Thursday, June 30, 2011

{ summer in snapshots . week 2 }

It is time again for Summer in Snapshots, a fun and inspiring party hosted by The {Starfish} Blog. 
This has been the most uplifting idea that I have ensued upon so far this summer. I am finally strapping that camera on and hoisting that lens up again...a habit I had missed sorely.
Welcome to Week 2. Please join in and follow along!
















{I’m linking to The Starfish Blog Summer in Snapshots}

Wednesday, June 29, 2011

Laminate to Lovely & White Wednesday !

I have the best neighbor ever - she is always bringing me little treasures she has picked up from odd garage sales or thrift stores...

...since she knows I have been on a furniture makeover kick,  it was no surprise a few days ago when she called across the yard saying she had something that I might be interested in... "surprise" is not the word to describe how I felt when I saw this piece of "furniture!"

        { Bless her sweet little heart! }


She proudly pointed to this "nightstand" her face all abeam. You see, she has bestowed upon me many wonderful and coveted "finds" over the years...antique lace, vintage sheet music and beads...a sweet old picnic basket and priceless plaid wool for my collection, just to name a few....
 

I was so shocked at the piece that was staring back at me that I could not even bring myself to speak at first....in time I collected my thoughts and politely thanked her, saying that I would certainly TRY to do something with it.........

{ like take it straight to the garbage pile }


...the very saddest part of this story is that I didn't even get a picture of this little "monster" before I started. I truly intended too, and then I was so anxious to start on the thing that I was well into sanding it before I realized I had no "before" photos...

...picture this...small, dirty two drawer nightstand. Top drawer facing is bright green, glossy road sign grade laminate with a DINOSAUR carved into it.... { I kid you not - and she has SEEN the furniture I have been redoing, so she must have more than a little faith in my makeover skills }...Bottom drawer scuffed up white laminate to match the rest of the piece. Two cracked, white plastic drawer pulls. Stability - none...was wobbling on three semi good feet. Back was stapled on, poorly. Bottom metal drawer slide plate was loose and dangling, aka, the bottom drawer was dangling.

Well I towed the "thing" across 1.2 acres of yard, debating whether to take a sharp right at the end of the drive and end the life of said "thing" at the garbage pick up. My "let's just TRY to see if we can fix it up" side kicked in and took over...so a quick u- turn at the drive led us straight into the garage to the utter disbelief of my hubby who had been watching my internal struggle for the last 67 yards.

Well I sanded it down with the palm sander...some places the ancient press board, { or whatever the hek it was } was already showing, so I just took her all the way down...I mean how afraid could I be? She was already begging to be dumped. I peeled off the glossy dino sign and removed the drawer pulls, { which by the way crumbled in the process } and sanded a little bit more.
I reattached the back, repinned the drawer rail and said a prayer...

...two coats of heavenly blue { I know it is not the only color of paint on the earth, but this piece needed some divine intervention! } and two top coats of country white finished her off. She was beginning to look less like a monster and more like an old piece of furniture in need of some TLC.  The small pock marks left by the press board didn't look so pretty, but I knew I would be forced to heavily distress this piece to even have a chance of salvaging her.

Lo and behold...she looked adorable...SHABBY, but adorable. I heavily palm sanded her when the paint had cured. I used the scraper everywhere possible. I even peeled some of the paint off of the sides of the piece. Then I took a sanding block and evened out the rough edges and waxed the living hek out of her. Some new antique silver hardware and some awesome number plate from the talented and generous Roben-Marie

{ she knows I adore anything with numbers on it and this was a 
surprise treat in my mail box yesterday...
along with the most fabulous mixed media mail art! }

Be sure to check out her Art Goods Shop here for more goodies like this!














She is so sweet now! Hard to believe I could have just dumped her off on the roadside like any old piece of junk. 
KATHLEEN AT FADED CHARM HOSTS WHITE WEDNESDAY! 
HOP OVER AND TAKE A LOOK AT ALL THE BEAUTIFUL WHITES TODAY!

Please be sure to hop over and visit some of the other talented artists 
and enjoy some super ideas along the way!

Tuesday, June 28, 2011

Super Sweet Organizer - on the Cheap!






I am a lover of containers of any kind...and an even bigger fan of organization. I recently stumbled across this "file" box at a local outlet store. It was a pretty enough blue color, not exactly what I wanted, but since it was only $7.00 I grabbed it up anyway. I loved the staggered tiers for files, papers, notes. AND it had one drawer as well. A keeper.

