Staging well on its way

I have been working at my mothers all week - first before and almost after photos below - the chairs are
still a work in progress - I am painting them a glossy white - and the fabric is black and white.................
Also the end tables ( there are 2 of them - one beside each chair ) were a salvation army find - refurbished.
A piece of bevelled glass sits in the tops.

I painted the valance design by using painters tape - painted the whole valance gray - then made my design with painters tape - then painted the whole thing white - covering the painters tape - when everything was
dry I simply peeled of the tape and Voila!  

The faux fireplace was also a salvation army find - and usually sits in my dining room - since my Mothers
place is empty I am filling it up with all my finds - and things I am hoping to sell.

Happy wknd...........
xxx

Cost to Stage

furniture - drapes - some accesories -mine

accessories 40.00

Good Morning Soda!

This is what I awoke to this morning swear to God -
She thinks she is human my little Soda Pup.................
All snuggled in at the bottom of the bed -
Precious

BEFORE AND AFTER DINING ROOM CHAIRS

I found these chairs on Kijiji for 25.00 each - 4 of them and they desperately needed some love.
After thoroughly washing, I spray painted the primer on and then painted. Voila!
2 extra chairs for dining room - and 2 of them have become our office chairs.

Ikea 25,000 kitchen makeover

So.........received my House and Home magazine this morning - and they are offering a contest for a kitchen makeover - you simply take pictures ( up to 8 of them ) of all angles and explain why you need a makeover.

I ran to take pics - and had the perfect letter to accompany it.................

" I think I am the perfect candidate for a kitchen makeover - as I have been
making do in a kitchen that is smaller than most bathrooms -
With only 2 kitchen cupboards I had to put a buffet/hutch in an already tiny
space just to accomodate storage - and every wall has racks hanging on it
for pots etc.
I love to cook - but do not have room to turn around...............please please
pick us - bring this old Victorian Kitchen into the new millenium.......... "

and was prepared to send it off - and lo and behold in the contest rules there
it was

THIS CONTEST IS NOT AVAILABLE IN QUEBEC DUE TO PROVINCIAL
REGULATIONS....................why this province fights being part of such
an incredible country I will never understand.  And we end up missing on so much
more than contests - the broadway shows that travel everywhere except our province,
the stores that say it is not worth the red tape, and the list goes on.

Once you have travelled outside this country you see how trivial it all seems really,

ANYWAYS, this is not a political blog - and I love my province - just wish things
could be different.

And I will not have a chance to win my dream kitchen :(

xxx

New Find on Kijiji

Browsing Kijiji tonight and found this beauty for
50.00 - have sent an email and my fingers are
crossed -
I am dreaming of this in an antiqued aqua..............
The handles are gorgeous!!!!!!!!!!!

SOLD!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Somebody wants these 2 pcs - very exciting!
Coming on the wknd to see them................................

The problem is I fall in love with everything after I have worked on them and
it is especially hard to let go of the pale blue one - it is so much prettier in person.

But they were bought to be refurbished and sold - so mission accomplished I suppose!

xxx

AMY

So saddened to hear that she has left us -
I was in awe of her talent - loved loved loved her voice -
and followed her life closely, always dreading this
day.
Please just make it past 27 Amy - last longer
than Janis - please don't be another statistic..........
But she couldn't hold on - a life too painful to face
straight and there it is
She flew to the heavens today - another star
looking down upon us -
27 seems to be a terrible year for incredible talent.............
Janis - Kurt - and now Amy -

Like the song says - " if there's a rock and roll heaven
than you know they've got a hell of a band "

RIP little songbird -

I needed a pillow

So today I went in search of a pillow for this chair - it looked a little bare I thought.................

but got a little sidetracked as usual and came home with













this

and this

and this

 

and this

oh yeah
and finally this

just in case you think I don't have focus  xxx

Ok, I will say it

I never say it - even if somewhere deep down in my soul of souls I think it for a fleeting
moment or two...................
I never let the words escape from my lips because winter is so long and so cold that it
seems a sin to allow such words to be spoken. ( do you know where I am going with this? )
I never admit it - not out loud anyway - it doesn't seem right to complain when a few short
months ago we were questionning if this was ever going to happen.

But really - this is just #$@%^$  ridiculous....................
Enough already -
No air conditioning because we did not think we needed it in this new place - the breezes off
the park are amazing - but today - omg - I have had 4 cold baths trying to shake off what
35 degrees celcius ( 45 with the humidity ) can do to a person.
Not a pretty site -

Went to a movie to try to feel normal - but that only worked as long as the movie did
( btw go see The Hangover Part 2 - hilarious )

Calling tomorrow to see if we can have central air installed as quickly as
possible - but now I think it may be too late - I am sure they are bombarded with business
right now..................and construction holidays are upon us -

Off to take my 5th bath ( I don't dry myself at all - walk around the house dripping wet - and am
dry within 2 minutes - no joking - try not to picture it )

Debbie and Sandy if you are reading this I am so wishing I had your backyards this week. Even with air
conditioning I think I would sleep on a raft in the pool outside.

xxx

Poolside dreaming

New obsession perhaps?

