simply vintageous...by Suzan

Tuesday, September 18, 2012

I WANNA live there Wednesday # 7

I live in a pretty incredible area - It's an historical neighbourhood loaded with tons and tons and tons of charm - and 20th century architecture, just steps away from the city center, it's also a pretty expensive neighbourhood ( in which I live in servants quarters basically compared to what I'm surrounded by.)

Because there's days I don't have furniture makeovers to show you - I've chosen Wednesdays to showcase and feature one home that's for sale around here.................( or apartment - or duplex - or teepee )

_____________________________________________________________________________________________

Good morning everyone!

Ready to see what's up on the market this week?
Today's feature will cost you a cool 3,900,000.00
Let me know what you think!

Love how informal this foyer is - and love love love the floor and splash of color - so welcoming!

sweet dreams are made of this - check out the pink en suite - lucky little girl!

the long and winding staircase

There's no picture of the grounds but this sits on a 20,000 sq. foot lot - so they must be pretty spectacular!

and today I'm including an apartment that's for sell - when John and I bought the place we're in now, there were 3 serious contenders - an apartment in this building was one of them

Is that a spectacular building? Come on in - this lobby is straight out of the 1930's

I wasn't doing furniture at the time - Can you just imagine me lugging in my decrepit old pieces through this space LOL - too funny

aren't the floors gorgeous?

Love the bay window

There's no balconies in this apartment building - but they do have a gorgeous roof deck that's shared

The view isn't too shabby either!

And the value of each unit in this building has been going up 15% every year for the last 20 years - so a pretty sound investment in the end ............................ ( hmmm - isn't that what Bernie Madoff was promising? )
Looking at it again tonight maybe we should have grabbed it -
This one is going for 435,000.00
2 years ago the one we wanted was the same price - with a 2nd bathroom - and an indoor parking spot ( which apparently we could have sold for 100,000 in a heart beat!!!

Have a wonderful Wednesday everyone!
See you tomorrow - with a sign I made and John's over the top ridiculous reaction to it

XOX
Suzan

Monday, September 17, 2012

Forever Young...................

Good morning everyone :)

A couple of days ago I told you I had a furniture week from hell, right?
And I showed you the disaster that happened when I tried to paint my My Coffee Table -
Well there was one other disaster that I'm about to show you, I'm not sure what happened with this one
because I PRIMED it - then actually painted it with Annie Sloan chalk paint - and normally I can paint a dresser in a few hours and have it ready to list that night, hope the calamities are behind me for awhile lol

Ok - so I started off with this gem

and couldn't wait to get started on it
here I was going to do my letter technique ( same one I do for my subway dressers )

Too cute, right - next I painted over it in the prettiest mint green - and then started to carefully remove the stickers.......................

Wow - just loving it - can't wait to paint my stars all over the place - better remove the last two sets of stickers

What the??????????? Really? 2 times in one week? I've done quite a few subway dressers and reverse stencilling and have not seen anything this severe ( just going to chalk it up to Crap Happens )

Suzan says - Johhhhhhhhhnnnnnnnnnnnn
John says - oh oh - don't like the sound of that
Suzan says - It's happened again - I'm ready to quit this whole painting furniture thing
John says - Hold on, I'm coming
John says - Oh my God - CAN YOU PLEASE JUST PAINT FURNITURE WITHOUT ADDING ALL THESE DOO DADS TO EVERYTHING?????????????
John says - I suppose I have to sand this down too?
John says - I may as well just wear the sander on my belt loop
Suzan says - Thanks John - I really do appreciate your help

And here we go again

This time I painted it with my trusty Duck Egg Blue and White combo - and decided to put faded ( by dry brushing ) white stripes on the drawers -
I held my breath putting the tape on let me tell you - and completely stopped breathing when I pulled them off lol but it worked this time and I ended up with this

These drawers are bowed
Which you really can't see in the photos ( the stripes are making an optical illusion? )
I used the same hardware but painted it white - and the sanded them so they look old and chippy

I so wish I was a better photographer - because these pics just don't do this piece justice at all -
And I did a little something something on the inside

I made this as a nursery piece - because there seems to be a big demand for nursery pieces in the last few months -
But we all know how much Murphy loves to play with me, right?
Let's see if he throws his law at me this time!

