Charming Zebra

The Unfortunate Lamp Incident

May 21, 2013 By Miss Charming 3 Comments

A series of unfortunate events.

That is how I ended up with a cheery French bulldog perched in my living room. (A ceramic bulldog lamp, that is.)

So in order to properly tell this tale or “tail” (ha!), let’s go back to the beginning…

…Long time ago, in a faraway land, (well, actually, it was just a couple of years ago in the middle of a sweltering Texas Summer) I met up with a few super fun bloggers for a terrific day of thrifting. One of my more interesting acquisitions was a monster lamp (see here). It was huge and weighed a ton. My youngest boy’s bedroom happened to be lampless at the time, so the behemoth lamp went to live with him. Later on, I happened upon a capiz shell lampshade that paired with the lamp perfectly.

All was well in the land for a period of time until The Incident.

Yes, the incident. A slightly shameful event consisting of an overzealous youth and an old air soft gun. The child in question felt it was too much trouble to walk down the stairs and venture out into the backyard. So he held a private practice session in his bedroom with the lamp becoming the unfortunate target.

Suffice it to say, the lamp is no longer in commission (while the air soft gun is currently resting in an extended time out.)

I happened to spy this frisky French bulldog lamp at our local Target a number of months ago. I instantly fell in love. (Yes, in love with a ceramic dog.) I didn’t have an immediate place for it at home but I couldn’t seem to pry my fingers off, so the delightful canine came home with me. Once, back at the house, I remembered that the youngest boy still didn’t have a lamp in his room. So after a lengthy “lamp treatment course”, my son welcomed the new pup lamp into his room. It resided safely there for a number of months until my beloved pineapple lamp (see here) decided to go on strike. It ended up being the perfect time for me to (get my clutches back on the ceramic pooch) bring the lamp back down to the living room. I originally thought the lamp would be in the living room temporarily, but as time goes by, it seems the perfect spot for it.

So what about you? Any unfortunate incidents or animal illuminations in your casa?

~Miss Charming

Filed Under: design Tagged With: air soft gun, French bulldog, French bulldog lamp, lamp, light, Target, thrifting, unfortunate incident

I Saw Werewolves

May 16, 2013 By Miss Charming 10 Comments

Have you ever had that time in your life where you made some ”questionable’ choices?

Decisions that you now look back on and wonder, “What the heck was I thinking?!”

Possibly the time you dyed your hair orange, dated that guy with the ferret tattoo or dropped out of college to become a mime? (It seemed like a good idea at the time.)

Looking back, I unfortunately have many such instances where my judgement could have been called into question. Although most involve the shenanigans from my youth, as an adult, I still occasionally make choices that cause me to think, “WHAT??”

For example: I used to walk my pooch (the dog, not the belly) around our subdivision at around 11:30 to midnight each night. I tend to be a night owl and walking around the neighborhood before I went to bed was relaxing. Plus, my dog, Bella enjoyed it, too. I felt that our neighborhood was relatively safe and that no one would bother us. Now, the funny thing is, that if one of my friends had told me that she was strolling around the hood at midnight, I would have said, “You crazy, girl! That’s dangerous with all those creepers slinking about!” And yet, I thought it was perfectly fine for me to do it.

Well, one night, that all changed. Bella and I had a late start on our walk. It was well after midnight but the night was illuminated by a bright, full moon. (You know where this it going, don’t you?) As we hit the corner of the street, I looked ahead up the road and my blood literally ran cold. (Ok, maybe I’ve read too many crime novels…) But seriously, I froze on the spot. Up ahead in the middle of the road were two giant shapes viciously tearing into something lying in the street. I could not move. The trees cast funny shadows so I wasn’t exactly sure what I was seeing. Two giant feral dogs? But these things were huge. They looked wilder. Possibly coyotes but again, they were much, much bigger than a standard coyote. To be honest, the very first thought I had (after my terrifying internal scream) was “WEREWOLVES.” Seriously. That was the first thing I thought of. And then the rational me was like, “No, that’s ridiculous!” While the imaginative me was all, “Well some people (albeit crazy) have claimed to have seen them.”

