re-doing a re-do :: my chalk paint experience

i may be the last on the chalk paint bandwagon.

don't judge, it takes me a while to be convinced to try new things.

however, after seeing so many great projects and reading equally

great reviews i thought i would try it.

if you are one of the rare few that has not heard of chalk paint

 please don't be confused with chalkBOARD paint.

not the same.

chalk paint is a particular blend of matte paint

created and patented by annie sloan.

i bought mine here.

i'll tell you what i think about it in a moment but first i'll

show you what i did.

last year i purchased a basic broyhill nightstand in

a cherry finish for $10 at a yard sale.

 here it is after a coat of a mossy green/gray mistint

from home depot.

after we moved last september and i started

re-doing our master i knew this would eventually

get a new look but wasn't sure what it would be.

i had no plans to paint this week but avoiding larger projects

will get me to finish up all sorts of smaller projects! so

on wednesday i unexpectedly found myself painting her with some chalk paint.

her she is now.



i'm really liking it! so much more interesting to me

than the last look.

here's my two cents on chalk paint for what it's worth.

1. love the way it goes on. super easy to work with.

2. the fact that primer and sanding are not required is amazing. it is almost

like a primer as it dries to a very matte finish.

3. it dries quickly - 20 minutes or so.

4.  it sands easily, coming off almost like. . . well, chalk.
5. no odor!

6. the biggest con for me is the price.

7. and tied into that is it's availability. unless you live near

one of the providers it must be mail ordered. and shipping paint ain't cheap.

8. the color options are limited. but i do like what they have and if

you are adventurous you can mix your own colors.

on my piece i used "duck egg" all over then

went over the drawer fronts with "old white."

after rubbing it up with a mid grain sanding block

i used a clear wax as a protective coat. i then

mixed a little dark walnut wax into some clear wax

to age it a bit and add some depth, then put a final coat on.

i'm linking up to miss mustard seed and funky junk interiors. go on over and get some

furniture inspiration!

bringing out the ducks and seeing yellow!

i've had these ducks for a while.

in our last house they sat perched atop our

large built-in's.

in this house they have been sanctioned to the hall closet with

some of the items i couldn't bare to part with when

i was "simplifying."

but now they are front and center on the mantel.

i also threw up a few books, some blue ball jars, and a colorful

little crafty candle stick holder.

craving more yellow in the house i spray painted

an old mirror that had been gathering dust in our shed.



it's similar in color to this dresser across the room which i love.

say yes to yellow!

back to the mantel.

it's pretty simple. . . i just gathered stuff from around the house.

but it feels fresh and it makes me smile.

once again, i apologize for the poor quality pics.

i wanted to show you the bottom, though, as it's getting a

face lift soon.

we recently took the fireplace insert out - it was brass that i had

spray painted black - so that i can do a whitewash

treatment on the brick.

'twill be interesting.

i'm a little nervous since you can't really go back to the brick

once that's done, ya know?

while i do my research on that i made use of the space.

we have lots of books floating around the house that need a place to

land. those built-ins i mentioned earlier? we don't have any in this house

so i am having to get creative with where our books are stored.

they are in nooks and crannies all over the house.

i also didn't want to pack away my candles so

i just brought them from the mantel to the  hearth

and threw up a few empty frames behind them.



i'm kinda diggin' it.

also, it's hot.

yes, it's may and that needle is pushing 100!

y'all stay cool this weekend and have a great

memorial day weekend!

i'm linking up with kevin and layla at the lettered cottage today!
go check it out cause there will be lot's of mantel inspiration.
and as usual, the lettered couple's mantel is amazing!



the den is done

i finally finished planking the wall in our den.

man it took a long time to finish that one little wall!

but that's how it is when you pay as you go i guess.

i have been buying the planks as i make cash off selling

random items on craig's list.

if you want to make over a space in your house but

are short on funds don't overlook getting

rid of some things around your house that you don't really need.

or things that you aren't crazy about.

doing it this way has really helped me to simplify.

and how can you go wrong getting rid of

things you don't really love in order to make your home

a place you do love? you can't! 

and best of all. . . you don't mess with the budget!

quickly, to refresh your memory, you can read here to see the

"before" till last week pictures.

and here is my finished wall.

i also took down the yellowish faux bamboo roman shade

from the previous owners and threw up my old

stand by curtains, aka, drop cloths.

the planks are mdf and are a little under 1 x 6 .

i ran a 1x 4 across the top, caulked and painted it out

to finish it off. and yes, that is popcorn ceiling.

it's all over the house and i am banking on it coming back into

style one day. what?

geez, sorry i didn't straighten and fluff the pillows for you! this is why

i will never make it big as a home blogger!

anyway. . .

it's really hard to get a full picture of this room. another reason

i need a new fancy schmancy camera with a wide angled lense.

alas, my point and shoot will have to do for now.

now that the wall is done i am itching to change the

grouping above the sofa but that will have to wait as well.

my herbs have gone nuts so they are showing up all over my house

as i wait for my zinnia, shasta daisy, and black eyed susan to bloom

and take over all my blue ball jars and old coke bottles.

