*Holly Paint* - Masculine Dresser

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Here's a nice 1980's dresser transformation for ya!  Don't you just love the gold handles and the seashells.  Apparently I did back in 1986 because this was apart of a set that my parents bought for my sister and me...I think it was from Sears.  I remember thinking we were so lucky to have this dresser set!!  

Well...this dresser was being used by my brother until a few months ago.  I don't think it really looks like a bachelor so I gave him my old Ikea dresser and I took this one back.  It was screaming for a makeover.  It went from 1980's girly to 2013 Masculine/Rustic.

We (I mean my husband) pulled off the laminate top and replaced it with a pine so I could use a black stain on the top.  He then cut 1/4" plywood to be used to cover the fronts of the drawers - hiding the shell design.

I taped off a small rectangle around the edge of the drawer fronts and painted it white and then stained with a black stain.  Then we glued the fronts on and added upholstery tacks to the corners as an extra detail.

 The handles are old leather belts that I picked up at a thrift store.  I screwed them on with large silver screws.

The drawers are lined with pages from a dictionary.

I can't wait until my mom/dad and sister see this I'm pretty sure they wouldn't know it was the same dresser!

*Holly Paint* Miss Mustard Seed Milk Paint

My good friend was handed-down this Martha Washington Sewing Cabinet from her friend.  Lucky Girl!

She asked me to give it a makeover and said I could do as I please.  

That always makes me nervous. 

 And, of course, I had to try a new product. 

 Which makes me even more nervous.  

Why do I do this to myself??!!   

I wanted the piece to look like it had been painted for years and pulled out of  Grandma's Sewing Room.

So enter...Miss Mustard Seed Milk Paint....

that should get the job done.

 And did it ever...

 

Just look at the fabulous chippy, crackle finish.

So here are my thoughts on Milk Paint...

1.  This paint is unpredictable on how it will cover.  Chippy here, crackely there, full coverage in other spots.

2.  It is oh the expensive side so make sure you know what you are doing.

3. I will definitely be using it again!  

"Hey Girl"

I've been cracking up at these "Hey Girl" pictures for quite awhile now...funny stuff. 

 But if you want some real-life "Hey Girl's" go over and check out this Link Party at Bliss Ranch. 

 It's quite funny and entertaining!

 

And in honor of Valentines Day...here are a few "Hey Girl's" of my own!

*Holly Paint* -Old Teacher Desk

 My friend text me one day and said she had found an old teacher desk that she wanted me to paint for her.  I always get excited when she calls me with a painting job...she has great taste and a fun style. I did this Chevron Hutch for her awhile back.

 She sent me a couple inspiration photos and I went to work on the piece. 

Here are a few pictures of the final desk.  What a great desk for a her workspace!

I bought these knobs at Hobby Lobby...I've heard there is a new on coming to the Arden area and I'm sooooo excited.  It will be so much closer for me but I'll also probably be spending more $$.

It took me awhile to tape off the lines for the desk top design.  I actually had to do this part twice since I was not being careful and didn't seal the tape with a base coat of white first.  The green bled through the tape and it was a mess!  So out came the stripper (not an actual male stripper but a Paint Stripper product!) and I re-did the whole top.  Oh, the lessons I learn! 

And, of course, a before picture of the desk.  She's looking pretty sad...

*Holly Happy*

It is fun to see my License Plate Dresser on some of my favorite blogs this past couple of weeks.

 It has been featured on

 Elizabeth and Co., Primitive and Proper and Better After. 

Totally exciting... 

*Holly Sew*

I usually try to take the month of December off from painting because it is too cold + I just want to enjoy Christmas. 

Though I'm working on a custom desk for a friend right now and I will post pic next week.

But that doesn't mean I haven't done anything creative!  I finished these quilts for my nieces a couple weeks ago and am getting ready to mail them off.    

I have made quilts for all SIX of my sisters kid.

They usually get them for their 1st Christmas...

but I have fallen behind a couple times-this year included!! 

If you want to check out a couple boy quilts that I did for my nephews go check out the post here.

Just as I start to think that I have run out of ideas for their quilts I find cute fabric and get inspired. 

The first one is for Miss Faith! 

I embroidered my her name on the little flag banner.

I wanted to do something different instead of regular binding so I went with a pom-pom trim.  It took a lot of pinning but was worth the effort.  I like the fun detail on the edge.

I used bias tape for the balloon ribbons.

 The inspiration fabric.

The next quilt for Miss Ruie incorporates two of my favorite things...birds and bunting!!

I made the birdcage with bias tape and a little rick-rack trim. Of courser her name had to be embroidered on the quilt (they have 6 kids-it's the only way to keep it all straight!!)

An up close picture of the the bias tape birdcage.

The inspiration fabric.

*Holly Paint*

Remember way back when I wrote about re-doing my son's room??? Well, I thought I should finally post a little something about the makeover! I don't have pictures of the whole room but here are a few to start...

Since my son is now sharing his room with our foster son I had to find a larger dresser to fit both of their stuff. I was so glad when I found one on Craigslist for $50.00.

 Of course I forgot to take a before picture but it looks just like this one that Cassie re-did on Primitive and Proper.  Go check her out she has a great blog and I love what she did with her dresser.

I painted the base and drawers of the dresser white and then sanded heavily to age it.  My husband and I found the license plates at the Sacramento Antique Fair.  The California one was from on of my husbands old trucks.  I drilled a hole in the license plate then added old wooden knobs. 

I stained the top of the dresser and added industrial gate pulls to the remaining drawers. 

 Definitely a keeper... this can grow with my boys through their teen years!

 (Of course, knowing me, I will get tired of it...sell it and do something different in 2-3 years!)

I also found an old sign at the same flea market that said "Toy Loading Zone." I think it may of been a Christmas decoration. So I had my husband cut it into strips and then I mounted it to an old fence board (from my parents old porch) and screwed it onto their toy box. Yep...I like it!!  

 P.S....Isn't that chalkboard amazing??!!  My brother-in-law made that for my son...go check out his cool art here!