Create : Distressing Furniture with Baby Wipes

It can be done folks!

I happened upon a new brand of Chalk Paint recently (not to be confused with chalkboard paint). Have you heard of CeCe Caldwell? Great all natural chalk paint that I can find locally, as apposed to Annie Sloan that I had to get in Dallas.

If you follow me on instagram you saw some recent finds I made last weekend

These are my first – post becoming a vendor at Vintage Market Days – finds. The cushion on the small stool unscrews from the base – making this stool easy to reupholster and the wood is solid, I swear it was crying out for chalk paint. I couldn’t just leave it there.

I painted it with my new CeCe Caldwell paint (two coats) and then went to distress. Due to the weather I have been painting inside but was hesitant to start sanding inside also. I already have enough dust as it is.

Enter: Wet Sanding.

The idea is to sand with a wet cloth instead of a block/sanding paper.

I used baby wipes – seriously. I bought a large pack for $1.50 – unscented and generic brand.

For this small sized stool I used, on average, a wipe per leg and maybe three for the side/base.

Because of the rounded legs and edges it distressed quite a bit and very easily. Almost like wiping off the paint if it were still wet (it was dry). A flat surface doesn’t come off as easy – but still comes off with a few wipes and little more pressure.

So stinking easy and cute, if you ask me.

Now, if you don’t like things as heavily distressed as this just wipe lightly. I wasn’t scrubbing by any means, but I was putting some slight pressure on the wood.

Distressing with baby wipes works on all chalk paints – annie sloan included. I have yet to try it on your average latex/spray paint but I have a feeling this might be limited to chalk paints.

I paid less for 72 wipes than I do for a sanding block and I imagine these wipes will go farther than my sanding block ever has. Those things start to fall apart so easy!

Now go forth and conquer with baby wipes and then let me know how well it worked for you!

3

Create : Glossy Green

I got this cute little pedestal table when I was in college. Its served me well for many years but I have lost use for it.

Since I cannot possibly pass up a change to get my hands on some bare wood I decided to kick this table up a notch with glossy green paint. Before it was pretty simple…

…but now it has some sass

The green is such a great punch of color – I think this glossy green might be a new favorite of mine.

The color gives this table such sophistication and turned it from boring to eye catching. Now for the part we all love :: Before and After

I can picture this in a nursery next to a rocking chair or in a living room between to upholstered chairs. If you didn’t mind the lack of storage it could even serve as a cute night stand.

Do you love this glossy green as much as I do?

0

Testing the Waters

I started this blog because I had bought a new house and was making big changes to it. Everyone kept asking about progress and thus I decided to show the progress.

To be completely honest, I don’t love to write. Its almost a chore – what I love is getting my hands dirty and thinking up new projects or working with paint and old furniture. I like the work put into a big transformation and the end result. What I don’t like is giving the step by step instructions – probably because I typically make it up as I go.

One thing this blog has been good for is building my confidence. I always thought my ideas were a little bit out there and not near as “mainstream” as a Pottery Barn, per say. But the feedback I have received over the past year would say otherwise. People like to see you do things they would have never thought of. You guys are such a good cheer squad.

The bible tells us that if you “delight yourself in the Lord, he will give you the desires of your heart”

A desire that has been on my heart for so long is to take my creativity and make it into a business. Sell things. Go places. Meet new people. Challenge myself creatively.

Last week this desire came true in a small but significant way.

I was accepted as a vendor to Vintage Market Days here in Tulsa

On May 17-19 I will have my first 10X10 booth full of fun furniture, vintage goodies, and handmade items.

This is a huge step; a step that requires planning, preparation, prayer, a Tax ID, and lots of paper work.

The Lord opened this door for me, he is giving me the opportunity to see a desire of my heart come to fruition. This experience my quench my desire but it might awaken so much more, only time and a lot of prayer will tell. In the next 6-8 weeks you will be seeing tons of new furniture hitting the blog. Items that will be held for VMD that you can get your hands on in May. 

I cant wait until May but until then I will be working myself to the bones.

4

Print This

I have decided to start something new since I never seem to get around to posting on Fridays.

Every Friday, here on 2159, I will bringing you a new printable. Its like a happy start to the weekend and a fun little gift.

Download here

Why not start out with a little chalkboard love? I think that’s the best way to kick off a new project!

Be sure and show me your printed versions all framed!

Happy weekending

1

Create : Knitted Baby Blanket

Have I ever mentioned by project ADD? I have decorating ADD, but that’s a story for a different day.

Personally, I define Project ADD as the inability to master one type of medium but instead constantly take on new types of projects – majority of the time not finishing anything.

You should see all the projects in my garage that are half painted, or the quilt in my craft room that needs to just be sewn together, or maybe the trim in my bedroom that has been primed but a year later yet to be painted. Project ADD I tell yah.

Around thanksgiving I decided to take up knitting. My mom is a knitter and makes it look easy. I figured, as most would with Project ADD, that “I can do that!”

