Ooooh! Re-Sale Shop treasures - add these to my project list!

Happy Columbus Day!  I am currently on a debt diet and doing my best to stay away from TJ Maxx, Marshalls and HomeGoods (my addictions)!  It is SO difficult staying away from HomeGoods, especially THIS time of the year.  Fall decorating, spooky Halloween accents and the cusp of the holiday season!

So I ran to the post office on Saturday morning and around the corner is this little resale shop in this quaint little house and I go in there on a rare occasion.  It was a cloudy, Fall day so I thought, why not, I will go and see what she has.  MISTAKE!  (Well, not really).

The first thing which caught my eye were these pheasants.  I love birds and Fall tablescapes so I thought they were really fantastic.  Came to see that one of the tails was chipped so she came down to $11.00 each - even though the other bird was in perfect condition.  I cannot wait to walk around the house November 1, when all the Halloween decorations are down and find the perfect place for them!

Then I found these gorgeous canisters for my sister!  Normally, I am not a huge rooster fan but these are so French Country I knew they had to be in her kitchen.  They are new - never used and the roosters on top of the lids are a heavy metal.  Very lovely.  She was a little thrilled!

Then I found these and fell in LOVE instantly!  They are antique tabletop coach lights.  And they have a pull chain with a large decorative ball!  (I love pull chains on light fixtures).  They are quite old and definitely need to be rewired.  The detail on the wood is amazing and even though I did not need them, my sister wanted them for her mantel.  Gorgeous!  I will post a picture once she is done cleaning and rewiring them.  I think she is going to over them very lightly with a gel stain to match the stain on there now.  AND they were only $9.99 each.  SERIOUSLY!  They are going to be awesome!

This particular resale shop has a back yard which she uses to display garden accents and a garage for  larger items,  things that are particularly dirty or not "shop worthy".   So I am walking out of the garage and I find THIS!  I don't know what it is but I am intrigued.  It looks to be a vintage colonial wall lantern.  All I could think was, "NO Tracy - you DO NOT need this!"  Its a mess and gross (full of a lot of spiders and ick).  SO of course I picked it up and got that sticky spider webby stuff stuck to my hand - EW and so I put it down immediately after snapping a picture and went back into the shop.

Then my mind started to wander to the whole Charles Dickens and Jane Austen era and I kept looking at the picture thinking how this could be very cute done in black and gold but then I decided the last thing I needed was another project.

Then the unthinkable happens.  As I am going back into the shop, a group of ladies - very well dressed and obviously out for a day of lunch and shopping - start heading for the garage.  A sense of panic comes over me - what if one of them likes my coach light?  And then they will ask the others and they will all chime in and tell her how amazing it could be.  OH NO!  But here I am in running shorts and a hoodie so I am thinking since it was on the garage floor and so dirty and full of spiders and ick they wouldn't want to get dirty and pick it up.   SO I casually, but not creepily hover behind them and enter the garage.  I covertly slip past one of them and grab the light and exit the garage before I can even be seen - like a secret agent!  LOL

Not getting caught up in the whole "I am only buying it so no one else buys it" mentality,   I took a few minutes to really look at it and decide if this is something that could work.  And even though I wasn't sure, my gut told me to buy it and I have learned to always trust my gut.  

I have Googled and Binged and can not find any information on this at all.  I love the details and I already took it apart and tried to figure out my process of making this light over.  I am at a loss of what to do.  I know it is going to be black for sure.  And I think I am going to rub it gold.  I think the flange going from the mounting plate is too long if I hang this on the wall in my foyer.  This is an actual PLUG so I can take it up and down if I choose.  I love that!

They have this Edison type bulb in there and it flickers.  I was going to change that out but the more I looked at it the more I love it!  It has a chimney on top so I wonder if this was a gas light changed out to electric.  I can find nothing remotely similar to this!  UGH - frustrating.  I can usually find anything eventually!  The electrical components are LEVITON but that is it.  I don't think it is handcrafted.

  I don't know if you can see in the picture but the top half of the glass panels is soot stained.  Upon removal of the glass, it is actually painted this way for effect - to resemble an actual flame/candle light.  Do I scrape this soot effect off or leave it?  Opinion would be SO greatly appreciated!

I don't know if I am going to paint the ring on the bottom solid gold or black and rub it with gold paint.

So in the final analysis, I am SO very glad I purchased this.  It was on final markdown and then clearance from that so I got it for $21.00.  I imagine it done in black with fresh evergreens and a big tartan bow hanging in my wall to welcome yuletide visitors.  I only hope I will have it done by then.

