Apron Giveaway!

This is my one hundredth post! 100! Thats a lot. So, to celebrate I'm giving away a cute little vintage apron. I have also listed new aprons in my Etsy shop. Check out the cute aprons here.

There are several pinprick size holes in the body of the apron and in the end of the ties. It appears to be commercially made, but is super cute.

I love new followers, but you are not required to become one to enter. So just go to my Etsy shop and look over the aprons then come back and tell me which one you like.
Because of high international shipping I need to limit eligible entries to the United States only. I will keep the giveaway open until September 7 at 5pm. Then I will draw one lucky name from all the comments. Good luck to all.
Thank you so much for stopping by.
Jeannine

Simple Dinner Tablescape

Hello all,
I know many of you are in sweltering heat like we are here in California; others are wondering why it has to rain in August.

I'm linking to Tablescape Thursday over at Between Naps on the Porch. Be sure to check out all the other tables and say hello to Susan!

I thought I would put a simple tablescape together using a set of plates we bought on clearance last year at Pier 1 Imports. We bought eight place settings, but I only used four for this simple table. These plates are not very bright in person, but photographed well. they are going with my daughter's fiance to college. He is moving into his first apartment from the dorm and needed some a lot of things. Daughter had already claimed them but her roommates had dishes.

The napkins were clearance at Kohl's last October. The everyday glasses are fom Target, seven years ago!

The flatware is my everyday Community by Oneida, 26 years old this month. (Happy Anniversary, Sweetheart)
The teapot is from Jordan.
I have been disappointed in my roses this year. Poor performing and I can't keep the aphids off. Now with the hot weather they look better.
Thanks for stopping by. Hope you all can keep cool.
Jeannine

Mix Up Your Dishes

I recently "like"d Mikasa Dining on Facebook. They have great new patterns out from sweet to modern to classic. Today they sent a link to show how by adding a few solid color plates to a pattern or a a few pattern plates to a solid set you can extend the looks of your favorite pattern. Check out the video here.


This pattern is one we purchased at an estate sale last fall.  It has a sweet floral by Mikasa.  I'm going to try out the mix and match idea with it soon!
 
Let me know how you like to enhance your dishes with solids or florals.  Can't wait to see.
Jeannine

Giveaway @ French Garden House

French Garden House is one of my favorite blogs for pure eye candy. And now she is having a lovely give away of an Heavenly Hostess apron and a Romantic Homes book. Please jump over there and check out the interview with Cynthia of Heavenly Hostess. And enter to win.




Thanks for stopping by and have a lovely week.
Jeannine

Soup Tureen Bargain!

Today we went to a few garage sales in town. We aren't really on the hunt for anything. Husband saw this soup tureen and thought it was great for the price: $5! How can you beat that!

Last Wednesday was our 26th anniversary. We went to dinner and a movie so I didn't get a tablescape down. I hope to do one for next week.

Have a lovely weekend.
Jeannine

Bargain Chairs

I'm linking with a few parties this week. First is Metamorphosis Monday with Susan at Between Naps on the Porch.




Updating 8/12 to join in with Miss Mustard Seed's Furniture Friday. Check out the good stuff here.

I love joining in with Style Feature Saturday at Perfectly Imperfect. Shaunna is our hostess.


These chairs were found at the same garage sale as the heavy dresser I wrote about here. They were stored in a storage locker for years and became very dried out.

They were also very dirty. I washed them down with a wet rag. I didn't want to put too much effort into them as they had no finish and were a little rickety. Husband reglued and then I tried the spray paint. Didn't satisfy. Spray paint marks. Ick.

All Cleaned.

They also received the paint brush treatment with the Elegant Lace color of paint by Glidden. Much improved.
These are going to college with Daughter's BF. If they fall apart, I won't really care. They were only $5 each!
Thanks for looking!
Jeannine

Dressing the Table for Dinner

I find it a necessary part of serving dinner to family or friends to go out my way to set the table for dinner. Recently Husband, Daughter & BF and I went to a family birthday dinner, for 21 people. Usually Husband.s Mother uses lovely stoneware and crystal. Another relative talked her into fine Chinet this time however. Personally, I don't mind doing the dishes. All the fun people hang out in the kitchen anyway!

