Inspiration – Country Design Home

Sep 1, 2014

Rusty Bedsprings Marquee Lights

Hi, all ! Happy Labor Day!

So, ever since Coach acquired that first set of rusty bedsprings, I had an idea for creating a marquee light for the barn shop. Inspired by the rusty bedspring coil lights in Salvage Secrets Design & Decor by Joanne Palmisano, I figured I could just take the bedsprings and attach some lights in the shape of an arrow to the back of the bedframe using pieces of wire.

It worked, somewhat, and the arrow became a beacon in our shop in the barn. (This is another one of my creations that, like the vintage sink, that is NOT FOR SALE…says me.) But it bothered me because the cords showed,

the lights were all crookedey and I wouldn’t be able to change the light shape without removing them and starting all over. Plus, because the background was the antique brown wood of the barn walls, you really couldn’t see the form unless you squinted. Or took a photo.

Or looked at it in reverse in the mirror across the barn. So, I decided to take it down and remake it into a true marquee sign. Here is the how-I-did-it:

1. Removed all the little pieces of wire and the lights from the bedsprings. THAT was fun. 2. Went to Home Depot and purchased a 4 x 8 sheet of lightweight plywood.

They have a nifty wall-mounted cutter thing and a very nice guy who will do the cutting for you, which is pretty awesome. LOVE Home Depot!

The plywood was cut down to the size of the rusty bedsprings with a 2 inch edge all around to allow for framing.

3. I built a frame out of 2 x 4’s and secured it to the back of the plywood to give me something to screw the brackets into that would hold the springs in place.

4. Measured and marked the holes I would have to make for the light sockets to be installed.

Of course, rusty old bedsprings are not necessarily even, so once I measured and marked the holes, then put the springs back onto the board, I noticed that several did not actually line up with the markings. So I tweaked them just a bit, and then a bit more, and then I drilled the holes.

After drilling, I used this handy sheet metal grinder bit to make the holes smooth and just big enough to fit the sockets so that they were snug.

5. Painted the board with Rustoleum High Heat spray paint.

Now, these little patio globe lights (from Target, LOVE these!) do not get up to a temperature of 1200 degrees Farenheit, but it’s good to know I’ll be safe just in case.

6. Painted a base coat of dark gray. Why gray, you ask? White would be too bright so the lights wouldn’t show up when lit. Black would be too dark so the bedsprings wouldn’t show up. Gray seemed like the perfect neutral alternative. This can of dark gray was a yard sale find, but a very nice quality paint from Mythic Paint. Went on smoothly, minimal drippage, good coverage and is completely non-toxic. Unfortunately, there aren’t any local stores near me that sell it : (

7. I wanted the plywood to not look like plywood, but more like some antique barn board or metal. So I dry brushed some darker gray streaks over it.

8. Once the paint was dry, I placed the bedsprings back on the board to make sure everything lined up nicely, which it did.

To attach the springs to the board, I used some steel plumbing clamps that I spray painted.

First with some metallic oil-rubbed bronze, but then with a rusty metal primer, both by Rustoleum.

I know the primer was supposed to go on first, but I really wanted the bracket and screws to look rusted to match the springs. Done.

9. Attached the springs to the board, then flipped the board over and placed the light sockets into each hole. Note that the wires are now nicely hidden behind the board where they are not all tangly and messy.

10. Tested out the board by screwing in the lights into the shape I wanted just to ensure they were in proper working order before transporting it back to the barn. In this case, just Hi!. Sent a text to my friends and family : )

There is one problem with using rusty bedsprings as your form: there are exactly 66 coils, so there are 66 lights in total: 6 down and 11 across in straight horizontal and vertical rows. Which means that I can’t really make any curved letters. Block letters it is.

11. Re-installed the “light bright” board onto the rear wall of the barn using some big-ass brackets to make sure it didn’t come tumbling off the wall and onto someone’s head! This thing is HEAVY!! Here is the new, improved Rusty Bedspring Marquee Sign that is now the beacon of light on our shop.

Which is really fun and draws a lot of attention. And, I heard more than a few browsers say “that must be a new sign, it was an arrow before.” Which is great, because that means they are returning to the Barn at Todd Farm to shop some more! Yay!

12. We do a lot of standing around at the shop (oftentimes the booth is so full of shoppers, we can’t fit in it-which is a very good thing!) Sometimes we’re just taking a break from all of the furniture moving, like this old girl.

