Life happening: Our week in pictures

I can't wait to start the Early Stages of Decorating series with you on Monday! I've been working on the entire series throughout the past week, putting the whole thing together as my train of thought was on a roll. I sincerely hope you enjoy it and that it's a helpful resource for you!

It was somewhat of a week off from painting as I just worked on one custom order containing two small pieces for a sweet client. Other than that, our week looked a little like this...

This one started with a fever...

...but it didn't last long.

This one met the boy-girl twins that I was given when I was five years old. (They actually have all their anatomy...)

Foreshadowing her life as well perhaps?

Finding my boys' matchbox cars slipped under their door during "nap time".

And catching their fingers reaching out trying to get them back.

Breakfasts outside!

And a couple fun opportunities to go meet friends, sans kids!

Anyone else keeping their hair in a permanent messy-bun from now until October? Virginia humidity is killer!

Happy weekend :)

~Chelsea

This post was originally featured under Chelsea's Garage, now affectionately known as StyleMutt.

P.S. I want to clarify something really quick, (not because anyone brought it up...I just want to) - when I mentioned yesterday at the beginning of the post that I felt like our space looked like an arts and crafts project with lots of painted pieces and DIY projects, I did not mean that I purged of all those things or that DIY projects = poor style or taste. We still have four large pieces that I painted just for our home on our main level, not including all the frames I painted for our gallery wall, (dining room), and the lamps I painted black for a more industrial feel. I also refinished the wooden bakers rack between our living room windows, made the coat rack of recycled silver spoons, updated hardware on a few unpainted pieces, dyed the curtains in our kitchen, made a book page wreath that hangs by our front door, and other smaller touches. I am all for DIY home accents. I just think some of my particular projects weren't reflecting our style, (a decoupaged vase, wallpaper on our chandelier, hanging light fixtures that were improperly hung - stuff like that). I hope my remark didn't give any wrong impressions, but if it did, now you know; I love working with my own two hands on things for our home and if I had all the money in the world, I don't think I'd be doing any different. :)

Mother of all scores

I recently had a 'get back on track' week here with our living room. I purged of some things that I'd been trying to make work, but just hadn't been feelin'. Realizing that I'd gotten so wrapped up in DIY projects and painting this and that, I looked around and suddenly our living room felt like an arts and crafts project. SO not me.

I made a fresh start. Sold what wasn't working and used some of the cash to find replacements. One thing I felt like the space was missing was something large and metallic. Gold, silver, bronze - it didn't really matter, but I thought something with a fantastic sheen would be a gorgeous contrast to the rustic pieces we had, (wooden bakers rack, chippy church pew, weathered wood coffee table, industrial lamps). Figuring a mirror in some kind of metallic frame would fit the bill, I went to my trusty Goodwill. Nothin'. Then I bopped into HomeGoods for the first time in a long while and saw IT. I've never seen a more perfect marriage of rustic and elegance. 

A geometric frame - not too fancy or ornate - made of glass which appears to have been given some sort of treatment that resembles water marks and/or rust. It fits in perfectly.

(do you have an fabulously chic baby gate? they're all the rage right now.....;)

But seriously, I'm crazy about that frame!

So here is the fun part. At the store I noticed the red sticker that said $22. I blinked and checked again, (and again and again). I looked the piece over for disrepair and did notice a 3-4" crack at the very bottom of the frame, but nothing jeopardizing the structure or sturdiness, (since the glass itself is attached to some kind of hard plastic or metal backing). I pulled my two older little ones out of the shopping cart and made room for this 50 pounder. 

It wasn't until I got it home and propped it up that I noticed what was under the red $22 sticker.

So, it was once a $200 mirror at HomeGoods...not a shabby discount at all! But, by my reasoning it was a whole lot more, (potentially $400 as the sticker shows?), someplace else before it reached HomeGoods. That's a 95% off prize!...One that I thought was perfect for our home before even knowing the price and discounts! Win, win.

On an unrelated note, I snapped this picture while walking aimlessly around looking for mirrors, and saw this reflected in a few stacked full lengths. No joke -- I took about a dozen pictures like this and was turning all heads as I unleashed my total amusement in howling laughter. 2yr old Mason was less amused...

Thank you for reading! Do you have any memorable scores to share? Just post in a comment below!

~Chelsea

This post was originally featured under Chelsea's Garage, now affectionately known as StyleMutt.

Project du jour

Who knew wrought iron, painted a heavenly color, could be light as air? 

(table missing it's glass top which it's owner kept at home - wise decision for my house of tots!)

*This piece was a custom order and is not available for sale. 

If you are looking for something similar please contact me to discuss your ideas!*

Coffee table painted in an equal parts mix of Chateau Grey and Old White, both by Annie Sloan Chalk  Paint. So in love with this color! To see another piece done in this color, please click here!

Thank you so much for stopping by! Please check back in tomorrow for my single most amazing score yet and possibly ever to come!

~Chelsea

This post was originally featured under Chelsea's Garage, now affectionately known as StyleMutt.