Chesters and Critters

I recently painted a piece of furniture for a couple of ladies starting a new business here in Nashville. They bought a huge farm just outside of town, and are turning it into a beautiful yet rustic venue for outdoor weddings and events. It's called Mint Springs Farm. They are still constructing the huge, fabulous barns, etc., but it should be open by fall. The piece I did for them is going to be used in their display at Bridal Shows.




I showed a piece from this same bedroom suite on my Facebook page.




It's a deep gray with a dark stain on top. This piece was in such good shape, it was a little tough to distress it.




Aaaaw. Look at that cute baby...



My mom thought I was nuts when I chose that pose for my son's one year portrait. It was just so him, I couldn't help it. Hard to believe he's taller than me now.

Here's another chest of drawers that I had at a flea market in the fall.

And just FYI..don't ever say "chester drawers" when discussing furniture with me.

Unless you're under 10 years of age, you should know by now that's not right.

Doesn't the pile of tires add a bit of charm?



And speaking of charming, let's get to the flea critters.





Ha. Gotcha anyway.
And I also got a good shot of someone seemingly stuck in the back window of a van in the background.




"It's a bad hair day, I'll just throw on a hat."





This guy was a vendor across from me several times. He cleans out buildings and businesses in Alabama.
If he ever starts to tell you the story about the time he cleaned out a strip joint...RUN.

He always wears a nice fanny pack. Being a flea market vendor is about the ony time I can think of that I have thought a fanny pack might be useful. Your money is safe and handy.

However, it just doesn't have enough storage for this guy. He also wears a crocheted bag across his chest. (It's under the arm with the cigarette)

And...



He carries a Vera Bradley backpack.
I know it's Vera Bradley because I asked him, and he seemed proud of it.




This guy was another vendor.
He told a very long story about how this hat cost him $3,000.
It involved a woman, and his getting drunk one night during a market, and waking up with all his money missing and wearing this hat.
And, he costs $13.00.


And, finally, the pizza man.

Somehow, this hot sweaty guy in a pizza suit didn't make me crave pizza.

Friday's Find

I come across all sorts of things while searching for furniture.
Sometimes I like things for no great reason.
I've learned that if I go with my gut, and buy what I like, it all works together somehow when I put it in my home or if I decide to sell it.
I found this copper bowl at an estate sale.



The inside is really pretty, and looks like the copper vessel sink in my bathroom.
The little old ladies at the estate sale loading up on glassware and silver never gave it a glance.
I'm excited to see how it looks once it's polished.
Now, where to use it?

Flea Market Re-Wind

I think most of these things are from the July fm, but a few pieces are from May.

I skipped June to go to the beach.

This was the temperature according to my car at some point on day one.



Granted, my car could probably qualify for social security, but this is one thing on it that does actually work.

This antique fan was a man magnet.


I didn't know it was a man magnet when I bought it, I have a perfectly good man already.

I put it out front, and I think every man at the flea market stopped to look at it.

They would get a little giddy and glance at their wives (...and often life partners...) when I told them that it worked.

The cord was a little iffy, but it worked.

It was used in a factory, and the cage was around it was for obvious reasons.

It sold for my asking price - to a woman. Ha.


A king sized headboard in blue.



A couple of shabby chic sconces on top of a rustic blue bench.



A cool old school chair from the 50's ( I have more of these!), and a wooden box.






Side table in blue.

A girls desk/vanity, and a lamp I made.

A simple little rocking chair in white.

Pink gingham memo board, and a small chalkboard.

A mission oak buffet.

This thing was a beast to move.

A vintage blue highchair. I painted the tray with appliance paint so it would be really durable.

Twin size, soft pink bed.

I don't have a lot of flea critter pictures.

It was really hot.

Cindy and I were a bit lethargic. I wasn't up for much of a chase, so I had to wait for some to come to me.

I wasn't disappointed.

I remember seeing these in a cheesy little catalog full of junk my grandmother used to get.

Can you see it on the lady that looks like she's asking for directions?

Aaaah, yes.

The umbrella hat.

I will never be that desperate for shade.

And I have hands.

I did not use the "mirror image" tool in photoshop for this next one...

That is 2 grown women in matching dresses and hair-do's.

You may not be able to see in the picture, but their bra straps were even the same.

I don't know if they were twins, I was too lazy to chase them down to find out.

Not that being twins would make it any less weird...

And, just when I thought I had seen the only woman in town with the guts to pull this look off...

...here came another umbrella hat.

Kim

I know what I did last summer...

I didn't blog once this sumer.
I could give a million reasons why, but the truth is I spent time with my children when I wasn't painting.
I'm not sorry.

I'm ready to get back to it, so here's my summer condensed.......

We had a preschool graduation.
(which doesn't really count since she's going back to pre-school for one more year. Next year -Xanax.)

.

An elementary graduation.



Oh, my, did he ever hate the tie.



Notice my neighbor turned photo bomb. His daughter looks on in embarrassmnet.



We had a sudden, totally unexplained swollen eye one day.

I leave the kiddos with the husband, my daughter's eye swells shut.
Go figure...



Lilly's Dear, (my mom), taught Lilly how to sew a button.



Her fingernails were wonderfully grime-free for this close up.
Sweet little hands...



We went to the strawberry patch.
It's in the middle of nowhere.
Well, in the middle of nowhere next to a really strange, mid-century modern house that looks like the Jetson's.

We had a mom and her 3 racoon babies living in a tree in our backyard.

We watched them, or they watched us, while we would eat on the deck.

See the eyes?

We went to the beach with my family.

It is seriously my favorite week of the year.

Lilly and my dad.

My kids with their "depression era" stares.

You're at the beach, smile for pete's sake.

We roasted marshmallows (covered in sand) on the beach.

Lilly and Baker fought over the ipad.

Sometimes they shared.

Lilly had a birthday too.

We had a pool party.

The weather was perfect, and all her friends came to swim and get sugared up.

A lot of my friends live for throwing a birthday party.

I'm not in that club.

I like 'em short and sweet.

This was a fun group of moms.

School had to come back around and ruin it all.

Thanks, Baker for the goofy look.

Tomorrow----some actual furniture pictures and this summer's flea critters.

Kim

http://littlebitsdesigns.com

Crafts that make you go hmmm...

I know that my job is "crafty". I don't mind being called that. I paint, I sew, etc. - so it fits.

I do not like it when people say, "Are you still running your craft business?"

It sounds like they think I'm sitting around with my glue gun putting pom-poms on toilet paper tubes.
(Let's be honest if they would sell - bring on the pom -poms....)

So, instead of refurbished furniture or painted canvases, here are some crafts you will never see me make.



A bracelet from a shirt cuff and ugly buttons.
Goes great with mom jeans.






I don't even know what to say about this.

I guess they would rather use the glove to hold the flowers than wear it to wash the vase.




Yes. You read that correctly.


They used DRYER LINT TO MAKE PAPER.


I shudder to think what all those little bits and pieces in the paper are.


My grandmother always put her dryer lint in the backyard "so birds could use it to make nests."


Was she crazy too?










I've never worn a tie, but I'm pretty sure this is a bad idea.


I don't think taking a client out to lunch, and pulling your Visa from your tie would be that impressive to the other guy.


"You like this? My wife is into crafts."











I remember these. They used to be wearing crocheted dresses. My friend Candy received one once for a gift when she first got married.


Does that make the little old lady that made it a 'Modern Surrealist?"






Littlebits Designs


Pictures in this post were gathered from Dollar Store Crafts