City Slickers in Farm Land

Cheree and I have found that our spontaneous days turn out to be the greatest adventures!We had no idea when we set off for a simple supply run that we would find a wonderful treasure right in our back yard!

In search of vintage Christmas items, we found an ad for old sleds, grabbed the phone number and hit the road to buy paint.

and this is what we were blessed with along the way!  Beautiful horses, valleys,

old barns, twisty roads and beautiful Fall colors.

When we hit our sled destination, we were shocked to find that this wasn't a house at all, but a gorgeous old periwinkle barn!

Lori, the owner, opened the barn doors and we felt like we were in the scene of "Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory"  when the kids get their first sight of the chocolate waterfall and the candy trees! 

Where we expected a tractor and some hay, we found a treasure chest of antiques! Silly us, we only brought enough cash for our sleds, which may have ended up to be a good thing!  We may have emptied our bank account in here!   

Oh yeah, the things we came for.  Cool old sleds for our vintage Winter Wonderland theme.  This is  Lori, the owner Dutch Hill Barn in Snohomish , WA.  She would love some visitors, but make sure you call first!  We had not anticipated a day like this at all, and we are thrilled to meet a new friend to share our appreciation of old stuff. Even though my high-heeled boots kepy sinking in the muddy grass!

Lori's parting words to us......."Don't wear your city slicker clothes next time you visit!"

We will be back!

Go explore this week for inspiration.

Jill and Cheree

Autumn Splendore and New Chalk Paint Projects

The air is crisp, the leaves are changing, the sun is setting a bit sooner, and amongst all of the green fields....there is a sea of orange!  My family took the very first opportunity we had visit our local pumpkin patch already.  I think we headed out on October 1st actually.  We I couldn't stand to wait I guess :)

After donning my house with all of the Autumn decor and putting my pumpkins out on display on the front porch, I got to work with my partner in crime.  Jill and I have worked our tails off this week!  The furniture we've featured here recently have gone to new homes, so we've been searching, shopping, painting, sanding and waxing up a storm to fill those holes in our space at Faded Elegance. 

Oh, and on a side note, I've been inspired by Jill who has been working out almost every evening for months now.  Go Jill!  So, my dear friend, Annie, has taken me on as her 'pet project'.  She is my trainer.  She is 22.  She is a mini Jillian from Biggest Loser.  Need I say more?

Anyway, here are some pieces currently available from With A Twist...

This waterfall-style dresser was once a run-of-the-mill brown piece.  Jill took ASCP - Country Grey and gave it a fresh look.  It turned out beautifully.

Jill also chose new hardware to complete the new look.

This old chair had seen better days.

 

A fresh coat of ASCP French Linen did wonders!

Although we love the authenticity of this turn-of the-century table, it was getting little attention in our spot since it was so dark. 

A little ASCP in Country Grey and some light sanding softened and lightened it up a bit.

When I was done here, I took this inside and put it in my living room...dumb.  It looked perfect!  I know someone will give it a good home and enjoy it...but, boy this one was hard to let go!

I bought this from a friend of mine...forgot to take before pics, but imagine all brown...lots of brown!

ASCP Old White for this pretty lady.

Going in next week.  We'll see how she does.

Our garages are full of pieces awaiting their transformation, so I'd better get on with my day.  Thanks for stopping by and have a wonderful week!

Hugs,

Cheree and Jill

Vintage Liquor Cabinet Gets Second Life

When Cheree and I came upon a rough beauty this week, we both agreed it was the perfect canvas to create a new life! It was obviously well-loved and well-used and we were able to get a good sense of it's life story by taking a good look and the clues.........

Broken trim pieces tell us that it was in a place that people gathered and bumped it, or that it moved often.

Extreme wear on the feet might suggest that it probably lived on a hardwood floor. 

We counted over 15 water ring stains on the top, so this cabinet was definitely used as a bar at some point,

But given the glitter glue and children's stickers on the door, it could have been a toy cabinet at one point, too!

We admired the intricate hinge system that folded back the top into a glass serving bar.

And with it's unique internal architecture, we were curious what decade this cabinet was constructed in. 

After a good cleaning, I thought I was on to the easy part......painting and sanding.

