Dear Olympia Furniture Revivals

Living Room Makeover and My New Gallery Wall with CeCe Caldwell Painted Frames

Taylor — Mon, 20 May 2013 23:47:34 +0000

As I wrote about in my How to Survive Pregnancy without Going Nuts post, I’m pretty much trapped in doors because it’s too hot to work outside during the day. That together with being in the second half of the third trimester inspired me to get some things around the house done that I’ve been wanting to do. We tackled *almost* finishing the nursery and I also made a gallery wall I’ve been wanting to make.I added some painted chalk board signs that I painted with CeCe Caldwell’s Carolina Sun Yellow, Destin Gulf Green, Maine Harbor Blue and Emerald Isle Green. I painted and distressed the signs and added clear wax. We live in military housing and can’t paint the walls without a major hassle, so I love the vibrant colors the frames bring to the walls.It also brightens up the view into my kitchen. I bought all of the frames at Goodwill for $1-$2.My grandma painted the vintage lemon sign and gave it to me before I moved. I love the contrast of the wood against the bright colors.I also spruced up our living room area. You can see my original beach house living room makeover on a dime here. After I started making money with the business, I began saving up for a nice DSLR camera. Then I decided that I’d rather have a comfortable couch. Our old couches were used from Craigslist and were so worn out they weren’t supportive at all. The back cushions were sinking in and totally uncomfortable. When I was in Arizona, I found the perfect used sectional on Craigslist in the exact fabric I wanted. We got a great price on it and it was barely used.I’m not exaggerating when I say choosing the couch over the camera was one of my better decisions in life! It is so, so comfortable and large for sprawling out and watching Hulu! It’s also become a temporary office for me because it’s cooler in the living room than the spare room. We rearranged the living room set up and it makes much more sense with the shape of our 1950′s style rambler. The living room is really long and the new couch makes it look much bigger and more comfortable. I also hung these beautiful metal crosses that my Uncle’s friend hand crafted. Who says the A/C unit can’t be bejeweled?Other than the couch and a new blanket for the top of the couch that I bought at TJ Maxx for $15, we didn’t spend any money out of cost on re-doing the living room. I love our new living room set up. It’s perfect for this time in our life!

Thank you for reading! To tour the other finished rooms in our Oahu Beach House, click here.

Craft Fair Items for Sale Tomorrow

Taylor — Sat, 18 May 2013 03:37:05 +0000

Tomorrow we’re heading to the MALS-24 First Annual Vendor Bazaar and Rummage Sale. The proceeds from the rummage sale, silent auction and food booth are going towards the Marine Corps & Navy Birthday Ball. I have a LOT of awesome customers on other other side of the island over at the Marine Corps Base so of course I had to sign up! For more information on the fair, see their Facebook event page. The fair is from 8-2 tomorrow (May 18th) at Kainalu Elementary. I whipped up a few furniture pieces and some decor that I’ll be selling tomorrow.

First up is this incredible side table in Destin Gulf Green. I added aging dust and stained the hardware Silver Leaf. It’ll be hard to let this one go. I’m asking $150 OBO.I can’t get enough of this aging dust!Next is this cheery Carolina Sun Yellow side table. I went out on a limb and stained the hardware Autumn Gold (I know, I’m crazy). Asking $100 for this gal OBO.I’ll also be bringing this stately guy – a very sturdy office friendly cabinet in Beckley Coal with Antique Gold handles (asking $150 OBO).I’m also bringing this coffee table. A few people are interested but nobody has nailed down the sale so come and get her if you want her (asking $150 OBO)Finally, I have some mason jar sets and signs that I’ll be selling as well.The Love Notes sign chalk board sign will make an appearance as well.If you’re interested in any of these pieces or would like to come visit and learn more about CeCe Caldwell chalk paint and custom orders, please stop by – I’d love to meet you!! The fair starts at 8 AM.

