On Why I Paint

It never, ever fails. I paint a piece of furniture, and invariably someone exclaims, “WHYYYYYY???”

Like many people, I love antiques and vintage furniture. I was definitely born in the wrong era. I am more at home wearing a poodle skirt. The 1950s are my jam!! I have been lucky to score several MCM (mid century modern) pieces for my home while perusing thrift stores. But honestly, that is not what I look for.

When I go thrifting, I look for furniture that is in bad shape already: missing veneer, missing drawers, chipped wood, damaged leather inserts, etc. Furniture that is beyond restoring is ideal for painting. Why? Because I won’t feel guilty for painting it!! I have no problems removing old veneer, patching dents and sanding out scratches. In such cases, painting the object would bring new life to it, and make it more contemporary.

There was a lot wrong with this piece. But the details were so pretty!! And so, I painted it and brought out the details with gilding. And even though it is not longer an “antique”, it is now a showpiece. But still, I am sometimes pained if I paint a vintage or antique piece that is in good condition, and that leads me to the other side of the coin: a client requests it.

That one is sooooooo tricky. You want to dissuade the client from painting a piece of furniture that is in immaculate condition. But the client has the last word, and you as the painter are there to do the job. Those are the words that go through my head as I take a brush to the wood. And after about five minutes, I am ok with painting it. The reason? I have already “ruined” it so now I must make it beautiful again. It makes no sense but that is how my mind works. I never claimed to be logical.

Now, when it comes to contemporary furniture, it’s a whole different game. A lot furniture today is made from MDF or particle board. I have absolutely no issues painting those. Some furniture makers still adhere to using solid woods and those I do respect, even outdated in style. Because as everyone knows, everything old eventually comes back in style. Some styles shouldn’t, but that’s just my personal, semi-professional opinion. Remember the 90s when everything was metal and glass? Oy!! I have no problem updating those pieces at all. It is amazing what a can of spray paint can do to bring a contemporary look to those pieces.

I hope this post helps to explain the whys and wherefores of my furniture painting. Painting furniture is not only a nice gig for me, but it’s also very therapeutic. And it’s easy with the right paint and tools. But the best part? You can always paint over your mistakes. That’s a measure of relief when starting out!! 😉

Saturday’s Girlie Drink

Howdy!! Today I bring you a fabulous concoction featuring my favorite liqueur, St. Germain. This fabulous liqueur is made with elderflowers, and has a sweet herbal taste. It is a good complement with sharper libations such as gin and vodka.

Luckily, this cocktail features all three!

Elderflower Martini

• ½ oz. Vodka
• ½ oz. Gin
• 1 oz. St. Germain Elderflower liqueur
• 2 oz. Fresh sour mix*

Pour all ingredients in a shaker with ice, and mix well. Serve in a coupe glass, and garnish with a lime slice. You can increase the amount of gin or vodka or both for a sharper taste. Enjoy!!

* For fresh sour mix, first make simple syrup: bring one cup of water and one cup of granulated sugar to boil, stirring until dissolved, and set aside to cool. After cooling, add one cup of fresh squeezed lemon juice and ½ cup fresh squeezed lime juice to the simple syrup. Shake well before serving. It will keep for two weeks in the refrigerator.

On Nostalgia

A while back, I was perusing an antique store nearby when I was assailed by a pleasant scent. My nose recognized it before my mind did. I looked around until I found the source: an old powder cache. I was transported back to my childhood in an instant. Memories of my grandmother’s vanity tray flashed through my mind, and how she would let us powder our faces and pretend to be grown up. After prettifying ourselves, we would go out to the sala and climb a small stepstool and sing songs for our grandma.

Coty Airspun powder, the standard for women for decades. She had a vanity mirror tray that looked like it was wrapped with gold lace, and on it were her preciouses: the powder, a bottle of Chanel No. 19, a lipstick in a rose pink, and a jar of Pond’s face cream. She replaced every item with the same things as they were used up, save the perfume. That bottle she treasured and was only donned for special occasions. I think I have it somewhere, the alcohol evaporated long ago leaving the oil base dark and pungent laying on the bottom of that iconic bottle. She also had a bottle of Chanel No. 22 which she had purchased back in the 1930s and was SACRED and kept in the drawer under lock and key and away from sunlight.

Once the memory floodgates were opened, impulse took over. I found myself at the drugstore, perusing the aisles for the Airspun powder. I saw it sitting on a shelf, looking shy and quiet among the flashier offerings. But the round orange container with its happy little poufs scattered on the lid beckoned to me, tugging at my heartstrings. And so I indulged in a memory, smiling as the young cashier asked me if the powder was nice. “It was wonderful when I was five years old,” I replied. I hurried home and opened that little cache and proceeded to powder my nose just like my grandmother taught me.