Thus, I took up knitting. My first project? A friggin baby blanket. They are easy, yes, once you get the hang of knitting but very time consuming. I was excited to conquer a new talent and conquer I did… over the span of 4 months.

A very good friend of mine has a little one coming in March. I have help design the nursery and in looking for a crib blanket we kept coming up empty handed. I decided I would knit her a crib blanket. Nursery colors are grey and yellow with touches of navy and orange. Its going to be one super cute nursery.

The blanket is seven rows of alternating colors. (grey, yellow, pale yellow, grey, pale yellow, yellow, grey)

It isn't perfect but I sure do love it. My hope is he attached to it. Id love to see him make it his blankie and carry it with him. I used machine washable/dryable yarn so that it would withstand baby things.

There is a full view – don’t you just love the colors? For a moment I was nervous the yellows wouldn’t be as contrast as they are, but after a good wash the colors showed through perfectly.

 

Knitting a blanket wasn’t hard by any means, just time consuming. As I knitted each stitch I thought about what kind of man this little baby would grow up to be. I prayed over him and his future. I prayed for his heart and salvation. Those small moments to allow for conscious daily prayer over a baby I have yet to know.

Incase there are any knitters reading: I used Comfort brand yarn and casted on 120 stitches with 22 rows per block (22 rows of grey, then 22 rows of yellow and so on)

This pattern plus many more are on the PurlBee (great resource for FREE knitting patters)

Thankfully, my project ADD got me into knitting but I actually finished this project. Little babies will do that to yah. Now the question is, will I keep knitting or has my project ADD gotten the best of me and I will move onto something else? Considering I now have a pinterest board devoted to knitting I think I might keep this hobby for a bit.

9

Letting it all hang out

When I first bought my house a major overhaul happened. Completely new kitchen, updated floors, paint, new dining room, bathroom updated… the one place that was left completely alone was the laundry room.

No paint – no upgrades

Same floor, same walls, and even the same old washer and dryer.

My hope is to slowly update the laundry room this year. It’s a very small space so being creative will be a must.

This weekend while perusing IKEA with the other 680 people that decided it was a good day to visit the store I found a little contraption that I needed to add to my small laundry space.

A collapsible drying rack. I know these are not a new idea, I had even envisioned DIYing one in the future. However, the $20 price tag on the IKEA drying rack quickly changed my mind.

I love the fact that it not only hangs on the wall but also collapses to be flush. This way I don’t take up floor space and also can collapse it when I don’t needed it.

After screwing in the rack I added the horizontal bars and called it good. The very top bar wouldn’t fit (bent metal) but I figured it a) wouldn’t be noticeable and b) wouldn't be missed

The top picture is with the rack hooked on the lowest level – not really sure why you would use it there but hey, it’s a possibility.

You'll see there are three levels of “hanging” – I guess you could use the lower two for unmentionables? I like having it on the top level and using it to hang clothes on a hanger rather than draping them over the bars.

My side door still opens even with the rack extended – win! I love having all my air dried clothes contained in my laundry room rather than draped on chairs throughout my house.

$20 later and I really like it – well spent.

Have you made any great IKEA discoveries lately?

1

Capture: She said YES

About three weeks ago I got a very nondescript call from my brother. “Can you come home on the 15th to take pictures?”…. “Pictures of what?”….”well just some pictures”…

After some prodding I got him to fess up that he was planning on proposing to his girlfriend. Duh, I would come home to capture the moment!

He decided to propose at the City Club – it’s a great (members only) restaurant atop “the green building” in Dallas. Since it was an exclusive place he knew there wouldn’t be lots of people around and it would be a private dinner/proposal.

Needless to say, he dropped to one knee and she said yes…

I am so glad I was asked to be apart of such a special moment. They have both waited so long and search for just the right person – watching them finally find each other has been perfect.

Congratulations, Aaron and April – I couldn’t be happier for the two of you!

1

Love: Valentine's Printables

In honor of the day of love I am bringing you some of my most “Loveable” printables.

Who needs a special someone when you can have free printables this cute?!

Enjoy!

(1) (2) (3) (4) (5)

0

Write it on our heart

Recently I have realized sometimes we, read: me, just need some motivation.

I have all sorts of tips to motivate myself to eat right (Cancun trip) or work out (uhhh Cancun trip) but for some reason I cant always seem to find motivation to just play nice.

There are just those days when that lady one lady smacking her gum might cause be to smack her head.

In these times there are some words of wisdom that really helps.

Since this week seems to be dragging, I thought maybe we could all use a bit of motivation.

Dear Romans 12:12 – you are very much needed but oh so hard to practice. Need a challenge?? Try and act this scripture out this week.

Can you tell I love Romans 12? Top ten Book/Chapters in the bible… What’s your favorite book/chapter?

Tell me, what gets you motivated? Favorite Scripture?

0