~shhh, don't tell~

well peeps, look at this cache of old windows I found

pretty sweet huh!

lots of groans and moans about spiders and such from kids in the van

{same kids who refused to get out and help mom haul more junk!}

some of them still have glass, like this cute little door

others are just the wood, like this 3 pane

~lots of chippy paint~

~especially like this one~

love the curve along the top corner

hauled them round the side of the house till i can show them some love

~but shhh, don't tell~

 Mr Keeper doesn't know they're there yet!!

Tracey

PS. i've been outed, traces of paint chips in the driveway.....

~freckled laundry and getting to know you~

if you'd like to know a little more about me

and my decor style

and my etsy store raggygirl

Jami over at Freckled Laundry has a sweet feature post

i've joined up with her vintage market gals

and i am honored to be in such talented and creative company

be sure to click on her "vintage market" link and visit all the gals

Tracey

~PB ain't got spots on this!~

hello peeps

well, how do you like my take on a french lumbar pillow PB style

i simply adore these really loooong pillows

not only do they look great, they are super comfortable

but the prices

~not so much~

so i decided to create my own super long lumbar pillow using an available insert

mostly i have to make my own lumbar inserts, they are hard to find, especially if you don't want feather

but this one I purchased at Joanns

a wonderfully long 16x28"

i transferred a fab french graphic on the front

"chateux d'angers"

and voila!

~some loooong french farmstylin' goodness~

linking up to Just Something I Whipped up at The Girl Creative
 Take-a-Look Tuesday at Sugar Bee Crafts
 The Inspiration Board at homework
White Wednesday at Faded Charm
Air Your Laundry Friday at Freckled Laundry

Tracey

~my two cents on chalk paint~

well peeps my long-awaited package of chalk paint arrived

let me tell you i was in that van so fast to pick them up, just couldn't wait to get started...

{by the way, did you know "fragile" actually means "turn me upside down and toss me around"

especially if it also says "this side up"!!}

now of course they arrived smack-bang in crazy week

but i did get to try them out just a little...

{who needs sleep after all}

i totally love the "provence" the color is so rich and just way nicer in real life than it looks in color swatches

i used it here on this tray

i found a foamie applied best on this surface, but foamies do absorb a lot of paint

so what do i think?

well, the jury is still out for me on chalk paint

i do love how it looks, but it took quite some coats to get good coverage

i look forward to seeing how it performs on a larger piece of furniture

but i totally love the look once the wax is on

i sanded this tray then waxed it and gave it a light buff

(you're supposed to wax, sand, wax again but this worked for me)

it sure showed up the color and detailing beautifully, and gives a little protective finish

i used "old white" to paint this chalkboard frame, which had been giving me trouble with the spray paint bubbling {first sanded off the bubbles}

i applied the paint with a brush this time

the chalk paint gives a great authenic vintage look

so i'll announce my final verdict once i've had a chance to try it out on a larger project

for now i'm really liking it, especially with the wax finish, but it's gonna have to wow me to warrant the price tag for future projects!

Tracey

~hen and chicks and vintage silverware~

take a peek at some of the silver sugar and creamers I put together for the market

i love the unique shapes of the sugar bowls and creamers

the tarnished patina

stuffed them with dried moss

and tucked in some hen and chicks

~silverware on the front porch~

well, why not!!

Tracey

~check. check. check.~

* finished up work for the summer

~check~

* got the kids through the last week of school stuff

~check~

* had fun at the Ivory Vintage Market

~check~

wait, did i just say vintage market?

floursack dishtowels and french pillows

that's right, a fantabulous day

yummy vintage kitchenware and chippy window frames

got to take a couple of quick shots as the door opened, here's a peek at some of my goodies...

~"provence" tray (chalk paint and wax - love this color)~

my first peonies

and my favorite part of the day?

~meeting up with my bloggy friends of course~

~love the shabby detailing on this tray~

{yes, i had a hard time parting with this one but i know it's new owner truly loves it!}

like Janis of Rust and Ruffles 

Barbara of Hodgepodge

Tracy of My House of Giggles

Lady Pamela of Lady Pamela's Cottage

and what a treat to finally meet Tracey of Tracey Ayton Photography

all these Traceys in my life!

~hen and chicks in vintage silver sugar and creamers~

Wendy M thanks for stopping by, other Wendy thanks for saying hi

(wow, all these Wendys in my life too, my Mom is also Wendy!)

my good friend Sari who was also a vendor at the market

(hope I didn't forget anyone...)

~starfish, a hot seller~

and of course my wonderful Mom and Dad who always support me in all my crazy ventures, help out with the kids and bring me a Starbucks on market day!

thanks Mom and Dad, you're the best cheerleaders a gal could hope for:-)

~vintage zinc caddy~

now on to summer

oh, just one last thing

*noticed the house is a BIG mess

~check~

:-)

Tracey

p.s. big thanks to mr. keeper and my two awesome boys for getting up super early to help me unload

~from flop to pop~french farmstyle pillow

sometimes it's the oops in sewing that have the most potential

and yes i know

~measure twice - cut once~

blah, blah, blah

i do, really, i'm a perfectionist when it comes to sewing, especially items i plan to offer for sale

but still i can't tell you how many times i've sewn pillows together with one of the backing panels reversed....

usually late at night

so what to do when i cut a panel too small?

and not just any panel

let me tell you, these transfers take a lot of time and elbow grease

well, how about overlay it on a red ticking background

fray the edges a little

love it!!

perfect for a french country home

flop to pop

get it:-)

(tell me i'm not the only one!)

and here's how one customer put it all together, doesn't it look so wonderfully french country

{Tammy purchased my chanticleer rooster pillow from The Passionate Home in Langley, where Carrie carries a selection of my pillows and products}

~don't forget to come visit at the market tomorrow~

Tracey