PinkPostcard.

valentine wreath

2012-02-12T18:28:00.000-08:00

Sorry for the delay in posting recently! We are enjoying time with friends who are visiting from Cali, and it's been nice to hang out with them and do some fun things together.

I wanted to show you a fun and simple little Valentine wreath I put together for our front door.

I bought two of these little hearts from Target, in the dollar section.

They were actually $2.50 each (love how they sneak those in there...!)

A bit of wire to keep them together, and then I printed out a little LOVE banner on some Kraft paper.

Some hot glue, and it's hanging for a love-ly greeting. ;)

Simple and cute.

Any big plans for your Valentine's Day??

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Master bedroom day 4: vanity cushion

2012-02-07T07:54:00.000-08:00

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There's not a lot of room at the foot of our bed. This little vanity stool was originally in our living room when I first bought it. It always seemed a bit awkward in the vacuous room. At some point it ended up in our bedroom- I think more to get it out of the way than a conscious design choice. It really seemed to work! Nothing too large to squeeze past, and still a spot to use for getting ready- especially now that we have a cushion for it!!

The former cushion for our headboard bench got cut up.

It was a really dense piece of batting.

A drop cloth that I plan to use for another upcoming project was able to spare some yardage. A simple ruffle and a bit of tufting...done.

Do you see anything different about this cushion?

It's all sewn in reverse! What started out as an "oops" turned into a "hey, I kinda like how that looks!"

I'm calling it my deconstructed look.

Happy Tuesday, Friends.

I hope to have more to post later in the week, but we have some out of town guests coming, and the hubby is gone most of the week on business. Guess what I'm doing for the remainder of mine?

Looking forward to seeing my friend- we've known each other since kindergarten!

Weekend Junk!

2012-02-06T16:48:00.000-08:00

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Friday I had to make the choice between yoga class or shopping.

Shopping won.

I got a lot of great stuff for my booth!


Limoge French vase

A nine drawer dresser! I am so excited to get to work on this one. There are some really unique features to this one that I can't wait to show you when it's done!

These gorgeous lamps were my first purchase of the day. I had several cart gawkers while I continued to shop. They're not vintage, but I love them anyway!

A beautiful cream footed cake plate, cherub statue and some salt and pepper shakers that have hobnail detail around the base.

A vintage produce scale- on the hunt for a 3 tier wire basket to attach to this!

Some gorgeous hotel silver and a charming striped tablecloth.
Makes me want to sit on my porch.

A large Madonna statue and vintage litho of Jesus.
I love the sacred heart on it too.

Cute little tea bag dispenser with some fruits painted on top!

On a very sad note, these three pieces were on their way to the shop on Saturday. The guy in front of me slammed on his brakes, which made me do the same, and these went crashing to the floor. I was so frustrated and sad that these are a loss. Maybe I'll have to use them for a mosaic. I even saw something on broken china pendants....hmmm. *sigh*

I was able to purchase an antique table and chairs from a neighbor- this was at the top of my wish list to acquire this month, so I am already working away on this one!
Check out these legs! woo hoo! ;)

The top is amazing too, but that's for later.
****

Friday night was Junk Salvation, and I was able to go with a couple friends to the opening, pre-buy event.

This is Jenni and Janna- I had a hard time saying that together all evening so usually it came out as "Jannie".

aren't they cute in this little trailer?

It was so much fun! Lots of great vendors, and I was able to visit with some fellow bloggers and show friends.


Ormolulu

Bella

Living Like a Gypsy

Amanda from Girl in Pink was there and it was so fun to meet up. She is such a sweetheart. Both of us "pinkies" were very excited to be able to buy a sample of ASCP's "Antoinette". A great vintage pink color that is brand new!

I was also able to see Diane of Molly Mo's, Pam & Sarah of Roost Re imagined; and, for the first time, met Kathleen of Faded Charm (White Wednesday link party) fame :)

How about you? Any fun events this weekend with good junk?

I should mention that any of the smaller items you see above are always available for purchase online if you're not in my area. I'm happy to set up a reserved listing for you on Etsy. Just email me at pinkpostcard@comcast.net for pricing and shipping info. The lamps and furniture aren't available at this time. I'm afraid of how they'd arrive! : /

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ticking stripe: corner cabinet makeover & a pin board

2012-02-02T13:54:00.000-08:00

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I'm breaking away from the bedroom makeover to show you another project I've been working on.

This fun corner cabinet was something I picked up from a neighbor.

I've been admiring it in their garage (!) for awhile now, and recently she called and asked if I'd like it.

Yes please!

Things just hadn't panned out for the project they had in mind.

Here's the before:

Once I got the idea rolling in my head, it came together pretty quickly.

Removing the glass panels that were in the top portion, I added in some black and white ticking stripe fabric. The inside is finished off in a white rope trim.

I left the insides white, just for some pop. The vintage Underwood typewriter was a major find (thanks to my 11 year old- I seriously need to start paying her "finder fees"!!) ...and I knew I would be displaying these two together.

The knobs are from Anthropologie- don't you love the graphic element it adds? The bottom knobs are oil rubbed bronze, and I wanted those to blend in more and have the highlight on top.

Lots of fun storage with adjustable shelving.

Loading it up to take down to the shop this afternoon!

(along with the typewriter and a few other vintage goodies...)

Do you ever get in those kicks where you just want to use something over and over again in your projects? I have a thing going with the ticking stripe right now. One other piece that is coming with me today is this:

This whopper is a little over 4 feet tall!

It started out as a very large framed vintage piece of art.

I didn't care for the artwork, but loved the size of the frame!

A little more black over some of the gold, and it looks great.

This can be used vertically or horizontally- I'm leaving it up to whoever buys it to decide! :)

Some more plans with the ticking in the near future- one of my wish list items will be making it's way home next week!

