Welcome to my blog about things I love to collect, refinishing furniture and decorating using flea market finds (with a few crochet projects now and then).Thanks so much for visiting!




Friday, March 28, 2014

Playing with vignettes & a few finds all on a flea market budget

Enough painting and working!
I'm puttering around with small areas here and there in the house.
The rest of my time here will be doing fun things like this...


I removed the desk that was on the left and replaced it with this old chippy aqua green wicker table. The white table to the right was found last winter at the flea market.  I'm not showing what's on the wicker table because it's an old heavy TV that I use only for the DVD player.
The white table is still cluttered with stuff.
I thought it would look so good! But there was this big space between the 2 tables with an outlet and ugly cords visible.

I picked up the cheese box at the same flea market for a few bucks. It was painted John Deere green. I thought it might work in the living room but the color was awful. I painted it white and took the electric sander to it. Still didn't like it in the living room.
Ah ha!
Works perfect here! Fills the space like it was just meant to be!


The unsightly cords!


The green cheese box before!
What was I thinking!!!


So much better!

I found a good spot for the little shelf but it sat empty for weeks until I spotted the little yellow bird at 22nd St. Antiques when I bought the wicker table. He's perfect perched here and directly below this is the tall skinny plant stand.

This was found at the flea market last year too. It's terribly wobbly and in need of some TLC. It fits in this little corner just right!


And my flea market cast iron urn that I thought I would never find...along with some old softballs found at Goodwill.


A collection of treasures on top of a table that was my mom's. All last years flea market finds.

Some 'good junk' found at the antiques store, everything you see here has a place, it just hasn't been put there yet!!!


I almost couldn't believe my eyes when I pulled up to Goodwill and spotted this bolt of fabric in the window. I expected muslin but it's a full bolt of canvas duck or Turkish greige!
I counted the folds (2 folds equals 1 yard) there are 20 yards and it was marked $20!
I can find a ton of uses for this!
Thinking window treatments, pillows, seat covers, stenciling!
A buck a yard and it's 48" wide.


And last but not least a little spring!

My goal of decorating this home on a flea market budget is working so far, the things I buy at the antiques store have to be almost flea market prices and it sure has been a fun way to decorate!
(Even the flowers were on sale in the grocery store at .99 cents!!!)

Thanks for stopping!

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Tuesday, March 25, 2014

Dining Room Table and Chairs Makeover

A couple of weeks ago I sanded and painted the old dining room table top and last Sunday I stenciled and recovered the chairs. I had already refinished the chairs a few years ago.
The top of the table was shot...someone had spilled something on it that ate through the finish and soaked into the wood...my guess is nail polish remover. I tried to sand it out but it was  a lost cause. Seeing as the table was a tiny bit warped and had a lot of small dents I decided the next best thing was to paint it white and sand the edges to look worn. If I don't like how it turns out I can look for a 'new' old table.
I really wasn't sure if I would like it and I didn't want to paint the base because it is in good condition.

I LOVE IT!

And I still love my fresh grapefruit centerpiece!

(Over in the left corner is an old aqua ice cream maker I scored on for cheap and boxes of cork tiles for the kitchen floor, to the right the chest that does not belong there!)


There is still a lot to do in the dining room.
I have a large antique two toned wood buffet back in Minnesota that will be travelling with me next winter. It will be placed on the far wall under the Maplewood sign (I'll probably look for a western print instead of the sign but it's such a huge wall and so bare I just had to hang something there).

I'm going for a Rustic Western Shabby Chic look, is there such a thing???

To the left of the buffet will be my mom's china cabinet, from the early 70's and has that glity gold finish. It has a nice shape and I'll paint it white and shabby it up.
On the right side of the buffet (where the dark chest of drawers is and shouldn't be) will be my antique medicine cabinet which is white but a little rust is showing...I think it will all go together nicely.



And for a little whimsy I stenciled The 2 Bit Ranch, one word on each chair and each word in a different spot on the chair.
I used a canvas drop cloth from Lowe's for the seats.
For you younger bloggers out there, "2 bits" was a way to say .25 cents years ago (back when a quarter  was worth something) my dad used to say it all the time.

