We're Official!

It's official! We are now an official retailer for CeCe Caldwell's Clay and Chalk Paint! All About Moi is now fully stocked with full size quarts, 4oz samples, wax brushes, and MORE!

As we begin on this journey, I am in the process of updating our blog to contain CeCe Caldwell's "how to" paint tips and techniques as well as our workshop information. Until then, please be patient with us and continue to check back for updates!

Falling In Love With Ms. Mustard Seed's Milk Paint!

I recently had my first experience with Ms. Mustard Seed's milk paint and it was a total success! I pickup up this vanity that was an aged bright white...you know that color...that white that has a yellowed tint...ugh.  I wanted to play with some different looks and textures, so I ventured out on this one and hoped for the best. Read below for a step by step playbook of this refunked beauty.

1. The VERY BEST thing about CeCe and Ms. Mustard Seed's paints is that there is NO SANDING OR PRIMING...you just start painting!  So, I just jumped right in and dry brushed a think coat of  CeCe Caldwell's Chalk and Clay paint in Young Kansas Wheat. I did this because I did not want all that bright white as a dominate undertone.  WARNING...the chalk paint underneath the milk paint does take away the natural chippiness effect of the milk paint!! So, do not do this if you want the milk paint to chip itself!!

2.  I think mixed up 1 cup of Miss Mustard Seed's milk paint in Kitchen Scale.  I applied two coats, allowing 1 hour drying time in between. 

3. I then took a damp rag and began distressing it.  I also used a sanding block very heavy handed to get the desired look I wanted around the edges and across the top.  I wanted to dry brush strokes to pop through...that was intentional.

4.  Finally, I waxed the entire vanity with CeCe Caldwell's Clear Wax, using my wax brush to really work it into the paint.

I used clear knobs to really compliment the colors in the vanity, versus using colored ones that would compete with them.

Up next...a blog on using chalk paint versus milk paint...both are GREAT, but very different! :)

Happy Painting ya'll!

Where to find the goods!

Per our latest Facebook requests, here are my go-to tips for finding the good "junk"....

1. My #1, all time BEST place for great finds is garage sales.  With garage sales, people want their stuff gone, so they put it in the yard and most of the time, mark it at a very reasonable price.  Many times, people just don't know what that piece of furniture is worth, it is just taking up space to them, so they are more willing to negotiate...just PLEASE always negotiate in a nice, polite manner and with a toothy smile :) Here in western OK, I check the Penny News, Weatherford Shopper, and the local paper for garage sale ads.  Take cash and come prepared to load items on your own!

2. Auctions:  I am a total auction junkie.  I feed off the competitiveness!!  I have found the best of the best of my stuff at auction.  You can check local newspapers for upcoming auctions or find an auctioneer company you like and get updates from their website.  Go early to inspect all the items up for sale and know BEFORE the auction starts what you are willing to give for those pieces.  It is really easy to get into a bidding war and get caught up in just winning and then you are left with a piece of furniture you really would have been fine leaving without and an empty wallet to go with it. Come prepared to load your own treasures and make sure you know the accepted payment methods before you attend and/or buy.

3. Goodwill....Oh how I used to LOVE Goodwill. Lately, not so much.  I mainly shop the Yukon or OKC Goodwills and I almost always leave with something I really like. However, this whole refurbishing thing has really caught on and their prices have SKY ROCKETED to almost an unfathomable ridiculousness.  Feel the drama in those words?? My last few trips, I have left empty handed just because of the prices.  AN EXCEPTION TO THIS RULE is if you find a piece that is EXACTLY what you've been looking for and you know this is THE piece for you...you'll redo it and love it forever and ever, amen! Then, you need to go for it because truly good built, last forever pieces do not come around often!!!  Also, get to know the employees. They can give you information on upcoming discounts, delivery days, etc. For example, the Yukon store changes merchandise around every Tuesday, so Wednesday is the best day to hit that store. Come prepared to load your own items as it is against store policy to help you load items..and they are serious...I had to load a desk alone 9 months pregnant!

Hope this helps and please feel free to let me know if you have any specific shopping questions! :)

Happy Hunting!

We're baaaack....and a new tutorial!

Whew! It has been a while and for good reason...it has been back to school frenzy for me! I teach Pre-Kindergarten full time, so I had taken a few weeks off to focus on my classroom and getting into a school year routine.  As much as I needed the break, I sure have missed my painting, blogging, and junking! It is so good for my soul!

So to kick off our return, here is a tutorial on our latest sign!

First, I started with what used to be an old step stool...I simply removed the legs and  sanded the top of the stool. You could use any scraps of wood nailed or hot glued together.  I then cut out the letters for the quote using contact paper and my Circuit cutter-super fast and super easy. You could simply cut out the letters from contact paper if you do not have an electric cutter.  I then attached the letters to the wood and made sure they were stuck on well.

Next, I chose my stain and applied two coats (24 hours apart) using a disposable foam brush.  I applied the stain moving in horizontal strokes, swiping clear across the boards in even coats. You DO NOT want your stain to be clumpy nor soupy. It needs to be done in even, clean coats.   Once the
stain was completely dry, I removed the contact paper to reveal the quote. Now, you could just leave it as is from here and be done, however, I wanted my quote to "pop" a bit more and to make it match my decor a bit better, so I took acrylic paint in French Vanilla and painted in the quote, using the "stencil" the contact paper had left me.  I used a fine tipped brush and applied two coats just to be safe. To finish the sign out, I lightly sanded and distressed it and then sealed it with polyurethane.  Since it was going indoors, I could have simply waxed it, however, I chose to use the poly just to better seal the stain. To hang, I simply attached photo hangers to the back.

