July's Big Giveaway

This month, Refresh is working with Spruce Collective to get the word out about Ce Ce Caldwell paint! I will be giving away a FREE SPOT at the next Level One paint class, on July 13. Just Like and Share Refresh at my Facebook page here, and you're entered to win.

This package is a valued at $170.00! 

• 4 hours of hands on education with Ce Ce Caldwell Chalk & Clay Paint.
• Take home starter kit
• 10% off any paint purchase
•  Lunch is included

Summer is the perfect time to start those projects you've been putting off, and refresh your roost! 

Contest closes Thursday July 11 at 10 pm. Winner will be announced here, on Friday July 12. Check in to see if you'll be enjoying a day in the classroom with me at Spruce! 

Chesapeake Blue Cabinet

Some of you may or may not know that I do custom painting for people. I'm not just a one trick pony you know! This week I painted a piece for a customer at Spruce Collective. She requested the new Ce Ce Caldwell color, Chesapeake Blue, with minimal distressing. Typically I wet sand to remove the paint, smooth it out, and create a distressed look. However, this piece was a little different. I rarely find a piece of furniture that I need to prime first. Typically if I want a very crisp white over a very dark brown, I will apply one coat of primer, just so I don't use so much paint, and ensure a clean coverage. I never have to apply primer with a colored paint. Two coats usually does the job quite nicely. This time however, for the first time ever, I needed a full three coats. Now, this particular color is a brand new release, so I haven't actually worked with it before. I am unsure if the pigment isn't as strong in this particular color base, or if the furniture has had so many years of furniture polish and oil build up that the surface was just too smooth to adhere to the paint. Either way, it needed a bit more tlc than the average piece that I work with.

The coverage issue was a deciding factor in my choice to dry sand vs wet. In some cases I really like the result of dry sanding. It creates a flawless smooth finish, and removes a small amount of paint where you want to show distressing. At times with wet sanding, if you haven't had the paint adhere as well as you would like, it can wipe right off. I wasn't afraid of it all coming off, but I was afraid of achieving too much distressing. So dry sanding was a good choice in this case.
The downside of a dry sand, is that it make a giant mess. It is very similar to dry wall dust. It sands very easily, but creates a cloud of dust. I looked like a smurf.....
Three coats of paint was a great choice. It covered flawlessly, and had enough base to sand, that it turned out crisp and clean. I sealed it with satin finish instead of wax because dishes would be sliding around on the surface of the shelves, and I wanted it to be more durable for her.
When all was done, I encountered a small dilemma. Because of the three coats of paint and satin finish, the bottom door was dragging on the shelf.  Just when you think you're done....

To solve this problem, the only viable solution is to sand the underside of the door to prevent drag. 

When all was complete, and the glass was cleaned, I must say that the cabinet turned out beautiful. 

I like that this color has the perfect balance of gray and blue. I am looking forward to layering this color with either Vermont Slate or maybe Pittsburgh Gray. I want to capture a masculine feel on my next piece I think. Hubby said there isn't enough "boy furniture"....

Thanks for stopping by! Hope the tips and tricks help you on your next project.

Special Delivery

On March 20-2013, we welcomed a baby Girl!

8lbs 10oz

23 inches long

8:45 am

Flynn Allyn Edi-Mae made her rapid arrival into the world, 13 days early and in 1hr 42min. Although daddy missed her birth, and was forced to go back to work after only 3 days, arriving home at one month old, I will be honest in saying "Whew....am I ever glad that's done"! And am I ever happy to have another little girl in our house. After struggling with some food sensitivities, and a very rough first few weeks, we have finally figured out how she works. (we think)...

I am not one to sit still, and being as ill as I was during my pregnancy...and having a very unhappy newborn...I finally feel ready to jump (or crawl) back into my life. Although I won't be blogging very often, or working nearly as much as I was, I promise that I will do my best to keep you in the loop of what I'm working on and offer up as many tips and tricks as I can along the way. 

