Antique French Oyster Plate


Confession:
I LOVE OYSTERS!
Raw, Steamed, Fried ~ doesn't matter, I love them all!
Fun Fact:  Easy way to remember oyster season ~ any month with the letter 'R'
 ~ The photos above are from a NYC trip last fall ~
So when we came across this oyster platter (in of all places Ellijay, GA) with a $20 price tag
 I was jumping for joy!
  White Majolica Sarreguemines Oyster Platter

 Here's some of our favorite decor, inspired by what else?
OYSTERS!
 1.2.3.4.5.6.7.8.9.

Galvanized Tub


Another find in Ellijay was this Galvanized Tub.  
My mom has been on the lookout for one, so a quick phone call to her and $15 bucks later we took this with us.  We love the large size and slightly aged patina ~ so much so, that we're thinking we need one ourselves!  With so many uses, it's hard to decide on just one: 
1.2.3.4.5.
For more Galvanized Ideas check out THIS Pinterest board!

Ellijay, Georgia

Sorry for our HUGE delay in posts!  
Having a major minor issue with the desktop and programs ~ hoping to have all fixed by the end of this week!  In the meantime, here's some unedited images from our little weekend excursion last week!
On a whim we decided to get some R+R in the North Georgia Mountains, and found a great last minute deal on this cute Ellijay cabin!  
The weekend was spent fishing, hiking, and what else? ANTIQUING!
 
 
 Amicalola Falls
 Ellijay, GA
 
 
 We enjoyed the sleeping town of Elijay and will be back tomorrow 
to share our surprising finds from the weekend!

Metro Shelving

 
 
 
 Metro Shelving In Kitchen
With our kitchen renovation still underway, we're loving the additional storage space this metro-shelving provides.  So much so that we plan to keep in the kitchen once our makeover is complete!
Happy Thursday!

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 Part 1 included us taking down the popcorn ceiling to expose the original wooden slats.
 Then we painted the ceiling and primed the walls. 
Inspired by other wood accents walls, we decided to include one into our design using damaged fencing boards from Lowes and grey washing them.
See that entire project here.
Initially we were happy with the finished project and excited when our accent wall was featured in one of Brian Kelsey's videos ~ watch it here!
 But quickly we got frustrated with finalizing the design for the rest of the room.  The seagrass headboard we owned wasn't working with the rustic look and our original green bedding clashed with the driftwood inspired color palette.
So we tried to make some cheap fixes ~ covered the headboard with a patterned curtain and pulled bedding and pillows from other places in the house.  I searched high and low for new bedding and quickly realized the room wasn't headed in the direction we wanted.
 We love this look for a rustic, woodsy theme or in a nautical inspired room with pops of blue and white.  But after a couple months of debating what to do next, we decided to change course.
 And painted the whole room white (Benjamin Moore Marscopone we had left over from our current kitchen renovation).
Immediately, our Seagrass Headboard worked so much better against the white wall.  We also loved our original green bedding with the scheme, but still felt like something was missing.
 That's when we found this guy.
And voila, here's the current state of our bedroom.

                                    BEFORE                           DURING                                 AFTER



Under Sink Storage

New Years always inspires fresh starts and what better way than to organize under your sink!  Or if you're like me your kitchen sink may look more like this:
Wanting to maximize the small space, while also bringing order to chaos we decided to install this two-tiered organizer.
 Definitely worth the investment!  The installation was pretty straight forward and we're thrilled with how easily it glides back and forth.
 We added a hook for hanging a veggie brush and also inserted our own DIYed shelf liner to each tier.  To make we took leftover Hobby Lobby fabric, cut to size, then had laminated for easy cleaning. 
We also love a good grommet and couldn't resist adding eyelets to a bright colored set of gloves!  This allows for easy storing and quicker drying.
 For the other side we installed a DIYed pull out trash can.   
First we added this drawer pull to a trash can.  Then installed two drawer slides like these, first to the floor of the cabinet, then to the bottom of the trash can.
Kitchen Sink ~ Check!  Now if only we could do the same for the bathroom :)

Pegboard Organization

Pegboard Storage Room
When we first moved into our house, we used our mudroom for random storage.  While we eventually plan to design this into a traditional mudroom, we decided to construct a temporary storage room until we're able to build a garden & tool shed.
 Here's a photo of the before:
We purchased four 4x8 pegboards from Lowes and spray painted them a flat white.  We then secured strapping to the walls, then installed the pegboards.  The hooks were purchased from our local general hardware store.  We were super pleased with how easy this project turned out to be and of course are thrilled with the final result.
Helpful Tip:  Since taking the initial photos, we've re-arranged some of the items.  While we currently don't have little ones running around our house yet, we still thought it was a good idea to not have sharp saws and hatchets hanging on top ~ just saying!
 

Jewelry Display

Canvas Jewelry Display
Awhile back I came across YHL's office crash ~ here.  I loved Towne & Reese's idea so much that I went to our local Binders and picked up two 12x24 linen canvases.  
Simple T-pins tack the jewelry in place for easy hanging.  
I also hung the letters Brian gave me on our wedding day for a sentimental touch.
 

