Sunday, September 25, 2011

Wonderful Wicker & Soggy Slickers



I nabbed this sweet little wicker table 
during my first "vendoring experience" at a local antique market last month.
 
 
 
 
She rode home next to my "frantle" that now lives in my kitchen,
 
(which I still can't stop looking at)
 
and the vintage wicker settee 
which has been stored away in our barn until I can work on it next Spring
 
(when the sun is shining...
and it's not raining...
and it's warmer...
if you get my drift).

She was on display in one of the pavilions.
People kept walking by her like they didn't know she existed.

Probably because she was whispering MY name.

There was a lace doily on top of her
with some ugly urn or something...
which, come to discover,
was discretely hiding a nasty, puckering, ring of wet wood
on her nasty veneer top.
 
 




But her wicker...
ohhh....her wicker...
was beautiful.

Her color....not so much.

But I lugged her to my car,
knowing that she had the potential of becoming
something quite pretty.
 
(I do not assume responsibility for the number of people
who were knocked down as I wrestled this baby to my car
all by myself...)


Not knowing what I was going to find laying in the depths of that veneer,
I tentatively started peeling the layers off with my fingers.
And peeling.
And peeling some more.
I found my courage and started in with the putty knife,
chipping and chipping.
 
 
What did I find?

Oh, good gravy.

Another layer of ugly veneer.

UGH!

So, with putty knife in hand once more,
I started in again.
 
(It was almost like peeling sunburned skin.
Know what I mean?
That weird sense of satisfaction you get when you peel that flaky skin away in sheets....
Ok.  
Maybe not.....)



This time, after more chipping and peeling,
a pretty, solid wood top was revealed
just asking for some Annie-love.
 
 
 
 
I painted the wicker part of the table with ASCP in Paris Grey
and the top got washed in Old White ~
and I let it dry for a couple hours.




THEN the fun started.
 
(More fun than peeling sunburned skin...)

With my trusty little sander purring away,
I distressed her
all over.





A little here and a little there.

A lot here and a lot there.






A buffing of clear wax later,
and she was once more a beautiful, vintage French lady
who is now gracing the corner of my living room.
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ 

On another note,
Michelle and I spent today at the last local antique market of the year.
 
It rained.
 
A lot.
 
 
 
But we grinned and bared it
 
(despite soggy hair, 
and blisters from new boots
which made me walk like some ghoulish character
from a Halloween movie
or The Humpback of Notre Dame's sidekick).
 
We had a great time
in our slickers
beneath our umbrellas,
 
 
 
 
and brought home a car load of treasures.
 
 
{Well....maybe not THAT many....}
 
 
[And...ahem....do not let that girl, Michelle, fool you.
 As sweet as she is ~
she's as red-neck as they come.
You should'ave seen all the splotches of muck covering her Jeep
from doing U-ies in the muddy field finding the perfect parking spot.
She's a wild one, that girl.]

{Well.....maybe not THIS bad.....}


I'll be floofing the house with my goodies tomorrow,
so you're just going to have to wait til next time
to see what rode home with me...

Have a great week ~
and thank you for all of your sweet comments!
You always know how to bring a smile to my face!




{ Hugs }





Linking this week to the parties located at the lower right of my sidebar.
This is where I get all of my inspiration!
Click on the buttons, grab some great ideas, and meet some new friends!





65 comments:

  1. Love the white and grey wicker table! It looks perfect in the corner of your living room.

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  2. Oh it is so pretty sitting in your living room. Perfect look and fit!

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  3. Beautiful restoration, just goes to show what a little elbow grease can do. Well worth the time and effort and now it has a perfect home.

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  4. Oh my gosh I am laughing so hard right now!!! That is almost what the Jeep looked like!! LOL!! I am such a dork!
    I love your table, it turned out gorgeous and looks so perfect in your corner! Good thing it knew your name too or you might not have come home with it. :) You are getting really good with these furniture pieces my dear!
    It was so fun today and I am finally warmed up. And hey, if you were the Hunchback's sidekick, did that make me the hunchback??? LOL!! :)
    Thank you too for the treasures, I am having so much fun going through everything. :)
    love ya!

    ps - i love peeling sunburned skin. :)
    xoxo

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  5. So enjoyed your fun write ... & seeing the remake of that gorgeous french wicker! Beautiful!!

    Have a beautiful week.
    TTFN ~
    Marydon

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  6. She looks pretty in your living room!!!!!
    What a beauty!!
    Suzann ~xoxo~

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  7. I love your find!!! And you made it so very beautiful!!!!!!! I am so sad I missed it:(
    I need to do a little flea marketing!!!!!

