Alive and Lively

So, blogging has definitely taken the back road as we've adjusted to moving into our new [rental] home. It's still a mess and we've been here half a year, but we will get there one day.

The last few pieces I've painted have been semi-custom pieces. I bought the furniture and someone claimed it and chose the color.  But the most recent piece I did was truly a custom piece (her furniture, her color choice) and I really just wanted to share and show it off!

The buffet was covered in an awful peeling veneer...so I ventured into the task of taking it off. Never again, I tell myself, will I try to take off veneer! It took a solid week between work and household chores to get the veneer on the top and two end sides off.

But really....it was worth it. Underneath was a piece of knotted up wood, and when stained...had so much character. I was in deep love with it. 

I met the owner at her house a week beforehand to get a feel for her decorating style and color scheme. We originally chose to go with Miss Mustard Seed's Shutter Gray, but after showing her it in person, it was a bit too blue.

So I got creative. ME?! CREATIVE?! I'm a color inside the lines kind of girl, so this was a bit daring for me. I whipped up some Miss Mustard Seed Kitchen Scale and Shutter Gray and then mixed them! GASP! I ended up with about 2 parts shutter gray to kitchen scale. Not sure if you can really tell, and if you can't, don't let me know about it.

The piece chipped pretty well and finished it off with some Honey Almond Glaze Couture then coated it with Flat Finish Couture. The Paint Couture collection is new to the furniture painting world and was created local to me. I am in love with the stuff for finishes!

We finished it off with some beautiful glass knobs the owner picked out. I think she was in love when she saw it tonight.

Do you remember your first custom?

Sharing at 

Miss Mustard Seed

had some motivation

Since we've moved in, half of our living room has held my junk. I promised my husband only one project at at time, but that was apparently a lie. And then, the projects set...and set...and set. The pile was not my happy place, coming home was starting to get irritating because its so cramped! 

Talking about irritating, I have poison ivy. The worst spots are on my right arm and they've gotten to that won't stop oozing stage, in addition to being obnoxiously itchy. Random spots on my legs and left arm are itchy as well. To top that off, pretty sure I have about twenty mosquito bites as well.


So today, to get my mind off of the poison ivy and to take back my happiness and sanity, I kicked my butt into gear to clear out that area a bit. Here's two projects that came of it...I was even able to sweep the floor after moving stuff around!

The side table was painted in Paint Couture British Grey. The dipped legs (that are actually painted on) are in French Polynesian Pink. The table was sealed with Paint Couture Flat Finish. For those that haven't heard, Paint Couture is a new acrylic paint that requires no sanding - the paint adheres to almost any surface!

The lamp was originally this awful cream colored base. I painted over that with Annie Sloan Old White and went over it with Minwax dark wax after it was dry. The piece was sealed with Paint Couture Flat Finish. The shade was originally this awful olive color. After ripping that off I tied burlap ribbon and ripped pieces of vintage ticking around the frame.

So all in all, today I was motivated to work! What motivates you to get some projects done?



Sharing at:

Miss Mustard Seed

Flowers on a Friday

This morning glory is twirling and twisting it's way around my vintage garden bicycle.

 

Anything fanciful going on in your garden today?

Switchin' it up and some flowers

Have I mentioned our new house is small? We've lost about 200 square feet and on top of that our living room is an awkward long rectangle and our furniture is big.

Living room before we brought anything in....

and after testing the couches in a million different areas on both sides of the living room, we settled on a place.

and then after a close up of the large couch, we sold it in a few days. In place of it, we have this.

 

The chair was around $15 or so, a purchase from a friend. While it's old and outdated, crying loudly to be reupholstered, I'm kind of diggin' the yellow for now. So, It's definitely a project that can be held off for awhile (which is good, because I have so many to do!)

And...after setting up this little area, I updated the centerpiece on our farmhouse style table. These lovely hydrangeas were given to me by a neighbor.

 

in love with them!

Have you changed up anything in your home lately?

A Stroll Through Lifel

rain is a good thing

Well, apparently, Luke Bryan was right - rain is a good thing.

I know many of us have been getting hit with a lot of summer storms lately. And where does that leave the furniture painters? Some are fortunate to have a basement, or a garage...I used to be one of those!

