It's SUMMER TIME!!!

I planned on posting these projects earlier but have had so much going on I forgot about them...so they are already in the booths!  But here is a closer look at a few projects!

I picked up a simple little side table at an auction a few weeks ago (no I did NOT take "before" pictures!!! Dang it!)  I wasn't sure what to do with it until I found some precious watermelon platters at another auction! 

Inspiration!  And the really great thing is I already had this green paint! 

Too cute!!!  

And I put together several pieces that will make decorating for our country's birthday a snap!!!

Honestly, I didn't set out to do "patriotic" stuff...it just so happens I got in that "groove" and the next thing I know I have several pieces perfect for the 4th! 

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My intention on the little red table was to paint it with white chalk paint and sand it so the red would show through.  That worked great on the legs and bottom shelf but when I began to sand the top ALL of the paint began to peel off in sheets.  So I stripped the top, stained it, and put 4 coats of tung oil on it!  Beautiful!  Sometimes "oops" turns out for the best!

The little stool was blue and red with a Christmas angel on the top.  A little while chalk paint, sanding and a patriotic stool is born!  And the sign...honestly it was leftover cedar from a cast iron bench I am restoring....I glued the boards together, lightly spritzed it with blue paint, painted some white stars and sanded it!  I may leave it as is or I may string white and red burlap ribbon below it...kind of a "flag" thing!  Not sure...it will "speak" to me! 

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It seems like the projects are never ending when you bring home stuff every week from auctions...but I really am enjoying myself!   

So glad I have somewhere to go with it...because as much as I really do LOVE all these pieces, I just have no room!! 

All of these pieces are featured in my booths..... 

Midtown Eclectic Mall...only FOUR DAYS UNTIL OPENING!

The last few days have been hectic....moving stuff in, setting up, organizing.  Craziness.  I have filled TWO booths and have a third "overflow."  Just too much "stuff."  As Brian has pointed out on more than one occasion, I seriously need to learn "moderation." 

Today I have to get everything that is there organized and priced.  As much work as this is, I am excited about this new "venture."   

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Right now I have a lot of things just "crammed" into the space...so there is much work to be done!

I can't thank my family enough for all the help they have given.  Loading and unloading, organizing, advice!  Yesterday Katie spent the day hauling boxes and labeling a few things.  She even walked over and picked up a few tacos for lunch.  Only 20 more days and she can DRIVE over and get us lunch...scary thought!!!  But she is awesome and I was soooo grateful she spent the day with me!

I hope to get the majority of the displaying and pricing done today!  We open on Saturday and I do have a REAL job that requires my time and attention.  Yesterday I worked in the booth until 2ish and then I had to go empty out an apartment and mow and weed eat.  Needless to say I was EXHAUSTED when I got home last night...definitely a pizza night (thank you Matt and Kaitlyn!) 

We watched the replay of my oldest son's football game.  Mitchell is a backup QB for the San Jose Saber Cats.  He played the entire second half Saturday night and since I slept through the game (dang time difference) I didn't get to see it.  So we watched it last night and even though they lost, it was great fun watching him play!   I miss him terribly, but I know he is doing something he loves!  What more can a mama ask for! 

Also, my son Matt passed the written commercial flight test yesterday...scored a 95.  YEAH MATT!!!  So proud of him.  My only concern are the few he missed....I mean seriously, do you want to be on a plane and find out that the reason you are getting ready to crash is because the pilot didn't know THAT question on the test...lol!!!   

Busy, busy week....isn't life wonderful! 

BTW, speaking of life, I had an epiphany yesterday...LIFE should not be stressful.  MOMENTS are certainly stressful but if your entire life is stressful and you are always feeling overwhelmed, something is wrong...and I'm inclined to believe it is more of an "attitude" thing.  We only get one life...and it's way to short to walk around feeling completely overwhelmed!

Enjoy! 

More wood window decor....

Recently I featured the old wood windows I have repurposed here.​

They are a really neat design element if you can get your hands on a few.  Not terribly difficult to repurpose since there isn't much you could do to "enhance" them.  I just put a little paint on them, distressed a bit, reinstalled the glass and put on a chain to hang it!  The hardest part is getting the old glass out, but you really wouldn't even have to do that!​

I bought a wreath to hang over the one on my porch.​

I wasn't sure I really "loved" the look of the original wreath...it's pretty, but seemed a bit "heavy" for the window.  So I went back and got the "lighter" wreath...

