chalk paint: evolution of a china cabinet

My china cabinet is finally finished!

Remember about a year ago how I scored the $200 china cabinet? I probably have dubbed it my best-Craigslist-find-ever. After painting it with Annie Sloan's French Linen chalk paint I used the clear wax and it really did look great. I had always wanted to use the dar wax but just never felt inspired to do it or really had the time. Well, my friend Callie wanted to repaint her dining room chairs with chalk paint and so it was the perfect time for me to finally buy the dark wax and get to work. And I am so glad I did!! It totally transformed the color to the shade I wanted (it's much warmer and not so gray-blue) and really makes the piece look finished. 

I love working with chalk paint. It's super easy - however, if you have to first clear wax the entire piece and then dark wax (if you want to). Tip: I did straight dark wax first over the piece in all of the crevices... dark wax is hard to work with; once it is on there it's pretty much set. After I dark waxed, I combined my dark and clear wax to a 50/50 ratio and went over the entire china cabinet. The wax was so much easier to work with and really blended the color well... it made it look much more even and not so streaky (if that makes sense!). Here's the progression of the piece below... now to just fill it up with blue and white spode plates and bowls!

painted, clear waxed and distressed

painted, clear waxed and distressed

with dark wax - totally adds dimension and a nice warm tone

dark wax

diy :: fabric tassel garland

I admit that I'm slightly obsessing over my tassel garland I made for the girls 3rd bday party (and that will eventually go in the big girl room)... as I gushed to my sweet husband about it, he looked and said "it looks like panties hanging from a string." Awesome. Got to love a man to tell you bluntly what they think. Ha!

Anyway... for those of you who think keep seeing the tassel garlands popping up on Pinterest, I've laid out my little instructions below. I used the tutorial from Pretty Prudent as a guide and then added in a few of my own steps/touches. Note: I decided to use fabric because I thought it would last much longer than tissue paper.

What you will need:

1 yard fabric, various colors (I chose light pink, coral, dark pink and flax in broadcloth from Hobby Lobby)

1/2 yard tulle (optional!)

scissors

Instructions:

1. Take one yard of fabric - it should look like one big square. Fold in half and then half again. Open the square back up so you have a t on your yard of fabric. This will be your guide to cut... I never measured this but each "square" should be an 18" square. Cut along the t so you have four squares. 

2. See picture below to help: Take one of the squares and fold in half. Put the fold at the top. Using your scissors, cut the fringe upward toward the fold, about 2/3-3/4 up. (top left I made each fringe about the width of my thumb. Once the fringe has been cut, open up the fabric and using your fingers, make sure everything lays flat. (top right) Carefully roll the fabric, tight as possible - grip that middle section that hasn't been cut and use your fingers to untangle the fringe as you roll. Once the whole piece has been rolled up, fold in half so the folded part is at the top and the fringe hangs below. (bottom left) Using a scrap piece of fabric tie the tassel at the top and ta-da! (bottom right)

 3. Repeat this process over and over again. Now... doing this produces pretty big tassels, so I actually started to halve the 18" square and the tassels were much lighter and easier to roll up.

4. Cut a long piece of jute or twine and layout how you want your tassels to flow. I had actually only made tassels out of the flax, dark pink and light pink fabric. I tied on my center tassel to mark the center of the garland. The rest of the tassels I just slid the jute through each of the loops on each tassel.

5. I cut strips of the tulle and coral fabric and just tied them onto the garland between the tassels as filler. (see below) I tried to make a tassel out of tulle but it was such a mess and looked horrible. Tying it on the garland was much easier and effective. I didn't want too much coral in my garland, hence why I just tied on about six strips.

 6. Voila! All finished and looks so cute!

pinterest project / lindsay letters

I have been wanting to buy this beautiful artwork, below, from Lindsay Letters ever since I saw this canvas on a blog and pinterest last year. It's so beautiful but I just don't have the money to spend on it... Well, I decided I would give it a try myself! Using plain white chalk, I copied the letters as best as I could on my kitchen chalkboard. Some of the letters I just had to do in my own handwriting because it wouldn't work out... I think it turned out pretty darn cute!! A few tips: wet the chalk, write it all out, then go back make thicker lines... wet the chalk over and over. It really helps!

