered effect that I can achieve by layering ASCP and MMS (with bonding agent).

Simple Pastel Spring Mantel Decor

Is anyone else getting a slow start on spring this year?  I am. I decided to put together a quick, pastel, spring mantel this week to add a little color to the living room. It's not just the gray of winter that is wearing on me, it's also the fact that I was afraid that if I didn't decorate the mantel this week, I'd completely miss the opportunity to do it before I tear the wall out next month.

Yes, you read that correctly. It's spring...which means that we'll finally be able to move forward with renovations here at the French farmhouse and the temporary shelf that has been acting as our mantel will be removed (along with the wood paneling that covers the wall) in preparation for the new sandstone mantel and hearth that will be installed this summer when our former living room officially becomes the dining room.

 
Which reminds me, I forgot to show you the fabulous French Casement Cabinets that I scored at the Restoration Hardware outlet in January. There are two of them. They are 42 inches wide and 92 inches tall... and they were seventy percent off!

How could I possibly resist!? There will be one on either side of the window seat in the dining room and they will be used to store china and glassware. One of them had some damage on the inside of the door which was repaired but it doesn't show and even if it did, at that price, I'm not certain that I would have minded!

I've been  so busy collecting pieces for the farmhouse that I'm going to have to do a couple of posts to catch you up on what I've found...but for now, let's get back to the mantel.

Since this mantel decor is the last one that I'll be creating for a while, I decided to incorporate some bunnies and get a "two for one" by leaving these decorations up until Easter

                                                                                  ...or until I get a dumpster...whichever comes first!

The smaller bunny above is a ceramic statue that I painted with Annie Sloan Chalk Paint and distressed slightly so you could see the brown color that he was when I purchased him on a quick little shopping trip to Carter's Cottage in DeKalb with my friend, Mary last weekend.

Of course, a couple of pieces of my trademark ironstone made an appearance, as did a bird's nest, some faux tulips, and the vintage window panels that you've seen before in my bedroom at our last home and my Valentine's Day mantel.

The wreath is made from coffee filters which were water-colored using pink and yellow then hot glued to a form....simple...and under $3!

My Grandmother's crocheted lace table cloth, zinc letter stencils, a muslin flag banner that I made and a vintage French pastoral painting round out the rest of the look.

I added a quick spring pillow to the love seat and hung faux pastel eggs from some branches that I got when the tree trimmers were here last week which were placed in a copper lined vintage basket. I'm sure that the tree guys didn't understand why I wanted the branches but they were really nice about allowing me to choose those that I wanted to save before they put the rest in the chipper.

Other than creating a tablescape for Easter or a quick spring urn for my front entry, this is going to be the extent of my spring decor for this year. It may also be the extent of my summer decor depending upon how quickly things move for Phase 2.  I've spent the last two weeks meeting with our architect, a couple of builders and the village and things are slowly moving forward. 

I'm happy to report that the engineering survey of the property was completed yesterday and I expect that we'll have final drawings soon....I know...I keep saying this...I think that we're on round 19 of the interior floor plan drawings because I keep moving the bedrooms around.

Last week, the master bedroom moved to the other side of the house and the hearth room is now behind the kitchen. I haven't updated you because until I have something final, I don't want you to have to suffer through countless iterations as I tweak the plans....it's bad enough that I'm putting my architect through it!

So, Happy Spring, Happy Easter...Happy Mother's Day...etc. I'm enjoying my pastel spring mantel almost as much as I'm enjoying the fact that I may finally get to chainsaw out the bad bushes around my house in another week also in preparation for Phase 2!

It's been a long, boring winter and I can't wait to start on all of the new changes that are coming to Serendipity Refined and the French Farmhouse this spring and I'm thrilled to have you along!


Sharing at:
Jennifer Rizzo

Holiday Home Tour Day 1: French Farmhouse Kitchen

Welcome to my French farmhouse kitchen finally dressed for the holidays! I've kept my holiday decorating simple this year.

White Spray Painted Metal Patio Furniture and Tea in My Garden

Happy Friday! I'm so happy that you stopped by today so that I can show you the "after" photos of my spray painted metal patio furniture!

Spring Tablescape with Flowers in Moss Covered Containers, Ironstone and Glass

I've got a confession to make.  Remember the cute, Pier1 knockoff burlap bunny ear and butterfly napkin rings that I showed you last week? The ones that I was convinced were going to be a part of my Easter tablescape?  Well....they didn't make it into the final design.

Vintage Valentine's Day Dining Room Decor...and a Love Story

I'm a hopeful  romantic.                
                                            I have been, for as long as I can recall....

Yep, all the way back to the first time that John Fowler arrived at the bus stop on my very first day of first grade.

Thanksgiving Table Decor - Recycling Outdoor Plants

It's been said that "clothes make the man". If that's the case, then I believe that accessories make the woman.  Think about it.

Way back in second grade, when I was playing Barbie's with my sister, it was always about the accessories!

Pumpkins, Ironstone and Copper - Fall Hutch

I'm happy to say that I'm finally getting a little fall decorating done around my house but,  you know,

decorating with Martha Stewart just isn't what it used to be

                               You've got to remember that while I do live with Martha Stewart, she's 14 now. In

yellow lab years, I think that's ninety-two. Unlike her namesake, she doesn't really have an opinion when it

comes to decorating. 

                                         Heck, she's only awake for about four hours a day.
                     

