All Dressed Up

4 Piece Bedroom Set

{$380}

This is a 4 piece set (I've included the mirror, bench, vanity desk and dresser) which I have had waiting for a makeover for a while now. It was so pretty, and I wanted to do something special with it. I had to post this picture because you can see Lucy perfectly in the mirror, sitting on top of the couch doing neighbourhood watch.....

One of my most "pinned" on Pinterest items is a dresser I did last year in a coral colour. As coral is super on-trend this year, I thought I would give this pretty set a trendy makeover with coral, navy and bronze.

The vanity desk is really adorable and has such nice deco lines. There is a ton of storage with 4 deep drawers plus the desk top area. The matching bench is the icing on the cake.

The dresser is a great size ~ especially if you want to use this in a young girl's room. It is not too tall, but with 4 drawers, it provides a good amount of storage with easy access.

The wooden knobs have been sprayed using a Benjamin Moore spray bomb in Deep Secret (CSP-625) and the original detail with the bronze lines has been duplicated.

I used a pretty fabric with coral, pinks, yellow and turquoise so it would work well with other colours in your decor.

The coral I used is Benjamin Moore's Coral Spice ~ a slightly more sophisticated coral tone ~ a bit less saturated than some.

This is a very sweet set and priced to go fast. I have it displayed at Airdrie Paint and Decor and it can be viewed or purchased from the friendly staff there.

The sizes are as follows:

DRESSER

26 inches wide

16 inches deep

43 inches high

VANITY

36 inches wide

16 inches deep 

30.5 inches high (not including mirror)

Rosebud Mercantile

Last week I made a trip back out to the Rosebud Mercantile. I had heard that things were looking a bit bare, so it was time to restock before the last few shows of the summer. I thought I would share a few of the items that I took with me.

I decided to take a bit of a risk with this cabinet. This turquoise is my salute to the last few weeks of summer. It feels so beachy and sunny. As everyone who reads this blog know, I am hooked on the trendy chevron stripe right now. I thought that those sliding doors needed a little extra punch and I am very happy with the result. I really distressed this piece so it feels weathered and has more character. It has tons of storage too! So great for extra dishes, games or even as a little bar....

I have been working on doing some fun things with these old window frames with the glass in good condition. I tried applying a chalkboard surface to them, leaving a little 'frame' of sorts around it so when hung on the wall, a little bit of the wall colour will show through. I really like them and think they are pretty unique although I am sure I am not the first person to do this! I tried it on the square vintage red frame in the 2nd and 3rd pictures as well. What do you think? A bit of a statement maybe....? 

In the 3rd picture you can see the cute little twin headboard which would work well on bed (obviously), but also as a way to layer some interesting decor items on a large mantle, in a garden or on a large display area that some houses have in the entry ways. 

The headboard is sitting on a funky grey bench which sort of blends in to the background, but it was a great find! I love the legs and the length is perfect for an entryway or even at a standard table.

This is just a great little nightstand. It is pretty and sweet. I thought I would transition to some more earthy colours as we move into fall. This is a lovely plum with black and white wallpaper on the back and lining the drawer.

I am not done with coral yet! This is a two tiered telephone type table that is just cool. I love it with the blue for a very fresh feeling.

I tried adding a little interest to the top BookPage Wreath and ended up with an ombre effect. It is subtle, but makes it interesting.

The second wreath is made of an old atlas book ~ lots of maps and charts. Good for the person who likes to travel (or hopes to!).

The third is more of the standard wreath. I still love the way this looks on a wall. Unusual and very interesting!

I feel so fortunate to be able to have my things here in such a lovely place. The shows are great and the food is good. If you are looking for a place to spend a weekend afternoon, check out the fall schedule and take the drive!

I am working on the finishing touches for my 9 year old daughter's room and I hope to share it soon! 

May 1, 2012

{Rosebud Mercantile Part 3}


I just realized that it has been 2 weeks since I wrote anything. This seems to be a common theme for me. Life is busy and it is easy to get distracted with all the busy-ness!


Things have been selling at the Mercantile and I finally made a trip back there today in the rain. I brought my sunglasses, hoping that the weather would have a change of heart, but it continued to pour all day. I brought some bigger pieces as people are really interested in some fun pieces to give a room a little character. I added some more colour to this batch as well. I think everyone is ready to take a few risks for spring!


Here are a few of the pieces I brought with me:

Sunny Yellow Square Table

Beachy Blue Bench

Distressed Black Side Table ~ I love this cheeky knob!

Shabby White Wardrobe

I have been playing with adding a watermark to my pictures. With Pinterest and other sharing on the internet, I thought I would make sure that I have my projects marked.... I am not sure what to think, but I will keep tweaking it and see how it goes.


I sweet-talked my long-suffering husband into loading all this up for me this morning (EARLY!) and I hit the road! I met Val in Rosebud and she helped me get all set up again in my little corner at the Mercantile.

The little black table did not make it into the display as it was sold on its way into the building to a very sweet woman who instantly decided she wanted it! She was on her way through and very decisive... Thank you so much!


I am planning on changing my blog a little as we move towards summer. I hope to have a regular post early every week to list the items I will offer for sale. Some larger ones as well as more of the "smalls" I have been working on and posting recently on my Facebook page. I have quite a few pieces that I hope to start on soon and get posted in the next week or so.

Refilling!

