I have been on holiday in Nova Scotia for two weeks and have been shopping {of course} at a few of my favourite antique shops. One of my favourite ones appears to be closed this summer...SOB... but I have found such pretty things at some of my other top spots. Stay tuned for a post about each store very soon! Until then, here is a peek at my purchases.
If you read my blog, then you know I love white pitchers. They are perfect for flowers and I love them grouped together, which is a good thing because these put me in the double digits. So far, I've found two. My mom bought me the larger one for my birthday. I love the unusual shape. I looked up the marking online and it is from the late 1800s. I also found a lovely soft blue pitcher. The colour is so pretty. I have a thing for small glass bottles, so this little one had to come home with me too.
I really want at least one furniture piece this summer as well. I am looking for a Duncan Phyfe dresser or buffet. I actually found one was exactly the right shape, but it is too long for where I want to use it. I did find this side table for our family room, though. A little TLC and some paint and it will be beautiful!
The tray on the middle shelf is a new purchase too. I am debating whether to paint it or not.
Not bad for the first two weeks, right? Another three weeks of shopping time left though, so watch for some more fabulous finds.
Whenever I travel, I always buy a piece of art of the place I visited. I love having paintings on my walls that have meaning and hold special memories.
Wandering the Halifax waterfront today, I came across beautiful art by artist Lindsay Hicks. She was perched along the wall, painting, and had several pieces on display. I love the way she captures the feeling of my home, Nova Scotia.
I would love to take this original home with me. It reminds me so much of where my mom lives:
and I want this print of a Halifax street that holds many happy memories for me:
This one is perfect for my son's soon-to-be-new room:
More gorgeous pieces:
You can visit Lindsay's website to see more of her amazing art.
Which one is your favourite?
{All images courtesy of Paintlife}
I was working on a tabletop recently for Cityline, and I wanted to use black vases for a centrepiece, but I could not find any. So I did what any DIYer would do and I headed to Value Village to pick up some inexpensive, vintage-style vases. I chose five. I like to work with odd numbers and I liked the varying heights and styles of these:
I then painted each one with Benjamin Moore matte paint in Jet Black. It took three coats to get into all of the crevices. It was so easy! I love the way they turned out:
I have seen other DIYers paint the inside of vases by pouring paint inside and swirling it around until it covers the entire surface. I plan on using these a lot and I was worried about paint chipping, so I chose to paint the outside.
I love the look of matte paint, but I think they would also look amazing painted in a gloss finish. I may have to try this project again using bright colours!
How amazingly gorgeous are these white plate dahlias? I visited my favourite florist, Flowers By The Dozen, where the owner Tony was putting some on display, and I immediately fell in love.
Here are the vases as the centrepiece for the green, black and white themed Cityline segment:
You can watch the Cityline segment here for tips on how to make the vases and another DIY project.
What do you think? Are you tempted by this DIY?
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