For Sale My Adventures

Once in a while an opportunity comes along that you may have never expected. It lightens your step, pushes you outside your boundaries, gives you a little "Hey I can do this" confidence.  Such an opportunity happened to me a few weeks ago when I wandered into a local store that sells furniture, accessories and other redone pieces for the home.

I started a conversation with the two owners and asked how they get their pieces, if they did them all themselves or how their shop "worked". They told me that they have a few people who provide pieces and of course they do some themselves. Once I told them how I "refinish some pieces for fun and I blog about it " {my shy explanation of what I do}, they asked me to send in some pictures of my work. So I emailed them a link to this table, this chair and this ottoman.

It turns out they loved my pieces and offered me the chance to sell items in their store on consignment.

I am certainly really excited about this because I never, really, I mean, never considered the fact that I would have the chance to make things and sell them. I mean I'm just a girl who likes to thrift and paint and change the pillows out every season {much to my husband's dismay}.

So I got to work and recently dropped off my first items, the red sewing table and some new sunburst mirrors that I made. I just found out this week that one of them sold. So it's official, and I'm really happy.

 

And now if course I have a million ideas in my brain about what I can make for the store. I already stocked up on some things and have a full on workshop going in the basement. If only it was warm enough to spray paint! Although I sneak outside and spray a bit here and here, even though it's cold.

If you are in Western New York, you can find the store here. Wish me luck. And please, leave  me any consignment or reselling advice you may have, I'd love to hear it!

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The Winter Mantle

Well happy Thursday to you all. Have I got some pictures for you today! Pics of the foyer that is, all dressed for winter.  I hope my crush on my new Canon isn't boring you too much, we do look good together don't we?

That was during my photo shoot :-) On a straight hair day {it's naturally curly}. Back to the good stuff!

Our foyer this winter.

This is the brightest and best this foyer has ever looked. I am so proud! Take a look at some other pics in the space in the foyer label. I'm still astonished at what a good camera can do.

The winter mantle didn't change a lot from the holiday one. I made the distressed mirror which was so easy and done with only paint stripper and bleach, a how to is up soon for sure. The feather wreath I just love so much. I'm concocting ways to keep it up year round.

The pine cones in their metallic pots are leftover from Christmas, but I wanted a neutral, all season look so I planned on using them for both. And more feathers for a little fun. I love this bunch and they are so winter.

These are my snow and glitter candles in my dollar store hurricanes. I light them pretty much every night, I just love the glow of a candle in the winter.

I think this mantle is my favorite of all I've done. It really reflects my style and the look I was going for, simple, chic, cozy.

What do you think? Any winter decorating going on at your place?

P.S. Wall color is Creamy Mushroom by Behr. It's never looked quite like it does in person until now, thanks to my new camera. Red chair details here.

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The Trouble with White Furniture

Over the past few months ~ OK, it's been more than half a year ~ we've been decorating the dining room. There is actually one item on the dining room to do list that is completed, but it's not actually crossed off the list.  Can you guess which item it is?

I've actually shown it in pictures before.

It's the buffet. It's been on my list to pick out a color and paint it. I got it at a thrift store just after we closed on the house and was anxious to use it in the dining room.

So why haven't I crossed it off the list?

Things seemed all fine and good. I even rub n buffed the hardware silver and we were moving ahead right?

Oh no. I made the largest of furniture painting mistakes with this piece ever. I mean, ever.

I painted over the white with clear poly. Big mistake HUGE. So guess what happened to my pure white buffet?

It yellowed.

Oh yes, it yellowed. Not all over the dresser, only in parts where the poly was collected more than others. Like on the rounded parts of the doors. You can see a tiny bit here where I've already tried to sand it away.

*UPDATE* I checked and I did use Polycrylic on this piece, not Polyurethane. The polycrylic is not supposed to yellow or at least it hasn't for some people. Maybe I have bad poly juju :-(

So what exactly do I do now? I have to sand off the poly and paint it again, that's what I have to do. A fun time right?

