Facebook

My awesome Brother just made me a Facebook link for my BLOG!!  Thank you RYAN!!

So now not only am I on Twitter I am on Facebook too!!  That makes me one HIP mom, RIGHT???

  Check it out!!!

Happy Weekend,

Brooke

Glazing and Plank Wall Tutorial

I found a BEFORE picture.  That I just had to share!

(my cute daughters sneaks in every photo she can)

I have had several questions about my cabinet.  When I went back and read my post I realized I didn't really expand.  Which is so strange to me.  All my life I have been given awards {if you can call it that} for talking all the time, I at one time had the nick name Babbling Brooke.  For some reason when I write I clam up.  So I am going to try to expand...

This cabinet started out black.  I then painted it with Annie Sloan's Duck Egg Blue Chalk Paint.  If you have not heard of this paint it is AWESOME.  You don't have to sand or prime!
I painted this piece and then I sanded down the areas I wanted to look old.  The other awesome thing about this paint is if you get a run...just sand it off it doesn't gum up like latex it actually sands off in the consistency of chalk.  You can make any kind of paint job nice and smooth!  I then glazed it with Burnt Umber Universal Tint from Lowes.

How do you glaze?  Let me explain it......

First you need the tint, then you are going to mix a little glaze with water.  It should be pretty runny.  With your brush apply the glaze and follow right behind with a wet rag to wipe off all the left over glaze.

Once this is dry than you can wax it.  I used Annie Sloan's Clear Soft Wax.  I really liked it as you apply it with a brush and it buffs to an awesome shine!
{Tutorial to come soon}  

As for my plank wall.  I have always loved plank walls and I have always wanted one.  Since my house isn't quite old enough to have it's own, I created one!  This project is great because it is cheap and adds a very dramatic affect.  I did take a few pictures.....they are not the best pictures, but maybe they will help a little!

The first thing I did was cased everything in.  {casing is the molding under the stairs and around the whole wall}  Since this is a floating wall I needed something to butt the planks up against.

For the planks I purchased 2 sheets of Hard Board from Home Depot, I think they were about $8 a sheet.

I ripped the hard board down to 5 inch strips and cut them to random lengths.  I started at the bottom and let the first row sit right on my base board.  For spacing I used the width of the hard board, as it was easier than trying to use tile spacers.

I then just used my nail gun to hold it in place.  I went easy on the nails, I don't like filling nail holes!  After it was all up I first primed it and then painted it.  I used Benjamin Moore's Halo for the planks and Benjamin Moore's White Dove for the moldings.

To finish the top off my husband hung crown for me!  I just love my wall!  I use it for lots of my photography shoots too!!

I hope this helps explain better...

Girls Bathroom {DONE}

The Girls Bathroom is DONE!!!

( I took 2 pictures of the bathroom, one in the morning {above} and one at night {below}.  As the window behind the shower curtain can be so BRIGHT!)

 I must apologize first, I forgot to take a before picture.

This bathroom is probably the biggest overhaul of the 4.  My husband really put a lot of hard work in.  He retiled the floors, which I love the 16 x 16 tiles he put down.  He moved the light up, because I just HAD to have this mirror in here.  But it was actually in his favor, being that he is 6'4 if we hadn't moved it up his head would be cut off!  He had to redo the plumbing too so the free standing vanity would work.  It is a good thing I married a man who loves to remodel too, and of course keep his wife happy! ;)

The shower curtain was my inspiration for this room.  I was wondering around the clearance section in Kohl's when I saw this curtain for $7!!  I love the colors and I wanted to add something fun to this bathroom since it is for our 2 girlies!  I am not much of a "themed room" person, so this seemed to suit me well.

I love how it turned out!  3 bathrooms down 1 to go!!  {the last one is only a half bath...HOORAY}

My First Chalk Paint Project

Before (just the wall with wall paper)

After

This piece of furniture used to be black and I didn't actually hate it black, but we had to put it in storage and between all the moving it got all banged up.  

It isn't actually wood, it just has a vaneer on it so I was not sure how to make it look good again.  

When I heard that chalk paint would adhere to it with no sanding or priming I got the paint brush and went to town!  I loved how easy chalk paint was to work with!  Once it was painted I sanded some areas, and then I used a glaze to distress it.  After everything was dry I used Annie Sloan's soft wax and buffed it.  I couldn't be happier with the final product!

As for the wall itself.  The wall paper didn't come down to great, it left some residue behind.  I have always wanted an exposed plank wall.... so rather than sand it like a mad women I created a planked wall.  I actually just used hard board and ripped it down to 5 inch strips.  For the whole wall I believe it only cost me $20 and some paint!  

For Tutorials on these 2 projects click here

Happy Weekend!!

Brooke

Buckets!

I was at Ace Hardware yesterday and they had BUCKETS!!  I have really been wanting to get my house {toys} organized.  My husband took me to Ikea but everything was so expensive for a BOX and not quite what I was looking for.  So when I saw these buckets for $3 each I didn't buy just 1 I bought 8!  They are working really well to contain toys, they just aren't cute {yet}.  So I got on Pinterest and look at all these cute ideas for Buckets!

