Victorian Romance Obsession!
With fall around the corner I have begun to add some darker pieces into my normally "white" Shabby decorating style. This vignette, I used an old dark door and hung a piece of lace over the panes, topped with a pretty Shabby white mirror.

I have also fallen in love with British Victorian movies such as,

Wives and Daughters

Inspired by the Victorian Homes in the movies, I have decided to blend my Shabby Chic with some Victorian flair. 

(PLEASE BEAR WITH ME, IT COULD ONLY BE A PHASE!)

I have a bit of a challenge in my living room, I have painted everything off white and I have two very large beautiful very dark brown leather sofas that I want to use until my kids are older. So, I am trying to blend cream accents with darker woods.

 My die hard Shabby Chic ways are going astray...plus I am craving color like crazy!

For example I painted this beautiful mirror I picked up at a tag sale for $3 a  pretty bluish green. I am not sure where to put it yet.

I also picked up these two dark brown chairs for $2.50 each and it is all I can do to refrain myself from painting them white...maybe pink or blue... what do you think?

I also picked up this beautiful rose ottoman for $5 at a tag sale... for fall I think I might leave the fabric and just shabby the legs...

I am off to do a little more Romantic Victorian Dreaming!

Have a relaxing blessed Sunday!

Hugs,

Olivia

Thursday August 18, 2010

Shabby Pink Pumpkins!

That's right I am ready for FALL!

I love traditional colors...but...for my home Pink Pumpkins appear everywhere!

Yesterday, I did some junk haulin treasure hunting and purchased a whole van full of vintage windows...

 That's right, I filled up my van with a ton of old windows at an AMAZING DEAL(less than $1 each)!

This morning I panicked...what in the world am I going to do with all of these windows??? 

WHAT WAS I THINKING???

Sooooo, I whipped out my paints and brushes and hand painted pumpkins and flowers on TWO of them. One in traditional colors and the other in Shabby Pink Pumpkin colors!!!

 Listen, I am not a "fabulous artist" but I love to paint and decorate!

Clean your window, find some pretty paints, use stencils if you like (I did on the top). Use lots of color and blending! 

Most importantly HAVE FUN!

 Who can resist a little pink during the fall...

I moved my "desk" to the end of the hall and decided to add my little stool and Shabby Pink Pumpkin window...

what do you think?

I am not sure this is where it will stay but it does fit nicely!

Check back for more amazing fun DIY projects! 

I will be partying at the Shabby Chic cottage
http://www.theshabbychiccottage.net/Show and Tell Friday with the lovely Cindy

http://romantichome.blogspot.com/

and 

the darling Beverly at How Sweet the Sound for Pink Saturday

http://howsweetthesound.typepad.com/my_weblog/

 Have a lovely and blessed week!
Hugs,

Olivia 

Monday August 16, 2010
Shabby Chic Storage Idea!

Hello! How many of you have little projects tucked away in your garage or storage area? I redo alot of furniture so it is no surprise that I have many spare furniture parts lying around!

In this case I decided to make use of a lonely dresser drawer that had little future prospect besides collecting dust. Now remember, I try to make use out of EVERYTHING I have. (Budget Savvy Girl!)

I took this old dresser drawer (I had already sprayed the front with white spray paint) I finished it off with brushing on 3 coats of regular old semi-gloss white paint from Wal-Mart.

I love to keep lots of pillows and throws scattered around my living room so everybody feels comfy, but every once in awhile I like to spiff it up and I just do not have room for a quilt rack and there is alot of extra space under the bench in my living room so this drawer fit perfect It could also be used under a side table for magazine storage, if you are a magazine hoarder like me, it might be a good idea!

I have 2 very large queen size chenille blankets (tag sale finds) folded up and stored in this drawer, so there ended up being lots of room!

I just love thinking up new ways to tidy up my little Shabby cottage!

I will be partying with Cielo today for Show off your Cottage Monday at

http://houseinroses.blogspot.com/

Have a lovely day!

Hugs,

Olivia

Sunday August 15, 2010
Shabby Antique School Desk

While on a buying trip a darling friend of mine convinced me to include this antique school desk in my "pile" of goodies. It was in pieces and she assured me my husband could put it back together. He did and I found a temporary spot for it on my wandering wall a couple of posts ago I told you about this little spot I have in between my dining room and kitchen that I just can't find the right size piece of furniture for. Yesterday, while puttering around I decided to try out this old school desk what do you think?

I liked the way the old license plate sharpened up the fluffiness of this area...

Above the desk I added this darling little candle holder with some faux crystals and a teacup plopped in the center, not crazy about this teacup but it fit in crystal ring perfectly...

For now the wandering wall has been fluffed up and filled....but I will have to see how it passes the test of my wild kids energetic angels!

Have a blessed and peaceful Sunday!

Hugs,

Olivia

 Friday August 13, 2010
I painted my teeny back porch!
That's right folks! I shabbied up my humble little back porch with a coat of white paint and some tag sale furniture and 

OH MY!

it came out soooooo cute....

Right outside my backdoor is a tiny little porch that has stood lonely without any Shabby love...well, yesterday in 105 degree heat I changed all that! At one point I really wondered what I was thinking, but it was all worth it when the kids and I had dinner under the pretty white canopy...

I am soooo excited to have a new "Shabby Outdoor Space"!

