My Weblog

Annie Sloan Chalk Paint

 
I first read about this paint on Miss Mustard Seed's blog. Oh my....

No sanding, no primer, no nothing needed before you paint a piece of furniture. Seriously? Even over varnish? Even over varnish.

After watching this video on her blog about waxing versus using a poly sealer I placed my orders for a few cans of the paint, two kinds of wax and the special waxing brush you see in my photo above...on this link she talks a little more about the paint and places to order it.

 But even if you're not in the market to paint some furniture, her blog is very inspiring! You might even discover after visiting that you now NEED to paint some furniture.

 
As soon as I opened the box of paint, I could hardly wait to try it out. Right in the middle of my floor. [not recommended by anyone who knows better] Sanding the piece for distressing purposes in the middle of your house is an even worse idea. Naturally....I did this too. Just once....never again!!!!! 

 
One dining room chair down...

 
...seven more to go...not to mention several other pieces I plan to tackle. The bids to have everything refinished by a pro was going to be a lot...

 
But it was obvious something needed to be done... Let's just call this style of distressing "puppy love".... Most of our chairs look as if we raise beavers inside our house!!! Grrrrr.... But our little puppy has grown up now and no longer chews furniture....thank goodness.

 
The cream colored paint from the Annie Sloan line after adding some wax matched my corner cabinet in the kitchen just beautifully. I painted part of one chair to test it out. That's the beauty of this paint...even after waxing it {or applying poly} if you don't like it, just paint over it.

Sadly enough, puppy did a number on all of those chairs too. One puppy with sharp teeth left unattended for even three minutes can inflict unbelievable damage.

But somewhere over the course of last week in all of my decorating scheming, I decided to go another direction with the chairs.

 
I ordered these........! One meal of spaghetti with a pack of teenage boys will let me know rather quickly whether I made a huge mistake. The old chairs will find a new home and purpose in our basement.

Incidentally, you can use this paint to make chalkboards too....check out the Annie Sloan website to see all the colors available. Or mix a couple of colors for your own custom color.

Wishing you all a wonderful week of living creatively!

Texture Tuesday at Kim Klassen Cafe

 
Oh YIPPEEE SKIPPEEEE!

Been so busy catching up on real life [meaning less computer time] that I almost missed the news about Kim's newest inspiring adventure, TEXTURE TUESDAY!

I'm also known to spend way too much time out of doors once Spring hits my hometown. Like it's done! The above photo is one of my favorite of favorite trees...The Red Bud tree.

After applying a couple of Florabella actions, I added five layers of Kim's textures:

~scratches, 2 brushed linens, just golden, and an all time favorite, grey day!  

 
Thought I'd show the original pic before I applied the textures. It wasn't that long ago that I knew "zero" about Photoshop, and even less about adding textures to a photo. But both of those changed when I happened across Kim's blog! I took a couple of her online classes and a whole new world of fun was discovered.

If you've ever wanted to learn Photoshop {any of the versions}, I have, and will continue to highly recommend Kim's classes. There's even a free one to get you started. Just click on this link and you'll find the listing of classes on her sidebar.

 
Dragged home from the greenhouse a few pots of these adorable flowers to add to my flower beds last week. They are called Scabiosa, or more commonly known as the Pincushion flower.

Kim Klassen textures that I used: just blush, mona, sepia scratched, and 3 layers of softly. {also used a texture from flickr from boccacino}.

Head over to this post and check out all the other players in Texture Tueday and be inspired!

Hippity Hoppity....

 
Sometimes a little whim has me chasing rabbits...

...or bunny ears...specifically felted bunny ears....

...with wires in them so they can bend!

 
...and might as well make a hat to stick them in....

...and don't forget to hand sew some vintage bias tape around the edges so you can tie it on to someone's head...and add some vintage pom pom balls too!

Easter's on its way you know....

 
...and he could sit on a glass jar filled with chocolate eggs covered in pretty pastel foiled wrappers! {or jelly beans!}

But don't buy them just yet because you know you'll eat too many of them...

