Perfect Timing

Do you believe in perfect timing?

When you're at just the right place at just the right time?

When everything falls into place and something wonderful happens?

Well, I do.

It happened to me at an estate sale, where else?

We had checked out a recent sale, taking in the few offerings quickly, 

and were about ready to move on when an old mantel clock caught my eye.

"It's pretty banged up," the elderly man pushing a walker said.

"It's going to need a lot of work," his wife echoed.

"It's only $5," I whispered to Ron,"and I just love it." 

It looked as if it had been dropped. 

The wood trim across the top of the clock was missing and the sides were loose.

But the thing that caught my eye was the pretty hand-painted Victorian floral design 

on the front lower glass. The design is actually painted on the reverse side of the glass. 

The original top metal dial also had painted floral designs in the corners.

And, in the middle of the clock face was a peep hole into the brass gears.
I felt like I was peering into the past. 

I didn't care if it worked. I had to have it.

On the way home in the car, I cradled it on my lap,
listening to it twang every time we hit a bump in the road.

It was as if it was thanking me for taking it home.

As we drove I thought about my vintage alarm clock collection.

Something about old clocks has always spoken to me; 

maybe they're a metaphor for the passing of time and the history they've seen,
something I appreciate. 

Once home, we took a closer look at the mantel clock and were pleasantly surprised
to find all the missing parts inside the clock case, including the broken wood trim. 

I loved the brass pendulum and the two fancy keys inside.

Then we started researching the history of this clock.

And it got even more interesting.

Because the old paper labels were faded but intact inside the clock, we had a good starting point.

We saw it was a Waterbury clock and it was about 19 inches high by four inches deep. 

The case, we learned online, was rosewood with two key winds. 

By examining the details on the label, we were able to place it around 1870 -- Civil War era! 

Can you imagine what this little clock may have witnessed?

Ron was able to repair the case issues with a little glue . . .

. . . and a picture frame clamp.

I gave it a revitalizing rub with Howard Feed and Wax wood conditioner
which brought out the natural beauty of the wood, making it even more beautiful.

We are deciding whether to take it to a clock repair shop. 

I don't really care if it works (at least it's the correct time twice a day!) 

I just want all its parts and pieces put back together again.
What do you think? Fix it or leave it alone?

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French Country: Old Sconces, New Look

I've been watching for two old sconces for my bathroom for a long time.
They were all too new, too gaudy, too expensive.
But then I found just what I was looking for at an estate sale.

I wanted something with turn-of-the-century character and style 

but small enough to work in my tiny bathroom.
So, take a look . . . aren't these just gorgeous?

They are in need of re-wiring and re-connecting and replacing bits and pieces, 

but, oh, they captured my heart at first glance. 

And only $20 for the pair!

The thing that really caught my eye was the charming profile of the woman in the center. 

So delicate and pretty.

The jolly man in the plaid shirt who sold them to me told me they were "very very old."  

He said "she" wouldn't have let him sell them.
I assume he was referring to his wife who had probably passed.

Then, he proudly showed me his gazillion bird houses and feeders. 

I so enjoyed talking with this elderly man with the twinkle in his eye.
It's one of the reasons I love these sales so much.

Here you can see where someone slopped paint along the edges.

I'm definitely no expert but I think these sconces might have
a little Venetian or French-inspired influence. At least, I hope so. 

I'm guessing they're from the early 20th century, judging from the design and the old wiring.
Ron plans to rewire the sconces and tighten up the creaky joints
before hanging them in the bathroom.

PLAN B
Well my friends, things don't always turn out the way you think they're going to.
When Ron got into the project, he discovered the arms of the sconces had been badly broken, probably dropped, and soldered back together.
This effectively closed off the channels for the wiring. Permanently.
Sometimes Humpty Dumpty just can't be put back together again.

So, on to Plan B.
Ron squeezed JB Weld into the wobbly joints. When this epoxy is dry, it's rock solid.
He says it's the next best thing to actual welding. It actually glues metal together.

Removing old paint splatters with Zip Strip,
then toning down the shine with matte medium tidied them up nicely.
A big thank you to Ron for all his hard work restoring these sconces.
Like most renovations, it took a lot longer than we'd thought.

Once they were put back together, we mounted them on the living room fireplace wall . . .

and put battery-operated candles in them.

They may not be the bathroom sconces I thought they'd be
but it's good to be flexible when dealing with old things that don't cooperate, don't you think?
Hey, I'm talking about the sconces here people!

And here's the final result. 

I'm still totally in love with them, maybe even more.

And they look right at home in my old house. 

I have searched on-line but haven't been able to find anything similar to these
to learn more about them.
They're quite heavy, probably cast iron.
If you know anything about this type of sconce, I would love to hear from you.

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~~ Fireplace Do-Over ~~

My living room has had many looks. I'm sure you can relate.

Gradually, through trial and error, I started to find my style.

