Charlotte's Garden Flow - Part III

Yes, here we are, the "final destination" of our green journey around Charlotte's glorious garden, 

and below you can see that Garden Flow is at work in more ways than one here.

 (Click on the photo to get a larger, sharper image.)

The curved shapes, with a rusty metal "band" separating the gravel and the grass, to me are ingenious, creating interest and a visual "flow", like that of a wave at sea.

Inviting seats for contemplation can be found here and there 

in this meditative garden, and this bench in particular "had me at hello"...

What is it about an old wooden ladder casually leaning against a tree that speaks to me so much? Is it just its graphic shape and rustic beauty, or does it tickle me on a subconscious level with the curiosity of what I might find if I started climbing...

On the lower level of the garden, somewhere below the ladder-ed tree, there is more to explore, and this stone-y little "stream" is yet another display of Charlotte's creative mind and playfulness at work.

This is my favourite area in Charlotte's green world, and one where I could lose myself in quiet contemplation and garden dreams for a long, long time...

Oh yes, another furry garden helper quietly observed my camera movements and little squeals of delight. How I wish I had been a mind reader that day, to understand what those blue eyes were processing...

When strolling around this stunning oasis, it is hard to believe it has not been created by a garden designer with years of "garden schooling" behind her. However, it has been created by someone with a natural sense of composition and a very creative eye, who has let her artistry pour out of her hands and into a much loved and cared-for green space. But it is by no means finished yet (is a garden ever finished?), and I can confidently say that new projects and ideas are forming in Charlotte's mind as we speak, so watch this space! Or rather, watch her space!

Thank you, Charlotte, for letting us explore your glorious green world!

Helena

Mailbox Ideas

I love a good spray paint project.  It is the cheapest way to give something a new look, so, when Krylon contacted me and asked if I'd be interested in trying some of their new spray paint, I was thrilled at the opportunity.  I chose their new Rust Protector quick drying spray paint in Copper Metallic and Aged Brass Metallic and I loved it.

The timing couldn't have been more perfect as I had picked up one of these copper post caps at Lowe's on clearance not too long ago and thought it would be perfect for something, 

I just wasn't sure what yet.

Then inspiration hit.  Our cheap basic mailbox has been looking pretty sad for the last few years so why not give it a facelift.  The spray paint I chose was perfect as it is a rust protector and of course, a mailbox is exposed to all kinds of weather so that's what it needed.  I was also pretty happy that I selected copper and aged brass for my choice of colors.  The mailbox would also tie in nicely with my copper porch curtain rods.

Here's a before shot of the sad looking mailbox.

Pretty dull, huh?  You might be wondering why anyone would care about sprucing up something as simple and basic as a mailbox and the answer is, I would.  I'm just that kinda gal.  I like to think that simple mundane objects, like mailboxes, as part of a home, 

deserve to look good, too.  

So here's what I did......

As usual, I wanted this project to be as cheap as possible, so we went hunting for some rustic wood, as in, beside the road, free.  No problem.  

We found a 4 x 4 and a 2 x 4, both dirty and old, just like I wanted.

First I prepared the wood by hosing it off, letting it dry and then sanding it with 180 grit sandpaper.  I wasn't going for perfection here, after all, it was going to be outside.  Next, I brushed on some special walnut stain and set them aside to dry.

Next up, the mailbox.  After cleaning and removing the old number stickers, I spray painted the flag first with the aged brass metallic.

While that dried, I grabbed a package of these.

They are foam letter and number stickers available in any craft store.  I wanted to personalize our mailbox and also create an embossed metal look.  I added our name to one side and our address to the other side.  Then I taped off the already painted flag and spray painted the mailbox with the copper metallic paint.  I gave it a good 4 or 5 coats.  

It is a fast drying spray paint and it certainly lives up to that.  

It was almost dry before I got around to the other side of the box.  

Mailbox done.  

The next part, building the post, was a bit difficult and I didn't take photos.  It took two pairs of hands, which required hubby's help and stopping for photos isn't his thing.  :)  

After the entire thing was complete, I added the copper end cap to the top of the 4 x 4 post with a little glue and here's how it looks now.

We are pretty happy with how it turned out.  And we finished just in time as about 10 minutes after this photo, a huge storm hit.  But the spray paint held up great!

