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Saturday, June 28, 2014

End Tables - Before And After

I was given the opportunity to paint these gorgeous end tables when my husband's grandmother downsized her living space.

The tables were in really good condition, so very little prep was needed.  In fact, only two minor gouges needed to be filled with wood putty.
I bought General Finishes Corinth Blue specifically for my son's step stool, but had a secret plan to use it on these tables, deepened with dark wax and topped with gold accents - a combo I've been wanting to try for a VERY long time!

After taping the hardware on the feet of these tables, I got to work.
 Look at the difference in coverage from one coat to two coats - loving the color!
It took three coats to get the finish I wanted.  Wanting to deepen the color, I gave each table two coats of dark brown wax.  And finally, I gave the hardware a quick coat using Krylon's Gold Leaf spray paint.
I removed the tape and put all the pieces back together and absolutely loved the result!



Going into this project, I wasn't 100% sure that we would be keeping these tables, although we had hoped too keep them in the family.  But the moment I put them in our living room, they didn't move. :)  I have to update a few pieces of my old decor, like the lamps, but absolutely  love the pop of color against the grey.
And as usual with Home Goods, I was able to find the perfect pillow and blanket storage solution to match the tables.

-Ashley

Friday, June 20, 2014

Bathroom Step Stool Makeover

I have been looking for a nice sturdy step stool for my son's bathroom for quite some time.  And just when I was ready to bite the bullet and order one off Amazon, I came across the exact same one at Goodwill for (drum roll please...) $3!!!  A little beat up, but nothing I couldn't handle. :)

Let's first start with my inspiration for this stool.
My son's entire bathroom was decorated around that cute little whale card, which I obviously found SO cute, I framed it.  From there, I found the perfect scalloped shower curtain at Target.  And then I put together a couple more images to frame and/or transfer onto canvas.
Now back to the plan for the step stool...

Since I planned on painting it white using General Finishes Snow White, I wanted to give my piece a quick coat of white spray paint as a primer.
I absolutely LOVE General Finishes Milk Paint because of it's amazing coverage, but I actually had to give this little guy 4 coats - it was totally worth it!  Next I used my new Silhoutte Cameo to cut out a scalloped stencil.
I poked out the cut pieces and taped it to the stool.




Since I have no patience, I used cardstock for my stencil instead of vinyl, so I ended up with a little bit of bleed through.  Nothing a little touch up paint couldn't fix though!
With the scallops done, I knew I wanted to add a few of those colorful "splashes".  I decided to do one on the very top and one on each side.  I used what I call the "pencil transfer method" to get the outline of the splash onto the stool so I could then paint it in.  You first start by covering the entire back of your design with pencil.
Then you tape it up and trace over the actual design.
This then transfers the pencil onto your piece.  Worked like a gem!

All I had to do now was fill it in...
Here it is in it's new home!
My son loves climbing up and having his teeth brushed and I love not having to chase him down - win win!

One last look at the before and after.
-Ashley






Sunday, June 15, 2014

Hudson's 2nd Birthday Party!

Last Saturday, we celebrated Hudson's 2nd birthday with a house full of family and friends!  We were blessed with the most beautiful day so most of the party was spent outdoors in the backyard.  Every time I saw Hudson running here or running there, he had giant smile on his face because he was having so much fun playing with his friends.  It was priceless. :)

A couple posts ago, I shared a little sneak peek of my plans for the party.  I'm excited to show you how everything turned out!

Our guests were greeted at the front door with a bouquet of balloons - my husband had a great idea to put "Right Field", "Center Field" and "Left Field" on each of our fence doors and front door, but unfortunately he came up with this great idea the day of the party.  Not a lot of time for execution. :)
 
Our guests then made their way through the living room to the....
CONCESSIONS!!
 
Here is Hudson, scoping out the food.
From the kitchen, our guests were able to find seating outside.
I LOVED how these centerpieces turned out!
On display were the two (that's right, I said two) cakes that my sister made for Hudson.  They were amazing!
That's it - a very  happy birthday for my little boy.

-Ashley