And in those few minutes, I was young and pretty and singing again. ❤

Urban Sophisticate on a Disco Budget

I swear, one day I will be completely happy with my interior design aesthetic.

But today is not that day.

As some of y’all know, I tend to be a thrift store maven. I love going to thrift shops. I don’t care if someone’s grandma spilled tuna casserole on a table as long as the table is solid and has good bones. Some time back, I scored a pair of Lane Acclaim tables for $20, thinking they were a good size for the living room. I restored them and now they look like a million bucks.

Of course, that means I am on the lookout for the matching coffee table. It also means I am now, once again, redecorating the entire living area. The tables just do NOT go with a farmhouse chic style (sorry, Joanna. I still lurv you). They are definitely mid-century modern, and so am I. Goodbye, traditional Persian-style rug with fringe. Hello urban shag rug with bold stripes. Goodbye chippy paint. Hello metallics. Goodbye farmhouse antiques. Hello atomic retro.

The one thing in this house that has always stumped me is the fireplace. It is a dull grayish taupe brick, with the standard gray cement mortar. I am very leery of painting the brick, but lightening up the mortar would be a vast improvement to it. At least you could see the bricks! And it is a far thriftier option than having the bricks painted or even covered with tile. So that was a quick and very thrifty update to the fireplace.

You can see the difference. All I used was chalk paint in an off white shade to match the mantel. Though it wasn’t difficult, it took a couple of days because I was using a tiny brush and had to wipe the brick edges with a damp rag as I went along. I chose chalk paint because of its matte effect, which lets the texture of the mortar come through. Using acrylic or latex paint would make it look too smooth, and also, the clean up wouldn’t be as easy.

Ok, time to head off to Lowe’s. This place ain’t going to caulk itself. 😀

The Velvet Mimosa

When it comes to libations, I am inspired by the most random things. An infamous flub inspired a rather refreshing drink, and bloodiness inspired this one. I’m sure to be inspired by a pair of shoes soon enough. Does is matter as long as the drink is delicious??

Anyway, my friend @velvetsugar76 is fond of changing up her moniker on Twitter. It wasn’t long before I was inspired by her to make a new cocktail in her honor. Because nothing brings friends together like booze!!

Velvet Mimosa

• 1 oz. silver tequila (because Velvet loves her some tequila)
• 2 oz. orange juice (or orange pineapple juice)
• 1 oz. strawberry puree
• ½ oz. simple syrup
• 2 oz. prosecco

Pour the tequila, juice, puree, and simple syrup into a shaker with ice. Shake well, and strain into a wineglass. Top off with prosecco. You can adjust the amount of liquor to taste, as well as the simple syrup. I love sweet drinks, so I may tweak it a bit and add more simple syrup next time.

Usually the addition of a puree would classify this as a Bellini, but since I added tequila and juice, it was more fluid and thus retained the label of a Mimosa. Even with the additional liquids, it remained velvety on the tongue. And….

TWSS. 😉

Water, Water, Everywhere….

….but not a drop of hot water to bathe in.

That’s right. My water heater went out last Friday and my descent into insanity continues at a faster pace than normal. I have given up everything good for Lent!!! Why hast thou forsaken me, water heater???

This is always the way: the moment you no longer have something, that’s the moment you desperately need it. I can go forever without water to drink, but shut the water off for repairs and suddenly your mouth is the Sahara in the summer. Electricity goes out, and now you just have to turn on every light and cook something or bake something. It never fails. And it didn’t help that a cold front (cold by my standards) moved through so now the water is absolutely frigid.

AND I HAVE NOT BEEN ABLE TO TAKE A SINGLE BUBBLE BATH!!!

Seriously!! I should be grateful to have water at all, and I am….. rather grudgingly. In the grand scheme of things, it could have been far worse. I just really, really miss my tub. And the feeling in my toes. Hopefully the water heater will be replaced and be up and running by this evening. If you see news reports of a crazy woman storming Lowe’s demanding a water heater, don’t judge her too harshly. Her brain probably froze 😉

Beauty on a Budget

The other day I was turning down the bed when I took a glance in the mirror and my brain froze.

WHAT IN THE ACTUAL HELL???

I have a Gordon Ramsey wrinkle.

Oh, HELL NAW!! I will embrace my gray, I will enjoy making laugh lines, and I won’t mind the crow’s feet (much). But I refuse —REFUSE!!— to have a single wrinkle like that. IT’S NOT SYMMETRICAL, FOR GOODNESS’ SAKE!!! If I had two wrinkles mirroring each other…..well, ok, I would still be upset but in an “I-am-the-cryptkeeper” kind of way, and eventually would accept it and turn it into part of my Halloween ensemble. But a single, solitary crater by my chin??