So I’m having this irrational conversation in my head at the same time I’m willing my legs to unfreeze. Bella stiffened up on alert but thankfully didn’t make a noise. I knew if those creatures (whatever they were) spotted us, we wouldn’t be able to make it back to the house in time. I finally was able to slowly turn around and walk carefully around the corner so as not to attract attention. We then booked it straight for my front door. It truly was frightening. Consequently, I no longer take a midnight stroll around the neighborhood. (Although, up and down my street is still fair game…)

Now on to an even scarier subject: the hideous BEFORE shot. In any good makeover, you need a stunning AFTER shot of your cool new design and a cruddy (dark and out of focus) BEFORE shot. That way it is adequately documented what an awesome job you did transforming that unfortunate space into something fabulous. Typically, the BEFORE photo is also paired with a few witty remarks about the previous owner’s funny design choices. But what if you were the previous owner?

About 13 years ago when our house was first built, I had a great idea for the powder room. I envisioned an African Safari theme and even started collecting items before we actually moved in. The wall treatment was five layers of various shades of brown applied with a feather duster. I was so proud of the finished look. My neighbor even brought a friend of hers over to see it. At the time, I really thought it looked great. I kind of laugh when I see old pictures of it now. (Somehow it didn’t occur to me that painting a bathroom wall brown might not be the best idea.)

I did end up redoing the space a few years ago. (See post here.) I cleared out all the safari themed items and painted the whole room in Southern Breeze by Behr. I then made my own cardboard template and traced it all over the wall with a pencil. After that I hand painted the lines (two coats) and added a fun mirror. When my husband saw the design I was painting on the wall, he mentioned that it looked exactly like the (original) tile in the entryway of his parents’ 1960′s ranch home. Retro cool, Dude!

I love the way it looks now, so bright and pretty. But perhaps in the future, will I be scratching my head and wondering, “What was I thinking?”

So what about you? Any close encounters of the wolfish kind? Or scary design choices from days past?

~Miss Charming

Filed Under: design Tagged With: bathroom, brown, design, feather duster, makeover, mirror, paint, powder room, sponge paint, werewolves

A Room Full of Cows

May 14, 2013 By Miss Charming 3 Comments

A number of years ago, (shortly after I was married), I became friends with a gal whose kitchen looked like the bovine apocalypse. Seriously.

She had black and white cow paraphernalia everywhere. Pot holders, dish towels, bowls, plates, cups, pictures, plaques and legions of knick knacks. Everywhere. And although, I was in no way a cow fan myself, I was intrigued that she had a definite decorating style. So I cleverly stated the obvious, “Oh, you like cows, huh?” To which she replied, “Not really.” What?? This woman was hosting a bovine convention in her kitchen and she didn’t like cows? What was going on here?

The truth ended up being that my friend did not, in fact have a crazy cow obsession. Her colossal collection started with just one cow themed pot holder. Just one. It was a wedding gift. Another friend came over, spotted the pot holder and later gave my friend a cutesy cow kitchen plaque. And somehow it just snowballed from there. Every single cow item taking residence in her kitchen had been a gift. Everyone just assumed she was cuckoo for cows.

Recently, I thought of my friend and her cow kitchen. It made me wonder how many decorating choices we end up making by chance. If our homes are a true reflection of how we live and what we love. Or are we sitting in a proverbial “room full of cows?” We may not be in our dream living space but we can make the most of what we do have.

Doing it yourself (DIY) is so popular right now because people are discovering that a home with your personal touch is much more inviting than a generic space that doesn’t reflect who you are.

3 Easy Ways to Love Your Space Again:

1) Painting or refinishing a tired piece of furniture and giving it new purpose. Look at using your furniture in non-typical ways. A dresser can be used as a t.v. stand or as extra storage in another room in the house. (We have a pair of dressers in our garage currently holding tools.) And what about using a china hutch in your bedroom for showcasing that fabulous shoe collection?

2) Get rid of items that you don’t love or that are no longer useful. Especially knick-knacks and decor. Be critical of what you bring into your home. Just because something is a great deal or is popular does not mean it needs to be in YOUR home. Some employ the rule of “one in, one out.” You bring home something new and then you need to get rid of something else. (Hoarder prevention.) The end goal is to love most everything in your home. (Now, it may take years to get to that point, but you can do a little at a time.)

