Meat & Potatoes....As requested

My Aunt requested some content that wasn't all love notes to my hub or deep thoughts about my future. I agree! Enough whipped cream, here's a post with some substance and "eye candy".

I've been shopping like crazy the last week, in preparation for the new larger space. Many antiquers have a huge stockpile....I don't or better stated, didn't. So it was off to the usual haunts and a few new places too.

In my home town we have a recycle center at the local dump. Sounds classy, I know, but it's a great place to find building supplies, old windows and cast off furniture that just needs a little love. It never ceases to amaze me what people will throw away. I made the rounds at the local flea markets. Flea's are a great place to find unique items at really low prices. My best flea market and garage sale advice: don't wear your good jewelry, clothes or carry a designer purse...these things will drive up the price you are quoted! I wear a sweatshirt and keep my cash in my pocket, I don't even wear my wedding ring. I do try to at least wear mascara and straighten my hair. Flirting, is bargaining tool I shamelessly use often. I don't point out what is "wrong" with an item while trying to negotiate a better price. It puts the seller in a defensive mood and it's not very nice. Instead, I do well with, "What's your friendliest price?" My motto: You catch more flies with honey, than vinegar. I've sold at my share of antique shows and it always surprises me how many buyers rattle off all of the faults, in an effort to get a low price. My response as a seller, "If the item is such a piece of junk, why do you want it?" Well, I thinking that at least.

I also went to a new place, new to me that is. Lytton Springs Salvation Army. The reason I liked it....tonnage! It's so nice to go somewhere and have a lot to choose from. This facility has a wide selection of furniture, the prices aren't fantastic, but Tuesday is the rumored 1/2 off day. I only found that tid bit out because Gen asked the cashier. Which is a great tip; ask if there are any upcoming sales or discount days. Most thrift stores offer specials either monthly or weekly. It also doesn't hurt to make friends with the people who work or volunteer at the shops and shows. A friendly face in the crowd will usually get the better deal. Here's a before of a buffet I got at Lytton...it's in the process of being stripped! The drawer fronts have a great curve to them.

Here's a table from Lytton...also, still looking pretty rough.

All that said, I've chosen to take on some projects I would not have previously attempted. Such as upholstery! I got a pair of these fab chairs at a great price. Here's the before:

I found the chairs while picking up this beauty, which my Mother (finder of all things extraordinary) found for me. I LOVE things that are ready to price and sell...no painting required!

I got this very pretty dresser yesterday at the Goodwill in town. The lines of this piece are so feminine and regal. I can't wait to see these metal details highlighted by paint!

My apologies for the crummy iPhone photography....glamour shots take time that I don't have to give, as of yet. Not to mention, my camera is sub par.

By the end of this week I will be starting my window display in the new shop, French Hen Antiques. I'm bursting with ideas, weighted with self doubt and dreaming in shades of grey (since that's the only color I seem to want to paint anything). This all feels like a roll of the dice...oh well, as the saying goes, "Nothing ventured, nothing gained".

Planting my seeds

Last year I was able to plant my first garden. I'm fortunate to have a fairly large plot to plant...so I was a little overwhelmed with the possibilities. My bestie Gen was kind enough to share her seeds (which she loves dearly).

Here's the thing...I didn't believe the seeds would grow. It just seemed like too much to hope for that with dirt, water and patience, these tiny seeds would turn into full fledged plants...much less something I could harvest.
Needless to say, with little hope, I planted and watered. Guess what? The seeds sprouted and grew, miraculous! Not everything was a success, but I had more seedlings, than duds and it taught me a valuable lesson. Even though you might not be able to see something happening (like a seed developing and trying to break ground) that doesn't mean that a transformation hasn't begun. The key was to trust the process, seed + dirt/water/sun= plant. Had I given up and not watered I would have had nothing to harvest. I guess it boils down to faith.

For the last 6 months or so, I've been "planting my seeds" around town, metaphorically speaking. I never finished college, I haven't had any long standing jobs that weren't in the restaurant business. So my resume is lack luster at best. My hub has worked his BUTT OFF to keep me home over the years and it's time for me to flick a nickel or two in the communal pot. Trouble was, how to expand on the skills I do possess and find something with enough flexibility to fit my mommy lifestyle. I've already had a good thing going at Summer Cottage Antiques...so I ramped that up. But I knew I would need something else, I wasn't sure what. So I started planting my seeds, I talked with friends about my situation, made new friends, designed a logo, started this blog, journaled and literally put it out to the Universe that I was open and ready. I believed in my seed.

Yesterday a really perfect opportunity came my way and I was ready to accept it! In mid April I will be taking an additional space in another Antique shop in Petaluma. It will require a lot more effort and time but I know I can do it. The best way to describe this new venture; it's like being 2 days away from the due date of your second child. You can't turn back, you know it will all work out, but you're not as naive as you were the first go around. This is going to be a roller coaster!

I can't wait to share the process with you (my gigantic audience, ha, ha). Who else has planted some seeds, literal or otherwise? Please share!

They broke the mold...

For the one reader who might not be related to me....since this blog has such a whopping following, I'll give you a little back story about my husband, Sid.