They say that if you can find a job you love, you'll never have to work a day in your life. Well, I LOVE and thrive from being creative. This is my passion, and my joy (besides my family of course).  I have been blessed with everything I have ever wanted, and sometimes it truly takes a pause in life to make you see that. Flynn has arrived in our family as though she has always been here, and belonged. I am overjoyed at her arrival, and I look so forward to being able to be with her everyday, while I also get to paint and create. Life couldn't get any better! 

 Thanks so much for checking in! 

We are so thrilled to share our news

Nursery on a Budget

For anyone who has had a baby, you are probably aware of how expensive this little adventure can become. With us preparing for #3....we had to keep our cost down, especially since we literally had just sold the last of our baby gear. Ahhhh, the joys of life! Thankfully, I have an amazing girlfriend who was able to help me out with some serious hand me downs. The crib being the most expensive cost, was given to us for FREE! A huge sigh of relief when you start adding up the little things. I have scoured the kids swap sites with a vengeance, looking for second hand (inexpensive) replacements for the items we had recently sold or donated. I am pretty impressed with myself, and scored some amazing deals. Thankfully, I had held onto our dresser from our daughters room...and before that, our sons. It was never a color I wanted or liked, but I made the best of it. However, because I had unloaded the matching pieces to the set, I could now paint it and do something different. Out of sheer laziness, I decided to keep the room color the same, even though I desperately wanted a fresh coat of paint, I had to call it good and walk away.  The brown walls are too dark for what I want, but I decided to accent it with as much white as I possibly could. So, the dresser was going white! It started as cognac color. An orangey brown....I did not love. I was most definitely over the wooden knobs! So thanks to Ce Ce Caldwell, I was able to paint the entire piece with no priming or sanding. Whew....it was still a big job, just because I really wanted to cover as much dark as possible. So it took a bit more coats than normal. (and I'm a fuss-ass)

After a few coats of white and some light sanding, I finished with two coats of Satin Finish. I actually did three on the top, just to be sure we have a solid poop protection layer. I found the most amazing shabby chic knobs and I could not be more in love with this piece.
*After sealing with Ce Ce Caldwell's Satin Finish, you'll notice a "gritty" texture is left after drying. At this point you can use a superfine 600 or 400 grit sanding sponge block to buff it to a shine, or as I found out while doing this project, a superfine steel wool works AMAZING. Not to mention it's 1/2 the cost and will last you through many projects, unlike the sanding sponge. Just make sure to do it in an area where you can wipe the project down thoroughly, as the steel wool will leave behind some bits and pieces.

I found this little table at Winners of all places, and I simply fell in love. Sometimes, it's just not possible to find everything you want in the thrift store, and you have to buy vintage recreations. This piece had such great shape to her, I tried to walk away....but that shape of her body just got me! I found the little blue bird knobs at Hobby Lobby in the USA, for $2.50 each! I love that they are distressed and show some rusty metal through them. The table was originally a sea foam green, and didn't match the room, so I painted her in Johnson Daffodil. I LOVE it!

I reused the white frames that used to be in my son's room and dug out the piles of scrapbook paper that I have stacked all over my house.

I also picked up a handful of frames in various sizes at the thrift store for under $20 all together. I had found an old vintage book of nursery rhymes last year, and cut out this perfect Little Robin Redbreast rhyme, and tucked her in what used to be a hideous frame that I repainted in Ce Ce Caldwell's Vintage White. It cost me $0.50.

I found a really cute Cricut cartridge that had some adorable birds and owls, and went to work to create my own art for the room. Thanks to Pinterest, I found loads of inspiration!

My daughter has this identical frame in her bedroom, so when I found it at the thrift store for $5, I had to have it! I found this little bird on The Graphics Fairy, and I printed her on a piece of scrapbook paper that had a really great background. Simple...and cost me pennies!

I decided to stick with as many hand made pieces as possible this time. I had found a series of really cute mobiles that people had made and was able to score some serious deals after Christmas when the wreaths all went on sale 80% off. This was a hideous wreath that was regularly $33.00. I bought this and one smaller with my discount coupons and spent $14.00 in total with tax! Then using paper and ribbon I already had, I created this little mobile to hang above the crib.





















