Back in Florida/A Buttery Kitchen

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Well, campers....

I'm back down in Florida, and haven't done a damn thing yet.

I flew down on Saturday, came in and 

my car battery was dead,

 my air conditioning was dead,

 and I was so tired that I felt almost dead.....

Then on Sunday, I came down with the dreaded stomach virus that's going around in Boston.

My sister and her husband had been ill,

 but she insists that what I had wasn't what she had.

HAH!!!!!

I thought I was gonna kick the bucket.

The toilet became my besttest friend.

I almost ran out of toilet paper.

HAPPY HOLIDAYS!!!!! to me.....

Well, my fever is coming down, and the food is staying down, and you probably feel this is too much information.

SOOOOOO.......

back to the decorating!!!!!

Let's look at some more of my buddy Kris's home.

We have been looking at her kitchen, here's a reminder shot.....

I had claimed that she hadn't given me any before shots.....

But that's because I'm old and forgetful.....

So she (very sweetly.....sort of....) reminded me that she HAD given them to me, so I found them and here they is.....

She wanted to make sure that everyone noticed that her kids are dressed up for a Christmas pageant.....

An angel and a shepherd.....

She feels that this is VERRA appropriate this time of year.

But then you guys know how I feel about THAT!!!!!

ANYWAY.....

The kitchen was tiny.

She wanted one in which the family could eat and hang out,

 and she and her hubby could bask in the sun,

 read the paper and sip their beverages, whether they be tea, coffee, beer or wine.

So the back of the house was bumped out, like I told you, and the back stair case removed for the extra room, and low and behold, we had an eating area with a banquette.....

I know, I know, I've already told you guys this stuff, but I just wanted to recap, since I now had the before shots for comparison. 

There is a peninsula that separates the cooking area from the eating area. 

I felt the back of it was the perfect place for a bookshelf.

For Kris's cook books,

'cuz she actually cooks!!!!!

She's really good at it too!!!!!

(it may have been Kris's idea to put the bookshelf here, but I like to take credit for EVERYTHING!!!!!)

Here's a shot looking from the eating area into the cooking space.

We chose cherry countertops for the main surface, and carrara marble for around the sink and peninsula.

Kris chose cherry wood for the floor to match the counters.

THEN..... 

I had to choose a paint color for the cabinets.

Of course I did a spectacular job.....

buttery yellow and yummy.....

Anyway, that's the color if you lighten the picture with Picassa photo editing.

The color is really a little deeper than that.

Down past the stove is her desk area.

 It's where she writes the checks to me to pay me back for all the stuff I buy for her......

I am going to make this a short post, as I am still a delicate flower from my tummy travails.....

I'm sorry that there wasn't more humor in this post, but I'm not feeling all that funny.

I'm still waiting for the drugs to kick in.....

Does Tylenol make you high?????

Since I'm back in Flerida, my sign off is once again.....

Later, Gator

Partying at:

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Holiday Scmoliday/Why I Hate This Time of Year

BAH HUMBUG!!!!!

Every body is so full of good cheer.

WELLLL...... 

Cut it out!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Here are the 12 reasons I hate this time of year.....

1. I'm Jewish, (I could probably just stop there.....) and most of my friends are CHRISTIANS!!!!!!! So they don't have any time for me up until after New Years.
2. The Elf on the Shelf. (He creeps me out.)
3. THERE ARE NO GOOD TV SHOWS UNTIL AFTER THE 25th.
4.  Christmas decoration envy. (They be pretty, I want some, my parents would not approve.)  
5. All the catalogs and newspaper inserts that just pollute, that stuff my mailbox.....Since I am a Scrooge, I don't buy nobody nothin'.
6. Salvation Arm bells by the grocery store when I have a migraine (and at this time of year, I have a migraine.....)  
7. Christmas cookies. STOP SHOVING FOOD AT ME!!!!! (I mean, have you taken a good look at me????? DOES IT LOOK LIKE I NEED MORE SUGAR AND BUTTER IN MY BODY?????) 
8.  Holiday parties. Standing around, making small talk, trying not to eat all the fattening #$%. (My neighbors all congratulate me if I last longer than an hour.....) 
9. Traffic, EVERYBODY IS OUT SHOPPING!!!!! SAVE YOUR MONEY AND STAY OUT OF MY WAY!!!!!
10. Christmas music.....IT'S EVERYWHERE!!!!!! Silent Night is very pretty, the first 100 times, but after that......OY!
11. Back to TV.....It's a Wonderful Life.....It's a Wonderful Life.....It's a Wonderful life.....No one has named their kid Clarence since that stoopid movie..... Between the Salvation Army ringing their bells, and angels getting their wings, there's no time for anyone to play with Betsy and her projects.
12. AND LASTLY....It's boring for me. No friends to play with, nothing good to watch on TV, but the WORST is the blog linky parties. Almost every entry is about Christmas decorations. Where are the rooms????? Where are the furniture redos?????  

