Junk Garden Vignettes in the Corner of the Deck

The idea for the framed lobelia is from 2013.  In 2013, the frame hung in a old dying birch tree that was cut down in May of this year.  

Vintage Inspiration Party #190

Welcome to the Vintage Inspiration Party!

This is the place to share anything old, treasured, passed-down or tattered. You can also share projects that were made to look old, including repurposed and upcycled creations.

vin-tage (adj.) 1.) used to describe something that is not new, but that is valued because of its good condition, attractive design, etc. 2.) used to describe something that has the best qualities or characteristics of the things made or done by a particular person, organization, etc.

Packing Tape Image Transfer on a Thrift Shop Jar

I purchased this jar recently at the thrift shop for $6.  It is about 10 1/2" tall, has a metal cover, and appears to be vintage.  

Vintage Clothes Hanger Re-purpose

Now that my children's grad photos are displayed in barn wood frames, I was no longer using this 8" x 10" wooden frame.  I had painted this frame, a while back, with Rustoleum American Accents Paint in "Heirloom White".

For my new project, I re-painted the frame with a black flat paint.

A "Glorious Heavenly Blue" Morning on the Deck

Better late than never!  My "Heavenly Blue" morning glories are finally in full bloom along one corner of my deck.

Vintage and Junk Finds

I just picked up this rusty gate this morning for $20.  I thought that was a great price. 

More Garden Junk: I've Flipped My Lid!

Last year I purchased the most perfect chippy white barn door.  Here it is from a post in 2013, do you remember it?

I kept the whole vignette pretty calm and neutral, but not this year.  

For this year, I amassed a small collection of enamelware pot lids, a small rectangular crate, a square wood frame (not a picture frame, a part off of something), a rusty wire soap dish and rustic sign.

Now to put them on the door!

Outdoor This and That 17: Another Framed Lobelia & Clipart

With the success of this Techno Heat Lobelia in the frame both in the garden and on my blog, I am repeating the project this year.

Vintage Milk Cans & Trying a New Distressing Technique

I love vintage milk cans!

Here is my vintage milk can #1.  It has a wonderful all rust patina, and is a perfect accessory in my junk gardens...

I also used it here in my outdoor Christmas vignette.

This is my milk can #2.  This milk can has spent some time under my covered patio so it's a little less rusty than milk can #1, but equally at home in the garden...

Or, in a fall outdoor vignette.

At the right of the potting bench is my vintage milk can #3.  This can was spray painted gold with blue trim when I found it.  Now that it has weathered, I like it much better.

Here is my vintage milk can #4.  It's just the top!  I purchased it at a garage sale for $2.  

This is milk can #5.  I got this old can from my neighbors at the end of 2013, and it will be new to my gardens and vignettes in 2014.

This is milk can #6, and also new to me.  Besides a little dust, this 2 gallon can has a country paint job.  It is an honest to goodness milk can, just smaller than the others.  It is marked Security.  

I really would have preferred the milk can to be unpainted, but rather stripping the paint, I opted to repaint it.  First with a light gray latex base coat, and then a coat of Annie Sloane Chalk Paint in Old White.

Rather than sanding to distress the can, I used a wet rag sanding/distressing technique that I found here (and on several other blogs too).  This technique would allow me to have a distressed paint finish without sanding and possibly sanding off my gray base coat revealing the old gold paint layer.

This is how my first attempt at wet rag sanding turned out. It really was pretty easy.

I then chose this milk cap graphic from Knick of Time Interiors for a milk can label.  I used the Mod Podge image transfer method from Homeroad to add the label to the milk can.

The label is in place and it's time to wax with clear wax and then dark wax.

 I will be using this milk can indoors since I painted it with chalk paint and paste waxed it.  I'm glad I tried the wet sanding technique and that I have two additional milk cans!

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My Vintage Living Room

I have not posted much lately.  With working 32 hours per week, and trying to get some spring cleaning done, I have not tackled many projects.  I have a few decor changes in my living room.

Let's start on the left corner with my antique china cabinet.  A vintage gold mirror hangs above it, the Infant of Prague, a globe and my Bible and prayer book collection are on top.  Vintage Cupid Awake, and Cupid Asleep, The Light of the World print, and other vintage art hang to the sides of the china cabinet.  A prayer plant in a McCoy Jardiniere sit on the floor to the left.  

My Love of English Country Decor

I have been blogging for a little over two years now.  When I think of decor styles in blogland, I think mostly French Country, Farmhouse Country, Junk Style and Contemporary.  Am I wrong?  I work at a furniture store, and basically I think most of our inventory is contemporary, rustic contemporary and industrial with a little traditional, transitional.

