Friday Five

Hey! I hope that you had a great week! Here's a few things that have caught my eye recently.

Caitlin Wilson Textiles recently released a new summer collection. If you haven't yet, you must check it out!! So much amazingness going on!

We like buying larger containers of wood filler - they're typically a better value, but once open, they dry up faster than we can use them. So, to help it last longer, we just push a piece of plastic wrap against the filler. To use it, we just pull back part of the wrap, and then recover when we're finished. It lasts forever! Wrapping the container with a rubber band helps to keep the lid on. (sorry I forgot to take a pic with the lid off!)

I was browsing around Ross this week, and found this maxi dress in the juniors section (brand is Derek Heart). Actually, first, I found it in a hideous print, but tried it on because I thought the fit would be good. In the dressing room I was thinking, why don't they just make this in black (not that I don't like prints, I LOVE prints, but just because black would appeal to more people vs. a reeeeally bad print) Anyways, I just about gave up, and then I found it in black! 

First, I fell in love with the price - $11.99, then the fit - the neckline was flattering, not too low, I liked the wider straps and the racerback. The length was just short enough so I can wear flats with it (I'm 5'3, so that's tricky!) Also, it's thick enough so you don't have to worry about it being see through! A definite plus!! 

When I wear it, I'll try to remember to take a pic! 

How great is this space designed by Honey & Fitz!? It's fun, fresh and inviting! 

Please pin from original source, here

via honey & fitz

Hamilton X Slat Desk at Target - love the x detail! This could be a great nightstand, vanity, console - super versatile and could easily move from room to room. Plus Target is offering 20% off home decor purchases in this category, $125 and up! Making this desk around $100! 

Target now has gold flatware (at least this is the first that I've seen it!) So fancy! :) 

*Affiliate links used 

I hope that you have a great weekend! We're making a quick trip to MD to work on the entry! Wish us luck! 

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White + Brass Campaign Dresser + Game Changing Tips for Painting Furniture

Hey! Thanks SO much for your nice comments on our post yesterday!! You are too sweet :)

Today I'm sharing how we transformed a cheap laminate campaign dresser - making it more durable and look more expensive!

I feel like I turned a corner painting furniture, so I included those using CAPS and bolding. These are tips that I'll be using from now on!  

It's come a long way ..

Here's the before. Peeling plastic finish - it's primarily MDF with this finish. BUT look at that hardware! It was missing one pull (I'm hoping to find one or make one soon ..) At $40, it was hard to pass up.

First, I tackled the hardware.

It has a lot.

I removed all of the corner plates, carefully! I used a thin wide trowel with a pointy tip. On the underside of the plate (if I messed up, at least it would be on the underside, since most of the time you're looking at it from the top) I pushed it in a small gap and wiggled it back and forth.

Then I removed the remaining pins by wiggling the trowel back and forth. The wide surface helps distribute the pressure, reducing the risk of damage.

I was able to remove all the corners without any damage.

For the pulls, you just remove the screws from the inside of the drawer.

Place all of the hardware in zippered baggies, you don't want to lose anything!

Then, I started polishing. I love the look of shiny brass with crisp white, but you could just give it a gentle cleaning with soapy water if you want to keep the patina.

I tested mine with a magnet, it didn't stick, so I think they are solid brass instead of brass plated. The process is almost the same, but you can polish solid brass a little more aggressively.

First, here's what didn't work for me.

I tried a brass polish (my local store didn't have Brasso, but I think this is the same). This stuff is stinky, so it should be done outside. I covered it with the polish and let it sit for about 30 minutes. It was hot, so I didn't scrub it too long (I used a 3m scotch brite pad cut into sections), I rinsed it and it still needed some polishing. It was messy to clean up too ..

Then, I tried lemon juice and salt .. I still wasn't able to get the look that I wanted. I rinsed and dried it .. it looked like this.

Not sure what I did wrong, maybe mine actually aren't solid brass?

Then, I tried Bar Keepers Friend. This is the stuff to use! It easily polished up. I'm not sure how it would work when starting with it (instead of Brasso/lemon+salt), but next time, I'd try this first. It didn't have an odor, so I could use it inside and it was easy to remove the excess cleaner from the hardware. Plus it's cheap, I think under $2.