Have a great Thursday- hope to see you tomorrow with the finished vanity bench.

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Makeover day 3: salvaged chippy windows

2012-01-30T14:08:00.000-08:00

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Chippy fun windows!

I found these a couple weeks ago and thought they'd be great additions on either side of the bed.

This one with the blue was such a great match to our colors, it's almost unreal!

Just love it.

They aren't exactly the same, but the size and colors that coordinate was more important to me.

Once I have the room completed, I am excited to show you the complete before and afters! It's been a loooong process! :) I love how light and airy it feels- a mix of romance, vintage and contemporary, and, a more sophisticated look than what I'd originally started playing with.

I thought I'd figured out what else I wanted to add to the fabric panel behind the bed, but nothing's really clicking. I may just wait and see what jumps out at me down the road.

Next, I'm setting my sights on this little vanity stool. A pretty new cushion is in the works.

I also just bought a nautical map on Etsy that I'm really excited about- for the wall here:

Another little pop of aqua is coming!

Have a great Monday friends!

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master bedroom day 2- romantic fabric wall

2012-01-27T11:07:00.000-08:00

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Whew. This has been a rough week! I thought I'd be much further along in the makeover, but I ended up with strep and was completely down and out for a couple days.

I'm feeling much better with the antibiotics, but playing major catch up on life!

Just a quick post to show you some progress.

A little drama:

I simply added four yards of a lightweight cotton to a cafe rod. I love the height it adds and the softness.

Some tassels were also added above the mirror...

Still playing with this- I think I may add a bit more so there's a little more oomph to it, but I like the direction we're headed.

Here was the wall before (and pre- new bed skirt!):

After:

Some more fun projects over the weekend in here, can't wait to show you!

Have a great Friday!

bedroom makeover week! Day 1: bedskirt

2012-01-23T10:31:00.000-08:00

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Maybe if I write it, it will come true?? :)

This week, my goal is to get the master bedroom done. I say that with a little smirk, because we all know that in decor, nothing is ever done. There's always tweaking along the way, right?

Not only that, but I have some kind of throat virus that wiped me out yesterday, so not feeling too swell at the moment.

Gah.

Saturday, I was able to put on a new bedskirt:

Since I've been redoing our space, I took off the cream one, and thought I'd found a new one at Goodwill for $6. It ended up being the highwater pants on the bed.

Yucky.
Whenever we had company over, I was secretly hoping no one would see our bedroom.

*Cringe*

I simply cut off the old and sewed on the new!

Our bed sits up higher than average, so we always need a 21" drop skirt. These are crazy expensive and very hard to find in stores. I made ours from a cotton/ poly blend (no wrinkles!) for about $15.

Fabric on the bolt is typically 44" / 45" wide- cut it down the center fold, and there's the skirt! I doubled the length so we would have a nice gather.

Long running baste stitch to make the folds-

Pinned it to base-

sewed over the baste stitch.

So simple! It did take a little time, but it looks so much better.

Today I am hoping to tackle the wall behind the bed- some more billowy fabric to create a romantic backdrop behind the mirror. Lots more to come, and I hope to show the complete bedroom reveal by the end of the week!

Thanks so much to Kristi at Addicted 2 Decorating for featuring the upholstered chair on her blog today :)

Happy Monday Friends!

Basic upholstery tips

2012-01-20T11:49:00.000-08:00

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Thanks so much for all of the kind comments on my first upholstery piece!

I learned a lot.

It's not perfect.

But I think it turned out better than I had hoped for a first project!
****

Years ago, when I was a newlywed, I was working at a very large fabric store in Portland. Periodically, they would offer upholstery classes. They always filled up fast, were very expensive, and they required you to have a lot of the (expensive) tools prior to class. I always hoped maybe someday I could take one, but I never did. Heck, I was eating microwave popcorn for lunch back then, because that's all I could afford!

I learned how to undertake this project from reading up on several other tutorials around the blog world, so now I am paying it forward. I referenced this blog and this one primarily for my "lessons".
:)

First off, I didn't use a lot of fancy expensive tools.
This is what I used:

You probably have all these tools too.

Remove all of the trim and fabric. I used my needle nose pliers and hands.
This is not for someone who is worried about messing up a manicure. Your hands will be very sore when you're done and you might even get a couple blisters. I did.
The batting on the chair was in really good shape and stayed put during the deconstruct phase, and I kept it. I also kept any nail head trim that wasn't too wonky from pulling out and reused those around the burlap.

As much as possible, keep the original fabric intact! I used all the original pieces as a pattern to cut out the new ones. I used a black sharpie to label each section once it was off. That way, I knew what went where when it came time to put it all back together. Be a little generous with cutting the new fabric pieces- I was a tad short in a couple spots. (as consolation, when I took off the old fabric, I noticed that even though the original job was amazing, they still had some extra pieces they had to tack on to make it all work too ;) )

Make sure all the staples, nails and sharp stuff has been removed from the frame.

If you plan on painting the frame or wood, do it now before the fabric goes back on. I also wanted something interesting on the chair- so I painted stripes and the numbers on the seat back using this method.

Once the paint and finish is dry, you can start putting the new fabric back onto the chair. I started with the front back of the chair, burlap sides, then the seat, the arms, and finally the back of the chair.

Lay each piece of fabric where it is going and adjust and smooth it out before you start tucking. Once it is in place, you can use your staple gun to secure it to the frame. Your staples will get covered with trim, but make sure they are somewhat close to the edge so they will be hidden.

It was tough to tuck in the fabric in some spots, so I used a wood clipboard to help dig it in.
Hey, sometimes you gotta use what you have on hand.
It was easier than trying to get my fingers in there, very sturdy, and thin enough without poking holes into the fabric.

