Go Time.

Well folks it's almost Go Time.  Once I complete this update, I'm going to huddle up with my furniture friends and give 'em all a pep talk.  They're going to look their best, they're going to feel their best, and they're hopefully going to find good homes to love them as much as I do.  

Seriously, come buy a table or two.  I promise I won't cry.  

But before we do our furniture huddle, I have one more piece I want to share.  He may be last, but he's certainly not least.  Meet this guy:

I got this handsome fellow from a friend of mine who is getting ready to have a baby.  Evidently babies need things like nurseries, and cribs, and so she cleaned out her guest room in preparation.  Babies also don't need sweet little pedestal tables, so I got it.  Thanks Baby - I totally owe you one!

I really struggled with the color on this guy, because I couldn't come up with anything that would do him justice.  The only option I could really envision was pink (must have been my hangover from The Little Italian Table).  But then I remembered I had some grey paint samples left over from when we painted our house last summer.  It's evident which color won out.

The best part about this guy?  He came from Woodies!  He's got his original Woodward & Lothrop furniture tag on the bottom.  It's still there, I keep things like that intact whenever possible.  So with the vintage element, this little guy is a steal!  

Come meet him tomorrow from 10 - 2 at the White Oak Middle School Farmers Market!  There's wonderful fresh produce, meats, fancy olive oils and vinegars, jewelry, and the best pickles ever.  

And of course, some really, really awesome furniture friends looking for good homes. 

See you tomorrow! 

Sweet Dreams

An early update tonight, but fear not I'm headed back to work as soon as I'm done to put the finishing touches on our pieces for Saturday's show.  But first I wanted to share a sweet little night stand!

So remember my cousin with like, 6 garages who gave me this piece?

Well I got some other pieces from her as well, and I'm proud to say this next little guy rode home with me seatbelted into my passenger seat.  Unfortunately I don't have a before picture, but here's the after:

Alright, it's pretty, but what's so special about it?  Wait for it...

Chalkboard detail on top!  Full disclosure: I didn't paint the chalkboard detail, it's actually a removable chalkboard decal.  But it was exactly what I needed to make this an exceptional piece.

Last night was a late night, and I have no doubt tonight will be the same.  I may be tired but the color combination makes me think of lullabies and counting soft, fluffy sheep.  So I'm calling this little guy the Lullaby Table.  Come meet him on Saturday!

The Shining is on tv and I'm beginning to relate a little too well.  I better get back to work before creepy, twin girls appear at the end of my hallway.  More to come tomorrow!

Introducing Joan

Y'all, I'm so excited.  Remember the Bonnie Bench?

So gross, right?  

Well Bonnie has been renamed Joan.  Joan was the name of the bench's previous owner.  Evidently Joan was quite the lady, a pilot and an avid scuba diver.  It seemed only fitting that a bench that has undergone a life-changing transformation be named after someone who lived life to the fullest.

So allow me to introduce you to Joan:

Joan is solid wood and I'm truly proud of how she turned out.  She's gorgeous.  An old, broken, and outdated bench has been given a new lease on life.  What's not to love?  She has a rustic feel with a modern touch, beautiful wood grain that's been brought to life, and she has storage!  

Seriously, I want to keep her.  

But alas, she'll be at our show on Saturday so come on out and meet her!  

 

Thanks, Real Joan, for giving me Bench Joan.  I hope you like her.

Stay tuned for more show pieces tomorrow!

  

Repeat Performers

We have a couple repeat performers from last month's show that will be making an appearance at our upcoming show this Saturday.  I'm sad these guys haven't found a forever home yet, but I know someone will love them as much as I do.  On to the pictures!

Meet Stevie:

Stevie was a little rough when I found her, but check out those legs!  How could you not love her? 

With a little blood, sweat, and tears Stevie shined up beautifully.

 

Painted in a soft blue she will look great in any room, and complement any wall color.  

Basically, she's easy to get along with.

Stevie is ready for purchase and will be available this Saturday!  Come check her out!  

Creepy childhood painting of my father not included with purchase.

We've also got the always gorgeous Candra mirror. 

She's a big lady, but that just means there's more to love.  And who doesn't love to look at themselves?!  Mirrors can't ever be too big, in my opinion. 

And check out her scroll work:

 

Painted in a mossy green and then antiqued with a soft white-wash, she couldn't be more elegant.  Come meet her on Saturday and see how pretty she makes you feel! 

That's all for now as my motherly duties are needed.  We had a thunderstorm this evening and Frito won't come out from under the bed.  I may need to do some serious excavating just to get him to go outside before we call it a night.  All in a days work, my friends.  

 

Check back tomorrow for more show pieces!

How I Spent My Memorial Day Weekend

Y'all.  I'm tired.  It's been a long weekend, and a long weekend.  But!  We got lots done for our next show which is in 5 days!  A sneak preview to come but first, an update on The Little Italian Table.

Remember, this was her before:

And here she is, all dolled up!

Isn't she the cutest?!  

