new at west end garage

Happy weekend! The first day of December, yay!

So Thursday was a sign painting kind of day. Here’s a glimpse.

signs

I wasn’t supposed to be working yesterday and for the most part I didn’t. I had a great day off!  However, I did pop into West End Garage to add these finished pieces to my space.  I need to wrap up the others.

The largest vintage book page wreath you ever did see. It’s huge! And it smells like the library!  You know what I’m talking about.  I kind of love that old book smell.  Anyway, this wreath would be a really cool focal above a mantel.

book page wreath

I have been in luck with finding some great old shutters and doors lately. This door is part of a silo so I was told.   You can tell the bottom was cut off.  Maybe someone out there knows if it was for a silo?  I love the hardware. I really wanted something simple and Christmasy so I went with a vintage Santa outline.

vintage painted santa door

And then of course I needed a new Cape May sign. The coastal green shutter is a perfect contrast for the song lyrics.  These have been popular signs so I try to stock one in my space frequently!

Cape May sign

And I’ll have you know that Wilson contributed very little to these projects.

Wilson

Have a great weekend!

P.S.  Don’t forget about the Inspired You book giveaway.  You have until midnight EST tonight to enter.

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making progress

Everyone in the blog world is talking Thanksgiving and Christmas and here I am talking spring.  As most of you know, we are planning our dream wedding.  Ok, my dream wedding.  Ryan is a doll who seems to agree with all of my ideas for our wedding.  So at this point, we’ve made a lot of progress including securing a date, venue, photographer, officiant, band and some of the other “big things”!

No I didn’t choose a dress yet.

We’re getting into the nitty gritty details at this point so I thought I’d keep you up to date.  Details, as you know, are my thing.

About 6 weeks ago we had an engagement photo shoot.  We lucked out that crisp fall morning with a wonderful showing of bright autumn colors at Maple Acres Farms.

They were so very accommodating at the farm.  They even let us bring Wilson although he was a bit of a diva (or is that divo?) when it came time for his close up.  I thought you’d like a peek at our photos since there are rarely pictures of us posted.  But let’s start with Wilson since you see him all of the time.

Our e-session photographer, Mandy Keep, captured just how vivid the autumn day was and all of the natural beauty and charm the farm offers.  I particularly like how the photos emphasize the primary and secondary color scheme which is very opposite of how the wedding color scheme will most likely work out.

It was important to me that we look like ourselves and dress like ourselves.  Ryan and I shopped our closets for favorite clothes we already own in complementary colors.  We didn’t do anything over the top to prep for the shoot.  We were just us.  Wilson too.

Now this is where Ryan would probably point out that we don’t normally take a wagon full of vintage props out on a walk with us.  And he’s right.  That’s where I may have gotten carried away but overall I like how the props and colors worked into the farm setting.  Subtle right?

Check us out on the vintage Orrlaskan wool blanket (similar to a Hudson Bay blanket)!

We also had a pair of vintage industrial stools out in the field which is totally natural.  I love how Mandy captured the foliage in this shot.

And who doesn’t love frolicking in the cornstalks?

We’re just about 6 months out from the big day. I am starting to think about our invitations and what they might look like.  As you may have guessed, I would like to hand make them.  I had initially thought we wouldn’t send Save the Dates mostly because it would be too laborious to make them all plus how could I practically make them and add engagement photos?

However, our wedding is essentially a destination for 99% of our guests since we are getting married at the beach which is about 2 hours away for most.  We decided it would be considerate to send Save the Dates after all.  And I’m glad we did once I heard the date morphed from May to March in one line of communication in my family!  Now everyone has plenty of time to  make accommodations.

We partnered with Wedding Paper Divas to create the perfect Save the Date.  After narrowing down several hundred Save the Date choices to about a dozen, we ended up going with Chalk Frame Charm for our layout.  I like how it had the look of an erased chalkboard but also allowed us to incorporate 3 pictures from our shoot.  It definitely foreshadows the fun, casual vibe that we’re creating for our wedding.

