Rarely do I buy anything new. It just doesn’t suit my decorating style or even my lifestyle for that matter. I adore things that have been around the block a time or two and have a story to tell from their adventures. My only rule of thumb… the item I’m going to spend some time with, must be well made! Listen to a girl thats been there done that ohhhh so many times….don’t waste your time, talent, and funds on something that is dodgy.  (that includes relationships).

In every aspect of pulling a home together, I will seek out oldies but goodies in effort to add a uniqueness and a flair that just can not be found in new items.

Architectural salvage yards are my favorite place to spend an afternoon. My mind is flooded with inspiration as I walk around touching the rust of an old iron gate that has swung open and close through the years, corbels that once held roof lines in place, porch railings that folks leaned against most likely sippin on some sweet tea, crystal chandeliers that one day I hope to scatter and hang from the old oak tree out in the back yard. Heck I even enjoy looking through old bins of metal bric-a-brac items that have no real use other than to play beautifully with the creative juices that are ever flowing as I linger in such a space.

Doors however have proven to be some of my favorite finds. I’ve replaced new hollow doors with solid ones made years before, for a fraction of the price.  Turned an old door into a coolieo desk, or a one of a kind head board, and my favorite…

room dividers

One side is where magic is created (truly this happens anywhere and everywhere). However with the door dividers, all my goodies are house on one side hiding the genius mess from where we like to sit, read, practice music, and watch TV. 

Recently I came across an old door that was the perfect height and width and will soon prove its ultra coolness by being an accessory holder in my bedroom.

And the price…

well that was just icing on the cake…

some folks just love to give away their old stuff (hands raised, dancing in the street as I celebrate such a find. My daughter, however, will no longer walk the neighborhood with me on trash night : D ).

The only draw back with my new-old find was it was it was old and chippy but not nearly old and chippy enough.

So I got down and dirty…

really dirty.

And because I like y’all so much I took pictures along the way so I could share the process of how I took an plain ol’ somewhat chippy door and turned it into this radically cool ol’ chippy door.

Items needed:

1. First and foremost freedom of mind. Don’t allow even for a second of doubt to come in. You can do this! I promise you. It takes a bit of time, a bit of paint, a bit of curiosity (which is just plain needed in ALL areas of life)
2. Paints. I like to use up all my leftovers for projects like this. You can use your old wall paint, left over cans of milk paints, chalk paint, mineral paints…the choices here are limited only by you and what you want your final piece to look like.
3. Car wax (turtle wax and such) this is a must item to help make the job at hand eaiser.
4. Gloves, so as not to get ultra messy
5. Scraper and sand paper
6. Whatever object you want to make oh so cool

First step~ clean off any dirt, dust, debris from your piece. Typical I don’t sand at this point for I love the chips and scratches that are already there to remain.

Second step~ because I wanted some of the original paint to show through so I added the car wax. This step will be done between each coat allowing you to pick and choose what area you would like to scrap the paint away easily. The wax acts as a buffer, not allowing the paint on top to adhere fully to the paint and piece underneath.  This is a HUGE step and in doing this you will find it is so much easier to scrap away the unwanted paint.

Third step~ paint over choosen piece, car wax and all.  The wax may mix into the paint, not to worry as I stated this just helps to keep the top paint a bit loose and allows for easy removal. I like to start with my darkest paint and the one I want to see the least of .

Fourth step~ scrap away and sand as little or as much of the paint to reveal the colors underneath.

Coninue between the second and fourth step for as many layers and colors as you would like to have.

Between each layer add the car wax here and there to the areas you would like to continue to bring forth.

Once you have gotten your piece to the desired look, celebrate and rejoice as you sand it down, and perhaps varnish (I typically skip right over this, allowing it to continue to age gracefully) for you have given a bit of love and care to a discarded old piece and turned it into something new, useable, and oh so charming.

Some things are just worth the time, energy, care, and love. Ultimately they are worthy of investment.

However from time to time figuring out what those things are, can prove a bit tricky. So in an effort to better understand the real definition of investment, I googled it. ; D

Two things struck me with this investment’s definition.

First~ ‘devoting’.

Whoa, that’s one powerful word.

When you give thought to it, outside of God, self, and family, what, really, are we devoted to? Hmmmm?

Second~ ‘with the expectation of’

Being someone who lives with a childlike spirit means life is new and exciting everyday. And made all the more complete by its constant awe and wonderment. So rarely are expectations put on anything other than maybe the fact that joy and fun WILL be part of daily life.

Leaving me to ponder…

do I really invest in anything???

Well hayels bells…

do I?

As I sat at my computer a-thinkin’, I began to look around my home. Gazing at the lovingly restored pieces. Frames that hold priceless memories of people and places. Plants~ green and thriving (HUGE feat). Collected alabaster lamps that have been stripped, cleaned, and rewired. Every wall filled with paintings created over the years with my daughter. Sofas that support while allowing friends to sit and laugh or comfort each other.

Love, devotion, and investment of care and time is seen and felt in everything that surrounds me.

As the thoughts flowed away, feelings of unfathomable gratitude and complete abundance surged through my entire being and my heart sang out with a resounding…yes, yes, YES I do invest.

Radically.

Beautifully.

Devotedly.

