Paisley and Porter

The Countdown is Almost Over!

noreply@blogger.com (Emily) — Mon, 13 Jan 2014 19:03:00 +0000

Tomorrow, the new course (Studying Under the Master’s) at Jeanne Oliver’s Creative Network begins!

I am so excited for this opportunity to work with so many other wonderful, inspiring women:

Jeanne Oliver Studying Under Henri Matisse
Junelle Jacobsen Studying Under Antonio Gaudi
Teresa Sheeley Studying Under Paul Cezanne
Jenny Wentworth Studying Under Sandro Botticelli
Danielle Donaldson Studying Under Georgia O'Keefe
Katie Kendrick Studying Under Marc Chagall
Christy Tomlinson Studying Under Maggie Siner
Kate Thompson Studying Under ‘Francoise De Felice
Stephanie Lee Studying Under Edward Hopper

I’m hoping that I’ll learn new ideas, new techniques, and be exposed to many other styles. It’s very easy for me to get stuck in a rut doing the same things and the same process on each piece I work on. When I start feeling like I’m reproducing a formula, I know it’s time to back off a bit and try something new. One of my favorite ways to challenge myself is to push out of my self-imposed “box” and try to do a journal page or small canvas in someone else’s style.

Christy Tomlinson

Danielle Donaldson

Jenny Lee Wentworth

And so many others…

Each of the teachers in the course have such a beautiful, distinct style. Looking at their art inspires me to trust myself and my own style when I stop believing in myself.

To sign up, go to Jeanne’s Ning Creative Network – once you register you’ll be able to see all the classes being offered.

Have a wonderful day!

Pushing Past the Ugly

noreply@blogger.com (Emily) — Fri, 10 Jan 2014 18:42:00 +0000

One of the things that has stuck with me from taking classes with Jeanne Oliver’s creative network is that even the best artists have to deal with art in progress that doesn’t turn out quite the way you planned. Sometimes you have to completely scrap it, other times you can choose to keep going and work through it to create something beautiful.

This has helped me immensely when I get frustrated with a piece, but yesterday I gave in to the pull of imperfection and gessoed over a girl I’ve been working on (on and off) for a few months. As soon as it was done, I regretted it.

(I left the flower intact because I enjoyed the colors and layering of paint over the image.)

I do like the texture left over from the previous work I had done on her and I didn’t have any ideas on how to save her, but in a way I still wish I hadn’t done it. To make myself get a little creative exercise, I left another piece I’ve been working on live to see another day.

Here's another one:

I’m normally pretty reluctant to share something this I feel is incomplete or flawed, but I want to help encourage others that not everyone gets it right the first try – so here’s the work in progress as it stands now.

I really like this girl, but I’m not happy with her placement on the canvas. I don’t care for the background either, but that is easier to fix than re-drawing her. (I’m determined not to do that, by the way. I’d rather try to stretch myself out of the comfort zone of even-ness and symmetry, if you know what I mean!).

Tell me about your creative process – do you push past the ugly parts, or is it really better sometimes to start with a clean slate?

Intentions, and Settling into 2014

noreply@blogger.com (Emily) — Tue, 07 Jan 2014 18:16:00 +0000

A common thing in blogging seems to be picking a word for the year. I’ve been thinking about the word I would pick to represent my goals for 2014, and the first that came to mind was ‘focus.’ Focus on the important things, focus on getting stuff done, focus on what my priorities are. The more I thought about it though, I realized that the word that more accurately described my aspirations for the year was ‘intention.’

I want to be more intentional about what I do with my time. I want to be more intentional with my actions, both towards others and in how I present myself. I want to be more intentional about chasing after my goals and my dreams.

I’ve realized over the past few years that I have so many goals and dreams for myself and for my life – but I spend so much time prepping for what I’ll do to reach those dreams that I don’t actually take the steps to move forward. I’m hoping that this new perspective will make me more aware (and more accountable) of my forward momentum.

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On another note, things have been so busy over the holidays that I haven’t picked up my sketchbook or hit any thrift stores. I didn’t realize how much I was missing my creative time until yesterday, when I sketched a quick 5-minute girl on the back of an envelope.

