September 2014 – Page 2 – q is for quandie

fun with funiculars.

Published on September 14, 2014September 13, 2014 by Quandie6 Comments

Have you ever ridden a funicular? While researching our upcoming trip to Budapest, I found that they have a funicular that goes to the top of ‘Castle Hill’.

photo found here: http://www.europeanbestdestinations.org/top/best-funiculars-in-europe/

Don’t know what a funicular is?

funicular noun : a railway going up and down a mountain that carries people in cars pulled by a moving cable.

This got me thinking about how many funiculars I have been on, and I started to realize the list was kind of fun. So I thought I’d share them with you. My first funicular ride was in Bergen, Norway. My mom and I were there … gosh … over 20 years ago. Bergan has the Fløibanen funicular. Ride to the top and enjoy the views of Bergen!

Have you ever been to Santorini? If so, and if you arrive by sea, you know there are two options for getting up to the town proper on top of the cliff. It’s either the funicular or a donkey ride. When we were there with our friends Joe & Vonda, we knew we had to experience the donkey ride. And it was definitely an experience. Basically they plop you on a donkey, slap him on the rear and up you go! You have to hope that you have a well behaved donkey. Mine kept stopping for a rest. Mr. Q’s was off and running and went way ahead of us all. Vonda’s donkey kept trying to crash her into the wall. Unfortunately, I am still in the process of recovering my old photos after my recent computer crash so I can’t share an actual picture of me on a donkey, but I found one on pinterest that looks practically the same.

Yep … practically identical doubles for me and Mr. Q. Obviously, I jest. Although Mr. Q’s legs are just as good as that guy’s.

Anyway, as fun as it was to ride the donkeys uphill, for the return trip (after enjoying baklava and coffee at a cafe overlooking the sea) we chose the funicular. Going downhill on those donkeys seemed like a dicey proposition at best.

Prague also has a funicular that goes to the top of Petrin Hill. When Mr. Q and I were in Prague, we hired a private guide through PragueWalker. This might sound super ritzy, but it was actually very affordable. Less than $150 for a 4 hour walking tour. Our guide was very knowledgeable about her city, and we had her all to ourselves. We could pick and choose what we wanted to see, and how long we wanted to spend at each location. We were mainly on foot, but she also took us on the public tram to show us the ropes. We rode the tram to the Ujezd stop where we boarded the funicular and rode to the top of the hill. Once there, we visited Prague’s version of the Eiffel Tower.

photo from: http://www.bohemia-apartments.com/blog/posts/a-trip-up-to-petrin-hill-in-prague/

We so enjoyed having a private guide in Prague that we have decided to do it again in Budapest. For $130 (total, not per person) we have booked a private guide with Travel Guide Hungary for a 4 hour walking tour of Budapest. Since there are 4 of us in our group, that is a mere $32.50 (plus tip) per person. Our guide will meet us in our hotel lobby and we will set off from there on foot. It couldn’t possibly be any easier.

If you plan to travel to a foreign city, consider hiring a private guide. At least look into the cost. It definitely is cost prohibitive in some places, but quite affordable in others. And if there is a funicular, make sure you take a ride on it!

pencil it in.

Published on September 13, 2014September 12, 2014 by Quandie1 Comment

Just a quick public service announcement today. The Fall Carriage House Sale will be held on Saturday, October 4 from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m.

I can’t believe it is just 3 weeks away. Yikes! Time flies. I better get busy!

Pencil it in! Hope to see you there.

vintage wallpaper.

Published on September 12, 2014September 11, 2014 by Quandie25 Comments

It’s official. I’m addicted to vintage wallpaper. There is just something about it. The colors. The texture. The very vintage-ness of it.

As soon as I saw this dresser on craigslist, I knew it would be perfect for wallpapering. I had a bit of this Lily of the Valley wallpaper left, so I painted the dresser using MMSMP in Eulalie’s Sky, which I knew would work well with the background color of the wallpaper.

This dresser has the most charming hardware.

And some fab detail on the mirror base.