Transformed Tuesday @ PJH Designs
Show Me What Ya Got @ Not Just A Housewife
Power Of Paint Party @ Domestically Speaking
Be Inspired @ Elizabeth & Co.
Trash To Treasure Tuesday @ Kammy’s Korner
Primp Your Stuff Wednesday @ Primp
Transformation Thursday @ The Shabby Creek Cottage
Friday Link-up @ Redoux
Furniture Feature Friday @ Miss Mustard Seed
Home Sweet Home @ The Charm of Home

How to Survive Pregnancy without Going Totally Nuts

Taylor — Thu, 16 May 2013 23:42:56 +0000

I fully believe pregnancy is a gift from God and that children are a blessing but I’ve never been one who couldn’t wait to have kids or who dreamed of being pregnant and having babies. I’m not a kid person. Indeed, I originally planned to have kids later in life but after marrying my sailor husband, we thought that right about now would be a great time to grow our family, especially with me running this business from home.

I’m really excited about this baby and I really can’t wait to meet him or her! I’ve chosen to be private about this pregnancy in terms of social media. The gender, the names, our ultrasound pics, how we told family and close friends and the every day pregnancy milestones are between my husband and I and the baby. You won’t see any naked belly pics or an over-sharing of medical problems from me. Call me old fashioned but I think some things are private (though I don’t judge how other people want to express their pregnancies). I would like to chime in, though, on some thoughts and tips for trying to say sane while pregnant, especially for those other moms who are running their own businesses while being pregnant.

Before I get into my thoughts, I want to mention my first article on the Home Made Simple website about How to Clean Your Freezer in 7 Simple Steps. Give your freezer some love this week and check it out. Okay, onto the pregnancy tips. Here I am yesterday at 34 weeks.Two nights ago while in the throes of pregnancy induced insomnia and late night nausea, I actually Googled “Tired of Being Pregnant.” Up until now, the 34 week mark, I’ve had a pretty decent pregnancy. But as my Google search revealed, the 34 mark is when many women start to get tired of being pregnant. For me, the lack of being able to move around and get work done that comes the the 34 week plus belly was my turning point.

Nine months is a long, long time to carry another human being in your body. This week, I stopped painting custom furniture outside during the day due to the heat. I wait until Nate gets home and it cools off to go outside. That way I’m not tempted to try and move things I shouldn’t be moving and the heat doesn’t kill me. Being stuck indoors during the day has been really difficult for me. That said, these are a few things I’ve done to keep myself from going absolutely nuts.

1. Find something that makes your body feel good and do it as often as you can! There are many physical pains that come with being pregnant. For me, I find relief in taking a nice warm shower. The warm water feels so good on aching muscles and gives me a chance to be alone in my thoughts. Maybe this is getting a pedicure or having someone rub your feet. Look forward to this enjoyable experience every day and really enjoy it in the moment.

2. Find something that takes your mind off of being pregnant. For me, this is going to the movie theater. We have frequented the cheap-o movie theater many times, seeing pretty much anything that is playing. For that 1.5 – 2 hour time frame, my mind is completely off of dealing with being pregnant and I love it.

3. Go ahead and spend the money to get a few new maternity clothes when the end is near. Don’t feel bad about getting a few extra tops that are big enough for you to feel comfortable and *dare I say* somewhat attractive and normal during the last weeks of pregnancy. I highly recommend Old Navy’s maternity t-shirts. They are soft, light weight and affordable.

4. If you don’t want to talk about pregnancy, don’t. Remember that you are a whole, unique person. Even though you may feel like nothing more than an incubator, you aren’t. If the details of pregnancy are overwhelming you, don’t talk about them. Focus on other aspects of your life that you enjoy – your work, your interests, politics, whatever! You are more than the sum of your amniotic sac! I don’t usually mind talking about being pregnant but I really appreciate when people ask and engage with me on other things that are going on in our lives.

