Tuesday, November 30, 2010

~awesome giveaway for you!~

Good morning bloggy friends!

I hope you all had a fantastic Thanksgiving!
We did .... lots of family ~ dinner turned out wonderful & yes, we certainly had plenty of chairs.......:)
and a table....(bonus!! ;) )


I'm so excited to share this wonderful giveaway with
you!!!


Talk about cottage charm.....
one of you will get to add some ~serious cottage charm~
to your cottage with a classic porcelain enamel sign

by a wonderful company in Denmark



these beautiful signs are old-fashioned,
hand stenciled signs featuring original
design, thick and glossy enamel, and a
30 year warranty!


the winner can choose either a number plate or name plate,
similar to these, but there are lots to choose from! Lots of colors & styles to suit your home perfectly....




aren't they just beautiful???

so old fashioned european.....
reminds me of something you would find in a quaint little
village in the English Countryside.....

be sure to check out their website


To enter:

Be a follower ~ let me know if you already are~ one entry
Leave me a comment telling me what sign you would order!
(two entries)
Post on your sidebar or on your blog
(three entries)


Good Luck!!!

Contest ends this Friday December 3rd at 8pm PST

Winner will be announced Saturday Dec. 4th


Talk soon my friends!


xoxo,


Shellagh



Friday, November 19, 2010

~a chair fetish perhaps?~

Happy Friday everyone!


It has been a stormy week in the Pac NW~
but today there's blue sky and it's definitely
starting to feel like winter....36 degrees
this morning!! BRrrrrrrR!



I may have mentioned my chair fetish.....no?
well.....um....yes, it's true
major fetish.

Let's start by the definition of the word fetish....

fet·ish   /ˈfɛtɪʃ, ˈfitɪʃ/  
[fet-ish, fee-tish]
–noun

1. an object regarded with awe as being the embodiment or habitation of a potent spirit or as having magical potency.  (not so much)

2. any object (such as a chair), idea, etc., eliciting unquestioning reverence, respect, or devotion:  
 

 
I really don't know when it started ~ but
some years ago for sure.

I like chairs.
I like to find chairs.
I like to buy chairs.
I like to sell chairs. (? I do?)
I like chairs.

So let's recap my latest chair
shall we say "escapade"

es·ca·pade:/ˈɛskəˌpeɪd, ˌɛskəˈpeɪd/
–noun
1. a reckless adventure or wild prank.
(hmmmm, it could be argued....) 
2. an escape from confinement or restraint.
(now that could have something to do with it!
a break from sewing was needed, possibly...?) 

It all started with an
amazing antique farm table
I found in a store
in Portland....

didn't have my camera, but it looked like
swedish pine~ that really yummy
light wood w/ the most amazing patina...
I was in love.


It was $2000.


So, with visions of yummy pine
wood patina dancing in my head.....
I headed to craigslist to see what could be found.....

and hastily found this...


$75 for the french country table & 4 chairs.

Mr. T & T and I ran off (an hour away...eek)
to look at it early one Saturday morning
I mean $75? really?

sold.

brought it home ~ set it up~
kids loved it (it was newer after all....)
I mean, they seem to be tiring of vintage
everything.....(wha????)

and

I lived with it for a few days

but deep down I knew
it wasn't going to work.

nope.

something wasn't right.

couldn't really pinpoint it.

just not right.

so I sold it.

while no-one was paying attention
(kids at school, Mr. T & T working,
dog asleep.....)


oh and I had already sold the
table that had been replaced.....I mean, we can't have this stuff just stacking up around here right?
So it was out of "necessity" I had to start perusing
the craigslist ads......

well, I found these.....(I know, not exactly a dining table....)
but I have this spot in my family room begging for a pair of chairs....



but they were too small....too flimsy...not right at all....

of course I can't seem to figure this
out before I buy something and drag
it home....
so I...
relist....and
sell....

and move on to the next......



cute, but alas too small & shrimpy
and felt a little grimey.... I got
 immediately creeped out after
taking them out of my car...

ugh.
I almost took them straight to goodwill
but used a lot of self control,
and humbly, most feebly, asked Mr. T & T
to put in our already stuffed garage....
explaining...

I ..... um.....don't like them....
*cough, cough*

so I....
relist.....and
sell....
and move on to the next.......


ok....we have here 2 very fine wingback
chairs.....neutral in color
so not too offensive to live with while
waiting for slipcovers....

they look nice in the spot
they are meant for....

can you believe I bare my soul
like this to you?

you will surely think "she's lost it"

the kids love them...........
"mom, don't sell them....please....."


um...
well....


shhhhhh......come close.....so I can
whisper in your ear.....
"they aren't comfortable....."

really?
we can't figure this out ahead of time?

nope.  apparently not.


so I....
relist....and
sell....
you know the routine....

and move on to the next......


you think I'm kidding?I wish I were,
this is flat out embarrassing....!

you think I'm sick? possibly.....



the most recent acquisition
2 lovely club chairs....

but I wisened up with these 2...
I measured the space....
I double checked all chair dimensions....
I asked a lot of questions....