I staged the dresser with a vase full of Vanilla Strawberry hydrangea, an old family wedding photo, and my fab new clock.

I don’t know who the wedding couple is in this photo, but the farmhouse behind them belonged to my great grandparents in Arlington, South Dakota.

Anyway, this lovely dresser has already gone up to the Round Barn in Andover. Pricetag: $298. Stop in and see it in person, and take some time to look around at all of the other fabulous things that Lori has in her shop. I swear, every time I go in there I find some fun little thing to bring home with me. This time it was Maple Pumpkin Butter. Yum! I also stocked up on Miss Mustard Seed milk paint in Trophy, Grain Sack, Apron Strings and Linen. Stay tuned to see what I paint next!

my new stencil.

Published on September 10, 2014September 8, 2014 by Quandie15 Comments

A while back I got the nicest surprise. Lisa from Maison de Stencils contacted me. She had seen my bog and all of the things I have transformed using their stencils, and as a way of saying thanks, they offered me a discount on my next stencil purchase. So, I wasted no time … well, maybe I wasted a little time surfing their website … but then I ordered a fab new stencil.

I wasn’t sure what I would use it on, but I loved the old-world flavor of this one.

A couple of days ago I was going through some of the stuff I have been saving up for my upcoming sale, and I saw an old ice cream parlor style chair that one of my husband’s friends gave me. I had originally been planning to upholster the seat, but I thought ‘hey, this might be the perfect size for that new stencil!’

And sure enough, it was!

Once I saw how gorgeous this stencil was on a chair, I dug around for some more stuff to stencil. How about an old window screen?

Fantastic!

An old cutting board?

Awesome!

Suffice to say, I love the new stencil. Many thanks to Maison de Stencils for the discount. Now I just need to find the perfect piece of furniture for this one!

another quandie quickie.

Published on September 9, 2014September 8, 2014 by Quandie10 Comments

I haven’t done a quandie quickie in a while. I’ve been so busy working on furniture this summer, that I haven’t done many small, quick projects.

Recently I had some extra MMS milk paint in Eulalie’s Sky mixed up, left over from a dresser I was painting. I hate to let this stuff go to waste, so I looked around for something to paint. I pulled out this cute little vintage child’s folding chair that I picked up while my sister was visiting. The perfect candidate for a paint job.

I don’t have a ‘before pic’ to share, but this was basically bare wood. Old, dirty, bare wood. I did absolutely nothing to prep it. No sanding, no cleaning. I just brushed off some dirt and called it good. Since the paint was already mixed up, I just slapped it on. Two coats. Followed by a quick sanding to distress and then a coat of hemp oil.

I added a metal number 7 plate to the back of the chair.

How do you like the newest addition to my clock collection? While my sister was here, we checked out a few shops in Minneapolis, including Junket: Tossed & Found, which is where I found the clock. A vintage clock with aqua in it was on my wish list, so I was thrilled to find this one for a mere $12.

I don’t know why I am obsessed with child sized chairs. Something about them just appeals to me. This one will likely get a price tag slapped on him for the October Carriage House Sale.

Isn’t he just adorable?

that old black magic.

Published on September 8, 2014September 13, 2014 by Quandie53 Comments

Mr. Q picked up this fabulous little dresser just north of the Twin Cities the other day. The gentleman that was selling it couldn’t believe he wanted to drive all the way up there for this ‘old thing’. It was probably about a 50 minute drive. Not that terrible. Mr Q had to keep reassuring him that his wife likes ‘old’ things, ‘old’ is what we are looking for.

And this ‘old thing’ is gorgeous. I loved the big fan detail on the drawer, the curlicue bits on the top drawers, and the hardware is fantastic.

When I first saw it on Craigslist, I wasn’t too sure about that mirror piece at the back. I also thought I would paint it either yellow or aqua. Wrong on both counts. In person, I loved the vintage mirror at the back and I immediately knew I wanted to paint the dresser black and leave the decorative parts wood. I had seen a similar treatment on pinterest, and I wanted to give it a try on this piece. Plus, I had been checking out Miss Mustard Seed’s color focus pin boards on pinterest, and her Typewriter board had me sold. If you haven’t seen these, you should check them out.

