Antiquing With Aging Dust - An Upcycled Table Mirror

What's a girl to do when she needs a mirror to put her makeup on, but her vanity sits low and the stores don't have one tall enough?

 This is the kind of stuff that makes us junkers!

In a previous post I took a discarded lamp and upcycled it into this pretty display jar.

Lucky for me there were a couple of gorgeous parts 
from that lamp still available. 

 

Together with a few extra pieces from other lamps and 
a smaller table mirror, I was able to make this:

The detail is so beautiful!

I upped the contrast on this to show where the antiquing is.  

It is not really this dark as you can see in the other pictures.

I didn't want to use dark wax to antique this piece, because it changes the off white color to more of a bone.  Instead, to bring out the detail I painted CeCe Caldwell's Aging Dust into the shadow areas with a small paint brush.  It's a bit time consuming, but the look is soft and subtle.

I think I like this mirror better than 
what I found in the stores anyway!

Sweet Little Antique Lavender-pink Vanity

Doesn't this vanity look like a sweet, little Southern Belle?

 

 Would you believe it starting out looking like this?

Which is why I was able to pick it up for $13 (there's a story 

behind that price).  Don't you love buying furniture for $13?!!

I thought I would use it in my son's room for a bench, 

but he emphatically said, "No"!  

That's ok, I shall use it myself.

I painted it with a homemade plaster paint, then waxed with Annie Sloan clear and dark waxes.  I did use the TKO oil to control the dark wax, 

which you can read more about here.

It was my plan to distress it quite a bit, but I decided not to since there is a lot of pattern going on in my bathroom with all the tile and the floral curtain.  If I move it to a bedroom, I probably will distress it more.

I found the knobs at Hobby Lobby......so cute!

The shelf is a decorative piece I picked up at Hobby Lobby, 

as well.  It fits perfectly for the shelf and 

adds a nice touch of ornamentation.

I also painted some old, wooden filing boxes 

and added to the top for a little extra height.  

Luckily I had a mirror sitting around that had been 
removed from this garden chalk board project.

 It was just what was needed to finish off the vanity

This isn't the vanity I set out to find for this bathroom, 
but until I come across the perfect one
 - this is pretty cute.

Linking up at Tater Tots and Jello

Picture Frame Frosted Windows

 I live in a house built in 1929 and this picture is of my lavender bathroom.  Today I'm drawing your attention to the windows I get to look out when I bathe in my tub.  Aren't they wonderful?  And the view when I am in the tub...... is almost always a brilliant, ombre, blue sky filled with ever changing cloud pictures.  It's like getting to be a kid again - every day.

Sadly, these are the heavy, wooden shutters that have been covering  the lower half of my windows.  They are important, so my neighbors don't get an unexpected shock, but I've never been happy with how much light they block.

 

 My solution:  I removed the urn pics from a pair of matching frames, and frosted their glass.  Then I attached chains, and hung them in front of the windows.  Now no one can see what I do/do not have on, and I get to soak up lots and lots of light. 

Do you see how gorgeous the sky is?

 

 A little unconventional, but when I'm in this room and all that beautiful light is flooding in.......well, I'm a happy, happy girl.

Vintage Floor Lamp to Towel Holder

If you've followed me on my other blog, The Lavender Tub, well....you know I have a bathroom with a big lavender tub....hence the name.

It is such a great tub, and the fact that it is freestanding right in the middle of the floor is wonderful. At least it is wonderful until you need a towel and then it is a bit of a stretch to reach one.

When I found this vintage floor lamp at my neighbor/friend's garage sale for $1, I knew just what I wanted to use it for.  She knows of my crazy-out-there ideas.  I think she's been waiting to see what came of her lamp.

It is actually just perfect for what I need, and I love that I can move it next to the tub or off to the side.

Since a piece of the lamp was broken off, I found a pair of matching frames at the thrift store for 50 cents each and created this vintage sign to cover the broken spot.  (The frames are glued back-to-back.)  I also added this crystal from a Hobby Lobby Christmas ornament.

Although I cleaned it thoroughly, I love all of its age and imperfections.  No new paint desired.  I also love how heavy and sturdy it is, which is why remaking old items is the best.  You can't beat those solid, old materials.

I sure hope my friend approves!