Frenchy End Tables - Before and Afters

I'm on stay-cation this week from my day job, so I'm working on a few projects.  A couple weeks ago I picked up a set of tables from Craigslist - a coffee table and pair of end tables for $25. I was pretty excited when I saw them and couldn't give the guy my money quick enough.  These are old, beautiful and solid wood, but had a mucky varnish that I used Formby's to take off the top.  Messy, but the results were so worth it. I wanted to finish one entirely so I could do a side-by-side before and after photo.  I thought it would be part of a long post showing the finished tables in my living room, but I couldn't wait.  I've only got one coat of poly on the after table top and it's going to get several more, plus drawer liners, but here they are:

The photo below gives a good idea of the condition of the top - very icky.

I think I'm in love...

The coffee table has some deep scratches but I have my fingers crossed I can get them out - if not, it will get painted (but that would be a shame, wouldn't it?)

Morning at the Antique Market

This morning I took a trip to Renningers Antique Market thinking I would like to find some old skeleton keys and possibly an ornate picture or mirror frame for my bedroom wall.  Today was my lucky day.  I'm not really sure what I'm going to do with these, I just think they are cool.

I also found this:

The seller wanted $40, which I thought was pretty reasonable, but I had only brought $40 with me and had just spent $10 on keys.  I offered my remaining cash and he took it.  I cleaned it up a little bit, but its filthy and it does have some significant damage on the corners. From the front it's still in really good shape and the beveled mirror is almost too perfect to be old.

And this is the back, which looks pretty darn old to me:

I went looking for it thinking of painting it white and using it in my bedroom, but now I'm thinking it goes in the living room:

I'm still leaning toward painting it white - what do you think?

Petite Farmgirl Drysink goes Glam

Once upon a time, a little farmgirl got a makeover:

This tiny drysink is one of several pieces of "primitive pine" I received from my friend Donna, who was cleaning out her garage a couple months ago.  I sat it here in a corner of my sunroom until I came up with a plan.

I wasn't entirely sure what to do with her since she is a little bottom-heavy (well, so am I, but no amount of paint is going to help that), but she had a cute little top half so I thought I'd put the focus on that.

Here she is, all dolled up with 2 pretty paint colors, new chickenwire to replace her screens, and sparkly glass knobs:

Ooooh, shiny.... I like shiny.

Her bottom looks a bit lighter now with the new paintjob. 

She's painted in Glidden's Muslin White and accented with Martha Stewart's Rainwater.  I just bought a sample can of the Martha color, and still have some left over. 

I distressed a little around the edges to make the details stand out.  But I didn't want to dirty her up with glaze or antiquing.  I like her fresh and pretty.

I just found these dishtowels to match at TJ Maxx today.  I need to stay away from there... :)

That is all of her - what do you think? Linking up to Susan at BNOTP for Met Monday!

Below deck

This week I planted a tiny shade garden underneath my deck.  My parents dug out a huge hosta for me from their garden on Sunday and I split it up and replanted it as 5 separate plants here in the space outside my back door.  I did amend the soil first since this is very sticky red clay, then added a few other plants to help fill in until the hostas grow.  These get so big that I know at some point I will have to take most of them out.  I'm sure I will find someone to adopt them, and I'm happy to have a cute little garden instead of a pile of dirt and rocks.

Linking up to Outdoor Wednesday.  Have a nice day!

Work Travel and the Single Girl

Frequently, I travel for my job.  In the last few years I've been to Dallas, Hartford, Los Angeles, Nashville... lots of places, often alone.  Right now is one of those times.  I'm sharing some photos from my work travels... unfortunately though, these photos are from my trip last year to Vegas, NOT where I'm staying this week.  I can't say I loved Vegas since I'm not a gambler, but it did have a lot of fun stuff to look at:

Look at this ceiling... where else on earth could you pull something like this off?

I could watch the fountain for hours:

And my hotel room was VERY modern, clean, updated and comfy:

This week I'm on Long Island, in a semi-industrial area somewhere between New York City and the Hamptons.  I drove 4 hours to get here, including a winding route through NYC in pouring rain last night, so that I could spend three days in a dimly lit ballroom listening to various people talk about insurance, eat mediocre overpriced food and stay in a shabby un-chic room in a high-end overpriced hotel.  I never thought I'd say it, but I miss Vegas!

Project Weekend

I've been up to a little bit of everything today so far... such as mulching my front garden, which I expanded a little bit this year to add a hydrangea and some annuals.  I even cleared it with my HOA, which is a first for me (I'm such a rule-breaker!)

I cleared out a little sparse grass in the corner under my back deck, where I'm going to plant a shade garden. Isn't my clay soil turning the siding a lovely shade of dirt?

When I went back there, a tiny bird flew out of this little nest up under my deck.  For the last hour all I heard was chirping as this little bird couple is flying around and making a racket.  I think she was scolding him about picking out a bad place to put a nest.  I hope she gives him a little slack, look at the cute pink ribbon he worked into his design: 

I took a picture of them through my screen door, arguing on my back deck.  She has her back turned!  She was really mad at him.  I was going to clean the deck today but I don't think their relationship can handle it.

 

So with the kids out tonight, I have made other plans.  Yep, I'm gonna STRIP!  (Ha, ha, I crack myself up!)  I got this piece a few weeks ago from my very kind friend Donna, and I sanded the shine off the varnish, put on 3 coats of primer and 3 coats of white paint.  It wasn't going well, which I attributed to the dampness from the constant rain we had.  No dice, even after a week, my paint just would not stick.  The heavy duty varnish won that round, but it's getting more than a sanding this time.  I have a busy evening ahead of me... now where is my stripper music?

For the person who asked, I really don't blog on any type of schedule, I just do it when I have something to share, and since I'm a single woman with a full time job, this is just a fun hobby and a schedule would make it less fun.  I hope you understand, and I'm flattered that you'd want me to post more often!

Yardsale Toolbox Makeover

I found a little toolbox for $1 at a yard sale.  Though it was sporting a cute patriotic paint job, I decided to give it a little makeover to use on my back deck this summer.

I found this hanging cone shaped basket at a little roadside plant shop, and it was prettier than anything I'd seen at the nurseries I've been haunting.  I haven't posted in forever, but I've been working on lots of projects, more to come (sooner or later!)  Have a safe and happy Memorial Day!