Roadside Find Makeover

Remember this chest of drawers?

I told you about it here.  I found it at the side of the road in my friend's neighborhood. 

Well here it is now.

I painted it in Annie Sloan Old White and did a wash treatment on the top with Ce Ce Caldwell Seattle Mist.

The chest of drawers was in good condition, but one of the pulls was broken.  So I substituted one from the drawer on the top, and replaced all the pulls on the top drawers with knobs.

I gave all the hardware the same paint treatment as the top of the dresser -- a coat of Old White, and a wash of Seattle Mist.

The entire piece was sanded to smooth it, and lightly distressed.

And I painted the inside and sides of the drawers with Seattle Mist.

The bedside table got the same treatment.

I love the scalloped detail in the shelf, so I painted it in straight Seattle Mist to make it stand out.

This baby's big and heavy.  I painted it white to lighten it up, and make it a bit more transitional. It's really well made, with dove tail drawer corners and fastenings in the back.

It's off to Mr. P's Emporium, where hopefully it will find a new home to give it some love.

I can see these in a white bedroom like this:

 

Pinterest

From rubbish to refreshed!


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French Country Cottage: Feathered Nest Friday
No Minimalist Here: Open House
Miss Mustard Seed: Furniture Feature Friday

 

 

 

You Meet the Most Interesting People ...

One of the things I love about Craigslist and thrift shops is the people you meet -- literally and figuratively. This painting led me down a road to "meet" a true character.

 

Those aren't marks or stains in the painting background  --

I apologize that I haven't learned how to take a photo of artwork without a reflection!

I found it at a Goodwill for $7.96.  It's a watercolor, and I think ink, of a street scene in front of old towers in Prague.  I picked it up because it was mid-century in it's original frame and original bark cloth matting ...

 

and it had the original label from the artist's shop on the back.

 

 

It says "Hand Painted," but there is also a number.  I don't know if that means it's a print, or if that's an inventory number.

I loved the red accents and the detailing like the man with the ascot and the mother leaning over to talk to the child.

I had never heard of Fred Roner at the time.

Then last week I saw this painting on One Kings Lane.

I don't know if you know about One Kings Lane, but they sell designer's picks, home accessories, and vintage goods. 

As an aside and FYI, their prices on their vintage goods are typically high.  For example, I just sold this hammered aluminum ice bucket made in Italy.

 

I sold it for $29, which I had researched was about the typical price for the piece. I was feeling pretty good about it since I had picked it up at Goodwill for $3.96.  A few days ago the same bucket was on One Kings Lane with an original price of $140 or something, and a sale price of $59 -- and it sold! 

I was feeling really stupid, thinking maybe I had missed something, so I double-checked everything.  Sure enough it was by the same manufacturer, in the same condition, and selling on Ebay and Etsy for around the same price as I sold it for.
 
($3.96 people!!!! This is why I advocate for thrift shopping!! It's so exciting to find these deals!)

But if their dealers can get those prices, I say more power to them! I do find them a good resource for learning what things are and what is selling; they have beautiful things, and their prices on their new items can be pretty good.

So anyway, I digress.  (I just get so carried away when it comes to finding bargains!) 

Back to my story.  Like I said, they're a good resource.  This was an oil painting by Fred Roner.  It had an original price of $3,250, and a One Kings Lane sale price of $1,649.

As you can imagine, that got my attention! I thought it might be the same guy who painted the piece I had found -- checked, and sure enough it was 'ole Fred! 

So I decided to do some research. And I'm telling you, Fred lived an interesting life!

He started painting as a school boy in Vienna, and he eventually became what he called a "Four P Artist:" Painting pictures -- and picking pockets!

He was in business manufacturing shirts in Vienna when he started doing magic shows as a sideline.  Just a guess, but I'd think shirt manufacturing would be pretty dull, especially for a creative guy like Fred.

The competition among professional magicians was tough, so he decided to learn a cool trick where he made a card disappear and reappear in the wallet of a innocent bystander.  But to do it, he had to learn how to pick the pocket of the bystander.

So where do you learn how to pickpocket?  At pickpocket school, of course! 

Off he went to a school of professional pick pockets in Warsaw Poland.  The school was run by former criminals who now taught "the fine art of filching."

He learned the trade, but once back in Vienna in 1938 he saw the city police wearing arm bands with the Nazi swastika. Fred figured it was time to get out of the country. 

He and his wife fled to the Yugoslavian border, then made their way to Belgium with Maurice Chevalier by pretending they had an engagement in the country.  They eventually made it to the U.S. via Paris and London.

Sadly, although Fred was able to get some close family members to the United States once he was here, 17 relatives vanished during the war.

