I shared in yesterday’s post that I was working on sprucing up my front yard to boost the curb appeal a bit on my 1940’s cape cod style home. The front was weedy with empty window boxes and, aside from holly bushes planted a few years ago, has been largely left to fend for itself while we focused our attentions on the inside of the house. Yesterday, I bought plants, mulch and ordered a pallet of stones to build a border/low wall around the front garden beds. The stone was delivered (dumped on my lawn) this morning and I immediately set to work. I mean immediately. I didn’t eat breakfast or fill my water bottle or anything that patient and wise people would have done! I did get my work gloves, but only wore then half the time, so they were pretty pointless, anyway. By about 10:30, I had the old stones moved to the backyard via wheelbarrow, the wall built, bushes in the ground and mulch spread. Yeah, I’m a foolish girl and my back is feeling it tonight, but it looks so amazing AND I think 2 hours of moving rock and 40 lb bags of mulch counts as a workout, so I didn’t do P90x today. I’m going to show the full result down the road, but here’s a sneak peek…
I love the lavender by the steps and can’t wait for it to start growing.
I have quite a few stones left over, so I think I’m going to try to make a stone path in the back. Once my back has settled down…
I wanted to get this dresser finished today, but the gardening and then phone calls and e-mails kept me from it, but I wanted to show you how it looks with only one coat of paint. This is the ugly stage and, as I’ve said before, almost all of my furniture pieces hit this stage at some point. It’s like the frizzy hair, bad skin and braces stage.
This dresser had a very reddish/orange stain on it, so that is seeping through the paint a bit. I’m going to address that before applying the second coat of paint. You’ll also notice that it’s blotchy. That is because I sanded the piece and the milk paint is absorbing unevenly.
Now, many people lose heart at this stage. They send me a frantic e-mail titled “HELP!!!” Sometimes there was a real problem, but most of the time, the piece just isn’t finished yet. So, I wanted to share that even my pieces look ugly during the process. If you have a piece in the ugly stage, just see it through to the end and give your duckling a chance to turn into a swan.
I shared some antique mall finds a couple of weeks ago and it looked like this…
It’s a piece that was broken off of a piece of furniture or something and the detail is beautiful, but it was very dry. I was considering painting it, but I decided to revive the pretty wood instead. I simply brushed on some Hemp Oil and voila…
I was even shocked at how rich that wood was when it was revived. It took about 2 minutes and Hemp Oil is all natural, so it can be used inside and isn’t stinky at all.
I hung the wooden piece over the arch in my dining room. Now, before you perfectionists get all twitchy, the archway was likely hand done, so it’s crooked and the wood piece looks kinda crooked because of it. Just relax and embrace the imperfect nature of old things.
I think I need to brush some Hemp Oil on those shutter frames now. Hmmm…
39 Responses
Wow!! That wood piece is beautiful hanging above the archway.. such a great find!! & I hear you on the “ugly stage” sometimes it’s so hard for me to find motivation after hitting the ugly stage on a dresser… but it’s always fun to pass that stage and have a beautiful piece. Thanks for sharing!! xx
Where can I buy hemp oil?
I LOVE your hemp oil! It really revived my great grandfather’s early 1900 Victrola. I have also used it on my son’s little wooden table.
Oh how I love hemp oil…..
“I’m going to address that before applying the second coat of paint.” Now that’s a teaser of a phrase! You’ll have to share with us someday how to deal with stain bleed through. I haven’t come across it yet, but I haven’t painted over a reddish stain yet. I do love a challenge though!
Tracey I had the same thought as i read this – we need a tutorial! Marian I am glad for your reminder not to lose faith during the ugly duckling phase – I recently painted a dresser my Dad found in your Artissimo (which I love!) – the dresser had seen better days and even after a few coats of paint, still had a splotchy “birthmark” on the top which was a little darker than the rest of the top – figured i would just have to cover it up with a strategically placed vase :). But after i applied your hemp oil, voila, it worked its magic.
Yes! The finish makes a huge difference. The things with dark spots and bleed throughs is that they are rarely an issue with the paint, but rather something that was on the existing piece of furniture that causing the problem. I painted a piece that was used a oil storage in a garage and the spots on that thing were crazy!!!
Don’t you just love to work in the yard this time of year! Few things give me such joy as seeing the yard getting spruced up! I love the wood piece! I am sure all of the folks who don’t like it when you paint something will love this! Lol! I love everything you do! Hope to meet you in Alabama this month! Blessings!
Marion, Can you paint over hemp oil? I painted a piece and wish it weren’t quite as chippy, now that I’m “done.” I just wanted to add a coat of milk paint with the fixative…can I do that??