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  8. Your table is now perfect...your living room, swoon! I'm pinning it!

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  9. Oh she looks perfect in your living room, and I totally get the peeling sunburned flakes, te he!!
    xoxo

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  10. That looked like quite a chore getting that table presentable but you made it very pretty. It looks right at home with your other nice looking pieces. Love your sense of humor.------Shannon

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  11. That is just perfect in your living room. Great job on the peeling and painting! It looks so good:)

    Michelle

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  12. It turned out great and looks wonderful in your living room too.

    Carolyn

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  13. How much fun is that table! Very exciting and satisfying!

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  14. Laurie, the wicker table looks great. I have one in the attic almost the same size that I could redo. You have inspired me.

    Barb ♥

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  15. You are the most lovely, insane woman I know! Love your posts and this one was so fun.
    I kinda liked the blue, and I was thinking, oh no, you didn't...but I like it. Personally, I think it looks great in your home, but would probably look better in mine. I can google directions for you to deliver if you would like. LOL
    Images of you walking like Igor in the rain, hauling JUNQUE to your car are floating through my head. Two of you shopping together would be considered dangerous, especially in the parking area.
    Love ya- Tete

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  16. What a sweet table and it is now perfect! Looks amazing in your lovely home!

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  17. Hi Laurie,
    Great job, perfectly shabby! Love the grey white combo.
    Hugs,
    Bella

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  18. I enjoyed reading this post . Great job , the table is perfect and the most charming addition to your elegant living room !

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  19. Oh Laurie, I just love your spirit...you're so fun. What a great table! You sure have a talent for transforming things. I wish you could come to my house and work your magic :)

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  20. It looks brand-new. Laurie. Perfect fit in the room. xo,

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  21. WOW, it looks beautiful and fits perfectly in your home.

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  22. It turned out beautifully, Laurie... there's nothing like old wicker!

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  23. The table turned out great. Looks good in you living room.
    Barb

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  24. Well, Laurie, you gave that wicker table a lot of love. She looks wonderful now. Can't wait to see what else you got.

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  25. Hello,

    you have had a lot of work but the table has became a true beauty. It looks great in the corner of your livingroom.

    Have a nice day,
    Sylvia

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  26. Laurie, what a true beauty!
    You did well spotting her, and indeed it was calling out for you! You gave it the love and attention it so deserved, well worth removing all its yucky veneer! and the thrill of the peel is exciting better yet when its ready to paint the real joy is in the love of giving it a new life and a voice!

    It looks so beautiful in your living room! if it were mine I would have to peek in on it from time to time taking in the beauty it adds to "Heavens Walk" :)
    I wish it were my find...Its a piece to love.

    xoxo
    Dore

    PS. Just love that girl Michelle, your outing with a friend makes for great fun.

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  27. wow great makeover!! you are very brave peeling that veneer, I'm always a bit scared to do it!
    alicia

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  28. Do you know, that this little red car is from Poland and is cold Fiat 126p :)
    Great transformation, little table looks great!

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  29. Great thing what you did with the table......your livingroom is wonderful !!!...have a nice week darling...love love love Ria...xxx...

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  30. Love your little table...it turned out darling and works perfectly in the corner! Love your blog...always a good read!

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  31. She is a beauty now, worth the hard work. But I loved the other photos, that muddy jeep and that loaded up little red car....I was cracking up. Thank you!

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  32. Lovely little table and a great makeover Laurie!
    Blessings~

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  33. Ooooooo, she's a beauty!!! Love wicker. :)
    Hugs,
    Zuzu

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  34. Your table is awesome! It looks like it was made for your home. (as it was) Hi, I'm your newest fan.;-) I am a new blogger. I love it and all the wonderful people I have met and the talent I have discovered in blogger land. Thanks for sharing yourself. Oh, and I am also located in Michigan.

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  35. What an exquisite little beauty in the corner of your room! You did a wonderful job!

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  36. Oh, wow! What a beautiful home and you really brought that table back to life! xo

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  37. Oh Laurie it looks so pretty now and I think you picked the perfect spot! I actually have a table just like this in my booth with a glass top. I'm thinking it might need to come back home!! Have a good week girlfriend!

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  38. Laurie, ancora un lavoro meraviglioso!!!
    A presto

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  39. Aww so cute and it looks perfect in that corner!

