From Dull to Shabtabulous...

Awhile back I wrote a post about some recent finds. One of them was a great little vintage tea cart.
Quirky: Old Brass Tea Cart

I fell in love with the character of it. The white plastic wheels that keep on rolling, even with the chips and dents from age, the brass that was begging to be polished to a like-new state again, even the old lime green gooey substance that was used to mount the glass to the cart. 

A few trades later with the thrift store owner, I was loading this beauty up into the back of my SUV with visions of grandeur!

The first week home I did a little bit, cleaned the glass, scraped the goop, even polished a little. A very little. I'm talking maybe a 2" to 3" spot on the top railing. How long did this small feat take me? Oh somewhere in the vicinity of 30 minutes or so. 

My visions of grandeur were slowly fading as life got in the way. My little cart made its way into my room where it became a haven for toddler socks, my blow dryer and a few hastily arranged family photos. 

After months of this, I decided it was time to make my little cart fabulous, even if it wasn't the way I had once envisioned. I decided to (gasp!) paint it. For some reason, painting vintage items has a certain stigma to it for me. I know many people frown on painting a beautiful vintage wood piece, but this is brass right? The same metal that has to be polished and polished and then polished again!

So after a brief discussion in my brain, I decided to go for it. I had the perfect color in mind. I drove to Wal-Mart, picked out two cans of Krylon's "Pistachio" Spray Paint and went to town! After taping up the wheels and adding a coat of primer, I then added a few coats of the spray paint and wah lah, instant shabtabulousness!

Primed and ready to go

The finished product!

I sanded a little here and there for the shabby look

I love how the gold comes through all around the top 

I'm actually very pleased with the outcome. I figure I'll leave it this way for awhile and then maybe spray paint a few coats of another color over the Pistachio. Then I'll sand a little so the Pistachio shows through. Now, I just need to find an appropriate place to put it where it won't become a catch-all! Easier said than done :)