Dresser in French Enamel

Ignore the messy kitchen and the *ahem* beer kit in the background. This dresser came from my husband's grandmother via his mother. It looks so melancholy, does it not? 

Nothing a nice coat of Miss Mustard Seed Milk Paint in French Enamel can't fix! I originally thought I would paint the whole top surface as well but... I do like a stain/paint contrast. So I'm going to haul it back outside tomorrow and sand the dickens out of it, making it ready for some red mahogany stain. I <3 that color so much.

Now, here's the only thing I don't care for when it comes to milk paint. When you sand it to give it that baby-bottom finish, it smells like soured milk. I don't know anyone who's a fan of that. But at least it doesn't retain it for long and it's definitely worth putting up with for the end result. 

Update:

It needs new hardware on the top drawers. I'm thinking something funky from Anthropologie would be a good touch. 

Feeling bold and feisty

There are days when I feel as if I can do no (painting) wrong. Apparently, I had a couple of those days this week. Which probably means that the rest of the month is going to be crazy. ha ha

While I LOVE the look of white/grey/muted greens/blues, I have also been experimenting a bit with the other end of the palette. The end that lives near the sea somewhere on the Mediterranean and says 'Come on, live a little!'

You've already seen this charming fellow (I'm calling him Phillip) mid-process but now you can see him with his wax buffed and his hardware freshly painted.

Milk paint self-distresses and looks fantastic, I think. After reading on a few blogs about how you have to be willing to just let it do its 'thing', I figured it was time to have a little faith. All I did on this piece was sand it lightly with 150 grit and hope for the best. It chipped in places I wouldn't have anticipated but I think it looks so much more natural than I would have accomplished on my own. 

This little table came to me in a very 'blah' condition. It wasn't pretty, it wasn't ugly. It was just a table. But now, he is Maurice! He is bold! He is exciting! He is waiting for a good time with YOU, non? Please do not disappoint him. ;)

Linking up over at 

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!