The House of Ill Repute

There is a house about three miles from me that is well....a crack house. Not sure how I can sugar coat that one. About a year and half ago I was driving by and saw they were selling some things in front kept going until I saw an awesome cabinet in my rear view mirror. I headed back and dealt with the "character" who was selling a bunch of random stuff. I think it is safe to assume this piece was not stolen (I mean how could you steal it?). Like most things, it sat in my garage waiting for inspiration. I realized it was an old radio cabinet someone had gutted and added a shelf to.
I finally painted it with my favorite metallic blue paint by Ralph Lauren and top coated it with dark wax. It went to my big sale and I sort of hopped it wouldn't sell because I had the perfect spot for it, not to mention I have a wall painted in the same color. It sold within the first hour and I had to part with it.

I never got any good shots of this piece when it was empty. I managed to snap a few pictures when I was at the show. It had awesome detailing and the wax really made the things pop.  I'll be honest my garage was so crazy I couldn't figure out how to stage anything for photos. It looked like an episode of Hoarders.

Speaking of Hoarders, the other night we were driving by the house I talked about above. There was a sign that said, "Free Sh&%". Except it really said the word. There was also a lady tweeking out and screaming on her phone. My husband (who was a cop in his past life) turned around and headed back to look at the free stuff. I know him well enough to know he really wanted to see the circus act. The free stuff was really as it was described. Too bad they didn't have another radio cabinet.

Pink Power

The Portland Metro area is fairly large. I live on the Eastern edge of the suburbs and find that many of the items I buy or sell are located on the Western edge about 25 miles away. With the price of gas, and taking my time into consideration, there are times I let great deals pass me by. This was one of those deals.

After school I checked Craigslist quickly and someone had posted two grainy pictures of a dresser and vanity. They wanted $100 for both of them. I emailed to ask where they were located and low and behold it was only 18 blocks from my house and a three minute drive. I asked if I could take a quick peek at them. When I saw them I was stoked they were better than I imagined they would be. I did not have the truck with me and I needed to make sure I had the cash at home. Could I call them back in a few minutes to let them know?
I realized these people were desperate to get rid of these pieces. They had to be out of their duplex by 11:00 the next morning and I was the only one who had contacted them (due to their horrible photos). After a half an hour I called back and offered them $75 for both pieces. They agreed and within an hour both pieces were sitting in my driveway. These pieces were structurally sound, but they were dirty (dust, dog hair, grime). In fact, the old owners accidentally left two drawers crammed with clothes and prescription pain killers. Uh oh. We returned everything, but let me just say if these pieces could talk.

I know I could simply clean them up and sell them as is and at least double my profit, however I wanted to do something more. I kept hearing the words, "Antoinette" in my head. You know Annie Sloan's Antoinette. I decided to try and match it to the best of my ability and went with Sherwin William's Rose Bud. Here is how they turned out:

This is the mirror that attaches to the back of the vanity. It is currently on my kitchen table. I had to reglue it to the frame. I wanted to avoid attaching it just for the sake of pictures. This piece is old and I don't want to risk breaking one of the brackets and having to redo the mirror. Yep, I'm lazy. I realized I didn't get a picture of the two pieces together. They are so sweet and are just begging to be put in a pretty bedroom suite that nods to yesteryear or in a cute little girl's room. I am hoping they sell fast as they take up space. I am sure they will find a new home and I hope they have exciting tales to tell!

Contestant Number One

I was strolling in downtown Camas last week as I had to pick up more Annie Sloan and this is my closet option. The Purple Pear in Northwest Portland may be closer, but then I would have to deal with parking and it is a great excuse to visit Camas Antiques. If I could drive as the crow flies Camas would be ten minutes away, but instead I have to get on the freeway and cross a bridge and essentially backtrack....argh. I digress.
So anyway, I wasn't in my normal harried mode and decided to check out a few shops and came across a lovely shop, Lizzabeth A. I was drawn in by the April Cornell products, but soon found myself fawning over beautiful papers. Lizzabeth asked if I was planning to enter the contest. "What contest?" I asked.
She explained that if I used the papers, which were 30% off, in a project I could enter to win a gift certificate prize (actually there are three prizes). You probably can guess what happened.
Yep, I bought three different papers and headed home.
I found this table a few weeks ago at a garage sale. I bundled it with several other items so I can't even tell you how much it was:

It was in great condition, but the top is this awful faux (it may be real) leather with gold trim. It reminds me of....well baby poop.