Every time I break out the MMSMP in Typewriter, I am reminded of how much I love it. If you finish it with the hemp oil, you get the most fabulous deep, rich, black. And it goes on so very easily. This dresser was an absolute breeze to paint. I did one coat on Thursday evening, and a 2nd quick coat on Friday evening. Once dry I gave it a quick sand and finished with the hemp oil. Easy peasy.

Well, I did do a bit of prep work first. I filled some areas where the veneer had chipped using wood filler. I also had to replace some drawer stops. Little fixes that are a part of the process. Then I thoroughly sanded and cleaned it before painting. I did not want a lot of chipping. As you can see, I ended up not getting any chipping. I just got some nice distressed edges when I sanded again after painting.

As for the mirror, I had a little fun with that. When I took it apart to paint the back I realized that some of the silvering was chipping off. It reminded me of a fabulous mirror that I saw at the Round Barn that had a bunch of silvering missing and you could see some vintage newspaper behind those spots. Gorgeous. So, I decided to try to copy that look.

I used my trusty old Swedish bible and added it behind the mirror using a little spray adhesive to keep it in place. It’s a small detail that makes all the difference on this dresser. Adding that little touch of something unique that no one else has.

I love the idea of a pop of deep black in an otherwise mostly white room, don’t you?

I wish I could keep every dresser that I fall in love with, but that would classify me as a hoarder and we can’t have that.

So this gorgeous bit of black magic is ~~for sale. If you are interested in the particulars, leave me a comment and I will get back to you via email~~. Ooops, you missed it, this one is SOLD.

One final B & A.

lake of the isles.

Published on September 7, 2014September 6, 2014 by Quandie2 Comments

Yesterday my Carriage House Sale co-host, Sue, and her sister Jan joined me for a neighborhood garage sale near Lake of the Isles in Minneapolis. It was in East Isles, an absolutely gorgeous neighborhood filled with beautiful older homes. We could have just driven around and drooled over all of the gorgeous houses, but as an added bonus there were also garage sales! About 40 of them.

I didn’t come home with a giant haul. Sadly, there was no furniture to be found at all. But I did find a few gems here and there. A sweet little child sized vintage wicker chair, another fab suitcase. It seemed to be the day for original artwork also. I came home with three paintings. The one above has that mid-century Spanish feel. I plan to paint the frame and sell this one at my fall Carriage House Sale (taking place Oct 4, Saturday only, exact time to be determined, pencil it in!)

And something about this painting of a chair just appealed to me. Perhaps it is my obsession with furniture.

As for this modern geometric, nnK snatched it up as soon as I got it home. The colors in it are perfect for her house.

It was a picture perfect sunny morning with temps in the mid-60’s. Blue sky as far as the eye could see. Not even a hint of humidity.

And seriously, how cute is this little chair?

It’s a little sad to realize that garage sale season will be drawing to a close in about a month. We are already seeing signs of fall here in Minnesota; cooler temps, earlier sunsets. It definitely is right around the corner.

jazz up your guest room.

Published on September 5, 2014September 4, 2014 by Quandie15 Comments

I purchased a dresser from someone via craigslist a couple of weeks ago, and when I picked it up she said “oh, I also have the bed that goes with it, you can just have it if you want it.”

Um, yeah, OK. I hate to turn down free furniture.

Not too many people use a full size bed in the master bedroom anymore, but they are great for a small guest room. Or for a child’s bedroom. Or maybe you only have enough room for a double bed at the cabin?

This would be perfect for all of the above.

I painted the bed with Annie Sloan chalk paint, Old White and Coco. Then I added some vintage wallpaper border that I got from my friend Michelle to the foot board.

This bed has some charming details, but it’s not overly frilly. More tailored.

The bed retains its original label, which is kind of cool.

For those of you who are local, perhaps you have heard of the Golden Rule? It was a department store in St. Paul that opened in 1886. Eventually it became Donaldson’s, which may spark memories for some locals who go back that far. The Golden Rule building still stands in St. Paul, although it has been turned into offices.

