A Whimsical Makeover - The End Table Edition

Here is one of those times when I forgot the before picture! This is a small end table with some really great curves. I took this picture post-prime. I bet you have guessed that I did not use Chalk Paint on this one because I wouldn't have needed the primer. I have saved a few smaller items to help me use up my vast collection of latex paints. I really wanted to use some COLOR!!! I love the Chalk Paint and I love Carter's Cottage but I really needed an excuse to cover something in an outrageous color.  I was worried that this might not play well in the shop but it turned out "more mainstream" than I imagined.
I do have to say that it was not fun using latex paint after the ease and fun of the Annie Sloan Chalk Paint. I am very pleased with the outcome but not looking forward to my next latex paint project.

Here is the finished piece.

I am going to call this the Peacock Table. It is the most perfect color of Turquoise.  I covered it with dark wax and gave it a good sanding.

It is a little rough around the edges and I like that in a piece of furniture. :)

A Whimsical Makeover - The Kitchen Desk Edition

So first of all, let me apologize for my before picture. It was one of those times where I was working on it and realized that I didn't have a before shot. I screamed, ran and got the camera. You are viewing it with one rough coat on the legs.
I purchased this from an amazing garage sale. Thanks Pam F. It is very primitive and a bit out of my comfort zone. I purchased Annie Sloan Chalk Paint in Arles to add some much needed color. I also had a lovely random chair to add so I painted one to match. This stable was not super sturdy and missing a drawer. Instead of fashioning something, I decided to play up the missing part.

The top of the table was rough too. I sanded the old stains and spots off and placed a nice dark stain on the top followed by a whip-off poly. Just before I stained it, I flipped it over and reinforced the planks on the top and the legs. It is a nice sturdy work space now.

Here is the finished product:

It turned out super sweet and would make a lovely laptop space for a kitchen.

I just love the way Annie Sloan paint distresses and ages. Notice that I took decorative parts that had fallen off and adhered them to the empty drawer space. This would be a sweet space to hang a kitchen towel.

This Week's Little Things

Last weekend my sister was visiting from San Diego. So naturally we decided to go to the flea market and I put her straight to work. We were in search of small items to bring to the shop. It was nice to travel and shop with someone who has a different point of view. She saw things that I didn't see.  I will blog about many of these items soon enough but today I wanted to share some smaller stools and such.

One of the problems with my booth at the store is that everything I own is the same height. Tables and Desks! I gravitate towards them and buy them. However, it doesn't make for a very interesting display. Linny and I were looking for bookcases and cupboards but didn't have much luck there. However, we did find several step stools and plant stands. Here are the first two finished pieces.

Painting the stools also gave me a chance to play around with mixing the Annie Sloan Chalk Paint to create new colors. The top stool is topped with Old White and Minwax polish. The base is 1 part Duck Egg and 1 and a smidge of Arles. It turned into this lovely dusty green.  

The plant stand is the perfect mixture of 1 part Duck Egg and 1 part Old White. I am in love with the tuck egg paint. These items are currently at Carter's Cottage.

Here is a hint of what I am writing about next. Just finished it and need to stage and snap a picture. Love it!

Living Room Makeover - Coming Fall 2011 - My Inspiration

I just returned from a girls trip to Lake Geneva Wisconsin and I was in great need of inspiration and rejuvenation.   I am falling into a rut with some items I am taking to the shop. I keep shopping at the same stores and seeing the same things out my window. The trip was a much needed change of scenery. I saw many new colors and styles but my favorite theme was the airy and breezy but still Midwestern theme.
We will be starting our living room makeover shortly and I would love to do a cottage theme but was afraid of trying it in my Midwest location. However, I am afraid no longer!!! I had purchased an oar...yes an oar, at a garage sale last weekend and I new it was something I could use.

While shopping around in Lake Geneva, I came across a store with beautiful oars. I immediately pictured my new living room revolving around this item. I was so excited to try it that I couldn't even sleep! So early this morning I started painting. Here is the result:

 I used ASCP Old White for the handle and used a dry brushing technique. The twine I stole from my husband. Thank goodness our fence broke down with the storm and he was using it to fix the fence.

The blue is a mix of 1 part Duck Egg and 2 parts Old White. 

Now, I was going to stencil something cute like "breeze" or "calm" and then I remembered that my husband HATES wall words. He never said anything about numbers though. I stenciled our number 13 and then rubbed an antiquing glaze all over it. I followed that with Minwax and then the twine. LOVE! I will either hang it above my window or on the wall above the couch when the room is done. Look for updates to come soon.

Wedding of the Year! A photographer's dream.

I would like to congratulate my very good friends Kennifer and Charlie on their recent wedding. They had a beautiful day and we had an extraordinary time. I feel very blessed that this family has welcomed Ron and I into their lives with such open arms. Thank you for allowing us to share the small moments as well as the big ones. :)

The Wedding took place at Blumen Gardens in Sycamore Illinois. If you have never been there...YOU MUST GO! It was an absolute perfect backdrop to this couple's day.  If you are a photographer (which I am not) it is a perfect place to just spend an afternoon.
Here is my photo journal of the day.

The day started at 7:00 am with the ladies loading up the trucks to fill the banquet hall. I transported the super cute centerpieces.

 
 The banquet hall is more of an old brick warehouse with incredible structure. Here is the rough picture of the early stages.