Fred took his magic act to Vaudeville and made quite a name for himself.  Soon he was playing all the top night club and stage venues in New York and across the country -- billed as "The World's Greatest Pickpocket."

 

Brooklyn NY Daily Eagle, 1947

And Fred not only entertained audiences with his skill, he also helped police across the country solve pickpocket crimes.

All along, Fred continued painting, and eventually opened his store in Greenwich Village in New York City.  Soon he was garnering fame as a painter, as well as a magician. 

 

Reading, PA Reading Eagle, 1957

So now I have a Fred Roner watercolor or numbered print. 

 

Despite my research, I still don't know its worth.  But it doesn't matter because I'm thinking I may just keep it.

 


Even though it doesn't really go with my decor, it's a small connection to an amazing man.

A Four P Artist.


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If you live in Northern VA, check out Mr. P's Emporium's Facebook page for a deal I have going this weekend.  And as always, if you haven't liked Mr. P's  Facebook page, I'd not only like it -- I'd love it if you did!

Update: fixed Facebook link!

Thrifty Whites

Have I mentioned I love white in decor?  (Uh ... about a hundred times?)  It's not that I'm anti-color, I just love white as an anchor because it's versatile and serene.

So I was doing the happy dance when I came across these beauties during one of my recent thrift store runs!  I was definitely having a white-is-right kind of shopping day.

I'm not sure about the age of the big pitcher or if it's ironstone; it has an embossed stamp I can't read.  But because the stamp is embossed, and there is a little bit of pitting, I think it's vintage.  This adorable little teapot is English ironstone (marked).  The pitcher was $4 at Goodwill and the teapot was $2 at a local thrift store.

I found a set of 10 of these glasses at The Salvation Army for $1 a piece.  Score!  It was their 40% off sale day.  I also picked up a set of six in pink, which I'll be selling.  Or maybe not.  They're pretty cute.

Twelve milkglass bud vases were waiting for me at another shop (I'm just showing a few here).  Most are Hoosier glass from Indiana or Brody glass from Cleveland, which are collectible.  The prices ranged from 50 cents to $1 a piece for the small vases and $1.50 to $2 for the larger ones.  These are great for wedding decor, or clustered on a large dining table.

 

 

I don't think this little bud vase is vintage, but it's very sweet. I got the little candy dish/pedestal from the same thrift shop.

I even found the little wood table-thingy that I'm using for display during my thrift store foray.  I have no idea what it is or what it was used for, but I painted it white and figured I'd come up with something!

That's what so great about white--you can always find a place for it somewhere!

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Savings Tip

I hope your week is going well!  I've been spending it staying inside in my battle not to dissolve into a giant puddle.  My weapons of choice are iced coffee and frozen fruit bars. It is sooooo hot!  And sooooooooo humid!

I had planned on showing you my finished coffee table today.  But it's not finished.  Just not the weather to be painting in the garage. It's part of my Living Room refresh, but of course that's not done either, so I can't show you that.  And yes, I still have unpacked boxes from having our floors refinished.  I don't know why the heat is so innervating when I'm spending most of the day inside, in the air conditioning, but that's my story and I'm sticking to it.  I did do a much needed organization and deep cleaning of my office--so I haven't been a total slug!

Anyway, I was trying to figure out something to share with you today.  I thought about using Thrifty Crafty Girl's concept of how everyday items can come in handy in case of a zombie apocalypse, but that would be stealing her idea, and I'm not funny like she is anyway. (Have you read her?  She's hilarious!)

Then, I was with a group of women yesterday, and Bed Bath & Beyond came up.  And since we all like to save, so did their 20% off coupons that are everywhere.  You know--you get them in the mail, they're in magazines, in newspaper inserts, etc.

But here's the thing.  And if you don't know this, it will change your life.  Seriously.

Those expiration dates on the coupons?  Forget about them! Bed Bath & Beyond will accept the coupons after the expiration date.  At least they will here in Virginia, those of you in other states may want to chime in if it's different where you live.

Now I thought everyone knew this, but only one other person in the group did.  Then I remembered that I didn't know until a friend told me.

And here's the other thing: They don't have a one-coupon-per-person rule!  So you can collect them, and the next time you go to BB & B, whip those babies out!

That means, say if you're looking for towels, you can save 20% off of each one.

Or if you need a Kitchen Aid mixer, you can save 20%.

Bath or shower curtain? Save 20%

Of course bedding, I mean they are Bed Bath & Beyond.

Even decor items.  You got it, 20% off.

And if you have enough coupons,  you can save on everything, all at the same time!  So start hoarding them. Besides the ones you get in the mail or your newspaper, tear them out of magazines at the doctor's office when no one is looking.  Go through your neighbor's recycling.  Whatever it takes people!

