Celeste the Abandoned..

      The Idea of Naming a Piece of Furniture would have been totally off the deep end for me several years ago. As I became more and more interested in Re-Hab'ing and Re-Vamping Cast a Way Furniture.. I  began to understand why other fellow bloggers would give their pieces names. Yeah some may do it just for the "cute factor", BUT i think there is more to it at least for me it is. When I come across a discarded piece of furniture that has been used, abused, loved and lived with for generations finds itself discarded, when its potential is no longer visible to the naked Box Store Loving, Particle Board n Laminate Eye and I can take a look 1 look at it and see something with Possibility. You invest your time, your energy (hopefully as little $ as possible) and your creativity to bring it back to life 2 Give it a Second Chance..Why shouldnt that piece be deserving of a name.

     This is the Story Of Celeste. I first spotted Celeste last weekend when "G" and I were Bumming Around last week. Celeste was down the road behind a Country Bar+ Efficiency Units..I saw her from the street surrounded by tons of junk and some other furniture apparently she came out of a little house that was behind this bar. It was hard to tell how big she was from the road what i did notice were her front legs..yes I AM A LEG GIRL. I was intrigued BUT I didnt pull in. I wondered what is she doing out there, are they moving, are they selling are they going to bring her up the the curb for the picking? I pressed on.

      I passed Celeste every single day going to and from work for the next week, each day slowing down to get a better look at her, she is missing a drawer..is the drawer somewhere in that mass of crap, she is still there, whats the deal?? I text West Point Mama mid week, I tell her about the dresser and if she would be interested in it, of course my gal said yes, I drove over on my day off, no one is outside except the tenants at the efficiency..those guys were CREEPERS!, I just do a drive by. If she was up on the curb thats one thing but i am not going in there, no way man. I pass Celeste 4 more times over the next few days, its bothering me..why is she still just sitting out there.

      I tell my mother about the dresser..she rolls her eyes, sighs, and says "how many more dressers do you need" but her words mean nothing I am a woman with an agenda, im not going to let it go unless i get her or she gets taken by someone else before I do. My mother suggests "well go inside the bar and ask them what the deal is with all the junk". Ummm Yeah RedNeck Bar..Ohhh Lord I really dont want to. So I say "hey y dont u come with me" My mother laughs n spouts "yeahhh right, u want it u go".

      Jump to 2day, I am at work, thinking about that little bookshelf that I have to re-do and Celeste comes mind again, CRAP ITS SUPPOSE TO RAIN THIS AFTERNOON!!! OHHH NO SHE IS GONNA GET RUINED! Old Wood and Water = NOOOO BUENO. Alright then , If I'm gonna make a move on her it has to be 2day.

     I get home from work and get my trusty side kick "G" (she thinks we are going to the pharmacy), which we do but on the return home I say "i just need to take a ride passed something".. G's Response " OHHH GOD YYYYYY, C'MON MOM, I KNEW IT, YOU ARE SUCH A SCAMMER!!!". I tell G where we are going and the poor thing damn near died, she tells me " YOUR ON YOUR OWN" That was until we pulled into the parking lot of the bar and she see's a group of the Efficiency Creepers standing around..She pleads DON'T LEAVE ME HERE BY MYSELF!!! Now we are in the country y'all..its not like we are deep in the Ghetto but u cant sleep on the Efficiency Creepers either.

     I go in the Bar, (what a lovely Treat that was) I asked the bar tender she says she doesn't know but that may be stuff someone is selling, she sends me to the back kitchen to talk to a lovely old lady with no teeth, I inquire about the dresser, she said everything out there is going to the dump if i want it its mine and anything else i can find> SCORE !

      Now I realize this is a long winded post, But I feel I need to provide all the details, to take you on the journey with me :)

      By the time I got back outside, G has the windows rolled u,p doors r locked, and she has laid the seat back so no one can see her LMAO. I tap the window give her the thumbs up and proceed to scour thru the mounds of junk. Cool Cedar Armour that someone muffed up, a great old dresser in great shape ..NO DRAWERS ..Crap..A set of dovetail drawers BUT NO DRESSER>>WHAT THE FRIG..a bunch of other crap, some Milk Glass (which I took) Nothing else here for me EXCEPT what I came for Celeste.