Key words here: pull, smooth, tuck.
Once all your pieces are stapled firmly in place, you will need to hide all the staples and rough edges. I used white trim, a la Miss Mustard Seed. Using my sewing measuring tape, I measured how many yards I would need to cover up everything. A hot glue gun is the only tool I used.

Try to avoid connecting together smaller pieces. If you do have an end point in the middle somewhere, fold the end of the trim over, add a dab of glue and smoosh it in as close as you can to the other end piece. That other end should also be folded under! No frayed ends!

For the inner arm sections, I made double cord welting.

Centsational Girl's tutorial was very informative, and I won't attempt to rewrite what she already did so well. It's pretty easy!
I'm not sure if this is technically the "right way" to finish off the arms, but it works for me, and looks a lot more finished than the folds and tucks that were there before. Some more hot glue and tucking, and it was good to go.

Done!

I hope this makes sense, and takes some of the intimidation factor out of upholstery!

Some final tips:
The chair I used was a $15 thrift shop find. It was well constructed, and had simple lines. Not a family heirloom or a buddies project that I would feel sick about if something went horribly wrong.

Same thing for the fabric. $9.99 white cotton duck fabric. I think I even used a coupon, so it was less than that. The burlap was extra I had on hand from other projects, and as I said before, I reused the nail head trim when possible. The white trim was .99 cents a yard, and I used a little over 3 yards to cover the staples.
Inexpensive, but good quality fabric.

ASCP in Pure White was what I painted the legs with. Dark and light waxes for an aged look, and a bit of sanding on the edges.

The best thing you can do to get a smooth finish is to gently, but firmly, pull and smooth as you go.
Any other questions, feel free to ask!

upholstered chair - my first one!

2012-01-19T17:07:00.000-08:00

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It was so weird writing that title just now.

My first upholstered chair.

I'm not sure if there will be any more in my future, but I can't believe I actually conquered the intimidation factor, and did it.

There was lots of procrastinating along the way. But it's done!

I just love it.

This went from a $15 thrift shop find, to a shabby chic beauty.

Here was the original look:

The construction and upholstery were in great shape, it was just a little old smelling, dirty, and outdated.

One point of inspiration for this chair was Amy's version- you can see by clicking here. I also pinned it to my DIY board on Pinterest.

I loved the deconstructed look of it.

I also added in something personal to the design. The number on the chair back is actually my hubby's number from his football days. I spent a lot of time watching that number run around scoring touch downs back in the day. ;)

The legs of the chair were painted in Annie Sloan's Pure White and distressed. I used both clear and dark wax on the legs to bring out the detail.

The original fabric was a heavy textured damask in olive and gold.

(blech)

I used a white cotton duck (burlap on the sides).

I've long admired Miss Mustard Seed's method of using white trim on her furniture. I gave it a shot, and was really happy with the results.

A little lumbar pillow to accent the chair. I used the inside of the fabric to soften the aqua print and then stenciled a crown onto the fabric. When the paint was half dry, I tossed the fabric into the wash to lighten the tone. Then, I embellished it with some vintage lace I had in my stash.

I am so happy I tried my hand at this!

It wasn't nearly as scary as I thought it might be.

Tomorrow I'll be offering my insights on how I did this project from start to finish.

You might even call it a tutorial.

;)

The living room is finally starting to become a pretty space!

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DIY shell art

2012-01-16T17:07:00.000-08:00

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It's kind of ironic that I'm doing this today- we have had bits of snow off and on for the last 24 hours!

Anyway, this is a project for our master bedroom, which has a beachy theme going on.

I'm dreaming of some sun and surf! :)

I started out with an oval canvas.

You can buy these at any craft store- I happened to have this one on hand from a project that was never completed. It was bright blue, so I painted it a sand color so it wouldn't show through the fabric.

Next, I cut out a piece of Osnaburg. I use it for a lot of my projects- it has the look of rough linen for a fraction of the cost! It's my favorite.

With a staple gun, staple the fabric all around the edge. I didn't worry about doing it on the sides, because it's going to get covered up anyway. Be generous with stapling- not too many bubbles!

Once it's stapled in place, trim away the excess fabric.

Next, I had some extra rope from our rope shelf project. It was the perfect amount to "frame" the canvas.

Cut the rope so the two edges of the rope just touch.

(you will need a really sharp knife to cut it- be careful you only cut the rope, and not any of your digits!!)

Next, I used some twine to wrap the edges of the rope for a finished look, and to keep the rope from fraying. I dabbed a little hot glue onto the rope, and added the end of the twine into the hot glue. Once it had set, I just wrapped it around several times, and did the hot glue on the other end of the twine to finish it and hold it in place.

Once that was done to both ends of the rope, I used some E6000 glue, and went around the edge of the canvas with an even bead of glue. I held it in place for a minute, and then let it sit all night with some cans of paint squishing the sides into the canvas! :)

This morning I added the shell, also with the E6000 glue, and once it was in place, I added a big Ziploc of beans to keep even pressure on it while the glue dried. If you plan to make something like this, be careful not to miss your target- you'll have glue showing on the fabric. No good.

The shell I used was one of a few I picked up at Goodwill this past fall.

(that's how long I've been waiting to do this.....)

I love how it turned out!

I am super anxious to get going on finishing up our bedroom.

Just a few more projects and it will be done!

Thanks for letting me share this fun and simple project with you.

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more stuff in my booth!

2012-01-15T17:59:00.000-08:00

Since emptying my Etsy shop Friday, I have more stuff to add in to my booth :)

It was in need of some freshening, so I spent about 2 hours today moving things around and making it look better. It looked ok before, I just wasn't super proud of it. In my rush to get things set up in December, I didn't have a lot of time to think of how I wanted "The Look".