So, that's my Holiday Spirit, right there.....

And while I'm on a roll.....

I hate New Years too.....

Cut out the holiday crap, and go get me some Chalk Paint.

I'd wish you a happy holidays, but I don't want to be no hypocrite.....

So, for your present, I gave you a double negative, 'cuz that's my attitude right around this time of year....

Latah, Gatah

P.S.

I'm off to Florida!!!!!!!

                                                                      

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Betsy's Sweat Shop/Chez Betsy makes its debut

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I am sewing my hand painted pillows for Amy's shop, Maison Decor.

I've sewn a million of them.....

(OK, maybe 6......)

Let's see.....

driving to get the fabric.....

driving home.....

washing the fabric.....

ironing the fabric.....

painting the fabric.....

washing it again.....

cutting the fabric.....

sewing the fabric.....

driving to Amy's shop, to stuff the pillow covers and sew the pillows closed.....

pinning on the price tags.....

I am a bidness woman!!!!!

I WILL MAKE 5 CENTS AN HOUR!!!

I realized that I have created my own sweat shop.

I am very clever.

Sooooooo......

Here are the pictures to go with the story!!!!!

First up are shots of them sewn but unstuffed in my workroom.

Amy wanted them to look faded, so I had to experiment to get this look.

OH BOY.....

CLOSE UPS!!!!!

Some more....

Sooooooo.....

Amy finally got off her @$$ and ordered the feather fillings.

We didn't want no Dacron for these babies....

NO NO NO NO NO!!!

Only feathers for us!!!!!

YES YES YES YES YES!!!!!

Soooooo.....

Amy was supposed to order them.

But she didn't get around to it.

And didn't get around to it.

And didn't get around to it.

It's like she's busy or something.

THE WOMAN HAD ABSOLUTELY NOTHING GOING ON IN HER LIFE!!!!!

(Just running two stores and taking care of her family and dogs.)

(I mean, how much time can that take?????) 

(It's not like there's a lot to do.....)

(She only has to paint all the furniture that she sells.)

(After all she uses Chalk Paint,so there's no prep.....)

(JEESH.....)

Soooooo.....

As I was saying, she finally got the feather inserts, but then I got sick.....

NOW I'M ALL BETTER!!!!!

So on Monday I drove ALL THE WAY OVER to Maison Decor.

Which takes 35 minutes.

I hit EVERY STOP LIGHT!!!!!

Amy brought her sewing machine into the shop, so I could sew the pillows closed.

First we had to wind the bobbin.....

Amy overwound it and got too much thread on it, so the tension was all screwy.

We thought that was the problem anyway.....

Turns out there's this little wheel on the front of the machine that controls the tension.

So we adjusted it..... and everything was fine and dandy when Amy use the damn machine.

But every time I got to work on it, it would jam up again.

I couldn't figure this darn evil contraption out.

I was missing my machine.

I should have brought my machine with me.

MY MACHINE WORKS GREAT!!!!

Then Amy pointed out that I hadn't lowered the pressure foot..........

oops.

This is what happens when you use untrained labor.

This'l teach her!!!!!!!

Here's a shot of me trying to center myself at the beginning of this debacle.

