Americana in December

Most folks have heard the saying 'Christmas in July',

well I'm writing about Americana in December,

 a tribute to my friend

Diana of  'The Faded Geranium'.

Diana is making a bittersweet life change.  

She's going to be the full time 'nanny' for her great-grandchildren.

She'll have a new great-grand-baby asleep in her arms

and a cuddle of others playing near by...what could be sweeter?

To accomplish this sweet change, she will be closing her shop

"The Faded Geranium" 

... the 'bitter' in bittersweet.

Her favorite 'style' is Americana, as you can see by these 'snaps'

of  Diana and The Faded Geranium last July 4rh.  

Once she gets settled in her 'nanny' role, 

Diana will be selling on line...so we will be watching for more

Faded Geraniums!

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

I can't close an Americana post without another picture of

 'Old Glory', 

though sold & moved to a new home, still close at heart. 

 I also have to include a couple more snaps of 

 these dear little patriots.

Here they are on a lovely warm July 4th, only a few months ago...

 ...and only a few more months to the next warm days.

Christmas and a lot of other wonderful 'things' in between, 

but the warmth of summer only a few months away.

Move over Jack...Old Glory's coming Back

I've seen several Union Jack dressers, 

all of them skillfully painted.

But this year, we're in London for the Olympics...

(The only city where I could actually live in the city, and did...another story!)

We'll be competing with the Brits and the rest of the world, 

so I just couldn't paint a Union Jack.

Then I chanced upon a garage sale 

where a tired lass kept whispering

 "Old Glory"!

I didn't listen at first...

but I was drawn back at the end of the day.

They had 'closed' and yet she was still in the driveway...

still whispering...

"Old Glory".

I went to the door...and she was mine.

The only problem being, I didn't have room!

It took me 2 more days to get a space cleared...

Thank Heaven the previous 'care-takers' were patient...

space was made...and home she came!

I don't have a picture of her in her tired state but here 

she's got her 'drawers' spread out,  drying in the sun.

 

A little water and TSP Substitute 

and the years faded away from her tired finish.

My brother Brian sanded her top to a silky touch

and then I added walnut stain.

It was the first time I've used the water based stain. 

 It came in a tube and was the consistency of pudding 

which applied smoothly with a rag. 

It seemed to require a little more than  the liquid

but the consistency would work well on things like chair spindles.

(I'll have to try it.)

  Since there were 4 colors, 

it was nice to be able to get samples.

I used Behr from HD.  They will even color matches their samples 

and these are about twice the size of the premixed brands I've found.

I used a little detail brush for the stars...

 Here she is in her fresh new paint...

However, fresh is never the look I'm after...

so sandpaper...

clear wax...

dark wax...

more clear wax...

and...of course it took longer than I thought it would!

And finally...I finished just after dark last night.

This morning I pulled her out and 

had some fun staging Red, White & Blue

Can't pass a chance to display my 58!

 

You'll notice the morning  we 

still had a little marine air obscuring the sun,

so I had to take a couple more shots after the sun came out!

 The fine lady was interestingly assymetrical. 

 The left drawers divided by frame work, with a   

groove under the bottom front edge for pulling instead of any knobs.

The right drawers without the framework, all nesting together

 and there were brass & wood handles...

(Currently rusting in a bucket out front!)

The left side has 4 point star cut-outs and vertical grain...

 

The right side without stars and horizontal grain...

 

...and her whispered "Old Glory" was exactly right!

  

                     Remember my Inspiration Photo?...Do you think it's a match? 

....long  may  she  wave!

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

The lovely "Old Glory" 

and all the wonderful staging pieces

will all be on sale at the 

Vintage Faire.

Here's a new picture of my driveway...

the display is blooming...(pun intended)

They don't call me "CorneeDee" for nothin'.

I'll be moving

 "Old Glory" 

& all her accoutrements 

to Pioneer Street 

tonight...

and if you're in the area.

remember to stop by Porter Antiques on Cole Street 

check out the Vintage Washers on Silent Auction...

Gotta take some new pix...they are both planted and looking great!

Hope to see you Saturday....I'm getting excited!