What Design Shows Don't Show You...

My house was in a 70's  time warp when I moved in ten years ago and has undergone many changes.

I'm all too familiar with the nasty job of removing multiple layers of wallpaper - the soaking, the scraping, the mess, the patching... Having a little "vintage" in my style does not mean brown wallpaper in the dining room that features covered wagons pulled by oxen.

All the wallpaper is gone, but we are now learning a new skill. Removing a glued-and-screwed particle board subfloor. However, I'm not sure if many hours - make that DAYS - of painstaking chiseling, scraping, sweeping (all on your knees) qualifies as a "skill."

After putting off this last major project for many months, Jon and I are deep into renovating our main floor bathroom - and doing the work ourselves.

So that our new heated marble tile floor isn't two inches higher than the other floors in the house, the subfloor must go. (Also, tile cannot be installed over particle board.) The two layers of vinyl flooring were a cinch. But the particle board does not come off without a battle.

Hmmm, I don't think I've ever seen this demonstrated on HGTV...have you?
Back to work; I'm keeping my eye on the beautiful bathroom prize ahead.

Caution! These are not glamour shots.

Holiday decorating - off the grid!

This summer I tired of the traditional red door on my white/black shuttered Cape Cod house. I was looking for something out of the ordinary, with some pop and flare, "off the grid."

The front door of my house is now a bright citrus green as is the wooden bench under the white pergola on the side of our property.

So instead of my usual holiday decorating with traditional wreaths in each window, I decided to simplify and modernize. On a recent visit to North Carolina, Kristen and I stocked up on ribbon at Carolina Pottery and I brought home some wide mesh plaid ribbon and some fun flocked polka dot stuff to give my traditional wreath a makeover.

I used these same materials to punch up a couple of hanging baskets. These are always full of flowers during the summer, but adding some evergreens, a candle with a glass hurricane, and some ribbon gives them a cute look for the winter months.

This one hangs by my patio.

The one hanging in the pergola. 

The process, if you are interested... 

I put them together indoors this year. No more frozen fingers!

A simple way to save twenty bucks on a polka dot candle (only try this if you won't see the candle close up.)

Vintage Treasures #2

Here are a few more pictures (see our previous post) from the show we did yesterday. These are some pictures from other vendors. Seeing what other people have created and how they display it is always one of the most fun parts of a show.

We didn't get everybody's names, so if you see your items here, please let us know and we will mention you specifically.

I wish I'd gotten a shot of the inside of this armoire! Adorable little curvy shelves.

Perfect for my little granddaughter, Summer, in her vintage Frenchie bedroom.

This ruffly lamp shade was one of my favorites and I was tempted to make it my own.

I'm giving away my age here, but when I was a child we had little candles like these at each place setting and we lighted them during our family holiday dinners.

Vintage Treasures

Here area a few pics from our space at the Vintage Treasures Market from Saturday. Hard to get good photos in that bright overhead light - our apologies.

In just a bit we should be posting some others pictures featuring a few items that caught our eye.

 

As Promised...

Here is what we call our "Chateau Trimoulet" cabinet.

Originally a Victrola cabinet, it was pretty sad when we rescued it. My talented husband hand painted the cabinet top on a Sunday afternoon with his other eye watching a Seahawks football game. Just think what he could do with both eyes!

I can see storing fine French wine (or a local and affordable Riesling)

and beautiful crystal glasses in it.

We will feature this at the Vintage Finds sale on Saturday.
(SOLD)

This was a new type of project for us -please tell us what you think!

Vintage Show Alert!

Don't miss out on the Vintage Finds & handmade treasures Market this coming Saturday, November 5 from 9:00 - 4:00 hosted by Kathy and Jennifer Walker of Unexpected Necessities.

Angel's Attic will be there along with 28 other vendors and we are excited to be able to share some of our newest fun things with you.

 Come for inspiration and ideas,

 come get started on your Christmas shopping,

 come out for lunch,

 come treat yourself to something special!

Here are just a couple of projects we are finishing up...

An antique window "conservatory" with chandelier bling

Our harlequin dresser...

Try this in your entry way - a real eye catcher!