I just noticed the stenciling on your steps. Have you shown a picture of that before? It’s such a nice touch. I’m looking forward to seeing your finished garden. We started a new rose garden out front early this summer (for all the world to see), then life happened and we never finished it. I still need to get mulch and a few more plants. I totally get how hard it is to focus on both inside and outside (and life!).
One quick question, how did you hang the doors on either side of the arch? I have a couple I picked up from a second hand shop that are crazy heavy and I want to hang them in my dining room, but I don’t know how without putting big holes through the doors.
Perfect timing for this post. I am doing my first piece with MMSP and it is ugly. I have done two coats of linen over a light colored table that was whitewashed and the coverage is still sad. I think it was too thin although I followed the directions to a T. I don’t recall in your tutorials paint dripping down excessively! NOW…I have used the hemp oil on my husbands boyhood dresser and it looks wonderful! I then took it to the laundry table countertop made from a large piece of pine. Almost 4 yrs. ago this top was stained and polyed. After many laundy baskets rubbing over it, the finish was so DULL! I took some HEMP OIL to that baby and it is BEAUTIFUL!!! I LOVE HEMP OIL!!!!! My husband asked if I was going to hemp oil the house. Also, I am so glad to see three wreaths in one shot. I have yet to hang my other two for fear of over doing it. I am also a boxwood freak. I used to have a TON of plants but in this home they just don’t work with our direction to the sun 🙁 Thank goodness for preserved boxwood! LOVE them!
The yard is looking good….at least that little part with the lavender and stones is! I had a huge bed of lavender at my last house but have had real trouble growing it here. Needs lots of sun and not too much water….they don’t like wet feet. I love using hemp oil on old wood…..really pretty piece you found!
I love how you revived the wood! I see so many post on reviving wood but there are so many different “oils” that are used. For example, what is the difference between tung oil and hemp oil? Which is the best?
I should write a post about that! Hemp oil is 100% natural and just oil, so it’s nice to use indoors. Tung Oil is on the stinky side, but is better to use if the piece will be outside or exposed to more moisture. They’re both great, it just depends on the project.
This piece with the hemp oil application is stunningly beautiful…. such a rich patina it brought out. I have wooden family heirloom pieces ( 100+ years old) that my great grandfather made using old shipping crates from around the world ( a chest, picture frame, cups and saucers etc.). They are beautifully inlayed. Would hemp oil revive these? If so, how often is an application needed usually?
Thanks for sharing!
PS: Love the front yard sneak peek! Yes! I would agree yard work is a much harder workout than P90X. I am doing P90X now and handsdown that is much easier than landscaping our front yard! Keep going though. It looks beautiful!
I have several antique pieces that had boiled linseed oil applied to them many years ago. They are getting dry. Hemp oil, wax or linseed oil for a freshening?
I have to tell you how crazy happy you make me.
Seriously! I can associate with everything you
express from elation to transparance about
keeping things that need to be shared or trashed.
I love how you love blues and whites , your dark woods, your boxwood
wreaths, and expression of normal thinking
and family living.
God bless you – p
I love how you jump right into things. Can’t wait to see more of your garden!
Oh the ugly stage! I almost always have a point of ugh…this looks hideous….what was I thinking…do I need to change my plans….
That piece looks great over the door, crookedness and all!
Great site for Ideas.
I have a broken dresser piece just like that! Thanks for another brilliant idea!! Gonna fish mine out! 🙂
The hemp oil had a dramatic effect on the wooden piece! It looks great above your door! Your garden/curb appeal is looking great!
Love the transformation with the hemp oil and the natural wood finish. Beautiful!
What you show us this time is what the french call a “fronton”. They just love using them as a décoratrive piece en thére homes, often above an entering just like you1 They have becom very hard to find lately…..
I just adoooore how rich it lokks once you oiled it!! GREAT!
Hello, it looks great…..but what I really want to know is we’re I can get one of those wreaths?
The yard was my first favorite art palate !!! Don’t you feel because you’ve been working with texture and color and heighth and depth oh and scale inside you are even better capable of your outside redo? I always worked on my inside of houses but the more I became involved with my outdoor space, the more it seemed to carry to the inside. But I’m just at a time in life when I cannot do anymore so I plan and think a lot instead. It’s still fun though my lofty walls aren’t reprinted and my sidewalk not put in. But on the other hand, I enjoy what little I can do immensely and enjoy what you can do. Especially with that delapitated piece of furniture. It already looks better!!! And by taking your time you took a picture and I smiled for the one sanded spot now looks like a tree!!! Taking time to find hidden joys in the little things on a day when I felt the weight of much upon me. Thank you for letting us see it all. Oh. Sometimes I like a little imperfection. Like my expensive tea kettle I got at an expensive store when having weekly treatments at Stanford Center (CA). We’d thrown the box away so I had to keep this kettle–so I decided the lid that was a little off so a bit hard to pull on and off to fill with water was a reminder of my own imperfectness. That I’m made whole through Jesus only! So to keep me humble, I like my imperfect tea kettle, your beautiful wooden piece barely noticeable (I never saw it) crookedness of the doorway–to remind us we all fall short except through Jesus!!!
