Tuesday, October 23, 2012

Miss Mustard Seed Milk Paint Is Here!





I am lucky enough to be a part of one of the best gift and home decor stores in the Pacific Northwest.  Nest Home & Gifts has been my home away from home for over six years and when I heard Susan, (my very good friend and owner of Nest), was bringing in Miss Mustard Seed Milk Paint, I was tickled pink!  It arrived just last week and I rushed down to buy my three favorite colors: Typewriter (black), Shutter Gray and Ironstone (white).  Since I am also a dealer at Faded Elegance, a fabulous antique store in Snohomish, I always have old furniture on hand awaiting a new transformation.  For over a year now, I have been using Annie Sloan Chalk Paint to make-over my furniture pieces.  It is a wonderful product and I really do love it.  However, like many of you, I am always on the lookout for something new and different.  


Miss Mustard Seed Milk Paint

(in a nut shell)

The major differences I found between milk paint and chalk paint are 1) The milk paint comes in a powder form.  Mix the powder with warm water, using the recommended measurements.  2) Milk paint is a bit more temperamental than chalk paint.  This is a great characteristic if you ask me!  If you desire a more consistent coverage, mix MMS Bonding Agent directly into your paint.  If you don't mind the chippy look, apply the paint without the bonding agent.  Pay close attention to the surface you are painting.  For example, you are more likely to have a chippy result if you are painting a piece with a high-gloss finish, or a previously painted or waxed surface.  As the paint dries, you will see it start to lift away from the surface, allowing the paint to chip away.   You can use a putty knife to lightly scrape away the chipping pieces of paint.  Once the loose pieces are scraped away, waxing is required to protect the piece.    

There are other products in the Miss Mustard Seed Milk Paint line: Hemp Oil - for surfaces that need protection from liquids; Antique Wax - tinted wax used to seal and age the piece at the same time; Crackle - to assure you get that chippy finish; and as I mentioned before...Bonding Agent - used as a primer to help your paint adhere to your surface, resulting in a more consistent solid coverage.  

The key is to have fun with the milk paint and just let it happen as it may!  Stress doesn't have a place in painting..it should be a creative release!  
It's not brain surgery, it's just paint :)


My first go at using MMSMP

The piece I started out with was a plain oak hutch that had been stained and lightly varnished.  Like chalk paint, there is no prepping needed for the wood when using milk paint, so I mixed up 1 tablespoon of powder to 1-1/2 to 2 tablespoons warm water.  I just used my paint brush to mix it up, and used a plastic drinking cup as my "vessel".  In just a few minutes I was ready to paint.

I really loved the way MMSMP adhered to the wood.  It appeared to soak into the piece and really became part of the wood.  It has been my experience that chalk paint seems to "sit" on top of the surface.  I painted a second coat that gave me the coverage that I was looking for.  As it dried, I noticed that the coverage was smooth and there was no crackling or chipping at all (which was disappointing because I wanted this piece to be chippy).  So, I waited for it to dry completely and then took a 200 grit sanding block to the areas where I wanted heavy distressing.  Like chalk paint, it sanded beautifully!  After sanding, I used an old sock to apply a thin coat of MMS Clear Wax.  I love this wax!  It really seals the paint and goes on perfectly smooth and even.  I waited approximately 15 minutes and took a "new" old sock and buffed away.  There were no fingerprints or spotty areas, yeah!


The results were awesome...









Gabrielle Chicken Wire Hutch

Available at 

Nest Home & Gifts




 


Once I started playing around with MMSMP, I figured why stop?

I was on a roll...

Here is a chair I found down in Oregon while on a trip with  friends, Katie and Kimberly.




 
I chose Miss Mustard Seed Milk Paint

 Shutter Gray and also replaced they shotty fabric.

Because this was a really old piece (horse hair was the base under the padding),

I was excited to see how the milk paint would adhere to the wood.

I painted a single coat and noticed chipping...

a lot of chipping!  

It sounds cheesy, but I was squealing with delight!

I took a putty knife and scraped away the excess.

I also did some light sanding to create a silky-smooth surface.

I used clear wax to seal it all and...


TAH-DAH!












My official review:

I am so impressed with Miss Mustard Seed Chalk Paint!

Luv, luv, luv!

If you are wanting to get your toes wet and play around

with user friendly paint, you can come visit or call in your order at

Nest Home & Gifts

located in Mill Creek, Washington.

Who knows, I might even be the one who takes your order!

Happy painting!

Cheers,

Cheree

Wednesday, October 10, 2012

Too Much Of A Good Thing Can Be Wonderful


The Fall decor is up, 

the days are getting shorter, 

the down comforters are on the beds, 

and we visited our first

pumpkin patch of the season.


Life is good...




Like many moms out there,

I have been balancing a

number of things this week.