This project was super easy and I love how it turned out! It would make a great wedding or anniversary gift!

Happy Painting!

Vintage Upholstery Love

This was my favorite addition to one of my booth's this week. Due to the configuration of my space, I  had to slide this table over to the far side of my booth...just happened to end up next to this vintage settee I just had redone. I stepped back and it just hit me that I love these two pieces together! I seriously fought the urge to load them back up and take 'em home!

I found this settee at a yard sale and ya'll...it was UGLY. I mean UGLY! It's lines were beautiful though and it still had really good bones.  Here is what I recommend when you purchase a piece to reupholster.

1.  Know you are probably going to spend quite a bit of money in fabric and upholstery if you can not do this yourself.  You may want to take that into account when deciding on what to spend on the piece originally.

2.  Make sure it is solid.  Any repairs to the wood work, springs, etc. will only be additional costs, and may end up not being reparable at all.

3.   Here is my biggest tip...if you are going to tear it up anyway (reupholster), then tear into it and make sure it has no bugs, lice, etc. before you even load it up into your car! Once you get those little nasties, it is very hard to get rid of them. I tore into this piece, then once home, I left on a tarp in the garage still hesitant to take into my home. Yes, I have a huge fear of little creepy crawly things!

Once I had it home, I rubbed it down with furniture polish, added some black paint, and sealed the wood.  I have never done an upholstery project this large...the settee also came without cushions, so I knew I was in over my head on this one. I contacted my "go-to" upholstery guy and we played with fabrics, trim, etc. This is always my favorite part! Who doesn't love to play in a ton of fabric??? He did a beautiful job and if you'll notice, he takes the time to line all the patterns up vertically; from the top of the sofa, to the cushions, down the back, and even on the pillow.  All meet up at the exact same point. 

This is the picture he sent me for approval...yes, I did do the happy dance when I opened it! He did a beautiful job.  Yay Rudy!

This is the table that sits next to the settee in the first picture. I'm not a big fan of super long posts, so I will post a tutorial on this table later this week.  Until then, Happy Painting!

Endless possibilities....

If you've ever read any of my previous blogs, you know I am constantly saying "the possibilities are endless" and every time I start a new piece, I am reminded of this and try to push myself a bit further.  This small, antique chest of drawers was brought to me for some custom refurbishing. The customer needed it to match a white daybed with yellow, green and brown accents (flowers). It is very hard to tell in this picture, but the drawers on this chest have flowers etched into the trim, so I thought this piece was perfect for her room.  The only problem was it came to me a REALLY nasty greenish/brownish "not really sure what in the world" color!

I first began by sanding it lightly. It is solid wood, but the varnish was very slick and I wanted to bring out some of its natural flaws.Step 2, I wanted to incorporate all the accent colors in the "matching" bed,  yet I did not want to apply four coats of paint!  So I took acrylic paint (yes, acrylic paint...you could also use latex, chalk paint etc.) and applied brush strokes of a light yellow, mint green, moss green, and doeskin (a light tan).  I put a dab of each color onto a paper plate, took a foam brush and just applied in random strokes throughout the dresser, at times mixing the colors and blending them into one another. I applied heaviest to the corners and edges I knew I would want to distress and really have these colors "pop." Below is the result of step 2:

Step 3, was allowing the paint to dry (acrylic paint dries VERY quickly), and then I applied my first coat of white milk paint. I let that dry overnight, and I applied a second coat the next morning. Once that dried, I took a 220 sanding block and just began sanding.  I finished the piece in two coats of gloss polyurethane per the customer's request. Tip: In any place you want the acrylic paint colors to show, sand lightly. Where you want a true wear and the natural wood to pop through, sand with a heavier hand.  You need a good mix of both!  Again, I always use the liquid milk paint...I don't like mixing it as it never gets clump free for me!  Here is the finished side of the dresser:

I am so in love with the chipiness and I am super happy with how it finished out. The customer absolutely loved it! Love when an idea works out and I don't have to start over :) Happy Painting!

American Flag Wreath....easy and beautiful



When my husband's family began cleaning out his grandparent's estate, I was asked if I wanted his grandfather's flag. It was in such great condition, yet you could tell it had some age on it...I fell in love with it immediately.  The question was, what do I do with it?  I didn't want it to sit in a plastic bag in a closet...such a waste,  nor did I really want to have it displayed in a shadow box.  So I did what any loyal DIYer would do...I hit Pintrest for ideas!

Pintrest had a few images I thought were pretty, but not quite what I was looking for. However, I did take a few for inspiration and then used my own creative brain for the rest.  This was seriously THE easiest project I have ever done. All you need is the following:

Flag
Grapevine Wreath
Twine (I used Jute Twine because I had it on hand)
Tin Star (you can buy these at Hobby Lobby, Michael's etc.)
Spray Paint (for the star if you can not find one in the color you wold like)

I simply took the flag and folded the outside right edges so it was not quite at full size.  I then began draping it around the wreath in a manner that a majority of the blue/stars showed, and with the bottom of the flag wrapping through the wreath at a diagonal and pulled it through...yes, that simple.  I then tied the top (the top of your flag should have holes to loop through) to the grapevine with twine.  To finish off the look, I took a tin star I had on hand, spray painted it  Krylon Gloss Red, and once it dried, I tied to around the outside of the flag. 



TA-DA...love it!