SA Finds II

So, yesterday I also bought s couple tables to redo... and here they are:

Yes there's a hole in the caning in the one, there's nothing I can do about that.

And the legs are a bit loose, those will get glued up, and I think I might put at least a coat of matte spray poly on the caning to give it some 'hold'?  Bad idea?

I sanded them, and finished sanding the dining chairs [also caned, what's that about?] that I picked up before it started raining....

I already liked them better with some sanding!  

I plan to make them antique white, with some distressing.  I got one coat of paint on, but the bugs were biting and my kid wanted me to ride bikes with him... and now I have to wash off the bug spray- BLECH!

Forgot to mention, grand total for these two tables?  $25!

Progress

That painting on the fruit just peeled off once wet, so I'm glad I removed it before it clogged up my dishwasher or otherwise disappointed.

Turned legs.  I love 'em, but they are so annoying to paint!!!  These tables are obviously going to take some time... I'm just praying the rain holds off so I can get them done.

Salvation Army finds

I made it into the flooded nearby city that has a Salvation Army to scout out some things to repurpose and I can not wait to show you what I found!

Cute right?  Alas, this is the back.

Less cute... this is the front.

I may be crazy but I think I am going to spray paint the fruit white to make it disappear.... if it doesn't work, they're still cute.

I also picked up  a coffee table/end table set, but have to pick them up with the truck so you will have to wait to see them later!  Sorry.  They are way cool and worth the wait, trust me!

Making Plans

The Horse Rescue I volunteer for and to whom I donate 10% of my furniture sales to [unless it's a free item, then I give them 100% of the sale price] is having a charity horse show in Oct. and this will be the maiden venture for Late Bloomers.

It was the org. Presidents idea last year, for me to rent a stall for the day and set up a shop in it of my wares. GENIUS!

So I am planning what to take, what to make and what to do in there.  FUN!

This china cabinet, I have decided to change up a bit for the booth.

After all I went through to get the upper portion juuuuust righ with the beadboard... I am going to get another piece of plywood and paper it with an equestrian toile... and market this as a trophy case.

Thoughts?

What else will I put in the booth?

Framed photos from the Fair

Helmet covers

Hats

Pet beds

Window Photo displays

Something I would like to find and get done so I can share photos of it in the booth is my own tack closet.  Many people have gone on to get those flat screen HD TVs that do not fit in those old TV armoires almost every living room had.  I want to use one of those armoires to house my now unused saddles and other tack.  The top portion, where the TV was, will get 2 saddle racks and bridle hooks [already have 'em].  The bottom portion, whether a cupboard or drawers, will serve well as a space for saddle pads and the other accoutrements this horse has accumulated in the 20 years I've had him, but that have gone unused since he 'retired' 3 years ago.  This item will go in my garage, so that the 'closet' in the mudroom can be used for, say, coats instead of holding the 2 saddles, 3 bridles and mish mash of 'stuff'.

Pretty boy, lookin' good for 26 years old, right?

At last years show we had a silent auction table that I manned, and I brought this floral arrangement, in one of my grandmothers canisters to decorate the table.  I could have sold this thing several times over, though I faithfully kept responding 'I'm sorry that is not for sale'

So, when I was at the consignment shop this weekend and spotted these, I scooped them up for either booth display, or, in the case of the funnel, to use to arrange some flowers in

I could not resist putting an arrangement in this one!

I want to hang her on the wall or on a wreath hanger with flowers!!

These are a few of the horses this organization helps

I ordered a banner from Vistaprint to put up, it looks GREAT!  I have my business cards from them already.  I also ordered postcards that I will use to advertise and share special offers, ie if someone has a piece they want redone, or makes an offer on an item.

I'm also working on my portfolio.  It is right now simply a photo 'brag book' that I put pictures of my furniture in... very low maintenance and not terribly professional.  I certainly know better!  So, that's getting redone with good pics, in a classy album that I can add detailed information on each page.  Muuuch better than what I have!

