Grandma Hoffman's Corner Cupboard

This is my Grandma Hoffman!  Isn't this a great old photo!   Thanks to my aunt, who went through all the Hoffman photos and made digital copies for the family, I have so many photos of my mother's family history.  One piece I have from my grandmother is her corner cupboard.  I remember it sat in the corner of her country kitchen and was painted white with black trim.  When my grandmother passed away, the corner cupboard was one thing my mother chose to keep.  I know that my mother said it was made by someone in the family, but I can't remember who.  Here's a picture of the cupboard last spring when my walls were yellow.

My parents decided to have the paint stripped from the piece.  Unfortunately, they had it chemically dipped, not knowing how damaging that process can be to the wood over time.  When my mother passed away,  the corner cupboard was passed on to me.  The last few years, I have noticed the wood getting more and more orange in color and the wood was getting so dry that it was starting to crack in the back.  I have wanted to paint the cupboard for a very long time, but held back because it's a family heirloom and didn't want to destroy the value of the piece.  

Last week, after thinking about it a very long time - I decided to paint it!  I kept thinking about how it was painted when my grandmother had it.  If she were here, I think she would say, if you want to paint it Doreen, just paint it!

I didn't tell anyone because I was afraid I would be talked out of it.  I just got up one morning and started painting.   I used paint that I had on hand from my dining room - Revere Pewter and Edgecomb Gray from Benjamin Moore.  I decided not to paint the shelves, but did paint the back wall for contrast.

I wanted to be finished painting by the time my husband got home, because he was pretty vocal about my NOT painting the cupboard.  In fact, as each of my boys got home and saw what I was doing, they all commented that I was going to be in trouble with dad!  However, when asked, they all thought it looked better painted!  

I wasn't quite finished when Mark got home.   I was sitting on the floor doing some touch ups when he walked in.  He looked at me, looked at the cupboard, and said "it looks good!"  WOW!   Then he said,  "I wouldn't have painted it, but it does look good."  I'll take that!  

I have to say, I love it!  It looks so much better in the room now and I do think that the paint is going to help preserve the wood in the long run.  And, yes, the paint can be removed.   There are still pieces of furniture that I would never paint - like the library table in my living room that is also from my Grandma Hoffman.  The wood on that piece is amazing.  I do think the painted furniture trend will eventually come to an end - but again, paint isn't permanent and there are safe ways to remove it.  Obviously, paint must have been popular in Grandma Hoffman's days since the cupboard was painted when she had it and I think she would like how it looks today!

What do you think?  Do you have any furniture that you would never paint?  

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Blessings,

Vintage Bicycle Planter Take 2

Last year one of my first posts on this blog was my vintage Schwinn bicycle with basket planted with flowers.  It was one of my very first popular posts.  You can see it here.  

I loved it so much last year and the flowers looked great all summer, so I decided to do the same thing this year.  I did use different flowers this year and added a "fun" banner" to the bicycle.  The bike sits under a crabapple tree in my yard and is surrounded by various hosta and a bridal veil bush that is full of blooms.  

As I mentioned in my post last year, this is my sister's Schwinn from the early 1960's and is a smaller size bicycle.  I thought about moving the bicycle to a different location, but the tree keeps the bicycle somewhat protected from the elements.  

In last year's bicycle planter post, I shared the song "In the Good Old Summertime".  This year, I decided to make a pillow cover for my Etsy shop featuring this song with a cute tandem bicycle graphic - which makes me think of rides on the boardwalk at the shore!  

I've been super busy with summer projects that I'm anxious to share and hope to be back soon!  

Lastly, I know we have all been impacted by the devastation in Oklahoma.  Let's continue to keep the families impacted in our prayers.

Blessings,

A Tisket, A Tasket, A Yellow Picnic Basket

I have been wanting to share this story with you for a few weeks!  On April 20, my husband and I celebrated 28 years of marriage!  On an evening when severe thunderstorms were threatening and tornado watches announced, my sweet husband was still willing to go with me to an outdoor antique market in the woods!  Yep, that's what I wanted to do on our anniversary and he was happy to take me, even with the storm warnings!

I saw a lot of things, but this vintage yellow picnic basket had me at hello!  I loved the pale yellow color and that the lid becomes a tray when you lift it off.  The  hang tag said $65.   I wasn't sure I wanted a picnic basket for $65 and hubs definitely didn't think a picnic basket was worth $65!  

We continued to walk around the market, but I subtly kept bringing up the basket  - "I wonder if they would come down in price?".  .  .  "I've never seen anything like it" .  .  .  "It's such a pretty color and would look great on the screen porch" .  .  .  finally - "This could be my anniversary gift!"    With that he said - "If that's what you really want, then lets go get it!"

  

By now the wind was beginning to whip up and the skies were black, so we decided to "walk briskly" back to the vendor selling the picnic basket.  They were a sweet couple and came down in price to $45!  We warned them about the impending bad weather and to please take cover and with that, we very quickly made our way to the car right before it started to downpour!  

Don't get me wrong, I'm always happy to receive chocolate, flowers or jewelry from my husband; but this vintage yellow picnic basket and walking around an outdoor market with him was a gift/memory I'll treasure!