I added in some vintage sheet music to the top shelf. Last week I had the lonely copper breadbox sitting up there, and it looked pretty corny.

I also made a real sign for my spot!

Remember the oval gold frame and 1970's painting that came with it? Now it looks like this!

(no offense to the artist who painted the flowers. It really was an amazing job.)

I grouped more like items together.

The beachy dresser is now looking like this:

This vintage window screen and dotted lace scarf was something I added in today too. Kinda separates my booth from the one behind mine.

I desperately need to find / make some bookshelves!!!! It would be so much better for some of my smalls. *sigh* That's on my wish list.

Second on my wish list is an inexpensive (ha ha) bohemian / oriental rug. I think it would be a nice look instead of the commercial carpeting. :)

New items here include the vintage sea life paint by numbers; the Metolius fish sign (a famous fly fishing spot here in Oregon! Painted and cut by yours truly); also the tall lidded basket, which has little leather hinges!

Some other new items in the booth- a vintage print of a girl with her cat, "Chums"; a pretty gold cupid votive holder; the wood footed stand with sheet music fringe; some mid century fur cuffs! These were actually my grandma's. I'm ok with letting them go. (so is my mom) I'm not really into fur these days- too much of an animal lover. They could be added to a coat, some boots, or maybe a sweater!

A large cloche and silver tray housing some red vintage books:

Late last night I made this little Valentine frame:

The key is vintage, and I thought it was cute with the bit of red velvet backing!

Probably the hardest piece for me to let go of was this vintage litho of Jesus and his disciples. Both Jon and I really loved it. I did hang it in our house for a few days before I decided to put it in here. It's really beautiful- I don't care for a lot of the art you find in Christian bookstores these days.

If you look closely you can see that the path is leading them to a city beyond the trees, just to the left in the picture.
Hope I don't regret letting go of this one too much!!

It was fun getting the booth in order and some new items stocked. I have a few more pieces waiting in the wings, including some vintage Valentines.
See you soon!
:)

Little updates

2012-01-14T16:00:00.000-08:00

Thursday was a fun day working at the shop.

Most vendors work one day a month as part of the lease agreement. It's only a few hours, and it always goes by fast! It's a great way to see what's selling and admire all of the talent there.

That said, the week started out with a lot of projects, but really, I was dying to get my studio back in order from the chaos of holiday projects! And some decorating!

I did get the studio in a more workable order, but not much decorating. :(

This cute little tray came home with me from Target. It was beige, but I brightened it up with some aqua paint. It corrals all our syrups and coffee.

I also swapped the vintage framed photographs for some plates. These have floated all over, but I think they look great here.

Target also yielded this little jewelry dish that now serves as a base for my mini plant.

The living room is still a work in progress, but it's coming together! The pillows are my favorite combo so far.

I just ordered a small boxwood wreath to embellish the mirror...

...the birdcage is housing some vintage books...

...and the ugly chair is halfway done! Yahoo!

*Hopefully* it will be done this weekend!!

See you soon- hope you are having a great weekend!

vintage humidor makeover

2012-01-11T09:35:00.000-08:00

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I know this week has been a lot of furniture before and afters, but I hope you're ok with that!

This has been my life the last few days, so here's one more.

Really, I will show some home decor projects soon!

With losing some bigger pieces from my space, I really was on the hunt for bookshelves. People are always looking for them, and they are hard to find, but I was looking, nevertheless.

I made a bee line to the furniture area of the shop, and this little beauty was just sitting there.

No tag, so I just picked it up and put it in the cart and figured I'd ask when I saw someone.

Inspecting it, I did notice that it wasn't just a side table. It had a metal lining inside, and ventilation in the door. Wowwies!!

A humidor!

If you don't know what that is, it's storage for cigars so they don't dry out.

Long story short, they priced it for me, and I was in the middle of an aisle while they were helping me with it. There were three guys in the near vicinity who all started craning their necks when they heard what it was.

I clutched my cart a little closer ;)

The carving was just beautiful, and other than the door sticking a little, it was in great shape.

If you are a antique purist, look away.

(sorry about the shaky shot....I only took one, and didn't realize it was bad until editing....)

A coat of ASCP Paris Gray, and some slight distressing to bring out all the wonderful details.

I went with the gray so that it would still be manly enough for a guy, but a pretty and trendy enough color for a girl.

My hubby kept wondering out loud if we should keep this one.

Then he offered to buy it from me.

Ha ha!!!!

I love vintage decanters...Not only do they make for beautiful vignettes, but they are super practical. I use them to hold water for bedside tables; you can also use them for mouth wash, bath oils, soaps....elegance to the everyday!

Here's what the interior looks like, and how I knew it wasn't just a side table:

A really fun piece to work on.

This will be going into my space today at Aunt Bee's House!

****
On another note, I wanted to let you know that I will be emptying my Etsy shop by the end of the week. It's a lot of work to regularly post items to my shop, keep my stock filled locally, work on projects and blog! It's time for me to let something go.
My supplier for all of my shipping boxes and envelopes is also going out of business, and the only other place in town is further away, which would mean more errands in my day.
Not what I need in my schedule right now!

I've also found that several items I've had listed on Etsy for awhile are selling quickly in my booth space.
So, just wanted to let you know that I'm not shutting it down completely- but it may be awhile before I sell online again. Thank you to everyone who supported me and featured my stuff. I'd love to do some more in the future!
Happy Wednesday!!

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Restoration Hardware knockoff lamp

2012-01-10T08:00:00.000-08:00

First of all, I need to clarify that Restoration Hardware does not carry a lamp like this!

Really, I was just going for the gray washed look like they have in a lot of their furniture.

