Pumpkin Revamp

I’m not the best at outside holiday decor. We always do the usual wreaths with red ribbons on the windows and the classic single candle as well. The first thing I had to do was clear the stage of many pumpkins I still had hanging around. My white heirloom pumpkins were still in great shape and I hated to throw them away! Since I had 3 I decided to make a snowman!

So here he is sitting on my turquoise bench out front. 3 white pumpkins stacked got a hat and scarf and a sharpie face and two stick arms!

I’ve got the BIGGEST holly bush ever, so I’ve used fresh holly everywhere and tucked in some white bright glittery words!

My house sign is still holding up beautiful in the elements thanks to a coat of Annie Sloan Clear Wax!

I’ve got my simple wreath with my big red “T” and a bow on the door too!

So there you have it a few outside pictures from sunny and still pretty warm NC!

I’m just about done inside so I’ll be sharing more soon!!

My Tree Is UP!

I’ve been very busy decorating!! The first thing I did was put the tree up! I went back to the artificial tree this year after having a real one for 2 years. Tough choice, I love a real tree, but at 11:15 last Tuesday night I suddenly wanted the tree up and started! First time I’ve ever put my tree up before Thanksgiving EVER!

Added Embellishments!

This year I added some more to my tree.  This is my third year with my brown, burlap, green and white tree theme.  I’m in love with all things white, so I added quite a bit of white to my tree.  Since I’ve been working in the land of Christmas Bliss at Total Bliss this season I feel like I had to take my tree up a notch!  I added 8 of these big huge fluffy snowballs.  They are great “filler” for those artificial tree “gaps”…hate those things!  I also added several of fun little white signs with words on them, and some fabulous snowy white picks all over the tree!

My Favorite Thing

I’m going to have to say that one of my favorites on the tree this year are these big gray driftwood looking balls. I got these in the mountains a few weeks ago for $3.99 each! A great deal because I can use them year round somewhere in the house! They are tucked all over the tree…again filling in the “gaps”!

The final view

So here she is! I gotta say the photo does not do the tree justice! I’m loving it! I’ve got lots more decor to share!

Most of the things on my tree I have gotten at Total Bliss over the last few years. You can’t have everything you want at once. Each year I have added what I can afford. It is best to get a few high impact items and embellish them with smaller, lower priced things. Nice ribbon can go a long way too! Mix it in with stuff you have, it changes up what you have and makes it feel brand new!

I got the new iPhone 4s and I am in love with it!  I previously had the 3G, so the upgrades were very impressive to me!  One thing I’m loving is the camera on the phone.  I pulled a few pictures off it to catch you up with my life!

Look at the chair I scored for $25 at a barn sale a few weeks ago!  I’ve plopped into my living room for now, but I have plans to paint it (shocking!) and have the cushion recovered.  So, stay tuned for the chair makeover.

Of course I’ve been busy painting! I’m busy working on a vintage 1962 Bassett French Provencal girls bedroom set. I’m using Pure White and Paloma by Annie Sloan. I’m loving Paloma! It is such a pretty gray lavender.

I’ve also been putting in some time working at Total Bliss, selling Christmas and teaching Annie Sloan Paint Workshops.  Here Trish and I are at the Holiday Open House…working it baby!

And lastly a photo of the top of my top stove! Double ugh! Hubby had a fight with a piece of toast in the toaster and the cooktop lost! I’ve been only one burner for a week now. Complicated beyond my wildest dreams! Who would have thought it could mess up your dinner so much. A good excuse not to cook!!!

Well, I’m off to tackle the day! Thanks for spending a few minutes with me! Have a fabulous day!!

I’m officially ready to start pulling out the holiday decor! Between working at Total Bliss {where we have had trees up for quite some time!} trolling Pinterest and a holiday shopping trip to the mountains, I’m reading to start putting it all together! I’ve been pinning a lot of great ideas to my Pinterest Board Holiday Decorating. Here are a few of my favorites that I might try.