Okay, so I don't actually go through anyone's recycling, but I have been known to tear them out of magazines in a waiting room.  :-) 

One last tip:  I stash my coupons in the car, so if I decide to stop by the store I always have them with me.

Have a great rest of week.  There's still time to enter my Home Goods giveaway! (I apparently have shopping on my mind these days ... )

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Famous Butts -- Possibly

I was buying a set of dining room chairs from a Craigslist seller when I spotted these two beauties in the corner and asked if they were for sale. 

The owner wasn't sure if his wife wanted to sell them.  He told me they had belonged to her mother, who was married to General Someone-Whose-Name-I-Can't-Remember. The General had worked in President Eisenhower's administration.  "Famous butts have probably sat on these chairs," he said. "Like Eisenhower's butt?" I asked.  "I can't say for sure," he said, "but there's a good chance."

I had fallen in love with the color, the velvet brocade upholstery, and graceful lines of the chairs. So I told him how much I liked them, and asked him to let me know if his wife decided to sell them.  I didn't think I'd hear back -- I mean who would want to part with this bit of family history? But the next day I got a call -- his wife had said I could buy them!  With my fingers crossed I asked him how much they wanted.  I was a little worried they may be asking more than I wanted to pay -- given the Eisenhower butt connection and all.  "How about $30?" he asked. "Thirty dollars each?" I asked back, just wanting to confirm that I had heard him right.  "No, $30 for both of them," he answered.

Ladies and gentlemen, this is why I love Craigslist!!  Where else can you find bargains and stories and historical tidbits like this! So the chairs with the possible famous butts provenance are now mine. If you ever come to our house I'll let you sit on them ... maybe.


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Magical Mercury Tutorial

 

Take a few of these ...

Thrift store finds - about $1.50 each

Add this and a spray bottle of water ...

I couldn't find this at Home Depot or Michaels, so I ordered online from Amazon.com.

The large size is around $17

And get this - faux Mercury Glass!

Here they are with some tea lights in them.

I first saw this done by Maury of A Fabuless Home.  Mine didn't go as smoothly as hers -- I accidentally sprayed the front of my shirt with the paint (I blame a faulty sprayer valve ... not the fact that I'm basically a klutz!).   

But it's easy. All you do is spray the glass piece with the Krylon paint, let it dry for about 20 seconds or so, then lightly spritz it with water.  I decided to spray mine on the outside of the piece.

Because of the aforementioned issue with the paint sprayer valve, I got drips.  But all I did was blot with a paper towel and spray again until I got the desired effect. Actually I should have done more spraying and blotting, but the paint fumes were giving me a headache (note to self and to you, make sure you do this in a very well-ventilated area). 

The best thing about this project is you can't screw it up! The more you blot and respray the more realistic it looks. Well, maybe that's the second best thing.  The very best is the fact that you can get the same look as this ...

Ballard Designs, $25 - $39 each

For a whole lot less. I'm trying it on glass ornaments next!

Latest Cheap Finds

Hey there -- Happy Friday! 

I was planning on sharing a furniture make-over with you today, but Tammy at Type A is starting a "Hunter Gatherer" party on her blog, so I'm sharing some recent finds instead. Now I know my last post was on "stuff" shopping, but really, who doesn't love a good deal?! I promise I'll talk about something else next week!

Last weekend after the yard sale where I scored the harvest basket and wood crates I showed you in the last post, I decided to stop by Goodwill to see if I could keep the bargain mojo going. Yard sales and thrift shops in one day -- my idea of a good time!

And my luck continued!  I found this set of milk glass vases. 

I think they'd look great with a bud in each and lined down a dining room table instead of a centerpiece.  The small ones were just 50 cents each, and the larger one was 75 cents. What a deal!

I love these little bud vases. They are hand-blown glass rimmed with what looks like 14k gold. A label on the bottom of one says it was made in Egypt. 

I think they'd look beautiful with a sprig of holly in them for the holidays. They were only $1 each.

Speaking of the holidays, look at this candle holder! 

It's brass detailed with red berries.  I've never seen one like this before.  (It's going on Etsy in Mr. P's Emporium if you're interested!)

I've talked about how versatile cake plates are before.  This glass one is a bit smaller than typical, it would look great with a couple of larger ones on a buffet.

This serving plate isn't vintage, but it's fun! It adds a little savoir faire!

And lastly, these two large hobnail goblets are a beautiful green.  Personally I think they are too big to drink from, but they will make great candle holders for the holidays! 

I think the candlelight bouncing off of all those facets will be lovely.

So that's my haul from last weekend. Who knows what lies ahead for this weekend?!  Thanks for giving me an excuse for sharing Tammy!