free demo || ANNIE SLOAN SOFT WAX

I would say the number one product we receive the most questions about, is Annie Sloan's soft wax.  It is such a fantastic product!  However, it can cause frustration if it's not applied properly.  Next Saturday, I am going to offer two {free} demonstrations on applying soft wax.  A little way to help customers who are struggling with the soft wax and for whatever reason can't attend a BASICS painting class.  Here are the details for you local peeps!

W H E N:  Saturday, April 29th, 2017

T I M E: 10:30am and 11:00am

W H A T: demo on applying Annie Sloan soft wax, 10% off your purchase of a wax brush, coffee + muffins

C O S T: free

Each demo is limited to 12 people.  Although there is no cost, you do need to sign up at the shop.  You can sign up by calling, emailing or stopping by the shop!

a paint party || ADDILYN'S 6th BIRTHDAY

My little sweet pea turned 6 last week.  It's so true what everyone told me....'time flies when they are young'.  I have really enjoyed each season and phase, but this age is a lot of fun!!! She is not one for big parties and get togethers, so a very small party with just her closest friends was right up her alley.  I was sick so I honestly didn't put the time and effort into it that I normally would have, but the girls all seemed to have a fun time....and I did too!

Just a simple set up in the workshop area of the shop....they each had an apron, 8 x 10 canvas, painting easel, paint brushes and paint.

We made these sweet little honey bee hives from craftymorning.com.  They turned out darling and it proved to be just the right amount of time and skill because the girls seemed to enjoy themselves without getting frustrated ;-)

The party was suppose to happen Saturday morning but got rescheduled because of a sick friend and a sick mama ;-)  We still went with the doughnut and breakfast theme though!

It was a simple party but such a fun way to celebrate my little sweet pea.  It's so easy to get caught up in the world of Pinterest and Instagram and think that a simple party or get together is not enough.  That it always has to be 'Pin' worthy.  So not the case!!!  It's all about spending time together and loving on others.

painted dresser || Chalk Paint® + MMS Milk Paint

About a month ago I picked up this cutie of a dresser at Habitat.  I thought it had darling lines and it was in good shape, it just needed some paint!

I kept the original brass hardware and I painted this dresser with 3 coats of Miss Mustard Seed Milk Paint, MARZIPAN.  I painted the sweet trim pieces with Annie Sloan Chalk Paint®, OLD WHITE.  I lighting sanded, just to distress the edges.  I sealed the entire piece with two light coats of Annie Sloan Clear Wax.

This cutie is for sale at the shop for $285.

painted furniture || ANTIBES GREEN CHALK PAINT®

A dear friend of mine is giving herself a beautiful home office.  She has switched some rooms around and is making a space that is absolutely bold and beautiful, just like her!  She had a solid hutch that she wanted painted, it's going to be her pop of color in the new office.  We settled on Annie Sloan's ANTIBES GREEN.....

It is a beautiful piece of furniture.  Solid, well built and has some really great storage.  It was a lovely piece to paint!

I used Annie Sloan Chalk Paint, ANTIBES GREEN, Annie Sloan lacquer and Annie Sloan Clear Wax.

The hutch was originally intentionally distressed.  It had manufactured worm holes, gouges and was made to look old.  She wanted the new look to be shiny and crisp, no sanded edges or distressing the paint.  This piece took four coats of paint (I watered down each coat, I wanted it smooth!) two coats of Annie Sloan Lacquer and one coat of Clear Wax.  I can't wait to see this beauty in her new office space!  I hope this has inspired you to paint something....maybe something bright and bold!

xoxo

removable wallpaper || little girl's bedroom

So, I have wanted to add some wallpaper to Addilyn's room for a while, it's just been low on the priority list.  Well, I finally pulled the trigger and on Sunday afternoon, the girls and I installed the sweetest, removable wallpaper.  Can you believe that?!?  It's removable.  No messing up the walls when you want a change and pretty easy to install!!

I have slowly collected and painted things for her room, all things that match her striped Dash + Albert rug.  It's just the sweetest rug with cheerful, fun, girly colors.  I wanted the wallpaper to match what was already going on in her room.....

The girls are at such a fun and sweet age.  We sure have fun together!  Even hanging wallpaper....although we had our moments ;-)

This is Ted.  Matt gave Addilyn Teddy Bear for her first Christmas.  She sleeps with Ted every night, so sweet.  Ted is quite worn and very well loved, and wears some pretty dresses....