3) Make your home a reflection of who lives there. If a (nice) stranger walked into your home right now, what vibe would they get about the occupants? Is it apparent that family, friends or pets are important to you? That you love music, books or art? That you’re into video games, sports, cooking, crafts or travel? I’ve been in so many homes where the parents have absolutely adorable children yet not one photo is gracing the wall. Take a camera (it doesn’t have to be fancy) to the park and let the kids play. Candid shots are the best, nothing posed. Then enlarge the photos (8×10) and hang them on the wall. (If you can’t afford frames right away, hang them up clothesline style with a string or cord stretched across the wall and mini clothespins. Or just tape them on the wall in a giant cluster for an instant gallery.)

I’ve been doing a few little projects this past week. Playing around with my coral paint samples. (See here.) By the way, Coral is a tough color to get the hue just right. Just saying.

I also planted some succulents in a few leftover pots.

I had to deal with an ant invasion coming out of a kitchen light socket earlier in the week. (Now, THAT was a bunch of fun!)

And I enjoyed a wonderful Mother’s Day with my family. (Tulips, meals made for me and the promise of a new 50 mm camera lens.)

And this little orange friend came home with me a few days ago. I’ve been looking for a gnome to live in our house for awhile now. (That wasn’t a strange sentence at all.) The stipulations were that it had to be non-creepy and relatively small. I ended up finding this tiny guy in the garden section at Target.

So what about you? How has your week been? And is your home filled with things (and people) you love or are you wading through “a room full of cows?”

~Miss Charming

Filed Under: design Tagged With: coral, cows, decorating, DIY, gnomes, homes, kitchens, succulents, tulips

Snazzy Gold Tray

May 9, 2013 By Miss Charming 6 Comments

I’d like to think I was a hip and happening teen.

A concert going cool girl.

Now, I’m not exactly sure why I equated attending rock concerts with being cool. Maybe because your coolness factor rose a bit in High School if (your parents let you) go see the currently popular rock stars perform.

But sadly, I didn’t attend a single show. (You may now shed a tear.) I was invited to attend a Scorpions concert (age alert) but that idea received a firm parental veto. (And it’s a mystery why my parents weren’t jazzed about sending their 15yr old daughter to a heavy metal concert with her “friend” who was a boy. As I’m sure all the reports on rampant concert drug use and violence were just rumor and speculation.)

Now that my parents are no longer the boss of me, I have been to a few concerts. None that would earn me any cool points, though.

1) Michael Bolton. (Yes, he was my first.) For those who are unfamiliar with this popular singer, just imagine a crooning lion with a mullet.

2) American Idol. (I will openly admit that I used to be a big fan.) A friend and I spent a girls’ weekend in Houston and caught the Season 5 concert. Highlights were Chris Daughtry and Katharine McPhee (now on the t.v. show “SMASH”.) That was the year what’s his name won.

3) Kellie Pickler. (It was at the State Rodeo, does that count?) Kellie was actually quite good but the music was so incredibly loud that we had to leave about half way into it.

4) American Idol. (Yep, I did it again.) This time it was season 8 and I brought my daughter. Kris Allen (the winner) was a cutie and Adam Lambert was simply awesome.

5) Death Cab For Cutie. (I have the t-shirt to prove it.) Rule in my family: Teenagers cannot attend concerts unless a parent accompanies. So I ended up being the chaperon on this one. It was pretty good. (Despite the fact that I only knew about 30% of the songs.)

So what do you think? Has my cool factor bumped up (or down) a notch?

One of my daughter’s friends (who is quite cool already) won free concert tickets and a back stage pass to a Taylor Swift concert. Not only was the music part fun for her, but it was interesting seeing all the workings of the concert behind the scenes. And that is what I’m going to do with my serving tray transformation project. I’m giving a back stage pass. A peek of the workings behind the scenes. The good, the bad and the ugly.

I started out with a dusty serving tray I found at a thrift store. (It actually came in a set of three.) The tray itself, was fine. It was just a little too boring. And boring just would not do. So I decided to use a medium that I have never used before. (As I hang my head in crafting shame.) I have never made anything with Mod Podge. (gasp!)

