An Introduction and a Shopping Trip

An Introduction...

So the other day I found a dresser that I just couldn't pass up, but with all the other projects sitting around the house in various stages of finish a complete overhaul wasn't really an option.  So to avoid having to find another place to stash it in my house (and a head shake from the husband), I decided a mini makeover would be perfect.

Meet Benjamin:

He filled all of my requirements: solid wood, dovetail drawers, nothing broken, and of course a great price (with a discount on top of that!).  Plus he was only a few convenient aisles down from my own antique booth.  I brought some knobs from home as well as making a trip to Hobby Lobby for new new ones and some paper.  I knew even before I put them on the monogram letter knobs would be perfect and the paper I had purchased wouldn't work at all.  I usually like to have a plan before I start on a piece but being inspired along the way happens more often than not.  So as of right now he's sitting in my booth with a not for sale tag waiting for some finishing touches.  I love the way even something as small as changing the hardware, however, can change the look of something so much.  Hopefully I'll be able to show you the finished product the beginning of next week!

A Shopping Trip...
I've had a few people ask me where I find all this great furniture and have decided that not enough people out there realize how truly great a flea market/antique mall can actually be!  It's not just some place for "old people" to go.  You can find amazing things, great prices, and a chance to be creative while saving loads of money furnishing and decorating your home with quality pieces.  Let's take a little shopping trip.

First up?  Lamps.  We all know how expensive they can be.  And perhaps at first glance these wouldn't be something you'd even begin to consider.  But there isn't much a can of spray paint and a new lamp shade (or some fabric around an old one) can't fix.

I actually just purchased one for myself for a whopping $10.  Brown and gold basket weave aside, I really liked the shape and size.  One other thing to pay attention to is the cord; you don't want anything brittle or frayed.  A new cord kit is around $4 at the hardware store so if you're feeling brave rewiring it can be inexpensive.  Make sure you ask to plug it in somewhere to see if it works!

Next lets look at mirrors.  Another notoriously expensive item that you probably need at least one of in your house.  And sometimes you can find amazing ones that don't need any help beyond a home on your wall.

1. Green painted mirror:  I believe this was about $20, paint, wallpaper, or some sort of decoupage would be perfect on its nice flat surface.
2.  Black mirror:  $50 with a 20% off booth discount.  This one I have been trying really hard not to buy for my own house, it is amazing!  First of all, it's huge.  I would say it's at least 3 feet plus tall.  Second it's really heavy; in person it looks like a tin/metal surround but it's actually wood.  Third I can already think of several perfect places for it.  I may fail this attempt at not spending money, but for that price you can hardly blame me.
3. Curvy gold mirror:  $40. This is a beauty.  I love the shape and it's a great size as well.  It even looks good in gold which is generally not my finish of choice.  However, I squeal thinking how amazing a glossy white or black paint would look.
Beyond letting them be mirrors with awesome look-what-I-did frames, you can even transform them in to chalkboards.  Both very handy and very house trendy right now.

And of course, furniture.  Obviously this is what I look for most when I'm out and about.  If you aren't looking in flea markets for furniture you aren't looking in the right places.

Dresser: $95.  A steal!  Some new knobs, maybe some paint?  Yes it's quite antique looking... because it is an antique.  However, don't feel bad about altering it to fit your personal style and tastes.  Some new hardware, maybe some paint?  And the best part is you can remove that fabulous large mirror and hang it elsewhere in your house (or sell it and make some of that $$ back.)

Buffet: $75.  You could use it as a buffet in your dining room of course.  Or perhaps it's a great tv stand.  Drill some holes in the back and put your equipment in the cabinets.  Maybe it's a slim dresser for a tight space.   Don't let it's original use dictate how you decide it works best.

Chairs: $30 a piece.  Of course I love the color!  A little leather cleaner and they'd be great!

