chubby girl!

I saw this table last week at an auction preview
The auction was Saturday, and I had a work event
So I was not able to go bid...
evidently, no one else was able to, either
because it did not get a SINGLE bid!

It's very old,
very solid,
and very lovely
It weighs 90lbs!
so chubby!
It even has a hidden drawer!

I want this for myself,
selfish girl that I am...

Before I get too attached,
I guess I should try it in my space
and make sure it's not too large, huh?

I have a plan for the "after"
It involves paint.
(wink wink)

Collector of Loveliness

I’ve never really considered myself a collector….

my husband has hundreds of plastic model kits

Dozens of fishing poles,

a collection of antique razors,

and more military collectables

than I can keep track of

I collect antique metal frames

(the pretty, scrolly kind)

I have five…

sorta makes it a collection, right?

I was sorting through my “stuff”

over the weekend

And realized I have an entire closet

full of clothing

(more than I could ever wear!)

And dozens of pairs of shoes

(some with tags still on or worn once)

I often purchase a well-crafted handbag

or pair of shoes

Simply because I admire the craftsmanship,

the supple leather

The hue,

or some small detail

I don’t need my bag to be covered in interlocking C’s or G’s…

I just need it to be beautiful

Ditto on the clothing…

some is purely functional (of course!)

But others…

I purchase them because they are beautiful

Well –made and lovely to look at

Like individual works of art

Seems I am a collector, after all...

Reality Bites

I love looking at blogs...
all the pretty photos with perfect lighting
and no dust bunnies
I wonder...
do people actually live there?

So, in my pursuit on non-perfection
I'm sharing with you
the chaos that is my warehouse

Keep in mind, this is only ONE side
the other side is actually worse
all the shelving is full
and there are tables on top of tables

This is not where we create
although it was supposed to be

We quickly filled up our 1100 sf space
with lovely pieces just waiting to be
recreated into something wonderful

Sometimes we go and spend the day
organizing it all
it's never pretty
but sometimes it's functional

I've taken to photographing everything
because I forget what I have

My warehouse isn't exactly "blog worthy"
yet here it is

the STAR

Dunedin Antique Market

We spent the morning meandering around
our own little neighborhood
Today was the bi-annual Antique Market

See that fabulous frame (wood) at the end of this row?
I really wanted it, to make it into a chalkboard
but alas, she was asked more than I wanted to pay...
nice selection of vintage windows, too

I was surprised (in a good way)
to run into a fellow vendor from
South Tampa
She mentioned she might be getting some authentic
European grainsacks from her son,
who is in the military
She brought them with her today
and I bought them both
will share pics of my finds later
She has another, and is getting
more graphic ones in December...woo hoo!

It was a lovely day,
blue skies and a nice breeze
82 degrees with moderate humidity

I didn't buy too much
just the two
Euro grainsacks,
one feedsack,
a printer's tray,
a wood chair with carved roses
and
a mini Eiffel Tower

Oh, and lunch at Cabana!

eeny, meeny, miney, mo...

Toying with the idea of what to do next...
My friend Jessica of StellarJunk
was indecisive for her next project:
she took a poll...
not a bad idea!

This dresser and mirror are a set
and yep, I have the missing chunk for the bottom
Isn't it lovely?
Or rather, won't it be lovely soon??

But then there are these two...
I mean, really...
aren't they amazing?
Not much furniture looks like
this anymore...

I'm contemplating running a custom painted listing
for this pair...
I'd very much like them to go to the same person...
and I think they'd be nothing short of
amazing
in a little girl's room...

On the OTHER hand...
these would sure be fun to paint
however I desire...

Or, you know,
I COULD follow my own advice
and paint a dining room set
in preparation for the holidays...

Baby in a Box...Just add Baby!

An article on Etsy caught my eye this morning

I don't usually read the random musings on Etsy

But this one was about how the Finnish government

sends "baby boxes" to all expectant mothers in Finland

I followed the link to see

what was in the box...

and noticed, off to the left

a long list of links

detailing benefits

including

Maternity leave pay
Paternity leave pay
Extended pay for new parents
(this can be shared by both parents, taken by one parent
and they even give additional time for parents of multiples)

Click HERE to see what I mean!

