Indoor/Outdoor Table

With our temps dipping from the blazin' 100s down into the mid 70s, (my favvvvorite range), I got inspired to work on a fun indoor/outdoor table that's been in the garage well over a month now. Already painted a creamy white and in excellent sturdy condition, there was little I wanted to do to change this cutie.

I grabbed my brush and dug around in the back of my stash of paints for the perfect color I knew would be fitting for this piece. It's a very light grayish-blue, (Bayou by Behr), and I dry brushed it on to stay consistent with the already weathered look. Once dry I lightly distressed all angles and edges to allow an outline of white to be seen.

I used a fine sanding block to give a more worn look to the top.

It was fun 'staging' this little table/bench outside and just letting the surrounding nature act as the decor. My Shire had some staging ideas of her own as well.:)

 I confess I've never done her hair this way, but I love it! I usually pull it back tight in a secure hairband. I was thinking that I don't want her to end up like me, always having to have her hair completely off her face. I like this softer look on her. :) But I digress...

Pretty cute little table, huh? Or bench.:)

~Chelsea

Aged to perfection

Hi! It was my sincere pleasure this week to work on such a fine piece. A thoughtful friend brought this beautiful sideboard over recently that she's had for 15 years! It served its purpose in her home and she was ready to part with it, so I became the lucky beneficiary of this beauty set on original wooden casters. Do you believe in love at first site? I do.:)

For me the highlights of this piece lie in the stunning original hardware, the delicate curves of the legs, the size, and the old casters. I have been searching high and low for old wooden casters so when this piece rolled in I was pretty smitten, to say the least

~After~

{such sweet little casters}

 {beautiful, unique, original hardware can act as an exclamation point to a piece}

 {use a small platter or tray to collect smaller non-like objects to create a cohesive grouping. Thank you to my dear Grandma Livi who entrusted me with this original photograph of her grandfather -my great-great grandfather!}

{I used two colors for this piece. The first: Duck Egg blue by ASCP. The second: A thin layer of French Linen gray, also by ASCP. I used a sanding block to rub down the French Linen so that the Duck Egg could really peek through. I find when I am working with chalk paint that sanding blocks work the best to give me a professionally smooth finish and just the right amount of control when I want to distress certain areas. The last step was sealing it in clear wax which not only protects the piece from staining or scratching, but also highlights the distressed areas making them polished and pop. I adore this piece and every little nick and chip that tell its story.

Soon it will begin a fresh chapter in a new home}

I hope you are having a fantastic weekend out there!

~Chelsea



Happy (belated) Father's Day!

~My Dad and me, Summer of 1986~

My Dad is just awesome. I have nothing but fond memories from my childhood and in honor of Father's Day I thought I would share just one involving my Dad. We were living in New Hampshire and my talented Momma was out getting ready for a big play that she was directing, (I think). It was cold and raining and my Dad was alone with the 3 kids, (ages 10, 7 and 4) for several hours. He copied a chart on 3 pieces of paper and labeled the columns Heat, Width, Length, Taste, and the rows McDonalds, Wendy's, Burger King, and KFC. The title: French Fries. He gave us each a chart and a pencil and loaded us up into the van. We drove all over town, splitting a small fry at each restaurant and rating each category on a scale of 1-10. Burger King won, for anyone interested :) But seriously. Who does that with their kids?!? It was such a fun memory and such an example of how my Dad just loves to play. He is SO much fun, always has been. But, he also listens. He loves to call and just check in and catch up with us. I love that. I am so grateful for him and for the way he loves and cares for us. And he is so encouraging of my little furniture refinishing business. In fact, he is a regular follower of my blog, so I know he'll be reading this - Hi Dad! :) I love you!

~Chelsea