Photography Prop Chair(s)!

Listen up, all of you furniture rehabbers and Craigslist sellers...there is an untapped market out there! Or at least there is in MN.

Since I'm relatively new at the painting furniture thing, I started small...chairs, little tables, etc. I love the instant gratification piece of the smaller items.

Anyhoo, I just would put them on CL because they were taking up valuable garage space...and of the three I've done, they were all bought by professional photographers! Apparently painted and distressed old wood chairs are the hot thing in photography. Am I the only one who didn't know this?

The first chair before and after:


The second chair before and after:



The third before and after:



Now, these are nothing fabulous...just your basic paint, distress and stain job. But aren't they fun? And it's super fun to see these used on the photographers websites!

Tip: People seem to love this red...it's Rustoleum Colonial Red with Walnut stain over it. Very classy!

Curvy painters tape! Who knew?

Sadly, the garage sale season in the frozen tundra of Minnesota is quickly coming to an end. Although I'm ready for a break, I will miss the thrill of the hunt...God, I love that....

Anyway, I hit a sale last week that had aaaallll sorts of painters tape. I mean, gobs. Oddly though, it was shaped...zig zags, waves, etc. Did anyone else know this existed? I'd never seen it before....so I scooped up several rolls just in case I liked using it.

This little table had been sitting around since this summer and I'd been so uninspired by it, that I almost gave it back to Goodwill.


But I'm glad I didn't. I used some of the wavy painters tape, and this was the result.





Not sure where I'll put this or if I'll keep it, but I think it's pretty cute!

Linking up to:

www.primitiveandproper.blogspot.com

Craft-O-Maniac Copycat

Whoa...I've been MIA the last week or so. Halloween was a big production, but my garage has been keeping me the busiest. I've had some...threats made by my husband. You know the ones..."The garage is too full of ugly furniture...snow is coming and we need to park in the garage". What does he know anyway? ;)



Because of those threats, I've been organizing, painting and selling on Craigslist, etc.



Ok, back to the title of this post. I'm going to come out and shamelessly admit that I love the Craft-O-Maniac blog.



We recently added on a mud/laundry room combo and since we spent most of our cash on the actual building of it all, I have very little moo-lah to decorate it with...know what I mean?



So when I stumbled upon the Burlap Inital Plaque at Craft-O-Maniac,I was instantly in love.

http://craftomaniac.blogspot.com/2010/05/burlap-initial-plaque.html



I went to Michaels and picked up the letter and frame. I sprayed it with Rustoleum Heirloom white, sanded it and then distressed it with walnut stain. I already had the fabric and paint, but I did need to go to Hancock fabrics for some burlap (boy was that stuff a pain to work with). After putting it all together, here's what mine looks like:









Not quite as professionaland cute as the one at Craft-O-Maniac, but I'm satisfied! Now I need to figure out what else to put on that wall along with it.....any ideas? This is where it hangs now...

But that's not all...I also copied ANOTHER one of Jen's crafty decor ideas! Along with the mudroom, we got a main floor laundry room that.I.LOVE. It's got a window and cupboards...it's a big girl laundry room!! I had my father-in-law, bless his heart, make me the Ballard Inspired drying rack that Centsational Girl did here

http://www.centsationalgirl.com/2009/07/diy-laundry-room-drying-rack/





Cute, right? Well, this idea by Jen at Craft-O-Maniac can make that drying rack even cuter!! See this idea? http://craftomaniac.blogspot.com/2010/07/laundry-room-signs.html

I got 3 plaques from Michaels, spray painted them with Heirloom white again and distressed with walnut stain. I did the stencils with acrylic black mixed with some burnt umber.



I put the 2 together, and voila!

I know both of the crafts need some friends around them to finish the rooms, but I love how it's starting to take shape!

PS. I realize my picture taking skills need work! Thanks for hanging with me while I get this blogging thing down ;)



Linking to:

http://www.craft-o-maniac.blogspot.com/

http://www.domestically-speaking.com/

http://www.storiesofahouse.com/

Favorites for my Sister

My sister recently moved from Minneapolis to Chicago. She got her own apartment...her first "big girl" apartment with no roommates. It's a great apartment..I visited in August to help her decorate (and, let's be honest, get away for some girl time). She picked out a couch and new bedding, but needed some accent pieces.



