A Shabby Shed { Chic Meets Country }

A shabby chic shed sits on a hillside...say that three times!  After a year, I finally added some color to this dark space!

 

The tomatoes and herbs are fresh from the garden.

We built the table, but to minimize the mess, I put my grandmother's cookie tray on top to catch the dirt.  This is easier than having to sweep all the time.

My 'roadside rescue', the red stool is from Charleston, SC.

I keep a small bucket of dirt on the table with large cans of mulch and dirt underneath.  The little enamel pot was from my grandmother's kitchen and is the perfect scoop!  The Reader's Digest 'Complete Book of the Garden' is old and belonged to my mom many years ago.

My bee suit hangs on the right.  My poor bees did not survive the winter.  I still have much to learn about raising bees!  My dad has about six successful hives, and I can't wait to start again!

My grandmother was an elementary grade school teacher.  The framed picture is one of her fourth grade classes during the early 1960's.  The picture depicts a couple of the children attending school without shoes.

I keep lots of my picnic baskets and containers in the shed.  These two vintage looking thermoses came from TJMaxx.

I bought this lovely vintage looking strawberry toile from the Warm Biscuit Bedding Co.  I used a staple gun to staple the fabric to the table and trimmed it with these vintage rulers.  They give the table a more finished look, but are also very practical for a quick measure!   

This pretty grey and cream buffalo check fabric was used to finish off this $4 camp stool and a lovely vintage blue and red apron hangs above it.

The fireplace mantel is from the early 1800's and belonged to my grandfather.  This shed holds my garden things, as well as, many of the things I use to decorate, family mementos and my children's art work.

I purchased the WWII cot from eBay for the tree house; however, I did not consider how long it would be in that small space!  It has been great in the shed for my youngest to rest, while I work.  The beautiful old prints/maps of Charleston and sketches were given by my aunt and uncle, when they moved.  The quilt on the cot is from TJMaxx. 

 

We don't have a garage, so my husband's shed is seen out this window.  He built mine, I am certain, to get all of my 'stuff' out of his space.  He is the 'neat' one.

I attached the chandelier, a gift from my sister, to a pulley system, so I can raise and lower it for candles.

   

My children's art work makes me happy.  I love the colors and think I couldn't pay good money for anything better!  I like it mixed in with the framed art. 

The white wicker chair was found at a second hand store.  I lost the straps to my bicycle basket, so I hung it on the wall to hold these dried hydrangeas.

I hung these vintage children's shovels on this piece of a picket fence that my neighbor was tossing.  The fence acts as a headboard for the cot and the corbels (from a salvage yard) at the bottom make the 'bed' look more like a bed!  My grandparent's old Hunter fan from the 1930's still works.  I don't have power out here, but in the summer I pull an extension cord from my husband's shed.

 

I printed 'Le Jardinier' on an old flour sack and found the bee images from the Graphic's Fairy.  For my French friends...did I spell this correctly?  I made the little pillow and filled it with lavender to make the whole space smell good!

Rob added lofts to both sides of the shed to store containers, baskets and other decorating items.  I made the bunting for my daughter's birthday party from some old dresses and from the strawberry toile. 

I won the vintage pewter coasters in blog land!  They are so cute!  The old crate lid on top of the mantel was found at a salvage yard in Charleston, SC.

My youngest daughter pretends to grow her own garden (IKEA.)  I keep play dough and kitchen tools out here to entertain her, so I can get some work done!  Plus, I am hoping to make her interested in vegetables.  Right now, she is a carb addict!

This vintage table cloth is so pretty (I snagged it from my partner at the booth!)  I found the plaid large can at Tuesday Morning.  It looks very 'British' country to me!

I have a little visitor.  He is not liking his fur coat in this 90 degree weather!  He slips down to the lake for a dip and then comes and finds a cozy spot to dry.

The outside of this shed needs lots of work!  I need some shade lovin' plants that will thrive under the overhang of trees.  The little path leads to my garden or to the lake below.

There is a little crack in the overhang of trees where my garden grows.  Next year, I may have to cut some limbs off the trees in order to have a garden!

The book, 'Shed Chic' has lots and lots of inspiration.  Sheds come in all sizes and are used for many purposes, such as offices, guest rooms, potting sheds, and places to relax or to create.  I would love to paint mine this beautiful blue, but when we built it, we thought it was best for it to blend in with the surroundings.  Maybe one day, I will paint the inside this pretty shade of blue!