Here's how I used it. First, I got two containers of water (easier than turning the water on and off at the sink), 3M Scotch Brite pads (cut into small sections),   a plastic drop cloth to catch water/cleaner, and a few old towels. I dipped one or two pieces of hardware and the Scotch Brite pad in a bucket of water, then I sprinkled it with Bar Keepers Friend and scrubbed. Then I dipped it in the same bucket of water to remove the excess cleaner, then I dipped it in the clean water to remove the rest of the cleaner and throughly dried it with an old towel. I did this one round and then found that the finish oxidized again, so I repeated and at the end, applied a layer of spray on car wax to protect the finish (wiping off the excess) and it still looks good!

Clear furniture wax would work as well, though the car wax is thinner, so I'd guess it would be easier to remove the excess.

This took a lot of effort, trial and error, as the first time doing something typically does .. just a reminder not to give up, next time will be much easier!

INCREASE THE DURABILITY. 

Then we started working on the dresser. Like I said earlier, the quality wasn't amazing, including staples instead of dovetailed drawers .. a few of the drawers were falling apart so we fixed with a little wood glue (We like this wood glue from Elmers). It's amazing how strong this stuff is! We also ran a bead of glue along all the bottom seams on the drawers to increase the durability down the road - a great, quick solution! You could also remove the staples and replace with screws, but we felt that the glue was strong enough - down the road we could always add screws.

First, fill any gouges, dents, etc. with wood filler (we like this wood filler from Elmers), let it fully dry.

Next, prep for paint. USE A RANDOM ORBITAL SANDER.  I've been using a mouse sander, which I loved because it is light and can get into the crevices, BUT it did leave some sanding marks .. not ideal. David had a random orbital sander in his tool box in Maryland (we don't take everything with us for our rental .. ) and I recently used it. This is the thing to use!! It doesn't leave sanding marks and you don't have to press as hard. It's more powerful, so you have to be careful not to over sand .. I found that it worked best when sanding a horizontal surface (verse holding it vertically) so I rotated the dresser as I went so I was always sanding a horizontal surface (placing the dresser on styrofoam to protect the finish). The mouse sander is good to have since it's easier to control and gets into tight spots, but I won't use it on an entire piece again ..

I used 100 grit and then 220 grit to finish. Moving the sander in a small circular motion as I went.

Wipe it down with a micro fiber cloth. Tape the edges of the drawers and the interior drawer openings with painters tape. Remember that the drawers don't fit perfectly flush, so make sure to paint about 1/4" to 1/2" into the dresser so you see white and not wood.

GET A DURABLE SMOOTH FINISH. 

I was recently sent a new bonding primer from Kilz, and THIS is my new favorite primer. It's water based (so easy clean up verse oil based), goes on easily and resists brush/roller marks, bonds well to slick surfaces (I also used it on a plastic trunk), and it's durable (super important for furniture!) It is amazing, you MUST try it.

I was sent this to test out from Kilz, but I wasn't compensated for a review, all opinions are all mine.

Now, the top coat. If you've been reading my blog for a while, you know that I'm a fan of Sherwin Williams Pro Classic paint. It gives a hard, enamel like finish, but it's water based. Last week, I read Mandi's post about using mohair rollers - stop by Vintage Revivals for the full how to, you won't want to miss it!! It does work SUPER well to get a smooth finish.

I used the mohair rollers to apply the primer to and found it difficult to apply to the thinner sections of the front since the brush doesn't hold very much paint, so next time I'd probably use a small foam roller or brush for those. The mohair roller did well on the entire dresser for the top coat, since it goes on a lot easier than the primer (the first coat of paint soaks into the dresser).

For this dresser, I applied two thin coats of primer, did a light sanding with a fine foam sanding block, wiped it with a microfiber cloth, Finally I applied three thin coats of Sherwin Pro Classic in Alabaster, my favorite slightly creamy (but not ivory) white.

This dresser is nothing special without the hardware ..

I let the paint cure for a few days and reinstalled the hardware.

The tassel draperies are Ikea Lenda panels with a tassel trim (found from this seller on eBay) sewn on the edge.

This dresser has come a LONG way from the plastic finish and chipping MDF. It now looks bright, fresh, and expensive! I'm in love.

These tips have been a game changer for me, I hope that they help you too!!

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Serena & Lily Inspired Mirror | How To

Today I'm sharing how we made a Serena & Lily inspired mirror, modeled after this. The original is around $600 and ours is $15-$20 (depending what materials you have on hand). With a little effort and affordable materials we were able to get our own custom 3D mirror!

It was a little time consuming, but most of it was done in the evening while we were watching a little t.v., much better than working in the garage!

This isn't a full tutorial, due the complexity of calculating the angles and the measurements for the jig, if anyone is interested in the details of the template and jig, let me know and I'll try to get that info. 

