Monthly Archives: October 2012

Annie Sloan Paint Project Day One

Annie Sloan Chalk Paint! I have been reading about it in all the pins, blogs and magazines for several months now, and last week I visited the Annie Sloan website to find a local dealer. I found one in Mendota! LIE! JOKE! We don’t even have a store of any kind in Mendota! However, there is someone who carries Annie Sloan nearby–in Johnson City, Tennessee. It’s called “The Sparrow’s Nest.”

Mendota, Virginia is about 45 miles from Knob Creek Road in Johnson City, Tennessee where the Sparrow’s Nest is located….just long enough to be considered an event!

We didn’t have any problem finding it.   It’s located in an historic old house that was used in the days of the Underground Railroad! If you visit the Sparrow’s Nest, ask to be shown the trap door that was used so many years ago. Shivers!

Sparrows Nest, Johnson City, Tennessee

I went in and quickly picked out the color of paint I wanted. It is a gray blue called “Duck Egg.” I’ll show it to you a bit further down on this post.

However, there were so many treasures at the Sparrow’s Next. Here’s a few…

Sparrow's Next Vignette

And this…

Sparrow's Nest Halloween Vignette

Lorrie Malcolm, the person who sold me the paint, is also an artist.   She both works and sells her things at the Sparrow’s Nest and mentioned that there were several locally made pieces in the shop.    She was working on a “felting” project which will result in a Thanksgiving turkey.  Here’s a picture of what she has completed so far….

Lorrie Malcolm's Felting at the Sparrow's Nest

Here’s another whimsical piece that Lorrie made.  It’s a really good likeness of “the man in the moon!” If I could afford this, I’d take it home. It was reasonably priced, but I’m on a tight budget right now!

Sparrow's Nest Man in the Moon

And this…for me…this was an inspiration piece…an old frame, a bit of burlap and a stencil and I could make this.  Or I could just go back to the Sparrow’s Nest and buy this one!

Sparrow's Nest Thankful Picture

And doesn’t everyone need a pair of these? I’ve got my eye on them. Ha!

Sparrow's Nest Eyeballs

Now..back to why I ended up at the Sparrow’s Nest. I brought the Annie Sloan chalk paint home.

Annie Sloan Duck Egg Paint

As soon as I got home with the paint, I went upstairs into the loft area of our house and came down the stairs grunting carrying an end table.  Mike looked at me as if I had a third eye and asked, “What are you doing?”  I’ve kept him a little in the dark about this project, so I just replied, “Nothing.” He said, “Oh no…not again!”

Here’s the table before I started painting it.  Boring.

End Table Before Picture

This paint is so pretty…

Annie Sloan Duck Egg

My friend, Sue Gardner, is staying with me for a few weeks, and she helped me. Here she is…painting away!

Sue Gardner painting

And here I am with phase I of this project done!   By the way…can you tell I’ve lost a few pounds? I’m on it baby!

Eva Beaule painting

The good thing about this paint is that there is no prep work. I dusted the end table off and started adding paint. Tomorrow morning we’ll add a second coat, and Friday we’ll probably add the wax. Hopefully, this will be beside the  bed in just a few days looking all fancy.

Another wonderful thing from today…our beautiful Clinch Mountain. I could not live where this mountain was not at my back. It’s getting fancy, too, all bright and beautiful for fall…

Thank you for reading RiverCliff Cottage.

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Hardwood Floor Done!

I have a guest house apartment that I treat like a doll house. It’s fun to make changes, add something here and there, and try different things in this space.

Earlier this year, I set aside a portion of one of my final paychecks from AGC and purchased hardwood flooring for the kitchen and bedroom of the guesthouse. We compared prices with all of the stores that carry hardwood in the area. Finally, we finally purchased our hardwood at Home Depot. (Why Lowes…why did you forsake me???) We ended up with a Bruce prefinished hardwood, and Mike did the installation himself. Slow but steady. He did it!!

Here’s what the kitchen dining area looked like before the hardwood was installed.  It actually looks fine, but the vinyl was cracking.

Here’s the same area after the hardwood was installed this weekend.   We installed our old kitchen light from our house over the kitchen table.  Mike did this as a surprise.   I like it!

I love my dollhouse!

 

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Going Forward

We lived in Cary, North Carolina in the 1980’s and kept a home there until 2000.  The first person we met in Cary was our realtor,  and the second person we met was Garry Gardner. Garry built the house that we were buying which was’t quite finished, so we had to meet with him to discuss finishing options.   He and his wife, Sue,  took Mike and me out to dinner.  It was the first of many dinners and vacations we would share.