Ok.

So here's the story:

On one of my shopping excursions, I saw this lamp:

Kind of unique, interesting.

I stood there looking at it for a minute and then slowly wandered off, not really having any ideas pop in my head.

Welllll......if you know me, then you know the rest of the story already.

Yep. I drove home without it, and then the next morning rushed back to hopefully get it!

Sheesh. I'll never learn.

ANYway.

I decided to give it a gray wash.

No real recipe here, sorry. A little water in the bottom of my paint cup, and then about three dips of the paint stirrer in Annie Sloan's Paris Gray.

Whoa, Nellie. It went on way too heavy!

(that should attest to the great coverage of this paint- even with it being a little watered down!)

I got it all on, and then quickly grabbed some damp rags and started wiping it down. It was sort of trial and error, but once the rag had enough paint on it, it was almost like repainting it.

I know that sounds weird, but it took just enough off, and smoothed out the brush marks.

I found that working in a vertical pattern was much better for a weathered look.

Much better!

I got a natural lamp shade that had some black piping on it. Then added a little mini chalkboard and a vintage key tied with jute, just for a little embellishment.

Oooh, I really like this one!

Wishing I could keep it, but there's no room. Plus, it looked nice with the dresser I posted about yesterday!

This thing is an absolute beast. It's solid wood!

You can definitely get some arm muscle carrying it around.

Here was the idea behind the lamp via Restoration Hardware:

See? Kinda similar?

This was a fun one to work on. I've not seen too many wooden lamp bases out there, but if you come across one, snag it! And then you can make your own!

:)

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beach dresser...yes, I know I said I wanted a full time job....

2012-01-09T09:51:00.000-08:00

Wow.
This little thing called PinkPostcard, is quickly becoming a full time job!!

Friday night I went to bed and took the new Pottery Barn catalog with me. It must have given me a burst of creative energy or something, because I really could've gotten back out of bed and started decorating around the house. Instead I just dog eared a bunch of pages and went to sleep.

Saturday I woke up ready to organize and get going on naggy little projects around the house. And then I got a call that the bench had sold from my booth- and I just took it there two days ago!

I had this dresser waiting in the wings, so fortunately, I was able to get going on it to take it down and fill the spot.

I stocked up on some more Annie Sloan paint a few days ago, and I am so glad I did.

This humble little dresser started out very much like the "Bossy" dresser.

I love this style for the simple lines.
I used ASCP Duck Egg Blue for the body, and Pure White for the drawer fronts.

I've been wanting to do a beach dresser for awhile, and this seemed like the one.

Some little clam shells added to the fronts.

I distressed it quite a bit with both sandpaper and the Annie Sloan dark wax. I gotta admit- the dark wax has definitely been a learning curve for me! The color really sticks if you use it on it's own, so using it in conjunction with the clear wax helps to mellow it out a bit.

I love the clear wax!!!! I kept thinking of "The Help" where Minnie is extolling the virtues of Crisco. It's very much the same consistency- very creamy. :)
"...Crisco....need a dresser with a good satin finish? Crisco!"
Just kidding!!! It was AS clear wax, I promise.

Anyway~ I love how it turned out, and it's now at my booth filling up my space again. I was in desperate need of some storage in there- both the bench and my white hutch sold within 24 hours of each other!!
kinda crazy.

Thanks for letting me show you the before and after. I have a vintage humidor I found Sunday, so I'll be featuring that one soon. The lamp you see on the dresser was another quick project I'll show tomorrow. Hopefully my house will get some decorating projects underway if I could ever get to them!
Not complaining though!
:)
Happy Monday!

Sharing with:
Tuesday's Treasures
Talent Tuesday
Trash to Treasure Tuesday
Show and Share
Piece of Work Wednesday

Primp Your Stuff
Restored It Wednesday
Feathered Nest Friday
Furniture Feature Friday
Overflowing with Creativity
Show and Tell Friday

two loves

2012-01-07T15:18:00.000-08:00

My paperwhites are finally starting to grow. I got them planted just shortly after Christmas! Yesterday when I was at my weekly Target outing, I saw these adorable and wonderful smelling candles. I could not resist the one that said "love".

A really light, pretty scent, and the label was so cute for the next holiday. :)

I hope you are enjoying your weekend~ I am busy painting, already needing to fill another hole in my booth! Just brought this in a couple days ago:

...and it's gone.

Hope to have some great before / after pics of the next piece going in (hopefully) tomorrow!

who wants a Square reader?

2012-01-05T17:02:00.000-08:00

One of my very favorite products as a new business owner is Square!

If you've never heard of Square, it is a device that you attach to your smart phone and it allows you to accept credit card payments through their app and a small plug in swiper. I have been using mine for a few months now and it has had dramatic increases in my sales.

Did you know the creator of Twitter is also the founder of Square?

Another bonus that I really like about Square is that they charge only 2.75% per swipe,
which is less than Pay Pal.

This little device has allowed me to meet off site clients and accept payments, on the spot.

Do you have a direct sales / party business? Maybe a new business, but you can only accept cash or checks? Or, maybe this is the year you delve into having a booth at a flea market or sale. Either way, you will love using this!

Here's the scoop. I am excited about this product, and I would like to "gift" a Square reader to one of my readers. A great way to kick off the new year for a small business.

All you have to do is be the first to comment below that you'd like to get the Square reader!

Did you just miss being first? No worries, you can still go to the website and order one for free.
The app is also free, and very easy to download.
If you'd like more info on Square, you can click here.

Just a little gift from me to you, because I am excited about where it's taking me in my little entrepreneurship.

Happy New Year, and wishing you new heights in your business!