Other times we’re just goofing off-good thing we’re the bosses…).

So we had some time to try to come up with other words for the light board, now that we can easily change it out. Subliminal messages like BUY could work, but I am thinking HUH? or MEH might draw a smile. Do you have any suggestions?? (no profanities, please : 0 Remember, we only have 11 letters across, 6 letters down and no curves!! Have a great holiday Monday, everyone! Hope you are enjoying the fruits of your labor : ) Susan

Filed Under: Auctions, Fleas & Fabulous Finds, Color Class, Inspiration, The 3 R's Recycle, Re-Furbish, Re-Love, The Barn Workshop-DIY Series · Tagged: #BobVilaNation, Home Depot wood cutting, Joanne Palmisano, making a light board from Rusty bedsprings, reclaimed rusty bedspring coils, Rustoleum High Heat Spray Paint, Rustoleum Oil Rubbed Bronze spray paint, Rustoleum Rusty Metal Spray paint, rusty bedspring coils, Rusty Bedsprings Light, Rusty Bedsprings Marquee Lights, Salvage Secrets Design Decor, Target Clear Globe Patio Lights

Aug 28, 2014

Wedding Bell Blues

By countrydesignhome · 8 Comments

Well, it’s back to school time for Coach! So, what did we do on our summer vacation, you ask? Opened up a vintage shop in The Barn at Todd Farm.

Spent two glorious weeks touring the UK and Ireland. Didn’t get a chance to visit with the queen, but her house is quite lovely : )

Plus, we celebrated my milestone birthday and announced our daughter’s wedding engagement! Woo Hoo! Let the wedding planning begin! Admittedly, I have been thinking about this for quite some time. After all, what mother doesn’t dream of the perfect wedding for their daughter? But I have to say that I was not quite prepared for the amount of traveling, viewing and decision-making this past weekend just to secure a venue for the summer of 2015. When Coach and I asked where my daughter and her fiancé would like to have their wedding, their response was “anywhere along the ocean from Maine to Rhode Island.” Yikes.

When you grow up along the coast, the stunning blue hues of the shimmering ocean as a perfect wedding backdrop seems the obvious choice. BUT, that’s quite a span of coastline to cover in just a few days, so we did our best and came up with a couple of obvious front runners. Friday we drove north, “down Maine” as the natives call it, along the coastal route through Wells, York, Ogunquit, Kennebunkport and Portland. Yes, we did. There were the quintessential New England venues like Union Bluff in York

and The Nonantum Resort in Kennebunkport.

In Portland, we discovered The State Theatre,

a very cool turn-of-the-century movie theatre with no outdoor views. Next we ventured to the Portland Regency, a downtown hotel with a spectacular roof top deck at 25 Pearl Street

with amazing views of the Portland harbor.

All fantastic, each with its own quirky and charming selling points. Day two, we ventured to the South Shore and Cape Cod. Since we had vacationed on Martha’s Vineyard for many summers over the years, we had often discussed that as the wedding destination of choice. But since many, many of our guests will be flying in from around the world, we decided that asking them to land in Boston, then drive to the Cape, then board a ferry to the island seemed a bit much to ask. So, we are sticking to mainland America. What did we discover on Saturday’s southbound trip? There was the absolute Cape Cod charm of The Popponesset,

the tented venue on the dunes in Mashpee-I mean, have you ever seen a bluer blue sky??

Then, The Sea Crest Beach Hotel in Falmouth,

featuring bright Orange-Crush-colored umbrellas scattered down the beach as a contrast to the deep blues of the ocean and sky, a “bubble room” on a golf course in Onset (not on the ocean, but still quite beautiful)

and the White Cliffs Country Club in Plymouth,

literally perched on a cliff with the most spectacular ocean vistas

I have seen in a very long time. Not surprisingly, many of these venues had very few dates still available for the summer of 2015! But since we have teachers and students who will be traveling and attending the nuptials, July & August are it. So we need to move quickly in order to secure our spot or we will be blue! Do you have a favorite in this bunch?? And do you have any other suggestions, north or south of the city of Boston? Speak now or forever hold your peace : ) Have a terrific Thursday, everyone! We’ll keep you posted! Susan

Filed Under: Inspiration · Tagged: Maine, Nonantum Resort, ocean views for wedding venues, The Popponesset Inn, The Regency Portland, The Sea Crest Beach House, The Union Bluff, wedding venues Cape Cod, Wedding Venues Kennebunkport, Wedding Venues Maine, Weddings in New England, Weding venues, White Cliffs Country Club, York

Aug 25, 2014

Wall Decals Pop!

