Today our new shop opened it’s doors at 10:00 am. I wish I could have been there, but I generally don’t work in the shop & I had a previous commitment. I was also beat and probably would’ve been tempted to curl up in the bed for a nap. I have so many pictures to sort through and share with you, so I picked some of my favorites to start with. This bed was an auction find by the woman who owns our shop. It had a good shape, but it was metal with a faux wood finish. Not very cute. Since it was metal, I decided to go with a white satin spray paint. I thought this would be an easy makeover. Some spray paint and some decorative painting detail and done. Well, it didn’t work out that way. I wiped the bed down and started spraying. The paint

Hello, all! I have been so busy with getting our shop ready to open on Saturday that my poor blog has been a little neglected! I am looking forward to looking through all of the FFF links tomorrow and picking out my favorites. I also want to give a huge shout-out and thank you to Roeshel at the DIY Show Off for a flattering feature about my blog and furniture makeovers. I’m sure all of you have visited her blog, but if you have been under a rock in blogland, you must check it out! Thank you, Roeshel! Our shop opens today (Saturday) and we have been working like dogs to get it ready. The store is really looking good, though. We have it all decorated for Christmas, including these awesome pink flocked trees. I have tons of pictures to share over the next few days as my life gets

I have been very inspired by the decorating blog community, so I’ve been working on some “craft projects” for our new shop. Now, when I think of crafting, I think of dolls made out of clothes pins or stenciled duck napkin rings. There is a whole new world of quality and creative crafts out there, now. If you have any doubts, just check out Etsy! I think these people are artists, not crafters. So, now that we’ve gotten past the whole craft thing, let me show you what I’m working on.I am in love with antique and vintage banners made out of glittered letters. Every time I see them in a magazine or antique shop, I just love the fanciful nature of them. The problem is they are expensive. Very expensive. So, I’ve been thinking for a long time about making one myself. This is my first attempt. I cut

If you’re interested in my Furniture Feature Friday favorites and the winner, see the post below. I’m ba–ack! After 3 full days of working in the shop, I haven’t had a transformation to share with my readers and I finally got to one today. This one is super easy and a great way to transform a dated or blah lamp and shade. This lamp started out at an old brass swing arm lamp that’s been sitting in the stash in my basement for a few years. It was time to give this guy a second chance. The shade was a freebie from the woman who owns the shop that sells my stuff. It was nice, but the shiny fabric looked a little dated and stuffy to me. I saw this large roll of hemp at Wal-Mart yesterday and knew it would be perfect for projects. It was $12.00, but should

There were a lot of wonderful furniture posts last Friday, so it was tough to decide, but I have a feeling it always will be! These are some of my favorites this week. Jen from A Shopoholic Mom’s Aqua Coffee Table. I just love the color of it and it looks gorgeous in that room! Well done! Ashley Busy’s Refinished Dining Room Table. This table was scratched up by their cats and she really gave it a new life. And everyone knows I’m a fan of dark wood tops and painted legs! Shellagh from Ticking & Toile’s Slipcovered Loveseat. She did an amazing job on this piece! I love the piping and pleats. Slipcovers are not easy, so I really appreciate the work she put into this one. It turned out lovely. Stephanie from The Vintage Glitter House’s Mustard China Hutch. I LOVE the yellow she chose for this piece.

The last few days have been a total blur! I’ve been working like crazy to get things done at the new shop. Because of that, my blog has been a little neglected. Sorry all! I have a few housekeeping things to take care of before I share some pictures of the new shop with you. First of all, I’d like to thank MB from Down Home DIY for “Booing” me. I only recently discovered her blog and if you haven’t checked it out, you should. There is idea after idea that you can use in your home from rearranging furniture, choosing colors, and creative uses for materials. Second, thanks to Lilia from 2 Brown Eyed Beauties for awarding me the Kreativ Blog Award. She shares lots of beautiful pictures and inspiring decorating ideas that she uses in her own home. I love her foyer makeover. These are two great blogs,

I finally got a chance to look through most of the FFF posts and there were some awesome makeovers! I will post my favorites and the winner Sunday or Monday. Thanks to all who participated! This has been my life for 2 days – painting, taping, painting, Chinese food, sick kids, Wal-Mart, painting, washing brushes, measuring, Diet Dr. Pepper, painting, early mornings, pants that are paint splattered and my husband says are “not very flattering”, painting, late nights, a little bit of blogging, painting. You get the idea? I had to share some of the progress on our new shop with you. It is all coming together and it is so exciting! The shop owner went with my recommendation on the design and paint colors, so there was a lot of pressure for me to get this right. Here are a few glimpses of before & where we are now.

For some weird reason I love these old tole painted pieces. Whether it’s a hamper, waste bin, a tray, or one of these little…what are these, exactly? Anyone know? Whatever it is, it looked dark and depressing in this state. I pick it up at a thrift store for a couple of bucks. I sprayed it in a periwinkle blue and added decorative painting that lightened it up and clearly stated its new purpose. As you can see, the design was done free-hand and kept loose and informal. I know, the oval is a little wonky, but I like things to look hand painted, not cookie cutter. It’s just an example that imperfections can give an accessory personality. You are no longer left scratching your head, trying to guess what this piece is good for. Defining the use of a piece can sometimes be the key to selling it. I