simple spring floral decorations
With the hyacinths in bloom, I figured it was time to do some spring decorating inside. Using baby food jars, I put a single flower in each jar. …lined them up… …and called it a day… simple. sweet. fresh. cheap!
quick and easy-to-sew headbands
i have two boys. but a friend once brought me a headband from a mall kiosk. she was excited that she only paid $25 for this headband. after all, we do live in the OC. i was mortified. i could make it for $.25 so here you have it. the details of how to make […]
how to make a felt and velcro board for kids’ learning
i made this a few years ago for lil G…we use it all the time and he learned his letters quickly. now Big A is using it…mainly to eat. it’s a simple DIY. get a canvas. using a staple gun, staple a large piece of felt around the canvas. staple the velcro. i got all […]
Antique chair with redone coffee sack burlap seat
our good friends gave us this antique chair. what a treat to get a gift like this! looks like it had been in their family for a long time…and perhaps in the garage for a while, too. the leather seat was torn and not salvageable. so sad. batting and burlap wrapped around the seat I […]
Getting a Restoration Hardware grey finish with ease….Eco Wood treatment
The blogging world has been inundated with the color grey. Dark grey. Light grey. Weathered grey. Annie Sloan chalk paint is wonderful. I’ve used it on pretty much everything inside and outside the house. It holds up extremely well. In fact, the outdoor pieces have endured several heavy rain storms and the patina continues to […]
i’ve got my eye on you…. wood nursery container…
we’re in the final stages of our landscaping. when the trees were delivered, i wasn’t as excited about the trees as i was about the containers in which they were delivered…. so very excited to upcycle these… stay tuned!
annie sloan tutorial :: Restoration Hardware wood finish on an old coffee table
A few folks have asked how I got the look on the zero to hero coffee table. I didn’t take pix b/c we’re moving this week and I didn’t have much time to crank out a few more pieces before the movers arrive! But here was my process: Old White as a base, brushed on […]
when a zero becomes a hero :: ugly coffee table gets a life
our designer Erica Bryen, is incredible. she’s young, vibrant, hip, smart as a whip, and totally gets us. she works with clients all over southern california, has impeccable taste, and is no BS. she gets it done. she gets it. i’ve come to realize that it’s good to know what you don’t know…when you’re in […]
chalk paint French side table
here’s another cool little project for our new master bathroom. i picked up this piece on craigslist….i sometimes have a hard time saying no. i figured there was something that could be done with this. it was solid and sturdy. and it had a decent greenish-blue that would work in our new bathroom…..so let’s give […]
Chalk paint on a wine barrel book shelf
i’ve been stalking all you annie sloan chalk paint lovers….for a few months now… so i picked up this piece on Craigslist…i figured it was interesting and unique…and surely there was something that could be done. i slapped on some paris grey. when i say slapped on…i mean, i didn’t fill in all the wood […]
Surf breaks window/subway art
My husband grew up surfing in southern California with his twin brother and younger brother. They’ve since toured the world catching the most epic waves God has to offer. In preparation for husband’s man cave in our new home, I wanted to make him something exceptionally special. I think I hit jackpot!! He […]
Duncan Phyfe drum table :: Restoration Hardware look
> I found this antique Duncan Phyfe drum table on Craigslist for $30. It was an interesting shape and I figured would be a good chance to practice some new finishing techniques. Particularly, I wanted to learn how to get as close as possible to the Restoration Hardware gray wood finish that is so in […]
Shabby chic dresser rehab
> here is a free dresser i stalked on craigslist. it was curbside, was in really sad condition, and needed some tlc. but i saw the potential! while i don’t have a picture of my sad piece (i need to get better at this), here’s a picture of a highboy dresser with the same paint […]
french door redo
it’s 9:30pm on a saturday night and i can’t sleep. jim rome is on in the background…husband is sleeping, tightly gripping the tivo remote despite having been asleep for at least 20 minutes. i’m cruising free stuff on craigslist when i spot this old beat up French glass door hiding in the back of this […]
my first furniture refinishing project. french side table.
> A work in progress….my first antique refinishing project! Not sure how I got myself into this furniture refinishing hobby…but I think it started about 3 weeks ago when I was 8.5 months pregnant…unable to sleep. and maybe it has something to do with the fact that we’re moving to a new house in a […]