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"Where better to care for the soul than in the details of our daily lives?....The soul has an absolute, unforgiving need for regular excursions into enchantment. It requires them like the body needs food and the mind needs thought... An enchanted world is one that speaks to the soul, to the mysterious depths of the heart and imagination where we find value, love and union with the world around us. As mystics of many religions have taught, that sense of rapturous union can give a sense of fulfillment that makes life purposeful and vibrant." ~ Thomas Moore.

Sunday, October 21, 2012

"Ethereal Silver" Painted Pieces




Who am I writing to? Who is paying attention? I don't know, but maybe, just maybe, someone out there in cyber space is looking desperately as I have, for some clues and how to's and pictures for something they have only seen in their minds eye. This is for you.

This tiny 10 by 11 foot room is amazingly energy consuming. When I have remembered to take pics, not because I want to or intended to blog this nightmare of a process, but when a little voice says ''take a pic'' I do it. I have come to believe these are little Fairy Angels who are looking out for something and are helping to help someone else who benefits from what I'm doing here. I truly hope so, I'm not doing this just for show and tell. I pray someone is helped by this recording of this.

Last post I posted some pictures of the walls. And today I will post some of the painted pieces, and the newly acquired as of today piece, which is a monster! of a hutch/cabinet for my room, and to which I feel I have overwhelmed myself at the end of a long and painful process. I don't know why my body is objecting to everything I'm doing, maybe I've been through too much in life already, but this project is taking its toll but I know I have to finish. When I hear the words ''aren't you excited''....I wonder where any excitement may have gone because I feel none. Every morning I gauge my pain levels, how much aspirin to take and get going early before I crash with too much pain in my heels or neck. It has become unbearable. Yet I must plod on.
I do look at the room and do see the beauty, and I mean Beauty, that will be the end result, and maybe, just maybe, I will say it has been worth it, but never again do I ever want to experience this. If ever there is a next time, I hope I have the means to hire people to do the work...I simply cannot anymore. I'm definitely NOT the labor type anymore.

In any case, I have more pictures for the pieces and the newly acquired monster that will hold the things I had exposed on open shelves, because I no longer want to see ''things'' or to have those precious ''things'' collecting dust which is something I have decided I abhor.

So here they are. This was the green cabinet for the Garden Room which was previously green.



And here it is now. White painted with pink streaking softened and worked into the piece, rose paper lined shelves, stenciled with silver, a pearl finished top, and finished with crystal knobs. Sounds yummy! LOL





Here is a good picture of it against the ''silver'' walls with lace trimming....all sounds like delectables? oui ? LOL





Hinges got the silver rub n buff because they did not like paint.





For the one window where the light comes in most in the morning which I do NOT want, I have tried to figure out how to make it darkened without using dark shades or curtain. I had a batik fabric on it before, just for ease and instant darkening, but never meant to be permanent .....which you can see behind the plant......dark. But I didn't like it......so .......




Now this window is done in three layers. I decided to put back the white blinds, add another fabric for darkening which is a gorgeous Indian scarf in lavenders and blues, and then over that is a square lace tablecloth I picked up from the thrift store for about $3.00 which will not be moved since it lets so much light through anyway.
The Indian lavender scarf is closest to the window and I put it on a tension rod with clip rings so they easily slide back and forth with no trouble. The 2nd layer are the blinds which can be closed down for darkening, and which do not darken alone, but with 2 other layers, do darken. The 3rd layer is a lace table cloth simply draped over another tension rod in front of the blinds, and this won't get moved. This pic is just the 1st layer of the scarf and the pretty light coming through. The blinds are all the way up.




This below is with the lace tablecloth just draped over a 2nd tension rod in front of the blinds, with the lavender scarf pulled to the right.....lots of light filters through. When evening comes, I will simply pull the blinds down, flip them closed with the rod attached to them, pull the lavender scarf closed all the way and it's pretty dark :D





I also painted the bakers rack which was white but dingy and had that ''shabby'' look with some kind of rusted looking glaze on it, and I didn't want that anymore. I painted it flat white and then gave it the Pearl treatment with the Modern Masters White Pearl. 






 



Another piece that got spray painted in Rustoleum's Heirloom White which was the white shade I loved most when matched to an angel I have in my room. My housemate spray painted this one for me. This white is popular in blogland it seems, and now I know why.  You can see the before piece to the far left which has a green/gold fabric over it....it was dark brown bamboo and wood.