By countrydesignhome · 3 Comments

In the midst of all of the DIY’ing for the shop, I decided to “freshen up” my daughter’s old bedroom, which now serves as a guest room/ironing board room. (doesn’t everyone have one of those?) Since her high school days, when we added white wainscoting and painted the walls sage green, her favorite color,

I have always thought that someday, after she “flew the coop” I would paint it something a little ” softer and prettier”. Although I am a lover of mother nature, I am not necessarily a “green” person and prefer lighter, brighter colors for my walls. PINK, I can live with that, and since there is already a fun pink floral area carpet in place,

I mixed up a can of bright, light pink for the walls. I had a can of flat white on hand, to which I mixed some bright pink and soft gray to avoid that “bubble gum” tone.

The room is a square shape, with a small alcove at one end where there is a day bed tucked under the eaves. Which leaves an oddly-shaped, off-center wall for hanging pictures or mirrors. So when I was contacted by the folks at www.vinylwallartdecal.com

to sample their product, I knew this would be the perfect solution! The graphic I chose was “Be Your Own Kind of Beautiful”, which is such a powerful statement, especially in a little girl’s room.

The graphic is stunning, was very easy to apply and looks amazing. I like that it was actually in smaller pieces once I cut it apart, making it much easier to handle than one large graphic.

Here is the “how-to apply the graphics” instruction sheet, included in the package,

which I have enhanced with some additional instruction and illustrations, as it was just a bit unclear. Also, the package did not include a pic of the original graphic, so I had to go online to make sure I had it right, since I had to cut it apart and re-align it prior to hanging on the wall. Here we go:

Step 1: “Take the transfer film out”, which initially I took to mean you remove it from the mailing package. There are two separate sheets in the package, both on white paper backing. One is the transfer film and one is the graphic. The instructions don’t say to actually remove the transfer film from the backing and place the tacky side on to the graphic, but that is what you do. Here is the graphic sheet with the shiny transfer film on top of it.

Step 2: Then step 2 makes more sense, that you rub the clear transfer film with a towel to adhere it to the graphic, removing any wrinkles or bubbles.

Wall Decal Rubbing Transfer Film with Soft Cloth

Note: the included clear transfer film wasn’t quite as large as the actual graphic, so I had to do a bit of cutting and pasting for that. But that didn’t matter because it is removed once the graphic is transferred anyway.

Wall Decal Cutting And Pasting Film Transfer

Step 3: Cut out the images and clear transfer film together, leaving room around the edges of the graphic for handling.

Since I now had a pile of cut-apart sections,

at that point I actually taped the entire graphic to the wall to make sure I had it positioned correctly.

Step 4: Peel off clear transfer film from the white paper graphic backing with the graphic attached and press that onto wall or dry surface in the position you’d like it to be.

Wall Decal Peeling off White Backing Paper

Step 5: Rub clear transfer all over with your fingertop, making sure you rub the edges of the graphic for full adhesion onto the wall.

I did one section at a time and left the others taped to the wall until it was completed.

Step 6: Peel off the clear transfer film from graphic on wall. If it starts to pull graphic with it, just rub again to adhere graphic to wall.

Step 7: Step back and admire : ) I know it sounds like quite a few steps, but the final product is just lovely and in this room, creates a statement next to a B&W photo of the iconic Jackie Kennedy Onassis, who was the epitome of being her own kind of beautiful.

So thank you to Vinyl Wall Art, who provided the graphic sample for me to review. You can check out their website here: where you will find so many thoughtful quotes and adorable graphics for your home! Loving this Cute Owls and Cute Tree– so whimsical!

They even offer large black board stickers-brilliant!!

If you have any questions, you can check out their blog Notepad Corner, which provides you with lots of information about their products. So, if you do get a chance to shop their beautiful website please tell them that Sue from Country Design Home sent you! Hope you have you’re own kind of beautiful Monday, eveyone!! Susan

PS: Although I was provided with the sample from the company Vinyl Wall Art, the written opinions are strictly my own.

