A Quick Kitchen Table Primitive Makeover

Today Friends, we visit with the toilings 

That Were

The Projects That Were Started Last Week!

Like a lot of us, we have a room that is an odd size with 

maybe...

Just maybe...

Too many doors and walkways, etc...

And we struggle with its practicality and use,

&

Ability to have the size of furniture that we would prefer to have in it...

So, 

With a Semi-Functioning Adult Brain at the ready,

I Remembered that we had some old Ladder Back Chairs in the Basement!

Pictured Above is the Pintrest Inspiration that set all of this in motion!

And this inspo is the one that solidified it!

Going into the 'Ber Months with a gothic heart, how could I not, 

AND I MEAN  N O T!

I had never considered painting the rushed seats before...

Our chairs were originally purchased in the wild of the Olde Hadley Flea Market,

Which sadly is no more... moment of silence for those times of old...

I'm not crying, you are.

Okay,

We are all crying!

The song playing in the background as I write this is "Fix You" by Coldplay...

Oof...

Anyway,

The rushed seats of our chairs were not in the best condition, 

and they had been the subject of many scratchings of kitties...

so,

LET THE PAINT BE THE GLUE!!!

In our finest hour of the Fine For Now Mentality!!!

I started 

with the chair 

that I thought 

was the one in

 the worst condition...

Turns out that the Pink one there...

All along the back 

Most of the strands were completely broken!

oh noooooo...

*Here's my tip*

Get yourself a plastic putty knife

so 

That when you are plastering these types of things down

you can save your fingers by not touching the hot hot lava glue!

I knew this well enough, and it made the project of smoothing and securing

so much easier!

I kept onward!

Despite the issues with the rushing

and the Paint!

I said to Paint, "Why do you not like your topcoat? I stir you the way you like,

and still you reject your lovely top...?"

These small cans of paint were bought not long ago...

I just might change brands for all of my Satin Black needs...

But still

I kept onward!

This is just dressing it up 

in the fine way

 I wished!

kk we will keep going!

OH, this too, k thnx Pinterest!

I see you...

The Windsor chairs we have

will need a Satin Black treatment too I see...

More for me to keep my mind off things, sure, sure.

The finish of the Benches we have

Is to dictate the next step!!!

Finally taking their moment in the spotlight, 

because when we ordered them in white, they came in the darker finish with black legs...

Sometime you get what you need....

Now turning the top of the plain pine table from Ikea to match it...

You know the one, its a tiny table with the under $80 pricetag...

If we ever get around to demolishing that old pony wall in the kitchen, 

maybe we will buy a second table to tack on when more (any) people come 

for the dinners or the suppers.... IDK, 

ANYWAY,

I have never. Ever. Applied a stain to raw wood before...

Looks rustic,

I think it fits the brief.

Just don't look close...

I did not mean to say that... ;-)

Hey lookit all of the shoes...

any org tips, 

anyone... anyone...

Future me prob... LOL

Meanwhile

Back at the Pintrest...

Should our Guest Room Look Like THIS...???

Oh Goodnesses and Graces there's Inspo spinning all around me now.

Furniture Edit Coming....

To put in the Basement or to Curb Alert...

That is the Question.

Yes

Yes

Yes!!!!

Cooking up Historical-Adjacent Color Pallets!

Making a list of Behr Paints to get testers made....

Story Time!

My old Apartment was a Block away from an old Mom n Pop Paint Shop,

I used to go in and browse all of the tester pots at the front displays...

$3 bucks a pop, I would fill my arms with all sorts of hues...

I still have a couple left in the basement...

Doubt they're still good, but, if I were to be desperate enough...

I could probably add some water and stir them back into being...

oh yeah,

We came to the end of our over the stove microwave days, 

and...

Finally installed that hood vent that we bought on sale 

way back when we first moved here in '16.

A good old patchy patch job was required for the duct passage, so I got out the wee

bucket of spackle & got stuck in.

Letting that project finally come to an end, 

I guess, really sent me into full steam ahead with the thoughts of a 

"Primitive Styling" for the table and chairs...

