New Painting Accessory For Sale...Scrubby Soap!!

We're talking cleanliness today.  It is next to Godliness right?  So the saying goes!

Anyone who has used Vax and or ReVax knows how hard it can be to get off of your hands...and mostly your fingernails!  I have washed hands, showered, scrubbed...and still had it on my nails days later!!  I PROMISE I DO SHOWER!  Haha!

How about getting those brushes clean?  I admit, since I've used Cling On! brushes this is not nearly the challenge it used to be in the past.  They are just so easy to clean!  But...I am very ADHD and forget to drop my brush in water and leave it out too long and even my Cling On! can get dried paint on it from time to time.

And then there's my husband! No, he's not dirty - usually. But his hobby can create some dirty, greasy hands from time to time. He builds and flies Control Line airplanes (think Radio Control airplanes but...very different at the same time).  His hands get greasy and dirty and caked with all kinds of glues and products when he's building a new plane or after being out at the field flying his plane.

Scrubby Soap to the rescue!  Have you heard of this soap?  It's all the rage right now in the painting world but it has so many more uses!!  It's an all natural, soap infused scrubber that works magic on dirty hands and paintbrushes.  It works on paint, grease, oil...and it smells AMAZING!!

They are made of natural biodegradable oils.   Here is the list of what it cleans from their website:

WHO IS A SCRUBBY FOR?

You! Everyone! If you're not getting dirty,greasy, oily, or painting... you're just not living!

Mechanics - removes dirt, grease, & oil
Artists & Painters - removes paint from your body,

cleans and conditions paint brushes
Gardeners - removes dirt & sap
Kitchens - removes tough grease from pots & pans
Fishing - removes fish oil & odor from hands

 Sounds great huh?  I used the scrubber the other day to get my hands and paintbrushes clean after working on a project and I couldn't believe it!  Now, admittedly, we haven't put it to the husband dirty, greasy hands test yet.  I couldn't wait any longer to tell you I'd be carrying these soaps and he hasn't done any dirty work since then.  But I'll be sure to share with you when he does!

As soon as I get over this stomach bug / sinus crud I'll get them delivered to my locations!  You can also order them directly from Scrubby Soaps at www.scrubbysoap.com. 
In the meantime, watch this video that this adorable lady Angela from did!  I couldn't do it any better!!

Coffee Table Make Over

I envy people who can buy a piece of furniture, instantly have a vision for it, come home and immediately get to work on it!  I usually buy a piece of furniture, know it has potential, bring it home and think and think and think and think about it...and then days, weeks or maybe months later...get to work on it!

Which are you?  If you're #1 - yay for you.  Haha.

This is what happened with this coffee table I found at a thrift store for a STEAL because it was missing one panel of glass.

I immediately knew I wanted it to be a turquoise color - not sure why.  That was just it's color.  But I had NO idea what to do with the top.  NO CLUE.  I had a million ideas but never could settle on anything.  Until I found this post from Honey Bear Lane about replacing a glass table top with wood planks.  This table is so cute!

Unfortunately, I'm not the wood worker or handy-woman.  So I had to bring in reinforcements!

Can you tell how excited he is?  He'd rather be playing with my son's super man that he's holding.  Haha - just kidding.  He was actually very sweet because a project that I thought would be SUPER easy ended up taking up a lot of his day.  Not that it was hard, it just took him a while to figure out each step and how to do it. If he were to do another one, it would be quick and easy.

So, he cut the wood panels and nailed them together.  I got some Shabby Paints Hazelnut ReVax and went about staining the wood.  Then I went over it again with some Shabby Paints Black ReVax.

It turned out so pretty!  Next I mixed up some Shabby Paints to make a teal color that another stylist created.  Her recipe is this: Peacock, Marine and Antique Verde. 3 parts,2 parts, 1 part

I didn't have Peacock but I had Jewel so I substituted that and then some So Serene...and I honestly have NO idea what the final recipe I ended up with was exactly.  But I LOVE IT!!

Here's the final product.

I think it turned out gorgeous!  About to put it on some sites for sale and see how it does!

Booth Make Over

My booth at the Antique Gallery of Mesquite got a make over this past weekend!!  I can take NO credit for it though.  My amazing mom had the vision and she and my amazing dad executed that vision! 

This came about, in part, due to an exciting announcement that I have to make!  I currently carry about half of the chalk-acrylic paint colors that Shabby Paints offers, two of the ReVaxs, and a few shimmers.  In about a week or so, Wheelbarrow Cottage will be growing to add ALL of the chalk-acrylic paints, ALL of the shimmers, and ALL of the ReVax colors with the exception of glitter.  I will also be carrying the texture (used in stenciling and other projects) which I can't wait to play with and share with all of you.  Isn't this exciting news??  

