Candles and Prayers

If there were time I would tell you why time is a thief...

Stealing moments then minutes then hours and weeks...

-- Rod McKuen 1933-2015

Happy New Year my friends!

Tonight, at the stroke of midnight, we lit twelve candles for our friends and loved ones, past present and future, including you.

We offered prayers as we lit each candle, one for each month. We said some goodbyes and thanked God for our time together. 

Tonight's ceremony held many tears.

Then, as years before, we ran outside in our pajamas and allowed the January wind to blow away the cobwebs from last year.

Then back into our warm home to face the new year together.

I shall blog again soon.  I miss you.

May the New Year bring you peace, grace, love beyond measure and good health.

xo

Andie

All Hallow's Eve 2015

Hello friends!

Hoping this post finds you in good health and in good spirits.

We have been busy catching up with Summer's end.  It always takes us by surprise!

This post is a reprise of the raven-drawn carriage I created for my daughter a few years ago and the poem that I wrote to accompany it. The original post on the raven-drawn carriage can be found here.  Hope you enjoy!

 Happy Hauntings! 

On Blackbird's Wings

Mommy, I’m frightened of Halloween

The spooks haunt my days

And enter my dreams!

My darling child

There is nothing to fear!

No need to be frightened

At this time of year

It is not quite as scary

As you believe

You see, love is the reason

For All Hallow’s Eve

To honor the memory

Of those who have passed

To make certain the bonds

They have forged still hold fast

I place my child

To sleep in her bed

A glowing light above her head

Her dreams turn to thoughts

Of Halloween

Of bumps in the night

And things unseen

Then, a loving hand guides her

To a magical scene!

Of pumpkins and carriages

Blackbirds on wing!

The carriage awaits...

The child arrives

Once she’s in safely

It takes to the skies!

Silken black feathers

In unison fly

To carry the child through a black, starry sky

Each star, the light of a loved one, since passed

So grateful to finally meet you at last!

The glow of the starlight sparks in your heart

Warm with wisdom of which you’re now a part

Upon the horizon

The light of the dawn

A new day awaiting

It’s time to move on

Wake in the morning

Sun on your face

Pluck your costume from its place

Pull the ensemble over your head

When something wafts and alights on your bed

And pulls you back to

The edge of a dream

The silken feather

Of a blackbird’s wing...

xo

Andie

Lessons of the Grave

Lessons of the Grave

Death, the silent stalker

Floats like a bird on wing

Turns royalty to paupers

And poor men into kings

The tombstone knows no difference

'Tween rags or threads of gold

For our only worthwhile treasure

Is the content of our souls

Mere humans should endeavor

And strive ever to behave

As if our final worth

Is born

Of these lessons of the grave

~Andie Pauly

All Hallow's Eve is coming!

xo

Andie

One Thing Leads To Another!

Now that Summer is winding down I can concentrate on the interior, which has become a perpetual undertaking!  

I know you know what I mean. Don't tell me you don't. 

You labor under the delusion that your home is just perfect.  Perfect.  That you will never change it...then suddenly, without rhyme or reason, you cannot stand to look at it!  

It's as if madness has taken over and you are thrust into an alternate dimension, a dark place where your mind is so frenzied, ravaged by asymmetry or the wrong shade of grey, that you find yourself on a quest.   

For the only thing that will salvage your sanity is a thing, a brand new thing, a thing like no other thing you have ever owned.

Or is it just me? 

Well, my friends, let me introduce you to that thing!

This is the thing! 

This enfilade cabinet was part of the set for a television show made in Chicago, called Empire.  The set designer said they were clearing the soundstage. 

For $500, I have the French cabinet of my dreams! It is seven feet long and perfect for the entry!

The five foot tall mirror above it looks so small in this photo.  

I have not yet painted the enfilade, but I am fairly certain I will.

There is plenty of room for the five foot tall pair of angels! 

And another thing!

This pair of pillars, a Craigslist find, were originally found at Restoration Hardware. I painted them Vintage Market and Design Furniture Paint, in Dove. 

I have lots more to share.

Anything new with you?

xo

Andie

A Wry Memorial

Today, I share a poem written by my dear friend, Freethinke.

