little miss sunshine...

My friend Annie, over at The House That Jade Built, graciously awarded me with the...

Why thank you, Annie...it is so nice to know I bring a little "sunshine" into your day! She has such a fun and colorful blog, speaking of sunshine, so pop over and pay her a visit!

So I am adding my own little twist on this award post. I had many readers email me after my last post to as about my furniture painting business. So I am going to give you a few answers...but I'll skip typing out the questions...because it is late...and I am tired...and I inhaled a lot of paint fumes today so my brain needs a rest. Here it goes...

1. I have been in business for 10 years - this month is actually my anniversary. Most of you seem interested in how I got started doing this, but that is a whole other post - long story. Lets just say it involved a car accident, a foot surgery that kept me from going to work and a girl that can never sit still.

2. Yes, I paint furniture as my full-time job. I give a makeover to around 60-70 pieces per month. 

3. When I am not painting rest of my time is spent dumpster diving, cruising Craigslist, stalking the neighborhood on trash day, going to yard sales, auctions and flea markets, prepping, finishing and selling the pieces. I hope that helps explain why I hardly ever show photos of my work. It is out the door as soon as it is done...and quite frankly who has the time? I'm wiped out by the time it is ready for delivery or shipping!

4. The color of furniture the most popular with my clients is...white. A crisp, clean bright white.

5. No, I do not spray my furniture. I have tried it in the past, may try it again in the future, but my clients have come to expect a certain finish from me...and I am not one to disappoint! I find the extra time it takes to use a good quality primer, brush and paint is so worth it. But who knows, I would love to spray to save a little time...but we will see.

6. Yes, my husband helps me. And no, he never complains. He has his own busy career, but if I need a repair or a custom cabinet built, he is right there to help, no questions asked. I swear I could never do this business on the level that I do it without a helping hand now and then. But I will say, he refuses to paint. He is my handy-man and my delivery help. It ends there.

7. Yes, I do ship my furniture and it is much more reasonable than you would think!

8. The furthest I have ever shipped something is Asia...I have a store there that buys from me regularly. It is so weird to see my coffee table in an ad with Chinese lettering all around it!

9. No, I do not paint in my garage or my basement. Thank goodness! In the early days I did but I hated the mess and I never had enough room to work. I had to rent 3 storage units just to keep my stock in - crazy! So a few years ago I had to move the operation to a warehouse. Much better.

10. YES! All the furniture in my house is white. All but one gorgeous European pine sideboard from the early 1800s...I could never paint that!

I think that should cover all the questions I received, if not...remind me and I will post the answer!

I am off to bed. I have a list of estate sales to make the rounds to tomorrow and an afternoon date with an armoire!

Sounds like a perfect spring day to me!

weekend furniture painting...

UPDATE:
Thanks to your emails....all the furniture and the frames shown in the photos in this post are SOLD! (Thank you Sharon, Elizabeth, Cammy and Barb, they will be shipping early next week!!)

I will be posting more photos next week when I get the next "batch" of furniture done. I can't wait to show you...I have the most beautiful Frenchy bedroom set I am painting this weekend!

It is going to be a busy month, I can just feel it...I have my first show coming May 1st & 2nd and I am starting to feel the pressure...but I am so excited at the same time! Selling at the show is always so much fun! I love meeting the people...and there is nothing better than seeing my furniture being loaded up and on its way to its new happy home! I sell quite a bit of furniture for little girl's rooms, and it feeds to soul  to see how they light up when the get a new dresser or desk. Never fails to make me happy...I am not so sure a piece of furniture would have thrilled me like that when I was a kid!

Here is a little of what I worked on this weekend...

A few vintage frames...

and a few more...they always fly out the door on the first day of the show. I will have 30 or 40 there for the first show, so there should be plenty to choose from!

a full size bed...fit for a princess!

and a gorgeous, solid mahogany tall dresser

This cabinet I actually did last fall but it never made it to a show with me. It will be there in May, but I take custom orders for these, too. They are the perfect size for an over-the-toilet medicine cabinet, or at least that is what most of my buyers tell me they are using them for! I use a salvaged window for the door, and build the cabinet around it. The old locking mechanism is the pull for the door on this one, but each one is different.

And of course a bookcase...I can never, ever bring enough of these to the shows. I usually leave with a "waiting list" for bookcases. I think maybe I am should start building a few of those, too!

And last...but not least...YES...I will have my letter necklaces there again this year! Thank you for all the emails...it inspired me to bring them again this year! I have a few in stock and ready to go...$15 each...so let me know if anyone is in a hurry and needs one before May. I will be happy to drop it in the mail!

I hope some of you "local" girls will stop out at see me at the show! May 1st & 2nd at the Kane County Fairgrounds in St. Charles, IL. I will be in my ususal spot...and have 4 booths stuffed with furniture! Things goes fast, so if you are looking for something specific, be sure to get there on Saturday!

I have a date with my paintbrush again today, so I guess I better get away from my computer and get on it! I have a desk and a dining room set with 6 ornate chairs that need to be done before my head hits the pillow tonight!

Happy Tuesday, girls!

diy kitchen love...

I'm doing a little happy dance for Kristin over at My Uncommon Slice of Suburbia!

She just heard she is going to be featured in Better Homes & Gardens Special Interest Publication...

Kitchen & Bath Makeovers!

Have you seen her kitchen???

Really, if you have not...you have to. Right.now!

I'm even giving you a little preview below...but you can get all the details on her blog.

I was going from blog to blog a few months ago, and stumbled on her kitchen redo...and about fell off my chair. I could not believe the kitchen she has now started out so 'builder basic'. Since then her blog has become one of my favorites, I am always checking in to see what she is up to.

The space was done on a budget...and was totally DIY...well, she had a little help from a painter friend, but who can blame her! Look at all those cabinets! It took a little time, as all good DIY projects seem to. But, she did it a step at a time and the space has evolved into an elegant, comfortable space.

Can you even believe this gorgeous space...

 started out like this????

And she didn't get new cabinets...nope...she used what she had an made them better.

Not just better...incredible!

Seriously, Kristin had a vision...and it was perfectly executed.

I have seen a good make-over or two, but the change in this one is fantastic!

It is so bright...and is it just me...or does it seem about 10x bigger than it started out??

I am loving her floor...and the big window above the sink is fabulous!

On her blog, she even shows step by step how she created that gorgeous island!

And the part that I find more wonderful than the kitchen is that she was lucky enough to have one of the editors from Better Homes & Gardens find her blog and fall in love with her kitchen like I did! That would be the best job ever!...to sit at my desk and blog-hop all day looking for rooms that make me swoon.

Congrats, Kristin. I am glad your hard work is going to be shown off for the world to see!

old painted cottage giveaway!

Jen at The Old Painted Cottage is having a giveaway!

Laurie, from Bella Inspirations has offered one of her gorgeous burlap table runners to one of Jen's lucky readers.

Jen's blog is one of my favorites! I have been following her from the very beginning...and it is amazing what that girl can do with a room! I am in love with her kitchen and living room...this girl is amazing! Oh, and she has a little online store, too! Packed with some of the most amazing finds I have ever seen! I want one of everything! She has some serious eye-candy over on her blog, so click over and take a look!

But please, try not to drool on your keyboard.

So pay a visit to Jen's blog by clicking here and follow her instructions.

Maybe you will be the lucky winner of the burlap runner...

(but secretly, I hope it is me!)

Good luck, girls!