Source: flickr.com via Brooke on Pinterest

Source: bhg.com via Brooke on Pinterest

Source: etsy.com via Brooke on Pinterest

Source: firstratefurniture.co.uk via Brooke on Pinterest

I am so excited to get started on my buckets!!


Happy Thursday!


Brooke

Happy Valentines Day

My daughters and I have been busy making sugar cookies for all of our Valentines!  We do have a lot of them, as my oldest has been asking everyone to be her Valentine!  The more the merrier right?


It has become a fun tradition at our home to make sugar cookies for every holiday! Whenever I tell my girls it is cookie time they get so excited.  I have looked for a long time for a good sugar cookie recipe, and wouldn't you know my mom had the perfect one!


Here is the recipe for you too!

Sugar Cookies

3/4 c shortening

1/4 c butter

1 c sugar

2 eggs

2t vanilla

3 c flour

1 t salt

1 t baking powder

beat eggs, sugar, vanilla, and butter together

in a separate bowl add flour, salt, baking soda, and cut in  shortening until fine crumbs.  add to sugar mixture and mix together.

Refrigerate for 1 hour, roll out dough and cut out cookies

Bake at 400 degrees for 7 minutes

and what is a cookie without frosting?

Butter Cream Frosting

6 c shortening

3/4 c butter softened

1/4 c shortening

6 to 8 Tablespoons milk

1 t vanilla

Mix together and add coloring if desired

xoxoxo

Brooke

Pallets and a Tea Party

I have finished my first Pallet project.  A table for my girls!  I love that it looks so old!  The wood was splitting like crazy, and at first I was trying to redo and undo to get it all smooth and perfect.  Yeah, well what was I thinking?  I love the old charm.

A new {old} table calls for a tea party and {of course} the camera.  My 3 year old was in heaven that I let her use MY teapot.  She kept telling me "mom don't worry, I am really careful and promise not to hurt your teapot."  She was very careful, nothing was hurt!

Vintage Mellie was my inspiration for this table if you want to make your own she has a great tutorial!!!

Happy Weekend!!

Brooke

A little bird told me....

 My chalk paint came today at exactly 4:04pm, and by 10:30pm I had painted my table, a chair and my couch cabinet table thing-a-ma-jig and managed to go out to dinner with my dad.  Thanks to a wonderful husband who watched the kiddos for me!

So the big question....is chalk paint all it is chalked up to be (he he)?

I would have to say YES.  NO SANDING, NO PRIMING, just get the brush and paint.  I even painted my couch cabinet table thing-a-ma-jig in the house and it doesn't really have a smell.  

Everyone was saying how they only needed one coat.  That is true for my Duck Egg Blue paint, but the Old White that I used on my table and chair does need a second coat!  

They are not quite finished, but once they are you can expect a final REPORT :) with pictures!

As for the title of my blog, I had the wonderful opportunity to photograph my nephew today!  He is almost 2 weeks old and he is the cutest little bird around.  When I saw the hat I knew we needed a nest!  So last night my daughter and I bent, twisted, and taped sticks together!

Isn't he a cutie!  Welcome to the world little guy!

GOOD Night all!!

Brooke

COLOR!!

I LOVE bright cheery colors!  However my house seems to be lacking in this department.  At this point it is brown, tan, light brown, cream, black, white, well you get the picture.  I do love these colors as they are so light and inviting but now we need some spunk!

I have found my inspiration color THANK YOU PINTEREST!  {seriously where were we before pinterest}


I am IN LOVE WITH THIS FLOOR...I may just have to do this to my painted white floor!

Source: myhomeideas.com via Brooke on Pinterest

Source: thehouseofsmiths.com via Brooke on Pinterest

Source: blog.effortless-style.com via Brooke on Pinterest

I have ordered me some Duck Egg Blue Chalk Paint

As soon as it arrives LET THE PAINTING BEGIN!

TTFN

Brooke

Back to Reality

We just got back from a relaxing week in Park City Utah!!  What is it about getting away for a couple of days that just allows you to clear your head and welcome reality back?  I have had a few projects on my mind this last week that I am so excited to start.  I EVEN dreamed about them....{is that a good thing}  

Project #1

My husband has caught the THRIFT vibe!  He often stops at the DI (the local thrift store) to see if there is any good furniture.  Last week he hit the jackpot with this table.  I am so in love with it I am going to refinish it for myself, and sell my other table of course!

I have been wanting to order some chalk paint for awhile now, so I decided this is the project for it!  The chalk paint order is in and should be here next week, I can't hardly wait.

{If you have not heard of chalk paint and you enjoy refinishing furniture it is worth looking in to, here is a link to Annie Sloan's website.}

Project #2

Pallets......

I have a piece of furniture for my family room I have been wanting to make with a pallet top {this is the project I was dreaming about}  I am hoping this project comes out as planned {and dreamt.} 

Happy WEEKEND!!

Brooke