Here's our process!

Materials + Tools:

32"x40" mat board (like what you'd use in a photo frame, mine is about 1/16" thick)
Quick grab craft glue (we like Aleene's fast grab or turbo tacky)
Wood filler
Half sheet (2'x4') 1/4" plywood
Mirror Adhesive
18.5" round mirror ($8 cut at a local glass shop)
Fine foam sanding block
Painters tape
Xacto knife / Metal ruler with cork backing / cutting mat
Jigsaw
Hanging hardware (D rings, wire)

1. First, David calculated the angles in a 3D program, SketchUp. This was tricky and required a little trial and error to get just right.

Then we printed the pieces out on 8.5x11 paper and started cutting out the mat board. We decided not to attach the template to the mat board with spray adhesive so that we could flip the pieces and not worry about stickiness, torn mat board, etc. Instead, we cut small holes through the template and attached it with painters tape.

Cutting mat board takes a little getting used to - you want to keep the cuts as straight and even as possible. (David and I both have lots of practice from countless projects in college!) I got a request for tips on cutting, here's what works for us: First, the blade is very sharp, always handle with care (don't leave it on the floor, make sure it doesn't roll off the table, etc.) You'll need, self healing cutting mat, xacto knife (no. 11 blades) and a metal cork backed ruler (cork for anti slip).  Line up your ruler (I typically use my ruler to protect the side that I'm using, so if I mess up, the part that I'm using doesn't get damaged. **Always make sure that you fingers holding the ruler are clear of the edge prior to cutting, yep that happened one night when I was tired** Grip the handle close to the blade (gives your extra control, just don't get too close to the blade), hold the knife straight, low and fairly horizontal with the cutting mat (this post shows my hand position), drag the heal of your hand on the cutting mat - you want to think about moving your hand verse putting all the pressure on the blade. It typically takes me about 3 passes to get through the mat board, repeat till it's fully cut, don't pull it apart. Finally, you want to keep your blades pretty sharp - I buy my blades in a 100-pack from Amazon, if you use the Xacto knife a lot this is the way to go since the smaller packs are expensive!

2. As I cut, David glued (this helped speed it up!) Each section of the face has two smaller and two longer pieces. The centers were glued individually. You want a fast grab glue so that you aren't holding it forever!

3. Then we placed it in a jig that we made so that each piece would be consistent. The jig was made using measurements from the SketchUp model.

4. Once it was fairly firm, we glued the sections together. We used painters tape as we went to stabilize the joints.

5. Once the circle was constructed and dry, we flipped it over and reinforced the seams with more glue, pushing it into the crevices. It's on the back side, so the glue can be messy.

6. Then we centered it on a 2'x4' piece of 1/8" plywood, traced the outline, and cut it out with the jigsaw.

7. After building the face, we needed to cut mat board to go around the edges. David measured for the height (including the plywood frame) and started with a quick paper mock up to verify the dimensions. We then cut and glued the edge pieces around the frame.

8. Then, we applied wood filler into all the crevices. **Important: You want to apply the wood filler as thin as possible (smoothing it as you go), this will reduce sanding later. The mat board sands well, but since you have to hand sand, it's easier to apply a second thin coat later if needed, you want it to be as smooth as possible. Using a fine grit foam sanding block helps to evenly sand all of the faces and joints.

9. Once we sanded, we removed all the dust with a micro fiber cloth and then painted. First we used a glossy paint, but it showed every imperfection, so we sanded it a little and applied three thin coats of Valspar flat white spray paint.

10. We tested the pre-cut plywood backing (our mirror was a little larger than 2'x'4' plywood, so there was a little gap on two sides, not a big deal since it's on the back. We needed to trim ours slightly, so we did that with the jigsaw.

Then, we centered a 18.5" mirror (cut at a local glass shop for $8) and attached the mirror with mirror adhesive, and weighed it down overnight with a semi heavy object (like three bricks) with cardboard in between to protect the mirror.

11. Then we attached the frame to the mirror. We applied glue around the edge, placed the frame on top and let it set. Then, we flipped it over and placed a few layers of glue to fill in all the gaps (letting it dry in between coats)

12. Finally, we attached a wire on the back to hang it.

You may be wondering about the durability. Prior to painting, someone who will remain nameless .. but over 6' tall, stepped on it .. we both freaked out, but it only cracked on one seam, so a little glue fixed it as good as new. For what it is (thick paper) it is surprisingly durable! I would still recommend handling with care prior to hanging!

