Baby Robins

I went to my storage unit yesterday and discovered three baby robins in the nest I've been monitoring. Happy!

Fun Project

This is my garage. I've been very busy the past couple of weeks doing "behind the scenes" work. I'm packing up my studio, which I hope to move to my new mill-loft space this coming week. I'm packing up my home for another upcoming (and very happy) move. I also traded in my 4-runner this past week for a newer (2009) Ford Escape Hybrid. I'm thrilled to be in a more dependable and eco-friendly car! So far the mileage is almost twice what I got in the 4-runner, so the $$ savings is nice, too!

However, between trips to my storage unit, and church and lunch with my grandmother, I did manage to work on one very fun project today.

I found an old drafting table at the flea market. It's original top was gone--in it's place a less-than-pretty sheet of plywood. Here is how I've chosen to "embellish" it:



I dismantled a bunch of wine crates and used the decorative parts to create a mosiac of sorts for the top. I spent 2+ hours shaving a quarter inch off here and there until everything fit just right. I'll cut a new plywood base, use eco-friendly gorilla glue to attach all the elements to the base, add a light stain, and, finally, several coats of varnish. I can't wait to see the end result. This "tasting table" is a very fun way to upcycle wine crates. Happy!

Momma Robin

I was beginning to think the nest outside my storage unit was abandoned, but here is momma robin, ready and waiting to attack after I took this photo. Literally, she dive-bombed my head after the flash went off. I'm feeling a little better about her maternal insticts:-)

Decorating with old paper

I brought several pieces over to the Cooperage today, but I am most proud of one, in particular. I've had this dresser for what seems like ages. It had gorgeous green glass knobs when I bought it, but because someone had trimmed off the ends of the screws with a bolt-cutter, I wasn't able to remove them. So, I worked with what I had. I painted the main part of the dresser white and decoupaged the fronts of the drawers with pages from an old gardening book. Adorable, no?



Well, that was a year ago and the dresser still hasn't sold. This past week I filed off the ends of all the screws in order to remove the original glass knobs. I decoupaged the fronts of the drawers with ledger pages from the 1840's and added new, clear glass knobs. I LOVE it! What do you think?



I have a few other pieces--both furniture and decor--at the Cooperage that also showcase new uses for old papers. Take a look:







I've always been drawn to old books. The look, the feel, the time and effort it took to create them. Perhaps it's the reminder of a simpler time, a time before multitasking...ahh, now that's a happy thought!

Back to work

I spent the day yesterday scrubbing, sanding and painting. It was a beautiful day to be outside, so I enjoyed every moment of it! I bought a new toy--a small Wagner paint sprayer. It's made for indoor use, so overspray (ie, mess) is minimal. I was able to prime and paint five pieces of furniture in one day! Here are some photos of the pieces in progress (dresser, small writing desk, side table, and small bench):




This one piece got a coat of "celery" green--my favorite color!



I also gave that old workbench I dragged off the side of the road last week a bit of love. I scrubbed and sanded the top and it's looking pretty nice. The base needed a lot of work. I added new casters and supports and now it's level, sqare and solid. I'll be adding slats to the base so I have a shelf. I think I'll then paint out the base white, give it a good distress job, and seal the top with a few coats of wax. Can't wait to get it into my new studio!




Last but not least, I found a happy little surprise at my storage unit today. I think mommy-bird needs a good talking to about where she made her nest, but it was a happy discovery for me!

On TV!!!!!

The Chronicle episode I mentioned a couple weeks ago finally aired last night! My little Tucker made the cut for the preview (the little guy laying on the daybed...that was my Tuck!). Kris held a "premier" party and it was such fun to view the episode for the first time in the midst of so many friends. The phone at the Cooperage has been ringing off the hook today, so we're expecting a busy day tomorrow. Thanks to all of you who watched last night! I hope to meet some of you at the Cooperage tomorrow!

To view the Chronicle episode, click here!

Thank You

No pics tonight, just a quick thank you to all the wonderful people who came to our show at the Townsend Harbor Church this weekend. As I told my daughter tonight, I feel overwhelmingly blessed to be in a "profession" where I'm able to meet such kind and interesting people. I wouldn't trade it for anything. Thanks for making my life happy:-)

The Marketplace at Townsend Harbor

Had to start off with a rainbow today. Who doesn't love a rainbow? Had fun explaining the physics of the light refraction to the kids, though they still thought I was "magic" to be able to predict where the rainbow would be.

I have to be honest and say I have little energy left to blog this evening. I slept only 3 hours last night trying to get a wholesale order ready for Brimfield. Needless to say, an "all-nighter" feels much differet at 40 than it did at 20. In light of all this, I'll let the photos speak for themselves. Here is a brief "sneak peek" at our space at the Townsend Harbor Marketplace. I think we'll have a fabulous weekend at the Coop and the Marketplace:










See you in the AM!

Crazy Week

You know it's going to be a crazy week when it starts off with towing a "free" workbench down the street to your house at 6AM on Sunday. Too big to fit in the car, too heavy to fit on the car, sure wasn't going to pass up a freebie, so towing was the obvious solution! You also know it's going to be a great week when you start off with the blessing of free stuff! Here are some pics of my weekend finds:

(1) Thursday's estate sale in Nashua. The house was owned by a man who fell in love with a French girl and dropped (and sold) everything to move to Paris with her. Ahhhhhh....l'amour....Got some great solid pieces. A little more "high end" than I usually purchase, but beauty comes at many prices:-)




(2) Unintended yard sales on Saturday (you know what I mean...planned on skipping yard sales, yet they somehow jumped in your path). Got a couple of great metal pieces, some planters, a coat rack...great finds.



(3) I love this folding bench I "won" at an online auction. It's from a local church and even has Bible pockets on the back. It will be an effort to part with this little piece.



(4) Finally, my first visit to my local flea this year. Hollis, NH. I love this market. I picked up Kris (her husband left her with only a Prius for the weekend! I'm all about eco-friendly, but the Prius leaves a lot to be desired in the cargo department) and we filled the car in about an hour. And when I say "filled," I mean we also had a table and a vintage bicycle on the roof! I'm tempted to buy a pick-up, but then I'd lose the fun of trying to fit everything into my 4-runner!



It's also a crazy week because we decided to completely re-do our space at the Cooperage while also meeting wholesale orders for the Brimfield Antiques Show, getting set-up for a local weekend antiques market, and trying to fill-in my empty space at From Out of the Woods. Eek! I'll post pics soon--it all looks very, very happy:-)