HAPPY NEW YEAR~

Well as we are nearing the end of 2012, I have been looking back on all of God's blessings of the year! I must admit, there have been years that I cannot wait to be over with. Hoping for a better new year, and dreaming of what the future will hold. However this year, has been a year of dreams coming true for me, so I kinda hate to see it go! Back in March I found a little old house just a few blocks from my house that is a flower shop. I stopped in and asked if she rented space and told her what I do, and she agreed to rent me a "bedroom" size area for my little shop! While it was great to be there, it was not exactly what I had dreamed of, but it was a good start! I was there for 4 months, and in July, I noticed a building that had a "FOR LEASE" sign out in the front. I went to school with the owner of the building, so I called and asked how much the rent would be! I was in "STICKER SHOCK" and thought that I would never be able to do it. I was with a friend and we started thinking of ways to make it happen! We moved in within a week!!! My daughter is a photographer, so she has a portion of the space for her studio, she pays rent!!  It did not take long to get a few people in to "pay rent" to help out with the cost of the building! Every day I walk in the doors, I feel like I need to pinch myself. Could this be possible?  OF COURSE IT COULD!! With God anything is possible! When I leave every night, I get this feeling of gratitude and just smile at how good God is! I am so glad to be able to give others the opportunity to be in the shop with me. While it helps me with the rent, it also puts MONEY in their pocket! I enjoy having them there to give our customers a variety of items to shop from! Besides my furniture, repurposed items and RUSTY JUNK, I have Candles, Body Scrubs, Jewelry, Women's clothing, Children's clothing, Cowgirl Boots, Florals, and of course an IN HOUSE PHOTOGRAPHER! Everyday I wake up, I can't wait to get to work! I love meeting all of my customers, who about 98% of them follow me on Face Book! I have people come in from all over the USA, just to see MY SHOP, and to MEET ME! Never in my wildest dreams would I have thought that someone would actually want to meet me, much less ask me for my autograph!! Yes, it's true, I have given my autograph!! It seems so funny to me, because I am just a small town southern girl, who works hard and enjoy what I do. I can never thank God enough for all He has done for me. So many people ask how it is possible for me to share so many other face book pages that do the same thing I do, and still keep my business. My reply to them is the old saying My candle light does not go out by lighting another! I owe it to God to be that LIGHT in this old world, and that is how I want to do my business. I started my FB page in hopes to be an inspiration to others. Not only in decorating and painting furniture, but also in LIFE. If you are reading this, please go to my archives, and start reading my "CHAPTER" blogs. Then you will understand why I am so blessed today! Have a Blessed and HAPPY NEW YEAR...John 3:2-1 Beloved, I wish above all things that you may prosper and be in Health, even as your soul prospers!

Christmas tree at the shop~

I have been so busy trying to get client pieces done and Christmas shopping, I keep forgetting to post my tree! This is at the shop, I went around just finding things all over to decorate it with! Let's play "I SPY" Look all over and tell me some thing you SPY on the tree!!

Christmas~

I know, I know, I neglect this blog too much! I am glad there is not a hot line for someone to report me, they would probably take my blog away from me! I have been so busy at the shop, and Face Book seems to be my GO-TO for posting! I just wanted to share a few Christmas items I made. Nothing special, just fun!

Box of garland, ball jars & pine cones!

A beautiful skate made by a friend (face book ReBlinged)

wreath for my front door

Christmas nest made from a piece of garland!

Sheet music and bling!

Burlap ornament!

Chalk Paint~

I have been asked to share my homemade chalk paint recipe. So here ya go. Nothing extraordinary, I found the recipe on a blog myself! I use a container from Home Depot, fill the container up to the 20 oz. line with any brand & any color latex satin paint. Then I use a dixie cup, to measure out the plaster of Pairs. I got that idea from a friend who makes her own chalk paint too.  I pour the plaster of Paris up to the first line of the cup, and then about equal amounts of warm water. Mix it up until there are no lumps, then pour the mixture into the container of paint. That should give you exactly 1 quart of paint! I like to make my own because of the volume of items that I paint, it is more cost efficient for me.  Don't get me wrong, I love the designer brands too, and if I didn't have so many pieces to paint I would use them! 

Trash to Treasure!

This piece is just a random classic small dresser. It was the shinny cherry wood, and the top was in bad shape!  What's a girl to do with such a mess? Throw it away... some might say.  I shutter to think! I painted it black and used my favorite paper on top, to cover the scars from it's past! Now this beauty will live on. A make over and a new owner is all she needed to shine!!  I used wallpaper paste to adhere the paper to the top! You can find this wonderful paper at http://www.facebook.com/l.php?u=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.cakevintage.com%2FPhotoGallery.asp%3FProductCode%3DKP401&h=MAQENJO42

FROM BEAST TO BEAUTY~

I just finished a dresser yesterday, and it was delivered to her new home today! I don't always get to see the new space, but I am so glad I got to see this one! Now let me tell ya... This dresser is a classic piece, that was a BIG BROWN BEAST!! I had a customer come in the shop and we talked about painting it, GRAY & WHITE. So here ya go. I LOVE how just painting something can give it a whole new life. BEFORE, it was such a big masculine piece, AFTER, it was a light girly piece. What a huge difference!!!

