New Custom Project

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Last night was my husband’s birthday, yay!  To celebrate, my youngest decided to come down with the croup, boo . . . If you’ve ever had a little one with croup, it really isn’t fun.  It involves lots of being awake at night, sitting in steamy showers with your child, and walking around with them outside in your pajamas, all in an effort to help them breathe better and avoid a midnight trip to the ER. We’ve done two of those ER trips with my older children, so when my little one woke up last night at 8:30 with that terrible barking cough, we figured it would be better to go ahead and take him to a late night acute care center than wait longer, and go for ER trip #3.

Thankfully the doctor was able to give him something to help keep off the worst of the breathing problems.  Unfortunately though, what he gave him was a dose of oral steroid and a prescription for four more days of it.  Have you ever had to give your child oral steroid?  Pray that you don’t!  It is literally a Jekyll and Hyde experience.  You’re sweet  baby becomes a crabby, wiggly,  “downright mean” little person (to quote my pediatrician).  So you can understand how I chuckled when the doctor’s parting instructions to me were, “Oh yeah, don’t make him too mad.  The crying makes his breathing worse.”  Trying to keep a 2 year old on oral steroids from getting too mad is like trying to contain a tornado.

Don’t get me wrong, I love my sweet little guy, I feel terrible that he is sick, and I am so thankful for modern medicine that can make him better.  But man, it’s going to be a rough few days around here!

That has nothing to do with the real reason for my post, but thanks for letting me vent.  And if my writing today seems a little frazzled, you will know it’s a result of living with Oscar the Grouch today.

The real reason for the post is to show you what’s in my garage right now . . .

That is a full french provincial bedroom set! There is this incredible 12-drawer dresser with mirror,

a nightstand, full size bed,

and a small vanity hidden in there that I couldn’t grab a picture of.  It is an amazing set!   And they really just don’t make things like they used to;  look at the label inside one of the dresser drawers.

A few weeks ago, my friend Holly asked me if I would be able to paint a bedroom set she inherited from one her husband’s relatives.  I have seen some of the other pieces that have come from this relative’s estate, even purchased one last summer to resell at my booth space (you can see it here), so I knew it would be quality furniture.  When she texted me the pictures though, I was in awe to see a full french provincial set.

I don’t know how it is in your area, but in mine it is getting really hard to find these vintage pieces for a reasonable price.  A year ago when I first started this blog, I found a bed and dresser set for a fantastic price, but more recently estate sale companies and Craigslist sellers have caught on to the popularity of this style and are charging through the roof prices for dressers, nightstands, and chest of drawers.  It’s hard to find anything under $250, and if you do see it, it’s gone it an instant.  In fact just earlier this week I spotted two french provincial dressers on Craigslist at a fantastic price, one for $45 and one for $75.  The first ad had only been up for 1 hour, while the second was only up 15 minutes, but I still missed them both (each had one caller before me).  So when I saw the pictures of this whole set, I told my friend how much of a treasure she had just inherited!

The set is going to be for her little girl, and she wants it finished a simple, lightly distressed white.  She sent me this console picture from Sweet Pickins Furniture for inspiration.

SweetPickinsFurniture.com

So I’m spending a lot of time with my faithful can of Annie Sloan Old White.  It’s the best tool I know of to pull off that creamy, smooth white finish.

This will be a classic set for her little girl when it’s finished.  There are so many other ways though you can take this amazing furniture style.  It’s elegant lines can be accentuated and enhanced with a subtle color, like Melissa does with her master bedroom pieces at Daisy Mae Belle.

DaisyMaeBelle.com

DaisyMaeBelle.com

Or you can modernize it with a bolder color and new hardware, like this fantastic coral dresser turned TV console from Destiny at Just Destiny.

JustDestiny.com

My favorite part are the brass bin pulls.  I would have never thought to make that hardware choice but they look awesome.

I’m not sure how long the french provincial trend will last, but for now at least, there is no shortage of inspiration out there for how to remake this style. Of course, you have to find the pieces first!  I wish all of you furniture painters out there the best of luck in your french provincial hunt, may you be the first Craigslist caller and not the second.

Last thing . . . I’m headed to one of my monthly markets tomorrow, so stay posted to see what fun new treasures I find.  Have a fantastic day!

Linking up to:

What Have you Redone?,   Fridays Unfolded,   Be Inspired @ Common Ground,

All Things Thursday Blog Hop