White Distressed Coffee Table with Turquoise Accents

I've been working on this coffee table for 2 months. She was a little stubborn but so am I...

At first I painted her a bright turquoise but it was just way too much color for this table. Then I tried white. It was OK but I wanted to see if something else would make more sense. So I dry brushed the base in a greyish turquoise. I liked the technique but I hated the way it looked. So we went back to white .

 I decided to glaze her in a silver metallic and she was beginning to show some character. However, after all the coats of paint the thin carvings on the corners were looking awful. I could see drips of paint  and runs. I turned to wood filler to remedy the problem. It was my first go at wood filler and I didn't do such an awesome job. Still, I could see the outlines of the carvings and then I thought about decoupoging.

I had this swirly craft paper that I adhered to the corners with mod podge and sealed with a clear coat. It was just the right amount of color and the swirls added a little whimsy. 

The edges of the tabletop and legs got a little distressing attention and then I applied a white wash. I like white washing (watered down white paint applied and then wiped off) because it provides a muted wood tone to the distressed areas. I finished her off with a few coats of wax and spray painted the original hardware.

After two months of trying different colors and techniques, she's finished and listed in my Etsy Shop!

It's OK to make a few mistakes especially when you can paint over them.

Visions in My Head

The past couple of weeks I've been on a mission to find a buffet. I wanted to use it as our T.V. console, entertainment center or whatever it is that you want to call it. Well, I found one for $50. Bargain!

The hubs and I carried that 70 pounder up two flights of stairs because oh yeah we couldn't live on the first floor.  It's $200 more  a month for the same apartment that just happens to be on the first floor. The bargain shoppers that we are, we just couldn't justify paying $200 more. So, back to the point. Yes, we carried this 70 pound buffet up 2 flights of stairs.

It was quite comical. The hubs is 6'5" and I'm 5'5" and I'm not necessarily what you would call strong in the physical sense. Up the first flight we tried flipping it over and over again until we reached the second floor landing. Then the second flight of stairs we did a little by little, inch by inch, pick up put down method. Anyways, we made it to the third floor and into our apartment exhausted but no injuries.

I was so excited about this buffet that I couldn't wait to tackle it. I started sanding it the very next day. The second day I put 2 coats of paint on it. The third day a third coat and 2 coats of stain. By the fourth day it was finished and I stood, head cocked sideways, staring and thinking, I'm not sure this is what I envisioned.

Convinced, however, that once we got it inside and the T.V. on it and the decor around it I would see that it was in fact what I had envisioned in my head.

Wrong!

The hubs and I lugged it into our living room and he put the T.V. on top of it. Again, I stood, head cocked sideways, staring and thinking, No, this is definitely NOT what I envisioned! Darn it!

It was all wrong. All wrong! Ugh! I just spent 3 days making it into what I thought I wanted and it was not at all what I wanted.

First, lets start with the paint choice. I chose white because I recently added some white decor to the living room and I thought it would tie in nicely with that. Also, I thought it would brighten up the space. Next, I chose a mahogany stain. What you need to know about me is that I've never stained before. This was my first go at it. I don't know a lot about staining except what I read on the back of the can. However, it was relatively very easy and it seems like it would be difficult to really mess up. My only problem with this particular stain was that it was way more red than brown. I was looking for brown. Even though on the can it had a picture of the color it was and it looked like a dark brown with a hint of red which is what my coffee table and end tables are. Needless to say, this red wood was not matching with my  space at all.

Still determined to try to make it work I decorated it. Put all our DVDs and games in it. And, as the hubs told me to do, I let it marinade for the night.

As I was watching T.V. I knew that it was just wrong for our living room. It didn't fit. It didn't work and I could try to force it but I was not going to be happy with it.

So, the next day, the hubs and I AGAIN moved it and brought our old entertainment center back to its spot.

I was disappointed. I really thought it would be awesome but it wasn't.

Here's where this story takes a turn. I decided to put it in my Etsy Shop. Within the first hour it already had 21 views. Which, for me, is a lot. Some items can take days to get 21 views. Anyways, within 2 hours someone was emailing me telling me it was exactly what they were looking for and really wanted to buy it. I was ecstatic! This would be the first time I sold a piece of furniture on Etsy. Yes, I've sold a few things on Craigslist but not furniture that I put a lot of time and love into like this one.

Now, time to ship this 70 pounder! Uh oh...

Here are before and after shots and a link to my inspiration which was by Perfectly Imperfect (Awesome!). Have a look~see!

