Glass Top Beauty

Could not resist this when I saw it at my local thrift store.  The price tag was $13.00 and it had some "joint problems" and suffered from a "dated stencil job".  Wood glue, two coats of Annie Sloan Antique White and clear wax gave her a new lease on life.

I added two graphics to the table top and bottom.  The one on the top came from The Graphics Fairy.  

 

The graphic on the bottom corner I found by just googling "French Postmark". 

It was in color so I did a little editing in my photo program and then printed it in black and white.  Both images were applied directly to the table using my graphics technique that uses office label sheets.  With the glass pieces on top, they really pop!

LOVE this scallop edge and the scallop glass!!

Here's the sad little table BEFORE:

And here she is all dressed up and ready for a new home!

Vintage Seed Packet Pictures

I have several large projects going that are wearing me out so I decided to take a break and do some smaller ones! 

I found these four wooden plaques at my thrift store for 40 cents each.  Hopefully I won't see these on Antiques Roadshow some day and find out they were worth thousands of dollars!

I gave them all a coat of Annie Sloan Old White then distressed them.  I found these vintage seed packet images on google and printed them on French dictionary pages.

I love the way these turned out!  Then I tore the edges and rubbed the torn edges with a little stamping ink and a sponge to age them a bit more.  Using Mod Podge I applied them to the wood pieces.

I love using old paper to cover the backs of frames, mirrors, etc. that I make.  This hand made paper was perfect for that 'vintage feel' -- even though it's on the back I like that there is always a nice little 'surprise' when you turn the pieces over.

And here they are after a coat of Annie Sloan clear wax and a little buffing.  These will also be for sale in my Etsy Shop if you "like" and "want".

Now that I'm 'refreshed' . . . back to those larger projects!

And The Winner Is . . .

Congratulations go out to Patricia at Grammy Goodwill . . . this morning Randomiser chose her as the winner of the Annie Sloan Chalk Paint Give Away!  Patricia is a real sweetie who (can you tell from her blog name??) loves finding treasures at Goodwill . . . now don't we all??!! Stop by and see her latest finds and projects and give her big "WOO HOO!"

Don't forget about Michelle at DiLucca Designs when you get ready to order your Chalk Paint -- she is one helpful and knowledgeable gal!  I so appreciate her generosity for this give away!!

I have had so much fun with this give away getting to meet many new blogger friends!  Stick around, check back often and soon as I have not only many more projects in the making but another give away coming up to celebrate something.  Not sure what but how about:  Reaching 300 followers?  Or blogging for five months?  Or starting a new job?  I don't know -- we'll celebrate SOMETHING!

Heart Healthy Pizza - REALLY!

 

Just a little over two weeks ago, my husband had a major heart attack.  While genetics played a large role in the cause, diet certainly contributed to it as well.  SO . . . I have totally changed my way of cooking.  While I used to cook low fat, from scratch and used very little red meat before, I now know that one of the worst health culprits is SODIUM.  And trust me, it's in just about everything! Being limited to just 4g (4000 mg) per day is no easy task, just read a few labels even on low fat, "healthy" foods and you'll see what I mean!  We've gotten along very well so far but PIZZA has been at the top of our "most missed" list.  I finally came up with this pizza that really IS healthy, unlike all of the Lean Cuisine, Weight Watchers, etc. that are jam-packed with sodium!

Crust and sauce being the worst culprits here, I was able to find Mama Mary's pizza crust at Walmart and it really IS low sodium, fat, cholesterol and carb.  You get two thin crusts per package for around  3.98.  The best store bought sauce I found was Prego Heart Smart which has about half the sodium of other brands.  If I have time, I'll always make my own and really cut the sodium but this is a great alternative if you want to save time.  Kraft makes a 100% fat free mozzarella which I used.  Note though that fat free cheese does not melt like other cheese so be prepared for that.  To me, it's worth the texture change to save all the fat.  For toppings, I went to my garden and grabbed yellow and green peppers, tomatoes, fresh basil and oregano.  I added some sliced onion and mushrooms too.  

Let me tell you this was one magnificent looking pizza before it was baked (look how high it's piled with all of that fresh goodness!) . . .

and it not only looked good after baking . . . it tasted fantastic!!  You could also add turkey sausage, grilled chicken, pineapple, turkey bacon or turkey pepperoni.