Recently Miss Mustard Seed posted about this very idea of setting a lovely table for any meal. I asked if I could share with you all because I couldn't say it better. So check out Miss Mustard Seed here.

Let me know what you think. There is a time and place for paper plates, don't get me wrong. But I love serving off my estate/garage sale china.
Thanks for stopping in and visiting.
Jeannine

Milk Glass Tablescape

Hello sweet friends.
First, thanks to Kelly Howard for telling me about the milkglass dish set we found last week at an estate sale. They are made by Indiana Glass co. and are the Harvest design. Second, Join Susan at Between Naps on the Porch for Tablescape Thursday.
This past weekend we found the same exact snack sets for much more at a different estate sale. I convinced Husband not to get them. We only need so many at a time and I'd rather have a good deal.

And because Husband liked these so much he decided to do a tablescape with them.

Husband loves the contrast idea of the black and white so that is where he started. But then he wanted a shock of color. The cupcakes are French Vanilla with vanilla frosting. The fruit is always bright.

The blown glass heart is our wedding cake topper-from 26 years ago. It had a little hook on the front and a pair of bells hung from it. It broke off years ago. We/I had fully intended back then that we would have a great big anniversary party at 25 years, buy a little blown glass 25 and hang it there. We wnet to a baseball game, which I loved, instead of a party. But wasn't this topper just perfect for 1984?
Husbands favorite color combination is the blue and orange. It worked really well here with the black and white.

I hope you enjoyed this tablescape. Husband had a great time thinking of his accesories and putting it togehter. It is a lot of fun going to estate sales with him. He makes friends with the dealers and bargains for better prices.
Thanks for visiting and make sure you check out the other tablescapes at Between Naps on the Porch.
Jeannine

Buffet Refinished

Edited on January 22, 2011:  I'm adding to Perfectly Imperfect's Furniture Style Feature.  Go here to check out the other makeovers.


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I decided to join Miss Mustard Seed for Furniture Feature Friday. Check out the other great re-dos here.
I'm also linking to Style Feature Saturday at Perfectly Imperfect. I love what Shaunna does.
You have to check out all the lovely inspiration on Metamorphosis Monday with Susan at Between Naps on the Porch. I've linked this post here as well.


About a month ago we found this dresser/buffet at a garage sale around the corner from our house. It was beautiful and massive. The lady came down from $25 to $20 on it and even drove it over to our house in her truck. There was no way it would fit in my Jeep Liberty. And is this baby heavy!

I have dreamed of having a buffet like this but unfortunately it won't be a permanent resident. I have NO space for it. It is 70 inches long, 33 inches high and 20 inches deep. Much larger than the average dresser.

All of the pulls were still on it and in great shape so I decided to reuse them. It also has a few decorative medallions on the front which I didn't think should be painted as they would make the little door pull look funny.

There are two drawers behind the double doors in the middle. (Sorry I forgot a pic of that.)

I wanted to try the spray paint method as it seems to be popular. So we bought 4 cans of Antique White Rustoleum. After cleaning it with a deglosser and taping and papering off the drawer insides, I got to work.

This was not a good decision for two reasons: I have arthritis and it killed my hands pushing the sprayer and waving the can over the furniture, and I hate the way it covered. I could still see spray marks even after three coats and Husband giving it a go.

So we went back to Home Depot and picked up a gallon of Glidden in Elegant Lace, eggshell finish.

Then I brushed one coat on the dresser and the drawers. Sooooo much better! After it dried 24 hours I used sandpaper and distressed the edges. It had a lot of wear and tear, especially around the legs so there was no way I would be able to leave in un-distressed. I rubbed the whole girl down with lemon/beeswax oil. Then back went the pulls.

What do you think? I think it looks slightly French, very sweet. As I said, however, she can't move in. And she's too sweet to go with Daughter's 20 year old BF for his first apartment. She is for sale. But you will have to come visit sunny Central California to pick her up. I'll serve tea and scones on real china should you stop by.
Thanks for checking in on me.
Jeannine

Edited: I'm linking to Before and After at Debbiedoos. Check out the other links.