New Business Venture!

I decided to bite the bullet and open up a little shop selling my fabulous painted goodies and Diys. As much as I love painting and refinishing furniture, there is honestly nowhere else in my house to put it. Ha!! So since I still love it, I decided to start selling it. So yay! Come be a fan of my little Facebook page, mkay? 

Www.facebook.com/lepetitemaisonshop

Blonde Mom Blog

Today I am over at the fabulous Blonde Mom Blog guest posting on how to dress your kiddos in designer clothes on the cheap. Go check it out!  

Http://www.blondemomblog.com 

DIY Restoration Hardware Faux Zinc Finish

So, I love to paint and refinish furniture. It's hobby of mine and the jury's still out on how good I am at it. But I like to play around and try new things. (Oh, and I have recently started doing it on the side - go check it out!!)

One finish I have been dying to try is a metallic faux zinc finish. After doing some research, it seemed like there was 1000 tutorials on the web and every one of them was different. I kind of picked two and then did my own thing for various reasons. One was Freckled Laundry, and hers was awesome but I didn't follow all her steps, but I did take her idea of "ragging" on the paint.

The other, ChiChi Studio I found because I wanted to search ways of doing it with Annie Sloan Chalk Paint. And it turns out she is a local gal who shops for ASCP at the same place. Small world!

Basically I just did it my own way, using some pointers. I wanted mine darker than Freckled Laundry, but more shiny and metallic that ChiChi. 

Here was my inspiration:

A zinc finish Restoration Hardware Piece. I love the shine and color, but I wanted darker hardware to make it look more industrial. 

So, here is what I did. 

Supplies:

Paint Brushes (duh)
DecoArt Metallic Finish in Silver and Black
White Paint (any)
Annie Sloan Graphite Chalk Paint
Gray Paint (any)
Glaze
Polyurethane
Rags (or old tshirts)
Gripper Primer

Wow, that sounds like alot of crap, but I had alot of it on hand. The only thing I purchased was the metallic paint. And again, I just mixed stuff because I had it. You don't have to.

First, the before. It was an Ethan Allen buffet I got for a steal off of Craigslist. So it had good bones and was very solid.

And the after:

1. First, I primed it with my Gripper Primer. You don't have to do that if you use Annie Sloan, but I wanted a really smooth surface, and plus I didn't use 100% ASCP as the base (WHAT???? You MIXED Annie Sloan with latex paint?? Can you DO THAT???) Yes, I did, and I broke the rules. Shame on me. But, hey, it worked. And I wanted it lighter than Graphite, so I mixed in a little bit of gray. Thats why its fun!

Primed and ready to go!

2. Next I put on one light coat of ASCP in Graphite, mixed with a little bit of gray. Again, no need for good coverage here, I just wanted a dark base. 

You can see the coverage isn't great, but thats ok.

3. Mix three piles of metallic sheens (this idea I got from Freckled Laundry). I say do this, but I only used the darker of the two. The lightest I used with a glaze at the end - here is where I went different than what she did. She used all three, I used two, then the lighter as a glaze. 

I used the original AS paint and mixed in the black metallic to it (left) then the black metallic with silver glaze (top right) them silver metallic with white paint (bottom)

4. Rag it on using a tshirt. I have never used this method before, but it was really easy! Almost better than using a paint brush. And because I had a dark base already, it covered beautifully. So, here is where the fun begins. You rag on the darker, then while it's wet throw some of the silver metallic on there as well and rag it on there together. It doesn't have to be perfect, just the mixture of silvers creates than zinc finish. But only work it small sections because it dries quickly

You can see the different shades of silver using this method. 

5. Glaze. I mixed the glaze with the lightest silver metallic (the one mixed with white) then I ragged it on, wiped it off. It left this really pretty silver shimmer. 

6. Poly it up! I used two coats of polyurethane. Again, I know this is a no-no with ASCP, but I only used it as a base, and I wanted the super shine of poly on this piece. 

So, there you go! What do you think?? It seems like a lot of steps, but it went pretty fast. it helps when you're allowed to be messy and not perfect, right?

Used the flash on this one so you could see the shimmer sheen. 

Close up of the silver - replaced knobs with some from Hobby Lobby

Close up of the finish

Matilda Jane Trunk Show

I decided to bite the bullet and host my own Matilda Jane trunk show. I certainly buy enough of it so I figure I might as well let others enjoy it as well! Its the most precious stuff! 

It's this Friday. If any of you are local and would like to know more about it just leave your email. Or if you're not local and you'd like to take advantage of Tennessee's tax-free weekend and order online through my trunk show just leave your email as well :) YAY for shopping!! 

Steppin Out to The Irish Picnic

This weekend we "stepped out" to the Irish Picnic in McEwen, TN. Jake's family lives right outside of there so we decided to take the kiddos and visit his family as well.

The Irish Picnic is apparently quite famous. And even though I've known him for years and years, this was also my first time at the Picnic. It dates back to 1854 and attracts 25000+ every year. They smoke tons of barbecue and have lot if little fair games for the kiddos. Although I don't eat pork, it supposed to be quite fabulous.

Playing maybe a "throw the baseball, knock over bottles game". clearly they're cheating. 

Jules, too. Don't let her fool you. 

The twinnies with their prizes they won. 

Celebrating - fake smile style. 

Whats a picnic without blue ice cream?

