The Junk Cabinet

Remember the cabinet that I found along the side of the road for free?

Well, I brought it inside and gave it a good cleaning. It must have been in a barn for years and needed some major elbow grease! We also cut off the decorative finials so that we could set it on the ground (it was originally made to be hung on a wall).

I took the doors off since they weren't anything special and thought I would use it for a bookcase for now.

It's pretty rustic, isn't it?? And can you believe I didn't paint it!! I really liked the original wood on it. It has all kinds of pieces of wood nailed together, which I think makes it special.

I'm not sure that I'm keeping it since it takes up a lot of space that I don't really have. We'll see!

Fun Stuff

Like mother, like daughter.

I'm afraid I am passing my neurotic painting tendancies onto my child.

Oh, well, I suppose it could be worse, right?

She was pretending to paint our island...

You go girl!

And, onto a little project I was working on today.

Just because I'm a project kind of girl. But I'm sure you know this by now.

This piece of leftover wood was leaning against the wall in our paint room and everytime I saw it I thought - I have got to do something with that!

I decided to try painting a chandelier onto the piece and lightly whitewash the whole thing with white paint mixed with water.

I put it behind our sofa in the family room, but who knows how long it will stay there! That wall gets changed pretty regularly.

Cause I just can't make up my mind about it.

And just for fun, here's a little vintagey-looking blouse that I picked up at the thrift store. Love the feminine lacey details!

sunday afternoon

my favorite part of the week.

ever.

sitting out on my porch.

in the sunshine.

piles of mags to read.

cold drink with a straw.

flip flops on.

ella fitzgerald playing on my pandora station.

if you are wondering why i'm not using any caps, it's because my sad keyboard is not working right due to some water spillage. pardon me.

ahem.

anyway. here's a squeeler for you. on the way to church this morning, i spied this dilapidated cabinet by the side of the road.

with a sign that said free. plus free delivery. helllllo!

you know i can't even fathom not taking it.

even if it is old. and falling apart. and the hubs is saying where are you going to put it, we don't have time to work on it, you are crazy, etc, etc.

remember, i'm the dreamer and he is the practical one.

oh, my.

i guess i won this time.

here is the front of it...


and here is the back...

a dear older couple just dropped it off. just for me. it's actually a cabinet to hang on a wall and it's upside down.

can't wait to see what i can do with it. or maybe it's just destined for the trash pile. we shall see.

junk by the side of the road, how do i love thee

let me count the ways.

1. you are old
2. you have chippy paint
3. you were lovingly built by hand
4. you are begging me to take you
5. and most important, you are FREE.

holla!

In need of inspiration

Ever needed inspiration? Like in a really, bad way?

This week seems to be DEVOID of inspiration. Sometimes the monotony of wiping noses and making breakfasts, lunches, and suppers just about drives me out of my mind.

AND I've been doing some really dumb things.

Like accidentally putting a disposable pull-up in the washer. (ever do that? it makes a total MESS!)

The next day I started a load of laundry and came back later to discover that I never put the dirty clothes in.

Sigh.

Then I spilled water on my keyboard and now I can't use capital letters or the exclamation mark. (I'm using my work computer now)

Yes, it's been one of those weeks.

BUT.

The sun is shining and SPRING IS COMING!! I can feel it. The birds are singing, the tulips are budding and it feels amazing!

From bad to beautiful!

Here's my latest project and I'm really thrilled with how she turned out!

She's an entertainment center/buffet, and she needed A LOT of scrubbin' and lovin'! I was happy to rescue the poor dear! Here's a before shot.


She looks so sad, doesn't she? All dirty and brown and the handles are falling off...



And here's what she looks like now!


Aaahh, what a couple coats of white paint will do to freshen things up, right?


I considered replacing the handles, but I'm so glad I didn't. Don't they just look Frenchy and perfectly shabby? Yes, I think so.



I love how all the details come to life when I distress the edges. It's going into the French Farmhouse, so if you want it in your house, let me know!

Oh, by the way, have you ever visited The Inspired Room? I've been a fan of Melissa's blog for a long time and always get super-inspired when I visit! And she featured me this week! Go check it out!