Chair:  I don't actually know how much this one was, it was too high for me to see.  But you can find them everywhere.  Throw on some paint and a new fabric for the seat and it's brand new!  Build an eclectic dining set this way, provide company with a seat in the guest bedroom, or just make room for extra people at the table!

Twin bedframe: $75.  I am just plain loving this four poster frame.  It's small and still makes a statement.  It's solid wood.  How amazing would this be in a distressed white finish for a girl's bedroom?

Doors: $35/$40.  They already both have great old finishes.  Hang them on the wall for a dramatic and different headboard.  Especially great for smaller rooms where an entire bed frame would take up too much space.

End table/nightstand: $30.  I don't think I would touch this at all, it's in great shape and it has fabulous clean lines and great storage.

Buffet: $175:  I am also loving this piece.  With it's divided drawers it would be perfect almost anywhere you need storage.
Make sure when you are looking for furniture you find out the following first:
Is it solid wood?
Do the drawers have dovetail joints and slide easily, do the doors close evenly?
Is there anything broken, bowed, or chipped?
Does it smell like smoke? (trust me sometimes you can't tell until it's home, don't be afraid to stick your nose in the drawer and sniff!)

And of course there is the rest:

Book lovers?  Check.  Kitchen supplies?  Check.  Vintage clothes on the cheap?  Double check. (that fab leather coat was $7!)  You can find original photography, small and large art/poster prints, and

they are also a great place for accessories:

Anyway, the moral of this long pictorial story is to check your flea markets first!  You cannot buy brand new, solid wood furniture for under $200 (you can barely buy WalMart furniture that cheap anymore).   Plus no one else will have your mirror or your lamp or your awesome leather coat but you.  

A lot of dealers will have booth discounts and most will accept reasonable offers.  Don't be afraid to ask! 

And of course... if ever you are in need of a giant quilted chicken to hang on your wall?

Chances are likely you can find one of those too!

Meet Annabelle

This past week I had to put a few other things on hold to fix up this little number for a friend's wedding.  I have had this dresser since I was maybe 15.  It was found in an antique shop and I've loved it ever since. It was time, however, to give it a new life and I love the way it turned out!  I had quite a few different ideas for it, but when a friend became engaged and told me I was in charge of decorations for the wedding I knew what I would do with it.  This is the original state... it was in very good shape and part of me cringed a little at the thought of messing with it's beautiful finish.

However, the mirror and boxes and general hoopla on top?  No longer loving so much.  And when I took that off of course I then had holes to fill and discolored areas to deal with and rough spots to smooth out.  So on the paint went.  And I think she's lovely.

After experimenting with a glaze that didn't look right (way too yellowy) I decided I would wallpaper the top of the dresser with this amazing stuff I found, along with the knobs, at Anthropologie.  Their hardware is to. die. for.  I really crossed my fingers on this one as I have never wallpapered a thing in my life.  All I can say is I will never be doing any walls in my house with the stuff, but furniture I can probably handle again.

And she was perfectly at home in her wedding ceremony.  Today I'm taking her to my booth to {hopefully} be my first big ticket item sold.  Wish me luck!

Things that make me Squeal!

In a totally good way!
First I have to say how excited I am that I have only had my little antique booth a month now and I've already made a profit! A small one, but that's okay with me! When I reserved my spot at this particular mall, I didn't realize what a good decision I was making.  Soon after I signed up, I found out that it was going to be part of a reality show on the Travel Channel called Truckstop Missouri.  Only two weeks in and I can't believe how much more business they have received!
If you haven't seen or heard of the show check it out, it's pretty entertaining!

A little something I added to my booth yesterday:

This was a pretty ugly little shelf ( I wish I had my before picture ).  It was a very dark brown stained wood and just looked heavy.  Then I found the perfect color coral and now I think it's adorable!  Next time I do a room in my house I will definitely be putting this color somewhere.

And then these came in the mail today, I have been waiting so patiently:

Not only do they fit perfectly, they are also comfortable... and I don't generally have the greatest luck shopping for flats online.  Plus they were on sale, there might have been a little jumping up and down involved.

