What a lovely day and an awesome weather we are having here in the High Desert. I was outside earlier bringing in the trash can and I stopped for a moment and admired my garden. The plants are thriving and blossoming with beautiful, bright, colorful flowers and the bees are actively pollinating. If I owned a Hammock Chair, this would have been the ideal time to sit and relax in the mist of these beauties. Nature never ceases to amaze me.
On a much happier note, I finally found some time to get around decorating my Shabby Chic Wrought Iron Wall Candle Holder with prisms. After almost a year of having it around and locating a few prism I had stored around the house, I can proudly say that I am close to finishing my little project.
Shabby Chic Wall Candle Holder.
I bought the Shabby Chic Wall Candle Holder at the Carriage House Antiques in Hesperia, CA last year while visiting the shop. I am a huge believer that with patience and determination we can turn ugly into fancy.
Address Location:
11370 Hesperia Rd Hesperia, CA 92345 Phone: 1 (760) 948-5577 Website: Carriage House Antiques
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Hours of Operations: Monday – Saturday: 10:00 AM – 5:00 PM Sunday: 11:00 AM – 5:00 PM
If like me, you love decorating with Crystal prisms and you are looking for great deals, click here for crystal parts and trimmings. Click here to learn How to Decorate With Prisms and here to learn How to Clean them.
Last month, our wonderful neighbors across the street gave us a gorgeous 1970′s Vintage Sea Shell Hanging Planter along with a Vintage Wood Folding TV Tray. The folding tray originally had a mahogany color and Saturday being a warm day, we decided to paint a few items (re-purposing our vintage stainless steel metal tray for instance) and giving the folding tray a makeover. I am happy with the new color choice.
Vintage Wood Folding TV Tray.
We cleaned the tray with soap and water to get rid of any dirt so that the paint will latch on evenly. It had a couple of spots that needed a little tightening as well, to stop it from wiggling. The latching clamp was a little loose and had to be bent back into shape. After this, we sanded a couple of spots on it, cleaned it once again and let dry in the sun. After half an hour it was ready for the spray paint which I applied in layers to keep it from running.
After spray painting the wood a Satin Granite color (by Rust-Oleum) and affixing a stencil on to the top area, we proceeded to apply a clear coat on the surface to keep it nice and shiny as well as protecting the surface from the elements. An area around the stencil began bubbling, leaving some marks on the surface. Not knowing how to proceed and refusing to sand the area down, I decided to take it as it was. Now I actually find it quite lovely.
What can you do when you own a gorgeous vintage piece that you either don’t use often or can’t use for its original intent? For one you could re-purposed the item to meet your needs.
Well, I have been wanting to make some chalkboard for my kitchen and I thought it would be great on a tray. At the same time, I was looking for a vintage metal tray and was lucky enough to find one out at the Estate Liquidators in Hesperia, CA. I instantly fell in love with this lovely Stainless Steel Vintage Tray with charming gold handles (to top it all of, it was brand new and still in its original packaging). I knew at that moment that I had just found what I have been looking for: a plain and simple metal tray.
Vintage Chalkboard Tray.
Today, I finally decided to re-purposed my stainless steel vintage metal tray and it turned out great.
Materials/Tools Needed:
Metal Serving Tray
Chalkboard Paint/Spray Paint
Paintbrush/Sponge brush (if you’re using Paint and not Spray Paint)
Painter’s Tape (if you’re not planning to paint the whole tray)
Vinegar (to prevent the paint from chipping)
How to proceed:
Clean/sand your tray (if needed).
Clean the area you need painted with vinegar to insure that your paint doesn’t chip.
Tape the borders (if you’re not planning on painting the whole tray).
Start painting in a well ventilated area and let it try at least one hour.
When you’re done and satisfied, remove the tape around the borders.
Now that your chalkboard tray is complete, you can write/draw on it and display it in your favorite place with pride. I hope you enjoy yours as much as I am enjoying mine.
I am a lover of everything beautiful and pure. I love statues and I have a huge collection of Cherubs all around my Home (indoors and outdoors). When we were designing our backyard layout a couple of years ago, I knew I wanted to use a section of my backyard to create a Zen Garden. We started off by trying out two patterns with Yin Yang Symbols. Last year I bought three small Buddha Statues from the 99¢ Only Stores, which I displayed on my storage shed. Last month I bought a medium size Buddha from Pancho’s in Lucerne Valley, CA and today we picked up a life size torso of Guanyin, the Goddess of Mercy, the Bodhisattva of Compassion (who promises to answer the cries and pleas of all sentient beings and to liberate them from their own karmic woes).
According to the website Taoism.net, a Bodhisattva is a being who is enlightened and ready to transcend the cycles of birth and death, but chooses to return to the material world in order to help other people reach the same level of enlightenment. This is the ultimate demonstration of pure compassion.
Guanyin, Goddess of Mercy and Compassion.
As much as I love beautiful things, I always make sure I do some research and talk to knowledgeable individuals before I bring anything (I don’t fully understand) into my Home. The first time I heard about the Bodhissatva of Compassion and actually saw a few pictures with her eleven heads and a thousand hands, I was freaked out and could not fathom such a transformation/sight until I read her story. From there I was on a quest to acquire more knowledge and more understanding. It’s so easy to judge someone or a culture without enough information.
Guanyin and the Thousand Arms (Wikipedia)
Despite strenuous effort, she realized that there were still many unhappy beings yet to be saved. After struggling to comprehend the needs of so many, her head split into eleven pieces. The buddha Amitabha, upon seeing her plight, gave her eleven heads to help her hear the cries of those who are suffering. Upon hearing these cries and comprehending them, Avalokitesvara attempted to reach out to all those who needed aid, but found that her two arms shattered into pieces. Once more, Amitabha came to her aid and appointed her a thousand arms to let her reach out to those in need. Click here for additional information.
A few years ago, I watched a mesmerizing and breathtaking stage performance called Thousand-Hand Guan Yin by a group of hearing impaired females and males of the China Disabled People’s Performing Art Troupe (CDPPAT). Below is the amazing video of the performance, I hope you enjoy it.
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There are other stories about Guanyin’s origins as recorded in Buddhist sutras, which you can read here (the first 13 chapters) and here (the last 16 chapters). Looking for the PDF version? Simply download it here
Last Friday was quite a lovely day here in the High Desert. After picking up our son from school, we visited Alonzo’s Fountains located in Phelan, CA to check out some of his inventory and possibly pick up a few items.
Alonzo’s Fountains.
We first spotted a few of his water fountains and garden sculptures and decorations pieces last Friday at the High Desert Home and Garden Show in Victorville, CA.
Alonzo’s Fountains specializes in bird baths, statues, tables and benches, stepping stones, wall decorations, planters/pots, pedestals and so much more. He has a huge yard filled with beautiful pieces and the prices are very reasonable. If you have a custom order, he might be able to accommodate your needs.
The pictures below are a testament to his products quality.
Address Location:
6135 Palmdale Rd., Phelan, CA 92371
Phone: 1 (951) 233-4114 for Juan
Other: 1 (760) 684-1753 for Lupe
Website: Alonzo’s Fountain
Hours of Operations: Friday-Saturday: 10:00 AM – 4:00 PM Sunday: 11:00 AM – 3:00 PM
To verify that the shop will be open, call a day in advance. Delivery and installation available.
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If you find yourself in the area do not hesitate to stop by.
By JM Perez
