Transforming Curb Side Junk

Once a year our city offers residents large item 'JUNK' pick up.

Most of the time it is old toilets, mattresses, out-dated TVs,

broken down furniture, etc.

Fun or curiosity, we count yearly the more unusual

items that are 'junked' in excess.  

This year it was 12 baby cribs and 3 pink toilets.

Throughout the years I have found many great items.

However, the past few years 'good junk' has been minimal. 

That changed this year!

We found antiques, vintage, furniture

and garden items. 

Here is my best SCORE...

This center walnut-stained shelf.

I thought it would fit my mantel and it did!

I love the original wood of this piece, but the 

wood had some issues, besides it was too dark for my room.

So, I chose to repaint it with Annie Sloan white chalk paint.

It took me 32 hours to paint this piece with three coats of chalk paint 

mainly using a 3/4" brush on the scrolls/details and columns.

To finish it, I hand-waxed it.

 First coat of chalk paint.

Now finished, it sits as a cabinet shelf on my mantel.

Love my 'JUNK' find!

Recreating Mona Lisa

Sometimes on our girlfriend road trips,
we like to include an art project.

Recently for Girls Fun Weekend, Part 2, 

Gail gifted us with Mona Lisa cabinet dolls

from the Outlet Store of Victoria Trading Co. 

One glance and we knew we had to transform her!

Instead of recreating drab Mona Lisa, we transformed her.  

Drab Mona Lisa was painted with primer. 

Nora graciously offered to paint our individual dolls

to resemble each of us.

Me

Gail

  
Nora

 Each of us had our own design ideas.
With lace, fabric, paint, pearls, rhinestones, feathers,
decoupaged images, butterflies and miscellaneous trims,
we transformed her.

I knew immediately I wanted mine to
wear a Marie Antoinette French costume.

I created a wire wide-bustle.  Wrapped the bustle
with paper-mache and wired it around her waist.

Next, I begin cutting and creating various layers of 
French-style fabrics for her dress, with an under slip
of scrim to poof her dress.

Mademoiselle Tamara

Gail's drab Mona Lisa transformed
in lace, bling and sweet pink roses

Mademoiselle Gail

Nora's became a lovely Peacock-influenced beauty

Mademoiselle Nora

At Junk Jubilee we bought vintage salt shaker metal lids.
The vendor had a huge bowl of these lids. 
He thought someone would find a purpose for them.
He asked us how we planned on using them.
We all said "hats of course".

For each of our hats we used one of these lids as a hat base.
It works great to secure decorations through the holes! 

What a fun project!


 

 

Girls Weekend Fun - Part 2

Weren't those tulips shared in Girls Weekend Fun

GORGEOUS?

Part 2 of our trip includes Junk Jubilee,

West End Salvage and Recreating Mona Lisa.

 While we enjoyed this years Spring Junk Jubilee, 

it was a bit disappointing as there weren't as many vendors

for inspirational ideas or items to buy.

Apparently Junk Jubilee and Junk Stock were in

competition with one another that weekend. 

Ready to shop and be inspired!

Great junk & inspiration

Although it was a smaller show,

sharing fun & inspiration 

with good friends,

is always a great time!

Next stop, West End Salvage

Nora is often missing from our pics 

as she is the one that remembers to take photos...

Thank you Nora for the pics!

West End Salvage is known for creating 

reclaimed architectural items into

functional and works of art decor.

Also available are antique and 

vintage lightening, doors, furniture

and miscellaneous items.

 

Here Gail & I are with Don Short,

owner of West End Salvage.

Antique doors & lightening  

This door is in the center stairway

If you visit WES, be sure to enjoy their coffee shop!


Recreating Mona Lisa

Earlier I mentioned Recreating Mona Lisa
would be included in this post.

There really is a lot to share, so
I will post it separately. 

Here's a sneak preview

From drab
to Fab....
 

Please check back to see what changes we made.

See you soon!

Happy Mother's Day

Wishing all Mothers a very 

Blessed Happy Mother's Day

May your hearts overflow 

with the love of your children

With Mother's Day nearing,

there have been many messages 
popping up everywhere.

This message reached out to me.

Many of us can relate to some year of this

  'I love my mom' message.

 

 My mother passed away in 2006.

My mother-in-law August 2018. 

And, my step-mom January 2019.

I was 47 instead of 50 when 

my mother passed away.

I miss my mother deeply!

I miss my mother-in-law!

I miss my step-mother!

I am blessed to have had 
three loving and beautiful women in my life!

Sometimes Children, Jobs

and living long distances apart,

can challenge the time spent 

with your love ones.

 

 Life is too short...

Girlfriends Weekend Fun!

Gail, Nora and I recently took a weekend trip

to one of our favorite vrbo...

Bailey's Barn near Des Moines, IA. 
  But, before we got to Bailey's Barn,

we made a spur of the moment decision
to head over to the quaint
Dutch town of Pella, IA
to visit their Spring Tulip Festival.

 The festival actually is the first week of May.
Being there a few days early let us enjoy the
tulips without the crowd of people 

or paying an admission fee!

 

 

 

 Beautiful Tulips! 

Downtown Pella is quaint with two rotating windmills,
dutch bakeries and hand-painted murals

 And one must try on the wooden Dutch Shoes!

 Bailey's Barn is our

quaint, cozy home away from home!

 Relax, Laugh, Memories, Forever greets you on the patio.

 I've seen this setting in Autumn and Winter.
And now in Springtime!
Flowers everywhere and two babbling waterfalls
trickle to the pond.
All this is yours to enjoy during your stay!

Upon your arrival, you enter to find soft music playing,
the fireplace burning, candles aglow,
and bowls of candy and goodies to enjoy! 

Miss Daisy is your greeter.
She is the sweetest girl!

 Only spent two days & nights here, 
but were they ever full of activity...
Junk Jubilee, West End Salvage and Recreating Mona Lisa!

I'll share those stories soon.