How great is this cheap idea…tomato cages turned upside town with lights wrapped around them! I’ve got some cages and I’m sure a bunch of extra lights somewhere so I may try this for my front yard or porch.

I’m loving this stairway decor!  Sticks tied in bundles with greenery and ribbon.  Another easy one using things I probably already have.  I’ve got a yard FULL of sticks!

This is one of my favorite ones!  I’m sooo into white this year!  I’ve bought a lot of white accents to add to my tree.  I’ve saved a few wine bottles and purchased some spray paint and spray adhesive and snow glitter.  I hope you see my version on the blog soon!

If you want to see more of my holiday pins, check out my boards at pinterest.com/onenuttygirl/

Hueology

Hello my dear sweet friends! I can’t believe I have not blogged in almost a month! But, I’ve got a pretty good reason for being so slack! I’ve been so addicted to Annie Sloan Chalk Paint that I have not really come up for air for quite some time! My usual sidekick/Partner in Crime Trish from Life to the “T” is just as addicted. Oh no…you know that is a recipe for some serious trouble.

We got some awesome training in using this stuff from Barb Skivington, who owns Faux Works Studio. Barb has trained with Annie Sloan herself! It was a pure joy to learn from her! As a result, Trish and I can now provide workshops in using Annie Sloan paint!

We’ve been busy using the paint and putting all our learned skills to work. As a result, our new blog Hueology has been born and our pieces are for sale in our favorite store ever….Total Bliss…right here in our hometown of Summerfield, NC!

Here is a flyer for our very first set of Workshops! Yeah!!

Pictured above is a antique Music Chest that was once used to hold sheet music! I painted it in Duck Egg Blue and Old White with some clear and brown wax. It is for sale at Total Bliss right now!

So, head over to the Hueology website and start following us on our journey!

My latest addition to my bedroom

Here is a shot of my latest addition to my restyled bedroom. I am quite the lover of jewelry and have been craving something fun and beautiful to show it off on. I decided on an old door…

Vintage Door

My super crafty and ultra creative friend Janelle of Sodderbug scored me 3/4 of an old door for a mere $10! Steal!

Step one

It was pretty fab the way it was, but of course I wanted to play around with the finish. I got some of my Annie Sloan paint in Provence and watered it down with plain water to make a “wash”. I painted this mixture over the entire door.

Sanding

I then got out my oh so valuable Ryobi Corner Cat sander…love this thing! I started sanding the entire door down until I had finally achieved “my look”.

Yum!

Now I was ready to figure out the rest of the project…

Cast Iron Bird Hooks

I had picked up these fabulous wrought iron bird hooks months ago on discount for $5 each at Just Be, one of my favorite downtown Greensboro stores! I affixed these to either side of the door. I had saved all the mirrors that had been ripped out of my living room bookcases a few years ago. I grabbed one of the smaller ones and liquid nailed it to the door as well. I added tiny screw in hooks from Home Depot and I was ready to start hanging my jewelry!

A lot of look!

After I had my awesome hubby help me hang the door I then hung my necklaces and bracelets on the small hooks and on the bird hooks.  I placed a small table underneath with a cake stand on top and put my rings and earrings on that.  I do still want to craft a way to hang my earrings on the bottom panel of the door.  I’d love any suggestions!

Smitten!

Of course I needed a little beachyness {i’m not sure if that is a real word} to it so I added a cute little wooden saying I had picked up on my last beach trip and a starfish! A starfish always completes the look!

I’m on the hunt for some more cheap doors {hint hint Janelle!}….I’ve still got a stack of free mirrors and a list of friends who want one of these too!

The Before

Here is the story of “The Table”….

