Thank you to everyone who joined my first giveaway contest! I just can't wait to find out what the winner will choose for their custom artwork piece!

Source: society6.com via Nancy-Page on Pinterest

And the winner is... Comment #18: Kimberly who said, "I shared the giveaway on twitter."

Congrats Kimberly! I'll be contacting you by email to make arrangements.


Lots of love,
Mary

Hello Friends,

I can't believe it, but I just surpassed 500 followers in just under four months of having a blog! I thought it would be fun to host my very first giveaway to commemorate the occasion. :) What am I giving away, you ask? A custom painted 18"x24" rustic wall art piece with the lettering of your choice -- shipped or delivered to your home! Here you can see a couple examples of what can be done:

Rules:
The only rule is that you must be a follower of this blog to enter. Either by email subscription, RSS feed, or Google Friend Connect.

How to Enter: 
There are five ways to enter! Enter all five and increase your chances!

1. Leave a comment below telling me what your favorite post of mine has been so far or what type of projects you would like to see more of.
2. Follow me on Facebook here and leave an additional comment below that you have done so.
3. Follow me on Twitter here and leave an additional comment below that you have done so.
4. Follow me on Pinterest here and leave an additional comment below that you have done so. (shoot me an email here if you need a Pinterest invite, I'd be happy to hook you up).
5. Tell your friends! You can either blog or Facebook or tweet with a link to this giveaway. Leave an additional comment below that you have done so.

This giveaway is open until midnight (Mountain Standard Time) on Friday evening, February 24th. The winner will be chosen from the comments below by Random.org and posted on Saturday, February 25th.


Lots of love,
Mary



Linked up here:

Adi and Gabby's room is coming together, although slower than expected. I was able to get a HUGE part completed this past weekend -- the painting and setting up of their beds. To see the original inspiration and planning for this room, click here.

Introducing the headboards:

And here's a before shot:

The base was done with two coats of Annie Sloan Old White followed by AS Clear Wax.  I then chose a simple damask image from a google search and printed it out onto basic copy paper in the desired size. And again for the monogram, I typed out my desired font and sizes, then printed onto copy paper.

I used a simple method that has been showcased here before. Using a ballpoint pen, firmly trace your image or letters onto the piece. You'll notice on the left side of the above photo, you can see where a faint visible line has been indented onto the furniture piece. This will allow you to paint inside the lines with a fine brush and achieve a close match to your printed image/font. Note: After painting the pink damask design, I brushed and buffed with a coat of wax before beginning the monogram letters.

I then sealed the design with another coat of clear wax and buffed smooth. I really enjoyed this project and I'm hoping that my girls will enjoy the design for many years to come!

Lots of love,
Mary


linked up here:

Yesterday was one of those days where one thing led to another and I found myself at the Motor Vehicle Department for HOURS just to fix a clerical error not in my favor! Do you ever have those days? A test of patience for sure... probably good for me :)

Therefore I, the prisoner of the Lord, implore you to walk in a manner worthy of the calling with which you have been called,  with all humility and gentleness, with patience, showing tolerance for one another in love.             ~ Ephesians 4:1-2

Today I was able to finish up the wall art project that I hinted about. This was done as a special gift for a sweet young lady who attends our church, Dawson. I've been helping her and her mom plan out her new room design and there was a patch of wall space that needed some art. I asked if she would trust me to surprise her... and she said yes!

Dawson loves to read and really liked the idea of some rustic elements to her room to balance out the bright accent color choices. I had some extra wood panels in the garage and instantly knew what I wanted to do.

I stained the board with one coat of MinWax Jacobean and let it dry for 24 hours. I then mapped out the letters and heart by printing off my font of choice and tracing firmly onto the wood with a ballpoint pen. This allowed for a faint but visible outline to use as a guide.

 I used a basic acrylic yellow paint from the craft store and painted one coat with a small brush. I could have done two coats, but liked the softer look of just one. It was finished with a coat of Annie Sloan Clear Wax and buffed smooth.

I hope you like it, Dawson!


Lots of love,
Mary

I'm alive! I promise :)  And getting back into the swing of things to post more often.

I was ecstatic to be given a project by a client who had found me via Craigslist for one of my furniture sale items. She needed her dining room chairs painted and it was a bit of a challenge. You see, each chair had a custom rooster mural on the backside that she wanted to preserve and paint the remaining portion of the chair. Because I just love to show you the "pretty pic" first, here's a peek at the finished product!

She's a bit of a DIY lady herself and will be doing her own upholstery. My client was happy, and that makes me happy! Plus, I just love how the chairs turned out. Here's a look at the chairs before:

We looked at colors together, and she decided on something in the white family to brighten up her space a bit. I totally agreed and we went with Annie Sloan Old White and decided to age it with AS Dark Wax which allowed for matching some of the white tones in the mural.

I started out with two coats of AS Old White, being careful to hand paint with a small fine brush around the mural. I then used a coat of AS Clear Wax to seal everything including the mural portion. Next, using a medium grade sanding block, I distressed portions of the chair that I thought would naturally happen over time. For example, the tops of the armrests and corners that stuck out got more distressing than other places.

The final step was using AS Dark Wax to really age the piece and pickup the color that the client was looking for. I've said it before, but this is my favorite part! When you brush on and buff the wax, it's amazing to see how much character comes out of the piece. Every piece of furniture is different and will bring out a different texture and result. 

Thanks for hanging in there with me! I'll be back tomorrow with a simple wall art project that you are sure to LOVE as much as I do.

Lots of love,

Mary

We went to the Salvation Army thrift store today to pickup a desk that I had previously purchased, and I stumbled upon a very ornate French-style coffee table and end table set for an excellent price.

Here's a sneak peak:

The wood is in really bad shape, but I can totally see this painted and heavily distressed to bring out the detail. It also has what appears to be a marble-style tabletop inlay! This project will be fun!

Now, onto the humor... So we surprised Adi with a dollhouse for her 4th birthday. I went to Hobby Lobby (with my coupon, of course) and purchased a really nice two-story house. When I got it home I started looking at the assembly instructions. Check out what I read under "Recommended Supplies":

Utility knife?? Fine toothed saw?!?! We immediately started laughing uncontrollably, then started to cry. :)  What are we in for? I haven't opened the box yet -- mainly out of fear -- but Adi is really starting to get anxious. I'll keep you posted on our progress. The fun part is that we get to pick paint colors and completely customize the house!


Lots of love,
Mary