Repost: Mark Your Calendar - 3rd Annual Cottage Charm Giveaway: May 30th, 2009


We've had a fabulous time the last couple of years with the Cottage Charm Giveaway and can you believe, it's almost time for our 3rd annual event! I want to post the event date early so that everyone can have plenty of time to think about what they want to offer in their giveaways. I won't begin the giveaway list until May 1st, but the official blogwide giveaway drawing will be on May 30th, 2009.

So everyone will have the whole month of May to get their names added to the official Cottage Charm Giveaway list once it's posted here at the beginning of May, and then of course from now until then to think about what their giveaway will be.

I will post the official details on May 1st, 2009. Consider this a "mark your calendar" reminder:)

If you are new to the Cottage Charm Giveaway annual event, feel free to take a peek at last years event to get an idea of how it works. It's really great fun for both those that host giveaways and of course those that win the wonderful gifts. Last year we had over 50 giveaway hosts/hostesses and I think this year there will be even more. I'm going to be contacting Cottage Style online market places and ask them to notify their vendors of our 3rd annual event so that they, too, can join up if they like! I have contacted the Etsy Cottage Style Street Team leader and asked that the team be notified as May approaches and she sounded very excited about the CSST participating! And just like last year, my own giveaways this year will include one giveaway drawing for everyone but also a giveaway drawing just for other hostesses.

I'm really excited and hope you can join us as either a giveaway hostess or participant!

____

I want to add that if you would like to receive important announcements about our upcoming Cottage Charm Giveaway, please enter your email address under "Cottage Charm Giveaway Mailing List" in the right hand column of my site. I will post all announcements on my blog as well. Thanks!

3 comments





Spring Break


Couldn't you just dance? Couldn't you just kiss the ground? Couldn't you just cry tears of joy? I certainly could - because spring is officially HERE! For me, it has been the longest winter, and honestly, I'm having to check my calendar twice to make sure that it really is over!

Tomorrow begins spring break for my girls and I'm not going to spend all my time working on projects (though I'm chomping it to bits to get things done...). We did buy them new twin mattresses earlier in the week and I've been trying to spruce their room up a bit to ease them into the change. You see, they've shared a bed since they were very little, so now having their own bed is a really big deal. They actually cried themselves to sleep the night we ordered the mattresses, not because they would miss sleeping with each other, but because the idea of throwing out their old mattress just devastated them. They begged and pleaded with me to at least keep the mattress in the garage or the attic. They left protest notes. They called their daddy Mr. Bologna (I don't know why), and they said they were on strike against their new mattresses and would not sleep on them unless the old mattress was stored somewhere in the house.

I felt for them, I really did. But I held my ground. The old mattress must go, much like our old van that died last year. I told them I loved that old van - the one we bought when they were babies and held so many memories, the one we had to replace no matter how much I loved it, the one that made me cry when I even thought about replacing it, even long before it finally keeled over. Change is hard. But realizing that our memories are kept within our minds and hearts and not within 'things' helps. So the old mattress was hauled off on Wednesday and replaced with two new twins. And the girls were excited, though they were sure to tell me that they "still missed their old mattress".

On Monday, I spent the day painting their room a pretty shade of purple - the color they both agreed on. It was a surprise for them when they got home from school and they actually began to get excited about the changes. I also primed their bookshelf and french provencal dresser in preparation for a white coat of paint or two that hubs will be working on later today. We're hoping to have it finished by the time they have their sleep over this upcoming weekend. This bedroom spruce up wasn't on my current mile long project list (goodness knows I have too much going on to begin with), but sometimes you just have to drop everything and change directions, as parents especially know.

Here is a before photo of the dresser. This is the picture pulled from the Craigslist ad where I bought it and isn't my photo - I apologize that it's so small. But hopefully you can tell that it is really sweet. It's solid wood and perfect for a little girls room. There is just something so fresh about white against light purple.

I may be scarce for the next week or so (as I have been for the last week or so) because I have some fun things planned for the girls next week and I'm also trying to make sure some important things get finished before the sleepover.

I hope everyone is enjoying springs arrival as much as I am and we'll see you soon!

P.S. The photo above was taken on the last day of winter...time to put away my signature wool hat till next year and get out the sunglasses and sandals! Spring is here - and change is good!

10 comments





A Cottage Chair Makeover Story: Yes, You *Can* Paint Fabric!


Edited 8/2/09 to add: Since I'm out of town and don't have a recent Make Your Monday project to share this week, I'm including this project in the Make Your Monday link event.

n your thrifting adventures, have you ever run across a perfectly well formed, good boned, sturdy upholstered piece at a great price...but you didn't buy it? Was it because you didn't like the upholstery and you thought you didn't have the skills to reupholster it yourself? Or maybe you knew it wasn't yet in your budget to higher a professional to do it for you?

Here is an alternative that can work for some low nap fabric: Paint it! Yes, you really can! And you don't have to purchase those expensive upholstery spray paints that come in limited colors, either. Just use a brush and a can of paint in whatever color you like.