I found this table on Craig’s List last week.  I bought it for a paint demo I was doing at one of my all time favorite shops ever….Total Bliss! As you can see it was a little damaged on the top, perhaps even the reason she was “written off” and was a pretty good deal I might say. OK, if you must know I purchase the table (along with 6 chairs…one of which is turquoise now and in this picture in the back of my garage) for $120.

after sanding

The beauty of Annie Sloan Chalk Paint is that you need to do pretty much zero prep work to a piece before you start painting. My first inclination was to paint the entire table. A crime in many peoples worlds, but not in mine! After reading the Annie Sloan Chalk Paint book I decided to try a farmhouse table look. So, I had to get those burn marks off. I got out my Black and Decker Fire Storm sander with coarse sandpaper and I sanded down the top in no time.

Ready to go at Total Bliss!

I did nothing to the rest of the table except Shop Vac off the cobwebs and used a dry cloth to dust it off. I left the rest of the table as is, leaving its shiny, waxy luster alone. I set her up on Saturday in front of Total Bliss and got started about 9:30ish.

water and paint

I took equal parts of Annie Sloan Old White paint and water and painted it on the top and then rubbed off the excess with a dry cloth.

adding wax

I then brushed the top with some clear wax and then brushed on some Annie Sloan brown wax.

table top

I then took my buffing cloth and rubbed it really good. This rubbed the waxes together and took off the excess wax. This allowed some of the white to show through, and some of the original wood grain too.  Thus achieving the rustic old wood look.

duck egg blue!

On the rest of the table I painted two coats of Annie Sloan Duck Egg Blue! By far my favorite AS color!! The wonderful thing about this chalky matte paint is that it dries SUPERFAST! I was able to get 2 coats on and dry in a relatively short amount of time compared to other paint. In the past I would have had a substantial amount of drying time between coats and then would not even think of distressing for at least 24 hours.

distressed at its best!

Before distressing I waxed the entire table with clear Annie Sloan Wax. I used the Annie Sloan Wax Brush and LOVED how the wax went on with it. The wax really gave the paint color even more depth. I then got some medium grade sandpaper and began distressing. Because I am so in love with the color I did not distress the table as much as I had envisioned I would. I really wanted a lot of color left on the table.  I  then added just a touch of Annie Sloan Brown Wax in just a few places, like the bottoms of the legs and the table corners. I have found that the brown wax can really change a color and I did not want to risk that with the Duck Egg Blue. Another tip is that a little brown wax goes a long way.  I then covered the blue part of the table with another coat of the clear wax. After the clear wax had dried, about 30 minutes or so, I then got my soft cloth and buffed the table to a beautiful shine.

It is just amazing how the wax buffs and shines!!!

I will NEVER use poly again!

Yummy!

6 hours later {and LOTS of talking} this is what the table looks like! I had such a blast! I felt like a Annie Sloan Paint Rockstar all day. I enjoyed meeting and talking with sooooo many people! If you were one of them that stopped by thank you so much!

Annie Sloan Chalk Paint will be coming to Total Bliss very soon and so will classes and a chance to get some hands on experience with the paint. If you live in my area and did not make it by, but are interested in classes leave me your name, number and e-mail and I will get in contact with you soon!

So, what are the plans for the table?  Originally I purchased this table to sell.  But, guess what?  I feel head over heals in love with her!  For now she will live inside Total Bliss and will serve as a display piece for the Annie Sloan paint and classes.  So, stop by and take a peek at her!

What next?  Stay tuned! I”M ADDICTED!

Before

Check out this beauty I bought off of Craig’s List last week! After reading the Annie Sloan chalk paint book at the beach I was eager for a table to paint. I popped onto Craig’s list, spied this beauty, texted the owner and 6 hours later it was mine!

I work fast huh? Yep, I’m like that. I’ve been working on getting to know her this week. Sound weird? I’ve cleaner her up, run my hands over her wood and waited for the whispers of what she shall become. There were several burn marks in the top of the table. Some I’m sure were cigarette burns, the other looks as though a hot pan had been set down on her. I love history and I try to visualize where she came from, who sat at her, and what she has seen her all her years.