Enjoy your Columbus Day holiday and thanks for the visit today!

Stone accent wall 99.999% complete...

It has been a busy week in my living room makeover.  The stone accent wall is almost complete!  I still have to mortar and strike the joints, adjust the downlighting and finish the air vents.

One of my decisions was whether to use crown molding or continue the stone up to the ceiling. Since this is a living and I wanted a more polished than rustic look, I decided to use white crown molding and molding corner blocks.  I am glad I did this and I love the trimmed look.  

I placed two battery operated puck lights for a lighting effect.  In the future, I may install wired downlighting but these work for now. I love them!   They were $20 for a package of two at Lowes and can be placed anywhere.  You simply peel and stick and they come with 6 AA batteries!  When are batteries EVER included?   And they are LED so I am hoping the battery life will be longer than normal.  They also have a high and low setting.  I couldn't be more pleased with the look!  But I may add a third because the ends seem dark.

  

I am quite excited to finish the room and I hope the wall adds some pop to the coastal New England look I am hoping to achieve.  I just set a throw rug down to see how the room may look when completed.  

I removed the conventional air returns and am trying a project I found on Pinterest.  I will share the details in a post once completed!   

Hopefully this will be done next week as I am now focusing on the ceiling treatment.  A lot of indecisiveness here - I need to get busy!  Thanks for stopping by.  

Disney World inspired stone accent wall progress...

Walt Disney World.  My second home.  I love all things Disney but it is so much more than the theme parks.  I LOVE the architecture of the Walt Disney World Resort in Florida.  Each resort is its own individual themed world.  I love the way the Disney Imagineers utilize stone work.  It is simply gorgeous.  Two of my favorite stone walls are at the Port Orleans Riverside Resort and the Beach Club.

Once I knew I wanted some type of stone accent in my living room, I looked for inspiration photos.  The one below, in my own camera, was the look I was hoping to achieve.  This is from the entrance of the Beach Club, one of my favorite places on Disney property.

Enter Craigslist.  I found a listing for left over stone from a patio paver project.  It was actual stone as opposed to veneer and was about 10 square feet.  So I bargained the price down, drove up and loaded it into the car.  I was SO worried the tires were going to explode on the way home but thankfully, I made it home.  PHEW!

I unloaded it - not a fun task - and stacked it on the driveway.  I had never done any type of project such as this so I Googled a lot.

So up went the waterproof barrier first applied with a staple gun.  So far so good!  Next game the metal lath.  This is a nightmare.  In the checkout line, I cut my fingers on the rough edge which is like razor sharp.  I started to bleed all over the place - so embarrassing!  I was on my hands and knees wiping blood up off the floor - it was quite gross.  This was the worst part of the job.  Buying it, transporting it and applying it with an electronic staple gun.

Next came the scratch coat.  This is not a pretty job and not very kind to a manicures.  :-)  Even wearing gloves, mixing the mortar and applying the thin coat to the lath is a messy job.  Yuck!

Then I had to lightly score the mortar for better adhesion.  And as Mary Poppins says, "In every job that must be done, there is an element of fun".  So I scored the wall with a few Mickey heads.  LOL.

Next came application of the stone.  I am a huge fan of jigsaw puzzles - either you love them or you hate them and I love them.  Applying the stone is like a giant life size puzzle with different sizes and shapes of pieces.  If you are a little anal, life myself, this takes forever.  But I hope the arduous task  will totally be worth it.

The first stones in place.  I placed a solid piece of wood to serve as a level surface to ensure an even application.

More progress.  When I stepped back and looked at this - I hated it.  It looked very messy with no flow.  So, I pried off the stones and started over.  I hated to do it but in the end, I was much happier!  As Queen Clarisse says in Princess Diaries, "Better.  Much better!"

And this is where I am right now. 2/3 done - getting really excited!

Since the stone is real, the weight is considerable.  Since I am concerned about the floor supporting the weight, I am going to go under the crawlspace with a support jack.  I see they are about $40 and can allow for an additional 18,000 pounds of weight support.  They look like this...

I am also attempting a Pinterest pin regarding DIY air vents.  These are in such a prominent place that I didn't want to put back the conventional vent style covers.  Hopefully this won't be a Pinterest fail.  :-O  

So that is my wall progress.   I hope I can post a reveal by Friday.  I am quite excited to see this messy project finished.  Have a great weekend!  Go IRISH - beat Oklahoma.

First day of Fall! Living Room project sanity ensues.....