5. Take it day by day. Every day my pregnancy app tells me more bad news about being pregnant from varicose veins to hemorrhoids to episiotomies. I almost dread looking at my daily update although I find it comical at this point. I try to have a sense of humor about all of these annoying downfalls of pregnancy and just think about the positive each day. It is very difficult to not play the “how many weeks” game, you know the one where you keep counting down the weeks and hoping you made a mistake last time and are actually closer to your due date than you thought.

Pregnancy is long, difficult and uncomfortable. Anyone who says otherwise is trying to sell a bill of goods. Yes, it is undoubtedly worth it but don’t feel insufficient if you’re struggling to get to the end like I am.

I want to know – what tips do you have for getting through the last part of the third trimester?

Mid-Century Cabinet in Simply White and Santa Fe Turqouise

Taylor — Tue, 14 May 2013 23:15:30 +0000

This antique cabinet is my second mid-century piece this week (I recently refinished a mid-century dresser in Santa Fe Turquoise). I enjoyed doing the detailing work on this piece and want to thank my husband who helped hand paint the edges of the ovals to get them “just right.”

This was a really fun piece to work on and I love how it shows that old, seemingly “blah” pieces can be refinished into bright, bold statement pieces.

See my other custom furniture refinishing projects here. Looking for furniture for sale in Oahu? See my currently for sale page. Also, now you can search my refinishing projects by paint color (click here). Thank you!

Rustic Coffee Table in CeCe Caldwell’s Vermont Slate Paint

Taylor — Mon, 13 May 2013 22:52:50 +0000

Even though I’m head over heels in love with CeCe Caldwell’s new true black paint, Beckley Coal, I still love the rustic Vermont Slate paint color. As soon as I saw this sturdy coffee table, I thought “rustic, country chic.”I painted a coat of Vermont Slate, then heavily distressed the edges and lightly distressed the top of the coffee table to give it that rustic, country chic look. I love the etching of wood on the cabinet door.One of my favorite aspects of Vermont Slate is how prettily it shines up with a coat of protective CeCe Caldwell’s clear wax. Against the antique gold handles, the paint really shines.

Interested in purchasing this coffee table? Email me at mydearolympia@gmail.com.

See my other custom furniture refinishing projects here. Looking for furniture for sale in Oahu? See my up-to-date currently for sale page. Also, now you can search my refinishing projects by paint color (click here). Thank you!

Rustic Nightstand in CeCe Caldwell’s Santa Fe Turquoise

Taylor — Fri, 10 May 2013 03:22:29 +0000

I fell in love with this nightstand/side table and the moment that I saw it, I knew I would paint it in Santa Fe Turquoise due to the beautiful rustic metal accents on the piece.This side table is solid wood and very high quality! I can’t get over these metal accents!Interested in purchasing this nightstand? Email me at mydearolympia@gmail.com.

Mid-Century Modern Dresser in CeCe Caldwell’s Santa Fe Turquoise Paint

Taylor — Fri, 10 May 2013 03:11:09 +0000

This week has been the week of CeCe Caldwell’s Santa Fe Turquoise paint color! First, I did this headboard and foot board for a little girl’s room. Then I lined up this stunning mid-century modern custom dresser. Finally, I have an antique chest that I’m in the process of painting in Simply White with Santa Fe Turquoise accents (pictures to come)!I am so glad that the customer went with a bright color for this mid-century modern dresser. Also, you know I’m obsessed with antique gold hardware that pops with bright colors. This was my first time refinishing a mid-century piece and I loved doing it! The clean lines, the sharp corners – love!

