Show-N-Tell, More Projects and Farewell

I hope everyone had a wonderful Christmas!  I am admiring my tree and other decorations for one more week before I take it all down.  (Yes, I'm that girl...keeping it up awhile longer :)


Show-N-Tell

I started working on this project for my dad's birthday back in August.  Things got busy, and he received it at Christmas instead!  Made from a cupboard door from the home he built in 1989, I upcycled it (after the fire in 2000) into a backdrop for a picture of him. My mom took the picture while the house was in it's beginning stages.  It meant a lot to me to be able to make something from the original house.  Something he can hold onto forever in remembrance of what he built for our family.

Originally I painted it ASCP Old White, then did a second coat in ASCP Cocoa.

Added this token at the top.

Not the best shot of this, but you get the gist.

More Projects

I also finished the antique dresser this week.  Just as soon as the hutch at Faded Elegance gets picked up (yeah, it sold!), I will be bringing it in.

Painted in ASCP Provence.  Love!

And, these well-loved beauties are going in as well.  They had severe water damage on the tops, so I did a little patch work and painted them in ASCP Provence and then a coat of ASCP Dark Wax.  I was surprised that it was almost an exact match from the original.

In preparing for changing up the space at FE, I began working on this mother of a hutch and sideboard!  It is huge!  Lots of love is going into this. I will post after pics when I'm finished, but here is what they started off looking like.

Going with ASCP Old White.  I need to brighten up my space!

Farewell

You may have noticed that the more recent posts have been written by me and you haven't heard from Jill for awhile.  Jill is a very busy girl and has decided to focus her energy on her other business, Easy Errands.  I know she will continue to be a success with her work there.  While, we had a blast together growing this business into what it is today, I am going to be on my own now and am very excited to begin the New Year! 

Thank you so much for following the goings-on of With A Twist!  I have enjoyed a fabulous year and I look forward to sharing 2012 with you!

Happy New Year!

Cheree

A Little Bit of This and That

We're almost there!  Are you ready?  It's the eleventh hour and I'm pulling an all-nighter! Ok, not really...I am working for a few hours tomorrow so I will get to bed here in a bit.  Spent most of the evening wrapping and planning our Christmas dinner menu.  So excited to host my parents, sister, brother-in-law and niece!   Lots of changes to our family traditions this year, which has made it fun and fresh.

For example, we met some friends this evening for a quick gathering at a local church to see a live manger scene.  Here's a peek...

This is Two-Step...the camel :)



Another new tradition this year that I just LOVED was gingerbread houses!  My sweet friend Susan hosted a small gathering at her home where a very talented woman named Kirsten helped us create the most fabulous gingerbread houses ever!  Some were more creative than others...pssssttt...Jenny!  Check out her adorable hospital she made, which included a 'patient', a parking lot and an operating room!

Can this get any cuter?

Look closely to see her patient inside the O.R.

Molly, Susan and Jenny working feverishly to finish their masterpieces!  This is serious work!

This is Susan's tree that eventually will be on the inside of her gingerbread house...it lights up too!

Here's my house just about finished.  Did I mention we were working on these from 10:30 am until 7:00 pm?  That's dedication :)

Complete with personalized sign, skating pond, sledding hill and light up tree!

Susan's house, complete with everything, including a darling bird house!

Molly's walls going up....

Molly's house in all its glory...

And then it happened...Molly's work of art had what Susan called a mega earthquake.  We're talking 9.2!  Poor Molly!  We felt awful!  She is such a trooper and said that although she was sick for days about this, she had a wonderful time with friends and is in again for next year!

I would need a little Christmas cheer to bring me back from something like that!

One tradition that definitely is not new to me is visiting Candy Cane Lane.  I have been going there every Christmas season for as long as I remember. 

I love this house so much!  I would give almost anything to take a tour of the inside!

My camera was acting up, but this is my favorite house.  I've loved it since I was a little girl.

This house had the most beautiful dog I have ever seen on the front porch.  He just sat there and greeted people as they walked by.  He's lucky my kids didn't dog-knap him!  He was a cutie!

After our walk around Candy Cane Lane I quickly snapped this year's Christmas card pic!  Twelve and fifteen...where does time go?  Sure do love these kids!

Amongst all of the new and old traditions, I managed to sneak away from Christmas shopping and cookie baking to start working on some pieces I will be bringing into Faded Elegance next week.  I turned on some tunes and painted away.  It actually brought me a lot of peace...something I enjoy immensely!

 This dresser is a beauty...believe me!

I promise this will look so great when it's finished!

I hope this season brings you some new traditions, as well as your favorite ones as well.  As always, thanks for stopping by!  Merry Christmas!

