Hello Annie! I get a tad excited about painted furniture :)

Hello Gorgeous Coasties!

I get excited about holidays, Christmas, my boy's soccer games, shopping and lots of other wonderful things.  But don't get me started on painted furniture... let's just say the word obsession may or may not be an appropriate term to describe my relationship with it!  Love. 

So you can imagine my delight and happy dance worthy sheer joy over receiving some gorgeous new paint to test!  Now not just any ordinary run of the mill paint, but Annie Sloan Chalk Paint!!  Excited much, pick me up off the floor... hardly covers it ;)

I had many projects lined up in my studio aka garage awaiting a makeover but I decided to dive in feet first and tackle quiet a large piece.  Allow me to introduce Big Bessy.....

Bessy came to live with us almost two years ago, she serves as a sideboard in our dining area and deserved a special make over.  In comes Annie Sloan Chalk Paint in Duck Egg.  Delicious.

I decided to prime her all over, even though I know this step was not necessary, but I wanted some of the white to peek through after distressing.  After priming I applied two coats of Duck Egg, the first coat went on like a dream.  I followed up with a second coat to ensure beautiful coverage.  I painted the back boards white to add some more definition and contrast to her.

After a little distressing I finished her off with the crème de la crème of waxes!  Annie's Soft Wax is amazeballs...  I could eat it on toast for brekkie with a nice English Breakfast tea and be in heaven!  {don't try this at home ;)}.

And without further ado, I think I'll have to call her Beautiful Bessy now....

 

 

 

I'm so happy with how she turned out and I'm more than a bit in love with Annie's paint.  So happy we can get it in Australia finally! :))

Thanks so much for stopping by,

Jo xx

Linking up here...

elizabeth and co

 

domestically speaking

 

the trendy treehouse

 

savvy southern style

 

diy by design

 

finding fabulous

 

romantic home

 

diy show off

 

the shabby creek cottage

 

Little Vintage Desk Gets a Funky Retro Makeover!

Hi Gorgeous Peeps!

Yep so I'm not so good with the whole regular blog posting thing... another long break between posts!  Rest assured I've finished several makeovers and been up to some fun furniture and thrifting capers!

Thought I'd pop in to share one of my latest furniture makeovers.  This little desk has been residing in our garage for quite some time now...  biding his time...  finally he caught my eye and received a funky lil retro makeover ;)

Before:
 

 

 

 

I started by painting him all white, it was at this point my boys chimed in with retorts of how totes boring all white was!  I was outnumbered so we needed to break open some colour! 

Green it 'twas....

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Well I think he has quite the personality now! 

 

What do you think, like the green?

 

 

 

Love n light

 

Jo xx



 

 

 

Linking up here this week...

 

between naps on the porch

 

diy show off

 

its so very cheri

 

coastal charm

 

elizabeth and co

 

no minimalist here

 

the shabby creek cottage

 

 

 

Back with a Tiffany Box Blue Mirror Makeover!

Hello luvlies,

Wondering if any of you are still with me?  Boy have I been a slack blogger!  At first I told myself I'd wait until the kiddies went back to school... well ahem... that was a month ago now.  Time just slips by.  Whilst I have been neglecting my blog... I do have to fess up about something.  I kind of feel like I've been having a sultry affair.... ;o  ...that is cheating on my blog.  The object of my recent affection and attention is Instagram.  It's so quick and easy to check in and post pics... I love how I can keep up to date with people and chat too.  I've made many lovely cyber friends... do pop over and say hi!  I'm @coastalhomelove :)

So whilst I love hanging out on Instagram... there's no place like home, and this little blog feels like my virtual home.  So I'm back to remove the drop cloths and dust off the cobwebs.   I thought I'd start by sharing a recent makeover.  I do love a good before and after story, especially one with a happy aqua ending ;)

So here's a before pic of a large mirror I purchased recently...  the usual fake tan orange pine, but with a gorgeous shape;

And after....  in her glorious Tiffany Box Blue colour.  I used a colour called Pacific Lagoon and added white until I got the perfect shade of aqua :)

So after having most of the Summer off from blogging...  I'm back, on this wildly Wintery first day of Autumn... I even got to wear boots today!  Here's to the change of season!

Do you love Instagram too?  Do you look forward to the change of Seasons?

Hugs...

Jo xx

 Linking up here...

scandi coast home

redoux interiors

Decking the Coastal Christmas Halls.... Tra la la la la

Hello lovelies!

Tis the season to be Merry and Bright... and deck the halls with shiny gorgeousness!  I love Christmas decorations a lot. Sparkly, glittery goodness. 