This area was ranch country and there still are cattle here but not like years ago. 
The ranches were called Empire Ranch, which grew to one million acres by 1906! There was Ranch Del Lago,  X-9 Ranch, Beach Ranch, Leon Ranch, Shaw's Ranch and La Posta Quemada Ranch. This house is not a southwestern design but we  can sure make it look like an old ranch house on the outside.


Eventually we'll put down wood floors (hopefully plywood cut into wide planks)
I think I'd like to try my hand at a painted canvas floor cloth under the table, I've always wanted to do that.

For now and the next year or two I have the least expensive carpet I could find at Home Depot. I bought an 11' x 12' piece of brown indoor outdoor carpet,  I cut an 8" x 8" square for underneath the table and used the rest as runners. It will do until we put down the wood plank floors.
Next winter my plan is to completely paint everything, ceilings and walls, then I can spill and drip and not worry. This winter my main goal was to get that old carpet out! Next winter Mr. Wild will redo the master bath (the 2nd bathroom needs it too but that will have to wait one more winter). Then he also has some work to do on the back porch.
******
I found this vintage wood sign at 22nd Street Antiques in Tucson. It's large and heavy! It measures 36" x 27" and is hand painted on both sides. They tell me it came from a camp in Ohio.
I couldn't resist it!
I think it's one of my all time favorite finds!


The color scheme I want to go with in this room,
warm gold, brown and creamy whites.
The woven wool runner is from Oaxaca Mexico and will be the runner on the buffet.


And here is the only before picture of the table. You all know what an old dark oak table looks like anyway.
This is after 2 coats of Behr's Table Linen.
I made my own chalk paint using the Plaster of Paris.
As you can see the ugly old carpet is still in place.
I tore out all of it and removed a ton of staples and carpet tacking but left this piece to use as a drop cloth. I was so glad when that last piece of carpet finally went into the trash!!!


After the sanding


I mix a small amount of Plaster of Paris with water in a container. The Plaster of Paris doesn't really dissolve but you can feel it sort of incorporate with the water. I then put what I think will be enough paint for my project into another container and add a little of the Plaster of Paris mixture while stirring until I get the right consistency.
No, I never measure, not even when I'm cooking and Mr. Wild gets so frustrated with me because I never keep a record.
But there are lot of blogs that have more detailed directions.

I've been using Minwax Finishing Wax for years and it leaves an awesome finish on painted wood. I set the can in the sun for just a little while to soften it a bit.
I rub it on the painted surface with a clean cloth and make sure everything is well covered. Let it dry a few minutes and then buff it with a clean soft cloth. It somehow soaks into the paint and gives it a good hard finish that can be scrubbed and won't stain. I love this stuff and I use it on almost everything I paint.


As for the stenciling I chose a a rich brown paint by Martha Stewart called Vanilla Bean. I couldn't find her Textile Medium so I bought Delta brand. 
I followed the directions on the Textile Medium bottle.

I cut a larger piece of canvas (washed and dried of course) I then wrapped it around the seat and placed a strip of 3M Blue Painters Tape where I wanted the letters to be placed.

After I finished the stenciling I let it dry, then heat set it with a hot iron and a pressing cloth between the iron and the stenciled letters for about 20 seconds.
After I covered each seat I sprayed a coat of 3M Scotchguard to protect them from dirt.

There is a great tutorial by Deborah from Green Willow Pond on recovering a seat HERE
The under side of mine do NOT look as neat as hers do!!!!


And that's it until next winter for the dining room!

Soooo much to do and time is going way too fast...it's almost the end of March already!!!
And too soon it will be time to head north...hummmmm...not sure about that!
I'm feeling pretty comfy here!

Thanks for stopping by!

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Saturday, March 22, 2014

Fresh Grapefruit...A Work of Art

Farmers Market was today, my favorite little old man was there with his pink grapefruit
5 for $1


I mumbled out loud as I was filling my bag, I can't pick these off a tree in Minnesota!

When I came home and took them out of the bag I thought...it's a work of art! That gorgeous grapefruit with the stem and fresh green leaves!