We have so many pictures and videos of the years since that time.   Here’s an old picture…I’m trying to remember when and where it was taken.    Check Mike and me out.  I’m Miss Skinny and he looks like Hitler’s brother.   And wasn’t I a little old even then for barretts ?  And folks…I can assure you that was Koolaid we were drinking!  🙂

Garry and Sue came to Virginia about two years ago. It was a visit that culminated all the years of friendship and we had a wonderful time.   He went fishing.  We went to see “Always Patsy Cline” at the Barter.  We sat out on the porch and the night air felt like velvet.   It was the last time I would see him.

Sue called last spring and encouraged Mike to come visit Garry. I didn’t want him to go for reasons that do not really matter.  I’m glad he didn’t listen.   He did go and spent about three days with them at their home in Morehead City, North Carolina.    It was the last three days that Garry would have the strength to work in his shop. He knew his time was short and Mike asked him what he could do. He replied, “don’t forget Sue.”    Mike came home on Sunday and within ten days, we received the call.

So I’m going to Raleigh for a blogger’s conference this weekend, and guess who is coming home with me? Sue!!

Mike has been working hard to get the guest house hardwood finished for Sue’s visit.   She and I are going to be doing quite a few things in the coming week.   Busy.Busy.Busy!    I’ll introduce you to her and take you along.

 

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Rainy Mendota Sunday October 7

It is one gray, rainy Sunday here in Mendota. Mike asked if I wanted to turn the heat on, but I think the gas fireplace will knock the chill off in our house. “Turn the fireplace on”…that is a term that I did not hear until the 1990’s. We used to build a fire in the fireplace, but now we “turn the fireplace on.” We have two gas fireplaces…the one in this picture is a direct vent, and it throws out a very modest amount of heat which is perfect for a day like today.

While the small bit of heat this fireplace throws out is good for today, it’s not enough during the winter. At that point, we use it more “for looks.” There is something about a fireplace and candles that lightens my mood.

I’ve got a candle stuck in one of the bowls of gourds in this picture although it doesn’t show up that well. That’s okay as the prettier part of this picture  is one of my dear girls taking a snooze. That’s Princess Gracie Barker Beaule. She a member in good standing with the American Kennel Club…she proudly mentions this to Luckie daily. Luckie, of course, is of questionable lineage, and as Gracie constantly reminds her, she will never be a member of the American Kennel Club.

Here’s Luckie…it’s an old picture you’ve seen before of her eating her Dogster icey treat. She could care less about Gracie’s snobby remarks.

 Back to candles… I put tea candles everywhere I can. They burn about four hours.

While everyone was sleeping and all these little candles were burning, I decided to cook up a pot of something…

Mums in a Pot!!  Want to eat one?

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Possibilities…

My husband Mike knows me pretty well. Gifts from him? That he picked out? I don’t think so. Maybe once in a while. He did get the iPad right a few years back.

However, yesterday he did buy me something, and I like love it. I may like it as much as that iPad! That’s alot!

While I don’t know exactly how this will be used, I know it will be in the Master Bedroom (the room that it’s pictured in).

It was $9 at an antique store in Church Hill, Tennessee.

I may have to go back with him. I may need two. Or even three. Wonder how one without the glass would look with chalkpaint behind it in the garage as a “Reminder Board?”

It’s going to be a Pinterest night.

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Mendota Daily October 2

In a post last week, I gave you Muriel’s Mom’s Pumpkin Bread Recipe  and I boldly stated I was going to make it that night. Actually, that didn’t happen. I didn’t get it made until today!

I always keep my camera near and on the spur of the moment while starting the bread,  I took this picture.   Here is what the kitchen counter looks like for someone with the attention span of a gnat.     I started getting the ingredients out for the pumpkin bread.  See the canned pumpkin, the flour and some baking powder?  Apparently, I also started unloading the dishwasher while starting to make the bread.  I opened a can of paint to paint on the kitchen foyer, and I was watering a plant.   I see a Mason jar which has white vinegar in it, and I recall using that for cleaning.    I was doing all of these things at the same time.   And…I was taking pictures.   Yikes…please get me on medication!!

Actually, I like doing a lot of things at once.  It works for me.  A few hours later, I was looking at these babies…two little pumpkin breads to take to my neighbor tomorrow morning.  There was a third one but it’s not currently wrapped in a bow!  We’re eating it!

