French Bench

My hubby found this great bench for me at a move he was doing. That's the best part of having a hubby who moves furniture for a living, he usually comes across items either before they hit the thrift store, or the owners are selling them really cheap. It's a great bonus!
She had lots of potential, but was really lacking in spirit. Drab and boring, in fact.

I had already started applying a coat of ASCP in French Linen to her, before I remembered to take a before picture!

I had the most amazing french inspired fabric that I had been dying to use, but wasn't sure what to use it for. 

It matched the French Linen and Old White so beautifully, and I was excited to tackle an upholstery project. Earlier this year I took a mini course in it, and was itching to use my knowledge.  However, I will admit, it was a little intimidating. 

After a coat of Dark Wax, and the upholstered bench fastened on, I am in love with how she turned out! I wish my tiny entrance way would allow for something like this. What a great way to hide shoes, or even store extra blankets in a bedroom.  She is fully painted inside and out, and waiting for someone to take her to home.

A bed fit for a queen....or three

My grandfather had built this little bed originally for flowers....get it, a "flower bed".  He's so darn witty! However, after making a few of them, my dad discovered that his cats liked them much better. So the kitty bed was born! I have had this one booting around my house for about a year now. It has moved from room to room, until I could find a permanent spot for it. Finally last week, I found a space in the living room.

I had thought about painting it all white, or Duck Egg, but I really didn't want it to be too matchy matchy in the room, I wanted it to have it's own identity. So since we have a house full of girls, three to be exact, pink was the winner! I would have consulted with them , but clearly they were all quite busy.

Kia - The Princess

Sisters- Stella and Samson (fyi we thought Sami was a boy when she was named....)

I started with a coat of Pure White, and topped it with Antoinette by Annie Sloan. Once I distressed it, some of the pine also poked through. I had some fabulous Parisian fabric left over from my bench make over and thought was pretty, but sophisticated finished product.

Now, the question is, will Sami like it now that she doesn't match?

Ignore the picture of my husband and I making out. We like to make sure our guests feel just a little awkward when they come to visit. 

Clayburn Re-cap

Whew! I am amazed at how much preparation goes into one day!
Although the day was not as successful as I had hoped, I was able to make some great contacts and share the day with some really talented ladies, and for this alone, it was all worth the effort. I was so happy to be beside Elisa from home sweet nest and was so VERY thankful and thrilled to have one of my besties, Alicia join me today. I thought I would throw together a few pics of my booth, and some of the items that are still available, should anyone out there fall in love with them and want to take them home. (wink, wink)

Due to rain, we were all moved into the Old School House. I must admit that this made me very happy. I had so many small items, that they would have been all over the ground had it not been for the ledge and shelving. Whew! Thank goodness for rain!

I just love how this dresser turned out. When I began to sand the many years of grime and paint off of the top of her, it revealed the most beautiful grain underneath. The same grain peeks through on the lingerie drawers that are hidden neatly behind the doors. The little beachy table is currently residing in my living room, and to be honest, I am not to saddened by the fact that she didn't find a new home today. The dresser has also found her permanent residence in my daughters bedroom. I am completely in love with them both. (dresser and daughter...table too) 

My husbands favorite piece of all is the little Apron Board....use your imagination, I'm sure you can figure out why. Sigh.... men.

I am so excited about how this bench turned out! I will be featuring her in the near future, showing her before pictures. I think you'll be shocked. 

As awesome as my little booth turned out, I must admit that there was something even better to end the day for me.....a little piece de resistance, you might say.

Miss Home Sweet Nest herself, playing the only song she knows. It is these moments right here that make me laugh so hard I can hardly stand it. Elisa's sense of humor and her friendship is one of the greatest things in my life.  She didn't even do half bad....mostly.

I'm looking forward to the next market and the chance to slowly branch out and spread my wings in this crazy little world I have found myself in. A HUGE thanks to Cathy and all the wonderful and inspiring ladies that I had the pleasure of sharing my day with. You girls have all brought me under your wings and made me feel like I belong. Thank you, thank you, thank you!

Sunshine Award

I am blessed to live a life that allows me the freedom to do the what I love the most, and surround myself with like minded people who are creative and have amazing talent. This morning, my good friend and mentor Elisa from home sweet nest honored me with the Sunshine Award.

The Sunshine Award promotes bloggers who positively and creatively inspire others in the Blogsphere! To be worthy, one must answer 10 questions so others can know a little more about you and pass along the award to ten other bloggers.

1. Favorite Color - Pink! But to paint with, I would have to say that Duck Egg (Annie Sloan) is currently my obsession.

2. Favorite Animal - My three girls! (Cats)  Kia, Stella and Samson.....to be fair, we thought Samson was a boy when we named her.

