~ROMANTIC BEDROOM REVEAL - GIVEAWAY, TOO!~

I'm taking a BIG SIGH of relief here because the romantic guestroom makeover I started several months ago, September in fact, is finally finished.  I'm telling you right from the get-go that because of the way this silly room is laid out I had a really hard time finishing it up.  It feels like I moved things around and changed them up a gazillion times before I was finally happy.  I'm sure over the next few months I'll add and subtract different elements but I'm happy to say for now the room is 100% done.  Whew!

You can read more about the transformation

HERE and HERE.

This room was once bustling with activity!  For five years it was our son's bedroom and more teen boys with their video playing expertise wreaked havoc between her suffering walls than I dare say!!!  Today the room is soft and serene but I can't go in there without remembering on occasion the neon lights Brandon had strung across the walls!  Sweet, sweet memories today...back then, um...no so much!

The room has an oddly placed window that makes decorating a challenge.  The full sized vintage bed is a little big for the space but I love it anyway.  Paired with a vintage rocker layered with vintage linens the room's gentle palate is pleasing to the eye.  I purposefully left it void of a lot of unnecessary color.  I'm not a huge blue fan...not at all.  But, the rest of my home is done primarily in neutrals so the color is a nice change.

Here's another shot where you can see more of the elements next to the chair.  I hope to rock grand-babies in this sweet rocker someday!  The wall to the right of the small table has a small closet and a scalloped edged vanity.  I forgot to photograph that one....  See the window treatments?  The lace panel is the one I found earlier in the month in Cali for only a few bucks!  A vintage embroidered square tablecloth has been folded over the top.

What is this?  A pocket pillow of course!  I love how it looks on the bed...  Tucked inside are old love letters and a picture of my precious Momma when she was about four...  A pillow just like it can be found on my A Gathering Place website...

Hope you enjoyed the mini tour!

Now...are you ready for my latest freebie?

I haven't done a giveaway since last December when I had a drawing for one of my vintage Gathering Cases TM (refashioned Train Case).  I figured it was about time to do something fun once again...

See the pink rose apron above?  It was fashioned using a sweet Rachel Ashwell cotton from her Simply Shabby Chic line.  It's a full sized apron and includes a large pocket on the front, wide generous ties and tattered ruffles.

Want a chance to win it?

Here's what you do!

1.  Leave a comment on this post for chance #1.

2.  Visit me on Facebook (link is on my page), leave a comment there and LIKE ME for chance #2.

3.  Blog about my APRON GIVEAWAY and include a picture as well as a LINK BACK to this post for chance #3.

4.  Follow my blog for chance #4.

5.  You can also enter by sending me a direct email if you follow my blog anonymously OR don't do Facebook!  I've had several request for this so I'm trying to make it Easy Peasy for everyone to have a chance!!

6.  Now...you certainly don't have to do this one but I would GREATLY appreciate it if you would blog, share on Facebook or share with all your friends if you are to win!  This helps me and my biz/website get exposure!

Once you have done any or all of the above please let me know!!!

Today I'm linking up with the following blog parties:

Kathleen @Faded Charm for White Wednesday

Patty @Ivy and Elephants for What's It Wednesday

HAPPY ENTERING!  The deadline to enter the drawing will be May 16th at midnight CST.  Drawing will be announced by the following weekend.

Hope your day is wonderful...

Love to you~

~LOVIN' MY WILD SIDE~

I love wildy looking wreaths, do you?

I see so many fabulous ones out there in the blogging world and each one gets my own creative juices flowing!!!  I have wreaths hanging outside my home and inside my home and love the welcoming feeling they give to most any room.  The one at the the top once graced the door to my studio.  It's branchy on the inside and I love the twisty, twirly looking tendrils going every which way.  In the center of this wreath there is actually another wreath.  It's a small heart shaped one with three pink roses at the base.  Love how they look married together! I got tired of knocking the thing off the door so I decided to move it to our pink accented guestroom.  I have it hanging on this metal thingy I snagged at Hobby Lobby a couple of years ago...

 This wreath was fun to make and pretty easy to take on!  It hangs in our second guestroom...the one with the palest blue walls you've ever seen!  Another trip to the world's most favorite craft store (Hobby Lobby) to buy a grapevine heart shaped beauty in it's natural twig color.  I LIGHTLY coated this one with flat white paint on both sides (the cheap stuff from Wal-Mart) and then gently distressed it with sand paper.  Next I took two branchy style twig stems (again from HL) and cut them apart.  No tools needed I just pulled them out from the main stem.  I tucked each wildy looking piece underneath the grapevine wrappings and that was it!  The creamy white roses were salvaged from a vintage millinery hat, but you can find something similar at your neighborhood craft place!  It hangs on the front of a vintage window which is over the bed.

Neither of the wreaths are very original...I'm sure they've been done before.  Just thought I'd give you a little peek at the two rooms I'll be showing you soon.  The blue room is FINALLY completely done and I can't wait to show you the changes.  The beige, soft white and pink room has also been reworked so more pics of that room are coming soon as well!

I'm back working in my studio today...I'll be visiting around later this evening!

