I am truly on a creative high at the moment. I am suddenly bombarded with inspiration for things that have been sitting around, neglected in my basement or office for months. Today, I paired a yard sale feed sack with a thrift store lamp, paint, a "scratch-and-dent" shade from Target, and a scrap from a cheap white Wal-Mart sheet to make this lamp. It was a very organic process that just … [Read more...]
A Big Day
08/16 2010
Today is a big day for me and my blog, but before I tell you why, I want to share what some of my blog friends are up to and how you can get involved in the fun. There is an upcoming party event that will be taking place next month. It is a Gorilla Glue Party event that is running in addition to their regular parties and will run Sept 9th through Sept 30th over at the The DIY … [Read more...]
Dresser Transformation
08/14 2010
What do you do with a dresser that has drawers beyond repair?You take them out and replace them with a couple of shelves, of course...or at least you have your husband do that and then you paint it. The construction of these drawers were ok, but the veneer was in terrible condition. It was either put new fronts on or take them out. I opted to take them out. My husband built … [Read more...]
Busy, Busy Girl
08/13 2010
I just primed five pieces of furniture, sanded three doors, installed some hardware, glazed a chair...and the list goes on and on. It's nuts, my finger nails look dirty 24/7, and I'm tired. Here are some of the things I've completed over the past week. I bought this dresser almost a year ago at Goodwill and it's been sitting in my basement. I love the lines of … [Read more...]
Furniture Feature Friday – Favorites & Link Party
08/12 2010
You guys are just killing me with the amazing pieces you cranked out and linked up last week. There were so many beautiful dressers, French pieces, flirty slipcovers...it was tough to pick. I had a bunch of favorites, so I went with my favorites of blogs I have never heard of or visited before. "New-to-me" blogs, if you will.So, first...I was in love with this French … [Read more...]
An Oar and Another Sign
08/12 2010
I'm still cranking things out for Lucketts over here. I just got my new tags made to start pricing everything (yay!) and I shopped today for some "fillers" (greenery, eggs, fruit, etc) to make my stuff look even prettier. I'm seriously getting giddy at how everything is coming together in my head. Man, I haven't even shown you any of the furniture and larger pieces I've been … [Read more...]
I don’t know if I can…
08/11 2010
...let this one go. I've been working almost non-stop to get ready for the Lucketts Fair and today I had a rare thing...hours during the day to get uninterrupted work done. My mom offered to pay for me to hire a babysitter, so I could get work done. Thank the Lord for mothers, more specifically, my mother. So, I took her up on the offer before she even finished her … [Read more...]
Painted Pail Tutorial
08/10 2010
I loved how much my large painted pail turned out, so I went out today and bought several smaller ones to work on. As promised, here's a step-by-step tutorial and some other ideas for painting and using these buckets. Start with a galvanized metal pail. I found these on triple clearance at TJ Maxx, but I'm sure you could find some at any craft store.Apply a sloppy … [Read more...]
Painted Pail
08/9 2010
My hubby gave me a wonderful gift yesterday - the afternoon off. This meant that he took care of the house and the kids and I could do whatever I wanted. So, I took an hour nap...glorious! And then I got down to business. I did an amazing amount of work in the time that was given to me. I finished a dresser, stained a door, sanded and stained an oar, hosed down … [Read more...]
One of my favorites…
08/8 2010
It was my very first time ever at an auction and I really didn't know what to expect. I was nervous about raising my number to bid. I didn't fully understand what the auctioneer was saying. I was trying to work two rooms at one time. It was overwhelming. By the end of the night, I was a pro and was leaving with a lighter wallet and a van full of really neat … [Read more...]
A Happy Marriage?
08/7 2010
Can a chair from the 1900's and a quilt from the 1800's come together in a happy union? This chair was almost naked when it was purchased for almost nothing from an auction. No finish and stripped down to it's springs. This quilt fit under an unfortunate label...a cutter quilt. Although they were from different centuries, they seemed to want to be together. … [Read more...]
…and the winner is…
08/7 2010
Summer from I Coupon, Jesus Saves! Congrats, Summer. You're the winner of my 2000 follower giveaway, "Miss Mustard Seed in a Box." I hope you love and enjoy all of the antiques packed in this box. Thanks so much to all who entered. This was my largest giveaway ever and the response was overwhelming. All of your entries carried me over 2200! This was such a … [Read more...]
Zinc Frame…or is it?
08/6 2010
Zinc is a hot "thing" right now. You're seeing zinc furniture, zinc letters, and all things zinc in home decor. It looks so cool, but it's expensive. Now, I'm going to say that as much as I love paint, I am not a fan of faux. Mainly, because it looks....well, faux. My friend, Jami from Freckled Laundry, recently painted a "zinc" dresser and did a great job, I might add. When we were e-mailing … [Read more...]