Here she is in her natural habitat:

I love her, and I really hope John and Jason do as well.  All my hard work must have paid off because my baked ziti was on the house that night.  My parents went with me to return the table and of course eat, and my step-dad was THRILLED that my meal was free.  I've shined up and sold furniture that I've literally pulled from the side of the road, but the fact that I got an $11 pasta dish for free suddenly validates what I do.  Happy early Father's Day, you didn't have to buy me dinner!

Speaking of furniture pulled from the side of the road, that's where this piece came from:

My mom called me one evening and told me in no uncertain terms I needed to get in my car right now and come get this table that was out at the curb.  So I did.  

It's heavy.  And ugly.  It had holes (hence the wood filler in the picture), it looked dated, and I had NO idea what I was going to do to make this thing come to life.  

But then, I did.

 

This little lady's still hanging out in the basement getting touched up before our next show, so pardon the crappy basement pictures.  But I LOVE her.  She's a soft yellow, with a light blue interior, and matte black finished hardware.  She doesn't even look like the same table, and now she's awesome.  She'll be ready to go to her new forever home this Saturday, June 1st!

Also this weekend I got some of my little stuff ready for the show:

There are a couple other projects we're wrapping up and I'll have another sneak preview of what else we'll have available for Saturday's show so check back tomorrow!  

I need a long weekend to recover my from my long weekend.  I also need to find a new boss:

The World's Tiniest Dictator spent the weekend napping in the sun.  Glad someone was able to relax.  

A Tail of Two Bosses (See What I Did There?!)

Today my real boss at my real job asked how much time I spend in the evening working on my furniture.  That might have been better phrased as "I'm concerned about your mental well-being because you're starting to look a little crazy in the eyes and like you might be in need of a nap."  I appreciate his sensitivity.

My second-shift begins the minute I walk through the front door.  We go through our evening routine: dogs get hugs and kisses and go outside, I change my clothes, dogs get fed and then it starts.  I pick up where I left off the night before (or in some cases earlier that morning before work).  This is mostly due to my lack of patience than it is hard-working nature.  I'm not a patient person.  I want my furniture to hurry up and look as good to everyone else as it does in my head.  This all started because I can't sit still, and that's how it's continued.  I'm not complaining, I enjoy it.  If I'm burnt out, or I find myself working in circles over the same piece, I stop.  I take a night off until I can get it right.  I just need one piece to start coming together to motivate me.  

Tonight, this was that piece:

This fun piece came out of my cousin's many garages (seriously, she has like six garages; it's like she's a rapper) at her new house.  A funky piece that deserved a funky color.  Love it, and I know someone else will too.  

Last week we had a collective office clean-up day at work.  This meant lots of free stuff up for grabs.  I noticed my colleagues put all the free stuff out while I was out of the office running an errand.   I was a little salty about the coincidental timing.  But alas I can't resist a FREE sign no matter how salty I may be so I snagged this cute vase. Tonight I got it cleaned up and painted.  I think it'll be the perfect accessory to the Little Italian Table. 

In other news, Kenny found a new throne.

I guess this makes him the boss of my second-shift.  He's not nearly as sensitive about my mental state.  But he is always in favor of a good nap.  

Also, today I got pooped on by a bird while I was in my car.  This has absolutely nothing to do with any of my furniture.  I just felt the need to share.  The odds of getting pooped on while in a car are pretty slim to begin with (at least I think so, I'm not trying to judge your personal life).  But the odds of getting pooped on while in a car by a bird who is not in the same car seem even slimmer.  I'm pretty sure this means I'm going to win the lottery.  Stay tuned for details on how I spend my winnings. 

   

   

Weekend Stripping

A couple months ago I tagged along with Terry to Home Depot to pick up some stripper for a dining room table he was refinishing.  While we were running through our shopping list to make sure we had acquired everything we came for I loudly inquired, "Did you find your stripper?!"  

Yea.  Hopefully people thought we were super cool and super exciting and not at all going home to stink up our basement with chemicals and sleep with the windows open in December.   

So anyway, that's exactly how I spent my Saturday night: stripping.  Seriously, I was up until 3 AM, stripping.  And then I woke up a mere 4 hours later only to strip some more.  All for this lovely lady; meet Bonnie:

Does this count as girl on girl action?

Pictures don't do this bench justice as to just how funky it was inside.

Stripping in progress.  Take it off Bonnie, take it ALL off.

And now she's all clean and ready for sanding.  Then stain.  Then Poly.  Then new hinges.  But for now I'm just happy she looks like this:

Stripped (a great album by Christina Aguilera). 

I feel like I should have a lot more one dollar bills in my possession after all we went through together. 

The weather cleared slightly this evening and I finally got a little Spray Paint Weather, so I was able to work on our new additions to the patio:

Pay no attention to the dead plant behind the table.

I pulled these guys out of the trash exactly a week ago.  At the time Terry didn't want to assist me in my snatch and grab from the neighbors trash, but he did just so I'd stop talking about it.  I think even he was impressed with how well these guys cleaned up. 

On a sad note, we said goodbye to some old friends today. 

At the very least, I hope the trash men appreciate the lack of brushstrokes.