I just love how bright and cheerful her little room is.  In case you are curious....

Dresser: painted with Miss Mustard Seed Milk Paint, FLOW BLUE.  Lightly distressed and sealed with clear wax.

Stool: vintage

Metal Bed: vintage.  Painted with Annie Sloan Chalk Paint, 1 part OLD WHITE and 1 part ARLES.  Sealed with clear wax.

Writing Desk: vintage. Painted with Annie Sloan Chalk Paint, OLD WHITE and SCANDINAVIAN PINK.  Lightly distressed and sealed with clear wax.

Chair: vintage. Painted with Miss Mustard Seed LUCKETTS GREEN.  Lightly distressed and sealed with clear wax.

Night Stand: painted with Annie Sloan Chalk Paint, OLD WHITE, lightly distressed and sealed with clear wax.

Wallpaper: removable wallpaper from WALLS NEED LOVE, LOTUS print.  

French Country Farmhouse || custom cabinetry

Last year we started to work with the greatest.clients.ever.  Truly, they are exceptional people and it has been an honor to work with them.  They built (actually, it's still under construction) their dream home and Matt was hired to build all of the custom cabinetry.  The clients were working with two sweet and talented designers.  My role was to help with paint colors and technique, as well as paint some of their existing furniture.  It was such a fun and challenging  collaboration! Hopefully we will have a professional photographer into photograph the home when Matt has wrapped up all of the little details.  But, the girls and I went to visit today and I snapped a few pictures.  I couldn't wait to share....

When you walk in the front door, you are greeted by this amazing dining room.  Matt built the cabinetry, as well as the dining room table.  The cabinetry has some custom finishes and is painted with Annie Sloan Chalk Paint®.  The dining room table is made from reclaimed oak.  Can you believe the reclaimed beams in the ceiling?!?  The pictures do not do the space justice!

The dining, kitchen and living room are all open with large vaulted ceilings and reclaimed beams.  In this picture, you can barely see the cabinetry in the living room.  The cabinets are painted with Annie Sloan Chalk Paint and have a wash over them.

Matt is still working on the built-ins for the refrigerator unit so I didn't snap any photos of the other side of the kitchen.  Can you believe he made that ginormous island countertop in just two pieces?!?  The hood is one of my favorite features.  I could brag on my hubby all day!  He doesn't brag on himself, so somebody needs to ;-)

For the powder room vanity, the designers  showed Matt a picture and wanted something similar....didn't this turn out darling?!?

The master bathroom cabinetry is also painted with Annie Sloan Chalk Paint®.  A mix of three different colors with a wash and dry brush technique.

There are more beautiful rooms and more beautiful cabinetry.  I will show more soon, and go into more details on the cabinetry and rooms.

Thanks T & P.....it's been such a dream to work with you!

PROGRESS || an update on the custom cabinetry job

For those of you that I talk to on a weekly bases, or even "here or there", you know that Matt has been working on a HUGE custom cabinetry job for the past six months.  The clients are the kindest, sweetest people and they have really good taste!  I thought I would post some progress photos of the cabinetry.

Can you believe the kitchen hood?  Matt came up with the design and I thinks it's amazing!  He had the metal fabricated and he made the corbels from the same reclaimed beam that he used to trim out the bottom of the hood.

These built-ins are in the dining room.  It's hard to tell from the picture, but the glass is seeded and the wood paneling in the black cabinet is all reclaimed wood.

This kitchen is truly stunning!  Matt made the kitchen island in two pieces, it's made out of reclaimed wood {or course ;-} and finished with four coats of sealer.

Matt made this mantel from a reclaimed beam.  This is in their living room and it will get cabinetry on both sides of the fireplace.

This guest bathroom vanity is one of my favorite pieces!  It's so simple and yet so classy!!  It's made out of...you guessed it....reclaimed wood!

Here is a shot of one of the kitchen walls.  The view out that kitchen window is amazing!!

I hope to get some photos of the finished space within the next month of so.  Matt still has some hardware and shelves to install, and then he will start work on the custom cabinetry in the office and a custom dining room table.  I promise to post pictures soon.....it's a beauty, that's for sure!!

painted metal chairs || CHALK PAINT® decorative paint

I have received a lot of emails and some FB messages about my painted metal dining room chairs.  I thought I would post just a short "how to"!

