OMG, where has the time gone ? ?

It's hard for me to believe it has been as long as it has since I have posted on my blog. I intended to post daily, but time has a way of slipping by. I honestly don't know how those who make and sell their pretty things also have time to write on their blog, on Facebook, on others' pages, and also Tweet. I know I don't, but I am going to make a resolution to try to come in daily and post something new and if not daily, I will try weekly. That's not a very firm resolution, but I have to start somewhere.

If you did stop in today, please join me as a follower so I will know you are here. I will in turn go to your blog and sign in to follow you.

The chifferobe below has to be the most favorite of all the pieces I have redone. I wish I had taken a photo of the 'before' and not just the 'after'.

When I found this, of course it was not something you would want to display as it was. I cleaned it up, sanded it lightly, primed it and painted a soft cottage white. There are lots of different colors of white, and I actually do not remember the name of this white.

After selecting two wallpapers that, of course, I had on hand ( I LOVE wallpaper), I wallpapered a small pink and white stripe on the inside back even behind the drawers. I then wallpapered the inside of the doors with a small floral print. The drawers were lined with wallpaper and then each was papered on the front, one with the floral, one with the stripe. I then painted fluffy cottage roses and green foliage at the top center. On the front, which is not shown here, I kept it elegantly simple with one rose with foliage on the top inside corners of the doors. The original knobs were not with it, so I selected a white porcelain with a tiny pink rose bouquet in the center. I then placed painted white clothes rod back on the right side. That completed a beautiful transformation from truly shabby to truly very cottage chic.

The word chifferobe is a southern word for a cabinet that was originally used for storing long guns, but as you can see they became the 'closet' for homes back then. Closets were not found that often as the owner was taxed by the number of closets in the home and the number of doors. Have you ever seen a home with a low window going to the porch? The taxation of doors was the reason for this. That's my contribution to your trivial information of today.

I hope you enjoyed seeing this beautiful chifferobe I happily transformed with paint, wallpaper and the heartfelt thrill of seeing "how it would turn out".

Have a very blessed day !

Rita Marie



TIME REALLY FLIES DOESN'T IT ??

I have been so busy making pretty things to offer, it seemed like it was only a week or so since I was here. WRONG !!! I see it was in October.

Pretty blush pink coffee table coming from me tomorrow. It has a wood and glass top in the butlers tray style, just not a separate tray. The top has four pieces of beveled glass. Very pretty table. It actually did once belong to my mother who had it in her home for years. I have used it for the past 10 years, and rather than refinishing it, I just knew it would be so shabby chic in this lightest of blush pinks. I am trying to decide if I should cover the backs of the glass so a small print pink and blush will be seen from the top. I believe it will be beautiful and no one will have one like it. Besides, the fabric could be removed at some later date with out damaging the glass. I would use a water based white adhesive that dries clear, so it would come off soaking the removeable glass panes in water. Okay, that's decided. I will either use a beautifulo retired Ralph Lauren I have in shades of pale pink and cream or a tone on tone pale pink with also a blush complementary color. You must come back and see it...or go to www.ARitaMarieShabbyCottage.com.

Coming the 17th also is a precious blush pink vanity bench which does not have to be used at a vanity. I used the Ralph Lauren soft pink retired fabric I just mentioned. Sooo pretty. This is the last of this fabric I have, so if you love it, you may want to take these pretties home with youl

I found the most adorable box with a glass door. I could not decide just what it was, and would't you know it would take a man to figure it out. He thinks it is a doll display case. If so, you could put a tall beauty in it.

I will be posting the photos of these items on my blog as well as my site and possibly ebay. My ebay id is rita*marie just in case you want to take a peek. You may find some of the same items, so please notice the ebay does not ususally include shipping whereas my shop is slowly but surely changing to all items including shipping.

I continue to forget to take photos of the pretties when they are not something you would want and then show you the after I am finished with them. Tomorrow, tomorrow, I promise I will have the photo of the sewing seat...too cute when I finish it, but in the taken apart and cleaned up old fabric discarded state right now...Okay, tomorrow IF my desk top is working. I could not get online today, and my photos are all in that computer. I also could not ship today since my printer is attached to that computer...Note to self...transfer all files from that computer and configure printer also to this one. I JUST did get this as wireless. My third day like this, so lots still to do.

Also be on the lookout for lots of new and unique pretty items from Rita Marie. If you find something you love and you want it in another color, I do aim to please. Just a tiny fee for a large furniture change and a teeny one for a small piece.