I decided this paper was perfect for the project. I painted it Annie Sloan Paris Grey and highlighted a carved line with gold to bring out the subtle gold in the paper. I also painted the knobs gold. Next, I decoupaged the paper to the top. It was a perfect...

I ended up getting honorable mention in the contest. My prize is a box of Moonstruck chocolate. I am a bit disappointed, but I'm sure the chocolate will cure my blues. 

A Happy Mistake

My husband isn't a fan of picking up things I find on Craigslist. He wasn't amused when I asked him to pick up a dresser on his way home from the mall. He is a good sport and gave in to my request a few Saturdays ago. When he brought it home I was in love with the size of the piece, but it was pretty rough. It had at least three coats of paint on it and I didn't want to spend the time to strip it. I will be honest there is no profit in stripping (hahahahahahahha).
I decided to paint it with the last of my Peacock paint. This was a mistake. I literally started scrapping the bottom of the paint container. OF COURSE I hadn't stirred the paint well and it began to get white at the bottom. I realized this too late and had already slapped the paint on the several drawers (Attention: Do not paint with sunglasses on). I decided to go with it and figure it out later. In the end I loved the results.

I distressed parts of the dresser to show the black and red underneath. I posted this on on Facebook and within a few minutes I had several people inquire about it. I ended up selling it to one of my son's baseball teammates. I love it when my pieces stay close to home. In the end I am happy with this mistake. I think the white adds another layer to the dresser and makes it look beachy and worn.

You may have noticed the pots on the side of the dresser. My yard gets very limited sun and as a result I can't grow my favorite flowers, dahlias. I decided to try growing them in pots on the side of the house this summer. We shall see what the results are.
In other news I have been absent from the world of blogging because I haven't had a computer and I was out of town for a work trip. We finally bit the bullet and bought a MacBook. I think I am in love. I am excited to do several blog posts in the next couple days.

Beachy Beauty

This is another one of the tables I picked up from my co-worker who is China bound. This table was from her grandparents and survived her, two sisters, college parties (and adult parties I have attended),  her own three kids, and numerous foreign exchange students.  I am not gonna lie this thing was beat up, gauged, scratched, and more. However, it is still sturdy as all get out.

I love the big chunky legs on this table...they remind me of my own! This table screamed beachy to me so I decided to paint the legs with creamy white (again thinking of my own legs) for a whitewashed look and the top in my fav, Sherwin Williams Watery. I distressed it a bit and added a top coat of Annie Sloan Soft Wax.

This baby would be perfect in my beach house if I owned one. Since I don't I will be selling it.

I also painted two side tables to match. They have great storage and style.

The funny thing is while I don't own a beach house a co-worker does. She saw these and wants to do a trade for these. It is a win-win situation. I get two nights in her beach house, she gets the tables. In a way I guess I do get to enjoy them in a beach house!

Sweet and Petite

My husband called me a few weeks ago and wanted me to come look at a tablesaw he found at a garage sale near our home. I have been wanting a tablesaw and he figured this one would meet my needs. He is so sweet to think of me. However, when I got there I found out the real reason he had called was because they had a signed Trailblazer basketball. "Oh I forgot to mention that," he said.
We ended up with the tablesaw, the basketball and quite a few pieces of furniture. I am sure he regretted calling me in the end. The good news was he was there to help me load it and he had his truck.

This desk was one of the pieces. It looked like it was from the 30s or 40s. It had a nice back on it that would allow it to be a floating desk in a room.

Upon taking off the hardware last night I came to realize this desk isn't as old as it appears to be. I think it is an 80s copy catter. The construction is sound, but not the same as an older piece.

I stripped the top and the wood underneath was beautiful in my opinion. I decided not to paint the top and to simply add a coat of poly to it. The roping detail was pretty dirty. After spending some time with a toothbrush and soapy water I realized there was no way I would be able to restain it without some major effort. I decided to paint it and use dark wax on it to bring out the details.

The desk is painted in Annie Sloan Paris Grey and the drawers are Old White. I top coated the rest of the desk in clear soft wax.

I have been so busy trying to get the yard and pool summer ready that staging my furniture for pictures isn't a big priority. Part of the problem is we simply aren't home during daylight. With both kids in baseball I come home and get things ready for the next day, clean up and then we head out to a game. We typically get home around eight, eat and  then I head out to the garage to work. Let's just say lighting isn't at its prime at 9:00 at night. Someday.

Grain Sack Table

A friend texted me and asked me if I was interested in a drop leaf table she was giving away. You already know my answer.

