Shabby Sweet Tea

Grace and Mercy

2013-04-19T13:42:00.000-04:00

Many of us are asking why.
Why so many tragedies?
Why so much hurt?
Why so many children?

He hears us.

He knows our pain.
He catches our tears and listens to our prayers.

Remember, this is not heaven.
Sometimes we won't understand why.
But we can all live with grace and even a little mercy.

We can take time to connect with those in pain.
To look for the good; the helpers.

Let your heart hurt if needed.
There is beauty in the most sad moments in life.
Let these times guide you to Him.
Not away.

Remember, no matter how bad it gets,
we will meet again.
In perfection.

-Elyse

My thoughts on Miss Mustard Seed's Milk Paint

2013-04-18T14:18:00.000-04:00

Back when I was freshly pregnant and still possessing enough energy to paint,

I tried out Miss Mustard Seed's Milk Paint. I chose this paint because it is fume free and green. Plus, I had been itching to give it a try because of it's amazing distressing capabilities.

The first piece I worked on was an old dresser that once belonged to my husband's great grandmother. I applied the milk paint directly on top of thick brown lacquer that was originally on the dresser. Since I was wanting to achieve a chipped/aged look, I did not use the bonding agent that Miss Mustard Seed sells.

Before:

As you can see, the paint randomly chipped off where it did not fully adhere. Working with this paint is much different than ASCP because you have little to no control where the distressing will occur. It's kindof nerve-racking and exciting at the same time!

The dresser was painted in Linen and waxed (by my hubby) with Annie Sloan's clear wax.

We think this piece would make a lovely changing table.

It's the perfect height and size. Plus, I am thrilled with how it turned out

and love the random chipping....

And then there is the next piece I painted.

Holy chipping Bat Man! This thing went nuts!

I picked up this solid oak antique dresser at a garage sale for $80.

Before:

I knew from the start that I want to leave the beautiful oak top untouched. Again, I used Linen milk paint with no bonding agent. Little did I know that this piece would have been a great candidate for the bonding agent... It is still chipping in my living room! It took a few weeks of looking at it to decided if I really like it or not. Verdict: We love it. It's just heavily distressed and needs to be vacuumed around a few times a week.

To protect this piece, I decided to try Miss Mustard Seed's Hemp Oil. I chose this because it is safe for me to use while prego and super easy to apply. You simply pour a little oil on a clean cotton cloth and rub it in. If I compare it to clear wax, it is not as durable and is best suited for very porous furniture.

Overall, I love using milk paint. It's a bit messy and nerve-racking but the natural distressing that occurs is gorgeous. To help the chipping along on both pieces, I used a plastic scraper and sanding block to flake off large cracks.

I hope to start feeling better soon and get back into my garage to try out my new color,

Shutter Gray.

Linking up to: The Shabby Creek Cottage, Savvy Southern Style, My Romantic Home,
French Country Cottage, Serenity Now, Miss Mustard Seed

Where in the world has Shabby Sweet Tea been??

2013-04-15T12:55:00.000-04:00

I'm tired.

I'm sick almost all day

and

I have no desire to be creative.

But I'm happy as a clam!

A Shabby Sweet Tea baby is due

Nov 16, 2013

Vintage Easter Decor

2013-03-14T17:00:00.000-04:00

It hit me this week that Easter really is this month.

Subconsciously I knew this because there is no denying that I

scarfed down a Cadbury Cream Egg in the Target parking lot.

and another at home.

Time to start thinking about Jesus a bit more and decorate too!

The chick salt and pepper shakers, cast iron bunny and yellow duck are all recent flea market finds. I love finding vintage holiday items!

Linking up to: The Shabby Creek Cottage, Savvy Southern Style, French Country Cottage, My Romantic Home, Crafts A La Mode

Tutorial: Embroidery Floss Easter Eggs

2013-03-05T12:55:00.002-05:00

(re-post from Spring 2012. Original post here)

Step 1:
To make Embroidery Floss Easter Eggs you will need...
-Blown up water balloons
-Embroidery floss
-Liquid starch (I found a bottle at Kroger in the laundry section)
-Flour
Create goop by mixing together 1cup liquid starch and a 1/2 cup flour. I ended up adding additional starch to make it thinner.

