***Chalk Paint Update***

A few months ago I posted a DIY chalk paint recipe that I had found. Diane, the awesome owner of In My Own Style, has a new chalk paint recipe that I prefer even MORE than the one I used on the turquoise dresser (also from her blog)! I recently used the recipe on two dressers that I made for some sweet little girls as Christmas presents.

These dressers turned out AWESOME but they were certainly no walk in the park! Diane's recipe was used for the white paint in both of the dressers. Although I wasn't distressing these pieces, the chalk paint came in handy for surfaces that needed extra coverage. The grittiness of the ingredients helps the chalk paint adhere to surfaces of all varieties. Here's Diane's NEW recipe:

I bought a 5 LB bag of Calcium Carbonate Powder on Amazon for around $10. I anticipate it will last for a long time since you only use 2 tablespoons for each recipe. This recipe makes enough paint to almost fill a quart size mason jar. Don't forget these tips and tricks when using your DIY chalk paint: 

1. If you use Plaster of Paris or a similar material (Calcium Carbonate), make sure that the powder is clump-free before you mix in the paint. This might mean adding extra water than what the recipe calls for. *The recipe above is the PERFECT mix of powder and water! No need to add extra for that version of chalk paint!
2. Do NOT use Valspar paint for DIY chalk paint. Valspar has primer mixed in, which will make the Plaster of Paris/Calcium Carbonate/water mixture instantly turn to the consistency of yogurt (trust me... I tried it). **I recently used contractor grade paint from the Home Depot and it worked great! Much cheaper than a normal gallon of paint. I also suggest using the Ace Royal brand (in satin finish) if you have an Ace Hardware near your home. 
3. Chalk paint does not require the surface to be sanded or primed before you get started, saving you tons of time on your projects! **If you think this sounds too good to be true, it doesn't hurt to rough your piece up with sandpaper before you paint. 
4. Make sure you buff the wax after you're done putting on each coat! This will help create that water-resistant top coat and make the piece look loooooovely! **My FAVE wax is Annie Sloan Soft Wax. Yes it is pricey at $30 a (500mL) container, BUT you don't have to use a ton of it for each project. I have used it on at least 10 projects since I bought it 3 months ago and I'm only halfway through the container. Great investment!

DIY Chalk Paint

If you've traveled through the magical realm of Pinterest in the last year or so, I'm sure you've heard about the wonders of chalk paint (once or a THOUSAND times). Prior to this fall, I had never tried chalk paint, but was very curious to see if it lived up to all of its' glory. People have been preaching that it's SO EASY to use and goes on nice and smooth, not to mention how simple it is to distress. I decided to set out in search of this mystical creature only to find out you can't buy this stuff anywhere! It's like a unicorn... rare and hard to find! I checked every paint and hardware store around here and EVERY cashier just gave me blank stares. This is how the average conversation went:

Store Worker: Hello, can I help you find something?

Me: Uh, hi, yes I'm looking for chalk paint.

SW: Chalk paint?

Me: Yeah.

SW: Like chalkboard paint?

Me: No, it's different. It's chalk paint... like Annie Sloan or Cece Caldwell brand.

SW: Like the black paint you can write on?

Me: Noooooooo. That's chalkBOARD paint. I need CHALK PAINT.

SW:....... I don't know what that is. Are you going to write on it?

Me: #*&)$*&)(%*&)*&)*(&@)*&@*(!!!!!!!!!!

After much anguish, I went back to Pinterest in search of a recipe for chalk paint. I figured if you can't buy it you could probably make it, and boy was I right. I found an AWESOME DIY Chalk Paint recipe from Diane at In My Own Style. She has soooo many choices for making chalk paint, but I settled on this one: 

The Plaster of Paris recipe worked great! I used it with Clark and Kensington's "Gypsy Carivan" (my spirit color) and spruced up an old desk that was given to me by a coworker. 

{GyPsY CaRiVaN!!!!}

I used the dry brush technique on the sides and drawer faces and stained the top English Chestnut. If you're not familiar with dry brushing, it's an easy way to distress without a lot of sanding. Basically you just get a little bit of paint on the brush (dip the tip of the bristles in the paint, up to about a half inch) and work it over the surface. You are creating thin coats that let the natural grain of the wood or surface show through. Make sure your first coat is on the thick side in order to prevent having to do many coats (time consuming)!!

VOILA!

{sans knobs!!}

It was so cute that Shadazzle (my partner in crime) just had to have it!!