In the meantime, visit rita*marie on ebay. I was on ETSY, but not much happened there. Yes, it does cost us less, but selling and paying the eBay fee is better than things just looked at and a miniscule fee.

Do make me a favorite. You will find more and more to come so it will be worth it.

A NEW FINDING

This is great ! I just found out about IGoogle. I can check my email here, post to my blog here. My goodness, am I slow or what? This has a To Do List, shows my very last emails received, I can chat with friends from here and it also has the temperature and weather forecast for my town. Can't ask for any better than this :-) Saving lots of time with this !

A BEFORE PHOTO OF A VINTAGE CABINET MADE INTO A SECRET CHALK BOARD

I said I would have a photo today of the before of an item just before I make it over to offer up for sale. This is the vintage kitchen cabinet that is now a secret chalk board. Yes, I forgot and painted it before showing it to you. But, I can promise you it was quite unsightly with nothing behind the door but spider webs and dirt...Ugh you say. Well, we do have to sometimes dig in the most unique places to find these treasures to re-purpose for our buyers homes. Before I do anything to a piece, it is scrubbed down, so it comes to you clean. The paint would not adhere if it was not clean. It is also sanded, primed, and then it is painted. This one I am not quite finished with yet. I am going to put a knob on the door, and I will either add an applique to the top or paint roses on that part. This sweetie is going to be priced at a very modest 39.95. It will have sawtooth hangers on the back. you see this and are interested before I finish it to put it in my shop, contact me. Join my mailing list and send me a comment about your wish to purchase, and it will be yours.

Well, I didn't get a new photo on here today of a before item, but I will have one tomorrow of a very vintage sewing seat with storage in its before stages. I already have the old fabric and padding off, but at least there will be some sort of before and after.

I will put this in my store this week,www.ARitaMarieShabbyCottage.com. I didn't shabby it, but I do offer distressing at no additional charge and also I will paint most items of choice on my items if you would like hand painting. If you love an item, but you want it another color, all you need do is ask. Small priming, painting fee.

I would love to come up with some of the most unique decorating tips, but hopefully those of you who need and want them are happy with the simpler things. My home is not a shabby chic showcase, rather an old world look, although I am now working on one room, although a small one, for a shabby chic background for my photos. You can imagine what cottage furniture and decor looks like with the photo taken in an old world decor! Right! Simply horrid.

My decorating tip for the day ..If you have a small home, apartment, cottage, paint all rooms the same color. Change the shade to designate the different areas, but in keeping with the same color, you create a feeling of more space. If you have a larger home, choose one accent color to carry throughout your home regardless of the colors you choose to use. This will also create a flow from room-to-room.

A VERY OLD PHOTO INDEED

I completely forgot my son sent me this picture of me with his father when we were expecting him. Those of you who have known me for a while may enjoy reminiscing with me. Those who don't know me, just look at the cutie patooties walking down the street. Can you remember back when all ladies dressed like that to go out?

Above is one of the pretty vintage items I have taken from shabby to very fab and chic. I do hand paint on items if requested, and I do distress them. Often they are distressed when offered, but often not. I try to vary my items as much as I can. Oh, yes, i will change the color if you love the item but have to have another color. The color you see these items in are linen white. I use Behr paint, which has been proven to me to be an excellent paint.

Admittedly, I have not actually been posting on Twitter although I have asked you to follow me. I think I may have taken on a bit too much, but we will see.

I have started following one of the most talented ladies I know in her Whimsical Victorial Cottage. She has the pretties little shop set up, and you will soon be able to see her photos as well. I saw them today, and it is gorgeous. She sells from her shop, but I bet before too long you are going to be asking her about buying things you see on her blog.

I have been working on painting vintage items sure to be lovely additions to your chic homes or shabby sweet cottages. I keep meaning to take pictures of the before and after, but so far have forgotten every time. I will post some photos on here of items I have on http://www.aritamarieshabbycottage.com/,

My tip of the day: Let me say first that my tips are often known by many, but we forget how many of us do not have the "built in decorator" in our genes nor have heard of some ot the tiny tidbits we have.

Decorating Tip of the day:   Some decorators swear by this. Some people don't. That is that every room should have one black item in it. The intention is to ground the room.

Fab old ammo box. This is the before. I will have the after on here in the next day or so. This one I did remember to take the photo first.

Check back and see how it looks with what I did to it. It will then be offered in my Rita Marie Cottage shop or on ebay. I haven't decided that yet.

Coming up I will be offering an vintage window painted for Christmas (I think..have not decided that either). If you have an opinion one way or the other, do let me know.