Not a humungus difference but one I like a lot better.​

This is a prime example of decorating with what you LOVE.  I didn't LOVE the first wreath, but I do this one.  And while most wouldn't even notice the difference, I did...every time I looked at my front porch!  ​

So if you don't LOVE what you have done, change it!  Having something in your world that isn't what you really LOVE is like having a chipped nail...it will bug you until you do something about it!​ (My roots can be showing, my clothes are a mess...but I can get real bent about a fingernail...lol!)

Kaitlyn took one of the windows home and she is going to do some kind of paint technique on the glass.  I can't wait to see what she does...very crafty girl!  And my daughter Sarah has a window waiting for her that I painted black.  She is going to feature it in their remodeled game room!  And I just thought this stained one was kinda "interesting" behind my swing!

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I've made a couple of cork boards out of a few of them.  They will be in my mall booth.  I'll make sure I post pictures when I get it all set up!

Hopefully THIS week.  Today is "organizing and pricing" day...I am exhausted from yesterday but there is much work to be done before the grand opening Saturday!​

I am SOOOOOO excited!​

So stay tuned...more inspiration to come!​

What the heck...a table, a podium, a bird?

When I took the "before" picture I put it in a file titled "preacher's table." I honestly had no idea what you would use this table for...it has casters and a tilted top...but it is too short to be a "podium"......huh?  ​

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But then it dawned on me...THE KITCHEN!!! A cookbook table.  Awesomeness!!!!

You can put your cookbook (or Ipad) on the top, roll it next to your prep area and not take up valuable countertop space!  And it is a PERFECT place to store cookbooks and other baking and cooking knick-knacks!​ It's even a perfect height for a large mixer!

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I considered doing a "plaster paint" treatment on it, but ended up going with a high gloss red...it just seemed "kitcheny"...and matches my Better Homes and Garden cookbooks!  ​

Sand, Kilz, sand, tack, paint, sand, tack, more paint.  I know that seems like a labor intensive process, but for me, I like the results...so it is worth every minute! Provided someone is willing to pay ONE THOUSAND DOLLARS for this little table...lol!!!  JUST KIDDING!  But seriously, if you will pay that, give me a call!​

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I bought these little pineapple bookends at an auction...they were kind of a muckaly black (yeah, that is a color)...so I hit them with some Kilz and gloss white paint...PRETTY!!!​

The jars...Oh My!  I have developed this "thing" for old jars.  I sat at an auction last Monday for FIVE HOURS just waiting on a few jars...seriously, they were like the second to the last thing to sell...grrr.  And then some lady bid some unreasonable amount for "choice."  I ended up with three decent ones and two chipped ones.  Dang it!  ​

But trust me...I won't be lacking in jars when we set up the booth!​

The opening of the new "mall" (Midtown Eclectic MALL) was pushed back to this Saturday.  I finished the pergola I built over our spaces...it is awesome.  And I found a gorgeous walnut board with a huge swirly knot right smack in the middle...it is seriously beautiful!  Since my neighbor and I are going in together, I can't have a sign that says "Beckwith's Treasures" so I painted "Timeless Treasures" on it....I sanded it, coated it with oil a few times and painted the wording with plaster paint.  Then I sanded it again so it would look "aged." ​It is really awesome

​The bad news...I have too much stuff!!!  Yesterday we started loading stuff in and I honestly could use ANOTHER space...and I'm not doing that!  So this morning I have to go back and take a bunch of furniture home...to my garage...where my truck is SUPPOSE to be...but hasn't been for months!

The good news...IF something sells, I will have something else to put in its place immediately!  Hopefully I will get my garage back before the next snow. ​

I am thoroughly convinced I could NEVER be a hoarder...drives me crazy!​

Mid century side tables...

I have been working hard to find pieces I know others will just love!  Problem is every once in a while I find pieces I absolutely fall in love with and I know I will have a hard time letting go!  Especially after working on them all day! 

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I believe these tables are black oak.  The tops, sides and drawers were veneer, but the bases were solid.  Really beautiful tables with great "bones."  

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I primed and painted the boxes. Then I stripped and stained the drawers and bases and coated them with 4 coats of tung oil.  