Tomorrow begins a brand new giveaway!   

Love to you... 

~REVERIE IN BLUE~ Bedroom Makeover Pictures

Earlier this year when I started to entertain the thought of painting the walls of our guest room a soft, pale blue everyone in my family believed I'd lost my mind.   Still...the more I thought about it the more convinced I was my color choice was right.  The palette of my entire home is one of pale muted shades of blush pink, creams, whites and soft taupes.  Even though I knew I wanted to continue with the cottage white theme on the furniture, I wanted something completely different for the walls.  So...as I told you a couple of weeks ago I picked the color COOL ELEGANCE (Lowe's) and earlier this week finished painting all four walls.

~MY INSPIRATION PICTURE~

("Sweethearts" by Frederick Morgan)

I still have MUCH to do in the room.  I've carried the same romantic look I have throughout my home into this room as well and I'm loving how it is coming out.  The room feels light and the color is refreshing.  I've chosen cottage whites, creams and soft whites for the furniture and bedding (of course I did!) but I haven't as yet decided on how to dress the single window.  Thankfully we have plantation shutters so I'm not pressed to decide right away...I have a little time to plan.  I'm also on the hunt for a fabulous buffet mirror to go above the headboard (you know, those rectangle ones that are sometimes very ornate?) and also a couple of pretty accent fabrics for the bed pillows.  I'm thinking soft brown or a pretty floral).  I want the room to stay simple and uncomplicated but at the same time be completely romantic!

~MY GREAT GRANDMOTHER~

(Age 16 - Lillian Martin)

I know some of you are going to hate me (Carol from FL be nice to me!) but here are a couple of sneak-peek pictures I hope you will enjoy...

Promise...more soon!  In the midst of all my playing and decorating I do have to work! :)  My once FAT piggy bank looks like he's been fasting for far too long!!!

Hope your Saturday is awesome!

Love to you...

 

~ROMANTIC BEDROOM MAKEOVER UNDERWAY~ Painting Begins Today

~INSPIRATION PICTURE~

Sweethearts by Frederick Morgan

I can't believe it but I've actually got my guest room primed and I've carved out a little time this weekend to put the first coat of COOL ELEGANCE paint on the walls!  I keep telling myself that Thanksgiving will be here in not much more than eight weeks and our out of town guests will need a place to stay!  This one simple thought is helping me to pace myself.  

I once LOVED to paint walls.

Now that I'm, umm OLDER---

not so much!

~COOL ELEGANCE WALL PAINT~

Available at Lowe's - Valspar Paint

One thing I love about the paint color chosen for the guest room makeover includes the picture you see above.  I once carried a line of framed goods in my shoppe many years ago and this one has hung somewhere in my home since the mid 90's.  Since pink will not be a part of this room (did I say that?) I know for certain the vintage repro print will look smashing against the soft blue ground!

~RALPH LAUREN DUST RUFFLE~

Scalloped Edge Bed Skirt

The mat-board has been changed out and her once cherry wood frame was long ago painted and lightly distressed.  In the corners there are applied applique motifs (like old carvings).   I think the blue on the sash of Miss Sweetheart will really stand out once the walls are repainted.

 ~ORIGINAL BED SKIRT PRICE~

$175.00 - Are You Kidding Me?

Something else I came across this week as I thought about the bedding for my pretty ALMOST antique bed...

 ~HERE SHE IS AGAIN~

So Pretty Painted

Several years ago I found a queen sized bed skirt by Ralph Lauren at ROSS for $8.99 ( I know...don't faint!).  I didn't need it at the time for my own bed and the other bed in our home already had one.  Still, I don't pass on such finds because at the very least I can use the fabric for pillows or other things.  So, I tucked her away until I rediscovered her a few days ago.

Can you imagine paying $175.00 for a non-custom dust ruffle?  Too rich for my common blood I'll tell you that!  Since my new-old bed is full-sized and the RL bed skirt is queen sized I'm going to have to modify it.  I'm also going to gently tea stain it as I'm going with a natural white and not white-white!  Unlike most bed skirts I'm going to attach this underneath the wood slat runners.

~SIDE OF VINTAGE BED~

That's how the bedding was made when I found the bed at an estate sale a few weeks ago...I loved the look!  This also means I'm going to have to invest in a box spring cover since the sides of the mattress will show...

I've had a busy week working in my studio and last Thursday (our anniversary) my Mr. AGPMan had a class final (one of MANY down!).  So...we've put off our out-of-town getaway celebration until next weekend when we can actually relax and have some fun (we'll be living on Tulsa time!)  I'm hoping I have most of the backdrop of the new guest room finished by the time we back out of our driveway so my mind will be free and clear (???)...

Hope you all have a wonderful weekend.  I'll be watching coverage of the ten year anniversary of 9/11~

Praying all goes well for our country as we honor the lives lost once again.

Love and peace to you...

