I took this photo prior to drilling holes into it (see this post). I thought it was so beautiful. The man who sold it to me, called it a Cinderella Pumpkin and it brought to mind the wonderful story of the pumpkin transforming into a carriage. I googled it and found the following refrence to Cinderella Pumpkins:

"Cinderella Pumpkins are a unique French heirloom whose correct name is "Rouge vif D'Etampes". The source of their nickname it that they resemble the pumpkin that Cinderella's fairy godmother transformed into a carriage." Via All About Pumpkins

It's that time of year again...time to start wearing more layers and bundling up. 

My favorite time of year. 

Crackling fires. Pumpkins. Spices...

And scarves. 

Yes, scarves. 

In all their yummy, chunky, sleek glory...I love 'em! 

And in case you need help making yours look super cool, here's a quick tip sheet on how to tie one on! 

Hope you all are keeping warm (or cool) wherever you may roam...

A little break today from projects around the house due to a Dentist appointment and getting Oscar ready for Halloween! Yay! Anyhow, I thought that this was kind of neat ....I was sorting through files last week to find a sketch I had done and came across some old illustrations. I don't illustrate much these days, perhaps I'll get back into it someday soon. It brought back so many memories.

Isn't this one perfect for today? :)

The vampire cracks me up.

All illustrations are copyright of me, Lindsay Stephenson. Just sayin'.

Happy Halloween! Halloween kind of snuck up on me this year - Adam and I never even got around to carving our pumpkins! I'm not a huge Halloween fan (I can't handle being scared - we watched 'Paranormal Activity' last night and I immediately regretted it when I had to get up in the dark this morning), but I love handing out candy to the trick-or-treaters so I'm looking forward to that tonight :)

Last week I went to the first session of an intro to interior design class I'm taking and it was awesome! Looking at pictures of interiors and talking about furniture for 2.5 hours is my idea of a perfect evening haha. We started with a broad overview of different design styles. Years of magazine and blog reading has familiarized me with various styles, but it was so interesting to break down each style's characteristics and evolution, and to learn how to identify which design style a particular piece of furniture belongs to. My favourite style is definitely eclectic, so here's some eclectic inspiration to start your week!

Images 1/2/3/4/5 via pinterest, no source :(

This was too funny not to post. Do you think our neighbours would mind if I did this next year? I think a flash mob would break out. Get Oscar to learn some dance moves. ;)

Because so many people commented on the stamp post, I thought announcing that I drew the names for the custom stamp giveaway was appropriate. Winners Screen Names are: Sundeep @ Designwali, Carrie, Bronwyncotter  and Kate! Double check to see if your comment won!

If you want your own stamp still, now is the time to get it because as I mentioned earlier take advantage of 30% off the stamps when you enter in the code BLOGGERSALE. It ends Sunday at midnight and won't happen again in 2011. Partially because the stamps take awhile to make, so advertising them any later than November, and it's a bit of a rush. So honestly grab one now for your Holiday Cards. Stamps available here. Little drawstring Bags available here.

Have a great weekend. xo Lindsay

Ps., If a stamp isn't claimed by next Wednesday then I'll re-draw. :)

So I wanted to save the best for last.

It also happens to be one I finished at 2 in the morning, just hours before it was set to leave.

(thanks to my mom and big sis for being my delivery "mans" for these babies)

Oh the drama!

I did this sign using the same method as the "Yes we're Open" sign.

If you want to learn more about how to do it then go here.

I really love using this method.

It is more time consuming but the results are totally worth it!

In my mind...

I see little girls with bare feet walking to school. Their lunch pails swing carelessly by their sides.

In the barn their father and the dairy hands herd the eager cows into the barn for milking.

An old truck rattles up the dusty lane, full of glass bottles ready to be filled with rich creamy milk.

Sorry, I'm in a hurry.

 No drama with the milk today!

Mooooo.

Remember, if you live in VA and are interested in any of these signs then you can find them at Classic Furniture in Charlottesville, VA!

Have a great weekend!

Earlier this week, a friend asked me for my thoughts on her living room. She had it all planned out in her head, but her husband literally couldn't see her vision and was worried about having too much going on in the room. So I offered to put together a mood board for her. Even if you don't know the first thing about design (see: me), starting with a mood board allows you to visualize a space in a way that you just can't inside your head (at least for 99% of us). And there's nothing worse than making a bunch of purchases based on what looked amazing inside your head, only to realize in person that it doesn't work (assuming most of us don't like wasting our hard-earned cash). Plus, mood boards are really fun to make (this from the girl who used to cut rooms and models out of Sears' catalogues to play paper dolls with, and preferred them to her actual Barbies).