BIG BROWN BEAST!

SHABBY WHITE LOVE!!

LOVE EVERYTHING ABOUT THIS ROOM!

GRAY & WHITE DELIGHT!!!

"Just off the Square"

I have been so busy rearranging the shop, I have neglected my blog page! Here are a few photos of whats going on over at my shop Dumpster Diva "Just Off The Square"! Don't blink an eye, it will change again soon!

Milk Paint Project!

I finally got my milk paint in from http://www.milkpaint.com/ I LOVE IT!! Now let me tell ya, I know this is NOT FOR EVERYONE! I personally will not use it on EVERY PIECE I DO!! It has it's place, and this piece wears it well!! I have a plan for the inside and outside panels, so I did not paint them. I will do that part tomorrow, and I will post a photo! Anyway, I used the color "BUTTERMILK" on this one. I only did one coat. Once it dried, it started crackling all over! I must admit, I freaked out a little, but I shrugged it off, and went with it!! After all, it's just paint, I could redo it if I need to! I have seen people take a putty knife to scrape of the loose paint, but I use a damp sponge and just start wiping! It works great! As you see, this piece is pretty beat up. I get a lot of ANTI PAINTED FURNITURE people, but some things are just too far gone to save! This was the perfect piece to play with!

BEFORE

DRAWER

Outside panel, I am not painting this, I am doing something different, you will have to check back to see tomorrow!

This is the drawer once the paint dried. See how it is crackling?

Another drawer crackling!

Now, this is after I used the sponge to wipe it down! NO SAND PAPER AT ALL!

The top crackling!

ALL DONE! (except the panels)

CLOSE UP!!

Old Fashion Milk Paint

I have been super busy at the shop! I finally got to order my OLD FASHION MILK PAINT!!! I got a few "PINT" samples in and let me tell ya.... I'M HOOKED!! I love the way it "looks like" I spent hours sanding to give it a worn out appearance!! Something totally unexpected and kinda funny happened, and it was a pleasant surprise! After I painted this piece, (ONE COAT) I sanded the edges. Well, my husband, trying to be helpful got a damp sponge to wipe off the dust from sanding. I wish I had a video of what happened next. As he started wiping, the paint started coming off!! He looked at me real fast, like a little kid doing something he knew was wrong! He goes "OOPS" I looked over and I said...OH NO...Then as I looked closer, I said "WOW...KEEP GOING, I LOVE IT" It did not come off every where, just in random spots, like where the paint was thicker etc. I am totally SOLD on this!! Now, I must say, Milk Paint has it's place. I personally will not paint everything with this, because I like to have a variety at the shop, but I will most certainly paint my share of pieces with it!! I am planning on workshops to show "HOW TO'S" I hope you will join in on the FUN!!! OH, and by the way, I used the color called Marigold, and with one pint I painted this item and an end table and I still have enough to paint another end table!!!