So there's lots on the To Do list and I'm doing 'Before' and 'Afters' as I go so I can share.  

Now, keep me on task, will ya?

An addendum, if you have a hankering for some lovely floral designs to decorate your home, or as inspiration, check out Jenny Rebecca Designs on Facebook... so many lovely items to enjoy!!!

Waverly, why do you tempt me so?

It may not be the most expensive wallpaper and fabric in the world, no Brunschwig and Fils or Schumacher, or Farrow & Ball, ... you know the names.

But I love Waverly patterns.  When I scroll through fabrics or wallpapers, they tend to be the ones I'm drawn to, regardless of what style [Traditional, modern, whatever].

Right now I am so, so, so tempted by a Waverly Fabric to make a duvet cover for my soon to be redone bedroom... it's called Bliss Lemon Drop... a lovely floral on a sunshiney background.
Look what happens when you Google!  There is already a bedding set made from it!
waverly-bliss-lemon-drop-bedding

And then there's the Waverly Toile wallpaper I used on the Betty China Cabinet:

Well, when I was papering the back of that China Cabinet on my kitchen counter I started imagining putting it up in my kitchen as well.  Every time I left the room while it was drying and came back in I just swooned it looked so perfect there,  the background matches almost exactly the color of my cabinets and as you can see it fits the overall scheme in there.

So I taped a piece up to see if it would work as a backsplash.  Nope.  The pattern is too large.

So how about if I put it above the bead board wallpaper in the banquette area of my eat-in area of the kitchen?  

I would add a strip of wide molding between the toile above and the beadboard below, about where the beadboard ends right now.

Here's how it looks taped up there:

When I look at this I think 'YES!'

Whaddya' think?  Here's the kick, I have less than a roll of this to do the entire area.  Hmmmmm

And here's a new project that I just picked up.  Not sure if it will be simply cleaned up and left as is... or painted [I'm seeing off white].

I think my garage may officially be stuffed to the gills... I dunno that there is even room for me to work in there.  Time to move some items on.... 

August is not my friend

And I am happy to see it gone.

I was away this past week thanks to Irene who did not do any damage to my house [Thank you God!], but left us without power for the week.  We ate out alot.  We spent alot of time reading during the day and going to bed early.

Today was our first full day with power and job #1 was cleaning out the fridge and freezer.  ICK!  Thankfully it was not that stinky.  We took 3 large leaf bag garbage bags of food to the dump.  That hurt.   Seeing all the furniture people were dumping hurt too.  And as much as I love to upcycle, there was no way I was grabbing any of it!  Yuck!

I spent much of the summer trying to find the time, on the right time and day, to go to a new business I wanted to check out... a resale consignment furniture store.  I did finally make it there on the right day and time.. and her place was flooded in this storm.  All 3 rooms of items, ruined.  As a girl who dreams of someday having a shop like that... it broke my heart.  I hope she relocates, and that her sales BOOM!

While we were spared any true catastrophes during this storm, this is the house I lived in before we built this house... I am SO  GLAD I no longer live there... we did have flooding while there, but never in the house.  Trust me getting out of there with the road and drive flooded was bad enough.  I hear they had about 3 feet of water inside... and I can tell you that water STUNK!  Pee-Yew!

I hear that the water was halfway up the blue oil tank you see here.

These are the neighbors.  The gate you see there is a 4 foot gate.... the water was THAT HIGH!

While August could not leave me without a few last swipes- this storm, a nice case of poison ivy, and a GI thing that hopefully is gone- it also brought me great joy.  The 31st was the 20th Anniversary of buying my horse Yo.  TWENTY YEARS.  He's 26 now, doing great and savored his carrot muffin I brought him to celebrate.

He looks good, right?  [ok, minus those hind fetlocks!]

I'll be back later with updates on furniture and other activities here... thanks for bearing with me through this rough month.

HELLO FALL!!!