But before I figured it out, there was the Mary Tyler Moore look with matching
white love seats, mauve pillows, a glass coffee table, and black lacquer shelving units.
At least I didn't have the big initial "P" on the wall.
(I do wish I'd kept that chaise lounge though. It would have been perfect in my office.)

And then I had the southwestern style with a wicker sofa and leather mission-style chairs--
cool looking but so uncomfortable--and a  shaggy flokati rug.

And I can't forget the time I went for drama with dark red walls. 

Yep, every wall.
Red. Dark glossy red.
What was I thinking?
This was before I knew dark colors make a small space seem even smaller
and glossy paint highlights every problem.

Finally, I painted the walls a muted khaki with white trim. 

I removed the lined bronze drapes, lightening the room with new lace curtains, 

(I've since replaced them with ivory loose-weave linen drapes.)
I removed the fake stained-glass windows on each side of the fireplace and

switched out a wobbly ceiling fan for the vintage chandelier from the foyer.

Better, but I still had that boxy red fireplace.

So, I decided to take the plunge and remove the fireplace that, 

like so many good intentions in the 70s, was just wrong. 

It jutted into the small room about two feet and
diagonal planks of rough wood covered the whole thing floor to ceiling. 

Quite a visual impact but not one I wanted.
(Here's an old photo showing the diagonal boards).

Researching my options, I decided to have a gas insert installed. 

Wood-burning fireplaces are romantic . . . and dirty, time-consuming, and inconvenient. 

I loved the idea of enjoying an instant fire with the flick of a switch.

My contractor demo-ed the fireplace wall down to the cinder block lining. 

You can see the scars on the floor and ceiling where the old fireplace used to be. 

It was about this time I started having second and third thoughts.

 I asked him to build a platform to rest the insert on so it would be more visible. 

Then, the gas guys came and installed the insert.

You can see how much natural light comes in
after we removed the faux stained-glass windows. 

Then my contractor finished the carpentry.

I asked him to match the design of the corner legs to the original staircase newel posts.
Perfect match. He does beautiful work. 

I picked out a tile that complimented my furnishings and resembled tile I'd seen in old houses.

When the construction was finished, I painted the wood white to match the white trim in the room 

and the white dog on the couch. Then refinished the floor.

Most visitors think the fireplace is original to the house with a new gas insert.

I gained a little over an actual foot of floor space since the new design hugs the wall
but the room feels even more spacious.

I've made some changes since the previous picture was taken:
a different rug, a light slipcover on the couch, flat-screen TV, farmhouse coffee table
and a more relaxed yet elegant French Country style.

The gas insert was definitely the right choice. 

It's perfect for a chilly morning with a cup of coffee or a romantic evening watching a movie.

And it's fun decorating the new mantle.

So now, the room is finished. . . at least for now!

Only 50 days til Spring!!


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~~ Changes in the French Country Kitchen ~~

My tiny French Country kitchen is still tiny. 

But I've made a few changes -- some big, some small -- 

that make it more cozy and, well, a little more French. 

I've always loved the look of a small lamp in the kitchen. 

The warm glow, the intimate feeling. 

Probably what it was like back in the day before electricity

when a few candles provided flickering light. 

I had to move a few things on my kitchen island to make room
for this vintage lamp but I like the space better this way anyway. 

It's really pretty at night too. 

I found this chair at Goodwill and knew it would be perfect in the kitchen

even though I also knew I didn't have room for it. 

(I'll be sharing a separate post about chairs so stay tuned.)

This is probably the closest I'll ever get to having a kitchen table.

Check out this adorable tea-towel with roosters that Ron got me for Christmas.

 I may have mentioned it to him a few hundred times when we were out shopping. 

I don't want to go overboard on the rooster theme but seriously. . .

how cute is this plate!

I love red in the kitchen . . . gives it a warm country feel. 

I added this little painting of a Holstein calf that I bought in Ohio at least forty years ago. 

It was painted by a young Amish girl whose job it was to care for the newborn calves. Aww.

Okay, so on to the biggie. A new faucet. 

Here's the old one that decided to leak over the holidays.

Standard design. Plastic sprayer. Nice handles that leak. Uninspiring.

I'd been wanting a new faucet anyway.

So long Old Leaky. 

I went online and started looking around. 

It didn't take long to find exactly what I wanted at Wayfair.com. 

A few days later it arrived on my front porch.
And here it is!

I love the shape. So French. 

That curvy faucet. Ooh la la.

The sprayer is brass and hefty. 

The white handles give it a vintage look.

And . . .  it doesn't leak.

Ron saved me a bundle by installing it for me and said,
"If you say enough bad words while you're installing it, it won't leak!"
I'm pretty confident it will be dry for quite a while. 

A few accessories also got a tweak here and there.

Can't go wrong with old ironstone on the shelf above the sink!

Still tiny but with a little more French soul.

Voila!

I won't say my tiny kitchen is finished because, well, you know how that is!
I do love me a white farmhouse sink.

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