Claw Feet Side Table

Recently I acquired a sweet little side table from my Mom. Downsizing, she had some furniture she didn’t need any more and I snagged this table. I forgot to take a before picture but it was a medium to dark brown. I fell in love with the green color of my sideboard and decided to try the ASCP color Verailles.

 

First I painted the table with the chalk paint.

 

 

Then I did a little distressing.

 

 

And set it up in the perfect spot in my family room.

 But something just wasn't right. 

 

And then it came to me....the top was nice but a little boring so I decided to add a little color and design.

I was inspired by the colors of this pillow...

....and the design of this wall iron.

So..........

First I stenciled a similar design using a home made chalk paint in a blue.  You might remember the stencil from this project.

 

 

 

Next..on with color #2.
ASCP - Arles

 

Finally the last color, (an my favorite), Red!

 

Thanks for visiting,

Patriotic Mantel

Memorial Day is a day of remembrance for those who have died in our nation's service. I am fortunate that out of the family members who have served and are currently serving none have been lost in the pursuit of our freedom. Thank you God.

Like a lot of American families we spend part of the Memorial Day weekend celebrating family with a cookout. Ours was yesterday and a good time was had by all. In preparation for the event I decorated our mantel in a patriotic theme using everything recycled. I made the vases (HERE), found the trays at the thrift store for $2 each, the picture of my granddaughter was a gift to me on Valentine’s Day and the little crystal clock was a wedding gift.  

Patriotic Mantel

 

  

I hope you all enjoyed your Memorial Day weekend!

Here are a few pics from out get together.

Thanks for visiting,

Changes: What's Old is New

I have to admit I have been slow to blog the past week but I swear I have been busy. So far I have made a valance for my bathroom, refinished a dining room table and painted an old sideboard. In the midst of this scurry of projects I decided to move around some furniture for better use. Below is a pic of an old dresser, (and other pieces in various stages of completion). 

 

This dresser  used to belong to my daughter and since we moved into our home (three years ago) and she took over my solid wood set, (a future painting project), I moved it into the spare bedroom to store personal stuff like brushes and combs, hot rollers, hair accessories and more. 

 

 

I love the craftsman look of the dresser, especially the hardware, and wanted it to be in a more exposed spot in my home and what better place than the living room. It is a perfect piece to set the TV on and it has lots of drawers for storage. Of course I pulled one of the drawer out to house the cable box (I drilled a hole in the back to fit the cords). The only problem was the top...it was a mess.

I knew it would be hard to stain the top so that it matched the rest of the piece so I decided to go with a darker color. 

After stripping to the bare wood, I used a coat of dark walnut (#1), followed by a coat of Kona (#2), followed by a second coat of dark walnut (#3)...all by Varathane. I am not sure why that recipe achieves the rich brown I love but it does.  I then topped it off with three coats of Polyacrylic. 

 

  

On a side note...the three frames  were wedding gifts that I have been saving for just the right spot. I think they have found a home. Now I just need to figure out what pictures to put in them. I'm thinking black and whites...what do you think?

I love the way it turned out and am so excited to complete the rest of the room. Stay tuned and thanks for visiting.

Updated Sideboard - Back to the Future

It was 1999 and I had just bought a new home. It was the first time that I had purchased a home that was all mine. It was also the first time I had purchased a dining room set. I loved that set and was so happy with it for many years. Unfortunately it became more outdated as the years past and two years ago I decided to refinish the table to extend it use a little longer. I found the instruction on pinterest and followed them to the tee. It was my first painted furniture project and honestly it was not the best but it lasted two years. I just threw it out last week, the chairs went out a year ago. The table's design was outdated so I didn't hesitate to throw it out but the matching sideboard had (has) more modern lines and even through there is a glass insert I decided to restore it. 
 

I mixed my own chalk paint and finished it with rub on wax (a little dark mixed into the clear). 

I spray also painted the hardware and found three knobs at the HomeDepot on sale for .89 each. 

I love it!

Thanks for visiting,

 

Four Generations

Last Sunday my children, my niece my granddaughter and I visited my mom in celebration of Mother's Day. We had a really good time enjoying a meal and each other's company. My mother's hearing diminished several years back making it difficult for here to hear conversations with more than one person but she was so happy to have her family around she didn't mind at all.

My mother was born in 1922 which means she will turn 91 this summer. I am her third child and her first girl. She has 11 grandchildren and 10 great grandchildren. My granddaughter, Lucy, is her 10th great grandchild and was born to my daughter. Here is a picture of the four of use...four generations.

This got me to thinking (again) how fast time flies. As I grow older I find myself wanting to spend more of my time nurturing relationships instead of a career. God has provided me with the most amazing blessed life I want to make sure I appreciate it and everyone in it. 

Here are a few photos of my mom and my kids then and now. What precious memories they are for me and hopefully for them too. Enjoy!

Thanks for visiting,