 More to come, so check back with us this week.

 Next?

Our Chateau Trimoulet cabinet.

House Junkie

I confess. I am a house junkie.Some of us love bling, are foodies, seek out the last fashion.
Me, my kickers are shoes, jackets, gardens, traveling to historic places.
But close to the top of the favs are houses (and the decor within).
Been going to home shows, studying and drawing house plans since forever.

Vacations usually include touring a historic mansion somewhere along the way or just seeking out an old neighborhood to stroll through and take pictures. My three kids got used to this and seemed to enjoy the old houses full of family history and architectural features. Daughter Kristen http://sophiasdecor.blogspot.com has the sickness, too. Weird genetic house gene.

Kristen's latest adventure was to move her family to Raleigh, North Carolina this summer.  Of course, when looking for a house to buy last spring, she drove around looking for the awesome vintage homes and knew that I would like to see them, too, when we came out to visit. (also trying to entice Jon and I to relocate, too)

In checking out the lovely neighborhoods of Raleigh, I found this little darling...

This house is telling me, "Come on in..."

This French Norman style house was built in 1939 by a couple who had saved for many Depression-era years to build their own home. Annie Laurie found an example of her dream home in a magazine and copied it. They lived in this house for all their remaining years - Annie until she was over 100 years old.

You also know you're addicted when you watch a movie (or buy it and watch it over and over) just to check out the great house. What a dream job to be a set designer for movie houses. And apparently I'm not the only one with this problem. Check out this blog:   http://hookedonhouses.net

Seriously addicting.

It features many, many great movie houses and if you look carefully you'll see how these movie sets actually influence decorating styles and trends.

Remember this little English cutie from "The Holiday"?

Someone else spent some time on their knees painting a harlequin floor
 (besides my husband, that is)...

I think I will call in work for a mental health day and stay in this room all day...

Not a movie house, just a little cottage rental in Australia...

seriously?! 

Please send me here for a month.

So, goodbye for now to house heavens and their inspiration. Back to work on new creations to share as Angels Attic joins everyone at Vintage Finds and Handmade Treasures Market, hosted by Unexpected Necessities on November 5.  See you soon.

A New B & A

After a rather lazy junking summer, Jon and I found some good stuff!

It was a fun afternoon digging through an old storage warehouse piled high (and wondering if we were going to dislodge a mouse or something worse. Someone has an irrational fear of snakes and rodents!)

Some of the loot, Before...

We just finished rehabbing the old dresser - the one on the left. Hmmm, always trying to come up with a spiffy new idea. What do you think?

The Afters...

Maybe this would be cute in a foyer or as a bar...

Question - how come a great old piece of furniture always has more "issues" once you drag it home? This charmer has been stabilized, cleaned, and new cedar drawer bottoms added - PLUS the whole new look. It is important to us that we provide a quality product for you. This will be with us at our next sale, coming this Fall. See you soon!

Revived!

Remember back in January when we wrote about the dilapidated table we found - Faded Elegance or Too Far Gone? We wanted you to have the end of the story...

It was a back and forth "discussion" about whether this table was too big a mess to be a table anymore or just tear it apart for the special details and moldings. Well, the table literally ended up as pieces in a pile in the garage. Our dear neighbor couldn't believe that it wasn't all just junk. (And secretly I thought she might be right!)

But my amazing husband resurrected this piece with skill and when it was done it was amazing!!
What an accomplishment for an amateur woodworker-who-can-do-just-about-anything.
She was sold at the Farm Chicks Antique Show (more on that fun event to come) last weekend and has started her next 100 years.

You Can Never Have Too Much Cute!

Our littlest granddaughter, Summer Dobson...modeling her new swimwear and waiting for summer to get here!

A Bittersweet Goodbye to Little Chair

It is ridiculous. To be sad to sell a chair. Sniff. I was surprised to be emotional about letting it go.
Little Chair found a new owner at the Funky Junk Antique Show last weekend.

After pouring a lot of creative energy into this comfy chair, I was tempted to keep it.
But a sweet young lady fell in love with Little Chair and it was fun to see how excited she was to make it her own!

I'm about halfway done with another chair - sneak peek.