THAT'S OUR LETTER: Open Frame wall decor

Hi friends...

I've got a bunch of old open frames I've picked up here and there over the years...

You've seen me use them in various ways...

here's the latest...

Here's how it looked before...
gold frame from a tag sale and the "U" from Hobby Lobby....

I painted both with white chalk paint...
then brushed with some glaze...
I staple gunned burlap to the frame and  used velcro to hang the "U"

That's our letter...
"U"

Have a great day...
xo, Mariaelena

linking up to these party people:

http://dixiedelights.blogspot.com
http://www.dwellings-theheartofyourhome.com
http://northernnesting.blogspot.com/2015/06/share-your-style-18.html
http://diybydesign.blogspot.com/2015/06/swing-into-spring-its-party-223.html

Gray paint rescue!!

Earlier this week I spent the day with my great friend and we got to work on an old entry table that she has had FOREVER but wasn't liking so much anymore....all it took was some gray paint and a little bit of a white glaze and she's feeling the love again!!   We completely forgot to take a before pic...wahhhh...as we were so excited to get painting.  

Picture it as it was in a very light blonde pine!  

 Take a look at it now in its gray glory!!

Now it's ready to be put in place, accessorized and loved again for years to come!!

Xo, Mariaelena

MAGENTA IN BLOOM

I'm so enjoying this warm weather and the beautiful blooms of spring...although I decorate about as neutral as you can, I LOVE the vibrant colors for decorating outdoors!!!...

I'm going with magenta this year...take a look!!

LOVE our crab apple tree....1st time it's bloomed in 3 years...:)
below are some clippings brought inside...

Have a great day & enjoy this glorious weather!!!

xo, Mariaelena 

ANNIE SLOAN DUCK EGG BLUE

I'm continuing work on my screen porch and 

Annie Sloan duck egg blue is becoming the key accent color...

take a look at these transformations and come back soon for total porch reveal!!

This table and the pedestal below were recent tag sale finds...

On some of the pieces I used a white glaze on top of the duck egg blue paint...

So don't forget to come back soon to see the entire porch...

and if you happen to be on Long Beach Island, NJ, be sure to stop by 
Artifacts and Company 
in 
Beach Haven (https://www.facebook.com/artifactsconsignmentboutique)

to check out their lovely inventory and purchase some 

Annie Sloan paint!!

xo, Mariaelena

FRESH FORSYTHIA CLIPPINGS!!

Spring is FINALLY showing a bit here in the Hudson Valley as evidenced by these beautiful forsythia blooms!!  

Nothing says welcome like some fresh cut flowers from your garden!!!...

So head on out and clip some Spring blossoms to enjoy inside your home...

Go quickly, because sadly those bright colors don't stay around very long...

xo, Mariaelena

SCREEN PORCH INSPIRATION...

Now that it's finally warming up here in the "burbs", I'm getting ready to make a few small changes in my favorite room in our house,

 THE SCREEN PORCH!!   

Here's a sneak peek at what's to come...

A new fabric, a little chalk paint and I'm on my way....

Today I'm working on an ottoman for the porch...
(kindly given to me by my friend who was done with it)
I'll be posting the before & after of that soon!

Thanks for stopping by...

come back soon to see the outcome!!

Xo, Mariaelena 

TAG SALE GLEE!!!!

Oh happy day...

My first tag sale scores of 2015!!!...

take a peek...

I'm sure you'll be seeing these pieces soon in new posts!!

Loving these frames...the taller one is already screened and the smaller one came complete with wires for hanging!!

I'm thinking I'll spray paint this jewelry stand with 
"Catalina Mist" for my youngest daughter's room...

I may paint this tiered table...
hmmmm...not sure...
but definitely using it on my screen porch!

Now on to mulching the front gardens & then enjoying this
GORGEOUS Spring day!!

xo, Mariaelena

French Linen accent table redo...

Hi friends....

   I recently purchased some Annie Sloan paint down the shore at Artifacts and Company, one of my favorite shops on Long Beach Island. 

You can check out their FB page here: https://www.facebook.com/artifactsconsignmentboutique

I'm so happy that I can finally walk into a store and purchase some.  Here's a little accent table that I just finished up today for my friend using 

AS French Linen...

I'm really pleased with the end result...

take a look...

I decided to add a white glaze on top of the French Linen that I mixed up to add some texture.

Before:  painted silver with some gold...
pretty but my friend is going with a new look in her home...

I painted 2 coats of AS French Linen...
LOVE the color...

I then covered the entire table with the white glaze, let it dry a bit and then came back and wiped  it until I got it exactly how we wanted it...
see below...

Here you can see how the glaze adds texture...

How cute is this table???...It folds flat...

BEFORE & AFTER

Picture perfect & ready to be returned to my friend....
still loving my angel vine (also purchased at Artifacts and Company)
You can see how I painted my terra cotta pot here:http://cottagelivingfrombeachtoburbs.blogspot.com/2015/04/clay-pot-projects.html

Thank you for stopping by...
xo, Mariaelena