Antique Buffet & Loads of Fun:)

How beautiful is this buffet!?!?!  This had to have been the most fun I've had refinishing a piece of furniture EVER!  Not just because of all the curvy lines and beautiful details, but because I actually got to take a break from every day life and stay with my best friend Beth overnight while we worked on it together.  We laughed til our cheeks hurt, ate way too much salsa (homemade I might add), and stayed up way too late.  But it was all worth it.  I always feel recharged after getting to spend time with Beth, and she ended up LOVING how this turned out.  Here is what it looked like before:

Look at these closeups:

Before, the details didn't really stand out. 

But now, you notice the beautiful leaves and flowers, curvy lines, and carvings!  We painted it white, glazed it, and repainted the top to be a solid glossy mahogany brown.

 We even sprayed the hardware with a copper and then an oil rubbed bronze color to give it multiple layers of color.  It really looks like its been that color forever! 

Beth also has a matching dining table, chairs, and hutch that will eventually get the same treatment.  It may be a while before I get to see her again, but I will never forget how much fun we had working on this project together!  Love ya Beth!!!

Double Chalkboard- $30 - SOLD

Ok guys!  This is the last one I'm posting before Mother's Day tomorrow!  So if you still need a last minute gift, here is one more opportunity to get a one-of-a-kind treasure for mom!  This is a double chalkboard with very beautiful aged copper hardware.  The frame has been painted white, distressed, and glazed to give it a very worn look.  The white now looks more cream and all the details pop!  It could go with any decor from country to elegant!  Here are some close ups of the hardware and finish:

Happy Mother's Day Mom!

In honor of Mother's Day, I wanted to send a huge shout out to my mom Peggy!  If you have wondered where I get my love of painting and crafting, just look at these pics of some of her work!  She is awesome and has taught me so much.  I am so grateful that she passed down the "handy" gene!  She actually not only paints and refinishes furniture, but she can BUILD stuff!  I have only done one or two projects like that and I guarantee she was right there to help me.  I haven't learned how to quite tackle building projects like that yet, but knowing my mom, she will be teaching me that trade one day:).  The pic to the left is her hutch.  Isn't it gorgeous!!!!  I wish I would have taken a closer detail pic because it turned out AMAZING! Here are some more of the things she has made or painted for her own home.  She is also available for custom work so let me know if you would like her to do something for you. I LOVE YOU MOM!!!!!

She took apart an old piano and made this bench
and headboard for her room!

This is her patio table that she mosaic tiled.

This beautiful blue side table sits in her bedroom.
The frame sitting on it was my Mother's Day gift
to her:)

She built this shelf unit FROM SCRATCH
out of old boards and some cool iron pieces
she found at a garage sale I'm sure:)

This stunning wall hanging was made from an old
iron porch column, and obviously old shutters.  She
painted, glazed, and dry brushed each one to give them
all a very deep rustic feel. 

Burlap Pin Board- $15

This sweet little burlap pin board is made from a vintage wooden frame painted red and distressed.  It is so veratile and could be used not only to display jewelry, but pictures, recipes, or favorite scriptures! I have also included 2 wooden push pins. It measures 7 1/2" by 9 1/2" (not including frame).  Pair this with a cute easle and set anywhere in your house!  So cute!  I have several other frames on hand, so if you would like one made in another color please feel free to email or message me.

*Jewelry in pic not included.

Chalkboards!!!- White and 13x20" SOLD

 I currently have these two chalkboards available for sale.  The large white one is 8 1/2" by 11 1/2" and the small aqua one is 6 1/2" by 4 1/2".  Both frames have been distressed and clear coated.  The large one is $12 and the small one is $8.  I will have more frames available if you would like to order a custom color.  And I have a larger frame that measures 13" by 20" available that I could do in any color for $20.

*Note: The measurements are for the chalkboard part itself, not including the frame.

Entry Mirror- $55

Do you know how HARD it is to photograph a mirror!?!  Very, very, very hard!  You can't stand right in front of it or else you capture yourself.  When you stand to the side, you get a distorted view of it like the above picture.  And whatever is in the relection automatically becomes the focal point of the picture instead of the mirror itself.  VERY frustrating!  Anyways.........

Oooohhh!!! Prettty!  The hardware on the other hand photographed beautifully!  Don't you think?  My idea for this mirror is that it could be hung in an entryway and you could hang your purse or hat from the hooks.  But you may find that it looks so beautiful on its own, you may not want to hang anything from it!  It is finished in a light shabby green (think sage) chalk paint so it has a very smooth finish.  It has been coated in furniture wax to preserve the finish.  And the hooks add this fantastic, old world feel.  They are an aged goldy-bronze color (is that really a color?).  The mirror measures 21 1/4" x 41 1/2" and it is HEAVY!  You will want to make sure that you either hang it directly into a stud, or you use some heavy duty wall anchors.  Trust me on this!  It's available for $55. 

Bird Silhouette Step Stool- $35

Today I finished this super cute step stool!  It is turquoise with a black bird silhouette (yes I had to look the spelling of this word up in the dictionary).  She didn't start out very pretty though.  I have proof:

See what I mean!?!  I'm sure in her prime, she looked lovely in a little girls room.  She was purple with pink sponge paint:-/  But by the time I found her, the paint was peeling revealing that she probably actually started out in grandma's kitchen. You can kind of see there was a stencil pattern (checkerboard and hearts) of country red and green with a cream colored background.  Do you also see that sweet little hand?  I had the best helper peeling that purple and pink sponge-painted mess!

She diligently worked on peeling paint until it was almost down to the original finish:)  What a hard worker!  Maybe I'll share my profit with her once I sell it.  She was very proud of all her hard work and now asks if she can help with every project I tackle!  I have to say, I love having a personal assistant as cute as her:)

Here are some more after shots showing the

finish.  I actually sanded after I painted so

that some of the white primer showed through. 

Then I aged her with a light glaze. She looks

better with age I do say! 

Old Window Message Board- $45

I've been BUSY!  Though I've been working on about 100 projects all at once this week, I'm choosing to only post this one project.  I feel like it turned out so stinkin cute, it deserves a post all it's own.  I wanted to take a break from my furniture projects and bring you something different:)

It's a message board made from an old window frame, chicken wire, and a couple of thin boards painted with chalkboard paint!  I even love how you can see the wood grain showing through!  It adds to the country charm, don't you think?  I painted the frame with a bright sunny yellow and then distressed and glazed it.  Then I added chicken wire (painted white) to the large opening and chalkboards to the small ones. 

You could hang this in your kitchen or create a family message center!  It can hang either vertical or horizontal (hardware is already added for both) and it comes with 5 sweet clothes pins that I embelished with some vintage buttons.  Hang party invites, shopping lists, or photos while keeping track of other lists or reminders on your chalkboards!  I really LOVE how this turned out!  This could be a very unique Mother's Day gift too- just sayin;) 

Here's a closeup of one of the button clothes pins.  There is a yellow, turquoise, green, white, and red one included.