JBPH Hickam Spring Craft Fair

Taylor — Tue, 07 May 2013 22:16:55 +0000

On Saturday, I was a vendor at the JBPH Hickam Spring Craft Fair. Having never even been to a craft fair before, I was nervous to be a vendor but I decided to take a risk and jump on the opportunity! I had no idea what to expect as far as having our own booth, so I brought a recently finished Beckley Coal Painted Dresser and a Vintage White, Shabby Chic Side Table to place items on. I got to the fair and, surprise, we were supposed to rent our own tents. Ooops. This ended up being a big mistake on my part (more on that later)! I ended up liking the set up we put together, though.My main goal in attending the craft fair was to get the word out about my painted furniture that is for sale and my custom refinishing services. I also brought a few chalkboard signs and home decor items, although I didn’t sell many of these at all. P.S., the Santa Fe Turquoise candle sticks and cross are currently for sale in my Etsy shop and are ready to ship out!I also made a ton of red, white and blue painted mason jars and didn’t sell a-one-of them! Ha! I’ll just be super prepared for my Fourth of July decor! I had a few ladies ask if I was selling the painted picture frame chalkboards that I made, so next time, I think I’ll add these as an offering.

Even though my “crafty” projects didn’t sell very well, I did have a great time talking about furniture painting and custom orders. At the end of the day, I booked two custom projects and received several more inquiries as to custom orders. I also sold the stately black dresser to a wonderful, friendly military spouse and have a sale pending for a dresser set that I had at home.I really enjoyed running into people who follow the Dear Olympia Facebook page and this blog! It was fun to meet fellow paint lovers in real life! I also had the privilege of having a booth next to a professional mermaid (her day job) who sold signs as a hobby on the weekends. I’m constantly amazed by the ingenuity of military spouses who make careers when the career possibilities are bleak due to “the lifestyle.” I have to give a big, huge shout out to my husband. He hauled every bit of furniture and heavy items to the craft fair in muggy hot weather and was in charge of running credit cards while I talked to people. He has been so supportive of this business and looked so handsome, btw.You may be wondering why there are no pictures of me. That’s because I fried like a New England lobster. We were the only ones without a tent and I left the fair lobster-red with a terrible sunburn that is just now becoming tolerable. You’d think after being so white for so long, I’d learn my lesson and make sure that I always have emergency sun screen. Yikes! Nate, of course, left with a nice olive glow. I hope this baby gets his skin tone! You can see how white (and pregnant) I am in this pic taken three weeks ago.Overall, the craft fair was a success. I’ll definitely be looking into attending more craft fairs in the future and will focus on painting demonstrations, showcasing CeCe Caldwell’s paint and custom orders. Thank you to everyone who came by and said “hi” and booked orders/bought pieces. I truly love my job!

Thrifty Family Finds Baby Apron Giveaway!

Taylor — Tue, 07 May 2013 20:19:03 +0000

I’m so proud of my friend Allison who recently started her blog, Thrifty Family Finds! Allison and I were roomies in college and it is such a blessing to have her as a friend. We are also due date buddies! Here’s a little bit more about Allison.

“I’m Allison, a stay-at-home mom of one, soon-to-be two, little girls. I’ve always been frugal-minded, but living on one income in the Seattle area, one of the most expensive areas in the country, has forced me to be even more conscientious of our budget. I’m passionate about saving money wherever I can, and enjoy sharing money-saving deals, tips and tricks with the world!“On why she started her new blog, Ally says,

“I started Thrifty Family Finds as a way to share the deals that I was already finding for myself, with others. It is exciting to find a great deal, and only natural to want to share it! My hope is that Thrifty Family Finds will be an easy place for you to go to get help with living a full life on a limited budget! I love hearing feedback from readers! I still have a lot to learn, and we can all learn from each, so feel free to engage on the blog by commenting with your thoughts and ideas, or sending them to me via email or through the Contact Us section.”

I have to say that I love following Thrifty Family Finds on Facebook and Ally has already saved me over $120 dollars with her coupon codes for new baby items (you can see her Pregnancy Freebies post here).

To celebrate her new blog, Ally is giving away 2 Baprons! The Bapron is a “baby apron,” perfect for kids 6 months and up. They are made of premium cotton fabric on the front, with a layer of coordinating cotton flannel on the back.

