Shabby Chic

. . . at least, I think it might qualify as shabby chic. It's still a work-in-progress.

About 50 years ago, someone gave my father a mantle from a house that was being demolished in Old Southwest in Roanoke. He stored it in the cabin on the farm. Even though it was oak, it was in pretty sad shape.

A couple of years ago, my husband and I loaded it into my truck. . .

. . . and brought it home where I cleaned it up a bit.

I'd planned to refinish it, but I couldn't get all the white paint off.

I worked on it off and on the past couple of years, but mostly the old mantle lingered in my, uh, project pile on the patio.

Lately, I started imagining what the old mantle might become, so I started working on it again. I sanded it some more and painted it off-white.

However, I have no place to put this mantle anywhere in the house. Then it occurred to me that maybe I could fix up a little area of the patio to incorporate it as a design element. So I got to work. After the paint was dry, I added a wallpaper border. I imagined how it would look with some furniture around it to encourage folks—or more likely my cats and I—to sit a spell.

I have a lot of old furniture—like a little rocker my great-great grandfather made.

I have a lot of plants on the patio, some of which—like a fern that I found last fall at the dumpster—might look pretty good with the old mantle. I started experimenting.

I'm not done yet. It's still a work-in-progress. 

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Waiting for Gazebo

Yesterday, I bought a gazebo. A building supply in Danville was running a special on them. This morning we waited for it to be delivered.

Instead of coming up Route 29, the tow truck carrying it came up Museville Road which has a lot less traffic. Because the driver had phoned ahead, we knew when to expect it.

Here it comes!


John directs the truck driver where to put it.


Ah, that's the spot.


Yep. Perfect place for a gazebo.


The two guys unstrap it and prepare to unload.


Here it comes.


Almost off—and then it's in place.


Looks a little bare, doesn't it? I need to plant stuff around it. I have a couple of dwarf spirea, three small forsythia, and a bunch of day lilies and iris that need separating. I can get some ferns from the farm. Plus Claudia said I could have a slip of her wisteria.


Now, where should I plant what? (The opening faces south, if that's any help.)

Should I have John till up all around it, or should I just mulch out the grass? How big should I make the flower bed? And should I let the gazebo weather, or should I stain it? (I think we have some deck stain somewhere.)

So much to decide! Any ideas?

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