Thanks for stopping by!

The winner of the European Ramsign enamel house sign is random.org number 22!  Cindy at the Most Awesome Cohort Ever is the winner!

Congratulations Cindy!  I will send you an e-mail with the details!

I am joining the CSI Project for their Red, White, or Blue Challenge!


and I am joining Courtney at French Country Cottage for the Blog Party!


Edited 7/18 to join Brag Monday at




I will link up to my favorite sites here!  As always, please check out these great sites for some wonderful inspiration!

Note: Thank you all so much for your kind comments each week. I really appreciate the time you take to stop by and to leave comments!  I so wish there was more time in the day to reply to each of you!  It is a real treat, when I am able to sit and spend time looking at all of your wonderful sites and inspiration!  I see familiar names each week and wanted you all to know how much I appreciate you!   

Thank you for the features!

 Under the Table and Dreaming 

Eclectically Vintage

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In the Garden

In the Garden

I come to the garden alone, while the dew is still on the roses; and the voice I hear, falling on my ear, the Son of God discloses.  And he walks with me and He talks with me, and He tells me I am his own; and the joy we share as we tarry there, none other has ever known.  He speaks and the sound of His voice is so sweet the birds hush their singing; And the melody that He gave to me within my heart is ringing.  I'd stay in the garden with Him, tho' the night around me be falling, but He bids me go; thro' the voice of woe His voice to me is calling.

Growing up I didn't much like yard work.  My daddy made us pull weeds every weekend.  I remember thinking that when I got older, I would never do yard work again!  Did I think somebody was going to do the yard work for me, or that I would just live in a house surrounded by weeds!? 

When we grow up, often we find that we actually appreciate some of the endless chores that our parents made us do.  A 'dirty manicure' may not be your favorite, but working God's earth and planting a garden is so rewarding!

I was reading an article the other day and it struck me that the Lord was the first Gardener. It should be no surprise that we enjoy nature and tending to a bed of flowers or vegetables.  God made man and woman to live in the garden!  My favorite image is picturing our LORD walking amongst the tomatoes, squash, carrots and fruit trees of His garden!  "Then the man and his wife heard the sound of the LORD God as he was walking in the garden in the cool of the day..." (Genesis 3:8)

This is the third year that we have planted a small bed of fruits and vegetables.  The hard work, the fruit of the labor and the lessons are so rewarding.  Sometimes, I will just sit in that little chair and stare at the garden.  I think about how it was supposed to be...how we were supposed to walk in the garden with Him!

Now the LORD God had planted a garden in the east, in Eden; and there he put the man he had formed.  The LORD God made all kinds of trees grow out of the ground—trees that were pleasing to the eye and good for food. In the middle of the garden were the tree of life and the tree of the knowledge of good and evil. ~Genesis 2:8-9

Jesus went to the garden of Gethsemane to pray before he was crucified.  "Then Jesus went with his disciples to a place called Gethsemane, and he said to them, “Sit here while I go over there and pray. ~Matthew 26:36

The 'garden' has a big role in the Bible.  Do you have a vegetable garden, a flower garden, or place where you create that allows you to spend time in reflection?

Blessings to you on this Sunday!

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Lakeside Lunch

 The children went to their grandparents for the night, so Rob and I had a free night!  I say that loosely, because Rob is a taskmaster!  We got lots of projects done and had time to enjoy a little lakeside lunch.  It has been scorchin' already around the south, but today was beautiful and comfortable!

The gray and cream check bolster pillows came from IKEA.

Glassware was found at Homegoods.

I tinkered around with some different containers to hold the flags.  This is a French milk jar that I had purchased for my booth.  It never made it to the store!

The dish towels, also from IKEA are used as napkins.  The square chargers were found at World Market. 

The dome food covers are from Sur Le Table.

This white enamel pitcher is also from IKEA.  I bought several in blue and white...so reasonable and great for gifts to hold pretty summer flowers.

I had this small demijohn bottle in my booth.

I hope you have had a beautiful Saturday!

I will link to my favorite sites here!  Please stop by for some great ideas and inspiration!  I will also link to the CSI Project for their Red, White, or Blue Challenge!

Sunday Showcase

 

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