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  40. It looks lovely in that corner. Good work!

    You have just been awarded with the Versatile Blogger Award! Your blog is an inspiration. To find out more about this award check out this post: http://eleven-o-one.blogspot.com/2011/09/versatile-blogger-award.html
    Fran

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  41. What a beautiful little table...thanks so much for sharing it at my NIFTY THRIFTY TUESDAY party:)

    Blessings,
    Linda

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  42. What a lovely little table. You did a great job sprucing her up.

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  43. Laurie that table is darling!I have a little half round wicker with a top very similar, there's just something sweet about vintage wicker. You did a fantastic job, keeping it's charm, but giving it some good old fashioned tlc. You and Michelle are quite a pair by the way! Such adventures!

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  44. Laurie- That little table looks great now that you have peeled off her sunburned veneer! Thank the Lord she didn't have freckles underneath all that skin! (stained/spotted wood top). She looks perfect in that spot and is just the right size for behind that door when it opens.

    Now..about you and Michelle- I heard that you two were so bad the last time that Debbie decided to stay home this time-that's what I heard- and plus she didn't want to be ashamed to be seen with you hobbling around like Quasimodo! Poor dear~

    Can't wait to see what else you found! xo Diana

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  45. Perfect ! looks so nice in your room...couldn't help noticing that table ...is it a door with glass over it ?? nothing would surprise me with you and your clever crafting !! had a good laugh at your story thanks for the giggle...
    Gail xxx

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  46. WOW! What a transformation! Good for you for seeing the beauty in the table and sticking with it.

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  47. That table turned out so pretty sis!
    She truly belongs in that corner of Heaven's Walk.
    Glad you and Michelle had such a great time at the market.
    New focus....Sanibel.

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  48. What a transformation! That cute wicker table was truly meant for your clever hands. It looks stunning now, and perfect in that corner.
    Happy WW,
    Susan

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  49. WOW!!! What a fantastic result. It's perfect!

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  50. Hi! I'm hopping on over from Faded Charm & just LOVE what you've done to that table...amazing transformation! Loving your blog as well and am your newest follower. :) Have a blessed day!

    Hugs,
    Jessie

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  51. Love your white, distressed wicker...you did a fabulous job on it:)!

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  52. Just LoVe How your WICKER TABLE turned out!*!*!
    Jeanine, ChiPPy!-SHaBBy!

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  53. Super cute that table! You did a great job. Found you through Transformation Thursday. I will return, I joined as a follower. I hope you'll visit The Corson Cottage sometime:) Carrie

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  54. You did an amazing job on the table...love the pale grey color.

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  55. Laurie - how are you? I thought I would stop by and say hello and see what you have been up to. Love the table. It came out great. I have been out of the blogging circle for a month or so - working on a big project. Now I am just about caught up...so I am trying to catch up on whats going on this weekend. Looks like you have been pretty busy creating and floofing!

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  56. Would you believe I have the near-identical twin to your wicker table? It belonged to my grandmother -- and to put things in perspective, she was born in 1875.

    The last person to paint the table was Grandma, in a dark shiny brown oil paint. But everytime I think of repainting it, I get all sentimental, or possibly nervous. Grandma's been gone since 1974, but still . . . .

    They are are cute tables, aren't they? when I was a little kid, I kept my turtle's bowl on top of it.

    On with the floofing! :-)
    Cass

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  57. your little gem of a find
    looks so lovely
    in her new dressing of paint and wax

    and your living room is gorgeous

    thanks for sharing at fridays unfolded!

    alison

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  58. Gorgeous! You always have the magic touch. I love your sign along the wall. The table came out amazing.

    ~Shanon

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  59. Your table redo is just gorgous Laurie! Plus, I love a great sense of humor!

    Thanks so much for linking to Potpourri Friday. I appreciate your participation!

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  60. Laurie,
    Your table looks fabulous! You made it into a keeper. Sounds like fun even in the rain! Thank you for linking it up to Home Sweet Home!
    Sherry

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  61. Love it Laurie- that table is just darling and so sweet in your home!! Sharing this at the party tonight- thanks for linking up at FNF :) Hugs, Courtney

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  62. Great post and love the little Wicker table, also thank you, your playlist was playing
    Only Time by Enya, my daughter's wedding song, 10yrs ago, it brought tears to my eyes, and a smile in my heart!

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Bless you and thank you for visiting! I read each of your comments and treasure them all. So, please make sure your settings will accept emails, or leave your email address so that I can reply! ♥ Laurie