So on dry wood – would you hemp oil first and then wax?
I must be missing something, BUT I don’t don’t see the ‘pin it’ button near your pics. I have a furniture piece (either off a dresser or headboard that need this treatment! Only I will never remember unless I pin it to Pinterest.
Oh!!! so many beautiful words from all your bloggers and so many questions:) What can I do without MMS???? I do wonder after reading this post if that HEMP OIL could restore my old body????:))). I can’t find any place around here that carries your products, can you help?
As far as the Lavender, yes, one of my faves!!! I planted a SMALL, a very small plant, I think I paid $2.00 and now it has bloomed and spread over half my garden and it is only a year old!! I found an old iron fence piece and had to use it to prop the lavie up it became so thick and that old piece of fence has added beauty to all. Plant rosemary too, the aroma with the Lavender is great!! When my windows are opened, the aroma carries through the house and invigorates me.
The fence is only a two foot high one with the deco tops on each post but you will need something or else both will take over your sidewalks and garden. The deer won’t eat it and I use it for laying in a basket in our bath area and cooking or just for the scent of each.
I want your rocks, now those are pretty ones compared to our boulders!!! I use rocks to decorate my yard and trees with and even paint them if necessary:) Color won’t hurt the rocks and adds so much color to our yard. Try it, you might like it:))
Thanks for sharing how human you truly are:)
Now tell me where to get that HEMP OIL!!!!
All is great, MS. Marion:)
Best sentence ever, “Now, before you perfectionists get all twitchy,….Just relax and embrace the imperfect nature of old things”. Good one, Miss Mustard Seed!!
It’s LOVELY!!! I got a table from a resell it store with lots of scratches on the top. Almost didn’t get it for that reason. The shop lowered the price and I used Hemp oil… and like you said… Viola!! Hemp Oil rocks.
Love, love, love the salvaged architectural piece over your archway!! I even love that the archway is crooked. I — being the perfectionist that I am — am trying to find the beauty in the imperfect. Funny how you put a bunch of imperfect things together and they just look PERFECT!! 🙂
Hi all- I have a table mage out of rough hewn wood ( no finish on it). It sits on our covered porch,sometimes gets rain on it if it is a blowing rain. Could I use the hemp oil on it? Would it spot if rain hit it or a glass is placed on it without a coaster?
Would appreciate any thoughts/advice.
Sandy
Looks beautiful as always. Noticed your stairs…did you stencil them? They look so nice.
I think this ugly stage would be a good topic to further elaborate on. I love how your paint looks however it can be a bit scary when you apply the first coat. I bought Eulalie’s sky and there was a lot of variation in the colour. Some of it was very white, other parts different shades of blue and even shades of yellow. I used your bonding agent and a couple of small spots wouldn’t take to the paint. I’ve been doing my best to make it blend it with further coats. The thing is I don’t know whether to stop apply coats and apply your wax. I just read about your hemp oil I didn’t purchase it, I thought the bonding agent and your wax would be enough. The piece has some small clumps which I dried on and I think need a bit of sanding..I am learning as I go and I think Eulalie’s sky really does look like the sky with the variations in the paint. I am crossing my fingers for the end product 🙂
I have never heard of hemp oil. I will have to try it. The wood looks awesome! Can’t wait to see the rest of the yard 🙂
Miss MS: To me, your blog is like the wikipedia of how to do cool stuff. FWIW, coming here makes me feel like there’s nothing I can’t do. Thank you for sharing what you know with me!
HI MMS
I absolutely love looking at your site. I just came home from Cataract Surgery, but what motivated me to get up after a bit of rest is to look at your site. Love the stairs how you stenciled. We replaced our family room floor with the dark wood, but have 3 steps down to the room, and I want to do what you did with the stencil. It is now cement ; we would do the steps but the facing like to do how you did yours. Think it would be tough with it being cement to pull it off like yours? YOu have fabulous ideas.Looking forward to visiting your site this next year.
frankie
Can I use hemp oil on my kitchen table top? It’s pine i think and it’s glossy so it’s already stained but I want a darker stain. Would i have to sand or can i just apply?