Tutorial: How to get a distressed look with just paint

Happy almost weekend!

I'm sorry for the absence for the past few days.

We've been SO beyond busy lately between getting ready to move, a furniture finishing marathon, Rhett's birthday, family in town, and anticipation of this for Jake

means busy with a capital B.

But I promised a tutorial on my painting technique that I used on the rustic chest of drawers. 

Now don't laugh.

I decided to show you in video format.

I thought it might be easier for you to follow... and I didn't really want to upload a million pictures.

I'm having a lazy moment. :)

So here's the video! 

(There's a little glitch because I got the giggles in the middle of recording)

I hope this helps!

It's super simple and produces some great results. 

As with all projects make sure to do a preview before you try it on the real deal. :)

Here are some pictures of what I just demonstrated. 

Good luck!!

{ If you feature your own piece using this technique please link back to this post! Thank you! }

Rustic 3 Drawer Chest

Our house has a tiny little basement with dirt floors and lots of old...junk.

But in the corner we found this little lovely underneath...junk. 

She was in such bad shape when we brought her up and she smelled kind of funny. 

Like wet mulch.

I know, makes you cringe right?

The legs were rotten and the whole thing needed an deep cleaning.

We had a friend saw the legs off where they were rotten and then installed new legs ourselves! It's surprising easy ... I can say that now after we messed it up a couple times. You just buy legs that come with screws attached from a store like Home Depot, drill a hole in the part of the dresser you want to attach them too, fill the hole with glue to secure it better, and clamp the legs down for about an hour. When you're done, you've got new legs.

Luckily, besides the legs, she was structurally sound and we just couldn't pass up the opportunity to see what she could be.

So here she is now.

Normally I don't do distressed. 

It is SO hard for me to sand something flawlessly smooth only to distress it.

But with this chest it just worked. 

She's painted in Ballet White by Behr and dry brushed in Pencil Gray also by Behr. 

Also, I learned a new technique for dry brushing/hand painting that I'll share next week. :)

For more info look under the For Sale tab at the top of the page.

I'm partying here:


Monday
Between Naps on the Porch: Metamorphosis Monday 
Boogieboard Cottage: Masterpiece Monday
Dittle Dattle: Amaze Me Monday
Keeping It Simple: Motivate Me Monday
Making The World Cuter: Monday
Skip To My Lou: Made By You Monday
Sumos Sweet Stuff: Market Yourself Monday
The DIY Showoff: Project Parade
Thrifty Décor Chick

Tuesday
A Diamond In The Stuff: Time To Shine
At Home With K: Teriffic Under Ten Tuesdays
Bella Before And After: Amaze Me August
Charm Braclet Diva: Charm Bracelet Diva Party
Coastal Charm: Nifty Thrifty Tuesday
Crayon Freckles: Tiptoe Thru Tuesday
DIY By Design: Swing Into Spring
Domestically Speaking: Power Of Paint Party
Embellishing Life: Craft Catwalk
Giggles, Glitz, and Glam: Who's Got Glam?
Hope Studios: Tutorial Tuesday
Ladybug Blessings: Handmade Tuesdays
My Uncommon Slice of Suburbia: Tuesday's Treasures

Not Just A Housewife: Show Me What Ya Got Tuesday

Sugar Bee Craft Edition: Take A Look Tuesday

Tip Junkie: Tip Me Tuesday
The Ivy Cottage Blog: Say What? Linky Party
Today's Creative Blog: Get Your Craft On
Your Sassy Sites: Tuesday Trash 2 Treasure

Wednesday
All Things Heart & Home: All Things Inspired
Blue Cricket Design: Show And Tell
Creations by Kara: Look What I Made
Eisy Morgan: Inspired By You Wednesdays
Elements Interiors: Whassup Party
Gingersnaps: Wow Us Wednesday
House of Hepworths: Hookin Up with HoH
Handy Man, Crafty Woman: Wicked Awesome Wednesday
It’s Toile Good- WWW: Whatcha Workin’ With Wednesday
Momma Hen: Whatever Wednesday
My Girlish Whims: Your Whims Wednesday
Night Owl Crafting: Hoo's Got Talent?
Polka Dots on Parade: Wow Me Wednesday
Primitive And Proper
Primp: Primp Your Stuff Wednesday
Restore Interiors: Restore It Wednesday