 TODAY is the FOURTEENTH ANNIVERSARY of 911 –– AN EVENT WE MUST NEVER ALLOW OURSELVES to FORGET

______ A Wry Memorial ______

The Swarthy Ones took over;

And made weapons of four planes.

The riders had no cover;

They suffered dreadful pains

That ended once their deathtraps

Burst into roaring fires

Turning instantly to mere scraps ––

Cinders –– made of former flyers.

The burning towers crumpled,

And fell into the street.

New York was more than rumpled;

It briefly knew defeat.

The nation drew together;

We felt collective grief.

Anger broke its tether;

To express it gave relief.

But just a short time hence

We were at each other's throats;

And built ourselves a fence

Over which the Devil gloats.

We've failed to give the orders

To build a proper wall

Sealing off our borders

To the fiends who’d make us fall.

Instead, we've made division, 

Went to war against ourselves,

Became mired in derision

Sparked by partisan elves,

Who forget this blessed land

In pursuit of powers lost

In close elections manned

By fraud. So, tempest-tossed

The country’s now in turmoil.

The Enemy's our own.

He said ‘twas all for Big Oil,

And then usurped the Throne.

The heap of twisted rubble

Raising toxic fumes for weeks

No longer gives us trouble

Because of media leaks

Designed to throw us off the scent

Of whom we need to blame

And encourage ruinous dissent

That hopes to break the frame

That holds us all together

And preserves our liberty,

So many now doubt whether

We really should be free.

And each rabble rousing louse

Should 'neath these words be pinned:

"He who troubleth his own house

Shall inherit ––– the wind."

~ FreeThinke

Details, Details...

Hello Old Friends!

This summer was likely the longest summer of my life.  As you know, my father passed away in May.  A few weeks later I had a severe allergic reaction to medicine that required a hospital stay.  I was exposed to the flu in the hospital...which developed into pneumonia...first in one lung, then both.

No fun

I have had fun before and it was nothing like that.

I am finally back in good health and spirits!  My energy levels are not as high as usual but it's coming along!

We had a great deal of catching up to do as far as family summer adventures are concerned, so the house had to wait.

We did get a beautiful new fence this year.  The dogs are so happy!

I will post photos soon.

In the meantime, I am tackling small things, like painting doors and cabinets and adding better quality hardware, knobs, faucets, etc.

I was going to pull out the builder's grade oak cabinet but am glad I painted it instead.  I absolutely love it! I added antique French hardware and painted it with sample paints fromHome Depot.  I still have to add the legs after I find a way to shorten them.  

Cabinet before

It was a real challenge to photograph the entire cabinet in this tiny powder room.  McGillicuddy the Big, Orange Cat also had to be in the room with me.  When I say "with me", I mean "on me" and on the camera.  It took about  an hour to get this shot, while balancing precariously on one foot, camera pushed up against the door and one hand on the cat.

I do suffer for my art!

You can see a glimpse of the new bronze faucet.  I have not installed it yet.  It's a little intimidating.

Antique French bronze escutcheons applied to faux drawers.

Another set of antique French escutcheons.  This time with serpents.

Painting the front door.  I also painted the sidelight.  Ha!  No more looky-loos! It also balances the door and adds much needed symmetry.

I bought knobs and a deadbolt for the door.  Then I learned that the term "standard door" really has no meaning.  The hardware I bought is for a 2 3/8" backset and my doors are 2 3/4" backset (the measurement between the edge of the door and the center of the hole where the doorknob goes).

I ordered a universal latch set.  It wasn't as universal as they claimed.

So far, I have invested $150 dollars in a set that normally costs $500.  I may order brass push plates to cover the offset holes...more on this as it develops.  :)

We finally bought high gloss black and white paint to do the interior doors and trim.  I am really excited to begin!

You may have noticed that I have not finished one single task, but am mired in approximately 20.  Is that how you work or do you do one thing at a time?

xo

Andie

Four Years Later...

It only took four years for me to get up the nerve to hang this pier mirror!  You can't tell from the photo but it is seven feet tall and four feet wide!  We also hung the ginormous Craigslist chandelier, which is five feet tall and four feet wide and a reproduction train station clock casing, also found on Craigslist, which is four feet tall and 14 feet long!  You can see the reflection of the chandelier and the clock casing in the mirror.