Filed Under: Color Class, Inspiration, My Little Red House, The Barn Workshop-DIY Series, Views From My Back Porch · Tagged: blackboard wall sticker, dandelion wall sticker, notepad corner, various facts to choose wall decals, vinyl wall art decals, vinyl wall decals, wall decals pop, wall sticker, wall stickers

Aug 2, 2014

The Barn at Todd Farm

By countrydesignhome · 5 Comments

Greetings!! Back from my blogging break and ready to start sharing some very exciting news! Beginning Sunday, August 3, Coach and I, along with Lisa from RitaJosVintage will be setting up shop in the Barn at Todd Farm!! Woo Hoo!

Many of you already know about the historic Todd Farm in Rowley, Mass-the amazing Sunday flea markets with hundreds of vendors selling everything under the sun-and even a kitchen sink or two. (to read about our outdoor selling experience, click here)

But what many of you may not know is that the beautiful huge yellow barn

in the center of the property has undergone a restoration and has been transformed from an antique functioning dairy barn

to an antiques co-operative. Inside the barn there are many vendors (with more to come) that have filled each of the old cow stalls with antiques, collectibles, junque and recycled, refurbished and reloved furniture and accessories. So, what will we be selling?? Some of the items you have seen me transform on the blog will be there,

along with an ever-changing stock of old and really old and newly old stuff from our barn (and porch, and yard, and deck, and dining room and living room…) along with Lisa’s vintage kitsch collections. I will be posting pics of new items and stock each week on this blog, but also on my Facebook pages, as well as Craigslist (look under north shore garage and yard sales and just search Todd Farm). For now, we will be open at the crack of dawn on Sundays…or by chance…or by appointment. But, for now I have to sign off-the truck is arriving shortly and the packing and moving begins now! See you at the Farm

just look for the stall with the rusty bedspring arrow marquee : ) xoxox Susan

Filed Under: Auctions, Fleas & Fabulous Finds, Inspiration, The 3 R's Recycle, Re-Furbish, Re-Love, The Barn Workshop-DIY Series, Views From My Back Porch · Tagged: Antiques at Todd Farm, Antiques Rowley Mass, country design home, Flea Market North Shore of Boston, Flea Markets Rowley Mass, Rita Jos Vintage, The Barn at Todd Farm, Todd Farm Flea Market

Jul 11, 2014

Vintage Reclaimed Rules!

By countrydesignhome · 15 Comments

While all of the kitchen reno and vintage shopping has been going on, I’ve been working on quite a few projects at home in the few stolen moments I have available. This week’s project: Vintage Reclaimed Ruler Side Table-my new favorite piece!! Gotta give Coach credit where credit is due. Once I mention that I have something in mind to try to create, he goes all out to find me the proper materials at his yard and estate sales. Little old side table? $3.

Vintage rulers? Not free, but he’s been collecting them for awhile and stands at about 50 & counting!

What I love about these rulers are that they originated from old and defunct local businesses, many of them with original phone numbers-no area codes! Brings a little nostalgia to the piece. How sweet is “Make It Your Rule To Graduate From School??”

So, with Lisa from RitaJosVintage’s assistance, we created this cute little reclaimed side table using nothing more than some paint and varnish, wood glue, a brad nailer, painter’s tape and of course, rulers-some for actually measuring and the remainder for decoration (some Coach wouldn’t even allow us to cut because they were too vintage!) Here is the how-we-did-it: Cleaned the table and of course, noted the large crack in the top.

That was repaired with some wood glue and a couple of nails. It wasn’t going to be visible so no need for fanciness, just security. I painted the table with two coats of this awesome new chalky paint from DecoArt called Americana Chalky Finish that I bought at Michaels (with a coupon, of course : )

This deep graphite gray color is called Relic, which fits in nicely with the piece, don’t you agree? After the paint dried, I sanded it with a damp sponge sander.

I have discovered with this paint that since it is quite chalky, dry sanding results in a very fine dusting of the adjacent surfaces, but the wet sander smoothes the surface and removes the edges cleanly.

I attempted to remove the drawer pull to clean and polish it, but it was fastened in a way that it just kept twirling around but would not budge. So, I did the next best thing: painted it, then sanded it. Gives it an antique, finished look.

For the top, we decided on a design based on an old “Log Cabin Quilt” pattern, one of my favorites. We measured the first length, then cut it and taped it into place. Then repeatedly cut and taped until the entire top was covered.

