Patriotic Games

I grew up knowing the meaning of being patriotic. Knowing how to respect the flag and my country. Red, White and Blue was something to be proud of. 

For me, decorating with the flag and patriotic decor brings back wonderful memories of my childhood.

I had a conversation about this the other day with a customer at my store. Her son is in the military. She was concerned about how children today view our patriotic holidays and if they even knew the meaning. Made me wonder....

We said the Pledge of Allegiance in school and even sang patriotic hymns. They made me proud and happy. I admired the soldiers that fought for our freedom as I do today. Red, White and blue was family and friends, apple pie and picnics.

Fireworks in celebration 

It is up to us to teach our children well

We have had some wonderful memories and my family continues the traditions.

This holiday I will grill out again, put up my patriotic decor and enjoy my family.

I will pray for the men that continue to fight for our freedom and the families that have given up so much

My home will have my DIY flags and decor like my paint stick flag above. My store will be decorated again with the wonderful bunting I made using my Old Time Pottery vinyl cloth. It looks like Old time USA!

This year I added to the fun. I enhanced a Game of Corn Hole and Tic-Tac-Toe, purchased at Old Time Pottery, by painting it with the stars and strips creating a Patriotic Yard Game. It was a fun and easy project that I think old and young will appreciate

Find out how to make it over at the Old Time Pottery Blog!

I would love to know what your traditions are for the holidays we in America celebrate.

Do you create your own decor?

Leave a comment below.

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Entertainment Cabinet

Every now and again someone finds my store by taking a different route while walking through town. 

That is how I sold this entertainment cabinet. The customer stopped in to see if I had a cabinet that could be put on her back porch for all her husbands entertainment paraphernalia. At the time she stopped in we had several different types but nothing that hit her.

Then last week she went walking again. She decide to take another look to see if there was any more. As she rounded the corner, I heard a squeal. This was it. 

I had already started 

How to Make a Patriotic Bunting

 This weekend we celebrate Memorial Day and the memory of those we have lost at war. We celebrate what it is to be an American! We reflect on what it means to be free.

We hang the flag, have picnics and spend time with family. 

I have always admired the patriotic buntings that hang on porches and white picket fences in small town USA. It brings back memories of my childhood celebrating with parades and sparklers!

I love decorating and using our flag for the holiday. I made a very popular flag a few years ago too.

 I wanted to decorate the store (Dreamingincolor) with something special. It is in the historic part of town so I felt this was fitting. I also think it would be a great decoration on any porch, gazebo, fence,etc. 

So I went shopping at Old Time Pottery because I knew they had everything I needed for the holiday. There are several decorations but this one I purchased everyday things and transformed it to what I needed.

Head over to the blog post I wrote for them and learn how to make it and see how great the porch looks now!

It is easy! I just stapled it to the gingerbread molding. Oh and its waterproof!

Enjoy!

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Floral Chair

Click Here for Giveaway! Ends October 27th!

A fabric store in the area is going out of business. All the fabric they carry has to be ordered. That may be why they are closing. I happened to stop in the other day to see what they were getting rid of.

I asked if they were still selling things and they said yes but the material still had to be ordered. I asked if I could buy the sample. They said yes.....and it was cheap!

Since redecorating my craft room and moving my toy box turned storage chest in there I needed to put something in my hall.

I found a chair that I bought to sell then decided to keep it for that space. Does that ever happen to you? I just fell in love with the lines. Then I upholstered in my new material!

These are the colors in my hallway. So I painted the chair in Aubusson Blue and lightly distressed it.
I knew this would look great next to my painted hutch.

I think it is the perfect touch for the room!

The best part is that the whole project cost $14!!

I love projects like this,

It now makes walking into the house a cheerful welcome! 

Would you have kept it or sold it?

