Tuesday, May 7, 2013

Nursery Project# 2 ~ Painting the dresser and the shelf


 Hello, friends!

I am finally done with my big painting project. The dresser/changing table & shelf are completed.

The Paint ~


I painted with Annie Sloan chalk paint in Old White, clear wax, dark wax & Provence mixed with Old White


I mixed about half a sample pot of Provence with about a quarter too half  a jar full of Old White. I stirred and shook the jar until it was a lovely shade of sage. 


The Furniture ~



My dresser/buffet that I painted black over a year ago now turned
dresser/changing table


I bought this bookshelf several years ago. I believe it used to be a cabinet with glass doors. I used it for cookbooks, my china tea set, and other decorative dining room items.

Since I was no longer using either item in our house, it made perfect sense to just re-use them for the baby's room

Painting ~


The first coat of Old White ~ I let it dry overnight

I then did a second coat of Old White ~ I let it dry for a few hours and then began with my sage colored layer


I painted one coat of Old White on the back of the bookshelf and on the dresser drawers before applying the sage paint color. After the first coat of white paint dried, I taped around the areas where I wanted to apply the two coats of sage.


I like how the colors look without the wax in these photos. However, in actuality you could see some of the black still showing through. It really needed the wax layers!


I painted two coats of the sage so that there wouldn't be any black bleed through. I let the sage layers dry overnight, did my clear wax layer, let that dry for an hour, and then applied the dark wax.

The Dresser Completed ~


I painted the hardware in old white with dark wax


A closer look

I actually let the dresser and the shelf cure for two days before adding the hardware

The Shelf Completed ~


The dark wax distressing is a bit much in some places but the very aged look of it is really growing on me!


A closer look

Another look at the dresser ~


Now, I just have to decide if I'm painting my rocking chair to match. I also need to find a small side table to hopefully paint with the rest of my left over sage color to go next to the rocking chair.

The nursery is really coming along now! My husband and brother put the crib together tonight. It won't be long now until the nursery is completed and Olivia will arrive!

Love,


Linking with ~

TwelveOeight ~ Pretty Things
The Farmhouse Porch ~ Tuesdays the Scoop
Knick of Time Interiors ~ Knick of Time Tuedays
A Diamond in the Stuff ~ Time to Shine
Savvy Southern Style ~ Wow us Wednesdays
So Much Better With Age ~ Give me the Goods Party
Ivy & Elephants ~ What's it Wednesdays
Saving4Six ~ Think Tank Thursday
A Stroll Thru Life ~ Inspire me Tuesday
The Fine Craft Guild ~ Time for a Party
French Country Cottage ~ Feathered Nest Friday
The Charm of Home ~ Home Sweet Home
Common Ground ~ Be Inspired
Lamberts Lately ~ Create it Thursdays
The Shabby Nest ~ Frugal Friday
My Repurposed Life ~ Catch as Catch Can
My Romantic Home ~ Show & Tell Friday
Funky Junk Interiors ~ Party Junk
Love of Family & Home ~ Inspire me Please Weekend Blog Hop
Rooted in Thyme ~ Simple & Sweet Fridays
Seasons of a Homemaker ~ Seasons on Sunday

Saturday, April 20, 2013

Ice Cream Sandwich Dessert ~

Hello, lovely friends!

 Have I got a dessert recipe for you today!

This may or may not be my third blog post in featuring a dessert in recent months. If I end up weighing about 400 lbs. with this pregnancy you now will all know why!

 I was given this recipe by my wedding photographer. She made us an amazing lunch on the day I came over to her house to edit our pictures with her. She actually served a light brunch with the most amazing chicken salad recipe I've ever had. That will be a post for another time though! This recipe was on the other side of the page so I asked her if I could have it. I usually make this dessert about once every summer since we've been married. It's a hit wherever we go!!



Ice Cream Sandwich Dessert Recipe ~

24 Ice cream sandwiches (2 boxes)
1 14 oz. jar caramel sauce
1 14 oz. jar hot fudge sauce, heated
1 container whipped cream, thawed
Peanuts or Pecans (I almost always go with peanuts)

Place 12 sandwiches in a 9 X 13 baking dish. Spread caramel sauce evenly over sandwiches, then spread hot fudge sauce evenly over sandwiches. Sprinkle with peanuts.
Top with 12 more ice cream sandwiches. Spread whipped topping evenly over sandwiches. Drizzle the rest of the caramel and hot fudge sauces over the whipped cream layer. Top with more peanuts. Cover and freeze for at least one hour. Let stand 5 minutes before serving. Cut into squares.

Source ~ Glenda Adams from Montgomery, Alabama. 
I have no clue who she is or what magazine this recipe was featured in. Whoever you are, you're amazing! I have definitely changed up the recipe and the ratios a bit over the years though making it a bit more my own. 


This is all you need for the dessert (plus a knife to cut the ice cream sandwiches to fit your entire pan)


Layer 1 ~ 12 ice cream sandwiches


Layer 2 ~ With fudge, caramel, and peanuts


Layer 4 ~ 12 more ice cream sandwiches


Yep, a whole whipped cream layer!


Drizzle the rest of the caramel and the fudge ~ I don't use all of the sauces. I always have some left over.


