Finally started on 2 furniture projects that have been hanging around for a bit. Still not sure how either of these will finish up, but ideas are brewing..
The first is a side table, with mid-century modern lines. There is no marks on who made it or any identifying information, which helps with the guilt of painting it.
The second is a traditional style chair.. It needs some repair work on the back before paint and seat upholstery.
Hopefully after photos will be coming soon.
Finally decided on a business name. Not just one but two. Which means now a business license and the feeling that I am officially working for myself.
Hopefully by the end of the year both businesses are up and growing like weeds.
Years ago I purchased a generic, Kmart special of a kitchen table and chairs. It was generic, with boring white tile on the top and and horrible purple paint on the legs. At least I didn’t buy it at Kmart, I at least got it from a consignment shop. Hey, I was broke and in need of somewhere to sit that was not my futon.
And I had a plan. I would strip the paint to stain the wood and retile the middle of the table. Boring was not going to last long. Great plan, until I purchased stain with poly mixed in it (which is a nightmare of a product) and I botched the tile job. The slate was heavier than the old tile so sunk in everywhere except where there was support. Which meant that if you ran your hand across the table, the bitch was going to cut you. Don’t worry, it wasn’t personal. Also, the grout was the worse grout job in the history of grout. And why wouldn’t it be, I had already botched the tile, why put time into the grout? (you can also see a pic in the post about the Koehler chair)
This is not a happy table
I thought I would deal with it for a bit, then redo it. A bit turned out to be about 7 years. Yeah, I know.
I finally decided to redo the redo of the boring table. I needed to so I could enjoy my kitchen again. Kitchen should be social rooms, and that is hard when you have an angry table that will cut you and then give you an infection. I originally thought about doing bottle caps, but nixed that idea as we only drink 2 types of beer at home. But A made the suggestion of pennies. Yeah, its all over the place and the “cool” thing to do.. But who actually does it outside of internet land?
The idea turned out brilliant. I painted the table black, went to the bank for $20 in pennies, and purchased my first blow torch. A week later, I had one damn happy table.
Shiny, Happy Table!
I am IN LOVE with my penny table! The apoxy that covers the pennies make it impossible to get a photo without reflection. But there is so much color, there is shiny and dull, there is purple, canadian, costa rican all in one table. And the best part! It is smooth! You can clean it, use it, put stuff down without it falling. It is usable! Best refurb of furniture I have done to date!
Look at all that color!
Next? The chairs. Now that the weather is warm, they are getting a few coats of spray paint. They are embarrassing the table and need to step up their game.
I have been wanting a small chair for the bedroom, for way too long. We are talking years. There were a lot of shiny things to distract me from the chair over the years, and I do mean A LOT.
Also, during that time I found out what I was looking for was called a slipper chair.
Seriously, a slipper chair. This does not sound like something I would ever own. Way too 1800′s for me. Until I figured out that women back then ‘medicated’ themselves all day and probably needed a place to pass out. Then it all made sense.
And I finally found the chair I was looking for.
Sorry Bill, pudding pops won't help me.
It’s ugly, it wobbles, it’s covered with something that looked like a Bill Cosby sweater. BTW, did you know he has an iphone app? Seriously, who knew?
Anyways, the chair was an a BRILLIANT craigslist find. Turned out to be a Kroehler mid-century modern, slipper chair. Just needed a little blood, sweat, and tears. And some new fabric. With more time on my hands than any insane person should have, I started the hunt for fabric. We will not even mention how long that took. Doesn’t matter. Oh look, squirrel!
And all this wanting, all this fabric hunting, all the work to take a wobbly, ugly chair to something not so ugly? WORTH IT!
Post face-lift and pudding pops
The fabric is perfect. And beyond that, the chair came out amazing, especially for my first upholstery project. Now to relax in my slipper chair and recover from a night of bad decisions.
Getting lost in Venice for 3 days, we kept seeing the best doorbell intercoms everywhere. Worn down, utilitarian and still so much personality to them.
When Spraypaint Wins
Falling apart & worn out
Old and Beautiful
1950's Robot
I have been inidated with spam lately. Like 150 emails a day. Apparently the Nigerians have gotten a hold of my email address and are sending me some everything from AARP info to how to do anything and everything the easy way.
But then there are these beauties..
Email #1 Subject – SHORT? Earn $379 a Day Working from Home
And really, if I am working from home, why does my height even matter? What would I be doing that it requires me to be short? What is the height cutoff? And really, $379 a day? Not $380 or even $375, but $379.. Why? And how much would a tall person earn (if they did not hate tall people, of course)?
Email #2 Subject – Lube Coupon
I could not even click that one. My imagination was far exceeding any coupon offer they could have had. Anything would have been a disappointment.
I am still waiting on my email that I have an inheritance waiting for me to claim it with a few hundred dollars.
With both a birthday and a food holiday in one week, I am on the mad search for elastic waist pants.. Or a moo moo. I am also thinking about how to make the next year of my life ROCK even more than this year did. The ideas are whirling around, the indecision is killing direction, and the possiblities excite me. I love birthdays, looking back at the previous year for a moment. To look at all that happened, to ask if it was better than the year before (in any way that matters to you), to determine the direction for the next year.
Thus the blank blog, as the old was horrid and crazed. I needed a fresh start, a blank slate.
This is what the blog looked like. If it was a cat. That could eat your face.
This last year has been amazing. While it was not the direction I thought (though I am always open to a change in the road, so no big deal here) it was amazing. Last year I spent my birthday on a beautiful Puerto Rican beach, with a sexy man and a beautiful rum drink showing up anytime I asked. I was able to take 3 stress-free months off from work, spending my summer working on bad-ass projects and with bad-ass people. And ending the year with 2 weeks in Europe, drinking beer and eating food like I have never drank (ok, that is a lie) or eaten before.
I cannot wait to see what next year will hold. And fingers crossed zombies are not a part of it.
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