Source for lacquering and other refinishing needs (European Paint Finishes)

All of you locals are in for a real treat because if you are like me then you have a love for a really good lacquered piece of furniture. I started out four years ago on a quest to find somebody that a) knew how to lacquer and b) didn't charge an arm and a leg. I had received a few different quotes on lacquering my little girls dressing table but I never felt like I was ready to pay the money it took to get the job done...it was going to be expensive. Finally I posted about my lacquering woes and what do you know I had an email from Keeley at European Paint Finishes and boy was I so happy. Keeley and Mike are a husband and wife duo specializing in refinishing furniture. After settling on a custom color Mike went to work at getting a perfect match and he did a great job. I've had the dressing table home for a while now and I have been more than impressed with the workmanship. It looks like a high-end piece without the high dollar price tag..in fact they are very reasonably priced. Anyway I have been so excited to share this source with all of you because of my experience with refinishing the piece in a lacquer. Oh and all of the other pieces that I have seen Mike & Keeley work on have truly been pieces of art. You will not regret using them for any of your refinishing needs..promise.

You can get in contact with Keeley at European Paint Finishes right over here.

P.S. - Can you see my amethyst knobs? In case you missed it I blogged about making them right here.

Guatemala to your doorstep

After the post yesterday I had a few inquiries about my husband's Guatemalan belt. He has had his for a decade and it was purchased directly in Guatemala but the beauty of the internet these days means that Guatemala can come to your doorstep. With a little research I came across few different sites that could possibly bring you a belt like husbands. Beware you will find some beautiful embroidered textiles like the above.

Go here, here or here

custom hardware

Well Hello there!

I have had the thought brewing in my head that I wanted to make some custom hardware out of twine, thread or leather. I knew that I needed a particular pull to make it work so during my last trip to IKEA I cruised upstairs to the hardware section and lo and behold there were the perfect cabinet hardware pieces to make all of my crafting dreams come true. Loved the fact that they were approx. $3.50 a piece and that they are pretty substantial at almost 8" long. Anyway being inspired by Central and South American textiles and handmade goods I opted to use cross stitch or "friendship bracelet" making thread. My husband & I have been all around central America and love it there. In fact to this very day my husband's favorite belt (pictured above) was purchased in the Guatemalan Highlands at Lake Atitlan...so many great memories. The textiles and the colors were SO beautiful there.

Here is how I pulled this easy craft off:

1 - Purchase all of the supplies starting with the IKEA Fintrop hardware, a cheap paintbrush, scissors, glue (I fully suggest Quick Grip), wrapping material (thread, twine, leather etc.).

2 - If using thread, start wrapping by bring the thread at a diagonal and then wrap over that piece of thread laying at the diagonal to secure the one side down.

3 - Push thread tightly together and snip. Try to snip on the backside of the bar where it is not visible to the eye after the hardware has been installed.

4 & 5 - Using a very strong craft glue, put a dap on the tip of the paintbrush and lightly press into the end of the thread that needs to be secured. Trim the thread. Repeat all of the above steps if using more than one color.

6 - Enjoy your newly handcrafted piece of work and then if you are like me call your Dad over to install.

Also I have noticed many furniture pieces using hardware with natural fibers so I thought I would give it a shot with some rope that I had laying around. SO easy but also such a great way to give your furniture or cabinets a custom look. To me the key was using the right kind of hard core glue. May I suggest to never use E6000 (yucky stinky stuff) and go with Quick Grip because it dries fast, doesn't stink and sticks to anything. Seriously now the sky is the limit. I once even saw neon twine that Angela picked up at Home Depot.

And there you have it. Speaking of custom hardware I finally had my custom amethyst knobs put on the piece of furniture they were intended for. I like them just fine but what I am really excited about is the lacquer job on that particular piece of furniture. For all of you locals I can't wait to share the source with you.

Life Lately

Lately...

- I gave away my kitchen table to one of my favorite people but didn't have the replacement quite ready so I bought a filler from Craigslist for $30. Yes it is a brass octagonal table and my husband is so bothered by it..I kind of like it.

- Trying to pick paint colors for my bedroom next to my sucka thumb boy.

- We have hit a new frontier with the boys going to preschool. I have really enjoyed my few hours while they have been away. At first it was weird because all I have known is having many small children at home at all times. Don't worry I quickly learned how to transition though.

- We painted a crazy black cactus with watercolors so that we could hang it in the boys' room. I like to call their room a fusion between Arizona and a gentleman.

- The girls are at school all day now but I have been able to go and have lunch with them a few times. Just trying to win the coolest Mom award..until I really lost that award after I brought the triplets and the volunteer lunch lady had to come and clean up their spills twice.

- It is too hot to play outside but somehow my kids do not seem too concerned about dehydration and red faces. They even get all dressed up so that they can go outside and become one with sweat. At least they look cute.

- And as always I learned it is pretty good to have kids so that they can teach us how to really live. Everything is a celebration in their eyes. I made the most plain and boring muffins but the girls insisted on putting the party cupcake gear (fairy dancer sticks) into them to make them prettier. At first I objected but then conceded...they were right. I think it even made the muffins taste better.

- Oh and one of my kids is kind of bothering me...the little stinker (good thing he is do darn cute;-). I am sure I will get over it soon but I had to report him lost in the store the other day and then today he hung onto the germ ridden railings on the outside of the escalator and did not let go as he hung on for dear life with two hands...his legs were left dangling...all while he kept raising up higher and higher..he didn't dare let go for fear of falling. It was quite a sight and caused quite a stir as he hung there while screaming. I almost started laughing at the sight but probably would have looked like the worlds worst mother. Finally a couple of older folk who were riding on the escalator reached over the side and pulled him to safety. Wait now that I think about it this same boy at this same store set off the fire alarm because he didn't listen to me as I told him to turn around and not go out that door...if I recall they had a hard time turning off the alarm and it was loud as it should be in times of fire.

