Dresser Before and After

I so wish I could take credit for this furniture transformation.  This past week I have been selling furniture online for a friend.  I posted a dresser and a woman named Liz snatched it up right away.  As a hobby and side gig she refinished old furniture.  She picked up the dresser Sunday afternoon and by Tuesday morning she sent me a picture of the after.

 

IT.  IS.  BEAUTIFUL.

 

 

RIGHT?!? 

 

I can't even believe how beautiful it turned out and how quickly she works!  Seriously impressive.  I knew you guys would be interested in a little furniture inspiration. 

 

It appears that she sanded the top and gave it a coat of beautiful stain to bring out those beautiful wood tones.  (The scroll part in the pic is actually another piece of furniture and isn't part of the dresser.) The brassy hardware all got a coat of paint.  The dresser itself was painted in white with a glaze over top.  I want it back now!!

 

If you're local to the Birmingham area you can sometimes find Liz's pieces posted on Facebook at Mountain Brook Trading and Resale 280.

 

Do you guys refinish furniture?  I'm really wanting to get into it.  What are your favorite techniques?  What do you use to paint - chalk paint, spray paint, glaze, stain?  I'd love to hear your tips and tricks!  Also feel free to link any before and afters you have in the comments.  I LOVE before and afters!

 

 

**UPDATE:  Liz shared with me her color selections in case you want to recreate the look.  It was a custom mix cream , and glazed with an aged bronze glaze. Hardware was painted in hammered bronze

$2 DIY Cake Stand

I've been loving all the cake stands I've been seeing on the internet lately.  And I've been drooling over painted glass.  So darling. 

The only thing better than cake is cake on a fun stand. 

I call this the $2 cake stand because the main supplies cost exactly $2.  The plate and the martini glass came from the Dollar Store.  All the other supplies I had on hand.  If you carft ever you will probably have these supplies.

Step 1:  Clean glass using glass cleaner and remove any stickers.

Step 2:  Lay plate face down on table.  Place fabric on top and trace around the edge to determine size of fabric.  I did it this way because the plate had a lip and I wanted to make sure I had the exact size of fabric.

Step 3:  Coat entire bottom of plate in Mod Podge.  The more the merrier.  If there is a spot you missed with the Mod Podge it will show up so coat that sucker good!

Step 4:  Lay fabric (right side down) on plate and smooth out any bubbles.

Step 5:  Coat the entire bottom of plate again with Mod Podge to seal the fabric.  Let dry.  It may looks splochy for a little while but once the glue dries completly it will all look great.

Step 6:  Trim any excess fabric with scissors.

Step 7:  Pour paint into martini glass and coat the inside generously.  Let dry.  {You can leave it like this or you can cover the paint with Mod Podge too to give it an extral seal}

Step 8:  Turn martini glass over and put your strong glue on the bottom.  Place plate on top and let dry.  *** This step is optional.  You don't need to glue it for it to stay in place.  I chose not to glue mine together to make it easier to store.

The top of the platter is completly food safe since you only added stuff to the bottom.  Wipe top to clean.  Do not soak.

Simple as that.  Can you imagine all the posibilites?

Now, who's ready for a doughnut????

Antique Week: Clocks and Books

From the looks of a lot of the pins I see on Pinterest there is a big fan base for all things books.  Here are some more to add to the drool pile. 

There were so many on my parents shelves to choose from but these were my favorites of the day:

The Practical Guide To Health by Frederick M. Rossiter, B.S., M.D.,  1913

{From top to bottom}

Jean Valjean from Victor Hugo's Les Miserables edited by Sara E. Wiltse, 1898

Crime and Punishment by Fyodor Dostoyevsky, 1944

The Rains Came A Novel of Modern India by Louis Bromfield, 1937

The Last of the Mohicans by J. Fenimore Cooper, 1897

The Prince and The Pauper by Mark Twain, 1882

The American Dictionary of the English Language by Noah Webster, 1849

Just look at this beautifully stamped leather cover!