So...I needed more room for all of this product!!  How about a tour of the new digs?

First order of business was to replace the carpets.  Remember this fiasco?  I went out there one day to put some paint out and dropped one!! It spilled everywhere!

Worse than that though, all 3 of my little spaces had different colored carpet!  So, all of the carpet was replaced.

Doesn't it look great?

Next order of business was to paint!  My mom and dad painted the entire booth with Lillian Gray! 

So pretty!  Lillian Gray is one of my favorite colors!  I'm painting my kitchen cabinets in it!!!  Maybe one day I'll finish that project so I can show you!  It's taking me FOREVER!!

Last order of business was to put up shelves for all of the new paint!

 They look a little bare right now but will soon be stocked full!!  I can't wait to see all of those gorgeous colors!

And the sponges are there now along with the Cling On! paint brushes!

We'll have introducing some other new painting related products soon as well!  I can't wait!


I cannot thank my mom and dad enough for all of their hard work!!  I was home taking care of a little one who had tonsils out.  No fun!  I would have much rather have been painting my lovely new space! 

Hope you like it as much as I do!

Summer Painting Project #1 - a Dresser...Done!!

A while back ago I posted that I had some summer painting plans...one being this dresser!

Here is what it originally looked like when we got it from a family friend.

As I said in the other post, I painted and waxed it a couple of years ago.  You may or may not know that wax has to be reapplied periodically.  I can't stand waxing once...much less re-doing it ever year!  Nope, no thanks!

So I decided to repaint and use ReVax - Shabby Paints answer to the waxing issue.  No buffing, no rubbing, no need to re-apply!  AND...you get all of that with NO VOC's!   You can work on your piece in side from start to finish - no fumes, no health issues, no reason NOT to use it!

So, I mixed up a custom color by one of our wonderful stylists called Shabby Sage - 2 parts Garfield Grey, one part Antique Verde.  I painted the dresser and then went over it with one of the Shimmer Glazes - Vibrant Gold.

Last, I used Hazelnut ReVax to protect it and give it that waxed look!!  I love how it turned out!

It's so shiny and pretty looking!  The shimmer paints and glazes are so pretty and give pieces such an added "oomph!!"!

Onto the next summer project...bunk beds for my girls' rooms!!  Stay tuned for those!

Shabby Paints Workshops - June

Shabby Paints workshops!! Learn how to use Shabby Paints chalked paints and finishes. Walk away with a finished product! Two dates to choose from! 

Classes take place in my home in East Dallas.  Space is very limited so be sure to sign up soon to reserve your spot!

$75 includes materials for workshop including finished project and snacks! As a bonus, all participants are eligible for 10% off of paint purchases during workshop (NOT required to buy anything)!

Friday, June 13 11-1 OR Saturday, June 28 from 11-1

Click HERE to sign up and reserve your spot!

Gorgeous French Provincial Side Tables

I'm just in love with these tables and how they turned out! I got them through one of these Facebook garage/yard sale groups.  Are you on one of those?  They are one of my new addictions!  You can find so much great stuff on them!

I used Shabby Paints Vanilla Bear Chalked Paint to freshen them up.  I distressed them very lightly.  Then I finished them out with Hazelnut ReVax mixed with Brown Bronze Shimmer to make the details and grooves really POP!!  Last I brushed Brown Bronze Shimmer on the handles to make them look fresh and new!

They are for currently for sale for $125 if you know anyone who may be interested!

They would work great as bedside tables or on either side of couches!

24w x 24d x 22h

Summer Painting Plans

Summer is COMING!!!  I don't know about you but I'm so ready.  I am planning some projects to keep myself busy while my kids fight and whine and complain.  Haha.

One thing I know I'll be working on is my kitchen cabinets.  I've been working on them since...well, last summer.  They are 3 different colors right now - uggghhh.  I keep changing my mind on colors and finishes.  Sorry, no pics of that disaster area for now. 

Another project I have in the works is this dresser that I use as a buffet in my dining room.  I painted it two summers ago with another kind of chalk paint and waxed it.

Did you know that wax must be reapplied every so often?  ME NEITHER.  Bummer right?  After all of that work painting and then applying wax and rubbing it off and buffing it...you have to reapply it?

NO THANKS!!

I'm so super lazy.  I don't want to have to do all of that again.

Guess what you don't have to reapply?  VAX and REVAX!!!

So...I'll be repainting and Vaxing this for sure now. Stay tuned to see what Shabby Paint chalked paint color I use!

Do you have any summer projects planned?  Please be sure to share them if so!