Because I was trying to avoid pink...the entire room has been taken over with blue. Had I gone with my instincts, the whole room would have been chiffon yellow, white ruffles and soft pink. Not to mention a big crystal chandelier. Not necessarily because I think it's a girl, I just really like the thought of my nursery feeling like a cupcake. Since I don't know what I'm having, I am trying to stick with a natural theme. If it ends up being a girl....her room will eventually be an explosion of pink, chiffon yellow and white ruffles....and a crystal chandelier.

The final task at hand was the curtain. I was trying to lighten up the walls with as many white accents as possible, and I had a vision of a ruffled shabby chic curtain against the brown wall. Now, I'll be honest with you, sewing is not really something I'm great at. I don't measure and I usually just eyeball things. By this point in the room...I frankly just wanted it done. So I'm much less concerned about the fact that it's crooked, and much more relived that it's finally finished. Don't judge me....

 My bestie had given me this white jaquard fabric a couple years ago, and I have been waiting for the chance to use it. I love that it was EXACTLY what I had in my mind for a curtain.  I went ahead and ruffled some white linen I picked up at Fabricland on sale for $6 a meter. This would be the covering for my thrift store lamp shape!

So there it is! Finished, stocked with diapers and wipes, and clothes are washed and hung in the closet. (Boy and girl of course)
Now we have 9 weeks (7 for my body) to await the arrival of baby Walker #3. Excited, nervous and anxious all at the same time.

I'll keep you updated on how the new arrival likes the room.....hopefully I can find time for that somewhere!

Poplar Market Success!

 WOW! I must admit that I am completely blown away by how amazing our little school did with our first market. Not only did our PAC do an incredible job of putting it all together, but I was shocked by how many people showed up! Truly wonderful. I was even more shocked by how well my little booth did. By the end of the day, I was left with a few small items and my Christmas decor. Which I will admit, that I wasn't too heartbroken that it didn't sell.  Needless to say, it will be used in my living room today!

My biggest surprise was this little desk.



Sometimes, after you put your time and effort into something, it's tough to imagine how it will be received. I honestly wasn't even sure it would sell, and I was certainly not prepared for how many compliments I was given. It was the first thing that found a new home, and it remained until the end of the day. Leaving so many people saddened when I would say..."sorry, that has already sold". Isn't that funny, I thought the Christmas ornaments and signs would be my top seller, and yet beach decor and large furniture was the   most popular.

I painted her using Ce Ce Caldwell Chalk Paint, (which you can pick up locally at spruce collective, in downtown Abbotsford) in Alaskan Tundra and Vermont Slate. My hubby had sanded and stained the top for me, but I wasn't a huge fan of how the stain looked with the green. So after a couple coats of the slate black, I distressed it allowing some of the stain to poke through in spots, and brought through the grain. I finished the top with a dark wax. I must say, that it turned out better that I thought it would. I was thrilled to see as many people loved her as much as I did.

I was so happy to see how many people were shopping my booth and finding gifts for loved ones. With Christmas one month away today GASP!, I am completely in the spirit of the holidays. I hope that so many of you out there are going to shop local and support the little guys this year. Thank you so much for your support and gracious compliments yesterday. I hope that I had the chance to speak to each one of you, and I thank you so much for coming out on a sunny Saturday to support our school. We all appreciate it so very much!

"What if Christmas" he thought, "doesn't come from a store"?  "What if Christmas, perhaps, means a little bit more"? 
                            Dr.Suess

Painting up a storm!