And before I go, a few little things I've been working on so far this week:

I was right... it's going to be the amazing!

Chalkboard paint might be my new paint obsession, is there anywhere you can't use it?  I'm sure going to find out!

And there was supposed to be another picture here, but it looks like blogger isn't going to cooperate today.  It will be, however, in another post.  I'm helping decorate a wedding that is happening next weekend so I'll share all the details with you, I think it's going to be fantastic!

Hope everyone is having a great Tuesday, I am headed to St. Louis this afternoon in the sad rain to get my hair cut and colored by my fabulous hairdressing cousin Jordana.  Also squeal worthy!

My name is Rebecca, and I have a crush on fruit wine

So this has nothing to do with furniture, but I feel the need to share my new found love of all things fruit wine.  As if the blueberry cake wasn't enough, this week I tried a couple of new things with the strawberry wine that you should all know about.  No, really, because they are delicious.
First a lovely lemonade concoction using sparkling water.  Totally perfect and refreshing for a hot summer day!  There is really no recipe for this so use your own judgement, I used a bit more lemonade than wine as I wanted it on the tart side.

Then the wine popsicles.  Seriously these were so tasty Alan and I might have eaten all six of them tonight.  Don't judge us, you will want to do the same!

Strawberry Wine Popsicles

3-4 cups fresh strawberries

3/4 cup strawberry wine

3/4 cup sugar (or less depending on how sweet and ripe your fruit is)

2 Tbs fresh squeezed lemon juice

Blend all the ingredients together.

 Pour into six 4 oz molds.  

Freeze at least 6 hours or overnight.

Run under warm water to release it from the mold and enjoy!

Now a few things; you don't have to use molds, I'm pretty sure some Dixie cups and popsicle sticks would do the trick as well.  I, however, got nostalgic and ordered some vintage Tupperware molds from Ebay.  I remember using these as a kid for pudding pops and they were the best thing in the world!  I could have purchased new ones, but these were cheaper, in great shape, and didn't have Mickey Mouse ears on the handle (there is something wrong about making winesicles out of Disney merchandise).  And the best part?  They had that wonderfully plastic smell that only comes from old Tupperware.  That may seem strange to you but it reminds me of cooking with my parents as a kid.

Second, I didn't have that many fresh strawberries as some of them went bad while waiting for above molds to arrive so I substituted some frozen ones.  And cut the sugar back to 1/2 cup.  It seems like a lot but it was about perfect (and probably still less than the kind you get in the store full of corn syrup).

And third, this recipe was about double what my little molds could hold.  So really by eating them all tonight I could fill them up again instead of throwing the rest out.  Saving money!  

Next batch?  Blackberry, or maybe even peach... yum!

Hope everyone's weekend was great, I have three days off to work, work, work on painting and hope to have some finished project pictures up this week!

Good Morning!

Monday morning is finally here after a long weekend.  In between working at the grocery store, I did get a few things accomplished.  A little (very welcome) rain didn't get in the way of any projects and also gave me an excuse to watch Pride and Prejudice while painting... again.  I think I may have a problem, I really love that movie.

You may be thinking.. I can't believe she was painting over carpet in the living room!  Luckily at some point that awful carpet is going to come up and reveal the (hopefully) beautiful hardwood floors beneath.  In other words I don't care too much about what happens to it in the meantime.  And if an accident were to occur and we had to take it up sooner than planned?  I can't say I would be sad... although I'm not sure my husband would believe the accident part of that.

I also had a chance to make the Blueberry Wine Cake I had been wanting to try

The picture is not too good, I am still learning (and probably will forever) how to use this camera.  Next time I will not be so lazy and turn on another light.  Anyway, yes, the cake is blue.  And besides falling completely apart while trying to get it out of the silicone bundt pan (sometimes I really have a love/hate with that thing), tasted delicious.

