"Cherish" Room - Day Five!

Today was the first of two big moving days!  I took lots of furniture and wall decor I had been working on into the store and started setting it up in the room, after I finished painting one more wall the blue-gray color.

This antique shabby dresser was the first to be placed and was a temporary home for some accent trees until I can get all the furniture in place.

The little white rocking chair will end up in this grouping shown in front of the newly painted wall.  I didn't hang the large frame, choosing to set it on the little dresser until I have the other furniture in the room placed - I may need to move it a few inches depending on how much room I need!

Next up was this vintage desk.  The top of this desk had some scratches on it so I decided to sand and repaint the top before bringing it into my space.

 I repainted the top with 'Emperor's Silk' red.

 Next, I added a coat of clear wax -

followed by a final coat of dark wax to add depth to the desk top.  The original wood seemed a bit dry, so I added a light layer of dark wax to the rest of the desk as well and it really brought out the cabin details on the front panel!

  I placed the desk under the black metal items and rustic frames so it became the anchor of my 'cabin' wall.  I hung the hand forged iron cross above it and placed the 'Welcome to the Cabin' sign on the desk with a little tinsel tree.

I found this gorgeous chalkboard at the Sacramento Antique Fair at Restore and Rework's booth.  I gave it a fresh coat of chalkboard paint filling in the 'swirls' at each end to make them really stand out, added a fresh coat of white paint and then sanded the dentil molding across the top to make it stand out a little more.

This was just the piece I needed to grab customer's attention when they entered my room the first time.  I wrote one of my favorite sayings on it "Each heart is whispering - Home, home at last!"  Very appropriate for both Thanksgiving and Christmas - it reminds me of being away at college and traveling home for the holidays!

I put my 5 foot round shabby pedestal table in front of the super chalkboard and added a plaid tablecloth.  The red star to the left of the chalkboard repeats the red of the little rocking chair and I left some of my table top decor on the table - tomorrow all the table tops will get decorated.

Next, I hung this fun wire cubby shelf with four hooks - perfect for stockings!  The 'joy' banner and the 3-D metal letter 'm' may not end up here but for now they found a place to settle.

By the end of the day, the view from the doorway into the room changed quite a bit!  I'm bringing in another table tomorrow so depending on how it fits in the space I left for it, I may need to move things around again. The stage will be set for all the Christmas decor.  I can't wait to add ornaments to the tree, banners, twinkling lights, and do all the tablescapes!

"Beachy Blues Buffet" Tabletop

Sometimes a piece of fabric can inspire a table top!

In this case, a piece of Hawaiian print fabric in a variety of blues just happened to be what I needed to set the tone for a casual beachy buffet I hosted recently.

The yardage was one of the last things left in my mother-in-law's house when we were moving her to her new home.  I loved the various hues of blue and I thought the batik type print gave a Carribbean vibe.  The beachy buffet was held to thank those who had donated to my son's recent humanitarian trip to Haiti!

The colors in the fabric matched a lot of my depression glass that I had been collecting over the years so I gathered some pieces and put them to use.  The dark blue apothecary jar was my most recent find!

 I chose yellow and white daisies to contrast with all the blues!

The napkins were rolled up and encircled with jute napkin rings and placed in my cherished vintage sand bucket found at the Sacramento Antique Fair.

The light blue milk glass pedestal bowl was a gift from my husband - filled with lemon heads to carry the yellow through the table scape.  The vintage paper fish coasters were thrift store find, as was the blue cut glass handled bowl they are nestled in.

Here's a close up of the milk glass - I just love the curves in the pattern! 

They remind me of the ocean waves!

The tiny seahorse slat and peppers had to be included!

After adding the little starfish and some silver glass glitter to the edges of this sign found at Marshalls, it was ready to welcome the guests!

I placed the blue vase filled with daisies atop a vintage soda crate to create some height, added a couple of blue and yellow candles in a pair of milk glass candlesticks, a few seashells, and the "Beachy Blues Buffet" table top was complete!