The plan was to paint the tray gold and then mod podge the black and white scrapbooking paper onto the inside bottom of the tray. (Sounds a bit glamorous, doesn’t it?)

Well, everything started off okay. I cleaned, primed and painted the tray. (Part of my gold obsession.)

Then I cut the paper to size and painted the Mod Podge on the tray bottom with a foam brush. I attached the paper and then applied the sticky Mod Podge on top of the paper to create a good seal. Unfortunately, the paper started bubbling up and showed brush strokes. Some of the Mod Podge crept up on the sides of the tray and started to discolor the gold. But no worries. It dries clear and the bubbles go away…don’t they?

So here is the finished tray topped with a glittery mini disco ball. (I was obviously not a stylist in my previous life. Maybe a goat herder.)

FYI: It does NOT dry clear on gold paint. (Just in case you were wondering.) Now, I could have tried to cover up the mistakes and claim to be an awesome mod podger, but because I issued the back stage project pass, my tray failure has nowhere to hide.

I am going to try to fix it by repainting the gold edge. (It’s on the schedule for 2017.) In the mean time, the tray is fully functional and if I squint my eyes, then I hardly even notice the smudges or bubbles. Snazzy indeed!

So what about you? Are you a maestro with the Mod Podge? Or a cool girl (or guy) concert goer?

~Miss Charming

Sharing at this fun party:

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Filed Under: design Tagged With: Disco ball, gold, Mod Podge, paint, serving tray, stripes, tray

Industrial Pulley Light

May 2, 2013 By Miss Charming 18 Comments

Have you ever had one of those project ideas that is super cool and amazing with fireworks going off in your head? And then the actual execution is more of a fizzle?

I’d been dreaming of doing a pulley light for the better part of a year now. I would eagerly scour antique stores in search of the perfect vintage pulley. It had to be the correct size with the right amount of patina for the right price. Once I found it and did a celebratory dance, (see here) I started thinking about cords and light bulbs. I was leaning towards the colorful cloth cords (pricey) and the edison bulbs. I assumed I would have to order a cord online so the project ended up being on hold a bit while I (saved money) decided what I wanted to do.

A few weeks ago, I was invited to attend a get-together for bloggers at the environmentally concious home improvement store, Treehouse. It was fun joining friends, as well as meeting new ones and learning about Treehouse and some of it’s fabulous products. I happened to have my point-and-shoot in my purse so I was able to take a few photos. Treehouse is a fairly new “Green” store in Austin which carries most of the typical home improvement items you would expect. (Paint, cabinets, tile, tools, plants, flooring, lighting, plumbing, roofing, etc.) The focus is energy efficiency, environmental conciousness and living a healthy life in a smaller footprint. It was great hearing a few simple ways we could save energy right away.

I may have been the most impressed with the kitchen area. Years ago, it seemed that anything made from recycled materials was just plain ugly. Seriously. If it was recycled, it looked it. But now, the asthetics have caught up with the function. There were so many counter tops, flooring, cabinets and tile made from recycled materials that looked high end, sophisticated and just plain gorgeous. Who knew?

I thought the lighting section was fun, too. The driftwood chandelier on the far right was pretty impressive (and huge) in person.

This lamp with the peek-a-boo green interior was one of my favorites.

The staff and the founder of Treehouse were so kind to our group. I learned a lot and really enjoyed the evening. Another thing that was quite exciting was the announcement of the door prizes. (Of course!) Treehouse gave away some awesome products and I ended up going home with…(wait for it)… a Roost fabric cord in turquoise! Holla!

And as a bonus, this fancy, energy efficient light bulb came with it.

Once I started working on my pulley light project, I was extremely careful with the fancy light bulb. I could just see myself dropping it on the floor and breaking it into a million pieces. Ironically though, the bulb ended up being just fine. I did manage to drop the ceramic end of the cloth cord on the tile floor and it didn’t fare as well. The casing cracked in half, but thankfully still held together. I wrapped it with washi tape for a pop of color and extra security (just in case.)