I would like to note that I have never meditated before, 

and it was no help at all!!!!!

Here's a shot after Amy stopped laughing at me, and I got the damn machine to behave.....

I obviously didn't take these pictures.

Some one who didn't mind giving me a hard time did.

She also couldn't believe that I forgot my camera, so all of these shots from her store are from Amy.

At least I remembered the pillow covers!!!!!

Here they are all in a row in the shop in Malden.

She's going to bring them into Boston, and sell them there.

If they sell, I just might do some more.

I mean, 5 cents an hour!!!!!

I'LL BE RICH!!!!!

Latah, Gatah

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City Cottage Kitchen

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Okay Dokey gentle readers......

Let's resume looking at my bidness partner, Kris's home....

We left off in the dining room, so it only makes sense to amble on into the kitchen.....

When I first met Kris, this is what her kitchen looked like.....

There is no picture here!!!!!

Where's the before shot?????

HA!

Kris was supposed to send me one, and she hasn't, so I can't show you.

Let me describe it.....

IT WAS TINY!!!!!

IT WAS CRAMPED!!!!

IT HAD NOOOOOO COUNTER SPACE!!!!!

The light fixture was a bare bulb hanging from a wire, I kid you not!!!!! 

Sooooooo.....

She bumped out the back of her house, took out the back staircase.....

and presto, chango.....

(with umpteen million construction horror stories, delays and upcharges.....)

She had a new kitchen....

JUST LIKE THAT!!!!!

She always wanted a cozy place to curl up and read and sip tea.....

so, a window seat, banquette was designed.....

Here's a closer look.....

I had the cushion covered in an outdoor fabric,

 'cuz the men in her family are pigs prone to spills.

And then I piled loads of pillows along the window.....

Some of these I made, and some we scored at Potter Barn....

I added some trim flange detail for a little flair.....

We chose a wallpaper that played off the red and gold tones of the rest of the house.....

It's from F. Schumacher, so this way you don't have to ask me where the wallpaper is from.

AND IF YOU DO......

I WILL BE RUDE, AND TELL YOU TO READ THE 

#$% BLOG!!!!!

We had a chandelier that didn't sell in our antique store, because people are stoopid.

So I convinced suggested to Kris, that she use it in her Kitchen.

I told her it would be perfect.

(I just didn't want to have to store it in my basement special climate controlled storage unit)

I looked deep into her eyes, and murmured.....

"But, Kris.....It's FREE!!!!!!!" 

I think it looks very nice, even if I did have a secrete agenda....

So, then, of course.....

WE HAD TO HAVE CUSTOM SHADES MADE!!!!!!!!!

They are oiled parchment, and give a nice soft glow.

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I have more to share, but don't want to overstay my welcome.....

And, besides, I don't feel like writing any more,

 'cuz I'm lazy.

I spent the morning at Maison Decor sewing pillows together for Amy's store.

I used her sewing machine, and was having trouble getting it to sew....

Amy, nicely, (hah) pointed out that I hadn't lowered the pressure foot.....

I felt stoopid.

She laughed at me.....

So much for friendship.

On that note.....

Latah, Gatah

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So That's What Silver Polish is For!!!!!

Today's post is for all the house cleaning challenged folks out there!!!

I am leaving on Saturday for Florida.....

(yay, yay, yay!!!)

so I am running around doing some last minute stuff.....

By last minute, I mean things I've been meaning to get to in the last decade.....

On numerous occasions, I have mentioned how all my silver is now a dark grey.....

Sooooooo

as last week I was a little under the weather....

(I know!!!! I know!!!!!, I still was able to write my blog!!!!!!)

(I am a TROUPER!!!!!)

(where was I?????.....oh yeah!!!)

Soooooo.....

I decided, as I was 

really, really, really

BORED!!!!

That I would tackle polishing .....gulp.....some of my silver!!!

Sooooo.....

I tip toed into my bathroom, so as not to scare my stuff....

I figured that the silver, having not had a cleaning in so long, would get worried about changing its look.

