Author Archives: Eva

About Eva

Hi, I'm Eva. Thank you for stopping by. I live in Mendota, Virginia. If you like rural life in a country village, sharing decorating and DIY ideas, gardening, local and seasonal eating, food preservation, thrifting, and anything to do with honey, we have something in common.

Annie Sloan Paint Project Day 3

Woo hoo! I am getting very close to having this project done! I’ve been working on it a few days and talking about it in a past post.

My end table began the week looking like this…

Tonight, getting close to the finish line, it looks like this.

It’s not done. I need to find an antique glass knob, and all of the antique stores I’ve visited tell me about the ones they USED to have!! Also, this needs a final coat of clear wax with another good buffing. Maybe a new lamp, too?

Tonight when I went down to the shop, the table was sitting there completely dry with two coats of Annie Sloan’s Chalk Paint in Duck Egg that I applied over the past few days. “Duck Egg” describes a green/blue/gray color. My friend, Sue, tells me it’s green, and I tell her it’s blue.

So following the two coats of chalk paint, this piece was ready for the waxing process. I’d read online tutorials on the waxing process following the chalk paint application, so I knew that the next step was to apply a clear wax. Annie Sloan makes a full line of products, but I had only the paint. I used a different brand of clear wax and it worked fine. With any project, there are a dozen ways to get to the end result. Sometimes just starting is the hardest part.

So, back to the waxing. The clear wax has the consistency of a heavy lotion so I brushed it on. I used a paint brush we had on hand.

Once this clear wax is applied, it needs to dry a set time. For the brand I used, which was Miss Mustard Seed’s clear wax product, the time was 3-5 minutes. I had this wax because it was included in a milk paint kit I won last week at the Southern Bloggers Conference. Use what you have.

After 3-5 minutes, I wiped the wax with a soft lint-free cloth. It was actually a pair of Mike’s old underwear. The next step was to follow with the glaze. It was called wax but it has the consistency of glaze in a pot.

So…Sue and I brushed this all over the end table and let it dry for about 3-5 minutes and wiped it off.

And another view…

The “antiquing” step is the place where your preference weighs in on how you apply the wax. If you want a piece of furniture that looks like you found it in a coal bin, then lay it on thick! If you want something that looks slightly aged, take a lighter approach.

I’ll be showing you the big reveal for this piece when I find the knob. I’m going to cheat on the hunt and look on Ebay tonight. Is the internet great or what?

I’ve had fun doing this project. When we bought this end table, we lived in Acton, Massachusetts, and it was ” hurry, hurry…make a house a home.” I did not make the wisest purchases, but with this new look, I think I can enjoy this table for a long while!

Little Trip Down The Road

So if you’re reading my blog regularly, you know that I have been working on an Annie Sloan Paint Project. I had every intention of getting it close to completion today, but I didn’t get that done. Instead, Sue (a friend staying with me a couple of weeks) and I started down the road, and I wasn’t really sure where we were headed. Home Craft Days at Mountain Empire? Gate City?

As we headed out of Mendota, we passed this…the Mendota Baptist Church.

This is the church of my childhood, and many of our social activities revolved around the church. My mother, Vivian Barker, was president of the “Training Union.” I have no idea what a Training Union actually did but we were there on Sunday evenings for the Training Union. Mrs. Virginia Shankle was the pianist in the morning, and Jack Nickels was the pianist during the evening. Jack played “by ear” and Mom said that he played fast and made her want to dance. Can you imagine dancing at a church in Mendota in the early 1960’s? Shameless.

Back to present day!

Sue and I parked in front of the church and entered my friend Katie’s store (which is only open when she wants to open it!) She and her daughter, Dawn, were getting things together for a booth at Home Craft Days. I knew they were busy, yet I also knew they wouldn’t mind if I slipped in. We are lifetime friends. I’ve known Katie all my life, and I’ve known Dawn all her life. She’s a grown woman now, but I held her when she was just days old. Here’s the inside of the store…

Mendota Store

When I look at that table, I imagine a time when Katie retires that we might share tea there. Maybe our sisters will join us? Wouldn’t that be nice?

Look what I found….

I bought it!

We headed off to Gate City! This means we’ll be traveling into Scott County, Virginia, on the A. P. Carter Highway.

I know what you’re thinking…God’s Country. You could be right!

Gate City is the county seat for Scott County, and it’s an authentic downtown. In larger cities, town centers are built in weeks, but in Gate City, the town center is real. This picture was taken on the main street which is called Jackson Street.

There seems to be a spirit of renewal. I think loft apartments would be great in Gate City, and there may already be a few. Oh look! My True Love (Lowe’s) has been here! Sigh. Wonder what this will be? Do you know?