We received the Save the Dates in less than a week and sent them right out to our guests.  We actually had the opportunity to speak with a live consultant at Wedding Paper Divas and provide feedback on our proofs so we were sure they were perfect!  I’m glad we ended up doing Save the Dates.  It wasn’t nearly as daunting of a task as I’d initially thought.  Check that off the list!

And the money shot of the day goes to Wilson.  This one is going up on the wall.

There are a few other favorite photos that have a vintage vibe to them.  I am using them on other areas of the blog and for business purposes.  My favorite one is on the ‘About‘ page.

Photos by Mandy Keep Photography

on the road

Today was a pretty great day.  The perfect fall day to be on the road with my sidekick, Wilson.  (This was the best shot he’d give me.)  Fall is still hanging on and the sun was shining high.  We had a gorgeous drive.

We made a new friend who was all about posing for the camera.

She wasn’t shy at all.  In fact she gave me her better side.

And then invited me in for a tour.

I don’t know what it is about barns and farms in general that I am enamored with.  I suppose it is a lifestyle that I know little about having grown up in the suburbs but I’m always caught off guard by all of the simple, natural undeveloped beauty a farm offers.

And the old construction of the barns plus the new patina.  Boy, what I would do with that door.  It would look great above my mantel.

So what was a non-farm girl like me doing on this beautiful horse farm?  My upholsterer’s studio is located there!  I know.  Amazing.  I love taking that trip.  There are a couple of cute outbuildings and several homes on the property including a grand old farm house!

Back to biz though.  I picked up a fabulous club chair that I will post about next week after I tweak the finish.

Wilson and I made a few other pickups today.  Mostly of the holiday merchandise type.  Specifically vintage and handmade!

We also made some wreaths, painted a bit and planted paperwhites when we returned home.  Actually who am I kidding?  Wilson took a nap!  I did those things.

Prep mode continues for the holidays at our Brick & Mortar.  Hope you’ll come visit this weekend!  Open Saturday & Sunday 10-5.  Don’t forget, we have Miss Mustard Seed milk paint in stock too!

Other local events that I am participating in this weekend include viewing Freud’s Last Session at Arden Theatre after attending The Scene.

And on Saturday night I will launch my modeling career at The Frock Shoppe’s charity fashion show.  And then I’ll retire my modeling career.

What are your plans for the weekend?

all American

Hello!  Hello!  For all of my American readers, did you vote yet today?  Don’t forget, mmm kay?  It is your right!  Here at casa di Circa Dee we always vote Beagle.

How could we not?  Everyone knows Wilson is the boss around here.

I found that great beagle political poster at cafepress.  They have a few other breeds as well but you’ll probably just want to obey the beagle.

No, this isn’t a sponsored post by beagles around the nation.  Or cafepress.  I am getting to the project here…

The posters come in different sizes but none are your standard frame size.  Ours was 11×16.  As you probably know, having a custom frame made costs oodles of dollars.  So Ryan made one for us.

Out of…ready for it…chestnut wood!

Why am I so excited about a chestnut frame?  Oh because the horticultural nerd in me is about to come out.  Have you ever heard of the American chestnut blight?

Back in the day, a.k.a. like 100 years ago, nearly all chestnut trees in North America were wiped out.  They’re practically extinct now because of a fungus that was introduced to the trees.  If you’re so inclined, you can read more about the chestnut blight here.

So if you come across anything truly made of chestnut you can A.) pretty much guarantee that it is an antique and B.) buy it because it is a little piece of American history.  We had the opportunity to buy a few chestnut hardwood floor boards recently.  Honestly, they sat in the garage for a few months.  Until Ryan put together this custom frame for our beagle propaganda.  I ordered a piece of glass and we added some hardware and foam core board to the back.

Of course I love the wear and tear the hardwoods show from a previous life of being walked all over.

Our new to us frame coordinates nicely with an antique chestnut chest we just got to use as a media console.  I will share that in a future post as this room is not quite finished yet.