~ A SHABBY ROMANTIC BED OF WHITE~

~CREAMY WHITE VINTAGE BED~

A couple of weeks ago I shared with you some of the sweet finds my friend, Judy, and I found while out junkin' and slummin' in the state of Oklahoma.  Spending time with one of my longtime friends has been a God-send for me this summer!  With my Mr. AGPMan being back in school he hasn't been able to join me much on the garage and estate sale circuit!  Lots of studying time is needed for his classes (and CLEP tests!), but one day soon he'll be done and I'm going to jump up and down like a crazeeee fool when he walks across that stage with his degree in Computer Science in hand!!!

~BEFORE HER PAINT JOB~

One of my Fall Projects includes the makeover of one of the rooms in our La Chaumière de Briarwood.  I've thought for the longest time about the direction I've wanted to go...starting only with the idea I wanted to return it to a romantic guest bedroom.  I found this amazing vintage bed at a local estate sale and I just fell in love with the turned spindles and intricate trim work.

~LOVELY DETAIL WORK~

I generally hand-paint furniture...  But, as much as I didn't want to do it, I hauled out my paint sprayer to do the paint job on this bed.  Just the thought of hand painting each of the nineteen spindles made me wince a bit.  Using the electric sprayer helped me get the bed painted in no time.  Clean-up was another story!  I made a deal with my hubby...I'd paint the bed if he'd clean up the mess!

SWEET DEAL!

~BEAUTIFUL HEADBOARD~

While painting the bed I realized that all four of the bed's finials were a just a tad different!  No doubt they were hand-turned.  LOVE THAT!

~HAND TURNED FINIALS~

Last Friday I spent part of the day picking out paint samples for the new wall color.  I'm wanting to continue with the same romantic cottage look in this room as I have in the other rooms in my home,but without using pink!  I've been leaning towards a very, very pale Robin's Egg Blue color and was shocked to see just how many shades there are of blue...

~LOTS OF COLOR SWATCHES~

The first group of color cards were all wrong!  Too much green and not enough subtle blue.  So, I went back to the paint store again and chose yet another batch of samples!  I'm pretty sure I've nailed down the right color...

~COOL ELEGANCE~

I love this soft, simple shade!  It's called Cool Elegance and it's from Lowe's (Valspar).  Paired up with the Cottage White (Behr Paint/Home Depot) I've used for the bed I'm excited to see how it all turns out!  This project will take me close to Thanksgiving.  We have out-of-town guests joining us again this year for the holidays and I'm happy about them staying in our newly refashioned guest room!

Hope you are spending your Labor Day with friends and family...

Love to you...

~~~~~SHABBY COTTAGE CHIC LIGHTING~~~~~ Old Light Fixtures Extraordinaire

 

 ~VINTAGE LIGHT FIXTURES~

(Probably from the 1930's or so)

Now that my Mr. AGPMan is face-deep in school I have made it my mission to stay busy finishing up some of the little projects I've wanted to do for sometime now.  In order to help keep our lives flowing smoothly I plan ahead the things I want my guy to work on as that elusive free-time of his becomes available.  I've already gotten really good at making lists and prioritizing the things I hope to get finished on any given day.  Generally the two of us rest on Sunday and other than going to church we don't do a whole lot.  It's truly a no-work-day and we love it!  Our son-in-law, Micah, has graciously taken it upon himself to do our lawn-care and for this we are so grateful!  Additionally, our son, Brandon, has offered to come help his dad install all of our new windows once they all come in!

I'm tellin' you...the men in my life are simply amazing!

~SHABBY COTTAGE CHIC WALL SCONCES~

(Sweet Deal- $5.00 for the Pair)

Anyway...after finishing up several special orders yesterday I decided to scrounge around in our garage in hopes of finding a pair of old wall lamps I planned on making over.  I purchased them last Fall, but totally forgot about them until last Saturday!  I'd tossed them into an old box of spare lamp parts my guy uses for lamp-repair jobs.  Can't you believe they were only $5 for the pair????

SCORE!

 ~PERFECT FOR MY BEDROOM WALL~

Here is the picture of my bedroom I showed you yesterday...  I think the Lights will look fabulous placed on each side of the picture, don't you?

~DRYING IN THE MORNING SUN~

(I'm soooo Impatient!)

After cleaning and priming the old fixtures I used VALSPAR spray paint in Churchill Vanilla for both Sconces.  As soon as they are fully dried/cured I'll distress them for that fabulous shabby cottage chic charm I just can't seem to get away from!  Each Sconce will need new candle covers and I'll be using the flame-style bulbs for gentle lighting!  My Mr. AGPMan is going to rewire them on Saturday and hang them in place!  I'm so excited!  I don't want them hard-wired into the wall and so he'll transform them into the kind that can be plugged into a socket.

 ~LOVE THE SCROLLY LINES~

(Romantic Lighting at it's Best!)

An off/on switch will be added to the side of each light making it possible to turn them on and off while reading, etc.  Isn't that great?  I also have ruched cord covers that match the paint on my walls so the cords won't stick out.  They won't really show anyway because of the pillows, but I still hate seeing white (or brown!) cords all over the place!

Aren't they fabulous?

 ~VALSPAR CHURCHILL VANILLA~

Here's the paint can in case you want to try it out for yourself!  I LOVE IT!

Hope you are having a glorious Tuesday!  

Love to you...