Honestly, it will be tough letting go of these two.   

But someone, somewhere will love them....hopefully as much as I do! 

FOLLOW BECKWITH'S TREASURES ON FACEBOOK!  Now if I can just figure out how to put one of those little Facebook widgets on this blog! 

Little stool...

I have bought so much at auctions and sales that I sometimes forget to take before pictures of the little items!​

I bought a little stool at an estate auction a few weeks ago.  Unfortunately, I wasn't paying attention and hadn't really looked at the little guy...just saw it from a distance and before I knew it, I bought it.​

Unfortunately, it was poorly constructed so it required some reconstruction.  The wood base was MDF which doesn't hold up well to a lot of wear and tear.  So the legs were major wobbly and the fabric was, well, blah.  And it had this really disgusting "fringe" stuff on it.​

But it had good iron legs....and the nice thing about buying something like this is the "template" is already there.  So I deconstructed it, used the MDF base as a template for a new wood base, painted the legs black  and recovered the whole thing in a brighter, cheerier fabric!  ​

Cute as a bug.  This is one of those items I doubt I recoup my time and materials, but it is a cute little piece that will draw attention and hopefully will go to a home where it will be loved...now that it is sturdy enough to actually sit on!​

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I also made a little cork board to match the stool.  I painted a frame a pretty yellow and covered cork board and backing with the stool fabric!​

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Wonderful waterfall...

I love the waterfall dressers...and some day I will find one I can afford.  They aren't really my "style" but they are beautiful and when they have been properly restored, they are breath taking!  

For now I will just have to be happy with this little guy!  Picked him up at an auction and he was priced right since he had some pretty serious issues with his veneer!​

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As with most old pieces, the varnish was pretty "dark," so it was difficult to see the beautiful detail on the drawers...but I knew it was there...just waiting!​ And someone had painted the copperish handles black.  

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This is a picture of the drawers after the old varnish has been stripped with Formby's furniture stripper.  The left has a light coat of dark walnut stain and I thought that gave the drawers a nice rich look!​

Normally I would NEVER paint a piece like this but since the veneer was chipped, I really had no choice.  I repaired the chipped veneer with a little wood filler, painted the box with two coats of plaster paint, sanded and coated with a few coats of clear finish.  I put 3 coats of tung oil on the drawer fronts after stripping and staining them!​ I could have changed out the hardware, but I love the charm of the original pieces. So I soaked them in the crock pot to get all the paint off and then shined them up with baking soda and lemon juice!

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Again, this is really not my design "style" but I really do love how this turned out....and someone will love it!  And honestly, it is nice to find a way to rehab these old pieces after they have been soooo abused.​

Turns out someone DOES love it...Kaitlyn...she has been eyeballing it since I finished it and yesterday I made her take it home. She loves it and that is exactly where it needs to be...with someone who loves it!  ​

Glorious spring!

Fall is by far my favorite time of year, but spring is a close second!  ​

Earlier I posted about my love for hostas...the only problem I have (other than the slugs that I try to jump on early!) is I am running out of room to divide and plant!  Hostas can't take a lot of direct sunlight, so you have to plant them in shady areas...hence my problem...too many hostas, not enough shade!​

I started planting hostas when I first started flower gardening in this yard 13 years ago...and every year I would divide and transplant the bigger, stronger ones!  Now they are just crazy big and I am running out of room.

This year I divided three by my fountain and planted them over by the storage building!  Believe it or not, both these pictures are AFTER I had taken a spade shovel, divided a little chunk of the existing hostas and transplanted it...you can't even tell!  Which is why you have to do it early, just as they start to poke their little heads up!​

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​"Parent" hostas.....

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​Transplants....

​Amazing!

And this is a hosta I transplanted into a pot...thought I would experiment and see if it will winter well before I transplant more into pots. ​

BTW, this is an old pot I "rescued" from an abandoned garden and spray painted.  I knew it would probably chip and wear from the elements, but I kind of like the look!

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Last year Kaitlyn and I put in a new flower bed, something I promised myself I wouldn't do anymore, but I just couldn't get grass to grow in this area.​  I didn't want to plant anything that required a LOT of maintenance, so I went with knock-out roses.  These little roses can take sun or partial shade and provide an abundance of flowers spring, summer and fall and are relatively easy to care for throughout the year!  

