The Apple Street Cottage

Behold, my newly refinished table - once again!  Yes, this is the second time this little beauty has been refinished. The table was originally refinished in 2013.  I carefully sanded, stained, and sealed it with polycrylic.  Everyone in blogland was singing the praises of polycrylic, so I thought I'd give it a try.  It went on great, clean-up was easy, and it dried quickly.   Win-Win, right?  WRONG!! After about a year and a half, I started noticing some wear on the edges of the table.  You know, the spot where people rest their arms?  As time went on, these spots actually started to feel a bit sticky and you could see them: It was really difficult to get a picture of them, but, if you look carefully where the arrows are pointing, you'll see dull spots in the finish.  We lived with it for a while, then I told my husband, "As soon as the weather gets nice, this table has a date with my sander!" Time for my full disclosure. ...

Look what I found peeking through my fence: They are growing wild and like the shade. This one has a visitor! They're about 2 feet tall and there's a bunch of them. I have no idea what they are, but they sure are pretty!  Can someone help me identify them? Linking to: Shabbilicious Friday Feathered Nest Friday Craft Frenzy Friday What To Do Weekends Sweet Inspiration Saturday Shuffle Happiness is Homemade Handmade and Handcrafted

Did I get your attention? The Cottage recently got a new roof.  It was over 30 years old and, although it wasn't leaking, it probably would soon.  The Amish arrived arrived early in the morning and, after a 12-hour day, the roof was done! That's my garden under those tarps. The flowers took a beating, but the roof looks great! No worries, the flowers will bounce back! There was a bonus for me... ...PALLETS! My sawzall and I got to work.  I bought a construction blade to cut through all of the nails and my husband held the pallet steady.  Safety first - goggles are a MUST! Don't I look like an alien? Even though the videos make it look easy, cutting up a pallet is WORK! But, I got it done: I still have to cut up the other one, but, all in all, it was good day. Any ideas on what I should make first with my pallet wood??  I'm open to all suggestions! Linking to: Create It Thursday Shabbilicious Friday ...

Welcome back, today I want to share a little basket that has seen better days: It had spent some time out in the weather and needed a makeover. In the interest of saving money, I pulled out the paint we used to trim our windows after the "Shutter Incident" - (you can read about that HERE ), and got to work. It always amazes me how a coat of paint (or two) can transform an object: I added some bright petunias and this little basket was ready for the front porch. You may be asking why I chose this color for the petunias.  It's simple, they match the center of my flower on the chair, and, of course, the basket matches the trim on the cottage. If you'd like to read more about the chair, click HERE . I'm so glad I was able to breathe new life into this little basket, and it's expecially exciting when it can be done with materials you already have around the house! Thank you for stopping by the Cottage.  Have a wonderful week and be sure to...

The weather hasn't been very nice around here, lately...rainy, windy, and cool...the perfect time to get some projects done inside.  This little chair from my front porch needed a facelift desperately.  I found it at a yard sale about six years ago where it had been sitting outside in someone's yard.  It has lived on my front porch ever since, partially protected, but, the rain would blow in on it.  Let me show you it's new face: Please forgive my background.  This was taken in my Craft Room...remember the not-so-nice weather?  Naturally, I didn't take a before pic (I always forget), but here's a pic of it last Fall: You can see how "weathered" it was, although, it still was pretty sturdy.  You can read about my Broom Parking Sign  HERE.   It also had a big crack down the middle of the seat that was filled with Bondo.  I didn't fuss too much, because those little imperfections add character, don't you think? The yellow paint ...

This adorable galvanized pail came home with me after a trip to HomeGoods.  I had no plan for it, but, for $2, how could I pass it up? Recently, I decided it would be the perfect container for my basil plant. The only problem?  I needed a liner.   My solution?  A 2-liter soda bottle! After placing it in the bucket, I drew a line on the soda bottle where it needed to be cut, removed it, cut it, planted the basil, and placed it back in the bucket. The little galvanized bucket has a purpose, my basil plant now has a home. It's a win-win!   Best of all, it didn't cost a dime and it reused a soda bottle. Now I just need the tomatoes to hurry up and grow.  There's bruschetta to be made (and eaten)! Update:  If you read my post, "It's Been Ruff" .  All has been resolved....whew!  I was really worried about my Vintage items!  We've had a few other things to deal with at the Cottage, but, that's a story for another day! ...

After the long month of April, I am happy to say I am back, healthy, and things are looking up! Isn't that just the sweetest face? Meet my grandpuppy, Chevy. April started out with me flunking my annual mammogram. Without sharing "too much information", let me say it was 3 1/2 weeks of scheduling, having, and waiting for the results of further tests.  I was a wreck!  Long story short - I am fine!  My public service announcement?  Get your annual mammogram, ladies.  It's an important test! Just a few days after the dust settled, a couple of issues came up at the Cottage.  Meet our new bathroom sink faucet knob: My poor husband went to turn off the hot water and the knob came off in his hand.  Once again, to make a long story short, the stem is shot and we need a new one - not so easy to find with a vintage sink that has a slant where the faucet assembly is located.  We found a handyman who appreciates this bathroom and is helpin...