Here is to an unbothered weekend...everyone of us.

orange-y red poppy

Every where I go orangey red is all a glow.Seriously I was out and about the other night and it seemed like every store that I went into had some sort of poppy red item. It is fun to look at. I'd probably wear it before I would use it in my home though..Happy Labor Day weekend!

{1- fabric Osborne & Little Yeoward, 2 - clutch with zebra 5 - poppies watercolor


P.S. - I will update my blog soon..it could use a little work. I promise to also update my blogroll.

and action....

I have been noticing director style chairs popping up everywhere.  I've even seen a couple from the 70s on my local Craigslist.  Everything in design seems to recycle.  As for the above rug, I am usually not a fan of cowhide patch rugs but I like the one shown in the top two photos.  I've noticed in our home that our cowhide rugs have proved to be kid friendly.  I've had a white one in our front room for 3 or 4 years and it has been so easy to keep clean and any stains come right up.

In the meantime I am liking some of the fun details from this house featured in Chicago Home & Garden Magazine this month.

one room 2 looks (with Amber Interiors)

What would you do if I told you that I just decorated a space inspired by a purple unicorn pillow pet?? Would you zip on over here to check it out?

Did you go and check it out??? Are you sad that there were no actual pillow pets (i keep wanting to call them puff a lumps..do you remember those..probably not if you are under the age of 30). Well if you are truly sad then I would be more than happy to send you one of the three we were so kindly gifted last Christmas. 2 girls and 3 pillow pets equal an extra one to share.

Well to get down to the real business matters..I participated in one of the coolest blog series, one room 2 looks over on Amber's blog. Probably you have heard about her and her talents??? Amber's blog is a very entertaining read and she really does have many things to share. Personally I think she is very cool and very kind. There is a really great feature & more pictures of Amber's home over on So Haute if you would like to take looksy.

Shall we observe a few spaces from her home:

(above photos via High Gloss Magazine and from So Haute)

And here is a sneak peak at one of looks I decorated up. If you would like to see more then you will just have to head on over and read about it right here.

high gloss floors

Taking special note of the floors that Tia had installed into one of her clients home that was recently featured in Better Homes & Garden. There is a spanish cottage that I've had my eye on for quite some time and if the opportunity presented itself to look at it for a future residence then there would be no question as to the fact that I would use the above photos as inspiration. Have you noticed that all of the cool kitchens are using brass these days? Also I think the key to the above flooring is the fact that Tia had it sealed with a really high gloss. To get more info on the floor go here.

Well hope you have a very happy weekend!

stripes on the diagonal

Well hello there. I have had the very bittersweet task of sending my triplets to preschool. It has worked out swell so far. In fact I can now see how it may be possible to get a few projects done this next year. One of the first ones that I would like to mark off the list is one of the upholstered headboards for their room. I've had my eye on diagonal stripes for a while now..kind of like the blue and white upholstered piece above. I also LOVE Grace's curtains that she made for her little Harper's room. Do you like? Speaking of liking..do you think you can still like me even though I was a "no go" blogger for a bit??? I still really like all of you.

Oh and I realize the top clutch really does not have any true diagonal stripes but isn't lovely. Also the pillow came from here..(Christine told me so..it may be sold out but I'm thinking about requesting a custom order because of the greatness found in them)

wildflowers

While we are experiencing all of this blog silence I thought it would be fun to post some of the pictures from our trip that I posted over on my family site. I'll be back to regular posting after all of the babies are in school. 2 down, 3 to go.

Aren't those wildflowers so beautiful? They were all found in one spot at Fish Lake in Utah.

REPOST from the family blog:

It is very hard for me to sit still for too long. We had been at Grandma and Papa's house out in the middle of no where for a couple of weeks so it seemed that I had gotten to the point to where I could only go a couple of days of staying at the homestead before I had to just get in the car and go somewhere. The fact that I didn't want to wear out my welcome just fueled the footloose and fancy-free way that I already lean towards. Besides I like the freedom that a car provides and sometimes I feel my best when I am behind the wheel. I had long told the kids about Fish Lake so decided to pack a lunch and spend the day exploring. The first place we came upon was a grove of trees with the roots exposed. It looked like we were in some kind of enchanted forest. We then made our way over the bridge and that is when we came upon the most beautiful patches of wildflowers. I love wildflowers. In fact when I was married I wanted everything to be full of greenery and wildflowers. We picked a few to bring back to Grandma and hoped they would stay nice until the ride home. The flowers proved to be quite hearty indeed. I think hearty and beautiful make a great combination. Anyway we walked around and did plenty of exploring. I'm sure we were not hard to miss especially with those little flutes a tooting everywhere we went. Finally Maren and Maile gave the flutes a rest and they somehow made their way under my belt and when we went to the old store at Fish Lake again the old man selling the Smokey the Bear items inquired as to where the flutes went because he could not hear them this time around. We truly must have made our mark the first time around with all of our tootin' and hollerin'. I wouldn't classify ourselves as the quiet type anyway but sometimes I become a little numb to how noisy we (kids) really are. I am just glad that when we got home we had something to offer Grandma so that her senses would be diverted from her ears to her eyes and nose with the beautiful wildflowers.