 

That pumpkin bread was easy to make and the batter was so light and fluffy.    I was licking the spoon the whole time I was working with the batter.

I didn’t do too well getting the batter in the pan.  Still, it was delicous when I got it out of the pan!  There are bloggers who focus on how to photograph food.  I haven’t got to read their stuff yet.  I just snap pictures and hope for the best. 

So…I had a paint can on the cabinet as I was touching up the walls on the small foyer area off our kitchen.  I really like this area of the house.  Lisa Snead of Bristol came out a few years ago and painted  some lyrics of one of my favorite songs near the ceiling.  It’s “Keep on The Sunny Side.”  This song reflects how I want to live my life.   It’s also a Carter Family song.  I love it. 

Here’s some not so great picture angles…

Keep on the sunny side of life…always on the sunny side…Keep on the sunny side…it will help us every day…

It will brighten all our way if we keep on the sunny side of life..

It continues on saying…

Let us greet with a song of hope each day though the moment be cloudy or fair..

Let us trust in our Savior…Keep on the sunny side of life.

Also in this foyer is a little whimsey…I like this black cat…she’s after something!

Here’s what she’s after…Mr. Mouse will always be just out of reach!

And when everyone else was in their rooster phase about ten years ago…I joined them..

And I’m still there.   I like my roosters, and in my house, they still are working…still crowing!  I don’t have too many…just a few. 

And then there is this guy…He was so sick last week, but he’s fine now.  He still hates everything.

 Sam the Cat really hates this pink cat carrier.  So girly!

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About September 2012

Wow…September is over!! Did yours go fast? Mine was a September of change. I said a warm goodbye to my first “real” job at AGC GLass Company on August 31. I’d been off most of the summer on a leave of absence so I’d got a taste of not working and I was prepared for the change. Once I knew I was not going back to AGC, I called my pal Sue Cressel and asked if I could work part-time in her business, About Face Aesthetics, Skin Care and Weight Management. She graciously said yes, and I’ve been there about three weeks. I’d helped her a bit in the very earliest stages of her business, and it was something I always wanted to do. And now I’m doing it and really liking it..   Working three days per week allows me to have a little jingle in my pocket,  access to some skincare products that might have been cost prohibitive, and time to spend on other activities that are important to me–like yakking it up here on this blog with you!!

I don’t have a picture for this post, and some of you have noticed that I’m in almost no pictures.   Mike shows up rarely and I show up even less.   Anyway, here’s a picture of me and my beloved Luckie Dog.   Look at how she smiles!   And there are the ever-present gourds from my garden..they are in every picture.  Gourds and vacuum cleaners are my decor accessories. 

I’ve enjoyed blogging, and this week I had my 100th post!   I appreciate your reading  RiverCliff Cottage  It has keep me “on track” on days that I might have been less productive.    Even if I don’t clean the house or check everything off my mental list, I  wonder what I can share that might make you read this blog and return to read it again.   And then I get moving!   Sometimes I succeed and sometimes I do not, but I always try!!  In two weeks I’ll be attending the Southern Bloggers Conference in Raleigh, North Carolina to learn how I can improve the content of this blog.  Keep your fingers crossed!

I love our rural life in Mendota and while I try not to gush about it, I really like sharing it with you.   It is special.   Other projects that I enjoy writing about almost always include the “red thread” of using what is on hand…less about spending money and more about being creative.  It has been rewarding. 

During the month of September, I turned to my dull and boring laundry room, gagged and then changed the look and feel of that space for under $40.   Here’s the results of that project.    Since I live in the country, I like a natural, organic look rather than bling, and it was hard to find a fall wreath that I liked, so I made one!  You can read about that here.     One of the most fun fall projects was making fabric pumpkins.  That post did not get the views that I thought it would, even though I only have about 40 cents in each one….check here if you want to take a second peek!   Please look!   My post last evening was a chalkboard paint project with a Salvation Army find…I enjoyed this project first thing this morning as I brushed my teeth.   Smile!

I love it when you comment and let me know who you are and what you think.    At some time in the future, I’m going to revisit the blog design and make it easier to find the comment section.  I think it takes a little “hunting” right now.   For those of you who hunt and find it, THANK YOU!!   And as for my typing errors, please forgive me. 

I hope October is a good month for you.     Thank you again for visiting RiverCliff Cottage.

 

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