 
Those little pom poms made from tulle would sure make a sweet bunny tail...

 
Another one of the dollies thought she should have a chance to have her picture taken in the new hat as well. Have you ever noticed the tendency in curly-haired folks to stir the pot of life just a tad more than straight-hair folks do? That's why I religiously take a flat iron to my curly hair...it improves your personality. Seriously.

Since this little hat I made reminded me of this Ralphie scene from A Christmas Story...

 
I'll leave you with one last picture of a "Ralphie" version of my new hat!

 
Just being silly today.

But also wanted to share the scrumptious ground cover phlox that is showing off in my flower beds right now. Wish it would bloom all summer, but it doesn't....such a hardy perennial to plant that will naturally spread over the years.  

Hope you're finding some time for silly too. It's important too you know!

Xo, Sue

p.s. AND speaking of time, And of PS {PINK SATURDAY} I'm linking to my fellow Duke Blue Devil's fan, Miss Beverly at How Sweet the Sound to play in her weekly Saturday event! Saturday's are typically not a good day for me to play on the computer so it's fun to HIPPITY HOP back aboard for today!

So many blessings!

 
Spring has returned.  The Earth is like a child that knows poems. 

 ~Rainer Maria Rilke

Everyday there is a new plant peeking out of the ground, others stretching to new heights, an explosion of colors all around me....oh, how I adore Spring. And March Madness....as in NCAA basketball tournaments. Seriously. Die hard fan of college basketball. Especially the ACC, and specifically the Duke Blue Devils.

Despite the warmer weather calling me outdoors, I do come in for the games I need to watch. Which is most of them! And blessings heaped upon blessings, my Dukie boys are still in the dance!

As if all of that isn't enough, I was also blessed to win Cherie's {Humble Pie Designs} recent giveaway! {check out her She Art she has posted on her blog...next class begins April 11th!}

 

Amy Barickman's scrumptious book she was most generous to donate to the cause...

 
Lots of special little touches in the box as well....

 
It's filled with articles from days gone by...Department of Good Looks makes me smile. When stress has the better of you, it's time to melt into the mattress of the couch. Such timeless wisdom...

Speaking of stress, and the NCAA games, and not being someone who sits still very well....

...I've been reading through this book while watching the games. This little illustration from the book sort of jumped off the pages to me. Sparked an idea to keep my hands busy...inspired me to stitch some little embroidered flower medallions...

 

 

 
....lots of stitching going on during the games...the little flower pieces are stitched to a 100% cotton batting...the quilt squares, if you will, are pieces of vintage wallpaper first glued to a sheet of paper {also did a linen backing version} and then stitched...

 
Okay...and maybe I pop a few of those healthy ALMONDS {covered in sugar and chocolate} into my mouth as well, to relieve stress, of course.

I'm a big fan of cheetos and nacho doritos too but those leave orange fingerprints on handwork...m&m's don't!

Also tucked into the box was this pattern of Amy's...I'm pretty sure I could see myself melting into the couch in a pair of those jammie bottoms...

Good thing all my little ones are old enough to drive themselves to where they need to go these days.  Cuz back in the day when I was the driver to all the practices...

....and my gardening time was interupted to make the next run...

...i can't tell you how many times they'd ask if I was going to change into normal shoes before we left. They'd be asking the same question if I ventured out in these fun jammie bottoms as well....

 
What's wrong with these garden boots?! Why didn't they want their mother to wear them out in public? 

Oh well. You can't please all of the people all of the time.

Unless of course, you put a sweet package in their hands like the one I received from Cherie! Cherie who is always such a bundle of warm encouragement and talented little creator of all things artsy! Thank you so much {and Amy too!} for such wonderful gifts.

Xo and many warm blessings, Sue

GO DUKE!

Online Classes

Sometimes I think about the impact of computers on our lives. Wow. Twenty-something years ago when working in corporate America, in a 75 story building, in the heart of a major city, our floor of maybe 50-60 people received "ONE" PC to share!!!

