Another Peek into My Parisian Bedroom Redo!

It’s been a busy week for me, but I have made some progress in my Parisian style master bedroom redo. For those of you who are just joining me, I am taking a little departure from my usual French country style and going a little more feminine in my bedroom. I think I am really liking it!


Last week, I showed you my progress in one corner of the room. You can see I am building around my pink and green toile drapery panels with that fabulous frenchy lamp as a jumping off point! I am trying to introduce a little more white and pastels in the room to brighten it up.


This week, a few frenchy finds will help me continue in the other corner of the room…among them this little frenchy boy candlestick. Doesn’t he just look so very Parisian? He was only $3.00 at Goodwill! I had actually passed on his twin a couple of weeks ago, but decided to take him home with me this time.


Of course, Baby Kitty had to check him out. He is the official Goodwill hunting trophy inspector in this house! It appears that he passed!


I also found this wonderful old vintage candlestick that someone had already painted white…also only $3.00. I fell in love immediately!


His face reminds me of the beast in Jean Cocteau’s La Belle et la Bête…an old black and white French version of the fairy tale Beauty and the Beast. And just look at the legs on the candlestick…a lion with talons…or are those hooves? Love it!


First, the little boy got a good coat of primer and then several coats of white paint! Now he is ready to be distressed. Do you sometimes wonder why you are working so hard to make the paint perfect only to sand it off?


And here he is with his lion friend, who also got a little distressed! I think they look so good together…so very frenchy!


Now don’t be shocked when you see this! lol It’s a flower pot painted white and then covered with spackling paste. It’s the kind that starts out pink and turns white when it dries! Why am I doing this?


To add a little texture to the pot! Next, I dry brushed a little dove gray craft paint on it and then actually had to give it another light coat of spray paint since the gray was still too dark. I added it to an old silver plate chaffing dish that I found at Goodwill a while back and voilà…instant frenchy planter! And it was free! I was searching for a planter with legs and couldn’t find one, so I thought I’d try this.


I filled it with pink hydrangeas and here it is!  I wanted a pop of white and this will do for now. I also stacked up a few old books I found at the thrift store and added my green depression glass butter dish. What do you think?


And here is the vignette in its final form. The mirror in the background belonged to my grandmother. It has a little veneer missing, but I think that adds to its character! Now you are wondering…just where is my vignette?


It’s on top of this wonderful old plantation desk that belonged to my great-grandfather…along with my grandmother’s hat! I believe the desk dates from the early to mid 1800s and it has been in my family ever since.  Now, I do realize that it is not very frenchy, but I have to make an exception here! And of course, it absolutely cannot be painted! I would be the black sheep of the family! I am trying it out with the frenchy chair that I refinished last week to see if it helps to frenchify the desk. What do you think?


Now here’s the chair that I really want..Rachel Ashwell’s Shabby Chic Darcy chair! Sigh! But for $450, I can only dream! Maybe I can find the perfect chair to redo. And then I may call it my (Mr.) Darcy! lol


And finally, here is another look at my vignette! I hope you don’t mind that we are coming along so slowly in my little Parisian decorating venture. Next time, I should have even more to show you!

Thanks for stopping by! I hope you enjoyed a little peek at my finds!  Please visit these wonderful bloggers and their beautiful blogs to see what they are up to and to find a list of this week’s participants!
Donna at Funky Junk Interiors for Saturday Nite Special
Susan at Between Naps on the Porch for Metamorphosis Monday
Rhoda at Southern Hospitality for Today’s Thrifty Treasures
Marty at A Stroll Thru Life for Tabletop Tuesday
Linda at Coastal Charm for Nifty Thrifty Tuesday
Kathleen at Faded Charm for White Wednesday
Gina at The Shabby Chic Cottage for Transformation Thursday
Cindy at My Romantic Home for Show and Tell Friday
Artie at Color Outside the Lines for Vignette Fridays
Laurie at Bargain Hunting and Chatting with Laurie for A Few of My Favorite Things Saturday
See you next time! A la prochaine!

