In The Pink, And A Totally Goofy Goodwill Purchase

(Head-slapping stupid Goodwill story at the end of the post.)

Almost two years ago, on one of my first jaunts

to buy furniture for my antiques booth,

I got this from a favorite picker:

A old small-scale side table with a lift-off glass tray top.

A little rickety, but nothing some well-placed glue wouldn't fix,

and it clearly was begging to be painted.

So I did.  Paint it.  Nearly two years later.
I have never been known for my on-time performance.

A first coat of Sherwin-Williams Eros Pink semi-gloss,
and a decoupage treatment under the glass of the tray top.

It's gift wrapping paper.
(Hello, Christa! I wrapped your bridal shower stuff in this, because of the Tiffany blue.)

Table, done: 3 coats of paint, and an acrylic topcoat.
The pink paint is a teensy bit more vivid than the pink in the paper,
but I already had the paper, and I already had the paint.  So I will live with it.

Or, I hope someone will live with it.
We put it in the booth on Sunday.

Sorry.  Phone pictures.  I'd forgotten my camera.

It's kind of a bright spot
amongst its more sedate brethren.  :-)

Ack.  Phone pictures.  Sorry.

It won't appeal to everyone, but it appeals to me,
and I had a blast reviving an old, scratched, rickety table
and giving it a snazzy new look.

I can only imagine what that table would think if she could
see herself in a mirror.  I think she'd be pleased.
She's all ready to hold someone's tea cup, or martini glass.

Link Parties!
It's Metamorphosis Monday at Susan's
Between Naps On The Porch.  Click here!

And at The Dedicated House, it's
Make It Pretty Monday.  Click!!!

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BUT before I forget -- my stupidest EVER Goodwill buy:
A hardcover book.  A British murder mystery.  So far, so good.
Here's where it gets stupid; 15 pages into the book, I realize
that I had donated the darned thing to Goodwill back in September.

Yes.  Yes.  I bought my own book.
It's okay.  Laugh.  I did.  And now I can donate it back to G.W.

It's wet and stormy in northern New Jersey.
The dogs and I will take quick walks today!  -- Cass

Look What Followed Me Home

I'm a sucker for one-drawer stands.
Which are not at all the same as one-night stands.

This morning, early, when the temperature
outside had already reached 88 degrees and the sun
was blazing hot, this little darling came to roost:

I spotted her on Craigslist, and thought, "Oh my!  That's the real deal."

Not many ladies would think it a great compliment to be called

really old, but among one-drawer stands, it is high praise.

I met the seller outside of Macy's this morning, and when he took

the table out of his truck I was disappointed.

She looked too new, too youthful, too perfect to be the real deal.

But for $35, I figured I would buy her anyway, as she

seemed to be a really good quality reproduction,

and I could just tuck her into a quiet corner somewhere.

Then I got her home.

And got a closer look.

 Up close and personal, peeking inside her drawer

(not the same as peeking into her drawers),

I found hand planing, signs of use and wear, and other giveaways.

She is indeed really old,

 with just a little too much surface refinishing for her own good.

You know how it is, gals.

As we age, we need to dial back the makeup a bit.

So, instead of hiding her in an obscure corner here at

That Old House, she's heading for the glamorous life

at the Somerville booth.

She won't even get into the house.

Have you met our fierce guard bunny?

Question:  Why do weeds flourish in droughts?

The annuals and perennials are near death's door, and the weeds

are whooping it up.  What a revolting development this is!  -- Cass

Drop Dead Gorgeous

What is it about old Drop Leaf Tables?
I'm nuts about them.
I think a lot of other people are, too.

They are so practical, modestly slipping their slim silhouettes into narrow spots in our houses,
but then bursting out, triumphantly, with their wings unfurled to pitch in at parties and shindigs.

They are the "We need more table space, stat!" heroes of the furniture world.  

The first thing I sold in my antiques booth

last November was a much-used cherry drop leaf table.

With a few issues.

But someone took it home, with all its scars and boo-boos, and I hope is still lovin' it.

I have an old cherry drop leaf table next to the sofa in our study.

Howard and I bought it many years ago in Zelienople, Pennsylvania, when we lived in Pittsburgh,
and it has served us as a kitchen table, a bedroom night stand, an entry table, a living room end table,
and now it holds a lamp, coasters, magazines and books in a cozy nook.

Upstairs in the Pink Bedroom, there's an Empire flame mahogany drop leaf table that I'm not yet sure what to do with.

It's got one large leaf, and becomes a lovely generous 5-legged square when that leaf is up.

It could be a card table, but I think it is a little large for that.

I have pink towels for overnight guests piled on the top, so I didn't take a picture of the whole table.

