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Wednesday, November 30, 2011

Homemade Chalk Paint

Hi All,

When I last shared my attempt at making chalk paint, things didn’t go as planned.  I always assume it’s my doing, so I kept at it.  Since I already own the Non-Sanded Grout and have a million sample pots of paint, I tried again.

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In its original state.

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My indecision.  First it was going to be gray.  Then red.  Yuck- the red was too pink.

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Then I painted it Old White with a touch of Coco.  It was too white.

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I arrived at a creamy, very pale yellow.

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Because I never tape off the glass, here is a shot after I take the razor to it!!

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RECIPE:

2 TBSP  Non-Sanded Grout (available at Home Depot)

1 sample pot of paint

Water – added as needed

Mix it all together, add water as needed.  The paint will be a bit lumpy – not smooth like latex. That’s ok.  Keep stirring and adding water as you go along.

REVIEW:

  • The paint went on with great coverage, similar to ASCP.
  • It sanded well, though required a bit more effort than ASCP.
  • Waxed beautifully, using AS clear wax.
  • This recipe will provide many color choices that I have been looking for.

Tomorrow I will share the finished China Cabinet.  It has had numerous lives, but I believe she is done.  There is also a GIVEAWAY coming!  I love the product and am eager to share!

Have a great day!

XO-

Shannon

Tuesday, November 29, 2011

20 Feet of Christmas

Since moving to our home 6 years ago, we have made it a tradition to cut and display a two-story sized Christmas Tree.  We have learned a lot over the years and now have it down to a science.

On Friday we went to our usual tree farm.

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How to choose?

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The pole in Hubby’s hand is our measuring tool.  When he holds it up, we know it’s 17 feet.  Then we guess on the rest.

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Daughter #2 helping Hubby cut it down.

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She is proud of herself!  The first few years Hubby and I would drag the big tree all the way back to the car.  This year we waited for the tractor and the burly guys to do the hard labor.

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Then it goes on top of my van, and home we go…slowly.

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With the netting on (another thing we have learned), our neighbor (thank goodness!) and Hubby carry the bad boy in the house.

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And the decorating begins.

It is a wonderful tradition that we look forward to every year. 

And it smells like Christmas in our home!

Have a great day!

XO-

Shannon

Sunday, November 27, 2011

Coco Coffee Table Complete

Hi All,

Wow-it was a long break!  Hope you all had a great feast and enjoyed the extended weekend.

We hosted a relaxed Thanksgiving and quickly rolled into Christmas mode on Friday.  No shopping for this gal.  In my previous life I was a marketing director for a shopping mall.  Enough said. 

Anyway, when I last posted I shared some work in progress.  This week I plan to show you the finished jobs.  Starting off with a coffee table.

My last order of ASCP included a sample of Coco.  I love this color!  I have browns in my home, so when I finish a piece that I adore in gray, it doesn’t work.  But the Coco works beautifully!

I snagged this baby at The Restore.

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The top was a little beat up.

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I recently read on a blog that the gal prefers her coffee table to be 6 inches above the sofa.  I never really thought about it before.  This table sits close to that and is a perfect height for drinks and appetizers.  Who knew?

Back to the project at hand.  I used the Coco and painted and distressed the base.

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I coated the top with ASCP Old White.  But wasn’t loving the white.  Perhaps it was too much of a contrast.

So, I washed the white with a diluted Coco & water mix.  Then sanded, light waxed and then highlighted with dark wax.  It has the rustic vibe I was going for.

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Of course it was raining, so the lighting is just so-so.  I really love the shape and the color of this baby.  We used it in the living room throughout the Thanksgiving break and the height was perfect between the couches.

Despite loving this piece and it being perfect in my home, I plan to wax again and deliver to the store this week.  With our tree up (you will see the beast tomorrow), we have removed all unnecessary furniture.  So it is in the “to-go” category.

Hope it finds a good home.

