Lots goin' on.

Hi,
Did you think I forgot about you? Not a chance, just been really busy.

I've been painting and re-stylin' lots of things. It seems as fast as they leave the workshop, they head out the front door to someone's home. I know that's the plan, but I keep getting  a little attached to some of them.

It's very rewarding to take a piece of furniture, sand it, spackle it - or not, then decide on the perfect color and finish. Watching it transform and become desireable again is great.

I want to post some photos but I don't have my computer and being the Non-techy person that I am, it's not happening with this tablet. We're lucky I know how to blog on it.

That's about all I can think of to post right now. I'll be posting pics and letting you know some of the things I have in the works as they happen. Fun stuff coming.

Take care and I hope to see you soon.
Patti

Sore feet but doin' fine

No shop owner ever complains about it being to busy, and Nancy and I are no different. Today was one of those days. We went in spurts, nobody for half an hour - then 10 ladies all at once.

It was wonderful to hear the response from everyone. The best compliment you can have is when a customer comes in and says 'my friend was here and told me I had to come see your shop'. Word of mouth is the best form of advertising.

We had several repeat customers. I never even got a photo of one little book shelf/end table, Sandy came back to show a friend our shop and took it home with her. The funny thing was Nancy had just commented, that she didn't think it would still be in the shop after tomorrow - It was really a nice size an style. Glad it went to a good home, thanks again Sandy, enjoy it.

Right now my feet are up, having a cup of Vanilla tea and gearing up for tomorrow. I have a feeling it's gonna be busy.

Boring to Sassy

Here's the before...

And here's the "Sassy" new facelift. I think I'm liking the Cranberry in the chair next to the Cheddar dresser. I have an end table in the store that color, may have to try it. That combination would give a punch of color to any room. Hope you like it, I'm now on to my next project.

Today's Color of the day - Florence.

 

 Yesterday was day two of Next Act's Grand Opening. It was wonderful. All the hard work was well worth it.
 After we closed at 4:00 and it got quiet, I decided to start a project to wind down. This little nightstand/end table was sitting there waiting for a makeover. I had just picked up some new paint colors. I decided to audition "Florence". I liked it, the photo doesn't show the real color - it's more turquoise then aqua.

I removed the plastic knob wiped it down and got started. I managed to give it a first coat before I called it a day.

 This morning when I got in, I gave it a second coat - very lightly. I wanted it to look old and be able to distress it so the real wood showed through in spots. Once that was done, I went to Home Depot and picked up a new knob. There you have it, a really nice little end table or nightstand with storage in the bottom and a shelf you can put your magazines or books in.

 What would make it even more functional? A really cute chair. The chair is old, not sure how old but from the original fabric on the seat I'd say 1950's. It actually had two layers of fabric, both were old and worn. I went to the store and picked up this simple country check fabric. It was not the easiest color to match a fabric to. I know you can't see it in the photo but there's a really tiny thread in a gold color that weaves through the check. I like the way it turned out. Very simple and the slightly off white background is crisp. I added a small stencil to the center of the backrest, just to give it a special touch.

Here it is as a set. I'm really pleased with the finished look. Now to see who the lucky person is that takes them home. I think one of the hardest parts of this new job is trying not to get too attached to the pieces. I hope you enjoy watching what I do. I can tell you that I have a passion for this, it's very calming and peaceful for me. I like to spend time in my workshop just planning and painting.

Nancy is the financial part and I'm the creative end. I've been painting for years and love working with textures and colors. If the response keeps up the way it has been this past few weeks -  I can see Next Act going the distance.

If there's something you're looking for or if you have something you would like to have a makeover on, give me a call at the shop (952) 432-5001. We're open Thursday thru Sunday . Stop in and see what we've done and if we can help you with a project.

Patti

Our opening is finally here.

 Tomorrow  is "Next Acts" Grand Opening. Nancy wanted me to post some before photos and then a few shots of how the shop has taken shape. I can tell you that what we just accomplished in 75 days is unbelievable. Most of the people that we discussed this business with doubted we could open in less than 6 months. Well, 14 hr. days and lots of effort has paid off. We are confident that you will love what we've done.

Here are the before shots, not in any special order. It's just to show you the space and how full it looked. At the time we thought we had enough furniture. It wasn't until we started to coordinate sections and move then into venues that we realized we needed a lot more. So the hunt began and continues almost every day. From Estate Sale to Thrift shops and even on line auctions. We search for fun pieces to paint and re-do.

 Now for the finished rooms and ready for the Opening tomorrow morning at 10:00 AM.
These photos aren't in any particular order either, just enough to give you a feel for what Next Act is.

 These are hand made mittens from reclaimed sweaters. Diane Knapp has been a friend of mine for quite a while and is one of the best seamstresses I know. Wait til you try on one of these mittens. They're polar fleece lined and are soooo warm and comfortable. I know you'll want at least two pair.

 We have quilts for sale made by Lola Hendrickson, Patti Hokanson and Denise Hall. There are also a nice selection of toppers and runners to chose from. Great as gifts for the up coming holidays.

 If you're a collector of Antiques and Vintage finds, we have a nice array to select from We also have Sandy and Steve vending in the shop and they have brought a nice selection of vintage items.

 Piano benches seem to be the rage right now. One lady said she uses it at the bottom of her bed to put her shoes on each morning. They come in several sizes and would fit nicely in a small area and come with a little storage to put books or paperwork in.

 Halloween.. Lola and Denise brought in some really cute toppers, wallhangings and runners. Jackie from Valley Girl brought in some adorable cake plates. Great gift ideas for your goulish friends.

 Red White and Blue... need I say more.

 Antique turn of the century sideboard. Huge and detailed.

 Our front counter - my treasure. I got it at a garage sale and it had some major damage from water on the legs. Jeff trimmed them down and it's lovely again. I painted it a soft old ochre and I love it. Sorry  to say, it's not for sale.

 Our Coco and Old Ochre dining/kitchen set. Soft and cozy. We know someone will enjoy meals at this cute drop leaf table.

 This is just a section of vintage dressers and a childs desk. Add a little pink and you've got the perfect Princess suite.

I hope you enjoyed the quick tour. We have lots more to show you and more added daily. Stop by the shop and say hi, we'll be glad to show you around.

Hours:   Thursday - Friday   11:00 AM  - 6:00 PM
              Saturday  10:00 AM - 5:00 PM
              Sunday  Noon - 4:00 PM

Phone: (952) 432-5001

Facebook:  www.Facebook.com/NextActInc.com

Patti