Here's a peek!



DIY/Craft Corner

I got the idea for this wreath

I made last night off Pinterest.

They are so easy and super

cute!

I have new products coming in

this week, all of which

are made from upcycled

barn wood and fences.

Stay tuned for pics!


Faded Elegance had an awesome

birthday party, celebrating

12 years!

Dealers are now gearing up for

the holiday season!

I am so excited!

This is my favorite wreath

so far, 
I am mildly obsessed with

the gray/white chevron.

You can search Pinterest to

see all kinds of different

styles, color schemes.

I found this antique bed frame

and had to pry it out of my own hands

to bring it down to my space.

I am dying to take a room in my house

and turn it into a "woman cave".

My BFF did that in her home and it

has been the best inspiration!

Don't you just love that idea?


Speaking of inspiration, whether you are

an avid Faded Elegance customer or

just enjoy
browsing for

ideas, there is an easy way to

show your love!
Please vote here to help

Faded Elegance win

Best Antique Shop

in the King 5 Best In Western

Washington Contest!

Kimberly McIlrath, Owner

is so talented and she

is the best in the biz!

Please show her your appreciation

for having such a fabulous store

for all of us to enjoy!

I bought a large lot of antiques

and this was the first to receive

my full attention.  My only regret

was having to change out the

original hardware.  It was unique and

quirky, but only half of the drawers

had them.

After a couple coats of ASCP French Linen,

some new hardware,

and some gold metallic paint on the details,

it was as good as new.

I also fell in love with this old dresser.


ASCP Graphite and clear wax

spruced it up to make me love it

even more.

  It's elegant and would

be a great addition to any space.


On The Home Front...

It's a tradition we look forward to

every year and one that

we never have missed.

A trip to the local pumpkin patch!











The rain will be returning soon, 

which will be the end to our record-breaking 

dry streak here in the Northwest. 

It was a good run...

we enjoyed it to the fullest.

Until next Spring...

or Summer :)

Too Much Of A Good Thing 
Can Be Wonderful

Those of you who live here understand!

Cheers,

Cheree 

Friday, September 21, 2012

Biggest Sale of the Season!

Happy Friday everyone!  I'm on my way out the door for cross country carpool, and then off to Craft Night at Faded Elegance.  So excited for a night out with the girls.
Everyone is gearing up for next Friday, September 28th, which is the start of our biggest sale of the season at Faded Elegance!  Come and visit during the 12th Anniversary Sale & Soirée!  All weekend long there are fabulous deals and it's a not-to-miss event!
Here's a quick look at what kept me busy this week...





















Like I said...literally running out the door.  Have a fabulous weekend and celebrate the first weekend of Autumn :)

Cheers,

Cheree

Wednesday, September 12, 2012

Fallin' Into Autumn

There is bit of a snap in the air,

which means my favorite time of year

must be closing in on us.

I've pulled out my favorite Fall recipes and

have already made one batch of

YUM!

I've also been busy stockpiling new

items to bring into Faded Elegance.

Here's a peek from this week...
Just arriving today is this huge double-door
armoire.  It has three adjustable shelves,
as well as a bar for your wardrobe.


I'm a little light since August was a very busy month for sales,
but there is plenty to choose from still, including lots of markdowns!



This little charmer is only $38 and will add just
the perfect touch to any room.


Decided to open up the trunk I have for sale
and use it for a spot for all of my
reclaimed wood frames and word boxes.
  
And, if that isn't enough,

 we've made it through the first week

of the new school year...can you hear that?
  
The house is quiet again!

Although I do love the luxuries of

summer, it is nice for our family to

be back to a routine.
  
My daughter started her Junior year

in high school and my

son began his last year in middle

school as an 8th grader.  


Chanelle has zero period this year, so
she was out the door before it was
light out, but I still managed to have
 my way with the first day traditional picture.

Keiton headed out about an hour later
than his sister.  He is happy to be headed
back to school to see his friends.


 I'm thrilled with their teachers and classes

and I know it will be a great year for them both!


If you haven't heard or seen the invite yet...

don't miss out on another fun

Craft Night at Faded Elegance!
 
will be teaching!

You can learn more about it

here.

Hope to see you there!

Cheers,

Cheree

Thursday, August 30, 2012

Maui Condo Make-Over

What does it look like when two friends
 
get to travel to Hawaii
 
and make-over a studio condo?
 
 
 
 
 
A few weeks ago I flew to Maui with

my good friend, Susan, 

to help out with her dad's condo.  He is

part of a rental pool at the

gorgeous...
 
 
  


Can you believe how blue the water is?
 
 
This is the view from Unit 112.

Two pools, one hot tub and a gazebo with barbeques for grilling.


 
 My trip was to last for nine days.

Our job was to repaint the light-blue

walls, baseboards and doors.