I've sanded all of it, but not 100%. I'm debating if I use a deglosser on it. I've already bought some. The thought of sanding this piece in my dining room makes me cringe. We've already installed the wallpaper and I don't intend to get the room messy because of this thorn-in-my-side buffet.

Sigh.

So I have to figure out a plan. Wait until the weather is warmer so I can take it outside? Try the deglosser (which I've already bought), try something else? Just paint over it all? The poly is water based.

I did go get new paint already. I'm hoping that Ben can help me out. I haven't tried this paint before but apparently you don't have to seal/poly over it. I was hoping for a semi gloss but this kind doesn't come in semi gloss, so I might test this out on a drawer and see how it goes.

So now I'd like to ask some advice. Tell me what do you do with your white furniture? What kind of paint do you use on it? Do you poly it? Do you leave it alone? Do you wax it? I've considered that too. Not sure what to do yet. Help a girl out. Me and my dining room will be forever grateful :-)

Here is the dining room list.

Pick out a wallpaper for in between the wall slats

Order the wall paper and hang it
Select a paint color for the top half of the room and paint

Decide if we are painting the ceiling or not Nope, not painting it

Remove blinds and clean windows

Buy and put up window film

Find fabulous fabric for the window treatments. I got curtains from Ikea and hung those

Make curtains (if I buy fabric) and roman shades and hang them all

Make frames for mirror wall art

Buy frames (or find some) for other wall art I have planned

Decide which color to paint buffet and then paint it <-- Will be doing this one again!

Find new hardware for the buffet

Find lamps and shades for the buffet, repaint part of the new lamps

Decide on/find other wall art?

Pick out and buy a rug

Get a new chandelier

Other lighting? Mini lamp makeover is here.

Throw a dinner party to enjoy our new room!

P.S. This post nor my blog are not sponsored by Benjamin Moore Paints. I'm just hoping I've found the right product!

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Blog Goals 2012

Happy Monday. How was your weekend? Mine was lovely. I tend to take a break from blogging on the weekend, although I still Tweet here and there, if you want to see what I'm up to on those "days off".

I've been thinking about blog goals for a while and am disappointed I didn't do them last year.  So here they are, my intentions for Decor Adventures this year. Some goals, some to do's, some fun!

Make Friends ~ To put it simply, will you be my friend? I'd like to meet more of you, host guest bloggers and guest blog when I can. Can we talk on Skype? Email each other outside of comments? I'd like to get you KNOW you readers! As in real life. Well, as much as we can over the miles.

While this is my top goal, it's also the most elusive. How do you get to know people that live across the country? What can I say that won't make me sound like a big dork?

I promise you I'm totally normal. I like to thrift, you like to thrift. I have an 80's bathroom that needs a makeover, you have an 80's bathroom that needs a makeover. I have more spray paint than Valu, you have more spray paint than Valu. See, we're best friends already :-)

Plan It Out ~ I've been planning a lot for the blog this year, unlike in years past. When I have an idea for a post I write it down in the notes app on my phone. Then I transfer it to a Google Doc spreadsheet so I can see what I want to do for the month and am not scrambling for what to write. I really need to pay attention to this more and get on top of the photography. It's always where I'm lacking. Which brings me to the next goal.

 

Pretty Photos ~ I'm lucky enough to have gotten two new cameras recently and a tripod for Christmas. Since I dropped my older point and shoot, I got the Canon PowerShot Elph which I am more impressed with each time I use it. That little thing has power!

And, I did not see this one coming, but we did get a Canon Rebel just after the holidays. The god of cameras, I've been having some fun with it as seen here and here. I am so impressed with it and look around the house for things to photograph. I'm really happy to have this both for memories and blogging.

Connect, Connect, Connect ~ This one bears repeating. I want to do more connecting with other bloggers.  Link up my projects more often, participate in a blog series, showcase other bloggers when I can.

