I had an 'ah hah' moment last Friday.   My mother-in-law looked over at me and said, "I've never seen you wear lipstick, why?"   I started to roll out the answer I've used for over twenty years, "I don't like to draw attention to my mouth because of my crooked teeth."   And then realized I can't use that answer anymore.  And began to grin.  Very widely indeed.

I'm not ready for a BOLD lip colour yet, but I thought it would be nice to get some help putting together a new and easy look for summer.    Tanya Johnson, a good friend who did my wedding make up, was kind enough to haul her pro make up kit over to my place over the weekend to show me how to put together a natural-looking daytime look that would take no more than 15 mins to apply.

We used this image of the stunning Freida Pinto as inspiration - I love the slight green shimmer on the lids, the fresh cheeks, and the subtle lip.

Here are the basic steps for my new look, according to Tanya:

"Pic 1- Start with a bare, clean face.

Pic 2- Cosmetics laid out: foundation, powder for the brows to make them fuller and more defined, mascara, lipstick, blush, eye shadow, loose powder shimmer powder to set the foundation and complete the look

Pic 3- On your face -which only has moisturizer on it- blend your foundation evenly on your face and down your neck. for the blending you can use a brush, sponge or your fingers. I prefer to use my fingers as I find I can control it better.  The heat from my fingers smooths the product better to appear as though you wear nomake-up at all.

Pic 4-  I blended a neutral gold shimmer color all over your lid and up to your brow line.  This highlights the brows allowing them to frame your eyes. Then I followed the shape of your lid and along the lashes with the green blending it with the gold shimmer. I also use the same green along the lower lash line. I used black liner along the outer half of the upper and lower lashes. Once satisfied with the eye shadow and liner I applied 2 coats of black mascara on the top lashes and one coat on the lower.   After I completed your eyes I used the eyebrow shadow to fill in your
brows followed by an eyebrow shaping gel to hold the brows in shape.

Pic 5- I finished the look with a translucent powder which had a touch of gold to set the foundation as well as give the skin a nice sun kissed glow. Then I applied lipstick with a touch of gloss which helps the lipstick to last longer whilst also giving lips a smoother look."

I thought the make up would feel really heavy, but this was not the case.  Best of all, five hours later, it still looked great!   I'll modify some of this for everyday wear (maybe use a mineral powder instead of cream foundation, and I don't know if I'll do the eyebrows), but overall I think this was a lot of fun and surprisingly easy.   Thanks Tanya!

.

*SOLD*

I'm very pleased to present this beautifully curved chair, made in Kitchener, Ontario by the H. Krug Furniture Company. It is very similar to a rotary chair in their 1913 catalogue, but I believe this style is from the 1930s. It is solid oak, and very heavy, so it's a good thing the casters are in place! I love that the small metal domed cap above the bottom half of the chair still has the original deep green colour. The legs, back, and seat are all gracefully shaped. There are some scratches across the back, but they in no way affect the beauty nor the functionality of the chair. It would be striking at a desk, or as a combination sculptural element/ extra chair in your living room.

Price: $80

:

Inspiration:

.

*SOLD*

Three classic examples of 1960s design! Henderson Furniture oak chairs with vinyl backrests and textile covered seats - these have so much going for them! Sleek MCM profile, retro orange vinyl colour, AND they're stackable to boot, if you're short on space but could use extra seating. These were also made right here in Quebec, in St-Lambert to be precise. The vinyl backs are in very good condition, but the textile seats could use either a solid cleaning or a makeover. I think the bright pop of colour would look great in a kitchen, or as part of a mismatched diningroom set.

Price: $60 for the set of 3

.

*SOLD* Lovely brass lamp with two points of articulation - perfect as an elegant lighting accent on a bedside table, sofa table, study desk, or as illumination for your cookbooks in your kitchen!

Price: $20

.

*SOLD*

This vintage solid wood coffee table has gracefully curved legs and a slightly distressed antique white paint finish. It measures 41" long, 20" wide and 15" tall.

Price: $40

Inspiration:

.

*SOLD* 1950s wooden croquet set, for six players (3 of the mallets are upside down to show the stripes!), complete with the original wooden balls. I love the way the paint has been scratched away by years of playing. The croquet balls alone make a lovely display! Would be a lot of fun as a game at an outdoor wedding.

