vanity table makeover

i can't seem to find furniture that i want from the stores. when i find a piece that i like, they don't have the color that i want. then i started looking at blogs that feature diy projects for home, furniture and decor. i had no idea an old piece of furniture can be beautiful with new coat of paint or new hardware etc. before i wouldn't look at old junk or someone's used stuffs or go to thrift shops. i had only been to goodwill to donate. i had never stepped inside the shop. the idea of using someone used item creeps me out. after looking at cool projects from other bloggers, i figure i can overcome my fear and start hunting for unique and rare pieces at a much lower price. besides, there's always anti-bacterial cleaners and hot boiling water to kill all the germs.......rite??

one of the most important furniture that i need is a vanity table. it's where i spend 20 mins every morning. i don't want anything too big or too little counter space. i finally found this gorgeous table. it's meant to be a sofa/entry table. but i see it as my vanity table :) those curvy legs and wavy trims and of course the price....$40 make me tingle.

how it looks when i found it

after one quick coat of zinsser primer.

after 2 coats of valspar summer grey. voila!

we painted the room ourselves. we matched the color from benjamin moore's french lilac to sherwin williams harmony paint (supposed to be environmentally responsible and zero VOC). love the soft, romantic, soothing color. it was a hard 5 hours paint job. we went to bed that night with a whole new respect for painters. can't imagine doing this every day. phew~~~~~

LINKY

Estate Sale finds

i have been thinking about how to decorate the master bedroom for a long time. i been browsing around the internet and decor magazines for ideas and finally decided to go with the cottage(shabby chic) look. i've always like cottage decor (hence my blog name). it makes me feel comfortable, relaxing and cozy. so, i'm going for it! but it's only limited to the master bedroom since the mr wants to keep the other parts of the house more contemporary.

i also want to find furniture/decor that are unique and rare with lots of characters. so instead of going to furniture store, i'm going to estate sale ;) i have never been to an estate sale before and have no idea what to expect. i was quick to realize that people do get up early on saturday morning. estate sales usually starts from 7-8am. bleh....i'm not usually a morning person, so this require a bit of effort.

it's all worth it when i return with so many treasures.

a shabby lamp with platform to hold my other decor. i like the mix green and white paint, the 3 pedestal legs and the price. only $25

other treasures: frame ($0.50), jewelry box($2), crystal($2), ornate mirror($3), very old board game($3) and a book from 1940s($3)

close up details of the jewelry box

Brussels Trip + Paint Job

i didn't know smurfs are from brussels before the trip. did you know? brussels is not a very clean city. the metro stations are dirty, old and shabby. you wouldn't want to travel on it by yourself.

too bad EU headquarters was closed for christmas. it would be interesting to get some souvenirs there. so, we headed to the atomium(i call it a mad scientist project) and mini europe instead. not a good day to visit. gloomy sky and chilly wind

there were lots and lots of belgian chocolates in different sizes, shapes and flavors. yummy!

nice packaging. expensive feel.

she's real btw. pretty neat!

went to one of the earliest shopping arcade Galeries Royales Saint-Hubert. interesting little shops along the narrow street-like courtyard

my favorite place Grand Place-Grote Markt love those old european buildings. look at those fine details on every arch and statues. they are so intricate and full of historical evidence.

who's going to miss the chance to try real authentic belgian waffle with caramelized sugar (gaufre de Liège-Luikse wafel)? not me certainly!

meneiken pis. no idea why it's so popular. just a statue of a pissing boy. can you say vulgar?

completed the paint job in my master bed/master bath/living room after hours and hours of sweat, up and down the ladder, taping the edges, etc. finally, the gorgeous end results. goodbye plain white walls. will post photos when the rooms are more presentable.