We decided to eat at the Family Bakery.

In September, Mike and I attended our friends’ daughter’s wedding. The Family Bakery catered the reception meal, and it was delicious. They took special efforts to ensure everything was perfect. For instance, the corn pudding was from corn cut off the cob the night before. It would have been so much easier to use frozen corn, but they opted to use fresh. I had seconds!

The daily menu, however, is lighter than the catering menu. Sue and I split a Reuben sandwich and tomato bisque soup. I had a red velvet cupcake. This is a great place to get that red velvet fix without eating a whole cake!

There is wi-fi and a place to sit and surf the internet. I like Panera and Starbucks, but this is definitely better. There are reminders of faith and family on the walls and comfortable seating.

Cute fall decor and and I could not resist buying a dishtowel.

Here’s another…

Thank you for reading RiverCliff Cottage and traveling down to Gate City with Sue and me. Why don’t you comment about it? I’d love to hear from you!!

Annie Sloan Paint Project Day Two

Let’s do something together…let’s watch paint dry…

Specifically, let’s watch “Duck Egg” Chalkpaint by Annie Sloan.

My husband almost laid a duck egg when he figured out I was carrying around a piece of “perfectly good” furniture with intent to paint it…not just shifting furniture around.

What does he know? Quack!

Tomorrow is waxing day. I don’t actually have the right wax so I’m using Miss Mustard Seed’s wax as a substitute. I have no expertise in this so I’m just winging it.

If I fail, I can always redo it. I’ll be embarassed, though.

Annie Sloan Paint Project Day One

Annie Sloan Chalk Paint! I have been reading about it in all the pins, blogs and magazines for several months now, and last week I visited the Annie Sloan website to find a local dealer. I found one in Mendota! LIE! JOKE! We don’t even have a store of any kind in Mendota! However, there is someone who carries Annie Sloan nearby–in Johnson City, Tennessee. It’s called “The Sparrow’s Nest.”

Mendota, Virginia is about 45 miles from Knob Creek Road in Johnson City, Tennessee where the Sparrow’s Nest is located….just long enough to be considered an event!

We didn’t have any problem finding it. It’s located in an historic old house that was used in the days of the Underground Railroad! If you visit the Sparrow’s Nest, ask to be shown the trap door that was used so many years ago. Shivers!

I went in and quickly picked out the color of paint I wanted. It is a gray blue called “Duck Egg.” I’ll show it to you a bit further down on this post.

However, there were so many treasures at the Sparrow’s Next. Here’s a few…

And this…

Lorrie Malcolm, the person who sold me the paint, is also an artist. She both works and sells her things at the Sparrow’s Nest and mentioned that there were several locally made pieces in the shop. She was working on a “felting” project which will result in a Thanksgiving turkey. Here’s a picture of what she has completed so far….

Here’s another whimsical piece that Lorrie made. It’s a really good likeness of “the man in the moon!” If I could afford this, I’d take it home. It was reasonably priced, but I’m on a tight budget right now!

And this…for me…this was an inspiration piece…an old frame, a bit of burlap and a stencil and I could make this. Or I could just go back to the Sparrow’s Nest and buy this one!

And doesn’t everyone need a pair of these? I’ve got my eye on them. Ha!

Now..back to why I ended up at the Sparrow’s Nest. I brought the Annie Sloan chalk paint home.

As soon as I got home with the paint, I went upstairs into the loft area of our house and came down the stairs grunting carrying an end table. Mike looked at me as if I had a third eye and asked, “What are you doing?” I’ve kept him a little in the dark about this project, so I just replied, “Nothing.” He said, “Oh no…not again!”

Here’s the table before I started painting it. Boring.

This paint is so pretty…

My friend, Sue Gardner, is staying with me for a few weeks, and she helped me. Here she is…painting away!

And here I am with phase I of this project done! By the way…can you tell I’ve lost a few pounds? I’m on it baby!

The good thing about this paint is that there is no prep work. I dusted the end table off and started adding paint. Tomorrow morning we’ll add a second coat, and Friday we’ll probably add the wax. Hopefully, this will be beside the bed in just a few days looking all fancy.

Another wonderful thing from today…our beautiful Clinch Mountain. I could not live where this mountain was not at my back. It’s getting fancy, too, all bright and beautiful for fall…

Thank you for reading RiverCliff Cottage.

Hardwood Floor Done!

I have a guest house apartment that I treat like a doll house. It’s fun to make changes, add something here and there, and try different things in this space.