She’s not perfect, but but she is a much-needed reminder to always take advantage of inspiration when it strikes and to embrace imperfection. Normally, I would sketch, erase, and re-do until she was perfect…doing her in pen took away that possibility and helped me just let go and enjoy whatever she turned into. I think I kind of like her!

date night & success

noreply@blogger.com (Emily) — Mon, 07 Oct 2013 18:12:00 +0000

I mentioned in my last post that it’s been a difficult few weeks. One of the things that always helps me feel better & be calm is my husband. No matter what I’m stressing about or how crazy I make him, he always knows the right thing to say to talk me down from the proverbial ledge. We don’t get a chance to go out together very often, but last Friday evening we got out of the house to visit one of our favorite Mount Dora haunts.

It was so nice to relax with a couple of beers, enjoy each other’s company, and unwind while having fun with friends.

The only other things I did all weekend was laundry, vegging out, and making art. I was originally just playing with some new supplies, but it turned into this:

Then I got out my watercolors, and I liked her even more.

I was just saying last week that I’d been having trouble getting the results I wanted with my art – I’m so glad she has turned out well. It may be just the mental boost I needed to push past the frustration I’ve been experiencing.

I think she’s very close to being finished. I do feel like something is still missing though – she seems to want a name, or a quote or something before I can call her done.

If you want to see more of what I’m up to, you can always follow my Instagram feed here.

on creative outlets, the Great Curtain Hunt, and a birthday weekend

noreply@blogger.com (Emily) — Tue, 01 Oct 2013 17:49:00 +0000

My company is preparing for our big yearly inventory and year-end close, and things around the office have been hectic. There’s barely been time to pause & think during the day, and by the time I get home I’m ready to collapse and NOT think. But there is still laundry to be done, a family to care for, a kitchen that needs cleaning…you get the picture.

All that leaves me feeling very dull and boring. I haven’t been in the mood to create, and when I try to force it I’ve been unhappy with the results that flow onto the page. (Isn’t that the way it always goes?) I’ve been focusing more on art lately, with fewer DIY projects, but I’ve been feeling the need to change things in the house around. Maybe that’s my cue that it’s time to redirect my energies for a while.

One thing I’ve been thinking about for a while are getting window treatments for the main living areas in our home. I have so many inspiration pictures pinned, and my mind is spinning out of control thinking about all the options that are available. I escaped this decision making process once before by deciding on neutral colors for the walls, but now I need to pick which direction I want the space to go. I know I want things to feel “warm” and cozy but I’m terrified of making the wrong decision. If you have any pointers, I’d love to hear them!

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In other news, we went over to Siesta Key last weekend to celebrate my & my mom’s birthdays. My sister and her boyfriend flew down from Maryland, so I got to spend my birthday with the people who are most special to me. We had a lovely weekend, with time at both the beach and the pool of our rental house. We had delicious food, perfect weather, and lots of sunshine. I even got to sit out on the patio with my sketchbook and a glass of wine. I couldn’t have asked for a more perfect birthday!

The house we stayed in was adorable. It was an older home, but it was exactly the kind of quaint beach house I would have dreamt up. We had beds, a private pool, and a 72 second walk to the beach (yes, somebody apparently timed it & made a sign). & did you see the plank walls in the pictures below? Sigh.

I forgot to take pictures, but I pulled some from the website:

5 Plain-Jane Armoire Makeovers

noreply@blogger.com (Emily) — Fri, 14 Jun 2013 11:00:00 +0000

I believe that every creative should have a space to call their own (be it large or small, spacious or cozy) – a place where they can inspire and be inspired; where they can retreat and relax; and feel protected enough to bare their heart through their creativity.

In my Studio Inspiration board on Pinterest, there are some amazing, elaborate, wonderful spaces that women have created for themselves. One of my current favorite studio spaces is Jeanne Oliver’s:

Jeanne Oliver
I would love to have this kind of dedicated space someday, but sometimes I have to take a step back and remind myself that women like Jeanne create art for a living and I don’t (yet). For now, there’s no reason why I can’t use my brain and come up with a solution that better fits our home and our needs.

Currently, all my art supplies are stashed in a corner of my kitchen pantry. There is enough space, but it’s hard to keep things organized. I do most of my work on the kitchen countertops, so obviously things need to be picked up periodically for meals & to keep the house picked up and tidy (for my husband’s sanity).

I would love a space where I can keep supplies organized & easily accessible, where I can work, and where I can display images and ideas that keep me inspired. I want a place where I can store my Cricut, a sewing machine, a printer, etc. I want a place where I can shut a door and hide my mess, to be able to leave a project in progress without completely disassembling it, and to not have to regularly pack it all away in order to have a presentable home. (Please understand that this is not an inconvenience, merely part of my thought process.) Our house is not small, but we do live in it completely and there simply aren't many spaces that could accommodate all these criteria. So where does that leave me?

