Can't seem to get out of my pj's

To be completely honest, I have had gloomy day.. It's raining and I can't pull out the big guns and start new projects just yet. We lost a really close family friend yesterday and I am feeling sad. It doesn't help that I am still in my pajamas in the middle of the afternoon.... Do you ever have one of those days where you just can't get going? I wish I could call my BFF over(who is 600 miles away)sit feet to feet and talk. OK OK... I will move on from this pity party I am having for myself... Let's get to know this new little gem I got a few weeks ago. She was rescued from a little town outside of Lynchburg called Altavista. She had no problems, just was lacking something. She was just down right plain. Not that there is anything wrong with plain... Some days I prefer a turkey sandwich- plain. Do I dare say a doughnut? (I do love doughnuts)but I like them plain. I could go on and on about this (and doughnuts) but I'm pretty sure you get it.

I used my trusty Milk Paint and layered her in two coats of "Linen". I let her dry overnight and then the next morning after a good examination I decided she needed texture. I then dry brushed ASCP's "French Linen" all over.. Once the caulk paint was dry I applied a clear wax in sections. Sanded away the "thickness" and was very pleased with the results. I had mentioned on my Facebook page that I was kind of bummed about the weather and had no choice but to hold a photo shoot on the porch... I had originally pictured a "Beachy" scene... but it's November in Virginia!! So fall arrangement had to do.

Hope you liked it, I am off to finally get dressed and determined to have a better afternoon!

1940's Dresser

There is a story behind this dresser. I found it in a warehouse hiding under a stack of chairs. I had already made up my mind I wasn't coming out empty handed- So I dove right in! About an hour later I came out victorious! I also came out very sweaty and dirty. I want to share that I wasn't sure if I should even paint this dresser. On the back I found the orginal cardboard tag from the company who made it. I pondered on it for a while... then what the heck! I'm going to do it anyway- I'm sure someone will tell me if I made a huge mistake. This is what she looked like after I got home and gave her a bath.

Her lines are perfect, her bones are stong her details perfect.... ok, well I fib a bit. She had a gash in the front that stuck out like a missing front tooth. I seem to be saying that alot- My seven year old son is missing both of his front teeth- I just can't help myself! With some wood putty and some clever sanding she had a new set of teeth... OK, I'll stop. Jackson would not like that I'm still using this phrase. After two coats of paint you can't even tell. I decided to use my Annie Sloan's French Linen again. I have been playing with the wax variations and decided to only cover it in a clear wax and distress. I wanted to keep the look "light".

I have said this a few times today, but I really may cry a little when she goes to her new home. Not all of my creations hit so hard. She is special. I took her in, fixed her up and made her sparkle. I hope she remembers me.... OK, that's enough of the crazy talk.

Until next time, Off to do Mommy Stuff!!

Occasional Table

Let me tell you that this table had issues. It was an outcast, disregarded and forgotten...

To some it seemed doomed. The top is warped, the legs are wobbly.. But to me its pretty special.

This how she looked after a good cleaning and some tightening of the legs. While it was flipped upside I found a carving on the bottom that I had never seen before. After searching the Internet for the inscription I came up empty. So I am assuming this was a handmade table, not by an actual company.

This is after 2 coats of Annie Sloan's French Linen. I wanted the top to be spotty for the final effect... trust me, I meant to do that.

Here she is up close so you can see how wonderfully the dark wax brought out all the grain lines.. or mistreatment.. It made it even more "layered" than I originally thought. LOVE IT! Hope you do too!

I am currently working on an antique dresser.. so I have to get cracking! Friday is going to be a crazy day.. and I want to get a little head start! My daughter will be 5 on Monday.. so trying to prepare myself (and my house) for possibly a dozen preschoolers to ransack our space for her birthday party on Saturday!

Happy Early Birthday

Maggie Malloy!!!!

Oh Coffee Table.. you tease me...

This table entered my life by chance last week. I walked by it once, then twice.. returned the third time and put it in my car. The carving on the legs were sweet and I am a sucker for anything on wheels- Yes! It has wheels!

This is the "before" of the coffee table.. oh I added the cat for effect... but it didnt work. Even with a sweet calico in the shot, it doesnt improve the look of this poor thing.