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Blessings,

"It's May, It's May - the Lusty Month of May"

Is that title too provocative?  Well, it a song lyric from an old musical.  It's the song that sings in my head when I think of May!  

I can't believe today is May 1 and that means Mother's Day is just 11 days away!   In honor of Mom, I'm having a Mother's Day Sale in my Hymns and Verses Etsy shop.  

For one week only (until May 8) all ready-to-frame hymn prints will be 20% off.  That brings the price down to just $20.  They are 8 x 10" prints on fabric and are ready to pop in the frame of your choosing.  What a quick and easy gift for Mom, Grandmother, or someone special in your life!   The frames shown above were all purchased at either Marshall's or Home Goods for under $10.

Just enter the coupon code MOM20 in the Etsy checkout to receive your discount.   I ship Priority Mail, so even the last minute orders should arrive before Mother's Day!

Thanks to everyone for your support of my little shop!  

Oh, and back to that title - can you tell me the name of the musical that features this song?

Blessings,

April Showers Bring May Flowers

It's an old-fashioned saying, but so true!  It's been rainy here the past few days and you can almost see the plants greening up and growing before your eyes!  

I'm anxious to begin working on my screen porch.  It's about to undergo a major transformation this spring!  The hunter green paint inside and out are about to be replaced with a more neutral color and I've been on a yard sale, flea, and craigslist search for a vintage glider for the porch.  And, remember those great barn doors - I have major plans for one of them for the porch as well!  

So, maybe my post today should be -

"Rain, Rain - Go Away!  Come Again Another Day" .  .  .  

                                                                                    so I can get started on those porch projects!  

P.S.  The pink umbrella was my great aunt's and has been hanging out in my coat closet for years!  I always thought it was too bright to really use - but to hang on the door and hold flowers - perfect!

I hope your week is off to a great start!

Blessings,

Tulip and Asparagus Centerpiece

Here's a quick centerpiece idea using fresh asparagus stems and flowers.  I chose tulips that I got after Easter.  They were potted tulips - buy one/get one free!   I love buying potted tulips, hyacinths, and daffodils right after Easter at half price.  That way, I can enjoy the blooms now and then replant them outside to enjoy for years to come!

I used this simple glass cylinder vase that I purchased at Walmart a few years ago.  I have used it for so many things like my Tulips and Egg arrangement earlier this spring.   Because the sides of the container are straight, it's perfect for this arrangement too.  You could also use a wide can or other container with straight sides.

The asparagus that I purchased had thick rubber bands around the bunch.  Place the two rubber bands over the glass vase - one near the top and one near the bottom.  Take a stalk of asparagus and tuck it under each rubber band so that it stands up against the glass vase.  Now continue on around the vase adding asparagus stalks placed tightly against one another until the entire vase is covered.  Near the end, I needed to add some smaller cut pieces for the top section to fill in a few gaps.

To cover up the purple rubber bands, I used jute twine and wrapped it around and over the rubber bands several times until they were covered.  Tie a simple knot and tuck the ends under the wrapped jute twine.

Because these were potted tulips and I knew I was going to replant them for next spring, I carefully removed the tulips from the pot so they were basically individual stems and shook the dirt off the bulb.  I arranged the tulips in the asparagus container and filled with fresh water.  If I were to do this any other time of year, I would get fresh cut flowers from the grocer or florist.   

I hope your week is off to a great start!

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Blessings,

A Living Remembrance of Our Loved Ones

I wanted to write this post last Sunday, but was so busy that I just couldn't squeeze it in my day.  Then Monday we had the tragedy in Boston and later in the week, the explosion and loss of life in Texas.  I just couldn't seem to get back on track.   Today is the beginning of a new week and I have lots to share!

Let's start with last Sunday.

It was a beautiful sunny day.  I got up and went downstairs as normal and looked out my kitchen window to see my weeping cherry tree in full bloom!   It was beautiful - full of pale pink blooms!  I stood at the window and couldn't help but think of my mother.  I lost my mom to cancer in 2005.  It was a long fought battle with a lot of painful memories for me.  At the time, I decided I wanted to plant something special in remembrance of my mother.  I wanted something that when I looked at it, I would see beauty and remember my mother full of life.  

View from my kitchen window - unfortunately, most of the beautiful blooms were blown away by wind and rain this week!

I purchased a small weeping cherry tree and planted it in the back yard.  It has grown these past eight years and is full of life and beauty.  As I looked out the window last Sunday at the tree in the beautiful spring sunlight and thought about my mother, this hymn came to my mind - 

"Blessed assurance, Jesus is Mine!

Oh what a foretaste of glory divine!

Heir of salvation, purchase of God,

Born of His Spirit, washed in His blood.

This is my story, this is my song,

Praising my Savior all the day long;

This is my story, this is my song,

Praising my Savior all the day long."

It's been years since I've sung this old hymn, but I know it was God who gave me this song last Sunday morning.  My mother loved to sing and I know that someday I'll see her again and we will sing praises together in heaven!

I got myself ready and went to church.  The second song we sang was .   .   .

"Blessed Assurance"!

Isn't God's love and care for us amazing!

If you have recently lost someone you love, think about planting something special to remember them.   Care for it and watch it grow!   It will be a blessing to you as this weeping cherry tree has been to me!