Before... Bleh!

After

Jane Austen, Chalkboard Paint and Vases

I wasn't kidding when I said I have a collection of glass vases. I even have some jars. Where did they all come from, you say? I have no idea because I don't even like them. So I'm slowly transforming all of them into something more fun and interesting to look at.

I took a glass jar and a small vase and covered them with pages from a book about Jane Austen. I love Jane Austen. Love her! And my hubs bought me this book for a $1 off a clearance rack and you know what they say, you get what you pay for. I didn't like the book at all. So I cut out the parts of the book where the author quoted some of Austen's writings or said something interesting about her and used them here.

Also, I'm loving chalkboard paint right now and I'm tempted to paint everything with it. Although, if there's anything us modern ladies can learn from Miss Austen it is a little something called self-control. With that said, there is no need to restrain ourselves here! As you can see the chalkboard paint on this vase completes this little collection perfectly. So paint away my dears.



This is a fun and easy project that any creatively gifted person can enjoy and any creatively challenged person can do.

What you'll need:

1. Elmer's Glue


2. Water


3. Paintbrush (cheap one will do just fine)


4. Chalkboard paint in a spray can (Wal-Mart for about  $3.50)


5. Paper (pages from a book, newspaper, craft paper)

How to do-it-yourself:

1. Mix half water and half glue.


2. Paint glue/water mixture on the surface and on the paper.


3. Brush paper on to surface.


4. Let dry

For the chalkboard vase:

1. Spray at least 2 coats ( I sprayed 3)


2. Let dry 24 hours before writing on it.

Enjoy!

 

Repurposed

I found arms to a vanity mirror at a second-hand furniture store. They had a fun shape and there was already a piece of wood screwed into the back of one with a little hook... I'm guessing the previous owner had the same idea.

All I had to do was distress them with sandpaper and spray a clear coat to give them some shine. Then I screwed the piece of wood into the other arm.

And abracadabra...instant wall art!

Chandeliers Make Me Weak in the Knees

I dedicate this song to Chandeliers everywhere.

Weak by SWV at Jango {You must play this song. It will take you back to 1993}

I get so weak in the knees I can hardly speak.
I lose all control and something takes over me.
In a daze, your love's so amazing, it's not a phase.
I want you to stay with me, by my side.
I swallow my pride, your love is so sweet.
It knocks me right off of my feet.
I can't explain why your loving makes me weak.

Seriously, I love chandeliers and I'm not talking about the ones hanging high in expensive hotels. I'm talking about the ones lying low in the dirt at the flea market covered in brass. I lose all control and something takes over me. I have to buy it!

Recently, I found two! So I bought them both.

I really wish I would've taken a before picture but I was so excited about painting them that I completely forgot... :( Basically, it was old and very brass. Google Brass Chandelier and you can see many examples.

I'm not a fan of brass so I did a little painting and  a little drizzling to make them look like this.

And now one is hanging in my bedroom.

How to do-it-yourself:

Materials Needed: spray primer, spray paint, gems/crystals, clear string, crimp beads, and fabric

1. Clean it off.

2. Remove the candle sleeves and wrap the electrical bit in painters tape to protect.

3. Prime it.

4. Paint it.

5. Let it dry 24 hours.

6. String your gems/crystals in any pattern you desire.

{I found mine at Michaels in the floral section next to those colorful glass beads you put in vases. However, there are many websites that sell chandelier accessories and next time I will probably shop online for mine because there are many fun things you can do to embellish your chandelier like adding a bobesche}

7. Wrap  end of stringed gems/crystals around arm of chandelier, string crimp bead and crimp in place. Be sure to pull the string tight and close to the arm.

8. Sew 3" of fabric for cord cover. Hem the ends of the tube first and then pin inside out and sew 1/2 in" hem along the side. Turn inside out and feed cord through your new cord cover. If you don't sew, don't worry. You can spray paint the chain by wrapping the cord in painters tape and then spray painting the chain to match.

9. Get weak in the knees over your very sparkly and pretty Chandelier.

Now the hard part is hanging it and YES I did hang it myself after some reasearch on how to install a light fixture.

This is a how-to video by HomeAdditionPlus.com on how to install a chandelier.

If you're going to be working with an old  chandelier like mine be sure to know which wire is the black, red and ground wire. Also, if yours didn't come with everything you need to install, I found a screw collar loop kit at Lowes for $4.

ENJOY the fixture and the song!