Sunday, August 21, 2011

Giveaway at Common Ground

It's GIVEAWAY time at Common Ground!  Debra is celebrating her one year anniversary of her Friday blog party, Vintage Inspriation Friday.  There are so many creative and inspiring entries every week.  They don't have to always be about actual vintage things but also "vintage inspired" things that creative bloggers make, paint, find and or display. I've joined it myself a few times and if I was really on the ball I'd join every week.  Hopefully, once the girls are back in school I'll do just that. 

OK, back to the GIVEAWAY....


It's pretty cool actually.  The winner will receive the items pictured above:
TWO of Debra's favorite books that have inspired her while decorating her own amazing home - The French Inspired Home and Romantic Style.  They will also win one of Debra's beautiful Key Pendant Necklaces.

So, go on over and visit Debra's blog here.  You won't be disappointed!  ;).

Oh, be sure to enter by September 3rd!

Have a great Sunday!

Missy

Monday, August 15, 2011

I'm Feeling Aqua

I have been in love with the color aqua for several years now.  It has made its way in just about every room in our house in one way or another.  It was the main color in our wedding (here) and, well, you get the idea.  I've noticed aqua has become more popular over the years and I'm so glad because I've always wanted to use it in the furniture and decor I paint and create to sell.  It just never sold very well but very recently, at the last Vintage Marketplace (here) actually, I was pleasantly surprised that several customers were practically fighting over an old drawer I decked out with appliques and aqua paint.  Well, maybe they weren't exactly "fighting" but let's just say that if the woman that promised to come back didn't end up buying it, I would've needed a referee for sure. 

To be totally honest, my Husband and I loved the drawer so much I was kind of hoping it wouldn't sell - it was so perfect for our bedroom.  I was actually pretty surprised that so many other people shared in my love of that drawer that I decided to bring more aqua to the next show.  I think I'll even add some aqua to my space at Mission Galleria.  But this next piece I just finished I'm saving for the show.


I have to say that I just LOVE the way it turned out.  And again, it is just perfect for our bedroom!  Very Frenchy don't you think?

See how nicely it goes with one of our million bed pillows?  OK, OK, I'm selling it, really.  I even took before and after pictures this time.  You won't believe how tacky and ugly different it looked before. 
(I'll just apologize now just in case one of you has the before version hanging in your bedroom right now.)  Eh-hem, anyway....


I loved the design of it as soon as I saw it.  I immediately envisioned it painted cream and antiqued.


Once I got it home I had a light bulb moment and decided to paint the ribbon aqua.  I was hoping to tame the fake mirror aging but I would have destroyed the mirror trying to take the back off so I decided it looked fine.



Here it is laying on our aqua duvet.  Doesn't it just match it perfectly?
I'm just sayin'.



This is what it looked like after paint and before the antiquing was complete.





More before and afters. 
The fake aging of the mirror looks more obvious in different light.  Some of the after pictures were taken with the mirror laying on my bed.  I didn't want to use the flash but the can lights above highlighted it more than I liked.



I've got it propped up on our headboard here because I didn't want to put a nail in the wall just for a photo.  I couldn't just temporarily switch it out with something else already hung because we're still not done with the finishing touches in our bedroom.  If I put up everything I've collected for the walls, I'm afraid we wouldn't be able to see the walls at all!  OK, maybe too much information but I see so many beautiful stylized "photoshoots" out there I feel like I had to explain.  ;).

Anyway, that was a sneak peak of my first completed piece for the next Vintage Marketplace at The Oaks.  Hope you can make it.  I've got a lot more things in the works.
Be blessed!

Missy