3. Favorite Number -13 and 62. (Sorry to all the superstitious people)

4. Favorite Drink - Ceaser with a table salted rim, light on the spice and pickled asparagus! 

5. Facebook or Twitter -  Facebook 100%. I have never even looked at Twitter.

6. Good Book or Good Movie - Movie, movie, movie! I get distracted too easily to ever be engrossed by a book.

7. My Passion -  Being creative and crafty. (and being a mommy)

8. Getting or Giving Gifts - As much as I love to receive a good present, I would say that i love giving more! I get all excited when I have found something that I know they're going to love. It's the very best!

9. Favorite Day - Any day that might involve me throwing a party! But honestly, I love Halloween...my son was born the next day, and it has become a really huge event in our house.

10. Favorite Flower - Gerber Daisys and Tulips. (pink)

I would like to pass this along to 10 amazing bloggers that inspire me.

1. Diana - Vintage Cove Girl

2. Leanne -Because I think I can

3. Carrie - The Passionate Home

4. Donna - Funky Junk

5. Kristy - 4 the Love of Wood

6. Kim - The Tom Kat Studio

7. Toni - A Bowl Full of Lemons

8. Betsy - Belly Feathers

9. Tracey - Raggy Girl Vintage

10. Rochelle - Whatever Lola Wants Lola Gets

Here is how this award works:

• Thank the person who gave you the award and link back to them.
• Answer the above 10 questions yourself.
• Select 10 more bloggers , link their blogs to your post and let them know they've been awarded the Sunshine Award!
• Don't forget to copy and paste the Award on your blog!

Blank Pallet

Just a couple of days away from the Clayburn Market, and I must admit that I am no where near as prepared as I had planned hoped I would be....
If you see me frantically running around Home Hardware in my painting clothes and unbrushed hair, you'll understand why. Of course, as usual, I leave all the big stuff to the last minute. This comes as no surprise.
So I thought tonight, with my few spare minutes, I would do a little sneak peek of what you'll find at my sparse, but joyful little booth this weekend.
I just love palettes and old wood. I'm not sure why, but I also have a love affair with Mason Jars. My dad brought me some palettes that they had laying around, and today I was inspired to create art.  I found these letters at our local thrift store, and wasn't sure what I had planned, until I laid them all out to realize they spelled "Sea"! Ahhh, now the wheels are turning!

I love the look of burlap, and have been using it a lot with the beach theme. It seems to be working fairly well. As I have said before, I am going through a serious vintage beach addiction right now. Maybe that's my inner voice telling me I need a vacation? Well, at any rate, it's working for my creative side. 

See you all this weekend!

Love Letters

This project was really exciting for me. A close family friend is getting married, and wanted to do something unique for the wedding cards they would be receiving. She found this mailbox at a yard sale for $10! What a great score. She asked me if I would be able to make it look old. With it's shiny aluminum sides, it just wasn't quite what she wanted.

So first, I spray painted her a chocolate brown. I wanted the chocolate to show through when I distressed it, not the shiny aluminum. Although once I did start distressing past the chocolate, the aluminum looked really authentic peeking through the brown. 

Next I gave her a thin coat of chalk paint, in an old white. Then I used a couple of different grits of sandpaper and started distressing. To finish it off, I wet down a fine grit sanding sponge to burnish off the remainder of the paint in some spots, just to ensure the aged and worn look. 

I found a font that looked like handwritten script, and used carbon paper to trace it onto the sides of the box. She had chosen the words,  "P.S. I love you".

 I filled it in by hand using a small paint brush. Tedious, but the finally result is really authentic. Typically I would distress the writing, but I wanted the words to be bold and stand out. I then wrote the word "cards"  onto the little red flag. I finished off by buffing a clear wax over top to seal in all the paint. Because we were going for an old beaten up look, I did the final coat with a dark soft wax. I applied the dark wax in the areas that I wanted to highlight the most. I wanted it to look like it's been sitting in someones back yard, covered in years of dirt. 

Then finally she was done!  I am super excited for my bride-to-be! This was a really fun project to tackle. I hope my bride loves it as much as I do. 

Clayburn Heritage Day

Welcome to the launch of refresh! After cutting my teeth blogging as The Former Fashionista, I decided that it was time to close my eyes and take a leap of faith. So here it is! I'm so excited to announce that I will be a vendor at the Clayburn Village Heritage Day. I am looking so forward to embracing something that I am passionate about, and having the chance to release my creativity into the world. I have already had the opportunity to meet so many amazing wonderful women and have found great inspiration from their art. I look forward to taking the next step in my life and can't wait to share my ventures in junk with you!
See you on July 15 at the market!