the painting, by the way, was done by my brother many years ago.

i've always been drawn to it and love the contrast

it brings to this otherwise cheery space.

i'm on the hunt for a new lamp shade but other than that

i am calling this room done. well, as done as i get anyway.

i'm always tweaking! 



before
(as entry is being opened up)

after



linking up with donna at funky junk interiors
and erin at 3 meadow lake cottage

bringing up boys

“I rode my bike for 8 miles on the trail. And I flipped over the bars like this (demonstration) and hit a metal sign. I might be a legend.” – 8yo

“Mom? Whales. . . or trees. Which one?” - 4 yo

“mom. . . mom. . . mom. . . mom. . .mom. . .” – 6 yo

“mom! Why you toot? You not daddy! – 4 yo

“I’m full. Can I have dessert now?” – 8 yo

“I don’t want a turkey sandwich. I want a cookie. Five of them.” – 4 yo

“mom, take this.” – 6 yo

“what took so long for these shorts to get clean?” – 8 yo

“I did take a bath. . . I don’t know why there is still pizza sauce on my face.” – 8 yo

“mom? Rain or. . . trucks. Which one? – 4 yo

“MIIIILLLLLK” – 6 yo

“I don’t like flowers. I like guns and basketball.” – 4 yo

“mom, i like to burp. You like to burp?” – 4 yo

“mom, my reading level is 5.8. what’s yours?” – 8 yo

“I didn’t pee on the toilet seat, he did it.” – 4, 6, 8 yo

“I don’t know how the bath water got on the bathroom ceiling.” – 4, 6, 8 yo

“I did not break the lamp, spinner did it. No, bean did it. Wait, no, dad did it. *sigh* okay, I did it.” – 4 yo

"hey mom, listen to this. i can burp and toot at the same time." - 8 yo

naptime diaries

meet jesse.

she and her husband, nick, and

their three little ones

have become an active part

of our church plant.

they are with us for a season

and then, Lord willing, they plan

to go do the same in boston.

plant a church that is.

"planting"

that is the language used

for beginning a church from scratch.

i once thought it strange but now i find

it appropriate.

everyone that tends a garden knows that

planting requires a great deal of

care, attention, watering, light, the right kind of soil,

the right kind of food,

pulling weeds so the plant doesn't get

choked out, patience, and so on.

that's how our plants grow.

and that's how the church (the people) grows.

we need to be fed and poured into.

we need a good foundation.

we need to be constantly pulling

"weeds" from our own life

that threaten to choke us spiritually.

we also need to be in community - doing

it all together. not just receiving encouragement

but offering encouragement.

jesse has a real desire to encourage.

to plant seeds of hope and truth into other

women and watch them grow.

just as she is growing and learning

and struggling and rejoicing herself.

it won't take you long to see that on her blog,

which you can find here.

 this week she is celebrating

women with a fun giveaway and i

thought i would let you know.

i threw in a couple of items for the giveaway. nothing

fancy - one of my chalkboard pots and a couple of

frames. they are leftover items from the stock

i had at the thomas company.

(i pulled that stock, btw, don't think i ever mentioned

that or changed the info here on the blog.

i'll get to that. soon, very soon.)

anyway, go check it out. you are sure to find

something you like.

i for one love the fabric necklace and may have

to drop a hint to pastor j about that one.

::on the quinby cottage project front::

the den planking is complete. on the next

bright sunny day i will get some pics.

i forgot how dark it is inside

during the summer with the

tree canopy around our house.

when it's cloudy outside you can forget about

taking any decent pictures. and let's face it,

my pics struggle enough as it is.



tweeting, planking, gardening and such

do you have a twitter account?

the whole twitter phemon has been a mystery to me.

i just didn't get it.

i wasn't terribly interested.

and then patricia heaton of everybody loves raymond fame

wrote this note on facebook about reeces rainbow, a ministry

that is dear to me. patricia heaton got wind

of reeces rainbow on her twitter feed. . .

then she read more about it. . .

she visited the blogs of families waiting to

bring their kids home. . .

and she got the word out.

through twitter.

awesome!

and even though i keep up with reeces rainbow

through their website i got myself a twitter account

 so i could officially follow them, to help them reach their goal of 10,000

followers.

so now, i'm a tweaton. not sure if i will ever use it to actually tweet

or just to follow a handful of other folks but there it is.

i caved.

for a good cause. :)

::in other news::

the planking continues here at quinby cottage.

so does the master bedroom reno, which as i have said

before is moving at a snails pace.

the latest, some sheets turned curtains.

i grew some grass. wheat grass. i'm hooked and will

now do this every year for spring decor.

all it takes is the container of your choice,

some soil, and some wheat. i got about

$1 worth from the bin at our local health food

store. and the pail was from the dollar spot at target.



my hosta is coming in beautifully!

i'm working on a butterfly garden.

and tank continues to be the most mismatched dresser

in his preschool. he doesn't care. neither do i.

cottage love

if you haven't already picked up the

summer 2011 issue of cottage style

then you haven't seen this.



go to jerusalem's blog pronto

and check out the pics of her home

featured in the summer issue.

i think i'm in love.