I can't wait to add some mums and pumpkins to the base 

of it for a little Autumn decoration.  :)

Here's a closeup of the foam stickers.  

The adhesive on the back is pretty strong so I'm confident they aren't going anywhere.

This was a pretty fun way to spruce up a cheapo mailbox and I loved how fast the paint dried! 

 Thanks Krylon!

I am certainly no expert, but here are a few spray painting tips that have helped make spray painting easier for me.

* Always keep your spray paint back about a foot from whatever your painting.  

If you're too close, your paint will go on too thick.

* If you're spraying, your arm should be moving.  If it isn't, 

this will also cause too much paint in a single area which causes the paint to run.

* It's always better to do several light coats instead of one heavy coat in an 

attempt to hurry and get it done.  I learned my lesson on that one over and over.

* If you have to stop to make dinner or do a load of laundry like me, wipe the excess paint off the spray valve.  That way it won't get a weird clog and spray out the side, 

painting your face when you resume working on your project. :)

If any of you have any other helpful tips, please feel free to leave them in the comment section and I can add them to this post.  :)

Have a great day!

Diana

Table Redo with Reclaimed Bowling Alley Flooring

Hey there!  

Hope you had a lovely weekend!

As we get ready for the October Grand Opening of our shop, 

we are working hard to find just the right things to fill the inside.  

Finding the right piece to put in the huge window display 

has been really important to us.  

Hubby was driving home last week and came 

across a table in an alley that looked as if it was being thrown out.  

He called the owner of the property it was on and 

asked if he could have it and they said sure, so he packed it up and brought it home.  

It was in pretty sad shape but it wasn't the top we were interested in.......it was the legs.  

Take a look......

We loved the industrial pipes and huge castors so we removed those from the

 plywood top and gave them a good wash.  

I happened to remember that we still had one huge slab of reclaimed bowling alley flooring from last summer that was sitting in our storage facility.  

So we loaded it up and brought it home to work on it.

We measured out where we wanted to attach the legs and drilled holes to accommodate them.  Because the slab is so massive, we needed to build the table first 

before starting work on the table top.

The flooring was covered in that thick yellow lacquer, so I bought a can of paint stripper and got to work, using gloves of course.

Here's a look at it half way through the stripping process.  Isn't the wood underneath lovely?

After stripping everything off, I gave it a good sanding with 180 grit sandpaper and my palm sander.  Then coated the whole thing with Minwax Finishing Wax in Natural.   I happen to like finishing wax much better than polyurethane because it leaves a more natural look on the wood instead of looking like you coated it with polyurethane.  Then I gave the pipe legs and castors a light coating of oil rubbed bronze spray paint.  Here's how it looks now.....

We are pretty happy with it!

We can't wait to get it into the display window with some pretty cool things on the top of it.

And I'm crazy about those castors!

 

 We love the vintage industrial look!

Hubby went to a big estate sale this weekend and he came home with some amazing finds

for our shop that I can't wait to share!

I've had lots of folks emailing me asking where our shop is going to be located and 

I will share all that info as we get closer to the big day.

We hope to have a spectacular grand opening 

complete with a piece of furniture to be given 

away in a drawing, so, we do hope you think about making the trip.

I'd love to meet some of our readers!

Have a great day!

Diana :)

Charlotte's Garden Flow - Part II

Welcome back to the stroll around Charlotte's garden!

On a table next to the green house reside a colony of auriculas, together creating yet another eye-catching corner of the garden, their cute little name "flags" drawing the viewer closer to explore what different personalities may be found here.

It is perhaps no surprise that I have fallen in love with Charlotte's style, 

and I dare say that I have in her found a sister with the same love for cushions and lanterns...

Love the old wooden step ladder outside the green house here!

Charlotte is the "Queen of Still Lifes"...

... and even tucked-away tables where she stores her pots and other materials, 

to me look like pretty compositions and rustic works of art... (above and below)

In this last photo below, my favourite corner of the garden can be spotted in the background, by the bench , and next time, I will invite you to explore this lovely spot up close!

See you soon!

Helena

Charlotte's Garden Flow... - Part I

Ladies and gentlemen,

After weeks and weeks of lazy holiday pace, I am now back in my work/reality chair, looking at the "should have dealt with before I went on holiday" pile, at it sits there, quietly teasing me next to the equally tall "really have to deal with now" work pile. 

