Odds and Ends plus What's coming up this fall!

Aside from the wet weather we've been getting, I also have a little one with a horrible whooping cough, (heading to the doctor this morning for that, an 18mo check up, and 3 flu shots. Yikes!) Since we've been staying inside the last couple days I've been able to get some little decorative projects done for Shire's room when we switch her and Mason, (we currently have Colin and Shire together, Mason in the room next door).

First thing I'm excited about is I think I finally decided on a headboard! This is the third idea for her headboard that I've played with, and I like it the best of all! This picture is of the 'trial' I did yesterday, laying the different fabrics underneath the panes of glass on this old window.

Each of these fabrics is incorporated elsewhere in her room so I love having a piece that brings them all together! I think I'll finish this today - just need to cut the fabric to size and staple it to the edges of each wooden frame that will border. (I'll be sure to snap pics of the process to show you so you can try it yourself!)

 

I also had time to work on a project that has been in my head for quite a while. This fun one is not for the faint of heart, as it involved ripping out the pages of a very old and dear classic.

 

I pulled out most of the pages with pictures, glued them onto colorful scrapbook paper which I had cut to size about one inch all around larger than the book pages.

 

 

I'll hang these on her wall as a collective work of art - the pictures are arranged to tell the story without words. She loves her books and I thought the idea of 'throwing a book up on her wall' seemed appropriate. :)

 

We are mere weeks away from making the Big Switch! It will be so bittersweet for us. Our twins have been together from the beginning. The very beginning. But all signs are pointing to this being the right time to finally give them some time apart. The last few days I have observed Colin tackling and wrestling Shire, (were talking several times an hour here, so imagine over a whole day of play how often this happens), and Shire laying there crying and yelling "Stoooop it!" Mason, on the other hand, gets right in and thinks it's the funniest thing ever when his big brother comes up and tackles him to the ground. Yes, I think it's time to let the boys be boys in one room together. :)

 

Moving on, I thought I would show you what's coming up for my little business this fall! Here's the schedule, at a glance:

 

Upcoming projects for Chelsea's Garage:

 *October 14-20* I am helping to decorate our home church, Christ Community Church, in Ashburn, Virginia! It is a wonderful space that is currently a big blank slate. We'll be bringing in paint, molding, tables, fabric, the works! And with an extremely tight budget it's giving me the opportunity to think outside the box and  get reallllly creative! So grateful for this awesome opportunity to help create a space that is as warm and inviting as the church body that we've come to think of as family.

 

*November 10*  9am - 4pm Autumn Chelsea's Garage Sale.This date is tentative depending on how much the above project takes out of my family and me, but go ahead and pencil it on your calendars. I have a fantastic stock ready and hope to add a few more fun pieces and decorative items by that Saturday. As always, the event will happen regardless of the weather, (since it's in my garage), and complimentary refreshments will be served.

 

*December 10* 6:30pm Annual Christmas Auction with the Cornerstone Schools of Washington D.C. Chelsea's Garage is donating a piece for this fantastic Christmas auction which will raise funds for an amazing cause! Funds raised through this auction will be used to provide scholarships for students from low-income families in the greater Washington, D.C. area. How awesome is that?! The event, starting at 6:30pm will be held at The Strathmore Mansion. Come on out to find some beautiful Christmas gifts and help give the gift of education. For more information on this event and cause, please click here.

 

Whew, so much to look forward to! I will update with fun photos of these projects as I am able, as well as Shire's room when it's finished! If you have any questions about anything on my schedule or would like to get involved in anything you see, please don't hesitate to contact me at chelseasgarage@gmail.com!

 

Thank you for stopping by!

 

~Chelsea

 

 

 

 



 





 

New friends, finds and funny things

Last weekend was oh so sweet.

Sweet because I locked my keys in my car on Friday and the Lord gave us, (the kids and me), the gift of freedom from our planned out schedule to stay home, play for hours outside, get completely filthy, enjoy a mid-day bath, eat lunch slow, and just enjoy one another.

Sweet because Matt and I kicked off  our weekend watching an old favorite movie from college, (Rounders), which inevitably brought back so many fond memories from that time in our life. Late into the night we were still quoting our favorite lines and laughing.

Sweet because we enjoyed time with some new friends Saturday evening. They have kids close to our kids age and the wife, another stay at home mom, and I clicked at a playground a few weeks ago. I don't know if other moms feel this way, but that's hard to do! No wonder there are so many organized groups for moms out there! It is pretty challenging for me to be very social when I am out with the kids. I have a hard enough time splitting myself three ways as my little ones run in all different directions, it's a miracle if I look up and notice anyone else around. I don't mean to be anti-social, and I absolutely LOVE being around people. It's therapy to me. But being around people, and interacting with people are two very different things. I have a pretty hard time carrying on adult conversation when I am out by myself with my kids. So, this unique connection was truly a God send.

