house DIY: sweet surprise behind wall

100 year old clapboard

 This labor day weekend my husband was working on replacing some of the vinyl siding along our kitchen deck.  When he pulled off the vinyl strapping, he found 100 year old clapboard from when our farmhouse was built.  We discovered that the house was originally painted a slate blue...so neat.

i'm dreaming of a white kitchen

Ever since I saw that sweet chic flick 'Something's Gotta Give', I've been in love with white kitchens. And I know I'm not the only one. 

From what I've read, it seems that after the movie came out designers all over the country were doing white kitchen makeovers... Diane's white beach house kitchen was a big hit!

making your own dark wax furniture paste

vintage drawer pulls too brassy

If you read my old green dresser posting, you'll remember that I had some vintage rustic drawer pulls that I wanted to darken a bit to reduce their brassiness.  I had heard that I could use a dark wax rub on metal hardware to produce an aged and blackening effect.

sprucing up an old musty dresser

old green dresser

Last summer I went to a barn sale and I remember seeing this great old green dresser back in the corner.  It was loaded down with piles of stuff on top and the drawers were full of junk....and it smelled musty too. 

I didn't buy it, but I didn't forget about it either.

pressed cane repair of old rocking chair

pretty beat up...both seat boards needed repair

Driving home from errands one day, I saw this Brentwood rocker sitting out at the curb from the corner of my eye.  Pleading with my hubby to "turn around" he groaned but relented, "the last thing we need is more junk" he said, but I felt I could give this chair some TLC and bring it back again. 

So we loaded it up in the truck, and after it sat on my front porch all winter, and all spring, and half of this summer....I finally got started.