Signs of Spring.... Hand Painted Easter Pails

Available for a limited time at Two and A Half Women, custom hand-painted Easter pails.   An updated alternative to the standard "basket".... perfect for carrying on  "the hunt" or use them to fill with candy or small tokens!

 

 

Metal pail, hand painted in a custom mix of chalk paint.  Choice of Bunny Profile or Easter Egg design. (pail measures approx. 5" high, and 7" around) 

 

If you're local (to the Outer Banks) and are interested in purchasing one, shoot me an email through the Contact Me link.

 

Here's to spring being just around the corner!

 

 

 

 

 

 



On When You Should Listen to that Little Voice Inside Your Head...

The one that says "stop now" or "just let it go, already...", or my personal favorite "I can't believe you thought this would be easy...."

Sometimes I amaze even myself with the lengths I'll go to in order to make something look the way I want it to.  I know my family already thinks I'm crazy.... and that's okay.  It's when I start agreeing that I know I have a problem.

Case in point....

I recently finished this small trunk at the foot of my bed.  I'm using it to store additional bed linen and such. 

I found it at a sidewalk sale about a month or so ago, but it started out like this...

Trust me... it looks better in the picture (and that ain't sayin' much!).  It had some type of sea grass/reed-ish (I know... not a word) stuff wrapped around the outside.  The top & bottom of the "box" and the lip of the lid were trimmed with bamboo.  My first thought was to paint the "box" portion and refinish the top with a dark stain and wax it smooth.  Easy peasy...

Not so much.... After pulling off all the sea grass stuff, I was left with the glue that attached it all over the wood.  No amount of sanding would ever make the surface smooth enough for paint.  That's when I decided I'd cover it with fabric.  That's easy enough...

And I was still planning on refinishing and staining the top.  That's when I started running into trouble and my stubborn side refused to listen to the reasonable side.

After days of sanding, and wood filling, and sanding and filling again, I had to admit defeat.  The wood on top was in such bad shape, that the more I sanded it "smooth" the more the top splintered.  The more I sanded the bamboo trim, the worse it got.  And the itty bitty pieces of "reed-ish" stuff kept popping up between the lip of the lid and the trim.  Pig-headed as I am, I actually used tweezers to try and remove the little bits in between....

It's kinda' like chewing gum on your shoes.... the more you mess with it, the stickier it gets! After a week of "fixing" it, I finally lost it and ripped the trim (and five million tack nails) out.  I filled all the holes left behind, and started over. 

This is what I wound up with...forgive the "photo overload", but it makes me feel better!

Old White on the top (the one portion that COULD be painted...)& one of my favorite french inspired textiles on the outside.

And just 'cause I like to shake things up...

A little Louis Blue on the inside  (disregard the additional holes from the numerous hinge placements.... I had to take a break from wood filler for a while!).

 

 Next time, I'll listen to that little voice.... and just go with the flow!





Sharing this post  with...

Redoux...
French Country Cottage...
Miss Mustard Seed...

Getting it Together....

With Labor Day behind us and things starting to slow down a little, I've been busy getting things made to take to my space.  I started packing what I have thus far, and hope to start moving things in very shortly.

These pictures are just a few of the things I've been working on in the last week....

 

 

 

 





 These are the smaller items, but they are more time consuming to make, wrap and package in my own custom labels etc.  I'm glad to have the bulk of these things done.

Next up are some larger furniture pieces and some custom textiles.

I'm getting excited and hope I can have everything that I have ready in place by this weekend.  I want to be sure to have the small goods out in time for the start of holiday shopping.  I'm also considering selling through Etsy.... any thoughts from those of you who sell through that venue?  Good experience or bad?

Next up.... more of my bedroom projects that have been completed and a few more things for the space.

Thanks for checking in... and for the encouragement from my family and friends.  It means the world to me!

Fine Fabric Makes a Difference....

This is an antique chair that I've had for a while....