Blueberry (or any fruit wine) Wine Cake

1 cup fruit wine (I used St. James)

1/2 cup chopped pecans

1 box white cake mix

1 box fruit flavored gelatin (same fruit as the wine or anything you think might complement it would be great)

1/2 cup vegetable oil

4 eggs

Glaze:

1/2 cup of the wine

1/2 stick butter

1 cup powdered sugar

Sprinkle pecans into the bottom of your greased bundt pan.  Mix the rest of the ingredients together and pour batter into your pan.  Bake 50-60 mins @375* ( I would check after maybe 40 mins as it was a little more done on top than I would have liked.)  Turn out onto wire rack to cool.

While your cake is baking, mix the glaze ingredients together in a saucepan over the stove and heat until boiling.  Remove from heat.  When you've turned the cake out on to the rack, pour half of the glaze over the cake.  Wait 20-30 mins and pour remaining glaze over cake.

Enjoy!

I love to make things from scratch but I am never happier than finding a good recipe that uses something like a cake mix to cut steps out.  I think next time I will try strawberry and maybe throw some fresh fruit in the batter.  We shall see.  

So that was my weekend.  Now that the little library shelf has been painted I am going to use today to attempt a glaze for the first time.  This could be interesting and may end with me sanding and repainting the whole thing  or keeping it for myself after all. 

Friday Morning Motivation

As I'm sitting here on the couch this morning, thinking one more hour of sleep in my air conditioned house would be really nice, I decided perhaps a little inspiration was in order.

And there she is.  This, folks, is of course a Ford Edge.  And my dream car.  Is that weird?  I don't think so, I test drove one and it was amazing.  In love before I turned the key!  And I will look very good in it... windows down, large beautiful sunroof open, music playing (hopefully without the cds being eaten which may or may not be happening in my current car), have some room to haul stuff around, and best part is that if I need to borrow the truck for some large, fantastic, gotta-have-it piece of furniture the husband won't be so sad to trade vehicles.  I don't even care what color it is as long as it isn't tan.  I have only ever owned two cars since I started driving and both have been old man tan.  Along with that dream is a hope. Making a statement like "I'm not putting any more money in to this car" while writing another $500+ check to the mechanic will become a reality.

However, working part-time at a grocery store isn't going to quite get me behind the wheel.  So it's off to the garage get started on some painting and sanding.  I will be glad when fall comes, I don't think motivation will be quite so hard to come by.

Happy Friday everyone!

Loving my day off work

I recently became the proud owner of an antique mall flea market booth.  Now that I have given myself something I am financially responsible for every month, the motivation to start acquiring and refinishing furniture has magically appeared.  (Also it seems to have inspired really long, if not quite run-on, sentences.)
While out and about on my day off today, I ran by The Marketplace.  This particular antique mall, while not the one I have a booth in, is fabulous.  However, most of the time it is also full of quite pricey booths.  Since my mission in this endeavor is not only to create beautiful pieces, but to also make them affordable, I rarely purchase anything here.  But once in a while I do find something I can't live without:

Seriously, how cute is this little library shelf?  I am already trying to find it a home in my own house.  Which I can tell might become a problem for me; it isn't the only piece I have right now that I don't want to think about having to let go once I'm done.  

I also ran in to this guy:

I did not take him home.  I'm not sure why my first impulse when confronted with a human made of cardboard is to take a picture with it, but you're welcome.

A couple of days ago I also ran across this little table at a complete steal. Seriously they might as well have been giving it away.  It's a little ugly right now but when I get done with it you will all want her.  Okay, maybe not, but she will at least be less ugly and I'm sure I will want to keep her for myself.

Side note: please ignore our slightly brown lawn yard.  We don't water and evidently Mother Nature doesn't either.  I think I might need to practice my rain dance... which might work, if only to get me to stop dancing (that is something no one needs to see).  

Anyway...

I will put up some afters, hopefully in a few days!  Enjoy the upcoming weekend! (says the girl who works retail...sigh)