We set the centerpieces on one of the built in decorations as we set up the tables. How cool is this bench?!?!?

The finished product! Not much is needed to improve the look of this space.
Charlie chose black table cloths which really grounded the space.









The beautiful bride entered amidst annuals and perennials in the flower shop gardens.

The backdrop of the ceremony was an inner courtyard with really impressive architectural features. After the ceremony was complete and drinks were being served, I ran around and pretended to be a real photographer with a super cool camera. 
In reality, I took about 200 pictures to have 15 good ones. Man I need a new camera.

A Whimsical Makeover - The Buffet Edition - Annie Sloan Paint

 

I am please to have now finished my second Annie Sloan Chalk Paint project. My husband was so impressed by the outcome of our first project that this was wheeled out before the other was even put away. This was a bit of a scary project for me because it was so big and intimidating. However, Sunday night Ron (the husband) helped me apply the first coat. It took about 2 hours. That is not bad.

We had the first coat done and then it was time for bed. I had a hard time sleeping because my head was spinning about how cool this was going to turn out.  I woke up early Monday and worked solid on this project from about 7:30 and had the hardware back on and done by 3:30. The turn around time is amazing with this paint and you don't have to sacrifice quality. Yay!!!




So...here is the finished product!

Duck Egg Blue with Old White accents

I used an antiquing glaze to distress. I like it but I am looking forward to the budget allowing for the dark wax. :)

lower detail

close up of detailing

love the way it rubs off!

I hope you like it! It will be at Carter's Cottage shortly. Make sure to visit it in Downtown Dekalb Illinois!

A Whimsical Makeover - The Annie Sloan Chalk Paint Edition!!!!!

The Annie Sloan Chalk Paint has arrived and I am ready to finish all of my projects that have been waiting so patiently.  If you are not familiar with chalk paint, don't worry, I wasn't until a few months ago. I had read about it in other blogs and heard how fabulous it was. However, the cost of the paint and shipping prevented me from taking the first step. Oh, how stupid of me!! This paint is fabulous! I should have never waited!
Here is the rest of that story...my friend Angie and The Primitive Chic linked up a blog article about chalk paint from a local blogger. That blogger turned out to be Christie Carter from Carter's Cottage. I then heard that Christie was going to open a store in Dekalb and try to bring the paint here!  Well, that is just what she did.  I am happy to say that the paint arrived and after a night of deliberation, I chose my two starting colors - Duck Egg Blue and Old White. I chose to start with a piece that I knew I would be keeping - just in case. :)
Ron's night stand, an old smoking cabinet, needed a serious makeover. That is what I started with today.

As you can tell it is dark and scary but also neat at the same time. The top needed some serious work as well.


Now the great this about this paint is that there is no sanding or priming. I could just start painting. It was truly amazing. I went from start to completely finished with this project in less than 4 hours. That means I could get an entire piece ready for the store in 1 day! With the school year rapidly approaching, this calmed my nerves a bit.

Here is the finished product:

I used a combination of the Duck Egg Blue and Old White. Then a coat of antiquing glaze and followed by clear wax.

I restained the top of the cabinet for a darker, more finished look. I love how it turned out.

Ok, so I can't explain how much I love this paint. However, I can tell you some quick points that are great about it.
1. Time Saver - No Sanding or Priming
2. Beautiful Colors with the option of mixing colors for more. The website gives you recipes.
3. It goes on in the color you intend it to be. Not after 4 coats.
4. It dries very quickly.
5. It sands down to an extremely smooth finish. Even my husband was impressed.

That is all I can think of now but I am sure I will blog more about it later. ;)
Check out my newest chalk paint project:
The Buffet!

A Whimsical Makeover - The Side Table Edition

I purchased two identical side tables at a garage sale a few weeks ago. My intention was to have a blue moment but I couldn't find my blue paint. How I lose paint, I will never know. Anyway, I remembered that I have a greenish color that I have been wanting to try so I gave it a go.

They were a bit rough on top from normal wear and tear. I sanded and primed to give them new life and I am pleased with the results.

I also roughed them up a bit after painting. I added an antiquing glaze before the poly layer.

It is so pretty and there are two of them!!!

Current Obsessions and Projects

 It seems like I have been working like crazy but have only a little bit to show for it at the moment. I just finished a bedroom set for a friend and that occupied a lot of my time (happily). It is now back to it's rightful owner and I am able to work on more of my makeovers. Until then, I wanted to post a few pictures of things I love in my house, the shop and items I am working on. Enjoy.

 

 I am currently obsessed with the blue Ball Jars. I would love a tall one but I am particular on price. I will find one when the time is right. I use them for EVERYTHING. These hold dog treats and wine corks. I also use them for toothbrushes, lavender and buttons.  When entertaining, I fill them with flowers and use as a vase.

 I am in love with my line of mirrors also. These are in my bedroom on top of my curb-find dresser. I just really love how all of the colors work together.

 Wheels. They are just cool. I purchased these at a garage sale and I just like the rustic aspect of them.

 I am a sucker for turquoise. This was not this color when I purchased it at a barn sale but I had a new color I wanted to try so here it is. It is currently at Carter's Cottage.

The beginning of my new rosette wreath.

After cutting and rolling and gluing for about 4 hours. This is only about 1/4 of what I need. I am using Barretts Oboe Methods for this one.