Furniture Feature Friday – Link Party & Favorites!
08/5 2010
I'll tell you, it was a very tough week to pick a few favorites. There were a lot of projects in the running, but these were the three that stuck with me. Our Southern Nest painted this already beautiful Bombay chest and made it a one-of-a-kind stunner. I love the color and finish she achieved and there are some wonderful glaze tips in this post. Erin from Welcome Home … [Read more...]
A Pair of Clogs, a Pillow, and More…
08/5 2010
My mad dash to get things ready for Lucketts continues and will continue for a few more weeks. I feel the lure to work on my living room, but there is too much paying work to be done. I had this vintage pair of clogs from my aunt, but they were a yellowish pine and not very cute. I decided to paint them using a technique to make them look chippy and naturally worn. There's … [Read more...]
Safety First
08/4 2010
I stole bought a truckload of doors a few months ago, but they all needed to be cleaned, sanded, and sealed before I could use them in my home. Anyone who's bought a paint can and read the label on the top knows that lead, and therefore lead paint, can be toxic. Now, don't panic. It's only toxic if it's inhaled or ingested, so you only need to be concerned if it's … [Read more...]
Gearing up!
08/3 2010
I am working like mad at the moment to get everything ready for the Lucketts Fair at the end of August and some sales that are coming up at the shop. In the last two days I have painted three frames, made three pillows, painted a bench, primed a dresser, table, and chair, stained an arm chair, and...I'm sure I'm missing something else in there. It's crazy, I tell you. … [Read more...]
A Lost Art
08/2 2010
Entertaining with fine linens, china, and silver is really a lost art. I think that's why it's so easy to find this stuff at yard sales and thrift stores. People don't want to iron their napkins and polish their flatware. They want things to be disposable, microwaveable, dishwasher safe and no fuss. Entertaining this way doesn't have to be fussy or high maintenance and it … [Read more...]
Feed Sack Pillows
08/1 2010
First of all, the winner of the Well of Creations camera bag giveaway is Teresa! Congrats! I do not have an e-mail for you, so please send me an e-mail to claim your prize.Well, I have been a busy girl, so I've been a little quiet on my blog the past couple of days. You lovely ladies have not been quiet, though! Holy Cow! I can't believe how popular "Miss Mustard Seed … [Read more...]
“Miss Mustard Seed in a Box” – 2000 Follower Giveaway!
07/30 2010
In previous giveaways, I've hand painted a custom piece for one winner. I decided to go a different route for this one and put together a box of things that are commonly featured in my home and on my blog. This is a 2000 follower giveaway, so it had to be a box packed full of awesome stuff. So, let's take a peek inside...The winner will receive - A large, antique Ironstone … [Read more...]
Furniture Feature Friday – Favorites & a Link Party
07/29 2010
Oh, I missed our little furniture party the past few weeks. It's so fun to see the creativity and hard work all of you lovely ladies (and sometimes a stray gentleman here and there) put into rescuing cast off pieces of furniture that deserve better. Here are three of my favorites from last time...I chose this ottoman, which was made from scratch by Becky from Tea Party and her … [Read more...]
More on Drop Cloths
07/28 2010
First of all, can you believe how cheap the contestants made drop cloths look on HGTV Design Star! I kid of course. Well, sort of. Drop cloths are cheap, but they don't have to look like it. If you slap a drop cloth from the package directly to the window (especially with some pieces of a taxi cab bag tied to it, a la Design Star), it's going to look cheap. If you reuse them in creative … [Read more...]
1886
07/28 2010
In 1886, Grover Cleveland, the 22nd President of the United States, was in office. R. L. Stevenson wrote "Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde". The Statue of Liberty was dedicated in New York Harbor on October 28th. John S. Pemberton first introduced Coca-Cola in Atlanta, Georgia. And this table cloth was made. Aunt Nancy is my husband's great, great aunt and this table … [Read more...]
My Reupholstery Crash Course
07/27 2010
I bought this pair of French chairs at an auction almost a year ago. I had fallen in love with them and they had to be mine. I was willing to pay about $100 for the pair, but ended up walking away with them for $20. Of course, they were orange. I guess other people just couldn't see beyond that. I originally made slipcovers for them, but they looked so sloppy after … [Read more...]
Meet Robin from Well of Creations (and a giveaway!)
07/26 2010
Wow! I know I just hit over 2000 followers and I was not expecting it! I'm still tweaking my 2000 follower giveaway, "Miss Mustard Seed in a box", but it will run in a few days. Just to get your mouth watering, the box includes an antique feed sack, Bakelite flatware, ironstone, a monogrammed tea towel, an antique baby dress and more! On to my treat for you … [Read more...]