I had purchased four metal chairs from Overstock last year.  I like that they are durable, inexpensive and I just like the look.  When we refinished our "new" table, I purchased four new chairs as this table can seat 10.  As soon as Mr. UPS delivered the chairs, I realized the brown color wasn't working for me in the new dining area.

Here is a photo of the brown chairs for the kiddos table at Thanksgiving.

Here is a photo of the chairs painted.  One of the many reasons I love, and use Chalk Paint® decorative paint, is that it goes over virtually any surface.  If you have ever tried spray painting metal chairs, you know what a pain that can be!!  The Chalk Paint® works beautifully on metal!

1.  Scuff metal using fine grit sandpaper (I used 220) or steel wool.
2. Clean metal with warm soapy water, rinse with warm water and dry completely.
3. Apply two coats of paint, I used OLD WHITE.
4. If you want a distressed look - once the paint is dry, distress the paint by sanding the edges and places where the chair would naturally wear.
5. Apply two coats of Annie Sloan lacquer to seal and protect.

I love the look, in this dining room, better with the white chairs.  I will probably paint them again in the future, and that's just another reason I love this paint :-)

STENCILING A CONCRETE FLOOR || our dining room

We have been in our home for almost two years now.  The time sure does fly!!  We have some fun remodeling plans in the future and one space we would like to remodel is the dining room.  However, that won't be happening for a few years, so we decided to spruce the room up until we save up enough money to do our major renovations.

This room is right off of the kitchen.  It was a sunken living room and we have decided to turn it into our dining room.  Eventually, we would like to tile the kitchen and dining room space and add French doors to open to the outside.  Until then, paint is our best friend!

After painting the walls, we scraped, patched and cleaned the concrete floor.  I have always wanted to try to stencil,  I thought this would be a great time to try!

Here are the details on stenciling the concrete floor...

-We scraped, patched and cleaned the concrete floors before painting.

-We applied (with a roller) two coats of Chalk Paint® decorative paint, the color is OLD WHITE.

-We purchased the stencil from RoyalDesignStudio.com.  We opted for the "professional" size and I am so glad we did!  The stencil was easy to clean and very easy to use!!  I highly recommend their stencils.  They have some beautiful designs.

-We used Chalk Paint® for the stencil paint as well, the color is PARIS GREY.

-We applied (with a roller) two coats of Annie Sloan lacquer.  It's a water based lacquer with a matte finish.  It seals the floors beautifully and makes cleaning the floors very easy.

Overall, I am very happy with the results.  With less than $400 worth of supplies, some time and a lot of elbow grease, we transformed our concrete floor.   The space feels cozy and clean and now I am contemplating painting and stenciling my ceramic tile in the laundry room.  ;-)

Chalk Paint® decorative paint || FRENCH LINEN side tables

I often don't take the time to take pictures of spaces I have helped design, or custom painting I do for customers.  When it's my own house and my own painting projects, I can take the time to take pictures while the girls are playing or napping.  At this stage in my life, it's just more convenient to take pictures of my own projects!  However, I painted these sweet little side tables for a customer and it was easy to bring them into my home and snap a few photos!

The side tables were in really good shape.  They belonged to my customer's Grandmother.  They mean a lot to her and she wants to keep them, just update them a bit with paint.

I painted these little cuties with Chalk Paint® by Annie Sloan.  I used the color French Linen, lightly distressed the edges, sealed the sides with clear wax and sealed the top with Annie Sloan lacquer.  I antiqued the tables with a small amount of dark wax, put the existing hardware back on and packaged up care instructions with a sample of clear wax for my customer to take home.

I hope she enjoys these little tables for years to come!

painted side tables || Miss Mustard Seed Milk Paint + Annie Sloan Chalk Paint®

I bought two night stands years ago at a garage sale.  I used them in the girl's bedroom for a while and then for the past few years they have been sitting in the garage.  I finally decided to paint these little guys....

The blue color is BERGERE {Miss Mustard Seed Milk Paint} and the white detailing is OLD WHITE {Chalk Paint® decorative paint}.  I distressed the piece and then waxed it with Miss Mustard Seed Antiquing wax.

I priced them and plan on taking them to La Bella Casa.  However, I brought them into the living room to photograph them and now I kind of love them in the space.  They might stay here for a while....we shall see ;-)

SEASONS CHANGE

I know I am not alone in this....but I LOVE Fall!  The cooler weather, the Fall colors, the desire to make my home warm and cozy, the list goes on and on!  This is the view out our bedroom and living room window....

aren't those trees amazing?  It's inspired us to plant some maple trees along the new pasture fence.  We need a little Fall color down there!