Step 2:
Coil your floss in a bowl of the goop.

Step 3:
Pull a section of the floss out and scrape off the goop. Start applying the floss to the egg. It will stick right to the balloon. One skein of floss will create one egg. After making a few of these, I realized you need very little goop on the floss. Less is more because when the egg dries, you'll have to scrape off all the excess.

Step 4:

Allow the eggs to dry for several hours. When dry, pop the balloon. I used a straight pin to scrape off the excess dried goop.

...and there you have it.
Embroidery Floss Easter Eggs!

Linking up to: Savvy Southern Style , A Bowl Full of Lemons

Hello Monday

2013-03-04T13:29:00.000-05:00

Hello old and chippy doors.

Hello to the sweet old man that let me have them for free!

Hello future project material...

Hello antique oak cabinet.

Hello $80

Hello to red wine storage on the left and right.

Hello Mini Me.

What fun we had celebrating your birthday.

Hello 14....

Goodbye weekend. You were one to remember.

Hello Monday.

Linking up to: Lisa Leonard

There is no cure for Paris...

2013-02-26T12:37:00.002-05:00

je m'ennuie de toi...

Linking up to: My Romantic Home, French Country Cottage, Savvy Southern Style

Hello Monday

2013-02-18T12:10:00.001-05:00

Hello to celebrating Valentines all weekend long!

Hello Vin Rouge for dinner.

Hello random snow storm that we didn't even know about.

Hello to making it a cozy day by the fire

and taking fun walks in the flakes.

Hello spring mixed with a taste of winter.

Hello grace.

Hello happy. Hello love.

Hello Monday and no work!

Hello shopping, a lunch out and whatever the day may hold!

xoxo

linking up to: Lisa Leonard, The Wiegands, My Romantic Home

Antiqued Statue

2013-02-14T08:43:00.001-05:00

In Annie Sloan's book, Creating The French Look, she explains how to antique a statue.

If you are interested in trying this technique, these are the steps in a nut shell.

1. Paint the statue using the edge of the brush, being careful not to push

too much paint into the crevices. Start with a small amount of paint and layer on more as desired.

2. When the paint is still damp, rub potting soil into the crevices and any other areas

that you would like to darken.

3. When the statue is dry, brush off any excess dirt with a dry paint brush.

**Looking back on this process, I would have brushed off more potting soil
before the pieces was completely dry.

Before:

After:

This technique creates an aged patina that is hard to find. Just imagine how you could

transform cheap dollar store statues.

Happy Valentines Day!!

xoxo

Linking up to: A Bowl Full of Lemons, Serenity Now, French Country Cottage, My Romantic Home

Valentine Blogging Party: Gift Exchange

2013-02-13T22:14:00.000-05:00

Happy almost Valentine's day!!

My Valentines started earlier this week when I received a box

of goodies in the mail.

I participated in a gift exchange, hosted by the lovely ladies above.

L from All Glorious Within was my Valentine and I couldn't be happier.

Look at all the fun things she sent me!

Even though L and I have never met,
we were able to read each others blog and pick out meaningful gifts.

L lives her life with a tremendous amount of Grace.

That, I adore.

Her heart is full of His love, she dreams big and loves to share her journey.

blog//facebook//twitter

L, you were a perfect Valentine for me.

xoxo

Linking up to: Valentine Blogging Party: Gift Exchange

Paris Flea Market: Part 2

2013-02-11T11:11:00.000-05:00

Today I am sharing with you my second set of Paris Flea Market pictures.

If you missed Part 1, you can find it here h ere.

These pictures are mostly from the outdoor booths, which were my favorite!

Linking up to: Savvy Southern Style, The Shabby Creek Cottage,My Romantic Home,
French Country Cottage, Miss Mustard Seed

Hello Monday

2013-02-10T20:58:00.000-05:00

Hello fabulous weekend.

