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.