Angry Bird Boat

 We had the boy scout Rain-gutter Regatta tonight.  We had a fun time painting our boat to look like Angry Birds.  We spray painted the whole thing blue then hand painted the face, outlining it with a sharpie.  I cut the "Angry Birds" writing out on the cricut using the font Feast of Flesh from dafont.com.  We didn't win, but it looked really cute!!

Only 2 more cat photos - I promise!

 Couldn't resist putting 2 more photos of Marbles!  He is so funny how he lays on his back!  I think he really likes his new blankie!

A blanket for Marbles

 My mom came to visit and brought this cute little crochet blanket for Marbles.  My Aunt thought she was silly for making the cat a blankie - but he LOVES it!! 

 (Sorry for so many cat pictures - I never know when to stop when it comes to cats!!)

New Couch, New Pillows

I bought a new couch!  It's pretty exciting because the one it replaced was 15 years old.  I don't get new furniture very often - unless I can paint it or fix it up somehow,  I love the couch - it's a Broyhill and super comfy.  I came with these pillows which don't really match what's going on in the room

 So I sewed new ones!  They are really big - much larger than a throw pillow.  I essentially made a mini quilt and put 2 flaps on the back to make an envelope.  This one is a Moda print and all I did was quilt it - swirls in the circles and then just 1/8 inch from the lines straight stitching. 

 

This one is from the Vintage Modern Moda line.  I sewed different strips together and straight line quilted it.  Then sewed the binding on

 Sew Happy!

Back to School

I vinyl-ed these sanitizer bottles to give the teachers on the first day of school.  Both teachers are boys - so can't get too cutesy!  The hardest part of this craft is getting the label off the Germ-X bottle!!!

Thrift Shopping at DI

I love going to Utah because I get to shop at the Deseret Industries!!  It is so much cheaper than thrift shopping in California - and there is so much to rummage through.  David took these pictures of me "negotiating" with the cashier!!  (I didn't know I was being photographed!)  So funny.  I got all these cute luncheon plates & little glass cups to add to my collection - now I can have 100 people for lunch & they can all have their own glass plate!!

 

 

Quilt Shops in St. George, Utah

 On our way up to Logan, I made David and the kids stop in St. George while I "ran" into 2 quilt shops.  They literally sat in the running car (107 degrees outside) while I tried to browse through 2 quilt shops I had never been to!  That takes talent!  The first shop was Scrap Apple Quilts.

 

The first thing that caught my eye was this pattern:

 

They had it done up in these colors:

 So cute!  I bought the pattern and am determined to make one!!

 They had so many cute things to look at - I could have spent at least an hour there!  I quick grabbed a Halloween Panel by Henry Glass and some fat quarters & left.

Then we headed over to Quilted Works - also super cute and inspiring.  They have a blog!  Check it out!

 Again, I had only a few minutes.  So I bought a few patterns, some yardage and fat quarters.  I have so many projects in my head!!  These are a few photos I took of their shop.  I wish I had a quilt shop in my area!!

 So much fun!  I wish I had more time!!

Antiquing in Utah!

I just got back from spending a week in Utah with my husband's family.  It was a jam-packed week for sure!  I managed to squeeze in a few minutes of antique shopping looking for vintage Pyrex.  I am excited about my finds!!  I have been looking for a pink piece for my collection & I was so excited to find this pink gooseberry bowl!  The red & blue bowls are actually ones my Mother-in-law gave me from her collection!

I love this green and blue casserole dish too!  I haven't seen this print before.

I love these two divided casserole dishes with lids - they are my first pieces with decorative lids!  I got the yellow one for $5 and the green one for $6!!

 I came across this vintage metal bread box and I fell IN LOVE!!  It will be perfect on top of my fridge - looks so cute in my kitchen!!

A Quilt Gift

Wanted to share this quilt I made.  I sent this quilt to a friend who has suffered a terrible loss in her family.  I think quilts have special powers to lift, brighten, and comfort.  I used the pattern from Diary of a Quilter found Here - only I made it larger to be a throw size for an adult.   I love how it turned out!!

Coffee Table Re-Do!

 I bought this coffee table at a garage sale over 6 months ago - I paid $2 for it!  I didn't really know what I wanted to do with it - I figured I would paint it or something.  So, it sat in the backyard for months and months.  After reading I Heart Naptime's post on DIY Chalk Paint, I was inspired to paint something.  This coffee table was the perfect candidate!

 Step #1
Have your husband kill the black widow spider that is living in the underside of the table.  YIKES!!!

 I loved the tutorial from I Heart Naptime.  She does an amazing job of explaining each step and her piece of furniture came out fabulous.  You should check it out!!  I followed her steps pretty closely.

#2 Sand

This table had spots of glitter glue all over it from it's previous owner.  I felt that a good sanding would help my table get off to a good start.  I didn't sand down to the grain - just till it was smooth.

 #3 Base Color
My goal in this piece was to distress it.  I wanted a black color showing through (you can use any color - or even have the wood show through)  I used some black paint and painted the edges and spots on the surface.  Looking back, I would have given the entire table a coat of black because I couldn't remember where I put my spots on the top!!

#4 Vaseline

This is a technique to help the base color show through the top color.  I have also seen it done with candle wax.  Rub the Vaseline along the edges and parts where you want the black to show through - this will give it a shabby chic or rustic look depending on how much sanding you do. 

#5 the Chalk Paint Mixture

This is where we will get that worn, vintage feel to our paint.  I went to Lowe's and purchased latex paint in a light aqua color.  I asked for Satin finish and when I got home I noticed it was semi-gloss.  I was a little miffed, but it worked fine anyway. 

Mix 5 Tablespoons of Plaster of Paris with 2 to 3 Tablespoons water in a small container
Then measure 2 cups of paint in a separate container and stir the plaster mixture into the paint until it's smooth.  This was the right amount for the size of table I was painting.

#6 Paint Paint Paint

I gave my table 3 coats of paint with a paint brush, letting it dry completely between coats.  Some items may only need 2 coats of paint.

#7 Inspection

Make sure your cat inspects your work, getting his paws, tail and back in the paint!!

 

#8 Sanding

Take a light weight sand paper and sand where ever you want the black to show through.  I sanded all the edges, curves, and random areas on the top.  This is where the Vaseline helps so you don't have to sand like crazy - especially with 3 coats of paint!  It worked great!!

 #9 Finishing Wax
This is my favorite part of the project!  Use Minwax Paste Finishing Wax.  Get a rag and rub it all over your piece of furniture.  Then let it sit for 20-30 minutes.  Take another cloth and buff or polish the wax.  The wax gives it a vintage look as it is not glossy or too shiny, yet not flat.  It's the perfect finish for this project.  If you are finishing a piece that needs to be durable, such as a kitchen table, I suggest polyurethane or polycrylic - it will be more durable.  You can get those in satin finish so they aren't too glossy.

 Ta Da!!!!
It's done & I LOVE it so much!!!

 I would totally paint furniture using this technique again.  When I bought the $2 table I was thinking $4 of spray paint and it's done.  This process was lots more $$ but still cheaper than buying real chalk paint.  Plus I have plenty of Plaster of Paris and finishing wax to do several more projects - YEA!!!