Views From My Back Porch – Country Design Home

Jun 30, 2014

Yard/Barn Saturday Sale? Finally, yes!

Last week, I read a great blog post from Kelly of Eclectically Vintage, who wrote the do’s and don’ts of having a killer yard sale. Lots of great tips and pointers, including “Enlist Friends-the more hoarders the better!” and “Purge-be ruthless”. You can read the blog post in its entirety here:

This past weekend, I made sure we followed all the pointers as we prepped for our barn sale. As you know, I’ve been bugging Coach to clean out the junk which has now spilled out of the barn, into the yard, onto the porch and into my dining room…which is starting to drive me just a little bonkers.

But, I am giving him a pass for now because we are starting an exciting new venture very shortly-for which we need mucho stuff-more about that soon!!! So, over the past couple of months, Coach has been hosting barn sales on intermittent Fridays and Sundays, with some good success, but I kept asking him why he didn’t want to do Saturdays, like all the other thousands of people in our town. Misery loves company, right? Lots of our friends kept saying they wanted to come, but couldn’t because they were working. (Of course, Coach, being a teacher, has a little more spare time to hang out and sell stuff.) He kept saying that it was because he wanted to sell on a day when no one else was, so there was less competition. Hmmm. This past weekend, it finally dawned on me that the real reason he didn’t want to open up shop on Saturdays was so that he could go pickin’ at the thousands of other yard sales to replenish the stuff he sold on Fridays! This past week, when he said he wanted to do another Friday yard sale, I told him I wasn’t going to help because it was dumb. But of course, I did. And he did OK, but the traffic just wasn’t there like it normally is. So, he begrudgingly decided to forgo his Saturday pickin’ and keep selling stuff for another day. FINALLY, I figured that would show him that Saturdays were definitely the way to go when you want to do some serious selling!! Signs in place all over the neighborhood, postings on Craigslist and Facebook (just to let all our friends who said they always wanted to come but couldn’t because they were working…) Up at the crack of dawn Saturday morning, we dragged everything back out into the driveway and waited for the hoards of shoppers.

And waited. Typically, when you post an 8 am start for a yard sale, the serious shoppers start showing up around 6:45-7am (which is what Coach would have been doing if he wasn’t sitting in our driveway awaiting the rush of pickers). And waited. By 8:15, when only ONE person had stopped, I began to notice that not only was there no yard sale traffic, there was actually no street traffic! We live on kind of a busy street, where usually only Sunday mornings are quiet. And waited. Where was everybody?!? Ah…the Saturday of the week of the 4th of July would be a great time to take a family vacation, am I right? Which means that the folks who are normally browsing through junk on a Saturday morning were actually sitting on a beach on the Cape or Maine, enjoying the gorgeous sunny weather and having their first BBQ of the summer.

Woops, didn’t count on that. Well, the good news is that we still managed to sell quite a bit of stuff, and I managed to get in about three hours of gardening to clear the path to the barn that was almost jungle-like. The bad news is that Coach went out on Sunday and found some sales and came home with more stuff. Just can’t win. So, if you’re in the market for a cute kid’s Red Sox table and chairs,

or a vintage robin’s-egg-blue-chalk-painted cabinet with a tin paneled door (painted by me, of course : )

let me know-they’re still available. And, if you’re one of the lucky ones to be sitting on a beach somewhere sipping a margarita, have a great vacation week! And no worries, we will be back in August with yet another yard sale-but most likely on a Friday… Have a sunny Monday, everyone! Susan

Filed Under: Auctions, Fleas & Fabulous Finds, My Little Red House, The 3 R's Recycle, Re-Furbish, Re-Love, The Barn Workshop-DIY Series, Views From My Back Porch · Tagged: barn sale, Eclectically Vintage, how to have a yard sale, junk dealers, pickers, selling at barn sale, yard sales

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 5, 2014

Mason Jar 3-Berry Cobblers

By countrydesignhome · 6 Comments

So, you would think that after that whole Cupcake Tower of Terror disaster that I would be staying away from baking for weddings, right? Well, that is the case where cakes are concerned-no more falling frosting fiascos! But, for the same wedding, I created some yummy individual three berry cobblers in little personalized mason jars as favors for the guests to enjoy. Those did NOT fail, or fall for that matter!