XO-

Shannon

Wednesday, November 23, 2011

Savoring Thanksgiving

Hi All,

Happy Thanksgiving week!  Too often we skip this lovely holiday in anticipation of Christmas.  Well not here.  We decided to savor the day – enjoy family, the meal and the pie – of course the pie!

Last year we had the pleasure of taking the kids to NYC.  We did everything touristy – carriage ride through Central Park, Empire State Building, shopping, The Rockettes, the parade…you name it, we squeezed it in.

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Then we reunited with my childhood friends.  We were guests for Thanksgiving and the weekend.  We have been friends since nursery school and they are my family.  I am thankful for their friendship.

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And our kids bonded.

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Instead of rushing through Thanksgiving, we chose to savor our memories and cherish our friends.

Tomorrow…the Christmas frenzy begins.

Happy Thanksgiving!

XO-

Shannon

Tuesday, November 22, 2011

Shabby Apple WINNER

Hi All,

Thank you to everyone who entered my first GIVEAWAY!  And a special thanks to Shabby Apple for offering such a generous prize for one lucky follower.

If you found lots of Shabby Apple must haves, remember you have 3 weeks to receive a 10% discount (VINTAGERESTYLED10OFF).

Using Random.org, the winner is: #25 Laura!


Please contact me by email to make shipping arrangements.  vintagerestyled@gmail.com

Wishing everyone a wonderful Thanksgiving weekend!

XO-
Shannon

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Monday, November 21, 2011

My New Favorite Color

Hi All,

Hope you had a good weekend.  Ours ended up being very unproductive, despite our plans.  So now the countdown to Thanksgiving is on.  The kids are off on Wednesday so I plan to take a break for the rest of the weekend and enjoy.

Before I sign off for a few days, I wanted to share my new favorite chalk paint color.  ASCP Coco.

It is more of a khaki or taupe, not too dark as the name may lead you to think.  I’m sure that explains a lot!  Why not just have a look.

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The Coco is shown with Old White.  Ignore my nice paint job.

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The top is Old White and the base is Coco.  This is in progress.

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I thought I would share a glimpse at my decision inability.  Can you see all the colors on this poor china cabinet?  I’m just keeping it real folks.

I only ordered a sample of Coco and am awaiting more.  It is a beautiful color!

I will share the finished table and the china cabinet next week. 

XO-

Shannon

Sunday, November 20, 2011

Busy Day & a Stocked Store

Hi All,

With the holiday this week, I thought I would change it up and post on Sunday!  This is also the last day to enter the GIVEAWAY going on through tonight only.

A BUSY DAY – Friday

I had a great opportunity to meet a follower of this little blog!  Laura and Tammy came over to Heritage Square Antique Mall on Friday and we chatted, walked around and talked paint.  Laura is ready to take the Chalk Paint plunge and I thoroughly enjoyed discussing technique with her.

As luck would have it, I bumped into an old work friend I have lost touch with for over 11 years!  It was great to see Leslie and see that we still have something in common.  She was shopping and crafting and swooning over all the stuff I love!

I happened to be meeting a gal at HSAM Friday morning.  She reached out to me after a mutual friend suggested we should meet.

Jeannine has a store, The Little Black Chair, in a neighboring town.  After getting acquainted, it was apparent that we had lots in common.  Our areas of focus also seemed to compliment each other.  Jeannine’s strength is definitely display!  I am still seeking my strength.

She just pulled my smalls, gathered them together and created wonderful vignettes.  I am so grateful and a bit envious of her talent.

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My way.

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Jeannine’s way.

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Thanks Jeannine!

A few other shots of my spaces.  Lots of items for the holidays!

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B-10 & B-20 are fully stocked! 

Thank goodness because I am hosting Thanksgiving and need to put the paint brush down and start cooking!

Remember – enter the GIVEAWAY that ends tonight!

XO-

Shannon

Thursday, November 17, 2011

New Chalk Paint & a Recipe

Hi All,

I am so happy to be typing on my computer!  Yeah, the screen is big, it has all my pictures and it is nice to be reunited after so long!

