Les Deux Oiseaux Bistro

Les Deux Oiseaux Bistro on a surprisingly warm day in November. The perfect day to enjoy an 

al fresco meal of crusty bread, bleu cheese and fruit. 

I am learning that my trash-to-treasure posts are very popular. And this one definitely started out as trash. 

If you recall, the house came with 2 ugly boring lamps sitting on 2 even less attractive TV trays. You can look HERE to see what I did with the lamps. 

The TV trays were never very fine. The top is a plastic surface meant to look like parquet, I guess. The legs are starting to rust. 

The underside gives a really good idea of the condition and a look at the original masonite. 

I started by painting the top with Annie Sloan Chalk Paint in Old White. This took 2 coats.

I wanted this to have a weathered look, so I used the blow dryer to create a cracked finish. That discoloration is rust or mold or something bleeding through the paint. This probably sounds strange, but I like the discoloration.

I wanted to make these look like signs so I could hang them on the side of the house when they are not in use - decorative and functional!

To find printable French signs, I went HERE

Since I was going to be applying the image face down, I selected two that were mirror images with words and pictures. To make my selection, I printed out all the ones I liked and held them up to the window so I could read the words. Don't skip this step or you could have a surprise. This one of The Two Birds Bistro was my favorite! I also like the sign for Patisserie (Bakery) & Confiserie (Sweet shop). You can see the second one behind.

I printed out my two choices large enough to fill an 8.5 x 11 piece of paper. Then I took them to the office supply store and had them enlarged to 11 x 17. This is just regular laser jet printing.

I applied another coat of paint, just where the paper would be. I put the paper face down on the wet paint, covered it with a piece of plastic wrap for protection,  and then made sure all the air bubbles were out by using an old wallpaper roller I had. I let it dry COMPLETELY - about 4 hours. 

Now the fun part! I just spritzed it with water and rubbed the paper away with my fingers.

Sorry, I forgot to take a picture of the black painting. I used some of my old chalk board paint to cover the rusty fake gold on the legs and edge of the top. 

You can see how the paper comes off to reveal the printing that has stuck to the paint.

I used a pencil to sketch a faint line where I wanted to create an edge, then used an old artist's brush to paint on the French Linen. It is freehand, so the look is rustic.

I wanted to make the Old White a little more gray and make the cracking stand out, so I did a wash with half water and half Paris Gray, quickly wiping away as I did it in two stages. Because I plan on using these outside, I did not use dark wax. I don't know what it would do, but wax is not recommended for exterior use.

I had to work quickly, so there is not a picture. But you can see the shadows it created here.

Now it's time to relax and enjoy a light meal before I attack the Patisserie & Confiserie sidewalk table. I thought they deserved a new name!

Organizing the Garden Shed

Organizing all of hubby's tools and my gardening things has consumed every free moment for the last two weeks. But I actually did have fun coming up with creative and economical solutions. I am very proud to say that everything was accomplished for $10.

The metal shelving was left by the sellers when we purchased the house. The wooden shelves were picked up for free by the recycling bin in the high-rise apartment we lived in when we first moved to D.C. Random hooks, towel holders, a wall shelf, and a strange cabinet/shelf thing were pulled out of the kitchen and laundry area. All the tool boxes have been acquired over the years.

So this is how I started.

Even with the tool boxes, we had more stuff that needed to get organized. I had the idea to use all my old cat food and laundry detergent buckets since they are sturdy and easy to open. (I am a grandchild of the depression and never throw away anything that might be useful. My children are rolling their eyes right now.) At this point, I made my one-and-only purchase, a $10 quart of chalkboard paint. 

The side of the can listed the surfaces you could use the product on - virtually everything except plastic. But I am a rule breaker, so I taped off the area I wanted to paint and got busy.

As long as I carefully removed the tape, the paint stuck. 

Meow, meow, meow, meow.

I also painted strips on the plastic tool boxes because what was written on them in Sharpie years ago often did not line up with the contents. 

Every plastic container was given the same treatment, including an old, red kitty litter box that now holds gloves! Hubby is obsessed with gloves.

For years we have just stuck our rakes and shovels in a sturdy, unused trash can. They were always a mess. So hubby used a scrap of plywood to make a round separator that fits inside, with blocks of wood screwed on to keep it flat.

I am pretty lazy and would have skipped this step, but hubby wanted the tools to be held upright.

He then cut another round piece that sits over the top, with 3 tabs and blocks that stabilize it.

 A little close-up.

And here's the finished product.

Now fully loaded.

Since our yard is so small, we have an electric lawn mower. Extension cords need to be accessible. The solution is a pair of old dish towel hooks from the kitchen.

There is even room for our gardening hats on the hooks.

I used 2 old closet hooks and an old length of copper pipe to create a holder for tape, wire, and string. Just for your info, any tapes with adhesive will be stored inside during the winter months. They don't like to be frozen.

I also had a couple of over-the-door racks left from the kids' college days. They fit perfectly over the rafters and slide easily out of the way. This one holds work lamps.

This one holds caps.

I left just enough space between the shelves to hold my step stool and a small ladder.

I also used the extra shelf bolts to hang the huge wrenches.

You can see the step stool and the ladder between the shelves.

I painted the vertical front strips of the wooden shelves to identify what goes where. Hubby has the special ability to never remember where he found something when it is time to put it up. I am hoping this will help.

I also used it to point to areas where seldom used items are tucked behind things - like left-over tile and the chain saw.

I found a cheap towel bar somewhere in the house and hung it inside the door.

I folded some light-weight wire into quarters and twisted to make S-hooks for hanging whisk brooms and a small broom on the rod. Then I added a vintage towel.

I think this was my grandmother's. Very 1940s, stained and worn. A perfectly charming rag!

Another fun vintage item to hold pencils, markers, scissors, etc. It is just cardboard with a metal bottom, but I love the patina.

There is not a lot of contrast and the light from the window made it difficult to get a good picture of this simple wooden shelf that I hung above the little window.

I used black, gray, blue and white paint to create a chippy finish. This is not generally my style, but I thought it would be fun in the garden shed. The bottom side is probably the most important part.

I used an old pottery pitcher of my mothers to hold some ivy that I am rooting and will use to make some topiaries.

Here you can see the long ivy vines draping over the rafters. They will be perfect for wrapping around the frames.

And right under the ivy is my potting bench. (Hmm, I wondered where that green glove was.)

Next to the potting bench is a strange shelf recycled from the laundry area. I have also used chalkboard paint to recycled a tea tin, a round candy box, and two plastic containers. The dog biscuits are to win over the neighbor's noisy dog.

I love my gardening corner.

Now the inside feels as neat as the outside!