 

An enjoyable excerpt from The Practical Guide to Heath, "Children who are indulged and who are allowed to satisfy the senses simply because it gratifies them, are early taught to live for the mere pleasure of life.  They are not taught to say, No, to the appetite.  Later in life the habit is foxed, and they become a prey to every passion and storm of the soul."

How's that for a medical book!  I'm certain Dr. Rossiter is shaking his head at my parenting skills.  A good reminder for us all, I think.

Love books but how about another picture of the insides of a beautiful clock? 

Sigh...

Antique Week: Delicate Flowers

It's Antique Week at my mom's house.  It's not possible to show you all the pretty delicate floral things my mom has.  She has quite an extensive collection of tea cups and gorgeous china.  Some of these items are not antique but definitely weren't purchased yesterday.  These are just a tiny sampling of some of my favorite pieces.





Leaf cup and saucer, and heavily floraled sets that make me oh so happy.

Love this English tea tin and seed packet tin.

Teeny tiny kerosene lamps on a crocheted doily.  Mom's Royal Albert tea pot is in the back.  She has nearly every piece in the set.

The tiny little white plates with pink flowers and gold plating on the rim are so delicate.  My mom has a large set of this pattern.  We are very lucky to done with them at Christmas.

Flowers, flowers, flowers. 

What's not to love?

Antique Week: Crafting

Continuing on with Antique Week, I had to include some antique craft supplies!  I know that there are so many more little treasures in my mom's house but after rummaging for just a short while I found all of these little beauties.

Hand cross stitched table cloth.  Maybe done by my grandma???

What's more swoon worthy than an antique jar filled with antique buttons?  The lid is to die for.

Tiny ivory crochet hooks perfect for making doilie after doilie.

A very heavy little iron.  This is how it used to be done folks.  You know, when women actually ironed clothes instead of shoving them in the dryer 15 minutes before leaving the house.

A tiny leather knife box lined in blue velvet, a gorgeous, ornate brass lantern to light up your craft room and {gasp!} a wooden thread carousel with wooden spools of antique thread.  And what's that on top?  Why it's a tiny little bowl to hold even more little treasures like these gorgeous lion crest embossed buttons.

I wonder how it will go over when I tell my husband that I now need two craft rooms?  My functional modern one and my display craft room to show off little gems just like these. 

Yep.  Definitely need two craft rooms.  Sorry babe.



Antique Week

I love when people post their thrifted items for the week.  There are so many fun treasures.  I have to admit though, I've developed a slight phobia of thrift stores lately.  I'm always afraid I'll be robbed.  I built up the courage to go with my friend a few weeks ago and guess what?  I was robbed{pick pocketed actually}.  I know.  It's crazy. 

So since you won't be seeing many thrift store finds from me in the near future I thought I would show you something better.  Antiques and family heirlooms!!  I'm visiting my mother and she has so many fantastic things just lying around her house.  I can't wait to show you just a tiny sample.



Brass and wood bell, wash basin pitcher, photo from Nelson photography, Santa Rosa, Cal., leather baby shoes, crochet doilie, rose tapestry and crochet doilie.



I can't start Antique Week without telling you about the wonderful lady behind it all, my Grandma Rosie.  My Nonie {that's Italian for Grandma} was born in 1917 and was the best.  She was actually the only grandparent I ever knew until I got married and inhered grandparents.  She was married to my Grandpa Charlie but he died before I was even born.  He was born in 1899.  He even served in WWI.  Nonie lived on Hopkins Street in Berkley, California most of her life in a house my grandfather built.  The home is gorgeous.  Grandma was an avid gardener and had an elaborate and perfectly manicured rose garden.  It was stunning.

Sadly, my Nonie passed away when I was just a little girl.  When she passed we were able to hold on to some of her belongings.  It meant so much to me to see all of these antique treasures growing up because they reminded me of her.  These things gave me a reverence for the past and for family.



My mother's baby shoes, 1954.



I hope you enjoy looking at these treasures as much as I do. 

Check back throughout the week to see lots, lots, more!