Aqua Therapy

Image source: http://monteandheidi.blogspot.com/

 Image source: http://anurbanfarmwife.blogspot.com/

I truly believe that learning to discern trash from treasure is merely a matter of experience and personal interpretation.

Over the years, I have trained my eyes to see beyond the obvious—to imagine the possibilities.

Image source: Jared Neumark http://charlotte.creativeloafing.com

This particular local haunt has been one of my favorite training grounds for over fourteen years.

Most likely, your initial gut response to the images above, and the one just below, is one of two—a landfill in need of immediate cleanup or a veritable trove of undiscovered treasure!

For the Yankee and me, it is definitely the latter.

I cannot even begin to calculate the countless hours he and I have spent, through the years, rummaging through piles of salvage, boxes of what many would consider trash, and barns—stacked full to the rafters—with wonderful old, vintage, and antique pieces.

On one such treasure-hunting trip, I had the good fortune of spotting this lovely Victorian lady tucked among mounds of other antiques.

I instantly saw her possibilities and snapped her up to carry back to the cottage.

Remember the sneak peek I gave you here?

Her finish had aged to an almost black patina.

Two of her legs had been dislodged, due to the breaks in the underside of her top. But, I was confident that a touch from my Yankee could remedy all of that.

After carefully chiseling out the broken pieces from the underside of her top, the Yankee cut replacement pieces from stronger, vintage oak and glued them in. No more wobblies for her!

I cleaned her up thoroughly and gave her the necessary treatment to prepare her for her new finish.

I envisioned her wearing a much lighter coat, one that would playfully spotlight her curvaceous legs and delightfully decorative top and midsection.

The crowning touch was the light distressing to her gorgeous aqua attire.

Now everything about this little lady exudes sweet cottage charm!

Let's parade on over to Roeshel's, Susan's, Cheri's, Cindy's and then participate in a DIY party.

Let's also join Kimm, Heather, Leah and Maryann.

It's the Little Things

Every woman I know loves beauty for the simple sake of beauty. Something need not be practical, logical, nor have a specific purpose—other than to be pleasing to the eyes, of course—to be considered beautiful…or, at the very least, pretty.   ; )

For me, it's the little things I surround myself with—things that make me smile—that make my cottage a haven of beauty…at least to me.

Like the decorative features of this vintage washbasin and pitcher. The dainty, blue forget-me-not blossoms seem to practically dance across the porcelain! Just looking at this vignette transports me to a more genteel time in history.

With the space constraints of this room, I opted to place the washstand in front of the large window. To add a touch of the unexpected, I hung an ornate, vintage mirror on the window frame, just above the bowl and pitcher.

This Victorian brush and mirror set on the dressing table has the most wonderful timeworn patina. I love the way it looks displayed on this old silver plate tray—with the vintage lace sandwiched between.

Speaking of lace…

in my book, you just cannot go wrong by adding vintage linens and lace to...

well, just about anything!

When I discovered this lovely old piece at a local flea market, I had no idea what I would do with it. But, I knew I wanted to find some way to admire its beauty daily.

My solution...attach it to a Victorian metal frame, embellish it with a section from an old rhinestone bracelet, and set it atop a bedroom bureau.

This gorgeous pair of vintage toleware sconces—on the wall just above that same bureau—was also a fabulous flea market find!

One of my favorite things to do is to move things around a room, or from one room to another, to create a fresh, new look.

Can you spot the decorative items on this French chest that used to reside elsewhere?

And even little items, such as this German half doll pincushion, add simple beauty to my everyday work spaces.

She was another flea market treasure that I purchased without a specific purpose in mind.

When I got her home, I took her out of her original sawdust-filled pincushion.

My original thought was to use just the doll—perhaps displayed among a dish of vintage buttons or jewelry.

But, as I pondered just what to do with her, the thought of her original purpose crossed my mind. So, she came to rest on the table in front of my sewing box.

And she even got dressed up for the occasion!

This double-tiered vintage doily made quite a nice ballgown—don't you agree?

Without a doubt, it's the little things that add up to make a home a thing of beauty!