Sort of like getting a new hair cut.

Here's the before....

It's fuzzy 'cuz I blew up a detail of an older shot.

At least in this one, the faucet's shiny, in the new shot I was too lazy to clean it.

Baby steps people, baby steps.....

Here's how it looks now.....

Who knew that silver isn't dark grey!!!!!!

I used Wright's Silver Cream. If anyone knows of a better cleaner, please let me know, although this stuff was pretty amazing.

It's been so long since I've polished silver, that I think they've improved the formulas for the cleaners. 

But I'm just guessing about that.

So, now......

I am going to go piece by piece and discuss what's what.....

This way you can see how I didn't do that great a job.

Polishing is 

really boring!!!!!

First up.... 

My tooth brush holder tray!!!!

My bidness partner, Kris, gave me this idea.

She doesn't like her toothbrushes grunging up the countertop.

I found a blue toothbrush to match my bathroom.

I am such a decorator.....

I really need to get a life.....

The blues are a better match in real life.

If you care.....

which you probably don't.....

I could go on and on.....

Oy, oy, oy. oy

Next up!!!

Is my baby cup.

My mother finally gave this to me when I was over 50 years old.

Now there are two possibilities for this.

One....

We live a really long time in my family, so 50 is the new 5.

OR

We don't tend to relinquish stuff, once it's our's.....

I mean.....

Why would someone named Kathryn, 

need a cup that says Betsy?????

What is she.....sentimental or something????

I use this cup to hold my odds and ends that I use from time to time, 

like a thermometer when I'm under the weather,

 and eye drops, etc., etc. 

just small stuff that I don't want rolling around the countertop...

Come on folks....

THIS IS EXCITING STUFF!!!!

You know, every post can't be a gem.....

Now, everyone needs a good Q-tip holder.....

And a nice place for cotton balls....

Utilitarian stuff can be pretty.....

This flask is left over from something.

I don't know what to use it for.

Any ideas?

It balances the other stuff...... 

The silver plate is wearing off, someone in its past must have polished it, 'cuz it sure wasn't me.....

I never use glass in a bathroom for water 'cuz I'll just break it, 

so I found this little silver cup.

I use it to take my drugs.

My dad keeps telling me to use the word "medication",

but being an old fart, 

the only fun I get these days is pretending that the stuff I swallow down in the morning is illicit,

 as opposed to prescribed.

I mean, there's no fun in Lipitor.....

It just means you is OLD....

And last up, is a small ice bucket I use to hold some real fake flowers!!

Now here's an 

important cleaning tip.....

Larger stuff takes longer to polish than smaller stuff!!!!!!

So, in conclusion....

I made a side by side collage to show the difference.

Now it's all sparkly and pretty.

It's a lot less work to polish than it used to be, so I just may keep it up.

Have a nice Sunday, 

I'm going to take my Dad grocery shopping,

 'cuz I am a good daughter,

 and deserve to have received my baby cup!!!

Latah, Gatah

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My Auction Score!!!

Before I continue with Kris's house, I would like to digress and reveal another furniture project I finished this past fall.

Every month or so, Kris (my bidness partner) and I hit a local auction.

We go to the preview and look at all the stuff,

then meet in a corner and 

(shush)...whisper...(shush)

in great excitement!!!!! 

about how we want to bid on things.

We are always afraid that someone else will see the potential in what we want.

This past autumn, we found this lot.....

All four pieces were being sold as one lot.

I loved EVERYTHING!!!!!

Kris, not so much.

Kris wasn't alone, as 

No one bid against us!!!!

NO ONE!!!!

I thought the painting was da bomb!!!!!

Kris, not so much.....

I didn't care, all I needed her for was her car and her strong back,

for helping me move this #$% stuff.

WELL!!!!

Amy, at Maison Decor agreed with me, and she loved the bed, chair and little table.

I figured I could upholster the chair and sell it in her shop.....

WELL!!!!!

She's already sold it, without me having to do 

nuthin'!!!

A guy bought it for his upholstery class.

Seeeee????

I'm not so crazy Kris, so there.