Now that we've moved though, my space is the sidewalk in front of the house. I have a feeling you can tell where this is going.  I painted, I sealed, left the piece outside to dry, and it rained overnight. Ruined...I ran outside trying to save it. Revive it, bring it back to life. Too late, the water had gotten under some of the paint. 

I pulled it up onto the covered porch and left it. Left it for work, left it for later repair, another sunny day when I had the motivation to fix it back up. This is what you get when you use a chalk based paint - left digging your heels in the dirt.

But, what happens when the sun comes back out? The piece dries? You get this.

Perfect, authentic chippyness. The good kind. The kind like lead paint left to weather over the years. The kind that peels back to reveal another color. The kind that no amount of sanding will ever create.

All of this, without the health concerns of lead paint. I think I'll take it.

Now, unfortunately, this wasn't my plan for this piece, so I have sanded the flakes away for repainting. But, I'm going to give it another shot. Does twice make it time tested? Can I say this method really works then?

Have you had any crafting accidents with happy results?


Sharing at:
Miss Mustard Seed

tobacco stick fence? yes, please!

I won't lie when I say I hoard. I do, the load can get pretty bad. About a year and a half ago I bought some tobacco sticks. They just sat and sat in my garage. I had ideas, but I did not have time.

About a month ago, I ventured to a barn dated back to the 1800s with a new good friend of mine. We crawled, we dug, we got dirty, and then, we found it. The stall slammed full of tobacco sticks. So, like any friends do, we agreed to split and dragged them all out! 

Taken by Lady Day Vintage

 My husband, needless to say, was less than thrilled given the fact that I already had tobacco sticks and had done nothing with them. So, like any husband would do on a one year anniversary, he got to work.

And thanks to him, I have this quick tutorial for you!

Making a tobacco stick garden fence:

With all necessary safety equipment, grab your circular saw, jig saw, hand saw, or anything that will cut through a small stick of wood.

Cut random sizes at an angle. (Don't you love our makeshift cutting table. It's a vintage filing cabinet I picked up for $5 that we haven't yet brought inside). He ended up cutting the large stick into about three or four smaller sticks. He also did not cut the sticks all at one, but cut more as needed. (We can't waste these precious tobacco sticks now can we ladies? I could have another project down the road!)

The next step requires some muscle and endurance. You have to hammer all of those cut sticks in. Ours are in pretty deep, so they definitely aren't coming out without some additional hard work. It's a good thing our land lord is in love with them!

So summing it up: cut, hammer, cut again, and hammer some more until you have all that you need! Now, my husband asked if I wanted these around the flower beds in the back yard. I'm not planning on that because our dogs play rough and the sticks are sharp...and well, I can just see someone getting hurt. We're doing brick in the back...so I will share that when its done!

 I'm pretty sure this is the best present my husband has given/made for me! What's been your best gift? 

Sharing at:

Junk in the Yard [Sale]

I spent this past weekend in Thomasville, NC at The Junk Ranch for my first show! Boy, was it beautiful out there!! Out in the country, peaceful and quiet, and the property was beautiful. The house and barns are about 20 years old, but look like they've been around since 1850! Complete with horses, farm dogs, and the smell of horses, the days were relaxing. (Minus the loading, unloading, and reloading!)

Friday was HOT and SUNNY and my fair skin just wasn't havin' it. It's Tuesday and my poor shoulders are starting to blister now. Saturday kept most of the company away with its rain. But, it was just nice to be out there..meet new friends, catch up with old ones, take sneak peeks of Angie's (the owner at The Junk Ranch) kitchen every time I went to the restroom, lust over other people's junk, admire all the items for vintage rentals, and buy some of Angie's absolutely delicious smelling candles!

Well, on with the show! Here are a few pictures of my first set up at a show!

My next show is June 1 in Historic Bethania, NC. Any advice for it?

Our House

is a very, very, very fine house
With two [dogs] in the yard
Life used to be so hard
Now everything is easy
'Cause of you
-Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young

Well, as of April 30 we are officially out of the apartment! We've been staying in the new house for about a week now, but it's tight in here with all the boxes! I managed to snap some pictures before we loaded her up! There is a lot to do, but it'll be a nice journey!