Here are Lindsay's pieces on her website... these three are my favorite. I might have to ask for the "Come Thou Fount" piece in April for my birthday. Just beautiful!!

china cabinet :: project finished

The china cabinet project is done and I am SO happy with the final product. Let's start with the good stuff... 

This seriously was a very easy project - took me about a week from start to finish, only spending about an hour a day - or when I could fit it in between work and being a mom. I used Annie Sloan's Chalk Paint in French Linen and her Clear Wax and Wax brush. I decided to keep the original hardware to match the hardware on our antique table and to keep the glass because, well, it just looks nice! Here's the breakdown of the project:

Before

Before

I decided to paint two coats on the top of the base before I put the hutch on. Here you can really see the contrast of the color of the wood and paint. Remember - with chalk paint, No priming, No sanding, NO anything... Just start painting. I used a regular paintbrush I had left over... you can use any paintbrush you want. 

After attaching the hutch, I taped off the glass, removed the hardware and drawers. Again, I just started painting, top to bottom, left to right...

First coat done... definitely needs two.

I learned that chalk paint dries much more quickly than other paints I use on furniture. This is a very good thing. Plus, the chalk paint goes a lot further than regular paint... so more cost up front but you can get a lot of uses out of it. Here is the hutch with 2 coats of paint and a coat of clear wax. Here's my tip on the wax... GO LIGHT. Now, go even lighter than that... really. You think you barely have any wax on your brush and it's probably still too much. You want to coat your piece in a very thin layer. Technique tip: I took a plastic spoon and put a glob on a plastic plate. Then, I dipped my wax brush in it like I would a powder brush, then on the other side of the plate, patted it until the excess wax was off the brush. The wax has a strong smell, so I wouldn't do this step around children. After about one day, most of the areas of my china cabinet weren't tacky feeling anymore... meaning, the wax had completely absorbed. For the areas that still felt tacky, I went over with an old tshirt and "buffed"/rubbed the wax until it felt dry. 

Lastly, I sanded and distressed the hutch to give it some character. There is no need to go over the sanded areas with wax. I added back the hardware and gave myself a big pat-on-the-back. I am still debating if I want to do some dark wax in the crevices to make it look more aged... but for right now I am totally pleased! Now Daniel wants me to sell it and make some money - Ha!

Still to do - style it and fill it up! I really haven't had time to do this... I'll post pictures later once I have everything done. Oh! Total cost of the project - about $175 - just like I thought - and yes, that includes the cost of the china cabinet!!

fabulous finds part 2

I have been on the hunt for the perfect blue and white spode china to hang over our new coffee nook in our dining room. Since Daniel had the girls yesterday, I was able to go to all the stores I can't go in with the girls (antique shops, fabric stores, etc...). I had MAJOR success - probably one of the best shopping trips in awhile! 

I first went to the antique store on Kirkwood and Memorial. Their store is filled with blue and white china, but pricey. I decided to buy the center plate for $20 only because it had a different shape and would be a good center/anchor for the display. I bought the smaller plates in the top corners for $8 each... making that $36. Not too bad, but you can't make a display with 3 plates. On to antique store number two... Rummel Creek Antiques on Memorial. SCORE! I saw the most beautiful display of five plates on the wall but they were $50 for the set. I was kind of bummed because I didn't want to spend that much... but wait, the tag on one of the plates was backward... I flipped it over and it said: on sale, five for $20. SOLD! You really can't beat $56 for a wall display of antique china. They are even more gorgeous in person. Yay!

To continue my blue and white kick... I went over to Calico Corners because their 20% off sale starts next week. They had some beautiful new fabrics in. I fell in love with the cream and navy acorn print on the left. I am going to recover the cushion on our accent chair in the living room with this, as well as make 1-2 pillows for the sectional. I'll do one pillow in the ticking (top), one pillow in the light/dark blue print (middle)... and the best part? That navy print fabric on the bottom is discontinued... I was so bummed because I love it... well, the girl at the counter said I could take that and the rest of the fabric home for FREE because they just throw it away!! What?! Did you know that! I will definitely be making a pillow or two from that! 