Before I roll up my sleeves and dig through these towering to-do hills, I would like to invite you to join me on a stroll so pleasurable, you may just forget about your own work tasks completely, as you lose yourself with me in a green world so beautiful, so tranquil and SO inspiring, the only thing to do is to succumb and enjoy the ride...

Welcome to Charlotte's GORGEOUS green world! 

In northern Sweden, where famously the sun never sets in the summer and polar bears run amok in the streets in the winter (or don't they? :-), lives Charlotte Andersson with her family in a stunning 19th century traditional Swedish wooden house. A couple of years ago, Charlotte and I met through our blogs, and have since enjoyed meeting in real life on a number of occasions, both in the UK and now in Sweden.

Charlotte's home-made potting table, with lovely rusty and black decorative items awaiting their next assignment.

Charlotte is an inside-out beautiful and multi-talented lady, whose garden philosophy speaks of gardening as a source of wellness, rest and creativity, as long as we allow ourselves to enjoy our gardens and not be eaten up by the "musts" we might see when we contemplate the work involved. 

Do you see the little green hedge in the background in the photo above? Behind it is the kitchen garden, where vegetables share the stage with a profusion of pretty petals and...

Well, helloooo you handsome rusty stud, I think you and I could become very good friends!

From raised flower beds, a sea of petal-framed little faces 

of all kinds and colours stretch to greet the sun...

As I walked around taking photos, I was closely followed by this sweet little "gardener", whose miaows seemed to speak both of a cuddly friendliness and a watchful "you're in MY garden now, and I am keeping an eye on you". Either way, the company was lovely!

Old wrinkly apple trees and tall, proud hollyhocks - beautiful!

This was the first little "taster" of what to me is a DREAM garden. Join me to continue the stroll in my next two blog posts. To keep the suspense, I will save the best for last, and show you my favourite corner of the garden in the third post from Charlotte's green haven (whose beautiful blog Garden Flow will provide you with lots, lots more green inspiration and creative ideas).

See you soon again!

Helena

A Stairway Project Revisited

Remember this project?

I decided to remove the nasty carpet from our stairs one day on a whim and then let it sit unfinished for a good month or so because I became so busy at work.  Then, because it was driving everyone crazy, I set out to get it done, mainly for the purpose of just getting it done.  

I didn't love it, but it was done and I could cross it off the To Do list.

But it was always still there.

Staring at me.

Waiting to be transformed into something I DID love.

*sigh*

Fast forward to a few weeks ago.

 As you know, we live in a 100 year old home.  

 They settle.

When there is a year long drought,

they settle even more.

(Okay, it wasn't really that long of a drought but it sure has felt like it.)

One day while walking down the stairs, I noticed a bulge that seemed to be cracking,

so, of course, I started messing with it, thinking I could fix it,

until it turned into this.

 Not good.

Or was it??

I called a friend who is knowledgeable about things like this to come check everything out

and he said there was nothing to worry about structurally.

We just need to wait to fix it until the weather changes, 

in case the plaster continues to shrink and crack.

Well, the weather changed and the crack/hole hasn't gotten any worse, so it's time to fix it.

Since the wall is having to get a face lift, I thought the stairs should have one too.

After all, I just wasn't thrilled with the way I had left them before.

And the white paint on the risers was a really bad idea because of
my 6 foot tall older boys with big feet going up and down the stairs a lot.
That turns into a lot of scuff marks.

So this little wall problem was just the push I needed to transform the stairs

into something we did love.

Although I don't think it is in the cards for our home to have a beautiful grand staircase, like I originally wanted, there's no reason why it still can't look amazing and fit in with the rest of the house and the room that the stairs are currently in.

So, for Part 1 of this project, here's what I came up with for just the stairs.

Chalkboard paint, chalk and handmade stencils I printed from the computer are all it took

for me to do this project.  All of which I already had, so, it didn't cost a thing.

I didn't really want to paint the numbers on with paint as I really like the faded chalk look.

I completely LOVE IT and better yet, hubby and kiddos thought it was so cool.

This just works out so much better.

And we are all finally happy with it!

Next up we will be working on the wall around the staircase

and I'm looking forward to blogging about that soon!

Have a great day!

Diana