project:retro side tables

Hi everyone! So happy to be back blogging. I didn't mean to take a break… it sort of just happened! We had an amazing weekend hanging out together and seeing some family. We also went out to eat at our favorite restaurant, did some thrifting (our favorite), and saw The Secret Life of Pets (adorable)! And now the week is half over! Yikes!

Anyways, one of my favorite things to do in the evening (besides bake) is work on little projects. About a month ago I picked these awesome, blonde, retro side tables up at a garage sale. For free, might I add. I thought they were so fun and I knew I would think of something to do with them, eventually.

Well, it's taken me a bit, but I finally finished up! The tables are a far cry from my original "vision," but that's how it goes, right?

Most of the bedrooms in our house have a "sitting room" followed by a back bedroom and closet. The guest room downstairs is no exception. We have had this chair sitting down in the sitting room area for quite some time. After I finished up the tables, I realized it only made sense to have a little reading/sitting area in the guest room as well! 

{Side note: I desperately want to get new carpet in all of our bedrooms. This lovely navy carpet just doesn't exactly do it for me. But in the meantime, I picked a color scheme that works with the navy. You do what you gotta do ;) }

And so it was born. I'm super pleased with how it turned out!

For those of you who enjoy projects, I cannot say enough good things about General Finishes milk paint! It is the easiest way to repurpose furniture. You seriously cannot mess it up! There is no prepping required. Most of the time I wipe the furniture off and just start painting!

If you are already a GF Milk Paint lover, and curious, I used Antique White + Patina Green to create that nifty shade!

Thanks for stopping by!

Vanity Remodel

I can't say enough how much I LOVE General Finishes paint. Just last week I posted about our coffee bar project, and I am finally getting around to showing off my little vanity! 

I personally have never liked doing my make up in the bathroom. I don't like standing next to a mirror. In high school/college I actually preferred to sit on the floor with a full length mirror so I could get up close and personal! It's really the only way I can apply mascara accurately ;) . 

I told Clay that I wanted a vanity that had some vintage appeal that I could sit at, but get close to the mirror if needed. We had been keeping our eyes open at various thrift shops and antique stores.

Notice the stickers that I had to scrape off prior... that only happens in some instances. 

 I finally found this one at our local gift shop/antique store, and I refinished it using General Finishes milk paint in "Linen." I can't stress again how easy this stuff is to use! No sanding, no priming, no prepping needed! Seriously. That's it. 

So, here's the final product! 

I am pleased with how it looks, and even MORE pleased that my make up isn't spread out all over the bathroom anymore! I love having my own little corner in my closet to get ready at. 

If you are thinking about refinishing something, you have to try General Finishes milk paint. It's so great!

PS - they aren't paying me to say this, I just seriously love their products! 

Project Coffee Station

Happy post Easter Monday! Easter weekend was hectic and crazy but we had such a great time hosting our families at our house!

 

I am SO SO excited to share with you all a project that we completed last week. I've been trying to figure out how to decorate this empty wall in our kitchen for quite some time now. It's fairly wide and it was a little bit overwhelming for me to figure out what to put there. After scrolling Pinterest (ha) for a few hours, I started to think that floating shelves were the way to go. And then I thought... we clearly also need a coffee station for our kitchen! And the vision was born. I told Clay about it on a Friday night. Sunday night we went antique/thrift store shopping.

 

 

And found this. I wanted something that had a lot of character, doors, and shelves for extra storage. You can't see the inside, but this has it all!

When I got home from work on Monday, this is what I saw on our kitchen wall:

 

  To say I was thrilled would be an understatement!! We barely discussed what I wanted the shelves to look like, and I thought this was a project that would extend over the next few weeks. But no. There they were, done! And absolutely perfect. (Side note: Clay is the best :) )

For the next few nights I painted. And stained. And painted and stained some more. For those of you who are curious, I used General Finishes Milk paint in "Linen" for the bottom and the top is General Finishes gel stain in "Java." I cannot say enough about these products. I have no painting experience and milk paint is the easiest thing to use. There is no prepping or priming necessary. I seriously dusted off the thing, took off the hardware and started painting! It took me about 4 coats to get the coverage that I wanted with the Linen color.

As far as the gel stain, I had purchased it for our kitchen cupboards. We haven't gotten to that project yet, but I now know how easy this stuff is to use! (Incredibly easy!) and I love the outcome.

So...without further ado, here is our big (little project) reveal:

 

 

 

And some close ups to show you the details:

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

I simply could not be happier with how this project came out. And I could not have done this without my husband Clay's handiwork. He made the whole thing come together!
He also made sure that he spaced my cup hooks so that my favorite mug collection could be displayed. :)

And as you may notice, I did end up brushing on a little of the GF gel stain on the shelving sides. We thought it added a little more to the whole look.

And you can now find us making a cup of coffee and staring at our little station. Because it's so cozy and we LOVE IT!

If you are thinking about a paint project, I cannot recommend GF products enough!

Have a great day!

xoxox



Weekend Highlights + Valentine's Day

Happy Monday! It's not very often that I feel like a weekend is LONG.... but we had such a fun and full weekend that it actually felt like a long time!

 

On Saturday, Clay and I headed over to the Robin's Nest, which is the most darling gift shop in our little town. I seriously go there at least once a week to check out the goods! She has a huge selection of handcrafted gifts as well as antiques and furniture available to refurbish. If you are in the Omaha/Lincoln area, add the Robin's Nest to your next stop.

 

Anyways, I got sidetracked there. I was beyond thrilled to find this rustic looking piece for our kitchen. It is one of my favorite decorative items in our house now!

 

Random FYI: This was made from the wood from the "Lady Gaga barn," aka the barn in her video "You and I." (Which is less than a mile from our house!)

 

 

And this.... I am in love. I have been on the search for a vanity that I could refurbish and put in my closet. I hate doing my make up/getting ready in the bathroom as I feel like it makes such a mess and is spread out everywhere. Luckily I stumbled on this....
 

 

 

....And began the project this weekend. It needs a little TLC but I have a vision in mind! :) Details and pictures to follow when I finish!
 

 

Saturday night Clay surprised me with wine and this darling flower arrangement. He's the best. :)

 

Sunday we hung out with Clay's family most of the day and at night we had a reservation at Dario's Brasserie in Dundee.

 

 

You guys... to die for. Our normal date spot is Pitch, but they do not take reservations and we could only assume Valentine's Day would be a nightmare wait. Clay absolutely did us a favor with this reservation. They had a Valentine's Day menu and the perfect romantic atmosphere for the evening. The food and service at Dario's was spectacular. We will be back for sure!

 

 

Lastly, we are refurbishing our kitchen cabinets as I mentioned the other day. We finally decided on using a gel stain as opposed to milk paint. I  knew that I wanted to stick with General Finishes products regardless, but we decided we would like to keep the grain from our 80s looking oak cabinets, but transform them into a more modern look with the "java" finish. I'll document this project as well!

 

Has anyone actually used this product on their cabinets? I am excited (and nervous) to start! Any tips/tricks welcome!

 

Hope everyone had a wonderful weekend and Monday is off to a great start!