An armoire-turned-crafting station seems to be one pretty good possibility – check out these examples:

One Girl in Pink

A Diamond in the Stuff

Unknown

Unknown

Maple and Magnolia

I think I’m going to have to start stalking Craigslist so I can find something similar.

How do you organize your crafting areas? What solutions have worked for you?

Traverse City Red Mirror–Sneak Peek

noreply@blogger.com (Emily) — Mon, 10 Jun 2013 18:29:00 +0000

Happy Monday!

I hope you all had a lovely weekend – ours was pretty laid back and involved relaxing on the couch, watching TV movies, and dozing off with a warm, cozy quilt during an afternoon thunderstorm.

In the midst of all that, I did find some time to paint this mirror in Cece Caldwell’s Traverse Cherry Red.

I still have to do a few touch-up’s in some areas that have chipped a little bit, and then grab a new can of wax to finish it up. I’ll show the finished product later this week.

Randoms 6.07.13

noreply@blogger.com (Emily) — Fri, 07 Jun 2013 11:13:00 +0000

Happy Friday! What a long week it has been – I’m so glad the weekend is almost here. We’ve had some nasty weather for the past few days from Tropical Storm Andrea, but this morning I woke up to sunshine. I’m hoping it stays out so we can enjoy the outdoors this weekend!

If you’re a Jeanne Oliver fan, then you probably already know that she’s released some new bags from her summer collection.

Her Elsie linen messenger back is back, and the Sadie handbag has been updated with a new vintage fabric.

Elsie

Sadie

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I haven’t posted pictures of this year’s garden yet (will do that soon), but we have several hibiscus bushes now & I am loving all the beautiful flowers they’re producing.

We have several different colors, but this yellow is my favorite. I’m trying to make a point to bring them indoors to be enjoyed – the blooms brighten up our house so much!

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A few weeks back, we went to the Windsor Rose (a local tea room) for Mother’s Day brunch.

I have wanted to visit it since we moved to Mount Dora (5 years ago), but it was worth the wait! The food is amazing and the interior makes you feel as though you’ve just stepped into a beautiful English cottage. If you’re in the area, I highly recommend it.

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Last week was my 1-year anniversary at my ‘big girl’ job. My sweet husband sent me flowers to celebrate the milestone.

I can’t believe it’s been a year already – how time flies! I’m so thankful to be able to work in a place that values their employees. I wasn’t happy at my old job, but it certainly gave me a sense of appreciation for a business that does things right.

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I recently found the Etsy shop of Christine Peloquin, a mixed-media artist here in Mount Dora. Her work is beautiful, and so much brighter and bolder with her color choices that I am!

Apparently she hosted a demonstration in Leesburg a few weeks ago – I wish I had discovered her before because I would have loved to attend, meet her, and learn from her experience and style!

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And lastly, I passed this guy on the way home from work a few days ago. Don’t worry, I waited until we were stopped at a red light before snapping this picture. I think you’ll all join me in saying “what…??”

I hope you all have a wonderful weekend – for those who will be affected by Andrea, please stay dry and stay safe as she goes by!

Dining Room Paint Color – finished!

noreply@blogger.com (Emily) — Wed, 05 Jun 2013 11:00:00 +0000

Here are pictures of our dining room now that we've finished painting.

The wall color is done in Valspar’s “Woodlawn Snow.”

& here is the opposite wall. I’m thinking about maybe moving the vintage advertising posters around or even to a different room – but I'm not really sure where else they would go so for now they’ll stay put.

Other projects in the future of this room:

curtains
chandelier cord cover (& maybe re-paint the chandelier itself)
a buffet or console table on the above wall (it still seems very blank even with the vintage posters)
add/edit the art on the walls

Stay tuned for photos of the other painted rooms!

Creating (without restriction)

noreply@blogger.com (Emily) — Mon, 03 Jun 2013 11:00:00 +0000

I took some time over the weekend to create with my son.

He loves to color and do art with me, and now he’s old enough that I can let him work with paint to create his masterpieces (supervised, of course).

In turn, I love to watch him create. Since he’s only 4 he hasn’t yet learned the “rules” (or at least the ones I have built for myself about perfection & the “right” way to make art). He has no hesitation in mixing colors, no thought about technique, and no quest for perfection or making something “just so.”

