So, now it’s time to reveal the next paint color in my milk paint line…

…meet “Tricycle.”

…it is the most wonderful shade of red and I have to say I am totally in love with this color and the dresser.

Here’s the piece before…

I scored it on Craig’s List a couple of days ago.  Someone had it listed for an outrageous price for a couple of weeks and then had to get rid of it before he moved.  He brought the price down to a basement bargain and I jumped on it.  The drawers were wonky, so my dad and husband fixed them up so they function properly.

I purchased the knobs from Hobby Lobby.  I wasn’t sure I would love them for this piece when I bought them, but they were the only ones that were large enough AND had eight knobs available.  They ended up being perfect.

My hobby horse was just the right accessory.

I really need more red in my house.  Anyway, this piece is on the truck to take to Lucketts tomorrow.

I wanted to share one last milk paint related thing.  I made an advertising chalkboard to take to the fair this weekend…

Reni’s logo and Laura’s sketched dresser work perfectly together and I’m so excited about the branding for my paint.  Although I’ve been testing paints, mixing colors and selecting label and packaging options, seeing it on a chalkboard makes it seem more real.  It’s just awesome and I’m so blessed.

I am busy preparing for the Lucketts Antique Market and I know it’s driving some of you crazy that you can’t come because of distance or other commitments.  Well, I want to bring a little Lucketts to one of my readers.  I am having giveaway for some of the special items I’m bringing to the fair.  Here are a couple of the items that will be included in the giveaway….

…an MMS t-shirt (let me know the size – S, M, L, XL, or a custom size)…

…one of my “take-away” tags…

…you’ll also get one bunch of lavender, a bag of loose lavender and a few other surprise goodies.  I’m not sure what they’ll be, yet, but they’ll be cool.  Probably an old brass number stencil, a skeleton key, maybe a piece of ironstone.  You’ll just have to enter and see!

To enter, just leave a comment on this post.  The giveaway will close Sunday, May 20 at midnight PST.  I’ll post the winner on Monday…if I can get myself out of bed.  I will open the giveaway to international and US readers, but if I have to ship internationally, I’ll be a little bit more limited as to what I can send (probably no lavender or ironstone.)  But you can enter!  You also have to be over the age of 18 to win.

Good luck!!

The “I’M TRAVELING A STINKIN’ LONG WAY TO COME TO LUCKETTS” Giveaway

If you’re traveling a good distance to come to Lucketts, I want to know how many miles you’re traveling from your door to Leesburg, VA.  Whoever is traveling the farthest will receive a $50 credit to spend in my booth.  Last year it was a lovely lady who came all the way from California!  Leave a comment letting me know how many miles you’re traveling and you could win.  Your comment has to be left before Thursday, May 17, 2012, at midnight PST.  I’ll announce the winner on Friday before Lucketts.

The “I WANT TO KNOW WHO ELSE IS COMING TO LUCKETTS” Link Party

Lastly, I would love to know if you’re coming to Lucketts this weekend as a shopper or vendor.  Link your blog, website or Facebook page to the link party below.  In the comment under the thumbnail, please list your name (or business name) and whether you’re a shopper or vendor.  I can’t wait to see you all there!!  (This is only a link party for those attending Lucketts.  It’s not for projects or furniture.)

Here’s the dresser before…

(You can take a moment to revive the wood lover next to you who just passed out at the sight of this beautiful wood being painted.)  I know it was beautiful, but it wasn’t in great condition and needed to be fully refinished or painted.  So, I painted.  I do love and appreciate beautiful wood, so I did refinish the top.   I stripped it and wiped it down with two coats of Hemp Oil (an all natural product that will be carried in my line.)

The colors in my line are going to be named after things I love (like Shutter Gray) and this color is named after the French enamel pitchers that have always caught my eye.  I own one, but was only able to afford it because the bottom is entirely rusted out.

Don’t worry.  There will be colors in my line that aren’t blue!  Up next….”Tricycle Red.”

Reni and I almost have the design for the paint labels nailed down and I’m so excited about the look.  Things are starting to come together and I hope the line will be available in retailers and online by the end of June or sometime in July.  There’s still a lot to do though.  I’m having to put the paint line on the back burner for a few days while I’m making a final push to get ready for the Lucketts Antique Market.  My mom and I went shopping today and found tons of cool things.  There is still lots of pricing, sewing, upholstering, painting and refinishing to do, but we’re getting there.  My hope is to have almost everything done by Thursday, so I can work on little things on Friday and get some rest before the event.  We’ll see how that works out!

Jami made them in yellow, gray and pale blue.

Reni designed the paper closure for the bag.

I think that says it all.

 I’ll be giving these away for free at my booth at the Lucketts Antique Market May 19-20.

One last thing!  The winner of the Janet Hopkins’ giveaway is Tisha Rhone.  Congrats!

If you haven’t heard of it before, Antique Farm House is an online shop where you can purchase beautiful items that will bring a farm house style to your home.  Here’s a sampling of some of the pieces they carry…

 Would you like $100 to spend in their online shop?  If so, here’s how to enter to win…

• Entry one: Check out their spectacular events , come back here and leave a comment letting me know you what you like.
• Entry Two: Subscribe to their email list and leave a second comment letting me know you have.
• Entry Three: Follow them Pinterest and leave one last comment.

This giveaway is only open to readers in the lower 48 US states and those over the age of 18.  The giveaway will close Sunday, May 13, at midnight PST.  A winner will be randomly chosen and announced on Monday.

Hello ladies (and the occasional guy.)  I am busier than usual getting ready for the Lucketts Antique Market (just over a week away), so I am not going to have a chance to pick FFF favorites this week or next week.  It’s just that time of year!