The recipe was a tried-and-true favorite from a co-worker (thanks, Krista!) that was adapted for the mini jelly jars, and two batches was enough for 6 dozen jars. Here is the how-I-did-it:

1. Prepare the jars. These are 1/2 pint, wide-mouth Kerr glass jelly jars I purchased from a local Ace Hardware store, ordering them online and picking them up at the store. Despite the fact that they were factory sealed in plastic, I still ran them through the dishwasher to ensure cleanliness.

2. Prepare the crumb topping/crust. This recipe is enough for one 13 x 9 pan of cobbler, or 3 dozen mini jars. So double it for the 6 dozen:

TOPPING/CRUST

2 Cups All-Purpose Flour

2 Cups Rolled Oats (I used instant and it didn’t seem to matter at all)

1 1/2 Cups Packed Brown Sugar

1 Tsp Gground Cinnamon

1/2 Tsp Ground Nutmeg

1 1/2 Cups Cold Butter

Combine all dry ingredients in large bowl, then cut in butter until mixture is crumbly. Set aside.

3. Prepare the berry filling, literally just mixing the berries and sugar in a large bowl and set aside.

FRESH FRUIT FILLING

1 1/2 Cups Fresh Blueberries

1 1/2 Cups Fresh Blackberries

1 1/2 Cups Raspberries

4 TBLSP Granulated Sugar

I used fresh blueberries, blackberries and raspberries, but you can use any berry combination you would enjoy. This recipe was enough for three dozen jars, so I doubled it to make the 6 dozen. One thing I noted: the large whole raw berries (like the raspberries) take up more space, but once cooked, they collapsed and left extra room in the jar so it didn’t appear as full. Next time (and for these there will be a next time : ) I will slightly chop the larger berries so more fits into each jar prior to baking.

4. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Place as many jars that will fit onto a cookie sheet and spray the insides with non-stick cooking spray.

Take 1 TBLSP of the crumble mixture and lightly press down into the bottom of each jar. I used this wooden thing that was in my pastry drawer. Don’t know where it came from, don’t know what it is, but it worked perfectly! Continue until all of the jars have the base crust.

5. Fill each just with the berry mixture, until it is about 1/4 inch from the top. Leave room for the crumble topping!

6. Add 1 TBLSP crumble topping to each jar, pat lightly to secure. You can adjust the crumb topping/crust ratio as you like, but remember to adjust the recipe as well!

7. Bake for 20-30 minutes until the filling is bubbly and the topping is lightly browned.

8. Remove from oven and cool. You can serve these warm from the oven with a bit of vanilla ice cream or whipped cream, or save them for later. I kept them lightly wrapped, but did not seal the tops on until it was time to assemble them as favors. Which I did with the help of my dear friend-thanks Alice!

9. The personalized labels were purchased on Etsy from Snappy’s Boutique. The owner was great to work with and the labels were beautifully printed on vinyl round stickers, one for the top of each jar.

10. The bamboo wooden spoons I stamped with cute little sayings like “berry happy” and “sweet love”. Of course, you could paint them or decorate them or simply leave them blank.

11. The spoons were attached to the jars with purple raffia ribbon-the wedding color- (and a little scotch tape to keep them from sliding off!)

and then we added a second bow for pretty : ) This was the best tool-a fork stuck in a ribbon reel taped to the counter-to tie the tiny bows with the chiffon-like material. Ah, necessity is indeed the mother of invention. Shark Tank, here we come!

12. I picked up the unfinished crate at Joanns (with a coupon, of course : ).

In order to make it appear somewhat rustic, I “stained” it with paint thinned with water,

then added another coat of blueish-purplish-white paint that I dry-brushed to give it a more rustic look.

13. The little chalkboard was also from Joanns, that I backed with some fringed burlap, then added the chalk graphic.

I used my easy chalkboard transfer method for the Three Berry Cobbler sign. Click the link for the DIY.