All opinions and endorsements are my own. I was not contacted by Square for this giveaway.

leaf pulls for Mademoiselle Claude

2012-01-03T16:18:00.000-08:00

If you subscribe to my Facebook posts, then you know that the Thoroughly Modern Milly desk sold yesterday from my booth (yay!) which meant that Mademoiselle Claude could finally go into the vacant spot.

(this is sounding like some strange cast of characters from a 1960's movie.....)

Panic mode set in just a little when I realized that I still didn't have 4 pulls for it.

Luckily, I was able to find some beauties from Lowe's! And they fit those challenging curvy spots!

These were my favorites from the three sets I brought home.

They are an Allen + Roth brand, and they started out like this:

2 coats of ASCP in Pure White.

Then, I grabbed my BFF Rub N Buff Antique Gold and highlighted all the details. After installing them on the dresser, they were just too stark white, so I used a touch of the Annie Sloan dark wax to age them just slightly.

Oh, I am in love!!

The handles mimic the little flourishes at the bottom so well.

It was meant to be. ;)

Either that or I do well under pressure! ha ha!

I realized after I dropped this off at my space, that I didn't get any full shots with the new hardware.

My logo designer/ friend / blog sponsor / talent extraordinaire, also helped me with some new professional looking tags for my pieces. Previously, I was hand making all my tags, and even though it was fun, it was very time consuming.

I still use the hot pink ribbon on all my stuff though!

****

The other fun bit of news I got today was that the lady next to me at Aunt Bee's is vacating her wall space, so I will have more room for more fun stuff. Woo hoo!

Have a great Tuesday, friends!

Farmer's Market sign

2012-01-01T14:54:00.000-08:00

Happy New Year!

2011 was pretty awesome- I'm not sure how 2012 can compete / top it, but here's hoping! :)

Last week I picked up a chalkboard on one of my shopping trips. I loved the curved top, and even though I don't need another chalkboard, I just like the framed out look of it.

Finding unique shapes like this is great, because they are great for signs, and then I have less prep work!

Here's how it turned out:

Our nook was needing some graphic oomph, and I love the addition of this to the shelves.

Here was what it looked like before:

.95 cents! I couldn't even buy the wood for that cheap!

I painted the interior with a creamy white, and then used my stencil technique. The green is by Americana, and it is called Hauser Light Green.

I used a chubby brush and painted it in a primitive way

(not going for perfection on this one, just a vintage reproduction look).

Some aging using the Clorox cleaning wipes and my stain recipe too.

A fun new look for our eating area.

Also, I finally started stripping our living room chair!! wahoo!

My hand is bruised and blistered, but I am so excited to finally give the ugly green chair a makeover.

That will be a fun project this week.

See you later!

If you are a small business owner, be on the lookout for a fun giveaway starting soon!

Happy 2012!!!

Sharing with:
Saturday Nite Special
Tuesday's Treasures
Anything Goes @ Type A

inspiration for the New Year

2011-12-29T18:17:00.000-08:00

This year for me has been about living out a dream.

Finding passion.

Doing what I love to do and going for it.

Is this the year for you?

Here are some of my favorite inspirational thoughts from my Pinterest boards:

Pinterest via cyrket.com

Pinterest via weheartit.com

Pinterest via beriablogs.com

Pinterest via delightfully-tacky.com

Pinterest via tryingtofollow.com

Pinterest via zsazsabellagio.com

And finally, just for New Year's Eve:

Pinterest via shopruche.blogspot.com

May you be inspired to make your dreams come true, and find fulfillment and happiness in the coming year!

Favorite projects of 2011

2011-12-27T08:28:00.000-08:00

Wow!! Where does the time go?

I can remember my first project of this year like it was a couple weeks ago!

This year was a time of great growth and there was so much creativity and fun for me.

As we go through memory lane, you can click on the link under each picture, and it will take you to the original post.

My first project of 2011 was this:

office rope shelves

It looks just like this today. Loving it!!

However, the office still isn't finished. One of my goals for this year was to see projects through to completion. I think I just have to accept the fact that I just don't do that with my house. It's a process.

Lots of fun furniture pieces. It's amazing to see how I've grown this year, and what I've learned in just this area alone!

Frenchy chair makeover

vintage cabinet makeover

Olde world dresser transformation

nail head coffee table makeover

trash to treasure table

Gray Gardens dresser makeover

Bossy dresser

Mademoiselle Claude

Good Day dresser

The kitchen makeover was personally my most anticipated project of the year, and probably the most popular post I've done. We are in love with our kitchen and I have zero regrets!

kitchen makeover

I'm also glad our nook is finished.... Well, for the most part. Still not satisfied with the staging.

nook buffet and farmhouse shelving

My second most popular post of the year wasn't one that gained any notoriety from link parties. It just seemed to connect with how a lot of us feel about blogging.

My heart was overflowing from your comments. Thank you.

What I've Learned About Blogging- A Newbies Perspective

Can I tell you something? This is the longest we've lived in any house we've owned! It will be four years in May. I have yet to do a "house tour"on my blog. I just haven't felt like anything has been "done" enough to show you all. (or feel worthy of showing....)

Hopefully that will change for 2012.

craft room makeover

My studio was a big blessing to get off the ground. It's in a state of disarray after everything that's been going on for my little business for the past 3 months. Time to reorganize!

One of my goals for this coming year is to improve my writing. You'd think with all of the AP classes, college courses, etc, that wouldn't be a problem. It is. I found too many of my sentences started with "I" (just like this one....) drat!!

Exclamation points were something I really seemed to enjoy using! Alot!! So I attempted to write with feeling and not using so much punctuation!!!!!!! LOL. ;)

I am so excited to get going on some new projects for the new year. High on my to do list is the master bedroom, the living room chair, some slipcovers for our dining room chairs, and some new pillows for our family room. I have our laundry room and master bath that are being eyed for some fresh looks.