Chapter 4

Well as you all know, I have been pretty busy, so I have not had a lot of time to write chapter 4!  SO...Here ya go! If you have not read chapters 1-3, you might want to do that before you read 4!! A little over 18 years ago, my husband the "DUDE" and I were having lots of problems. I know a lot of people would never tell things that happen to them because they don't want others to judge them, or they are too ashamed, but I feel like I should tell you these things. Maybe, to help you get through your hard times, or to just use what we went through as a testimony of what God can do, IF YOU will allow Him! My husband has NEVER laid a hand on me, he has never even called me a bad name, however, he did have a problem with drugs and alcohol.  Like most people who have that addiction, he neglected his bills and things we, as a family needed, so he would have what he "needed". I was miserable. Being a stay at home mom of 4, the kids would get the brunt of my unhappiness. I would yell & scream at them, instead of just talking to them. I had ENOUGH. I started going to school to become a Medical Assistant, and decided that once I graduate I was going to LEAVE HIM! Time passed, things got WORSE. Around November that year, I begged him to please let me have $400 to buy the kids Christmas gifts. He promised me he would give me the money on Friday. Well...Friday came NO MONEY. My heart was broken. He finally came up with the money, and Christmas for the kids was nice. In January I allowed my kids to go to church with my niece. My brother is the pastor of the church, and my niece is a few years older than I am. She told me I should let the kids go, even if I did not want to go. Of course I could not stand my brother at the time. I felt like he was judging me, and when someone feels guilty, they usually need a scape goat! Anyway, the kids came home from church and asked if we would PLEASE go to church with them some time. We decided to go the next Sunday. My husband still says he went that day to "smooth things over". We were broke, with only $5 to our name. When they passed the offering plate he looked at me and asked if he should give the money. I shrugged and said I didn't know. In my mind, I could not believe he even considered it! He gave the $5. After church, he had so many questions. He was raised a different religion than I was, so it was new to him. I told him that the Bible speaks about giving. At that time my husband used to hang wallpaper. He got paid per roll, so it was easy for him to lie to me about how many rolls he hung so he could keep money for his drugs. He worked for someone else, and only worked if that guy had enough for him to do. He NEVER got a call of his own. Later that day our phone rang....It was a lady who found his card and needed an estimate. We could not believe someone actually called him. We went that same day to do the estimate! She already had her paper, just needed someone to hang it. The job total was $500. He started the next day. All week he worked, and at night he would come home (not normal) all we did was TALK every night. He had so many questions. It was at that time God was working! We went back to church the next Sunday. Surprisingly, the message was all over things we had talked about (in private) all week. We both went to the alter and gave our lives to GOD. From that day until this day, my husband has NEVER done another drug, or drank anything. He was delivered completely, and never even had withdraws! We do serve a mighty God! There is NOTHING on earth worth going back to that kind of life. We have been blessed beyond our wildest dreams. The weeks following he picked up decorators, contractors, and home owners, and started working for HIMSELF. He has never had to work for anyone else since. I continued my nursing and worked for several years as a medical assistant. Later I started working for a direct sales company called Home Interiors. I worked my way up to becoming a Director, and life was good. Don't get me wrong, we have had trials and hard times in the past 18 years, but with God in our life we got through them all. It is by FAITH that we stand. I could never ask for a better husband. Our children are successful, and happy. My 2 girls are serving God, and I know that our sons will too. I pray for them daily, that God will open their eyes. Our youngest son never knew how we used to be, he had just turned 3 years old when we started serving God. I have FAITH that soon he will be ready to make that life changing decision for himself. My prayer is that in my work, on my face book page and through this blog, that I can make a difference in someone else's life. I want people to know that God can change every circumstance and help you through any problem you might be facing in your life. As I spoke of the things my husband did, I must say, even though I never was addicted to drugs or alcohol, I was a MESS. I used cuss words every time I opened my mouth, and I LIED all the time. I think back now, and I realize the reason I lied was because I was unhappy with the reality of my life. Since God change me, I have no reason to lie, and I sure don't use those words any more! Friends that I have met since I have been a Christian, cannot believe that I ever said such things! LOL..To GOD BE THE GLORY!!

FAUX WOOD FLOORS!!

Call me crazy, go ahead, it wouldn't be the first time!! When we moved into the new shop, we divided a portion of it for my daughters photography studio. The floors are horrible and we are trying to figure out a CHEAP FIX!! My daughter wanted her part of the floors WHITE... NOT A GOOD IDEA! So after a few weeks of non stop cleaning, we I HAD TO DO SOMETHING! I told my daughter that maybe doing a "dry brush" of gray over the white would make it look like old wood planks. I did a small sample, and well...see for yourself!! I did the whole thing before I realized it!! I used CHALK PAINT! It dried within minutes!

FLOOR BEFORE!        

FLOOR AFTER!

China Cabinet Make Over

I had the pleasure of doing a Makeover for this beauty! It is going in a SALON!, So I knew I had to make her look BEAUTIFUL! She was a Blond, but I decided she needed to be dyed (painted) black! After she was painted, Then I figured she needed some curls! I used this awesome paper (disposable table runner) from Cake Vintage Click on the link to see more! http://www.cakevintage.com/PhotoGallery.asp?ProductCode=KP401  I have used this before, but I used decoupage. This time I used the 3M 77 spray! I LOVED IT! **TIP** Before you start painting something that you want to add paper or fabric to, take the back off, it is way easier to paint it because you can work on both sides, and you wont get paint on the paper/fabric. It is also easier to put the paper/fabric on! Once you finish painting the piece, place the newly covered back panel back on!  She is ready for her debut at the salon Bella Couture in Melissa TX!! 

BEFORE

Cake Vintage disposable table runner!

AWESOME SPRAY ADHESIVE! 

AFTER!!

 

BUSY DAY!

I had a busy day at the shop! We finished painting the out side!! We reupholstered this beautiful chair, and added a seat to this fabulous rocking chair for the shop's front porch!! Getting ready for GRAND OPENING THIS WEEKEND!

SHOP BEFORE (Hunter Green)

SHOP AFTER!!! Gray with white trim & Black door!

Door & Trim AFTER!

OLD Light fixture!

NEW LIGHT FIXTURE COST ME A WHOPPIN' 8 BUCKS!!!!

Chair BEFORE

Chair getting ready for her makeover!!

CHAIR AFTER!!!

Rocking chair how I found it!!

Rocking chair on the front porch just waiting  for someone to sit on it!!