After careful thought I have an pretty good idea of I’m going to do to her. I’ll let you know that it involves 2 colors of Annie Sloan chalk paint, {one of them being altered with water} and 2 colors of wax, and some sandpaper. Nice tease huh?

If you are in my area you can watch it all unfold live. I’m going to be painting this piece at Total Bliss in Summerfield, NC tomorrow {June 25th}, starting at 10 am. Otherwise, check back in a few days and I’ll have the after pictures up!!

Outer Banks Beach House

I can’t believe that another year has flown by and we are back in the Outer Banks for our annual family beach week in our big blue house we rent every year! The boys are 7 and 9 now so relaxing is actually taking place! Here are a few photo’s I’ve taken so far this week with a 50mm 1.8 lens on my camera.

First of all I started my beach reading off with this book! I’m so excited to get going on my first Annie Sloan painting project!

My boy is 9!

I can’t believe Ethan is 9 this year! The first time he went to the beach he was 9 weeks old!

Ice Cream Junkie

He and I had a special day going out for lunch at our favorite restaurant the Roadside Cafe and then ended with some ice cream.

My little fish!

Grayson has been my fish since day one and still is the first one in the pool every year!

Ice Cream

He also loves ice cream like the rest of us!

I’m off to go enjoy a few more days at the beach and practice some more photography! Have a blessed day!

Here are some quick shots I took of my kitchen just as I was getting ready to repaint it. It had pretty much looked the same for the last 5 years. Wow! I can’t even believe that myself! I think that is a no change record for me!

The gray green color is Fenland from Sherwin Williams.  I still very much like the color and it was fabulous in my kitchen since the day I painted it at least 6 years ago.  Can’t believe I can’t remember exactly when I painted it.  That was a lot of brain cells ago I suppose.  I’m even more shocked that I picked a boring color like Benjamin Moore Linen White to paint over it!!  To offset the light color walls I decided to paint the ceiling a pretty robin’s egg blue.  It does not have a name because it was a custom color I had made for my dining room that was color matched from a piece of fabric.  It was a beast to paint, but I was determine to have a blue ceiling!

And here it is!  I moved an armoire I had in the dining room in.  Its main purpose is to house my clutter.  There is a big basket on the bottom to dump in my magazines and piles.  Inside I’m keeping all my kids school and homework stuff.  I kept my big chalkboard I made on the same wall but just moved it over.  I like that it fills up the wall better.  I need to have the 2 extra chairs in my kitchen because I often add the leaf into my kitchen table to seat 6.  Over in the left corner is a ladder “thingy” found for $10 just waiting in the garage for a spot.  I’m using it to hang some of my endless stacks of magazines.

My kids love trying to crash my photos!

I decided to pain the pantry door black! So glad I did! I’m loving the bold statement of it. I just did one coat and it came out really cool. Kinda worn looking.  I hung my Dough Nut sign over he pantry as nostalgia from my cookie making days.

I moved the wine rack ver to the other wall where the big black clock had been. I had a $4 frame sitting around in the garage and I painted that white. I then used some leftover battens from my board and batten project and I cut them down to fit and spray painted them with chalk board paint. I glued that battens into the frame. I like that I now have a chalkboard that allow me to write straight! I filled it with some kitchen behavior rules. I added the word EAT on the top. I painted some cheap Michael’s wood letter with some leftover paint sample of Martha Stewart’s Sea Glass.

My fabulous blue ceiling is not getting a wow factor in my pictures, but it really looks nice in the room.  I still need to do something on the back wall over the doors.  I had the vinyl saying over the door, but it got peeled off to paint.  I also cannot have anything glass on this back wall.  I’ve learned my lesson one too many times.  The back door gets a lot of use and the opening and shutting causes things to fall off the wall quite frequently!  Ugh!

The dogs love gazing into their new bright kitchen!