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BEST BRUSHES FOR CHALK PAINT, MINERAL OR CLAY BASED PAINTS

BEST BRUSHES FOR CHALK PAINT, MINERAL OR CLAY BASED PAINTS One of the biggest mistakes people make when painting with Chalk Paint , Minera...

DIY CHALK WALL BEFORE & AFTER - KITCHEN STATEMENT WALL

So, I wanted to do a statement wall in my kitchen and dining area to break up the blandness and lack of color. And I'd been wanting to do a full wall to jot my grocery list items as we run out of them or a to-do' list of the moment.

I decided on the wall that wraps around behind the counter nearest the kitchen sink into the hallway area that leads to the bathroom.

I did a really quick coat of Annie Sloan Graphite and TA DA !!! I love my new wall!

One coat of Annie Sloan Chalkpaint in Graphite, allowed to dry fully - usually only a couple hours. Then I rubbed my chalk all over and wiped away which gives it that vintage "chalk board" look and I was ready to get going.

I'm thinking about writing some quotes, or a love letter to my kids or something across the top portion...

Below is the extremely BLAH Before .
What do you think?



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MERRY CHRISTMAS from THRIFTY LITTLE THINGS 2012

Since I'm typing and it is now 7:30 AM on 12/21/2012, I'm gonna assume that the world did not end as anticipated by the Mayan Calendar.

Thank goodness....as I had not yet put my Merry Christmas post up :D

I just wanted to take a moment to wish you all a wonder filled CHRISTmas and pray the coming days are spent with less hustle & bustle and more tiny moments that bring peace to your heart and make you smile.
Side note...my mantel is missing 2 stockings as my oldest hunts her room where she decided to store them "for me" last year....hmmmm, yes, that's the kind of "norm" we have at my house. Absolutely no illusions of perfection here...

:D

MERRY CHRISTMAS!


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ANNIE SLOAN GRAPHITE CREDENZA MAKEOVER

I posted this MAJOR diamond in the rough find on Facebook the day I got her and I couldn't wait to get started. She needed some serious prep work, but I loved the style of the interior drawers and all the details...I just knew I could give this poor thing a new life with Annie Sloan ChalkPaint furniture paint! I decided on Graphite with Dark & Clear Wax and stencil Fleur de lis done in Old Ochre with dark wax.

And, while I'm currently awaiting shipment of some gorgeous authentic vintage drawer pulls to do her justice, I'm too impatient to keep you waiting any longer!

Keep in mind, I'm still hand waxing and have a few more minor details to perfect once I get the knobs & pulls in, BUT here she is - MID-MAKEOVER !
What do you think so far?

I already want to keep her, instead of selling as I originally intended. I think this piece would make a perfect buffet credenza with great storage for napkins, tablecloths, aprons, tabletop and dining ware items. But....I'm not sure I have any room for her! EEEK!

2015 UPDATE

I kept her and I updated the look over time with Annie Sloan Old White, very distressed.

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DON'T FORGET THE SPARKLE - THE LITTLE CHRISTMAS TREE 2012

With all of my favorite bloggers and friends sharing their beautiful Christmas trees & decor this year, I decided it was time to share a peek at The "Little" tree for 2012....undoubtably the most imperfect of trees amidst the blogosphere this year.

My youngest son is now 12, soon to be 13, and this is the first year he didn't have much interest in decorating the tree. With my oldest already 21 and 17, that left me by myself. Which was not as fun as years past. Any soon to be empty nesters, agree?

So, I took my time and carefully hung each of my coveted angels. A collection started many years ago by happenstance. My mother began giving me a new, unique angel every year and I love unpacking them each year.
Then I moved on to all the other ornaments and those that make me smile like the kids pictures when they were in grade school.
And then I was done. And something seemed to be missing. For the past week I have walked by the tree with sort of a "ho-hum" feeling. Unsure what it was missing and blaming it on myself for not having the mega Christmas spirit as so many years past when my kids were little and anxiously awaiting Santa.