I'm linking up to Tabletop Tuesday!

Bonnie's Vintage Trailer Redo!

"Want to come to my Trailer Trash party?" was the question I was confronted with one day by my friend, Bonnie Rosser.  My first thought was "Are we going to be eating possum?" but it was quickly answered when Bonnie explained how she throws "Trailer Trash" parties to display and sell her vintage western home decor!  "Sounds like fun! What can I bring?"  I decided to bring a dessert - a cake.

I arrived with my cake in hand and was warmly greeted as Bonnie showed me in, and then presented the "Trailer Trash" feast:  margaritas, cheese curls, vienna sausages, potato chips, and the grand daddy of them all - SPAM!  The rest of the guests arrived, we grabbed the food and heading out to the trailer for the party. 

Bonnie had found an old Streamline trailer, talked the owner into selling it to her and then undertook remodeling and decorating the interior of the trailer in a vintage 1950's western theme.   The original oven, sink and banquettes from the seventies helped Bonnie determine the color scheme of turquoise and red.  Bonnie painted the rest of the cabinets to match the oven color.

 The food was set on the table in the 'banquette' part of the trailer. Bonnie restored the original turquoise vinyl ulpholstory on the bench seats and found a folding table from Ballard Design which allows her to use the space in different configurations.  Bonnie stores some of her vintage western merchandise inside the banquette seats between shows.

The window above the banquette is dressed in window coverings designed and made by Bonnie.  The shelf above is dotted with conchos all attached by hand and houses Bonnie's collection of personal favorite Roy Rogers' memorabilia on a daily basis, and serves as a display shelf when she is selling her wares.

 The pair of child's Roy Rogers boots are one of her prize finds!


 

The custom curtains were designed and made by Bonnie out of turquoise leopard print, vintage western fabric and large cotton fringe.

 The vintage chandelier is suspended above the banquette - Bonnie painted the canopy a bright red to go with her color scheme.

 Zane Gray books are clustered together and held in place by two vintage horse head bookends designed by Gladys Brown. 

A vintage Roy Rogers rider toy sits atop the shelf displaying collectibles.

The sconces flanking the banquette were designed and Bonnie hired a Cal Poly graduate, Jessica Kong, to give the horse head's a custom "Trigger" paint job!  Boonie added the conchos to the shelf herself.

 The longhorn cabinet hardware is just one of many special details!

Conchos also embellish the mirror Bonnie installed, with a longhorn head centered over all.  You can see a reflection of the bed and curtains on the opposite wall.


 
The bedspread is a vintage cotton spread Bonnie found in Gilette, Wyoming, when her daughter, Linsay, was competing at the National High School Rodeo Finals.  The guitar is another vintage piece Bonnie purchased at the Sacramento Antique Fair.

The bedroom counter displays an vintage western scarf under glass.  Bonnie added the beaded fringe to her curtains.  A vintage bottle cap belt is lined up at the front of the counter and is a fun touch!


 
This cabinet is adorned with a vintage toy fence panel.

Bonnie sells vintage western themed collectibles out of her trailer including this Sky Ranch platter.  Other merchandise includes: Wallace China, Monterey Ware, Siesta Ware, vintage enamel ware, Gladys Brown bookends, horses and other western memorabilia to name a few!

 
Candy cigarettes fill a vintage vase with steer roping detail.


 All the Rosser's are involved with rodeo in one way or another so the vintage western theme was a natural choice and it is where Bonnie's love lies. The repurpose and remodel was a two year labor of love and Bonnie's attention to detail is evident in every niche of the charming space.

 The color scheme continues to the outside with special sidewall tires rimmed in turquoise.

 The "Happy Trails" propane tanks were custom painted and the family brand was painted on the trailer.