{our kids, minus The Meatball (Mason), running free}

 

Sweet because I got a bit of time by myself to run a few quick errands and snuck in a trip to the thrift store for a little looksy :) Found 6 of these fun cubby size woven baskets, so I snagged the best 3. Also, these cool pillows, (tags say Pier 1), caught my eye with the unique dusty blue coral design. Not exactly sure yet how I will use my finds, but I know I can always use some decorative items for staging new pieces for photos - and that is by far my favorite part of refinishing a piece!

 

 

Sweet because I stepped out in an outfit that felt so seasonal and fun! A little secret I have been keeping from you, (if you don't know me personally), is that I really enjoy fashion. Not uber trendy fashion, but just mixing pieces in general and seeing how they'll work with this that and the other. Side note: between the ages of 8-16ish, I kept a file full of wedding gown designs that I drew. That was THE dream job. My fallback? Being a jockey at the Kentucky Derby. My two great loves as a child: wedding gowns and horses. Anyways, I am perfectly happy going the entire week wearing my exercise clothes from morning til night, (sometimes I change from my exercise clothes to my painting clothes which is not a step up, but rather a lateral move). But, when I get to pull open my 'regular clothes' drawers and put on something a little more interesting, you'd better believe I enjoy myself!

 

 

And sweet because we got to finish the weekend with my family, (parents, brother and sister), watching football, playing pool, eating good food, taking a walk in the rain, and just enjoying each other. Colin has progressed from calling his Uncle Caleb 'Ape' to 'Alep', (happy for Colin's verbal progress but I sure will miss hearing him call for Ape!). Shire thinks Noanie has purple hair, (it's RED). And Mason  had Aunt Casey imitating his arching back squirm which he does when he wants to get out of a lap. Laughed my head off.

 

Life is not always sweet. But sometimes it is. God has given us so much to be grateful for, through the sweet and the bitter.

 

~Chelsea

 











~Fresh out of the Garage~

Happy Friday! I'm going to try to finish this post before my kids break out of their rooms, (do ALL kids tend to wake up earlier when they've gone to bed later the night before???), but wanted to show you a couple pieces that I just finished this week. One will stay with us and one will be available at the next Chelsea's Garage sale, (date TBD)!

I'll start with the one staying with us. This dingy old desk was covered in cobwebs and starting to fall apart. But it's small size and compartment for storage of books, paper, coloring supplies, etc instantly hooked my heart as a potential little spot for our Shire girl to sit and create.

She has a strong love for art and crafts and has been recorded sitting in the same seat, alone at a table, for nearly 3 hours just coloring or playing with play dough. She has such a fun and exciting imagination, (ONE of a very small list of things she shares with her twin brother, Colin), and I would love to give her the gift of space where she can sit and create whatever her heart desires. It's not a big desk and will probably not be sufficient for spreading out to do homework when she reaches school age. But, as she grows, perhaps the desk will serve new purposes for her, (wouldn't it be a cute writing desk placed by a front entrance and organizing keys and mail, or in a kitchen, or a bedroom?!) . It will always be hers, as long as she wants it. :)

I didn't sand this piece down very much. It has clearly seen years and years of use and I imagined another little one sitting here long ago and enjoying some creative time to themselves. All the little nicks and divots and scratches I let be rather than smooth over. This piece has a sweet history, (or it does in my imagination), and I really wanted to preserve that when I started working on it. After adding a few nails here and there for additional sturdiness, I painted both the desk and stool a saturated aqua. 

 

The seat I recovered in a tablecloth, (using the back side/inside out). It was a cheap find at an old thrift store a while back. And while sitting here to write this post I just remembered that it was actually a little date with Shire that I was on and she picked it out!!!! I'm pretty sure it's because this happened to be on a shelf right at her eye level, but she picked it up and showed it to me, pointing to the pretty flowers. Though I knew I had no use for a tablecloth, it's colors were pretty and the price was just a few dollars, so I let her carry it right up to the cashier. I used the back side for this seat because I thought the more muted, faded colors complimented the aged old desk well.

I cannot wait to see all the things she creates while sitting here.:)

 

The next item hot out of the garage this week is this cool coffee table! It's a World Market piece that I found used. What caught my eye first was the awesome black rod iron legs and accents. I love seeing  tiny touches of black in even the lightest and airiest of rooms. The woven surface in the middle I thought was unique as well. I painted it a custom blend of a bright aqua and a warm gray, (1 part aqua, 4 parts warm gray so that the final color had just a tiny hint of blue in it - nothing obvious, but very subtle). After light distressing I did a dark glaze along the sides and edges.

 



{Available at the next Chelsea's Garage sale}

 

I hope you have a wonderful weekend! Thank you for stopping by!

 

~Chelsea