Once I started creating my lamp, I discovered that no matter how much I tweaked or fiddled, the antique pulley just didn’t look right. Bummer. So I banished it back into it’s paper bag while the metal import pulley willingly (smugly) took it’s place. The import just seemed to gel better with the other components.

I also spent quite a bit of time working with the cord. I just couldn’t seem to loop it around the pulley and bracket in a way that I liked. And in the end, I thought that the cord hanging straight down was a bit wimpy. So I had it dance down the wall in a zig zag fashion. When I walk into the room and glance at it, sometimes I like it and other times I don’t. Kind of a fizzle.

So what about you? Have you shopped at Treehouse or worked some magic with a vintage pulley?

~Miss Charming

Sharing at these fun parties:

Love of Family and Home

Filed Under: design Tagged With: cloth cord, energy efficiency, industrial, lamp, light, pulley, Roost, Treehouse

Crushing on Coral

April 30, 2013 By Miss Charming 11 Comments

I must confess…

I’ve been having a bit of a color crush lately. Yes, it’s true. With cheery shades sporting the names of Bittersweet, Tangerine, Apricot and Coral. I just can’t seem to get enough of these juicy hues.

I decided I needed to bring a little pop of these pretties into my own home.

So, the first step was to select the paint colors. I actually went to a number of stores trying to find just the perfect coral. It seems as though most of the shops had an overabundance of primary bright or muted shades. It was difficult to find any in the exact hue I wanted. So shopping for a number of hours yesterday yielded me the above items. Bits and pieces for four different future projects.

So now that I had a few different sample pots of color, I needed a guinea pig. (Or maybe just an available piece of furniture.) The intended victim: a little bluish cabinet. I do like it painted in this Southern Breeze color but it may be time to jazz it up a bit.

I moved the cabinet in front of the fireplace recently. It may seems a bit crowded but I do like it by my Craig’s List chairs.

So what do you think? Should I go a little crazy with a bright coral or tangy tangerine?

I also bought this plant yesterday. You may notice that I was in a hurry to photograph it, as it hasn’t been planted yet and still is wearing the store tags and protective cardboard. (Such great styling.) The pot is actually two pieces. The top part removes and that is where the plant goes. The bottom section is for the water. The idea is that the soil will be perfectly watered from the bottom up. (A nifty way to protect the plant from those of us with a less than green thumb.)

Another simple project I did was for the chain on Granny’s chandelier. I love having it over my kitchen table as I can remember it hanging in my Grandma’s dining room years ago.

I found this black and white zig zag ribbon at Hobby Lobby.

I simply wrapped the ribbon around the chandy chain. So simple. (It gives a bit of a zebra vibe–don’t you think?)

Now I just have to try out the tester paint pots and decide on a new coral color for the cabinet. Any suggestions?

And what about you? Have you been entertaining any color crushes lately?

~Miss Charming

Filed Under: design Tagged With: cabinet, chairs, chandelier, coral, crush, paint, Southern Breeze, tangerine

Horse Head, Bonsai and a Terrifying Cuckoo

April 24, 2013 By Miss Charming 7 Comments

Pretty weeds.

That’s what I found in our long neglected garden plot. Copious amounts of colorful blooms planted naturally by the local birds. Thank you, thoughtful birdie botanists!

I’ve been doing a little of this and a little of that in the house recently.

My rescued bonsai plant is really starting to fill out. (Despite the fact that it’s still in it’s plastic starter pot.) I bought this plant from a van on the side of the road. Oh yes, I did. The plants were $25 each but I only had a few dollars on me. I couldn’t understand a word the guy selling them said. Seriously. He took the few dollars I had in my hand and then handed me the sickly runt of the collection.

It’s definitely perking up now. And I’m digging it’s horizontal slant.

My newest crush is this solid (beastly heavy) cement stallion head. (Or, I guess it could actually be a fabulous mare.) I currently have it paired with an original piece of art–a colored pencil drawing from my girlie when she was a wee 7 yr old.

My little plastic cuckoo clock painted white. (Although, I am flirting with painting it a brighter hue.) It keeps great time but I had to disconnect the crazy cuckoo. It projected the most horrendous, mechanical noise so when the bitty cuckoo bird popped out, it was rather terrifying.