Now that I know how to sew a straight-edge, my next sewing project will be to make pillows with all of this fabric. That might be awhile since it takes time for fabric to come in. Looking forward to being crafty and getting the reward of a nice looking house on the cheap. Okay, gotta run... Daniel has just shown up with my new china cabinet. Woo hoo!

fabulous find

I am SO excited about this find on Craigslist! I've been wanting a china cabinet for our dining room since we've moved in, but I put that idea on the back-burner because china cabinets are expensive. Well, I found this china cabinet last week online for $150 and got it for $125. I can't believe it. It's solid wood, has beautiful bones and I cannot wait to paint it and make it cute!

We have all dark wood in our dining room, so I was thinking of painting this in Annie Sloan's Chalk Paint in French Linen. It's a beautiful gray color and I can pick some up when we go to Dallas next time at Jenny's store. The glass is okay... but I might knock it out and put chicken wire in! I'm already giddy with this project... plus, I'll be able to do the entire project for less than $175, which is a major steal. Give me a month or so and I'll have the "after" ready to go!

To Do:

1. Paint & Wax

2. Keep hardware - just spray paint different color

3. Knock out glass - put in chicken wire

4. Find white pitchers/vases and blue and white china to display in upper cabinets.

5. Buy drapes from Ballard Design to frame out window (have a friend who is giving me a major discount - yay!)

6. Finalize "coffee bar" area - already have done this using the old buffet from Pottery Barn. Will reveal later... we have loved having a coffee station this week!

OH! Daniel gave me the go-ahead to do the bedroom. YES! Here's the breakdown:

1. Ruffle shams from Target came in - perfect.

2. Found a bolster pillow from Etsy - need to monogram it.

3. Still in search of a white quilt. Ridiculous.

4. Spray painting Daniel's dresser lamp today.

5. Probably going to keep our crystal lamps for now and get those Ikea ones later... used the $100 saved to buy the china cabinet above. :) Much better use of the money.

6. Will use leftover chalk paint on the side tables. (Chalk paint goes a LONG way!)

Fun fun!! Not that I'm not busy enough already. Ha!

sneak peek :: invites

I'm in full planning mode for the girls' second birthday party. I'm trying to stick to a tight budget and to as much of it on my own as possible. As mentioned before, we are doing a fiesta theme for the girls - I am very excited about how well their invitations turned out!

Here's the breakdown:

Set of 50 blank ecru colored invites, Target, $9.99

Various colors of tissue paper, Target, $5.99

Glue Stick

Scissors

Lots of time and patience!

Total cost for 40 invites: $16 plus cost of stamps. So cheap and easy!!

I designed the girls' invite using Pages on our iMac. I chose three fonts: one simple ("Print Clearly"), one script and a fiesta font ("Matador" - which you can find online free!). After spending time getting the invitation down, I printed them through our printer and they came out great. I did the same with the invitation: used Matador and the simple font for our return address and the script for the addressee. 

Using scissors, I cut various lengths of tissue paper then cut upwards to make fringe. I glued the tissue paper at the bottom of the invites to make it look like the Mexican tissue paper banners that hang in restaurants. I think they turned out really well!! 

I put round one in the mail yesterday and the rest will go out today. I plan to reuse these fonts in labeling food, drinks and treats at the party. I also plan to use the tissue paper for decor around the house. 

Planning a fiesta? I have both of these documents saved on Pages and wouldn't mind sending you the files if would you like to have them!

get crafty :: linen pinboard

I wanted something other than a typical bulletin board for our office. I've seen lots (and have pinned lots) of linen pinboards on Pinterest. When I started to look online to buy one, I realized quickly that they are expensive - like $100 and up! Crazy! So I decided to tackle this little pinboard on my own! 

Supplies: 

corkboard, size to your liking

spray adhesive

fabric

staple gun

hammer

scissors

blue tape

Total cost for me: I only spent money on the cork board ($8.50 from Target) - everything else I had on hand! I used leftover oatmeal colored linen fabric that I had used to recover the girls' glider. I love cheap projects!!

Directions:

1. Cut fabric to fit cork board, leaving about 4- 6 inches on each side 

(you'll need this much to pull the fabric tight).

2. Spray the front of the cork board with the spray adhesive. 

This will help the fabric lay flat on the front side.

