Mission Impossible? Mission Possible!!!!! Chalk Paint Kitchen Remodel!!!

Well...We did it!!!! The kitchen is done!

Before I begin the photo journey, I would really like to thank my husband (Ron) and his friends (Jason, Charlie and Tom) for all of the work they have put into this project. THANK YOU!!!

Ok...here we go! We just moved into our new house and we just couldn't wait to change this space!

Do you remember the before?

Dark and Dated

How could you forget the "During"!

Husband hard at work. ;)

Dusty and Scary! We could see though to the basement while standing on the kitchen floor. Yikes!

Now for the after:

Love my new (old) enamel soap tray!

Can you tell we just finished by the stain still in the wine cabinet?

My new chalkboard was the perfect fix for this cabinet side.

Our theme was "Farmhouse Chic". I think we achieved our goal. 

Here were some of our thoughts going into it:

1. We love a rustic and casual feel.

2. We loved the butcher block at our old house.

3. I really wanted to paint the cabinets with Annie Sloan Chalk Paint.

For my full thoughts on the cabinets, visit my review page.

I couldn't be more pleased with how it turned out. 

Originally, I had also planned to organize my craft space. That didn't happen. I had to put it all in perspective. ;) This was definitely the way to go.

Linking up to Jen Rizzo

Did they or didn't they?

So the question is....Did we finish the kitchen in time to meet the remodeling deadline?

before

Find out tonight!

Race to the finish! Will we make it on time? - Imagine the Impossibilities!

Today is January 25th. We have accepted the challenge to finish our toughest project for the Imagine the Impossibilities Challenge.

 

The official posting date is January 31st. That is 6 days away. Let me show you our current progress and I will let the betting begin. Will we or won't we make the deadline? I LOVE pressure and deadlines. I work best this way.

BRING IT!!!!

 These photos were taken at about 8pm tonight. Wish us luck.

A Whimsical Mini-Makeover: My Damaged Kitchen Table

I love paint  to furniture...but I don't love it when I get paint on my furniture (where it doesn't belong).
Exhibit A:

Cute kitchen set, right?!?!

Stupid roller mark on it.

Upsetting? Yes. Tricky fix? No.
I got out my trusty Annie Sloan Chalk Paint in Coco. I had a very small amount left over from my 1930's Cabinet Makeover. I have been wanting to paint the table Coco for a while but haven't had the time. So today I just gave it a quick fix.


I placed a fan on it after my two light coats and it dried almost instantly. I then went at it with a fine sanding block, a little wax and now we have...

I plan on painting the rest of the table and the chairs this summer. I also would like to do a faux runner.  However, this will hold me over until then. Oh...did I mention that this only took 35 minutes from start to finish? Yep. It did. ;)

While I have you here... may I also draw attention to our new (old) floors. :) Just newly redone!!! 

before

I just posting a mini-makover this week because of my Impossible Challenge.  Stay tuned to see how it all turns out. I may have bitten  off more than I can chew but we will see. 

My Space at Carter's Cottage

I just did a minor update of my space at Carter's Cottage. Later this month my space gets bigger and I will do a complete overhaul. Stay tuned...

Imagine the Impossibilities: Challenge Accepted!

 

About a week or so ago, I featured a lovely painted rug by Linda at it all started with paint.  She sent me a lovely "thank you" email and included a bit of a challenge.  Linda and a group of amazing bloggers has decided to start the year off right by getting the trickiest tasks out of the way first. I GLADLY jumped at the challenge! We will all be linking up to her party on January 31st.

I hope to have two projects to hook up.

 1. The new kitchen: As many of you know, we just moved into our new house. The kitchen was ripped apart before we even unpacked our boxes. My husband is not a fan of waiting.  Here is the before and early stages.

Currently, the new floors are in and the appliances come tomorrow. Annie Sloan Chalk Paint is awaiting the cabinets and a little Forevermore Blue will be on the walls.

2. My Craft Room: My amazing man built me a perfect craft/paint room at the old house. This is what I left behind:

Storage Galore! Magnetic Walls! Bright and Cheery! It was perfect.

This is what I moved into:

Old. Scary. Dingy. Unorganized. This is my project. I won't be able to make it as wonderful as my husband could but I should be able to "cute" it up a bit. I need function and inspiration. My fix won't be a permanent fix due to construction that will happen in the basement this summer but it hold me over until he his ready to make it right.

So... these are my very lofty ambitions as well as turning out one piece of furniture a week, getting ready for my larger space at the shop and trying to be the amazing first grade teacher my students deserve. Let's see if I survive. ;)

Check out the amazing project ideas from the ladies who started the challenge.
Andrea from The Cottage Market.

Karah from The Space Between.

Kari from Thistlewood Farm.

Kelly from Eclectically Vintage.

Linda from It All Started With Paint.

Stacey from A Sort of Fairytale.

A Whimsical Project: Old Frame Foam Boards

This project came out of necessity and became one of my better sellers at the shop. I was in need of a cute place to put my earrings, notes and miscellaneous items. I came across this idea on another blog and began creating right away. Here is what I have done so far:

Mistint Paint from Lowes, Foam Board and Burlap - Sold

I created several of these - This one is Napoleonic Blue with French Linen dry brush, Foam Board and vintage music papers - Sold Out!!

Old Violet with vintage peach making an appearance - Fabric and Foam Board

My Current Favorite and might not stay at the shop - Antique badly damaged mirror frame. Painted in French Linen - Foam Board and Fabric

I just love this paint!

I have created a couple more in Provence but those sold before I could photograph them. You can visit these projects at Carter's Cottage.

A Whimsical Makeover: The Detailed Bookshelf Edition

Ok...this makeover comes with a lesson. 

Lesson first:
At the November flea market, I saw a pair of beautiful corner bookshelves for $50. I had already purchased a few other items so I decided to wait a bit. Well, while I was waiting, I became obsessed with what I could turn them into. I envisioned colors and textures in many varieties. However, my own booth became busy and I couldn't make it back for a few hours. When I returned, they were gone. Never again!!!! (Ok, Christie, I know I have said that before but I mean it this time).

Now the Makeover:

I purchased this bookcase from one of my favorite "suppliers". It is identical to the ones I was dreaming of so I grabbed it right away. I wanted to try a new color combination so I went with Primer Red and Old Ochre. I completed the look with a healthy coat of Dark Wax. Here is the finished look:

I left some of the imperfections from the previous owners staining explosion knowing that I wanted the dark wax to get into the cracks and crevasses.

I love the completed project. I am always amazed at what happens when the wax goes on. It is a completely different look.

 In other news, Linda at it all started with paint challenged me to join her  Mission Impossibilities Party at the end of January. I gladly accepted the challenge. I will be tackling my new work room. I LOVED the work space my husband built me at my old house. The new house work space has not been touched my the magic Ron dust yet. I am going to attempt my main work room on my own! I will keep you updated on my progress.