Guest Bedroom ~Plates and Frames

I always struggle with the accessories part of decorating a room. I usually end up trying a few things before I settle (or just plain give up!)

Our basement guest bedroom is currently getting a makeover and I shared a painted desk here, a Pottery Barn look alike paned mirror here and some progress here. The wall between the walk in closet and the bedroom door will eventually have a small flat screen TV on a little bookcase but for now it it has a honky big tube TV sitting on the floor. Despite the TV mess below, I still wanted to decorate the wall and after several attempts I think this trio of frames might work.

The frames are looking very gold in today's challenging light, but the colour of the matching mirrors, above, is much closer to their true colour.

A few years ago I bought these three frames, and two larger matching frames that I had made into mirrors, on clearance at Michaels for $2 for the 10 x 13 size and $3 for the larger frames (they were originally marked $40 and $60 EACH!) The white plates were from Home Sense clearance and cost less than $2 each.

Crocheted lace edging was used to tie the plates to the frame. I still think something needs to be added above them. I have a chippy white iron scroll piece that I might try here. It is not a tall wall as there is duct work above.

I neglected to take a wider shot (maybe I was just subconsciously avoiding showing the TV and wires sitting on the floor and the unfinished painting of trim and doors) but do you think this is working?

You can find me at the following parties....

Nifty Thrifty Tuesday at Coastal Charm

Tuesdays Treasures at My Uncommon Slice of Suburbia

It's A Cinch at Thistlewood Farm

White Wednesday at Faded Charm

Wow Us Wednesday at Savvy Southern Style

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Guest Bedroom Desk Makeover

Another piece of furniture got a makeover for the guest bedroom in our basement.

Our guest bedroom is still evolving as I search for affordable items to use but today I am sharing the newest addition. I painted this desk/table with Benjamin Moore Cloud White in eggshell and mixed in plaster of paris to make homemade chalk paint. I read that the trick with using plaster of paris is to mix the powder in with the water really well first. Then add the one part of water/p.o.p. to 3 parts of paint. It worked great this way for me-no lumps! I waxed the top with Minwax paste wax. At this time I am choosing not to distress it but I may change my mind (I'm not sure if I want the maple showing through.)

Our carpet is more of a grey shade and will be staying for now (the lighting was challenging today.) The baseboard and door trim still needs painting too. 

This is the seller's before shot. I think it is a great piece for $25, solid maple and very well built. (Regional prices on sites like kijiji and Craigslist vary, but I find our local prices fairly high when comparing ours to many I see in blogland.) I hesitated painting it but the colour wasn't working for us. I switched out the wood drawer knobs for glass knobs ($1.50 each at Michaels last summer.)

It fits nicely in this spot in the guest room, but I have been known to move things around ;) This will be a nice little spot for guests to use their laptop or write a note. 

I am working on a mirror or chalkboard for the wall behind the desk and just need to decide which would look better. We also have a Windsor hoop back chair that would look cute painted and used here. White or aqua? hmmm

The little lamp is one I made from an old mason jar and a lamp kit. (The lighting is making the photos appear more yellow than they are.)

I think it turned out quite well for $25 and some leftover paint. I ended up selling the cute antique dresser I bought at the same time as this table. I got it for $60 and resold it as is for $180. I had trouble deciding where to put it and couldn't pass up the offer. In trying to get a little side business going I am learning that to make money you can't keep every piece that comes along. But for now I will be keeping this little desk.

I'm sharing this with...

SNS at Funky Junk Interiors

Inspiration Friday at At The Picket Fence

Nifty Thrifty Tuesday at Coastal Charm

Tuesdays Treasures at My Uncommon Slice of Suburbia

Be Inspired at Elizabeth and Co.

White Wednesday at Faded Charm

POWW 81 at Primitive and Proper

Wow Us Wednesday at Savvy Southern Style

Restored it Wednesday at Restore Interiors

Best DIY Project of March at Beneath My Heart

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Spring Shelves In Our Kitchen

I love spring and look forward each year to lightening and brightening our home with Spring decorating.

It might be that I was born in the spring, or just that after a long winter we so look forward to seeing signs of new life and growth.

Blues and greens are my favourite colours, and they remind me of Spring, so I shopped our home to add these colours to the whites and metals I normally have in my kitchen shelf vignette.

Turquoise blues show up in Crown mason jars, a few books, and faux speckled eggs. They go well with our turquoise painted barstools and mirror over the sink. 

I added shades of green with linen napkins, a book, more speckled faux eggs, two little leaf plates and granny smith apples.

I also used pieces of my ironstone collection, vintage crochet doilies, a vintage kitchen scale, a jar of silver spoons, a silver cake plate and my patenal grandmother's silver sugar scuttle.

 With Easter not long away I thought the eggs would work too.

Thanks for stopping by and I hope you enjoyed your visit to Blue Clear Sky! Happy first day of Spring!

I'm linking up to the Spring Fling Link Party at The Lettered Cottage. Layla is hosting the first party featuring Spring ledges, shelves and mantels. Looking forward to seeing lots of inspiration!