14. To safely stack the jars in the crate,

I added separators made from burlap-covered cardboard panels.

Done! Now who doesn’t love a rustic crate filled with pretty jars of yummy three-berry cobbler that is easily and safely transportable?!? Well, this girl does : )

And hopefully the guests did as well… Have a berry-licious Thursday everyone!! Susan

Filed Under: Cookin' Up Country, The Barn Workshop-DIY Series, Views From My Back Porch · Tagged: Ace Hardware, Cobblers in Rustic Crate, Joanns, Mason Jar Cobblers, Mason Jar Three Berry Cobbler Recipe, Mini Mason Jar Cobblers in Crate, Mini mason jars for cobblers, three berry cobbler recipe

May 26, 2014

Cupcake Tower of Terror

By countrydesignhome · 15 Comments

These past few weeks have been so incredibly busy with 2 destination weddings and a law school graduation (with the accompanying parties : ) thrown in for good measure. All of which has left precious little time for blogging, never mind DIY’ing! For a spectacular wedding in the clouds this past weekend,

I had volunteered to make some desserts, specifically cupcakes and mini fruit cobblers in mason jars.

(I’ll share the successful cobbler story later. Today’s blog is about the cupcakes. And the tower.) Remember those Life-Changing Cupcakes I made last year for a wedding shower?

Well, I decided to use that recipe again, since those were such a big hit, but we had decided on two flavors for the wedding. The trouble really started with the lemon cupcakes. As I was baking the batches, one would come out OK, the next batch would collapse as soon as I took them out of the oven. As someone who has been baking since I was a kid, and having made my share of wedding cakes as well, I was baffled by this. But, I just kept baking until I had the necessary 6 dozen for the wedding guests. Those fallen lemon cupcakes were a sign…

Now, everyone knows that the proper way to serve cupcakes at a wedding is to ~~buy~~ build a cupcake tower so that it has the appearance of a wedding cake, right? So, I did a little Pinterest research and came up with the best plans (or so I thought) for creating a strong and sturdy tower that would show off the decorated cupcakes. Here is the How-I-Did-It (but don’t you do this…)

5 stacked shelves were created, beginning with a 16 inch base and cutting them smaller in 2″ increments to the top. I purchased a package of cake rounds (these are moisture resistant cardboard that you can purchase at your local arts and crafts supply store).

For added strength and support, I sandwiched a layer of foam core board that I cut to the same size for each shelf. For the supports in between, I took some old, empty, clean tin cans (OK, MISTAKE #1, they should have remained full to add extra weight to the tower), wrapped them in white craft foam cut to fit and hot glued into place

(it looked like fondant, so I was quite happy with that).

But then I needed some sort of trim, so I used that foam faux wainscoting from my country cupboard makeover, cutting it along the ridges

and then hot gluing it into place for a nice clean edge. For a final trim, I glued purple satin ribbon around the edges.

Once I had all the top layers ready, I stacked and hot glued as I built my tower, with the covered cans centered (MISTAKE #2-the top one was not quite centered, but once they were hot glued into place, there was no going back…) For an extra decorative touch, I cut some paper doilies

to fit around the edges and glued into place to create a lacy scalloped look.

For the base, I used a 16″ scalloped plastic cake round on feet that is typically used for just this purpose. But, it was pretty plain, so I added the lacy doilies to that, but then also placed a scalloped, foiled cake round in the center. MISTAKE #3. Finally, I glued the entire tower to that foiled round (did I say MISTAKE #3 ?!?)

For the topper, I baked one six inch round, decorated it and then added a beautiful bouquet in shades of purple that was created by our friends at Parker Florist in Wakefield.

OK, everything was transported safely to the venue on the top of a mountain, the cupcakes tucked into these awesome boxes I picked up at Michaels (they have inserts with holes big enough to fit my fat fingers around the cakes to remove them once it was time to fill the tower.) Aren’t they so pretty!?

