little person chair

This little children's chair is a custom piece I completed for a customer.  It's going to be used as a prop for photos of little ones in her photography biz!  Matt worked his handyman skills and replaced the stretchers on the bottom - one was missing and wouldn't you know it, you can't buy dowels the size of the remaining one so he  replaced both with a standard size.  I gave it a good scrub, sanded off the paint splatters (I previously used it to set my paints on while working), painted it in 'Old White' ASCP and finished it with clear wax.  I hope it's well used and enjoyed by many in its new home.  'Before' shot is at the bottom.

Before (missing stretcher on the right):

xo Tanya

fun finds!

Last weekend Matt and I went on a day trip that started with the Vintage and ReVamped Market out at the Cloverdale Agriplex.  We wandered for two hours and saw lots of great vendors from furniture re-finishers (there were lots!) and antique dealers, to leather crafters.  There were a lot of talented people with lots of great stuff to browse (I didn't buy...I was saving myself for some thrifted finds!).  Matt was a trooper coming with me to the crowded and slightly overwhelming event - you could get a little dizzy with all there was to see!  At least he got a free cupcake - his favorite part of the morning no doubt.  Matt and I are thinking of doing a market in the fall after the wedding craziness is over, so he actually did want to check things out with me.

Next we were headed for the border...until we passed a garage sale.  This is where the magic happened for the day ;)  We had a fun time rummaging through this interesting old fellow's yard and garage which housed his treasures (and some just plain ol' junk...it's no fun unless you have to dig through that though right?!).  We did some bargaining and had some interesting conversation.  Here's what we walked away with...

Antique rusty 'garden bed'...

Vintage bench made by the seller...

Handmade side table...

Antique doorknob...

And lastly little antique faucet handle that he threw in for free.  I think I'll use it as a necklace pendant...

After lucking out on these goodies I decided to bypass my usual V.V. hunt in Bellingham - it took some willpower!  Instead we picked up some parcels - one of which is going to become my new business cards!  More on that and some other exciting news in a future post.  Lastly we visited R.E.I. where we bought me some children's hiking boots haha - if the shoe fits, why not buy it for half the price of the adult version right?!

xo Tanya

  

vintage metal suitcases & my butterfly cabinet

I'm continuing to downsize my vintage suitcases (see post HERE) and today I have a vintage metal suitcase to show you.  I don't have a 'before' pic but it was previously painted royal blue.  I DO however have a picture of the interior before I took a paint brush to it.  Someone had creatively glued fabric over the original papered interior which is unfortunate...

It was my first attempt at painting fabric (I used chalk paint) but I wasn't risking very much!  It looks great now that it's white inside and out, and I love the dents which reflect a lifetime of use and abuse - so much character.  I have a hard time letting go of metal suitcases.  They're more difficult to find and there's just something about them that makes them extra appealing.  If you're interested in purchasing it visit my For Sale page HERE for measurements and pricing.

Here's a look at my two remaining metal goodies...a trunk and a suitcase in my dining room on top of my 'butterfly cabinet'...which I'm giving you a peak at...even though it's still not painted after 10 years! Hopefully sooner rather than later you'll see this beast in one of my 'the cobbler's children...' entries (see HERE for my first post and HERE for my second)...

The unpainted butterfly cabinet.  Consider this a 'before' shot!...

There's a ladder to the left which our little orange kitty cat Yasha uses to get on top of the trunk and suitcase...one of her favorite napping spots (yes, I put it there specifically for her, I'm not gonna lie!)...

Here's Yasha when there was a different set of suitcases (ick!) on the cabinet...

My driftwood log is on the right.  To give you an idea of scale...it comes up to my nose.  I'm only 5'1" but still, it's pretty big!  An ex of mine lugged this thing from the beach for me at my request.  Ah, the things people do for love ;)...

That's it for today.  Have a great one!

xo Tanya

'the cobbler's children have no shoes' part 2

....in other words, our furniture has gone unfinished while I've refinished pieces for my business!  For part 1 click HERE.  I've been working at getting some projects completed for our home lately in between furniture I refinish for sale.  Here are two more projects I completed for Matt and I.

I've always loved this first table...it's farmhousey and has that great shelf (I'm a sucker for tables with shelves).

before (needing repairs):

after:

 

This second one is a bookcase that I inherited from my grandmother.  It never ceases to amaze me how paint can update a piece of furniture.  The bookcase now sits in our study and is filled with books, magazines and vintage finds.  I took some pics of how it looks now but the mismatch of books etc. looks less than appealing in photos:

How do bookcases always look so uniform and nice on pinterest? (cause the REAL books are hidden right?):

Haha it's tempting to turn them all around so only the nice creamy pages show but that would drive Matt crazy!  Oh the days when books were all pretty with solid coloured covers and gold writing!

Below is how the bookcase looked all clean and fresh after painting.  My old turquoise glass water jug (U.S. estate sale find) sits beside it and the grey filing cabinet you can catch a bit of to the right (inherited from my grandfather) is going to be white and on big black casters come spray painting weather.

Before:

 

After this 'part 2' post you're probably getting the idea that our house is filled with nothing but creamy white furniture ...well that's mostly correct!  I prefer light neutrals and like to bring in colour with accessories which can be changed easily and as frequently as I wish.  Although, as you can see HERE, we do have yellowy green walls in our family room!  But I love the colour and never tire of it ('Anjou Pear' by Benjamin Moore).

xo Tanya

fun finds!

First I thought I'd share one of my favorite rescues from Matt's co-worker's dad when he moved into a retirement home (from now on let's refer to this generous fellow as Mr. H - you'll be seeing a lot of things I received from him in the future!).  It made an appearance HERE.  It's a nice small size and has just the right amount of rust and scratches (you get the appeal right?  it's not just me?!)...

I love the sticker with the 10 on it and the little pop up shelf inside.  I gave it a good scrub-down so it's good to go.  I'm not sure what I'm going to store in it yet or where I'd like to display it but I know it will come in handy at some point!

Finds from last weekend:

Smallish sized milk glass urn...

Large mixing bowl.  I'm accumulating these to use as serving bowls at our wedding...

Cute summer top...

A second possible beach-casual wedding dress.  I would add some panels to the bottom to make it floor length (and iron it!)...

Lastly, a lambswool poncho (the colours look much softer in person).  This'll be great for wearing on top of batwing sweaters which get bunched up in the armpits when you try to wear a normal coat!

We're heading to the states on a day trip Saturday so we'll see if I come home with some new furniture to paint this time!  That's usually the initial goal when hitting up thrift shops - oops!

xo Tanya