Spring Fever!

Although Spring in the Northwest 

is synonymous with

"monsoon",

it doesn't bother me (for the most part)

...I still get Spring Fever!

I can smell the sweetness in the air!

Jasmine is blooming and it reminds me of my childhood.

Good memories of my grandma and mom having

coffee at the kitchen table, catching up on the neighborhood gossip,

while I play tether ball in my grandparent's backyard.

lol...

I haven't thought about that in years.

Anyway, it's Spring at

Faded Elegance

and it looks fresh, bright and fun!  

You must come visit!

This pic (below) was taken last week, but wanted to show

how nice and full my shared space with Katie (Inspired by Ellee) was.

 Love! 

It was an extremely busy week for many vendors at Faded

(woot, woot!).

I had several pieces that sold and

I wasn't able to get pics taken when I brought them in, but in the retail world

that's a good thing.

My reclaimed wood frames (pic below) are high up, making use of the 

vast wall space and high ceilings. 

All are painted with Maison Blanche Le Craie 

(available at Faded).

I used Silver Mink, Franciscan Grey and Magnolia.

You can read my thoughts on the paint here.

I found this lil' beat up dresser awhile ago and it has

been sitting in the garage begging for some TLC.

I slapped some paint on it, put some numbers on

to funk it up a bit and brought it down to help with my rearrange.

I love that I can change up the look daily at Faded...

Spring is the perfect time to change things up in your own home.

Don't be afraid to rearrange furniture, change art around, "shop"

from different rooms of your home to create a new look.

And, if you need a nudge to get started, pop into

Faded Elegance for some inspiration!

Happy Spring!

Cheree

Wide Open Spaces!

Ok!

I can finally share some fun news...

With A Twist 

has a new space at

Faded Elegance!

I spent all day Monday

and Tuesday morning

moving into an entirely new

space downstairs.

I am so excited and ready to embrace this change :)

The space is on the left if you are facing the back of the store, just

past the cash register.

Lots of rustic garden inspirations!

The space is very large, large enough to

share....

My friend Katie of 

Inspired By Ellee, 

will be my neighbor!

Although we loved being in our own cozy

 "little world" upstairs, 

we both were giddy when this move came about.

Change is good, especially when it comes to 

allowing move creativity to flow!

I hope you will come down and see how everything is coming

together!

Cheers to wide open spaces!

Have a terrific week!

Cheree

Cheers To Good Health

I'm gearing up for some big changes 

(I will share the news next week!), 

and instead of stressin out and going straight for

a bag handful of chocolate chips

or 

a bottle large glass of wine,

I'm turning to fruit smoothies!

Yeah for me!

My husband usually makes the smoothies in our household

(the kiddos prefer his concoctions over mine!),

but I couldn't wait for him to get home from work 

so I just experimented, and both myself and

the kids thought this combo was 

delish!

Ingredients:

2 bananas

1/4 cup frozen raspberries

1/4 cup frozen blackberries

1 cup fresh strawberries

1/4 cup Honey Vanilla Greek Yogurt (we love Greek Gods brand)

1/4 cup Coconut Milk

2 Tbsp honey

2 Tbsp protein powder

Blend together and enjoy!

Here's to good health!

Stay tuned for exciting news next week!

Cheers!

Cheree

Trip of Treasured Finds

My husband and I just returned from a quick

trip down the Washington-Oregon Coast,

where I not only found some great loot

for my space at Faded,

but also managed to stumble

upon what just might be the most

beautiful places in the Northwest.

 First up...just along the Columbia River past Camas, Washington.

 Cape Horn

 The lookout was a small spot, but attracted many gatherers,

all of whom were in awe of the vast view of

the Columbia River.

 Travelling along side the Columbia River, on Hwy 14, you will

stumble upon this...

the third oldest bridge on the Columbia

Bridge Of The Gods

 This bridge links Washington to Oregon.

 The views to each side of the bridge were

spectacular!

After crossing the bridge into Oregon,

we headed towards Portland and ran into

one of my husband's "must do's"

for our getaway...

