Experimenting with Annie Sloan chalk paint

Oh I was going to wish you a Happy St. Patrick's day but that is tomorrow isn't it?  The 17th?  Wait!  Tomorrow is the 15th, isn't it?  

I have to admit I have completely lost track of time as Chris was out of town this week.  So that meant I was home... alone.  Okay, not alone as I had two lovely teenage boys to keep me company as well as a list of projects that needed completed.

And do you know what I did?  I grabbed out a few cans of Annie Sloan chalk paint, latex paint, and Miss Mustard Seed milk paint.  I was feeling like a rebel... I mixed, I poured, remixed until I came up with the perfect colors.  

I know, I showed it to you my lovely Aegean Dreams desk here many, many moons ago.  But she had gone through a number of "makeovers" but none of them ever felt quite right. You see, her lines are those of a more refined age, not the perky young teenager she was trying to come across as.  Her dress was a bit too brash, too bold, so she had a bit of wardrobe change if you will.

When I started she looked like this....

I know... a HOT mess!  The handles never did age, her lovely legs and underpinnings clashed, and her lovely top was just too white.  And then someone had decided along the way that adding a layer of black would be just the ticket to add a bit of age.  Yes, hanging head in shame, I did it.  As you probably can tell I didn't like it one bit so I stopped with the one drawer and just left it.  Thankfully the drawer was hidden behind a chair and no one saw my error but I knew and it bugged me to no end!

I started by taking off all of the hardware and removing the silver paint exposing the original brass.  Over time with use and exposure they will age quite nicely.  Then I pulled out my Annie Sloan Chalk Paint (ASCP) in Provence, a similar shade but just a tad darker and gave her a once over (or may a twice over.)  The top is a lovely shade of Paris Gray with a layer of the CeCe Caldwell's dark aging wax.  Yes, I know, I know. I am breaking all the cardinal rules... but I can't use the Annie Sloan finishing waxes in the house as they trigger my asthma.  I can honestly say that CeCe Caldwell's waxes are currently the ONLY waxes I can use with NO ill effects.  

I could NOT resist adding a pop of color to these drawers.  Yes this is where my experimenting came into play.  I started with a mix of ASCP Emperor's Silk and Harley Davidson orange latex paint at a ratio of 1:1 with a pinch or two of Miss Mustard Seed Milk paint in Linen.  The result the perfect shade of red to liven things up a bit.  

Do you see the inside of the drawers?  

Sparkly wrapping paper!  Okay to be honest this desk has 7 drawers... and currently has 3 different types of paper.  A map of Alaska graces the large central drawer, the left stack the lovely sparkly wrapping paper, and the right stack has this lovely paper, Bijou Birds Green from the Bloom & Grow collection of My Mind's Eye sold at Hobby Lobby.  I discovered that this paper is not readily available any longer so I think I be going in to pick up a few more pieces.  Yes it speaks to that quirky, inner hippie in me... but that is quite alright! 

And here she sits with the morning light bathing her.  

I know I need to replace the chair but that is a project for another day.

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