MCM Dresser makeover

MCM Dresser makeover using Maison Blanche Wrought Iron & Americana Decor Primitive

I found this awesome MCM side table/dresser on the side of the road.

My eyes almost popped out of my head when I saw it.  It was sitting there all alone...  It was begging me to put it in my car to bring home!!

I had just picked up my little one from Pre-K, and I asked her "do you think I should stop and pick it up?".  Of course her response was "yes of course mommy...well if it is free".

All the way home (the full 5 minute drive) she was so excited repeating "Mommy you got a really great piece of furniture, yay mommy, way to go mommy"...

As soon as I got home I wanted to start painting it.  I knew exactly what I wanted to do.

I ended up needing to take my father to the doctor on Thursday, and then again on Friday morning.  But, when we got home on Friday, with my dunkin donuts coffee (because I so needed it), I started on my transformation!!




Adding the first details -

First thing I did was use my Silhouette Cameo to cut out Subway Art Stencil.  I have been dying to make something over using subway art.  I just love it, and feel this was the absolute perfect piece.

I then painted the drawers with Americana Decor Primitive for the reverse stencil effect.

While the paint dried on the drawers, I painted the entire dresser in Maison Blanche Wrought Iron.

Using transfer paper I added the subway art to the drawers.  

I then painted over the top of the stencil with the Maison Blanche Wrought Iron.  

Prior to going over it in the Wrought Iron, I went over lightly with the Primitive.  This helps to have cleaner lines when you remove the stencil.

Once dry I peeled of the stencil!

It looks pretty darn awesome if I say so myself....

But...

I wasn't done just yet...

It needed just one more added touch -

I decoupaged (free) NYC Subway maps to line the inside of the drawers...

I gave it a nice wax, and one coat of wipe on poly...to seal it!

It needed to show the maps of the art on the front... I think it is now complete!

Someone else's trash, will now become someone else's treasure!!

I seriously still can't believe I scored this sweet thang... It was in perfect shape, just needed a little love & it was good to go.

Until next time 

Much love, peace & happiness

~Lynn

Black & White dressing table makeover

I picked up this dressing table at a local auction.  It was a special auction because my sister Cindy was visiting from California.  We went to the auction together & enjoyed getting to spend the time together…just the 2 of us!!  It meant a lot to me!

Originally I wasn’t going to do anything to it.  It really was beautiful, but once I was able to take a better look I realized the top had been damaged.

I am not sure why but I find furniture often with big gouges in them.  This was no different.

The top had a deep gouge about 6 inches long in it (you can see a portion of it in the middle part of the top picture).  I tried to repair & just re-stain, but the gouge wasn’t allowing it.  

I love the neutral black & white combo & thought this was the perfect piece for that.

***Warning***  Please excuse the mess of stuff in our basement in the mirror images (fair warning it looks like Sanford & Sons).

I first stained the top of the dresser, the shelf & the frame of the mirror.  I used black gel stain by Old Village. 

I then painted the dresser and the top shelf in an Antique White Chalky paint that I made myself. 

I painted the drawers in duck egg blue.

I think that this piece turned out classy and a truly great piece.  It is on the original caster wheels.  I dropped it at my booth and within less than a couple of weeks it went on to its new home. 

I’ve heard through word of mouth that the new owners are still super happy with the beauty!  That in itself makes my heart sing happy songs.

Much love, peace & happiness

~Lynn

Thrifty Trip Tuesday #8

I always love to see where others find their fun finds.  There are many times that I am super jealous of the finds or the thrift stores others have around or close by. 

Fortunately for me we have some pretty amazing digging spots around.  Plus we have a vast amount of auction sources.  Now that winter is coming my trips will slow a bit, but I will bring to you some of the thrifty finds all made over. 

Sometimes some of my very favorite items come from an extremely thrifty place….

The trash!

They do say “other people’s trash is another person’s treasure”, and I can attest to that.

I found this dresser not long ago as one of my neighbors was throwing it on the curb… Of course I went and got my husband to come help me.

See how thrilled he is? Yes!?! I may just humor you and let you see that look again...down the road (literally) :)

Look at the bones of this!! They don't make furniture like this anymore...  

You can read more about it here and the beautiful transformation!

And, then I found these chairs that I thought were kinda cool.  They were down the street from me, and as I was taking my little ones to school I stopped & grabbed the 4 of them.   My girls giggled the entire time.  They thought it was the funniest thing that mommy made the wheels squeal when I came to a screeching halt in the middle of our street.  

This dresser I found as I was taking a walk with our puppy.  Guess who I made go get it?  Yup… my hubby!  In my defense I had to be somewhere directly after getting home from my walk. 

Just the other day as I was walking to the bus stop I found this cool cart.

I couldn't text my husband fast enough to ask him to meet me down the road in 10 minutes... I of course did not tell him why!!!

I mean come on look at those goodies in the cart itself!!  By the way would you do with this cart?  I plan to fix it up, and make it decorative!!  I love this baby...

Oh... look who I found looking so thrilled I called him to meet me down the street :::insert slightly evil snark here:::

He's probably going to be the one to take over that cart anyway...  He was wheeling it around like he owned it already!

I dropped him & the cart off at the house, and ran down to pick up my little one from Pre-K and my eyes lit up when I spotted this great MCM side dresser on the side of the road.  I think my 4 year old was just as excited as I was about the fabulous find.

I would venture to say it was my lucky trash picking day!!  Every single one of these came from my neighborhood, and I'd like to knock on the door & ask if they have anything else they plan to throw out!  I'd also like to knock on the door & show them a before & after photo...

Here is a sneak peek at what this beauty looks like now...full blog coming soon.  It turned out amazing.

