Some people keep a queue of movies on their Netflix account, movies lined up that they want to view. You can keep a queue on you printer, jobs waiting to be printed. Me, I keep a queue of projects that I want to do - crafts, sewing jobs, things to be painted, furniture to be rearranged, new recipes to try - a running list of things I want to get done. Do you keep a project queue? My list seems to never end. The day it does, will be my last day on earth. I will probably leave a list for Dan, bless his sweet heart.
We moved into the little yellow cottage a year ago January 29 and we love it here. Moving led to a whole new list of projects (of course). One of the things on my wish list was a mirror for the wall next to the fireplace, but nothing had struck my fancy. Also, I am cheap and there had been nothing that had struck my fancy in my "price range." A few weeks ago, we were doing errands and I made a quick sashay through Kirkland's. Do you do Kirkland's? They have home accessories and sometimes you can come upon some really great bargains. There was the time I found a bunch of toss pillows for $5.00 each. Now that is a bargain and fits my "price range". Yes, I do love a bargain.
As I wandered around the store, I saw a stack of mirrors that had been marked down. Like a fly to a picnic, I zoomed over to the stack and started looking through all of them. Lo and behold, in the stack was exactly what I had been looking for and it was marked down to $20.00! Woohoo, that was my "price range". Was it perfect? No, the size was right, the price was right, the color was all wrong, but I knew that could be easily fixed. Just a little paint and some wax and tada! I would have the perfect mirror.
The mirror was a funny kind of no color beige. My picture isn't great, but it looked like this.
Here's a close up.
I did like the dark piece that went around the mirror. It has some goldish flecks in it that gave it some depth. But the outside wood was the most bland color you can imagine. So, I told Dan, Dan, the Painter Man, that we had a project to add to the queue. He was ecstatic. (not so much)
I also have a new love and that is Annie Sloan Chalk Paint. Now, it is not like chalkboard paint - don't confuse the two. Her paints are created to replicate historical colors and when you paint, it is a little gritty, but wow, is it awesome. You can get really beautiful colors by layering them over each other, or using a single color. Then, you wax the paint with her clear wax for one look and to add additional depth and contrast, use the dark wax over the clear wax. This paint will make anything look awesome.
I did my bedroom furniture a while back and I was hooked! It is not cheap paint, about $40.00 a quart, but you do not have to prime when using it aaaaaaaand, it goes a long, long way. I did an armoire and three nightstands with one quart of paint. Now, I have the itch to paint everything.
Anyway, back to the mirror. I wanted my new mirror to be duck egg blue which is one of Annie Sloan's fabulous color choices. You can go to anniesloan.com to see the colors and all the wonderful effects you can get with her paint. The paint has been on the market in Europe for 20 years, but is relatively new in the states. You can order it on line, but I was lucky enough to find a wonderful little shop that sells it in our area.
Well, I did a second day of volunteer work last week, so Dan painted the mirror in the blue color for me. He is a fantastic painter and never has to tape anything to keep from getting paint all over the place. I wanted to keep the dark section in the middle of the frame, so paint he did and I was so excited when I got home and saw the mirror. Fantastic!
I let it dry a couple of days, and then I waxed the frame. This is the base color before wax.
This is what happens when you add the clear wax. You can see where the wax ends if you look closely.
It adds a beautiful patina to the paint and softens the color.
You can see the demarcation line where I stopped the wax for the picture. The wax comes in cans like this.
You also use these wonderful big brushes to apply the wax which is very soft and easy to apply. One brush is for clear, the other is for dark. You apply the wax to an area and then buff it with a lint free cloth. What an amazing difference it makes to the finish. After applying the clear wax, I added dark wax. This is how it looks when you apply it:
Then, you buff it and it looks like this - giving the piece an old patina that is gorgeous in our shabby chic house.
Again, not a great picture. Sorry. I am not much of a photographer, but you get the idea. Should have moved the lamp for the picture. I'll try to do better next time.
It is so amazing what a little paint can do. It changes the whole personality of a piece. Don't you love when that happens? The mirror is just perfect next to the fireplace. Exactly what I wanted. The blue color picks up colors in a framed poster I have of The Bluebird Cafe at the other end of the room. Donna is a happy girl and very appreciative of Dan's contribution to this project. I can tell you, there is more duck egg blue paint in my future (and Dan's). Love you Dan.
Everyday Donna
Things to remember:
Creativity is a drug I cannot live without. - Cecil B. DeMille
