A Secretary Desk Named Fancy Nancy

My mom will be proud of this post. I took good before pictures! I found this cute little old secretary's desk a few weeks ago. I have been wanting to do one and this was in need of some work.

See her sad little hanging handle? Poor thing. 

I decided to mix a custom color for this one. Otherwise, everything will end up in Annie Sloan Duck Egg or Old White. I love those colors! I mixed Annie Sloan Aubusson, Duck Egg and Old White and finished with some distressing and some clear and dark wax. 

I decided I wanted to paint the inside white to give the finished look and to brighten it up a bit.

I love the contrast of the stained trim, blue, white and brass hinges.

I decided to name her "Fancy Nancy" after my mom's best friend and secretary of 12 years. Yesterday, we attended Nancy's funeral and it was a sad day. She has been around since I was a kid and she was part of the family. She was a special lady with the biggest heart and creativity oozing out of her. My mom called her "Fancy Nancy Pants".  Please keep her family and my mom in your prayers. It was a sudden, unexpected loss.

Linking up to:

Perfectly Imperfect: All Things Furniture

Miss Mustard Seed : Furniture Feature Friday

{PRIMP}

Before and After…And Some Lonesome After's

My mom is going to be mad at me for this post. I am missing some before pictures. They were projects I started before my blog, so I wasn't very disciplined on taking those shots. So I'm sorry, and I promise to take "before's" for everything. 

On to the pretties! 

When I saw this bench I had.to.have.it. It had gorgeous lines and was in great shape! I knew a little paint and fabric would totally make it "me".  

So I removed the fabric and check out what was underneath!

I don't care if it is genuine or just for decor, I like it! But the fabric itself was very thin and I wanted this piece to be functional seating. So I did what any blog following, makeover stalking, Miss Mustard Seed super-fan would do. I covered it in a grain sack of course! 

For the record, I do rent, so my funky floors are out of my control. I do my best to keep pretty things everywhere to distract you! 

I painted this piece with Annie Sloan Old White and finished it with some clear wax and light sanding. I love it and I feel like it is an original, even though it was inspired by this:

Found here at Miss Mustard Seed's blog.

Next up are the lonesome after's. I do not have before pictures, so just picture them super ugly so I look like I did a great job!

This little footstool was pretty funky. I painted it with Annie Sloan Provence, clear and dark waxed, covered it in dropcloth and painted some lines on it to mimic a grain sack. It is even cuter in person! Now it is for sale at Old Glory in Riverside. 

Next, is a cute little bookshelf. Someone had painted it with stain. Yeah, funk-tacular! I covered it with one coat of Annie Sloan Duck Egg and left it matte. I love it! I secretly hoping it doesn't sell. Shhh…

Well that's it for the makeovers! Hope you enjoyed! The other day, I teased you with this picture.

I went to a unfinished furniture store and asked if they had any scraps I could buy to use when I teach workshops and such. Not only did he have a GIANT warehouse FULL of scraps, he filled my car up with them and didn't charge me a dime!! 

Look at all those legs!!

This picture doesn't do my score any justice. I just called it a "score," I think I'm an addict. And yes, that is a gorgeous footboard and a super chunk-a-licious mini-pillar.

Hope you enjoyed! Until next time folks! 

Andrea

Linked up at:

{Primp} Your Stuff Wednesday

Alchemy Fine Living : From Trash to Treasure

The Shabby Chic Cottage : Transformation Thursday

Perfectly Imperfect : All Things Furniture

Miss Mustard Seed : Furniture Feature Friday

Mirror Makeover

I found this mirror at a garage sale a couple months ago. I hadn't done anything with it yet, as it wasn't speaking to me. Yes, I sat there and stared at it…waiting for it to say "Paint me and make me pretty!" Yes, I really do believe my pieces talk to me. Don't judge.

Here is the detail before. It was a dark, shiny and thick. Thank God for amazing paint that sticks to ANYTHING!

My mom already yelled at me today to take better before and after pictures. So I promise I will have better pictures from now on. I just get excited and start painting and then realize "I forgot to take a before!" Hence the white paint on the edges of the picture.

I painted it Old White, clear waxed, sanded and then dark waxed. It was missing something. So even over the wax, I dry brushed some Paris Grey and Duck Egg. And I love it. I hope someone else does too!

Yes, that is a half a can of Duck Egg on my patio. I pretty much cried when it spilt. Then I grabbed the closest piece of furniture near me, sat on the ground and painted off the floor. This stuff is like gold people! When you try it, you will understand! 

Today I hit a jackpot. I will share that with you tomorrow. Here is a sneak peak though!

Facebook, Website and a Sneak Peak!

Well, I finally had a spare moment to set up a Facebook page for Sweet Vintage Decor! I will be keeping it updated with workshop dates, makeovers and items for sale.

Facebook

I also have set up a website that you can order paint and other supplies through if you prefer to place your order that way.

Sweet Vintage Decor Website

I have been working on some new projects as well.  Here is a sneak peak for tomorrow's post! 

Sidewalk Sale, Workshops, and Makeovers!

Hello All!!

Sorry for my absence. I have been crazy busy with all sorts of things! As you can see, I have started revamping my blog to be much prettier and I am SO excited! I still have some work to do, but we're getting there.

Last weekend I participated in a sidewalk sale at Old Glory in Riverside, CA. I also sell some of my paints here, and we are planning a workshop soon - I will post about that soon.  Old Glory is a super cute shop that has tons of charm and a HUGE selection. From shabby chic to primitive, and fine antiques to old toys, there truly is something for everyone.

Anyway, I didn't have much, but it was a lot of fun and I sold some great things. My hunny is just happy that I got some of my "junk" out of the house finally. I tell him they are treasures, but he just doesn't understand. Its ok, I still force him to participate!

 This sweet Duck Egg bookshelf is still available! Leave a comment for more information!

 After the dress sold, it was time to rearrange! My next post will be on the makeover of the dark wood mirror below.

 Annie Sloan Chalk Paint display. I will be contacting everyone who signed up for workshop information soon!

 Most of the frames sold! A simple, easy project with Annie Sloan Chalk Paint!

I just realized that I forgot to take a picture of 2 adorable mirrors that I did. They sold SO fast and the gal that bought them was super excited and in a hurry, so I didn't snap a picture. I worked on the Duck Egg blue bookshelf while I was out there in the 230 degree weather. It was not enjoyable, but the paint dried incredibly fast!

I also painted this gorgeous dresser. I asked Sherrie, the wonderful (lucky) owner of Old Glory to start painting so that she could get a feel for how great the coverage is. We were able to use just one coat of, you guessed it, Duck Egg. Can you tell I have a favorite color?

 I finished it up, sanded a bit and put a nice coat of clear wax. I buffed and replaced the hardware and WA-LA! I was tempted to buy her, but unless I buy another home, I don't have any room for furniture.

 She has a broken knob, so a little glue and she will be ready to go to her new home. If you are interested in this piece, it is located at Old Glory in Riverside. Make sure to tell them I sent you!

My first workshop is coming up and there are still spaces open! It is on July 13th from 1-5pm at Mission Galleria in Downtown Riverside. I will be teaching 4 Annie Sloan Chalk Paint techniques. If you are new to painting or even a pro, you will LOVE the techniques and the paint. It is simple enough for a beginner and fancy enough for a seasoned painter. Feel free to visit Mission Galleria to sign up, or you can contact me through the blog and we will get you signed up!

Until next time folks…

Andrea