... it lived happily ever-after !

what can you do with an old wooden ironing board?

         

What can you do with an old wooden ironing board ?   

IRON clothes, of courses ...         

 

No WAY !!! 

so, what did I do ?   

I made a cutting board. 

  a Farmers' MARKET cutting board.
 

36" long and about 12" wide ... this sucker is heavy. 

Left one side plain and will likely add another sign.

 The three small knotholes add a little bit of charm.

(middle hole is where I removed a brad holding the legs on).

I added a little bit more charm with cut marks.

... oiled and waxed

 

... drilled a one-inch hole in the handle for hanging.

Now WHAT? 

  

... laid it on my dining table. 

... added bleached leaves and burlap pumpkins from the Dollar Tree. 

I painted some white and some jade green. 

... threw out a little candy corn.

... added white candles in an old Mason jar. 

... added place settings for French Onion Soup and

now we are ready for a nice Fall supper.  

... remove the decoration and use the board to sit the food on.

 

Happy Fall ...

Thanks for the visit.

I hope you will say hello.

 For more inspiration for Fall, check out

  Katie Mansfield ... Let's Ann Sprinkles

Fall In Love With Texas Blog Tour
20+ blogger 

Blog will go live on October 3rd ... through the 7th
  

Monday

Let’s Add Sprinkles| Decor To Adore | Southern DayDreams | BlueSky Kitchen

Tuesday

Poofing The Pillows |  At Home With Jemma | The B Farm |  Botanic Bleu

Wednesday

Sweet Nothings | Ash Tree Cottage | Fern Creek Cottage | My Heart Lives Here | Timeless Treasures

Thursday

 Hyacinths For The Soul | Kitty's Kozy Kitchen | The Dedicated House | Brookhollow Lane

Friday

White Spray Paint | Opulent Cottage | Lilacs and Longhorns

My post will appear on Wednesday, October 5th. along with these other Texas bloggers.

bj @ Sweet Nothings

Betsy @ Estelle's

Susan @ Ash Tree Cottage

Lisa @ Fern Creek Cottage

Eilis @ My Heart Lives Here


Linking to:   
Nifty Thrifty Sunday #251
Funky Junk Interiors Salvaged Junk Products
Vintage Charm
Katie Mansfield ... Let's Add Sprinkles ... Monday Social 

Flipped Up-Side-Down ... Bathroom Vanity Cabinet

I had been looking for a long time for a small cabinet for my newly remodeled bathroom.     (see links of remodel at end of post)

It would be sitting it on the vanity cabinet in front of this huge 80's unframed mirror, so height was not a problem, but I needed it to be about six inches deep and about twenty-four inches wide.

When I found this at my favorite Thrift store for $5.00, Finds Fabulous Resale.  I thought it would work ... although I needed the doors at the bottom ... so I flipped it, 

(well, just turned it up side down) to make it work.

 It was well made pine wood, likely 70's/80's. 

It was designed to be hung on the wall, but no indication if it had ever been hung. All the edges were beveled, so the first thing was to make a base for it so it would safely stand. 

I shopped my woodworking shop and found this piece of an old treadle sewing machine top that was the perfect fit after I cut the depth down.

Next, I had to remove the shelf because I needed more height in the bottom shelf . 

  

I could not just remove the shelf because it was nailed and jointed into the side. My DeWALT  Reciprocating Saw did the trick.

I put a thin shelf up higher using a scrap piece of wood flooring.

It also needed a back.

I bought this vintage wooden blind many years ago and have loved using the slats for many projects. To keep them flat, I strapped them together so they won't warp.

Using the center part of the slat, I was able to make a slatted back for the cabinet. 

I will find another use for the scrap pieces.

   I used a nickle for spacing between the boards, whitewashed them but later painted them with the soft minty green of the cabinet. 

  Used a hot iron and wet cloth to remove the long scratch across one door.

Hot steam will swell the soft grain and scratch will almost disappear. Paint covered it easily.

Stenciled the doors using cosmetic foam wedges for the Dollar Tree. The stencil color matches the color of the mirror frames, the header and the little wooden tray for Mr. Z'z razor, etc. 

The reflection of the sliding "barn vintage door" closes off the shower/toilet area.

    
















Colors are not exactly true because of the fluorescent lights.  

Hope you enjoyed my make-over of this cute little cabinet. 

You can see more of the master bath/shower/vanity/closet by checking the links below.  

Before and After ... Master bath 
Breaking up the frameless mirror
Mirror frame fix with mold-it
Not all keys are for locking doors
Sliding door Master Bath
Wood floor and Master Closet make-over

Antique mirror for master bath

Thanks for your long visit. Please say hello.
Audrey Z. 

Linking to :
Let's Add Sprinkles ... Monday Social #2 
The Dedicated House ... Make it Pretty Monday
Vintage Charm #47 and   Let's Talk Vintage #99 BellaRosaAntiques

Trophy-Urn-Lamp.Did I find a hidden Treasure ???

