Putting DE-COR Back Into Our Home

Remembering the joy of buying our first home and I did that as a single Mom.  I was not only proud & excited I was anxious to get it the way I wanted.  So many decor ideas of decorating flashed through as I was constantly brainstorming setting in my head.

Dustin's Memorial site is here

The house was bought on April 15, 2005.  My son; my only child was killed in a car accident on June 8, 2005.  It was that devastation that took any desires I had for decorating.  I bought the house so he would have something when I was gone not the other way around.

About two years later I met Michael and soon he moved in with me.  Just as if he had said it yesterday, "Are you going to move in here?"  There was nothing on the walls or out.

Slowly some of my treasures came out of hiding but not much.  Lately blogging sites, friends, Pinterest, Hometalk have given me inspiration and God has given me strength to start putting huge word DE-COR back into my home or for the first time in my own home.

One of my greatest loves is vintage, antique and JUNK!  Nobody would be able to know that looking at my home.

Remember I have Mom living with us who likes vintage but LOVES Early American, Michael likes all furniture finished to a high gloss and left as wood, the manly look.  Eclectic is truly the rhyme and reason in my decorating.  All needs are pleased.

Now that I have rambled on forever have a look.  Our home is lived in, we are not like all of those beautiful blogs with the perfect house, furniture and pics.  Why hide the fact that we live in our home so what you see is who we are.

A little corner shelf that has been distressed and nicely displays a vintage teapot, blown glass pumpkin, and a Monet teapot.  My home town ins known for The Pumpkin Show so somewhere there just had to be a pumpkin in the DE-COR (decor).

The mantle which by majority voting, was not allowed to be painted. I used a vintage table scarf to brighten up the space.  My brother Billy (who was killed in Vietnam in 1968) and Michael's (my fiance) pics are not going to hang there.  They are both in frames that only hang so they are hanging out on the mantle ledge for now.  Once I fix the frames they will go nicely with the decor on the vintage WWII Trunk in front of the fireplace.  The decor of our home is all over the place as I said, eclectic.

An old rugged, vintage box was hung to show off some tiny vintage treasures decor.

Michael's toy box from his childhood is lightened up with a antique table or dresser scarf that I instantly fell in love with.

The trunk turned side table adorns some of my fav items.  My rocking horse that I got for Christmas hen I was two years old.  It is an old thing just like me!

Update Photos of Dustin's Memorial Garden & New Projects

Seems forever since I last posted.  So much going on.  I need either more hours in a day or less to do.  I am sharing my son's Memorial Garden pics today and some project that I am working on.

Now for the current project.  I got this small trunk at an auction.  A brilliant idea came to make it my end table because I need a big one.  So I thought of this trunk.  I still need suggestions for the legs.  Nothing conventional, something unique, different so suggest away. 

This is the before pics.  I have pics of it stripped.

During the process.  Can't wait to get it finished.!

Gave up on this one!  OH MY!  I worked really hard on it.  It does look better now.  Show completed later.

Showing Love to Some Abandoned Treasures

Inspiration has struck from several of the blogs that I have been visited this week.  I have several items that need love and attention.  My thought has always been to leave it in the original condition.  That has been a ground in thought for me.  Well I have come to the conclusion that it is time to give some of the items new life and truly make them a treasure.  You see I love the rust, the chips, the way things are but I guess you can teach an old dog new tricks.

I want to share some projects that I wholeheartedly intend on working on this coming week.  Choosing which one to do first will be my problem.  Here they are in there just like I bought them.  They were posted on my Facebook for ideas so I am going with the popular vote and what I like.

The red on the sled will be left along.  The wood will be getting spruced up.  This one is easy peasy, right?

This beauty was something I just had to have.  It is finished with the 1980's style antiquing.  It has gorgeous beveled mirrors.  I actually have a plan for it.  I am going to strip it and then distress it.  In my bedroom I have a dresser with the waterfall sides but no mirror so I thought I would redo this and use the dresser as a makeup area.  I was proud of my idea.  What do you think?

This lamp has been around since I can remember.  A friend of my Mom's gave it to her in the 1950's but said it was from the 1940's.  Now that I am older and wiser I love this lamp.  The lamp shade is deplorable I couldn't even bring myself to share of photo of it with the shade on it now.  There's a first time for everything and I am going to make a lamp shade for this beautiful lamp.  Let's see what I can come up with.

That's all that will be on the burner this week and probably next.  We are having so much rain and I need to work outside for the mirror.

Cross your fingers and please stop back to see the finished results.

First Attempt At Distressing Wood

Let me start with all of my mistakes.

1. I left the paint on way too long
2. I didn't put enough wax on my projects
3. I didn't have a power sander (at first)  We have three but of course none worked
4. I was in a hurry from start to finish
5. Remove hardware no matter how great of a painter you think you are

Learn that all of this takes time. 

The first picture is the before shutter before (never do shutters lol!)

Now for the after pictures, remember this is my first time ever and I have learned from my mistakes.  Don't be too hard on me.  lol

There were some place that the paint WOULD NOT DISTRESS!

The before pictures of the step stool

Now for the after pictures.

 

I will attempt this again.  I have an old mirror to redo.  Not sure if I will just leave it natural or distress it.  Lots to think about.

I had lots of fun!  Does that count?