Sideboard Project, Part 1 (Before)

Today, I'm excited to share with you the first part of my sideboard transformation, a find I was lucky to come across this past weekend. 

In case you thought I was kidding about the price yesterday, the neon tag doesn't lie: $20!

Before this, I hadn't done significant prep for painting furniture. I deferred to the intelligence in the blogosphere and found great step-by-step instructions from Jenny of Little Green Notebook, specifically her prep work for Joanna Goddard's living room. For a similarly beat-up piece, Jenny patched damage to a table's veneer with wood filler, and later sanded the patches for an even, ready-to-be-painted surface.

With my sideboard, there was some need for wood filler (I used Elmer's), especially around the old knobs, which had left an indelible ring that would show if I simply covered it with paint.

So, I filled and I waited.

 I allowed the wood filler about 24 hours to dry, then came back with my little Ryobi sander to smooth it all out. Given the condition, sanding took down some of the rougher, chipped paint and that was alright with me.

 The final step for part 1 of this transformation: a fresh base of Kilz primer to set the foundation for a fun color that I'm so excited to cover this sideboard in.

What's still to come: vibrant paint and fresh new knobs.

Come back tomorrow to see the end results of my latest thrifty project!

Weekend In Review: Thrifting at Impact!

This past weekend was a fruitful one, as I accomplished the few tasks I shared with you all on Friday, and managed to have a wonderful time thrifting, too!

Undaunted by the dreary weather on Saturday, Adam and I drove to the Impact Thrift Store in Norristown, a western suburb of Philly. We'd been there just before moving into our current apartment about two years ago, and figured it was worth another visit. Boy, was it!

This fab chair greeted us at the store's entrance. Honestly, sharing these pictures is making me want to kick myself for not picking this one up...imagine it in some peppy color...

It was $15!

 This beauty was $30 and had there not been a piece of missing veneer, it would have accompanied us back to our apartment. Glass knobs! OMG!

 This pair of matching bamboo nightstands were for sale, along with a mirrored dresser. The mind reels...so much could be done with this set.

 An immaculate mid-century sideboard is the type of piece that would sell for thousands in Manhattan. At Impact, it was a few hundred dollars. I love the contrasting white round knobs!

 A tall cabinet with more bamboo detailing. It was around $50.

 and up close:

 This sofa stopped me in my tracks...isn't it reminiscent of a George Sherlock sofa? It was pristine, and only $800 (freshly cleaned, too).

 $5 chrome task lamp, anyone?

 So now that I've whetted your appetite, here's what we stuffed into our car: a 4-drawer desk in a tragic mustard color that will become our new dining room sideboard. 

The best part? 

It was $20!

This "before and after" is going to be epic--just you wait!

 Oh, and these old copies of Martha Stewart Living mags joined the sideboard...$1.75 for all 5.

I love me some Martha!

There are 2 more Impact Thrift Store locations in the surrounding Philly suburbs and you know I'll be checking them out very, very soon.  I'm so excited to share with you my revamped sideboard and my kitchen/dining area, which I've never shown!

Hope everyone had a great weekend!

TGIF, 2/4/11 Edition

With Monday and Tuesday lost to illness, my week really slipped by! I actually can't believe we're on the cusp of another weekend!

As always, I have lots and lots planned....such as:

• Picking up my nicely framed Claire Nereim "Seasonal Vegetables of California" calendar, as a companion to my "Seasonal Fruits of California print" (!!) I'll be sure to share the new pair next week.

• Anxiously awaiting my newly-purchased Dash & Albert "Staffordshire" striped rug for our bedroom! Casey of Loft & Cottage alerted her readers to a special 20% deal at Lavender Fields this week, which inspired me to finally buy the rug we've been desperate for in our bedroom. Isn't she a beaut?

• Consulting an lamp expert on transforming these fragments of a former pair of marble lamps...

into something more like this...

(via Thomas O'Brien for Visual Comfort)

I can't wait and see how it all turns out!

What are you up to this weekend?

Rooting for the Packers or Steelers?

Me, I'm totally indifferent. Instead we've started the countdown to baseball!

Happy Friday, lovely blog friends.

All About Amethyst

(via Sara Gilbane Interiors)

I'm one of the lucky babies to have been born in February, so I've always been partial to anything in an amethyst hue. While I've not introduced a single purple element into my home, I'm feeling like I could very easily with a colorful throw, peppy printed cloth napkins, or a vase of violets...

In case you're not yet sold, feast your eyes on these rooms that make good use of purple:

 (via Homes and Gardens)

(via Amanda Nisbet)

 (via Domino)

(via Steven Gambrel)

 (via Canadian House and Home)

(via Elle Decor)

(via Amanda Nisbet)

Have I convinced you yet of the beauty of my birthstone hue?

Do you have any amethyst in your abode?

(Are you loving my alliteration today or what!?)

Bedridden

(via Domino)

It's Wednesday already, can you believe it? Until this morning, I hadn't left my house since Saturday. The weekend's wedding-related activities took so much out of me that I was bedridden/couchridden (I just made that word up) since then.

So, needless to say, I'm a little behind this week. My apartment's in shambles, I tell you. My bed went unmade for days...and it certainly wasn't in that "undone chic" state like Amanda Peet's bed, featured in Domino...

Happy February everyone!

TGIF, 1/28/11 Edition

 (via me)

It's that time again, friends...it's Friday. Hallelujah!

As you can see by the photo above, Philadelphia received about a foot of snow yesterday and we're just digging out now. But the snow won't stop us from enjoying the wonderful weekend in store for us because my lovely mother and aunt are heading down from New England for a visit!

Our weekend plans are filled will all things wedding-related, such as

• My first gown fitting 
• Meeting our caterer to decide on lots and lots of things (i.e., tables, tents, etc.)
• Meet with florist to share inspiration

Needless to say, there's a lot to do and even more to share with you, my blog friends!

What is in store for you all this weekend?

Hope that wherever you are, you're enjoying the January weather!

(via me...look what my neighbors made!)

Happy weekend, all!

Wedding Planning: Cake Toppers

(Coconut Swirl Wedding Cake via Martha Stewart...love the slightly "undone" look of this one)

I'm getting married in May, less than four months from now. Our wedding and reception will take place on the grounds of a historic estate right outside Philadelphia (check it out here). Having the whole shindig take place in a garden makes the "theme" a foregone conclusion--we're going with a relaxed, garden wedding with a touch of vintage appeal and a whole host of wildflowers mixed in for good measure.

So many things are incomplete, but I'm hoping to make major headway very, very soon. Instead of tackling big decisions (say, like choosing a florist, deejay, or photographer), I'm going straight for the small details, and today I'll share one of those wedding elements:

The cake topper!

How does that sound?
 That said, I've started to gather some viable options for the cake topper, check 'em out:

(1940's chalkware wedding cake toppers via Etsy)

(Vintage Wedding Party via Ebay--so very Tim Burton!)

(Weird-but-charming, Kewpie-like Bride and Groom, via Etsy)

(Antique bisque bride and groom dolls via Ebay)

 (Antique Cake Topper with Millinery Flowers via Etsy...sadly sold!)

Since I don't have a family heirloom to adorn the top of our wedding cake, I'd like to go with something that has some history and had already welcomed another couple into marriage. I haven't chosen one yet, but when I do, I'll be sure to share.

P.S. I'll be sharing more Ashley & Adam wedding planning details in the coming months...consider yourself warned!