Taking Away the Blues....French Bistro Table Makeover

We picked up this table at an auction a while back. Good sturdy table with nice detailing on the legs. I also picked up this VERY blue paint at Home Depot....Darn you Home Depot for making colors look WAY different in your light! Anyways, I painted this table the previously mentioned blue. And boy was it blue! So, sadly enough, I had to makeover a table that I had already made over! Oh well, you live and you learn! The table had a nice flat, rounded top, perfect for some detail work!

First, I painted the table gray.

I really wanted the table to have that French Bistro feel, so I decided to paint the top just like a sign right out of a bistro in Paris. I stenciled the letters, then went back over them with a paint brush for a more hand-painted look. I also added some decorative designs to enhance the look. 

 

I also added a design to the middle of the bottom shelf.

Once the lettering was done, I distressed the whole table using 100 grit paper around the edges and 150 grit paper over the whole table, including the lettering. Once the table was distressed, I rubbed a charcoal gray over the whole table. When using stain as an aging technique, I like to rub a heavy coat over a part of the table, let sit for a minute, then wipe it back off. This leaves just the right amount of stain behind.

Here is the finished product. I love it! Looks like it came right out of a French Bistro!

Happy Painting Everyone!

The Shabby Chic Cottage- Transformation Thursday

Table and Chairs Fit For a Princess!

Sydney, Wendy's 4-year-old, was recently moved to her "big girl room" to make room for the new arrival! The room was done in a pretty hue of "princess" pink and an entire wall was painted with a grand castle. Sydney loves to have picnics, so a table and chairs was a must! Wanting to veer away from the harsh lines of a square table and chairs, Wendy and I set out to find just the right round table!

Finding two matching kids chairs can be a task, but alas, I came across these two adorable chairs at a yard sale for $5 a piece! I loved how the top of the back looked like a flower!

The table was a bit tougher. After several weeks of looking, I finally came across this table at Chartreuse & Co. for $20! Look at the claw feet!!

Obviously, the table needed to be painted! With furniture with so much detail, it was much easier to spray paint, so I picked up a few cans of Rust-oleum Heirloom White and painted a few coats on each piece.

Once the pieces were dry, I light distressed them. I then applied stencils to the backs of the chairs and the center of the table using a shade of pink.

Here is the finished product! I think it turned out adorable!! Definitely a table and chairs fit for a princess!

It's PERFECT for Sydney and her picnic friends!

Barn Door Signs

I'm currently in the process of redoing my bedroom and was looking for some inexpensive artwork. I had seen a few different signs that I loved and wanted to create one of my own. I LOVE old doors, especially barn doors. They provide such great texture and detail...a perfect canvas for my potential artwork!

I found this barn door at a local salvage place for $20. It was perfect and even had a blue-ish paint on it!

I dry-brushed the door a creamy white.

I then stenciled one of my favorite quotes on the board. I used 3 inch stencil letters in a rustic font. Be careful of spacing when doing letters! Do a rough guess of where each word will be placed to make sure the quote is centered!

After the stenciling was complete, I sanded the whole door to distress the letters and the finish on the door. I also rubbed a brown glaze over the whole door.

Here is the finished product! I can't wait to hang this over the bed in my new room! When hanging something heavy over the bed, make sure to put any screws into studs!!

It was hard to get a good picture since the door is so large! Stay tuned for the revealing of my new room for a better picture of this sign!!

For some AWESOME painting on old doors, check out Molly Susan Strong!

Linking to....

Thanks so much to Amanda for featuring our Upcycled Photo Holders on her new Home and Garden Section of Craft Gossip!!! Check out our feature.... Home and Garden at Craft Gossip...Thanks again Amanda!!!

I was Featured and Given an Award!

Staci at Just Sew Sassy has featured our Upcycled Photo Holders and Given our Blog an Award!!

Thank you Staci!!

The rules of this award are simple:

Thank the person for the award

Sum up your blogging philosophy, motivation, and experience using five (5) words.

Pass it on to 10 other blogs which you feel have real substance.

Well, those who know me, know that I don't sum up much in 5 words, so i'll do my best!!

