Vacation

Wow I go on Vacation and I pick up all new things. Hubby and I went up to Ohio to visit his family for the week and we had a blast. We did antiquing/thrifting. In my downtime while the kids played I worked on cutting pieces for my sons rag rug. 

Did I mention I did all this outside in-front of my mother in laws chicken coop? It was such fun, I never thought I'd love watching hens cluck cluck around, but it was such an enjoyable experience. It inspired me to want a few chickens of my own. 

Hubby with Ruby, one of the chickens at Cackleberry keep. Surprisingly my city doesn't allow for chickens inside the city limits. So I did some calling around and somehow 3-4 emails in with a man involved with the city commissioners I was talked into speaking at the next city commissioner meeting on behalf of those in my county for the right of ownership of chickens. Oh my. I'm still working on what points I will make in my allotted 3 minutes. 

Look at our prospective chicken picks, we narrowed it down to 6 chickens, 3 Bantams, 3 regular size hens, even tho the Polish isn't as great of an egg layer. We have to have one. 

I can't wait to share my antique pick ups from our travels in Toledo and surrounding areas, we got some great buys. 

I also learned how to do a little crocheting in attempt to hopefully make a large rope doily rug.

 

The trio jumping together into their papa marks pond. 

All in all it was a successful week vacation, and I needed it because so much is happening will be happening with getting a new abode/speaking at city meeting/ new opportunities at my job as a stylist. I love the feeling of having all of this happen to me at the same time, but it's refreshing! 

-Laura 

 

Antiquing with spray paint

After my adventure yesterday with my table I was pumped and ready for my next antiquing journey, but I wanted to attempt it with a different medium. 

So I disassembled the shutters I picked up in yesterday's thrift store haul.

I sanded slightly still wanting to keep the underneath color as a part of the ending texture.

First I started with my Valspar spray paint, oh gee and if you thought normal paint took forever, this... This took much longer which was rubbish for me. So after doing a white coat with spray paint and a failed attempt of sanding before it dried, I let it set over night, this morning tackling the sanding and using the same stain as yesterday's table project, espresso beans.

^last nights failed sanding attempt^

 I sat myself down and watched stolen earth/journeys end (doctor who people), and began sanding, staining and sobbing..

So after getting fully distracted by the doctor and drilling a hole where I shouldn't have I had to fill it with, uh something, hmm so I used liquid nail, I had it on hand, and it worked. 

For hanging I used a fancy hook, I love these there's no guessing if its straight or not, but I think I need to make one on the sides to balance it when it has stuff on it :)

The finish outcome, I'm extremely pleased, with it, I can't wait to hang it up and drape towels on it. 

Oh I'm happy and I can't wait to show off the finished bathroom. Till next time!

~xoxo Laura 

First antiquing attempt

So I was so thrilled of my purchase at an amazing antique store here in Florida I rushed home to work on it, using this tutorial. French chairs makeover

Here's my purchase which I got for 7 dollars.(score!)

Nice little height for a side table, I'm honestly not sure if it'll be in the living room or our bedroom.

So after a quick sanding,I began with a blue base, I used this very handy valspar color sample which goes a long way.

Then I blew my self I mean blue, and the table..

(Fünke ~.^)

Then we wait for the paint to dry....

After a quick trip to the grocery store because....

I returned, paint was dry and I began with the next coat, a pretty light grey Voyage by valspar. Once again a little goes a long way and I have enough antiquing paint to tackle that pie safe (that won't be happening right away tho)

Ah I get so nervous with every new step, makes me so nauseous, even more so the next sanding step.

I did a little sanding here and there, I was being a sissy, then bham I went a little deep and it was like ooooo, and then I was a sanding mad woman!

In love but there was one more important step to make it look legit, too legit to quit (oh I'm showing my age) 

The glaze the glaze... Let me tell you about this glaze I went to Home Depot and said I need this and this (per directions of above blog) no espresso beans in quart size she said, well behr paint is about 35 a gallon, and I'm being thrifty people! For some off reason they didn't make the glaze available in quart size to have color added to, well I convinced the woman to poor some glaze out of the quart container to make room for the espresso beans color... Wham bham thank you mam...

And for the final out come...