Baprons are great for catching spit up or first foods as they cover the front, and tie behind the neck, preventing baby from pulling it off. And because they have actual arm-holes, they don’t shift like regular bibs. Plus, they are cute enough to wear throughout the day, protecting clothes from stains! Machine wash cold or warm on gentle cycle. Tumble dry low. The winner may choose two designs from those pictured below (aren’t they so fun)!

These are adorable and really functional! Thank you, Ally for giving away two Baprons on Dear Oly! You can enter below and, as always, email me (mydearolympia@gmail.com) if you have any problems with Rafflecopter.

****Update**** Congrats to Kathryn for winning!
a Rafflecopter giveaway

Stately Dresser in CeCe Caldwell’s Beckley Coal Paint

Taylor — Thu, 02 May 2013 00:09:29 +0000

I am one of the lucky ones who purchased one of the first batches of CeCe Caldwell’s Beckley Coal paint quarts before they sold out. Since I started using CeCe Caldwell’s paint, I’ve hoped that she would come to include a true black color that isn’t bluish/black like Vermont Slate and I wasn’t disappointed! I am absolutely thrilled with the coverage and thickness of CeCe Caldwell’s Beckley Coal paint. It is a beautiful, true black.I love this dresser! After I buffed up the handles with antique gold and distressed it a bit, it turned out to be a stately number.

Interested in taking this dresser home? I’ll be selling it at the Joint Base Pearl Harbor Hickam Craft Fair on May 4th (this Saturday). The craft fair is open to the public and free to attend. If you’d like to buy this piece, stop by my booth where she’ll be waiting!

I’m linking up with:

Girls Bedroom Headboard in CeCe Caldwell’s Santa Fe Turquoise Paint

Taylor — Wed, 01 May 2013 01:14:15 +0000

I was so excited to paint with CeCe Caldwell’s Santa Fe Turquoise paint for the first time this week. I painted a custom headboard and foot board for a little girl’s room. When the customer brought me this headboard, I couldn’t wait to see the Santa Fe Turquoise paint color pared against the metallic hardware. Santa Fe Turquoise has great coverage and is very smooth going on. After the first coat of CeCe Caldwell’s paint dried, I very lightly distressed the headboard and foot board, then applied clear wax. The mild distressing really sets off the paint color.The customers loved it and I think it will be a bright, cheery and unique addition to this little girl’s room!

Giveaway RamSign Traditional Enamel House Number Signs

Taylor — Tue, 23 Apr 2013 02:27:59 +0000

I spend a lot of time dressing up and revitalizing furniture and decor that goes inside my house, but why can’t the outside of my house get a little love? I fell in love with RamSign’s traditional enamel house numbers as soon as I saw the pictures of them! If you haven’t heard of RamSign, they are a small Danish company that manufactures and sells classic, hand stenciled enamel house signs. Let’s take a visual tour of their classic enamel signs.The typography of the numbers is so appealing.

These enamel signs evoke a beautiful, classic and traditional feel. I love the different color offerings.

Finally, how much do you love this beautiful European lighthouse style sign?

Yes, I love these signs. That’s why I’m very excited to announce that RamSign is giving a Dear Olympia reader a custom porcelain sign with free shipping! The winner can choose any house number sign with 1-5 digits (not name signs or address plaques) in any of their 5 design styles. You can view the various sign styles on RamSign’s website. Better yet, this giveaway is open to international addresses as well!

You can also head over to RamSign’s Facebook page to view pictures of custom signs. I just saw a picture of a blog themed sign – now that’s right up my alley!

