Smoothing out Chalk Paint

I bought this great dresser and 2 night stands at my local thrift center. It had a very shiny top and deep scratches. I didn't want to sand it down so I grabbed my Annie Sloan chalk paint and started painting. But wait, I did clean it with TSP first because it was previously "oiled" and I was NOT painting over that crap! It took 2 coats of Provence. I wasn't happy with how rough it felt, I am known for my furniture being smooth and soft, so I sanded down the top to make it smooth. Ok, I sanded down the whole thing by hand (with a sanding block 220 grit) !  It is so smooth now, I also brushed on clear wax then right after did a light brushing of dark wax and ragged it off for a nice antique look. I think I have figured out chalk paint now. I wont use it on everything but stuff like this its perfect! Look at the shine on the top of the dresser... thats what I was going for and it only took me a month to figure it out! The white on the drawer is a mixture of CeCe Caldwell white with Benjamin Moore Natura flat, I have no idea of the color it was an "oops'. I didn't have enough of CeCe's left so I just added it for the chalk-y look!

Paint on, My friends!

Say NO to sanding dust!!

I am the one who is inside my house during the 110 degree summer days sanding a dining table. I know your thinking, "how could she?" we'll, I have a great trick to catch all that stupid and annoying dust! The type of dust that is gritty and scratches when you try to wipe it off! I looked, and looked for a machine that would attach to my sander that would suck up the dust. At one point I'm embarrassed to say I duck taped the hose attachment from my Dyson to the sander!! After thinking and thinking, I thought why won't my shop vac work... The silly hose is to large for the sander opening thingy. Then when I was having tile work done in my daughters bathroom.. He had a cute little shop vac... I took it to see if it would fit my sander exhaust opening... Cha Ching, perfect fit! It just needed the smaller hose opening. No fitting or anything needed.. The suction from the vac holds it on to the sander. Please note, you must must use the "fine dust" bags, or it blows out the back after it gets full. They are about 9 bucks for a package and they last a long time. I bought mine at lowes, it's the 5 gallon, and of course the best sander ever was purchases at home depot!
Paint on, my friends!

Furniture Sliders and Drop cloths!

Ok, I must share this secret! I love furniture sliders, so much so I have them everywhere, even in the car for deliveries. I bought some a few years back to scoot furniture around my house without having the whole family helping me.  I hate drop cloths, they are thin and any amount of wind or breeze blows them on to the wet paint, and I always seem to slip on them because they are like walking on ice. SO, instead of using drop cloths I use sliders on the feet of what I am painting. It allows me to scoot stuff around while I am painting and still sit or stand in the same place. Yes, this will give you large muscles.....ha!
Notice my fancy sliders under the legs of this handsome table!!

I  have perfected the art of not getting paint on the floor, but if you must use a drop cloth I highly recommend using those cheap vinyl out door tablecloths. They are strong  and you can use them over and over. Plus I always get mine after a Holiday and they are only a few bucks!!
Paint on, my friends!!

Oil based glaze over Chalk paint & wax, GASP!

Ok, SO I have been working ALL day! I was so busy being a chauffeur to my lovely children I didn't get much work done last week.
I painted a drop leaf kitchen table late last week, it looked great but was missing something! I used CeCe Caldwell's paint in VINTAGE WHITE and MEMPHIS BLUE.... white was on top, blue on bottom. I waxed it and let it sit a few days in the garage because I wasn't happy with the way it looked yet. Today, my mom said " that table is missing something" I was like, great now I must do something.
I spent a few min sanding it down to give it an aged look, then I did the unthinkable. I grabbed my good ol' oil based glaze and started brushing it on. I had never used oil based glaze OVER wax for chalk paint. It started to stick to the wax and was "setting" so fast I couldn't rub it off fast enough. I started to panic yelled at the kids to get me more rags. After the full blown panic, I was done. It looked great, better then I would have thought! SO just note if you want to do this, act fast and rub hard!!
 Paint on, my friends!!

Best paint for Furniture!

So many people ask me what my favorite paint is. I have tried many, ok probably more then many, over the years and continue to go back to 2 brands. My first favorite is BEHR paint w/primer. It goes on in two coats (usually)! 

my second favorite is Benjamin Moore, Natura zero VOC paint.  The only reason I bought this paint was because it was on the "oops" section in my local paint store. It was a pretty off white so I thought for $2.50 what could it hurt! So now I check often to see if they have any oops in that brand, because we all know I am not paying full price!!

My favorite chalk paint is Annie Sloan's, hands down! 

I have NEVER told anyone this, but for all my black French tables I use Benjamin Moore Super Spec in black, I have used both oil based and water born... water born is not as pretty as the oil but I am so tired of the oil based clean up and smell! and if it is cold outside that oil based paint will take days to dry., good luck with that as you are picking tiny hairs and lent out!lol

Paint on, My friends!

Battle Of The Chalk Paint!

I have been doing a lot of painting with chalk paint lately, I wasn't sure at first but now I am sold! I started out with a chalk paint I cant discuss and really liked it. Then painted a few things with CeCe Caldwell's paint. I LOVE them both ... the paint I can not discuss is thicker and goes on smooth!  I love the way CeCe's smells it smells natural. I will post some pictures of the items i painted and the paint I used!

Paint on, my friends! 

This bed was painted in Memphis blue CeCe Caldwell's chalk paint and waxed! It is so much better then the previous  dirty looking white with gold trim.