I get a good feeling. . .

That this kitchen table turned out beautiful! What was once a lively pine table had turned scratched, dull and lifeless and needed a serious revamp. We just started painting over the top of the existing finish. No stripping, sanding or priming. The only thing we had to do was make sure the table was clean.

Below the top has been painted Caromal Colours

Peppercorn textured basecoat.

Yes, we painted it in our living room.

It is too cold in the garage, and there really

isn't an odor to the paint.

Now we have painted the Mustard on the bottom. 

This picture doesn't do it justice.  The lighting wasn't

the greatest on this day.

Below is after we have distressed and toned

the table.  It is gorgeous!

This beauty is sold pending pickup on Wednesday!

Have you seen Chelsea lately?

Chelsea is the beautiful antique dresser we refinished for Sonya.  It used to belong to her Granny and Grandpa so has a little sentimental value.  When I took the samples to Sonya's house to find out what she was looking for, she told me that she really wanted something earthy, more muted tones.  She has the cutest house up in the avenues and has truly made everything about it her own.  There is no question about her style.  The last room in the house she is working on is her guest bedroom downstairs.  I went down in the basement to look at the dresser and get a feel for the style she was going for in this room.  She has an adorable bed in their from the year 1906 that was imported from France (I will have to get a pic and show you).   Again, here is the before pic of Chelsea:

Here is the during pic of Chelsea:

Scary, I know, but everything will

work out in the end.

And, here is the fabulous after pic of Chelsea:

Again with the legs, Mwah!

She also has the original old casters on.

The detailing and the hardware are just perfect for

old Chelsea!

We used Caromal Colours textured basecoat,

3 different colors:  Paprika, Chocolate and Cobblestone.

The color combination is perfecto and I

can't help falling in love with this dresser!

Hopefully Sonya will give me visitation rights. . .

In The Works

Here are just a couple of projects we are working on this weekend:

First is our kitchen table who once was beautiful and pristine, but now could use a little help:

One thing I want you to notice is that we didn't have to sand, strip or prime over the old finish before beginning to paint.  That is the beauty of this paint, it bonds to nearly everything!

We painted Caromal Colours Peppercorn on the top,

Mustard on the rest of the table including the legs.

All that's left is the sanding and waxing.

It will be Bellissimo when it is finished!

I can't wait to reveal the final product!

This is a dresser that we are painting for Sonya.

I actually really love the before color, but

I think she was ready for a change.

The hardware on this dresser is original and gorgeous!

Here is a little sneak peak at the colors.

The top is Caromal Colours Chocolate.

The rest of the dresser is Cobblestone

and the entire piece will be distressed.

STAY TUNED......

Another Coat of Paint. . . .

In the 7 years since we have lived in our house, the walls have been 5 different colors.  What can we say, we like change.  Here is what it looked like before we painted:

We were over this color combination and

ready for something more calming.

We used Behr Ultra from Home Depot.

Because it is paint primer-in-one it

covers so much better.

The color is French Silver.

Bye, Bye bold colors!  Hello serenity.

In the pic below we still have to finish below

the chair rail.

We have big plans for the fireplace.

We are going to paint all the stone white

and distress the mantle using Peppercorn

basecoat with Wisteria top coat using

Caromal Colours textured basecoat.

We haven't tackled that one yet.

It goes on the list of future projects,

but near future at that.

I had seen this wall treatment done on

Vintage Revivals and I loved it.

We just got 1 x 3 boards and voila!

We are thinking of making this a wall of clocks since

we have a good start.

I love how it all turned out!  My husband is

such a fast painter and does all

the hard work like the trim and the tall

ceilings or I might never tackle such a project.

Beautiful Bedroom Furniture Makeover. . . .

If you remember many months ago I did a post HERE about a trade I did with my amazing sister-in-law.  She is a very gifted cleaner (I say gifted because I don't know how she does it, but the dirt just seems to scram when she is around, no joking. she is A-M-A-Z-I-N-G!)  She gave me her part of the trade waaaay back in April and we are just getting around to her bedroom furniture makeover now (I know that is so sad).  I did go through quite a few life changes recently though.  I changed jobs, went back to school and was feeling a little overwhelmed as of late, but I am coming back around.  I am ready to start creating again. . . in other words, I'm BACK!  (I know, it's about time).  After seeing the finished product, you will understand why I got excited all over again.