When he gets bored, it’s done. & I love it.

It makes me change my perspective every time.

(yes, that’s a leftover Christmas coloring page)

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I’m also finishing up a mixed media canvas I’ve been working on.

a close up of the French-English dictionary page I used:

experimenting with a new transfer technique I learned from the amazing Jeanne Oliver. While I’m not wild about how it turned out, the transfer part can be counted as a success.

I hope you lovelies all had a wonderful weekend!

{the painted space}

noreply@blogger.com (Emily) — Wed, 01 May 2013 11:23:00 +0000

So remember back in January I mentioned that we finally picked out paint colors (after hemming and hawing for over a year)?

Not only did we pick the colors, we ran out, bought the paint, and painting (almost) the entire house in one long weekend. (Finally!)

We chose Valspar’s Woodlawn Snow for the main living areas (we have an open floor plan, so this included the kitchen, breakfast nook, living room, dining room, front entry and all the hallways).

Here’s my hubby, obviously working hard while I stand back & take pictures.

This next one is kind of a weird picture, but it gives you an idea of what the color actually looks like against the white trim.

Aimee from My Pink Life used this color in her studio. Isn’t it beautiful?

I can’t wait until we can replace the carpet with some gorgeous shiny wood flooring like hers.

Side note…having the covers off the electrical outlets for painting made me crazy when I realized that almost all the outlets in our house were installed with the words upside down. It still bothers me.

In the master bedroom we picked out Benjamin Moore’s Wickham Gray.

Here’s another bedroom from LLH Designs with the same color.

And ours, in the middle of the painting chaos.

Hubby did such a great job!

I’m working on getting some pictures of how these two spaces look now, so hopefully I’ll be able to post them soon!

finding my direction

noreply@blogger.com (Emily) — Tue, 30 Apr 2013 02:21:00 +0000

I haven’t written much lately.

Not because I don’t have things to say, but because I feel as though I’m at a creative fork in the road.

There are so many directions I feel that I could go in, but there is already precious little time for creativity in my life and all the thoughts and inspiration going through my head is overwhelming. I don’t know which way to turn.

I have some new vintage items that I’ll be posting on Etsy this week as I finish editing photos and writing up the listings.

Over the weekend, I spent some time re-watching several of the videos from the Creative Business class I’ve been taking from Jeanne Oliver’s creative network on Ning.

I’ve also begun dabbing in mixed media after watching one of Jeanne’s free videos (also available on the Ning community site). I love how it gives me another way to express my creative side. I’ve been watching videos and reading tutorials from many other mixed media artists to try to get a sense of all the different possibilities, tools, and techniques.

I really enjoy creative the backgrounds. They’re so pretty it’s almost disappointing to paint and draw over them.

I’m also trying to remind myself every step of the way that there is no “right” or “wrong” way to do art. I have a tendency to gravitate to order, to step-by-step instructions…I don’t want to frustrate myself by not being able to produce such wonderful art as Jeanne, as Alissa, as so many others. I know I will develop my own talent and style as I continue to practice.

“Sweet Song” by Jeanne Oliver

I also know that the more time I spend looking at other people’s work, the more I try to emulate their style. My own tastes bounce all around from white, simple, and pure to bright and cheery, but trying to narrow that down to my own distinctive style (not only in art, but in design, decorating, fashion, etc) has been a long process.

“There is no growth without change” – Rick Warren

So for the past several months I’ve been playing with the idea of stepping away from Pinterest and (maybe) limiting the time I spend reading my most favorite blogs. I don’t know if I’ll actually take that step, but being aware of the confusion in my thoughts seems to be a step in the right direction.

How long has it taken for your personal style to evolve to where it is now? How did you begin to identify that style?

Spring Flowers

noreply@blogger.com (Emily) — Fri, 29 Mar 2013 17:28:00 +0000

Good morning, girls (and gents)!

I am so glad it’s Friday. It’s been a long week and I was needing a little pick me up, so I brought home some pretty flowers a few days ago bring a little springtime into our house.

I put some in my new wooden doughbowl that my sweet dad bought me from Peggy’s Antiques at Renninger’s.

I put the other bunch in the sweet vintage enamel pitcher I bought from Zen Cowgirl last fall.

My favorite score of the week is this beautiful old four-drawer card catalog. It was sitting on the ground in the back corner of my Goodwill and I snatched it up as soon as I saw it. I was SO tempted to keep it for myself, but in the end I listed it on Etsy and within hours it had been sold.

