DIY! Refinished Night Stand

I've been looking for a night stand for our guest room for a LONG time...I've looked everywhere for a piece I could possible repaint and distress...flea markets, consignment shops, Craigslist.  And finally a couple of weekends ago I went to the Flowood flea market with my sister-in-law, Mary Allison.  I knew she had an eye for finding unique pieces so I felt confident we would find something.  And sure enough we did!

 I'm guessing this night-stand used to be in a little girl's room since its pink...but the flat paint made it easy to paint right on over!  I decided to go with a bright orange:

After I painted the entire piece orange, I came back and sanded and distressed it.  Finally, I put a put a coat of wood-stain and finished it off with a coat of polyurathane!   It took a while to dry because it was so humid outside.  But it was worth the wait!

For those of you out there that would like more of a step-by-step tutorial on how to distress furniture (in more detail!) you should check out Brittany's (aka Pretty Handy Girl's) Blog.  She does a great job photographing/writing step-by-step instructions!  Thanks Brittany (btw--found you on Pinterest!)

That's it for now!  Happy Sunday!

I am linking up to: 

Newbie Party at Debbiedoos Blogging and Blabbing

Amaze Me Monday at Dittle Dattle
Take a Look Tuesday at Sugarbee Crafts
Freshman Friday at Home Savy A-Z

I've Been Featured!!!

Now that school's back in session and I'm starting to get back into the routine, I'm finally finding a chance to actually sit down and give a long over-due update to all my faithful blog followers...

First of all, after discovering Pinterest, I have been overwhelmed with ideas...especially for the fall season.  And of course, my involvement with Etsy lately has also been making my head spin.

Let me show you a few of my favorite finds!



On her blog, Janet gives an AWESOME tutorial for this fabulous Burlap Bubble Wreath!  Perfect for the fall, don't you think?  Check out her tutorial here!



I love the color scheme of this bedroom.  I really want to re-do our master and this is my inspiration!  Would love to find a nightstand like that!



I have a totally new appreciation for wooden pallets!  I love this idea...Ashley Ann gives a great tutorial on how to DIY on her blog.  You should check it out!

Now-- what you've all been waiting for...a project I completed not too long ago for a blogger friend:-)

I really liked out it turned out--and so did she!  (Thankfully!)  She liked it so much that she was kind enough to feature me and my work on her blog!  You can check it out here.  I really enjoyed doing business with Amanda--she is so nice and has the sweetest children.  Too bad we don't live closer!

Amanda--I really ended up liking the colors so much!  They actually go perfect with my own color scheme in my living room!  Check this out!

You're lucky I didn't just buy it back from you!  

Hope you all have a Fabulous Monday!

The Raspberry Beret

One of my closest friends, Sara, lives in Louisville, a small town in Mississippi.  She has recently (as in last Saturday) opened a consignment store--The Raspberry Beret (how cute!:-)  Before I show you pictures of her AMAZING set up, here are my favorite qualities about Sara:

1. She has a genuine love for serving

2. Her taste of interior decorating is unlike I have ever seen--eclectic mixed with vintage, antique, country cottage, BEAUTIFUL.

3. She sees beauty in what others may see as trash.

4. She is an incredibly hard worker.

5. She is one of the most humble people I've ever met.

6. She knows how to be resourceful. (Please teach me!)

7. She is just as beautiful on the inside as she is on the out--a sincere follower of Christ.

8. Her husband is just as awesome--(Chad and Buster are really close friends too:-)

So the store started as an idea...then sure enough, it became a reality--I'm so proud of her determination and willingness to take these steps of faith!  I'm very thankful that she has chosen to set up a booth for my artwork as well.  Here are some pictures:

Here is my booth!  Thanks so much, Sara!

I thought this was adorable...what a great idea for a baby room.  An old mirror with a vintage curtain.


So anytime you're out in Louisville, make a visit to The Raspberry Beret--how could you not?

503 N. Church Street Avenue

See you there!

Thrifty Table Centerpiece and...My First Blogger's Award!

Lately I have been on a decorating kick...but trying to be thrifty of course!  I've been to a few garage sales and consignment stores lately and am planning on posting about what I do with all the treasures I found!

Today's treasures are some colored glass votives and a tablecloth (I got for $1 and it looks like it came from Anthropologie!)

I made a centerpiece for my table--maybe a little early for the flowers but I am really ready for Spring!

The colored glass bud vases along with the white distressed stool are from Hobby Lobby (I got them 50% off the other day!)

My $1 tablecloth...perfectly match my place-mats from Target (I already had).

My finished decorated table!

And then the artist in me...inspired by the place-mats...painted this:

I primed over 3 square tins from Dollar Tree...Am I crazy?

Thanks to my wonderful friend, Angela Mcinnis, I entered the world of blogging and thanks to her I have also won:

Award!  Thanks Mrs. Mcinnis! You have always been a constant encouragement and inspiration for me!  Please check out her blog here!