And in the midst of all this chaos - I decided to to create a little something for John - just to keep harmony - and because he really is so good about helping me out when I mess up
I hung it in his closet so it would be a complete surprise

John says - SUZANNNNNN - can you come here for a second?
Suzan say - coming!
John says - What the hell is this exactly?
Suzan says - I made that for you - isn't it obvious what it is?
John says - no, not at all- and I don't appreciate it either
John says - stay out of my cupboard please
John says - you're driving me insane really
Suzan says - but you said you may as well wear the sander on your belt

and that's the appreciation I get for creating his very own sander harness -
there's some weeks you just can't win

Sunday, September 16, 2012

Another Guest Post!!!

Good morning everyone - I'm guest posting for Barbara over at Chase the Star this morning.
I always panic a little because my followers are used to my craziness and it's going into unknown territory to do this - so I kept it quite professional today lol - and did a tutorial on antiquing furniture or mirrors using dark wax - so although you've all seen this, if you want to know how I did it

and this

Pop by!
(Please pop by anyway, she has a great blog and I was honoured to be asked :)
Have a great Monday and I'll be back tomorrow with 2 more items I'm just finishing up

Big hugs,
Suzan

Saturday, September 15, 2012

And I'd like to keep this too, please

Well the disorder continues - day after day - without any sign of abating whatsoever -

Is there medication for this?

I don't think there's any in Canada - but maybe you guys have something in the States

that can help me out? We could smuggle it in with a can of ASCP and no on would be the wiser..................

Ok on to today's post.

Remember this beauty?

And this is really where I sometimes get too smug and think I'm some kind of pro or something - the visions are flying around in my head and the excitement starts to build and I'm practically doing a happy dance all over the place. Who do I think I am? Really? I'm just a " Suzan "............and every now and then things happen to remind me of that.

I wanted to do a reverse stecilled table top on this - like I did with the Anne of Green Gables dresser - with different shades of grays -

In comes one tin of Martha Stewart oops paint - a beautiful charcoal gray - now keep in mind I really only at this point use ASCP - so.......................completely not thinking I paint the entire surface with this beautiful paint WITHOUT PRIMING OR SANDING - because that's something I so rarely have to do anymore.

doesn't the contrast against the white look pretty?

Next I painstakingly applied the floral stickers.......................

than painted over the entire surface with Paris Grey ( annie sloan )

then very very carefully peeled away the stickers to reveal this

and this

OMG - really Suzan?

Can you really be that stupid?

You betcha!

Suzan says - JOHHHHHHHHHHNNNNNNNNNNNNN!

John says - What now?

Suzan says - Before you come in - I'm warning you that if you shake your head and tell me " I told you so "

I'll completely break down into uncontrollable tears - DO NOT COME HERE UNTIL YOU PROMISE ME YOU'LL HELP ME OUT WITHOUT A SCENE

John says - I think you're overreacting ( but he can sense my despair and very kindly says ) anything can be fixed ( which is NOT his typical response btw )

Suzan says - Ok come in - you're simply the best you know - I don't know what I would

John interrupts - What the hell happened here?

Suzan says - I didn't prime the table so the paint didn't take

John says - Well I don't understand - why would you skip such a crucial step?

Suzan says - I messed up - it happens you know - I'm not perfect

John says - Why the hell do you always have to go one step too far anyway - what's with the flowers - if I've told you once I've told

Suzan interrupts - YOU MADE A PROMISE - ok get out - with my finger pointing out of the room -

John says - You know you're getting an artist's temperment, you know that right?

Suzan says - I'm NOT an artist, I'm just a " Suzan "
John says - ok - what do you want me to do?

Suzan says - Could you sand the entire surface down for me honey bunny schnookums?

John says - I'm getting fed up of this - it's happening too often - I just wish you'd THINK before you start these projects....................FLOWERS DON'T BELONG ON COFFEE TABLES!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Do your blogger friends know where you keep the sander? No I didn't think so! You don't tell them that I have to crawl under the dining room table to a box you keep under there and dig through it to find the sander, do you? You don't tell them I crack my head every single time, do you?

Thank God he doesn't read my blog - because he would kill me if he knew I posted this photo LOL

But because he really is simply the best - he took it outside and sanded the top down - brought it back in - plunked it down in front of me and

John says - Here you go Picasso, a blank canvas - please, though, keep all things botanical off of it.

So - starting all over again - it's gonna be rough - so rough - but we're gonna make it

Agghhh - get that bloody flower away from me - I'm sickened by it now

This time I painted the top with COCO ascp - and the base in Behr "paint and primer in one"

and left some of the details peeking through

Then I applied dark wax to the top and buffed and buffed and buffed until I had this

Suzan says - I'd like to keep this - it fits in our living room better then the one we have now

John says - Oh please don't start this again Suzan

Suzan says - Well I'll just sell the one we have for the same price I would have asked for this one - no difference is there

John says - GOOD NIGHT SUZANNE!!!