Here's the mood board I put together for her, based on the items she already had and wanted to add to the room:

1. Her colour scheme for the room - I love the combination of charcoal, cream, blue and yellow
2. This Crate and Barrel chair is sadly no longer available, but it's similar to the matching velvet slipper chairs from Backyard and Veranda she scored on Kijiji with the tags still on - how lucky is that?!
3. She's thinking about adding this pillow to each of the slipper chairs
4. And she already has these graphic and floral pillows on the couch
5. Her sofa is a mid-century find from Kijiji, so this Pottery Barn sofa is just a stand-in
6. I love this sunny Draper stripe citrine rug she wants to add
7. She's also thinking about adding charcoal and cream trellis curtains
8. This teak coffee table is very similar to one she just purchased, which looks a bit more orange in the photo than it does in real life
9. And this artwork by Dan Steeves- a wedding gift from her parents - sits over the mantle

I think seeing it all together gave her more confidence about her choices, but what design advice would you offer?

What a crazy week it has been. Highs and lows, and, the week ended on a very great high. Halloween is Monday. Oscar and I are attending a "Monster Bash" on Saturday at the local school, our first time - If you see a little spider running around, that is Oscar. My friend lent us a costume this year. But here is what didn't make it into posts this week:

• Did you catch Jen's big news? It's exciting when a fellow blogger gets in print.
• Leigh, who did our awesome family photos is doing her annual Halloween photoshoot this Sunday and all you need to bring is a food donation.
• We made some fun pumpkins in our house this week using a drill [photo above]

Be sure to check back later tonight as I'll draw for the stamps. Because there are so many entries, I've bumped it up to three winners instead of two,but because alot of you liked them, enter BLOGGERSALE when checking out to save 30% on the stamps for this weekend only. It's a secret sale for you, my awesome readers because you really made my week with the support. [If you bought a stamp this week, e-mail me your order # and I will give you the 30% off] Buy online here. xo - Lindsay

It's is with great pleasure that I introduce a great new friend to you from Chi-Chi Studio Designs-Kristin. We "met" a few weeks ago and I thought it would be great to share some her expertise and knowledge over here at Restoration House. Be sure and hop over to her blog and follow if you like as I am sure that you will LOVE her and all that she does. Today, Kristin shares an AS tutorial with you all! Enjoy!


*************
First of all, let me just say how excited I am to be a guest here at Restoration House Interiors! This is my first time as a guest blogger, so please bear with me. :)

If you’re unfamiliar with Annie Sloan products, you can get started here, here or here. There’s plenty to read, but I hope you find your way back here again!

Applying dark wax over chalk paint is one of my favorite techniques, but it can also cause the most grief. Applied correctly, dark wax can add a subtle or dramatic antique look to painted furniture, especially on heavily embellished or textured pieces. Done incorrectly, it can streak, leave an oily residue, and be impossible to remove. With a few quick tips, though, that won’t be a problem. :)

Let’s start the tutorial, shall we?

Things You’ll Need

Annie Sloan clear wax

Annie Sloan dark wax (or similar product like Fiddes & Sons)

Two wax brushes

Soft rag

Below you’ll see two kinds of wax, two wax brushes, and a very dirty mason jar. The can labeled “soft wax” is Annie Sloan brand clear wax. The green can above it is Fiddes and Sons wax in rugger brown. Fiddes and  Sons is another British company, and I use their dark wax interchangeably with Annie Sloan’s. The two brushes are round brushes designed specifically for Annie Sloan wax. They have stiff bristles that spread the wax easily. If you have the chance to buy one (or two), DO IT. They are worth every penny! (All $35 worth of them.)

Ideally, you’ll have two wax brushes, but in a pinch you can substitute one of them with a soft cloth.

The first and most important step in applying dark wax is applying the CLEAR wax first.

Let me repeat.

Apply a coat of clear wax anywhere and everywhere you will apply the dark wax! It acts as a barrier between the paint and the dark wax. If you apply the dark wax directly to the paint, there’s no going back. It can go on too thick or streak, among other problems. Believe me. I’ve skipped this step before and it ain’t pretty.

You can read my full tutorial on applying the clear wax here. For now, though, we’ll run through just a few quick steps.

First, scoop some clear wax into a small bowl or container. I use glass custard cups, but you can use anything that’s shallow enough for the brush. (This step will be more important later on.)

                                                    This is how the clear wax looks on your brush.

