Pumpkin Spice and Everything Nice Sign

This year is just flying by for me.  It seems like only yesterday I was attending my oldest granddaughter's wedding (which was in June) and today Miss A is picking up her schedule to start back to school next week.  Where have the days gone?  It's still hot and summer is still in full swing but Fall is definitely just around the corner.  So, I have been working on a bit of Fall decor.  Today I thought I would share this cute chalk paste sign I made to celebrate the coming of Fall.

Hands down, Pumpkin Spice is my favorite Fall flavor and scent.  I just can't seem to get enough of it as, I'm sure many of you are the same.  There is just nothing better than the fresh aroma of pumpkin spice coffee outside on a cool afternoon, in my book.  And the wonderful aroma of those scented candles in my home is the bomb - smells like I have been baking all day, lol... So it was kind of a given that I would be making this cute transfer from Chalk Couture.  How could I not?  I love it!!

Kitchen Table and Chairs Makeover

Hi everyone.  I have a furniture makeover for you today that I love. It's a kitchen table and chairs that went from "Oh, my!" to "Oh, how pretty!"

When we moved into this home we needed to purchase another table and chairs set.  We have always lived in homes that have galley kitchens - no space to eat in.  Therefore, we always ate in our dining rooms.  But, this house has an eat-in area in the kitchen that required a table and chairs we did not have.  So began our search for the perfect set.  And, of course, we found the perfect one in a thrift store.

Doesn't look like much, does it?  We fell in love with it.  It's probably an old patio set that had a glass top at one time.  It's made of steel and the seats are some kind of "faux" leather that was peeling.  The backs of the chairs had a gold design that looked a bit dated.

You can see they were in a bit of a mess and needed a lot of TLC.

This is a close-up of the chair seats and the gold design on the backs.  I thought they were going to be perfect for my vintage industrial look I was going for in the kitchen.  So I set about getting them into shape.

Todd made a wood top for the table first.  However, he did not attach it at this time.  It actually had to wait while I worked on the table and chairs.  First I painted all the metal with my trusty black chalkboard paint.  This is my go-to paint for everything.  I love the finish I get from it a true mat black with a lot of depth.  The only prep I did was to wash them good with soap and water.  It took 3 coats of paint to cover them well.  

This is one of the chairs after being painted and the seat covered.  I found the fabric at Hobby Lobby and used my 40% off coupon on it.  It only took 1 yard to do all four chairs.  I love how the plaid just makes this chair pop.

Now the wood top became a real problem for me.  I stained it with some dark stain we had on hand and absolutely hated the outcome.  I was really afraid I was going to have to paint it because it looked so bad.  So I went over it with a gray stain to try to get to what I wanted - which I can't even explain.  Well, that wasn't really what I wanted either.  So, Todd got busy and mixed some stains and played around with it and finally came up with what we have.  I really like the top now.  It's fairly dark which I felt this set needed to go with the black base.  After we finally got the color we wanted I gave it 4 coats of Minwax Polycrylic Protective Sealer.  I used 4 coats just to be sure it was protected as we were going to be using this table a lot.

I love this table and chairs now and it really makes this corner so cozy.  We use it all the time - so much easier than taking everything into the dining room for our meals.

This has become my favorite corner of our home now.  I love sitting here and having my morning coffee and working on my computer.  And, I love having an eat-in kitchen for the first time in our lives.  Such a convenient place for our small family meals. 

What do you think?  Is there a makeover in your future?  Tell me about it in the comments below.

I will be linking this post to the parties listed on the Where I Party page.  Please be sure to go by and check out all the great projects and inspiration found at each one.


If you like this post you may also like these:

                                                          DIY Kitchen Shelf Makeover

                                                          Upholstering a Wood Chair

                                                 Updating a China Cabinet with Paint

DIY Coffee Mugs with Couture Ink

I love coffee.  I mean it is my go-to beverage any time of day morning - noon - or night.  And I love to have cute little coffee mugs to drink it from - they just make it so much more special.  So when I saw the transfers that Chalk Couture had I knew I had to turn some of them into pretty little mugs for my morning coffee time.  They are so cute and so easy to make.  Check them out.