Sweet guy - blue lips and all. Also - eyelashes. Swoon...

Hey Jules, wanna go fishin? It's fun (from my favorite movie in the world, Shag)

The little fam! Casual Saturday :)
On Moi: Cambray shirt and shorts: HandM//Necklace: Stella and Dot//sunglasses:Prada//purse: Gucci//Flip Flops: Target
On Jules: Top: Petit Lem//Shorts: Co-op boutique//Shoes: Nikes
On Josh: Top: Nautica//Shorts: Childrens Place//Shoes: Nikes

Whats a fair without a bounce house?

Also a got to hang out with this little cutie.
Charlie and Olive :)

Linking up with Monday Mingle

If I Could be Anything in the World {Blogging with a Purpose}

There is a series running around the blogosphere about Blogging with a Purpose. (Www.frommrstomama.com) 

Each week is a new topic to delve into and express your thoughts through. This week is "If I could be anything in the world".

You know, it's funny. I am not AT ALL the person I thought I'd be. And that's ok. I was one of those girls that grew up knowing EXACTLY what I wanted to do. I was a self-conscience fame-whore...admittedly.

I wanted to be a famous actress. I totally could have been (didn't all girls??) But, I knew that wasn't going to happen. So, if I wasn't going to be world-famous, by goodness I was going to be locally famous. Television news here I come!!!

I knew I was going to major in broadcasting at a young age, and was one of those few people who entered college with said head-strong major in hand. I knew what I was going to be when I grew up. Woohoo! Let's get this show on the road!

Then life happens. I met a boy. I met said boy my junior year - his senior year in college. He moved to Nashville after graduation, and then I had to do some soul-searching. Also during this time I read a stupid fiction book about a nosy little busy-body reporter who brought down the White House. I felt myself routing for the White House staff over the reporter who was it in "for the good of the land". This book (I swear, how silly) and meeting the boy changed my course. In one of my poly sci classes we did a mock election (there was a current presidential election at this time) and they assigned roles for everyone: president, vice, campaign manager, etc, etc. Me and another girl were the only broadcast journalism majors in the class so we were naturally assigned to do all the reporting on our "election". I remember being so bummed! I wanted campaign manager! 

I was knee-deep in my major at this time. I had already completed two internships at two local news stations. But, I decided then that I didn't want to move from small Podunk city to small Podunk city trying to make it in the broadcasting world.


My minor was political science at the time. So, I flopped them. I decided I wanted to do something that makes a difference. I LOVED my political science courses anyway, and was already one of those annoying passionate college kids during a fantasic presidential election, so with all these outside influences in my life...I made the decision. And it was a big one in your senior year of college after knowing what you wanted to do your entire life. But I loved the boy, and didn't want to move around. To Nashville I went. Oh, and I married the boy :)

Now you are probably asking what politics am I doing now right? Well, I work in advocacy for a non-profit, and doing what I have wanted to do. My favorite class in college was my interest groups class. I would love to work more in advocacy and had aspirations or working on the hill some day. I am a very driven person. But then? Life happens.

We wanted to start a family. We struggled for a while to do so. Doctors told us we had "unexplained infertility" and it may not happen for us. Life took all those career-driven, passionate endorphins and put them full steam ahead into baby-making. Two and a half years (finally) later we were blessed with Josh and Jules and I haven't looked back. While I do still love my job and want to be that person I was, I'm just not. And that's ok. My kiddies are my contribution to this world and I'm very proud of that and them.

Plus, I have many years left to save the world :)

Five on Friday - vol. 1

I decided to "try" to jump on the Five on Friday bandwagon. I probably won't get to it every Friday, but I'll try. You just kind of post about 5 things you are loving, or five things on your mind. My local bloggy friends Following C's and The Neimeyer Nest usually participate, and it's piqued my interest. :)

Here we go!

{ONE}

It's so dang hot here. Like, "really, really" hot. And humid like craziness. And it seems like every time we attempt to go to the pool, it rains. Like alot. And I'm getting kinda sick of it...like alot.

2nd time in two weeks I've let them play in the rain...because, obviously.

{TWO}


We are going up to New York in August for a long weekend and I'm super stoked about it. I'm kind of obsessed with New York City and it's my all time fave place to go. I've blogged about it a bit here, here, and here so I'm excited about going back. Jake and my sisters husband are going with us, so it will be a bit of change from our normally girly trips, but still uber fun.

A pic from a previous trip. Im guessing 2008 based on the date stamp - ha!

{THREE}


I got a chair reupholstered thinking it was going to go in the babies' room as replacing their nursery glider, but when I got it back I realized how WHITE it was. (I have been a sucker for white things lately, bad for toddlers and cats). So, after moving it around places, I decided to squeeze it in our bedroom for now and look for something else for their room.




See the chair squeezed in over to the left? It's super whitey white, along with my bedspread now covered in cat hair. I will eventually learn. But man, I love it!


{FOUR}

I, for one, and so flippin' excited for this Royal Babe to get here. I'm obsessed. I know I might be alone. But eeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee!!!!!!
{FIVE}

And with school comes football season! Its officially that time of year where I start scoping the web for cute orange stuff to wear to football games (Go Vols) It's football in the south, ya'll - wardrobe is key. (all photos via Pinterest)

I must find some Tory Burch orange flats like, yesterday.

Love this so much!

Happy Friday!!

Would love a vote - thanks!