A week away from blogging has made me realize just how much I miss you, both blog readers and bloggers alike! Friday afternoon we returned from a short trip to New Haven, CT relaxed after a few days at the beach but also exited to keep working on our cottage. Right before we left I spruced up the house and left everything in order because it makes coming home from a trip so much better. Upon returning, we flung open the windows, quickly vacuumed the house, dusted the rooms, watered our plants, loaded the washer and then put on a kettle. Surprisingly, we were ready to tackle the LONG list of house to dos right away and thanks to a tireless (and amazing) husband, we started working on the yard right away. We are doers by nature and taking a break from routine has made us that much eager to get things checked off of our project list. (We’re crazy!)
After weeding the yard and mowing, on Friday we also removed the wallpaper from both the kitchen (below the chair rail) and from the downstairs bathroom. Thankfully, it peeled right off and it was an easy, 30-min-max, job. The upstairs bathroom wallpaper is a different story. Attached with wallpaper paste, it will need a lot more work and because it will get messy and design plans for the space are still changing, I’m allowing it to stay as is for a while.
But the main reason I’m writing today’s post is because I want to share with you some great finds from a recent antiquing trip with my daughter, Isabella. I am lucky that she enjoys antique shops just as much as I do and she got lost in their old-stones-and-jewelry section. I on the other hand got distracted and could not believe my eyes… SO. MANY. GOODIES!
How pretty would this piece look with a coat of chalky gray/off-white paint?
An old sconce – love the antique brass finish and accordion arm.
I picture these chairs as the cool pieces in an all-white, kinda modern & minimal space.
A beautiful diorama… I’m still regretting leaving this one in the shop 🙁
A pretty assortment of hefty trunks…
This sweet little table needs a good cleaning but would look great as a plant stand or side table.
I wanted it all, bookcase and all the blue and white porcelain!
What some people call a junk store, I call a treasure trove and our last trip was nothing short of amazing. It’s not always a given that I’d find something worth buying but every now and then I hit the mother lode. We returned with a set of six antique dining chairs!!! (pictured above), three beautiful ink-sketches, matted and framed!!! and, wait for it,…a lovely silhouette! I’ve been looking for them all over the county and I finally found one! And within the budget too! The shop was packed with other things I wanted to take home as well, like the lovely sailing boat diorama, the cute little side table made of branches, the accordion sconce, quirky chairs and side tables, all the blue and white porcelain… I will definitely include Belchertown to my antiquing trips more often. On a different note, we’re enjoying the last week of summer vacation before school starts on August 29th (a little bit late, don’t you think?). Second grade, here we come!! Anyway, enough about me…. How have YOU been? Has school started yet in your neck of the woods? Any fun plans for Memorial Day weekend?
Oh, the chairs are lovely!
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Thanks, Gina! It was love at first sight 🙂
I can’t wait to see what you do with those chairs! And yes, finding a silhouette that is affordable is always such a thrill!
Love coming home with new treasures — isn’t it the best?
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Thanks, Linda! I completely agree, the joy of the hunt gives every piece a special meaning and a story – which in turn make a collected home. xoxo, Eva
So excited to see your home come together. To see your dreams and plans
take shape!
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Hi, Judy! Thank you so much for following along! xoxo, Eva
Wallpaper removal. My Mother decided to take some off. It was just after World War II and she was armed with our Electralux vacuum cleaner. Do you remember those. A tank style and you could stick the hose in either the suckion part or the blower part. She had an attachment that used a mason jar that screwed onto the blower part. She filled the mason jar with hot water and sprayed it on the wall then we scraped and scraped and scraped. Honestly, that glue never did come off and there were thin slices of the paper which she covered up with – paint with walnut hulls ground up in it. Mercy. Those were the years . . . Decorating has come a long way. Good for you, good for all of us. Ann
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Hi, Ann! What memories indeed… my parents used a similar vacuum cleaner attachment (the blower part) to paint walls… Those were the days!! 🙂 Wallpaper removal is one of the messiest projects around the house (maybe up there with refinishing the floors). Thank goodness we only have a 1/3 of a wall, above the tile, in the upstairs bath to deal with but even that got us impatient so we decided to tackle it later. I did find a source on Youtube claiming that a little hole- puncher tool with some tiny needles on it + a mix of hot water & fabric softener is supposed to make the process easier. We’ll see! xoxo, Eva
Dear Eva,
Those Hepplewhite shield-back chairs are a real find. I’m sure you can do something very attractive with them – I found a picture that I think will inspire you! How can I send it to you?
Best wishes,
Toby
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Thank you so much, Toby! That is so kind of you!! I welcome any idea, please feel free to send me an email at evacontrerasdesign@gmail.com. xoxo, Eva