My son has been sick with colds and ear infections on and off since November, and so this week we had enough and decided that we really needed to find out what’s going on. In the past few days he’s been in and out of the doctor’s office and had chest x-rays, and I feel like I’m up to my eyeballs in prescription meds. We’re supposed to get the x-ray results back this afternoon & I’m hoping that we can finally kick all of our collective illnesses to the curb and be healthy again! Wish us luck, and have yourself a wonderful Easter weekend with your families!

xoxo,

Emily

Mirror Re-Do…Again

noreply@blogger.com (Emily) — Fri, 08 Mar 2013 20:00:00 +0000

Hi everyone! I just wanted to quickly share another project I did this last weekend.

Do you remember the mirror makeover I shared with you last April?

Let me tell you a little secret…I’ve never been completely happy with it.

Sure, it was fine…but the color was all wrong and it had weird little trim around the inside edge that apparently didn’t want to be painted (maybe I’ll tell you the story of that someday).

I finally got tired of pretending I didn’t see it every time I walked past the guest room, so I grabbed some paint and slapped it on.

Viola!

It’s Sherwin Williams “Sea Salt”. We were thinking about using the color in our kitchen, but ultimately decided it was too bold (you can see a swatch of it in the picture below – it’s the lower color).

In case you forgot, here’s how the mirror was before.

Not bad, just “Eh.”

There’s an action shot for you – it’s half done here. Please excuse the ugly ceiling vent that ended up in the reflection.

& if you’re like me you weren’t sure that there was even that much of a difference – so I made a side-by-side comparison to be sure:

Before on the left, after on the right.

While I still haven’t decided if it’s better, it’s at least different. I may still end up repainting it (again!) but for now it’s A-OK to me.

Linking up with:

DIY Chalkboard from Old Wall Art

noreply@blogger.com (Emily) — Mon, 04 Mar 2013 01:15:00 +0000

Have I mentioned that I used to have a slight rooster ~~obsession~~ theme in my kitchen?

It started out innocently enough – but once word got out among my family and friends about the theme it escalated out of control!

After a few years I had quite the collection. Rooster placemats, salt & pepper shakers, trivets, coasters, even a few life size statues. My poor husband was up to his ears in roosters & I’m pretty sure he’s still celebrating the fact that they went away.

When I decided to start phasing out the roosters, I knew I wanted to work with what I had to create a new look.

I love the chalkboard trend & wanted to add a touch of it in my home so I decided to paint over these plaques.

I painted the metal trim with one coat of regular white acrylic paint, purposely not giving it perfect coverage.

I used three coats of Cece Caldwell paint in Vermont Slate over the roosters. The paint dries pretty quickly, so this is a really fast, easy project (I spread it out over several days since I could only work on it in the evenings).

Once all three coats of paint are dry, it’s time to prime it with a coat of chalk. Rub the chalk gently over the entire surface of paint, then wipe clean with a dry rag or paper towel.

Then you’ll have your own chalkboard that you can use again and again.

I’m linking up with:

Saturday Morning and an Announcement

noreply@blogger.com (Emily) — Sat, 02 Mar 2013 13:07:00 +0000

Good morning! I never know quite how to begin a blog post so let’s jump right in, shall we?

It’s a cold Saturday morning here in Mount Dora. I would love to be bundled up with warm socks and a cozy sweatshirt while I sip my coffee, but the husband is still sleeping and the child is playing happily in his room. I love to be warm, but at the moment I’m valuing this quiet time to myself just a little more. I’m almost afraid to draw any attention to myself *smile* It’s so rare that this happens!

I love to see the early morning light, so I’ve already opened all the blinds. I can see the weak sunshine peeping out from behind the clouds – I’m hoping it will brighten up soon so I can take some photographs.

Which brings me to my announcement…

Paisley and Porter is now on Etsy! I’ll be offering vintage items as well as handmade décor for your home.

Here are a few items that I’ve just listed:

There’s more to come as I build my inventory…I hope all of you will stop by for a visit!

I’ve got to run; my father and his wife are coming into town for the weekend and the house must be cleaned. Enjoy your Saturday!

Hey Girl

noreply@blogger.com (Emily) — Sat, 09 Feb 2013 02:50:00 +0000

Have you seen the Ryan Gosling "Hey Girl" meme that's been floating around the internet?

I think they're absolutely hilarious...and relatable.