Here it is painted Heirloom with the ''silver'' pearl walls behind, it is very pretty. The hardware got the silver rub n buff. And I'm very much in love with white pumpkins which also seem to match the Heirloom White LOL !





I'm posting backwards here, but the ceiling fan was the first thing I did actually, just to get ''warmed up''. LOL  Here is the typical brass look fixture. The blades were dark wood.

 





Painted blades in Heirloom White and silver rub n buff on the brass parts. Nothing was perfectly done! :D







And now for the monster piece which is overwhelming me, but I will get started on it tomorrow and I imagine it will take days before I am finished with it. It's being painted in the middle of my bedroom, because there is no way to do it outside, I cannot move it. But here is my inspiration for mine and it seems many have acquired large brown hutches only to transform them into beauties!

source

And mine cost me $60.00 from Criag's list seeing it just this morning...surreal to find it in my house hours later.
The plus's on this one were the ''alleged'' 13 inch measurement which was the size I needed because I had an allowance of up to 15 inches max, BUT!! turns out to be 16 inch's measured by John AFTER it was put into my room...! ....I'm not going to respond to that........I simply have to make it work.....but other plus's are the pretty legs, the light inside, the glass doors, and the price.





I have another can of grey Moondance and which, by the way, appears to be similar very much so to the famous Annie Sloan's ''Paris Grey''! that French thingy again! I know this because when I googled ''hutch cabinet before after chalk paint'' in google images, there were many pictures of hutches transformed by savvy ladies, and many of them using that '' Paris Grey''....and looking oh so similar to my "Moondance" LOL :D
But here is my ''monster''.....which I am hoping a great deal will be easier to tackle than I think. The entire thing needs painting, inside and out, and chalk paint is the easiest. Even if it didn't work out for the Pink Cabinet, I WILL make it work for this one! :D




And one last pretty was a mirror that was gold in frame, and is now pink with silver accents. I like it :D




This pink was bothering me a bit so I softened it and toned it down a bit......










Well that's enough for now. See you in a few days when all should be done.

Sharing this post with FRENCH COUNTRY COTTAGE: Feathered Nest Friday
 and with The Charm of Home
and with At The Picket Fence
and with No Minimalist Here
and with Shabby Art Boutique





16 comments:

  1. Dear Lady, you are really in painting mode and doing a fabulous job. Painting both fascinates and scares me, more so scares me that I can't even get started. I have some small pieces here and have been putting them off far too long. I need to get outside and do them before it gets too cold. Your silvery white paint is really beautiful. And that hutch is going to be gorgeous, love the pink mirror, too. xo

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    1. I am really in painting mode and wish I weren't, I don't like so much ''man made stuff''...but at least the grey is zero VOC....today I begin to paint the "monster" with it, after making it a chalk paint...
      I'm going to lighten the pink mirror since it looks deeper pink in the pic than I thought. I kinda was bothering me a bit at first but I didn't know what it was, but I think lightening it will do the trick. Thanks for visiting!
      blessings
      lady

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  2. Your room is looking beautiful,Im sure that when you get your dresser painted it will be fab.I love the what was green cabinet it looks so expensive now you have done so well.Looking forward to seeing the result of the dresser.Love Jill xx

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    1. Thank you Jill. I think it will look beautiful too because I will work on it until I love it LOL

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  3. I was so excited to see this post--love that pink mirror! It looks just lovely with the silver accents. Everything is looking so pretty--and I am totally in love with that pearl paint. Can't wait to see it all done!

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    1. Thanks Sandy. I like the mirror too but in the pic it looks more pink and I think I want to lighten it a bit and will do it today :-/
      But you should really get the white pearl, you'd have endless fun with it...it cannot turn anything but more magical!
      And trust me, I can't wait more than ANYONE to be all done LOL
      blessings
      lady

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  4. Every thing looks amazing! Love, love, love the wall color!
    Have a great week and don't work too hard!

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  5. Wow You have been busy!! Things are starting to settle down up here so I am hoping to catch up with everything...I did the same thing to a bathroom a few years & now I am redoing it opposite...I am going for green...LOL It is fun to redo a room every few years...Love what you did with everything!!!

