Before and After

Paint doesn't always stay on paper or canvas here at our home. Before I stayed home with the boys, I painted on walls for a living. (You can read about that here:~My Past Life, and evidently, I didn't know how to post photos on blogger three years ago, lol, so you'll have to click to enlarge them!)

And I guess I still like doing that....just a little bit. But instead of stenciling, or murals or faux finishes, I like a more neutral palette in our small cottage. (Well, except when teens want certain colors in their rooms. You can read that post here~ Stripes)

This summer I decided our bedroom needed a little sprucing and some fresh paint. The color change wasn't dramatic. We had a color called "Antique White" on there originally. But after five years and several holes in the wall from "redecorating", it needed a fresh coat. So I went with a softer, lighter white called "Cottage White" by Behr.

(Thanks to June for recommending the color.....if you haven't visited June's beautiful blog, treat yourself to a lovely respite. And on the occasional Wednesday, she participates in "White Wednesday" by posting photos of "white" in her gorgeous home~Laughing With Angels).

(The 'make-do' vanity "Before)



(Dresser we found on Craig's List)



(Dresser drawers.....we are still searching for some Queen Anne- style pulls)



(Dresser in its new "spot")

After the paint was on the walls, the furniture looked too heavy and dark. So I mixed some paint~ (all the little sample jars of the whites I had purchased before I asked for June's recommendation!), and painted the wardrobe, and a few other pieces white.

When we moved into the house, there was an area by our closet that had a sink, which might have been a good idea, but I didn't really like it.
So, we took it out, plumbing and all, and put in a "make-d0" vanity, (ie, a piece of table top, a shelf and a mirror). I used it occasionally, but not enough to keep it (I'm not much of a "make-up" girl.) My husband came up with a great idea for the area.....it was the perfect spot for a dresser! Yeah, and that would mean extra storage too!

We shopped around and found a few we liked, but the prices were too high for our "budget".
So, I popped on Craig's List one day...and there it was! I didn't have to do anything to it, just a little cleaning.



The wardrobe "Before"....actually it is only about 2 years old. My husband made it and I painted it an antiqued red. I have a feeling that it will eventually be many other colors in years to come, lol!)

(The wardrobe "After", and the "new" mirror...my husband put trim around the old one)

After painting the walls and furniture, the "white" did take some getting used to, especially for my husband! When I was done and he looked around the room, all he could say was, "It's really white." :)

Well, after I put a few things back on the walls, (and by the way, silhouettes look very nice against the Cottage White!), it wasn't too white, and I think it makes everything fresh and clean, and restful...which is a good thing for a bedroom!

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Lana has a new website! Please visit by clicking this link: Simple Joys Paperie
You'll see some beautiful paper art as well as a beautiful website! Love the colors she has chosen.

The Belle of the Fall

Do you ever have an idea....and maybe it seems like a silly idea in your head, but it stays there awhile until you have to do something about it?? (Maybe I'm the only crazy person who lets ideas roll around in her head until they drive me crazy and have to come out?!)

Well, Pumpkin Princess was one of "those ideas"....I WAS working on specials orders and she just kept coming to mind. (Yes, I will finish the promised special orders this coming week and send them out...sorry for the interruption; but it really is all HER fault).



She wouldn't go away.....so I gave in and I got out my drawing paper and pencils. I put her down on paper and thought she would be happy there....not so!



She HAD to be painted. And now she is in my Etsy (and my website) if you would like to visit her, please follow either of these links:

Pumpkin Princess on Etsy

Pumpkin Princess on my website
(just click "Gallery" at the top of the page)

Just be warned, she is very persuasive and strong-headed, as well as strong-handed....she can hold up a pumpkin with one hand!

Now back to painting what I SHOULD have been painting all along...........
(oh, and I'll post pics of the bedroom sometime this week)

Poppets, Portraits and Playthings of the Past

We've set a date.....please join us for some curiosities, oddities and perhaps a peculiarity or two.

Poppets, Portraits and Playthings of the Past
(just click on the link above....blogger isn't letting me change the color)

What We Did This Summer

School has started and we are in full home school swing here at the Davis household. And, yes, it is beginning to feel like fall here, but........I'm still catching up with summer posts, so please bear with me!

And in honor of the start of the school year, here is my "Back to School" photo essay:

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This summer we took a trip to see family and attend our niece's wedding. We were close to the Pacific Ocean, so we stopped to put our toes in the sand and water. On the way back, we met a blogging friend and artist: Christine LeFever and her husband, Greg. They live in a lovely home in a beautiful part of town. So that was a treat!
Before we left Oregon, we stopped for a picnic at Multnomah Falls.

Here are a few photos of our trip (at least those I have permission from family members to post!)


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(The happy couple.....waiting to make their escape!)
(Oops, forgot to ask permission....but they are such a handsome couple I had to share.)

(Pretty bridesmaids all in a row.....most in the group are our nieces)

(Hanging out on the dock: the boys, and grandparents) It was one of those: "Hey, turn around I'm taking a picture." photos. (Sometimes it's a good thing to be in charge of the camera! :)
(Didn't get permission from the grandparents to post their pic, so they may disown me!)

(the pathway to the Pacific....it was a gorgeous day!)

(All of "my boys" on the shore....it was a great day for kite flying!)

(Christine's Studio.....a peek from the doorway. My photos don't do it justice. But you can see more photos of Christine's beautiful work and home on her blog:
Christine's Blog)

(Christine's home.....she graciously showed us her beautiful dolls)

(a glimpse of the beautiful Multnomah Falls)

It was a fun trip and it was good to see the family as well.

Next post I'll share photos of my bedroom redo....that was another week (or two) in our summer happenings.