I found four of the chairs above at Goodwill a couple of years ago. Obviously, they were from the 70's. (They came with the small, sturdy but beaten up dining room table that I turned into a large coffee table). I paid just $20 for the table and four chairs! I loved the form of the chairs but hated the color of the cushions. Originally, it didn't even occur to me to paint them and so I just stuck the chairs in the garage until I could figure out what to do. Then I came across a discussion in a decorating forum and someone there had actually painted their entire sofa. It looked great...it looked like leather! I was inspired and thought that if someone can paint their whole sofa, then I could try painting my chair cushions. If it didn't work out, I could always recover them down the road - and anything would be better than harvest gold, right?

The original fabric was velour, I do believe. (I am challenged when it comes to knowing fabric types so I apologize if there is another name for this.) As I mentioned, smooth, low nap fabrics work best for this project.



I made sure that the fabric was clean and dry before I began. Then, with a brush and a can of interior latex satin paint (Olympic Premium, "Dark Granite" is the name of the color I used), I started painting. I started with the edges, making sure I pulled back the decorative cording on the cushion so that I could paint in the the grooves. The first coat probably won't cover well and will look absolutely hideous. If you try this, you will want to throw out your furniture project at this point. Ah, but please don't! It gets better!

I let the first coat dry completely. It took a few days because the first coat really gets absorbed into the fabric. When it was completely dry, I sanded it well with fine sandpaper. This step is necessary because the paint raises the fibers in the fabric and it will feel rough to the touch. I sanded the fabric smooth, wiped it down, and then applied my second coat. It was the same process...I let it dry for a few days and then sanded and repeated. I believe I painted a total of four coats. The final coat did not require sanding because the fabric was completely sealed by the first layers of paint and no longer was rough to the touch.



The result was a chair cushion that looked like soft vinyl or leather. This "finish" can be cleaned easily. Just wipe it with a damp cloth!



Or you can bring it up a notch and even stencil something pretty on the seat. I didn't but I just might in the future. I think it would look great! The photo below shows the nice, soft sheen that a satin paint finish produces.



I painted the rest of the chair as well. I "distressed" it by gently brushing some of the edges of the chair with brown paint. Since this chair was photographed a few weeks ago, I've repainted the frame in a solid white as I decided I wanted it to look a little less distressed. I believe my reasoning behind brushing on the brown paint on the edges was to paint over it again with white and then sand back down lightly to the dark brown. But solid white looks just fine. This chair and another just like it will go in my craft studio.



While I don't think I'd be brave enough to paint an entire couch, I'm glad that attempted chair cushions at least. To me, they look a so much better! And we have more room in our garage now!

Sadly, my memory card for my camera just died yesterday. I had a camera full of "before" photos of various studio accessories. And the photos of my youngest child's first missing top tooth :( Hopefully we'll get a new card soon so that I can share the other projects I've been working on. Until then, I'll let you know that my farm style craft table is completed and ready to prime and paint - hubs did a fabulous job! The steps in the studio are also painted a deep chocolate brown and just need a little touch up work. I have another table that I need to start sanding in preparation for paint as well. Three more major pieces of furniture for my studio need to be built and/or made over: a large L-shaped unit, the shelving unit that will sit on top of it, and the makeover piece is a large cubby style system. So much to do, but I will be thrilled to finally have my own space to create!

{Note: The discussion forum where I originally found the instructions for this project was on the HGTV website. The instructions have recently been brought up in the forum again and can be found here. I basically followed these instructions with the exception of using paste wax as the final step.}

59 comments





More Goodwill Thrills


You just never know with Goodwill. Some days, there is nothing for you there. Then there are other days...ah...other days that Goodwill has a special something just for you.

I've been on the look out for a large mirror lately to go on my old dresser that currently resides in my living room. I'm addicted to mirrors (though I don't always necessarily enjoy looking into them). As more of our house is completed, I need to spread them throughout our home a bit more instead of having a mirror concentrate in our living room. But back to Goodwill...

I was there on Friday, my usual Goodwill Hunting day, and I spent a great deal of time picking out a collection of vintage metal picture frames. I didn't realized how much I loved these little things. I want to use them for black and white family photos. I haven't decided yet if I'll leave them as they are or paint them all the same color. White maybe? Suggestions?



As I was about to checkout, I spied along the wall a beautiful, large, antique mirror! My heart skipped a beat! I made a dash for it and picked it up to put it in my cart (somehow)- it was so heavy! I couldn't believe the treasure I had just found. And best of all? It was only $12.99! I thought my eyes were going to pop right out of my head!

So here it is in it's new home. Again, I don't know if I should paint it white or leave it. Something tells me that I'll end up painting it, though:)





Here is a close up of the beautiful ornamental details...



The cashier that checked me out said she priced that particular mirror. She said she knows that it's worth probably at least a couple of hundred, but no one would pay that much at Goodwill - so she thought she might as well make it affordable! Here's another interesting story she shared with me. She said a lady came in a couple of weeks ago and bought two pairs of shoes. She paid about $30 for them (they were really nice, new shoes) but then she put them on Ebay and sold them for close to $500! Can you believe that?! This tells me two things: One, there are fabulous bargains to be found at thrift stores. Yes, one might have to do a little digging and searching, but that's half the fun, don't you think? And two, in today's economy, I think it certainly is a good idea to think about picking up a few extra bargains here and there at thrift stores with the idea of reselling them for a profit. Nowadays, every little bit helps! If you already enjoy "treasure hunting" anyway, why not?!