Hello mint green tights.

Hello cowgirl boots.

Hello Evos for lunch.

Hello vegan burger, air fries, fire walker ketchup and an organic chocolate shake.

Hello to running it all off on Sunday.

Hello Miss Mustard Seed Milk Paint.

Hello Linen and Shutter Gray.

Hello to visiting the flea market.

Hello to a Shabby Sweet Tea booth this spring!!

Hello to Julie from The Doodling Bug for reaching out to me.

Cutest little booth ever!

Hello to lazy mornings by the fire.

Bonjour cafe et macarons.

Goodbye weekend.

Hello Monday!

xoxo

Linking up to: Lisa Leonard

Happy Friday

2013-02-08T08:58:00.000-05:00

I get so excited on Thursday evenings because I love Friday so much!

My husband and I treat Thursday evening as part of the weekend too. We have a special dinner or a good glass of wine in celebration of the next day.

It really does make the weekend seem even longer.

Tonight we are having friends over for dinner.

Lobster ravioli in a homemade cream sauce is on the menu.

Tomorrow morning we plan to wake up and go to La Farm for a French breakfast and then hit up the flea market.

We may also have a mid day glass of wine at the winery we were married at.

Then there is Sunday.

I have a dreaded 16 mile run on deck.

I've had a terrible head cold all week and this run may be the death of me.

Blocking it out of my head until Sunday is my plan.

Happy Friday y'all.

Be good.

Guest Posting and A Giveaway!

2013-02-06T08:07:00.002-05:00

Hey y'all. Happy hump day!

Today I am guest posting over at one of my favorite blogs,

Living Savvy.

All month, Living Savvy will have an organizing tip of the day at the bottom of her post.

Go check mine out!

Organizing Ribbon Scraps

Also, my blogiversary giveaway ends in just hours.

So what are you waiting for?

Enter!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Tutorial: How to Paint Your Kitchen Cabinets With Annie Sloan Chalk Paint

2013-02-05T07:23:00.000-05:00

A couple months ago, I tackled a huge project...

Painting my kitchen cabinets with Annie Sloan Chalk Paint.

I must say, they turned out amazing and they are very stain repellent.

You can read my first post on the cabinets here.

Pure White, Paris Grey glaze and clear wax

Tips and Tricks to painting you cabinets with ASCP:

-Yes the rumor is true, you do not need to sand or prime your cabinets if you are painting with ASCP.

-Wash your cabinets well and dry them.

-Remove all hardware and hinges.

-Set up in a dust free environment. I laid my cabinet doors down on large pieces of cardboard.

-Start by painting the frames of your cabinets. You will need two coats. I waited a day before applying the second coat. This is probably not necessary since ASCP dries extremely fast.

-Apply one coat of paint to each cabinet door (one side only).

-After the paint has thoroughly dried, flip the cabinet over and paint the other side.

-Repeat this until you have two coats of paint on both sides.

-Sand off any drip marks and touch up if needed.

*If you are wanting to achieve texture and a distressed look, like mine, you may want to purposely add brush strokes and apply thicker coats. I used Purdy brushes to paint all areas of my cabinets.

*If you are wanting a smoother finish, I suggest using a small foam roller to paint the flat surfaces of the cabinet doors and a brush for the trim/molding areas.

Paris Grey glaze

-My next step was to apply a glaze. I watered down Paris Grey paint and brushed it on the doors, concentrating on the molding. I then wiped off most of the glaze with a damp rag.

-After the glaze was dry, I did a little distressing to age the cabinets. This was achieved by using a fine grit sanding block.

-I used my shop to ensure the the cabinets were dust free.

-Next up is waxing. This step is time consuming and an amazing arm work out!

-I worked in small areas by applying clear wax in a circular motion with cheese cloth. Next, I buffed it off and moved on to a new area.

-I allowed my first coat of wax to dry for 3 days before applying my second coat.

