Tweaking the vignette - horses and time

I have a project that needs tweaking and I've mentioned it before. I have been decluttering my dresser and setting up a few vignettes of things that make me smile. It's one of the first things I see when I get up so it's nice to get up to something clean and pretty.

I've set about not only decluttering and putting things together but making what I have work for me. Like this little egg timer.

It was a gift from my grandpa and I've had it for years. It was looking pretty shabby with scratches taken out of the stain, dust I couldn't get at to clean, even a few chips in the wood and I wanted to both protect it by sealing it and make it look more like something that fit in my space.

Enter the white paint. Which took four (or was it five?) coats. But it looks a bit stark so...

I used this which I found in my junk. I don't even know if they make this anymore and I could have made my own wash by mixing water and paint but this one is a little more gel-like and stayed better on those little spindles. It is just a brush-on-wipe-off process.

It still looks worn now, but like I meant for it to be.

It now looks right at home with my magnet board photo holder I bought at a local shop - featuring a favorite photo (my great aunt). The little key dangling from it matches my junk art project (see? I had a sneaky plan!). I don't currently have any books that need propping up so I use my horse-head bookend to keep these books from running away. ;)

The photo is held on by buttons magnets - I love it.

Decluttered and me-ified. Now I can get up with a smile.

Linking to:

The Shabby Chic Cottage

Finesse Your Nest