These treasures have been some of my favorite upcycles to date.  I mean first they were free, and I love free.  

Both of my girls eyes are trained to spot furniture on the sides of the road.  Anytime we pass a pile of trash, they both start scanning it over, and then asking if I see anything I think I should stop and grab.  I love it, and I hope that one day the love I have for saving someone else's trash & turning into a treasure for another carries on...

Until next time..

Much love, peace & happiness

~Lynn

Being Featured!

Do you Hometalk?

I’ve heard all the buzz, and recently decided I needed to move on over to check it out for myself.  I am seriously addicted… 

I love social media, networking with others, virtually meeting like-minded souls. 

You see day in & day out I have a wide variety of things I do throughout the day.  Some days it becomes overwhelming.  I paint, I clean, I organize, I am a nurse, a teacher, a wife, a mom, a daughter.. 

Oh wait a taxi driver, a chef..

....am I missing anything?  

What I wouldn’t do is trade it for the world 

because it is my world & I love it.

But, what scores as a big bonus is when you throw one of your projects up on an interactive board where others can correspond with you, and it grabs the attention of so many other people.  

Hometalk featured me not once but twice in one day!!  So fun!

Ugly duckling desk

Sliding Pantry Door

It is gratifying!  It is the pat on the back that puts a smile on your face & lights up eyes that even the darkest of clouds can’t wash away!

Not long ago I decided I should add my projects to Hometalk.  I’ve been so busy working on my blog, painting furniture, trying to just catch myself up that some outlets I hadn’t ventured onto.  But, I am happy I made the move. 

And, then very soon after Hometalk featured our bathroom vanity I did for our upstairs guest bathroom (girl’s), it turned out to be a big hit.  I was even asked to write up a post for another blog -

Tradewinds Imports

Dresser turned to Bathroom Vanity

In all honesty, I really didn’t think much of the project when I did it.  I was looking for something not cookie cutter.  I was proud of how it turned out, but wow what a giant pat on the back I’ve received.

With that, I have pulled together a board with some of my favorite bathroom vanities.  Like ours none are cookie cutter, but all are completely doable. 

I hope you take a look by clicking on the link below. 

I love Hometalk, and what it is about.  You can find some really great projects, ask questions, find a pro or clip projects you like for later.  

Thrifty Trip Tuesday #7

Happy Tuesday!!

I had such a whirlwind of a weekend that I am seriously feeling behind in my days.  

My friend Cindy & I hit the road early Friday morning with our sights set on a place we've both wanted to visit....  

Brimfield Flea Market

Brimfield Massachusetts is the site of the largest outdoor antique show in New England, with over 5000 dealers from all over the country. The shows, a week each, happen three times a year, May, July, and September. The shows are all located within a one mile stretch on both sides of Route 20. There are 21 Fields each approximately 3 to 5 acres.  It is by far the Classic Antique Event of the Year.  Besides hosting the largest Antique Show in New England, we are centrally located in Massachusetts.  Driving access to the area is made easy,  as we are close to Route 84 and the MassachusettsTurnpike.  There are many attractions close to the area which make a stay memorable. - http://www.brimfield.com/

We had no idea what to expect. But, once we pulled into a parking spot we were right in our element!!  We were hungry, but kept getting sidetracked... "oh look at this, look at that", "should we go this way, or that way".  Finally making our way to a snack stand we both ordered a very yummy chicken salad wrap & split an order of sweet potato fries.  We now had the energy we needed to conquer the day.  

**** WARNING **** This post will be picture heavy...I apologize in advance.  

I am going to let most of the pictures do the talking for themselves. 

As we drove through Brimfield

If you have followed my blog, you will know I have a passion for horses.  This guy was just a little more money than I had :(

There were so many things I could've packed right into my van...  Lots of lovely items.

For my friend Pamela at From My Front Porch To Yours

It was a long hot day, so we stopped off in the food court to grab a beer to cool us off.  I choose the Pumpkin beer to ring in the soon to be fall!

 This was a fun field with a ton of industrial items from windows to ladders, wire baskets, tin tiles, etc...

Even this cool tee-pee.  

Get a hold of all those amazing lockers!!  Lights, camera...action!  Wouldn't this make a fun set?  

Some really great signs...

This reminds me of back home in Texas..

If you were looking for Pyrex...it was there!  So many great colors & patterns!

Legs!?! Anyone!  Can you imagine the things that could be done with these sexy things?  I can see them going on a piece of barnwood to make a nice table.  

I would take these & turn them to have the scrolls on the bottom and make a coffee table with great detail on the edges of the table top!  There were 4 of them...I should've bought them :)

Lots of fantastic items.  Unfortunately we only had a certain amount of room in the van.  

Cindy was pooping out on me & decided to take a seat on this chair...  

These are the items I came home with.... 

This is a really fun old bath scale.  You can actually stand on it...it does go up to 290 lbs, and this is the first I've come across in my days of treasure hunting!

This little cart looking thing with wheels is what they would carry glue buckets around on. But, Cindy and I both have other plans for this guy!!

At the very end of our day 2 (Saturday) a lady bug flew & landed in my hair...  Is this a lucky sign of what's to come?  

Bottom line is that we found some -

Even though some parts of the weekend was extremely hot (& we were sure we smelled, and looked yucky), it was a fun filled exhausting weekend that I will cherish & remember just how blessed I am.  We had such an amazing time, met some awesome new friends that we will continue to stay in touch with!  Lots of great things & a wonderful positive experience was had!!  

Stay tuned because much more to share with you from the weekend in the near future.  I promise you won't be disappointed and I may even get a gasp from you....

Much love, peace & happiness
~Lynn

Lynn Fern