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With all the work I am doing in my garage to get ready to go into the flea market, I have to remember to take time to "smell the roses."  Okay, they don't really smell, but they are wonderful to look at!​

The bulk of the planting is done, the weather is still cool and we are getting rain every week...perfect time of the year to get out and enjoy!​  

Checkers anyone?

​This was my first real experiment with plaster paint.  I wasn't quite sure what I was doing and honestly the checkboard pattern was kind of an after thought...I knew I wanted something on the top, just not sure what!

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​I picked this little guy up at the thrift store.  I wanted something that was solid but inexpensive. Something I could feel comfortable experimenting on.  You should never "experiment" on something expensive or a family heirloom!

Honestly, it turned out kinda cute...and again, everybody LOVES it!  I probably could have sold it several times over but I want it in the flea market!  (God forbid we should actually sell something NOW! Let's keep it stuffed in the garage with all the other stuff!)

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​I bought a few little pots of sample paint at Lowes and used a "homemade" recipe for plaster/chalk paint I found on the interent.  While most people "wax" after doing a chalk or plaster paint, I am sticking with a clear coat poly for now....eventually I will give the furniture wax a shot.

I am currently using the plaster paint on some frames, a plant stand and another little table.  I like it but I'm not sure I find it much easier than spray paint...​I'm kind of perfectionist and this paint is just...well...different.  But I am learning.  And I am beginning to experiment with some "layering" of colors and I have even taken some stain and "aged" the paint finish.  Kind of cool looking.   My next experiment is with the different waxes.

There are a lot of things you could do with this paint...but start small and remember, do NOT experiment on important pieces.  

Getting ready to go retail....

Wow...getting ready to go "retail" is a LOT of hard work.  I have been going to auctions and garage sales every weekend.  And if I was a hoarder, I would be in deep doody  because there is a whole world of really nifty stuff out there. ​

I have tried to focus on things others will LOVE!  I know I love most of what I bought...but since it is all piled in my garage and I have NO place to put it, I won't have a problem parting with it.​

This weekend I scored big time on July 4th and Christmas decorations, a big mirror, frames, planters, milk glass, candle holders...you name it, I found it!  Anything I can find that I think is wonderful, at a price that hopefully will let me make a few pennies...or at least break even!!!  I don't plan on getting rich on this little endeavor.  Again, I need an outlet for my creative juices and it is wonderful to find things I know others will take home and LOVE!

And honestly, this gives me an excuse to do something I use to love to do...go to auctions!!!  I forgot how much fun they are!  Even Brian has gotten into it so it is something else he and I can do together....that is always the BEST part of any hobby...sharing it with your best friend!​ And Matt, my youngest son, comes when he is free!  Family fun!

I have found a few pieces of furniture that are inexpensive enough for me to put my "spin" on.  It is hard to pay a premium for a piece of furniture and then come home and put a lot of money and hours into it.  I probably devalue my time and labor way too much, but when I go out and buy $100 worth of upholstery for a little ottoman it makes it tough to sell it for $75...especially when it took me all day to recover it!​

So I have to be very careful when bidding on and buying furniture.​ I found a wonderful Duncan Phyfe table that would have been beautiful...but the top was in pretty bad shape and I knew it needed a great deal of time and attention!  So I set a max in my mind and I tried not to groan too loudly when it sold for $15 above my maximum! But I knew if I paid more than that, I would NEVER recoup my time and expense.  

I also have to be very cognizant of what buyers want vs. what I personally like.  I am not that big into the shabby chic/plaster paint thing...but I know the buyers love it.  ​

This oak chair is a prime example.  Kinda dated before so I knew I would have to do something with it...​

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When I first started my plan was to prime, paint with high gloss black and then recover in a black and white damask...very "formal."​

But I had to do some sanding on the paint coat and before I knew it, it had a "shabby chic" flair that everyone LOVES!​

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So there you have it...a little shabby chic chair flair!  

I already featured the 3-legged table with the plaster paint legs...but I also have a nifty little oak table and a few other projects I will share over the next few weeks as I get ready to fill my booth!

Course at this point, I think I have enough to fill an entire store...not just a booth.  Typical me...at some point I will learn moderation...or just quit going to to auctions and stopping at garage sales....because honestly, I am running out of room in my garage!!!!

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​Love this fabric!