Painted Garden Bench

This morning I finished sanding one bench that "Mr. Wild" made for me last month.

I copied an old farm bench we picked up at a barn sale in South Dakota about 15 years ago.

I wanted that weathered look like my old bench so I painted the bench with Valspar flat gray.

I rubbed candle wax in different areas where the paint would naturally wear.

I then painted it with Valspar flat pastel base (white)
After it was good and dry I started to sand. It was easy to remove the white paint and expose the gray and give it that worn and weathered look.

I chose the flat paint thinking that as time went on it will weather even more. I also did not seal it after sanding so that hopefully it will turn into that old farm look.

And here is a picture from the original post.

This was the first time I've used candle wax.

I could have used more wax and now I see where I could have rubbed it on a little more heavily. I'm starting on the large bench using the same treatment.

Thanks for stopping and please check out these parties....

Linking to:

My Romantic Home for Painted Furniture Party

Faded Charm for White Wednesday

Savvy Southern Style for Wow Us Wednesday

Common Ground for Vintage Inspiration Friday

The Charm of Home for Home Sweet Home

French Country Cottage for Feathered Nest Friday

My Romantic Home for Show and Tell Friday

Homemaker on a Dime for Creative Bloggers' Party & Hop

Jars of Lace....

I'm rearranging my sewing room (sewing corner). My DH put up a couple of long shelves for some of my treasures.

This is only a little more than half of the upper shelf to be continued...once I get everything just right...

I found the large jar at Home Goods last spring for a steal and stuffed it full of old crochet lace along with a few more jars found at the thrift store.

A very large (14") vintage metal clock face that was another steal.

The glass dome was from a cheap plastic clock found at the thrift store...I bought it for the glass dome and kept the clock works.

I was thinking of putting something inside the dome but I don't want to block anymore of the clock face, I'm starting to like it empty the way it is...

I love that old tattered Corticelli box and the old white rose...

And on the left side is my brothers old metal horse, my grandfathers old pocket watch and a very old photograph of my other grandfather...


And his dog tag on the left side from when he was a fireman. He was born in late 1800's and he's quite young here so this had to be taken in very early 1900. He was a fireman in the days of horse drawn firetrucks and I still have his old heavy fireman's hat (number 8) I'll have to post some day!

Thanks for stopping by!

Be sure to check out these parties...linking to....

Faded Charm for White Wednesday

Savvy Southern Style for Wow Us Wednesdays

Faith Grace and Crafts for Pearls and Lace Thursday

Common Ground for Inspiration Friday

French Country Cottage for Feathered Nest Friday

The Charm of Home for Home Sweet Home

My Romantic Home for Show and Tell Friday

Vintage Family Photograph Books

I went down the basement a little while ago to soak a few old pieces of lace and just happened to put something away near the shelf that holds my husbands family's old photo albums.

I haven't looked at them in ages and as I was digging through things it occurred to me I should show some of these neat old books that are hiding in the basement.

One book is a little rough around the edges...Some people are related to my husband and some are friends of the family at that time.

My husbands great grandfather homesteaded here in 1858. We still have a small piece of the land...the oak trees that they did not grub out for farming because there were too many little ponds...more like mud puddles.

The young girl in the upper left is Mary G., the teacher and traveller...Check out this post and see her trunk that I went through last summer and posted about. If you have the time, it's pretty interesting, it was like opening a time capsule. I need to post more about her...I have her old black button up shoes and several other neat things.

Do you suppose they placed that tissue there to cover her stern face!
I lifted it up and went...whoa! I hope she's not a relative!!!

Pretty fancy lady! I'd like to know what and why...and who?

Check out that beard (on the right)...

This larger photo book is a beauty, a mirror surround with red velvet...

All 3 books are full of photos but I don't want to turn this post into a super long one and bore you with a ton of old pictures!

There were several bank books and receipt books from farming in the late 1800's and very early 1900's that I didn't bother to photograph but I liked the look of this old farm ledger

Thanks for taking a look...

Linking to;

Faded Charm for White Wednesday

Savvy Southern Charm for Wow Us Wednesdays

The Charm of Home for Home Sweet Home

Romantic Home for Show and Tell Friday

Common Ground for Inspiration Friday

French Country for feathered Nest Friday

A quick trip to Colorado and a short stop at a couple of sales!

I'm back from my camping trip to Colorado for the rug hooking workshop. It was fun and I thoroughly enjoyed getting away for awhile.

Of course I had to stop at an antique shop on the way home and accidentally found a rather large garage/yard sale I couldn't resist!

I've been picking up these Shawnee flower pots lately and I spotted this little pot in the antique shop. I almost passed up the old white shelf but I'm glad I went back and grabbed it too (covered in South Dakota dust).

A small collection of 'stuff' from both the antique shop and the yard sale. I forgot to include the 2 aqua Ball jars I picked up for $1 each.

I'm trying to gather a bunch of glass towels bars for our next home and about dropped when I spotted 4 of them tied together for really cheap!!! Kind of hard to see here.

2 large tablecloths, the one on the right is Wilendur for sure and I'll bet the other is too, has the same look. They were at the yard sale for a very good price, no holes and a few small stains that will soak out.

And a few white dishes that were in a box for $1.


A rusty Crown bird cage for $5!!!! I couldn't pass that up. I was thinking I might paint it white but let the rust come through...but for $5!!!! How could I not get this and this was at the antique store of all places!


I can't leave out a few shots of Rocky Mountain National Park.

The woman who organized the rug hooking workshop is also a good friend of mine. She took me on a tour of Estes Park and drove us up the mountain to Rocky Mountain National Park. That was the best day! We had delicious buffalo burgers and awesome homemade pie in Estes Park at Molly B's and right next door to my friends summer shop, The Wool Basket, we stopped in a quilt shop called Maggie Mae's. This sweet little woman was just the coolest lady and makes beautiful embroidered quilts.

Thanks for a fun day and great workshop Karen!!!

Thanks for stopping by!!!

Linking to these fun parties....

Faded Charm for White Wednesday

Savvy Southern Charm for Wow Us Wednesdays

Elements Interiors for Whassup Wednesday

My Romantic Home for Show and Tell Friday

Common Ground for Vintage Inspiration Friday

French Country Cottage for Feathered Nest Friday

The Charm of Home for Home Sweet Home

Old Sugar Bowl

I found this old sugar bowl in a box I packed up years ago that were my husbands grandmothers. At the time I didn't like any of it but thank goodness I kept it. The wrapping newspapers were dated 1985. I can't believe it was that long ago. One of these days I'll haul it all upstairs and go thru everything...who knows what treasure I'll find that I thought of as just junk years ago!!!!!

Anyway this sugar bowl looks a lot better here than in person, it's chipped and stained and has a crack on the other side. It was obviously well used. So glad I kept it now...not sure what the DH thinks about it on the mantel.

See you all in a little while...I'm heading west for a rug hooking workshop!

Linking with;

Faded Charm for White Wednesday