Savvy Southern Style: Wow Us Wednesday

Seven Thirty Three: Sugar & Spice

Sew Much Ado: We Did It Wednesday

Sew Woodsy: What’s Up Wednesday’s

Someday Crafts: Whatever Goes Wednesday

Sugar and Dots: What I Whipped Up Wednesday
Sweet Peas & Bumblebees: What I Made Wednesday
The Thrifty Home: Penny Pinching Party
Type A: Anything Goes
Yesterday on Tuesday: A Crafty Soiree

Thursday
A Glimpse Inside: Catch A Glimpse Thursday
A Little Knick Knack: Everything But The Kitchen Sink
Beyond The Picket Fence: Under $100 Linky Party
Fabulously Flawed: Super Sweet Thursday Par-tay
Fireflies And Jellybeans: Show Off Your Stuff
Gluesticks: Get Your Brag On
Kissed By A Frog: Frog Blog Love
My Repurposed Life: Thursday Link Party
Paisley Passions: Thrilling Thursday
Pink Postcard: Transformations and Treasures Link Party
Rhinestone Beagle: Doggone Dirty Craftin
Tales From Bloggeritaville: Thrifty Thursday
The 36th Avenue: Share Awesomness Thursdays
The Shabby Chic Cottage: Transformation Thursday
Thrifty 101: DIY Thrifty Thursday
Thrifty Decorating: Thrifty Thursday
What Allies Making Now: Making It With Allie

Friday
504 Main: Tickeled Pink Fridays
At the Picket Fence: Inspiration Friday
Chic On A Shoestring Decorating: Flaunt It Friday
Common Ground: Vintage Inspiration Friday
Designer Garden: VIP Party
Faith, Trust & A Little Pixie Dust: Fabulous Friday
Finding Fabulous: Frugalicious Friday
Fingerprints On The Fridge: Feature Yourself Friday
French Country Cottage: Feathered Nest Friday
Gingersnap Crafts: Fab Friday
Just A Girl: Show And Share Day
Miss Mustard Seed: Furniture Feature Friday
My Romantic Home: Show and Tell Friday
Remodelaholic: Remodelaholic Friday
Wipperberry
Sassy Sites: Feature Your Sassy Sites
Simple Home Life: Simply Creations Friday
Simply Sweet Home: Friday Favorites
Sissors & Spatulas
Stuff And Nonsense: Fridays Unfolded
The Hungry Hypo: Bacon Time
The Shabby Nest: Frugal Friday
Young & Crafty: Free For All Friday

Saturday
Be Different Act Normal: Show & Tell Saturdays
Funky Junk: Saturday Night Special
Sas Interiors: Saturday Spotlight

Creativity

If you've read my little introduction to my family at the top of the page you know that when Rhett was born I dealt with severe postpartum depression. 

Thankfully with a lot of faith, medical help, prayer, support and understanding I've come a long way since then. 

I am so beyond grateful for that, and even though I hope to never experience it again or wish it on anyone, I am honestly grateful for going through it and the blessings it brought into our lives. 

Still, I struggle some days with overwhelming anxiety.

So restoring furniture has become kind of  therapeutic for me. 

I mean lets face it...going to work on a piece with a power sander is a great way to release a little stress. :)

The past few days have been difficult and it's been awhile since I had to deal with the big A (anxiety).

Blah.

Below is a short clip I LOVE, of part of a speech given by one of the leaders from my church and regardless of your religious background I think it is true for all of us.

It motivates me on the days when anxiety seems to want to take over.

It's about creativity. 

The creativity we all have and the creativity that makes our sphere of influence better.

And I want to thank you for all the creative work you do that I see on your blogs and in your lives! 

It is incredibly inspirational. :)

Enjoy and I hope it gets your week off to a great start!

{ If the video doesn't work here's a link to the video on Youtube. }

Great references for how to price

A few days ago I posted about some of my questions concerning pricing.

From your lovely responses I could tell I wasn't the only one with questions.

This is kind of a blurry subject. 

I had some of you email me some great posts from other blogs that really answered some of my questions.

Thank you! 

I also found some of my own.

I've compiled a list of the links as seen below and I really hope that this helps you!!

Freshly Picked: Why you Should Raise Your Prices

The Art of Pricing: Three Helpful Pricing Exercises

Behind the Price Tag: Handmade Pricing

Shop Talk: How to Price Handmade Goods

How to price your craft


And don't forget to enter the Ryobi Sander Giveaway!!

