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Contact Archives Website Shop Press/Publications Portfolio Photos Instagram Pinterest Follow via Bloglovin’ ♥ ART SHOP ♥ ♥ WEBSITE ♥ VanessaValencia.Com FREE TUTORIALS Printables, Treats & Ideas Copyright Information Copyright. Photos, text and artwork are property of Vanessa Valencia. All rights reserved. If you would like to use any of my blog content/photos, please make sure you give me proper credit and link back to me. Content of this site may not be reproduced in any other manner without written permission. Simply contact me via e-mail. Thank you. Search Subscribe to this blog’s feed The Little Pink French Desk... Sometimes, when you are walking around the antique store, little pieces speak to you.... In my case, lots of pieces speak to me, teehee! I guess I’m kind of like an antique store find whisperer :-) You might be one too. Today’s tale is short and sweet, and all about one such find. So there I was perusing the antique store, when I came across a tattered black and stained little antique dressing table. The back had been broken off, and although the mirror was intact it was no longer attached to the wooden back piece. Luckily I have both pieces. No big deal, I could glue it back on or use it separately altogether. The one thing I did know - It was for sure coming home with me at 40 dollars, that’s was a no brainer. But what the piece said to me is, I don’t want to be a dressing table anymore... "I want to be a fancy little desk." And so, I set off to change the life of a little forlorn "former" dressing table. I had some pink acrylic paint that was just too purple. Then I remembered, I had siphoned some peachy pink paint I had mixed into a tall white bottle after a previous project last year. So, I simply took that peachy paint and added some cool red to it to bring it back down to a candy pink. A couple coats of paint and some gold leafed edges, and voila! She is happy as can be. I also had this mirror rolling around (it is not the mirror that came with it), so I placed it in the back space and it catches all sorts of reflections. My house is such a mish mosh of found things. Some painted, some gilded, some left just as-is. I think the original mirror to the piece can be repaired and used as a mirror all on it’s own later. It’s a bonus piece. Now the little pink desk is tucked into a space right by my fire place in the living room. It sits right below a mirror I painted a few years ago that had been brown. She’s so happy to be a space for tchotchkes and little books. The lighting was terrible today so these pics were hard to edit. It was dark and rainy, uncommon in the land of sun, and so welcomed. But I also I had fairy lights and candles on causing all sorts of photography blips, so forgive the less than stellar pics. I just wanted to share her. I actually had not intended to complete this project so soon after buying the piece, but I woke up Friday and really felt like doing it. I am so glad that I did. A perfect afternoon project. Here’s my favorite reflection from the little back mirror. Sweet Miley, who is hanging in there quite well with some stronger medication. My party paper honeycombs are sticking around from Valentine’s day and turning into Easter eggs. The mermaid insisted on holding this one. A few cuttings from the garden, camellias are in full bloom with big huge buds. So, there’s another lil’ project down. I also upcycled an old huge painting I had done years ago. And, I repainted a flower on another piece. I love checking things off my list, don’t you? I finished pruning all my roses and added some stinky fish meal to all my gardens. Spring is in the air big time here. We didn’t get our yearly February snow this year but we just had a tiny cool snap with rain, perfect for beginning the slow warm weather rise. YIKES! Time flies by so fast, doesn’t it? I’m still recovering from Christmas, haha! The one thing that gives me such wonderful anticipation is seeing all the roses fluff up with fresh leaves. I can’t wait to see all the little flowers that volunteer from last year’s seeds. It’s just another wonderful thing to look forward to. One week until March, unbelievable. I’m doodling like mad at night and I’m reading Great Expectations again. I remember falling in love with it in high school, when it was required reading, and I was fascinated by Miss Havisham. Around the time I was at University the movie version with Gwyneth Paltrow and Ethan Hawke came out and I was even more smitten. Chickaboooooooooom! See you soon! Love, V Posted on February 23, 2020 | Permalink | Comments (0) | Love is in the Air... Everywhere I look arounnnnnd! Pink and red and sparkles, my favorite :-) Little bits and bobs of amour turning up here and there. Doodling into the wee hours of the night. Pen doodling is crazy because it’s not like you can erase, you just have to go with the flow. A great exercise! So now I’m... Hanging sparkle hearts from branches. Truth be told, I did this the day I took down my Christmas décor around January the 9th or so. (hee hee) Pinnnng, gotcha! Watch out for cupid, he’s trouble I tell ya. We’re happy around here. Miles is feeling so much better, sweet guy, and the weather has been delicious - with a rain day thrown in for good measure. So of course, we are extra happy on this lovely Valentine week 3 I feel like there are so so many things I want to show and tell you. But then I also am relishing in just living in the moment. Copious amounts of cheesy hearts included in that. And teensy Valentines too. I love February, our spring is just around the corner and it feels like such a refueling month. I turned one of my skinny tinsel trees into a Valentine’s Day tree, below... I feel like I should just leave this one up and change it with the seasons. Lovebirds tree 3 Oh oh, I also almost forgot to show you something uber magical! Can you spot it up in the air? Yep, that’s a winged unicorn hanging out in my house :-) He’s 7 feet tall, and I saw him being taken down from a Christmas display a couple days after Christmas. I had to buy him on the spot. Pegasus is proud with twinkly lights and just tickles my heart! The lights just sparkle off and on in the perfect twinkle. Somehow I got him up there myself too. Yikes!! Anywho, love is all around. Getting ready to make my linzers for about the 24th year in a row. And digging up some love appropriate treasures here and there. All in good fun 3 Meanwhile this guy, or gal, holds court above my cabinet, teeheeeee! I love Valentine’s day. I know a lot of people do not like it, but I have said this before - I always make it a me day. And I love hearts and pinks and ruffly doilies, so I think it can very easily be converted into a me day. I know I’m lucky to have a whole bunch of people I love. Especially my Matty and Miles 3 3 3 3 3 But I don’t rely on anyone for my personal joy. I make the magic happen myself and am tickled silly as I do it. When I was buying that unicorn the sales man said, wow, your little girl is going to love this, is she here with you? I said, she’s gonna LOVE it, and you are looking at her, I’m my own little girl :-) He had quite the belly chuckle and then said, you know I do that sort of thing myself. I got so many looks wheeling it out of the store and to my car. Do whatever the heck you want for yourself my friends. Don’t wait for someone to do it for you, grab that joy and run with it. Right now my best joy is doodling at night whilst watching (listening to) mystery tales on t.v. I’m obsessed, especially when Miles is laying on my toes. The best!!! Soooo, with that I say, Happy Valentine’s Week! Lots of love from me to you! xoxoxoxox ps: Don’t forget the well of free printable Valentine’s I’ve made you over the years, woo hooo ;-) Click here for a round up of them all 3 pps: Miles is doing so much better my friends. It’s like a miracle. We are overjoyed and thankful for these gifted days 3 3 3 I...