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.

Sharing here:

It All Started With Paint
Chic on a Shoestring

Glorious frozen winter bubbles... tutorial included

Since we were basically housebound today I decided to recreate something we tried during our time in Alaska.

Okay, I admit it, it was something I tried while the boys were at school... but by the time they got home from school it was too cold and the bubbles froze before they even had a chance to form 

(35F BELOW zero has a tendency to do that!)

Since it was only a mere 15F BELOW zero today... in Indiana (yes we broke plenty of records)

I decided it was time to recreate our experiment!

The wind was blowing to hard so all bubble blowing occurred within the garage... 

with the 4 wheeler acting as our landing platform.

The "recipe" I used to make the bubble solution is a scaled down version of the one I used when I was a pre-school teacher long before the internet.  In my experience this solution makes for a strong bubble which can be blown to large proportions during the warmer seasons and allows for bubble blowing when it is quite chilly out.

1 1/2 cups water

1/4 + 1 Tbsp dish soap

(i used 1/4 Dawn Ultra plus a heaping Tbsp of Mrs Meyers.. its what I had on hand)

plus enough corn syrup to bring the level to just over the 2 cup line.

mix the above mixture.

use a large straw 

(i used a glass see-through smoothie straw from strawsome)

or a bubble wand 

(what i used in Alaska)

to blow the bubbles.

This worked for me and I hope it works for you!  

Enjoy!!

Linking up to:  City Farmhouse

The lamp shade rehab... twine to the rescue.

As our nights lengthen and the days become more chilly, we begin to cocoon ourselves in cozy, comfortable surroundings.  The blankets and throws make their appearances, sweaters and warm woolen socks begin to make their appearance.  However the one thing that we noticed in our home was that come nightfall it was dark.  I know you are thinking, well, duh... its dark outside, the sun has gone down.  ha ha!  I know, I know... but it wasn't the darkness outside but the darkness within the walls of our home.  Within our living room to be more specific.  A room with ZERO ceiling fixtures.  Seriously, it just leaves me scratching my head wondering why in the world this house was built with no ceiling fixtures in the living room.  So we use two table lamps and a floor lamp... met my lamp shade.

Nice shape but kinda dated looking... and stained, BADLY! and the trim at the top and bottom were peeling off.  And it had begun to smell funny.... and we couldn't figure out why!  Added the fact that when the light was turned on, well the shade cast a rather sickly golden glow.... not at all the warm cozy feeling it emitted in a photograph.

So I striped it to bare bones and recovered it... butcher's & baker's twine.  Because we know I am all about using what I have on hand. 

I simply love the texture now.  

We added an Edison bulb. 

It now blends seamlessly with our decor. 

Its just the right amount of understatement and whimsy, are wrapped up together!

(on a side note... it is best to NOT chose to sand with a palm sander in the middle of one's living room. it might, just might result in a fine layer of dust covering EVERY thing... to include the bookcases.  just saying, haha!)

Baking....

Recently our days have been filled with a lot of this 

(the makings for homemade French toast)

and this 

and this

which means the grain mill has been dusted off, the wheat berries dug out, and there are some very happy young men in our household! 

I forgot how much I enjoy baking our own bread.... its good to take a step back and re-evaluate. 

Have a wonderful weekend!

Creative stitching....

When I do my wonky quilting I really like to add creative stitching....

its the creative process that really speaks to me

each piece an original.... with a specific person in mind!

sometimes its someone who has inspired me.... a thought.... a passage... but each one unique!

sewing.... ideas in the making

Recently my sewing machine was pulled out...

piles of scraps and fabric sorted.

Just a few snap shots of some of the ideas mulling around in my head

vintage findings

bits of scraps...

typography

Monday's musings

Monday's musings...

brief glimpses of the week, a

way help myself be accountable, remember, and be inspired!

clearing up

sunshine after days of gloom

holiday "party" banners

to do lists
great reading, photography, & recipes
sharpened pencils

giveaway winnings
(nothing like pretty packages in the mail)
day old funnies w/ coffee on the last day of winter break

pumpkin butter candles
Harry Belafonte on Pandora

The family room makeover... a sneak peak

This apparently has been the summer of changes.... quickly being followed by a fall full of changes as well.    Do you see this corner?  Yes... atrocious!  I agree wholeheartedly!!  What you are witnessing is the complete emptying of a room.  Yes, the once spare/guest/music room is now our middle son's bedroom!!! I know he is over the moon happy to have a space of his own.  The only consequence... well the entire contents of the previous room ended up piled in the family room with a few spilling over into the dining room and living room.  

However this crazy mess is slowly but surely being transformed into....

 a desk to dream about....

 stylish storage....

 family heirlooms.....

 quirky decor.....

fabulous rehabs....

Details are on the way as we get closer and closer to completely the transformation of a hum drum room into a favorite family hangout!  A room filled with memories, yard sale rehabs, and repurposing galore!

A touch of color...

A touch of color is normally a good thing.....

but a touch of color using spray paint, painter's tape and a drop cloth is a WONDERFUL thing!

And the young one loves it!!  Score!!

One small throw pillow down, two large ones to go... and the room "remodel" is under way!

Now to convince said young one that a change is paint color would really do wonders for HIS room.  Yes he now has his very own room, all to himself... and he is loving it!  In fact all three boys have their own rooms now.  It did mean giving up the spare/guest/craft room but that is okay as they are all at an age when having a small bit of space to themselves is a good thing.

All about Color at Thistlewood Farm

The secret life of an outdoor chandelier.....

Do you see this beauty?  (please ignore crazy shape on left side.... its not noticeable when hanging!)

Another view... at twilight

At night....

complete with its own lace work

it started out life as this

a lowly tomato cage....

(bought at a yard sale as a bundle... $2 for the stack which amounted to 12!!!)

plus old wire, plastic beads, old crystals from a chandelier at a previous house (movers packed them unbeknownst to us and the new owners said to keep them), a hanging light kit (available at Lowe's) for the living room but it never looked right in there. Oh and a bit of leftover ORB spray paint.

The only purchase was an Edison light but which hardly cost anything as I had a $5 off coupon due to light bulbs that lasted months instead of years like they were guaranteed. 

And here is another view...

my dear sweet husband enjoying a book after having been sick for the past two weeks.  

(our friend little lace makers.... well they spin new webs each evening and we never have an issue with bugs!)