I really want to try and give us a Faux Fireback 

type of Backsplash 

for the wall between 

the stove 

and "new" hood vent, etc...

we shall see...

And that's how it got done.

Really trying to get some fun projects done & dusted.

I've been finding it really helpful since we lost the fur loves last year.

I'm really not bouncing back as fast as I thought I would, so I am finding myself taking time to concentrate on the big projects that aren't involving social media. And they are exciting new things, things that are a hope for fullfilment on a very large scale. So, with getting into the grove on those fronts, more writing and music, and videos will be made. And of course I have this new fever for the Primitive decor to drive me into fun - which is so needed for this point of the journey. 

Luck to all, for we are searching now more than ever.

x~JM

The Desperate Search

 

Kids

I’m on a desperate search for inspiration!!!

Remember all the way back to 2015?

It was our last autumn season in the old apartment…

We were beginning to pack things up to move to our current home…

The planning stages for the move 

Feel very similar to the current state of affairs…

There was a lot of energy being spent in preps for total upheaval and change 

And that resulted in very little energy leftover 

For living in the moment.

Every cell in my body 

Revolts 

Becoming the tantrum spewing 3yr old

Who has no conceptual ability 

And no angle on coping 

With this odd

And uninvited 

Alien feeling 

I have on a regular basis 

Become robbed of speech 

Decision making becomes insurmountable.

What’s for dinner 

Who cares…

I am the sort of being who experiences physical 

Ramifications 

If my instinctual flow is disturbed 

It proverbially Clips My Wings

BUT

I’ve found that a lil bit of Adrenaline 

Kickstarts my whole system again…

Which leads me to my studio

Above was my studio from the old apartment 

Here’s my current view from the writing desk…

And as I was setting up the desk…

The the contents of all of the drawers for sorting upon it 

Lol

I saw it! 

Darker walls!!!

Just one wall???

Or keep going…

Which is what I’m leaning towards…

It was only one wall painted in the old studio 

Lookit Charli Girl, so cute

Imagine if 

I did the whole room… 

And added some chalky fun architecture 

Like Rajiv Surendra does so well… 

https://youtu.be/4rmwQIL4W0Y

His tutorial breaks it down so well! 

I have to go dig around in the basement to find me chalky board paints now… 

The real work will be moving the furniture to get to the walls… lol 

Wish me luck, 

XOXO 

Jen

Wait is it Still August? Life & Studio Update?

Month 5...?

of Covid Times

We are still staying home

Not going inside public places...

Hubs is working from home

&

Im still not working...

So, Ive had opportunity to change up the studio...

at first it was to put a good width of distance if clients are here...

now its a full time creative mind, body, spirit haven...

when we first moved in...

there was a big bump out closet with these bi-fold doors...

we have since used these doors behind our bed, painted white... 

looks like some crazy boho paneling.

all of me wee supplies were cozy inside this crazy bump-out...

I would change up the floral swag with the seasons etc...

how cute it was just starting out here at Fox Hill

After some updates...

and the product shelf...

I still have products when I thought we were going to be outta this sooner...

now I consider it a life time supply...?

the original arrangement of all the wee mirrors...

hey there's a face in there too!

all the taxes prepped here...

good times

when I first learned that I was going to have more than a couple of weeks...

well, how could I not start reworking what I never had time to rework...

besides, anything that is assembled...

can be disassembled.

MMMMuuuuuahahahahahahahahahaaa!

Now I have gently used wood pieces for the reusings...

where the closet was... 

this was the first gathering of the things...

anybody need a painting painted???

no really...

the planty friends are very happy...

an assortment of sheer curtains and a misty morning...

captured by the wyze cam...

pretty good light to take the pics for the Olde Etsy Shoppe

Im taking some of the wood for the reusings...

and building some shelves!

these puppies are making it real easy... 

and I can make two nice display shelves...

BARGAIN!!!

here's my pandemic chic ready for the post office, ride along selfie...