Once the ceremony was performed and the delicious wedding dinner was finished, it was time to assemble the tower. So, with the help of my BFF’s, we walked down the hill from the main house to the tent where the reception was taking place, me carrying the tower, them carrying the boxes of cupcakes (did I mention that it was raining as well?)

The tower was settled down onto the designated table, which, because we were outdoors on the soggy lawn, had a bit of a tilt to it. (MISTAKE #4. NEVER ATTEMPT TO STACK A CUPCAKE TOWER ON A TILTED TABLE). I placed the floral round on the top (MISTAKE #5. DO NOT REST THE CAKE TOP ON THE TOP OF THE TOWER-IT MUST BE SECURED). As we were stacking the cupcakes on the tower, it started to wobble forward-remember, it was on a tilted table. So I decided to start stacking from the back to balance it. Reaching around behind to add more cupcakes, I accidentally hit the tower, which instantly fell forward, spilling cupcakes all over the table and ground.

And my shoes.

In an instant we went from Cupcake Wars to Cupcake Disaster. As the tower was plummeting to its grassy grave, my dear friend Alice caught the flower topper as it was flying by, resulting in a splotch of bright purple frosting on her brand new jacket!! (Alice, please send me the dry cleaning bill : ) At one point, I attempted to put the tower back together, but if you recall MISTAKE #3, the piece that was glued to the foiled round based gave way, so there was no way to re-attach it to the base. Apparently, hot glue and foil don’t adhere well. Lesson learned.

As we were scurrying around, attempting to save the remaining cupcakes, I was convulsed in laughter, thinking that this could have been an episode of I Love Lucy. Turning around to see the table of guests directly behind me with their mouths agape, watching the spectacle unfolding before them, I said “nobody saw that, right!?”, which resulted in more laughter from everyone involved. Now, if someone had been recording this, we most definitely would have won top prize on America’s Funniest Videos, which I then could have used to purchase a fabulous wooden cupcake tower like this one of these beauties on Etsy. But, alas, I didn’t even have my camera with me until it was over! So, the remaining unharmed cupcakes were set out on the table for the guests to enjoy,

which they reportedly did. The bride graciously laughed it away and the party danced on into the night. My heartfelt congratulations to the bride and groom-hopefully this is the first and last disaster for many years to come. So, you ask, what’s my take-away from all of this? NEVER AGAIN. Don’t ask, I won’t bake them. I’m sticking to wood and paint, from this day forward. Hope you have a memorable Memorial Day, everyone! Susan

Filed Under: Cookin' Up Country, Outdoor Adventures, The Barn Workshop-DIY Series, Views From My Back Porch · Tagged: cupcake tower, Cupcake Wars, cupcakes for wedding on tower, DIY cupcake tower, falling cupcake tower, smashed cupcakes, wedding cupcakes

May 9, 2014

Mother’s Day Forever Bouquet

By countrydesignhome · 4 Comments

Several Mother’s Days ago, I received a small wooden painted sign from my children. It reads:

That day, it brought me to tears, and it sits on my windowsill, where it catches my eye and is a never-ending reminder of how blessed I am to have the most amazing children whom I love dearly. Every year it is increasingly difficult to come up with unique gift ideas for my mom; after all, how many HomeGoods gift cards can one woman use?! (Well, in my case, I can never have enough of those, but I supposed that’s just me : ). Inspired by a gorgeous wedding bouquet that was created by a co-worker using vintage brooches and pins, I decided to make a “Forever Bouquet”. This floral forever bouquet uses only silk flowers, crystal pins and beads and any other embellishments you wish to add. Nothing to water and something that will last forever.

Here is the how-I-did-it: The supplies:

1. A glass vase or vessel. It can be transparent or not. You can actually use any style vase you would like, even a martini glass or mason jar! The options are only limited by your imagination!

2. Any crystal beads, barrettes, pins and buttons you wish to use to create your bouquet. It can be multi-colored or simple.