      I get up close and personal..she is smaller than she looked from the road. Time to give her the once over  LEGS: in good shape no wobbles or cracks, FRAME: intact no major splits or cracks, BACKBOARD: intact, TOP: jacked up but nothing a little sanding wont fix..LASTLY the DRAWERS: Where the hell is the missing drawer??If its here i cant find it..I don't even care about the Whole drawer..the drawer front would be just enough but its M.I.A as well, I give a quick pull on the remaining drawers..Awwww MAN! CRAP! ..The Bottoms are toast.. thats ok thats an easy fix..UNTIL i check the dove tail joints NAWWWW MAN, WHAT THE WHAT????WHO THE HELL TOLD ANYONE TO USE GORILLA GLUE???!!! GORILLA GLUE IS THE DEVIL..THE DEVIL I SAY!

     That's it! Enough of this treachery!  SHE IS COMING WITH ME! I motion for G to come help me.. G shakes her head in disapproval (yet again), she climbs out of the Camry and  assesses Celeste and determines she will fit in the back seat. Locked and Loaded and we head home! 

      Once home I have Celeste in the Driveway, i just stare at her, brainstorming her potential, I get a text from West Point Mama ( i had texted her once i got the go ahead from the Bar Owner to take her) She doesn't want Celeste. WHAT?? WHY?? But she fits in the Camry!.. I can bring her to class on Monday..Is it because she is missing a drawer? Would you not want your child because they lost a tooth.? I am just being silly now.  I summon my mother to take a gander at my find..she walks around it shakes her head, I try to convince her of Celeste's positive qualities..i play the "imagine this" game..She is not buying in to my enthusiasm. As dear old mom leaves me to be one with my salvaged find I call out to her " Dont Think You Can Change Your Mind Once I am Done With it, Love her now or not at all" She laughs into the distance..

      Pics of Celeste to Come..Stay Tuned!

As Always, 

A~

This is NO Glaze...

     Ohhh Man...I made a frigging mess of things,,,yet again..It wouldn't be of my projects if I didn't make more work for myself at some point... Glazing and I = NO BUENO.. I have tried you guys.. it doesn't work for me...I see other bloggers who do it with ease, but their pieces look fab mine on the other hand SMH there are no words.
     I have watched COUNTLESS videos READ tons of blog posts tried Several methods and I CANT GET IT RIGHT! I have used watered down paint..regarding wood stain..several glazing mediums colored wax ect and all I get is doodie colored paint that instead of looking aged just looks like a dirty hot mess. The only product I haven't tried is cult favorite Ralph Lauren Glaze and thats only bc Home Dump doesn't sell it any more news I'm too lazy to order it but why bother ...cause Glaze Don't Luv Me.
     So my latest crap job..well I got a vintage Whitney Double Bed Last weekend..i used Annie Sloan Chalk Painted In PURE WHITE. I saw this tutorial on the Martha Stewart website using a swedish method and I happen to have the Howards Citrus Wax and Feed and Minwax stain so I'm thinking that Yeah Buddie this is the one...did a coat of clear wax and then went to the glaze..yeah ok u know what I did i ended up turning my pure white bed in to a teabag! So now bc I muffed it up I had to sand down as much as I could..repaint and hustle because the bed is outside now it's going to rain 2morrow while I am at work. Chalk Paint costs too damn much to be making mistakes with it...I would show ya'll a pic of my teabag bed but I was soo busy cussing and sanding it taking a pic was an after thought.
       Glazing and I will never be friends..that's a shame because I can be a good friend.

As Always

A

Yard Sales..

