Robyn Story Designs Rocks

See these knobs?
Love them.
Just used them.
But I digress...

Robyn Story Designs
is hosting their annual
Holiday Open House
this Thurs-Saturday
If you've never been, this would be
a tremendous time to visit!

If you have been
(like those of us pictured here)
Then you know that Robyn's store
is amazing on a
NORMAL day
You can't even imagine how
gorgeous
it is right now!

Did I mention Robyn is the Florida Stockist
for Annie Sloan Chalk Paint?

oh, and she just happens to have the new colors...
(as well as a gazillion things you absolutely MUST have!

Next up for Paint...

I visited this armoire and bed many, many times...
for several weeks, as it were

I want to keep it, but have nowhere for it
I'm sure some day I will deeply
regret not keeping it...

They were originally priced at $2500 each
I could have them both for $2500...
Still out of my budget.
I waited.
and waited.
finally, he just wanted them gone...
and he had rent due the next day
I won't tell you what I paid, because it's a CRIME!

Solid Bird's Eye Maple
(yes, I am still painting it!)
c. late 1800's

The glass is original, beveled,
and super heavy!

My plan, since the moment I laid eyes on it,
has been Paris Grey with Old White
and dark wax

but I can totally picture it in Pure, too

What colors do you hear it saying to you??

Pretty in Provence

Provence is a happy color, don't you think?
It brightens my spirits just looking at it...

This mirror was a fabulous find...
but covered in a not-s0-pretty gold finish

Dark wax hugs every nook and cranny
of which there are many...

I can't say that I love painting mirrors...
it's labor intensive
(all those aforementioned nooks and crannies)
and waxing them?
Well, I guess you know...

But the pay-off is always worth it!

Let Them Eat CAKE

I finally finished the pink dresser...
I feared it would be too "frou frou"
in pink and white...

So I distressed with a heavy hand
and also went heavy with the dark wax

Don't you love the crackle along the edge
with a bit of pink showing through?

The hardware is original
Painting it seemed too "precious"
and I think the patina on the metal
is a nice contradiction
to the girly choice of color

It's such a pretty, curvy dresser...
I had a VERY hard time not painting
Grey or Coco...
I even considered white...

I sanded the top to bare wood
and stained it dark, rich brown

I swear, she's smiling!

Cranky, Crotchety, and Just plain Mean

I know the CRANKIEST woman on earth...
OK, perhaps I exaggerate,
but she is certainly in the running...

You know, those people that hate children and animals...
well, that's her!

Thankfully, I rarely have to see this woman
much less interact with her

She's a vendor.
I am a vendor.
I smile at her.
She scowls at me.
actually, she scowls at everyone...
lest I think I am special...

My youngest son had a "run in" with her on Saturday
I found myself making excuses
for her behavior

"Maybe she is having a bad day (or a bad year!)"
"Maybe something awful happened to her"
"Maybe she is sick"

Then, I realized, there really is NO excuse for such behavior
It's inexcusable on a regular basis...

You can chose to scowl
and mutter nasty things
under your breath
and bring all your negative energy with you
wherever you go

OR

You can return the smile
and say something nice
and bring some positive energy with you
wherever you go!

I'll stick with the latter...

Fancy Flea

We had a VERY rough start at this event in the Spring,
and I swore I wouldn't do it again...

Of course, we had such a FABULOUS time
that by the end of the day, I had forgotten
all the headaches from the morning
and couldn't wait till the next one!

We'll be vendors in November
with lots of wonderful
painted furniture, mirrors,
and all manner of other loveliness

Robyn Story and her AMAZING crew will be there, as well
With all kinds of gorgeous holiday finery for your home
oh, and perhaps some Annie Sloan Chalk Paint??

Come by, say hello...
We'd love to see you!

To paint or not to paint...that is the question!

I have some darling grain sacks
I'm going to use to recover this chair

I started sanding in preparation for paint
(yes, I know ASCP requires no prep,
I just like to be VERY thorough!)

I sorta like what I ended up with...
all rough and shabby and distressed...

SO...to paint or not to paint?
What do y'all think?

Time is NOT on my side!

We've been working on the loveliest dresser...
I wanted a slightly cartoonish feel...
like Tim Burton designed it

I decided I wanted a phrase,
in French, across the top...

My husband, being Type A,
dragged out the overhead
and painstakingly traced the words
on the dresser

He then started painting...
he got through only two words
before I noticed he had the dresser on its' back
and was painting the words as you'd read them
while the dresser was on it's back

which, unfortunately,
is upside down and backwards
when the dresser is right-side-up!

I am lobbying to just hand paint the words myself...
I think I might actually win this one!

Historical Fredericksburg

This is the tavern (the sign is below)
build by George Washington's brother
(his sister's home is around the corner...
photos of that masterpiece later!)

Circa 1800's...amazing little buildings!

Apothecary Shop

I am embarrassed to say I don't recall who this is...
but he was important enough to
have a large statue erected in the town square....

The Longest Road

These photos are from the
Confederate Cemetery in Fredericksburg, VA
The headstone above was one of thousands...

To think this young man
WALKED
all the way from Louisiana
to die in VA

This monument is for all the unknown soldiers
that died on the battlefields of Fredericksburg

The cemetery was founded in 1860

It was odd to be surrounded by so much history,
to be so engrossed in imagining what the city streets
must have looked like,
with Union and Confederate soldiers everywhere
and then to stumble upon someone's backyard
and their lovely pool...

Mount Vernon

We had a day to ourselves while in DC
and decided to forgo the usual sights
(Capitol Bldg, White House, etc)
and went to Mount Vernon
Home and final resting place of
George and Martha Washington

This is the old tomb...
a new one was built per GW's will
but I thought it was
disrespectful to photograph,
as people were doing some sort of tribute
while we were there.

The outhouse ;0)

Such a grand estate
It's amazing to think that it was falling into ruin
and parcels were sold off for development
before it was purchased and
restored by a civic group
mostly funded (surprisingly)
by Ford Motors
Who Knew?

We dined at the Mount Vernon Inn,
and it was lovely
Dimly lit, raining outside...
you could just imagine
what it was like
way back when

We had Hoe Cakes,
Peanut Chestnut Soup,
Lobster Mac n Cheese...yum.

Musical Chairs

I can't lie...
I don't love doing upholstery...

But I DO love the outcome...

The fabric used on the large chair
is the same
French Laundry uses...

(the owner of this chair will want me to mention
that the table you see on the left
is NOT staying....lol)

Diamond in the Rough

I will have to dig up a photo of this "before"
(it's on my website, www.stiltskinstudios.com)

Becky took a huge leap of faith trusting my judgement on this one...
it perfectly fit the measurements needed to house their TV
but it was hideous, and I do mean hideous!

We removed the outer panels,
pulled off the ugly hardware,
painted it a custom mixed deep grey,
highlighted the trim,
and dark waxed the whole thing...

It turned out just lovely,
and we couldn't be happier with the "after"!