Flintstones, Meet The Flintstones...

Happy Anniversary to Fred and Wilma Flintstone - their animated life together in Bedrock began its run on television 50 years ago on September 30, 1960. I loved growing up with Fred and have fond memories of the show's quirky characters - one of my favorites was The Great Gazoo. Yaba Daba Doo, Fred!

A Cabinet Reclaimed

My obsession with radio cabinets aside, they really can be reclaimed as unique pieces of furniture when revitalized. They are relatively small and fit into those hard to decorate places such as bathrooms and hallways while adding storage space and a touch of flair. By using your imagination, you can change the look of a cabinet to complement your decor.

The key is to look for a cabinet with good structure and pleasing lines - then consider the possibilities. This cabinet caught my eye because it is horizontal in shape rather than the vertical radio cabinets that I typically find. That detail in itself held potential and promise - add in those wonderfully curved legs and it had me at hello.

Note this cabinet has a top that lifts open on hinges and a front door that tilts down - typical for this style of cabinet, however, problematic for practical use. The first act of business was to secure the front door and make it stationary - I did that by securing both ends with nails that will be covered by the finish coat of paint. By securing the front and taking out the tilting hardware from the interior, I have now created a blanket chest of sorts.

I then filled in the hole in the front where the handle used to be with paintable wood putty - there is no need for a handle that has no purpose. Next, I added a piece of trim to the bottom of the front board to hide where the hinges used to be (this was a piece of trim saved from a previous project so be sure to save odds and ends that might come in handy later) which added a nice detail of interest.

Next the interior was painted a satin black and the exterior a yummy milk chocolate brown. I chose to leave the original crackle finish intact that had been applied by the previous owner to give the final look a vintage texture.

The finished product can now be used as a blanket chest with shelf in a guest room, a storage trunk and shelf in a home office, or baby's room or towel storage in a bathroom - such possibilities!

Main Street, U.S.A.

I love this time of year - the cooler days bring thoughts of crunchy walks along leaf covered trails and long drives on mountain highways hugged by the brilliant color of fall. I love stopping in quaint small towns with their welcoming hospitality, local diners and best of all...antique shops!

Before I go, I check online to map out the trip to make the most of my day. I've found that most antique mall search engine websites are not comprehensive so checking multiple sites is important - such as www.antiquetrip.com and www.antiqueshoppesusa.com. I like both of these sites because they list shops in alphabetical order by the name of the town - this helps save time so you don't have to sift through lists of shops that are nowhere near your destination. You should also call the shop to make sure it is still in the location listed on the site - these lists are not always up to date and unfortunately slow economic times have taken its toll on our local small business folks. The best way to keep Main Street, U.S.A. alive and well, and enrich your own life at the same time, is to spend some quality time with the locals...