BUSY....CRAZY!!!!

Anyone else feel busy and crazy?

Last week started with an ice storm that had us at a dead standstill.  But then...we went back to real life and it was zero to sixty.

We had...a piano recital, 3 performances of a musical in which my daughter had a couple of solo parts (which means I was there for every performance), a parent teacher conference, Girl Scout meeting, field trip (an outside one...in the cold AND rain), cookies to son's class for birthday, son's birthday, religious education service project, Junior Catholic Daughter's service project, Christmas shopping, and a doctor's appointment. 

In the midst of all that...I sold a dresser at the antique mall!!  Luckily, my mom and partner, was able to take some little things out there to replenish.  It went from this

 to this

Still looks cute but I think it's lacking the one big anchor piece.  I'm working on it...in the middle of 5 million other things.  Can't wait to show off the piece I'm doing right now.  Can't wait to have time to finish it!!

In the mean time, let me finish showing you the rest of what I worked on during the ice storm.  I blogged about the rooster and the owl here.

Do you have an old frame that looks worn and tired?  Or the color is out of date?  Frames are super easy pieces to refinish.  Just a little #Shabby Paint chalked paint and a quick finish of Varnish to protect it and you've got a brand new piece.

I also worked on a frame that turned out GORGEOUS!  I bought it at an estate sale and at first it looked like this...

It was not horrible looking but so much better with Shabby Paints Peacock blue, Old Gold glaze and Varnish.

Maybe you have a little table or dresser that is in great shape but a tad boring?  Next up is an adorable little side table/dresser that fits this description perfectly.  My mom bought it for my grandfather's room at the nursing home where he was living this time last year.  He passed away in January.  I drive by the nursing home many times a week when I go to Jazzercise and still get a pain in my heart when I see it.

Anyway, I got too excited about refinishing this piece and did not take before pictures - the more you follow me and my blog the more you'll realize I'm a huge airhead and am constantly forgetting to take before pictures!

But, the brown that you see is the before color - just slightly boring-ish.  The more you follow me and my blog the more you'll realize that I make up my own English language. 

I painted the front of the drawers and the sides in Shabby Paint Worn White and then gave it a distressed looking finish of Hazelnut #ReVax.  I love how it turned out!

So that ends the tour of stuff I finished during the ice storm! I got a lot done!

But most special during that time was the family together-ness (see, my own language again).  We watched movies, went sledding (well, not me - haha), baked and ate together.  It was wonderful to have some forced downtime.  Makes us remember to sometimes CHOOSE to take that downtime together every once in a while!

In the meantime, take a look around your house and see what pieces you have that might need a spruce up.  It can be an easy way to make some changes in your home #decor.

Ice Storm Blues

It's been COLD and ICY here in Dallas the past few days!  This is our first day back to real life since last Thursday!  We actually had a great time. Luckily, our electricity didn't go out like many people we know.  The kids watched a LOT of tv and went sledding several times.  I baked and we all ate bad for you stuff.  We kept a fire blazing in the fireplace.  And I did TONS of painting!!!  I'll be sharing some projects with you!

See the rooster and owl above?  They've been in my booth since day one.  They're cute - but I knew they could be awesome!

Even if you don't have a booth, painting is a great way to spruce up decorations you've had around the house before holiday entertaining starts up.  It can also help with holiday gifts.  Both of the items I'm highlighting here were bought at thrift stores for a dollar or so.  A little paint makes them both gift worthy...in fact, someone I know MAY be getting one of them - but I won't say who and give it away!

I used Shabby Paints Peacock Chalked Paint which is a pretty bright blue - kind of turqoise'ish.

The rooster has lots of grooves so I finished him off with black ReVax and it turned out gorgeous!

The owl got pearl ReVax!  Might be hard to see well in the picture but it looks gorgeous in person.

Vax is Shabby Paint's amazing furniture finish that gives the protection of varnish and the look of wax.  Put away your buffing cloths and sore arms - all you do is paint them on!  No rubbing, buffing, or sweating while you finish up those projects!  It's amazing!  ReVax is Vax in colors - pearl, black and hazelnut (dark brown).  They are beautiful!

I also did a frame with a glaze and a small dresser in Worn White with hazelnut ReVax. Stay tuned to see how those turned out!!

Stay warm!

Project Frustration!!

Have you ever done a project where EVERY SINGLE THING goes wrong??  I had hoped to post a picture of this chair / bar stool that I'm refinishing...

But SERIOUSLY...EVERY. SINGLE. THING. has gone wrong!!!  UGHH!!!  Ran out of paint, got a glob of a different color on part of the chair that had the paint I had already run out of, messed up the graphic I was trying to put on the seat.  

I think it's time to put it aside for a while and get back to it another time before I throw it through a window!!

