All Things Turquoise

I am starting to miss one of my favorite things: buying furniture! Thanks to online tutorials and Annie Sloan chalk paint, I have found a love for refinishing different pieces.

This desk was for sale locally for $50. We "need" a small desk like this, I definitely would have bought it to paint!

And right now we are without a headboard, I passed on this one created from an old door- so cool!

I typically paint one piece a month. It is a great outlet and an easy way to do something mindless and creative during the babes' nap time. This little table sits in our dining room and was one of my first projects:

Our old house had lots of space so there was pretty much endless room for whatever nonsense (<-says hubby) I was working on. Now we are waiting to find out where Hubby's next bridge project will be, so we are in a small rental. This has been hard and good for the soul for many reasons. We can't update or do any projects on the home itself so that part of my brain is turned off (our last home we bought we did many renovations) and since we will likely move soon, there is no point in acquiring more things to haul across the state. This fast is well timed for sure.

I bought this trunk for only $35, it is so well-made and beautiful! I still need to seal it but it will make a great piece to put at the foot of the bed, use as a bench (as my model shows!), or even as a tv stand. It holds all our extra bedding.

 

Since I cannot buy more of my beloved chalk paint, this has to last all year. The paint is expensive (about $30 per quart) but will cover several pieces of furniture. I also have a few samples I can use. Each sample is $12 and will cover something the size of end table. I love how this paint goes on, it is so smooth, is low VOC, and dries quickly. I can literally start and finish a piece in one nap!

Mack & Ryker, can't you feel the love?

Last weekend was Ryker's 1st birthday, he's Mack's BFF. I met Abby shortly after we moved to our new town. I loved her immediately. She is due with her second baby next month and our two children will both be 14 months apart. There is a certain level of crazy that comes with having kids that close together and it is so sweet to have someone in the ringer with me.

I was sick this fall and Abby watched the babes so I could go to the doctor, made us meals, helped us move (Sister even threw out our old toiletbrush- that's a life-long friend right there), and prayed for me whenever I needed it. So needless to say, I wanted to do something special for Ryker for his first birthday. I never remember to take 'before' pictures but this rocking chair was a light oak before I painted it in Annie Sloan Florence.

I wasn't sure if Ryker would enjoy it until he was a little older but bubby climbed right in and started rocking like a pro.

Isn't he the cutest?!

Have you ever tried Annie Sloan chalk paint? This paint is amazing and binds to any surface. The only prep required is a little soap and water to clean your piece, no sanding needed! I usually use polyurethane as a sealer for any piece that is dark in color (poly noticeably yellows over time and isn't good over white paint) and Annie Sloan's wax over lighter pieces.

You-tube has been great for giving me tutorials like this one.

This was a metal filing cabinet. I used one coat of Florence and then cut some fabric I had and used fabric glue to attach it to the drawers.

Bada-bing-bada-boom!

I will miss buying new craft products this year but have a lot I can do with the little paint I have left and I have all kinds of crazy things sitting in the garage that I can work on. Homegirl loves a good project but it always seems better and easier in my head than real life so things rarely get finished! Hubby thinks this is the worst hobby in the world, and I forgot to mention he is so OVER turquoise. After I purchased all turquoise appliances, he specifically asked that we eliminate the shade from our house and even went as far as to forbid me to paint any of our walls that color. So I have found a loophole by slowly painting all the furniture we already have. The truth is- he barely notices anyways. He talks a big game but I think he knows how the color really brings out the blue in his eyes.

Thanks for stopping by, all the support I've received from this little endeavor has made me feel so loved and has brought a ton of encouragement. Who knew that not buying things would help me reconnect with old friends and even meet new ones? So grateful.