Happy Monday!  If you went to Haven (I had to sell my ticket, sniff, sniff, sigh).  I hope you had a fabulous time meeting new people, people you know well online, and finally in person.  I am sure you learned tons of valuable information.  I SO wanted to go, but life is about choices.   I had so much on my schedule.  I had to make a very difficult choice.   To clone myself or not.  I truly could not be in both places. When all was said and done, I would have had to send my clone and it just wouldn’t have been the same experience for me here at home……

Instead, I had a blast at our August Paris Flea Market sale.  Saturday was our annual “parking lot sale”, where us, the “Fleas” have the chance to sell many of our pieces that haven’t sold in the past, or clear out inventory, so we can shop some more for new stuff!  What a fantastic turn out!  I set up a paint station and did paint demos with CeCe Caldwell’s  100% natural Chalk and Clay Based paints throughout the day.  I met some wonderful new friends, signed some new students up so I can share with them how much fun it is paint with CeCe paints, and managed to paint several pieces while I was there.  And!  I sold just about everything I had, Yippee!   Just check out all the amazing things that were out for sale.  How can you not love being here?  (PS I have no idea why I have that look on my face)

If you are interested in taking a class with me, August is sold out, but I still have some space available in my September 13th class. Click WORKSHOPS for more info and to reserve your spot.

And, I had the best surprise!  Three of my good friends I grew up with, like people who knew me when I was little pain in the rear end, through my awkward teenage years, and they still love me!  Showed up to visit!  One of my friends is taking my class next weekend, hurray! She brought her sister and cousin, who were all good family friends. I actually got a bit Verclempt at the site of all of us together.  That was fun!

Let’s talk what did sell now!  This was a quick project, but I loved it so much I almost didn’t bring it to sell.  I bought this table last weekend at a neighborhood garage sale. Hohum, blah.

With a good cleaning, and a little sanding to erase some of the scratches,  I turned the table upside down and added some tallish casters.  Then she was all ready for her first coat.  I base coated the entire piece in CeCe’s  Virginia Chestnut.  I do this trick often, because it gives the piece the look that it was stained a darker color, and provides a gorgeous contrast to whatever color I put on top. CeCe Caldwell’s paints are so easy to layer, they go on so fast, and dry so quickly that you can have instant satisfaction.

I painted the entire top in Omaha Ochre, a gorgeous neutral, with a slightly Yellow hue.

For the base I used Smoky Mountain. This is one of my most favorite colors, and that is hard to choose!  It is the perfect shade of grey and blue, and one of their most popular colors as well.  I sanded the entire piece with a 320 grit sandpaper to make the finish velvety soft and do some very light distressing. Here is some nice detail.

I sealed then entire piece with  100% natural Satin Finish. This piece is now food safe, perfect for wipe downs, and can take the heavy usage of day to day life.  It went in last night, and left this morning before I got there.   20 minutes after opening!  I barely had time to say my goodbyes.

Sometimes it is like that with pieces you paint with CeCe Caldwell’s and Paris Flea Market.  You fall in love, but just have to know it is a fling, that it truly belongs to someone else, and it will roll away from you with nary a backward glance.  C’est la vie.  There is a garage and side  yard full of more “flings” for me to have!

Until then….

This table is rolling around at these hot spots this week: 

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