No, just no.

So, I did what any level-headed woman would do: I cried and yelled at the wrinkle and then decided to be all sciencey and test out some beauty products. It was either that, or eat two quarts of Baskin Robbins’ World Class Chocolate. And I can’t do that because I gave up everything joyful for Lent, so beauty products it is.

First: skin upkeep doesn’t have to be expensive. I tried several expensive products which compared favorably, and in some cases were not as good as inexpensive drugstore brands. Second: your face wash can be a different brand from your moisturizer, but the moisturizer must be compatible with your foundation. That makes a big difference. So if you have a preference for a matte foundation, use a moisturizer that is oil-free. If you prefer the dewy look, use a moisturizer for drier skin. Otherwise your foundation will look like spackle. Third: some products are better used during certain seasons. It’s standard to need something more moisture-rich in the winter than in the summer. Fourth: what works for me may not work for you, thus test and trial! So think of this post as a guideline, not a hard fast rule. Anyway, on to fighting aging like two women over the last pair of stilettos at DSW!!

OHAI!!!!!

*dusts off blog*

*chokes, sneezes, coughs*

Uh, that’s better.

So yes, it has been over a year since I wrote on this here blog. I forgot how much fun I had yapping about fluff. Lots of blogs out there give you the rundown on politics, religion, entertainment, sports, etc. But seldom do you run across a blog that gives you silly crap to ponder throughout the day. And that’s why I am returning to my blogging roots.

SITHY THINGS IS BACK, BABY!!!

Ok, moving along now. Our topic for today (that’s the royal “We/Our”) is what gets us going to tackle the day. I can argue that for me, caffeine is a GREAT motivator. But some people I know (forgive them, Lord, for they know not what they do) prefer other ways to get going in the morning. Honestly, if I don’t have at least one cup of coffee in the morning I start stabbing things, like the loaf of bread or the Gouda (which looks like hell right now but still tastes awesome so, NBD). There are days I need three, like on mornings after a bad thunderstorm that kept my big dog awake and whining for me to sleep next to her on the hardwood floor because obviously I don’t fit in her bed. And of course, on travel days I need more than one cup.

I also need more than one pit stop. But it’s worth it.

So, how do y’all get motivated to start your day? And keep it PG-13. Last thing I need is my mom reading this and being scandalized. 😀

Linearity

Funny thing about parallel lines. They never meet, but can enjoy gazing upon each other as they travel, content to mimic each other and satisfied on their common grounds.

Skew lines, though….

Skew lines have that brief moment where they pass each other, one brilliant but brief glimpse into each other’s lives before everything is lost as they travel in different directions.

I do wonder if skew lines can feel regret.

It’s the Spiciest Time of the Year

Y’all…

It’s that time again.

The time when every pumpkin fears for its life.

It’s the dawning of the age of Pumpkin Spice Latte.

I won’t lie. I enjoy a PSL once in a while. In fact, there was a time I was all excited to see Coffeemate bring out their Pumpkin Spice flavor so I could have a fix of The Spice at home. But I am more into The Spice than I am into The Pumpkin. Unless it’s pie. Then I am all about that with a huge dollop of homemade whipped cream. But in a drink, it’s not as appealing to me. That said, I have lots of friends IRL and on the Interwebs that do love PSL. Love it so much they set aside time for Starbucks on the first day they serve it. For me, the attraction is in the Spice. I’m all Paul Atreides on that. But I found an additional way to enjoy Pumpkin Spice without the Latte.

That’s right. A chocolate shake with Bailey’s Pumpkin Spice. Bailey’s used to have the recipe up on their site, but alas, they took it down. Lucky for y’all, I found it again.

• 4 oz. Baileys Pumpkin Spice Irish Cream
• 2 cups Chocolate Ice Cream
• 2 oz. Whole Milk
• 1/4 cup Brown Sugar
• 1/4 cup Pumpkin Puree
• 1/4 tsp. of Pumpkin Spice Blend (Allspice)

Put everything in a blender and go to town (not literally). You can substitute vanilla ice cream for the chocolate (why you would want to do that is beyond my comprehension), the whole milk for reduced fat or skim, and make sure you get plain pumpkin puree, not pie filling. Otherwise the sweetness will be off the charts. Personally, I would cut back a little on the brown sugar, and that’s saying something. Either way, I believe this is a far better way to enjoy Pumpkin Spice than in a latte. Chocolate, spice, AND booze.

Now excuse me. I must go control The Spice 😉