San Francisco and Big Daddy's Antiques

Hi Y'allzes!
Just got back from a super quick get-a-way to visit my Brother and his wonderful girlfriend, Karen in San Francisco.  Here they are, aren't they cute? ;)

I can't say Thank You enough to both of them!  They hosted my Mom and I for 4 days of jam-packed sightseeing, amazing wineries, restaurants, 2 of the best Flea Markets ever (Petaluma and Treasure Island) and of course lots of shopping!  On my last day there, they took me to see Big Daddy's Antiques.  A place that had reached mythological proportions in my head after I had read and seen a few pics of it, and let me tell ya' it did NOT disappoint.  It's a huge warehouse in the design district, jam packed with large scale artifacts, European antiques, statuary's, leather and linen upholstered furniture, etc.

Karen and I at the entryway (look at the size of that door!)

How about a Giant Ship in..oh, I don't know, your living or family room?

Loved this stone Mantel and all the charcoal grey chairs!

This is what greets you once inside-GORGEOUS.  My pics don't do it justice.

Farmhouse style coffee tables, stacked, vintage leather chair, huge movie reel and that ship.

Doves coo as you shop!

My adorable Mom and Karen. I'm told this is a 'cupola'- I just want it in my living room :)

We also visited a couple Flea Markets and it took all the will power in me not to buy and ship home so many things.  Unbelievable stuff, and we did do some minor damage ;)  But nothing a borrowed suitcase couldn't hold!

Petaluma Antique/Flea Market

Treasure Island Flea Market-this sculpture greets you at the entry.  Originally built for 'Burning Man' back in May, and it is filled with LED lights.  So cool!!

Then we of course had to sample some of the finest wines California has to offer, and 'sample' we did!!

Me, Mom, and Braden

Nooo, we didn't drink all that!

Me and my date, Braden and Karen

We also got to dip our feet in at Point Reyes, such a beautiful drive.  I have truly missed the ocean being here in Northern Texas...

My Mom, Bro and Karen

Mom in her element :)

And just like that, it was over...bye for now San Francisco!  See you again soon-I hope!

Thanks again guys, and give Stella a big ole kiss for me! XOXO

Too Much Time on my Hands...(T-T-T-T-T-Ticking away)

Hello,
How are you?
Thanks for the awesome color suggestions from my last post (Crystal and Robin :) I am working on finding the perfect pieces to use them on!  I  had to put a temporary halt on painting while I've been redoing my work space in the garage.  I discovered there was a little bit of over-spray making its way past the plastic sheeting.  So I had to order one of these:

Combo Welding Screen

While I am STILL awaiting its arrival (grrr), and the kids are in school I decided (or some sort of a crazy, crafty, mid-life crisis is taking hold) to take up sewing.  I know....what the...??  But I haaave sewn before.  I come from a family of antique-rs and professional upholsterers so somewhere deep within, it's always lurked - waiting for the opportune time...Bwaahaahaaa  ;)  My Grampa had an Upholstery shop in Beverly Hills and did work for the likes of Elizabeth Taylor, Cary Grant, and Liberace.  (I would have loved to have seen those pieces!)  My Aunt has been an Upholsterer for decades doing work for Calico Corners.  Personally though,  I always became way too frustrated and impatient with it.  I gave up before I finished or the minute I had to install a zipper/button/closure.  That was until I saw this baby:

www.ourboathouse.com

It was love the moment I set eyes on it...I had been obsessing searching for an affordable type coffee table/ottoman that matched my decor and didn't have sharp corners (kids).  Problem was they are all require such commitment for the $$$, I mean what if I don't want brown faux leather for the rest of my life?  What if my kids jumped on and broke it?  What if they ripped that faux leather, hurt themselves on a corner, what if-what-if??   But this one was kid friendly, washable, portable, cozy and surely couldn't be more than a couple hundred bucks right??  WRONG.

SKU:	5704402991
Price:	$1,320.00
Quantity:

I was in some serious sticker shock when I saw the price tag, really.  Couldn't believe it. I mean-is it filled with diamonds?!  All the sudden my DIY instincts kicked in, how hard could it be to make?  Well...I'll tell you.