And one night I was in that building way past midnight ripping my hair out trying to load in data [to a flawed program] for a meeting the next day. For a client. Because my boss said so. We were going to wow them with our advanced technological abilities....NOT. Do you know how creepy it is to be in a skyscraper, in the middle of the night, in a huge city? Really creepy...especially for this scaredy cat!

If you had told me way back then that someday I would ENJOY being on the computer and even taking online classes...

 
 
...i probably would have laughed...and not believed you!

 
Fast forward to today: now I'd believe you. While my first attempts are fairly simple compared to how elaborate you can go, I am thoroughly loving stitching away in the evening hours on these two little pieces.

 
 

Specifics: Jude Hill's Cloth to Cloth: The Basics of Quilt Weaving online class.

First read about it here.

Of course, back then I never thought I'd spend time wiring vintage buttons together either. But I do that too...

 
Maybe the lessons I can learn from those seasons of frustration,

or when things aren't going right at all,

is that

 
And one of those POSSIBILITIES that I am anxiously awaiting is this:

 
Christy Tomlinson's She-Art class...the second round which will launch on April 11th. Thank you Cherie for sharing about this class so beautifully in your own creations! Check out her recent posts and be wowed! 

And very soon I will be sharing with you the YUMMY package that came my way from Cherie. Oh my. Lucky little me! 

Last but not least, another class that is in the works is another journaling class by Mary Ann Moss. I am so taking that class!  Meanwhile I am in love with her posts from Paris...it is a city that I so long to return to for a visit. One of my most favorite trips ever...

So wherever life finds you today...and esp. if you're in the heat of one of life's battle...just remember, tomorrow is full of NEW possibilities.

Xo, Sue

A Chick Magnet

Besides loving their beautiful singing voices, watching the bird world can be quite amusing... and entertaining... and enlightening.

Take this little guy for example:

 

he calls to them...

 
he watches to see if any will come...

 
a few do show up...

 
he smiles to himself...yes, he's still got it...

His secret, you ask? Can't say that I know, but I can't tell you how many times I've seen him pull this off in my backyard.  {Linda, I'm thinking he might be the Cardinal version for the Old Spice commercial}

Here's a couple of little facts on cardinals that might lend some perspective...

~Northern Cardinals are monogamous birds.*

~The male, clearly raised well by a good mother, brings his female cardinal food while they are dating and often feeds her seeds beak-to-beak.* 

~Both parents feed their baby birds, but the male cardinal will often take on this job single handedly.*

{source}*

What's not to love?!

********

As an added note, Mr. Cardinal often calls from this same maple tree and his chickee's always pick this same sweet gum tree to gather in despite the fact that there are numerous other tree options. Do they try to match their colors to their chosen trees I wonder? 

Hope you're finding time to enjoy all that nature has to offer as well. Such a sweet gift...

xo, Sue

Inspired

Been missing in action...meaning, I'm in full action mode, just missing from blogland! Too many fun things, life, the daily grind...you know that story.

But these recent offerings from Pottery Barn are way too inspiring not to share. Especially for all those still stuck in winter...mostly against their own will, I might add!

!!!all photos to follow are from pottery barn website unless noted differently!!!

 
 
 
 
 

...those plates in the delicate pastel shades and ruffled edges make me swoon....

...i'm convinced that food even tastes better when served on pretty dishes!

 
 
 
 

 

 
As much as I prefer "real" flowers, I must say that these apple blossom silks are deliciously lovely.

 
...same to be said for these spring magnolia blossoms which are currently in full-glorious-bloom in Georgia. They are stunning in person...and there is also a white version of this magnificent tree.

But as much as I love so many items in the recent offerings from Pottery Barn, if I could only pick one, this would be it....

 
....ahhhhhh.....place your orders for Mother's Day girls!

 I'll sign off with a couple of photos from what's happening just outside my windows...

 
 

 
 
 

Happy inspired Spring wishes to all....let us all do our part to make the world a more beautiful place. {and i don't mean with just "things" :) }

Xo, Sue 

Happy Day of Love

 
...thirty-seven years sharing this special day with my sweetie...