Price: $30 for the set

.

SOLD*

I love crazy old trunks - I always want to know where they've been, what they've held - unless they smell bad, in which case, not so much. This blue metal trunk was made in Canada by Union Trunk & Luggage, and has these great plywood reinforcing strips, brass buckles and hardware, and most of the original sticker! Fabulous coffee table (definitely no worries about putting your feet on this one - it's been kicked around a lot and looks better for the wear!), toy chest, blanket storage, or even garden tool storage!

Measurements: 34" x 20" x 14"

Price: $50

.

*SOLD*

Sweet little painted bird cage - would be lovely hanging in a garden with some dried flowers or herbs in it, or perhaps some stained glass pieces. It would also make a nifty jewelry holder - you could dangle your earrings and bracelets off the cage walls.

Height: 15"

Diameter: 7 1/2"

Price: $15

.

*SOLD* The lines don't get much cleaner than this, do they?  The table legs are gently angled outwards, and they screw into top so that you can adjust them for uneven floors.  There is a little water damage to the top where a plant sat for years (see bottom right) but this is still a very nice side table.  It would look very well next to a couch, or even next to a low profile bed as a light alternative to a night stand.

It measures: 24" x 18" x18" tall

Price: $20

.

*SOLD* This is a large and utterly lovely antique medicine cabinet in very sturdy (and heavy!) oak. It has all the original hardware, as well as the original glass knob, mirror, and thick layers of paint (you can see some of the original cream under the pale green).

If I had space for a double sink and vanity, I'd want mismatched his & hers mirrors over the sinks, and I'd want THIS one to be mine! It has plenty of shelf and storage room inside, as well as on top, and it even has a handy towel rod.

This cabinet is large enough to work as a dresser-top mirror, though given the heaviness of it, I'd strongly recommend that it be fastened to the wall behind it. It would make a show-stopper of a spice cabinet in your kitchen - you can even replace the mirror (it comes out) with clear glass for this purpose.

Dimensions:

18" across

5" deep

24" tall in the front

27" tall in the back

Price: $120 (delivery included on the island of Montreal)

Inspiration

Medicine cabinet re-purposed as a jewelry organizer

Distressed painted surfaces

Antique green flourishes

Medicine cabinet as...cabinet of curiousities!

.

*SOLD* These two tiny clear glass perfume bottles have a beautiful heavy silver overlay in a floral motif.   The overlay is sterling silver, and both bottles are clearly stamped on the bottom, indicating that they were made in Mexico.  This style of scent or perfume bottle was made in Mexico between the 1930s and 1970s - these ones are at least from the 1960s.   They are quite small - I've placed them next to the smallest of a matrioshka doll set for a sense of scale.

Price: $30 for the pair

Note:  I hopped on Ebay today, typed in "mexican silver overlay bottle" and found four single bottles - almost identical in style - priced at between $55 and $99 each!  Not only are these two very well priced, they'd also look wonderful on a mirrored tray on your dresser. 

.

*SOLD *

Save some space on your kitchen shelves with these stackable stainless steel cannisters, made in Canada, The Queen Line by A.R. Light. The original stickers (Tea, Coffee, Flour, Sugar) are still attached, though some hvae curled and darkened a bit in the corners. These would also make for quirky storage in the bath or craft rooms, and in a pinch could make fun herb planters!

Price: $20

.

*SOLD* I wish I could create a stop-motion animation with this fun mid-century brass candelabra.   Not only does it expand (see smallest incarnation above, to widest, below),  each section twists off from the others, so you can build and shape it in many ways!

It measures a shade under 6" in height at its tallest, and a shade under 20" at full extension.

Price: $20

.

*SOLD* This three shelf unit could use a fresh coat of paint, unless you enjoy the distressed finish, and it would work on its own as a toy shelf for the wee ones, or a low book shelf (perhaps next to a fireplace) in a den, library, or livingroom, or as extra storage in a kitchen. We have a similar, though larger one, sitting on a table in our kitchen, and it works very well as a hutch.

This one measures 38" tall, 30" wide, and 8" deep.

Price: $20

Inspiration:

Paint it white, and put a nice contrasting colour inside.

If not white, why not a pale blue? Then pop it on a small cabinet!

So many more ideas here!

.