Not that I've ever been in any of these situations.

via

Bliss at Bliss Ranch is having a Hey Girl linky party for our real guys in honor of Valentine's Day.

Make your own and link up with us!

Here are a few that I made for my hubby...

they definitely are not based upon common complaints around our house.

All of these have been reviewed & approved by the man himself - I'd be in SO much trouble if I posted this without him knowing! Thanks for being a good sport, honey!

Small Updates {what I’ve been up to}

noreply@blogger.com (Emily) — Wed, 30 Jan 2013 19:00:00 +0000

Good afternoon, friends.

Back in early December, my hubby picked up some antiques for me at a yard sale – I’m giving him complete credit for developing his eye for these things, and for having the good taste to know what I would like. I wasn’t even home that day, so I never would have even known if he passed them by.

The homeowner’s mother-in-law had passed away, so they were holding the garage sale for the things they had taken from her home in North Carolina.

There were 2 of these beautiful wood chairs…I’m told they are solid rosewood from the early 1900s.

Look at the detail on them…

He also found two gorgeous brass lamps. They had been painted white at some point, and now the paint is chipping off to reveal the brass finish beneath.

Just the way I like it!

I don’t have pictures of the entire thing yet, but I wanted to snap a quick one of the base to show you.

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Remember how I’ve been talking about painting our house for just about ever? It’s finally done!

The main living space is now “Woodlawn Snow” by Valspar.

And the master bedroom is done in Benjamin Moore Wickham Gray (colormatched to Valspar).

I really love the Wickham Gray…this photo isn’t much but I hope it shows how well the color contrasts with the white trim.

Now that that’s done, we can move on the the next DIY project…right honey??

Laptop Bag Help!

noreply@blogger.com (Emily) — Wed, 31 Oct 2012 01:10:00 +0000

Hi ladies! Just a quick post this evening to explain my absence over the past week or so...I've finally gotten into the routing of blogging during my lunch hour (it's the only uninterrupted chunk of time I seem to have :). It's been working really well for me...until last week, when my old bag I was using to carry my laptop back and forth fell apart on me - literally.

So now I have no way to safely transport my computer :( I've been trying to find a cheapy to get me by for the present, but none of my local stores have anything decent.

I really liked my old bag, but it was a high school graduation present and I won't be able to replace it with something of the same quality.

This is similar to the bag I used to have, but at $482 this is purchase that will not be made

All I'm looking for is something pretty basic (not "theme-y") with plenty of padding to keep the computer safe. & ideally, something a little more fun than black - think Jeanne Oliver or Vera Bradley, but on a budget. Maybe a fun pattern, or maybe a pretty bold color or neutral...I know these guidelines are probably NOT helping!

Maybe some examples would help...

Love me some purple

& you can never go wrong with pink!

pink again...I love how feminine, yet professional, this one is

If you have any suggestions besides the usual places like Target, Wal-Mart, etc...please let me know! I think I'm going through blogging withdrawals LOL.

The Primitive Life Milk Paint

noreply@blogger.com (Emily) — Mon, 15 Oct 2012 18:29:00 +0000

Hi Ladies! Today I want to show you something I’ve been working on this last week.

My sweet friend Dawn runs a great little shop here in Mount Dora, and just launched her own line of milk paint: The Primitive Life Organic Milk Paint.

I’ve never used milk paint before, so I was really excited to give it a try. I was planning to buy some from Dawn anyway, but she insisted on giving me a box to try and write about. Together, we picked out “Hay” – it’s a really beautiful creamy white.

Did I mention how thrilled I was? I ran right home to see what I had on hand so I could get started.

Unfortunately, everything I had was already in process – I didn’t have anything on hand that was still in the prep stages! My husband is the one that suggested I give our end tables a fresh look. Here’s how they look now:

Before: a set of end tables we’ve had since we bought our house. They’re not fancy, and really not my style, but they were on clearance at a discount furniture store and we needed something (anything) to fill up the new, empty house.

As you can see, they’ve taken a beating over the last several years. Since they were so cheap we haven’t been meticulous about keeping them pristine.

What a difference already! These pictures were taken a few days ago, before the tables were finished. They’ve since been lightly distressed and waxed, but I can’t find my camera to take some updated & staged photos. Hopefully I’ll be able to post those later this week, along with a complete review of the paint – which, not to spoil the surprise, is awesome!

I hope everyone is having a great Monday!