Most of all, I am so thankful to all of you who visit, comment, and stalk my blog. I'm growing steadily (albeit slowly) but I'm OK with that. I am a needle in a haystack of blogs, and as much as I'd like to devote more time to actively network, that means something else important to me would have to go. And right now I don't want to do that. I love seeing and commenting on all the creativity out there, there are just times where that happens less. :(

Yes, this is an apology of sorts- I know it seems like I'm unfriendly at times for not visiting or commenting as much as I feel I should, and it's not meant to be. Still trying to figure out a way to make it all work!

I just want to say Thank You So Much for your friendship and encouragement.

I can't wait to see whats in store for 2012!

*hugs*

Sharing with:
Top Projects of 2011 party @ Southern Hospitality
Strut Your Stuff
Vintage Inspiration Friday
Feathered Nest Friday
Favorite Furniture of 2011 @ Miss Mustard Seed
Weekend Wrap Up Party- Favorite Projects of 2011
Tuesday's Treasures
Saturday Nite Special Best of 2011

O Holy Night

2011-12-24T12:42:00.000-08:00

Every year, a house near ours puts out an amazing life size nativity.

I love seeing it each Christmas season.

With warmest wishes for a wonderful Christmas~

Christmas nook- a look at last year and today

2011-12-23T08:32:00.000-08:00

I came across a photo from last year's decor for our nook. It wasn't much, and I had hopes of making this a more finished look by 2011.

Here's how it looked last year.

And today:

I'm so glad it is a completed space instead of a nearly empty wall! Still simple, but a more useful area. (and a MUCH prettier chandelier over the table this year!! I disliked the previous one so much I strategically shot it sans light fixture....)

I'm looking forward to sharing more of my favorite projects of 2011 next week!

saved from an ill fate

2011-12-22T12:34:00.000-08:00

Today is all about getting the Christmas shopping wrapped up, so I'm keeping this short and sweet.

A couple days ago I acquired these two lovelies.

They were going to be thrown away!!!

I was so excited to save them.

One for me. One for the shop.

Just needs a good cleaning.

I love me a good rescue.

simple peppermint bark

2011-12-20T16:56:00.000-08:00

This is our favorite Christmas candy, and it is so simple to make.
It's pretty, has all the colors of Christmas, and so delicious. Especially when you put it in the fridge for a couple minutes before you eat it.

I realize that the main ingredient might be kinda hard to find, but that's why I included a pic of the packaging.
I prefer it to peppermint candy bits because the candy I use stays nice and crispy, not chewy.

2 ingredients:

vanilla melty's

peppermint candy crunch

That's it.

In a double boiler, melt the melty's until smooth. Remove from heat, and pour in the peppermint chips. I like to add enough in so that it's pretty colorful and lots of bits in every bite.

Pour onto a cookie sheet and smooth out flat with a spatula. Pop the tray into the freezer and let harden for 5-10 minutes. Take tray out and have fun smashing up the pieces! Usually this breaks up pretty well by just picking up the cookie sheet a little and dropping it on the counter.

Yummy for parties or to make as holiday gifts!

I get our peppermint chips locally from Confectionately Yours, a local bakery supply shop.

What's your favorite Christmas or holiday candy?

holiday entertaining - tips and recipes

2011-12-19T16:19:00.000-08:00

Our Progressive Dinner was so much fun!

We enjoyed some great food and made some fun memories.

One thing that I am so thankful for when it comes to events like this, is my hubby's help.

We really work pretty well together to divvy up the jobs beforehand.

Last year, I felt really rushed, and I attribute that partly to not having our table ready.

Here are some of the things we like to have done prior to the day of a party:

#1: If you're able, set your table the day before- you will feel more confident in how the decor turns out, and have time to focus on other things.

#2. Music is something we always have at our parties. Set up your play list a few days in advance. One thing that we are REALLY loving is the Jambox. It's small, puts out some great sound, and because it is wireless, you can hide it / place it anywhere. Your play list comes from your iPhone. Genius.

(and for all you gangsta types, you can also buy it with a big chain and wear the Jambox around your neck. Seriously.)

#3. I always lay out my serving pieces (including flatware) so I won't be running around at the last second.

If you have helpers who will be dishing up or bringing food, put sticky notes on your bowls / platters so everyone knows exactly what goes where.

#4. Candles! I always prefer votives- they are versatile to use anywhere and everywhere, and inexpensive to buy. Safer than tapers, no drips to clean up off of the table or furniture, and they cast a beautiful glow. We put scented ones in our powder room and entry, and unscented in our dining areas.

We also installed a dimmer switch on our dining room chandelier, and it was one of the best things we ever did!

#5. I prefer making things from scratch whenever possible when it comes to the food, but let's face it- sometimes that can be more trouble than it's worth by the time the event rolls around.

A combination of 'from scratch' and some ready made / pre-packaged items is great. Making as much a head of time is always a smart move too. I did this with our mashed potatoes the day of the party. They were cooked later in the afternoon, and then put in a crock pot on low to keep warm until it was time to serve.

A couple years ago I invested in a warming tray, and it was one of the best purchases ever! Highly recommend! Ours has a removable set of warming compartments so it's very versatile. I got ours at Target.

Oster buffet warmer

#6. Lastly, if you've never done a progressive dinner, here's how it works. You can have as many people participate as you want, you just need to adjust your time accordingly if you have lots of stops. We allow about 45 minutes to one hour for each house. If you were doing an appetizer only progressive dinner, you could allow shorter time at each place.

If you plan on serving alcohol through most of the evening, have a designated driver, RV, or party bus to take you from each place. It's a lot of driving for an event like this, and you don't want to be worrying about your guests.