My 3 year old GRANDbaby came to spend the night tonight. She came into the kitchen where I was prepping supper and yells "Mimi....come look what I did!!"
What a surprise...and I really, literally, cried. Mostly because I remember the days when my own kids would have gotten in BIG trouble for messing with Mommy's "special ornaments" and re-arranging the tree. Boy, if I knew then what I know now....

She took all of her necklaces, bracelets and sparkly jewelry and hung it on the tree.

Now THAT is what Christmas is about. Not the perfectly decorated tree...

So, here's our very imperfect tree this year that I absolutely adore. And gratitude to my GRANDbaby for reminding me that it's the SPARKLE that matters the most.


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I FELL IN LOVE WITH PAINT IN 1995 - MY PASSION MEMOIR

While cleaning and dusting all those things that NEVER get dusted here at home this week - you know,.... picture frames, wall hangings and the like, I found myself caught in a flashback as I took this piece off the wall, where I have it hanging above a doorway.

It occurred to me that this piece represents where it all began for me. Circa 1995, before my youngest was born, while my other 2 were ages 3 and 7. I was deeply rooted in my stay at home mom position and spent the majority of my time curb hunting and painting anything and everything I could get my hands on. This was long before I knew anything about painting, Chalk Paint and the like. I just knew that I loved a chippy, not-so-perfect finish with a little glam (hence the gold). I had no clue how the high end retailers got the look and this was long before it was ever talked about or publicized. So, I made my own recipe.

Cheap, Flat, off-white interior wall paint. Yeppers....At that time, I could get an entire gallon for just 10 bucks at Wally world. Dry brushing, I discovered by accident and became obsessed fell in love with it. Gold and Silver acrylic glaze were my new best friend.

As I cleaned all those beautiful and intricate details of this family piece that once adorned a mirror not furtunate enough to make it's way to 2012, I smiled, knowing that I could do this beauty much more justice now with the added knowledge, upgraded paint and tools.

But....I think I'd rather remember where I came from, through my own trial and errors, on my own and purely from my own passion, before anyone game me a direction to go to.

So, I hung her back up. And smiled.

Do you have a passion that has stood the test of time? I'd love to hear about it in a comment below!



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DIY FABRIC COVERED TOPIARIES FROM POSTERBOARD

I've got another NO CRAFT GENE REQUIRED Project for ya! This one might not even cost you a thing!

I hunted around the house for all that I needed to create these DIY Poster board Fabric Topiaries. I used a pair of old candlesticks, an old curtain and some broken costume jewelry and bead garland.

For the base, I used these old candlesticks and to hold the form onto them...yeppers, I hot glued an upside down paper bowl. On my other one, I had a small piece of floral foam that I cut and used.
To make the form for your topiary, simply use a piece of poster board paper that I had on hand for kids projects. You can grab it at your local dollar store - mine has them 2/$1.

Using the long side of the poster board, simply roll your paper until you have the point at the top and the width for the topiary you want. You'll cut down the bottom/uneven portion to leave yours at whatever height you like. I used shipping tape to secure it.
I cut fabric from an old/unused curtain I had hung onto because I loved the damask print. I also made a second one with even more of my leftover fabric from my dining room table re-do.
I then sprayed my posterboard form all over with an all purpose adhesive spray and rolled it onto the fabric. Smooth out any wrinkles and I didn't worry about the back side where the fabric edges meet - noone will ever see that part!

I used scrap edging and ribbons and then some sentimental broken pins, beads and pieces from old jewelry. You can decorate yours with anything you like...my Grandbaby helped me with mine and we had so much fun!
We still have to add some embellishments to the brown/black one, but I had to share that one too!

That's it! This one is very simple to do and beats paying upwards of $40 and much more for similar topiaries in stores!

I LOVE topiaries and the possibilities for styles with this project are limitless! They will make for some great gifts, too!

What do you think? I'm sure you can create some beautiful topiaries to put mine to shame!


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I linked this post up over at DebbieDoos Holiday Knock Off Decor Party

and