How to Make Your Own Faux Mercury Glass Pumpkin

noreply@blogger.com (Emily) — Thu, 04 Oct 2012 18:15:00 +0000

Since my last post, I've been looking for other ways to decorate the house for the season. There are so many options it's impossible not to find inspiration somewhere…but in the spirit of this blog I wanted to keep things budget-friendly and use only what I already had on hand.

I absolutely love the look of the spray-painted faux mercury glass pumpkins, like this one from Pottery Barn:

Now, I don’t know about you, but I don’t want to spend $24 on a fake (albeit pretty) pumpkin. I’d much rather try to find a way to recreate the look on my own and save the cash for something else.

Here’s my version:

What you’ll need:

pumpkin, any size
metallic silver craft paint
old paintbrush

One of my pumpkins had funny brown spots on the side, so I chose him (her?) for my experiment.

Just brush on the paint, one coat at a time. Here it is after the first coat.

If you like the slight orangey tone peeking through, you can leave it as is. I wanted to get closer to a silvery look, so I kept going. I think I did 3 or 4 coats total.

I love the way it turned out! The stem (which I left unpainted) is a really nice natural contrast to the high-impact of the silver. And the total cost? A total winner – $3 for a bag of 5 mini pumpkins at the supermarket and $3 for the craft paint. $6 total! I would love to see a whole bunch of these in a pretty candlelit vignette…and I think I have my next project!

Linking up with...

Autumn Leaves

noreply@blogger.com (Emily) — Thu, 20 Sep 2012 01:01:00 +0000

Can you believe I’ve been here now twice in one week? I know – it’s amazing. I’m amazing.

I’ve been feeling much more focused since my last blog post. Like I said, simply getting back into the routine probably helped a lot! It feels really good to be getting back into the blogging groove.

The hubs and I took some time over the weekend to celebrate my birthday. It’s not actually until tomorrow, but since my mother-in-law was in town and we had a built-in baby-sitter, we decided to take advantage of the rare opportunity! My hubby treated me to a morning at the spa with a seaweed wrap and a blissful hour of massage and relaxation. Actually, the whole thing was blissful and relaxing! I could have stayed all day, but our other plans (and wallet) pulled me away. After a quick shower, hubs and I headed out to try the new German restaurant in Mount Dora. If you’re in the area, definitely give it a shot! We both agree that the food is amazing, and the Black Forest Chocolate Cake is to die for…we’ll definitely be back.

After we were sufficiently stuffed, I made hubs come in to Pattie Anne’s with me. Somehow he had never been in there – an abomination in my book, since I would be SO happy to live there (or at least, bring something home every now and then!). Anne and Johnnie have really put together an amazing little shop, and I was really happy that my husband liked it too.

I did find something pretty cool there for my mom’s birthday present, too…but pictures will have to wait on that until I actually give it to her since she reads this blog from time to time. I just hope she likes it as much as I do!

It still doesn't feel like fall in Florida yet, but I’m trying to trick my brain into believing it – Pumpkin Spice lattes and pumpkin donuts definitely do the trick!

Autumn is definitely my favorite time of the year – I always get so homesick for the cool weather and changing leaves that I grew up with in New England. Now that I live in Florida I hardly ever get to enjoy the crisp, cool, beautiful days that I love – so to make up for it, I love to decorate the house every year for the season!

Here’s a quick peek of the decorating we've started for fall. It’s by no means done, and I hope to have a project ready to share with you over the weekend, but all the thanks and credit for this goes to my hubby! He was home with the sick child today and surprised me with this when I came home…a completely original design!

I love how warm and cozy the leaves look with our dark cherry dining table.

I hadn't planned on pairing the vibrant leaves with the pretty blue of the hurricane vases, but it totally works! Good job, honey!

These old lanterns are from my dad’s old sailboat. The copper coordinates beautifully with the bright autumn flowers (from the Dollar Tree). The contrast of the shiny metal with the delicate flowers is one of my favorite combinations, and a great way to add interest and texture to your decorations.

That’s about it for tonight – what are you doing to decorate this season?

Mount Dora on Dwellable

Setting a Goal

noreply@blogger.com (Emily) — Fri, 14 Sep 2012 02:23:00 +0000

So! I guess I've been on an unplanned hiatus.

I didn't intend it to be that way, but after a while I fell into the routine of not posting and even though I think about blogging a lot and am still painting and crafting, I just haven't made the time lately to put together a blog post. Then I'd try to not think about it to avoid feeling guilty, and so on and so forth, until we had a lovely vicious cycle going.