Frenchy Chair Redo...and...Some Special Finds

I am really excited about what I have to show you this week…my first real furniture redo! It’s a frenchy chair for my Parisian master bedroom that I am working on! I love the way it turned out!


You may remember it from last week…my flea market find that someone had painted a mottled brown…really not bad in person. But it was the shape of the chair that won my heart….love the back! And even our CEO Ozzie seemed to approve.


But here she is with the new finish…and looking quite elegant, I might add! How did I do it? First, I sprayed it with a coat of primer, then several coats of Krylon satin in Ivory and finished with a glaze of gray paint (Glidden Wood Smoke) mixed half and half with water. I bought it in the the tester size at Home Depot. I quickly painted the glaze on with a fat artist’s brush and then wiped it off. If it stays on too long, it is difficult to remove, so I found it best to work in small areas. The gray went down into the crevices in the chair to give it an aged look.


Next,  I recovered the seat of the chair using a drop cloth that I also bought at Home Depot…two 9 x 6 cloths for $10…a bargain! I followed Miss Mustard Seed’s directions for preparing the drop cloth for use. And I have lots left over ready to use for future projects!


Here’s a little peek at what’s going on in my Parisian master bedroom redo! I have finished the toile drapery panels and hung them. I made them 8 feet in length since I have very high ceilings. The fabric is called Nouveau Bergère Toile and is imported from England. I love it!


You can see the collection of frenchy items I have been finding over the last few weeks on the bedside table. The lamp is the inspiration piece that started it all. I seem to have  started in this corner and I am working around the room. I will show you more as I make progress!


I’d also like to show you something that made my little heart race when I found it…this collection of lacy flatware caddies…sized to fit spoons, forks and knives! I decided to make a swing by Goodwill right before it closed one evening last week…and there they were! I snatched these babies up so fast it would make your head spin! I think no one knew what they were. I am especially pleased to have these because  Sherry at No Minimalist Here gave away the same spoon caddy and I was sad when didn’t win! lol I must have been a really good girl because now I have all three…and for only $9.00 total!  I have added them to the vignette on my hutch. I feel like throwing a buffet dinner party!



And finally, I also found this little Eiffel Tower at Goodwill for only $1.51! I have given it to my grandson, who will be ten years old this week. This is a very special birthday because I have been promising him since he was five that we would go to France when he hits his 10th birthday…and it is finally here! He is a big fan of Monet, thanks to a wonderful kindergarten art teacher, and wants to see Monet’s gardens in Giverny, as well as the Eiffel Tower…two must-sees on his list! Soooo…early next summer we will be on our way at last! And this little find represents my promise to him!

Thanks for stopping by! I hope you enjoyed a little peek at my finds!  Please visit these wonderful ladies and their beautiful blogs to see what they are up to and to find a list of this week’s participants!
Donna at Funky Junk Interiors for Saturday Nite Special...Old Chairs
Stephanie Lynn at Under the Table and Dreaming for the Sunday Showcase Party
Mary at Little Red House for Mosaic  Monday
Susan at Between Naps on the Porch for Metamorphosis Monday
Rhoda at Southern Hospitality for Today’s Thrifty Treasures
Marty at A Stroll Thru Life for Tabletop Tuesday
Linda at Coastal Charm for Nifty Thrifty Tuesday
Kathleen at Faded Charm for White Wednesday
Gina at The Shabby Chic Cottage for Transformation Thursday
Marian at Miss Mustard Seed for Furniture Feature Friday
Cindy at My Romantic Home for Show and Tell Friday
Laurie at Bargain Hunting and Chatting with Laurie for A Few of My Favorite Things Saturday
Kristin at My Uncommon Slice of Surburbia for the Drop Cloth Linky Party

Some Leggy Love...and...What Is It?