-If you have any sticky spots, buff them until they are smooth.

-Remember that a little bit of wax goes a long way!! I like using cheese cloth but waxing brushes work well also.

Have any ASCP questions??

Annie Sloan Chalk Paint Q&A, Part 1

Annie Sloan Chalk Paint Q&A, Part 2

Before

After

Linking up to: A Bowl Full of Lemons , Home Stories AtoZ, Shades of Amber, Elizabeth & Co., Savvy Southern Style, The Shabby Creek Cottage, My Romantic Home, French Country Cottage, Miss Mustard Seed, Serenity Now

Hello Monday

2013-02-03T20:57:00.001-05:00

Hello blogiversary giveaway!!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Hello old barn.

Hello husband and father willing to go inside.

Hello hay bail door.

Hello Carolina blue sky.

Hello Carolina sunset.

Hello old skirt that I forgot about.
Hello to wearing this skirt freshman year in college and many years later.

Hello yellow tights.

Hello bed bug.

Hello Super Bowl.

I could care less about you.

Hello ice cream and HGTV instead.

Good bye weekend.

Hello Monday.

xoxo

Linking up to: Lisa Leonard, The Wiegands

Blogiversary and Giveaway!!

2013-01-31T08:22:00.000-05:00

Happy 1st Birthday Shabby Sweet Tea!!

I cannot believe I've been blogging for a full year and stuck to it!

What fun it has been.

Let's celebrate with a little giveaway, shall we?

a Rafflecopter giveaway

{winner will be randomly selected by Rafflecopter. lucky person will be emailed by SST}

Thank you so much for following along, leaving your thoughtful comments

and supporting my little painting business.
I am most thankful for the wonderful friendships I've gained while blogging.
You ladies know who you are!

I also want to thank my husband (Mr. SST) for spending countless hours in craft stores with me, moving large pieces of furniture and waking up at the crack of dawn to garage sale.
My dad too! He sure is full of great ideas and is always on call with his trailer.

So what does Shabby Sweet Tea have in store for year 2??

Be on the look out for a new blog design.
More furniture posts with tutorials.
A spot at the local flea market.
Possibly a few mom friendly fashion posts.
And more about me, Elyse.

and don't forget that Shabby Sweet Tea is now on Instagram.

Just for fun, below is my very first post...

Ahhh, love is in the air. Girly colors, sparkle, shimmer, treats, massive mylar balloons...I love it all. Valentine's Day may be a huge commercial holiday but it sure does get me excited. What other time of year can I plaster pink around my house! I decided yesterday that my "winter" wreath (we've had no winter here in the South) needed to go. Off to Michaels I went for a wooden plaque, the perfect pink paint, ribbon, black wooden letters, felt, and pearls. Of course I forgot something and had to go back for wood glue. This festive creation now shows some much needed love for the front door.

Linking up to: My Romantic Home, French Country Cottage

Paris Flea Market, Part 1

2013-01-28T19:33:00.001-05:00

One of the most exciting things we did in Paris was visit the flea market.

It was a dream come true for a lover of all things shabby chic.

The pictures I am sharing with you in this post are from vendors that have indoor booths.

Stay tuned for Part 2.

I will show you all the little goodies found on the outdoor tables.

au revoir

Linking up to: Serenity Now, My Romantic Home , French Country Cottage Savvy Southern Style, Iselbelle Thorton le chateau des fleurs, Miss Mustard Seed

Instagram

2013-01-27T21:12:00.000-05:00

Guess what??

Shabby Sweet Tea is now on Instagram!

Come follow along @ Shabby Sweet Tea

Hello Monday

2013-01-27T20:57:00.002-05:00

Hello chalkboard.

I can waste a lot of time away with you.

Hello ice storm.

Hello ice skating...in my car.

Hello to a short work day on Friday.

Hello to hangin' with the neighbors during the storm.

Hello lots of red wine.

Hello nachos.

Hello to one pooped puppy.

Hello to Lucy, his raccoon girlfriend.