Multnomah Falls

 Those who know me well realize

hiking was NOT on my "must do"

list for the weekend, but

with much encouragement and

bribing...my husband got his way!

And, I admit, it was well worth it!

Gorgeous!

Next, it was onto our hotel...

McMenamins Edgefield, Troutdale

 After checking in, we were off to

explore the grounds and enjoy a bite to eat at

Fire Station Pub

(Delish!)

Then

a dip (okay...a long soak)

in the outdoor salt water

soaking pool. (We waited til dark and enjoyed it

guilt free...lol!)

We ended our evening with a sit down movie in

their theater.

We watched "This Is 40" and laughed

throughout the entire thing.  So funny!

We woke up refreshed and after a quick breakfast we were off

to do more junkin! 

This is how we travelled home!  Thank goodness we didn't

have the kiddos with us!

Here's how I made it all fit at

Faded Elegance

Antique wooden yarn spools

Adorned yarn spools

Rusty tin pail

Antique children's rocker

Rickety white picket fence upcycled into coat rack

For my coffee luvin' friends...a coffee filter lamp :)

An assortment of large painted frames

A fun collection of antique travel cases.

We wrapped up with weekend with our

kids, my parents,

and this lovely view of the mountains

and Lakebay.

Cheers to being surrounded by such beauty!

Have a terrific week!

Cheree

Winter Weekend Getaway

Just returning from a quick trip down the Coast with my husband.

It was a good balance of sunny winter days,

cooler misty mornings...

a bit of junkin',

some yummy new restaurants, 

a whole lot of beautiful sightseeing,

and 

much needed time with my partner in crime.

More pics to come!

Have a great rest of your week!

Cheers!

Cheree

Sweet Treat for February

Happy February!

 

Sharing this super yummy

 

recipe today in hopes it will sweeten

 

your day...

 

 

White Chocolate Raspberry Muffins    
2 1/2 cups flour
2 1/4 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup butter, 1 stick
2/3 cup sugar
3 eggs
2/3 cup buttermilk

(I didn't have any, so I did this here)
1 rounded cup white chocolate chips

1 cup frozen raspberries

 

Soften butter and mix it with sugar, salt and baking powder.

Add the eggs and buttermilk and mix well.

 

Last, add the flour.

 

Hand mix in the white chocolate chips.

 

Add raspberries and gently fold into batter.

 

Bake at 375 degrees for 20 to 25 minutes.

 

 

Thank you to Susan and Marilyn for the recipe!

 

 

Enjoy!

 

Cheree



Maison Blanche - La Craie

Just a quick post while I'm wrapped up

in my electric blanket on this frigid night in the Northwest.

Source

I have been getting ready for an upcoming event at the antique mall, 

Faded Elegance, 

where I have my dealer space.

My once semi-organized, marginally clean 

garage is quickly filling up with antique furniture and

accessories.

(I'm not complaining, I promise!)

As most of you can probably guess from my posts, 

I love painted furniture!  I have tried quite a few

different paint brands out there.

Recently, I've tried out the paint that Faded Elegance now carries:

Maison Blanche La Craie.

Here are my thoughts...

Loving the wax!

It is hands down the best out there.  A little goes 

a long way.

The paint is unique in that it will take longer 

to dry, allowing you to 'play' with it a bit once it is on your item you are painting.

This is helpful when dealing with antiques and pieces that need

a little more TLC.

Another difference with the paint is that it dries harder, 

which is an obvious benefit.   When you are taking 

the time to paint a piece of furniture, you also want it to be 

functional and able to withstand the wear and tear of everyday use.

After the paint dries completely, it is difficult to

'scratch', even before the wax has been applied.

Here's a before pic of a solid maple antique dresser I picked up.

Lovin' the new look...

Here's to another great tool out on the market to help us

breathe new life into old pieces that might

otherwise be forgotten.

Cheers to 

Maison Blanche La Craie

available at

Faded Elegance!

Have a great week!

Cheree