So - now this one is for sell lol

Far too big and chunky for this small room ( thank god we no longer have a basement - because it would stay as well )

Stay tuned for the next disaster I had last week - you won't believe it!

Meanwhile I'm going to sit on the chair - with a good book - and a cup of tea - and put my feet up on this

Have a great supercalifragilisticispialidocious kind of Sunday

XOX

Thursday, September 13, 2012

Let's make a deal

It's done!
And I want to keep it - except as you know by now John is insisting we sell it - so we've made a deal -
I'll list it for sell for 2 weeks - and if no one bites - than it's mine - I have to be fair after all.
He doesn't have to know that I'm going to list it for 4000,00 dollars, does he?

Here it is in all it's filthy grimy dirty state!
Oh let's get a before ( I almost forgot I'm so excited to see if you guys like it as much as I do )

I swear this picture almost hurts my eyes - that's the brightest orangey wood I've worked on I think
After you look at the after photo - come right back to this one and you'll see what I mean!

and NOW

Ok - I thought I could hide it - but as you can see I didn't finish the bottom of the legs yet lol - couldn't lift it, so have to wait for John -
And I haven't dirtied up the far left hand side of the dresser yet - God I can't get away with anything, can I?

What do you think?
Do you want to see some close ups now - oh I'm so glad that you do because do I ever have close ups for you!

This is my Batman photography skills - and not the movie versions you " under 50's " - the t.v. version from the sixties - they used to angle the shots............................

This is my " special lighting effects " photography skills

My " up close and personal " photography skills

My " bird's eye view " photography skills

John was walking by as I was taking this shot

John says - What the hell are you doing standing on the dining room table?
Suzan says - Trying to get a bird's eye view shot of the dresser
John says - Why? You going to try to sell it to an eagle?
Suzan says - If that's your attempt at a joke you'd better go to bed John
John says - Why - you think you're the only one that can be witty?
Suzan says - THAT was not witty - that was just stupid really - not funny at all
John says - Bet you'll tell your bloggers what I said though
Suzan says - No, I'd be too embarassed to tell them that actually......................
Suzan says - I'm not happy about listing this John - I want to keep it
John says - 2 weeks Suzan - 2 weeks - that's all I'm asking for 2 weeks
Suzan says - You sound like a parakeet
John says - What?
Suzan says - forget it ...................

And one last time!

Wednesday, September 12, 2012

Honey Boo Boo

Dear God - has anybody seen this?

This is not the first time I've ranted about television I know - but this is the straw that broke the camel's back for me.
I watched it with morbid fascination last night - couldn't take my eyes off it actually - but not for the reasons TLC thought I would -
I did not find it hysterical nor did I find it a " learning " experience. I found it quite tragic to be honest with you - and really really frightened for this little girl's future.
What the hell is the matter with this network - have they lost their minds?
Will they put anything on t.v. no matter the cost?
This family thinks they're being cute - and funny - and adorable - they have no idea they are about to become the laughing stock of the television world - comedians are dancing up and down with glee to have this kind of material.
When exactly did we start selling ourselves so short? When did television entertainment start revolving around watching marriages fall apart - or people with terrible hoarding problems - or little girls dressed up like Las Vegas Strip dancers or families of multiple children ( although I like the Duggars really ) or watching a family just because they're little people? I don't get it - it seems terribly sad to me and smug to watch these shows. People buying houses - people making cupcakes - people losing weight - people with growths the size of a baby on their faces and it just goes on and on.
T.V. has become reminiscent of the Victorian era freak show - which by the way were banned because they were deemed inhumane.
What happened to comedy shows - written by COMEDIANS - or variety shows - performed by PERFORMERS or weekly drama shows acted out by ACTORS?
AND as North America sits in front of their boob tubes ( and that's such an appropriate name for it now )
laughing their heads off at this family - and their daughter - I hope they stop for just one moment and remember that this is a LITTLE GIRL - who has no control of her surroundings -

Maybe I live too far up north on this continent to fully understand?
But instead of being entertaining, I found it horrifyingly heartbreaking.
And all I can say is
" How dare you exploit this family for ratings, SHAME ON YOU, TLC, shame on you "
It's only a matter of time before all of this comes crashing down around their feet - and it will - it most definitely will.

Come back Carol Burnett, we need you badly..........................

XXX
Suzan

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