Saturday, May 31, 2014

Bookcase makeover using Annie Sloan chalk paint

One of the things you should know about me is that I LOVE a bargain.  So when I saw this cute little bookcase for only $30 at our local antiques store, I couldn't pass it up.  The finish was in pretty bad shape, but that didn't matter because I knew that I would want to paint it.  The decorative molding is what drew me in.  


I had used Annie Sloan chalk paint to paint my kitchen island, so I knew that is what I wanted to use for this project.  I decided on a nice light bluish grey called Paris Grey, with the decorative molding done in Old White.


One of the cool things about chalk paint is that most surfaces can be painted without a primer.  However, sometimes a piece that has a dark stain like mahogany will bleed through the chalk paint - like this piece did.  The solution is to give it a coat of clear shellac before you add the second coat of paint.  This spray shellac is great because it is dries in less than 10 minutes.


Here's the piece after adding the shellac, a second coat of chalk paint, and the clear wax.  I still wasn't happy with it, because I felt that the molding looked flat and uninteresting.  I decided to try the Annie Sloan dark wax.  Just a little bit goes a LONG way.  Much better, as you see in the second picture.  Now you can see the detail that I loved to start with, and the finish looks more aged.

 

Here's one final picture of the bookcase in place by my piano.  I am really happy with how it turned out.  Just a little time and effort, and it is much better than what I started with.  Oh how I love being creative!






Thursday, May 15, 2014

Here we go!

So, why exactly am I starting a blog?  

1.  First of all, to stop cluttering up the Facebook feeds of all my friends.  Not than anyone has said anything negative yet, but I often feel bad about constantly posting stuff.  I don't want to be perceived as someone who has an inflated sense of self-importance to believe that the everyday person out there really cares about the minutiae of my daily life.  At least with a blog, the reader has chosen to be here.  

2.  To encourage myself to keep my photography skills sharp.  I love to take photos of special occasions, vacations, etc., but I feel like I need to do a better job of recognizing the beauty in the mundane.  For me, the best way to do that is through photography.  But what do I do with these photos?  A blog!

3.  To have a place to ponder in writing some of the things that are running through my mind - a soapbox of sorts.  Don't worry, I plan to keep these posts to a minimum, but sometimes you've just got to get something off your chest and into words.

4.  To share new recipes I've tried and projects that I've completed.  I've been lucky to be a stay-at-home domestic diva for almost two years, and I've learned a lot in that time.  Now I'll have a place to share those experiences and maybe inspire someone else to try something new.

So, welcome to my blog!