I have found another old and interesting silver plate treasure to go in my bedroom redo! I was at the junk/flea market when I saw these little legs peering out at me from the clutter. It was love at first sight! Sooo…I brought it home!


Baby Kitty has checked it out and thinks I am out of my mind…dragging home this tarnished old thing! Do you know what it is? I will give you a look at the after and maybe it will be easier to tell.


Taaa daaa! After attacking the old quadruple silver plate with some Wright’s Silver Cream and a lot of elbow grease, I found a delicate floral border intertwined with ribbons and a lovely carnation etched in the center. It is an old Victorian calling card receiver from the Derby Silver Company and dates between 1872 and 1898! Did you guess correctly?  I had to do a little research to figure it out. In Victorian times, you would find one of these on a table in the hallway to receive the calling cards left by visitors. It sounds simple, but there was actually an entire set of etiquette guidelines for when to call on someone and how to fold the cards!
Click here for a  lovely site with wonderful information about calling cards and receivers,  here for a more detailed history and here for a look at some beautiful old examples of Victorian calling cards.


I have added it to the vignette beside my bed to hold my earrings. I am constantly forgetting to take them off until I am in the bed. This way the staff won’t knock them off of the bedside table and play street hockey with them! lol And I love the way it looks with my spooner!


I'd also like to show you another set of legs...my frenchy stool redo! I just love that fabric...covered with frenchiness...and those cute little legs peeking out from underneath that ruffled skirt! Do you recognize it?


It’s the less-than-lovely Bombay Company stool that I found at Goodwill for $3.50 several weeks ago! I have finally managed to get Kitty to let me have her new favorite perch long enough to finish it!


Don’t you love this fabric? I was so happy when I walked into the fabric store and found it! And…it was only $18 a yard! Yes, I know you are saying…whaaaat? But most of the frenchy script fabrics are about $40 a yard! Yikes! And I only needed half a yard…so for $9 for fabric, a $1 package of batting from Goodwill, and $2 in clearance aisle trim…


…I not only got a new frenchy stool, but had enough fabric left over to make a matching pillow! Woo hoo! I have added it to this corner of my living room near my painted chest.  I have to give credit to my friend Linda at Nina’s Nest for some inspiration on this project!


And finally, I have another set of legs to show you…my new chair that will be added to my Parisian bedroom redo! But it is the back that I love with this one! I bought it with the intention of painting it chippy white, but when I put it in the room, I liked it as is! Once I get to the point where I can show you more, I’ll give you a better look and ask you to tell me what you think. Our CEO Ozzie seems to approve!
I am making progress very slowly in my bedroom redo, it seems. Grandchildren and gardening keep calling my name, so please hang in there as I reveal it bit by bit!

Thanks for stopping by! I hope you enjoyed a little peek at my finds! 
Please visit these wonderful ladies and their beautiful blogs to see what they are up to and to find a list of this week’s participants!
Beth at Gypsy Fish Journal for Silver Sunday
Susan at Between Naps on the Porch for Metamorphosis Monday
Rhoda at Southern Hospitality for Today’s Thrifty Treasures
Marty at A Stroll Thru Life for Tabletop Tuesday
Linda at Coastal Charm for Nifty Thrifty Tuesday
Cindy at My Romantic Home for Show and Tell Friday
Jessica at A Few of My Favorite Things for Favorite Things Friday
Laurie at Bargain Hunting and Chatting with Laurie for A Few of My Favorite Things Saturday
See you next time! A la prochaine!

What Is It?...and...A Peek at Some Progress

 Wooo hoo! I am really excited about my favorite find this week! Can you guess what it is? Hint…it dates from the late 1800s and it is not a trophy! I’ll give you a closer look…


It is old triple plate silver and has a wonderful filigreed band around the center. A series of twelve little hooks surround the edge of the bowl. There’s a hint in the mosaic! Do you see it? Can you guess?