They were picked this morning, fresh off his own trees. I took every one he had!!!!
They are huge, yup, and I ate that little dried out blue bunny immediately after the picture was taken, he was there to get an idea of the size of the fruit, I'm sure you all know the size of Peeps.
(They don't stay soft and squishy here for very long.)

Now I'll go attack one of these monster grapefruits!

Tuesday, March 18, 2014

Miss Desert Rose

I finally did it! I tore off the jersey on my $20 dressform!


I sort of like the sepia look.


I found this dressform at a flea market this time last year. My friend Stephanie told me that I  can remove the fabric and that there is cardboard underneath...huh? I didn't know that.
I never got around to it until my blogging friend Debbie (The Lakehouse) posted her dressform HERE and said she removed the fabric. So I emailed her and asked a little bit about it. Nothing to it.
I brought Miss Desert Rose out onto the front porch, took her off her stand and gave it a fresh coat of white spray paint. I started to pull off the fabric and it was easy. Scraped the loose old glue off and dusted her, vacuumed her and brought her back inside.

(I wonder if anyone saw me out there with this headless body???)



She was easy to decorate with what I had on hand, I happened to have a large crochet pineapple tablecloth, folded it in half and put it on her. I just purchased a beautiful crochet collar on Etsy, put that on top...liked it. An old rhinestone necklace was just lying on the dresser so I added that. 
She's missing the knob on top and I was folding up a crochet collar that was done in a complete circle and ruffly...ah ha! It looks like a flower! So I rolled it up and set it on top!
  That's it!





The birdcage with stand was another flea market find at only $20!
As is, I didn't do a thing to it other than add the artificial ivy inside.


Below is the entire wall. I think I'm okay with it except I'm not totally satisfied with the picture arrangement but something will come to me and I'll get it right.
(Can you tell I like a lot of clutter!!!)


this is the 'before' picture...what an improvement!


Thanks Stephanie and Debbie for opening my eyes!

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Wednesday, March 5, 2014

Oh What A Fun Day I Had!

Flea market was this weekend again.
It rained all day the day before and most of the night, I thought for sure it would be cancelled but I figured what the heck! Sure enough I got there shortly after 6 am and people were already going in.

Sure glad I went because almost immediately I found this beauty!


I wanted a vintage chandelier for the bedroom, I never really expected to find one here but there it was and the tag was very fair but the nice man came down even more.
I can't find a single chip or missing piece, and it's not even dusty! It's in great shape and hanging on a hook until Mr. Wild wires it up for me. (And of course I need to find the correct light bulbs, I'm thinking those pointy ones that are supposed to look like a flame.)

Then after I was all finished looking and taking a break back at my truck I thought, it's only 9:30, way too early to go home so I walked back in and found this.
I had walked right past it earlier because I was too busy looking the vintage radio sitting on top of it.


I know it may not look like much here but this little old chest of drawers is going to be a blast to fix up. It's all wood and in great condition other than it was covered with fabric and the darker drawers is where the fabric has been pulled off and the old glue is visible.
I'm thinking vintage wall paper in all different prints!
And pretty drawer knobs.
My friend said I can keep my vintage laces and treasures inside...great idea!

Then everyone had cowboy boots for sale this time. I've wanted a white pair for the Wyoming bunkhouse bathroom and this was the perfect "fit".
I love all the fringe!!!


I found more treasures but didn't take pictures of everything but funny how most of the stuff is white!

A pair of heavy wrought iron wall planters


And a couple of ironstone pitchers, the one on the right is a big one although you can't tell here


It's such fun to go to these things because you never know what surprise you will find!
You may not find what you were looking for that day but then all of a sudden something else pops up that you did want only it wasn't on your mind that day.

Like that small chest of drawers, once in a while I see them on Etsy and they are not cheap!
I never in my wildest dreams expected to find one at this flea market! And then to think that I walked past it a few times and didn't even notice it!

And yes, I know...more flea market "junk"...but this is how I'm decorating the Arizona house...on a flea market budget.
One of these years (soon I hope) I'll have all the rooms finished and then I'll show it off, that
 is, if it looks good enough to show!


What fun surprises have you found at flea markets that you never expected to see?


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