And here is a furry dog head in a moment of contemplation.

So what about you? Are you skipping through the blossoms of beautiful Spring-like weather? Or chilling out in a frosty blanket of snow?

~Miss Charming

Filed Under: design Tagged With: bonsai, flowers, horse head, snow, Spring

The Trap of Perfect Decorating

April 20, 2013 By Miss Charming 6 Comments

Art is subjective. I know that.

I think “good” art is simply something that moves or inspires you. Something that you find interesting, beautiful or intriguing. (Even if nobody else does.)

Last year, (during the annual extended family beach vacay) a group of us went exploring through a section of gift shops, vendors and other curiosities. While browsing, I came upon a watercolor flower print from a local artist. I looked at it for a bit but ended up walking away. A little while later, I rushed back to the shop, determined to buy the colorful piece I just couldn’t seem to get out of my head. As I later rejoined my family, they all wanted to see what I had rushed back to the shop for. To see the magical item that I was now so happily clutching in my arms. As I gleefully pulled my newest treasure out of it’s brown wrapping and presented it to the group, it was met with a few polite smiles and a subject changing, “Let’s go eat!”

Now this print was something that I was quite excited about. But with the less than lukewarm reaction from the others, I started to doubt just a bit. Was it a mistake? Instead of being colorful and fun, did it look simple and more on the mass-produced side? And then of course, the big question, Was there something wrong with my taste? I viewed it as visually yummy but the others had found it to be quite bland.

With the explosion of decorating shows and home decor blogs, I think it is easy to fall into the trap of second guessing each of your design choices while searching for some undefined level of perfection.

Should I slipcover the sofa, paint the walls white, stencil the bedroom or add subway tile to the kitchen? Are gold frames out but painted frames in? Is tangerine current while chevron is so yesterday? What if I love something that is considered outdated or too trendy?

You can wind up second-guessing yourself to the point of never really being satisfied or finishing your project/space in the first place. For example, I’ve had these little succulents for awhile now, just hanging out in their starter pots while I search for the “perfect” container to transplant them. In the mean time, they have suffered a bit of neglect as I haven’t been as diligent in watering them as I should. (One plant is bolting while another is developing dry little tips.) So because of my indecision and quest for just the “perfect” container, my plants are drying out on a salad plate.

I’ve really been making an effort though, to personalize our home with styles and items that have meaning to us and that we love. To not run willy-nilly after trends unless it’s something that makes sense for how we live. And one of the biggest things I’m learning is that perfection in decoration can mean many things. For the most part, there is not just one correct way to set up your home. And since your needs change over time, so should your home. It doesn’t make too much sense to keep a room a certain way or a specific piece of furniture if it worked for your lifestyle 10 years ago, but now not so much. It’s okay to change and reinvent things to reflect your needs and style now. And it’s also okay to decorate with things that you and your family love but that might not make much sense to somebody else.

Another trap to fall into is to not make much effort because you are currently:

1) Not in your dream home.

2) Don’t have an excessive budget

3) Have tiny kids who will just “mess it up.”

4) Are renting.

You may find that you are in a holding pattern while waiting for the perfect life to begin. But you can bring a little bit of perfection into your life now. Even a little effort can go a long way into making your current house into a home. You live there, so make it yours.

So what ever happened to my wonderful flower print, you ask? Well, I have it hanging up on the wall. And I still like it. It makes me happy. (Even if I’m the only one.)

But I am probably going to change the mat to a pure white. You know, to make it perfect…

So what about you? Have you easily put your home together or do you sometimes get caught up in the trap of Perfect Decorating?

~Miss Charming

Filed Under: design Tagged With: art, perfect decorating, succulents

My Swedish Inspired Clock

April 15, 2013 By Miss Charming 9 Comments

A few weeks ago, I had the incredibly fun opportunity of attending the Round Top Antique Weekend with my Sis. (Because, as you know, there are few things I find as enjoyable in life as sifting through dusty old relics of history.)

I loved visiting all the individual booths but I was especially excited about perusing Lone Ranger Antiques. They specialize in authentic Swedish furniture and the popular Mora style clock.