As for the little table, I asked Amy if she wanted me to clean it up, or repaint the top, as it was in pretty bad chippy condition.

Amy said.....

NO, NO, NO, NO, NO!!!

So, she put it in her shop as it is, then she called me and said she wanted to try it in her living room......

So, she sent me this picture from her phone.....

She asked me what I thought.

I suggested putting a little footstool under it, and add some pillows.....

Sooooooo.....

Amy shopped in her house, and restaged the sofa and sent me this new picture.....

I think it looks

STUPENDOUS!!!

Sooooooo......

Now it's in her house......

SO THERE KRIS!!!!!

Two down, two to go!!!!!

The chest was really beat up.....

The top in particular.

These pieces were painted over gesso, so when the paint chipped, it really left a divot... 

Here's a shot of the chest,

 before I started working on it in my  basement workshop.....

The top was really shot to #$@

Now, this is the piece I fell in love with at the auction.

I just really like the shape of this chest.

Kris felt it was a train wreck and would be a bear to repair.

I was completely unfazed!!!!!

I am intrepid!!!!!

I am 

RE-INVENTOR  WOMAN!!!!

I also didn't realize that part of this was broken, but that comes a little later in my story.....

so keep reading.....

The first thing I did was get my Elmers wood putty to repair the large chips and gouges.

Then I sanded the putty..... 

Added some more and sanded some more, and filled in all the holes.... 

Then I painted it in Paris Grey Chalk Paint.....

And then I wondered why the drawers didn't fit properly any more.....

hummmmmmm......what's wrong, what's wrong?????

Oops!!!

They follow the shape of the chest, and were in the wrong order, what a fabulous piece of furniture!!!!!

Ok, that's better.

So at this point, I'm standing back and admiring how I am bringing new life to this chest, 

(and all the money I'll make selling it.....)

when I noticed that there was a broken piece on the bottom of the left side.

Now let me just say at this juncture...

I had repaired and painted this chest, and not noticed it.

I am blind.

I am blind.

I am blind.

How the hell was I going to get good money on a broken chest?????

I had two options:

Cut off the same piece on the right, or repair the left side......

Before I get to that, though, I kept painting the piece.....

I added Chalk Paint Old White detailing by striping the edges of the drawers and the top of the chest.....

I also painted the inside of the drawers, to make them clean and fresh....

Marion, of Miss Mustard Seed fame, had been writing about Frog tape, so I thought I'd give it a try.

I really liked it, it's sturdier than the blue tape. 

I freehanded the stripe on the top, though....

Then I did a little distressing around the key holes and drawers, letting the blue of the old paint show through....

At this point, it was time to tackle the broken bottom piece.

I got a piece of tracing paper, and traced the unbroken profile on the right side......

Then, I flipped it over and laid it on the broken part, and traced where the break line was.....

Then, I drew just the piece that was to be replaced.....

Then I took it to my good friends at Drape It, my drapery and upholstery workroom, and made asked Joe to cut the piece for me.

The two of us like to play on projects together, so even though he grumbled, he still helped me out.

We used a very expensive piece of scrap pine.....

all two inches of it....

form the trash....

Joe even drilled a hole in the piece for me, 

so I had a pilot hole for the finish nail I used 

(which he also gave me.....)

Then I took my little piece back to my workshop, and glued and nailed it in place.....

Then I added some wood putty to cover the crack where the seam was....

And then I sanded it down smooth....

And painted it.....

And hopped around the basement workshop, hugging my self in glee!!!!!

Then I waxed the damn thing.....

And was thoroughly impressed with 

MOI!!!!!

Now it's for sale in the Boston Design Center at 

Studio 534 

Here are a couple of shots of it in it's temporary home in the showroom....

So, here's a side by side of the before and after....

Can you tell I'm a proud DIY'er????

So, that's my post for today, 

which, if you noticed was late. 

I usually write on Thursday,

 but I am a blogger and a free spirit, and I do what I want, when I want.

I am a wild child.

I am a rebel.

I am full of #$%

on that note....

Latah, Gatah

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