Cocktail Time!

After the last post I really was thinking, I need to get rid of this piece.  It's so big, it's style is one I love, but it doesn't match the stuff in my home completely.  Now, I don't have a bunch of modern things (not really my taste....plus I don't believe there is anything modern, it's all recycled old designs anyway), but it's definitely French-style, and strangely most of my home is not.  Shocking, I know.  

Anyway, after a living room picnic tonight I got the urge to rearrange and see if it would fit on the wall next to my staircase.  It did!  So I set about seeing what we could do with it, and realized the height was perfect for a bar area.  So I set a silver tray on one end with our decanters, liquor, and cocktail picks, and our wine rack with old bottles (to see how it looked) on the other end.  Add a print, an initial I painted, and eventually (evident in one pic, not another) the French house number I won from My French Corner. 

Voila!  Perfection, I couldn't be happier.  Now we have a better height bar to pour drinks, and the vintage glasses can go in the cabinet on one side.  The smaller shaker and the glass ice bucket fit perfectly on the other.  It's just calling for a cocktail party.  I suppose my Theresa and I will have to test it out next month!

What On Earth Was I Thinking?

We picked up yet another piece of furniture yesterday.  G and I both saw it, fell in love, and when we found out that it was $60 we were sold.  Turns out that if we were to have it carefully refinished by a trained antiques professional that it would be worth around $1000-1500.  Um, great, now I'm afraid to touch it.  It's a piece from the 1920's, a tall sideboard, and it's plan currently is to reside in our bedroom.  Eventually when we move to a home that is older in style then it will go in the parlor/sitting room as a bar.  G would love to use is as that now.....but it's taller than our sofa and as long as it to boot!

Notice the little puppies, their toy.  They like to have cameos in everything.  I love the beautiful veneers on these drawers that matches the veneer shape on each side door. 

Mr. Bluebird

Today I stepped into a local thrift store and fell in love with the guy right inside the door.  He's so cheerful and I was practically (no, I was) screaming the zippity-doo-da song all the way to base!  He will hold cookies for us for now, and if we're lucky to have a little girl later and decorate her room in trees and woodland creatures, well, he might take up residence on a shelf there. He's like a superhero, a very cheerful, un-angsty superhero.  He goes where he is needed, and right now I need him on my counter hiding treats from plain sight!

Two Little Touches

When G and I saw this picture frame we knew it was great.  The worn look doesn't usually work for my home, but I'm thinking of keeping it that way anyway.  The color is just a pretty charcoal grey blue.  

This second item I saw as G was checking out.  I showed it to him, he added it to our little pile, and asked if I was keeping the color the same.  I looked at him like he was crazy!  Of course I am keeping it the same.  And I would love to hunt down a black orchid for it.  If I can't find one, an all white one will work as well I suppose.

Milkglass

I cannot go into too many details yet, as I'm hoping to put together an idea board soon to share, but milkglass is really going to pop in our bedroom.  Currently I have one of my loves being the resting spot for some large bangles.  I like my jewelry easily accessible.  I was the girl whose favorite necklaces were draped over the corners of mirrors, and since my husband doesn't mind I keep that up.  Do you have any items you've used for your jewelry collection?

Jewelry House

Last night I picked up this jewelry box for $5 at a local thrift store.  It has a missing handle, but I'm hoping to find miniature crystal knobs for it anyways.  The cream paint (thick and horrid) is going to be sanded down, then I will prime it, and paint it to match our bedroom's plan.  I cannot wait to get this beauty ready for use again!

Having A Marie Antoinette Moment

I bought a mirror at a thrift store maybe a month or so ago.  It was slightly hideous, gold paint, with someone at one point seeming to consider spraying it silver, but quit very early on.  But it had amazing potential.  I considered painting it gold, but tonight decided black was the color of choice.  I love how it turned out.  When it's held upright it's so chic, and glamourous.  And you wouldn't ever guess that I paid $10!  
The Before:

The After:

                         

Detail:  (sorry, the sunlight was a little odd....it's a flower pattern)

                                      

Chalking It Up

Today we swung into the thrift store (you're not really surprised are you?) and found a chalkboard for $1.25.  I was so excited that when we got home I washed it up and wrote on it for our sitting area.  It has a couple scratches, so I think I will be painting it with some chalkboard paint soon, but for now I am pretty durn happy with it.  

I prefer a more ornate one for decorative purposes, but this one will actually eventually be for a playroom (no, no kids yet, just planning ahead of time) but for now works as a message board for us.  

Cafe

If you've read my other blog, you know that I love china, crystal and silver.  In fact, we eat off of our nice china every day.  We bought some Corelle when we first got married in plain white, but never used it for anything other than take out pizza.  But I have been wanting some nice cafe-style china to use for brunches and such.  And I had been looking at the Brasserie sets from Williams-Sonoma.  I wanted the blue and white since it makes me happy, but thought maybe plain white would be best.  Then tonight, fate struck and it was decided for me!  


G and I were at a Thrift store looking for a piece I needed for a gift for my mother.  I'll explain after her birthday (on the 29th!), but for now I'm remaining vague because my maman has finally figured out how to access my blogs! (Hello Mom!).  While there I spotted some blue and white cups and saucers that I thought looked like the ones from Williams-Sonoma.  To my surprise they were the ones from there!  And for less than $5, with the store having a 1/3 off of that tonight and tomorrow I decided I needed them.  I couldn't remember how much they were online, but I knew it wasn't that cheap.  When I got home I looked it up, and was shocked....they're normally $54 for 4 of them!!!  I am guessing perhaps someone got them as a gift and didn't want them.  Craziness.

Aren't they pretty?  I'm hoping to be throwing a monthly brunch starting next year and these will be perfect on my table!