blue egg brown nest

…ollie, owen and the bird

June 16, 2016 By christen 8 Comments

If you know me and Blue Egg, you know Ollie and Owen aka my orange tabbies that are total photo-bombers. They just can’t help themselves. Take a look:

You get the point. They can’t help themselves. So, yesterday I had to run an errand and because it was an absolutely gorgeous day I left a veranda door open because they were enjoying it so much. I even took a picture because they looked like old grandpas just lounging, living the life.

When I walked in the front door about 20 minutes later I was starteled to find feathers spread all over my kitchen. I had to blink a few times to realize what they were and when I crept around the island, I was so distraught to find this. Brace yourselves, Friends.

I know! It’s too horrible! I screamed into the phone, as I was on with Dear Heather, while I figured out what to do. I gently wraped him in a bag, dug a shallow grave in the front garden and said a prayer. God bless this little bird. 🙁

I have no idea how Ollie and Owen even accomplished it because they have never properly been outdoors. They somehow managed to snatch this bird off the railing or even in thin air and brought him into my kitchen. I know it’s a “gift” when a dead bird comes from a cat, but I haven’t quite forgiven them and am def. giving the silent treatment. Needless to say, when I searched for them after the funeral, this is what I found.

Clearly not remorseful.

Filed Under: building a house Tagged With: blue egg brown nest, chalk Paint, creative business, Decor, diy, interior design, vintage

…video short on topcoat

June 8, 2016 By christen 5 Comments

My video short is 15 second so don’t look away! This is just about how darn easy it is to apply this liquid topcoat. Take a look:

Did you catch it? That’s literally how easy it is.

How to use Rust-Oleum Topcoat:

Shake your can and pop it open like any can of AS. It will have the consistency of liquid glue and look like it too.
Use a clean brush like your regular paint brush. I used my Wooster brush that I actually paint with.
Paint on the topcoat as you would any furniture paint. You can use this topcoat on natural wood for a protected surface or on your painted pieces instead of your wax.
It may look a bit white/have white streaks. Allow it to dry.
DONE.

I did not buff or pull out a lint-free cloth. I let my piece dry for about an hour and it was done. I like to let my pieces dry at least overnight as a rule of thumb, but after an hour it was dry. My beautiful knots and marks were still visible.

I know many of you have questions and so I will answer those in the next post. Big fan of this product and how easy it is.

Filed Under: Tours and Tutorials Tagged With: annie sloan chalk paint, ASCP, blue egg brown nest, Building a Business, chalk Paint, how to use topcoat, painting furniture, Rust Oleum Topcoat, video short on topcoat

…dare i say topcoat?

June 6, 2016 By christen 21 Comments

DA DA DAAAAAAA. (Insert scary and intimdating music here.)

Was there drama around me discussing Rust-Oleum on my site? Yes. Do I still think discussing options for new products out there is important? Yes. So, if you have strong feelings about the topic and feel the need to balk at me for writing on such matters I would recommend closing this email. I’m about to say something provocative – I LIKE this topcoat!

And what’s even more provacative than this? YOU will too!

Bah-ha-ha-ha. (Sinister voice.)

I love painting furniture and have been painting for over 12 years now. What is my least favorite part of the process? Waxing and buffing. It is a lot of work. So, when Sue from The Treasured Hunt told me about this topcoat, I was very interested. Before you judge, let me show you pictures of what happens when it is used on a natural wood surface.

You will see the lighter, freshly sanded wood top here. The darker strokes are the wood with this topcoat applied.

This is exciting, Guys. This topcoat will give you a protected, finished look on your stained or sanded down wood regardless of paint. It can clean up your dingy, stained wood too like it did on this table. No, the wood will not stay as light as it is straight after sanding, but it will bring out the beautiful worm holes and knots in your old wood.

I was so pleased with the rich, consistent results that I decided to use it on the legs of this table as well. I had not touched the legs and base because I like the oldness of it, but at the same time I wanted to clean it up a bit. I am so happy with the results. You can see the difference below. I don’t think the darkening of the color takes away from its beauty.

Here is the final result of my workman’s table aka, my new writing table. You can see that once the topcoat has settled the table still looks old and authentic. What is the difference between topcoat and wax? The application.