This is how it looks when you apply clear wax with your left hand and try to take a picture with your right. You get the idea. Apply the clear wax, people!

After you’ve applied the clear wax, scoop some dark wax into another bowl. You should now have one container of clear wax, one of the dark.

First dip your brush in the clear wax.

You can’t see the clear wax as well in this picture, but it’s very important that you always have clear wax on the brush in addition to the dark. It blends onto the paint so much better this way. That’s also why you need to scoop the clear wax into a separate container. You need to put clear wax on the brush every time you need more dark wax; if you dip it into the original container, the dark wax on your brush will contaminate your entire can of clear wax.

Got all that? I wish I didn’t have to use the word “wax” so many times, but there’s really no way around it. Sorry.

Apply the dark wax to the furniture just as you did the clear. Remember—a little goes a long way.

I apply it in a circular motion, as you can tell from this little stroke that I hadn’t yet blended in. Just keep going in circles until it’s blended in and you can’t see any strokes at all. If there’s a definite linear texture to the piece, I go back over it a few times in the direction of the lines, just to blend it in even more. If you’re not satisfied with the color, add more until you get the antiqued look you want. Some pieces need only a subtle hint of color; others do well with a good amount of antiquing.

**If you apply too much dark wax, dip a separate wax brush or a clean cloth into the clear wax. Brush or rub over the furniture until the dark wax comes off. Keep brushing or rubbing until you’re satisfied with the look. This “repair” technique is why having two brushes is strongly suggested. Use one to apply the dark wax; one to take it off.**

This dresser I painted in the Annie Sloan Chalk Paint (ASCP) color Old White didn’t have much texture, but I did a fair amount of distressing. I wanted just a hint of color over the paint and bare wood.

This farmhouse table was, again, painted in Old White. But it warranted a good deal more dark wax. Can you see the difference? Perhaps it doesn’t show up so well in pictures, but you could definitely see it in person.

You can go as far as you want with the antiquing process. Just be careful not to cross over into making a piece look dingy, which is a lot easier to do with a white basecoat than a darker color.

The dark wax also tones down really bright colors, like ASCP in Antibes Green. It’s blindingly bright alone, but slap some dark wax over it and it completely transforms. Try it; you won’t be disappointed!

A big thanks to Kennesha for having me over and to all of you for taking the time to read the tutorial! I hope it helps you in your painting adventures!

 

and Kristin from Chi Chi Studio Designs

You've already seen this sign before, but here she is in all her glory.

(side note, do you think of flags as he's or she's?)

It made an amazing backdrop!

In my mind...

The morning was cold and dreary.
Or rather a typical England day, thought the young man who hurried past the piles of ropes and cargo.
It was rather quiet out, all the sailors still sleeping off last nights inebriation.
That was fine with him, he preferred the quiet. It gave him time to think. To plan.
Nothing had turned out the way he had hoped.

 In one small turn of fate he had lost his family, his money and the affections of the only woman he had ever cared for. His country, whom he had believed in so deeply had betrayed him.
His eyes swung around the deserted docks, watching for any sign of the one he was here to meet.
The information he held could line his pockets with enough gold to last him a while, but money was not his goal now.
His heart burned with bitterness, ached with sorrow and lusted for revenge and no amount of wealth could ease it.

A rat scurried from its warm home in search of food and drew the mans gaze toward the dilapidated building in front of him.
The faded and worn colors of his countries flag stared back at him. Mocking him yet enticing him at the same time. A shock of pride rippled unbidden through his veins. His eyes narrowed and his fists clenched as he stared at it, an idea forming rapidly in the corner of his mind.

The rat watched with little interest as a pair of boots past near him, quickly disappearing into the fog.

When I was younger I wrote stories all the time.

Unfortunately I don't have time to really write anymore,so I have fun thinking up these little "backgrounds" for my signs.

Your guess is as good as mine as to how they end:-)
By the way, grammar, punctuation and the sort has never been my strong point.
Just ask my Mom.
Drives her crazy.

Tomorrow I'll show you my favorite sign to date!

Last night I started out with plans to quickly switch out the dried hydrangeas on our mantle for something more fall-like and somehow ended up with a glue gun in one hand and twine in the other. Here's the final product:

All of the flowers came from our garden and the vase was one I already had on hand - I just used a little hot glue to attach one end of the twine to the vase, wrapped it tightly and then glued the other end to keep it all in place (which means it can easily be removed later). As for the vase that was on our mantle, I filled it with a few handfuls of leaves from the yard and some chinese lantern flowers from our garden:

It needs some more height on the mantle, so I need to find something to stack underneath it. The shallow mantle makes that a challenge - maybe a few small books?

