Off To Bed

Someone had the right idea when they started stripping the blotchy paint job off this yet-to-be-lovely head and footboard, but at some point they just ran out of steam! Then in stepped our beloved superhero, Pamalicious--who saw what COULD be and lost no time in making it so!

Armed with her trusty CeCe Caldwell Seattle Mist and Vintage White paint, she wielded a paintbrush and got to work! No need to finish stripping the rest of it since this paint adheres to almost anything!

With a steady hand, she went over the detailed carved swags and the trim, bringing out the finer points and personality of this piece. 

She finished up just as quickly as she began with a quick coat of Waxing Cream to protect the surface. Who wouldn't have sweet dreams and a good night's sleep in this beauty?

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Old School-Cool Desk Re-do

Attention class! Let's begin our lesson for today! 

Can anyone tell me the easiest way to update a desk that has been passed down from generation to generation and is still as sturdy as the day it was made? Anyone? 

How about the best way to save a perfectly good piece of vintage furniture from ending up in the local landfill? Yes, you there, in the first row--CeCe! 

Let CeCe Caldwell teach YOU a thing or two about both of those questions that is posed so many times when one of the consignors at Room With A Past and Paris Flea Market come across furniture that is too good to be "threw"!

Consignor Diane at Room With A Past really didn't have to study too hard when it came to this desk from the 1950's:

It was hers in junior high and all through high school and college (I would have loved to have seen the love notes she hid in it!).  Then her kids used it, but when they went away to college Diane's brother (who has seven kids!), was in need of a desk so she took it over to his house. Fast forward about six years and Diane's sister-in-law wants to get rid of a couple of desks. She sent Diane photos and asked her how much she should sell them for. Lo and behold, Diane recognized her old desk like a familiar face at a high-school reunion! "That looks like my old desk!" she  reported to which her sister-in-law requested her to come and pick it up!!  

Her assignment now was to transform her old study partner, so she and Vintage White went to work on the body and handles!  Some Seattle Mist mixed with a small measure of Vintage White went on the drawer fronts for a trendy two-tone face lift.  Clear Wax bookmarked the end of this chapter!

A+ and a gold star for getting it all done in only a few hours!

You too can go to the head of the class! There are classes for beginners and advanced students at our new classroom in Livermore! 

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Another Pamalicious Project Completed!

Do you remember my post on the Grand Master of Re-Funkification Pam Lawrence?   She's come up with another project, and baby it's so super-flied you'll be stupefied!

She came across this down & out solid oak cabinet and welcomed it into her home, giving it the attention it deserved; a good scrub, a place to stay and some much needed wood on its back! She was really good at listening to what it needed from there....

because the next thing you know she goes all "CeCe" on it with some Vintage White and Clear Wax! A little chicken wire on the door fronts and that's all she wrote!

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You CAN Do It Re-do

Ladies! When it comes to making our homes a better, happier and a little bit prettier place to be, do you find your world looks more like this:

rather than the desired bliss like this:

????

This just may be the solution you've been seeking! 

TA DAAA!

If ONE COAT of CeCe Caldwell Vintage White and a quick coat of clear wax can take this large &  fab, but drab sideboard from this:

to this:

Wouldn't you want to give it a try

????

Pick up a can today! 

And don't forget to tell all your friends: there are classes held at Paris Flea Market in Livermore, CA which teach you just how easy it is to transform all your furniture and accessories!

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Come To The Dark Side!

We've got a couple of news tidbits for all you paint addicts out there! 

1. Have you heard there's a new color in the CeCe Caldwell Paint family? We've waited a long time for this elegant and sleek addition; Beckley Coal! As with all of the USA made CeCe products, it's named after the Beckley coal "drift" mines in West Virginia. Can you imagine how your next piece of furniture will look in black?!?!?

2. Did you know that just like there's more than one way to skin a cat (don't worry--no cats were harmed in the writing of this blog post!), there's more than one fabulous way to use CeCe Paints? Have you tried making a chalkboard with them? If not, now's the time! 

Pick your substrate and let's get painting!

You can use a sponge brush or roller to get a smooth coat for your soon-to-be chalkboard. If you've got a more porous surface, you may need a few coats. If you've got a more slick surface, do a thin coat first to give it some "tooth", let dry completely, and do at least one more.

There are a few fun variations on what else you can do, and lots of essential tips and tricks in a painting class held at Paris Flea Market that will teach you how to build your own chalkboard from start to finish; frame and all! (For more info on taking the chalkboard class, click HERE)

Want to take it a step further? How about creating some art with your new chalkboard? Using a pattern, it's super simple!

And because this paint sticks to almost ANY surface, image the possibilities on glass like this old window!

From this

To this!

Instead of your run-of-the-mill school chalk, there are ways to get the chalk-art look that will be permanent so your gorgeous work will be around to enjoy for a long time! (For more information on taking a chalk-art class at Paris Flea Market, click HERE).   

Now aren't you glad you came to the dark side??

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It's What's On The Inside...

We sell a lot of vintage china at both Paris Flea Market and Room With A Past, so what we want to know is where is it all going?? When's the last time you went to or hosted a tea party?? We can only hope our customers are getting it all out and setting it up with the good silver & fancy linens when the holidays and family gatherings roll around (we'd love an invite, BTW)! But in the meantime, you're going to need someplace to store it all. Someplace that rivals the beauty of the items stored within. So...

if your choice of storage ain't "all that", flop down a drop cloth, and get it there with a can of CeCe Caldwell Paint! This medium tone wood cabinet has some great features like a glass front,  curved mullions and cabinets below, but putting some prettily patterned and delicate chinaware inside, and it gets lost like a bat in a cave! To you we say...

"Lighten Up!"

It's summer, by gosh and we don't want anything heavier looking than a sprig of baby's breath in our homes, right? One coat of Vintage White brushed on will do the trick, and don't forget the inside! Finish it off with a coat of Clear Wax and buff it 'till it shines like a new penny. What a difference:

Now it's ready for your heirloom china, precious chotchkies, or any of the 25 top odd things that people collect and display! Eeew!

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