Better Late than Never....Chalk Paint!!

I know chalk paint has been the rage all around blogland for the past few months.  Well, I finally got around to purchasing some.  It really happened as an accident.  As many of you know I have a booth at a store called "Not so Shabby"  It is home decor, some antiques and lots of painted furniture.  About a month ago I stopped in to check my booth and there it was CHALKPAINT.  It seems that one of my fellow vendors is a stockist so I just had to buy some.  OK I am boring so I chose "old white".  I just love this paint.  It covers great, dries quick, and makes it super easy to distress an item!!

So......here are some before pics of a child's chair that has been hanging around in the garage for the past 8 years.

The chair itself is cute but distressed and not in a good way.  So with minimal sanding and 2 coats of old white chalk paint it looks like this........

I dry brushed some blue craft paint over the white and then distressed the chair a bit with some fine grade sandpaper.  I finished up with some spray polyurethane in a satin finish. Here are some close up shots....

I love how it turned out! I put it in my booth at "Not so Shabby" and it sold the same day!! I can say that  I am now addicted to chalk paint!!

Kari

PS. For those of you that want to know I made the pillow using the crown graphic from the Graphics Fairy.

Linked to:

Blogger Blues and Pillow Roundup

I really love to read blogs.....decorating and craft blogs are my favorite.  I have spent way too much time lately reading other peoples blogs than working on my own.  That is because as I am going thru my radiation treatments for cancer I just cannot find the energy or enthusiasm to post.  I know that sounds bad but right now its just easier for me to read others blogs than it is to work on my own.  I have the blogger blues and the blues in general.

I am going to try to post as often as I can providing I have the energy.  I love your comments and read them all.  I have some great ideas about posts I would like to do and I will, but not now, probably in the next few weeks when my treatment is over and my life gets back to "normal".  Thanks for still following me and thanks for understanding. 

Today I am posting a pillow round up.  I love pillows.....they are such an easy way to change the look of a room.  Enjoy the photos.........these are pillows that we have in our cottage.  Until next time .........enjoy!!!!

Kari

Linked to:

Newbie Party At Debbiedoos

Fun, No Sew, Rag Purse

I just have to share with you the most talked about and complimented item in my wardrobe.......my rag purse.  Everywhere I go people ask me about how I made this purse.  It gets a lot of attention!!

Let me share some photos and then I will share how I did it..........

I followed the tutorial at http://ohsohappytogether.blogspot.com/2009/08/todays-tutorial-rag-bag.html I did change a few things though.

I used a loose weave basket type purse, I added the rag strips all over the purse not just on one side, and I made a cut fabric flower that I hot glued on one side.  I found the basket weave purse at goodwill and just used fabric scraps that I had on hand.  It cost me less than $5!!!

Very easy and so fun!!

Kari

The Cottage- Exterior

I have been blessed in my life to have 2 of my lifelong dreams come true.  The first was to own a bed and breakfast, which we had and loved for 8 years until I got burned out!!  The second was to have our own cottage in Northern Michigan.  The cottage we purchased 3 years ago and we have been adding our own touches.

The cottage is all new inside and was renovated by the builder we bought it from.  It does sit on a 1940's foundation and still has many original interior features.  It is just 3 blocks from an inland lake and 1 mile from Lake Michigan!!

It is about 1400 sq. feet with 3 bedrooms, 1 bath, a large kitchen, and a sunporch.  It sits on about an acre of land.  Just the perfect size for a cottage for 2, and of coarse 2 yorkie girls!!

The front

Another front view!

The view from the deck.  A small stream runs thru the property!

The front porch

Garage entry door.  Note wooden charger now a chalkboard house number sign!

Iris by the front porch!

This little place had been so much fun and we escape there whenever possible!! Stay tuned for more photos of inside as we work on each room!!

Kari

Burlap House Number Pillow

Burlap is such an "in" fabric.  I really don't like working with it ......it is so messy but yet I do love it!!Anyway, I found a yard of this gold colored burlap at one of my local thrift stores.  It just sat in my fabric box for a while.

When putting my front porch together this spring I decided I needed some new pillows for my porch swing.  I thought of the burlap sitting in my fabric box.  So I got out my Cricut and made a stencil of my house number and stenciled it on to the piece of burlap.  I then just made a quick sham back pillow and voila.....A new pillow for my porch swing!!!!!

Kari

Linked to:

http://houseinroses.blogspot.com/

Metamorphosis Monday

Blog party at Savvy Southern Style

Pink Trumeau Mirror

Earlier this Spring I was out doing my thrifting rounds and came across a very tired looking trumeau mirror.  The mirror itself was loose and about ready to fall out of the frame.  I really loved it though and brought it home.  My hubby took it all apart and said it would be easy to repair the mirror.  When we took it apart we found a manufacture date of August 1946......So cool!!!

I set out to painting it.  Here is what it looked like apart with some primer on it.

I decided to use it in our cottage.  The color scheme for the living room is pink and green.  I used Sherwin Williams "rosalie" which is a very pale pink.  I then added some distress ink( my new favorite way to distress anything- not just paper) with a stencil brush. My hubby then put it all back together for me and tightened up the mirror itself.  And here it is hanging in our cottage all 25 lbs of it....... It really is heavy!!!!

Sorry about the hands and camera shot......I just wanted to show the detail at the top of the mirror!!

I just LOVE it!!!

Kari

Linked to:
http://frenchcountrycottage.blogspot.com/
http://commonground-debrasvintagedesigns.blogspot.com/
http://www.atthepicketfence.com/
http://missmustardseed.blogspot.com/

I am still here............

First let me say I really don't like blog posts without pictures, but this one will not have any pictures.  Nor will it have a decorating idea or a craft project.  I know, totally unlike me but let me explain.

The last 3 1/2 weeks have been a whirlwind, and a nightmare.  After having some health problems for several months and lots of doctors appts, I was diagnosed with cancer on May 19. I have always been a very healthy person.  I watched what I ate and actually lost 40 pounds over 5 years ago and kept it off.  This was a shocker.

So 8 days after diagnosis I had a total hysterectomy via Davinci surgery.  I was in the hospital just overnight and back home in my own bed in 24 hours.  My dear hubby has taken excellent care of me.  12 days post surgery I am feeling good but tire easily.  I will be off work at least 2 more weeks.

I got the news today that my cancer is stage 1, no lymph node involvement.  I will know more about follow up in a couple of weeks BUT it is looking good.  It was caught early!!

So, now you know why there have been no posts.  My heart just was not in it.  But slowly I am returning to normal and I have some wonderful posts planned including a tour of our redone cottage and a redo of a beautiful mirror........so stay tuned!!!!!!!

Kari

PS.  Please pray for my friend Jordan.  She is 19 years old and just underwent her third surgery for thyroid cancer.