Earlier this year, I set aside a portion of one of my final paychecks from AGC and purchased hardwood flooring for the kitchen and bedroom of the guesthouse. We compared prices with all of the stores that carry hardwood in the area. Finally, we finally purchased our hardwood at Home Depot. (Why Lowes…why did you forsake me???) We ended up with a Bruce prefinished hardwood, and Mike did the installation himself. Slow but steady. He did it!!

Here’s what the kitchen dining area looked like before the hardwood was installed. It actually looks fine, but the vinyl was cracking.

Here’s the same area after the hardwood was installed this weekend. We installed our old kitchen light from our house over the kitchen table. Mike did this as a surprise. I like it!

I love my dollhouse!

Going Forward

We lived in Cary, North Carolina in the 1980’s and kept a home there until 2000. The first person we met in Cary was our realtor, and the second person we met was Garry Gardner. Garry built the house that we were buying which was’t quite finished, so we had to meet with him to discuss finishing options. He and his wife, Sue, took Mike and me out to dinner. It was the first of many dinners and vacations we would share.

We have so many pictures and videos of the years since that time. Here’s an old picture…I’m trying to remember when and where it was taken. Check Mike and me out. I’m Miss Skinny and he looks like Hitler’s brother. And wasn’t I a little old even then for barretts ? And folks…I can assure you that was Koolaid we were drinking! 🙂

Garry and Sue came to Virginia about two years ago. It was a visit that culminated all the years of friendship and we had a wonderful time. He went fishing. We went to see “Always Patsy Cline” at the Barter. We sat out on the porch and the night air felt like velvet. It was the last time I would see him.

Sue called last spring and encouraged Mike to come visit Garry. I didn’t want him to go for reasons that do not really matter. I’m glad he didn’t listen. He did go and spent about three days with them at their home in Morehead City, North Carolina. It was the last three days that Garry would have the strength to work in his shop. He knew his time was short and Mike asked him what he could do. He replied, “don’t forget Sue.” Mike came home on Sunday and within ten days, we received the call.

So I’m going to Raleigh for a blogger’s conference this weekend, and guess who is coming home with me? Sue!!

Mike has been working hard to get the guest house hardwood finished for Sue’s visit. She and I are going to be doing quite a few things in the coming week. Busy.Busy.Busy! I’ll introduce you to her and take you along.

Rainy Mendota Sunday October 7

It is one gray, rainy Sunday here in Mendota. Mike asked if I wanted to turn the heat on, but I think the gas fireplace will knock the chill off in our house. “Turn the fireplace on”…that is a term that I did not hear until the 1990’s. We used to build a fire in the fireplace, but now we “turn the fireplace on.” We have two gas fireplaces…the one in this picture is a direct vent, and it throws out a very modest amount of heat which is perfect for a day like today.

While the small bit of heat this fireplace throws out is good for today, it’s not enough during the winter. At that point, we use it more “for looks.” There is something about a fireplace and candles that lightens my mood.

I’ve got a candle stuck in one of the bowls of gourds in this picture although it doesn’t show up that well. That’s okay as the prettier part of this picture is one of my dear girls taking a snooze. That’s Princess Gracie Barker Beaule. She a member in good standing with the American Kennel Club…she proudly mentions this to Luckie daily. Luckie, of course, is of questionable lineage, and as Gracie constantly reminds her, she will never be a member of the American Kennel Club.

Here’s Luckie…it’s an old picture you’ve seen before of her eating her Dogster icey treat. She could care less about Gracie’s snobby remarks.

Back to candles… I put tea candles everywhere I can. They burn about four hours.

While everyone was sleeping and all these little candles were burning, I decided to cook up a pot of something…

Mums in a Pot!! Want to eat one?

Possibilities…

My husband Mike knows me pretty well. Gifts from him? That he picked out? I don’t think so. Maybe once in a while. He did get the iPad right a few years back.

However, yesterday he did buy me something, and I ~~like~~ love it. I may like it as much as that iPad! That’s alot!

While I don’t know exactly how this will be used, I know it will be in the Master Bedroom (the room that it’s pictured in).

It was $9 at an antique store in Church Hill, Tennessee.

I may have to go back with him. I may need two. Or even three. Wonder how one without the glass would look with chalkpaint behind it in the garage as a “Reminder Board?”

It’s going to be a Pinterest night.

Mendota Daily October 2

In a post last week, I gave you Muriel’s Mom’s Pumpkin Bread Recipe and I boldly stated I was going to make it that night. Actually, that didn’t happen. I didn’t get it made until today!

I always keep my camera near and on the spur of the moment while starting the bread, I took this picture. Here is what the kitchen counter looks like for someone with the attention span of a gnat. I started getting the ingredients out for the pumpkin bread. See the canned pumpkin, the flour and some baking powder? Apparently, I also started unloading the dishwasher while starting to make the bread. I opened a can of paint to paint on the kitchen foyer, and I was watering a plant. I see a Mason jar which has white vinegar in it, and I recall using that for cleaning. I was doing all of these things at the same time. And…I was taking pictures. Yikes…please get me on medication!!