You know, I gotta say, its a lot easier when someone else is doing the cutting and I am photographing them-thanks Lisa! (So, what’s wrong with this picture?? Lisa is not wearing goggles or glasses-my bad! That is a big no-no when using power tools. After all, if you damage your eyes while using power tools, then you won’t be able to see to use power tools any more. Don’t do this at home!!)

Once the top was completed, we lifted each piece as we went along, added the wood glue and then resecured the piece,

then waited until the glue was dry (which was pretty quick because it was about 95 degrees that day!). After that, the tape was removed

and the edges were sanded to smooth out any imperfections or uneven edges.

Then we secured all of the pieces using a brad nailer. This is the mini version of a nail gun, shoots both staples and tiny little finish nails that you can barely see.

At this point we stopped for the day, as the sun was setting, as evidenced by the blue hue of daylight. Not safe to work in the darkness!

The next day, I added two coats of this Americana Decor Ultra-Matte Varnish from DecoArt

to finish the entire piece, including the top (which I had initially glazed to enhance the colors of the different woods of the yardsticks, but then decided I wanted it to have a matte finish as well). This stuff is simple to use, brush it on, allow to dry, no buffing needed. It leaves a slightly textured, very matte finish that works perfectly on pieces where you want to accent the color but not add any shine. After all, this is a relic, right?

It stands now in my dining room with some simple staging.

A sweet salvaged side table that works as both a decorative piece and a handy tool (how many times do you go looking for a ruler to measure something and can’t find one?! Now it will be at your fingertips-as long as you only need to measure 12 inches or less : ) I hope your Friday rules, everyone-TGIF!! Susan

Filed Under: Auctions, Fleas & Fabulous Finds, Inspiration, The 3 R's Recycle, Re-Furbish, Re-Love, The Barn Workshop-DIY Series, Views From My Back Porch · Tagged: #BobVilaNation, Americana Chalky Paint Relic, Chalky Paint from Home Depot, DecorArt Americana Chalky FInish, Matte varnish for painted furniture, Ultra Matte Varnish from Americana, using rulers as vintage decorations, vintage rulers, vintage yardsticks

Jul 4, 2014

From Sea to Rustic Sea

By countrydesignhome · 3 Comments

I recently spotted this amazing rustic wood and license plate USA map in my local HomeGoods store (lucky me, I actually have three local Home Goods stores!!)

I took a pic and posted it to my Facebook page, where it has had 3800+ views!!

Clearly, this is a popular piece. What is it about this particular USA map that folks love so much?? There are all kinds of rustic USA map renditions out there, like this one available at Pottery Barn,

or this one from World Market (when are they coming to Boston, BTW?!?)

or in the Pinterest world-including this one I created myself.

But, the HomeGoods map is so colorful and unique and has so much detail-if you look closely you can see that every state is created from its own license plate!! Can you imagine the work and time that went into this project? Now, you ask, if you love it so much, why didn’t you just buy the damn thing? Truth be told, I don’t have a wall big enough to hang it on : ( But, I keep thinking about it and wondering if there is a way that I can reproduce it on a smaller scale. Which means I would need a miniature license plate from every state in the union. I guess I’d better start searching…ideas, anyone??

In the meantime, have an inspired (and hopefully not too soggy, Independence Day!! Susan

Filed Under: Color Class, Inspiration, The 3 R's Recycle, Re-Furbish, Re-Love · Tagged: #HomeGoodsHappy, map of USA from Home Goods, Map of USA made from License plates, Pottery Barn US map, rustic USA map, shopping at HomeGoods, USA license plate map, World Market US map

Jun 19, 2014

Creative Glass Works At The Vintage Bazaar

By countrydesignhome · 11 Comments

For all of you vintage lovers out there (and by that I don’t mean old folks, I mean folks who love vintage stuff. But then, again, old folks-like me-can love vintage stuff too…) it’s the weekend we’ve been waiting for- The Vintage Bazaar at Pettengill Farm!

This weekend, June 21st & 22rd, make the journey to Salisbury Mass to discover some of the finest country hand crafts, vintage furnishings and accessories, jewelry, clothing and a few DIY television personalities (Yup, that’s me and Cari Cucksey from HGTV’s Cash & Cari at the Country Living Fair a few weekends ago. Gosh, I hope she doesn’t think I am following her like a vintage fair groupie when she sees me again…)

all in a bucolic setting on a real working farm complete with live country music, vintage trucks

and this chick. Love this chick.