When she was back in Minneapolis visiting a few weeks ago, she shopped in my garage...and chose a few pieces for me to rehab. As it turned out, my parents were going to drive down this weekend and could deliver the newly painted goods!



Entry table before





Entry table after





I have no "before" of this chair, but think..GLOSSY, blinding glossy black paint with a pleather seat. It did no justice to the shape of this chair.



Here she is after some flatter paint and new seat. This will be amazing in my sister's living room! (can you hear my giddiness?)





The final piece that will be arriving at my sis's place any minute is the next one. I think this is my fave piece so far. I found this bench under a heap of stuff at Elko Flea Market over Labor Day weekend. It was my virginal debut at Elko...and I was hooked the minute I walked in. This bench was DIRTY. Peeling veneer, musty smell...but I liked the lines a lot.





My sis picked it to be a distressed red.





Rustoleum Colonial Red in Satin with Minwax Dark Walnut stain





And a little surprise inside.



I love it. I hope she thinks it's as fabulous as I do.



Linking to:

">







www.justagirlblog.com

The Little Sideboard that Could

I should be arrested. Really, I should.





I love to go to estate sales on the final day. Usually, not much is left, but whatever IS left, is often steeply discounted. Say...50% off.





Back in July, I hit an estate sale on a Saturday. I loved a lot of the stuff at this sale, but it was above my usual price point (which is ridiculously low...but that's another post). I decided I'd come back the next day and see what was left. On the way out, I saw a small sideboard...with one front leg propped up in a coffee mug. The price on the piece said "$10...broken leg". I noticed that it was a nice piece, but I didn't know a thing about fixing a leg. So I went home.





The next day, after the kids had managed to run me out of the house, I headed over to the same sale. You know...just to see what was left over. There was the same sideboard...this time, for $5.oo. FIVE bucks. I took a closer look at her. Lifted her up to see what the damage was on the leg. Here's the kicker....the leg wasn't broken. It was completely intact!! I looked at every single leg...all attached and all sturdy. I felt like I'd won the lottery. The peeps working this sale were extremely cool and down to earth...they basically paid ME to take it home. Another shopper helped me load it into the car and away I went! I looked behind me several times to make sure I was street legal.





Are you done with the long story? Want to see the sideboard? Ok....

Thomasville Sideboard

Check out those sweet little flowers!

She needed a little work. I painted her with a creamy white, distressed her and wiped her down with Minwax dark walnut stain. I wasn't sure about how she turned out, but a gal who owns a boutique in Minneapolis contacted me off of a Craigslist add. She bought this piece and she sold it in her shop the very next day!

Here's the finished product...

I know...it was a long story, but FIVE dollars? I'm still watching my back for the cops! ;)

~Allison



Linking to:



Just A Girl Show and Share

www.justagirl.com

Too many chairs!

Yikes...my garage is over-flowing. Too many trips to Goodwill and too many great prices at garage sales. Add that to a few projects for a client...and the hubby is not happy! Time to unload some inventory....



So when my neighbor's nanny was visiting last week and all the kids were playing, she mentioned she was looking for furniture for her new apartment! Of course I led her out to the garage and told her to take her pick! She picked 2 matching chairs that had great potential....but needed a lot of updating.

Enter black paint and fabulous fabric...that she picked out and delivered to my doorstep!

I truly LOVE the way these turned out...and I can say that because I really didn't have anything to do with it. I just did what she told me to....she designed them! Enjoy, Lisa!

The table is another rehab, but it isn't nearly as great as these chairs! ;)

Linking to:

http://betweennapsontheporch.blogspot.com/2010/10/rats-infestation-across-blogland.html

http://www.storiesofahouse.com/2010/10/project-diaries-volume-3.html

http://primitiveandproper.blogspot.com/2010/10/piece-of-work-wednesday-link-party_12.html

http://www.domestically-speaking.com/2010/10/41st-power-of-paint-party-2011-paint.html

Real Food Rehab in Chicago Sun Times Food Section

 Today I am so proud to share that my article (and photos) on eating for one that originally appeared on Melissa Graham's blog, Little Locavores, was picked up by the Sun Times Food Section. Click HERE to read it in full.