this is the post where I get to show off my union jack fever while at the same time being patriotic

I've had union jack fever for a while now, and have seen the design used in so many creative ways in home decor.  With the London Olympics starting in just a few days I wanted to make a bunting that would feed my fever and also help us get into the Olympic spirit.

I couldn't find a pre-made bunting, so I grabbed a pack of small British flags and sewed one myself.

 

 

I've seen some really cool furniture painted in the union jack design. And while I could never justify painting a large piece of furniture, I have finished some smaller projects in the past, including this pillow,

{go here to see full post}

and this stool,

{go here to see full post}

Here are some other favorite union jack designs as found on Pinterest:

{Diary of a Quilter via Pinterest}

{Unknown via Pinterest}

{What would Martha Do via Pinterest}

{Bad Rabbit Vintage via Pinterest}

And because my toes didn't want to be left out:

I'm looking forward to watching swimming and soccer. What will you watch?

keep primping, and Go USA!

a grain sack industrial stool

 

Projects have been few and far between around here as of late.  Maybe because I haven't had as much time to work on projects lately, or because it has been harder to find furniture to refinish.  So instead I have been left to redo redo's.  This stool was found at the thrift store a while ago.  I can't remember what the original color of the seat was, but I had painted it blue, and soon got bored with it.  It is made out of some sort of vinyl material that is perfect for painting.  Because I am still enamored with grain sacks, I decided to give it a little faux treatment.With a little tan and red paint, and some masking tape, I was able to complete this in a mere 20 minutes, including drying time.  I love the industrial look of the base.

I have been on the hunt for "new" old stools lately, with little luck.  Here are a few I would love to find,

{source}

and this one is so charming in all it's rustic goodness.

{source}

I would love to eventually have a variety of old industrial stools surrounding my island.  You've got to start somewhere--I think this is a good start.

keep primping,

a chair mini makeover, new camera, and a favorite find

Now that the craziness of Christmas is over and the kids are back in school, I was able to finish a little project--a chair mini makeover.

I say mini, because it didn't need much done.  Just a coat of white paint, and distressing ( I kept the existing seat cover).

Right now it's sitting in the corner of my dining nook, and paired with a faux grain sack pillow.

I got a new camera for Christmas, so hopefully after I learn to use it properly, my pictures will continue to improve.  Funny thing is, I just barely learned some cool tricks on my really old point and shoot camera.  Maybe I'll take a photography class so it doesn't take years to learn.

I also got these cute nesting doll measuring cups.  I originally saw them at Urban Outfitters, but finally snatched them up one day when i spied them at JC Penny's {coupon in hand}.

I'm off to move some furniture around, and pump myself up for some bigger paint jobs.

keep primping,

bistro chair love and a few pumpkins

I have a new obsession with vintage french bistro chairs.

Of course mine are neither french nor vintage, but instead newly purchased from Kmart.  I snatched the last couple from the summer clearance section  and painted them white.  They were originally turquoise, so I did a thick paint job with a brush to try and mimic wood grain and give it some character.

I also switched out my table centerpiece for this old metal caddy found thrifting filled with mini white pumpkins, and sitting on a red striped grainsack. 

A lone cinderella pumpkin sitting on a freshly painted bistro chair makes a simple display.

Here are some beautiful bistro chairs that have been my inspiration:

Dreamy Whites

 

Dusty Lu

French Country Cottage

French Farmhouse 425

Ticking and Toile

I am enjoying the changing of the seasons and the beauty it brings, I hope you are too.

 

keep primping & happy fall!

P.S. Come back Monday for a great giveaway!

 

a little french gray table {a redo of a redo}

If this little table looks familiar, it's because you've seen her before.

Though she was a blue/green, and not a pretty french gray.

 In fact this little table is a redo of a redo.  Here is what she looked like after the first redo, which was a fun technique to try, but it just didn't fit in with my home.  Now she does.

And because I like to call furniture with pretty legs "she" and give them a proper name, and because she is now a pretty french gray, I thought a pretty french name would be appropriate.

So, after much adieu, meet "Amelie".

I like her much more now, and she fits in a lot better now, in her little spot in the piano room.

Although this is the first time I've done a redo of a redo, I'm not promising Amelie will remain Amelie.  Just sayin'.  When you love to primp, sometimes things happen.

keep primping,

the making of a french sap bucket

 Here's a five minute project I finished to frenchify this old sap bucket.

Here is the inspiration project, ripped from the pages of a recent Restoration Hardware Catalog. It seems the only things I want in similar decorating catalogs are the vintage accessories you can't buy.  So, I have to try and find or recreate them.

I used this old galvanized bucket found at the thrift store,

and a stencil.

I hate to measure, so I just started from the middle and worked my way out using a sharpie permanent marker, because it's easier,

until everything was done.

Then I went over it with some steal wool to age it.

I added some lavender from my yard to complete the look I was going for.

Here it is sitting on my dining table.

It adds more french farmhouse feel to my evolving dining nook.

And because I am trying to simplify against my nature to constantly add things to primp my space, this is going in my etsy shop along with some other recent vintage finds. 

keep primping,

P.S. Come back tonight to start linking up to my {Primp} your stuff Wednesday Linky Party!