Keep track of Bonnie on her Facebook page, Trailer Trash: Old Timey Trash and Treasures of the Old West.  Bonnie just joined "Sisters on the Fly" and no doubt will have many adventures in her tricked out trailer! This sassy gal, another of Bonnie's vintage finds, sits waiting for visitors - so until then - Happy Trails to You!

Before & After: Vintage 'Fashion Flow' Set

Walking through the aisles at the last Sacramento Antique Fair, I saw a stack of furniture that I had to go check out further.  There was a twin headboard, foot board and rails set up with a desk set up in the middle, and all the pieces of another twin bed sitting alongside. I fell in love with the vintage vibe of this set immediately!

These pieces all had metal cutwork accents: The head board and foot board had strips about 4" wide metal cut work accenting them.  The wood was a blond burl wood but had lost its finish and had lots of nicks and scratches on them.   

 I wasn't quite sure if this piece was a desk or a vanity until I found the beautiful beveled glass round mirror that went with the set.  There was also the little apron piece that held the mirror in place sitting in the pile! So I determined it to be a vanity but it could also be a desk if someone didn't want to use the heavy beveled mirror. The vanity had the same metal design under the drawers on each side.  This cut work metal design was also used for the cup handle hardware on the desk. 

This closeup really shows the condition of the wood - this desk/vanity was definitely well used.  Inside one of the top drawers I found a tag that read "Fashion Flow Furniture".  I looked it up on the internet and couldn't find much but did find an ad from 1937 - which I think fits about the era of this desk/vanity, and the dealer said she bought it at an estate sale in Reno.  So if any of you know anything about it let me know!  I debated whether I should restore the original finish to let the burl wood show through, but after closely scrutinizing it, I found the burl wood pieces were actually veneer so I started sanding it down and getting it ready for some paint magic!

Oops! this picture is upside down - still learning!! First step was to remove the hardware.  These had multiple layers of paint on them and the paint was chipped off in places.  I set them aside and sanded and primed the wood parts of the beds and the desk/vanity. 

While the primer was drying, I took some fine grit sandpaper to the hardware.  

These cleaned up well and looked like brand spanking new metal once I got done with them.  The multiple layers of paint must have protected them from rusting over the years. 

But the shiny metal wasn't going to look good with my shabby paint job, 

so I primed them and painted them white.

This close-up shows the desk/vanity all finished.  The cup pulls look great and repeat the pattern of the metal mesh at the bottom of the desk.  You can really see the mirror apron here and it also has that great metal mesh detailing. 

Here's a full front view of the refinished desk/vanity - I hadn't cleaned the mirror up yet!  A friend gave me the little vanity stool - I need to recover it since it is a little dirty but I am not sure if I want this one to stay with this vanity.  I have two more vanities I am working on and I like this stool better with another one!  Plus, this piece could actually be used as a desk so it may need a different type of chair.  What do you think?

The pair of beds will be great for two kids that share a room once I get done with them!

Multiple sandings to get the yellowed and cracked varnish off and then again after each coat of paint and I was able to get a smooth finish on these beds.

Then of course, another sanding to distress them when the painting was all done!

Here is one of the beds all finished!  The yellowed finished is now gone and the beds look fresh and ready for a new home!  I can just picture this set of twin beds in a pair of sisters' room with some of Rachel Ashwell's Shabby Chic comforters on them!  Oh - and some cute pillows!  I love pillows!!

And last, but not least, the desk/vanity WITH the mirror!!  I couldn't get a picture with the mirror outside because the mirror needs to have a wall behind it to support it.  It is now in my space at the store - you can see some of the little girl stuff in my space reflected in the mirror - but this vanity/desk would be perfect for any big girl as well - I hope it will be cherished by whomever takes it home because it has been one of my favorite pieces to refinish!  Who knows - I may just bring it back home and put it in my Hollywood room - after all - the 1930's were part of Hollywood's Golden Age!

I'm linking up to these parties!

http://missmustardseed.blogspot.com/2011/07/furniture-feature-friday-favorites-link_28.html