i'm back!! rotterdam/amsterdam trip

i have been neglecting my blog for the past few months. i think i have a valid reason(hope you agree with me). i was in the midst of searching for a home, packing, moving, cleaning, organizing etc. this is in addition to my work which is pretty hectic recently. phew~~~~~finally, i'm more settled down in my new cottage, although i'm still sleeping on the floor like a nomad :) i'm starting to feel that being a homeowner ain't easy. my grass is dying and weeds are appearing everywhere. arghhh......i have no idea what to do. i used to dislike rain(i don't like being wet and caught without an umbrella), but now i'm hoping that it'll rain more often to avoid watering my yard&trees ;P

on to another subject, my much delayed post about my christmas '09 trip. it was a long journey from london to rotterdam. all because of eurostar not working in the cold winter :S we took a train from london to harwich way before sunrise. yawn~~~~~~ then we took a ferry to hoek van holland. it was a huge ferry and was packed with people. i slept most of the journey in the uncomfortable seats for ~7 hours. one ironic thing was they were showing a movie about a sinking ship. not a good movie to be shown to the ferry patrons, don't you think? then we took a train to rotterdam from the port. alas, we arrived! only to be stranded in the heavy snow and the tram stopped working. we finally made it to our hotel after lots of detour. the local people are really nice and helpful.

rotterdam is full with unique and weird architectural buildings.

can you imagine how cold it was?!!

windmill...the only one i saw at Delfshaven. it's a working windmill

amsterdam is famous for pancakes. this is bacon strips with vege...yum

the only tulips available are in Bloemenmarkt. i can imagine how beautiful it is in spring

erotic chocolates. i'll keep to myself what i saw in red light district sshhhhh......

next project: painting my room....how does french lilac sounds? psst...the organizer is given by shop n chomp. using it everyday :)

Happy Earth Day !!!

What's your contribution to give back to mother nature?

Here are some ideas

• RECYCLE......it's not that hard, really
• Use reusable bags when you shop......put them in the trunk. that way you'll always have them with you
• Plant a tree
• use energy efficient light bulbs, appliances etc.
• turn off the water while brushing your teeth
• take shorter colder showers
• use a mug instead of paper/plastic cups
• sign up for paperless bills

what other ideas do you have?

ps: in the middle of moving. hence, the slow posts

london part 1

went missing for a long period of time. no excuse. just feel like taking a break from the blogging world ;-P time to rewind and playback my Christmas+New Year vacation in UK&Europe. Everyone told me it was a bad idea to go there in winter, but what did I do?? ignore their advice and went ahead to a cold cold adventure >_<>

london was snowing when i got there. it almost never snows in london. what happen to our climate?? i'm happy to find out my friend's place is not too far from the tube station. don't want to be frozen every time i leave the apartment to the tube station.

first meal in london.......BURGER!! not what i wanted, but every pub that we went was full. apparently thursday evening is also drinking evening. surprisingly it was good (psst....maybe i'm just hungry)

mince pie...a london christmas dessert. a bit too sweet for liking

pub scene in london

love the christmas deco along oxford st.

close up look of london eye

big ben at night

steak mushroom and cheese suet pudding. love the sauce. delicious!!

i'm addicted to tea. love those teapots, cups and tier plates. i'm hunting for a afternoon tea place in my area.

curry bratwurst from winter wonderland a.k.a. christmas market. londoners love curry. they have curry sauce to go with McNuggets....yummy

missed the train to paris due to severe weather. no paris for me

Happy New Year !!

it's a bit late to wish you all, but it took me a while to get back on my routine after a long vacation. after all, it's still january :D so.................

what's better than kicking off the new year by receiving love package?? nothing!! i was thrilled when i found out that i am the winner for shopnchomp's recent giveaway. this is my 1st win from the blogger world. lisa is so sweet to include many extras in the package.

i wasn't expecting a huge box ;-D

all the lovely goodies

love this dress on the card :D

a pair of dainty leave earrings. comes in a rose print box

extras extras!! which one i should try 1st??
tsumori chisato/shu uemura mirror and planner. cute star, cat, ribbon print.

thanks to sweet lisa from shopnchomp!!

