From a Sow's Ear....

OK so it's not exactly a silk purse. Maybe closer to a polyester purse...

This morning I was wandering around town and stopped into our Dollar Tree store. I happened on six pieces of dollhouse furniture on cards. I only bought two and a package of 36 emery boards of various sizes at $1.00.

This is the usual made in China furniture, but it was actually straight for a change. I thought that these two pieces had possibilities. The rest were all different, but nothing that I had any use for.

They don't open, but for my purpose, it doesn't matter. I am planning on using the little table in the front hall of Tessie's townhouse. It really won't be seen except from the side.

The chest is just for speculation. I don't know where I will use it. I figure, if nothing else, I can use it somewhere as a filler piece.

I feel free to use these pieces as fillers in nice rooms when they won't be the focal point. After all, if Eugene Kupjack can do it, so can I. He was the man that built the Thorne rooms for Narcissa Thorne.

When I was working for Pat Arnell, restoring miniature antique houses and rooms, I had the honor of working on one of his rooms. It was a dining room and at one end there were two doors. You could see into them, just barely. They were meant to represent. a hallway. The furniture was something like this....Almost just blocks of wood, representing furniture. The furniture in the dining room itself was incredible.

As I said, if he can do it, so can I!
I thought at first that I might do some carving on the pieces. I sanded down the glossy finish. Then I decided to see how they looked with a coat of charcoal gray paint on them.....Not too shabby.

The shapes are almost classical Shaker.

I went and got my pallet of rub on metallics and used antique gold on the knobs.

I am going to live with them for a few days and see if I still like them....And more importantly, if Tessie likes them.

Meanwhile, I am off to do some planting. I don't think that I told you. I lost most of my succulents and cacti on the back patio when the great winter storm of 2011 came through.

This morning I went out and started replacing some of the ones that I lost. I couldn't replace some of the larger ones that were upwards of 20 years old without spending big bucks, so here we go again.

I had one like the tall euphorbia on the left that was almost as tall as I am....OK so that's not saying much, but I raised him from a little guy like this. I also lost a jade plant that was about 2 cubic feet square.

It may take a while for these to reach the size of the originals. I can wait. It's fun watching them grow.

I am going to go pot them now, with Tessie's help.....?

See you tomorrow.