Featured

I was interviewed by my new blogger friend Jenny at her adorable site Bailey & Me 2. I know, can you believe someone thought I was interesting enough to interview?!!

Blows my mind.

So if you want to find out why I blame my mom for my constant need to decorate, or if you're curious what my favorite type of cheese is (HA!), head on over to her blog!

Thanks for featuring me Jenny!

Mason jar soap dispenser & sneak peaks!

I saw this idea at Heather Bullard's blog and thought it was so cute! A soap dispenser made out of a canning jar. Who would've thought?

So I made one of my own with the hubs' help. Here are step-by-step instructions that Heather gives.



And here are some sneak peeks at what I've been working on! Yay!!

Here's a entertainment center/buffet that I'm in the process of finishing up. More pics to come of the finished product, and it's going into the French Farmhouse!




And I am so excited to get my hands on THIS!

LOVE all that detail!! This is part of a set of four chairs and a round kitchen table. Isn't it just so yummy?! Cannot wait to see what it looks like when it's done. Although it's probably the biggest project I've undertaken and may take a while! Wish me luck!

Have a great week friends!

Tomato Soup with Pancetta

I just had to share this recipe I got out of Giada de Laurentiis' cookbook Giada's Family Dinners. I've made it SO MANY times and am in love with it! You must try it.

Tomato Soup with Pancetta

Ingredients
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 3 ounces pancetta, chopped (I substitute bacon - oh, yeah!)
• 1 small onion, chopped
• 3 (3/4-inch-thick) slices rustic rye bread (each about 5 3/4 by 3 3/4 inches), cubed
• 6 cups canned low-salt chicken broth
• 1 (28-ounce) can diced tomatoes with juices
• 1/4 cup coarsely chopped fresh basil leaves
• 1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
• 1/4 teaspoon dried crushed red pepper flakes
• Salt and freshly ground black pepper
• 1/4 cup mascarpone cheese (I substitute cream cheese)
• 1/4 cup sour cream

Directions
Heat the oil in a heavy large pot over medium heat. Add the pancetta and saute until crisp and golden, about 5 minutes. Add the onion and saute until tender, about 3 minutes. Add the bread and toss to coat with the pan drippings. Saute until the bread is crisp and golden, about 5 minutes. Add the broth, tomatoes, basil, oregano, and crushed red pepper. Bring the soup to a boil, then reduce the heat to medium-low. Cover and simmer until the flavors blend, about 10 minutes. Season soup with salt and pepper.

Stir the mascarpone and sour cream in a small bowl to blend. Ladle the soup into bowls. Spoon a dollop of the mascarpone mixture atop the soup and serve.

Enjoy!

Are you watching the Oscars? This is the first time ever that I'm actually watching most of it.

It's amazing the dumb questions that interviewers ask the actors. I mean really! "What's your favorite part of the Oscars?" Get a little more creative, people!

Kitchen Cart

I picked up this sweet little old kitchen storage cart from the thrift store for a couple dollars and I just love it! I've been on the lookout for a cart like this - chippy, retro, and a bit worn.




The chalkboard was made out of an old (heavy!) mirror. I painted the frame white and spray painted the mirror with chalkboard paint.


Love me some chalkboards!



I got the idea to use this metal Ikea plant stand-thingy from Lola B's. I'm using it as a lazy susan on our kitchen table. You can find it in the gardening section of Ikea.


I think it adds character, and I love that it has castors! I store spoons & forks in the number mugs that I found on clearance at TJ Maxx and the French butter dish was an awesome and absolutely perfect gift from my friend Sheila!

The French Farmhouse

Some of you have asked me how I have room in my house to put all my furniture finds.

Here's the answer: my house is bursting at the seams!

SO. I've decided to list some of my favorites for sale on a separate blog called The French Farmhouse.
Items listed right now include this unique side table:



As well as this one:


And, yes, I'm selling my beloved Josephine!! The tears are flowing! But I know that whoever buys it will love it as much as I do!


If you are interested in any of my pieces and live in the Lancaster, Pa area, send me an email at maweaver1@gmail.com. I'll be listing more furniture pieces in the coming days and weeks, so keep checking back!

Happy Monday!