wicker basket

Ever So Clever, Ever So Pretty Friday #15, A Basket of Flowers in the Summer Veranda

June 21, 2013 By Shirley

Happy Friday everyone!..

Today, my inspiration came from Debbie of Confessions of a Plate Addict.

Debbie transformed a beautiful wicker basket and filled it with gorgeous flowers.

This is my creation…

And here’s Debbie’s….I just love her basket..

I bought this cutie at a yard sale last weekend…

…..and then gave it a wash of Annie Sloan Chalk Paint in Old White.

I filled the basket with Gerbera Daisies….

…..and crossing my fingers that they are not dessert for deer.

For deer are a common visitor in my yard…

Like this one who visited yesterday…to chill out under the tree in the shade..

…..she just stared at me while I took pics…feeling relaxed and unafraid.

So please Ms. Deer….”PLEASE DON’T EAT THE DAISIES”…and Doris Day says so too!!!

Because, I do not want to put a fence around my daisies…like I do for my hydrangeas…

As I know you hold your breath so not to smell the deer repellent…

…..to eat these purple beauties.

I should sit out on the veranda…rocking and sipping my tea,

…..standing guard over my treasured hydrangeas.

However, since that is not always possible…I just hope you are not hungry enough to eat the flowers.

Or maybe I can train the cardinals to stand sentry as they perch on the birdhouse…

…..to warn me that you are near….oh, don’t think so!

I shall just sit back and enjoy the beauty of the flowers…”to smell the roses”…

…hydrangeas and daisies too!

From this “veranda” of mine…where you always hear the birds sing..from the many nests in my ferns!!!

Thanks so much Debbie for my inspiration today….you always wow us with your beautiful creations!

Hope you all have a wonderful weekend, taking time to relax and smell the roses!

I will be smelling the scent of baseball clay!

Filed Under: Uncategorized Tagged With: flowers, hydrangeas, porch, Veranda, wicker basket, Wicker basket of flowers 2 Comments

Ever So Clever…Ever So Pretty Friday, #2 {Coffee Table Makeover}

March 15, 2013 By Shirley

Happy Friday everyone!

Today, will be a “Ever So Pretty” post…

…..well at least I hope you think it is pretty!!

I was reading a blog post of Willow Wisp Cottage….

…..and saw a table that Andrea transformed.

So I consulted my paint specialist….and proceeded to transform my table!

She suggested Annie Sloan Old Ochre.

Here it is:

My inspiration piece from Willow Wisp Cottage is this:

It used to look like this:

My table was similar…in that it was dark and heavy in appearance…

…..however, mine does not have the pretty details in the legs and top.

Here is my before:

I really love how the “Old Ochre” fit well in the color scheme of the room…

…..and my paint specialist also recommended that I put dark wax on the drawer fronts…great idea!!

And of course you have to have a different “look” for the tablescape…

…..like getting a new hat with a new dress.

I totally went in a different direction from all my crystal pieces…

…..to more of a casual feel….Do you like it?

I shopped the house and came up with this vignette…

My hubby came up from his office and said that he really liked it!

Whew!..that is great, coming from a guy who is a very symmetrical, “matchy matchy” kind of guy!

So there you have it…I took the plunge and painted the table…thanks to lots of inspiration…

…..and coaxing from the paint specialist that I can do it…

Have a wonderful, wonderful weekend…

…..and Happy St. Patrick’s Day!!

I will be spending that day with the my granddaughter..as it is her birthday as well!!!

Now on to do a St. Patrick’s Day vignette…better late than never!

Thanks for visiting!!

Oh…and my giveaway is still going on…See my posts on the HGTV Dream Home Part 1 and 2..

Post Script:

After an email from “Candice and Sarah”…

I changed the vignette around, losing the magazine (thought I would add some color)…

When bringing the basket forward, the topiary was in the way of TV viewing…can’t have that!!…

I am joining:

A Stroll Thru Life for Table Top Tuesday

Between Naps on the Porch for Metamorphosis Monday

DIY by Design Swing Into Spring

Savvy Southern Style for Wow Us Wednesdays

Filed Under: Uncategorized Tagged With: Annie Sloan Chalk Paint, Coffee Table, demi john, topirary, wicker basket 43 Comments