We also were in charge of checking off

as many things as we could from

the condo's punch list.

This included upgrading bedding,

furniture, accessories, etc.

Sounds easy, right?

Hmm...that's what we thought too!

This is a before shot of the furniture and walls.

Kind of a mix-match of colors.

Notice the conduit on the wall...grrr! 


The bathroom.

The kitchen.


Because Susan is SUSAN, we had to

squeeze in some fun before

the work began (she really is SO much fun!).


Not only does Noelani Resort put on weekly

crafts and barbeques, as well as daily

informational gatherings 

(which include a breakfast) where you can

listen to Bruce give you all the

in's and out's, but they also put on a fabulous

Mai Tai Party at the Gazebo.



Yes, we consumed all six drinks...which led to ....

Diving into the pool with new friends!



Needless to say, after mai tai night, we moved

a little slower the next morning.

We made a strong pot of coffee and

rolled out the paint.


Susan kept a smile even while painting the ceiling
in the bathroom...what a trooper!


I prefer to do the detailed work, so that
was my job!


Two days into painting and the walls

were up!

So, we went a took a day to play.


We set out to Hana.

It was a crazy drive, but we were glad we did it.

We drove past the town and went on
to discover the Seven Pools.
 

They were closed off from swimmers,
but we hiked along the water's edge
and captured some great shots.

So beautiful!


 
Made it to the Seven Pools Loop
 
Being goofy
 
 
We did a quick hike around the loop
 
and headed back to the car for
 
the grueling drive back to the condo.
 
Over 600+ turns/switchbacks,
 
one-lane bridges and crazy drivers!
 
We rewarded ourselves by stopping
 
at the local fish market and picked
 
up some fresh Ono for dinner.
 
 
Of course, we enjoyed a margarita with dinner too,
why not?
 
 
Ono marinated in an Asian marinade, salad and
fresh pineapple.
 


And topped the day off with a late swim.


 
 
The next day we got up early started in
 
scrapping the old paint off
 
baseboards and did one coat of
 
primer and while it dried...
 
 
Grabbed breakfast at a local spot
 
just down the beach.
 
 
A sweet little beach was right next door.

Waited in line for quite a bit, but it was
so worth it!



I know, right?  Macadamia nut, banana and pineapple pancakes!
 
 
Back to work painting doors and
 
putting on two coats of oil-based
 
paint for the baseboards.
 
There will be NO peeling ....
 
ever!
 
Next, we went to work on

rearranging and staging.
 
We were working with specifications
 
from the Board of the condo,

so there were certain guidelines

we were given that we had to abide by.

We also had to keep in mind that

Susan's dad did not want it to feel dark,

so we went with Martha Stewart's


"File Cabinet" for the walls.


The dark walnut furniture

really warmed up the space,

along with new bedding

and lamps.  We decided to work with

the art that we had since we were

working with a budget.

All of this plays out on paper nice and neat,

but let me assure you that Susan

worked long and hard to make sure

all of the pieces fell into place.

Lots of moving parts made it

very challenging, but we really LOVE

how it turned out!
 
The bed will eventually have two additional throw pillows
that are being made up with fabric to match the couch/
pullout bed.

This table will eventually have dark walnut
chairs with chocolate brown cushions. I left before
the chairs arrived, but I did get a pic via text from
Susan and they look great.

We did lower the new mirror two inches (we had a heck of a time
dealing with the conduit). And, the couch/pullout bed now
has a dark walnut frame to match the rest of the furniture.



This table is right as you walk in and its
a nice little spot to put your keys.  It also
has a guest book, which is really fun to
sit and read what other guests have written.
 

Kitchen.  The new flat-top stove and a new refrigerator were due
to arrive after I left, but I bet they look fabulous!

 
New table settings.
 
 
 

Breakfast on the lanai.

 



 

New bathroom paint and accessories.
 
 

 
 
 
Outer view of unit.




Noelani Resort.





Nearby hotels.

Sun just about ready to set.
 
 
 
I had one more day in paradise,
 
so we headed to Lahina for the day!
 
 
By far, Susan's home away from home.


 
Susan is a lover of all things BIRDS.  She is

The Bird Whisperer!

Me...I put on a brave front, but I really wanted to scream...or cry.




She is in love!


We had a bite to eat and a lovely drink at a funky little bar.

 



And returned home in time for a barbecue with friends at the pool.





Even though I missed my husband

and kids (tons), I feel so lucky to have been

able to go experience all that Maui with

such a good friend. 



Susan was a great

tour guide/snorkel instructor

and painting buddy!  

We have memories to last

a lifetime.




If you ever want a piece of

paradise of your own, check out

The Noelani Condominium Resort,

Unit 112.


You will love it!






 
 
 



 












 Mahalo!