I look forward to decorating every year...  and can't wait for the 1st of December to come around to get my Christmas on! 

That said with so much going on with work, kids sports and events... Christmas decorating and planning for that matter, is a slow process in this coastal home ;)

I'm feeling quite disorganised, with only a few presents shopped for, none wrapped and no plan for a Christmas menu!  Best be giving myself a shift kick in the Christmas behind me thinks ;)


We have the tree up and decorated, I just love seeing it twinkling in the back ground as we watch tellie at night!


I've had fun making some Christmas bunting to hang about the place...  here's a little Joy work in progress!   I also made Noel for my mantel and some Merry Christmas ones which I sold at Market.

Still on my Christmas To Do list is a skirt for our tree... she's a modest old girl and think a lovely ruffly number would suit her to a tee! 

Finally, I added some fairy lights and the Noel bunting to complete our Coastal Christmasy mantel..  which is not so much a mantel as an Ikea floating shelf above our TV...  but it's as close as I get to having a mantel so it gets treated as such :)

This weekend hubby will channel Clark W Griswold... and hang the outside lighting!  National Lampoon's Christmas Vacation...  I think we watch it every year...  and still laugh out loud ;O

What's on your menu for Christmas lunch?  Desperately seeking inspiration!

Hope you're enjoying this crazy beautiful time...

Jo xx

To Market to Market!

Hello Lovelies :)

Well my second market outing is done and dusted.  Last Friday night I attended some Night Markets at a local school.  It was hot, crowded and so much fun!  The atmosphere was very Christmassy and we were entertained all night by gorgeous singing kiddies.

Here's a few pics I snapped.  My apologies for the quality of the pics...  I used my iPhone, which is my usual choice of high tech photographic equipment... but I was pressed for time whilst setting up and it was so hot! 

I reckon I lost about 3 kgs with all the lifting, carrying, jumping up and down off chairs to hang my curtains etc.  However, I promptly undid this effort by enjoying a lovely croissant breekie with the Cricket Mums on Saturday morning ;)

 

 

I made the Christmas bunting and I was so happy to receive a couple of orders for bunting on the night.  I have another post coming up on the bunting :) 

 

 

I sold these sweet little nesting tables to a lovely lady.  Their transormation is not quite complete...  I'll post their full story when they are finished!

 

 

 

 

I also sold a few of my handmade rustic signs

 

 

 

 

 

All in all it was a great night!  Looking forward to booking in for the next one :) 

 

Where are your fave Markets?

 

 

Jo xx

 

Rustic Christmassy Signs headed to Market

Hi there,

Well just a quick little post, I've been so crazy busy this week preparing for my next Market outing tomorrow night.  I've made some more little rustic signs. 

I took some of these to my last Market but thought I'd do a few Christmassy ones.  I hope people are feeling festive ;)

 

 

Noel is one of my favourite Christmas words.  Not only is it a beautiful word, it's my Dad's name and was my Pop's name too.  So extra special to me.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

I made a bunch more different ones.. but ran out of time to snap some pics! I might take some tomorrow night and share in another post :)

 

What's your favourite Christmas word or phrase?

 

Thanks for stopping by,

 

Jo xx



 

 

Sharing at...

 

scandi coast home

 

White Wicker Dreaming with a French Coastal Twist ;)

Hi Gorgeous Coasties!

It was a real scorcher here in Sydney today... first taste of Summer and about time too!

Sharing a quick little make over I finished recently.  I heart wicker...  I've blogged about my love before here and here.

So when I came across this little gem I couldn't walk past it...  $10 orange wicker special!

Before:  The colour almost looks nice in this shot.. but it was your basic fake tanny orange wicker.

 

A little work in progress shot.  I hand painted it as I wanted a rustic look as well as more control over the finish.  Sometimes I find with a spray can it can be a little uneven with this type of wicker.

 

 

After the white I added a hand painted blue stripe... I was going for a rustic French Coastal look!


After:  White, bright with a French Blue Coastal Stripe :)

 

 

 

 

 

Now to decide where to use him, I think it's quite a practical and versatile little piece.  My original thought was to put it to organising duty in the pantry.  But I'm also thinking it might be practical to hold Bath roomy things.  What do you think?

Happy White Wicker Dreaming friends,

Jo xx

Linking up to these lovely parties...

scandi coast home

elizabeth and co

my uncommon slice of suburbia

primitive and proper

a diamond in the stuff

the shabby creek cottage

coastal charm

finding fabulous