What I've learned/questions about pricing

The other day we took a trip to visit a local furniture store. We might be furniture nerds. We love looking around, testing couches (and chairs), analyzing their staging. Does anyone else do this? This was our first visit to such an establishment since we jumped into this little furniture business of ours, so I was really excited to look at everything with a new perspective.

And I was kind of shocked. 

I was shocked at the prices they were charging...even for sale items. Most were at least double, closer to triple what I list pieces at. 

I understand completely that this store is so very different from what so many of us do. It is part of a chain, it has investors, a reputation and loyal customers. But I still had a hard time keeping my jaw from dropping as we perused each item and vignette.

When we got home we talked about our pricing "strategy". OK we really don't have one. We really just go with our gut instinct. And I'm wondering if we are going about this all wrong. So I was wondering if any of you had some advice. 

This is what I've learned so far. 

• I want to create beautiful furniture that people can afford. Everyone deserves a beautiful home
• What you can charge depends on the venue you are selling it in. 
• I don't like to pay more that $30ish dollars for a piece to work on. 
• Sometimes a piece will produce a large profit and sometimes it won't. 
• 
  

OK now I need advice. 

These are some of my questions and if you have any answers, experiences, advice, anything I would really appreciate it. 

• How do you price your labor/time invested in a piece?
• If someone asks you to lower the price...what do you do? 
• What venues do you use to sell finished pieces?
• How long do you leave a piece up for sale before you lower the price?
• How do you price your finished pieces? Do you have a "formula"? 

Thank you so much for your advice! I really, truly appreciate it. 

A soon to be GIVEAWAY and just for laughs

Happy Saturday everyone! 

I love Saturdays.

They are great project days. 

And...guys....we're only 7 followers away from 100.

That's awesome!

When we get to 100 we're going to do another giveaway.

If you look to the right I've got a little survey to find out what you would like the giveaway to be.

Do you want something like a power tool....say an electric sander (gift receipt included)?

Do you want a gift card to go out to the movies a few times?

Do you want to go get pampered and get your hair or nails done?

Please take the survey and let me know!

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Now just for your laughing enjoyment.

So when my husband and I were compiling ideas for a new masthead for el blog-o he had the idea of using a picture of me as part of it.

Bah! 

I'm really not a fan of pictures of just me, so this wasn't in my comfort zone.

But I decided to humor him and give it a try. 

These are some of the outtakes. 

I'm not cut out to be a model. 

I'll stick to making furniture look good. :)

Inspiration

This holiday weekend we got to hop on a jet plane and head to sunny sunny (and humid) Florida! Did I mention it was humid? Sheesh. So different than dry Utah. But it was a fantastic weekend. Rhett got to see the ocean for the first time. At first he...well he hated it. We spent over an hour getting all of our beach gear together, getting sunscreened up, unloading the car etc all for about 10 minutes at the actual beach. But we kept going for walks in the evening and at the end he really warmed up to it.

                           

But the best part of the weekend was when Rhett got to meet my grandmother, Grandma Dot. She has dementia so sometimes she prefers to stay in her own world, but when she saw Rhett she just lit up. She wanted him to sit on her lap, hold his hand, she smiled and laughed when he toddled around. I am so grateful for those moments of clarity.



Grandma Dot is an amazing woman. She was a nurse in WWII and received a Medal of Honor  for her service. She was on Jeopardy, lived through the depression, and had literally hundreds of songs and poems memorized.

 

This is her on her wedding day. Isn't she spectacular?

Jake and I owe so much to her for helping us as we started married life. She gave us so much of her beautiful furniture when we got married because she was entering a retirement home. I am so grateful for these pieces for mulitple reasons. One, we got to start married life with real chairs and a table and furniture that made our apartment feel like a home, not a dorm. Two, her taste and style has influenced me to redo furniture and has helped me find my style. Here are two pieces that we have from her. 

{ A half round }

 

{ A chest of drawers }

I love these pieces. They inspire me. I love the warm swirls in the wood of the half round and the hand detail in the drawers. I love the natural distressing and the stories it hints at. 

I think these pieces are priceless. Not monetarily, but for what they mean to us. These type of pieces are so important.

So I want to ask you if you have pieces or items like this (not just furniture) and if you would let me do a post featuring them and their stories. If you are interested leave a comment below or email me for more information.

Thanks all!