     So this weekend me and G (my 14yr old) went bumming around after having a very stressful 2 Weeks. It's quasi therapeutic just driving around even if all the yard sales are dud's. I remember being younger than her being dragged around by my parents from place to place just praying for them to run out of gas or money so we could go home...Poor G Now she is a teenager no longer interested in willfully following my lead.. Wait a minute..when I think about it "G" makes out pretty good bc she scams me from the time we are in the car until we get home.. She gets to eat fast food and junk food impulse buys from the gas station, Dunking Doughnuts and Ice cream from Stewarts and she knows that I will say OK if she asks for something bc that means I can hit one more sale without listening to whining and getting the stank eye..
    "G" though along for the ride really could care less abound my finds..or a fantastic haggle. She doesn't share in the goosebumps or the heart palpitations. HOWEVER she does enjoy the occasional throw down when someone swipes a find of mine and I catch them..(it has happened twice already and we are barely 1month into the season.) She is a trooper when having to squeeze mounds of crap into the Camry, she will hold on to desk hanging out at he back of my trunk for dear life..U know what..Come to think of it.. My kid really is a "G"  granted we don't live in the hood or participate in drive by shootings..the gal is a ride or die has never refused to do anything I have asked (or pleaded) her to help with on a pick
   I am sure years down the road the time will come when my kid will resurrect the trama that I have inflicted by dragging her along junk hunting. Anyways figured I would post some pics taken by my traveling buddie "G", see this is what I am talking about it was about 86 Degrees -I am wearing flip fops yell to G to come take some pics for me to send to West Point Mama and she did it like a professional. I thought she would take just one..it wasn't until I checked my phone the kid got the whole place..all it cost me was an Ice Cream Cone.

I am Who I am..

  The Original title for this post was going to be "Did Judy Gyp Me?" That was until a friend of mine mentioned that I shouldn't use the word Gyp (jipped) because it may be considered a derogatory comment...really? Never in my 30+ years had I ever heard that one of of course just like everything else in my life...Research ensued ...and apparently as per urban dictionary the saying originated from the fact that gypsies would swindle people hence the saying getting "Gyp'd".
     Well Whatever.. I'm just going to put it out there..anything I may say or Verbage I may use is not intentionally to hurt anyone's feelings or cast a derogatory cloud over a group of individuals..this is how I speak..i can't tip toe thru my life worrying about being politically, socially, economically, non-carbon foot print leaving, organic loving correct.I won't live in a bubble..never to speak without fear of offending any and everyone..and in the same respect I take every effort to be as considerate as a gal from th BX (Bronx) Can be.
     Blogging for me is going to be a fun experience..I want any readers who choose to follow to have fun right along with me..LAUGH at the ridiculous that is my life..SHAKE your heads at the messes I ALWAYS get myself in..PRAY for me when I appear mentally unglued, DO THE HAPPY DANCE ALONGSIDE OF ME when I finally get a project right or score a good deal..and I will do the same.
     I am constantly making up new sayings..i give people nick names based on my experiences with them. I change my mind with flow of the wind..I am not excusing my future posts.. I figured it would be a good idea to share a little more about me and my flow. You know what's hysterical...I'm writing this as if I have hundreds of people already reading this...get a grip AnnEliese..LOL

As Always
A

Fabric Frenzy

   

     Am I the only person who both loves and hates picking Fabric? Its the A.D.D(self diagnosed of course). Here are just a few of my issues.. I am my own worse enemy, I am the devils advocate times 10. I play it safe and am a Neutral Nelly..I  get really excited when I see bold fabric choices on furniture re-do's.. the ability to commit to a statement piece. Can I do that..NOPE, I always blackout at the last minute.

     The the money monster will rear its ugly head as well ...it pains me to spend $ on fabric..especially bc half of the time it goes to waste and end up not using it or I muff up my project due to a lack of prep work now end up ruining it.

     Ohh and then there is the fact that I will spend hours deliberating over my choices, whether it be in the store or online. In the cart, out of the cart ,back in the cart again. It's pretty bad. For example if Daughter and I are out bumming around and I know that I need to hit Hobby Lobby or JoAnn's I don't even mutter a word until just before I get to the plazas they are in..as soon as I hit my blinker my poor kid shrieks "Awww C'Mon Mommm...Why!?!?!?" She knows the deal the poor thing..she is about to be subjected to my indecisive procrastination for the next 2 hours.