...I found some paint in the garage....a shade of white...and I started painting. The first coat showed thick brush strokes, so after it dried I added a second coat that I applied with a soft cloth, rubbing it on in a smoother coat. Once the second coat dried, I used coarse sand paper and heavily distressed the edges and the drawer pull. Once I was happy with the level of distressing I took a finer sanding block and rubbed over the entire box to smooth things out. A final coat of minwax, in clear and it was finished. I LOVE IT.






It will be the perfect addition to the art studio....






Saturday, June 25, 2011

A Talented Design Team Lets Me Join In!

It is such a joy to be a part of something you love. To spend time creating things you adore. To work alongside of the people you admire...

...I am so fortunate to know the beautiful owner, Stacey, of The Scrappy Boutique . I am proud to call her my friend. She is talented, funny, kindhearted. She is hard working, encouraging, brave. I adore her Boutique, an upscale scrapbook store offering the best of all the most popular lines. I have long since been a fan of her classes and crops and retreats...

...so when Stacey recently approached me about helping her with her new online store, Scrappy Boutique, I gladly accepted! It has been such a delight to get to know her team on yet another level. They are, as a whole, a deeply creative, dynamic and talented group of individuals. I have loved all they have offered to teach me and I am truly grateful for all of their encouragement and support as I learn the proverbial 'ropes!'

I was even more delighted this past week when these wonderful gals allowed me to become a part of
their fantastic Design Team! The amount of creativity and inspiration that you will find in this store is over the top. I continue to be amazed each and every time I see one of their new projects!

Please take a moment to stop by and check out all of the dynamite inspiration you will find both at Shop Scrappy Boutique . com  and at Scrappy Boutique ...and if you are local to central Florida, please hop over to The Scrappy Boutique...you will be so happy that you did!


{ I was not paid to do this little "plug"
for my brave & beautiful friend.
I did it because I love her and she 
works hard and deserves the recognition.}

Friday, June 24, 2011

A Little Bit of Love & A Whole Lot of Faith

When I first start writing this blog, well, there was no writing. I just didn't see what I could share, about my little life, in my little part of the world, that would make someone want to stop and read...
...and then I met Jami at Freckled Laundry .

She scooped me up and brought me under her "blogging" wing, picking twigs from her own freckled nest and sharing them with me. Helping me to build my own little safe haven. My own sweet sanctuary. My own place to share.
Not long into our "friendship" did I realize that we shared the same affinity for hearts. It is always nice to find a common ground, but a sweet, secret surprise to find that once you reach that conjoint arena, you feel and know so much more about each other. Each and every time we "speak" to one another we chance upon yet another kinship between us...

...and so I mailed her some bitty treasures. Treasures of the heart. 
And with them arrived a bit more of my story. A tiny twig of my own. Gently shaken free from my haven, my safe house, my heart...

...read more about it here,  {Hearts & The Sweetest Story}, at Freckled Laundry...and please tell Jami you stopped by.
You won't meet a lovelier soul.


 


Thursday, June 23, 2011

Interview with Sandi Keene at Secret Lake Diaries

It isn't very often that  one soul will stumble across another and the past comes rushing up behind them with a tornadic urgency - catching them up for all time. I am one of those fortunate souls. In the not so distant past I was introduced to someone who is now a driving force in my life. The constant zephyr that is relentless in it's task. Sandi Keene- soul two.

She was tender at first. Making suggestions, pointing out directions, every faithful with the encouraging words. But the winds were shifting. Bigger things were brewing for me in her mind. And so a tender breeze grew into sturdy and constant wind. Inspiration flooded my inbox. Steady encouragement blossomed into steadfast reassurance. Bits and pieces of wonderfully creative debris filtered into my life through this new and lovely soul. It is something like the sunshine after a storm to find yourself surrounded by such a presence.

Read the interview here:

Interview with Rae Missigman


Please stop by Secret Lake Diaries and meet Sandi Keene 
for even more encouragement, inspiration & love.

Wednesday, June 22, 2011

Summer in Snapshots

Well, Summer has settled herself, with blazing hot finality, into the lap of Florida. I am amazed at how quickly the change came, the searing heat of August upon us already...and while I find myself dragging my drop cloth for those farmhouse furniture projects into the oh-so-sweet reprieve of air conditioning, I DO love this season. The kids are buzzing with energy- ready to break out of the pen that has kept them from their free roaming ways. Lists have been made, projects planned, outings arranged. Everyone is ready to settle in, hunker down and start savoring the sweetness of Summer! 

I broke out the vintage lemonade dispenser, basketed up the pool towels and readied the camera for some delightful down time!









 

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