Five photos from the past few days:
Look at that bass! He was so proud, and I was proud of him. I caught one about the same size, and what happened, you ask? It broke my line and I have no proof of my trophy.
How to spice up your coffee: add light whipped cream and a dash of cinammon. Mmmm!
My new fave nail polish: NYC's Park Ave. Kinda taupe/grey... perfect for fall without making my hands look pale. (Anyone else have that problem with dark colors?) Here's a link to all the "In A New York Color Minute" polishes:
Farewell, place of work. Your butterflies flitting about the ceiling were fun to look at on a daily basis. I also enjoyed the friendly people and the apple fritters. This is my last full week here. My next job is going to be nannying a newborn, pure bliss.
Please stay tuned for an experiment that is currently being conducted on these ugly guys. Waiting to see results. :)
Hope everyone is having a good Monday!
Kiley
Today I thought I would share some photos of furniture that I have redone. Unfortunately, I don't have any "before" pictures, only afters. But I thought it might inspire you to never be afraid of bold colors. If you ever choose a color and realize after painting that it is too bright, that is what glaze is for. Glaze comes in premixed colors like black, mocha, etc. or in a clear form which allows you to add whatever color you want. If you have trouble mixing paint or just want to try glazing for fun, I recommend starting with premixed. However, if you are doing several projects which require different glazes and intensity levels, then clear would be the best choice.
A lot of people have asked me lately how to paint a piece of furniture. I plan on doing a post soon on a step-by-step project. It really is easier than most people think. All it takes is a little patience and elbow grease. :)
On to the pictures...
This was a commissioned piece. Originally intended as a buffet, a new mother is now using it as a changing table. You can tell it is a very pale pink. I loved the idea of using it in a baby's room and plan to do the same some day.
This coffee table had seen MUCH better days. It had some cup rings on the top, and since it was probably mahogany, which is a very soft wood, the damage was too much to repair. Because of this, I used a mocha glaze over an ivory paint.
*Tip: If your unpainted table has a cup ring, try rubbing vegetable oil into it with a dry cloth. A lot of times it works!
This was one of my favorite pieces. It was a plain Jane oak dresser with ugly brass knobs before. Now, it has a silver wash over the top of it and new antique looking knobs. I plan on trying the silver finish again, it just glammed it up a little. :)
Uh, sorry for the sock on the floor, the knobs that I forgot to turn down, and the bobby pins. This is my personal dresser. It used to be completely black. This was one project where I painted it and realized the paint was WAY too bright... you have to be careful with turquoise. My college roommates can attest to the fact that I'm slightly obsessed. So I glazed it with a black glaze and loved the result.
This was a piece for my best friend. It was originally yellow with pink trim, very outdated, and sad looking. Some red paint with a black/brown glaze was all it needed.
*Tip: it's totally okay to use a nightstand in a living room. And it's totally okay to mix and match different pieces. For example, the wicker furniture on my front porch is not a set, but painting them all one color and using coordinating colors makes it look like one without being stuffy. Plus, who wants a boring living/dining/bedroom out-of-the-box set anyway?
My beloved TV stand. Originally a liquor cabinet with a fold-out top, we use it for DVD and game storage. I absolutely love the color, and now realize how dark our old apartment is from the quality of all these photos, oops. Anyway, the color is
Washed Denim by Martha Stewart. I want to cover everything with it.
Hope these pictures inspired you to get out the paintbrush!
Kiley
Good morning to you! I'll get straight to the point: I <3 Fridays. It is my husband and myself's day off... which means relaxing, golf (for him), projects (for me), coffee with friends, and whatever else our hearts desire. This morning, two of his uncles and one cousin came over for breakfast before heading out to the golf course. They were like giddy kids before Christmas, anxiously awaiting their fate; they are playing a scramble, uncles against nephews. This is what the uncles brought with them, though:
my favorite... Cinnamon Dolce Latte.
On another note, we are moving soon! Where, you ask? Into a barn. An apartment in a barn in the country... outside city limits where blackberries abound and fish grow to astronomical sizes in two beautiful ponds. We have been blessed to find a place that will satisfy our love of the outdoors, our budget, and therefore, our savings towards a house next year. :) Hence, these haunt me every time I walk into the living room, waiting to be filled with every passing moment...
Other random things:
seashells in a bowl. No more, no less.
One precious puppy who is devastated that Daddy left him for a round of golf.
Oh! And what I've been doing at work. Speaking of work, I am working in an environment where I get to see lots of kids all day and make fun projects while they wait to see the doctor... and loving every minute.
This is how the project starts:
Make a grid of whatever size you want. I made these two after making my own, because I want the kids to have an option of size, and these ones are actually evenly spaced. After that, I used a stencil to trace around the letter of my choosing ("E" for Everyone who wants to be a kid again should try this). I wanted there to be a contrast between the letter and background without getting out the Sharpie, so I opted for warm versus cool. But you can do whatever you want. Color in all the squares/diamonds in your color choice, being sure to stay inside or outside the lines of your letter... trust me, mistakes can happen when you've been coloring for over an hour. And voila! You will have a new piece of artwork. I love the idea of hanging one of these in a baby's room.
On yet another note, this is what I'm currently reading. Whether or not I have actually tried to make one is another story.
I will leave you with this beautiful quote I found:
Have a great weekend,
Kiley
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