Chair Makeover

Awhile back I decided to try my hand at Annie Sloan Chalk Paint.

I found an old brown table and slapped on some paint.

It covered well, no prepping, but I wasn't that thrilled with the results.

It's a very flat paint and showed a lot of brushstrokes.

I decided to give it another try.

 

 

This old chair has seen better days.

 

I chose Paris Grey.

This time I did some sanding after.

I started sanding to remove drips and brushstrokes, but then one thing led to another, and I started sanding to bring out the lines of the peice.

I've never been a fan of distressing furniture, but after I saw the results, I kept on sanding.  I was really starting to enjoy myself at that point.

 

 

The distressing brought depth and dimension to the peice. 

 

Then I used a natural bristle brush to apply wax and then buffed it into the surface with a soft cloth. 

I am changing my mind about things.

Both about the paint, and about the sanding.

My walls are grey, so I put the chair up against a white bookshelf to see the color

I'm already working on another peice, a LARGE one, that I'm pretty excited about.

You can officially add me to the  Annie Sloan Chalk Paint fan club.  Is there one?

I'm linking up today to French Country Cottage
And Miss Mustard Seed's Furniture Feature Friday
 

 

Citron

 

 

Yarn Along

 

I'm joining in on Ginny's Yarn Along today.  Her blog, Small Things, has been one of my favorites for a long time.  Her hand-knits are scrumptios and her writing is inspiring.  I hope you'll visit.


This week I am working on knitting the shawlette, Citron.  I'm using Malabrigo lace yarn, in the spring green that has to be one of my all-time favorite colors.  It's a simple enough pattern, though I'm very tired of purling into the back of the increases.  Sigh. 

Now that I'm nearing the finish line, I am contemplating making it larger.  We'll see.

As for reading this week, I am going through my old pile of Victoria magazines.  I guess I have a bit of spring fever.  I'm laughing at some of the things I loved in the 80's - floral couches, anyone?- as well as noticing what kinds of classic decorating styles would still be pretty today. 

Can't wait to show off pictures of my finished shawlette or shawl??  Happy Knitting!

I'm also linking to Tami Ami's Work in Progress Wednesday
and Frontier Dreams Keep Calm Craft On.

Trees and Toile

 

I ordered the 'Love is' pillows from Dear Lillie this fall.  They look wonderful in my new living room.

 

 

 

I love the message on the pillows.

 

 

 

 

Since we have moved into this new house, I've been trying to figure out how that will affect my decorating style.

 

I love all things black and white

french

farmhouse

toile

whiteglass

garden

chandeliers

vintage

neutral on the eyes

and trees????

 

Yes of course, as a child I spent hours and hours with trees. 

 

It seemed easy to pull off the look I wanted in an old house with good bones in town.

But with this 1969 brown house surrounded by forest, not so much so.

 

I've been wondering if I should just change my look.  Sometimes you can fight things, and sometimes you can't.  You can't turn an apple into an orange.  But a girl has to be herself too.

 

The inspiration I needed this week came from seeing the beauty in a pile of branches on the ground.  And finding the bird's nest that came down with them. 

 

I think that as long as I balance formal and rustic elements, I'll be ok. And that seems to me a very french thing to do after all. 

 

I'm calling my new look - Trees and Toile. 

 

 

 

The juxtaposition of something formal and something natural, or rustic, is just the way to blend my worlds together.  I'll be bringing nature inside to enjoy.  More projects to come.  Here we go!

 

 

TREES

by: Joyce Kilmer (1886-1918)

THINK that I shall never see

A poem lovely as a tree.

A tree whose hungry mouth is prest

Against the earth's sweet flowing breast;

A tree that looks at God all day,

And lifts her leafy arms to pray;

A tree that may in Summer wear

A nest of robins in her hair;

Upon whose bosom snow has lain;

Who intimately lives with rain.

Poems are made by fools like me,

But only God can make a tree.

 

 

Today I'm linking up to French Country Cottage.   

And Jennifer Rizzo's Friday Party.

 

Fog

 

Is there anything as lovely,

 

 

 



 

or romantic,

 

as fog?

 

Sometimes you gotta stop everything, grab your camera, and take a walk.  In my quest to learn to use my new camera, it's funny how I seem to have acquired a new pair of eyes.  There is so much beauty around me every day, that I think I've been too busy to see before :)

Where do I start?

It's 2013 and I should feel ready to take on the world! 

Ever feel kinda overwhelmed?

We bought this house

and right away I want it to look like Versailles.

Everything's perfect in the blogosphere and on pinterest.

I want to post pretty pictures of my own interior.

But,

I'm wondering which eyesore to tackle first.

The ceiling fan over the dining room table, circa 1983?

The basement ceiling we started ripping out from all the mice?

The flourescent lights in the kitchen?

The piles of moving boxes that are
still everywhere?

Then there's the budget, which is zero.

I'm left wondering Where do I even start?

So this year,

I will start with just ONE small project at a time. 

And when that gets too overwhelming, which it will...........

I'll remember more important things.  I'll laugh and eat cookies and knit and snuggle my kiddos and dance around.  And count my many blessings.  And after awhile things will start looking better.

They always do.

I am so grateful for HOPE. 

In light of which, I have decided on project #1.

A certain (above) ceiling fan in the dining room must go.

Making way for one vintage chandelier rediscovered in the move.

Loved the pretty gold, but it was too much for my fam

One can of spray rustoleum in oil-rubbed bronze

Adding the vintage crystals back on :)

So I guess my new year begins with a pretty chandelier, and a healthy dose of hope :)



And LIGHT!