I made a quick run out to Rosebud this morning to fill in a few holes from some pieces that have sold. It was a beautiful drive, although I was VERY pleased that the snow that was forecast for SE Alberta chose to stay away while I was on the road. That wind is very cold and a reminder that true winter is coming...


I have been messing around a little with the Book Page Wreaths. They turned out nicely and seem to be a popular seller.

A Rectangle Shaped Wreath.

Using a Graphic Novel. I think it adds a little interest ~ not for everyone...

I wanted to make a non-traditional Christmas Wreath. I really like the way this turned out.

I should add that no books were really harmed ~ well okay, they were taken apart, but I get all of the them from the withdrawn books at the library. They have all lived good and healthy lives and were deemed too "used" to be on the shelves. As a book lover, I hate to see books destroyed, but it is nice to have them used in a new way if they will be thrown away. By the way, the Christmas Wreath was made using John Steinbeck's East of Eden ~ one of my favourite books. Not really a Christmas type of book, but still....

This is a really large frame that I lined with chicken wire ~ great for displaying photos, artwork Christmas cards or just looking pretty.

A nice and heavy side table. The light is not great in these pictures as the tour buses were pulling up (you can see the tires) and the passengers were starting to fill up the space so I was in a hurry!

The light is really bad here, but the table is really shabby and distressed. I used old hardware and gave it a new look for the drawer. I also made some more of the pretty framed dry erase memo boards as the others had sold fairly quickly.

A couple of the larger pieces are still available. I am getting to work on a couple of commissioned items this upcoming week that I am excited about! My 11 year old son has had his bedroom torn apart for about a month in anticipation of a makeover. We sold his bed and so the poor guy has been sleeping on his mattress on the floor. I have been so busy that we haven't been able to tackle the rest of the pre-teen overhaul so I need to dedicate some time to him.

For more consistent updates, you can also visit my Facebook Page and even "like" it!

Fully Installed!

Yesterday I drove east for about an hour out to the little town of Rosebud, Alberta. It is a very special place in southern Alberta as it is home to a very popular theatre company and people come from all over the world to attend the dinner theatre and browse the galleries and little shop there. I am beyond thrilled to have the opportunity to put a selection of my pieces in the Mercantile area of the theatre. These will be available for purchase to the public during the Christmas season. I chose to put a few things in that I normally don't sell online as they are small things that I like to try out for my home or as gifts for friends. If you like any of it, let me know and I will do my best to create something similar for you.

Here is a shot of some of the goods as they were installed yesterday. I had a lot of help and support from the incredibly talented Valerie Speer ~ she works in Rosebud and is an amazing artist. Check out her stuff ~ you will love it!

Here are a few individual photos of some of the pieces on display.

Midcentury bookcase

Child's table with chairs and chalkboard

Book Page Wreath

Shabby Architectural Interest Piece

Shabby Ladder

BEFORE

AFTER ~ Distressed Telephone Bench

Old Window Frame with Netting and Knobs
*great for jewelry or photos*

Large Shabby Leaner Mirror

Small Frame with Wire

Distressed groupings of Frames

This has definitely been a new experience for me. I usually do one piece at a time so to see all of it together is very exciting. 

I am working on a few new things this week that I think will be great! I love to hear from readers and friends about what they see that inspires them.... Enjoy your day!

Taking Some Risks

I have been really trying to get our bedroom looking a little more sophisticated and a little less "college-y". Our kids are now closer to college than we are.

Last year I found a duvet cover that really inspired me. I can't tell you why, but I really fell in love with it. It just connected on a level that only a duvet cover can. If this has happened to you, you will know what I mean. It took a lot of work and a cross border trip to Montana to actually secure this linen, so I am very motivated to make it work for the long-term.

I have been working to incorporate a bench at the end of the bed. I am on a budget so I wanted to do it on the cheap. I found this bench on Kijiji and thought it would work after a little overhaul:

I sanded and sanded this baby and then sprayed it a green to match my beloved duvet. I went to re-upholster the top and as I took off the old fabric, I realized that the whole interior was soaking wet and covered in MOULD! Out to the trash (while holding my breath!). It did seem dry to the touch, but it was really bad on the inside. This is a hazard of the second hand purchase. Anyway, I took a quick trip to Home Depot and they were more than happy to cut a piece of MDF to size for me. This was only another $8 or so. Good to breath non-mouldy air. I finished it with a less "cushy" layer of foam and I am really loving the way it turned out:

So the next thing was the night stands. I had been using Ikea tables. There was nothing really wrong with them. but I wanted to add a little more fun. I am not really a fan of the whole matchy-matchy bedroom set so I was happy to find this set of end tables and a coffee table:

Straight out of the 80s!

Did you know that if you use this

you can spray paint glass? This blew my mind a little bit so I was more than eager to give it a try.

I laid out the glass. I decided I wanted it to look a little bit fun so I picked up some vinyl decals at Dollarama.

I created a design on the glass and covered them with the frosted glass spray.

I covered that with the same green that I painted the bench with.

I then removed the decals. For the sharpest contrast, do this while the paint is still wet.

In the meantime I had painted the side tables a pale grey. I put it all together and was very pleased with myself!

There are TWO!

It is so great when things work out the way that you hope they will.

Anyway, I put it all together and I am very happy with the way it is coming together.

That is a coffee station in the corner. Early morning java is very important to me.... I think I will be moving that now as the tables take up a little more room.

The point is that sometime taking some risks can turn out alright and then your style can really shine through.