I used a pretty ruffled edge curtain to create the canopy...now I am racking my brain as to how in the world I will sneak a chandelier right underneath the canopy in the center of the table, TRUST ME, I will find a way! 

I plopped a few pillows in the old 50's chair and I have a perfect spot to dream...
and of course I had to add a little pink in the mix with some pretty pink flowers in a Shabby Pink Enamel container...

I cannot believe how tickled I was over this project. Honestly, I just whipped out a can of outdoor white paint and put a coat on this porch, I am still going to probably put another coat on it...but whooeee it is really HOT

so, I will see how this wears and then go from there!

I have had a vision of this...just waiting to find the perfect table so last weekend when I spied this round table for $2 I knew it would be perfect! Of course I had some pretty lacy linens just waiting to take up residence outdoors...

 

The darling little bench my husband built out of a free headboard we picked up. As much as I would love to have big perfect matching Shabby Chic pillows, they are not in my teeny budget, so I pick up little pillows at tag sales and resale shops here and there super cheap and then mix them all together. 

 

The stand holding the canopy up is an odd metal piece that I painted white and the little stool was a steal for $2. The old 50's chair was a forest green that I found at the thrift store for $5 and I shabbied it up with my favorite white paint and mixed in more off beat pillows.

 

I have more that I would like to add to this darling outdoor space, can't you just imagine a pretty trellis with vines, pretty flowers planted in front of the porch and a dangling crystal chandelier somewhere in the center. Oh yes, there is  that cute old wicker rocker I am going to do something fabulous with sooooo

STAY TUNED!

YOU CAN DO SHABBY CHIC FOR CHEAP!

I am partying with Cindy at Romantic Homes for Show and Tell Friday

http://romantichome.blogspot.com/

and Beverly's Pink Saturday at

http://howsweetthesound.typepad.com/my_weblog/

Have a lovely weekend!

Hugs,

Olivia

~Shabby Chic Lamp Redo~

Hello, thank you for stopping by!
I have been looking for a darling lamp for side table in my living room. I saw this very inexpensive lamp at a tag sale and decided to take a chance.

I brush painted the base white and I also brushed a little white paint on the shade because I was worried that the dark maroon of the original shade would show through.
(I am sure this is an illegal move in craft land to paint fabric with regular paint, but oh well!)

After I finished painting, I hot glued a pretty rose fabric over the lampshade. I then became FRUSTRATED because I realized the lampshade was too small for the lamp and I needed some trim!!??? I like to use what I have so after rampaging several craft boxes to no avail, I found this pretty piece of lace that I draped over the top of the lampshade and lightly glued the edges to the inside of the lampshade to create the poufy effect.

I also found a pretty piece of creamy white vintage lace that I trimmed the top of the lampshade with.

 I struggled a bit with this Shabby Chic Lamp makeover (not sure what I was thinking painting the lampshade, hopefully it does not burst into flames or anything weird) .

In the end, though, I am pleased with the pretty soft glow this lamp casts in the little corner of my cottage living room.

I am partying with Faded Charms White Wednesday...
http://fadedcharmcottage.blogspot.com/

Have a lovely and blessed day!
Hugs,
Olivia

Those who hope in the Lord will renew their strength. They will soar on wings like eagles; they will run and not grow weary, they will walk and not be faint.

Isiah 40:31

Grab your spray paint and glue gun!

Ohhhh, spray paint and glue guns are my favorite tools...truly! 

I want to share with you this darling little stool I made over with a can of spray paint, scrap of fabric and my handy dandy hot glue gun! (Giggle)

  I have an old tv tray that I use for many of my spray paint projects. I sprayed the legs with a flat white spray paint.

Then I use an old vintage pillowcase (scrap fabric would work as well) 

and cut it into the shape of the stool top. I tacked the fabric on and then hot glued some accent trim around the sides to give it a little extra shabby fluff!

I also fixed up a darling little chair with this sweet fabric, of course I shabbied the chair with a couple of coats of white paint and then distressed it a bit!

 Don't you just adore this sweet vintage pink rose...ohh la la!

I have beautiful lace Shabby Chic curtains all across the front of my living room windows, I will show you more soon.

Be inspired and go whip out your paint and glue!

I am partying with Cindy at

http://romantichome.blogspot.com/ for Show and Tell Friday!

&

Sweet Beverly for Pink Saturday at

http://howsweetthesound.typepad.com/my_weblog/
&
Connie with Frou Frou Friday
at
http://connie-livingbeautifully.blogspot.com/  

Squishy Hugs,

Olivia 

Junky Skeleton Key Shabby Lampshade!

I saw the coolest shabby vintage shredded skeleton key lampshade at a flea market and I have been dying to try it! This is my version~ 

I tattered up this old lampshade, tied on some skeleton keys and draped an old pc of lace over the top. 

I used a small lamp to put under it to make the lampshade glow! This creation found a spot over my closet in the bedroom...I was excited at how soft and shabby it turned out!!!

This is the whole display, I have this dark little space above the bedroom closet that needed some 

shabbying up...

I added a frame that I painted up white...$1.50 at tag sale~

Ohhhh, I cannot tell you how excited this silly lampshade got me...I went into a full decorating frenzy!

Well, I hope you enjoyed my oh so shabby lampshade redo!
I am joining Cielo at
http://houseinroses.blogspot.com/
 and Faded Charms White Wednesday
http://fadedcharmcottage.blogspot.com/ Have a lovely and blessed day!

Hugs,

Olivia