3. Florists foam, green florists tape plus any embellishments: rhinestones, lace doily, beads and a hot glue gun.

5. Faux flowers: again, any type. The base of my bouquet is one large white sparkly hydrangea, which I encircled with roses and feathers and berries- all faux (faux sounds so much better than fake, am I right?!) I also used white, pink and green roses.

Simply take the vase and place the foam in the base and press down firmly.

I added a touch of bling by cutting a rope of rhinestones

and hot-gluing it to the middle of the vase.

To assemble the jewelry flowers, remove any backing (such as the barrette or the pin). Add a spot of hot glue to the middle of the underside of the flower.

Press cut stem into glue and hold until secured. When I cut the wood stems, I actually make the end rather jagged to give it better gripping power.

Wrap entire stem with florists tape. Repeat with as many sparkly blossoms you would like to use in your bouquet.

Now is the fun part! Start building your bouquet, beginning with the lace doily at the bottom of the vase.

This creates a base, much like a wedding nosegay. Next up was the one large sparkly hydrangea, to which I added a drop of glue to the base before I stuck it into the foam.

Added the feathers around the base, gluing each at the base and pressing them into place.

After that, I arranged the flowers. I am not a flower-arranging expert, so I am not going to instruct you in the proper techniques, only to say that you should make a “dome” effect of the bouquet. I wanted it to have a tightly-packed look, but you could certainly do a more woodsy, organic look as well.

I used primarily white flowers to really show off the jeweled blooms, but then added one pink rose in the center for a spot of color. Once my shape was complete and flower-filled, I started adding the jewelry flowers, one at a time, until the entire piece was completed. The final touches were some green berries and eucalyptus stems. There you have it!

A forever sign of love for your forever friend or mom to cherish. And, since I won’t be blogging on Sunday, I will just say Happy Mother’s Day to all of you!! And to my mom? Well, it goes without saying, Forever My Mother, For Always My Friend. XOXOX Susan

Filed Under: The 3 R's Recycle, Re-Furbish, Re-Love, The Barn Workshop-DIY Series, Views From My Back Porch · Tagged: Mother's Day Floral Bouquet with rhinestones, Mother's Day Flower Bouquet with bling, Mother's Day Forever Bouquet

May 3, 2014

Michaels Crafts A Brand New Look

By countrydesignhome · 5 Comments

I’ve gotta say, I was more than a bit excited when I recently received an invite to attend a “Sneak Peek Blogger Event” at the newly remodeled Michaels Craft Store in Saugus, Mass.

After all, I do spend quite a bit of time (and $$$!) there gathering materials for my very many, many DIY projects! And, I love to blog about them. So, I was delighted to have an opportunity to meet other area bloggers, take part in a craft session and have a tour of the fresh new look of my local Michaels store! Along with 27 other Boston area stores, the Saugus Michaels is unveiling a brighter, fresher style that is less cluttered, much more organized and shopper friendly.

Upon our arrival, we were greeted and escorted into the Michaels Craft Room (which is, FYI, available to the public for group craft projects-good to know : ) After having a yummy bite and an Italian Soda (many of us had never heard of it, but so delish!), we were instructed in our craft projects, then left to our own devices and Exacto knives to create the perfect Boston Skyline from scrapbook paper and canvas.

Once our projects were completed, we were off on the store tour, led by Brett, the district manager along with several store employees, all of whom are now sporting bright red shirts so they are easy to spot when you need a crafty, helping hand.

Having shopped here numerous times in the past, the first change I noticed was the wall banner circling the entire store, high enough to spot from any vantage point and identifying key shopping areas. Other new features include signage that not only identifies the area, but informs the shopper what is available in each aisle.

A newly expanded section, by customer request, is Home Decor, where you will find aisles stocked with latest trends in home fashions and accessories.

Loving these ruffled pillows and ottomans!

One of the most noticeable changes throughout the store were the information boards associated with the products. I dabble in cake decorating from time to time, and I know my way around a pastry bag. BUT, what would be a simple cake decorating project for me could be an overwhelming task to an aspiring Cake Boss wanna be. So, Michaels solved this dilemma by not only stocking the shelves with the necessary tools, but also by adding these information and instruction boards (kind of like Pinterest in real life : )

The chalk and chalkboard section, which is still so trending on Pinterest right now, has it’s own “Pin” board, where customers can get inspiration, then grab the necessary supplies to create the project of their choice.