(Yes, we make our guests use a slop jar . . . . anything for antique authenticity.)

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There is a drop leaf table that I would love to

sling into the back of my trusty red minivan and haul home.

It lives in Virginia, and I saw it this past weekend at my niece Emily's antiques booth.

 

Square legs.  It has square legs, love them, and a drawer that just hollers "Empire!"
And fabulous wide board leaves.

But last week in Virginia, I already had a drop leaf table in my minivan,
one that I'd gotten at an auction Thursday night in Richmond at Alexander's auction house.
That one is still upside down in my minivan; it will be going to my booth, probably tomorrow.

You know, when I clicked "Auto Correct" in the photo program on the computer, I was hoping
it would mask out the wrapping papers and moving blankets scattered around the back of the minivan.
It did not.  Useless.

 I don't often see acanthus carved legs, so I really wanted this table.

 The wood you see behind that leg, above,
is the top to this, below, which is also reclining in the van:

Another auction "win" for me, but that's a whole 'nother tale.

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Anyway, if you are in Virginia and wondering what to do around Ashland, go visit

Hickory Creek Antiques on England Street.  Emily's booth, Ha'Penny Vintage,

is the second on the left as you enter. You'll know it because it's the nicest.  I am not at all biased.  Really.

Emily's Ha'Penny Vintage blog is here.

On this warm and sunny Friday, I'm off to Philadelphia with my sister.

Play nice while I'm gone! -- Cass

Link Parties to visit and love:

Feathered Nest Friday makes its home at French Country Cottage.  Click here!

The Charm of Home features Home Sweet Home on Fridays.  Click here!

It's Vintage Inspiration Friday at Common Ground.  Click here!
Miss Mustard Seed hosts the Furniture Friday Feature.  Don't miss it! -- Click here!

 

Estate Sales, Craigslist, and A Daughter In The Trunk

So our daughter Anne may regret having come home this weekend.

It was a hunter-gatherer weekend for the booth, but Saturday was a bust.
We went to an estate sale at a big 18th century farmhouse.

Of the few things we might have wanted, all were priced way too high.
I am beginning to think I am not going to waste time on local estate sales;
prices are generally what this cheapskate thinks are too high.  It's Craigslist and auctions for me.

But we did enjoy looking at the house, which was amazing.

And much larger inside than it looks on the outside.



Anne took pictures with her phone inside the house.

Keeping Room; check out those floorboards!

Looking up the center hall stairs.  I've seen this same delicate handrail and balusters in other 18th century houses in N.J.

Upstairs hall; look at those boards.

More stairs, handrail, hall.  It's domestic sculpture.

One of the many bedrooms.

The other side of the Keeping Room.

A Study, lines with bookcases and a built-in bar.  In a newer wing of the house, which also housed a kitchen.

The study and the kitchen were in the wing you can glimpse on the right in this picture.

There's also a barn on the property.  This is one big homestead!

But we did get to see a part of New Jersey that was new to us but obviously,
from the age of the houses, not new to New Jersey.

What a beautiful old house.

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On Sunday, after church, we picked up a vintage French country style dining room table (Craigslist!)

that I hope to sell on eBay.  It is huge; with its 3 leaves it stretches to 10 feet long.  Lovely table.

Getting it in the back of the van would have been easy, except we had one Stow-and-Go seat up.

Where Anne was sitting.  So, we put that seat down, slid the table in, and . . .

had nowhere for Anne to sit for the 30-minute ride home.  What to do?

We considered strapping her to the roof of the minivan but, not being enthusiastic

about that plan on a 15-degree day, Annie crawled in under the table, and just lay down.

We took back roads home.  She survived.

We were not stopped by the local constabulary and ticketed for Bad Parenting.

Hi Mom!  Thanks for the ride home!

Howard realized that it was the first time since she was born that

Anne rode in one of our cars, without either a car seat or a safety belt around her.

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But this 3-day weekend is not over yet.

This morning, Anne helped Howard carry a highboy to my minivan and load it in.

And he closed the van hatch on her head.  Ouch.

It's only January, and we're already in the running for Parents Of The Year.

Anne's helping me bring the highboy to my antiques booth today, and I've promised to treat her to lunch.
I hope she doesn't get food poisoning.  -- Cass


P.S.  These are also going in the booth:

Milk glass goblets, and Avon ruby glass goblets and matching decanter.  

There were 12 milk glass pieces when I bought them (from a Craigslist listing) and when I unpacked them, there were 13.  I have no idea how that happened, but I'm pretty sure I'd have known if the little devils had reproduced themselves in amongst the pink packing peanuts.  

I think I'd have heard the clanking, and the giggling.

