building our home

i don’t know about you, but i am still struggling to get back into the swing of things after the holidays. one thing is for certain though, the weather this weekend was simply top-notch. was able to spend time outside shoveling and, for lack of a lady like way of putting it, picking up #starksthepup droppings from amongst the yard. glamorous, i know. anyways, it was so nice to be outside, with fresh air, not crazily bundled up. it was so refreshing. sunshine and fresh air… so good for the soul. seasonal affective disorder is a real thing. the good news is that spring is getting closer and the days are getting longer.

i had grander intentions for this weekend than what actually played out; but such is life. if nothing else i was ridiculously productive this weekend. cleaning, organizing, laundry, dusting, dishes, blogging, wedding and such. if we’re being honest i was not so accomplished with the last two but i gave it a solid effort (or so). and plenty of relaxing and binge watching of crappy reality shows.

the highlight of the weekend was our newest addition to the house; a bar. we’d been eyeing this bad boy for several months now at our favorite local spot, mama’s happy… in the city. it is seriously no exaggeration when i say that either one or both of us have been there every weekend since my mom and i first discovered it back in october. we may need to cut ourselves off for a while; this being the third substantial piece of furniture we now have in our home.

it’s perfect though. and what was also perfect was being able to finally unpack several boxes of bar related items that have just been sitting in the laundry room for months. you really don’t realize how much drinking related items you have until you can completely fill a piece of furniture. what can i say, we’re pretty fancy like that.

i have to say i’m rather jazzed about what i have in mind for tomorrow’s post… stay tuned. in the meantime, cheers lovelies.

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christmas came early // and other fancy things

building our home // how to use annie sloan chalk paint

moving is the worst. i mean it’s also fantastic; i love our house. but a lot of the baggage and tasks that come along with it are the worst. like unpacking. and decorating. our house was in pretty great shape; no “immediate” fixes to be made; but definitely work to be done to make it our own. i’m not an interior decorator by the wildest stretch of the imagination. i’m a planner. an organizer. and a Pinterest poser. i could spend hours pinning different home decor/design ideas. [as well as recipe ideas, fitness ideas, wedding ideas, fashion ideas, etc. etc. etc.] however if i had to say how many of the things i’ve pinned i’ve actually done… i might not even need 2 hands. but, i really want to make this house our home. not just a house that has our stuff in it.

but dang, decorating a home is expensive and super overwhelming. we have some pieces of furniture, but nothing fancy. a lot of my stuff was purchased at target circa 2005 when we redid my childhood room. after moving it to several locations through the years it’s actually in quite good shape, but it really doesn’t match the style of our little 1950’s house. i figured we’d just have to get rid of them and get new things, added to the list of new things we need like a new bed, couch, rugs, curtains, closet, and a whole bathroom remodel. but thanks to my fabulous momma i now know how to give these “old” pieces a facelift an extended life. enter Annie Sloan Chalk Paint ®.

a friend of my moms had went to a class where they used Chalk Paint and she told my mom how easy and fun it was. so my mom used some google magic to see where one could purchase this stuff. enter Mama’s Happy… in the city. sidenote, Mama’s Happy has 3 locations in the Twin Cities area and if you are looking for upcycled, refurbished, refreshed and unique home decor at legit great prices you NEED to check out Mama’s Happy. we just purchased our first “official” piece of furniture for the house, an entry buffet as we’re lovingly calling it. and i LOVE it – picture below. so we checked out Mama’s Happy [2 of the 3 locations], purchased a plethora of Chalk Paint and ventured back home to get started on our first project, a sofa table.

a woman at the store explained to us how it works and it almost seemed too simple. so simple i might even be able to do it. and it is. it is fantastic and wonderful and i now want to chalk paint all the things. i’ve so far done the sofa table and a nightstand and couldn’t be more pleased with how easy it was to do and how great they look. here’s the skinny on how to use Annie Sloan Chalk Paint Decorative Paint to refresh your sad looking furniture.

prepare a work area. use a flat surface (not carpet) and lay down an old sheet or fabric. i used ripped pieces of cardboard to place under the bottom of the table so that it didn’t get stuck to the sheet. it has no smell at all so there is no worry about doing it inside.
wash the piece with soapy water and dry. if there are rough areas you can lightly sand but otherwise no prep. no priming.
i put on some cheap rubber gloves to paint because i’m a little messy, but the paint is water based so it will wash right off your hands.
use a brush that won’t lose its bristles and get to work! a little paint goes a LONG way so don’t get to crazy. one coat at a time. and by the time you finish the first coat, the part you started with will already be dry enough to start the second. i like the give the second coat some time to dry and then examine with fresh eyes any areas that may need some touch ups.

to wax or not to wax. you could potentially be done after step 4. for serious. it will have a very chalkboard-esk look and if that’s what you are going for – that’s great! if not, please continue.

take a little bit of wax, dab your brush in it and apply a thin coat, then buff off with a lint free tee-shirt or rag. i’ve been using the dark wax to get a more “weathered” look so i have slightly diluted the wax with mineral spirits to better control the darkness.
let sit for a day or so and if you desire a shinier look, buff some more. if you would like a more vintage look, you could sand away some paint. the options are endless.
enjoy your “new” piece of furniture!

i can’t wait to get experimenting with more colors and styles and perfecting my technique. who knows, maybe i will make a good susie homemaker?