Try and keep the houses that are participating within a certain radius, so that you aren't spending the whole evening driving.

*****

Since our house was the main dish on the stop, I decided to cook a turkey.

I always brine our turkey, and it makes it perfectly seasoned and moist (yuck, I hate using that word!!!)

anyway.

A brine is a really easy and yummy- here's the one that I use. It's very simple. I found this recipe in BHG years ago when they featured a San Francisco restaurant that sold brining kits.

Turkey Brine:

1 gallon cold water

1 cup kosher salt

1 cup brown sugar

6 bay leaves

1/4 cup cracked peppercorns

4 rosemary sprigs

Heat water and salt until salt dissolves. Add in remaining ingredients, and then soak turkey in mixture.

Let turkey sit overnight in the brine. You can use a small cooler (make sure you only use it for your turkey brining!!) or a large cooking bag. In my case I used a large cooking pot. Discard brine when you're done!

I always use a roasting bag to cook the turkey in. No basting necessary- once it's in the oven, you are good to go.

Put a little turkey pop up thermometer in the thickest part of the breast before you seal up the bag, and then roast it at 325 degrees for the amount of time needed for the size turkey you have.

If you plan on making pan gravy with your turkey drippings, you rarely need to season with salt, thanks to the brine. I forgot about this, so ours was a bit salty- a good reminder to taste it before seasoning!!

Pan gravy is easy to make and so much better than anything ready made.

Reserve the drippings from the roasting pan. I strain mine through a strainer to get out any pieces of skin that has been left behind in the drippings. Pour strained drippings back into the pan, and put the pan on your stove burners on medium high heat and allow to come to a low boil- stir constantly to keep from burning. Here's a handy tool: if you have a Hidden Valley Ranch dressing shaker, add a couple tablespoons of flour and about 3/4 cup of water and shake mixture together. Once you have your slurry, and while still stirring drippings, slowly pour slurry into drippings to make your gravy. This will thicken as it cooks. Once it is thickened, add a bit of pepper, and serve!

For the mashed potatoes, I just use a basic recipe, but once they are mashed with a hand masher, I whip them with my hand mixer. Nice and fluffy and smooth!

We also had Christmas Broccoli salad:

I got the recipe from Food.com
You can find it and print it by clicking here.

My cheat was the stuffing. Yep, right from the box. And it was delicious!

It was a great night, great food, all spent with wonderful friends!
Here are some snapshots of the fun decor from our evening:

Lois' entry table with our gifts she made!

Janie's newly upholstered chairs. Gorgeous.

Janie's mantel decor

our table in action for dinner ;)

the girls- Lois, me, Janie, and Tiffany. And we weren't trying to coordinate, it just worked out that way!

the guys- Mark, Brian, Jon, Rex


Lois' fun kitchen decor- she is the best baker I know!

silver and white holiday table setting

2011-12-16T16:12:00.000-08:00

This weekend we are having our 3rd annual Progressive Dinner.
We've done this with the same 4 couples. It started because with the holidays being so busy, we never had time to get together and enjoy each other's places during the holidays.
A progressive dinner is a great way to combine a party and to see each other's homes.

This year we are the main dish on the stop- also dubbed the "Slab o' Meat" House.
I'm brining and cooking a turkey and having the basic sides to go with it (mashed potatoes and gravy, stuffing, and a salad)
Here's my table setting for the evening:

I've always had a red runner or tablecloth for Christmas- I'm not sure why anymore, because it is too harsh with the lighter colors I've been incorporating.
I purchased this vintage pillowcase- yes, you read that right. It's 48" long, and it had our initial embroidered on it. I think it fits well, and I can use it year round.

The candles that I used are from the Dollar Tree. I cut some vintage sheet music with decorative scissors, and secured it with double sided tape. Then I used some metallic string in my stash, and added a vintage key.

Fresh greens from the yard. I did use faux berries- I don't have any fresh around here. Some silver ornaments also from the Dollar Tree add a little sparkle.

A mix of vintage silver napkin rings

...and a sprig of rosemary.
Silver chargers with cream and gold plates.

The chair backs also got a bit of embellishment too. Cut strips of burlap, and sprigs of rosemary are tied together with metallic string, and finished off with vintage rhinestone clip on earrings.

A mix of rustic and vintage glam.

I am really looking forward to our party!
Everything I used was from our yard, the Dollar Store, or craft supplies I had on hand. I borrowed the chargers from my mom. The only thing I purchased for the table scape was the vintage "runner".

Hopefully I will be able to take some pictures and share some tips on entertaining that I use for our dinner :)
Have a great weekend!

Sharing with:
Saturday Nite Special
Metamorphosis Monday
Nifty Thrifty Tuesday
Tuesday's Treasures

*PinkPostcard.*

valentine wreath

Master bedroom day 4: vanity cushion

Weekend Junk!

ticking stripe: corner cabinet makeover & a pin board

Makeover day 3: salvaged chippy windows

master bedroom day 2- romantic fabric wall

bedroom makeover week! Day 1: bedskirt

Basic upholstery tips

upholstered chair - my first one!

DIY shell art

more stuff in my booth!

Little updates

vintage humidor makeover

Restoration Hardware knockoff lamp

beach dresser...yes, I know I *said* I wanted a full time job....

two loves

who wants a Square reader?

leaf pulls for Mademoiselle Claude

Farmer's Market sign

inspiration for the New Year

Favorite projects of 2011

O Holy Night

Christmas nook- a look at last year and today

saved from an ill fate

simple peppermint bark

holiday entertaining - tips and recipes

silver and white holiday table setting

PinkPostcard.

beach dresser...yes, I know I said I wanted a full time job....