This is after the "first round" of my refinishing project.  Originally, it had dark green velvet material and a dark walnut stain on the chair itself.  I refinished it about 7 or 8 years ago with black spray paint and some upholstery weight material from WalMart.  I was really proud of this back then, and was quite happy with the outcome.

I still love a black frame with a neutral fabric.... just not like this. 

After thinking about it for a few days.... this is what I came up with instead...

The material is some awesome pure linen burlap I found on line...

I refinished the frame in chalk paint Old Ochre, distressed it with a fine grade sand paper, waxed and buffed it to a beautiful warm glow....

And this is the final product (along with a sneak peek of my newly re-modeled bedroom)...

I would encourage anyone that has a piece of furniture that they love that they may not love "as is" to take the jump and refinish or re-purpose it for your current style.  It's inexpensive and, quite frankly, gratifying to  "re-make" it into something you'll love again.

And if  you don't know how.... or don't want to bother, just contact me.  I'll be happy to take care of it for you!!!

 

Linking to...

 

Shades of Amber...

"Sew" Much to Display...

 

While looking for some type of display pieces for my soaps, I happened to think of these....

 

What started out as plain (but in excellent condition....) antique sewing machine cabinet drawers....

... turned into the perfect size and depth to showcase my hand-made soaps for my upcoming booth location.  Various chalk paint colors, a little distressing and a quick coat of wax has given me exactly what I was looking for!

I have 4 more that came in today, complete with the side rails that would have attached them to the original cabinet.  They'll take some work though..... and I'm not quite sure about the rails.  But the drawers themselves will look great when I'm done.

It's getting closer to my "move in" date and I am working up a storm. 

And a happy belated Labor Day to all of my friends and family.... it's been a long summer and I can't help but look forward to fall.... that, and a lot less traffic on the roads!!

 

Linking to...

 

Domestically Speaking...
The Shabby Creek Cottage...

Hat Table B&A....

So here are the "deats" on my bedroom "hat table"...

I bought this table at a used furniture store a month or so ago...

 

When I first spotted it, I thought it was stained dark.  After getting it home and taking it outside to clean, I realized it was a dark brown, heavy enamel paint.  And apparently, it had been repaired/reconstructed at one point in time...

 

 

Stripping it was out of the question... not only would it take forever, I'm not sure what type of wood I'd be left with when I was done...

 

After an hour or so with the sander, I got it down to this...

 

 

 

Not pretty..... but pretty smooth and ready for paint.  I started with a base of ASCP in Louis Blue, and added a pretty heavy wash of Old White.  I'm not much of a "paint wash" or "glazer" but for some reason I went a little crazy with this piece between the layer of white and distressing it. 

 

It took me a while to get used to it, but the more I look at it... the more I like it....

 

 

.... so much so, that I painted a mirror to match.  My bedroom is coming along quite nicely.  More pics to share as we go along. 

 



A Cool Use for a Spool....

"Trend-setter" is not a term that would be applied to me... or my style of atire!  I tend to stick with the classics (navy blue is my favorite color....I know BORING) and I rarely shop for myself.

My sons on the other hand.... we'll just say they dress better than I do!

That being said- I do love vintage.  Hats, purses, gloves... you name it.  And I actually USE the pieces as often as the occasion allows (and considering how often my man & I go out.... we'll just say I like to display them, too!) This is a vintage child's fur muff that I picked up last year.... love it & it's sooo soft!

 

I happened to stop at a new vintage clothing store on the beach a few weeks back and found the coolest hat.  I've been wanting a few "new to me" accessories for my bedroom and the hat was perfect.  I wanted it on a hat stand... something I could change out with the seasons.  After searching around all the junk stores, antique malls and Goodwill I was coming up empty handed.

 

Then I saw this..... and a lightbulb went off...

 



 

Perfect and a mere $5!

 

And here it is serving its new purpose....

 

 

 

Next up.... the before & after table. 

 

It's back to school for us starting today (how many other mothers had their children out at the bus stop 20 minutes early????  Just sayin'...you know.... in case the bus came earlier this year!)

 

Just ME?  Have a great Monday (I'm heading out to get those school supplies!)