The stars were aligned..................

It's mine - picking it up on the weekend -

I am thrilled!!!!  Now I really have to move my butt!!!!!

xxx

I want this.....................

100.00 - have sent the owner an email but I am afraid I may be too late - don't know how
I will pick it up - but I want it...............

Isn't it fun going through my journeys with me?  I must give everyone anxiety - I know I give
myself a big dose of it - and I am afraid John has to get afflicted with it too.
But ohhhhh - look at the bowed front - and I did sell the last buffet/hutch like he told me to, lol.
I would be happy to fix it up and store it in my dining room for oh say 6 months to 5 years.

xxx

I've been busy

Believe it or not - I am still painting black doors at Nella's - I am using oil based paint for durability - and each door needs 2 coats - with a 24 hour wait ( some of them took 48 hours ) between each coat..............

10 doors - 2 coats - on 2 sides - that 40 times............................again my incredible math
skills come in handy, lol - almost finished now.

And I have started on my dresser

and then in the midst of this - I have decided I have to do some kind of quick mini face lift for the kitchen.

I can't look at it anymore really - and do not want to do a big change in there because I think next year we
will be relocating it entirely - we have a small office off the dining room and would like to have the kitchen
installed there - makes more sense, which is going to be major work, indeed.  ( back in the day builders thought it was smart to put kitchens at the end of very very long hallways - and the dining rooms near the
front of the house which would work if you had a cook I suppose like a mini downton abbey, lol )
So have to do a little magic that does not cost too much money for now.  It is very dark and dingy - and the decor is horrible - the previous owner had very peculiar taste to say the least................

I am painting the cupboards - and putting a stencil pattern on them................the walls are being
painted white - and that back splash - oh God how sickening is that,  will be changed for this

and I will have a jar of old cutlery - love it - and a spritzer bottle laying on it's side too, lol

from Home Depot - 20.00 a panel but they are large and I don't think I need so many - I am
going to try to install these myself - hopefully it won't be so hard to do.

my next dilemma is the counters, they also have that sickening orange tile on them ( I refuse to
call them terracotta )  what can I do on the cheap?  I was thinking of a granite tile perhaps.
Or even a laminate of some type - they are usually a good price - and at this point anything
would be better than what is there - a sheet glued on would look better - astro turf would
look better - a pc of plywood - anything except those tiles - I am crazy enough to have a slab
of quartz installed even if just for a year - but I have to stop doing things like this - it's just plain
stupid and a complete waste of money ( still - the thought is very very appealing to me and if
it wouldn't cause world war 3 I think I would )

and if that wasn't enough on my plate I have started working on this too!

hmmm - see what I mean about the hoarder looking space?  nice clean mirror too.
the top of this piece had tack paper all over it - with that faux grain wood, lovely.
have peeled it off -

when I say I am out of control - I mean I AM OUT OF CONTROL - nuts -
and ready for a vacation.

xxx

Mirror, Mirror, on the ....................

I love mirrored furniture - really really really love it.............and am looking for a mirrored chest to keep
my t.v. on in the living room - I think every home should have at least one item of mirrored furniture in it - if not for the sparkle, then for the sheer glam of it, don't you?

All of the below images are from HORCHOW  ( http://www.horchow.com/ )

O.M.G. - just a bed and this in my bedroom would make me very very happy

buffet

Wow, they all leave me speechless.
Pier 1 also has some nice pieces - called the Hayworth line - they have a beautiful
mirrored headboard I would love to buy.

The linens look pretty forlorn on such a pretty bed, don't they? What were their stylists thinking?
I want to rip that off and remake it, that bed deserves so much more!



On another note,  it looks like winter has finally arrived in Montreal, 3 weeks before Spring
is due, it's a winter wonderland out there - for the most part it has been abnormally warmer
with small patches of snow here and there - which were all but nonexistent yesterday
but today looks like this

Have a good Saturday! ( I have to dig my boots out again )
xxx

You do the math....................

Ok, so I have 5 pcs that are for sell strategically placed around the house, 2 of them are leaving this weekend to go to a consignment shop -
4 new pieces were delivered today.....................
Let's see, that makes...................far too many for my house, lol...................
Out of control but these last pieces were bought a month ago before I agreed to take on the job of Nella's redo.
I am hoping the dressers will sell quickly at the store - so I can bring another 2 down there quick!

Here are the newest ones.........................