Mason Jar Snow Globes

Inspired by Anthropologie's Snow Globes, along with numerous similar versions, we decided to try this little craft ourselves.  And let me tell you, my 13 year old self would have LOVED these!  They're super simple to make, don't take a lot of time and they include glitter!  Whether you plan to make a couple or a whole forest, crank up the Jingle Jams to get you in the Holiday Spirit!

What You'll Need:
Mason Jars
Bottle Brush Tree(s)
(We purchased a pack from Michael's with 40% off coupon, making them $12)
Glitter & Sprinkles for the Snow
Double-Sided Tape and/or Mounting Squares
OR
Glue if you want your snow globes to be permanent
 We used mounting squares along with double-sided tape to attach our trees.  If you plan to use these year after year, use super glue or a hot glue gun to attach the trees.  If you're like us and plan to use your canning jars for other things, tape will work just fine.
We used a ratio of 1/3 glitter to 2/3 sprinkles for our snow.
Just screw on the jar and you're ready to go.
Just be careful not to shake too hard if you opted for tape over glue.




Vintage Wicker Demijohn

Early this month, we hit up Scott Antique Market and came across a few wicker demijohns.  I've been pretty obsessed with these for quite some time and had really sharp elbows (our term for aggressive antique shopping).  
Why all the excitement?
Well for starters, I have seen wicker demijohns in other places, but have never been able to justify the cost.  When we came across the larger of the 3, the guy was trying to liquidate his booth and was willing to drop the price by half.  So after some jumping up and down, nail-biting and telling myself to just walk away ~ I committed to the sale and then proceeded to find two counterparts.
Why Wicker Demijohns?
We're currently in the middle of our Kitchen Renovation and I've been in search of a couple more statement pieces.  I love the texture of these old glass bottles wrapped in wicker and plan to display them on our metro-shelving.  Primarily used in France and Europe, their primary function was to store & transport bulk liquids ~ typically wine.  These would also work great to use as budding branch vases.
Do you have or collect demijohns?  We'd love to hear from you!


Christmas Star

 This little Star took all of 10 minutes to make!  Put it over a fireplace mantel or over a dresser for extra festive holiday lighting.
What You'll Need:
Large Canvas OR one of those thick poster boards
String of White Lights
Safety or T-Pin
Metal Wire
 Using a safety or t-pin, make two holes for each point of the star, then string metal wire and twist to secure behind the canvas (photos above)
 Once all 5 points are secure, light it up! 

Georgia Find It Guide

     Scott Antique Market
     3650 Jonesboro Road Southeast
     Atlanta, Georgia     30354     Map
   
     Type:  Monthly Flea Market (2nd wknd each month)

     Why We LOVE It:   It's the World's LARGEST Indoor 
     Antique Show [Enough Said], but we also LOVE the 
     outdoor market with it's eclectic and industrial finds.  
     You'll rub elbows with designers, antique dealers and 
     amateur enthusiasts.  Don't live in Atl?  It's worth the 
     road trip, just be sure to leave enough trunk space! 
     Visit their website here.

     Biggar Antiques
     5576 Peachtree Road
     Chamblee, Georgia  30341     Map
     Hours:   Vary, call 770.451.2541 for specifics
     
     Type:    Antiques + Prop Rentals

     Why We LOVE It:   Their impressive displays and 
     nostalgic wares keep us going back for more.  
     Fun Fact:  Blockbusters, like The Hunger Games 2, are 
     known to use Biggar's prop rentals to furnish their sets.

     Visit their website here.





      
     Lavonia Antique Market
     180 Lauren Drive
     Lavonia, Georgia  30553     Map
     Hours:   Mon - Sat 10am-5:30pm / Sun 1-5:30pm
     
     Type:    Antique Mall

     Why We LOVE It:   They have a good number of 
     individual booths with everything from primitive 
     furniture, kitchenware and depression glass.  We 
     scored our Pie Safe & a schoolhouse light from here. 

     Visit their website here.










     Country Living Fair ~ Atlanta
     Stone Mountain Park
     Stone Mountain, Georgia  30083     Map
     When:   October, check website for exact dates
     
     Type:    Once A Year ~ Antique + Craft Fair

     Why We LOVE It:   Imagine cool weather, coffee in 
     hand and an overwhelming amount of vendors and 
     booths filled with all things vintage and homemade.
     It's like Christmas for people who LOVE to thrift!

     Visit their website here.























Maine Find It Guide





     Pete's Place
     Rte 202
     Hollis, Maine     04042     Map
     Hours:   Sat & Sun after 1pm / All day Mon
     
     Type:    Salvage Yard meets Flea Market

     Why We LOVE It:   Vintage Finds straight from the source. 
     This is a picker's dream!  Anything from clawfoot tubs, 
     barn doors, hardware, milk crates and lots lots more!

     See our post about Pete's Place here.

     The Old House Parts Company
     1 Trackside Drive
     Kennebunk, Maine     04043     Map
     Hours:   Mon-Sat 9am-5pm & Sun 11am-5pm
     
     Type:    Architectural Antique Store

     Why We LOVE It:   An amazing collection of
     architectural salvage dating from the 1730's-1930's.
     This place is great for the collector or anyone wanting
     to restore a historical home.

     Visit their website here.