Painting Day

This past weekend we decided to tackle a big painting project and it actually had nothing to do with the nursery. I have been wanting to re-do our coffee tables for quite sometime. I just felt like I had too much dark stuff in our living room and it always felt dark so i was more than ready to lighten things up. One of my friends did this to her table and assured me that I could do it. Please not: I have never painted anything in my life! Ha!
So first we started with sanding it. Sanded it enough (by hand) to take the top layer of gloss off.

We then primed it. I would suggest 2 coats of white primer if you have a dark table.

(please excuse my nastiness :)

And don't worry, I didn't inhale any fumes, I just suffocated instead.

We used Behr paint from Home Depot. The color is called Putnam Ivory.

Here is the first coat. I already was liking it better.

End table! (this one did not need 2 coats of paint)

Lastly, we used "antiquing glaze" from Lowes for the finishing touches. We watched a youtube video on how to apply so we didn't mess it up. Marc did most of it because I was taking forever. Thanks honey!

Ta-Da! Here is the finished product.

I really love how it lightened everything up and really changed the whole look of the living room. 

This was our side painting project! I took a break and went with Katie to some antique/flea markets stores on Saturday and I found these 2 chairs at a random flea market in prairie grove. I knew they would perfect for the nursery. $20 each is hard to beat these days so I snatched them up. Can't wait to recover them in turquoise fabric!

I primed them and then used a high gloss white.

(well actually Marc did!). He didn't want me to inhale those fumes.

It took us all weekend but I love how everything turned out. I'm super excited to get started on the nursery now! Let me know what you think!

Pumpkin Craft night

A few nights ago I had some girls over for a fun night of painting pumpkins. We all got a couple pumpkins a piece and then I pulled out the trusty ole chalkboard paint. I had a few skeptics about this project once we began painting, but in the end it turned out good and they were happy with the end result!

 

Rachael is a little unsure about the black pumpkins

monogrammed with chalk for Marc and Michelle..awww

 this one Louise did with paint pens for her and Ben

my finished products!

We also made yummy caramel apples! This was a caramel apple kit. It came with the caramel, parchment paper, and sticks. The caramel was so yummy and draped perfectly over the apple.

unfortunaltely we cut them before I snapped a pic

they were still yummy though!

This was such a fun and easy fall craft. It would be fun for kids too, especially since chalk is easy to erase. It is pretty cheap as well. I bought my chalkbaord paint at Lowes a few months ago to make my framed chalkboard if you remember. It cost about $12 and then throw in a couple of $2-3 pumpkins makes for a fun, cheap craft! I still have a ton of paint left over, so it goes a long way.

Craft Day!

The other day my friend Rachael and I had a little craft/ shopping day! We found some fun things at the "schoolhouse" sale which my friend Pam puts on every year. It is full of vintage pieces that have been re-covered or painted.

First, I found this fun frame!

Then I headed to Lowes to get some chalkboard paint and needed to get some board cut to fit the frame. I took the frame in and then asked a guy there if he could cut this massive piece of board for me. The board only cost $6.00 and they cut it for me which was a huge plus and no extra charge.. The chalkboard paint cost $12.00 and the frame $20.00.

Ta-Da! Finished product. What do you think?

This is now hanging in my kitchen that was once a blank wall.

I then found this fun vase with bright orange flowers and added it to my mantle. It was marked down half off at the schoolhouse dale and it came with the flowers! I think it was $20.

 I was excited for a small change on the mantle.

Then Rachael found this great little window at the sale. I believe she paid $12.00 for it, which was a steal. I had the idea to paint and distress it for her. So she found some cream colored paint on clearance at Lowes which cost about $4.00 and she also bought a sandpaper scrubber so we could distress it!

Before!

taping the edges

All painted!

And distressed! This was my first time to distress something and man it was hard work.

But I think it turned out great!

After!

We had such a blast having a craft day and adding some relatively cheap pieces to our homes!

What do you think?