I realize that people find out about blogs through other blogs and I'm not going to reach my goals if I sit here and wait for people to find me. I've got to get out there. So if you have tips, want to do some blogging together or have other ideas, I'd love to hear them!

Help You Out ~ I also realize that you come to read my blog for a reason and I want that to be a good reason. I plan to have more useful topics in the coming months, you know, info you can use, be inspired by and enjoy.

I plan to keep this in mind when planning, connecting and writing. Almost all my top posts from last year were how to's and that is no accident. More how to's will be on the way! Any special requests?

 

Identify Success ~ This is also a hard one, but related to the above. How do I know if I'm successful at blogging? Am I really having fun doing all these projects? Am I happy with my home? If not, how do I cope with that? Do I measure success in numbers, friends, or something else? What is my intention with all of this?

Some hard questions, but important answers. This is where the balance comes in because I do work full time and now am in grad school full time as well. I don't pretend to want to "do it all" whatever that even means these days. I want to be happy and healthy and spend quality time with my loved ones. These are my intentions in life. Blogging is a hobby, my creative outlet, something I do for fun, not money and I intend to keep it that way.

 

Miscellaneous ~ A little housekeeping. There are some things I need to do, or want to.

• Get a professional profile picture. Check! I've been wanting to do this for a long time. One day I put on some makeup, sat down next to some nice natural light and hubs shot some pics.

• Switch to WordPress? A question mark since I don't really know how to make it happen or if it's for me. I do know that I'm more frustrated with my current software and need to find a quicker better way to host photos, write posts and improve the overall look and organization of the blog in general. My husband does graphic and web design and we started talking about it already. Let's hope!

• Get business cards. I don't have these yet, but I'm going to Haven in June and need to be prepared. I'm trying to think of a fun business card-like thing I can take with me. My URL on a paint brush? A can of Decor Adventures primer for everyone? I'll think of something...

And I think that about covers it! Did you make blog goals this year? Have you wanted to?

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Tips for Organizing During a Move

In honor of organizing week, today I'm offering tips on how to stay organized while you move. About two years ago The Chef moved in with me after we got engaged, these are photos from that fun time. And in June it will be two years since we moved into our first house. On average I'd say I've moved about ten times, not counting all those back and forths each year in college. Some people probably move more often right?  Do you know how many times you've moved?

It can be a stressful time, but doesn't have to be at all. Here are some my tips for getting organized during a move.

Tip 1 - Enlist friends. Packing up an entire house or apartment can seem daunting, but doing it with a buddy (or a few) who packs while you sort can make the project go twice as fast. If you promise them pizza, I'm sure they will help!

Tip 2 - Make a plan for the items you are working with. Once you start to pack, you'll probably realize there are things you no longer need and can get rid of. A great way to get though this is to put the items into three piles. 1. Pack 2. Donate 3. Throw away. Any other items you'll use between now and when you move can be kept in separate bags or boxes for moving at the last minute.

Tip 3 - Pack like items together. Once you start to wrap things up, keep as many of the same items together as possible. Then when you want to look for them later, you know they will all be there.  When you start to do this you'll see just how many rolls of scotch tape you do have... and can get rid of. Less to pack = less to move!

Tip 4 - Have a little fun. Nobody says you can't! All the physical labor might tire you out, refreshments can keep you energized and you can celebrate the start of living in a new place. Now I am not promoting booze here friends, just make sure you eat during all that work too!




Tip 5 - Create a moving day box. This should include any items you might want to use on moving day. Here are some:

Packing tape ~ scissors ~ sharpies ~ box cutters ~ extension cords ~ light bulbs ~ rags ~ cleaning supplies ~ reservation info for the moving van ~ water and snacks ~ garbage bags ~ plastic bags ~ tissues ~ hand wipes or sanitizer ~ aspirin ~ toothbrush & paste

Any other tips you'd like to add for organizing during a move? Did you make a moving day box?

Don't miss my how to get rid of stuff post and how to keep your home organized by Sheila at SZ Interiors.

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