Here is the before with the infamous Jaggyr giving the thumbs up:

This beauty's name is Palmer and let

me tell you Palmer is truly a looker.  This

set used to be Shan's Granny's.  She got it

in the 50's.  She loves the furniture, just

not the cherrywood finish so much.

Shan wanted to make it her own and

the pictures speak volumes.

Just because something has sentimental

value doesn't mean you can't put your

own spin on it.  It hasn't lost any of the

value that it holds for you, it just needs an update.

The below picture shows the dresser after sanding, the

bottom drawer has already had the wax applied so

you can see how it really sets the color and makes it pop.

Isn't she gorgeous?

Dear Palmer, I-Love-You!

I usually love legs, but

Forget the legs, look at those Curves!

Here Palmer is in her own home, not her

room yet, but she is just chillin'

in the front room for a while.

Shan loved it!  She said she was going to

sleep on the couch so she could keep looking at it.

This cute little night stand has been painted to match.

Here is the headboard. 

And, here is the mirror that we are in the process of

finishing.  Shan should be able to put her

room all together in the next few days

and what a transformation it will be! 

I love you Shan and thanks for all you do

for me!

I hope you love it as much as I do!

This project was completed with Caromal Colours

textured basecoat using Parchment and Colonial Blue.

I did not do any sanding prior to painting.

That is the true beauty of this paint.  It bonds to almost

anything, nearly no prep work.

If you would like to get some of this amazing paint for yourself,

click on the Caromal Colours button at the top

right of the screen.  Be sure to use the coupon code

BrendaUtah (case sensitive) to save on shipping.

BARN SALE COMING SOON!!! 

I am going to be having a barn sale the first weekend of November here in Riverton.  Watch for more details to come soon.  You are not going to want to miss this one!

This project linked to Debbiedoos

Reduce, Reuse, and Recycle!

I have a good friend, Elana, who has told me about her house and her yard before, but I had never seen it.  The way she talked it sounded like her own personal haven.  Last week we had dinner with the girls and I got to experience her home and back yard.  Today she is inviting us over for a peek inside her home. 

Elana is the epitomy of reducing, reusing and recycling.  She is doing her part to make sure her carbon footprint is very miniscule.  She even makes art out of her old wine bottles and an empty frame.

Things that some people might consider junk, we consider art and wouldn't dream of throwing it out.

Look at these incredible sculptures made from old car parts for instance:

A good friend of hers made these because

he knew she liked "junk."

Look at these ingenious planters!  No need to buy expensive pots, use what you have.

Like an old tree stump!

Or how about an old mop bucket?

Much better use than what it was

intended for if you ask my opinion.

No?  Well, how about an old

metal pipe?  No one was using it anymore

so why not?

Oh, how I love sweet potatoe vine!

Elana told a funny story of how her sister was

over visiting one day and said that she did not

dare put her purse down because she was afraid Elana

would plant something in it!

Probably very true too!

Or how about using some old fence slats

to hang a potted plot on just

to give it a little somin' somin'?

Her yard is full of wildflowers

that are just flourishing.

Why not paint your own mural on the side of

your garage?  Why are we so afraid to make our

homes our own?  Why don't we surround ourselves with

beautiful things, beautiful art?  Why do we

pick neutral colors and leave our walls

bare just because we might sell one day?

Enjoy your homes now.  Make them

your own personal haven

These ladies make me happy and make

me wanna dance!

Elana also made her own paintings

for her home.

Forgive me if I am wrong, but I do

believe they are John Hiatt, Lyle Lovett,

and Jackson Browne (right order?)

And last, but certainly not least, here is a

bench that she made from an old deck that

she tore out.  Perfectly good wood, just a new purpose!

Thanks for having me over and allowing me to

share your talents with my readers!

 

Birthday and First Day of School

This handsome boy just turned 16.

Where did the time go?

Such a good kid.

I love you, Bub!

First day of 2nd grade.

Ask him how school was and every

single day he simply says, "Awesome!"

I love that he loves school so much!

Hopefully it lasts.

And here is my baby:  My last baby to

start school.  I really can't believe it.

She is so excited to have started

kindergarten.  She has been ready since

last year.  I do believe that she feels the

wait was so very worth it.

She is such a beauty and such a sweet girl!

My two little munchkins!

No more babies.  We have moved

on to the next stage of our lives

and it is so nice to see our kids grow up to

be amazing people!