In 'family' news, my sweet pea started Pre-School this year!  She is going two mornings a week and she loves it!  I am really cherishing this time with my girls....2 1/2 and 4 1/2, it's such a fun age.  They wear me out but they soften my heart every day!

In 'work' news, in less than two years, we have already out grown our work spaces on our property!  Matt builds cabinetry in the barn,  and he turned what was going to be my studio space into a spray booth.  This is what the front of the barn looks like....

multiple trucks and trailers as he moves cabinetry form the workshop area to the spray booth area and then up to the garage when they are finished.  And here is how my garage looks now....

full of finished cabinetry, furniture pieces waiting to be painted and custom pieces that are finished and waiting to be picked up.  I am definitely not complaining, just amazed at how we continue to grow!

Over the past year, we have been looking for a commercial spot in downtown McMinnville to move the retail and design side of the business.  Nothing was a good fit and I wanted to stay working from home to be with my girls.  Well, the perfect spot became available!  It even has a huge basement that we can use for storage and a huge play room/creative area for the girls!  It's just darling!  Escrow closes January 5th.  We plan on about one month worth of renovations, and plan on opening February 2016!  I can't wait to share the plans we have for the space!

In "home" news, not much has been happening in the way of projects.  Matt has been working 14-16 hour days, 6 days a week.  Since he is the "brawn and talent", not a lot has been happening!  He did finish the screen on the basement cabinetry and I love that it's finished! ;-)

I have also started to slowly tackle the laundry room and basement bathroom.  It will be a slow process because, big surprise, I need Matt's help.

But, over the past 6 months I have found contentment in my home.  It's not finished, and we have a lot of projects that we want to do.  But, it's a warm, cozy and beautiful place to raise a family, share life with friends and make memories.  And that's what's important to me, the rest is just the icing on the cake!!

painted oak vanity || Chalk Paint® by Annie Sloan

We haven't been working on too many projects at home lately.  Work has been extremely busy, which is good but makes for very little time to do anything else!!  We did sneak away to Pacific City for the day to celebrate my father-in-law's birthday.  We love Pacific City because we can drive right down on the beach and just camp out for the day!

At home, we have put together a plan to try to finish the basement space this winter.  We have to make my office space and finish the laundry room.  Mostly cosmetic and a lot of fun!  It's just finding the time to do it!

We have a small bathroom down in the laundry room.  It's the 4th bathroom in the house and it has served as a storage room for me every since we moved in ;-)  I finally cleaned it out and decided it's time to spruce it up!!

Here is the vanity cabinet after one coat of Old White Chalk Paint.  Before I started painting, I  wiped the cabinet down with warm soapy water, scuffed it with 180 grit sand paper, and started painting.

I painted two coats of Old White Chalk Paint®, lightly distressed the edges and applied one coat of Annie Sloan clear wax.  It was such an easy change and it really lightened the room!  I have some more projects for this space and hopefully with the weather changing I will have a chance to get to them ;-)

a customer's paint projects || BEFORE + AFTER

A couple of months ago I meant the cutest little paint customer.  She had just moved back to Oregon from Arkansas and was frantically trying to get her kitchen painted before the movers delivered everything.  She is just a cute little bundle of energy, and she has four kiddos to keep up with!!  You won't believe the transformation!

BEFORE:

AFTER:

Isn't it darling?  She painted with Annie Sloan Chalk Paint® and then waxed with the soft wax.  I want to move in, it's just darling!!

BEFORE:

AFTER:

She even made this light fixture!  Darling, right?!?

I love, love, love getting pictures from customers!  These pictures made me want to move right on in!!  She is probably a great cook too!

Next week I will have pictures from the Dayton renovation.  Everything has to be wrapped up in two weeks which is CRAZY.  My poor hubby is working around the clock to get this job finished in time.  Next week I will be working on the job site, honestly, I haven't done any jobs 'on site' since having kids (4.5 years ago!)  I think all of Matt's subcontractors will agree with this statement...."if Matt's not happy, nobody is happy".  Wish me luck ;-)

Have a fabulous weekend!

growing girls and a newly painted hutch

I feel so blessed to be able to stay at home with my girls.  Most of my work can be done early in the mornings, at nap time or when the girls play at Grandma's.

