Time to study

It's that time of year again.  The time where we relearn what it takes to buckle down and study and make the grade!  The girls are all back at it, and hitting the books hard!  So far, so good, and it doesn't happen by accident or without a lot of dedication.

How's that for a segue?  This pretty old desk used to reside in a sorority house, because caring alums provided their girls with the proper equipment to get good grades.  I have no idea of it's exact age or for how many years it served at the house, but the top drawer has a place to hold an ink well.  Just sayin'.  There aren't many pieces built today that would last through as many "owners" as this desk has had and look even remotely this good.  However, it was begging for a makeover. 

The color inspiration came from a bed and dresser that I completed earlier this summer for a young lady.  The desk, if it meets their approval, may be added to their home.  I'll have to find those photos, as it included a dresser that matches the desk that also came out of the sorority house.

The top originally had a Formica top glued on.  It was a pine plank top underneath.  We left that and filled and sanded it smooth.  I did opt to try out a technique that I've wanted to use since I first saw it on Lake Girl Paints.  I asked Deb if she would mind if I tried out her tutorial directions on this piece and she graciously encouraged me to give it a go!  Deb's table was so bright and fun.  For this piece I wanted it to blend with the Paris Gray chalk paint and I toned my colors down a bit with a light wash over the top and, because I could, I used a bit of silver metallic in the wax to make the top shimmer a bit.  Lake Girl Paint's texture blast table is the matching table to my chess table redo, and it still took me months to figure out that she lives not far from me and we evidently shop at the same thrift store! :-)  I LOVE her techniques and finishes.  Check her out!

Here's a little better view of the top, and the chevron lining I added to the drawers, because this desk has had 50+ years of use!

My friend Tammy suggested that I repeat those top colors on the knobs to make it a bit more fun and funky.  Good call!  I love how it makes the knobs pop.  Hopefully my young client likes this desk as much as I do! 

You know what the best part of this is....I have 3 more of these desks just waiting for some TLC.  I have big plans for the next one.  Oh yes I do!  Check back often so you can see what I end up doing with desk #2!

Have a super fine week!
Deb
Linked to these Super Fab Parties!
http://primitiveandproper.blogspot.com/2012/09/poww-106.html
http://elizabethandco.blogspot.com/2012/09/be-inspired-features-and-link-party-37.html
http://missmustardseed.com/2012/09/furniture-feature-friday-link-party-favorites-5/

Dreams

When I first started thinking that maybe I could refinish, remake, restyle furniture that someone might want to purchase for their home I wasn't thinking "Dream Big".  Truly it was more of a little dream with a few baby steps.  Then more steps and more steps, and while I'm not making loads of money, nor am I even remotely well known, or even known much at all, I am finding growth.  I've learned a ton from so many of the other ladies out there blazing their own trail.  Most of us probably began, not thinking we could make the house payment, but because we had a creative NEED to produce something of beauty that we worked on with our own hands.  That's me at any rate.  Often I find myself marveling at the opportunities that have presented themselves to me.  Don't get me wrong, I do try to be consistent and work a bit at my business every day and soaked up as much as I could from others who do this as a business also, and I always have approached this as a business as well as a creative endeavor.  Now a new experience has presented itself, and I'm so enjoying learning from it!

Remember this Subway dresser?  I had set this piece aside to make a subway dresser on at the same moment that I was called to see if I might have some pieces to be used in a new home being built for the Omaha area "Steet of Dreams".  When I found out the house was going to be featuring architectural elements salvaged from old Omaha buildings I immediately offered to send them some photos of the dresser.  How Divine was that moment?!  I firmly hold that God leads us, provides for us, and sometimes answers even unasked prayers.  So the Subway dresser is temporarily residing in a lovely, lovely home for the Street of Dreams, Sept. 15-30.

The design team for the house also chose a few friends of Mr. Omaha to keep him company in the house! 

This dresser is also there.  She sold to a sweet gal an hour after she was selected for the show house.  So she's being generously loaned to us.

This little sweetie has joined the big kids.

 

This is a new finish that is meant to compliment #3 in  a little girls styled room.  She has a graphic from The Graphics Fairy on her her top.

 I am excited to see how these pieces mix in with the other furnishings in the house.  So often I finish them and they head off to someone's home and I wonder how they will blend in, what style of furniture are they joining, are they a feature piece or a filler?  I hope to be able to take some photos of them fully staged and post them here when I visit all the show house.  We have often made it a family event to tour the homes and look for wonderful new decor trends and ideas.  And who knows, maybe even chase a dream you never knew you had. 

 

 

Have a Blessed Day!

 

Deb

A Ladie's Night Out at NJ & Co.

Hey folks around Omaha!  NJ and Co., where I have a booth, is hosting their first "Ladie's Night Out" with lots of goodies and treats on Thursday, Sept. 6th.  The store will be ready for some happy hour time and staying open late until 8 P.M.  I know that I moved some fresh pieces over to the store last weekend for you to see.  The rest of the vendors have been receiving new merchandise almost daily so it is always new and fresh for you.  Come join us for some fun and food!

Here are a few of my pieces that you will find currently at the store.

They are always prettier in person! :-)

Have a super week!
Deb

Some Zinc on the side

Earlier this summer I saw a piece at The Salvage Collection that very much appealed to me.  Amy is a very creative soul and I love following her blog and seeing how she transforms her pieces.  In other words, "she's a GENIOUS"!  You definitely need to hop over there for a visit if you have never been before.  In addition to being very creative, she is an extremely witty writer.  In the link above she created a "faux Zinc" technique on a pretty chest.  I fell in love with the idea of trying it out.  And with her blessing, and following her tutorial I finally found a piece to try it out on.

 

 

TA DA!

 

It is a very simple process really.  And that's what I like...simple process, big results.

I'll let you check out Amy's blog for the steps, but I will say that Annie Sloan's Graphite works beautifully for your base coat.

I just love that subtle shimmer.

 

 

My Zinc attempt is not quite as bright and light as Amy's but I am overall very pleased with the results.  I may or may not go back over it again to lighten it up.  I also love that any flaws in the finish only add to the texture of the process.

I finished my side table off with some square mercury glass knobs, which I have been dying to use on the right piece.

 

I definitely would love to make another Zinc piece like this for my home.  Thank you so much Amy for sharing your talents with us!

 

A huge Thank you to Crafty in Canada for nominating me for a "One Lovely Blog" award!!

I've been remiss in passing on the award, but know that I am truly grateful and feel blessed to have been chosen.  I can give you the 7 things about me though!

 

1.  Being married to a retired Army officer leaves me still feeling the itch to move every couple of years.

2.  I'm the oldest, I can get bossy really fast.

3.  I'm more of a "get er done" gal than a stop and ponder gal.

4.  I make up crazy songs at the drop of a hat.  It now embarrases my teenagers, and makes tasks easier for my almost 7 year old.  Either way it makes me smile more.

5.  I'm a "phase" cooker.  Sometimes I have a LOVE it phase and other times...not so much!

6.  I can not seriously remember a time in my life that I wasn't busy doing something creatively. 

7.  I am quite the "Pollyanna", always have been/always will be.  If you know what that means then you know my age.  If not, then you'll have to check Wikipedia to see what it means. 

 

Have a super week!

Deb

 

Linking to these FANTASTIC parties!:

 







http://primitiveandproper.blogspot.com/2012/09/poww-104-furniture-link-party.html

 

http://elizabethandco.blogspot.com/2012/09/be-inspired-features-and-link-party-35.html