Have a wonderful Monday, everyone!

22 comments





Mark Your Calendar - 3rd Annual Cottage Charm Giveaway: May 30th, 2009


We've had a fabulous time the last couple of years with the Cottage Charm Giveaway and can you believe, it's almost time for our 3rd annual event! I want to post the event date early so that everyone can have plenty of time to think about what they want to offer in their giveaways. I won't begin the giveaway list until May 1st, but the official blogwide giveaway drawing will be on May 30th, 2009.

So everyone will have the whole month of May to get their names added to the official Cottage Charm Giveaway list once it's posted here at the beginning of May, and then of course from now until then to think about what their giveaway will be.

I will post the official details on May 1st, 2009. Consider this a "mark your calendar" reminder:)

If you are new to the Cottage Charm Giveaway annual event, feel free to take a peek at last years event to get an idea of how it works. It's really great fun for both those that host giveaways and of course those that win the wonderful gifts. Last year we had over 50 giveaway hosts/hostesses and I think this year there will be even more. I'm going to be contacting Cottage Style online market places and ask them to notify their vendors of our 3rd annual event so that they, too, can join up if they like! And just like last year, my own giveaways this year will include one giveaway drawing for everyone but also a giveaway drawing just for other hostesses.

I'm really excited and hope you can join us as either a giveaway hostess or participant!

____

I want to add that if you would like to receive important announcements about our upcoming Cottage Charm Giveaway, please enter your email address under "Cottage Charm Giveaway Mailing List" in the right hand column of my site. I will post all announcements on my blog as well. Thanks!

12 comments





Seeing Red in a Cottage Kitchen


I've been fortunate to meet so many other "red lovers" in the last few days. I really appreciate all the thoughtful comments about my red cabinets. Someone asked me if it was a tough decision to choose a bold color such as red for our cabinetry and I have to say that for me, I didn't even have to think twice! Love, love, love red! (Now, picking the right shade of red was quite a different story!)

But you don't have to have red cabinets to have a red cottage kitchen. Red accents are just as lovely with cabinets of just about any color. It's a beautiful morning - just perfect for snapping photos, so I took a few shots of some of my red accents right now:

There are those berries again! You've seen them in my window sill as well. I found the big white bowl either at Goodwill or Marshall's on clearance. I bought it a while back, but I know that I didn't pay much (true to my thrifty form!).




A teapot from Ebay, platter, bowl, and eggs from Goodwill, vintage doily from Ebay (it was a part of a very large vintage doily collection- I struck gold with this one!), and dish towel from Wal-mart... Funny story about the eggs: One morning I decided that I was going to order some ceramic eggs online. But I first made a run to Goodwill, because...that's just what one should do on a Friday morning...and what do you know! I found these ceramic eggs all wrapped up and hidden down in a vase!



I bought lots of red and white cotton dish towels on clearance from Wal-mart a couple of weeks ago. They came in packs of three for just $2 per pack! I bought three packs to use just for decorative purposes. A couple towels sewn together would make a great little summer pillow cover, don't you think?



A little word stone I made a couple of years ago....




I bought faux apples at Wal-mart as well. Did you know that you can now buy them by the bag? The cashier ringing me up that day thought it was a real bag of apples! The old bowl is from Goodwill.



I hope you've enjoyed taking a peek at my recent red additions. I want to incorporate more robin's egg blue - just a little here and there as a secondary accent color - but it's a harder color to find. But you can bet that I'll also be on the lookout for that happy and delicious color red!

14 comments





Cottage Style Altered Art


Do you remember the sweet painting below that I bought at Goodwill last year? I liked it, I really did! But with my new found love of robin's egg blue, I just couldn't make the dark green and yellow background in the painting work for me. What to do?



With a little paint and a lot of nerve, I tackled the background myself. I also painted the frame a dark, chocolate brown.



I'm no artist but I know that it lacks the same depth, shadow, blending, and texture the original painting had, and I may continue tweaking in future...you know...as I save up a little more creative nerve:) For now, I'm just going to enjoy my new cottage style "altered art"!

8 comments





"Pssst, Your Creativity is Showing" - Thanks Kari & Kijsa!


I want to send a loud, happy shoutout to Kari and Kijsa for featuring photos from my latest entry, Fun and Cozy Kitchen Projects in their new Monday segment called "Pssst, Your Creativity is Showing"! I feel so honored that they chose a couple of my projects to share with readers, and was thrilled as well that many stopped in to visit me here at my blog:) Welcome to you all and thank you, everyone, for your sweet, uplifting comments!

If you are interested in letting your creativity show, Kari & Kijsa encourage you to let them know! You can can visit their inspiring blog and contact them at ask@kariandkijsa.com. I know they would be thrilled to hear from you!

3 comments




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