While on the tour, this new Tint It Spray caught my eye, (of course, with all the bright, pretty colors : ) with craft ideas and a color sample, plus supplies-brilliant!

As we turned each corner, I continued to be impressed by the overall look of the store with its colorful displays and variety of items for any imaginable craft project. AND, so excited to see that they are finally carrying my latest DIY obsession-Americana Chalky Paint by DecoArt!! I have just started using this product, and I can’t wait to share my first project with all of you. But for now, you will have to take my word for it that these paints and finishes are like nothing you may have worked with in the past.

So, now that I’ve given you the condensed tour, its your turn to head to your nearest Michaels to see what the blogging fuss is about! On Sunday, May 4th, there will be a grand re-opening of the Boston-area Michaels Stores featuring a 9:45 am ribbon-cutting ceremony, and over $1000 in gift card giveaways!! So, get crafty Boston, and…

I hope you have a creative and inspired Sunday, everyone. And if you do happen to visit your local Michaels, tell them Sue from Country Design Home sent you! Susan

Filed Under: Color Class, I've Been Featured On..., Views From My Back Porch · Tagged: #BobVilaNation, #getcraftyboston, #Michaelsstores, Americana Chalky Paint, Decoart Chalky Paint, Michaels $1000 gift card giveaway, Michaels Arts and Crafts stores, Michaels Crafts, Michaels store grand re-opening

May 2, 2014

Country Pine Commode Transformed

By countrydesignhome · 3 Comments

Another day, another DIY project done! This is an old commode Coach and I picked up at auction last fall for $25.

Unfortunately, it was buried in the back of the barn until our most recent barn sale (which was quite a success, I must say). My mom had been searching for a nice storage cupboard for her entryway, and I knew this would be the perfect piece once I rescued it from under the piles of books and bric-a-brac!

All it took was a bit of cleaning, a few coats of Annie Sloane Chalk Paint in Old White, a bit of sanding around the edges and a new product (more about this later), a crème wax by Americana Paints that you literally paint on with a brush and then buff off. It has no odor, has the consistency of a clear paint, leaves a nice, soft sheen and a very smooth protective finish. Our original intent was to paint the hardware as well, but once the piece was sanded and finished, we liked the dark contrast against the light wood.

But, the best part about this makeover is the staging that occurred once the commode was finished and moved into place. Because my mom is an artist, she sees everything a bit differently than most folks. The surfaces in her home become a canvas that she transforms from simple and unadorned to simply beautiful, with a little help from her favorite HomeGoods store(s).

Each of these decorative items were purchased separately, but together they become a lovely vignette in shades of blues and silvers, with a few natural elements from the sea. Flanked by two antique ladder back chairs with gunny sack pillows, some of my mom’s paintings and the pediment mirror that is more than 25 years old, the vintage country pine commode has a new life greeting visitors in my mom’s entryway.

And that is what the three “R”‘s are all about- reclaim, recycle, relove. Have a lovely weekend everyone, the sun is about to shine!! Susan

Filed Under: Views From My Back Porch · Tagged: #BobVilaNation, #HomeGoodsHappy, Americana Paints, Annie Sloan Chalk Paint, Country Pine Cupboard Painted, DecorArts Creme Wax, HomeGoods, Recycled Country Pine Cupboard

Apr 25, 2014

Beautiful Bonita Springs

By countrydesignhome · 4 Comments

Luckily for me, I have friends and relatives on both (warm) coasts of the US. A few weeks ago, I traveled to California

for a bit of R & R. So, it was only fair that last week I hopped on a flight to Florida, returning just in time to host Easter festivities on Sunday! While the trip to Cali was merely for fun, my Florida jaunt had a more lofty purpose. My wonderful friend Jan-a two time cancer survivor-is quite involved with an organization called Relay for Life.

If you have not heard of it, you can click here for more information and to get involved.