The other day, the girls and I were headed to the garden and Addilyn started the conversation…."my heart is so full right now. Savanna, do you love God with all of your heart, or just part of your heart?"  To which Savanna proudly replied "all of my heart."  Addilyn was pleased with her answer and replied "me too, that's why we have happy hearts.  Because we love God and He loves us even more".

The little conversation melted my heart and was the little piece of encouragement I needed.  I LOVE my work!  I could work all day long, every day of the week.  It can be a challenging balance to work (especially self-employed) and be with the kiddos, but for us, in this season we are in, it is so worth being home with the girls.  The girls even helped me paint this hutch…..

The top is painted with Annie Sloan Chalk Paint® (GRAPHITE) and waxed with two coats of clear wax and one coat of dark wax.  The inside is painted with Chalk Paint® (CREAM) and the bottom is painted with Miss Mustard Seed Milk Paint (BERGERE) and waxed with one coat of clear wax and one coat of dark wax.  This little beauty is headed to La Bella Casa this weekend so I can make room in the studio for more treasures!

Enjoy your weekend!  And your little ones!!

PAINTED HUTCH || painted with Chalk Paint®

I often forget to take pictures of different pieces I am working on.  I guess I just get side tracked, or I am just ready to move onto the next project ;-)  However, I did remember so here are a few pictures on a small hutch I finished last week….

The top is has three different colors/layers (all Chalk Paint®)…..French Linen, Old White, and the top layer is Pure White.  The bottom is painted with Paris Gray.  I lightly distressed the entire piece and then sealed it with Annie Sloan's soft wax.  After applying two coats of soft wax, I applied Miss Mustard Seed's white wax in areas and allowed it to build up, giving the piece a bit of a bleached look.

I added new knobs, painted the interior and called it 'good'.  It's a darling little hutch and it will soon be on it's way to La Bella Casa!

Enjoy your week and happy painting!!!

parties for the kiddos || teaching little ones to paint

One of my favorite parts of working with paint, is teaching others how to work with paint. Even better, teaching little girls. They are always so excited, well behaved (the class typically runs just over one hour) and they are just plain cute!

Sometimes Addilyn gets to help….which she loves!

If you are interested in having a painting party for your kiddos, here is some more information!

Happy Painting little ones!!

behind the scenes work + a dresser

Lately my work has consisted of A LOT of administrative/paperwork type work.  It always happens on the front end of larger jobs.  But, there is a light at the end of my paperwork tunnel, which means I get to move onto the pretty and fun part!  In the mean time, I have been puttering around the house and moving furniture here and there and organizing closets and such.

I painted this dresser a few months ago and it sits in our guest bedroom.  The next room on my 'organization list' is the guest bedroom!  I want it ship-pity sharp for our summer house guests….and it will probably take me that long to get it ready!

** the dresser was painted and wax with Annie Sloan products.  first coat ~ Graphite. second coat ~ Napoleonic Blue. waxed with clear wax and then dark wax **

A PAINTED DRESSER || before + after

Last month I found this darling dresser.  I am slowly trying to accumulate furniture pieces for when I move the shop downtown.  (By the way, it looks like we may have found a great spot!  I will share the details within the next week or so, when everything is finalized.)

Here is the BEFORE photo…..darling little details on this dresser!

And after….

I cleaned the dresser with a de-greaser cleaner and then wiped it down with warm water.  I scuffed it up a bit with 100 grit sandpaper, it was pretty shiny.

I painted the drawers DUCK EGG, and the frame OLD WHITE.  I distressed the edges and then gave it two coats of clear wax.  I left the original brass hardware because I just liked the look of the brass against the blue.

Once I move the shop downtown, I will list her for sale.  If I don't keep her for myself ;-)

Happy Painting!

THE BABY KEEPS GROWING || toddler's room

No matter how hard I try, I can't stop my baby from growing!  Some days can be really long with a 1.5 year old, just being honest, but I love her to pieces and really do cherish our time together.  We just moved her into a big girl bed so I thought it was a good excuse to post some updated photos of her bedroom!

We do have the metal/mesh side rails, I just think for pictures it looks better without them ;-)

All of her furniture is painted with various shades of green, I used Chalk Paint® and Milk Paint {surprise surprise}.  One of the many things I love about Chalk Paint® and Milk Paint, is that I can just paint over the furniture when I am ready for a change.  No need to sand, strip or prime! Love the stuff!

Just as she grows, I know her room will continue to change and grow with her.  Of course there is more I would love to do in her room, but for now it works and it's a fun space for her to play in!

xoxo