     The last few weeks I have accumulated enough upholstery fabric for 2 apartments worth of furniture.. I had 2 sources for my "Fabric Haul". One was an estate sale that I hit not only once but twice in 1 month (man that place was a honey hole, thats going to be another post for another day) and the other was WWW.FABRICGURU.COM. I have to say I am loving me some FabricGuru. I have ordered from them 2x, my second order was 4 different fabrics totaling 19.5 Yards..Guess What I Paid For It...Wait for it.. INCLUDING SHIPPING 42$. Say what!! I know what your thinking "yeah you might have paid $42 but I bet you have some dookie fabric on your hands"..Nawww Buddie they were all Robert Allen and Richloom and of course they fall within my "safely neutral mindset..I will post some pics this weekend...Oh and lets tawk about the shipping..those boys at FabricGuru DO NOT PLAY do you hear me, both times my orders arrived via UPS in record time..that makes mama a happy gal and a repeat customer.

     I am not going to buy any more....No really I am not..For the Rest of April 2012..Muahhahaahaaa

As Always

A~

Guess What I Paid For It...

 
      Guess How Much I Paid For It..? I am obnoxious like that..i don't realize when I do it that it can rub some people the wrong way, I don't do it to be a jerk or rub it in..no really... I don't .. Dude I just get excited when I score a deal.
      One of my favorite aspects of blogs that I frequent (beside the before and afters) are the thrifty finds. I luv seeing what people find at yard sales, flea markets, roadside, dumpster dove, Craigslist, free cycle..wherever. I like to see what people got rid of..what someone else saw the possibility in, what they bought or rescued with good intentions but turned into a disaster.
     I am just going to come on out now say it.....I Like Knowing What They Paid. I get a rush to see a super score..I actually kinda like "the dang y can't I find a deal like that"..i enjoy the motivation to go out and try and find a deal of my own. I don't mind seeing they got it for free and are selling it for profit.
      Not to long ago I notice one blogger I follow was still showing her "finds" but no longer gives the low down on the $. (She was a super scorer)..Another follower actually left a comment about that very detail. ( I never would have the cahonies to ask lol) The Bloggers response was in a nutshell that since she had expanded her hobby into a business and linked her after projects for sale and as a result received  ALOT of Hater type comments regarding her "selling price" for her bargain finds. So because of that she would no longer share her score price.. C'Mon.. Really.???. I felt bad for this girl.. She developed a great following..always courteous and kind and encouraging to her subscribers her success with her blog helped her sell her finds and someone would knock her for it???
    It is FREE ENTERPRISE for a reason. 1st of all for those of us who work full time... Think about how much your hourly wage works out to be..then think about the total time spent.. trolling yard sales flea markets craigslist.org, get your project home, the hours spent cleaning, gluing, sanding modge podging painting the $ spent on supplies and the time sitting on the project until it sells..When you take all of those factors into consideration are you really making $..sometimes but most time you are making just enough $ to supplement your hobby of refinishing trash to treasure...
     I know this much..If I have a score I'm sharing it..

As Always

A

Cheap Welt Cord Alternative

     In my previous post I mentioned about a welt cord alternative.   I am always trying to find ways to save some dough..usually its so I can qualify an indulgent purchase.. For everyday items I really like the no name dollar store. Ever notice how the chain dollar stores all have the same stuff.. no variation. The no name dollar stores and be a hunny hole..
     There is one particular Dollar Spot that I am partial to..I have lucked out there numerous times..sanding blocks that are $4 at box stores..leather bound journals from Barnes still with 30$ price tag( I bought every last one of them and give them as gifts). I recently got these synthetic round paint brushes that are FANTASTIC with chalk paint..

     2 Weeks ago while doing a return at another shop I figured let me just stop in and see what they had new..in their hardware section I came across this...

   

Hmmm 50 ft..that's a Lil over 16. Yards for a buck. The size looks just about right..I think will buy 2. I get home pull my stash of Hobby Lobby Welt Cord which is. 29 a yard Before 40 off coupon. Here is the comparison...

The top cord is the dollar store one..the bottom is Hobby Lobby..only a slight difference in circumference.  16 yards of Hobby Lobby with 40 off coupon with tax 2.64$ not to mention Hobby Lobby is 15 mins further so gas as well. Yes OK so it's let's say about a $3 savings but again...$ is $ anyway I can save makes me happy.
     There are no rules..the only limits are those you impose on yourself.

As Always...

A