The primary fundraising campaign for the American Cancer Society, Relay for Life events are staged throughout the country to raise funds for research and cancer awareness and hopefully, someday, a cure. Which brings me to last week, when I traveled to Florida to lend Jan a hand while she held a RFL fundraiser at her winter home in Bonita Springs.

The Relay for Life fundraiser event was held indoors, because (unfortunately, we had threats of rain. But it didn’t dampen the spirits of the people who came to participate in such a worthwhile event. The Luminaria bags are purchased in honor of, or in memory of loved ones who have bravely battled cancer.

On the evening of the event, the bags are filled with sand and tealights to illuminate the HOPE

in all of us that someday will lead to a CURE.

Of course, while I was there, we did do some sightseeing and shopping (have you heard of Charming Charlie and Ross Dress for Less?!? OMG!!!) and some power walking, (have you ever visited someone and decided to go for a walk in their neighborhood, only to discover after an hour, that you are lost and have to rely on Siri to guide you back home? No? So that’s just me…) admiring the scenery while enjoying some much-needed sunshine and warm tropical breezes.

A few pics from my weekend: Sunrise in Bonita (although it was overcast quite a bit, the Florida sunshine still managed to peek through the clouds : )

Breakfast at Flippers on the Bay overlooking the Gulf

The Easter Bunny came and hid tons of eggs for the kids

Beautiful inlaid mosaic sea creatures at the entrance to the Naples Pier.

A fun, relaxing, but very moving weekend, as once again, I mourned the loss of beloved ones, but rejoiced in the continued good health of others who have fought the fight and are winning the battle against cancer! Hope you have a sunny Friday everyone, and please wish Jan and her team good luck while participating in this weekend’s Relay for Life in Bonita Springs! Susan

Filed Under: Views From My Back Porch · Tagged: American Cancer Society, Bonita Springs Relay for Life, Luminaria Bags for Cancer, Relay for Life, RFL

Apr 24, 2014

Broken Mirror=Lucky Find!

By countrydesignhome · 12 Comments

You know that moment when you see something in a store and your heart starts beating faster and you think “wow, I really need to have that-I don’t care how much it costs!!” And then you discover it is marked down in the clearance section and you think “OK, you’re mine!!” Recently, I stumbled upon this large painted driftwood flower mirror in the clearance bin at HomeGoods. It is painted the perfect colors for my kitchen/family room, and I knew in an instant it was to be mine!

So ridiculously cheap, and it was there because the center mirror was missing so it was being sold-I love these words-AS IS. To whomever broke the mirror- sorry about your seven years of bad luck. But for me, my lucky day!! Now, how to repair it and replace the missing mirror? Simple. The back piece was already pulled away from the frame. I am assuming that it was removed to clear away all of the broken glass shards. No problem, easier for me. I happened to have a large round unframed mirror that I had purchased from Ikea quite awhile ago, and it was just the right size to fit in the opening.

So, I pried the backing off the frame,

then centered the mirror into the opening, ensuring that the little squares around the edges of the mirror were evenly distributed.

Now, how to affix it to the irregular driftwood pieces of the frame? What else but duct tape? Super strong and pliable so I could wrap it around the circular shape and affix it to the frame. (of course, this is where I should insert the pic of the duct taped mirror, but alas, I was so excited I forgot!) Once secured, I re-attached the backing to the frame with some screws,

making sure I missed the mirror (that would have changed my luck in a flash!), and then re-attached the large hanging bracket, again avoiding the mirror with the screws and hiding it behind one of the large driftwood petals.

And now it has a perfect new home in my kitchen, where it is a constant reminder of the hope of spring (yup, it’s coming…) and the thrill of bargain hunting. I received so many compliments about my latest find on Easter Sunday as well! Oh, and PS: the floral runner is from HomeGoods too!

Always goes to show you, one shopper’s junk is another shopper’s treasure. And, you don’t always need to go dumpster diving to find a hidden one that just needs a bit of TLC. Hope you are having a #HomeGoodsHappy Thursday, everyone! Susan