But ONLY where it counts. In relationships that fulfill, lift, and honor each other. In things that bring care, pleasure, and enjoyment to the body, mind, and spirit. Through the creative juices that beckons me at my very core. Within ventures that allow for cohesive collaboration, allowing everyone involved a place where their strengths shine, and any weakness are absorbed into and by the collective.

And lawdy be it took awhile and many, ohhhh so many good attempts through the years to learn to only invest my time, skills, and energy in real things. Things like solid wood, sleek marble, gorgeous metal, and items with beautiful craftsmanship.

My latest investment’s before and after

Only one drawer in, but I could tell straight off it had stunning potential.

Round these here parts there is always a project going on.

ALWAYS

Sometimes, we have multiple ones taking place at the same time. Yet typically there is one project that takes center stage. And this one project typically falls into one or more of three categories…

1. it is a gift for another with a specific timeframe to which it needs to be given
2. it has somehow caused a disruption or upheaval in the home and has infiltrated our peaceful serenity with it’s chaos
3. it is a current obsession and my hands and mind can’t seem to stop playing, creating, or enjoying it

Many of these projects begins with a simple idea. Rarely do the ins and outs, hows and hows nots, the do and don’ts come with the initial spark of genius. Nope it’s merely a flicker of creativity that takes place then requires a bit of gumption, a great deal of spirit, one giant leap into the unknown, and then with time, effort, and fun… ultimately the idea takes shape and comes into being.

Our entire home has been created just this way. Idea after idea. Leap after leap. Project after project. Always a work in progress however when I or anyone else walks into the space we are enveloped by elegance, uniqueness, and simple beauty. Nothing here is perfect. In fact most of the pieces are somehow perfectly imperfect. Not one single item holds much monetary value. Yet all has been lovingly created, restored and placed. And as I sit here on my 14-year-old slip covered sofa typing out these radon thoughts to y’all, every single thing within my line of sight makes me smile with appreciation, gratitude and even pride for there is a sense of unmeasurable joy in creating such an environment.

Even my current project that leans unassuming against the fireplace in front of the stairs, brings about a smile.

Well…

at least now it does.

Continue reading →

10 years ago, I ran, jogged, walked, just about lost my cookies, and hit the wall while doing a 15K.

Two things factored in the almost cookie loss and wall hitting.

Thing one…my longest run/jog/walk at that time had only been 5 miles

Thing two…I was completely ill prepared for May and Orlando’s humidity, temperatures, and lack of breeze.

Crazy as it sounds, having lived in FL for 13 years and walking a step or two round the amusement parks that’s here, I thought…ain’t a thang, I so got this.

Hmmm hmmm hmmm honey child

Walking round the Mouse’s house to wait endlessly in lines, is not running, jogging, walkin’ 9.3 miles in the same shoes.

Y’all, get what I’m steppin’ in here? Continue reading →

…sometimes, in the midst of the enormity of it, I’ll tackle a molehill in order to feel accomplished.

Last week we came through hurricane Irma, for the most part, unscathed. Our yard, on the other hand, went through quite a bit of updating in its landscape. And the clean up from that… has been a dentist visit short of fun!

Also, I found myself finally getting the bug my daughter, my boss and, two of my friends were hayel bent on bestowing upon me. Typically, I do everything in my power to avoid getting sick, however when it hits I then do everything in my power to get over it oh so quickly. Which became challenging last week with rest difficult to find while storms raged outside my hot hot house that had lost power the moment the wind gust was up over 30 miles per hour.

All and all, gratefully, we manged through successfully and have emerged feeling better, with our house in tact, a cleaned out restocked fridge, and once again a cool bed to rest our weary heads.

Yet even with the lights restored and my energy (sluggishly) returning I’ve had no desire to face the kitchen renovation (the mountain). So I took on a molehill and boy howdy if it is not the cutest lil ‘ol molehill. Continue reading →

Anyone that knows me well or even not so much, knows “oh my heck” comes out of my mouth or from my feverish thumbs tapping out those three simple words, often

So often in fact I’ve thought they deserved their own acronym. Even considered campaigning on OMH’s behalf, with the expectation, that in time, OMH might hold the same ranking as OMG.

However currently there is far too much on my plate, namely a wild hair project …

“just a small”

“wont take but a minute”

“I soooo got this”…

kind of painting project, that would make taking on a campaign, even one as worthwhile as OMH’s, just down right silly.

Here’s the deal y’all, I had no real idea what I was getting myself into when I began this project. 

Absolutely NONE!

I mean, how could I?

I’ve never undertaken a project of such magnitude.

Yet, that small, seemingly necessary fact was not, nor has it ever been, a determining nor deterring factor of mine. When I get a vision, jumping right on into it, brings my life undeniable excitement and ever-increasing happiness.

This reckless abandonment serves me well. Turning each of my modest homes and salvage yard finds into comfortable, beautiful, livable works of art. And while, yes, trials and even from time to time, errors do occur, there is a great deal of learning that takes place and provides knowledge and wisdom that might have only been gained through this type of apprenticeship.

However today as I stare a bit glossy eyed, slightly overwhelmed, muttering OMH, OMH, OMH, by the magnitude of what I am facing today…

no, not hurricane Irma churning its way to my beloved state, for with her all I can do is prepare and pray…

but by that which is my kitchen for all intense and purpose.

 Ground zero of the wild hair project…

Continue reading →