I really don't know what I would do different being I am very happy with the outcome... But I'm currently working on the same technique but with spray paint on shutters I purchased thrifting today, but that's another entry. 

Xox~Laura

Right, a year oh my.

Alright I know it's been forever since an update, I've been a busy gal! I managed to lose nearly 70 lbs, get myself married, and now I'm heading towards a new part of my life. Moving into our first official home(almost) together. My husband is a Navy man and isn't living near me at the moment but hopefully (fingers crossed) that will change.

   So to keep myself busy I've done more thrift store shopping than Macklemore. 

So far my refurbs have been very basic, a little sanding and a few coats of paint and I have so much shabby chic additions to my new house it will make any house wife squee with delight. 

Here's a little shot of some progress photos of some of them. 

Bento obsession!

Lets take a moment away from nails today and look at my new obsession.


So I was bored, looking at cute sushi on my phone... Sigh google can be such a great tool. And I started seeing all these cute shapes veggies and fruit and well I went to amazon and saw you could purchase these things. As you could imagine I was squealing like a little girl at the cuteness. So I sat back and thought oh I could make these low cal and work them into my new healthy lifestyle, plus get a smile from my lunch. What do you know there's tons of low cal recipes online. So I hurried off to Walmart and found a few staples to get me started in my healthy lunch, saving money lifestyle. I tell you what once i get my mind on something I have to follow thru and do it. I suppose there could be worse obsessions and addictions.

So I made a deal with my logical side. Before I go and purchase that 30 dollar hello kitty bento box. I would go and see If I would purchase my lunch before hand and pack it. So I found my beginer bento box at walmart for 3.97. As well as a 74.4 oz bottle for my water. ( I've been purchasing 33.3 oz bottles everyday, I know so bad for the environment). I also found some ice Cube trays on sale for .50 cents each what a cute fun find!




Once I get a grasp on this I may start adding what's for lunch :)

As always thanks for reading <3

Clean them cuticles up!

So I realized... I'm messy somewhat when it comes to getting a smooth cuticle mainly when I'm painting with my non dominate hand, btw I'm totally a lefty. So of course the hand that I end up showing is my left hand because my accent finger is on that. So time to shape up and work on smooth lines. So at first I was using a rose wood stick and that just wasn't smooth enough, and then I use an OPI acrylic brush from beauty school, the bristles weren't stiff enough. So I was digging thru a make up bag and found a brush stuffed away in a corner. I used it maybe twice being it's a concealed brush and I normally don't wear concealer. So I figure I'd give it a try. To my surprise it worked very well.
The bristles are firm enough to not fan out as you glide it a long the cuticles. I've read a lot people wait till the polish is dry but I find that it's easier for me to clean up right after I polish, my skin soaks up the color other wise. Despite my middle finger the cuticle is slighted thicker there and I have some work to do on softening those up.


Here's the mani plus the brush used

Sagreena the teenage witch- wet n wild

Shine of the times- Essie



Thanks for reading <3

Opi sale!!

So I mentioned I did hair in my last post? Aye. Well I work for a corporately owed salon ( Aka I work for Regis they own everything) well one of the promotions is OPI is on sale at 6.50. Now I don't know if all salons carry opi, or if they are having this sale but its worth a try to see if you can get this 2 dollar discount.

Here's a list of Regis owned salons to see if you have one in your area


Carlton Hair International in Southern California, Images Salon in Las Vegas, NV, Michael of the Carlyle in Colorado Springs, and Denver, CO City Looks, Famous Hair, Best Cuts, Saturday's, HCUK, Supercuts, Pro-Cuts, Hair Crafters, Magicuts, MasterCuts, Borics Hair, Hair by Stewarts, SmartStyle, Cost Cutters, TGF Hair Salon, Hair Masters, Style America, Holiday Hair, and Mia & Maxx Hair Studio

ALSO!! At our salon we had this cute set of mini OPI: the best of the best. I avoided purchasing cause it's a price tag of 24.95 but it has been clearanced out as a buy one get two free, so I went halfsies with a friend and we each got one for 12, not a bad deal. Now I'm sure specials vary by location and may or may not be available everywhere but it's worth a try to see if it's available.


And here's the mini mini haul :3




As always thanks for reading <3