Recently, I branched out and ordered ASCP Emperor’s Red.  Along with the red, I got a sample of Coco – my new favorite and Aubusson Blue. 

Upon arrival, I wasn’t too sure about the blue.  But I grabbed a piece that has been sitting in my garage forever and gave it a go.

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It’s pretty cool.  I finished it with a clear wax.  No distressing.  No dark wax.

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I replaced the little knobs with these cuties.

I will have fun with this color.  I think the dark wax will really be fabulous on a detailed piece.

NEVER ENDING QUEST

I shared my weak attempt at making chalk paint, without success.  The good news is I stumbled across this terrific blog, Elizabeth & Co.  On a recent post Sharon shares her recipe for chalk paint and has great success!  The finished dresser is beautiful!

If you have any interest in saving a few bucks and expanding your chalk paint color selection, then I strongly encourage you to check out this post!

I plan to give it a try over the weekend.  Cross your fingers!

Be sure to enter my GIVEAWAY here.

Enjoy the day!

XO-

Shannon

Wednesday, November 16, 2011

A Distressed (streaky) Dresser

Hi All!

Once again I type this post on my daughter’s computer.  Day 10, for anyone keeping track, of my computer debacle.   But I do so, so that I can share this dresser we finished up.

We are pretty pleased with the outcome.

We grabbed this baby at a barn sale last month.

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I shared the side shot so you could see the fabulous curve to the front.

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It has working key locks (no key), great lines and it’s even on wheels.

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We finished it in ASCP Gray with a dark wax and distressing. 

Trust me, it looks streaky in this picture but it is not that bad!

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Taken with my iphone.

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Oh, those sweet little keyholes.

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We sanded down the top, stained it and applied many coats of Def.  She is good to go.

I promise I will share better/more pictures once the computer guy works his magic.

Be sure to enter the Shabby Apple GIVEAWAY going on here.

Have a great day!

XO-

Shannon

Monday, November 14, 2011

A Little More Red and Chalk Paint Recipe (attempt)

Hi All!

I am writing this post from my daughter’s netbook.  My computer needed a complete overhaul and what they said would take 3-5 days is now officially day 9.  My frustration continues.

But the good news is that I have found other ways to keep myself busy.

I shared the red table over the weekend.  You can see it here if you go unplugged on Saturday & Sunday.

In addition to finishing that up, I kept the red paint out and finished this little table.

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Every home needs a pop of color!

It took a few attempts to get to this stage.

It started like this:

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Yes, some crazy Buckeye fan once owned this.

I knew I wanted it red.  I am spoiled with ASCP and did not want to sand, prime, sand, paint, wait, sand, wait, paint and finish it. 

I need instant gratification.

So I mixed Unsanded Grout with a sample size oops red paint from Home Depot.  Martha Stewart suggested the recipe and others online.

I mixed it up.  It was thick and gritty.

I applied it to the top.

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I was not happy.  It was rough and splotchy.

Now, Jo Ann tried the same recipe and added water.  She was very pleased with the results.  Perhaps that is where I went wrong.

Needless to say, I ordered ASCP in Emperor’s Silk and finished the job.

CHALK PAINT:

  • I love Annie Sloan Chalk Paint.  As I have blogged about in the past, it is $36 a quart + shipping (Minimum $12).  That is very costly on paper.

  • I also have to wait many days to receive my shipment. Remember that instant gratification thing?

  • The colors are limited.

Now, so I do not sound negative about this product, I want you all to know that I love it!  I have found that cost is not a significant factor, since a little goes a long way.

The wait…yeah, it will never get easier.

Colors – the limited color selection is what will get me to try different recipes to make my own.  Since Jo Ann has experienced success, I will continue to play around with samples.  I will keep you posted if I arrive at an acceptable outcome.

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The finished table was done with AS light and dark wax. 

It almost landed in my house, but she is in my space awaiting a new home.

Don’t forget to enter the Shabby Apple GIVEAWAY here!

XO-

Shannon