Now You REALLY See it and a Furniture Re-do

Okay, even I will admit that this is probably a strange picture.  Let me explain, but first, let me tell you that I really have to keep an eye on my husband whenever we go to estate sales.  For example, on this one particular day I must have left him alone for all of three minutes (maybe four) to go to the Ladies' Room.  I returned to find out that he had just bought two department store mannequins.  He was so proud of himself!  He knows I love dress forms and figured they were in the same general category.  

     I wasn't about to hurt his feelings and didn't point out to him that what he bought was two mannequin tops, one Caucasian and one Black, two mannequin bottoms, both Caucasian, two left Black arms and one left Black hand.  Both mannequin tops were bald.  Take a moment to mentally put those pieces together, then when you do, take another moment to giggle at that visual.  

     Finally, a couple weeks later after he continued to ask me why they were still sitting in pieces in our study, I broke down and told him why his purchase wasn't really something I could immediately use.  So, I put the Caucasian top and bottom together, decided to call her "Venus", and loaded her up for the shop.  Imagine my surprise when someone purchased her "as is" a couple days ago.

     Now, what to do with the second mannequin with a Black top, Caucasian bottom, two Black arms and one Black hand?  Simple - I would keep both arms off her and cover her torso in bright tissue paper.  Thus, the photo above.

     The "Now you REALLY see it" part of this post?  Well, now you REALLY see my studio when I am working in part of it.  Note the bags hanging from my chair, the crap 

 supplies piled on top of my work table and file drawers.  

     Yep - now you REALLY see my studio.

     Now, back to the mannequin:  I ended up completely repainting her face because it was so badly scratched and scuffed and this is what her top part looks like as it sits in our living room waiting for the bottom part of her to dry.  I love the way her face looks now!  Gone is her blue eyeshadow and deep scratches!

     And this is our cockatoo, Bailey, believing that he now has a new friend.  He hasn't stopped talking to her all afternoon.     As soon as I put her in the chair, he said, "Hi!" and then, "Whatcha doin'?"  After she didn't answer, he asked "Hmmm?"  He must have decided that his shy new friend just didn't have much to say.  

     Last but not least, I had to show you this furniture re-do that my hubby finished.  This white cabinet was in really bad shape.  It had broken glass panes, only one glass shelf, a broken bottom door and a paint job that rivaled the one my daughter did the time she decided to paint the fixtures in the bathroom with my makeup.  She was two when that happened.

We really needed a way to display our nicer glass pieces in the shop.  This is what the cabinet looks like today:    It's gorgeous!  He may make strange purchases at estate sales, but he's definitely still a keeper!