Each time I have visited the Vintage Bazaar, I’ve discovered new and innovative merchandise, all from re-purposed, re-cycled and re-loved everyday household items. One of my favorites has always been this spectacular planter filled with gorgeous glass flowers created with vintage glassware and plates from Creative Glass Works Boston.

Recently, I had the pleasure of chatting with the owners Ann Marie and Robert and visiting their home-based workshop.

This husband and wife team began creating these gorgeous pieces for a local Artisans Workshop Market over four years ago. Anne Marie, whose background was in IT before becoming a master glass flower-crafter, reports that she was searching for a way to use the extensive collection of glassware she had accumulated over the years. Her husband, Robert owns and operates a renovation and restoration construction company-so beauty met brawn and the rest is history!

The workshop is bursting with shelves and tables laden with sparkling glass in every color, style and shape.

There are vases and dishes and tall blown glass sculptures.

and jars filled with colorful glass beads and baubles.

From light-catching dangling pendants

to larger than life blossoms.

Each is individually hand-crafted, with carefully choosen pieces that complement one another and that together, resemble the anatomy of a life-like flower. Along with the clear and colored glass, Anne Marie and Robert work with ceramics and pottery,

creating whimsical, one-of-a-kind teapot lamps

with fashionably vintage shades.

So, make sure you visit The Creative Glass Works Boston booth while you are at the Vintage Bazaar this weekend. And if you see Anne Marie or Robert, say hello and tell them that Sue from Country Design Home sent you : ) Have a (hopefully not too bizarre) Thursday, everyone-see you at the fair! Susan

Filed Under: Auctions, Fleas & Fabulous Finds, Color Class, Inspiration, Outdoor Adventures, The 3 R's Recycle, Re-Furbish, Re-Love, Views From My Back Porch · Tagged: Creative Glass Works Boston, glass flower garden, Glass flowers from Creative Glass Works, glass flowers made from plates, how to make glass flowers from plates, The Vintage Bazaar, The Vintage Bazaar at Pettengill Farm

Jun 15, 2014

Lessons From My Father

By countrydesignhome · 4 Comments

Years ago, when I was a kid, my father offered $1.00 (yes, that’s one dollar) to myself and my siblings as a prize for the first of us to memorize and recite this poem:

Happy to say, I won the challenge and pocketed my $1.00! Which, by the way, went quite a long way back then, when penny candy really was a penny and an ice cold Coca Cola was a nickel!

For all these years, through many moves and changes, the tattered copy of the poem remains in my top desk drawer,

serving as a constant reminder of my father, now long since past, and the legacy he left behind. One of giving back, of perseverance and fighting against all odds, and it remains my go-to thought when I am feeling especially defeated. It begins:

The author of the poem is unknown, which is a shame, because I would like to have had the opportunity to thank him (or her) for many times motivating me to keep moving forward and upwards, especially when I am feeling the most down. The next stanza reads:

“Life is queer with its twists and turns, as everyone of us sometimes learns.

And many a failure turns about, When he might have won, had he stuck it out.

Don’t give up though the pace seems slow, You may succeed with another blow.

Success is failure turned inside out. The silver tint of the clouds of doubt.

And you never can tell how close you are, It may be near when it seems so far.

So stick to the fight when you’re hardest hit,

It’s when things seem worse, that you must not quit.”

So, I will leave you on this Father’s Day, knowing that my own dad would have been so proud of his kids and grandkids, who every day strive to be better people, to give back to those in need and to greet each day with a renewed sense of purpose and determination, no matter the obstacles. And to all of the extraordinary men in my life, including my dad (and no cracks about the bridal hat, please. It was a thing back in the 70’s!!)

along with my friends and fathers and sons, brothers and uncles and grandfathers, I wish you a very happy and relaxing day filled with the love of your families and friends. Happy Father’s Day, everyone!! Susan

Filed Under: Inspiration, Views From My Back Porch · Tagged: Don't Quit poem, Father's Day Poem, Fathers Day Tribute, When things go wrong as they sometimes will poem, When things go wrong poem

Jun 12, 2014

Country Living Weekend-Day 2

By countrydesignhome · 5 Comments

As promised, I am sharing the remainder of the Country Living Fair with all of you. If you love living and shopping country, but didn’t have a chance to attend, at least I am giving you a tiny glimpse of what you missed this year! (and, there is still a chance to attend one in Georgia or Ohio in the coming months.) Of course, a country fair isn’t complete without a bright red tractor

and a billy goat! This one was so funny-it kept standing up on its hind legs and peeking over the railings like a baby in a crib!