As for custom frames, I love them!  The look and feel of reclaimed hardwoods, painted floorboards and molding being given a new life as a frame is just so cool.

We have a few open frames on our mantel right now.

We just completed a set of 3 layered frames for our friend’s wedding photos.  They came out really cool too.  Also, another photo I will have to share at a future date.

And you may remember our original floorboard frame.  Still my fave.

However, we are moving away from creating our own reclaimed wood frames due to time constraints.  But we’ve found a great US-based company who does just that!  We’ve started stocking them in our shop.  Part of growing a business, I’ve quickly learned, is figuring out what to outsource and what to keep in-house.

They make unique gifts!  And we can still have custom colors and sizes made.  In fact, they have a stellar selection of colors!  I’m so happy to have found this artisan.  I’m pretty sure Ryan is too since frame making sort of fell under him.

In honor of election day, I kept this post all American for you – voting, American history and outsourcing in America. Now go vote!

livin’ the dream

I can remember a vision I had as a teenager.  It was a cool fall day on the beach.  My pants were rolled up a few cuffs.  (I think they were actually khakis in my vision – it was the 90′s when I dreamt this.)  Anyway, rolled pant legs, walking the beach with my future husband who then remained a mystery man.  There was actually a pier in this vision as well.  We were walking hand in hand down the beach allowing the surf to crash on our bare feet.  I just knew this vision was in my future and I never seemed to forget it.

Do I sound crazy yet?

Before you lock me up, I just want to say that dreams can very much become a reality.  Intuition maybe?  The mystery man and life I seemed to imagine have come true.

Ryan and I have finally set a date.  We’ll be getting married 7 months from today in none other than our favorite place – Cape May, NJ.  After laboring over a venue, we seemed to easily select the one.

It was such a ‘duh’ moment for us when we discovered we could host our big day at the Ferry Terminal.  It is perfect and just so us.  We bike there all of the time and watch the ships come and go.  It is a big open space by the sea.  Casual.  A little out of the box.  Just one mile from home and right down the beach from where we got engaged.  It is pet friendly so you better believe Wilson will be there.  Yes, we’re those people who will have their dog at, no wait, in their wedding.

Now hosting this kind of wedding is sure to be a ton of work.  We’ll transform that blank canvas of an open field by the sea into a completely memorable party al fresco next spring.  I’m up for the challenge and can’t imagine not styling our own wedding event.  You’d better believe that it will be chock full of vintage, rustic details.  Many of which I’ve already started working out in my head.

I’ll be sure to share details of fun vintage, repurposed and DIY projects here.

Goodness, only 7 months to go.  If you’ll excuse me, I have a dress to shop for…

P.S. Does anyone have a lead on a vintage aqua pick up truck that I could rent for the day?  Yes, I’m serious.  I even pinned it.

small wonders

Yesterday we celebrated Ryan’s birthday. His 35th! I can’t believe I am actually old enough to marry someone that is 35. I still think I am like 17. I’m not. Even Close.  Anyway, we had a nice day that ended with dinner al fresco at our favorite sushi place with our favorite dining partner.

Wilson seems a little hungover this morning.  It must’ve been all that sake.  His birthday is coming up next…

But enough about my boys, onto a before & after.  A little one.

I picked up a bland stool a few weeks back.  You know the type.  The oak ind that can be used as a stool or seat.

I wanted to have some fun with this one so I painted it in a custom mixed Annie Sloan pink.

Then I painted on tandem bike on the seat/stool.

When it is used as a seat, you can see “ride on.” on the seat back.

Wouldn’t this be fun in a little girl’s room?

Or as a stool at the sink for her?

This will be for sale at next weekend’s BRICK & MORTAR sale.  Yes, it is already time for our August sale!  The theme is Camp Vintage so there will be lots of great ideas for bringing outdoor, vintage style into your home.  Come see us August 10th – 12th.

 

Linking to Primitive & Proper