Mirror up...chandelier...not quite...

Well, the mirror did get hung this afternoon, but as you can see the chandelier is still in waiting. Brooke has to re-wire the chandelier as the chain / wiring is too short for what we need. So, hopefully that'll get done this week! I'll be thinking of some things to decorate around the mirror. Possibly painting something around it or hanging some McCarty plates. Just wanted to show y'all that we did do some work today! :)

Putting up the plates...

My leaf plates are finally out of hiding after collecting them for years. We received a leaf plate as a wedding gift and I really liked it, so decided that I'd start picking up a few here and there as I saw them. I've found them at gift shops as well as TJ Maxx and Marshall's, Crate and Barrel, and Pottery Barn. Whenever I saw one I liked, I grabbed it. I still have plenty of room to add more as I continue collecting. The new table presented the perfect opportunity to display the plates. Now maybe I can talk Brooke into hanging the mirror and the chandelier today in the breakfast room and have more to post. :)

Here's the before---I arranged the pattern on the floor first.

And, this was Brooke's clever idea---tape off the top of the table and the edge of the lamps so we could more easily visualize the space.

And, here they are. Yes, it was quite a pain to get the hangers on just right and decide on spacing. Of course, it's supposed to be somewhat random, but my obsessive side couldn't let it be too random! I found the little mini mirrors in a booth at the Southside Galleries. I thought they'd add a little something to the leaves.

And, a view of the finished product! I did end up picking up the twig lamps from Pier 1. I really thought they'd look great in the living room. The candlesticks to the left of the bowl are driftwood (faux driftwood) tht I picked up when we were on vacation at Perdido Key. Also, I added some pinecone candlesticks in the grouping that Mom gave me. I need to find some candles. I plan on filling the red bowl with moss balls and adding a few more pieces to the table. But, for now...I'm pleased.
Here are some starfish that I picked up at Souvenier City in FLA! I'll mix these in with the moss balls. Must have a bit of the beach in every room! :)

Mirror, mirror on the wall...

So, I was in Dalton last week at the same exit of the antique place where I found the table. I couldn't possibly pass by without stopping in. Of course, I found another deal too good to be true! I saw this mirror stuck behind a few old plates. I believe it was an old vanity mirror that the previous owners painted black (bad paint job, too). I loved its curves and the size was just perfect for our breakfast nook. I'd been looking for a while now to find a mirror that would fit over the pub table. This was just the piece. Cost: $45! I know I couldn't buy plain mirrored glass at this size for $45! What a steal! So, I painted it a chocolate brown color this weekend. We'll hang it over the table and I'll just have another reason to collect more McCarty pieces to display on its outline. I had wanted it to be a bit deeper brown, but after going back to Home Depot twice to get them to re-mix, I decided this shade was just perfect. :) I'll post more pics when we get it hung!

Before: black.
During: white primer.
After: Chocolate Coco by Behr.

Table!

Being out of town the last 7 weekends in a row has been a lot of fun, but it sure has halted our house progress! This weekend we were finally able to do a little cleaning, wash some clothes and finish up a couple of small furniture projects! Brooke finished staining, polyurethening, and painting the table. We haven't gotten it into its final resting place yet, but plan to this week---then a bit of decorating on and around it!

Here's a before shot---dinged and in need of some refinishing!
And here's the table with the new stain and new legs...
And, the first coat of paint with the polyurethene finished on top. This shot makes the paint look more sage-y green. It's really more mossy.
Here it is, finally in the house. We'll move the two pieces of furniture out and place it against the wall. I've been collecting leaf plates for several years now and we'll hang those above the table. I also found a great deal on some neat lamps at Pier 1. We'll see if I end up buying them. I do think they'd look great on the table. Stay tuned!

New McCarty

I'd been told that it happens very quickly and easily...and it happened to me...a McCarty obsession! I just got in my 2 new vases for the window sill (love those tomatoes piled up from our sweet neighbors!). I'm going to take these to Sophies and have them put moss covered ball topiaries inside. I think they'll look great!

View at the window...
And up close and personal!

Re-finishing the table...

Just so you all don't think we've been total slackers about the house lately...here are some shots of our new table. I'd been looking for months for a table about 8 feet long and fairly narrow. I wanted it to go against the long wall in our living room...2 lamps on either end, my red bowl in the middle. I had it all planned out, just couldn't find the table. Well, I did find a couple---one for $1,200 and one for $900 for very rustic tables. So, I happened upon this great little shop in Dalton while cold calling one day. Got this table---great solid wood top, 8 feet long...for $160!!! Amazing! So, we're working on re-finishing it right now...

The before (we used this table to serve on for our 4th party)...
View of the top---just needed some sanding!
Brooke sands (of course it required him to buy a new sander for the project)!
And sands...
And now the top is done and new legs are on. It's just waiting for me to paint! We're going to paint the bottom part and legs in Brookefield Moss by Benjamin Moore. The top will be stained and polyurethened in the Old English like our front door. I'll keep you updated on the progress!

BEACH!

Well, it's been FAR too long since this blog's been updated. I promise to be better! Since the 4th of July post, I headed to work the Atlanta Gift Mart, then left a day later for the beach and had family in town last weekend. No excuses, I realize, but here I am---finally!

Our view from our condo at the Mariner. I LOVE the beach---just about the only place on earth I can truly relax. And, we were in bad need of a vacation, so this trip was wonderful!
Yep, this is what Dad did the entire vacation. I think he read 4 novels while there for 9 days. He's a speed reader!
A quick group shot of the family. We dressed in red and black to celebrate Ed Field's b-day (he's on Ole Miss fan!)...
Sandy and I got to pile in the back of the Cherokee to ride to our condo!
And, a pic of Brooke and I on the balcony. Wish I was there right now!