By the way, this is also the highboy that's waiting for its trip to the booth,

so I better leave the computer and fire up the minivan.  Have a great Monday!

Don't Panic! It's (Sort of) Under Control

Have you looked at the calendar?
Or the countdown clock on the side of this blog?

Thanksgiving Day is two weeks from today.

Today, people!

14 short, gone-in-the-blink-of-an-eye days!

They're on their way. . . .

You know what this means?  I am motivated.  Ah . . . adrenaline.  It's a beautiful thing.

2010, the "grownups" table.

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One of the most important things on my T.B.D.B.T. (To Be Done By Thanksgiving) List

is to transform this sorry looking space at an antiques mall into my less-sorry looking booth.

Yes, I am starting small, with a 6 x 9 foot piece of floor.  No walls.

Help me out here, my friends.  I am putting a rug down to help define the space,

cover the sad, sad floor, and give dropped dishes a fighting chance to survive.

This place definitely needs help.  Makeup!!!

So -- how to block out the area?  Screens?  Peg board?  Lattice?

Anything I put up to delineate my booth space needs to be able to support itself.

Ha ha, unlike the booth!

Howard and I are going to figure this out this weekend.  I'll take pictures.

Even if there are power tools and blood involved.

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So, what am I putting in this booth?

The more I wander around That Old House, peeking in cupboards

and lifting the skirts on round tables (eek!),

the more things I find I can live without, and they are marked for the booth.

Here are some of the things that will migrate from 

That Old House to That Old Booth:

Colclough red roses tea set for 4.

Huge glass cake pedestal.

Vintage silverplate, early-early 20th century.  6 each knives and forks.

I do sometimes use these, but I have so much flatware; time to divest.

Glass sherbets.

6 of them.

I don't use them, as I have some of my grandmothers', and am ready to bid them adieu, even though they do amusing tricks.
Like stand on their heads.

Vintage damask napkins.

Some of my old tablecloths.  I use many of them, but don't use all that I have.

My cute green Harkerware Pate sur Pate dishes, including the luncheon sets.

Love these 6 tea cups, but I can live without them.  I think.  Lustreware and gilt -- from Japan.

Limoges -- I have stacks of dinner and luncheon plates in this pattern, including some cream soup bowls, and a few platters.
Love them, collected them like a crazy woman a few years ago . . . and now I don't really use them.

With china, it really IS all in the details.

Luncheon (or dessert) set for 6; not sure about letting these go, but I love this delicious picture.  Is it lunch time yet?

Bird dishes, each different.  Adorable, but not used, so ... bye!

What a cute little tummy he has.

The only "good" china at That Old House -- Aynsley's Tatton Hall.
I only have 4 dinner plates, 4 cup and saucer sets, and two salad plates.  So to the booth it goes!

It does set a pretty table, though, doesn't it?  Ah, well, there are other dishes -- oops fishes! -- in the sea.

 Okay, I have strained your eyes and your patience enough for today.

Those are just some of the things from our house going to the booth -- there are more -- 

and I didn't include things I have picked up just for the booth, or the small pieces of furniture that will go there.

Next week, the booth -- transformed and revealed.  Fingers crossed, and your advice

and suggestions are very welcome!  Many bloggers are old hands at this; I'm a total newbie.

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Now, about that fabric for the pink guest room.

Turns out the pretty, old fashioned rose print was just too tame.

No get-up-and-go, no oomph!

 I loved this pattern, below, but after getting the sample I discovered it was

too stiff and unyielding for satisfactory draperies.  Which after all, must drape.

 So I followed my heart, and yesterday placed an order for this:

 Yes, the peacocks are coming home to roost in the Pink Room at That Old House.

By the time I ordered, there were only 23 yards left, so I took it all and hope it's enough.

I ordered, as I usually do, from Fabric Guru, and got 20% off my order with a coupon code.

That code is fall3 and anyone can use it, no limits on how many times, until Monday November 14th.

 Thank you for helping me decide on this wild and gorgeous fabric; so many of you loved it, too!

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Holiday items at vintage-goods booths sell well in these last two months of the year,

so I was thinking . . . should I put our last-year's grab bag win in the booth?

It's a (mercifully) rare Christmas Rocking Cow.

With attitude.

No, I think we'll keep Beelzebub Bessie at home.  Don't want to scare away potential customers.

Have a lovely Thursday.   I've got projects lined up and out the door!  -- Cass

Link Parties!

At From My Front Porch To Yours, it is Treasure Hunt Thursday.  Click here and visit!

No Minimalist Here hosts Open House Party Thursdays.  Click here!

At Coloradolady, Suzanne hosts Vintage Thingies Thursday.  Go for a dachsund fix today!  Click here