It’s a master sugar spooner…a very large sugar bowl combined with a spoon holder! Did you guess correctly? I admit that I had to do some research myself. They are an American invention which first appeared around 1874. Even though it can hold up to twelve spoons, I just put six so that you can see the lines of the piece more clearly. They were sometimes included as an additional part of a tea set. (For more information on spooners, click here.) This one is from Rogers Brothers and is marked as pattern number 70. And sadly, I have no lid.


But…here is a picture of it that I found on eBay. It is a different manufacturer, but is still marked pattern 70. I want it! Isn’t it lovely? I love the butterfly on top and the leaf pattern around it!  But I am not buying a whole new spooner just to get the lid. I even went back to the flea market to the same booth and searched…no lid! Waaaah! But that’s OK. I only paid $14 for my spooner. Woo hoo! I suspect the dealer didn’t do his research! One with the lid can cost $150 to $250 and up! Anyway, that gives me something else to search for! Soooo….what will I do with it?


When I found it, I was actually searching for a vase for my Parisian bedroom redo…so a vase it is! I left the spoons just to make it more interesting and as a little nod to its history. I think I am in love! Yes, yes, I know…again! :-)


I put it on top of a stack of vintage books and added my little $2.00 frenchy boy from Goodwill…


…and created a new vignette for my bedside table! What do you think?


Here it is with my new frenchy lamp…love it! You can see my toile panels in the background.  It’s just a little peek at what is going on. I am loving the new vintage Parisian look in my bedroom!  I will reveal more as I make progress! 
Thanks for stopping by! I hope you enjoyed a little peek at my find! 
Please visit these wonderful ladies and their beautiful blogs to see what they are up to and to find a list of this week’s participants!
Susan at Between Naps on the Porch for Metamorphosis Monday
Rhoda at Southern Hospitality for Today’s Thrifty Treasures
Marty at A Stroll Thru Life for Tabletop Tuesday
Linda at Coastal Charm for Nifty Thrifty Tuesday
Cindy at My Romantic Home for Show and Tell Friday
Laurie at Bargain Hunting and Chatting with Laurie for A Few of My Favorite Things Saturday
See you next time! A la prochaine!

Finding "Frenchiness"...Parisian and Provencal

Today I am having dessert first and starting out by showing you my favorite find of the week...and a little peek into a big change that is coming for my bedroom! I immediately fell in love when I saw this lamp, but left the flea market without it. However, it later passed my “I really want it” test when I found myself thinking about it that night instead of sleeping! lol  I love it with the toile fabric…so frenchy! Doesn’t it look like it came out of a Paris apartment? I hope to make some progress this week and have something to show you soon!


This little frenchy boy was a $2.00 find at Goodwill! However, I couldn’t even photograph the before! He was unfired ceramic bisque that apparently was never completely painted and as a result…he was filthy! I gave him a good scrubbing to no avail! Sooo…


…I finally brushed him with a thin layer of gray craft paint mixed with water to shabby him up and help to tone down that gold trim! And here he is added to the vignette on my painted table in the living room! I think like him! Are you seeing a little lean toward a more Parisian style frenchiness at my house?  Where is that coming from? lol


Of course, I can’t abandon my real love…a more provençal Country French look! Nor, it seems, can I leave behind anything that is marked as a product of France, looks French or even seems to have ever been looked at by a passing French person! lol I can’t abandon it to some buyer off the street who might not appreciate it as much as I will!  So this hand painted olive jar came home with me! I have to wonder…how did it get to the US and why did someone let it go? Don’t tell me if you saw it at TJMaxx! lol


I can’t seem to take pictures of art to save me, so I am showing you this one from a photo I snitched from the web! I found this fabulous framed provençal print by Guy Buffet  called Hotel Mistral while Goodwill hunting! It was only $25…a real steal because the print alone can be $30…if you can find it because it’s out of print! Buffet is a French artist who grew up in his family’s Parisian restaurant. I hung this one over my kitchen sink because I have no window. Now I have a view of Frenchmen playing boules. And one of my other loves is even represented…goats! lol


Here is where my little brain start to stretch things! I’m sorry…but isn’t this just the frenchiest little domed silver butter dish you ever saw? This is another of those “really want it” items that I let get away the first time. So when I found one again at Goodwill, I didn’t hesitate!