The carving gets lost in the dark stain. Someone worked hard on this.. I want to show it off. I used Annie Sloan's French Linen and then put a dark wax on it.

This was the begining of the distressing process. I put alot of wax on it, so I knew I was going to be doing some heavy sanding.

I am soooooo in love. .... I'm gonna need a minute.

I will definatly be doing this combo again soon... very soon.

OK, Until then.. Off to do mommy stuff!

Red Buffet- Yes Please!

I have heard the comment a few times.. "Antique people must hate you!" First I was shocked by this statement. But after awhile, I got over it. Taking a perfect good wood piece and  painting it. Well, Yeah! I do! I try not to think that I am ruining an antique, but improving it. Cause no one would want some of the stuff I've brought home. But, this time was diffrent. I felt bad, just a little. I felt bad because I was going to paint over a perfectly good antique. There really wasnt anything wrong with this piece. No finish issues, no missing hardware.. just perfect. You know what else was perfect the price I got for it! Sold- And it shall be painted!!! There, I feel better.

Terrible lighting, sorry. But yeah, it's brown..blah!!

Look at my new wheeled movers! They have made ever so happy! Prop it up and wheel it around!Makes me think of the old days at Pier 1!

 OK - I love red. My husband loves red. He even demanded a red wall in our previous home. The color definitely makes a bold statement. I hadn't painted red in a while, so when I found this buffet at an auction last week I wanted to try it out. Lately I have really taken a liking to Annie Sloan's Caulk Paint. This stuff goes on like a dream! No primer needed, and if the finish is in an OK shape you don't even have to bother sanding. Emperor's Silk is the red I chose from the AS selection. My good friend Elisa let me use some from her stash. Thanks Girl!

This was the next morning, pretty bright huh!?

The first coat was nerve wracking. I kept seeing the brown and was worried I wasnt going to have enough to get a second coat in. But as it dried, it looked better. But man, that thing was RED! I know it wasnt the finished product- I had to put my sunglasses on. OK, that was a lie. It was 10:30 at night, sunglasses were not needed. But you get my point.  Then took a 220 grit sandpaper to even out the finish. Something about the Caulk paint, the more you sand, the softer it gets. Made sure the edges were distressed and made any final touching before I would break out the dark wax.

Talk about exciting! Annie Sloan's soft wax goes on like Vaseline and moves so perfectly into any nook or imperfection and looks effortless. The method is... Well, organic; like to call it organic. You really don't know how to do it until you do it. That sounded insane. But trust me, it's true.
This buffet has one coat of wax now, but tonight after the poppy seeds are tucked into bed, it's gonna get it- (cough), the buffet is gonna get it.
I rubbed and rubbed and I have to say I am really pleased with the result!

Road Trip!

Its been months since I was able to leave my Poppy off springs at home and venture off by myself. So when the chance to get away came up- I took it! Originally this trip was for one reason, to run a freaking Zombie themed 5k race. I am not a fan of Zombies, you surprised? You shouldn't be. Totally not into the whole undead thing. I will get to the results of that disaster at a later time. But until then, lets talk about my AWESOME travel detour! I left my house Friday morning after the poppy seeds were off to school (made me feel less guilty about leaving). My final destination of the day was to be in Annapolis Md. But I had about 10 hours to kill before my sister cousin would be home.

I had my eye on Hagerstown Md. Where the coolest ladies are getting together and opening a "Warehouse"  to showcase their awesomeness! These ladies love anything vintage, old, shabby and farm house funk.. these girls speak my language!




 This breathtaking settee is by the lovely Repurposed & Refined. I can't even begin to tell you how sweet these two ladies are. I was able to meet and chat with Denise. She showed me around and made me feel so welcome. I really hope these photos do justice to how beautiful all the decor really was in person.

You really forgot you were in a empty warehouse. From the outside.. yep. That's a industrial warehouse, but as soon as you stepped inside.. BAM! You had been transported into a french farmish (yes, "ish" is needed) building filled with the most lovely furnishings you had ever seen. I was overwhelmed slightly at first. I didn't know where to begin.  At one point I could barely operate my camera.. "oh no, I'm gonna miss something". "Do I have enough time to touch and explore all the wonders hiding in here?" "Would I ever make it to Annapolis?"-  Just forward my mail, I'm staying.