The Rules For Receiving this award are:

1. Thank and link back to the person who gave you the award.

2. Answer 10 questions.

3. Pass along to 7 blogs you've recently discovered & enjoy.

4. Leave your recipients a note, telling them about the award.

And the 10 questions are:

1. Why did you create this blog? I want to be an inspiration to others--through my art, writing, and sharing of ideas.

2. What kinds of blogs do you follow? Anybody who creates, interior decorating, before/after projects, people who I love and admire
3. Favorite make-up brand? Bare Minerals

4. Favorite clothing brand? Forever 21, Anthropologie, Gap
5. Indispensable makeup product? Lipstick--I hardly wear it.

6. Favorite color? Teal blue, mustard yellow, orange

7. Favorite perfume? Lolla: RELAX (from Anthropologie)

8. Favorite film? Return to Me (even my husband loves this movie!)

9. What country would you like to visit and why? Argentina--My dad grew up there.  And South Africa because my sister lives there right now! Visit her blog!
10. Would you rather forget to put mascara on one eye or forget blush on one side of your face? Of course blush on one side of my face!  

So NOW for the list of blogs I've recently discovered and now follow!

1. Kristen at The Knotted Nest

2. Jessica at James and Jessica Kent

3. Sally at Justin and Sally

4. Amanda at House Revivals

5. Kristin at Bearing the Stamp

6. Christi at Tilly and Fran

Melanie at You Made That

Congratulations to all of you--you are an inspiration to me and I want others to know about you too!

 Today I'm linking up to these parties:

Newbie Party at Debbie Doo's

Take-a-look Tuesday at Craft Edition

Free Day to Create!

Yesterday we had a snow day--No school yay!   I was in the "Valentine mood" so... I came up with this fun, easy, AND cheap idea for a painting:

So here's what I did...

1. I primed an old canvas I found in my closet with Guesso. (you can find this at Wal-Mart in the craft secition)

2. To get the raised, textured look on the heart, I applied some sheetrock mud and spread it with a painter's palette knife. (You could use your fingers, a spoon, or a rubber spatula).

3. I painted the heart...I used a lot of warm colors like reds, pinks, magentas, oranges, and yellows.  Then I painted the background with dark blues, teals, and purples.

4. Holding my paint brush really loosely, I painted different color circles in the background to give it that "pop"!  And wa-lah!

5. Lastly, I glazed the entire painting with an antiquing medium (Valspar Antiquing Glaze) I found at Lowe's.  Just paint and wipe off with a soft rag.  And here's the final product:

Please come again Ice and Snow!  

Post your comments and let me know what you think!  Happy early Valentine's :-)

In the Creative Mood,

Michelle

Today I am joining:

Debbiedoos for her newbie party,

Between Naps on the Porch for Metamorphasis Monday,

The Girl Creative for Just Something I Whipped Up, and

Dittle Dattle for Amaze Me Monday

Older is Better

I recently talked to a friend who said, "I would much rather spend a whole lot more money on something old than a moderate amount of money on something new."  I know this concept is ancient...but it seems like more and more people are taking it to the extreme--and I love it!  Maybe its because the older something is, the more character and personality it has.  I love going to Antique stores and getting lost in the stories that so many pieces of furniture and odds & ends have to tell. 

Recently I heard about this amazing place to buy old stuff--The Old House Depot in Jackson.  Wow!  A little pricey, but FULL of old doors, window panes, sheets of old tin, bath tubs, and scraps of distressed wood.  I could have shopped all afternoon...

I spent a week coming up with ideas for what I could make out of all the odds and ends I picked up.  Here is what I came up with...

for a picture frame:

and for wall decoration:

Thanks to my wonderful husband for teaching me how to use the drill...now if he can show me how to use the miter saw!!

The possibilities are endless...I'm so glad "old" is in!

Go Create!

Michelle

My Newest Creation

The older I've gotten, the deeper my passion for creating has grown.  I love teaching Art because I am forced to always think of new ideas for projects--I learn new things all the time!  I also find it thrilling to discover ways to turn "trash" into "treasure"...easy on the pocket AND on the eye.

This week I thought of an idea for a piece to hang in my dining room.  I had several small canvases I bought at a garage sale early last fall ($.50 a piece!).  They had cheesy quotes on them so I primed and painted over them.  Then I found a scrap piece of wood at school and painted/antiqued it.  Finally, I glued the paintings to the wood--done!  I am really pleased with the results...I love how the colors go with the colors in my house.  Each canvas is a letter that spells "Jesus", which serves as a reminder to Buster and me to make Him the Center of our lives...in our home, our marriage, our job, everything.

I hope to continue creating--but not just for the purpose of creating.  My prayer is that the Lord would use my gifts to make His name known, and that I would be open and willing to respond to this call no matter the cost. 

Decorating for the Holidays

After 2 years of decorating (by myself) at Christmas, I think I finally got the hang of it.  I was really pleased with the Christmas tree triptych...it set the theme for the rest of my Christmas decorations. The colors I chose for my Christmas tree (Teal, Red, and Silver) were inspired from the triptych as well!

A lot of hard work, but I am pleased.  Buster said this was the best looking Christmas tree he's ever seen!  Maybe he was just being sweet since he knew how hard I worked on everything!  I am looking forward to seeing my family in a couple of weeks...Christmas will be at the Leach's this year!