Baby Kitty was really surprised when I opened it to reveal the little glass dish! The lid is attached and just rolls back. Do you know I found the silver domed part on one aisle and then went to the glassware aisle with my fingers crossed that the dish would be there…and it was! Woo hoo! I don’t know why they always separate things like that! I spent a total of about $5 for it.


And finally, my best bargains of the week…free!  Two of my friends were having a yard sale and decided that I  should have these wonderful vintage-looking kitty goodies! I love the paper dolls! If you know me, you know I love little animals wearing clothes! The paper dolls are marked “Victorian” but I don’t care…they look French to me! lol I mean…look at the costumes…do you see it? And I love the little kitty tin! It is a kitty version of Renoir’s painting La Loge!  I will have to find something special to do with these!

See? I told you! I find frenchiness everywhere…from the obvious to the absurd! lol Thanks for stopping by! I hope you enjoyed a little peek at my finds! 
Please visit these wonderful ladies and their beautiful blogs to see what they are up to and to find a list of this week’s participants!
Susan at Between Naps on the Porch for Metamorphosis Monday
Rhoda at Southern Hospitality for Today’s Thrifty Treasures
Marty at A Stroll Thru Life for Tabletop Tuesday
Linda at Coastal Charm for Nifty Thrifty Tuesday
Cindy at My Romantic Home for Show and Tell Friday
Laurie at Bargain Hunting and Chatting with Laurie for A Few of My Favorite Things Saturday
See you next time! A la prochaine!

Happy Birthday to Baby Kitty!

Baby Kitty is turning seven today! In his honor, we are running his birthday post from last year, detailing his rise to fame...a fabulous rags to riches story! Please join us in wishing him a very happy special day!
I am linking this post to the Share Your Pet Partay at Debbiedoo's! Head on over to see the parade of the cutest fur babies in Blogland!
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It's time for a special celebration! The management and staff here at Plate Addict are excited to salute our very own celebrity co-host on his birthday! Yes, Baby Kitty is turning six years old on July 23rd!


In honor of the occasion, we have searched the tablescape photo files for a few shots of the little gentleman at work! His co-hosting abilities were discovered quite by accident. It seems that playing with dishes proved to be one of his many hidden talents . That, along with his sparkling wit and irresistible charm have made him the perfect co-host!


As with many famous personalities, Baby Kitty's tale is one of rags to riches. Many of you are already familiar with his amazing story. Abandoned by his mom at birth in the neighboring driveway, he quickly found his way into the hearts of the Plate Addict management, who bottle fed the little rascal around the clock until this glorious moment arrived ... his first meal! (Oops! Feet in bowl! Once again, Miss Janice, I must ask you to forgive his bad manners!)


He has since become an international celebrity, featured in newspapers, magazines, television and even his own billboards!


And who can forget his appearance in Times Square on New Years Eve? Ryan Seacrest was quite charmed by our Baby Kitty!


Of course, he has fans among the feline set ...


... but we never imagined that he would become a favorite among the leaders of other nations!


He has even been influential as a fashion icon ...


... with his own chain of clothing stores!


Who could have guessed that such a scrappy little guy would grow up to be such a handsome fellow? So on this, the occasion of Baby Kitty's birthday, we wish to salute our special little man and wish him the happiest of birthdays! And yes, there will be a candle on his can of special cat food!


And management would like to give a big hug to the rest of the staff, who also wandered into our hearts from the streets, but without any special date that can be celebrated! You are all very special and much loved!!