Child's Desk

Isn't this small desk sweet? It was thrown in for free with some furniture I purchased off of Craigslist. It was dirty, broken {it used to be a roll top desk, but the roll top was beyond repair}, and painted in a dark brown. It was the perfect piece for me to try out some Annie Sloan's Chalk Paint on! I finally got my hands on this special paint and was excited to try it.

{picture via Perfectly Imperfect Blog}

I did give the desk a good cleaning, but otherwise there was no need to sand or prime!  Wahoo!  That is 

chalk paint's claim to fame: you get right to the fun part and start painting.  The base of the desk is painted

in Paris Grey and the inside of the cubbies and other accents in Louis Blue.  I did a little stenciling on the side and desk top for some pretty detailing and, of course, distressed it to give it character.  

So, here's to hoping that I will be posting more often in 2012! I am constantly working on projects these days, but don't always take the time to take pictures and share.  Must.change.that.

Please leave a comment.  It will make my day!

French Grey Bedroom Set

After painting a beautiful piece of furniture, I get such a rush.  I get giddy, silly, and loopy.  It is so much fun to be able to transform something as solid, permanent, and useful as furniture into something so pretty.  My latest project was this bedroom set, which I painted in a light French grey and distressed for that vintage look I love.

I have a lot to learn about furniture, but I believe this dresser and headboard are French Provincial (correct me if I'm wrong!).  I kept all the original hardware, but updated it by spray painting them in Rust-Oleum Metallic Charcoal.  They are the perfect fancy finish on these pieces.

I can't get over the intact condition of the cane backing on the headboard!  Don't you love those curves?

The bedside table is originally from Ethan Allen, but I painted it to match the set.

These pieces would be beautiful in a guest room.  I would love to save it for Cora, but she is only 20 months and that would mean keeping it in storage a loooooong time.  Alas, I have decided to sell this set and use the $$ to invest in other projects.  Oh my, do I ever have a long list of projects...but that's what makes it fun!

I would love to hear your feedback!!

Rustic Armoire

Just wanted to share one of my latest projects.  A rustic armoire that now holds my crafting supplies!  This piece is beautifying our guest room and helps me feel much more organized.

Below is the before picture.  I got this piece from the same couple that sold me my hutch.  They buy and sell estates and will be a great resource for me whenever I'm looking for a new piece of furniture.  {I'm currently painting a bedroom set, also purchased from them, in a beautiful light French grey that I will be showing off soon!)

BEFORE

I whitewashed the cabinet and heavily sanded it, then sealed it with wax.  I wanted the wood grain to show through and was aiming for a rustic/shabby look.  The stencils are Martha Stewart Crafts purchased at Michael's.  I love the detail the stenciling adds to this piece.  I kept the original hardware, but did give it a fresh spray of Rust-Oleum Metallic Charcoal.  All in all, I'm very happy with how it turned out!

  

All my crafty goodness in one place!  You gotta love that!

First Family Pet: Tortoise

Oh, I cannot count the times Toby asked me, "PLEASE, MOM, CAN WE PLEASE GET A PET?"  He tried all kinds of ways of persuading me.  But I'm not much of an animal person and the thought of another responsibility deterred me...because we all know it's mom who ends up caring for the kid's pet/s.  But I was beginning to crack a tiny bit when I saw what a difficult thing being "petless" was for my animal-loving son.

One day he came from school announcing that he was the ONLY kid in his whole class without a pet.  I came back with the classic line: that makes you unique!  "Mom, I already am unique!" he reminded me.  "I have red hair and I'm the tallest in my class!"

This is my favorite part of this story because it shows how much God is aware of the desires of our hearts...of an eight-year-old's heart and it's desires:  A few weeks back we were pulling in to our driveway and out of the corner of my eye I see a tortoise on the sidewalk in front of our house!  There was no one else around and it definitely seemed to be a stray.  We hung out outside with it for awhile, but no one came to claim it.  We brought it to our backyard.  Put up signs.  Talked to neighbors.  No one knew where it had come from.

I called the Pasadena Turtle and Tortoise Rescue and a nice lady, who I emailed pictures too, let me know we have a female Greek Tortoise and was very supportive of us keeping her.  And that is how we came to have our first family pet, whom Asher appropriately named Shelly.

Toby seems to have a great peace now that we own a pet, but it is Cora and I who are the most taken with Shelly. We follow her around the yard and check to see what she is doing several times a day.  In fact, I'm not too embarrassed to admit that I, the non-animal person, might be the most smitten with our Shelly.

Go figure.

Much prettier in white...

Here she is in all her glory!  My new white distressed hutch.  I still have to pinch myself that I was able to find such a pretty piece - in such great condition - for such a great price {I love you Craigslist!}.  Painting her was the biggest DIY project I have attempted to date, but I am pleased with the results.  She just might be the nicest piece of furniture in my house!

I am a rookie, but didn't want to make any rookie mistakes, so I did my research.  This e-book was a huge help, so I'm glad I spent the $10 to download it.  Below are the before and after pictures.

You can see that I kept the original hardware.  I love how the handles and knobs pop now that they have a white canvas behind them.  There are so many pretty details on this piece and a little bit of distressing really made them stand out.

Now that I've finished this piece, I can hardly wait to start on another one.  Seeing the transformation a little paint can do is addicting.  It is making me consider painting my kitchen cabinets, a daunting task!  

This little one is 18 months already.  Hard to believe... 

Foam Pumpkin Gets a Book Page Makeover

 As soon as I saw this idea in the October 2011 BHG Magazine, I knew I wanted to "try it at home": a foam pumpkin covered in book pages. 

 

 

Here is how mine turned out!

I purchased a foam pumpkin at Michael's for $4.49.  {That was the price at 50% off - if any of you know where to get foam pumpkins for less, please share!}  The book pages were from an old hymnal my sister picked up at a flea market. 

I used a paint brush to apply glue to the pumpkin and covered it with smaller pieces of the book pages.   Then I used the Mod Podge to decoupage the book pages.  After everything was fully dry, I sprayed on the glossy finish, which is optional.  I somewhat regretted spraying on the finish because I liked the previous matte look better.  So if you like a matte look, skip the spray.  If you like a glossy look, then spray to your heart's content.  {Decoupage Hi-Gloss Finish also purchased at Michael's.}

This pumpkin will add a bit of vintage and a bit of fun to my home this fall.  You will probably see it reappear on my hutch if I can finish painting it this weekend.  So far it has been sanded, primed, sanded, and painted with a first coat.  It looks so pretty already, but needs some more work.  Can't wait to share!  {I decided to go all white, by the way...still deciding if I'm going to distress it or not.}

By the way, that is popcorn in the bowl behind the pumpkin.  If you look closely you will see there is less in the second photo.  The kids were snacking away as we enjoyed a fall day treat of apple cider juice and popcorn!