Linked up here

Do you recall "Bloggers Give Back?" I initially blogged about it here on my blog, and it has its own website here. Essentially (for new readers) it is a charity initiative where this awesome group of bloggers (regardless of where they live) are trying to transform a garden for a a place called George Herman House, a home in Toronto for women living with mental health issues. Now, some delays and roadblocks hit us this Summer, and this Fall we found ourselves looking for a garden designer to help us transform this garden. Tuesday afternoon I went for a lovely coffee date with none other than Carson Arthur. (Photo, second row)

Carson was the host of Green Force on HGTV, Room to Grow on Global and, is a regular guest on The Steven and Chris Show on CBC. You know what else he is? Absolutely amazing and nice. And cutting to the chase - he is the garden designer for our project. YAY! I can't tell you what an amazing feeling it was to have someone of his caliber, join us.

I attended the George Herman Silent Auction at the Drake tonight, and Carson joined me at it so I could make an introduction to attendees. Here are some shots of the event. Oscar stayed for a bit, but Aubrey in the end brought him home. I mingled, and talked to people about this amazing project that has a group of awesome bloggers getting together. (You're welcome to join in)

So I was eager to post this because it made me so happy. I have renewed faith in the good of people. That people will come through, and help make differences for those less fortunate. So although this past week was stressful, having Carson stand up there tonight and talk about how he was excited to join our project, made everything fine. And now, I'm taking the next 2 days off to chill out. :)

If you want to follow Carson on Twitter, he is at @CarsonArthur

Photos from Top: Scene from the Drake, Carson with Stephanie and Sonia, who helped organize the auction, Oscar with my little sister (whom he adores), Aubrey with Oscar, who is chowing down on ice cubes (not sure that is the best thing but it makes his teeth feel good), and, the crowd at the auction.

So moving on from the drama that was yesterday (resolution was reached, see that post for an update) I thought I'd show you what I do when I sometimes get stressed. Craft! Yay! So this is again, a super easy thing to do. Granted, I make stamps for a living so this is kind of easier for me, but you can do this with a store bought stamp. Michaels likely has Halloween stamps out. I found this super cute font called EVILZ, which is free font for personal use. (Need I remind you to please educate yourself on copyright - this font, for example, you can use for your own fun but you can't *sell* it. So have fun crafting but don't think about making a poster out of it)

So I thought it was such a fun font. Now Oscar is way too little for candy this halloween, but he has some buddies on the street who are, so I thought it would be super cute to put special goodie bags together for his special friends. The problem with blogging --- likely everyone who is getting one, will now see my little surprise. So, um, act surprised when you get it. Please and thank you. :)

So I turned one of the font characters into a stamp for my personal colelction. (Note - personal collection, I'm not selling it) Isn't it sooooo cute? Download that font and print out some of the bigger letters and cut them out and make them for your window. Like the crow. SOO awesome. And free. Thanks for your love yesterday. I heart you all.

Update: Sorry, totally forgot to tell you that you can pick up small sets of these bags in my shop, you can also find them on Etsy, and in lots of shipping supply companies. :)

Just tell me when you get tired of seeing signs and I'll keep on showing you.

Heh-heh

This next part I have really, really debated about sharing.
 It can be a very touchy subject...

Here we go though.

My husband, boys and I hunt. Not just for sport but for food.

 I'm not into just killing something for the fun of it.

Here in Texas though we have a wild pig problem.

They not only tear up crops and cause thousands of dollars in damage, but they are also very dangerous.

I got my first pig a few months ago and the idea of this sign was born.

In my mind...

The dusty carriage creaks and groans as it rattles into its stop for the night.

 Clutching tightly to the outstretched hand of the only gentlemen around, the young lady dressed in black alights from the small door.

Any observer could tell that she was on her own for the first time, her manner timid and scared.

The Boar's Head Inn & Tavern sits directly in front of the carriage.

Rugged and imposing, the sounds of loud laughter mingle with the scent of smoked ham.

Deep in the shadows a pair of shrewed eyes watch her. He's been looking for her, ready for her arrival, but not prepared for the raw beauty he sees in her tired face.

He steps forward into the waning light.

She swings expectantly to meet his gaze and her trembling smile falls quickly from her face...

That's all ya get.

There you get just a small feel of the inspiration for this sign, although in my mind we are going back a lot further than 1912.

I love going back in my mind.

Kinda gives me a hint of what I'll be like when I hit dementia.