...six of them while dating {{{high school sweethearts}}}

However, Valentine's Day isn't just for sweethearts. It's a day to remember all those special people in our lives.

 Blessed are the we who have friends and family in our lives.  

And for those who've had their hearts crushed because they've loved {and that would be most of us} love is always worth the risk. High risk, high reward. But I would rather look like my old Teddy Bear...with a few love-rubbed spots on my heart, than to have a heart that was never taken out of the box. 

You too, I hope...

May your day be beautiful, however you plan to spend it...

 
 Speaking of love stories, I noticed Karen at My Desert Cottage is hosting a Share Your Love Story event today! I always think the stories of how couples met are so fun to hear. As for my beloved and me, we met at the ripe old age of 16 at a bowling alley.

He loves to quote the line from the 1981 Dudley Moore movie "Arthur"...

"Usually one must go to a bowling alley to meet a woman of your stature."

YYYYYYYYYYY

credits: textures used on photos from Kim Klassen and Designerdigitals

 
It's supposed to be delivered today. Months of searching...debating...she made a decision!

 
Meet my new family room coffee table.

Handcrafted of unfinished, solid reclaimed pine timbers from 100-year-old buildings in Great Britain (source) {love this store}

I've debated about it for a long time. More than I wanted to spend...but I love the casual feel, the ability to tuck some neat storage bins underneath...and you're welcome to put your feet on it. And my Mr. Fun {aka my dear husband} liked it the best of all the choices.

 

I think it will look wonderful with the new rug and the vintage blanket chest that I'll be using for a footstool with a chair. I've had my eye on this chest for a while as well...found it at The Queen of Hearts in Buford, GA. A favorite  antiquing haunt...

 

After a long time of having green being the more predominate color in my decorating, moving over to a softer blue, taupes/browns/neutrals is proving to be a fun change.

 
I've got a long, long, long way to go on this room. But I've always been one to sort of let things evolve [unlike Mr. Fun who gets it done NOW!]. However, the vision is coming together nicely...

As a side note, that soup tureen is one of my favorite pieces of ironstone. It is a discontinued Spode pattern called Gadroon. Replacements Limited has it for sale at an asking price of $339. I paid........$50 for mine. Scream with deeeee-light!

 
This is a sofa table I bought at least a dozen years ago. It was a fantastic bargain way back when, but more importantly, I loved it.

Which is something I've learned the hard way......whether it's furniture or clothing, ONLY BUY what you really LOVE {and can afford} and not because it was a good deal. In the long run, especially with furniture, you'll keep it forever. I've used this piece in at least 5 different rooms through the years. And now it's being moved into the new family room redo.

Working on lots of house things, being mom and wife, and a few other hats have kept me from spending a lot of time blogging. I keep up, so to speak, in my google reader, but very behind in leaving comments to so many amazing bloggers I so enjoy peeking in on. 

 And still waiting for Spring to arrive....lol! xo, Sue

One Thousand Gifts

 
When I saw the package from Amazon, I tore into the thing thinking for sure it was one of the photography books I just ordered.

Instead, it was this book.

A book I didn't even remember ordering.

For a moment, I got a sick feeling thinking I just ripped open the neighbor's mail. And then just as quickly hoping it wasn't the same neighbor...you know, the one whose package I accidentally opened at Christmastime.  

Looking at the order sheet it definitely had my name on it. Whew. In fact, I preordered this book back on November 13th. No wonder.

Oh my.

Go get this book.

"A book destined to become a classic; the sort of book you dog-ear and re-read for the sheer joy of cherishing the words and experiencing the depth of the heart that wrote it." ----Mary DeMuth, author of Thin Places: A Memoir

I'm only a few chapters in and I wholeheartedly agree with Mary. And I don't even know Mary...never heard of her. But she's right. I have underlined so many passages...

...here's one I put to some photos I snapped yesterday.

It begins: "...I wonder too...if the rent in the canvas of our life backdrop, the losses that puncture our world, our own emptiness, might actually become places to see. To see through to God."