She is a tiny thing and the two of us loaded it into my truck (which isn't tall, but for my 5' 2" body it is), Shewoman style.

The table is structurally solid, but the finish was in rough shape. It got even rougher after it sat in front of my garage for a few weeks in the blistering heat.

Originally, I thought about sanding the entire thing and then restaining it. It has a simple shaker design to it. However, after sanding for awhile I realized in the words of Sweet Brown, "Ain't nobody got time for that." My mid century night stand stain job also helped dissuade me from my original idea.

I LOVE the grainsack craze that has been all over Blogland. I took inspiration on another table (a much smaller version) I spotted on one of the numerous Blog Parties I frequent. I painted the table with Annie Sloan Old White and  painted the stripes in Sea Serpent from Sherwin Williams. I love this color as it is not quite navy, but not a bright blue either. I top coated it with Annie Sloan Dark Wax.

 A major malfunction occurred at this point. The tape pulled off a ton of the Annie Sloan base color. Yikes. I went back and repainted those spots, but the paint was uneven. The result came out looking like this:

 I will go ahead and say I LIKE the result so I meant to do it.

I tried to stage some good pictures, but my husband wasn't home to help me move the table to another location. Also, with the amount of furniture I have in the garage, and in front of my house right now, I am not sure where this other location would be (#furniturehoarder).

I have this for sale on Craigslist now. I am not sure this is the best venue for it. Again, I am struggling with what my next step is. With summer approaching I will have a lot more time on my hands for sales and building up stock. I know this table would be gone pretty fast in some parts of town or in a shop. I LOVE the size of it. It is big enough for eight people when it is out all the way, but when folded it fits into a space of only 26". This would be a perfect crafting table. It sounds like I am trying to convince myself to keep it. Mmmm.

Mid Century Night Stands & Trading Up

I am not a fan of mid century design. I can appreciate it, but it certainly isn't my style. I do know that mid century is hot right now in my neck of the woods.

A few years ago I picked up this chaise lounge for free in down and out neighborhood near my home.

It had a Burberry looking cover/pad that came with it. I admit the chair was comfortable. It swiveled, rocked and was a great way to relax by the pool BUT I wanted matching chaise lounges. After seven summers in our home (this will be our eighth) I am ready for some matching pool furniture. I began to search on Craigslist for loungers, but kept finding singles. Finally, I began to search Target, Sears and even Wal-Mart for new ones. HOLY COW. A cheap, decent looking one runs at least $130 without cushions. Add a cushion and you are at around $200. I asked for friends opinions on Facebook and the split was 50/50 on going with a cushionless one or trying to buy used.

In the end I found two wrought iron chaises with pristine cushions for $100 on Craigslist. After researching I found my chair had value. Ones like it went for $350 on Etsy. I sold mine for $150. The base was a little rough and the person who bought it told me they would be sandblasting it, repainting it and selling it for much more. I didn't feel like I had the time or the patience to deal with that so I was happy to pocket the $150 and buy my new chairs. I even had enough to put away for an outdoor shower (more on that later).

Speaking of mid century I picked up two night stands from a teacher friend who is moving to China with her husband (also a teacher) and three kids to teach. She is adventrous and I admire their families need for new experiences. I could never do it. Anyway, she was selling a bunch of their old furniture and I ended up buying five tables from her. These two pieces were from her Grandma's house. The varnish was bubbling and they had seen better days.

I sanded them down. This took a lot more work than I like. There is a reason I usually paint furniture.

They were solid wood and the drawers worked perfectly.

I had some issues with the stain. I beleive it is because I didn't get all of the varnish off completely. This is the top of one. It looks worse in this picture than it does in "real life". I am suprised they have't sold yet. If they don't sell soon I may go ahead and paint them black or another color. I have seen some on Etsy that go for at least $200 a pair.

 

I realized that I don't think I will be spending a lot of time sanding furniture down unless it is an amazing piece I can make a lot of money from or I plan on keeping for a long time. Stripping, sanding and restaing is a lot of work. I don't like to work very hard. Just kidding.

Geography Lesson

I have done several map pieces lately. I picked up this night stand at an auction. I painted it with my new fav Peacock and decoupaged maps to the drawers and top. I posted it and it sold quickly.

I accidentally left a strip of wood showing...I did paint it before the customer picked it up. Crazy what you don't notice!

I forgot to pull this from Craigslist and received a few calls in regards to it. I  happened to have another night stand on hand. I ended up painting it a navy blue and adding maps to it similar to this piece. I have learned that maps are hot. I need to stock up on maps as my supply is beginning to dwindle.