Okay, let’s get down to the giveaway. You can enter the giveaway below using Rafflecopter. As always, if you have any difficulties entering, please email me at mydearolympia@gmail.com.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

French Country Nightstand in CeCe Caldwell’s Young Kansas Wheat

Taylor — Fri, 19 Apr 2013 23:40:31 +0000

When I bought this mahogany desk that I refinished in CeCe Caldwell’s Emerald Isle Green, I also nabbed a side table. She was nothing special – or was she?I decided to go with a french country and shabby chic look.
I painted the entire piece in CeCe Caldwell’s Young Kansas Wheat paint – a beautiful neutral color. I then added Dover White paint to the sides, front and detailing – I think that it really compliments the Young Kansas Wheat color.
I used Silver Leaf rub ‘n buff on the hardware – I like to use silver with neutral and gold with bold, bright colors. In the end, I decided to keep this piece because it goes perfectly with baby H’s vintage nursery that I’ll be revealing soon (once my mom gets here and can do it justice with her picture skills – ha)!You can see my other custom furniture refinishing projects here. Looking for furniture for sale in Oahu? See my currently for sale page. Also, now you can search my refinishing projects by paint color (click here). Thank you!

Emerald Isle Green Antique Desk with CeCe Caldwell Paint

Taylor — Fri, 19 Apr 2013 00:06:29 +0000

I am so happy to be able to share one of my absolute favorite for sale furniture items that I’ve refinished. A fellow furniture refinisher and military spouse was moving off of the island and needed to unload some of her stock. After a drive to the other side of the island and some heaving lifting by my wonderful husband, we brought this stately lady home.I went crazy for the antique hardware, rusted as it was.I knew that this antique mahogany desk would sell more quickly with a neutral color like Vintage White or Vermont Slate but I could not resist doing an Emerald Isle Green makeover with CeCe Caldwell paint with Gold hardware (of course)! After fixing some of the dents and missing wood, I applied one coat of CeCe Caldwell’s Emerald Isle Green chalk paint.

Isn’t she grand? The hardware shined up well with Rub ‘n Buff antique gold.Naturally, after I staged it, I wanted to keep it, but alas I can’t keep everything!Interested in purchasing this antique solid mahogany desk in Emerald Isle Green? Email me at mydearolympia@gmail.com.

Linking up with:

Transformed Tuesday @ PJH Designs
Show Me What Ya Got @ Not Just A Housewife
Power Of Paint Party @ Domestically Speaking
Be Inspired @ Elizabeth & Co.
Trash To Treasure Tuesday @ Kammy’s Korner
Transformation Thursday @ The Shabby Creek Cottage
Friday Link-up @ Redoux
Furniture Feature Friday @ Miss Mustard Seed
Home Sweet Home @ The Charm of Home

Antique Child Rocking Chair in CeCe Caldwell Carolina Sun Yellow

Taylor — Fri, 12 Apr 2013 22:29:33 +0000

While I was home visiting family, I had to refinish at least one piece of furniture! My mom and I used CeCe Caldwell paint to refinish two adorable pieces for her photography studio. After eating breakfast at Liberty Market in Gilbert, Arizona (my hometown), we strolled into one of the many adorable antique shops in downtown Gilbert. She found this antique child rocking chair for $25. Great find, right?

We headed over to the Rustic Hutch in Mesa and she picked out the cheery paint color Carolina Sun Yellow. After taking over my Grandpa’s impressive shop, we bought a sample size of Carolina Sun Yellow and we coated it once with the color. Then, we added some Vintage White to about half a sample size pot of Carolina Sun Yellow and mixed them together. Mom did a great job of sparingly painting on the mixed color over the solid Carolina Sun Yellow. Once it dried, I removed some of the top layer by wet distressing it. I distressed the edges down to the beautiful original wood color.

I can’t get enough of this antique chair! It will surely shine in the photo shoot it was in yesterday. I can just see it in an antique nursery. Maybe I should have stuffed it in my carry on – ha!

The original stain was gorgeous and the two-toned paint color really gives it a nice, worn, shabby chic feel. I can’t wait to see how my talented mother will photograph this cheery antique rocking chair!