Recreate, Repurpose, Inspire, Excite and Encourage

These are 10 blogs that I love! (But of course I love way more than 10!!)
Miss Mustard Seed
The Thriftress
The Kramer Angle
La Rose Sauvage
Molly Susan Strong @ Just Be
Primitive and Proper
Keep Home Simple
Crap I've Made
Living With Lindsay
Freckled Laundry

Thanks for the great reading Everyone!!

Upcycled Wall Photo Holders...

Let me start this post by saying that I LOVE photos.

I love to have them surrounding me in my home.

I strive to have them in every room.

I just love photos. The feelings they evoke. The smile they put on your face.

The memories they stir up when you see them. I simply love photos.

Another reason that I love photos is that they are free art work!

Photo displays are better than any art work you can buy because they are near and dear to your heart.

 Knowing my love of photos, I am always trying to come up with creative ways to display them aside from the basic frame.

I am so excited about these upcycled wall photo holders!

I LOVE them!!

First, I started with some old cabinet doors that I got at a salvage store. (Sorry, I had already started to paint it when I realized I should take a picture!!)

I gave them a light sanding and then painted them a slightly off-white.

After the painted dried, I rubbed a dark cherry stain over the white.

After the stain dried, I dry brushed another coat of the white paint on all of the doors.

I going to have to apologize for the lack of pictures for the next fews steps...It was quite the hectic week!

Once the doors were dry, I sanded the edges for the distressed look. I then applied a brown glaze to the whole door.

I bought some magnetic clips from the office section at Walmart and spray painted them black. I created an "easel" effect using a piece of small trim from the hardware store cut to the length of the middle plank of each door.

With my love of photos, comes my love of mat board. I LOVE the finished look that mat board gives a photo. So, for each clip, I cut a piece of mat board large enough to hold a 5x7 photo leaving edge on all sides.

Once all of the pieces were cut, I attached them to the door using E600 glue. Once those were dry, I stenciled and distressed a design on the top of the door and applied picture hangers to the back.

I'm super excited about these frames! I'm hoping to have them for sale at Chartruese and Co. for this coming tag sale, but to be honest, they might end up staying in my house!!

Beans and Buttons would also like to welcome it's newest addition! Rylie Mae was born on July 14, 2010.

July is a HOT at Chartreuse!

It may be hot outside, but Chatreuse and Co. is full of some cooooool stuff!

Beans and Buttons has some beauties this month!

Those beautiful Martha Stewart wing chairs (they retail for $1199 a piece, but see what a steal you can get them for from Beans and Buttons!!) Look at that great color combination in front of that awesome white buffet!

A beautifully painted china closet. What great size and detail!

A tall waterfall dresser with original hardware. You won't believe the patina!

A pair of great sitting chairs next to a black drop leaf table. This table is in incredible shape!

This dresser has already sold, but it's too beautiful not to mention anyway! Look at the three top drawers and the incredible detail on the middle drawer....I had a hard time parting with this one!!

Come see what Beans and Buttons and Chartreuse and Co have to offer at this month's tag sale! July 16th-18th! See you there!!

Also, Beans and Buttons will be making a special announcement this week! Stay Tuned!!!!

Much Ado About Nothing....

One of the things we like most about being Junk girls is seeing the potential in things that most others would see as worthless or boring....

Here are some projects that I just finished up....

I got these old cheese boxes at a flea market. They were boring, just plain unfinished wood. I saw potential for something cool! So I stained them a dark cherry stain, dry-brushed white paint over them, then stenciled and distressed numbers on the top and side. What awesome rustic storage!

I also picked these canisters up at a flea market. They were just a set of 4 glass canisters with wood tops in a wood rack. Not bad the way they were, but somewhat boring. I white-washed the rack and canister lids then stenciled numbers on the lids. What fun! You can even use these as fun office storage or even in the bathroom to hold cotton balls! Remember to always think outside the box when it involves function and design!

I picked this planter box up at a yard sale a while back knowing something cool could come of it. First, I dry-brushed it with white paint. I then attached old casters to the bottom. I used textured spray paint to make some awesome handles for the side and then used chalkboard paint on a craft-store piece of wood for a decorative finish. What a cool, functional piece!! Use vases to hold fresh flowers as a great centerpiece.

Use the box for holding drinks at a picnic....What fun!! There a million uses for such a cool item! 

Don't forget the upcoming Chartreuse and Co. tag Sale! July 16-18. Watch for a preview of some awesome Beans and Buttons items!