If I told you, you wouldn't believe me...

So...we'll just skip all the nonsense and I say I was ABSURDLY BUSY for the last week. But I miss my blog friends! I haven't left you all - I am coming back! I'm here! And its VINTAGE THINGIE THURSDAY! My favorite day of the week! Make sure to swing on by Coloradolady's (Suzanne's) blog and see everyone's wonderful "Vintage Thingies!"


So for my grand return here is just a small bit of what I've been up to. I found this great little bistro set with matching laminate table. I knew it had some potential... but it was quite dirty and a little rusty in spots.


A fresh coat of paint and WOW! So Cute! It also must be said that I spent A LOT of time cleaning those cute little yellow seat cushions. Lets put it this way...they were brown/green when I got my hands on them. What a difference!


The perfect place to sit and waste away the summer days with a nice pitcher of lemonade... or lemonade and vodka if you were me :)

My new favorite piece!

Right now in the store we have two really sweet little couches. The upholstery is perfect and original. They look like the plastic coating was taken off yesterday (you know it probably was).


Well now they get to brighten up the store! Aren't they lovely! Would love to take these home with me. Maybe because the beautiful floral reminds me of Spring! I think I'm going to put one in the Easter Window :)

Shabby Chic Color!

Well here is a new addition to the store. I'm thinking its a great piece to hold all the new beads I am going to carry. Here are a few shots to show you how we came up with the end product.
As you can see... the piece is pretty ugly in the before shots. I never painted any furniture blue...and I was inspired to do so with spring coming up. Blue and white remind me of the ocean and of course - GREECE and the Greek Islands. :)

First coat was a nice deep color of blue...almost navy. Painting cabinets always takes forever since you have to paint the inside and all the shelves... but I finished at last.

The last coat is a white white, and its brushed on as quickly as possible with the driest brush possible. I just finished this up and need to wait a day or so to really give it that great distressed look. So I will have to post those pictures when shes all ready.

Don't you just love these white porcelain rose knobs? I didn't have enough to sell, but they are the perfect finishing touch to this cabinet!!! :)

SALE! SALE! SALE!

I think that about sums it up! Michelangela is having a HUGE Spring Cleaning Furniture Sale!!! Hurry in this weekend to get the best selection! Many pieces are marked down up to 50% off!

Oh yes! And Happy Spring!

"It was one of those March days when the sun shines hot and the wind blows cold: when it is summer in the light, and winter in the shade." ~Charles Dickens


Those of you in the area know that it was SNOWING this morning....SNOWING! And now the sun is shining! Crazy March Weather!

Hope to see you this weekend! If I don't see you, I hope you have a wonderful first day of Spring!

The Armoire is ready for a new home!

The armoire is finished at last. That last coat is time consuming, and potentially lethal (fumes) but is usually well worth it. Just look at all the wonderful detail it helped bring out in the carvings and the feet. I also couldn't get a great shot of them...but the handles have this wonderful natural aged patina to them.
Here are some new goodies to decorate the top. I LOVE busts so we always have some in the store...I also love the new Mercury Glass Frames from J. Devlin Glass Art. ...But my absolute favorite are those antique fabric stamps are new and they are FABULOUS. I will probably dedicate an entire post to them soon. They are just amazing, and each one is different! I didnt order these from a catalog, I bought them from an importer. They are handmade one-of-a-kind pieces of art...and you can use them! I just adore them and already have several decorating my home and studio! :)

New Transformations

Everyone loves this armoire. Its a great size and has such a sense of charm. It was in beautiful condition when we got it in, just needed a little tune up. It's currently going through the Michelangela finishing process :) and it already looks great. I just finished a second coat and I cant wait to put on the top coat. Its a stain coat that brings out all the wonderful brushstorkes, highlights, carvings and curves of the piece.


These pieces are great because even though they are old they are so versatile. People walk into my store and ask for "Entertainment Centers" all the time. Obviously there weren't many around before TVs took over the world. The armoire is a great compromise. The furniture has character, adds to the uniqueness of your home, and hides the ugly tv in the bedroom or living room. :)

Happy Friday! I'm going to the Metropolitan Opera tonight. We will be seeing Verdi's Il Travatore :) I'll tell you about it tomorrow!

Out with the Old...In with the New

Just sold this great Secretary we had in the shop.. . on the same day I got this new piece delivered. (Well its not new, but it is to me!) Its a beautiful Chaise Lounge in perfect condition. I just LOVE it. I only wish I had it before Valentine's Day for the window! But I think it will still make a great "Welcome/Where are you? Spring" display. :)


I have it right in the middle of the store. It looks perfect with these old vintage bags and some dried flowers. I think its screaming "Take me Home!"

Happy Valentine's Day!

Love is the greatest refreshment in life.
--Pablo Picasso

Happy Valentine's Day! Hope you spend the day with someone you love :) I leave you with pictures from my Valentine's Day window. Does anyone recognize that necklace on the "Cupid" Dress Form?

Have a good weekend! I'm off to New Jersey Wine country! (who knew?)

Welcome to How Perfectly Imperfect!

Well hello! I've been putting off writing my first blog post for a few days now. But it is time to introduce myself! My name is Stephanie and I am a small shop owner in Hoboken NJ. Some of you know me and know my store. :) The name of the store is Michelangela. I sell my own hand made jewelry, as well as hand refinished Vintage and Antique furniture. We also sell all sorts of other items; french soaps, candles, bath items, frames, vintage handbags, tins, baskets, baby clothing and accessories, dried flowers, home decor items...a little bit of everything!

I wanted to start a blog that emphasized the things I love. I am a very creative person...and I'm always doing something with my hands. :) Plus you get a behind-the-scenes look at how I make my creations!

I started making jewelry, ...well I've always been making jewelry...but I guess I started regularly making it and selling it almost three years ago. I am a lover of Greek and Roman Mythology and Art and my jewelry is inspired by Greek Myths. You can take a look at my website here : www.ambrosianectarjewelry.com. Ambrosia and Nectar were the food of the Gods. I thought it would be a beautiful name for a jewelry company! Satisfy your hunger for divine jewelry though Ambrosia and Nectar! I still love the name. You can read more about Ambrosia and Nectar here. You will see a lot of my jewelry making on this blog...I love to create new pieces!

My newest hobby is stained glass. It is a very beautiful ancient art that requires precision and patience...I love things like that. I first became interested in stained glass while studying all the beautiful windows in the Gothic Cathedrals I learned about in my art history classes in college. My first major piece was an angel I made for my uncle for Christmas...she was truly beautiful. I'm sure I have a picture of her somewhere!

I have included many pictures of my store in this first post, so you can get an idea of who I am and what I do. I hope you will be back to visit me often! Have a Perfectly Imperfect kind of day!

Vanity in the store with all our lotions on it!

New Chair we just got in and a beautifully carved vintage Lane Chest!

Some of our candles and other items :)

Valentine's Day Gift Baskets filled with lots of goodies!

Vintage Wardrobe... I love this piece. I added the new porcelain knobs.

Ambrosia and Nectar Jewelry!

The most beautiful piano ever. From the 1920s, with a gorgeous beveled glass mirror. We sold it, but I really miss it!