sand room mishaps :: my attempt at wood working with a steak knife
sometimes i get hair-brained ideas in the middle of the night that keep me awake. my husband and i call this swirling. several months ago, i got this idea that i’d build a sand room. it’s like a mud room, but is really more for sand, since our family tracks more beach sand than mud. […]
Restoration Hardware inspired work bench
our neighbors had this piece in their back yard. it reminds me of my old place in w. hollywood. before married life, i restored a cute spanish-style home in west hollywood. the previous owners had redone the 1920s home in a very tacky home depot fashion. pink walls. cheapo pedestal sinks. linoleum floors. so […]
How to get a modern look from Annie Sloan paints
i hosted a fun painting party earlier this week. my friend Peilin has been wanting to learn how to paint with Annie Sloan. she’s an incredibly talented food stylist and whips together a mean sardine, hummus, olive, fried egg and avocado sandwich when you’re not looking. but don’t tell her that i’m allergic to avocados, […]
industrial clothing rack :: Annie Sloan style
after we installed our entertainment center, we had an extra piece of base board laying around. and if you know me, you know that i can’t throw any piece of wood away. i know, i’ve got issues. but you knew that. it started out 8′ long, so i used a hand hack saw to cut […]
not your Grandma’s dining table was featured!
As some of you know, I took the rugrats to Paris last week to meet up with my folks. I was torn whether to bring my big camera and laptop, but when push came to shove, (and I was staring down a 90 pound stroller!), I decided to rely just on my phone. So when […]
A shabby chic take on an inherited hutch :: Annie Sloan style
my client inherited this from a good friend. it’s a gorgeous piece and again, i sort of felt weird painting it. but i was assured that no one would know since they’re no longer with us. is that weird? so i worked under the don’t ask, don’t tell guidelines…though i wouldn’t know who to tell. […]
your grandma’s dining set has left the building
you’ve all seen this old maple dining set at your grannie’s house, right? most people cringe when they see this type of furniture. i start to twitch and try to hide my excitement. yup, i’ve got issues. my client just moved back from a mission trip abroad. they inherited some amazing furniture from friends and […]
shabby beachy chic side table :: Annie Sloan style
this piece was such a lame late 90s piece that i don’t even remember where i got it or why. every time i walked past it, it begged to be repainted. i do my best work late night….so i dragged her downstairs, camera in tow, and into the garage. it’s march and it was in […]
egg white & veggie frittata
wow, Peilin Breller and Emily Ivey sure know how to make food look GOOD! check out this frittata. i mean, it is delicious. but just look at that photo! don’t lick the monitor…it’s very unbecoming. ok, here we go: heat oven to 375 i used a cute 5×8 dish for this one dice 1/2 sweet […]
shabby chic mirrored door :: diy
this antique mirrored door has some history. she weighs about 40 pounds and is so super cool, so i’ve named her bessie. bessie was a late night craigslist curb alert find in garden grove. i’m sure she had a very interesting story before i stumbled upon her, but she’s also had great adventures since she’s […]
mud room plans!
ok gang. i’ve mocked up the mud room plans. taking inspiration from this: now i’ve just got to figure out how to make it. i can paint it, but when you ask your bestie the name of the saw that has the round spinny blade thingy, you know you’ve got a long way to go! […]
beachy chic shutter headboards :: annie sloan tutorial
my friends just moved back from Panama after a 6 month missionary trip with their entire family. they’re the most precious girls you’ve ever met. and sadly for me, at ages 10 and 13, they’re both already taller than i am. how cute are these girls? so i set out to make them some shutter […]
Restoration Hardware-inspired big boy room reveal
as i listen to Big A trying to ‘soothe’ himself to sleep in his new big boy room, i feel guilty. poor little guy. sometimes he goes down quickly, and sometimes, he’s over-tied, i think…and he fights it. so i’m distracting myself with this post as i obsessively check the monitor… we got him into […]
Ikea hack :: using the DIGNITET curtain clips to hang your kids’ artwork
raise your hand if you love ikea. i was wracking my brain on ways to display the kids’ artwork in the loft. they’re always creating new stuff, and with the seasons, taping it to the wall was becoming a bit aggressive. i even bought two quarts of magnetic paint, but then thought there’s no chance […]
big reveal :: vintage door refinished with Annie Sloan chalk paint
the door restoration is DONE! here’s the tutorial post of the first half of this restoration. this is where i started….a stack of FREE doors found on craigslist! here i was sitting on my laptop after the kids were tucked in….la la la….cruising free stuff on craigslist….when i saw a post for 12 FREE vintage […]