But, the weird combination of dark grey, light grey and brown wood created a strange, hideous result. One of my daughters said it looked like a Liger, a cross between a tiger and a lion. My other daughter called it a Sasquatch ( we ARE in Washington State, home of the infamous Bigfoot), and my youngest daughter just shook her head "No".

Yikes! If wood could grow fur, this might be the look!

So I reached for the trusty Annie Sloan Chalk Paint in Paris Grey and achieved a more desirable look.  You seriously can't go wrong.

And here she is with our vintage repurposed oil lamp and vintage decanter.  Not looking so furry anymore!

Here's a peek at the other awesome new item in our vendor space........

Our new Armoire painted in French Linen Chalk Paint.

This week reminded us that anything is salvageable, it just might take a couple of tries.  With paint, there's not many ways you can go wrong, so just dig in and see what happens! 

Jill and Cheree 

New Products, Hot Off The Press!

I felt like last Wednesday's post was a blur, and I had a few moments today to put together a more accurate look of what Jill and I have been doing during our 'downtime'...yeah, right!  We are turning and burning baby!  Take a look...

A gorgeous kiln-dried teak armoire before I got my hands on it.

After:  French Linen ASCP & AS Clear Wax.

Lightly distressed.

Inside. 

Before  

After:  Just a sneak peek of what Jill came up with for this one.  Stay tuned for this Wednesdays post for details!  Beautiful!

Vintage window with true vintage pictures.  We have several of these, all different styles.  They are over 80-years-old and were salvaged from a motel in Edmonds, Washington.

Upcycled barn wood organizer.  The top section is painted in chalk paint, so you can use it for recipes, schedules, paint samples for an upcoming remodel, etc.

Old mason jars used for vases.

Here's how some of the items fit into place at Faded Elegance.

Filling up slowly, but surely!

So, there you have it!  It's now Sunday and I can barely hold up my arms to type...lots of painting, sanding and waxing...but it was worth it! We love all of our products and we hope you do too!  Have a very happy week!

Hugs,

Cheree and Jill

Art With A Past

One of the things we love about doing what we do is discovering the stories that come along with each old treasure we find.  Sometimes, its impossible for us to know where the item came from, so we take the liberty to daydream about what life must have been like when it was in its prime.  For instance, this Turn of the Century side table we recently found.  Someone took good care of her, as she has just a few minor scratches.  And, at over 100-years-old, I suspect it has heard some pretty great conversations!

This beauty was created in our minds before it became reality.  We found the base (in all its rusted glory) at a yard sale a couple weeks back.  We told Jill's husband, Kevin, what our desires were for this piece and he made it happen.  The top is constructed out of wood salvaged from a home in Whidbey Island, Washington.  The picture really doesn't do it justice.  Kevin did an awesome job!

A familiar site if you've been reading our blog lately.  An old rickety ladder that has seen better days, still manages to serve a purpose.  Displaying a coffee table tray, upcycled from a cupboard door that salvaged from a home in Snohomish County.  I am fascinated by all of the different colors of paint on the ladder and wonder just how many houses were painted or gutters were cleaned with its help!

The seller of this desk had fond memories of this piece and I could tell it was hard for him to let it go.  Since his early childhood, he could remember his mother sitting down at this desk to write letters. The natural wear on the inside is perfect and Jill and I just love it in our space at Faded Elegance.

Sometimes, we create our own stories and pasts collide.  This upcycled chalkboard is a perfect example of that. This is another cupboard door that was brown and boring.  No back history on it, but the wide flat surface at the bottom lent itself to a transfer opportunity.  We love anything with a bit of French flair, so we thought this would work well as a menu board in a kitchen.  Bon appetit!  

This box is barely recognizable from its original state.  Jill used Annie Sloan's Chalk Paint (Paris Grey) for the base and then used the pencil-transfer method for the label on top.  The possibilities are endless for this piece...my favorite... storage for handwritten letters!  I'm a hopeless romantic :)

So, whether its by divine design or a simple story that fuels our inspiration, we love doing what we do!  Thank you again for all of your support!  With A Twist is 'Art With A Past'!


Hugs,


Cheree and Jill