Hugs,

Cheree

Pinterest 101

Have you heard of it?  I've been hooked for months!  Pinterest is an on-line bulletin board.  Basically, it is a site where you create categories (such as DIY, recipes, hairstyles, outfits, etc.) and then pin pictures of those things onto those categories. It's hard to explain, but not hard to do.  The only thing difficult about it is limiting your time on it!  It's kind of addicting!

Here are some pictures I have pinned to my DIY board...

Darling inspirational wall piece from aimee-weaver.blogspot.com.

Wine rack from wilsonandpugs.blogspot.com.

Pottery Barn inspired  lamp shade by theshabbychiccottage.net.

Love this wine bottle turned patio torch.

Here are some pins from my "A Girl Can Dream" board...

And a few from my Holidays board...

Pic from horchow.com

Pic from yournestdesign.blogspot.com.

And, my favorite inspiration for yummy recipes, pins from my Mealtime board...

foodandwine.com

abigmouthful.com

marthastewart.com

I'd love to see you on Pinterest!  What's really fun is following your friends and they can also follow you.  You can join me at http://pinterest.com/cheree_swem/ .  So easy and so fun!

I hope you have a fabulous week!

Hugs,

Cheree

Christmas Arrived Early!

As I drove up to drop off my daughter for piano lessons, I spied a "FREE" sign on a piece of brown furniture along the sidewalk.  Without hesitation, I COMMANDED my son hop out and help me lift it into the van!  "But, Mom, you don't even know what it is!", was his reply.  It was getting dark so, he was right, I didn't know what it was...but that didn't matter!  It was FREE!

Christmas came a bit early!  Turns out, it was my daughter's piano teacher's, husband's childhood toy chest!  (Say that 10 times fast!).  It is solid wood, very well-loved and quite frankly, once I got the bugs vacuumed off, would have been great just left as is.  But, I couldn't help myself!  With a little ASCP, it was given a new lease on life!

My son took this and that is NOT a smile, but a grimace on my face!  Lots of dead bugs!  Yuck!

Inside wasn't any better, this had seen better days!

A little something extra special...NOT!

I still have a bit of roughing up to do, but this is basically the look I was going for.  It would be so cute with some red and burlap pillows for the holiday season!

I also brought in the dining room table and four chairs that match the hutch to Faded Elegance yesterday!  It looks so good!  I hope someone else thinks so too and just has to have it!  Wouldn't it make a great Christmas present?

That's about it for this week!  I'm half done with Christmas shopping and I'm hitting it hard tomorrow!  Remember to check out Sippin' and Shoppin' Event @ Faded Elegance in Downtown Historic Snohomish this Saturday, December 10th!  And, please vote for our space (#9) for best decorated space!  By voting, you will be entered to win a $75 gift certificate for Faded Elegance!  How cool is that?  Thanks so much for stopping in and have a terrific week!

Hugs,

Cheree

Tis The Season!

I hope everyone had a wonderful Thanksgiving and enjoyed some quality time with family and friends.  I know I did and it was wonderful!  Between the multiple food drives that both kids were involved in and their regular activities, I was ready to be done with the carpools and just enjoy everyone at home hanging out!

Because the laundry is piling up and furniture is awaiting its second coat of wax, I wanted to put up a quick post to show you what just went in at Faded Elegance this week! 

In the beginning....

Good solid piece, but it needed a facelift!

Bottom piece.

Close up.  Kept the original hardware because it they are simple, but you could change it out easily.

I snapped a picture after I finished painting, sanding and waxing, but before I finished putting the glass back in.  It does come with a middle glass piece!

In its new home (for now!) at Faded Elegance.  I also have a dining room table and four chairs painted in the same ASCP - French Linen that would compliment this piece.  I'm hoping to get it in the store by the beginning of next week!

I hear my daughter in the kitchen preparing to make cookies!  What a treat!  I love to bake, but Chanelle has taken over the cookie baking in our household.  Bonus, because she cleans up too :)  As I watch my kids grow older and become busier with their activities and friends, I have come to appreciate our family traditions more than ever.  Even if they are little ones...like baking cookies on the first of December, or watching a Christmas movie at home on the couch the day after Thanksgiving to kick off the holiday season.  And, one that I thought my kids would out grow soon...

Advent Calendars

Of course, the ones with chocolate!

 

Because he towers over me at 5'8", I forget he's only 12 years-old and much a kid at heart!

I hope you all are able to take time away from busy schedules to enjoy traditions, big and small.  Thanks so much for your support!   Have a terrific week!

Hugs,

Cheree