Most of us in the States
(and other countries, too, I'm sure)
are taught to be so focused on career
and success is measured in dollar signs

It's very refreshing (to me, at least)
to see that a country takes
such a strong stance on
encouraging new parents
to be with their child(ren)
and help get them off to a great start

I realize we have social programs in the US
but most have stigma's attached
and they are viewed quite negatively

This program in Finland, it sends a clear message...

Family is secondary to career
Your work is not your life
(well, unless you are a missionary, or something else truly noble....lol)

On that note, I applaud you, Finland
for having your priorities straight!

(the Finnish government might SUCK,
I have no idea...but this is a cool thing, yes??)

it's beginning to look a lot like...Christmas?

This mirror was found by my
charming husband

I wasn't impressed...it was missing chunks
and he over-paid
wood or not!

Boy, did he school me!
He created a wire frame
molded the missing pieces
and then carved them by hand to match...

Yeah, so beyond my capabilities...
he's pretty handy like that!

This is just a little peek...
the bow just reminded me
of the holidays
(yes, the holidays!)
so he custom mixed a
deep, rich cranberry

He wanted to paint the leaves
(which do resemble evergreens)
deep, forest green
but I thought that was a bit too literal
for Christmas
so we went with Paris Grey and Pure
with lots of dark wax

It's lovely

ho ho ho.

Drive By Shopping

I know better than to "stop in"
at my favorite shops
on the way home from work
when I really don't have
any money to spend...
You know how it is
if you have no money,
you will find things

you. MUST. have.

Case in point...
I mean, really, would you
could you
have walked away?

I saw it from the road
(the evil temptress/proprietress
puts her newest goodies out front
to entice)
and there was NO WAY
I could NOT stop

mid-to-late 1800's
perfect condition
working key
solid wood
(looks like Tiger Oak,
my weakness for NOT painting)

Needless to say, I now own it...
I have no place for it
it doesn't even match my dining room
I don't even LIKE glass front cabinets!

Will it end up for sale?
Not sure yet...
Will it end up painted?
Not sure yet...

Stay tuned...

Grand Dame

My husband was puzzled when I bought this
"but were is the rest?" he asked
"Who cares!" I replied...
"it's wonderful all by itself"
Don't you agree?

It's quite fancy
so to offset that, we used Old Ochre Chalk Paint
then heavily distressed

I adore all the nooks and crannies,
twists and turns

I have the perfect space for this
except it's currently home to yet another
lovely mirror

I'm going to try it out tomorrow
if it looks nice
and it's still listed on Etsy in a week
I'm going to keep it!

whoa...those are BLUE!

Those were my husband's very words
when he walked through the bathroom
and saw the painted cabinets..

I am going to do a whitewash on them sometime this week
but so far, they're working out great!

I did clear wax them...
and I haven't dripped any water on them...
yet
But they've fared flawlessly
through a handful of hot showers
which equals a steamy bathroom

I'm contemplating
doing some sort of stencil on them
or striping the top ones
just because they are so boring


We'll see...
they're only temporary

(like the old laminate was temporary...
for 11 years!)

Sweet Dreams are Made of This...

Can you believe I lucked upon this dresser
the mirror (all original hardware!)
AND the matching tallboy?
you can see it at Stiltskin Studios
(it's at the bottom of page 3)

My plan was to paint both pieces in ASCP's Pure
but as usual, things change
as I look at the piece

I got a little overzealous with the distressing
but after a little touch up,
it's darling

This piece has the original wood casters, too
and the mirror is dated 1933

I thought the Paris Grey and Old White
looked very soft
almost dream-like
as-is
so I didn't use dark wax
on this piece

At the last minute, I decided
to free hand something on the top...

Beaux Reves...

Sweet Dreams, indeed!