21.5.14

My love for French chairs

If you have been reading my blog, you know that I have this obsession with chairs...especially French chairs.  I don't know what it is about them.  They just scream glamour and feminine sexiness.  I have ridiculous amount of chairs especially for a household of three ladies.  I keep saying I am going to sell them after I reupholster them but I just...can't...seem...to...let them go.  Here is my latest find.





Do you love it???  Pink? check. Gold detailing? check.  Just look at that frame!







I don't know what year it was made but since I can see where the pieces are connected, I want to say it is more of a vintage than an antique.  I am taking it to my upholstery class to get it strip to the frame.  I want to modernize it a bit.  Here is what I am thinking.

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White or beige linen.  Old white+gold details.

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Or either French linen or Paris Grey.  I want to start bringing in more neutral tone to my very gilded decor.






I also picked up a pair of late 1800s Victorian Eastlake parlor chairs.  They are beautiful and petite.  Do you think chairs are smaller back then because people are generally smaller?  It must be their organic diet with no growth hormone.  I have an idea of what I want to do with them.


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How gorgeous are these?  I am pretty sure I will get kick out of my class if I tell them I am going to paint antique Victorian chairs.  I am hoping to be able to open an online shop in the fall.  Beautiful re imagined mirrors, gorgeous vintage chairs, and whatever else my imagination let me create.  I am so happy to have all of you in my life and I can't wait for you to go on this journey with me.

Love,
Victoria


Linking up with:
http://modvintagelife.blogspot.com/
http://shabbyartboutique.com/
http://www.findingsilverpennies.com/
http://missmustardseed.com/

17.5.14

Story of a fancy lady: Antique French Cabinet

Do you believe in serendipity? Love at first sight?  I am a firm believer in those two.  That is kind of how I met the fanciest girl I know.  I hope you know I am not talking about a real person...she is, of course, this beauty.




Late 1800s-early 1900s French cabinet.  Lets all take a moment and soak in its beauty.  I found her in the most unexpected place at the most perfect time.  Aurora and I were driving around town going from flea market to flea market trying to find a small cabinet that would fit in my tiny hallway to be used as a linen closet.  Of course we couldn't find any that I love.  So on my way home, I decided to stop by Fancy That Antiques near my house.  I have driven past by it thousands of time but never thought to go in.  The moment I walked into this place, I almost died.  Imagine me...but as a shop.  Beautiful antiques, architecture salvages, paintings, costume jewelries...you name it, they have it.  I told the owner, Christian, I would totally move into the store. I literally walked around the place with my hand over my heart because I thought I was going to have a heart attack. Then I found her...hidden behind boxes of antique light fixtures.


Just breathtakingly beautiful...a little piece of forgotten history waiting to be loved and adored despite all of her delicious imperfections.


You know how I love my chippy and time worn pieces.





And look at those legs.  I can't even...





Beautiful details on the glass.




This is probably the first time I have brought home a piece and love it so wholeheartedly the way it is.  Right now I have all of my shabby vintage china in it.  What do you think?  Fluffy white towels or vintage china?  After I brought it home, the girls decided to make it into their shoe closet.  Those are some fancy chicks.  I am in trouble with those two.




I can't wait to go back to the shop and take lots of picture for you ladies.  The whole place is just filled with so many amazing things.  Check out Fancy That Antiques's facebook page for some pictures.  I am hoping to go to Brimfield Antique show tomorrow.  Of course there will be a post about it with lots of delicious inspirations if I end up going.  Wish me luck.  It is a dangerous place.  : )


Love,
Victoria


Linking up with:
http://modvintagelife.blogspot.com/
http://shabbyartboutique.com/
http://boogieboardcottage.blogspot.com/
http://www.savvysouthernstyle.net/
http://frenchcountrycottage.blogspot.com/
http://rootedinthyme.blogspot.com/
http://elizabethandco.blogspot.com/
http://ivyandelephants.blogspot.com/
http://www.findingsilverpennies.com/
http://missmustardseed.com/

15.5.14

Vintage room for the girls

I hate painting.  By that I mean painting walls.  I think I am just all painted out.  There was a time not too long ago when all I did almost everyday was painting every single wall in the house.  It was extremely therapeutic. Now?  Not so much.  I knew I had to paint the girls' room but I just couldn't bring myself to do it.  Partly because I don't want to paint any more wall but mostly because I knew I have to paint over the murals I painted for Aurora.