Painted Desk {Praying for an A}

I don't lnow how some of you do it. I look at your blogs and you seem to have it all together. You all do so much and continue to put up posts everyday! I wish I could find the rythym to get in the groove. I think just keeping up with the voting on my craft room is enough!! ( by the way please vote here)

I have been painting till I can't see straight. Furniture is taking over my house like some monster blob from a science fiction movie. All this to get ready for the Bella Rustica Barn Sale Sept 28-30 in Pulaski, Tennessee. The problem is when I get a piece ready for the sale I sell something in the store or to a client and then I have to start all over again! SOMEONE HELP!! I need some pointers from you guys on how to keep this running smooth!

Here is one of those times....
This is a piece I just did for a little boys room. The client wanted a masculine, artsy look, combine with verses from the bible.

The color RED....

I started with the base color of blue. This helped darken the red a little bit and made it nice when sanding The color showed through.

The chair was done the dame way. I stenciled the numbers from a verse in the bible. The drawers where all verses also.

"Beat it up!" was what the client said. They wanted it distressed and I think that is what make this piece stand out. Since the drawer borders where a creamy white sanding the painted words and border gave it the worn out look.

I then went back and added some more blue in painted brush strokes. Then resanded.

Such a great statement to a room. And who doesn't need a little divine intervention when studying for that important test? We have all prayed for a little help in getting that "A"!

Thanks for reading! So glad you stopped by!

Ok back to getting ready for the sale....Let the countdown begin.

Paint Stick Stars banner and door decor

If you have been on my blog you have noticed that I like to do things with paint sticks. Well who wouldn't? They are a great tool to create with and they are free!

 One of my most popular posts is my paint stick flag. 

 So with the summer coming and Memorial Day and July 4th around the corner I decided I wanted to do another decoration to add.

I began with some small paint sticks for this project. Lined up sets of five and began painting them.

 

Red White and Blue!

Then with some E6000 I started gluing them in the shape of stars.

You can make as many as you like. They can hang anywhere!

I glued two together to hang on my door. One red and one blue.

 Then I gathered a red, white and blue set and strung them on some twine.

I had some old barn wood lying around in my shed. I lined the walls with the boards to get them out of the way. I just leaned them. I added a coffee sack to the window and attached my patriotic star banner!

I just love the way it came out! Lets hear it for FREE decorations!!!! There are plenty of possibilities to use these in other ways.

What are some of your ideas? I would love to hear them!

Celebrate and remember our soldiers past and present!

Happy Memorial Day!

Red Painted Hutch with Birds

It all started on the 84 mile yard sale. My last stop was in Leiper's Fork. I had remembered stopping at Serenite Mason before and seeing such wonderful papers! I knew I had to go buy some as I passed through.

It was the sweetest bird/postage stamp/french paper I had ever seen! I loved it! This became my inspiration for my new hutch.

Well new isn't the correct word! It looked like this when I got it.

 

 

It needed some work but lucky for me that's what I like to do! See those doors? Remember them!

I painted this hutch red. I know I have done a painted red hutch before but that one is mine. Although it will be hard to part with this one, it is going to The Three French Hens for our Christmas Open House on Nov 5th! So if you like it come on down and see what else we got or better yet you can purchase this one!

I did something different with this one. I put it in the bathroom. WHAT?

Yes I love it in there because of all the storage.

You can put all your lotions and potions on the shelves.

 

All your handmade soaps and bath crystals

 

The fun for me came with those doors. Always striving to do something different then what I have seen, I began to mod podge the beautiful paper I bought to the front of the doors!

 

I am in LOVE!!!

Then I antiqued the paper so it wouldn't look so new by staining it around the outside and some in the middle.

 

Isn't this paper to die for? I am so glad I remembered it! It totally transformed this piece.

And then.......I added some hand painted knobs to the the drawers and doors.

LOVE AGAIN!!!

 

Great Knobs+beautiful paper+vintage hutch=LOVE

 

 This one is my favorite to date. What do you think?

BEFORE

 

AFTER

 

I also want to thank The Homeless Finch for featuring my Pier I Knock Off Pumpkin yesterday!

And I almost forgot....I won a giveaway at Sissie's Shabby Cottage! So excited! Thank you both!!!

It is such a busy week getting ready for the open house. I need more coffee!!! 

Bye for now!

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