I'm also joining the fun at...

Nifty Thrifty Tuesdays at Coastal Charm
Cowgirl Up Link Party at Cedar Hill Ranch
Wow Us Wednesdays at Savvy Southern Style
Feathered Nest Friday at French Country Cottage
Potpourri Friday at 2805
Open House Party at No Minimalist Here

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Painting My Sister's Kitchen

One of my March Break projects is coming along nicely. I am helping my sister paint her kitchen and I am very happy to say the painting part is finished.

I love the look of new paint and freshly painted trim. We started with the ceiling (two coats but so worth the fresh look) on the weekend and continued with the walls and trim yesterday and today.

Above and below are before shots, the original very very light grey the builder painted quite a few years ago. This is my younger sister E, who always jokes that the square footage in my home is shrinking because of all the layers of paint.  

We used Behr Paint and Primer In One and the colour is Parachute Silk. It is the top sample in the photo above and a lovely colour. It looks great in daylight and at night.

Another before, above. My sister and brother-in-law just bought the new fridge and dishwasher and are planning on replacing the stove and microwave with stainless soon.

  

It is quite a large kitchen with this work area, an eat-in area and the butler's pantry (behind the fridge.) I enjoy painting but this was a really big project and I was very happy to have the help of my sister and her two daughters (14 and 17.) My neices are becoming quite the accomplished painters and I am envious of how easily they can pop their athletic bodies (field lacrosse, hockey, volleyball, swimming....) up and down off counters with such ease.

We still have some tidying left to do, and arranging items on the counter. My sister is not big on accessories, but we plan to add a few functional things, and maybe I can talk her into a few decorative pieces. I'll share pictures of course ;)

Hubby and I are planning a day trip tomorrow with our youngest (oldest is away at a relative's farm) and then I hope to get a few items checked off my list.

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Small Changes in the Entry

Do you ever have so many projects on the go that you just don't know where to start? Or what to finish? I tend to start more projects than I finish.

One thing I have been working on is freshening our front entry. Our entry is small but I wanted to add a bit of decor and continue to work on organization, so I borrowed an idea from Holly at Down To Earth Style, using some burlap to hang a little wood berry wreath on our closet door. Simple, super easy and using items I already had on hand, but I love the look.

I was also frustrated with the dog leashes and doggie bags that we had in a basket in the entry cabinet. Whenever the kids took out a leash, they would just drop it on the floor or leave the cabinet door half open. I chose practical over pretty and decided to paint some shaker peg hooks charcoal grey and hang them behind the door. No more leashes on the floor! A little rose toile bag holds doggie bags (I may switch the pull close top to handles.) I still need to cover the screws on the peg hooks but that is another project completed.

We are now on March Break from school/work for nine days and I am looking forward to squeezing some extra time into our schedule to hopefully complete a few more projects I have started. The major project I will be working on is prepping and painting my sister and brother-in-law's kitchen (ceiling, walls and trim.) That is a pretty big project but my sister is taking two days off work to lend a hand. Luckily they only live two streets away.  Today we picked paint samples and tomorrow we start the prep work.

Are you the type that loves to start projects and has many on the go, or do you start and finish each project before moving on?

I'm sharing this with...
SNS #124 at Funky Junk Interiors

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Mason Jar -Collection Updated

I love mason jars and today I am sharing my updated collection all in one spot.

Mason jars are just so appealing and practical.

My favourites are the aqua jars with zinc rings and matching aqua glass seals. I have about a dozen of these, many so old that there are very distinct bubbles visible in the glass and they are a bit mis-shapen.

Mixed with my little collection of silver, or my growing collection of white dishes, ironstone pieces  and linens, it is hard for me to resist photographing them.

I always keep part of my aqua mason jars on an open shelf in the kitchen, and enjoy decorating the shelves seasonally.

This past Christmas the mason jars on the kitchen shelf were filled with old Christmas lights just for fun.

Miniature mason jars make great tealight holders. Simple twine was wrapped around the rims for some texture.

We also use mason jars, new and vintage, for food storage. In the little beverage center beside our stove a vintage jar holds tea bags and a new jar holds hot chocolate mix. I switched all my spices to  small mason jars and used my label maker to label them.

I love to use my vintage mason jars to hold fresh cut flowers from the garden.

In my hobby room/studio I use vintage mason jars to hold paint brushes, buttons, knitting needles and trims.

Using lamp kits, I made a few little lamps out of bigger jars.

And of course we use new mason jars for jam and frozen soups and stews.

Almost all my vintage jars, aqua or not, are Crown jars made in Canada. I found a pair recently that have the Improved Gem lids...

one an Improved Gem and the other with a Mid West logo, both also Canadian Made.

I shared my first mason jar post with Funky Junk Interiors' SNS Mason Jars the first time around here, and now I am sharing this updated collection at SNS Special Mason Jars #123 here. Thanks so much for stopping by!

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