Good Bye Hundred Acre Wood!


Good Bye Snow White!  Bella has been relentless about getting a room "just like Mommy's."  So B painted the room so I could get started with what I do best...fun decorating!  I never realized how opinionated my children are about decorating!  Let just say there was a lot of compromising.  They wanted "Rainbows all over! My little ponies prancing around!!  How about Ariel swimming somewhere??!!"  Of course I wanted something neutral, vintage, French...but I had to keep reminding myself this is their room.  And this is where we met in the middle.


I gave them choices with their bedroom color and they went with pink.  Ok I can do that.





I found these vintage iron beds from my two favorite flea markets.  Both for less than $100.  All Shabby and chippy goodness.


I really didn't want to spend a lot of money redoing their room.  So I told them to shop the house.  Oh boy, did they shop the house...more like my bedroom.  The moment I said it, Bella ran straight to my bedroom and started pointing out everything she wanted.


My pink velvet chair.  I spray painted a tree branch and used it to hang their accessories and tutus.  The room is pretty small.  By the time I put two beds and a dresser in, there was no more room.  I knew all of my decorations have to be on the wall.



My adorable mirror.  I really wanted the room to be a little bit more grown up but still have that fairy tale whimsy feel.  I have been collecting birdcages for awhile.  So I made a wall out of them.


My angel wings.  Sweet little vignettes.







 The girls love it.  I think it is the perfect place to read the day away.





And to wonder if the world outside is as magical as their own little magical space.


I have to say...I could so live in this room.


Love,
Victoria


Linking up with:
http://modvintagelife.blogspot.com/
http://www.findingsilverpennies.com/
http://www.astrollthrulife.net/
http://www.savvysouthernstyle.net/
http://www.cedarhillfarmhouse.com/
http://frenchcountrycottage.blogspot.com/
http://shabbyartboutique.com/

11.5.14

Happy Mother's Day and random ramblings.

Happy Mothers Day to all you wonderful and amazingly talented mothers.  The weather was so beautiful today and we spent the whole day gardening.  This is second  spring for our garden and only one or two plants are blooming.  Weeds, on the other hand, are thriving wonderfully.  We bought Petunias and snapdragons to bring color into the garden.  I wish I can say I've been doing cool projects...but I can't.  I have been doing a lot yet nothing is done.  Last week was all about painting the girls' room and setting everything up.  Hopefully I can do a post about it soon.  It was bittersweet because I had to paint over the murals I painted while eight months pregnant with Aurora.








It took me a week to paint it and it was gone in one hour.  This was before I discovered my love for decorating hence the lack of furniture.  Their room is tiny and after putting in two beds, there wasn't room for anything else.  The big news of the week was finding out that my parents are visiting in July.  I haven't seen them in about two years and they have never seen the house since I started all my crazy projects.  So now there is this pressure to get every single project done before July. <sign>  Summer time is all about gardening for me.  So I might not blog as much.  You know me...I have to feel proud of a project for me to share it with all of you.  I do have some awesome projects planned but each one of them is pretty time consuming.  Do you remember the gorgeous foot board I made?


Oh how I love it...but we didn't live happily ever after.  When I bought it, I was told it was a queen bed frame but after I was done with the project, I found out it was a full.  I can get away with using the head board but I can't use the foot board due to the curve.  No worry.  I am turning it into a day bed.  It will be the next project for my upholstery class.  These are my inspirations.


I am thinking of covering the inside with upholstery...definitely with velvet. 




I am going to add more appliques to create drama.


I am in love with this mattress.  I take my class every Saturday morning.  It is probably going to take me a few months to complete.  Ok, I am done rambling.  I am wishing everyone a peaceful night.

Love,
Victoria