Ever have those projects?  What do you do?  Take time off?  Fight through it?  Have a glass of wine (which is what I'm doing right now)?

Cupcake Liner Christmas Tree

This craft was so fun to make!  I had a canvass that I painted green and then covered it with red sparkle paint.  I had some festive cupcake liners which I folded into fourths and then hot glued them to the canvass in a Christmas tree shape!

I used burlap and a ribbon for the tree stump.

I made this for the fall bazaar I was a part of about a month ago.  Tons of people stopped and ooooh'd and awww'd over it...but no one bit.  It's in my booth now. 

Now I'm on the hunt for more cute cupcake liners to make more of these cute signs in different shapes - maybe a snowman or a snowflake!

Painted Fall Frame

Just in time for fall stuff to stop selling and Christmas stuff to start...I made a beautiful fall frame!  I know, I'm always a step behind.  Oh well!

I've had this one for a LONG time! I got it super discounted at Hobby Lobby forever ago. It had this lovely picture in it.

Hahaha!!  Hello Mr. Fish.  Looks like your luck ran out!!

 I tricked the kids and showed it to them when it was still in the frame and told them it was going over the couch.  They were like WHAT???

Here is a picture of just the frame.

And a close up.

Nice details but I knew it would be so much better painted!

I started out with a coat of CeCe Caldwell Texas Prarie - kind of a light green color.

Don't you love my painting table cloth?  It used to clearly be a Christmas one and now it is just all kinds of random colors.

Next I covered it with CeCe Caldwell's Mesa Sunset.  I distressed with a wet wipe and then gave it a coat of CeCe Caldwell's Satin Finish.  I didn't get a picture of these two steps.

Last, I covered it in Shabby Paints Hazelnut ReVax to make it look aged.  I LOVE this stuff if I haven't said it a million other times.  It's a varnish and a wax - without the hard work of wax!!  I could have used dark wax and a it would have taken a lot of muscle work and time.  But instead I just painted it on and was done!  Easy Peasy!  Oh, and gorgeous if I do say so myself!  Barbecue I've found if you don't compliment yourself, sometimes you don't get compliments!  Haha!  Unless you hint around for them like I'm doing now and then you're never really sure if they're real or not.  Oh well - I take them how I can get them!

And it's now in my booth - #0622 Wheelbarrow Cottage in the Antique Mall of Mesquite - 3330 N. Galloway, Mesquite, TX 75150 - open 10-6 M-Sat and 12-6 on Sunday!

Fall / Christmas Pallet Signs

A while back ago I posted about some wood pallet signs I made from wood shims for Easter, Spring, 4th of July, etc. They are easy and cute! I made several to sell in my booth for the holidays.

I made this one for fall.  It is made from felt circles and fabric stuffed with plastic grocery bags to give it a little dimension!  I love the chevron fabric!

This one I had painted red and white last summer to use for 4th of July but never got around to doing anything with it.  I had some green vinyl so...voila!! A Christmas sign was born!

I love how this one turned out.  I printed the graphic onto burlap and mod podged it onto the wood. 

I had made one of these for a fall bazaar I was a part of at my Jazzercise center.  I have seen tons of Keep Calm and Jazzercise On things but I always thought that was backwards.  I Jazzercise so I CAN keep calm!  So I turned it around.  I had made one in green and pink for the bazaar but another center owner was there and wanted one in black and white for her center. 

I have so much fun making these!!  I'm already looking forward to making some Valentine's ones!!  Red felt hearts?  Or pink felt lips?  Hmmm....

New Computer and New Name

Wow!  A few weeks ago our laptop just DIED!  It wouldn't turn on.  And of course it happened RIGHT while I was trying to get a bunch of stuff done for a fall bazaar where I was selling a bunch of crafty things.  I needed my computer for to operate the Silhouette Cameo for some signs I was making as well as some graphics I needed to add to some furniture.  STRESS!!  I got though it though.

We finally just got a new one that came Wednesday.  I am having a hard time getting used to it though.  Ugghhh!! It is a lot different from out other one - I can't seem to type on it as well and it has Windows 8 which is very different.  Change - no fun!

One change in my life is fun though - the booth I opened at an antique mall!!  My mom and I decided to go in on it together.  It was kinda scary but it's been a lot of fun.  I just picked up our first check and we already made rent in the first two weeks!  I haven't sold any furniture yet - boo - but everyone tells me to give it time!

I'm calling my little business Wheelbarrow Cottage.  There is a story behind the name which I'll share one day.  I decided my blog should have the same name.  I have a Facebook Page too - just look it up by Wheelbarrow Cottage. 

Here are some pictures of it!  I'm so proud and having tons of fun making and painting things for it as well as hitting thrift stores and estate sales to find things to sell!