Flip-Flops Sign with Chalk Paste

Have you ever found something that you thought was so amazing that you just had to tell all your family and friends about it? You know - that great new pizza place that has the perfect pizza you've been looking for all your life, or that amazing mattress you just got and you are finally getting a great night's sleep, or maybe that cute pair of shoes you found that is ah-ma-zing.  We all have at least one something like that. Right? Well, I have found one of those things I want to share with y'all today.  

This is the most amazing, fun, and addictive craft product I have used in a long time and is at the top of my favorites list right next to paint.   

As most of you all know I am in love with paint. It's my go-to craft product for almost every project - anything can be transformed with a bit of paint be it a thrift store find, upcycled product, trash recycle or changing a brand new item. It's my way of putting my "stamp" on a project.  But, I tell you I may soon be replacing it with Chalk Couture's Chalk Paste. This stuff is amazing and easy to use and fun and addictive and... I could go on forever. That's just how much I love it. 

                                       CHALK COUTURE CHALK PASTE

I love to make signs of all types and especially chalkboard signs.  But, I also like to put quotes and images on my thrift store finds, Dollar Store finds, pillows, all sorts of things.  However, it's not always an easy process - you have to make or find an image, trace or stencil it onto the project, then spend hours painting the image.  Sometimes this process can be quite tedious and takes hours or even days to do. But, I loved the finished product.  Then enters chalk paste - what a difference this has made in my world.

Instead of taking hours or days to do a project it takes me minutes to complete the most awesome perfect signs that look like a pro made them. 

Did I tell you how much I love this stuff?

 I mean where have you been all my life?!

Let me show you why I fell in love with this product.

First of all, Chalk Couture is a system of transfers, chalk pastes and inks that allow you to create masterpieces for your home, as gifts, or to sell in your shops in minutes.  In the above picture, I am placing the "Live Life in Flip Flops" transfer on a cute little chalkboard I found at the Target Dollar Spot. 

Then I just applied some white chalk paste with a squeegee to the words "Live Life in".

To add interest I then applied some aquamarine paste to the words "flip flops"

I immediately removed the transfer and 

                WALLAH... 

check out how perfect the words turned out and how cute it is already.

But, I wasn't finished yet.  I decided to add a few flip-flop transfers to the board for some cute embellishments.  

And, 10 minutes from the start I had this completed and very cute summer board to display.  This would have taken me at least a full afternoon to complete with paint. And, the best part is when summer is over I can easily reuse this board by cleaning it with a bit of water and a paper towel. It will be a clean new slate and ready for a new quote.  So quick, so easy, so cute and so addictive.

Below I am sharing a video with you to show you just how quick and easy this chalk paste is to use.

Now you can see why I have fallen in love with this new product.  I know I will definitely be using it for the majority of my projects now as it can be used on most any surface.  I will continue to be a paint fanatic but it's going to have to move aside and make room for this awesome chalk paste.  

And, for those "crafties" like me, Chalk Couture has 31 colors of chalk paste to choose from and so many different fun transfers in 5 different sizes - many with multiple images on each individual transfer.  They also have 20 colors of ink that can be used on glass, fabric, mirror - anything that can be heat set to make a permanent image.  Then there are all their amazing surfaces to use but, you are not limited to them alone - use things around your house, thrift store finds, Dollar store finds - whatever your heart desires - that's the beauty of it - you are not limited to one thing. That's why I love it so much - that and the fact that it's so easy.
You can check out all their amazing products at Chalk Couture shop. 

If you have any questions about Chalk Couture or would like to find out how to get a sample to try please email me at: 
            cscarroll49@gmail.com

Until next time have a great time crafting something you love,

                     

I will be linking this post to the parties listed on the Where I Party page.  Please be sure to go by and check out all the great projects and inspiration found at each one.

If you liked this post you may also like these:

                                                      Chalkboard Art: Easy as 1-2-3

                                                        DIY Framed Chalkboard Art

                                                  Mother's Day Chalkboard with Wreath

Update Your Flower Pots With Paint

Living in the South we spend a lot of time in our outdoor spaces.  I like to have these spaces look inviting and cozy.  I do this with paint, fabrics, and plants. One of the easiest ways I have found to refresh our outdoor spaces is to update and upcycle your old flower pots.  I love to refresh ours with paint and do so almost every year.  Today I thought I would share with you some of the makeovers I have done as well as some of my blogger friends.