I'm still a little salty, but our basement was one dead cat away from reaching Hoarder status and I didn't have a lot of room to work.  These guys (there's actually 2 dressers in the picture) didn't make the cut because of the carpentry work required to make them functional again.  The Beach Chest is a good reason to thin the herd, and the best part is she already has a forever home so she won't be around long.   

With that, this stripper is leaving the main stage and going to bed.  Don't forget to tip your bartenders.

The Beach Chest

Well, hello there.

We went to meet this sweet cedar chest tonight.  She's a gorgeous piece with darling detail.  The best part?  She has a story.  She belonged to the customer's grandmother.  The grandmother evidently had quite the dog, who scratched up the piece pretty well.  Grandmothers and dogs - I'm a sucker for both so I'm more than happy to take on this project.

Kenny's more impressed with Frito's cookie.

And I'm proud to say that we brought her home tonight!  

Grandma's dog did quite the tap-dance routine on this chest.

I've got my work cut out for me, but this piece is so amazing that you can just tell she wants to be pretty.  Strip it, sand it, paint it.  Once she's done, she's moving to the beach!  And as she should.  She deserves a life at the beach.  She deserves to be pretty again. 

 

I'm honored to have the task of making her shine again.  Even if it's not in her original form, we all need a little work now and then.  It's like getting a pedi, or a haircut.  If she feels pretty, she'll be pretty.  And who doesn't want to look their best at the beach!

In other news I have this piece to work on, plus The Little Italian Table, plus a custom piece for my awesome bestie who needs a buffet.  Oh yea, and we have our next show on June 1st that I have to get ready for.  And then there's that whole full-time job thing that affords me the luxury of being able to pursue an expensive hobby.  

I'm grateful to be busy.  I'm grateful for this opportunity.  If you don't hear from me for a while, I'm not dead.  I'm just in my basement.

 

The Little Italian Table

Check this guy out!

Smells like Baked Ziti and success.

So the other night we celebrated Mother's Day at an Italian restaurant we've frequented forever.  Like seriously, since I was at least 10. In the lobby there was a little brown table adorned with sad little silk flowers, and as I tend to do with furniture my instinct was to take it (I was going to return it).  Mom urged that maybe I not steal furniture from a restaurant that views us as regulars.

So fine.  I asked the two guys that run the place, John and Jason, if I could borrow their little table, fix it up, make it pretty, and bring it back with a couple of my business cards.  I'm thrilled to say they warmly accepted my offer.  As I was showing them pictures of some pieces I've already done, I asked if they had a preferred color.  I have some nice blues, a grey would look beautiful, and I have a gorgeous red.  

These men requested I paint the table pink.

If you know me at all, you know my first inclination with everything I work on is to paint it pink and replace the hardware with glass knobs.  I have to be mindful of the fact that not everyone favors pink the way I do.  But now I have the chance to embrace my love of pink and glass knobs and give my favorite Italian restaurant a pink table.  

  

In other news, tomorrow night we have our first appointment to go check out two pieces in need of custom work.  It's for my dental hygienist.  I'm kind of afraid she's going to ask me about flossing again.  But luckily, it's my poor flossing habits that got us in the door to check out her stuff!  Yay for gingivitis!* 

*I don't really have gingivitis, and I'm an exceptional brusher which compensates for my lack of flossing.

 

It's So Hard To Say Goodbye...

I have the Boyz II Men song stuck in my head because this little lady went to her new home today.

I've had this piece hanging around for a while now.  I wasn't very diligent in posting it for sale, and surprisingly she came home with us last week after our show.  Needing room in my basement to move on to other projects, I needed stuff to move and posted her for sale again last week. 

Named after my favorite Golden Girl, Blanche and I have history.  I picked her up last fall with visions of using her in place of a corner table we have now in our living room.  I had her in the basement just waiting for Spray Paint Weather so we could dress her up.  But then I got bored and antsy and we had some leftover coral paint from our bathroom so I painted her by hand. 

I painted her while I was home with the flu for a week.  And then my fever broke and I realized I probably shouldn't paint while I have the flu as I was delirious and high on meds, so I had to sand her and give her another coat.  But she complied and was a gorgeous finished product.  

I guess she hung around so long I never thought she'd leave.  She went home with a pretty cool 20-something girl who drove all the way from Arlington in rush-hour traffic (it only took her 45 minutes!) to pick her up.  She'll have a good life ahead of her; a life full of drunken debauchery and a hang-over or two.  She'll flirt with boys, and make out with coffee tables.  It's the life Blanche deserves.  

I'm getting emotional over furniture.

So long Blanche, use protection. 

Completed (and Sold!) Furniture Friends

The Taylor Dresser

Surprise! Coral Drawers! 

The Deborah Table

Thankful that I never throw anything way, the hardware was pulled from another dresser I have and was the perfect complement.

The Cosette Mirror

Done in Annie Sloan's Old White.  I did NOT want to let this piece go, but I know where it lives so I can always go visit it.

The Lilly Bench!

An old piano bench given a whole new life, such a fun piece!

The Blanche Table

Cool mint drawers to accent her coral finish.

Turquoise console table, which is currently loving life at the beach!

The Joan Bench - she sold at our last show before we barely got her off the truck!

The Candra Mirror, she's going to be in a wedding!