It really is somewhat challenging to get interesting photos of a bed frame without a box spring, mattress and linens. While painting this bed, I thought about how it would look fully made. With pillows in front of the headboard, a good bit of the Coco will be covered up. I think this bed would be gorgeous with crisp white vintage linens and then a pop of the Coco color with this throw from H & M.

But since I don’t have a spare box spring and mattress handy for a photo shoot, you’ll just have to use your imagination.

So, what do you think?

another golden oldie.

Published on September 2, 2014August 30, 2014 by Quandie9 Comments

Going back and re-visiting some of my furniture rehabs from my pre-blog days has an added bonus. I can correct the photos. Such is the case with this one, a gorgeous dresser that I painted with MMSMP in Grain Sack last fall.

Those of you who are familiar with MMSMP know that Grain Sack is a white with grey undertones, some might even call it a very pale grey. In my original photos the white balance was way off. See …

Wow … looking back I can’t believe I was happy with these photos. Yikes!

In the new and improved photos, you can see that the color is much more grey than cream.

This dresser has the most beautiful detail. Is there an official term for that kind of swagged curtain? Does anyone know?

The hardware was quite pretty as well.

This one ended up with just the right amount of chipping to look genuinely aged.

This dresser sold up at the Round Barn. I think to the owner’s mom, if memory serves. I hope she loves it and it is serving her well.

the good, the bad and the ugly.

Published on September 1, 2014August 31, 2014 by Quandie11 Comments

Today I am stringing together some random stuff that is good, bad or ugly.

Let’s start with the bad. First of all, my sister has gone back to New Jersey. Sniff, sniff. One of my fondest wishes is that my sister would move here to Minnesota. I’ve tried to convince her to no avail (so far!). Perhaps one day. Meanwhile, I have to make do with periodic visits, texts and phone calls. I already miss her, even though she totally bosses me around most of the time.

As for the ugly, my computer died. Yikes! It was old and ratty, a hand-me-down computer from Mr. Q. The easy fix was to just get a new one, so I did. But that led to the really ugly part. While loading stuff on to the new computer, it became infected with a browser hijacker! If you’ve never had one, thank your lucky stars. Basically it takes over your computer while you are on the web and brings up random tabs full of products that you have absolutely no interest in. And every time you delete the stuff, it just comes back again. I’ve never been so frustrated in my life. Getting rid of the hijacker was a challenge, but fortunately Mr. Q was up to it. Knock on wood, I think I am in the clear.

Now for the good! The really fabulous, super duper, amazingly good. As I mentioned earlier, I am going on a trip! Where? Well, here’s a hint.

Have you guessed it yet?

Here is a bigger hint.

Woo hoo! It’s a cruise on the Danube. We sail from Budapest to Nuremburg, with stops in between in Vienna, Melk, Regensburg and Passau. “We” includes me, Mr. Q, my sister and my mom.

We weren’t really in the market for a fabulous European vacation at the moment, but let me explain. You see, my mom is a travel agent. A while back she took some online familiarization courses with Viking Cruise Lines, and when she finished them her name was thrown in a hat to win a free cruise on the Danube. Yep. Free (except airfare). And she won! Long story short, the rest of us got a great deal on joining her. It was too good of an opportunity to pass up. Thank goodness I just renewed my passport!

I think the universe has been listening to me lately. First I was wondering when I would ever have more photos to add to my travel gallery wall, then came the ‘travel the world desk‘. I’ve been sending the travel vibe out there, and it came back with a bang!

Needless to say, we are all super excited about the trip. My sister and I are BIG on planning. Sometimes the planning is half the fun! We are busy scouring guidebooks, surfing the web for tips and trying to decide what we want to be sure and see in each destination. We’ll be spending several extra days in Budapest, so that is our main focus. Have any of you been to Hungary, Austria or Germany? If so, I’d love to hear about what you saw or did there! Or any other travel tips you may want to share. Bring ’em on!