I have another project - another buffet - hutch!
If I can't sell this piece it will go in the dining room - because who needs a spare
6 inches of space in any given room?
It is going a glossy white - the hardware will be spray painted black because
I love the scale of them, check out the size of the handles on the bottom
doors ( sort of a chinoiserie look? ) here is the before in all of it's 70's glory.
As you can see I have already scraped off the horrendous gold pattern
on one of the windows.

Will post after as soon as finished which may be awhile because work
at my Mother's is in progress now.

xxxx

Antiquing...............

Back in February John and I came across an antique store near our house and fell madly in love with this piece.  It is over 200 years old and it's from Eastern Europe - Bulgaria I think - it is a farm house table
( actually opens up to sit 4 people as a table )
And although I still love it - it's a beautiful piece if you are into this type of thing and I am - I keep staring at it wondering if we got ripped off - we spent a lot of money on it - ( the antique dealer says it will only appreciate in value )
Kijiji and CL have spoiled me - I have found so many beautiful pcs through them - that I find myself
questionning this purchase - constantly.
Whenever someone comments on a pc I have refinished myself - I practically scream in their faces
50 bucks - or 30 bucks - or whatever ridiculous amount I have paid for it - like my badge of honor.

I won't dare say what we paid for this - it doesn't sit right with me.

Here it is...........
Happy Wknd  xxx

I want this so bad..............

New listing around the corner - a 3 storey Victorian - it needs a lot of love - but it comes with a garden apartment you can rent out - and it is so filled with potential it has me fantasizing nightly about it.

Way out of my budget ( can you imagine - we just moved into this one last September and if I could,
I would sell it and move on ) something very seriously wrong with me - because I do love my little
Victorian flat..............but this other one has so much space.............

Below are some pics from MLS -

Have a wonderful weekend...............

xxx

And she's finished!

All done!

Again - before




















and after ;)

Pic's are not so great because off of my cell phone -
Have to figure out how to use my digital camera now
( which is still in the original box 7 years after buying it,
how embarassing really )

But I just love this unit - absolutely perfect for storage.

Off to my Mom's to start on the living room.
Pics to follow as I go from room to room there.

xxx

Staging my Mom's duplex for sale

My mother is selling her duplex - and the downstairs needs a lot of loving ( she lives upstairs ) I used to live there so I feel somewhat of an attachment to it - but my brother lived there with his kids for the last 8 years
and lets just say  that he did not inherit the obsessions I seem to have.
But it gives me an outlet and gets my creative juices flowing just thinking of getting in there and working some magic.
It also gives me a space to store some of the furniture that is overflowing in my house!
I will post before and after pics as I do each room -

In the meantime here is another pic of a before and after project

Salvation Army purchase - 15.00 - before

and after - handles were 3 dollars each - paint was 12.99 - so total cost for this
pretty turquoise bureau was roughly 30.00 ( I always have primer on hand so
did not have to buy that )
not too shabby?

I am loving the heat by the way - but it ain't fun painting in it - lol

xxx

DRESS A TABLE, ANYONE?

So this is what you do when you are riddled with obsessions.

You dress your table,
frequently..........( I think they now have a name for this - tablescape )
but that is just a nice way of compartmentalising a particular disorder, lol

I place more importance on my table decorating than I care to admit - except
here of course - here I will bare my soul

Current table setting - I say current because it could be and probably will be totally different next week!
( the smaller silver charger plates and the white saucers that are sitting on them are from the dollar store!!!!)

This is one I found browsing the web - makes me want to join them for dinner - doesn't even matter what we eat - even Mcdonald's would be delicious here





Groups of flowers are lovely aren't they?

Think I will make a candle lit dinner for John and I tonight, off to take steaks out of the
freezer -

Dress  your table ladies....................

xxx

Kitchen Dreamin'

I have never never been lucky enough to have a large kitchen - and they seem to be getting smaller
with every move -
This last house we are living in is a 100 year old Victorian - with the original kitchen space ( although
previous owners have updated throughout the years lol ) so extremely tiny.

If you have to have a small kitchen - wouldn't this be lovely?



or this



what about this



ok now I am really dreaming in technicolor ( the stove is probably worth more than I can spend
on an entire renovation.........



pretty ( again love the stove )

I am loving all white kitchens right now........................
My current kitchen is like a jewellery box - so many color that it
blinds me a little

Good night to all and to all a good night

xxx

My Chair is suddenly all over the place!!

I had previously posted this chair - picked it up from CL in the winter - it was brown - and fabric was
orange - brown - it did not have any tufting on the back - this was the end result................I never
got around to upholstering the small pcs on the arms - I seem to always leave a little job to do on a pc
of furniture for some reason - probably because I tend to do 2 or 3 projects at once........

Now I see there is one being sold in England for 395 pounds - very very similar!

And if you go to elte.com - and click on catalogue - ( I am sorry I cannot get a pic of that
for some reason )  you will see one even closer to mine - it's on the 2nd page.
listed at 575. 00 dollars.

And then there is this

Also being shown as dining room chairs in this months Canadian House and Home

I love the chair - but maybe am loving it a little bit more now!

xxx