The Swedish long case clock originated in a handful of towns around Sweden but the town of Mora has gained the moniker of the coveted curvy clock style. Lone Ranger Antiques imports and refurbishes a large number of the popular clocks. Each one sports such detailed and original design. This particular clock had an unexpected carving at the top of the face of a woman with long flowing hair.

Many of the clocks wear beautiful pastel colors.

The curvy lines are the signature look of these coveted clocks. Now, I’ve always had a little bit of a longing for a long case, myself, but there was always the bitty problem of the price tag. (Oh yeah.) These clocks typically command numbers that are way out of my range.

But I do love to look.

So imagine my delight when we happened upon this round-faced clock (and it’s square-faced companion) at a tiny booth on the last day of our antique weekend. My sister was crushing on the square-face but I only had eyes for the round. At surprisingly low prices, we didn’t hesitate to stuff the two of them into the mini van.

Now, it’s not a true Mora clock but it does has the general feel. And it is definitely an old piece. I liked the worn look but decided to freshen it up a bit with paint.

(And please don’t mind the high-water drapes. I’m in the middle of lengthening them..)

I ended up going for more of a modern, beachy vibe with Annie Sloan chalk paint in the colors, White and Provence. (And I’m definitely digging it!)

So what about you? Do you claim the privilege of having a real Mora clock in your life? Or are you more of a digital aficionado?

~Miss Charming

Linking up to these fun parties:

Filed Under: design Tagged With: antiques, chalk paint, clock, grandfather clock, Lone Ranger Antiques, Mora clock, Round Top, Swedish clock

Getting Twiggy With It

April 10, 2013 By Miss Charming 6 Comments

A few years ago (when I was a teenager) I happened to view a documentary on child rearing.

And despite the fact that I didn’t have any little ones of my own yet, I found the show oddly fascinating. At one point, two different parenting styles were compared. One couple was overindulgent with their children. Those kiddos had mountains of every toy imaginable. The other couple felt that children developed better without mass produced items from a factory. Their children had rocks, string, empty boxes and sticks to play with.

(As a teen, I thought they were both a little nutty, although I was probably leaning more toward the toy explosion than the pile of dry sticks, to be honest.)

Now, as a parent, I think maybe that minimalist couple might have been on to something.

Last year, I gathered up a few interesting looking tree branches from our backyard. Since that time I’ve used branches on my Halloween Mantel and also to craft a Spring Pinwheel Tree.

This week, after I cleared everything off the mantel, I decided to go with something a little more simple in design. So I took the branches from the Pinwheel Tree and with great difficulty, pried off the (cemented on) paper pinwheels. I then spray painted the branches gold. (My new favorite color.) And stuck them into a wood vase from Target. Ta Da! (Nature Glam, anyone?)

Another way a bit of shiny gold made it’s way onto the mantel wall was with the letters, M,M and I. Any guesses on what they mean? And no, it doesn’t stand for “Much More Ice Cream.” (Even though that does happen to be our family’s mission statement.)

The MMI are actually Roman numerals stating the year our home was built. (2001)

I also moved the little blue chest in between the two Craig’s List chairs. Now, I imagine placing a piece of furniture in front of the fireplace is a design don’t, but I’ve been feeling a tad rebellious as of late.

After I finished painting my sticks, I jumped on to Pinterest to see who else was inspired to slap a paint brush to a bunch of dry branches. This photo above (source) was one of my favorites. I’m crushing on the blue. And for some unexplainable reason, I have the strongest urge to paint my walls orange and embellish with a non-threatening reptile stencil.

So what about you? Have you recently incorporated any twigs, sticks or branches into your decor? Yearned for orange walls? Or gifted your child with a mountain of toys?

~Miss Charming

Filed Under: design Tagged With: DIY, painted branches, sticks, twigs

The Unfortunate Lamp Incident

I Saw Werewolves

A Room Full of Cows

Snazzy Gold Tray

Industrial Pulley Light

Crushing on Coral

Horse Head, Bonsai and a Terrifying Cuckoo

The Trap of Perfect Decorating

My Swedish Inspired Clock

Getting Twiggy With It

Miss Charming

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