So. I've decided that maybe my goals before were a tad unreasonable - instead of being disappointed in myself that I can't keep up with the same daily posting schedule that I maintained while I was unemployed, I'm going to set a goal of one post a week. If I end up doing more, great! If not, that's OK too.

To catch you up really quick, here's what I've been up to for the past few months...

I've been posting lots of pictures on Instagram (you can find me @paisleyandporter)

Lots of thrifting...I love being able to hit several different thrift stores during my lunch hour! Most of my recent finds have been clothes, but I've found goodies in other places lately also.

...like this pretty little shelf on the side of the road.

...this gorgeous picture and frame had been put out for the garbage pickup by my neighbors. As I was carrying it away three other women were walking down the street to get it. I won!

...these beautiful blue hurricane candle holders from an estate sale. I actually think I paid too much for the pair, but they're so unique I couldn't walk away.

We cleaned out the closets and garage about a month ago and had a yard sale...we ended up with a lot more room, less clutter, and enough extra money to build a workbench and shelving in the garage. I'm so excited that I have some space to work now instead of having to sit on the floor!

I've been working on this cute little table...can you believe that my mother in law's sweet neighbor was going to take it to the dump? My MIL salvaged it for me, and I've been experimenting on it with Cece Caldwell's chalk paint...I really love it so far! My sweet husband also found me a new palm sander that was on sale at Harbor Freight Tools (along with a bunch of other awesome things for the new work bench).

It's late now so I'm going to run and catch some Zzzz's. I've been pretty slammed at work so I'm actually surprised that I've managed to stay awake until almost 10:30 to write this!

Have a great night, ladies & gents, and do me a favor - I want ALL of you to hold me accountable to my posting goals. I really mean it!

Picture Frame Update

noreply@blogger.com (Emily) — Tue, 31 Jul 2012 11:37:00 +0000

There are times when I catch myself in the mental trap of spending more time on the computer reading about what other people have done than actually participating in the creative process myself...I've been feeling like that lately, so last night I decided to try a new technique on a picture frame/mirror that I had already started painting.

I hadn't tried this technique before, and I tend to hesitate when I'm trying something new until I'm sure of what I'm doing. I realized though that I could hem and haw, and compare my plan to the success of others, and look for a better idea, or more specific directions...or I could just do it. So that's what I did!

Here's the before:

I had used a gray first, but I wasn't really happy with it...it was kind of plain and just boring. I grabbed a very light blue that I had on hand and brushed it over the gray. I let it dry for about 20 minutes (give or take, the paint was still a little wet so I probably could have waited longer for a different result), then came back and gently distressed with a fine grit sanding block so the gray peeked through.

Here's how it turned out - keep in mind these photos aren't staged & I know the mirror is super dirty. The sun was going down so the lighting wasn't great.

I'll have to try to remember to take some better pictures tomorrow after I clean it up a little more.

I'm really not sure what to think about this..the blue really didn't turn out the way I wanted (at all) - it was just some oops paint I picked up for $5 and it didn't end up looking like the sample dabbed on the can. I think i would have looked better with a brighter color, but now that it's done, I'll just keep improvising and see where it takes me!

In My Head

noreply@blogger.com (Emily) — Thu, 26 Jul 2012 11:07:00 +0000

In my head, I'm thinking about all the crafts I'd like to do if only I had the time.

I wanted to make this cute little wreath as a housewarming gift for my sister when she and her husband bought their first house...almost a year ago.

Front Door Wreath from Teach Craft Love

I really want to make this for my son's room to keep track of those growing milestones!

Child's Growth Chart from Etsy seller GraceWords

I would love a small stool or chair like this for my crafting area in the garage.

Office Chair Redesign from Design Squish

Remember that huge tri-fold mirror I wasn't quite sure what to do with? I still have it, and this idea is growing on me!

Thrift Store Mirror to Chalkboard from You're Talking Too Much

We still doesn't have any grown-up furniture in our bedroom, and I would love to make a headboard for our bed...something like this, or upholstered - I'm not sure yet, but this one Mandi made from an old door is really amazing!

Old Door into Headboard from Vintage Revivals

& this is just a sampling of inspiration from my Pinterest boards! It doesn't include the painting I still want to do in the house, the sewing I want to learn, and the Paisley & Porter business projects. I'm starting to remember why I never did much of this before I was unemployed! I'm hoping to knock out a few projects that have been floating around in my brain for ages in the next week or so - stay tuned.