I am a seasoned treasure hunter !!!

I love "thrifting" ... "junking" ... "treasure hunting" ... "finds" 

or whatever you want to call it. 

I have had many people tell me they have found treasures in the "junk" they buy ... 

rare money in old couches ...

buried treasures in old house ...

gold, silver and diamonds ... 

(you get the picture)

 SO ...

I am always looking for a "for-real" treasure

hidden in the things I buy.

(once I found $20.00 hidden in a book) ... lol

and, oh yes, the cigar box full of "diamonds" ...

will tell you about that later. 

I had been on the hunt for a long time to find a large metal loving cup trophy and for sure they are very hard to find. 

FEATURED by:

  Jillian's Bella Rosa Antiques    Lets Talk Vintage.

and The Dedicated House ... Make it Pretty Monday.

 Thanks to:

Well, when I saw this lamp ... 

 

I saw a TROPHY !!!

No engraving ... but the handles were really interesting. 

Patina is wonderful ...
aged thin silver plating over copper on the urn/trophy. 
15" tall including the handles. 

I knew it was hollow, so I knew it was weighted with something.  

It was easy to tell that it was an urn or vase, turned lamp, 

so I did not feel bad about taking it apart. 

It indeed, had something packed inside !!!

 

 

Inside, I found several balls of something heavy wrapped in old, brittle newspaper ...   did I finally find my "treasure"?

 

                                                                        dated April 1951 ... so, this had been packed away for  sixty-five years!

getting a little more excited now ... 

a treasure ???

NOT  !!!     

  ... just balls of  S A N D !!!

well ... it will make a nice vase if I patch the lamp cord hole in the base and I can still pretend that it is a trophy or I can make it a lamp again.    

What would you do?


What treasure have you found? 


Linking to:
Make it pretty Monday at the Dedicated House  
Let's talk Vintage #98. Bella Rosa Antiques

Nifty Thrifty Sunday #245

Vintage Charm

Featured by: 

Junk Yard Treasures

Our son bought several architectural porch posts on Craig's list and I was asked to go pick them up as it was closer to where we lived. 

I had no idea to what to expect, but was so happy to find this place. 

 

First, we were greeted by this huge cast iron eagle. If I remember correctly ... a huge U.S. flag hung on the large metal post. 

After I picked up my son's purchase, I asked if I could look around and take some pictures ... (hoping to find a treasure that I could buy). 

Well ... I found lots of treasures, but nothing seemed to be for sale.

(excuse being ... I might need that or my son wants that)

I did buy a few more weathered porch posts/columns to make legs for a harvest table I planned to build. 

Now FOUR years since the trip to that junk yard and here they still stand in the corner of my workshop.

 Thanks Diana, Adirondack Girl @ Heart for featuring this blog on Vintage Charm # 42.


Here are a few treasures that I saw.    

  

 Large augers for drilling holes in the ground ... 

maybe for fence posts.

 interesting

FORD 2000 Diesel tractor that still runs with the help of some starter fluid.  

 















 SAFEMARK spare tire

 Does not look safe to me.


  Added weigh.

 

Conveyor 

Loved the patina ...

I really wanted this chicken nesting box !!!   
Not for sale. His grandson may start raising chickens and need it  ...
And look at the wire cages with rabbit feeders.

Some child will remember the fun times on this  old scooter. 

Love the blue color.

 This place was originally a sawmill ... just look at the size of that blade !!!


 

... but look at the size of the trees he cut. 

There were several large slices from trees laying around. 
Wish I had asked for some.

This looks like a cedar. 

Don't know what this is ... but interesting.

    It had rained the night before and everything was so fresh and clean.

The old man told me the name of this tree, but this trip to the Junk Yard was several years ago and I have forgotten. 

He described the limbs to feel like rubbing the legs of a lady who was wearing silk hose. WOW!

Most Texans use their hands to illustrate what they are saying. He was good at this by cupping his hands together and giving and up and down motion. lol
  

  Don't fence me in ...

Hope you enjoyed the trip to the Junk Yard ... yes, there was a junk yard dog, but he was behind the fence and he did his share of barking.  

For the pictures, I was looking for something unusual, texture, color and patina ...  I think I found a good variety.



I did find an old galvanized funnel on the ground, picked it up and Mr. JunkYard man gave it to me.


Hope you will hop over and take a look at my  junky funnel blog posted in 2012 

   





























What did you see that you liked?

Thanks for your visit. I hope to get back to blogging full time soon.
Audrey Z.

Linking up to: Vintage Charm #42 

Bella Rosa Antiques. Let's Talk Vintage#98

 DIY Salvaged Junk Projects 342 by Funky Junk Donna

Make it pretty Monday at The Dedicated House