Showing posts with label lovely. Show all posts
Showing posts with label lovely. Show all posts

21.4.10

Lipstick on a Pig? - Chair gets a Makeover

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Have you ever heard the saying "You can't put lipstick on a pig"?  I remember the first time I heard it I almost fell over with laughter.  Well let me tell you, this chair was a real oinker. 


I found it at the Courtice Flea Market two weekends ago.  As soon as I spotted it, I felt that excitment we have all felt rummaging through row upon row of vendors wares.  After seeing that Mr. Vendor only wanted 10 dollars for it, my husband was already carrying it to the Jeep.

I couldn't wait to get out the white paint.  Once I came home and took the necessary (for blogging) before pictures I started to dismantle the seat.  The material was wretched and smelled like...well you get the idea.


The fabric I used, although I think it's adorable and was an IKEA steal at $3.99 a yard is only temporary until I find an equally good deal on a perfectly delish French grain sack...(good luck with that I know...pricey).

If anyone knows who sells them for a reasonable price, please let me know.

Linking up to:



19.4.10

Interview with the fabulous City.Cottage Store

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I'm so excited to feature and share with you all, the most gorgeous little shop about 10 minutes from my home and how it changed my life.  The awesome Jenny Smith, owner of City.Cottage was so kind to let me do a mini interview. 

I recently found her gorgeous store and fell in love with the charm and beauty of everything there. From the second I walked through the door something inside me changed.  You see, for some time I had been feeling a little blue.  Maybe it was the empty nest syndrome I had been so miserably dealing with...heck, maybe the 45 year old hormones were in overdrive, all I know is as much as I wanted to snap out of it a year and a half of feeling this way was starting to feel like this was the new me and trust me, I wasn't happy about it.

Like I said, from the moment I walked into the sun filled City.Cottage I have felt uplifted and inspired to revisit my love of all things white, casual, cottage and shabby.  I can't explain how inspired and purposeful I felt looking at every square inch of shabby chic goodness.  I finally did leave her store with a handful of adorable robins eggs.  What Jenny doesn't know - is on that day she not only handed me my perfectly wrapped little bag of goodies, she gave me inspiration, purpose and a happiness I hadn't felt in some time. It was that very same week I started my blog.  I'm so grateful...Thank you Jenny.

Ok I digress ;-) enough about me, here we go:

When and what inspired you to open your store?

Other lovely stores.  I fell in love along time ago with a beautiful shop called White On White and everything changed from that second on, I went home painted EVERYTHING white and have not looked back.  People used to come into my home and say you should do this for a living, interior design isn't really where my heart is, it's creating a shop that inspires others to fill there home with beautiful finds, and NOT breaking the bank.


Photo:  City.Cottage

What advice would you give to someone wanting to open a shop?

Do it, dont give up and be patient and if its in the stars for you, it will happen. Also I believe it is a wonderful thing to do something different, that no one has in your town or city, that is what sets you apart and keeps the people coming back.

What is your favourite room in your home?

Well, I just moved into a great loft, with exposed brick, high ceilings and wood floors. It has been super fun finding unique stuff for my own home, and it's a work in progress.  I plan to post it all when I'm done. Recently I found the shabby-est old cubby on Kijij for $60 - dragged it home,  took 5 hours peeling, scraping , cleaning and painting it. Now I am in love with her.  I think you should love every room in your home and make it a place to retreat to.  I think that's why I love Cottage/farmhouse style so much.

When not running your business how do you like to spend your time?

Running my business, lol
Its a labor of love, when you own your own anything in life, it makes it hard to put it on the back burner. But it's all worth it in the end. I do not order anything for the shop, I find it all , paint it all and pull it all together. Thats the fun part for me, seeing it all together at the end of the day, and then seeing someone love it as much as I do in there own home.

Photo: City.Cottage


 
Photo:  City.Cottage

Photo: By Me

44 King Street East, Bowmanville, Ontario





16.4.10

Paris Dresser Pull

It's Friday!   happy ~ happy ~ joy ~ joy

I've been outside painting a great little chair I picked up at the Courtice Flea Market last weekend. I was hoping to post the pics today, but I've run into a snag. The seat in this chair - while at first glance seemed like it would be as easy as 1 2 3 to pop off and recover, has turned out to be a nightmare. It has a spring underside which is great (nice and sturdy) the not so nice part is I'm not sure something didn't once live in it. (ok, maybe a slight exageration).

So, as much as I wanted to post before and afters today...it's just not happening.

I will however leave you with the cutest little dresser knob I picked up at a great little shop in Port Perry.


Have a beautiful, lovely weekend!







22.3.10

Shabby Whites New Blog

All things lovely coming soon.

Until then here is a list of 25 things about me or things that I love...

1. I was born in the 60's
2. I love my 2 kids...Gina & Frankie
3. My husband and I live in Toronto, Canada
4. Hydrangeas are my favourite flower
5. My first car was a 1969 Mustang
6. I'm going to be a grandmother
7. As a kid, one summer I found 9 four leaf clovers
8. I've been married twice. My husband now for 9 years
9. My husband is American...born in Brooklyn, NY
10. Shabby Chic makes me happy
11. Favourite scent is anything orange
12. On my daughters 20th birthday I had my nose pierced...a tiny little diamond and I still love it
13. Empty nesters and not happy about it
14. I love the sound of water
15. My favourite item in my home is a huge galvanized rooster
16. I've been a real estate agent, bartender, legal secretary and now a home stager
17. I love spring and summer
18. Travelled to Italy when I was 19 years old
19. I love old subway signs
20. I'm the oldest in my family
21. I have always made my kids birthday cakes
22. Sunshine makes me happy
23. I love anything with fonts or words on it
24. I married my husband in New Jersey and lived there for 5 years with my kids
25. I'm excited to post all things lovely, shabby and white. I hope you enjoy "Shabby Whites" and please comment - I would love to hear from you.

                                                                         ~Marina

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