To the Beach!

I have been really busy so I haven't had any time to create and blog and I miss it.  Last year I had the opportunity to go 3 different areas in the US and 3 different beaches.  I used to live on Kodiak island in Alaska and grew to love the ocean.  Now I live hours from an ocean.  Visiting so many last year has made me long for the coast.  I'm going to Florida in October, but until then I thought I would do a little decorating to hold me over until then. I was inspired by a boardwalk.  When I went to Florida I walked down this long warm, sandy boardwalk and I knew I wanted something with that feel for my art piece.  I went to Lowe's and purchased a 3' x 4' beadboard.  They come precut and cost about $10.00. 

Notice it has a little lip on it, so that you can panel a wall with them.  I didn't need that so my sweet hubby cut it off while I took the picture.

To be sure that the board wouldn't warp I cut simple strips of wood and nailed them to the back. No one is going to see this part so it doesn't have to be perfect.

Then I whitewashed the entire board and came up with a beachy saying I wanted to use.  I measured, (not my thing!) and stenciled on the words.

Here comes the hard part.... am I happy with this just like it is? Hmmm, not sure.  I visioned an old boardwalk and this doesn't look old, so I decide to put a brown wash on it. I didn't take a picture of it like that but I lived with it for about 2 weeks and decided that I was not happy with it still.  So I took it back off of the wall and sanded it and whitewashed it again.

Here is the final product.  I think I am happy with it.  It looks like a real old boardwalk and that is what I wanted.  It looks great with my other beachy decor.

Here is a closeup.  Sorry about the lighting, I can't figure out how to fix that.

I love this little house.  It's a paper mache' house I bought at Hob Lob and painted it white and green.It reminds me of all the pretty pastel houses on the beach.

I glued crushed seashells that I bought at Michael's (I think) to the roof.  I just love this little house but I think I need to put an address or something else on the front. Any ideas?

Look at these little seashell balls.  I LOVE them. I have had them forever and love that I can use them on this table.The little bottle with the jute on it, heaven!  Clearance!!!

Here is the other side of the table. That large vase I bought several years ago. It was the beginning inspiration for this room when I decided to redo it.  I love it on this table because it looks like fossils. There is a tiny little jar of seaglass.  That is glass from Kodiak.  As a teenager I remember seeing it on my best friends kitchen  window seal.  When I went back for my reunion a few years ago her mom gave it to me.  It sits on my window now. I love that I can use it on my beachy table.

Isn't this cool, I just love it!

Looking at this makes me smile and makes October not seem so far away.  How about you are you going to the beach this year?

Sorry I haven't checked in for awhile.  Last week was VBS at my church so that explains why I haven't been blogging.  It was a great week!  Love the kiddos!!! I have a project that I am working on and hope to post it in a couple of days. Hope everyone is having a great summer! Here's a peek of me, in a bubble at VBS.

~toodles~ Laura

A chair fit for a princess!

I am so excited!!!!Today I am being spotlighted on Tatertos & Jello blog. She has the coolest blog.  Click her button and go and check her out!

Friends are the best!  I don't know what I would do without my friends, but friends who dumpster dive for you are a whole difference group of friends.  My girlfriend saw this chair in the alley by the trash can and rescued it knowing I could do something with it.  As if that wasn't good enough... she even delivered it and mentioned that she thought it would be so cute made up with scrapbook paper.  Well that got my wheels to crankin' in this old head of mine.  You can see it was in good shape but not so cute, something had to be done about that!

I gave it a really good sanding and got off that uuuugggllly sponged paint, whatever made us think that was cute??? Anyway then I gave it several fresh coats of white spray paint, sorry no pic, visualize. I wanted to change it up so it wouldn't look like your basic school chair so I drilled wholes in the back with a 1/2 in drill bit.

Then I took scraps of fabric and tore them into strips.  I tied 3 or 4 in each whole. I did this all across the top and on different places on the chair.  I love the texture it adds and think any little girl would love the feel of it.

I modge podged different scrapbook papers on and put about four coats to make sure they don't peel up.  I don't spend alot of time on this I didn't want it to be all perfect and I am NOT a measurer!

I wanted to add some more whimsy and so I started to think about little girls and what they like to do and came up with the idea to add some words that describe some of my favorite things about little girls.

See "giggle& play"....

and dance.  I think I need to add more.  I just used different scrapbook stickers I had and modge podged over those too.

Here is the finished piece.  I just love it!!! It will be perfect for my niece's playroom.
Jen thanks for spotlighting me today!  Blog love to you!!!

Blog goosebumps!

I am so excited I am going to be spotlighted on the coolest blog tomorrow.  If you have not checked out tatertots and jello you need to go immediately!  It is the coolest blog! ~toodles~ Laura

Goodwill... GREAT find!!!

I am so excited you have to see what I found at Goodwill today!  It is AMAZING!!!

 Ignore the hubby's truck.  I had to take the pic outside because the lighting is so much better.  I could not believe it when I saw this there.  It was only 25.00!!!! Now that may seem like alot to you but it has a sicker for 199.99 on it and the thing is 3x4 foot.  It is just massive.  I wish I was keeping it, but it will be perfect for my nieces new house.  I think we will probably do a little work to it, maybe lighten it up a bit.

Here is a closeup.  It look like tin but it isn't.  I find the best stuff at my Goodwill!  How about you, what have you found lately???
~toodles~ Laura