Here's the recipe and nutrition information:

1 Mama Mary's Whole Wheat Crust

3/4 c Prego Heart Smart Spaghetti Sauce

1 c Kraft Fat Free Mozzarella

Vegetables of your choice

1 t olive oil

Brush crust with olive oil.  Top with sauce, then vegetables and cheese.  Bake at 400 degrees 8-10 minutes or until browned and crispy.  Cut pizza into eight slices.

Nutrition Info. for four slices:

425 calories, 8 g fat (1/2 g saturated), 47g carbohydrates, 500 mg sodium

Like I REALLY Needed More Projects!

On Monday I start a second part-time job.  Today I bought three tables to refinish.  Oh and an absolutely A D O R A B L E vintage oscillating fan that matches my living/dining room PERFECTLY!  When I saw this first table ($20.00) I fell in love with it.  It's more than I would normally pay but this is SO going in my living room when it's finished.  It is as you can see, in horrible condition and I'm not sure if I'll paint over the leather inset on top but that little drawer and magazine rack bottom -- LOVE! But seriously, WHO treats furniture like this?? Definitely will take LOTS of sanding to remove those deep gouges!

This little side table seems rather standard until you notice that the glass top is scalloped to mimic the lines of the top and both pieces of glass are original to this table. So for $11.00 I can overlook the bad stencil job and the joints that need repaired!

This round table was a STEAL at $11.75 -- it is large and HEAVY and it is perfect for one of the Graphics Fairy vintage labels don't you think??  I love that it is low to the ground -- perfect for a coffee table.  It will be for sale as will the little glass-topped table!

When I saw this fan at my local thrift store, I was sure it would be more than I wanted to pay but . . . be still my heart . . . $6.00! Not only that, I drew a 40% discount at the register so for $3.60 she came home with me! It still works (although it is rather noisy -- guess in 1950 they didn't care about noise!) and it still oscillates!  I did a little bit of research and this fan made from 1950-1955 is selling online for around $100.00 but it's going NO WHERE!  My only problem now is trying to get the 'grill' off to give it a good cleaning.  Maybe in 1950 they didn't clean their fans??

Now I have a dilemma -- can you help?? That top table has the old leather inlay. The leather is in not so great shape. Should I chalk paint right over it? Should I try to restore it? I'm using Annie Sloan's Old White paint on this piece.  I'm also thinking of spray painting the inside of those deep, narrow racks below and then topping with the Old White. Let me know your thoughts please!

More Chalk Paint and a Give Away

Are you hooked on the Annie Sloan Chalk Paint like I am? I know I haven't even begun to 'scratch the surface' of all you can do with this but what fun it is getting to know all about this great paint! This is another thrift store find (a gold candle holder for the base and the standard cheese board for the top - $3.00 total for both).  Using E6000 I glued the pieces together and spay painted them pink then topped with a coat of cream chalk paint.  

Using an image from the Graphics Fairy, I applied it with the "Mod Podge" method.  (Print image on paper; apply face down using Mod Podge and let dry overnight; wet paper and begin rubbing paper off to reveal image on your piece) I finished off with a coat of Annie Sloan clear wax, distressed a bit and topped it with a bit of her dark wax.
 

If you let the wax dry for a day and then buff it, you get a nice, soft shine to the piece.







  

NOW . . . are you ready for a chance to win some of this great paint??

I am fortunate enough to live just a few blocks from an amazing Annie Sloan stockist (yep, no shipping charges!) Michelle at Di Lucca Designs has some amazing transformation photos on her web and Facebook page that you'll want to see.  She is such a sweet, helpful and knowledgeable gal and for those of you who are local, she's just beginning workshops also! 

Michelle is offering one fortunate winner:  Your choice of TWO colors of Annie Sloan Chalk Paint, a can of A.S. Clear Wax AND a copy of the book "Creating the French Look" . . . how great is that??!! 

Here's how you can enter: 
IMPORTANT: If you are a no-reply blogger and I don't have an email address for you, I can't enter you as there is no way for me to contact you.  Please make sure I have an email address for you!  If I don't , I can't enter you.  (Note: U.S. residents only as this stuff is HEAVY to ship.  Thanks for understanding!)



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A winner will be selected using Randomiser on Tuesday, August 23.