WHOA!  I know it has been a while since I have posted anything but I didn't know my last entry was mid-August.    WHAT?  However, I have been quite busy on a lot of major projects!  The major overhaul right now is the living room.  And I know what you are thinking - wha???  I thought you were doing the kitchen and the foyer, etc. YES!  That is the problem!

When I was a young girl, my parents always told me it was more important to know a little bit about a lot of things as opposed to a lot about one thing.  They told me it would make me a much more interesting conversationalist at cocktail parties.  Thanks Mom & Dad - it turns out to be quite true.  :-)

Unfortunately, I seem to have adopted this concept and applied it to my home improvement projects.  I have been doing a little bit of work in a lot of rooms.  I need to get one room done and finish it!

This leads me to my current project - my deep dark secret - my dreaded living room!  Cue the chilling scream and spooky music.  LOL.

Yes - it is time to come clean - THIS is the state of my living room.  In its hey day, it was cranberry, mauve and hunter green. You can pause here if your stomach is a little queasy.  Being the 1990s it was really a gorgeous room as my parents had custom draperies and furniture but, alas, it has been sitting in a time warp and it became a catch all for all sorts of things.  I tore up the carpeting quite a while ago and the pile of stone in the picture has also been sitting there.  It was a sweet deal on Craigslist and couldn't pass it up.  I always dreamed of a stone wall in this room and it is now a work in progress.

This room needs a TON of work but I decided that I want to have this room done for the holidays this year!  A daunting task but I am so motivated.  I have all the furniture and items for this room - have had it for quite a while - hence the chair in plastic in the picture above.  I just need to paint the walls, the ceiling, the floors,  stone the wall, put up molding and put everything in place.  Piece of cake, right?  YIKES.

I seriously cannot believe I am posting these pictures!  I feel so vulnerable right now.  LOL  I found those room dividers at a Habitat Restore and I am excited to rehab them and put them in place.

The metal lath in place and ready for the scratch coat!  

The waterproof barrier and the metal lath prepare the wall for scratch coat and stone application.

Here is the scratch coat complete.  I HATE this job but I'm glad its done.  

Here is the progress so far.... I know I am going to love it!  But a long way to go.

So, will I get it done?  I am very bound and determined.  I imagine watching those awesome cheesy Christmas movies, with my Christmas tree and my cozy furniture as the snow falls outside.  It is this vision alone which is my motivation.  I saw this sign on Pinterest and I love it.  Since I believe I will get this done, I will.  I hope to post more progress this week!  Happy Monday!

Notre Dame Kick-off! Primping begins...

Well here it is - August 13th!  Notre Dame Fighting Irish Football begins in 18 days on August 31st!

Primping at "The Bend" (as in South Bend, Indiana) has begun.  Lots of pre and post game parties are on the horizon! SO much yard work and projects to do but it is a labor of love!   Go Irish! 

The season begins in August this year with sunshine and temps in the 80s.  By the time the last game is played this season, Thanksgiving will be one week away and most likely we will be shoveling snow.  An outdoor fireplace in South Bend, Indiana, is a MUST for any football gatherings!  :-)  

Walking campus at dusk in the summer is one of my favorite things to do.  It s SO quiet and peaceful before the students arrive in a few weeks.  The stunning doors of the Basilica of the Sacred Heart.  

The Golden Dome as the sun disappears for the day.  A brilliant spotlight shines upon Mary as she watches over all of us atop the famous Administration Building.

Candles burn in the Grotto 365 days a year.  Such an amazing, blessed place!  These were taken with my iphone - my apologies.  :-(

The Virgin Mary atop her Grotto watches over students and visitors from around the world who come to visit her here.

Craigslist Score - Portholes!

Happy 4th of July Weekend!  This is my first post via the Blogger app - who knew!  So if it isn't quite right, that is the reason.  

I know I live in Chicago and not in New England but I love anchors and all things nautical.  I always have.  A very good friend of mine who was born and raised in NE deemed me an honorary New Englander so that's close enough, right?

I've been quite busy teaching tennis all summer so my numerous  "projects in progress" sit untouched.  :-(  

A while back, I was searching Craigslist for nautical decor (we do have a coast here in Chicago, it's just a lake and not an ocean).  But its still water.  :-)

I came across this listing for three working portholes and a bonus nautical clock!  They were new with tags from a Chicagoland furniture store.  The brand is Cape Craftsmen and they are AWESOME!  I met the woman in a grocery store parking lot for "the exchange".  I always feel like a covert spy when a Craigslist buy goes down.  LOL!

They retail for $139 EACH and I got them for a steal!  I have a special project in mind - I have three boring brown hollow core doors that I don't want to replace but need a total makeover!  I may be able to finish one this weekend.  SO excited!