This is what the chandelier looked like in the Craigslist ad.  I paid $100 but it retails for $7,000!  You read that right!  So, what did I do with a $7,000 chandelier?  I cut it up with a pipe cutter, of course!  Off came the huge curlycues, down came the giant crystals (bigger than my hand)!

I can't put my finger on it, but this chandelier was a little bit too much, too something.  However, I saw the lines of an Empire chandelier underneath it all!

Here is the original post.

If you remember, I bought 500 feet of chandelier crystal from China.  I waited to paint and add the crystal until the chandelier was hanging because it was so big I could not move it out the door to spray paint it!  Instead, I will climb a ten foot ladder and brush the gold paint on then hang the crystals!  I already added white beeswax candle sleeves, which gives the chandelier some much needed levity!

This is the inspiration for the chandelier transformation.

More on this as it develops!

A view of the bank of windows,  to which I added a six foot long zinc architectural salvage element.

The five foot tall Bouguereau painting can be seen above the armoire to the left.

Here is the reproduction clock case I found on Craigslist.  It is fourteen feet long!  The ad said twelve, so I thought I could fit it in my SUV, albeit with it hanging out the back.  I have never been more mistaken!  You should have see the look on the faces of the men at the loading dock!  I called my trusted mover, Julian Collins, from JC Enterprises in Chicago and he was there within the hour to rescue me!

When the contractor hung this, we realized that the Craigslist ad dimensions were off by two feet.  Too long.  The contractor cut the ends off, removed the excess, then reattached them. It extends the entire length of the wall.

The clock case was custom made as a prop for a store opening in Chicago.  It is fabricated of fiberglass and metal plumbing pipe, then painted in a faux copper finish.  

So excited that everything is finally coming together!

Handsome Husband is excited because he no longer has to walk around a five foot tall chandelier, a fourteen foot long clock case, a five foot tall painting, a six foot long piece of architectural salvage and a seven foot tall mirror propped on the wall! 

 He is waltzing around giddily like Julie Andrews on the mountaintop in the Sound of Music!

So much SPACE! 

Do you have that one thing that you have been putting off?

xo

Andie

Atticus in the Music Room...

Thank you for your warm condolences regarding my father, friends.  

We are busy counting our blessings, you amongst them!

Atticus

xo

Andie

Brightening the Entry

I didn't even know I was going to do this project until I was up on the ladder with my paint brush!

It took about an hour to gild the five and a half foot tall trumeau mirror I found on Craigslist...

...and it made all the difference in the world!

I just had to share!

Again, I use a stiff bristled artist's brush

Rub N Buff,  Gold Leaf.

I use a drop of lavender essential oil to keep the gilding wax fluid.  It is also very soothing!

I didn't want too much color for this small space.  It could be overwhelming.

The angels are five feet tall.  The commode and the mirror take up over nine feet of wall space, to give to some perspective!

The entire vignette, except for the angels, cost less than $300!

Yes, the mirror, the candle sconces, the iron urns, the crowns and even the commode...

Craigslist photo on left and the finished trumeau mirror on right.

I used multiple layers of color and washes, beginning with Martha Stewart Vintage Decor Chalk Paint  in Cloud, then washes of white and black acrylic craft paint.  I just played with the finish.  You really can't make mistakes! They just add to the patina!

Originally, I painted the mirror a solid grey.  Often, I will do that to better see the shape, so as not to be distracted by color. 

It was pretty this way but the gold leaf pulls the mirror into the entire room.

Don't you agree?

It really brightens up the space and makes the entry very welcoming!

 Raise your paw if you approve!

Thanks, Tallulah!  She's always so agreeable!

xo

Andie

Bob's Your Uncle!

 Bob's your uncle!  

It is a British colloquialism similar to the term voilà!

Plus, it's fun to say!

Bob's your uncle!

Bob's your uncle!

Bob's your uncle!

It sums up this experience rather well...

My family fell in love with this piano when we saw it on Wisconsin Craigslist!