    :) XO

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    1. Thanks Linda. I love green! But it seems my Spirit is craving the light silvers and white for some reason in my bedroom....and it needed to be ''decorated''....so that it looks more like my own essence....and it is! Thankfully I can envision first and see it all done before beginning the work.
      Happy decorating on your end!
      blessings
      lady

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  6. Oh my Soul Sister, that person who needed hearing from you was just ME! Loved everything in your room, specially the walls and the amazing makeover of the furniture (where did you get that exquisite bakers rack?) Yes, I know it´s hard work -believe me, I KNOW!- but think about it as the last labor pains before the glorious birth of your Beauty Sanctuary! Promise to write soon (as usual, so many things to tell, so little free time...)
    Thousands of blessings,
    K.

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    1. What a thought! "someone needing to hear from me"....how nice, I must contemplate that one..
      Thanks for visiting and saying so, this feels like a lone person kind of madness, since my housemate who could not be less interested, doesn't have any input. Yesterday I finished the inside of the hutch which looks gorgeous and he walks in after work stands behind me as I'm painting on the floor, and just utters "humpf"....if I don't say "isn't it pretty" and such things, I get no comments from him, and at this point I'm too tired to ask him even if he is the only person around.
      Yes, it is my Beauty Sanctuary....so it is.....that is how its feeling already.....like I finally wont mind spending time in there, and not just for sleep or dressing.
      I wish you had more time....I adore hearing from you....
      the longer the email the better LOL
      hugs
      lady

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  7. My sweet Lady! How beautiful everything is looking! However when I said for you to paint I meant with Shiloh Sophia... on canvas... not everything in your room!!! He he! I don't think I would linger long in your presence or I might get a coat of pearlized paint on me! Though it might look pretty... hmm. Hang in there sweet lady, it will all be worth it in the end. You're in the final stretch. When I am creating a wedding the day before I am wondering why in the world I am in such a hard business. The next day I think I have the best job in the world. Your in the dark stretch before the dawn, a dawn I might add of beautiful pearlized white light : )
    Tons of love and ENERGY sent your way,
    Tricia

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    1. Tricia LOL I know what you meant and you have NO idea how I wish I could paint with Shiloh!! One day.....it is like one of the only real things I want to do. Whenever I get her newsletter in my email, I always just want to jump in my car and drive to her.
      Are you working with her? Was that you who she mentioned in her note of great gratitude ?
      And yes, anyone standing around will get a pearl touch LOL, it can only improve in my opinion LOL I got a drop on my big toe nail and I was gorgeous ! I decided when this is all done and I can properly groom myself, I'm going to do my toenails on one of the many shades of pearl I do have LOL.
      Yes, I think you're right about being in the last stretch. I've done weddings and events too and its a horror until you stand around looking at all the work, and the beauty is such a reward! I already have a sneaking suspicion I might tackle the living room next as planned since last year. I just need to get the chalk painting techniques down and prepare better. But all I have left is this one hutch piece and then all can go into place.....and the fun begins. Thanks for visiting!
      hugs
      lady

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  8. oh lovely, you're doing months work in days. Interior designers have assitants for the heavy duty, you know? :) It's turning amazing and magical. Please take care of yourself! Many many hugs.
    Kaisa

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  9. Lovely, I tried commenting yesterday, but I guess it didnt go thru. What I was saying is that you're doing months work in days and most interior designers have assistants for the heavy work, so please take care of yourself, renovating is not easy business. The result is getting wonderful, no doubt, but take care, alright? Sending you so much love and many hugs.
    Kaisa

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    1. No Kaisa, it didn't gpo through and I always look forward to hearing from you.
      Yes, I think you're right....could that account for all the pain this is causing? When I think about it, and I imagine 'people' working on something like this, especially men, I see many men working and taking breaks and taking weeks and then longer...
      I'm working all day resting only in between coats of paint for this last monster of a hutch, and so there seems to be less pain though I'm on aspirin every day now.
      Thanks for the reminder, I think women work too hard in general, don't know when to stop, because we have such a loyalty to getting things DONE. I can't stand everything in disarray!! It frazzles my nerves...I need a tranquil environment and so I'm working fast.....not good....but I'm almost done.

      Thanks for the love and hugs :D
      lady

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Your thoughts and comments are always appreciated and responded to when possible.