This weekend brought the West Coast a very wet, and dreary Saturday. It was the perfect day to be creative! Elisa and I took over the workshop at Spruce and taught our very first Ce Ce Caldwell Paint class. I was really surprised at how well it went, and even more surprised by how excited the girls were when they left. We started the day with 4 ladies who had never had their hands in chalk paint before, but all had a list of projects they wanted to tackle, with no idea where to start. I was thrilled to see ALL four leave with Ce Ce in their hands, anxious to go home and start painting. There is nothing better than inspiration!
The girls each were given 6 sample boards to work with, and paint how they wanted. This gave them each an opportunity to see how their favorite colors looked on a solid piece instead of just the paint chart.
        *One White
        *One Black
        *One Layered (light color over dark color)
        *One Layered (dark color over light color)
        *One Layered (any two colors)
        *Once Crackled (any two colors)

Then all the girls had the opportunity to create their own paint swatch card. This is actually a lot more fun then you would think. It's really neat to see all the paint cans lines up with the lids off. You never get to see EVERY can opened! The colors are so great, that it really allows your creativity to start matching colors that you would never think, simply because you never see them all out at the same time.

I was able to create an entire piece from start to finish, which I think really allowed to girls the chance to see how simple it was. It turned out to be a fun demonstration. I paired up two colors that I typically wouldn't use, but when I saw all the colors out, I was really drawn to Destin Gulf Green. Paired up with Vermont Slate (black), the finished product was better than I had in my head. I originally was going to pair the black with a dark grey, but the punch of color was a much better choice. Sometimes it's better to NOT play it safe. That's part of the fun.

I love how the color deepens when you add the final coat of wax to it. I did a clear wax on the table top and a dark wax on the legs to enhance the depth of the Vermont Slate. 

Elisa's drawer that we demonstrated crackle finish on, turned out fantastic. The best part is that it cost $1.25 to achieve this look, instead of the costly "crackle" medium that stores sell. Of course I'm not willing to share that little secret quite yet. For that, you'll have to stay tuned.

All in all, it was a really informative day. I can't wait to hear about the projects that the girls tackled at home. Even better, I can't wait to see what colors they mixed and matched. Sometimes the colors that other people choose can keep you from getting stuck in a rut. My best advice is to take a risk! Step outside of your safety box, and try something new. It's not permanent, and sometimes you'd be surprised at what you actually like. It's not a black and white world! Add some spice, change things up and don't take things so seriously! After all, it's just paint!

Sprucing things up!

Firstly, let me apologize about my absence.  Some of you may already know that we are expecting our third baby in the spring, and due to what some refer to as "morning sickness", or in my case, all day sickness, it has prevented me from living my normal life. Therefore painting and blogging had to take a backseat for a while until I could pull it together and be a functional human being!

But the good news is, that slowly but surely, I am coming back to the land of the living. During the course of my own personal mayhem, I have been able to watch my good friend Elisa and some VERY talented ladies open up an AMAZING vintage store in downtown, called Spruce. If you haven't already checked it out, you don't know what you're missing! In case you aren't privileged enough to live locally, you can check out the website www.sprucecollective.com. It's worth it!

The benefit of having such great friends in this business, is having new doors open. You'll notice that the girls are stocking the chalk paint line, CeCe Caldwell. They have been gracious enough to invite me to become an educator for Spruce! I could not be anymore excited about this, as I have wanted to be a part of this endeavor from the day they started planning. But having two kiddlets and another on it's way, alas, it was just not the time for me. But having the opportunity to be involved in this avenue is something that makes my heart sing! I am so passionate about this venture, and I can't wait to get my hands in the paint and start sharing some tips.

There are so many great benefits of this line of paint, but most importantly for me, it is completely green. Having NO VOC's in either the paint or the wax is something close to my heart. With little ones at home and a baby on the way, this means that I can continue to do what I love and not have to worry about any toxic chemicals leaching into my home. This is so important to me.
I love the fact that there are so many color choices. Since you also have the opportunity to mix and create, the color options are endless! I find this so exciting. So stay tuned for tips, tricks and lots of other info as I play with the paint and learn some new techniques. I can't wait to share what I learn!

Our first paint class is scheduled for Saturday, October 27, at Spruce Collective in downtown Abbotsford. It's going to be a really fun class, with lunch provided! Check up on Spruce's website for upcoming events and classes. We hope to see you there!