Another One of These

It seems like this time of year finds me posting way more of these bits and pieces kind of stories than any other time. I guess it is because it is that in between time that I am just not that fond of. And, with the heat and rain outside, my wings are clipped on so many projects that I would normally be doing and sharing.

And so, with that in mind, I will give you a quick update on my full and unexpected week plus a few of the things I've been catching up on now that I am home again.

I had a fun beginning to my week-but no pictures to share. My youngest grand daughter turned 10 and I spent the day with her and her family. It was a nice, quiet family celebration as she had already had her big day with her bestie the day before. Then, on Monday, I picked her up and we went to lunch and out shopping-to, of all places, Tractor Supply. This is my horse addict child and they carry the Schleich brand of horses...and, of course, birthday money necessitates MORE horses. Lol We made it home right before the skies opened and played games the rest of the day.

I stayed busy the rest of the week with "normal" stuff and was just planning my Friday when the phone rang. It was that same grand child asking if me I would like to head to St. Pete for a few days with her and her Mom. She didn't need to ask twice...and, in an hour and a half, I was off. I always love visiting my oldest daughter in St. Pete. She lives in the historic district and is within walking distance to so many wonderful things downtown. Friday night we hit our favorite local restaurant and then walked further downtown so Presley could have some ice cream for dessert. Even though it was still hot, there is always a breeze coming off of the water so it never feels quite so bad.

On Saturday morning, we hit the road running. Both of these daughters are decorators so we were off looking for some things for clients as well as ourselves. Lol

We hit the Restoration Hardware Outlet in Clearwater. Good thing I don't live close to that place or I would be in real trouble!

Next we hit so many of my favorite decor places...why is it that places you visit out of town just seem so much nicer than anything where you live?

We hit the World Market, the French Nest, Marcottes and Julies of Provence...my absolute favorite and a MUST do every time I am in St. Pete. It is in Indian Rocks Beach so, a bit of a haul, but SO worth the effort!!

Since we were this far south, we decided to head into Dunedin for dinner and a walk around the cute downtown area. I will say, we didn't walk as much as we might have if it hadn't been so hot but, we found a great place to eat with a bit of a different menu and then, found a wonderful, new flavored popcorn shop and of course, an ice cream shop for Presley.

Home again for a final night of game competition! We got back in Ocala on Sunday and I was surprised by a visit from my brother and sister in law. They came bearing a cake and gifts for an impromptu celebration for P's birthday and back-to-school wishes for the kids.

So, after so much fun, I wasn't sure what this new week would bring but, daughter #3 was giving me a "stone" console that she could no longer use. I actually saw this console the very first time it appeared in the Grandin Road catalog...way back when. I wanted it so badly then and, quite honestly, I don't know why I never got it. It is still in every catalog all this many years later-in fact, they are now offering it in 4 different colors. But, I digress. Lol

I wasted no time snatching it up. I wasn't entirely sure where it would go until I remembered how many times of late that I have complained about decorating this.

It then became a no-brainer. Of course, this console is also an outdoor piece and that is how Jen had used it. It saw a bit of wear-one big chunk missing on the edge and one entire base piece totally cracked around the bottom. It really could have almost been left as it was with just a bit of paint touch up but since this was going to be in a place of fair visibility in my dining room, I decided it needed the MacGyver touch. I started off with a PineSol rub down. And take note of the difference in colors.

I decided to just use the drywall patch stuff. This one is good because you know when it is dry...and that was almost the hardest part of this job...waiting for the thick application of the patch to dry.

I figured some combination of these colors would match the stone...and it did. The best part of this project is the way the piece was painted to begin with. It was very splotchy with different saturations of color in different areas so, I almost couldn't do anything wrong. When I got done, I was afraid it was a bit too solid compared to other parts but, a light sanding and we were good to go!

So here is the corner all fixed before I sanded off some of that thickness and got it back to looking like stone.

I love the way it opens up that side of the room and actually makes it feel bigger and cleaner.

When I look at this picture, I realize that I forgot to sand to knock back some of the paint on the base-guess I'm not quite finished. Lol

And, if you are a faithful follower (and you would have to be to still be here this far into this very long, pedestrian post-haha), you will notice that the Ravenswood sign that is hanging over the console (and also a hand-me-down from Jen) was not too long ago hanging over the love seat.

Now this beauty hangs there. It was a gift from daughter #1 that we found at Julies. It's hard to tell from the picture but it is rusty metal with a bit of a verdi gris finish...and you know how much I love my rust and verti gris! It is the perfect gift...and that is why I am just now getting it. It is my birthday (from March) and Mother's Day gift. Kris doesn't just like to buy gifts if she doesn't think they are just right for each person. And so, in my case, I many times get IOUs until we are together and I see something I just can't live without. I think buying that mirror kind of precipitated this whole make over and I couldn't be happier.

I had this lamp already. It is not my favorite choice for here but because this console is narrow, whatever lamp goes here will also need to be narrow-no big bulky shades for this bad boy. We shall see. I added the Southern Living tray because it is almost the same color as the wording on the sign. And, of course, my head is already spinning with all of the seasonal ways I will be changing this!

And so, that is where I am right now. I am close to finishing my Halloween projects-so I could do that this afternoon-or, I'm also itching to get out the leaves and pumpkins-so I could go that route as well. I think I'll go have some lunch-so much easier to decide on a full stomach...and then I'll let you know. I know you'll be on the edge of your seats until you hear. Lol Stay tuned.