Grey Gardens

For your amusement, here's a list of items I have painted in the past 24 hours.

1) My Golden Retriever, A.J. - his tail swished across the freshly primed leg of a shield back chair

2) My black Chuck Taylor's - apparently depth perception is not my forte'

3) A.J., . . . again - he's slowly turning into 100 lb Grey Schnauzer

4) A pair of vintage Louis chairs, 2 benches, 1 chandelier, 1 shield back chair, 1 Mid Century side chest, 1 Asian side chest

5) Our deck, my neck

6) My inner thigh, A.J.s inner thigh

7) My nails

8) A pretty picture


Primed pieces waiting for their paint color. Some will need upholstery - some may need some mirror or new drawer pulls.

If I ranked my least favorite ways to pass a day, painting my latest vintage finds out in the blazing Texas sun would fall somewhere between a visit to the "snatch doctor" and watching a 4-year-old with too much hair product in her extensions with a flaming baton compete in the talent portion of the "Ain't She Sweet Beauty Pageant" down at the Wash & Lube. In the past few weeks a string of vintage furniture pieces with exceptional design pedigrees have come into my possession. So, in the spirit of reuse, repurpose, and rework, I had no choice but to strap on my low VOC paint drenched brush and give these vintage beauties a new life.

To be honest, the eco-friendly agenda isn't my main concern. My real motive is far more selfish and shallow. You see, I need to produce some cash flow so that I can maintain my degenerate shopaholic status and dig up and purchase more vintage treasures. So, to indulge my thrifting addiction (and it truly is an illness) sans the bitter aftertaste of shame and guilt, I will be listing these pieces on my website and Etsy store in the next few days.

And like "Big Edie" and "Little Edie" Bouvier Beale, from the Grey Garden story, these charming vintage furniture pieces have a glamour that will never fade.