Me, I am vintage about 100% of the time, but I dabble in farmhouse, English Country, kitsch, lodge, romantic country and junk style.  I live in a home built in 1954 with a door on every room.  No open concept here.  My living room has a white traditional fireplace mantel with dental molding and a gold and crystal chandelier (that I don't want to change).  Antique furniture and accessories work well in my living room.

But I have caved some to pressure.  I packed away some of my Royal Albert bone china teacups and saucers, some of my blue willow, and some of my figurines.  I have toned down some of my patterns and color, but you know what?  I like the changes.

Dog figurines made the cut in my living room redecorating!  While I packed away many figurines and some lady head vases, my dog figurines remain on display.  This vintage figurine is made by Enesco.

Calm, Neutral and De-Cluttered in the China Cabinet

Today I finished re-decorating, and de-cluttering my antique china cabinet.  I had given you a sneak peek of the top two shelves, that are filled with white ironstone, a typewriter and my camera collection.  Now for the rest!

Bingo Cards, Buttons, & a Junky Little Drawer

I love buttons!  I have had a great button stash for a long time thanks to my mom and my grandmas.  I pinned this bingo card recently from cdiannezweig with a plan to do something like it.

More "Organized" Kitchen "Clutter"

Wall number two of my kitchen makeover is a difficult wall to decorate, and even harder to photograph with two windows, and a window in the door.  I hung my newly re-purposed drawer shelf in between one window and the door, simply and rustically decorated with a small canister and a grater.

A New Kitchen Wall Display

My new kitchen wall vignette begins with a board...

This old piece of tongue and groove barn wood, specifically.  I got it free from my sign painter friend Jodi, of Mann Made Signs.  Jodi paints great signs on barnwood.  

"Times They Are a Changin" in my Kitchen

I have lived in this house for over 20 years, and I can hardly remember a time that I didn't have this shadow box on my kitchen wall.

This is it today.  Not redecorated since I removed my Valentine's Day items.

The pine shadow box was not painted when I purchased it.  It was stained in a dark stain with no varnish or polyurethane.  It was perfect for my cutesy country decor in the 1990's.

Old Stuff That Is New To Me

I am constantly on the lookout for old stuff.  Here are my newest "old" finds.

This is the knob on a great old walking stick.

My First Re-Purposed Kitchen Ware Tiered Stand

There have been many things I wanted to try since I became a blogger.

I recently tried Annie Sloane Chalk Paint for the very first time.  I made my first sign with the graphite letter tracing technique.  I printed a shamrock on a dictionary page with the word shamrock.  I made a book page Christmas tree.  I got a Silhouette Portrait for Christmas.  (I haven't tried it yet).  You get the idea.  After you see great ideas on other blogs or Pinterest, you just want to try it yourself.

I bet I could make a great tiered stand like Susan at Homeroad.  This one was made with wooden bowls.

Or like the "Queen of the Tiered Stand", Angie at Knick of Time Interiors.  This one is fabulous with vintage enamelware.  Angie and Susan both sell tiered stands in their Etsy shops.

Well not so fast!!!!!!  It wasn't quite as easy as I thought.  

Here is a vintage Jello mold and a pie pan, and a wooden rolling pin.  I planned to have the tiers 6" apart, and planned to use a double sided screw on the top tier, and a single screw on the bottom.

Clipboard Copy Cat

If you follow my blog, you know that I have been clipboard crazy lately.

I made a Clipboard Gallery Wall.

A President's Day Vintage Vignette

I bet you don't decorate for President's Day.  I have a small collection of presidential memorabilia that I have just put out on display in my living room in honor of President's Day.

I started a President's Day vignette with a wooden crate turned upside down on my coffee table.

Next I added a pair of Abraham Lincoln gold plaster bookends.  I just purchased these yesterday thrifting for $4.

Next I added four old books "Kennedy", "The Boys of '76", "Boyhood Adventures of Our Presidents" and "The Life and Selected Writings of Jefferson".

Then I propped a vintage framed Teddy "Roosevelt Creed" against the books.

Next a "Carter/Mondale" campaign button, Eisenhower silver dollars,

And a "Roosevelt" campaign button (that was my dad's, all on a scrabble tile wooden holder).

Lastly, I added a vintage Statue of Liberty and Empire State Building vintage souvenir thermometers, mainly to balance out the vignette.

Also on display for February is my George Washington flow blue plate.

I am displaying this plate with other blue and white transfer ware on a wall in the living room.

Also this plate of the all the presidents through John F. Kennedy.

I added it to my portrait plate wall also in the living room.

I hope you enjoyed my small collection of presidential collectibles!

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