I don't think I had a panic attack on this ride...

so...

winning...?

this came in the mail...

lots of tea on the English cottage garden philosophy...

my lil buddy...

hes sitting in the chair next to me now.

first oranges in months...

and a bunch more learnin materials...

one of the volunteer sunflowers

and someone apparently thought I could use a mushroom...

wink wink nudge nudge...

I guess...

anyhoo, I have a call from my therapist in a min

and I hope you all are doing well

take yer vitamins

wear a mask

vote for Biden 

bobs yer uncle

yes

xoxo

 

Summer 2020: gratitude

there are so many things 

going on 

in the world 

right

now

way more than enough

to 

break us all

&

make us want to 

give up

go away

stop 

loving 

living

where 

or when

could we possibly

start 

having normal 

pieces 

fractured lil baby pieces 

of what we thought our lives once were

again

we are so tired

and definitely a good bit pissed off

but 

we need everything we can put in alinement 

so we can put together what the new normal will look like

if the vibe is high enough

we could be in for something really good

that's why I'm making time to focus 

on the good energy

completely 

having moments

not slathered 

in the heavy muck 

that our lives are trying to make it through 

right now

making the decision

to have this moment 

be my 

breath of fresh air

to dive back into the fray

stronger than before.

pink bee balm

stress management tools

cats vs pickles

very soothing

2 pack for 10 bucks

the second wave of Phoebe birds 

we've never had two rounds of chicks before

pretty pretty luna moth

just hangin by the front door

lil kit is excited for me to take an ootd pic

this was my birthday

lookout I'm wearing something 

other than pajamas!

had to bring in some lovely blooms!!!

Columbine that volunteered in the backyard

humming birds loving the red bee balm in the front garden

the first item is up on PainterLeFay 

the etsy shop

but that bee balm tho...

there was CAKE

there could be more cake too...

there is a GF Chocolate Cake Mix in the kitchen

do y'all like mixes as much as I do

making the big twig trellises 

for the bittersweet to climb on

its better than letting the vines climb on everything 

around them and kill all the nice planty friends

wild blueberries

we let the wildlife eat these

these wee lil plants wouldn't really give us 

enough to do anything with

and I really like having something to give the 

lovely lil beings that visit

one of the dandelion puffs from this year

finally got some mosses etc in the faux window box out back

so green

 

the first flush of wisteria was amazing

we've had this baby for 3yrs now

and this is the first year that we are having new buds

second flush is on the way!

the only peony in the garden 

so far

had this one for a year

came back and was so pretty

I think it needs friends!

lilies!!!!

so many lilies!!!

random

I was able to organize my hand sewing kit

and 

my crafty glue gun stuff

in separate containers no less

I'm definitely winning 

ooooo

I almost forgot about the fluffy white iris!

I bought this one last year and I am so pleased that its doing great

it had 4 blooms this year

yay

always glad when things 

survive after my guessing game of new gardener madness

lil Kit being the cute

oooo more lilies

the king of cute

oh, here's that plate that had the cake...

lets circle back to cake...

its not that my devices don't want to put the pics in the order that I want

its that the universe wants us to think about cake again...

I see you universe

agreed

cake is the best thing to think about twice

the new frog pond

I called it that bc I had that lil frog statue to put there...

wait for it...

pumpkin seeds

we shall see if anything really comes of this experiment

close up of our Fairy Grasslands

Black Eyed Susan decided to crash the party

she doesn't know that she has been invited all along

love

her

so 

much

she brought a friend too

I told them both that they are very welcome to stay as long 

as they want

like 

4evaaaaa plzzzzzz

deer have detected the young saplings that grow all around

and maybe a few of our hostas...

I am sad that the plants are lopped with the feasting

but the forest horse wants noms

and noms they will have

I will share

ooooo more lilies

here's the lilac

planted a year ago

one lil section of blooms this year

and they were glorious!

hey...

that's the end of the pics...?

man

I thought there was at least one more pic 

of the froggy in our frog pond

where'd it go

hmmmmmmmmmmmmm

well kk

that's my gratitude break for today...

sigh

why can't we just play gratitude all day...

what are you grateful for today

I wish you all well

wear a mask

vote for Biden

bobs yer uncle

yes!