My hub and I met in high school, our junior year and we've been together ever since. Our 15 year anniversary is next month, of those years we've been married 9. There were never any "games" between us, we went on our first date and we were boyfriend/girlfriend from that point on. I think love should be easy like that....at first at least. Kids, bills and life complicate even the strongest relationships. All that said, I definitely hit a home run first time at bat.

My husband grew up in an all boy household (asides from mom of course), in a ranching community. As a young boy and throughout his childhood, he was able to raise and care for horses, cows, chickens, pigs...you name it. Tools and work were a mainstay in Sid's life. Both he and his brothers learned how to do more than most at very young ages, because that's just how life is on a "farm". I'm still surprised at my husbands capacity to know how to fix something. I've NEVER met someone with the work ethic that my husband possesses. I just think it's rare these days for anyone to be willing to work as hard as he does without complaint. It seems like the hard-working blue collar worker mold got broken at some point before my generation.
We were both 24 when we had our first daughter and my husband has never complained about the lengths he's had to go to keep me at home with our children. To be able to stay at home is a gift he has given me and the girls that will never be surpassed.
Just about anything you want him to fabricate, he can. Be it building a house, riding a horse, welding a gate, fixing an engine...anything mechanical can be taken apart and put back together, the right way. He works with such linear precision, it's really a trip to watch. I, on the other hand, am NOTHING like that. My process is always messy, I don't have a plan, most of my projects are crap shoots. "Well", I say, "hopefully this turns out OK and if not...oh well." I think that's why we work, opposites do attract.
My hub isn't perfect...he's washed the dishes ONCE, since we moved out at 19. He isn't known for romance or compliments. He told me I looked, "pretty" prom night our senior year, I'm still waiting for him to trump that one liner. I don't get the, "You're so beautiful," or "I'm sooooo in love with you." He doesn't lavish me with surprise gifts or flowers. His love is quiet and devoted. He loves me with his hard work for our family and dedication to our children. I know he's proud of the kind of woman and mother I am. Who could ask for more than that?

Sid, I'm so grateful to be your wife. Happy "early" Anniversary, I can't wait to see what the next 15 years has in store for us!

Long days, short nights

I've been burning the candle at both ends lately. Over the last weekend I shared a space at the Alameda Point Antique Fair. It's been well over a year since I've sold or shopped this show and I think it's changed a lot. People seem a little more content to soak up the experience of being at the show versus buying a little part of the "show" to take home. With over 700 dealers, the competition is fierce, but there is truly something for everyone. I think for right now I'll be doing shows a little closer to home.
Since nothing in my household gets done until the LAST POSSIBLE MINUTE...I was still painting a few pieces to take at the eleventh hour. Thankfully, they both sold at the show. My space partner/bestie Gen and I were up until 1:30am on Saturday night, only to get up at 3:45am Sunday to head to the show. Makes for a looooooong day! I'm glad I snapped a few quick photos of the pieces I took, since they both found new homes.

My daughter Brooke took the photo of this buffet. I purchased this piece for $20 at our local recycle center, A.K.A. the dump. One man's trash is truly another man's treasure! I painted this piece with a 2/1 mix of Paris Grey and Pure White. Using Annie Sloan Chalk Paint which I conveniently purchased at Summer Cottage Antiques. After the first coat dried I lightly sanded it, then added some water to my paint mix, another splash of pure white paint and gave the piece a grayish-white wash. Another sanding and a coat of wax to seal. Here's the after:

I also brought a little dresser that I had picked up at Sack's Hospice. This piece had pretty hardware, so I chose to highlight it with different shade of grey, French Linen, also an Annie Sloan color. French Linen, has a taupe quality to it. Here's the before:

I got lucky with this piece...I only painted it with one coat of paint! That's all she needed! The piece had great lines and natural wear patterns that looked best with less paint. After the piece had dried, I sanded and waxed it with a mix of clear and dark wax.

My iPhone photo's don't do these pieces much justice, but the transformation was pretty good considering I did both in one afternoon.
Gen and me spent Monday at the shop fluffing our space and getting ready for the shops Anniversary sale. It's all a lot of work....but I would be lying if I didn't say I'm having a blast doing it!

What's in a name?

Why French Toast? So for years I struggled with what sort of business name I liked. What was the perfect name for me. I wanted something cool, something that stuck with you. Something that bespoke of quality and pi nosh. Somewhere along the line I realized that it's really you and what you present that gives these qualities to a business. In one of my many brain storming sessions I came up with French Toast.
I wanted french in the name, because everything "french" is the bomb right now, but I also realized I'm just not that classy. I'm quirky, you might even say a little off beat. So a play on words seemed more my style. In life, I'm toast....regular, not fancy, toast. But that's not to say with a little egg, cinnamon and sugar I can't be elevated to something splendid (metaphorically speaking, that is).
In the end, I was showing my friend Steve Luck all my name concepts. He said, "I like French Toast Em". So I believed him....you know what, I like it too. Personal note: Thank you Steve for bringing out the risk taker in me!
And so French Toast was born!
A very special thank you has to be given to Lisa Kasch at PaperWhite here in Petaluma. Lisa took my concept and made it special. After all, what's a girl without a good logo?