3. Begin by pulling fabric as tight as possible on one side. As you pull with one hand,

staple with the other. I used the wood lining of the back of the cork board as my

guide as to where I need to staple. If the staple didn't go all the way through,

I used my hammer to make the staple go in all the way.

After I stapled and hammered down one side, I cut the excess fabric off.

Repeat process on all four sides. Make sure your corners are tucked in, 

smooth on the front and stapled down securely! 

Ta-Da!! So pretty!

4. I cut holes in the fabric where the hardware was to hang the board. Then, I lined blue tape across the board and marked where the nails would go.

5. Then I took that blue tape and put it on the wall where I wanted the pinboard to hang.

I love this blue tape trick - no more guessing and measuring where nails must go! 

I put nails in right above where I had marked arrows on the tape, hung the board and...

Voila! I love it!!

I have some of my favorite pictures, quotes, letters and fabric all hanging... 

I plan to put up some fashion and home inspiration as well!

magic stain remover

Do you know what the amazing combination of baking soda, dawn and hydrogen peroxide is?

image via 'one good thing by jillee'

A stain remover that is more amazing than bleach!!

I found this concoction HERE via pinterest. I am so glad I did! I have a few shirts that have been yellowed over the years and they were in the donate pile. I was so sad to see them go... well, after seeing this website, I figured, I'm donating the clothes anyway, so if they're ruined, no big deal.

Here's the recipe: You combine 1 tsp dawn, 3-4 tbsp hydrogen peroxide and 2 tbsp baking soda. Using an old toothbrush or washcloth, scrub the mixture into the stained area. Let stand an hour or so and then wash as normal. Here are the results below: (these are the pictures from the other website, not of my shirt - didn't think to take pics because I didn't think it would work!)

image via 'one good thing by jillee'

Seriously guys... I haven't been this exciting about laundry... well, ever. I've saved the girls' white bows, taken out old spaghetti sauce stains from my white jeans and all those shirts I was going to donate.

And... it works on colored clothes, too! I haven't tried that yet, but the blogger said (and shows) it saved a blue shirt of hers.

Fall Link-Up :: Recipes & Crafts

My friend, Ashleigh, over at Thankfully Thrifty, asked me to participate in her fall link up over on her blog. Various bloggers are participating so if you have a fun, fall craft or fall recipe to share, go to her blog and link up! What a great way to find some good recipes just in time for Thanksgiving!

Today I'm going to share with you my two favorite "sweet" recipes for fall:

1. Double Chocolate Pumpkin Cake with Pumpkin Spice Buttercream Frosting. OMG. This cake will rock your world. Made it for Daniel's bday and wish I would have made double the recipe so I could have had an entire cake to myself. (pic above via pinterest)

2. Pumpkin Muffins - I blogged about this recipe last year (can find it here). The only changes I have made to the recipe are as follows: instead of 2 tsp of pumpkin pie spice, I use 1 tsp of pumpkin pie spice, 1/2 tsp of nutmeg and 1/2 tsp of cinnamon. 

Now for my two crafts. Both ideas came from Pinterest - love that website. 

1. I wanted to do something other than bows for Christmas. I was originally going to use twine on my brown wrapping paper and then I saw this picture:

So I decided that pom-poms were the way to go. How adorable are they!! If you google "how to make a pom-pom from yarn, you can find a tutorial.  I bought bright red, sage green and ice blue as my yarn colors... I will say that I was choosing yarn based on color rather than texture, and using Bamboo yarn is definitely not as thick and fluffy. Looks like I'm going to have to use a TON of yarn to make my pom-poms as puffy as the ones above. Regardless, I'm still using the ones below for mini-packages. They are too cute (and too time-consuming) to just throw away!

2. Give Thanks banner - I had a Halloween banner and just used the burlap scraps I had left to make a new one. I didn't do polka-dots this time but I probably will because I liked the pop of orange.

I have seen some awesome crafts lately on your blogs! I love Katie's silhouette of Knox she made from a tutorial off of Pinterest. I think I may have to try that next!!

pumpkin decorating

Before Daniel left for Israel (more on that later) we did our pumping decorating with the girls. No sharp knives here - but we did bust out the sharpie markers - crayons didn't really show up!

Pictures taken via Instagram for iPhone - my favorite App!