STOP!!!! There's a Barn Sale!

"Barn Sale" two words that I love to see! Why are barn sales better? Bigger items, older treasures and more rusty crusties versus the baby clothes and old board games.

We happened upon just such a sale yesterday, "Stop Babe...there's a sale!" Picture brake lights and me jumping out of the truck mid-road. Awesome sale...lots of little treasures marked for 10 cents or 50 cents! You really don't find prices like that anymore. But what I really fell in love with were these two butcher blocks.

I love how worn these pieces are. When you're in a business that surrounds you with faux aging...it's nice to find things that have been genuinely used for years and years.

Sid is washing them today and treating both with some oil, then I'll be moving them into French Hen.

I also picked up this buffet....

I painted it grey....what else? Stay tuned, I'll be updating with "after" shots of all these pieces in a day or two! Until then, I hope you find a great sale or two yourselves!

Dream big! Go ahead....I dare you!

Lately, I find myself dreaming big! I'm creating a mental check list of things I'm ready to allow myself to envision. I pride myself on being a "realist", but often times I think I just used my practical side as a defense. If I don't want that...then I won't be disappointed if I don't get it. Or, who am I to think that I could achieve that goal? I admit that many of my aspirations I would be afraid to admit out loud...but they are seeds that I have planted in my heart and they seem like wonderful treasures that I've given myself. It's hard to "make it" if you haven't at least tried to visualize the destination.

On anther note, I thought I would update you with a few pictures of a dresser I had shown in a previous post.

I got this dresser at our local Goodwill, it was in definite need of repair. The veneer was cracked and peeling in several spots. But the construction and drawers were solid and sturdy. I loved the lines and the hardware, so I brought it home. My hubby thought it was junk...I asked him to work some magic on it, but soon we realized that short of removing all the veneer, this piece was toast. Actually, Sid got fairly exasperated in his attempts to correctly repair it. "Em, this thing is just beyond..." "Nah, I can make it work" I said. I chose to embrace the imperfections!



Sid filled in all the veneer cracks with sheet rock mud

One coat of ASCP (Annie Sloan Chalk Paint) Paris Grey thinned with water

Here it is finished!

I heavily sanded it, making sure to accentuate the imperfections. Then it received a light white washing and the handles got painted bright white. The end result really had a French antique feel.

Here's another picture of it in the window...notice the sold sign, someone else liked it too!

I have to add a little footnote here...
I know my photography is really lacking, I don't have the camera to do most things any justice yet. A great camera and a photography class are on the list of great aspirations!


Pin-tastic!

For those of you who haven't joined Pinterest yet...you really, really should! Pinterest is essentially an online bulletin board where you can "pin" inspirational photos on "boards" that you create, such as dream homes or party ideas. One of the reasons I love it so much is because it's all eye candy. You don't have to read someones blog post (not doing myself any favors here am I) you can just jump on and either pin from your favorite sources or follow others who have similar tastes and interests by "re-pinning" from their boards.

The most rewarding part is being able to look at your "boards" and see your personal style, even if it's only in your dreams. It ends up being a great tool for designing a room or party. If your a visual person, like I am, then you are able to see all your inspiration in one place, at one time...it's awesome!


You can "follow" my pins by searching for me, by name: Emily Bruhn, once you've joined. If you're a veteran...than come check my boards out! For those of you who know what my house really looks like, try to contain your laughter...a girl can dream after all!

The joy of gardening...even if you don't know what the heck you're doing!

It's that time of year again...time to get the garden in. Currently I have a lovely fenced in weed center. I know I'm getting a late start, but better late than never! Last year was my first garden, I learned some valuable lessons on what to plant and what to skip. At this point in life, I think I'm going to keep it simple. So I'm going with a basic variety of herbs, berries, LOTS OF TOMATOES, lettuces, beets (a personal favorite), squash, zucchini and cucumbers.

Last year I had quite the hodge podge of planting techniques. I planted too much of some things, not enough of others. Trial and error is the best method...and let's be honest, my usual modes operandi. My bestie Gen methodically reads the instructions on the back of a seed packet, then she researches online the best planting techniques, looking for cues on how deep to sow the seed what to plant it next to. HA...I don't have the patience. At the ripe old age of 33, I have discovered a very key piece of info about myself...I am incredibly impatient. I don't savor the process...I like the product.

Weeds...yummy!

Potentially fabulous...right?

Here in Petaluma, we have some really fantastic gardening resources. In downtown, there's the Seed Bank (please check out this link, very cool!) and we also have a gorgeous nursery at the other end of town called, Cottage Gardens. Both of these places make it easy to get info and plants!

This year I'll be using starters for the cuc's, tomatoes, herbs and berries. I'll do seeds for everything else. I don't mind being patient for a few things, like the beets and squash.

I think the most rewarding part of gardening is digging in the dirt. I like the physicality of it...heck, I just really like getting dirty! Some of my favorite summer memories from last year, were weeding and harvesting with the kids in the morning. Coffee in hand, dew still on the plants I would wander out in the morning in bare feet, to see what there was to pick. Now that's something worth being patient for!

What are your favorite things to grow? I'm about to amend my soil...any wisdom out there? Feedback is welcome.....

Welcome to French Hen Antiques

So I've been feeling a little like a chicken with her head cut off. I'm trying to take each day in stride, remembering that there are only so many hours in a day and I do have to sleep a least a few of them.

I'm working at French Hen Antiques so I thought I would take a moment to introduce you to the shop.

Brenda Maher owns and operates this lovely shop on Petaluma Blvd North here in downtown Petaluma. Once in the door, you'll see that Brenda has fashioned the store in a very open and airy way. There's plenty of room to mill about, browsing and taking in all of the unique pieces the shop has to offer. I'm really thrilled to be a contributor here.

The Buffet I wasn't sure about is pictured above.
You can see some before pictures of this piece in my post titled "Meat & Potatoes"

I love the high ceilings and bright light that filters in through the front windows. But I won't lie...it's been a challenge to adjust to the scale of the space. Over at Summer Cottage, I'm a seasoned "pro" (I use that term loosely). Here in the new space, I'm definitely still trying to get my "sea legs" so to speak. On a positive note, the space really elevates my pieces. My hubby keeps saying...I thought that was pretty ugly until you got in there. Thanks babe. On the other hand, flaws seem to stick out like a sore thumb. Hmmmmm.....I guess I have to up my game. I had a pity party moment, when I got really deflated by a buffet I brought in...it just didn't look like I wanted it to in the space. I'm choosing to persevere and keep a can-do attitude. Hopefully, this old dog can learn some new tricks.


On another front, where I do know what I'm doing...me and Gen have been revamping our space at Summer Cottage. And we have some really cute new pieces in. And I did a fun window display with just barn wood, farm equipment and ironstone. I'm a sucker for the romance of this combination.

Summer Cottage Antiques

Challenged but content...I guess that's where I'm at right now.

Update: The buffet I didn't love...sold and I could have sold it three times over. So I guess I have to just go with it.