I bought this dresser for me - I have had mine for longer than I can remember and am fed up with it,
I love the "fluting" down the sides and the curves of this dresser.

John gave me some resistance buying this piece, but I think it would be so beautiful in a little girls room, the scale is just perfect for a little one.....................I love it.

doesn't this speak for itself? 15.00 - absolutely could not walk away from it -

and finally this - I know it's ugly, but with a little bit of paint, hardware, tlc, ok - a lot of love and tlc,
but maybe it has potential ( actually I bought this with a little niche at my Mother's in mind but don't even
know if she will want it ) this is the only pc I am second guessing.

whoa, is that ugly or what - that screams 70's so loud to me..................pls don't look
at the sheets and blanket covering the chair behind it - that's what happens when you have
a little dog/princess who does not understand the concept that chairs are for humans -
she had 3 beds - but prefers to curl down on this!
Oh and what is that peaking out to the left of the picture?
Never sold!
Perhaps I should just put a sign outside my front door, because it really is starting to look like
a shop in here..................

Have a wonderful weekend, hopefully I will have some before and after's next week.

xxx to all

Copycat - my new nickname

I was checking out Miss Mustard Seed's friday linky party and came across this

from http://savvyyoungsomething.blogspot.com/2012/02/herringbone-side-table.html and fell in love,

before I even had a chance to look at another photo - I ran into the living room and did this

And I am in love, isn't it darling?  The table was already painted white - so just had to tape off the herringbone

stripes.

It pays to follow these blogs, I tell ya, lol

Thanks Sarah!!!!

xxx

Black and White

My 2 favorite colors - since like always.......................

I love how clean each color makes the other look - how crisp the overall picture becomes - how soothing to the eyes -
Don't get me wrong - color is beautiful - it brings life into otherwise drab spaces - but in my perfect world color would be on the outside, and black and white would surround my interiors - they bring a feeling of peace to my rather chaotic world - even photos are more enjoyable for me to look at when in black and white.
So with that mindset - I convinced Nella to go with Pure white walls in her rather long hallway, and black doors,
all 10 of them ( yes, she has 10 doors in her hallway )
Here is an example - though I am not finished - and there will be artwork in black frames when we are finished with the paint.

I forgot to take before pics - but they were painted an offwhite  - ( as were the walls ) and looked
very drab.................for me this is such an impact - it is the first thing you see when you enter her home and
it screams sophistication -
We have to pick lighting - and I think the black coach lights are going to win ( fingers crossed )
More pics to follow -

In the meantime more black and white rooms -

http://www.home-designing.com

http://www.housebeautiful.com

 Jessica Helgerson Design

By Elizabeth Dinkel Design Associates

I want that floor somewhere in my house ( foyer or kitchen? ) classic, timeless, gorgeous.

and again ( already posted this pic this week - but too bad - love it so much I may post it once a week
for the rest of my blog life )

xxx

Heritage

Our section of the city has just been declared a heritage site - here a few photos of the facades I get to look at when I go for my walks...................

and one interior that I can't help but post ( listed on mls )

eye candy..........................

xxx

The problem with T.V. ( again )

Last night while flicking the stations on T.V. I saw advertisements for a woman who is in love with her breasts - she loves them as if they were her children, the ad claims.  Someone else is in love with their car - to the point that he has a sexual relationship with it ( do not try the visual on that one - I did and all I can think of now is this person and a tailpipe ) They make the woman who is addicted to cat crunchies seem like a normal person.

On another channel they were showing a hoarder whose home is infested with rats and their feces, and another man who was crying because officials were rounding up rats that he considers to be his pets.
Empty nest syndrome?

Further down the dial you can watch the mundane acts of people buying houses and complaining bitterly about the paint colors the previous owners used - Oh the drama - what color will the new owners use?
Do we change the channel in disgust when it is not a color we would choose?

We watch shows about people who have dozens of kids - as they go about their daily lives sweeping the floors - preparing dinners etc
and we watch as a young simple mother of 8 - becomes a diva before our eyes and turns our
stomach with her " all about me " selfishness.

We watch DWTS - and judge as if we are expert foxtrotters and twosteppers.

We watch American Idol - Amazing Race and Big Brother - while doing nothing but sitting on a couch or laying on a bed.

We watch Cooking contest shows and decide who should win as we eat dinners we have ordered in. Or worse we simply watch people cooking - instead of actually getting up and do so ourselves.