So much so, that we asked the gentleman who was selling it if he would take payments. Not only did he allow us to do so, but he also gave us two bottles of raspberry wine that he made himself!

Yay!  Wine!

A year later and the piano was ours!

If anyone in Illinois needs a good piano mover, let me know!

I had contemplated painting it, as I have mentioned here in the past.  However, it just didn't seem right.

Though it needed...something.

Instead, we drank the homemade raspberry wine and pondered...

...and pondered...

A year passed.

I tried to ignore the big brown blob in the Music Room, yet it mocked me.

It was beautiful but it could be so much more.

Should I paint it?

White?  Grey?

I turned to Facebook for inspiration...

So many creative friends there.  Surely, someone had something?

I was right!

Upon the advice of a friend, I merely gilded the foliate details with Rub N Buff in Gold Leaf.

That's it!  It cost less than $5.00 and an hour of my time!

I also wiped the piano with lavender essential oil and rubbed coconut oil on it, then buffed it.

Today, I will paint the wings and wire them to hang above the piano.

The gilded piano stool looks as if it were made for this piano!

The tutorial for the stool can be found here.

I have to admit, this piano was intimidating but it just may be my favorite makeover!

I used a stiff bristled brush to get the gilding paste into the details.

Rub N Buff retails for approximately $5.00 per tube.  I used 2/3 of the tube. A little goes a long way!

Be certain to use a small amount at a time, as it dries out quickly.

Like Frosty the Snowman's hat, the paint brought the piano to life!

Happy Birthday!

And there you have it!

Who's your uncle?

Why, Bob's your uncle! Of course!

xo

Andie

The Cheshire Blogger

I have decided to pretend I have not been an absentee blogger. As a matter of fact, I am going to behave as if I was here the entire time.

Furthermore, I was hoping you wouldn't mind playing along.

Do you want to see what I have been up to?

Front entry hall, take 497!

You may recall that this is what it looked like this past Christmas.

It looked like this for about 2 days.

Then it looked like this for about a week.

The scale was off. 

 Also, since the wall is one side of a narrow hall opposite the library, you had to crane your neck to take in the entire vignette.

The chest is 3 feet tall , the angels are five feet tall and the crest is another 3 feet tall!

The ceiling is 18 feet from the floor!

The chest itself is only five feet wide.  I cannot use a longer one because then I could not open the front door.  Apparently, we have to let people and pets in and out....and "no, we can't just use the back door", according to Handsome Husband. 

Since when is he such a stickler for formality, I ask?

To give you an idea of we have to contend with. The Library is to the left.

I have a set of narrow double doors and a spiderweb transom to replace the builder's door and sidelight.

Soon, I hope!

The stars aligned and it happened!

I found this over five foot tall mirror on Craigslist.  It was right down the street from my house!  I could have walked there.

I was inspired by this paint finish, found on Pinterest.

Nine layers of paint later...

This is, perhaps, the 17th incarnation of the front hall.  It never felt quite right...until now.  I think. Well, I'm pretty sure.  For now.  Maybe.

The angels, as you recall, are 5 feet tall (including candles), to give you an idea of the perspective.

The entry leads to the Music Room.  It is to the right of the Library.

The chaise was also found on Craigslist, as was the secretary, the mirror, the curtains and the statue.  The tapestry panels were purchased from a friend .  I met her through Craigslist too!

The rug is from ebay.  It was a steal!

The Mora clock is in the hallway, outside the room. It isn't really a Mora clock.  It is a Craigslist clock painted to resemble one!

The room is far from finished, but I thought you might like to see it.

This room was the catch-all for all my errant "stuff".  It really was shameful.

View from the Music Room into the front entry hall. The fauteuil on the right is one of a pair I found on Craigslist.  I painted the upholstery with Annie Sloan Old White.

This brown velvet fauteuil is one of a pair I found on Craigslist!

One of a pair of Craigslist urns.

McGillicuddy, Mommy's little photo bomber!

Wow!    Here, I thought I wasn't getting much done...and this is only a small percentage of what I have been up to!

I have missed you!

I promise, I won't wait so long again!

I am off to visit you!

xo

Andie