Finally top with peanuts. This dessert is super rich as you can probably imagine. That's why I use peanuts instead of pecans. I like the salty sweet mix the best with my desserts.

Enjoy!

Love,


Linking with ~ 

TwelveOeight ~ Pretty Things
The Farmhouse Porch ~ Tuesdays the Scoop
A Diamond in the Stuff ~ Time to Shine
VMG206 ~ Link Party
Savvy Southern Style ~ Wow us Wednesdays
Saving4Six ~ Think Tank Thursday
The Fine Craft Guild ~ Time for a Party
The Charm of Home ~ Home Sweet Home
Common Ground ~ Be Inspired
The Shabby Nest ~ Frugal Friday
My Repurposed Life ~ Catch as Catch Can
My Romantic Home ~ Show & Tell Friday
Dear Creatives ~ Inspiration Spotlight
Funky Junk Interiors ~ Party Junk
Love of Family & Home ~ Inspire me Please Weekend Blog Hop
Seasons of a Homemaker ~ Seasons on Sunday

Monday, April 15, 2013

White Bread Box ~ With Annie Sloan Chalk Paint

Hello, dear friends.

 I have finally painted my first piece with Annie Sloan Chalk Paint! I have been wanting to try this paint ever since I started blogging and I've seen some beautiful transformations with this paint on so many blogs.


I bought this paint for the nursery so that I can more safely paint the baby's dresser/changing table and book shelf while pregnant. 


The bread box and a set of shelves (for the nursery) were my practice pieces to familiarize myself with using the paint.

(I just love my workbench by the way!)

Painting the bread box ~


I found this bread box for $7 at a re-sale shop ~ I could not believe my luck when I saw it and for that price! I had been looking for this exact style and I didn't really think I'd ever find it.


My husband spray painted one coat with white spray paint for me this past fall. The weather turned bad quickly so I gave up and told him that I would try again when I could actually paint myself . He was a good sport about it though!


I then painted with one coat of the Old White and let it dry overnight. This isn't really necessary, I believe it could be dry and ready for a second coat in about 30 minutes.

The next day I painted my second coat and then applied the clear wax about an hour later

I liked the paint, and the clear wax but I was kind of confused about the HUGE deal everyone has been making about it. Again, I liked it well enough and the lack of odor was great but I wasn't quite getting it yet...then I added the dark wax.


Here's the difference between the Old White and the clear wax on the front and the Old White, clear wax, and the dark wax on the top and the sides. I fell in LOVE! 


What I love is that I you can get this textured, aged look by simply applying the dark wax with a clean rag. No sanding to get the look that I love so much. The color is amazing! You can mix the clear and dark to get a lighter aged look too which I may do for the changing table and the bookshelf.

 It all just depends on how much of the dark wax that you use then you wipe it off immediately. If a spot is too dark you can just rub some clear wax over it and seal your color in.

I might not have needed to do that second coat after seeing how dark the wax is and how much it looks distressed anyway.

The color is amazing and I'm sure my pictures do not do it justice. This color is so drastically different compared to everything else that I've ever painted white before. The texture, the look, the color, everything. I'm comlpetely sold now! I'm not sure if I'll always be able to afford this paint but it is a life changer. I can't wait to use some of her other colors now.

I let the piece cure for 24 hours before I started using my bread box.

The finished product ~



A closer look at the color as I'm sure my photography as always leaves a lot to be desired!


Another view

What I used for this project ~

Annie Sloan Chalk Paint in Old white
Annie Sloan Clear Wax &
Annie Sloan Dark Wax
Clean rags
                            A Purdy paint brush (a suggestion
 from my blogger friend Elyse over at Shabby Sweet Tea.)

My Resources ~

Amanda at One Girl in Pink

These ladies are simply wonderful and they have both answered many questions and given me some great advice. Thanks to you both! 
Check out their blogs. You will love them both!

I can only imagine how much more I would love using the paint if I could also use the Annie Sloan brushes. I guess I know what to ask for for my birthday and Christmas now! 

My next project for this week is the dresser/changing table and the bookshelf. I'm excited as I'll be using some Provence mixed with Old White and I may try mixing the clear wax and the dark wax for a lighter distressed look. There are so many amazing possiblities with this paint.

Wish me luck!

Love,


Linking with ~

TwelveOeight ~ Pretty Things
The Farmhouse Porch ~ Tuesdays the Scoop
Knick of Time Interiors ~ Knick of time Tuesdays  
Les Chateau Des Fleurs ~ Monday Link Party
A Diamond in the Stuff ~ Time to Shine
Savvy Southern Style ~ Wow us Wednesdays
The Fine Craft Guild ~ Time for a Party
The Charm of Home ~ Home Sweet Home
French Country Cottage ~ Feathered Nest Friday
Common Ground ~ Be Inspired
The Shabby Nest ~ Frugal Friday
My Repurposed Life ~ Catch as Catch Can
My Romantic Home ~ Show & Tell Friday
The Country Farm Home ~ Country Whites Weekend
Funky Junk Interiors ~ Party Junk
Love of Family & Home ~ Inspire me Please Weekend Blog Hop
Dear Creatives ~ Inspiration Spotlight