Planking

I love wood details in homes. I think that trim work and all the details make the home have character and bring a charm to the place like nothing else can. In my time capsule house there was already lots of character…in some cases too much character. There was a wall at the end of my hallway that I called "the wall of evil spirits" I cannot explain to you the power of this wall. It gave me the creeps and I took it down very quickly after we moved in.

This is what the wall looked like the day I came to view the house:

Yes, that is 1950's gold antiqued mirror that covered the entire 36 square feet. It was nasty. 

So I tore it down ASAP and had a black polkadot wall for 10 months. The polkadots are ugly sure, but they didn't give me chills and weird feelings.

You can see that I had hung the light fixture in this picture. I LOVE that fixture. It's probably one of my most favorites ever!!!

Then for Mother's Day I got a gift card and I spent it on wood planks.  I planked that wall and have plans to trim everything out and do an entire hallway reveal soon.

I then had to prime it and sand it after the primer as it lifts the wood fibers with the damp paint. Don't you sand walls in a maxi skirt? My son shocked me by grabbing my phone and taking this picture while I was working that day.

Here is the planked and painted wall. It's waiting for me to do the ceiling treatment, pull up the carpet and put up the trim. But, those polkadots are covered and the light bright paint at the end of the dingy hallway makes me happy!

Another project on the forever long list is checked off and I smile every single time I walk past it.

David Kind

This is going to be a bit different today. I am not a fashion blog, nor will I ever be a fashion blog. But, I have to share this because it was such an awesome experience. I first read about David Kind on Casey Wiegand's beautiful blog. She inspired me to give it a try. I've had the same glasses for YEARS now and was needing some new ones so it was the perfect time.

These are my old glasses (and a picture that is a year and a half old as well)

Quick lament…I miss my long hair. Superficial and pouty absolutely, but nonetheless true.

So I went to the David Kind website, signed up, uploaded a few pictures, and outlined my preferences. The sample box came in 4 days and was so awesome. First of all, the design lover in me couldn't get over the beautiful packaging. But, the glasses are amazing high quality and so fabulous.

I felt this first pair was cute, but a little too 50's for me. Excuse the no makeup, it's been a busy few weeks!

This second pair was a contender for sure. But I had had black glasses for 7 years and was looking for something a bit different I guess.

Finally these last ones were it. I love the tortoise shell, the frame shape, and the little details.

I waited a couple of days and tried them on with different outfits and in different lights and I still loved them.

Jade Reese thought the process was pretty fun as well. Her picks were super cute, all dress up for her of course. She had a blast though and loved helping me choose!

I love her little freckles and that she isn't afraid of being different. I pray she stays this way always!

This was the most fun process and the company was fabulous to work with. I highly recommend this process for anyone that is needing or wanting to get new glasses. Great experience and service for sure!!!

Dining Table

Sometimes things are brought in that just need a little love. The client likes the piece the way it is for the most part but just wants it renewed. I often don't post these things because people seem to love the drastic change makeovers, but I feel that it's important to showcase what a little TLC can do to renew a piece.

This table was brought to me in less than stellar condition. There was hardly any finish left on it and several places had water damage or heat damage. It's not super easy to see in the pictures but believe me, the damage was there and the majority of the table was down to raw wood.

You can't tell too much from this angle here

I hadn't started sanding the table yet, it was THAT bad!

I ended up having to strip it down in order for it to take even coats of poly.

I also had to do a few tricks I've learned over the years. One with mayonnaise and one with an iron and some steam.

I think it turned out great. It now has multiple durable coats of finish on it and is protected and back to the way the client wanted it.

Stay tuned for more coming soon!