To my delight, I discovered a couple of craftsmen from my neck of the woods, yay!

Sage Farm Antiques, in North Hampton, NH holds a “three day antiques and collectibles show with fresh stock monthly“. Unfortunately, the photo I took wasn’t useable, but rest assured the booth was stocked with totally vintage, reclaimed and repurposed goods. Going to be sure to check that one out soon!

I had the pleasure of meeting Addie Peet of APFloorclothDesign.com at last year’s Vintage Bazaar. Her expertly hand-crafted and vividly-colored floor cloths always catch my eye. How sweet are these waterproof doggie mats?

This floorcloth design is brilliant! It is a runner that is painted to resemble a hopscotch game down to the very last details, including the cracking asphalt.

No more chalk on the driveway to hose down! Unfortunately, she won’t be at the Vintage Bazaar next week, but she does sell on Etsy! you can check out her website here: apfloorclothdesign.com

I met the lovely and talented Jeanne van Etten of Nantucket Mermaid who has just opened a shop on the island of Nantucket.

Such sweet, intricately painted heart dishes

and adorable hand-crafted dolls. You can check out her blog here: Nantucket Mermaid.BlogSpot or visit her shop at 4 Fair St in Nantucket. And if you do, tell her Sue from Country Design Home sent you : )

I walked into the very large Earth Angel Studios booth and was instantly transported into a colorful, dreamlike fairyland. The owner, Jen O’Connor started this venture in 1996 and features the works of extremely talented female artists and crafters. A few samples:

Plush fanciful soft sculptures by Nicole Bowen

From The Land of Enchantment by Debrina Pratt –The Starlight Ballet

French Paper Follies by Wendy Addison

And from Valerie Weberpal of Harvest Moon-super cool cat box!

You just couldn’t stroll past the booth from Reclaimed State from Wappinger Falls, NY

without noticing the soft glowing copper and amazing workmanship used to build this completely hand-crafted trunk turned cooler!

Loved this school of unfinished wooden fish decoys from the St. Lawrence River Decoys so much that I bought a couple for my porch : ) Can’t wait to paint them!

Folks were buzzing around the Homestead Collection like bees on a honeycomb! Filled with cleverly repurposed and recycled vintage items such as this chicken wire wall planter

and this potter’s bench complete with vintage porcelain sink.

If you love mason jar anything, then you would have loved the Sweet Tea Clothing Company. The entire booth was lit with strands of mason jar lighting, hanging from branches and overhead, creating an inviting ambiance.

Couldn’t resist this very sweet mounted mason jar wall flower vase filled with daisies. Who doesn’t love mason jars and daisies: )

From Vintage by Crystal we discovered these fanciful miniature dolls of all types, painstakingly hand-crafted of spun cotton.

With their tiny faces, they appeared almost lifelike with the detailed decorations!

Selina Vaughn Studios from LA will also be at the upcoming Vintage Bazaar, selling their vintage seed sack handbags.

These are gorgeous and just the perfect stylish accessory for a country girl : )

I was so busy looking and taking pics that I didn’t have a chance to buy much, but I did purchase this beautiful little painting on a distressed wood box by Mary Gregory Studio, LTD. I don’t know why this pair of sheep spoke to me, but I just couldn’t walk away… and apparently neither could the mom sheep with the little one standing on her back…The originals are hand-painted art, and the ones on display were giclee prints on wooden boxes. Not sure where I am going to hang it yet in my country-inspired home, but I will let ewe know! And finally, when we were just plain tuckered out and so hot and tired, we were happy to have a seat at the main tent stage and enjoy a demonstration on casual outdoor entertaining by Denise from The Painted Home and Kelly from Eclectically Vintage.

