My New Green Red Glider

For the past 20  years or so, this wicker loveseat has been the centerpiece of our cozy covered porch that overlooks our large back yard. Please pardon the bad photo--it's the only one I could find at  the moment.

When I bought this loveseat at a garage sale, it was probably already 15 or more years old and had seen a significant amount of wear. I never would have dreamed it would have lasted this long. Although, the past couple of years, I prayed each time someone sat on it that they wouldn't fall through to the floor!

Introducing safe seating, a pop of color and an eco-friendly solution.

This wonderful glider is my Mother's Day gift. But, it was back ordered and just arrived this past week. I'm so excited that it's made of recycled plastics and is guaranteed not to fade. It's so comfy while being environmentally responsible.

It allowed me to change up the look of the porch a bit, but it still coordinates with my sweet yellow quilted chair covers. I moved my Swift Premium box, which some of you may remember was on my front porch and am using it as a coffee table.

The Canada Dry crate will be a handy place to set drink bottles and glasses to keep them from being batted around by our black lab's tail. A vintage ice chest with a soft top pairs nicely with the glider and creates an additional seat for guests, when needed.

The globes hanging from the vintage chandelier in the corner glow in the dark. My little neighbor girls really enjoy them.

I'm looking for a new outdoor rug to tie things together a little better. The old rug has seen better days and now seems too small. Didn't have time for shopping this weekend. Next weekend, perhaps.

Now we're gliding in style.

Make it a great day!

Linking to:

Serenity Saturday

Share It Sunday
Much Ado About Monday
You're Gonna Love It Tuesday
The Scoop

This Treasure Is So Doggone Cute

My fashion philosophy is, if you're not

 covered in dog hair, your life is empty.

--Elayne Boosler

If you're a dog lover, you know firsthand the intensity of the tug a dog can have on the heartstrings. Barney, our exuberant black lab, is confidante and clown, protector and playmate, beggar and best friend.

Dogs are so special to me, I find it difficult to pass up canine kitsch on my treasure hunts. Vintage dog items always make me smile. Admit it, don't these beguiling hand-carved cuties brighten your day?

This wooden piece, a recent estate sale find, was clearly handmade. It's seen better days, but still maintains tremendous charm. I put a deck of--what else--vintage dog playing cards in the box section, which most likely was intended to hold cigarettes. My vintage Scottie candy container makes a good companion to its carved cousins.

The paperback "Dogs" book was a recent flea market score.

The book doesn't have a copyright date, but  it's definitely decades old. It's in very good vintage condition. The contents feature descriptions of many breeds and the pictures are stickers that have been added to the pages. The book is a promotional giveaway for Gro-Pup Dog Food, a Kellogg's brand.

Not a new find, this handsome and stately pointer is a mid-Century console lamp and has graced the top of our piano for several years.

The large chalkware dog belonged to my grandmother. He is accompanied by a couple of friends I found at estate sales.

Dogs are not our whole life,

 but they make our lives whole.

― Roger A. Caras

The antique, iron St. Bernard bank belonged to my husband's grandmother. It still contains many of her old coins.

This darling litho is stained with age and has some significant other "beauty marks," none of which detract from the sweet image. Dogs and babies . . . awwww. Picked this up for a couple of bucks at a local estate sale.

When an eighty-five pound mammal

 licks your tears away, then tries to sit

 on your lap, it's hard to feel sad.

- Kristan Higgins, Catch of the Day

And, here's to the most special dog in our collection--our 93-pound baby. Barney, you're the best.

Make it a great day!

Linking to:
Knick of Time Tuesday
What's It Wednesday
Nifty Thrifty Tuesday

Time Travel Thursday
Simple and Sweet Fridays
Share the Joy
Feathered Nest Friday

Ahhhh, Simplify

After we returned all the tubs of Christmas stuff to the attic, I left the mantel bare for short time. Every year, I am amazed at all the holiday decor we've amassed. What's even more amazing is that I actually use most of it.

After the holidays, it takes me a while to recover from the over eating, over socializing, over thinking, over worrying and over decorating.

Now that I have had time to catch my breath, I've simplified the mantel in our family room. It started with this:

This homemade box was a garage sale find from last summer. The wood is rough and splintery. Late last fall, I was working on a couple of other painting projects and decided to put some paint on it--doing something between a dry brush and full coat.

I liked the way it looked after simply slapping on the paint, so I left it that way.

It sat in the garage without a handle until this past week when I brought it in and added burlap ribbon and filled it with pine cones--some that I had salvaged from my live Christmas wreaths when they were past their prime, and some I painted myself.

I added some other wintery looking items to the mantel. The linen-covered French books are unusual and have a special story that I can share in another post. 

The little bird is a terra cotta votive holder I found at a garage sale--for 25 cents. It had potential, but I didn't like the terra cotta look, so I gave it a light brushing of white paint.

The beautiful painting over the fireplace was created by my husband's great uncle and given to my husband's parents as a wedding gift in 1947. When we brought it back this summer after moving his parents out of their house, it was in nasty condition--dull from years of dust, warped from the moisture in his parents' basement and flawed with a couple of tiny spots of chipped paint.

Here it is in its glory after we had it restored. It's a perfect backdrop for the winter mantel.

The stars I crocheted for Christmas still work with the winter scheme and add just the right amount of twinkle to the vignette.

Make it a great day!

Linking to:

Nifty Thrifty Sunday
Sunny Simple Sunday
Motivate Me Monday
Cowgirl Up!
Mod Mix Monday
Nifty Thrifty Tuesday
Tweak It Tuesday
All-Star Block Party
Time Travel Thursday