The mantle is the first thing you see as you walk in the door. I cannot wait to have it decorated!

This is to the right of the mantle, where our couches will be.

To the left of the mantle, our tv is here now. We're hoping to get a desk where that open door is.

Our dining room, complete with a bug bomb (the little orange can). Just a precaution, one of our dogs has VERY sensitive skin.

The kitchen. I'm hoping to find some pieces to use as make-shift counters. And of course, the exit sign must go. This use to be an antique store.

Our bedroom.

The linen hall.

Bathroom.

 This is the second bedroom, and is our closet.

This is the closet in the closet. It's the only actually closet in the house! Eeek!

Right side of the yard.

View of the backyard.

 

Right side of the backyard.

Since this is a rental, we of course, don't want to make a huge investment. But, we are planning to be here awhile, so we want to make it an enjoyable space to live. So, we've moved from Crane Farms "The Apartment Years" to Crane Farms "The Cottage Years." Let's see what fun is to be had now! 

it's alive!!

yes, the it's is me. I'm alive. I believe back on my last post in February...yes, February, I mentioned we were moving. Well, that day is only 11 more days away! I'm just thrilled beyond words. So, our apartment is a mess and I've been dealing with that. I have more to share with you, but in the meantime, here's something I'm gushing over.

I'm crazy for trying

and crazy for crying 
and I'm crazy for loving you 
- Patsy Cline

I think crazy sums it up ya'll. This is probably one of the most insane purchases ever. She was thrown out back around a building, covered by a heavy door. She'd been there for a year. You see, she needed some "airing" out. She had quite the B-O, from what the man told me. Not only that, she had roaches (they're gone now, though). I rescued her, this $5 cabinet. 

She's beautiful, no doubt. But, this baby doesn't stand up by herself. You see, this picture you're looking at is a good picture. She's missing a side. As I loaded her, her left window frame fell apart. The drawers are all wobbly. The shelves are wobbly. The whole thing is wobbly. She's old, she's decrepit.

I told my husband to not say a word, just help me carry her to the porch. And there she sits. The neighbors know I'm brilliant crazy. I'm sure they secretly whisper about me. "Hey, there's that cool junk collector hoarder girl. Did you see that new heap of trash outside her door."

Trash, trash??? She's beautiful! I haven't cried yet, this piece might just make me, but I am in love. We'll see where I get with fixin' her up.

What's been your craziest purchase?

Sharing at:

Miss Mustard Seed

lovely, little green

Hello! So, some exciting news - we bought a truck and we are moving! I'm probably a little too excited on the moving, as we haven't even signed the lease, but it has hardwood floors and a fenced yard for the dogs!! I will be blogging more on this later!

Tonight, I have this lovely, little green thing to share with you!

I bought this piece at a yard sale this past summer. During my stripping attempt, I realized the top was plastic laminate - lame!

 

But, during my night time blog reading, I learned a great trick from Storywood Designs about painting beautiful tops on furniture. Please check out her blog to learn!

I differed a little bit from what she shares. I used a 50 cent brown oops paint from Lowe's. The color reminds me of the Hershey's Cocoa powder you can buy at the stores. Like Storywood Designs, I stained with Minwax Dark Walnut. I also did this to the inside of the drawers as they were just kind of yuck looking - crayon stains, water stains, etc.

This was also my first attempt with milk paint and I love it! Color is Miss Mustard Seed Luckett's Green. I used the bonding agent as I was not going for a chippy effect. I did prime beforehand with my brown tinted primer, but you can't really tell a difference anyway. I coated the piece with Minwax Dark Wax and sealed it with water based polycrylic. Like Storywood Designs, I'm kind of in love too!

What piece have you just finished up?

beauty and the beast

This is the piece my mom told me to throw out. It was sitting in her garage. It wasn't good junk. It was bad junk. It wasn't old. It was someone's cast off attic item, just absolutely disgusting.

But, I saw more. I saw the beauty. I knew what it could be. I gave it a second chance. I loved it. Happy Valentine's Day little beauty.

And I hope you had a Happy Valentine's Day as well!


Linking up to:

Miss Mustard Seed