Airstream Update

I waited patiently for my Leaf curtains to arrive from Target.  After checking the site daily and seeing that they were still listed as "in transit" 5 days after they were expected to arrive I went to the Target site and sent an email.  (The site is easily navigated.)  I had a response within a couple of hours explaining that the shipment had been damaged and that a new order was being sent expedited delivery!

So far, I'm impressed.  I'll be even more impressed when they arrive.  I'll keep you posted.

Lamp

I love lamps, especially those huge, funky shapes that were so popular in the 60s and 70s. I don't have space in my house for a huge lamp, but can still take advantage of the chunky shapes.

Now, the problem with this post is there is not a photo of the before. I am an impulsive refurbisher and have at times dropped what I was doing to go paint something because it had to be done. NOW!  Bear with me.

The lamp itself is pottery and when purchased was brown and beige with a very nice drum shade. I don't think the shade was original to the lamp because it was really too small. I was drawn to the shape of the lamp base but knew that a taller shade would work better with the high ceilings in the room.

The first thing I did was paint the base. I have an overload of earthtones in this room, an easy thing to do when your home is made of earth. I chose a metallic silver paint to add a bright, reflective spot with a different texture to the room.

I found the shade in a thrift store in ShowLow, AZ. (WARNING: Don't travel with me if you have an aversion to thrift stores, I have a built-in radar.)

I had planned to just paint the shade to freshen it up, but happened on this great fabric that added a lot to a relatively plain lamp.

 I applied the fabric with spray adhesive after painting the shade with a light spray of the silver metallic paint. Jute twine was then glued in 3 rounds as trim for the top and bottom.

After trying the shade on the lamp, I added some of the jute twine to the neck of the lamp.

I like it!

Airstream Dreams

We have a 1987 23 ft Airstream Sovereign.  We've had a couple of years and it was in pretty good shape when we bought it.  It needed some updating and tweaking of the electrical and plumbing but we have been able to use it from the get-go.  

Oh, and Rick replaced the floor-how could I forget a little thing like that.  Sorry, Dear!

 

However, the interior is, well, very 80s mauve and IBTDT, thank you very much.  I've been searching for inspiration fabrics as it seems that once I find that AH-HA fabric the rest just falls into place.

I think I've found it in this shower curtain from Target.

And it's on clearance.  Could I love it any more?  So I ordered 4 and will soon get started on making new curtains for the AS. The fabric is light and airy, so won't close in the space too much and the leaves give it an in-tune-with-nature feel without screaming  CAMPING.  I will post all about the process here.  Betcha can't wait, huh?

In the meantime, some inspiration:

Scamp redo

AZ Bambi Decors

The Minnie Winnie

My Future's So Bright...

I have this window on the west wall, and just about dinner time it let's in enough light that diners on one side of the table have to wear shades.  So, instead of keeping extra Ray-Bans around, I thought I would make a bit of a shade for that window.  I had some leftover burlap that I used for lath for earthen plaster and thought that it might make a great shade. Burlap is "in" now, did you know that?  Look here, here, and here.  For once, I'm "in".

So, I went to our SAS, Fabric by the Pound place and bought a whole card (several yards) of trim for 4 bucks,

and some hook and loop for .65, plugged in the glue gun, and Voila!  (I refuse to say wa la)

Greer: Calm Morning

Bobbie explains her watercolor process as she makes a painting of one of my photographs.  How cool is that?

Excuse My Blog

How I spend my free time

Reading these great blogs:

Figment of My Cogitation has a thoughtful post on things that bubble just below the surface of our lives in What If You Couldn't Read These Words

I have a new blog love Happy Texas Farm!  They're building a strawbale house, among many other things. It's always fun to see the creativity of others, the only problem being, I get the, IwishIhadthoughtofthats and  want to change things here.

Ever read one of those posts that make you say out loud "Yes!"  This one, Feeling Fierce or is it Just the Boots at Rock The Silver did it for me.

Bobbie has a new blog, called Excuse My Blog (because she thinks she has nothing to say), about her art and life.  In this post she shows how she gets from a photograph to a watercolor. Fascinating stuff and she makes it look as if I could do it. 

Have a great holiday weekend.  Personally, I'll be laboring (excuse the pun).



Painting Chimney Rock Bobbie Johnson

Chill in the Air?

It was 74 when I got up this morning, time to pull out the winter clothes.  No, seriously, in about 2 weeks we'll see people in Tucson with sweaters on.

Cooler temperatures means we will trim up the landscaping.  I so enjoy our landscaping because of the birds and butterflies it draws to our immediate surroundings, but it does take a bit of work.  Work that's better done with a chill in the air!

Here's a little project that took almost no time, or money but makes me very happy.

I got this chair at GW for $1.99!  No, you shut-up, one dollar and 99 cents. (I know, some are asking, "you actually paid real money for that?")  I had been looking for just such a thing, rickety, seat half off, useless rockers, sorely in need of a paint job.  The cashier at GW even remarked "1.99, that doesn't seem right."  I'm not sure if she meant it was too much or too little.

Anyway, we dragged it home and I went to work.  First, hacksaw off the rockers and remove the seat. Clean up the rest and lightly sand to remove a bit of whatever was on it.  (It's going on the porch, so I wasn't too concerned) 

And then my trusty Rustoleum spray trigger and a can of Green Apple and it' s chair love!

This is moss rose in the planter seat.  I had some very pretty purple- flowered, viny thing in there but while on vacation, someone forgot to water it...Boys?

(Thanks, Blogger, love the new picture uploader!)

Vacation!

When most people think of Arizona, this comes to mind:

http://www.flickr.com/photos/dracobotanicus/ / CC BY-NC-SA 2.0

or this:

But those of us who live here know that this:

is also Arizona. And it's where as many of us escape during the summer.

The only problem. Returning to the 105 degree heat.