Another aspect of chalk paint that seems to be either a blessing or a curse is the fact that you have to wax it when it's done. Since Annie Sloan soft wax runs about $30/container, I decided to try out Michael's version of chalk paint (creme) wax. It was the consistency of mod podge, but went on nice and easy. You need a special brush for putting the wax on. When I asked the worker at Ace Hardware if they sold wax brushes she (no joke) laughed right at me and said "What the heck is that?!" (Note: they sell these in the craft paint aisle at Michael's!)

Some tips and tricks for using DIY chalk paint:

1. If you use Plaster of Paris or a similar material, make sure that the powder is clump-free before you mix in the paint. This might mean adding extra water than what the recipe calls for.
2. Do NOT use Valspar paint for DIY chalk paint. Valspar has primer mixed in, which will make the Plaster of Paris/water mixture instantly turn to the consistency of yogurt (trust me... I tried it). 
3. Chalk paint does not require the surface to be sanded or primed before you get started, saving you tons of time on your projects!
4. Make sure you buff the wax after you're done putting on each coat! This will help create that water-resistant top coat and make the piece look loooooovely!

I am by no means a chalk paint expert, but I'm confident enough in my amateur abilities. I'm excited for this stuff to make it into stores so that others can experiment with it too! 

Happy junkin!!!

The Not so Fateful Vanity

Earlier this summer, my good friend Shadazzle and I were out hitting the garage sales in search of sweet junk. We happened upon one particular sale, where she a noticed a child's vanity for sale at a seemingly great deal. I completely overlooked the item in search of the "junkier junk," but she insisted that I come and look at it. After a few minutes of deliberating, we decided this was to be our next purchase! The price was a little steep ($15... I'm cheap, I know), but we figured with a coat of paint and some new fabric this puppy would be good as new! 

{ugly, right!?}

WRONG! SO WRONG! Little did I know I was about to endure a summer of TORTURE from this thing!! It all started off with a hunch that the vanity was not real wood. You know, when you're lookin' at a piece and you just think that wood grain is a little too good to be true. Trust your gut because you're always right. I get this thing home, disassemble it, and get ready to sand away only to find out I was right. It was particle board underneath a very thin layer of wood. 

{"tricked you, I'm not real wood!"}

On to plan B. I used my paint remover to coat the entire vanity to remove the clear coat. Good thing I had an audiobook to listen to because this took FOREVER!! We're talking days on days of paint removing! If you've never used paint remover before, it is basically a nightmare in a bottle. You have to wear super thick chemical resistant gloves to avoid getting burns to your flesh (no t-shirts also... learned that the hard way). You have to scrub and scrub multiple layers of varnish off to end up with this messy disaster that turns into old varnish dust. THEN you have to clean that away with more paint remover. I'll stop there and just tell you it's not fun. I will say that it did exactly what it was supposed to do... remove paint/varnish!

After the whole thing was de-glossed, it was ready for some primer. I have a specific brand of primer that I have always used... in spray form. Since it was stormy, I had to prime this puppy in my basement (not advised unless you have great ventilation!!!). I busted out my quart of primer only to discover that it was my arch nemesis... oil based paint. Again, if you are not familiar with oil based paint, imagine trying to paint with molasses. I imagine it would be about the same. SO hard to spread and leaves so many brush strokes!! UGH! 

I powered through that to find TONS of relief in my new paint sprayer. This was the first time I had used this little fellow and he was such a joy! The paint sprayed on evenly and looked great, even over the messy primer.

{don't you just LOVE the name!?}

I spray painted the bench and covered it with fabric. Then I used the lace painting technique on the top of the vanity. Easy peezy. Lay down the lace, spray paint, let dry, remove. EASY!

The next problem I encountered was that the lace and the fabric that I had picked out did not match at all. So off I went to the fabric store where I spent an hour trying to find the right shade of turquoise. When I got home with my new fabric, the cut I had got for the bench was too small. After MUCH improvisation, I used the leftover lace from painting the top of the vanity to cover the stool. Then I was done!!!!!!

Never have I endured so many headaches from one piece of furniture! Here are some "take aways" from this experience:

1. Don't buy furniture to paint unless A) you are absolutely sure it is real wood OR B) you are such a rebel that you are ready to take on that challenge.

2. Paint remover on your arm is a very unpleasant feeling.

3. Oil based primer is not your best friend.

4. Make sure your paints and fabrics match before you start a project!

{even after ALL of THAT, I think it looks pretty good!} 

Phew! This thing is done and I am SO glad! On to the next step... selling it!

Next Stop... TeXaS!!

Wow! It has been an EXTREMELY long time since my last post! It must be because this summer was FULL of fun stuff! The biggest "stuff" of all was helping my mom move to Granbury, Texas from Michigan. We drove all the way there with the car loaded up with her belongings (including her sweet junk!!) with grandparents close behind. Texas was exactly what I hoped it would be: hot weather, delicious food, and TONS of junk! There are antique stores and junk shops everywhere, not to mention all of the amazing jewelry and clothing! It was a junker's paradise.

