Shabby Chic Bedroom Set

I helped a friend re-do her bedroom furniture. I'm super bummed because I didn't get a before picture. The original furniture was white and it had an almost laminate texture to the whole thing, which worried me because I've only worked with solid wood in the past. I attempted to sand it down, but quickly realized I wasn't getting anywhere with it because it was laminate furniture. I was nervous because I didn't know how the distressing part would turn out or how well the paint would hold onto the laminate.  

As you can see we painted the tops of the furniture brown and the base of the dressers a blue/turquoise. We painted the knobs and handles the same brown color as the top. Next came the part I was most nervous about.... Distressing. This was a stop and go process because sometimes whole strips came off from the drawers due to the laminate. There were times we had to repaint a drawer because too much paint came off. We used matte Shellac to seal it, putting three coats on the tops of the furniture and two on the drawers and sides. I think the furniture turned out great!!! 

Inspired by this picture:

 

 We were inspired by this picture above. Those pieces were solid wood, but I think we came pretty close to achieving the same look. For more information on the above picture click here.

Shabby Chic End Table

I'm always looking for solid wood pieces that I can buy for cheap and re-do. I got this end table off Craigslist for $20. It's solid wood and very heavy.

After sanding it with an electric sander (which I have to say is the best invention in the world) I started painting it. I used eggshell paint that I had lying around the house from previous paint jobs. I let it dry overnight and sanded it using a fine grit sandpaper block (also a great invention). I sealed it using a shellac in matte that I bought at Lowes. I love how it turned out. I gave it to my friend as a housewarming gift for her beach-inspired apartment.

Dog Tutu

I had a blast making my beautiful boxer Bella a tutu! The trick with making a doggie tutu is not putting tulle on the underside of it because it'll just get dirty and ruined. Click here for more information on how to make a tutu.

Rustic Forest Wedding

 

This wedding took place at Windsong Farms in Sarasota, Florida. When I was first hired for this wedding the themes (yes, plural) was very vague and scattered. She wanted rustic, mason jars, burlap, music, navy, peach and gray in the wedding. I knew what the bride wanted and I went from there. I incorporated a lot of burlap ribbon, with wildflowers, baby's breath, lace and burlap table runners, hay and lots of mason jars. It took me and my husband hours upon hours to set this wedding up. There was no plan B for this wedding. It had rained the night before so the ground was mushy and we had a 50% chance of rain. We got so lucky and it was a beautiful day!

The photo wall was a huge hit! I had a bucket of props. The guests, wedding party and kids all enjoyed it!

My husband and I enjoying our hard work.

Reception Tables

Escort Card/Mason Jar Table

 

 I used burlap ribbon everywhere at this wedding! It was a great space filler and really added to the rustic feel of this wedding.

I snagged a handmade burlap aisle runner with lace doilies sewed onto the burlap. It was beautiful!

 

The gift table was quickly filled with well wishes for the bride and groom.

Several peach cocktail tables were  placed away from the reception area for the smokers. The bride and groom are both smokers, so they knew the importance of having a special place to light up.

 

The bride and groom opted out of a traditional cake and had an assortment of sweets.

Wizard of Oz Party

Working at the Humane Society brings many possibilities and opportunities to throw fun animal themed and "fur-ever" home type fundraisers and parties. This fundraiser party is called There's No Place Like Home. It is a Wizard of Oz themed party with a silent and live auction, Chinese raffle and prizes. We raised over $30,000 for the shelter. I had a lot of fun making Wizard of Oz themed decorations!

I painted a 7 foot x 6 foot picture backdrop on plywood. It took me 30+ hours, but it was totally worth it!! Every party guest got a free picture of them in front of the backdrop. Thank you Walgreens for providing a photographer and for printing out all those pictures!

$2 Thrift Store Shoes I glittered.

Table Centerpieces

Munchkin Land (Our adoptable Cats & Dogs from the Shelter)

Patriotic Tulle Wreath

My some-what small town of Bradenton, FL just got our first Hobby Lobby. I was there the day it opened browsing for my next craft project. I came to an aisle that had every color of tulle you could imagine. Now, I'm used to Michael's that seems to have a limited amount of everything and never restocks their shelves (I still love you Michael's, but there's a new sheriff in town). 

I'm constantly on Pinterest (what crafter isn't??) when I came across this awesome tulle wreath. I love working with different materials and I thought this would be perfect for Memorial Day and 4th of July. 

Cut 16 inch pieces of tulle in blue, red and white. Tie the tulle in a knot at the front of the wreath. The blue tulle should take up 1/4 of the wreath. I hot glued some red and blue ribbon I already had, and DONE! 

Bella's Birthday

I am one of those crazy dog people that celebrates their pet's birthdays. I don't have children yet, so I have to dress something up!

I cut flowers in half, stuck a button in the middle and put a rhinestone in the middle of each button.