Happy Holidays + Happy New Year

i will be travelling and won't have access to the internet. so, happy holidays and happy new year to you all. hope 2010 will bring more joyous moments to you :)

my christmas haul from sephora with the coupon they sent out recently & mini smashbox haul

see you cottagers next year!

December Giveaways

Eki's 1400+ followers Giveaway

Prize:

Jill Stuart LE Anniversary cosmetic pouch with matching mirror*book will not be included its too heavy to mail sorry*

your choice of one free pair earring from ekiLove♥

Limited edition Japanese kit kats :D

Matcha lattes

My HG face masks, My beauty diary mask in white pearl, catena crystal collagen eye mask, Japanese Hyaluronic acid mask

nailene french nail tip pen in black

Revlon fantasy lengths

crazy rumors organic perk lip balm in coffee bean

Rules:

Be a follower and leave a comment in this post let me know why you like Jill stuart and my blog! :)

that's it!

for extra entry:

you can enter another entry by posting a link about this giveaway and leave a comment with the post link!

Shan's Shan's First Giveaway

Prizes:

-Sleek I-Divine Mineral Eyeshadow Palette in 'Original'

-Aveeda lipstick in 702 Sheer Saffron (It's a deep deep strong browny burgandy red)

-Nail Art Kit

-Nail Buffer

-2 x Poppets (toffee/mint)

-A pack of Mikado

-Some Samples

Rules:

- Follower

- Re-post the giveaway on blogger or on twitter or youtube

- Comment 'Enter me' as well as the link to where you re-posted

- You need to leave your email, If I can not contact you through blogger (If the winner does not answer within 42 hours, I will pick another)

Voyager 100th Follower Giveaway!!!

Prizes:

Elizabeth Arden Eight Hour Cream Skin Protectant

Dior J'adore Beautifying Body Milk

Dior Addict High Shine Lipstik (travel size)

Clinique Fresh Bloom Allover Colour (travel size)

Clinique Cosmetic Pouch

Clinique Mascara + Lipgloss

Etude House Juicy Pop Tube

SK-II Journal Book

Taiwan Mask Sheets

Hello Kitty Wipes

Mirror

A few Samples

(All items are Brand New!)

Rules:

1. Must be a follower of this blog

2. Leave a comment with your Username (the name you use to follow me)

3. And tell me: What do you think of my blog? (please be honest, you will get more loves for being honest :D)

Extra entries:

1. Post this giveaway and the link on your blog, leave me a link (1 extra entry)

2. Follow me on twitter @DinaEstyXu and tweet about this giveaway including@DinaEstyXu, leave me a link to your tweet (1 extra entry)

3. For my first 100 followers, you earn 1 extra entry automaticly for being awesome! :D

Please leave just ONE COMMENT, i'll count the extra entries for you. Multiple comments will be deleted.

This giveaway opens for International readers and ends on December 31st, 2009. you have more than one month to enter this giveaway, so don't hesitate to enter!

Jbreezy Holiday Giveaway

RULES:
Must be a follower
Must be at least 18 years old to join (If you are under 18, please ask mommy and daddy first :])
1 entry- Leave a comment to this post and tell me What is your favorite Christmas memory?

Additonal (1) entry- Repost this Giveway on your blog and leave another comment for this (make sure you answer the question for the 1-entry)
Additional (1) entry- Follow me twitter (Check Right Sidebar) and message me on twitter saying "HI" or "Hello" or "bitch.. you aint all that"... anything! You can also retweet this giveaway. Make sure to still leave me a comment on this post stating you have done that. (and make sure you answer the question for 1 entry)
**Make sure to do the 1 entry before doing additional entries. Winners are chosen using Random.org.
Deadline for this Giveway is on Wednesday, DECEMBER 16, 2009 @ 11:59 pm Central Time. (Mom's Birthday!)