  

It really was almost too much coolness in one place. My tiny little brain almost exploded.

These adorable nightstand/side tables were by CariLin Creations, another fab vendor who was showcased. At one point I screaming inside, I wanted so badly to take everything home! Reality struck and I realized I'm driving a Honda 2 door. Never gonna happen.

I think I stared at this cabinet for 10 minutes. The color was amazing. It was green, no wait it's cream. Denise told me that she painted it in a Annie Slaon chalk paint and then covered it in a dark wax. The details are impeccable. I can't get over how amazing this is... excuse me as I drool a little.

I was then blown away by this graphic done.. Maybe you have seen it before? hmmmm???

I did my version from The Graphic Fairy on a desk a few weeks ago. I love this so much.

Come On! How fab is this old futon and burlap cushions! Lets not overlook the level of coolness that comes with these burlap pillows. Again, my brain may explode.

It's really hard for me to describe what it is like to walk into a building and instantly feel electrified.. All of this made me sweat ( really it did). Truthfully, I may have been there for 3 hours. I left with 5 business cards in my pocket and a few new friends!

To find out more about the gals who create these amazing finds, check out the links below. Beware, this will become an addiction. Seek professional help asap!

Repurposed & Refined

The Vintage Attic

The Green Pear (Facebook Page)

Cari Lin Creations

Until then, I'm off to do Mommy stuff!

Barn House Mirror

Had such a wonderful trip junking this morning! Found quite a few items I can play with! I was a bit nervous about getting too much at one time. The weather is supposed to be perfect this weekend and I have already seen 50 yard sale signs around...  I can't go fill up the garage too soon! I wont have any room for the weekend stuff!  A junker is part crafty and part hoarder. My home is clean of my of my "stuff", but my garage and basement at times are out of control. A huge table and hutch sits in the back of the garage and has been taunting me for weeks..

So with that in mind.. what right do I have to go in and fall in love with a large barn house mirror! You can't walk away from something that is meant to be, after all I do believe in fate!

Out taking pictures with the crappy phone again.
1/2 off all furniture at the thrift store, convinced the sales lady that since it was made out of wood..then hence a piece of furniture 1/2 off too!
Got It!!!

Came straight home with it and started to clean it up! It was the prettiest blue, and I seem to be on a blue streak right now (get it? I made a joke!      lame..). I really didn't see this mirror anything other than blue. It's made really well and extremely heavy. I hoisted it up on a bench to get all the dirt and grime off. I used a multi-surface cleaner, but a soapy towel would work fine too.

I love how this mirror had been painted over a few times.. maybe it fell over a few times.. who knows, but it has a lot of character to it. I just want to touch up and seal what naturally became of it. I started by sanding the edges and detail. This will take off some paint and allow the colors to show through.

 I don't want to take too much off  so I started sanding lightly around the detail

Once I was happy with the sanding, I had to  clean off the dust storm you created. FYI- don't touch your butt with you hands! You will have dusty hand prints on your butt and wont know it. Then when you go to Foodlion and you will hear giggles behind you.. it's because you have dusty hand prints on your butt!  That should explain how my afternoon went!

Here it is all cleaned up ready to be finished up. To seal the wood I had decided to use a clear paste wax-  I used TreWax for this, it really easy to apply, c'mon it's clear you can't screw it up! The wax can be applied using a soft cloth or a brush. You want to apply it just like you would paint. Make sure you get your brush into the detailed areas real good so all is evenly sealed. This wax will dry overnight. You'll notice as soon as you touch it the next day, the texture is soft and silky and a lovely sheen has covered your surface. 

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It's clear.. so.. you can't really see it.. but you touch it and it's really soft

 Isn't she pretty y'all....."sigh"..

Once outside the color just seemed to pop off the brown fence. The neighbors got a kick watching my carry it out into the backyard for a photo op.

On a side note.. I have been working on getting my pieces you see on this blog in local boutiques in the Lynchburg/Forest Va area. Since then have met some wonderful people who share the same passion as me and we are in the works to making it happen! So exciting!  I promise I will update with info!

Until then... off to do Mommy Stuff!