The wall covering is Cynthia Rowley wrapping paper from Home Goods attached with double sided tape. Love the pop of color and pattern - and a perfect temporary solution!

The glass jars and boxes are also from Home Goods - perfect for holding jewelry, scarves, and other accessories.

The Hydrangea is from Trader Joes (I love their flower selection!)

and the triangle glass display box was found at a thrift store while we were in Florida. The carved wood ball was found at a vintage fair in Knoxville last weekend.

This is the perfect addition to our bedroom. It just feels like me :) The yellow fabric is actually a shower curtain found at Crate and Barrel (we picked it up in store for $15 last weekend!) thanks for the tip, Kate!

The bed frame isn't something that I'd pick out, but since our rental is a partially furnished, it's okay for now.

I'm obsessed with this new wall in our room - it's so bright, fun and happy!

Details on painting a laminate campaign dresser and polishing hardware coming soon! It's amazing how white paint and polish transform this piece, it now looks super expensive!

Here's the breakdown.


Cost:

~$15 ($8 mirror and $6 mat board -using a 40% off coupon at Hobby Lobby) I had everything else on hand, but if you needed to buy most of it, it would be around $20-$30.

Time (not including inactive time):

Template design / calculate angles ~3 hrs
Preparing template / Cutting mat board / Gluing ~4 hrs
Applying / Sanding wood filler ~2 hrs
Prep + Painting ~30 minutes
Cutting plywood and securing mirror ~1 hr
Securing frame + hanging hardware ~1 hr

11.5 hrs

We spread it over a few weeks, most of it at night while we were watching tv, so not too bad! I'm obsessed with the final outcome - LOVE it! :)

I know this project won't be for everyone, but if you don't want to give it a try, I hope you'll take inspiration and try something with our mat board/glue/wood filler technique! Our geometric pencil cup is a great place to start!

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Serena & Lily Inspired Mirror + Campaign Dresser

Hi! I hope that you had a great weekend! Today I'm finally sharing what we've been working on (on and off) for the past few weeks.

THIS mirror! Inspired by this amazing Serena and Lily mirror. Isn't it fabulous!? The main difference, ours costs $15-$20 and the inspiration costs just under $600. If you read my post last week, you probably know what it's made out of, mat board. My obsession continues .. (see here and here where it started) the possibilities are endless, the best part is that you can make something amazing for just a few dollars!

You know what is also amazing? How David can figure things out .. I suggested this mirror and he was instantly game to figure out the tricky angles. I'll be working on a post for later in the week with our process. I'm not sure if it will be a full how-to because of the complexity, but it will definitely include our process.

You may have also noticed this campaign beauty (originally shared on instagram).. I feel like I've turned a corner painting furniture, so I'll be sure to share those details too!

Here's the before. Yikes!

and after.

Finally, I need to get you caught up on our latest thrifted finds. I found this glass triangle display while we were in Florida and this carved wood ball at a vintage fair in Knoxville last weekend.

So much to share, I better get busy, I've got a lot of of writing and editing to do! Stay tuned for lots of fun posts soon!! 

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Happy Birthday David!

Today I'm taking a break from my normal posts to wish David a very happy birthday! This blog would definitely not be the same without him, so it's only fitting that I take a little time to talk about why I love David so much.

He's the most loving, most selfless person that I know. David's parent's were visiting this weekend, and we were talking about how he's always been like that. With love, you do almost anything..

He's smart. Both book and street smart.. David takes my crazy ideas and figures out how to make them a reality. The way his brain works, is just amazing .. there is nothing that he can't figure out. (Just wait until you see tomorrow's post, it blows my mind!!)

He can build and fix just about anything. From cars to anything house related, David can do it. And if he doesn't know how to, he figures it out.

He's hard working and not easily frustrated. Just one example .. David's commute in CA was 3 hours round trip from the constant 70ish coast to the extreme heat or cold of the desert. The drive was windy (to the point that people did the drive once and quit.) In those two years, they went through several sets of tires (luckily he had a company vehicle to drive!) I did the drive twice, and once was enough for me.. I don't know how he did it for two years without complaining.

He's supportive and believes in me. David's constantly willing to help .. most of our free time is spent creating and building. Oh and he loves thrifting, looking for our next treasure as much as I do!

I could go on and on with reasons that I love David, but I'll leave it at this :)

This past year has been full of ups and downs .. I don't know exactly where were headed in the next year, but that's okay. As long as I have David, I know that I'll be okay. With David, I am home.

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