The Little Table That Could

Hello! 

My friend and client needed an old family table repaired and painted. 

I wish I could find the before picture! 

One side of the table was broken in-half and the top was looking pretty rough. 

My husband repaired the side and the table is in one piece now!

 

 

 Who needs old vintage books?! Not me. 

These are my current "must reads".

 My husband does our landscaping & gardening and every summer I can't thank him enough. 

I love cutting our flowers and enjoying them inside.

Quincy photobombs again!

He's lucky he's cute. 

I used posh red (Valspar), distressed, and glazed. 

I make my glaze by mixing clear translucent glaze (it's really a milky white) with black paint. 

I really love this little table and I'm so happy Erika can keep an old family heirloom.  

When Coastal Blue & Lime Green Come Together

One of my favorite things to do is mix paints to make custom colors! I had some extra general finishes lime green & coastal blue and decided to see if the colors would work together.

 

I didn't measure. I added and mixed until it was a color I liked. If I had to guess, I would say it was 3 parts lime green mixed with 1.5 parts coastal blue. (I'm guessing)!!

I think they make a perfect color. 

 

What do you think of this color? 

Are you of fan of custom colors?

I'd love it if you followed me on Facebook. You'll find tons of behind the scenes photos.

Helen

Linking up:
nifty thrifty

Vintage Vanity Makeover

Old furniture is nice.

 Especially when it belonged to your grandmother. Grandma's furniture is better quality, more unique and holds a special place in our heart.

It's not as special when the veneer is falling off and you want your little girl to use that piece of furniture. My client Britt wanted to keep her grandmothers vanity but it needed a new look.

I was only going to remove veneer from the sides but I decided to remove all of the veneer. The veneer came off easily and in long sheets so it wasn't too hard of a job.

**It's hard to take a straight-on shot with a mirror and not expose yourself**

 

 I lightly distressed the edges

I adore the detail on the sides of the mirror and the curves.

For those who do not already know, here is an tip for painting appliques (all the purple pieces on this piece). They pop right off! GENTLY pry them off. I've used flat head screwdrivers, picks, butter knives......these are not the best ways to remove fragile pieces of wood but I'm impatient.  Please be patient because these pieces are delicate and will break.

You can use a little wood glue & finishing nails to put them back on or an air nailer.

Removing those pieces makes for crisp painting lines when you are painting two different colors. 

Hopefully, this piece will be passed on throughout the years!

Linking: 

MMS

Coral Crush + Persimmon Buffet

This buffet was one of the first pieces I ever painted. 

I found it at Goodwill for $40, brought it home and painted the entire thing white. Last year, I stripped the top and painted the bottom a greenish/blue color. 

I've always said purple is my favorite color. Once I started painting furniture & my house, I realize my favorite color is any shade of blue. It's becoming a problem! 

I need a change. 

I need some color (besides blue or gray) in my home. 

General Finishes Milk Paint sent me some bright, bold colors to use. 

I loved the colors but they were a little too bright for my space. 

Solution.....

Make my own color!

I mixed 1 part coral crush and 1 part persimmon to get this rich color. 

If it looks crazy bright it's probably the screen settings (the first picture looks a little off on my screen).

This color is the perfect mix. It's not too pink and not too orange. 

The next three photos are very true to the actual color.

  I love the wood grain on the lip.

I went with a white washed wooden knob from Hobby Lobby. 

See the black and white photo? That is a picture of my husbands grandmother when she was in college. It's one of my favorite photos. 

 The chair is one of my extra kitchen chairs. It was also painted in GF milk paint. 

See the problem I have with blues and greens??! 

It's a serious issue!

What's the difference is between General Finishes (GF) milk paint and other milk paint brands?

GF is premixed and it is not a powder. 

It does not flake and get chippy. It is the consistency of paint.

It dries hard and sticks to almost anything.

Other brands are a powder that you mix with water. 

They will flake and get chippy (normally). You can add a bonding agent if you do not want chipping. 

The consistency is not like normal paint. It is a little more runny.

Both types of milk paint distress easily.

Hope this helps answer any questions readers might have!

My friend Reeves from The Weathered Door did a great post on various types of milk paint.
Click here to go straight to her post. 

Linking:
Someday Crafts
Savvy Southern Style
MMS
1929 charmer
tinysidekick
pneumatic addict

General Finishes Milk Paint: Buttermilk Yellow Desk

Free furniture is the best furniture.

Even if the drawers are a little crooked.

My friend gave me a desk and I fell in love with the legs. 

 I have been using a lot of General Finishes Milk Paint lately and I can't get enough of the stuff. 

I painted a buffet, desk, my kitchen chairs and my entertainment center with their paint (posts coming soon).

The main reason I wanted to use GF on this piece was because I didn't want to prep and sand this piece. 

It was shiny and I was feeling lazy. 

GF sticks to everything!!!

  I used Buttermilk Yellow on this desk and then I distressed with my hand sander. 

 See the second drawer that doesn't close all the way?!

 I found these pulls at Home Goods!

 This is the room you first walk in when you enter my house. The front door is to the right of the desk. The first thing you see is my new work area and my fancy couch.
I really love that couch. It is used for extra seating, reading with my 5 year old and my cat has claimed it has her new bed.

I use an extra kitchen chair as my desk chair. This particular chair was painted seagull gray. Yep, that's a GF color. It is the perfect shade of gray.

 Have you met Quincy?

If you follow me on facebook you can see even more pictures of this handsome boy.

He likes to lay at my feet when I paint or try to lick the paint. Depends on his mood! 

(no worries, we stop him before he can get into anything)

Linking:
Savvy Southern Style

MMS