We watch Celebrity Apprentice and decide from early on who is worthy of winning and complain bitterly that it's fixed when we are proven wrong.

Something is definitely wrong with this picture - it's time to turn it off and get back to the art of living I think.

For me?

Think I'll stick to my paint brushes and furniture obsessions - at least I am living my own reality and not someone else's.....................................

( and I will always love my children more than my breasts, lol )

xxx

Another one

we're picking this up today - not a lot of work to be done on it because it is being painted white ( ASCP ) and the handles will be changed to chystal knobs - I love that it is French Provincial without all the fuss ( I do love fuss - but no fuss is easier lol ) and will appeal to more people because of that. I love her pretty little delicate feet - a simple but classic piece of furniture - the absolute best kind.

BTW - coffee table did not get sold - it was too small for the customers needs - ( even though I specifically gave the measurements before they wasted their time coming over ) Entry way is getting more and more crowded - pretty soon people will have to use the back door, lol ( the servants entrance, don't you know )
And only someone who does this could understand living this way!  I remember going to my brothers house and he had converted his living room, right off the foyer, into a playroom for his kids - and I thought " how strange " well it doesn't beat mine I tell ya, here I sit with a storage room smack in the middle of the house when you walk in.  And when we have company it all gets hauled into the bedroom with the door securely closed so no one sees this ridiculous situation!

God love me, because I certainly make it extremely difficult for anyone else to, lol

xxx


xxx

Piorra Maison

I finally ventured down to Caroline's new store today - Piorra Masion - Montreal stocklister for Annie Sloan chalk paints - what a charming store!!!!  It's filled with beautiful  custom jewelry made from vintage pieces - some pieces of furniture - unique clothing - and of course the much sought after ASCP.
And we spoke about selling some of my furniture in her space - on consignment - which is such a relief because Craig's list is    s       l        o        w,  right now.
Tomorrow someone is coming to buy a coffee table I have listed - but other than that the last sale was the gray buffet hutch and that was last month. The storage unit is filled to the brim - and this friday I have more furniture coming - 4 pcs for which I have not a spare foot to put it in.

bamboo details on the legs - this pc is so much prettier in person
ASCP White - no distressing at all

and as you can see peaking out in the background the pink dresser has not sold either ;(

I know this is a slow time for retailers in general - and for home furnishing in particular -
but I really need to make some room here - it's becoming overwhelming ( even for me, lol )

Anyway - here is the funny part - she went on my site to see what I've done - and there, right
after Meet Gigi - is a photo of my bedroom - with the clothes piled high on my dresser and my
unmade bed - EMBARASSING...........with me trying to explain why the hell I would have those
photos on my blog -
" it's because I never want anyone to see anything out of order in my home, so I thought I would
sort of come clean, lol "
" well  you see I was really sick - and was trying to emphasize how sick I was "
Forget it Suzan - the explanations sound stranger than the photos.
Felt like a complete idiot really - it seemed funny when I wrote the post - but like all the stupid
things I do - it came back to bite me, lol.

Think I'll stick to my " staged " photos in the future.

xxx

Meet Gigi

Here she is..............finally done.

be ready for a ton of pics - I can't help it I am so proud of this one.............absolutely will not sell it.
( I'm telling you in 10 years I will be on a Hoarders episode, crying and telling my story )

before

after ( again )

I am not even going to apologize to wood lovers on this one!!!!!!!! ( although I did love
it in wood when we first picked it up - looking at the before I am extremely happy I went
with painting it )
Paid 50.00 dollars for this beauty ( and the owner apologized for it's condition )
I already had the handles - 4 glass ones - and the silver handles were spray painted - they
were originally yellow
I used a homemade version of chalk paint for this - 1 part Plaster of Paris - 2 parts white paint.
One coat of the mixture - and then 1 quick dry brushing of an even more watered down version
of the same chalk paint.
2 coats of Polyurethane ( water based ) satin finish.

btw - in my humble opinion the home made chalk paint is ok - but only ok.
I will be picking up ASCP this weekend - because there is no comparison at all.
In this case it worked because I was looking for a washed out sort of patina -
take note there is sanding involved when using the homemade version!

This piece was effortless - really - no cursing - no sweating - no second guessing
A dream to work on!

Happy friday all
xxx

Linking up to Miss Mustard Seed and Feathered Nest Friday