Actually, I like doing a lot of things at once. It works for me. A few hours later, I was looking at these babies…two little pumpkin breads to take to my neighbor tomorrow morning. There was a third one but it’s not currently wrapped in a bow! We’re eating it!

That pumpkin bread was easy to make and the batter was so light and fluffy. I was licking the spoon the whole time I was working with the batter.

I didn’t do too well getting the batter in the pan. Still, it was delicous when I got it out of the pan! There are bloggers who focus on how to photograph food. I haven’t got to read their stuff yet. I just snap pictures and hope for the best.

So…I had a paint can on the cabinet as I was touching up the walls on the small foyer area off our kitchen. I really like this area of the house. Lisa Snead of Bristol came out a few years ago and painted some lyrics of one of my favorite songs near the ceiling. It’s “Keep on The Sunny Side.” This song reflects how I want to live my life. It’s also a Carter Family song. I love it.

Here’s some not so great picture angles…

Keep on the sunny side of life…always on the sunny side…Keep on the sunny side…it will help us every day…

It will brighten all our way if we keep on the sunny side of life..

It continues on saying…

Let us greet with a song of hope each day though the moment be cloudy or fair..

Let us trust in our Savior…Keep on the sunny side of life.

Also in this foyer is a little whimsey…I like this black cat…she’s after something!

Here’s what she’s after…Mr. Mouse will always be just out of reach!

And when everyone else was in their rooster phase about ten years ago…I joined them..

And I’m still there. I like my roosters, and in my house, they still are working…still crowing! I don’t have too many…just a few.

And then there is this guy…He was so sick last week, but he’s fine now. He still hates everything.

Sam the Cat really hates this pink cat carrier. So girly!

About September 2012

Wow…September is over!! Did yours go fast? Mine was a September of change. I said a warm goodbye to my first “real” job at AGC GLass Company on August 31. I’d been off most of the summer on a leave of absence so I’d got a taste of not working and I was prepared for the change. Once I knew I was not going back to AGC, I called my pal Sue Cressel and asked if I could work part-time in her business, About Face Aesthetics, Skin Care and Weight Management. She graciously said yes, and I’ve been there about three weeks. I’d helped her a bit in the very earliest stages of her business, and it was something I always wanted to do. And now I’m doing it and really liking it.. Working three days per week allows me to have a little jingle in my pocket, access to some skincare products that might have been cost prohibitive, and time to spend on other activities that are important to me–like yakking it up here on this blog with you!!

I don’t have a picture for this post, and some of you have noticed that I’m in almost no pictures. Mike shows up rarely and I show up even less. Anyway, here’s a picture of me and my beloved Luckie Dog. Look at how she smiles! And there are the ever-present gourds from my garden..they are in every picture. Gourds and vacuum cleaners are my decor accessories.

I’ve enjoyed blogging, and this week I had my 100th post! I appreciate your reading RiverCliff Cottage It has keep me “on track” on days that I might have been less productive. Even if I don’t clean the house or check everything off my mental list, I wonder what I can share that might make you read this blog and return to read it again. And then I get moving! Sometimes I succeed and sometimes I do not, but I always try!! In two weeks I’ll be attending the Southern Bloggers Conference in Raleigh, North Carolina to learn how I can improve the content of this blog. Keep your fingers crossed!

I love our rural life in Mendota and while I try not to gush about it, I really like sharing it with you. It is special. Other projects that I enjoy writing about almost always include the “red thread” of using what is on hand…less about spending money and more about being creative. It has been rewarding.

During the month of September, I turned to my dull and boring laundry room, gagged and then changed the look and feel of that space for under $40. Here’s the results of that project. Since I live in the country, I like a natural, organic look rather than bling, and it was hard to find a fall wreath that I liked, so I made one! You can read about that here. One of the most fun fall projects was making fabric pumpkins. That post did not get the views that I thought it would, even though I only have about 40 cents in each one….check here if you want to take a second peek! Please look! My post last evening was a chalkboard paint project with a Salvation Army find…I enjoyed this project first thing this morning as I brushed my teeth. Smile!

I love it when you comment and let me know who you are and what you think. At some time in the future, I’m going to revisit the blog design and make it easier to find the comment section. I think it takes a little “hunting” right now. For those of you who hunt and find it, THANK YOU!! And as for my typing errors, please forgive me.

I hope October is a good month for you. Thank you again for visiting RiverCliff Cottage.