Farm House Shelves - Reclaimed Barn wood

When I left you yesterday, the wood from Brian's barn, was leaning against the wall of my garage to dry after a good scrubbing.  In case you missed it, you'll find my prior post about the century old wood and the barn that it came from,  here.

While the wood dried,  I went to Home Depot and got two 4x8 sheets of pine bead board to use for the back of the cabinet. Since the bead board is new pine versus old, I'm going to distress it and faux finish it so that it looks older and will blend with the old wood. This is the mix of products that I used:

The first step was to wipe on some Old Masters white wiping stain. After that, I kept adding layers and sanding and wiping and smearing until I felt good about the way that it looked.  There is no right or wrong way to do this and there's no such thing as "perfect" but I think that it blends in pretty well, don't you?

After the cabinet was nailed together, I gave it one more light sanding with a sanding sponge and then blew it off with the leaf blower (yeah, I know, a leaf  blower?!...but the cabinet was in the garage and the leaf blower was more convenient than the vacuum) to remove every last spec of dust and loose debris before I finish coated it with Helmsman Spar Varnish in a Satin finish. (Before you ask, Yes, that IS a concrete chicken in the background. Her friend is behind the cabinet. Apparently she's too shy to be photographed).

This afternoon, we carried it into the dining room and set it atop the side board.

It looks exactly as I had hoped that it would.  The varnish brought out the red in the iron oxide "barn red" paint as well as the time worn patina of the pine.  I'm sending a link to this post to Brian tomorrow. I only hope that he's as pleased as I am with the way that it turned out.

xo,

S

Linking to:

Thrifty Decor Chick

Coastal Charm 

Primitive and Proper

Savvy Southern Style 

The Brambleberry Cottage 

Miss Mustard Seed 

Singing Three Little Birds 

Sassy Sites - Trash to Treasure Tuesday

Cedar Hill Ranch - Cowgirl Up Link Party

Featured at:

Simple Easter Dinner Table Setting

The end of a beautiful Easter.

Dinner's over, ham salad is in the making. I'm signing off to enjoy the last couple of hours with my son before he goes back to college.

Until next week, be well. 

xo,

S

Easter Bunny Breakfast Table - Saturday morning

 Since we're travelling to visit family on Saturday afternoon, our "Easter breakfast" will be celebrated on Saturday morning this year.  I've kept my breakfast table simple.  The dishes are 100 year old French Haviland  porcelain so they've got chips and nicks but that doesn't make them any less lovely in my eyes.   w I've paired it with Lusterware glasses from my Grandmother and  white hobnail  from my mother-in-law. 

 Part of my collection of 1940's and 50's paper mache' candy holders.

A bit of vintage lace, a couple of porcelain bunnies, a few white tulips and daffodils from my garden, and some of my ironstone...of course!

I'll show you the Easter Dinner table tomorrow.....WHEW, THREE POSTS IN ONE DAY!?!?!?
I guess that we had a little "catching up" to do!  Thanks for sticking with me!

xo,

S

Linking to:
Jennifer Rizzo
French Country Cottage
Savvy Southern Style
Funky Junk Interiors
At The Picket Fence

DOUBLE FEATURE FRIDAY: A Shared Love of Ironstone

Image of her collection by Ellie Campbell

NOTE: All images contained in this post are the creation and property of Ellie Campbell. I only WISH that I could take credit for the collection and/or the photography. Instead, I'll settle for the fact that I'm blessed to have the friendship of the woman who created them.

I met Ellie Campbell (and her adorable husband) a few years ago at a Farmer's Market in a nearby Chicago suburb.  She was selling her handmade soap.

 I bought a few bars and I have to tell you, her Lavender Oatmeal is my favorite! Since then, she's moved to Nebraska and I lost touch with her for a little while but we've reconnected and I hope to be able to sell her soap at Nellies Barn Sale in June, but that's not the point of this story.

This story is about our shared love of ironstone. I collect ironstone,  but my friend, Ellie, has a COLLECTION of ironstone.  She has photographed and featured on her blog: Frog Goes To Market  (named for her collection of flower frogs) and on her Pinterest pages. This is Ellie's dining room.

 I'm drawn to her simple and elegant style, the vignettes that she puts together, and the way her photographs evoke a sense of honesty and calm that are a reflection of the lovely lady who creates them.

There are more amazing images on her blog, on her store website, and on her Pinterest pages. Take a look at them,  I'm certain that you'll be as inspired as I am.

Happy Friday!

xo,

S

Happy First Day of Spring! - My $6 Spring Mantel

At long last, Spring!  

We've had some unusually warm weather in Illinois these last few weeks. In fact, many of my friends are referring to 2011 as the "best winter that never was".  But today, Spring has "officially" arrived!

I decided to keep my spring mantel simple this year. Since mother nature is cooperating, I simply snipped some forsythia branches, a few pussy willows,  and some of the daffodils from my yard. I added some of the smaller pieces from my collection of ironstone, a couple of nests, some lace, and a statue of a garden fairy that  was a gift from one of my girlfriends last year. 

The only purchase was the "SPRING" letters which I found in the $1 bin at Michael's earlier this season.

Speaking of spring and growing things and GARDENING, I'll be announcing a new weekly feature for this
blog tomorrow....Don't Miss It!

Have an incredible day!

xo,

S

Linking to:
The Lettered Cottage
Romantic Home