I drove 45 minutes away...
I purchased them.

I like them.
they are comfortable.
they are neutral.
they fit.
I think I'll keep them.
:)

 
you'd think I could be done talking today.....nope.
more chair adventures to come....



shall we continue?

ok. let's.

well, you still remember I sold the dining room
table?
and the newest one?
and Thanksgiving is next week............yikes!



I really wish I had 6 of these....then my troubles
would be over.....

(you can see I started messing around recovering them,
right about the time my etsy store opened so I've had
very little time to finish this project.....only time to run around
the countryside to look at chairs....apparently......)


but I only have 2....

so I need to find more chairs......I found these at a steal.....
of course they need some help....
some fixing...
some painting...

but I like them.
a lot.



sorry about the blurry photo guys!

I primed one, real quick, to get an idea of what
they would look like w/ a new paint job






they have beautiful lines,
and came with chair pads.....

plan: prime & paint
replace worn through caning w/
plywood (no-one will see w/ the chair pads)
recover cushions w/ vintage french hemp
purchased off etsy.....
enjoy....

then I saw this picture


which helped solidify my decision.....
although I wouldn't decorate the room
like this, I love them painted &  paired
with the wingback chairs.

one more thing to show you.......
yet more chairs!!


6 more chairs came into my life
one day after I found the above chairs....

as luck would have it.....
I really needed to replace our breakfast
table chairs....

and these were practically a giveaway...


they are very vintage/antique, and sturdy as can be~
and the rush seats are completely intact
and in perfect condition!




I'm thinking they're going to need a paint job
as well......but I'm really happy with them!

What do you think?

You think me crazy??
:)


well there is definitely the possibility of that!

 
but now you know what I've been up to when not sewing....
and you know what I do that makes my
family insane....if not slightly unsettled....as to what they
might come home to or to what might be missing.....


you have the most recent edition of the Ticking and Toile
chair escapades......



 


Have a great weekend friends!




xoxo,




Shellagh



































 

~*~

Tuesday, November 9, 2010

~cozy cottage~

Hello friends!


Talk about awol....sheesh...
it has been awhile~ huh?


it seems posting takes so much more time
now due to the new picture format blogger uses...
has anyone else been struggling with this?


it seems like way more steps now~
but anyhoo.....I came across this cute
cute cute house/cottage/mill/home
and had to share!!


and it really fits the bill.....since it's so rainy &
blustery here ~ I figure this will warm all of
us up!



how about snuggling up for a nice
cup of tea & a good magazine
in this comfy chair next to
that adorable fireplace.....
{ok mega run on sentence here}

just in case you missed the fireplace
at the beginning....I guess it's actually
a woodstove...


which I'm quite fond of lately ~
so cozy, no?


this cottage used to be an old flour and textile
mill!  If you can imagine this.....there was
at one time 200 tons of rubble in the middle of
this sitting room!  wow!!

this U shaped kitchen island used to be
the counter in an old candy store.....it's perfect!


This time of year always makes me yearn
for warm colors like in these red stools & the flannel throws here & there.
If you have a nice neutral backdrop this kind of
look is easy!



here's a closeup of the wood on the island....
I don't know what it
is about a wonderful patina on wood but
I just want to pet it! ha ha ;)

seriously....I do...

these counters look like soapstone?
I like the black mixed in.


so on a side note...I have to use picasa web albums
to post pics now....anyone else?
Ok...just curious!


cute sewing machine!

another side note....mine died....yep ~ died & buried!
so amidst all the other things going on, I've been
searching for & found a new machine.....
yay!

  there are actually quite a few
old singers out there....I didn't get one, but
was tempted because I have heard they are
real work horses!

{yet, one more sidenote....you know google ads?  well you know
they scan your post for content to see what to advertise...
so anyway I'm just sitting here wondering if they will
advertise, um coffins due to my "dead & buried" comment....
or maybe horse gear?  saddles & such??
or maybe mill stuff???
just wondering......;)

ok back to our regular scheduled (well not so regular you could argue...)
program....}


more wood patina...yummy...
and books.....yum.
love books...
love books & chairs together....
I could sit in a bookstore and browse
through books for HOURS....


I honestly cannot believe Thanksgiving
is in less than 2 weeks!
yikes!
{yes technically another random side note....um..yeah.}


isn't that bed amazing? and
more floors to drool over look at...



someday I will have a tub like this....
what a perfect little bathroom....


well it's time for me to get back to work~
hope you all have a wonderful day!

next post is something along the lines
of "chair escapades"
having to do with craigslist.....
you can't believe it....

anyway ~ talk soon!


xo,


Shellagh



{all images via Period Living}







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