It's not.  Although I did make mine slightly smaller, and by using a serger style sewing machine, but you can create a similar effect by using piping, bias tape, etc. with a regular machine.  The serger is an easy way to get that 'French-seam" look which is what I was after.

I filled it with poly beads which you can order online, but you could also use shredded foam, or even old pillows and blankets!  Whatever you liked and all depending on how squishy or firm you wanted it.   My kids love laying on it watching movies.

Here's where it got out of control though.  So while I was still waiting for that darn screen to arrive I kept sewing, in fact no one could stop me!  It was a journey all it's own, I just kept going...and going...and I sewed up these:

swiss cross looks a little crooked here, but it's just overstuffed.

And these,

Robert Allen 'Nautical' fabric line

and then there HAD to be another Pouf to match, right?!  It's called O.C.D  :)

 I was in a Nautical mood I guess....this my version of  'Fall' for the coastal-type style aesthetic.  I don't do orange, but never say never.

Cameo Bliss at Etsy.com

I'm putting these up as inventory in my Etsy shop (Cameo Bliss) I have a feeling I will be adding more items intermittently as I wait for paint to dry.   That or they will all be shipped to the Mutiny Bay Antique Mall in Whidbey Island, WA. soon.
Next week I hope to be back to paint spraying some new furniture pieces! I have an itchy trigger finger.  Thanks for reading and have a great week everyone :)

Tricks and Tweaks

Sometimes things just need a little 'tweak' to make them more interesting.  Like this newer Vanity I found last week; it was probably made in the nineties or maybe late eighties and kinda had that 'Dynasty' effect going on which is fine, but not my thing.  The middle drawer wasn't a drawer at all, just had a pull on it to make it look balanced when it was actually a lift-top style, very cool!

I wanted to make it more vintage looking yet keep it girly.  I was also dying to paint something grey!  So while I waited at Home Depot for my paint to be mixed I killed time exploring the lumber side of the store. This is also where they sell moldings, wood trim, wood table legs, and appliques like this one:

This costs about $5.00, others are less.

I grabbed my new grey/gray (?) paint and the applique and was off to Anthropologie to check out knobs next (any excuse to go there right?!)  They sell beautiful hardware, but a bit higher priced then you would find at say Hobby Lobby or Ebay.  Another good place is http://www.leevalley.com for their amazing collection of vintage styles. 
So several hours, (a dress, a sweater) and 2 crystal knobs later......yikes.

I got to work (to pay for that dress and sweater).  First I took wood filler to the two holes on each side drawer, as I wasn't going to use pulls but rather the one screw knobs I got at Anthro.  Then I drilled a new hole in the center of each (I wish I'd taken pics of this step, but hopefully you get the idea).  Then I glued the applique to the center 'drawer' to cover the two holes there.  Some paint, some new fabric on the seat plus those crystal pulls and we got this:

I haven't decided on the fabric yet so it's not attached and looks a little sloppy here, but all it takes is a staple gun.

Another trick I've tried from visiting the same aisle, is using trim pieces to modify plain looking or more boxy shaped furniture pieces. 

These come in different widths and designs

I got this bookshelf a while ago on clearance from Tar-jay, painted it and stuck it in one of our nooks in the living room.  It looked okay but after I put all my 'knic-knacs' inside it still looked too plain.

So I picked out a long piece of trim/molding, these cost about $8-$12 depending on size, style, etc.  And had them cut two pieces to the width of my shelf.  Then I took them home, painted them, let it dry completely and glazed it to show off the details a little more.  This is done by taking wood stain, mixing with a clear glaze about 50/50 and wiping it on, then wiping it off-that easy!! 

What remains in the crevices is what showcases those details and gives it an antiqued look.

Then I glued one on each end of my shelf using clamps, heavy cans, books, whatever I could find to pressure them down!

I know it's a subtle change, but it made a difference in taking a cheap shelf and making it look a little nicer.  Plus the shape of the detail blends in with the pieces on the shelves themselves, bringing it all together. 

I'm off to pick up another desk, any color suggestions?  I'm trying to deviate from blue but it's hard!!  I'm all ears if anyone has a color idea. Till next time...