My parents are driving up from Florida tomorrow and they’ll be bringing a gorgeous antique French secretary I found on Craigslist.  They’re also going to help me with all of the shopping, pricing, painting, packing and everything I need to do to get ready for the fair.  I’ll have quite a crew at the event this year.  My husband, both of my parents and Mini will all be there to help.  I’m excited about all of the pieces I’m bringing and I feel like this could be my best event yet.  (I’m praying for sunny skies, or at least no rain, so it’s fun for vendors and shoppers!)

Enough rambling.  Now, if you have some furniture to share, link up!

Here are the rules for our furniture get-together…

1.) Your post has to be about furniture. Please, please, please…just furniture. If you find your link has been deleted, it’s not because I’m mean, it’s because your post was not about furniture. You can share makeovers, awesome finds, favorite pieces, furniture arrangements, or even pieces on your wish list! Built-in furniture like kitchen cabinets and bathroom vanities qualify as furniture.

2.) Post a permalink (the link to the post), not the link to your blog.

3.) This party will close Friday at midnight PST and I will choose my favorite(s) and feature their piece(s) on next week’s FFF.

Enjoy the party!

So, maybe you’re wondering why I’m calling it Shutter Gray.  I’ve decided to name the colors in my line after things I love and decorate with.  I have a few awesome chippy gray shutters, so when I thought of a name for gray, shutters immediately came to mind.

My gray has a bit more blue in it, but that’s the way I like my grays!

The piece I tested it on is a gorgeous French chest-on-chest I picked up last week.

…and the milk paint did the awesome thing it does…

The piece wasn’t bad to begin with at all.  It was just a little….orange.

I love how this dresser (and the color) turned out.  I’ll be bringing it with me to sell at the Lucketts Antique Market (May 19-20.)

More milk paint colors and furniture makeovers are in the near future!

I absolutely love them.  Reni did an amazing job with the design and I’m so happy with the printing and the quality of the t-shirts.  They are Champion brand and are 60% cotton and 40% polyester, which makes them a little stretchy and will prevent shrinking.

I’ll be setting up an online shop soon and the t-shirts will be available for sale there, in addition to my milk paint and some of the random cool things I find and make.  The shirts will be $15/each.  I’ll do a giveaway for one next week (in addition to a few other goodies.)  The batch I just picked up will be coming with me to sell at Lucketts.

Well, I’m still paint splattered and dirty and sore and cranking out pieces for Lucketts.  If you’re curious what I’m working on, you can check out my Facebook page for the latest.  Here’s a piece I just finished today…

I don’t have a before picture of it, but this is what it looked like with the frame painted and the upholstery stripped off.

I found this awesome hemp fabric online that looks and feels a lot like European grain sack fabric and it’s my new favorite fabric for upholstery.

I have been hiring out my upholstery projects lately, but I decided to tackle this piece myself and I think it’s the best I’ve ever done on a chair.  (If I don’t say so myself!)

I won’t be heartbroken if it doesn’t sell at the fair, but I have a feeling it will.

In the past, I’ve had a link party for people attending the fair (shoppers & vendors) and some special giveaways.  I’m going to do that again this year, so look for that next week!

With mother’s day fast approaching, I thought I would slip in a little giveaway from one of my sponsors, Janet Hopkins.  She is amazing with paper crafts and printables and has now branched into the world of jewelry.

And her timing is perfect for mother’s day.

I love the chain!

Janet is offering this lovely necklace for a giveaway today.

The giveaway is for one (1) “Mother’s Love Charm” and one (1) “Rolo Chain” just as it is in the photos.

Interested?  Here’s what you can do to enter…

1. For one entry leave me a comment here.

2. For a second entry, subscribe to Janet’s blog and come back here and tell me that you did.

3. For a third entry Facebook or Tweet this giveaway, come back here and leave one last comment letting me know you spread the word.

The giveaway will be open through Wednesday, May 9 at midnight PST and I’ll announce a winner on Thursday.  Only U.S. Residents and readers over the age of 18 may enter.

To learn more about Janet and some “behind the scenes” details about the design, visit this post on her blog.  (You really should visit, so you can see all of the cute charms available with this piece.)

Good luck!

When Mini first arrived to watch my boys for the day, I took a long soak in a hot bath.  I was sleepy and a little sore and I just couldn’t face all of the work that needed to be done without a little down time first.  After the bath, breakfast and a quick check of my e-mail and I got to work.  Here are a couple of the new pieces I was working on…

I stripped the top of this piece to get it ready for refinishing, but I didn’t get around to painting it yet.

I also stripped the top of this piece and painted the base in a pretty blue (one of the new colors in my milk paint line.)

This wood is gorgeous, so I had to leave the top unpainted.  After stripping it, I cleaned it with mineral spirits, sanded it smooth and finished it with Hemp Oil.  God knew what He was doing when He made wood grain like that…

My husband and some of the former youth guys (now in college) came over and watched the boys for a while (while they played on the X-Box), so Mini came downstairs to help me with painting this piece…

 I was working on mixing paints for my line and had the perfect color to use on it…

I added some white accents after I took this picture and I can’t wait for the reveal of this piece (and the color!)

I spent a good bit of time playing with colors and I made a real mess of my workbench in the process.  I knew in my head exactly what colors I wanted, so it was just a matter of finding the right mix.  I think I have most of them figured out, but I’m still working on a couple of them.

I did find the perfect green…

I also finished a hutch (with awesome brass chicken wire in the doors), stripped the fabric off a French caned-back wing chair, painted the base coat for three signs and painted a stool.

I don’t think I’m going to have trouble getting to sleep tonight.  Whew!

The winners of the Decor Steals Giveaway are…

Kristin M. wins the desk organizer

and

Jessica from Dear Emmeline wins the butterfly wreath.

Congrats!!