Goodbye weekend.
Hello Monday.

Linking up to: The Wiegands, Lisa Leonard Blog

2 Ingredient Pumpkin Cake

2013-01-27T20:33:00.000-05:00

You read that correctly.

2 ingredients.

It will blow your mind....

The other night we were in the middle of a "winter storm" and I was desperate to bake something but was running low on supplies.

I remembered seeing a pumpkin cake recipe on Pinterest from Big Red Kitchen.

I was in luck.

I had both ingredients.

One box yellow cake mix

1 -15 ounce can 100% pumpkin- puree, not pumpkin pie filling

Preheat oven to 350°. In a large bowl mix cake mix with pumpkin filling using a hand mixer or a stand mixer. Beat on medium for 2 minutes. Pour batter into a greased 7 x 11 inch baking dish. Bake for 28 minutes or until tooth pick comes out clean. Cool completely before frosting. Serves 8.

Apple Cider Glaze

1 cup powdered sugar

2 T. apple cider

1/2 t. pumpkin pie spice

In a small bowl blend all ingredients until smooth. Pour over Pumpkin Cake letting it drizzle down the sides of the cake. Let set before covering.

I didn't make the apple cider glaze but instead mixed up a simple glaze using just powdered sugar and milk.

Delicious!

Hello Monday

2013-01-21T22:21:00.000-05:00

Hello sun.

I just want to snatch you up.

Hello to a romantic home cooked dinner with my hubby.
Hello seared tuna steaks.

Hello sweet boys.

Hello precious haircuts.

Hello beautiful weather.

Hello outdoor lunch at a local wine bar.

Goodbye weekend.
Hello Monday.
You were great.

Linking up to: Lisa Leonard

Time Out: Be Grateful

2013-01-16T12:41:00.000-05:00

Do you ever need a moment to get real, see things clearly and give thanks?

I just did.

Too much complaining has been going on.

I was still working at 9:30 last night.

But I was working in my favorite chair, in front of the fire with a glass of red wine.

It's cold out and I'm already dreading my long run tomorrow.

But my childhood bff has been freezing all winter up in MI.

My poor grandmas too!

My daughter is getting braces this week. There goes five grand.

But we can do it.

I have so many great project ideas in my head and no extra time.

But Monday is a holiday.

It's been foggy and sunless all week.

But my yellow roses are so bright and happy.

He sure does put a lot on my plate sometimes.

But He knows I'm tough.

Linking up to: French Country Cottage, My romantic Home, The Wiegands, Serenity Now

Hello Monday

2013-01-14T13:35:00.000-05:00

Hello 70 degree weather.

Where the heck did you come from?

Hello 10 mile run.

Hello Minty.

Hello dinner with sweet friends.

Hello to cooking up a storm.

Hello to swiping up a $14 table to paint.

Hello thrift store.

Hello vintage green ice cream maker.

You'll love your new home.

Hello to reading books and my new HGTV magazine.

Hello to multiple cups of cafe.

Goodbye weekend.

I'm sad to see you go.

Hello stressful Monday.

Linking up to: Lisa Leonard, Hello Monday, French Country Cottage, The Wiegands

10 DIY Valentine Gifts!

2013-01-09T08:01:00.001-05:00

Here are 10 super-cute and easy Valentine's Day gifts you could make for someone special.

"Bee" Mine Valentines @ Pizzazzerie

*Free Printables*

Cupcake in a jar @ MightyDelighty

Ombre Tote Bags @ for the love of...

Wire Hearts @
Design Dreams by Anne

Bucket of Sweets @ Joy Is At Home

Natural Lush Bath Bombs
@ Maria's Self

Valentine Scratch-Offs @
Come Together Kids

Sand Heart Picture Frame @ The Swell Life

Shabby Chic Heart Ornaments
@ Shabby Sweet Tea

Marshmallow Pops @
Mommy Gaga

Linking up to: French Country Cottage , My Romantic Home , Shabby Creek Cottage, Savvy Southern Style