{light fixture out of an old bed frame!!! Never would have thought of that!} 

{we thought this looked like the perfect home for the Junkin' in Style HQ and it's for rent!!! NO indoor plumbing is a downside!}

{well DuHHHH!!}

We visited 6th ST. in Austin to check out the music scene and sample some "libations." Austin definitely lives up to it's "weird" reputation, and the food was AMAZING! We ate at the Iron Cactus and had the best meal ever: cornbread stuffed chicken breast with jalapeno cream sauce. I had to write it down so I could remember how delicious it was!!!!

After that we headed to Round Top so I could FINALLY check "Visit the Junk Gypsy Headquarters" off of my bucket list! Talk about dream come true (and the longest car ride ever)!

 Not only was the store full of amazing Junk Gypsy merchandise, but Jolie Sikes, one of the Junk Gypsy sisters, was in the store when we visited! We got our picture taken and told her we had come all the way from Michigan just to be there. She was so impressed that she took OUR picture and posted it on the JG Instagram page.

{don't you just LOVE Large Marge? Pink suburbans are the best for junkin!!}

I could have died happy!! All in all, it was a great summer and I found lots of amazing junk that I'm in the process of re-purposing. Be sure to check back for some "junk-tastic" projects!! <3 p="">

Old Chair Turned Flower Pot

Sit down and let me tell you a story: Once upon a time there was a chick who LOVED junking. Her and her beau decided to investigate a city-wide garage sale in a nearby town hoping to find the perfect trash treasures to re-purpose! As they rolled down one of the city's side streets, they noticed a neon green poster advertising a yard sale. The house was a smidge creepy (understatement) and the sign said in order to get to the sale you had to turn down a side alley and go over the river and through the woods before arriving at the potential treasure trove. Needless to say, they continued on to bigger, better, and less harrowing yard sales.

Fast forward one week later and the junk game is back on (technically, it never stops, only pauses)! Only this time she has her trusty junking sidekick (known as Shadazzle). Alas, they arrive at the same eerie house to find the same yard sale being advertised. Seeing that Shadazzle is a fearless friend, they decided to embark on this journey together and went into the rabbit hole yard sale.

And let me tell you... some straight up MaGiC happened! This place was AmAZinG! Old furniture for days! Library desks, old stoves, antique rocking chairs. You name it, they had it. Naturally, I was distraught that we did not go the previous weekend, but I did end up buying this sweet little chair. I decided it was perfect to turn into the ever so popular chair planter.

{The wild chair planter, in its' natural habitat}

I started by purchasing my planter (a cheap hanging basket, since this was my first chair planter rodeo) and traced my circle on the seat. I was then introduced to a jigsaw and I do believe we are a good match. Small and steady with the right amount of OOMPH! I think we shall make some good memories together this summer.

{JuNk GyPsY! RePrEseNt!}

Anyways, after I cut out my circle, I spray-painted the chair with a sweet summer yellow, roughed it up with some sandpaper, and VOILA! Chair planter. Seriously it couldn't have been any easier! I'm so proud with the way it turned out!

{Since I was going for the "rough around the edges look," one coat of paint was sufficient}

{sandpaper is such a necessary invention!}

{finally in it's hOmE!}

Moral of the story: the seemingly creepy yard sales may have the best junk if you believe in yourself (and bring a sidekick)!

My first post! Woo-hoo!

{Yay! It's my first post!} I'm super excited because summer is just around the corner, and that means nearly 3 months of rest and relaxation (and curriculum planning) for this teacher. Most importantly though, it means garage sale season is officially here! I have always been a fan of garage sales, but my passion took on a new twist after I learned of the existence of the Junk Gypsy sisters. Have you seen these ladies? They are awesome! My mom first (virtually) introduced me to them several years ago while I was in college and since then I have been hooked. They can seriously turn any piece of garbage into an amazing work of art.

{just trickin' out my junk mobile!}

Needless to say, after seeing their amazing talents, I was inspired to become a junker myself. I have been visiting garage sales over the past few years and re-purposing everything from bookshelves to dressers, and anything in between!

This year I am hoping to put my junkin' game into overdrive and find the best trash treasures along the Lake Michigan coastline. I was lucky enough to score some amazing SOLiD wood end tables last weekend ($4 a piece... crazy cheap, right?!) and already have BiG plans for all of them!

{aMaZiNg junk haul!}

I can't wait to share my junk journey with you! I hope you continue to check back throughout the summer to see some of the cool things I work on! HaPpY jUnKin!