The two of them are hilarious together, and their presentation was a hoot, but with loads of great, simple outdoor decorating ideas! Kelly even posted the cupcake liner tea lights DIY on her blog : ) So that’s it for now-hope your enjoyed this little tour. And remember, the Vintage Bazaar is just around the corner, so get your walking shoes (and your shopping totes) ready!!! Susan

Filed Under: Auctions, Fleas & Fabulous Finds, I've Been Featured On..., Inspiration, The 3 R's Recycle, Re-Furbish, Re-Love · Tagged: country design, Country Fair in NY, Country Living Fair, Country Living Magazine, Eclectically Vintage, Ford Tractor, The Painted Home, Vintage Bazaar, vintage fair

Jun 10, 2014

A Country Living Weekend!

By countrydesignhome · 8 Comments

This past weekend, I had the great pleasure of attending the Country Living Fair in Rhinebeck, NY. So, where do I begin to describe the sights and sounds of this fabulous fair?!? Let’s start with Hometalk.com and Country Living Magazine who extended the invitation and provided the VIP blogger tickets for the three day event. Here’s me with all of my fellow bloggers-I met so many nice people!!

The VIP passes meant we were allowed early entrance before the massive crowds arrived (and let me tell you, there were MASSIVE crowds!)

to do some shopping, one-on-one chatting with so many fellow bloggers and fantastic vendors and snapping photos for Tweeting and Instagram-ming. There is no possible way for me to share information about every single vendor or event on this blog post, but I will highlight some of my favs here, with more to come in the days ahead. The fair was held in The Dutchess County Fairgrounds (if you are from around the Boston area, think Topsfield Fair, only quadruple in size), where there are many barns and outbuildings that would typically house livestock, (there were a few little guys in the 4H tent…)

but for this weekend were home to the hundreds of sellers of the finest country wares I have seen in quite some time: antiques, vintage wares, original artwork, amazing crafts and DIY’s from the simplest of everyday items. Every time I see these custom doll statues from CA Mataruso of Tin Hearts, they make me smile : ) Late for Work on a vintage thermos-brilliant!

The array was dizzying and required several go-arounds to ensure that we didn’t miss anything! Because I have so many photos to share, I am just providing a sampling today, and will focus on several of the vendors in greater detail in the coming weeks. As you all know, I am drawn to COLOR, the brighter the better, mixed all together. Now, I can appreciate the dreamy whites and creams that are so popular today, but could I live in an all-white space? Heck, no!! While strolling through the fair grounds, these particular vendors caught my eye:

Modern June-Cool Stuff For The Hip Housewife: offering a brilliant array of colorful vintage-look oilcloths and chalk-cloths

Some of the nicest vintage original artwork at the fair from Terri Palmer Signs

HiHo Home Market was one of our favorite booths, chock full of vintage items and so colorfully decorated! Loved these vintage checked saucepans (now why didn’t I buy those?!?)

From Sentimentally Me was a colorful collection of beautifully preserved vintage quilts, banners, books and memorabilia. The vendor was sharing hilarious stories about her moment of fame on Flea Market Flip at the Elephant’s Trunk Flea Market, where she normally sets up shop. So funny!

I was immediately drawn into the Olive Grace Studios booth because of the clever displays of vintage-inspired fabrics, pillows & quilts-so country pretty!

In the showcase at Grandmother’s Buttons was this velvet case of brilliantly sparkling rings, each created from vintage buttons!

One of the very first booths we entered was that of Blue Bird Home Decor, where I was instantly taken by this beautifully painted country hutch (which was sold : (

and also of the lovingly rendered oil paintings of livestock by Shelly Broughton. Never thought I would think: “How sweet is this sheep?”

This willow porch swing from Around the Bend looked so inviting with the brightly colored pillows and cushions! Can you just imagine relaxing and sipping lemonade here on a beautiful summer day?

And finally (at least for today!) we met up with Cari Cucksey from HGTV’s Cash & Cari, who was introducing her new line of Repurpose Paints, Stains and Finishes. Yummy colors, water-based and so easy to use! These will be available shortly on her website: RePurpose Shop.

Cari was so sweet and incredibly gracious, standing in her space for hours and repeatedly explaining and demonstrating the how-to’s of her products, then posing for pictures with anyone who asked! Of course, I had to get in the act as well!

So, there you have it, today’s colorful commentary on the Country Living Fair. I have added links to all of the vendors above so you can click on them to read more and discover what else they have available. Check back soon for another episode of A Country Living Weekend! I hope you have a color-filled Tuesday, everyone! Susan