Whoop! Whoop!

This is a sound that has been occurring in our house a lot lately. Because we're so excited, you ask? No... because the girls and I have all had Whooping Cough this past month. Yep, for a MONTH! I knew it was bad but then I came across the CDC article that said the Chinese name is "100 day cough". Ugh. It's been awful hearing the girls hacking and whooping away and it's definitely made it hard to get anything creative done. Throw in some excruciating pulled/torn muscles from the coughing and you've got this dearth of blogging. 

There IS light at the end of the tunnel, tho. I've managed to sell a few things and make room for working on others so there should be plenty to blog about soon. 

In the meantime, check this out: 

I'm attempting a patina effect on this old secretary desk. You might remember what it originally looked like but in case you don't, here you go.

I'm thinking I might do another wash of the light grey over everything but otherwise, it's ready to be waxed/distressed. 

This one's been a work in progress for the last 3 years and I assume that she will continue to be fun to work with for another 20. ;) 

Below is my first foray into milk paint. I'm considering making my own if I can get over my fear of using the wrong pigments. They have to stand up to the hydrated lime used in most milk paint recipes. If you're interested, check out these links for more info on making your own: Martha Stewart's recipe or RealMilkPaint.com. 

I'm using Old Fashioned Milk Paint in Mustard on this table:

It's a very rough finish right now and it dries much slower than chalk paint. But I'm hopeful that it will sand down to a smooth finish and wax easily. If not, then I have just painted a Henredon table  with a rough Mustard yellow and decreased its value exponentially. Ha Ha!

All boxed in...

Why yes, I have been a little busy lately. 

Or should I say, I've been busy with littles?

I found these boxes grouped together at a local reSale store. I don't know if it was just a coincidence or if someone had decided to divest themselves of a collection. Either way, it was a great day for me. haha. 

I've painted the tall one on the right but I don't have pictures yet. I think I'll keep it but I haven't figured out exactly where to hang it. 

The tall jewelry armoire on the left plays the theme from The Godfather. How cool is that? I'm a little sad that I didn't recognize it immediately but at least my Mama did and stopped my brain from imploding. I'm undecided as to whether to refinish it. It's in great shape, but it could also be even cuter. I think. Maybe I'm just addicted to painting things. 

This fella is finally DONE. I had to replace the tracks for both lower drawers and the hardware on one of them. It's doing a fantastic job of holding a lamp and some books by the couch right now but I think it would much rather be doing it for YOU. 

$105

Weekend pickin'...

Yesterday, my mother told me about an antique store in their town that was clearing out some old stock. She picked up a couple FANTASTIC items that I am super jealous about. Really. They're great. So great, in fact, that I thought I should make a run up there with the kiddos and see what else was to be had. You know how it is. Old towns can be great repositories for 'finds'. 

This sweet little cradle was right out front and calling my name. I'm not sure how I'll restore it exactly but I am really looking forward to seeing what it can become. 

Ok, this next one isn't really a 'pick'. I found these at Hancock Fabrics yesterday and couldn't walk away. I think they'll end up as pillows for the girls' room but for now, they're just sitting around making me happy every time I look at them.

This was the other find today. A cute little musical jewelry box with an interesting inset on the top. I'm not sure if the top is actually metal or just painted to look that way. I'll have to look a little closer. 

The music 'box' part tries to play when the bottom right drawer is opened but it's a little sketchy. Any ideas on how to get a closer look at it without messing up the box itself?

Hope your weekend is going well! Happy pickin'!

It's a teal-rific day!

Before:

During:

I really thought I was going to leave it this way. I love this 'white' so much. But a recent exposure to teal has apparently become more serious than I expected and I am now contagious.

After:

How can you not love this? This table is funky, bold, and just dying to cheer you up in the mornings as you sip your cuppa and prepare to go out in the world. 

$75 - table only

I haven't touched the chairs yet because I'm not crazy about trying to sand/paint those spindles. They will likely end up as a separate sale item unless you NEED the whole shebang. ;)

Rest for the weary!

Come on, you know you want to sit and rest a bit on one of these beauties!

These chairs were beyond drab and right into ugly-ville before I ripped off the old seat coverings. Two layers of 'eww' had to be dealt with. Admittedly, I was a little worried about tackling an upholstery project but I suppose if you're gonna get your feet wet, it might as well be with something fairly straight-forward like these chairs. 

I had to change staple-type midway through the project. I wish I had googled other people's experiences to before starting but it all worked out in the end. Shorter staples are much easier to use because they'll go all the way into the seat backing, saving many a wasted hammer-blow and bruised thumb. haha.

In case you're wondering, this little molding addition came from Home Depot. 

Burn Pile Buffet–Part 2… Using Stain to Make Artwork! | Sawdust and Embryos

I cannot even explain how jealous I am of this girl's talent. It makes total sense that you could use shading techniques with wood stain but it's never occurred to me to try it. I will be on the lookout for a nice piece to try this on now, tho, believe me!

Burn Pile Buffet–Part 2… Using Stain to Make Artwork! | Sawdust and Embryos:

'via Blog this'

Almost time to 'set a spell'...

These chairs are ALMOST done. I need to super-fine sand them and wax them and put the seats back on. None of that will take terribly long, it's just hard to find all the necessary minutes in a row. The husband's vacation is now over so these will have to be an evening project. 

How cute is this little embellishment? I want to stick them on everything stationary right now. haha. Hide yo kids, folks.