Time Travel Thursday #1 - Back to the Future

"We all have our time machines. Some take us back, they're called memories.

Some take us forward, they're called dreams."

~Jeremy Irons~



Welcome to the very first Time Travel Thursday linky party at the Brambleberry Cottage!
Are you ready to share your fondest memories, grandest dreams,
and most creative projects? Great!

Then brace yourself, as we travel back in time and into the future with our
wonderfully creative projects!

I shared these cute little beadboard boxes with you before. 

The Yankee and I had removed a good supply of these beaded boards

 from an old Victorian that was being torn down

 in our town.

After making a number of boxes—like those above—

this is what we had leftover.

Should we have tossed them out?  Not a chance!

If you're a crafter of any sort, you probably do

as we do here at the cottage...

save everything! 

You just never know when you might need it.  Am I right?

Though we still had a pretty good stockpile of boards in one of the barns, we

knew those wonderful old chippy-paint beauties 

were hard to come by. 

And, we just weren't willing to waste one bit of that vintage charm.

So...

when we discovered this terrific old window sash,

we had an idea of how to bring the past into the future.

We pulled those bits and pieces of beadboard out of storage

and began creating a mosaic of sorts.

Of course, the board pieces had to be measured and cut

for this project.

Have you figured out where this is heading?

Yep...

right where you thought...

into the old window sash.

With the addition of a section of mirror—purchased from

 our local Lowe's—our Time Travel project was complete.

Our pretty time traveler rounded out this vignette perfectly—at a

recent antiques and collectibles show.

Next time you're tempted to toss those itty-bitty bits and pieces, remember...
waste not, want not!   ; )

I'll be linkin' up to these terrific parties, while you're linkin' up to mine:

Suzanne's Vintage Thingie Thursday, Gina's Transformation Thursday,
Becky's Under $100.00, Maryann's Power of Paint,
Linda's Nifty Thrifty Tuesdays, Susan's Metamorphosis Monday,
Roeshel's DIY Showoff, Sally's  Blue Monday,

and Fawnda & Jeannine's Show Off Your Stuff.

A chip off the old...

If there's one thing the Yankee and I can always  usually occasionally agree on,
 it’s the addition of unique, decorative items to our little cottage and farmstead.

There's just something about rusty, crusty, chipped paint on metal

 or the flaky, timeworn patina of old paint on wood that adds...

such warmth and character to any décor. 

And...aren't those two traits essential to make any home more inviting?

Currently around my home—both inside and out—
there are quite a few relics of the past that have been
drafted into duty for everyday use. 

Oh, I know...that sort of decorative element isn't everyone's cup of tea. 
But, it works quite well here around our cottage farmhouse.

For instance, on one of our porches, we've used a number of items with

a fairly high degree of the chippy factor.

See the cute little table in front of the antique wicker settee above? 

It wears no less than three

different colors of old flaky paint. 

The ornate vintage smoking stand—used purely for its decorative appeal—

is rusty and crusty and sports very little of its originally finish. 

But...

its intricate scrolly design more than makes up for that!

The beadboard boxes, displayed on the table,
model lovely vintage patinas—each with varying degrees of chippyness. 

In this photo, you catch a glimpse of my collection of

vintage mourning baskets beside the settee—

some of them chippy, others near pristine. 

What makes it all work?

The freshly painted porch rails and floor,

coupled with the crisp white linens on the settee—accented by

a cushy, new down-filled pillow—provide a clean backdrop

for the older, weathered and worn elements.

To us, the built-in character a piece develops over time

is well worth the little imperfections it may exhibit.

Our desire at The Brambleberry Cottage is to have something—

even if it's a little thing—tucked here and there, around various areas of our home and farm,

 that makes us smile…

something that reflects who we are and

what we want others to experience when they visit us. 

It's a matter of transforming a tiny cottage farmhouse

into an inviting home that radiates 

comfort, character, and hospitality. 

Shouldn't that be

what home is all about?   ; )