Summer's Chocolate Giveaway!

I recently met up with an aquaintance of mine at the craft fair a couple weeks ago. I already knew firsthand that Summer, whom I had recently met through a mutual friend, knows how to make a mean chocolate cake (she brought it to a girls night party a few months back). I did not know, however, that she is also a highly talented crafter as well until the craft fair when I fell in love with her headbands. It only seems fitting that her blog/website name is Summers Chocolate. Her creations are truly eye candy for the hair accessorie gal whether you are in your 30's...ahem, or still in diapers she has something you are sure to love like this one of a kind headband that I bought from her below...eye candy I tell you!

Or this zipper band I get compliments on everywhere I go!

She has every color...

and style you can imagine (and for you vintage lovers like me, she has access to a whole stock pile of old jewelry)! The pieces below (a little girl headband and ponytail piece) along with one of the zipper head bands can be yours if you take part in this giveaway.

Here are the rules: For one entry like Summer on Facebook here.
for another entry visit her blog here and become a follower. For yet another entry, visit her website here and leave a comment telling her your favorite item. Essentially you have the possibility of having three entries...make sense? Of course you need to leave a comment on this post for every entry you deserve. If you already follow or like Summer just leave me comment so you will be entered as well :) I will post the winner on Saturday! Good luck to you all!

Also for the locals, Summer is taking part in the Farmers Market hosted in the Wells Fargo parking lot every first thursday of the month from May to October at 6pm until dark (starting this week!) in Kimberly so go see her stuff in person...you won't be sorry!

Handpainted Chest

Yay, I finally have a completed project to post :)! Okay so again here is the "before" shot after I got it home from the thrift store. And here are the "after" shots I took this afternoon. I painted the outside frame ivory and added a brown glaze on top. The drawers were painted a medium brown and afterwards I freehanded the leafy sort of vine in a pearlized medium with some metallic copper highlights here and there. I love the hardware now that it has been painted in Krylons Oil Rubbed Bronze finish.

I wish I had a better camera. These pictures simply do not show the detail that can be seen in person.

Email me if you are interested in purchasing this piece at lemonsqueezing@gmail.com

Thanks for taking a look! I just purchased a bench off of Craigslist yesterday that I am soooo excited about and be sure to stop by in a couple days, I will be hosting a giveaway that you won't want to miss :) Adios!

I'm a little late doing this but am linking up to The Power of Paint Party over at http://domestically-speaking.blogspot.com

It's too COLD!

One of the projects I am currently working on...

Just thought I would post a bit about some upcoming projects. I actually had a little time today set aside to work on them but unfortunately the weather did not cooperate...I mean really, snow? Sadly I am blogging with very little to share. Here they are unfinished and waiting to be made beautiful again. This first one is an old glass door my friend Jen gave me a couple weeks ago. It needs a pane replaced and then I know exactly what I want to do with it...hmm, I think I'll surprise you all with that one when it's finished. You'll notice the headboard behind it still unfinished as well, sigh. And below is a small dresser I picked up at the local D.I. (thrift store) and have began working on (see top photo). I also still have a hutch to paint (someday).

Oh and once the weather warms up a bit I will show you the patio furniture I have been slowly but surely working on :). What can I say we have all been sick with terrible colds this week and I cannot wait for summer to get here!

My Story

A few of you know that I recently completed an Isagenix Cleanse. It was an 11 day nutritional cleanse I underwent during an already stressful time for our family. Sounds like a nightmare right, food deprivation combined with heavy stress? Well, that's what I thought at first too but my experience ended up being the complete opposite, I had more energy(without caffeine), more tolerance with my kids, more desire to work out, and an overall feeling of wellness I have never experienced before. The best part was weighing and measuring at the end with a total weight loss of 12.8 lbs and a loss of 21 inches! Since I began having children I have struggled getting the weight off. It hasn't helped that I have an identical twin (yes, identical) who successfully keeps hers off. In the past year I have ran four races including a full marathon (26.2 miles)without losing any weight. To say it has been frustrating would be a huge understatement. I am sharing this story, even though it is very personal, because I believe in the product. It sounds like such a cliche but I know what it has personally done for me and others and I want everyone to know about it. That's why when I was approached a couple weeks ago about selling it I accepted. I have never been a "salesman" in fact I avoid certain retail stores just for that reason. I'm not going to turn this blog into a place for me to push a product either, I just want to share my story in case anyone out there is struggling like I was and looking for a way to jump start thier weight loss and overall health. Please feel free to email me if any of you want more information on the Isagenix Cleanse at lemonsqueezing@gmail.com. I promise I will not pressure any of you in any way. I watched friends and coworkers use the products for years with success before I was ready to try it and I completely understand and respect personal choice in the matter. If you are still reading, thank you...now back to design! I have some amazing projects going right now that I can't wait to share so keep checking back next week and Happy Easter everyone!

Spring Fever!

Yesterday I stopped at Michaels and picked up a couple of birdhouses to paint. This one shown below was claimed by my five year old :) So while he worked on his, I worked on mine... but after painting mine I realized it needed something more so I added an old railing piece from a broken chair and secured it to another scrap piece of wood.

SOLD!
I am loving how it looks on the new bird painted buffet I completed last week with some other things I have lying around the house.

SOLD!

Hope to see some of you at the fair on saturday! It is open from 8-3 at the Civic Center. Be sure to say hello if you stop in!

I'm linking up to Donna's SNS party at http://funkyjunkinteriors.blogspot.com/

More Projects!

I thought I would quickly post some recent project completions...obviously the picture below is not completed yet but it will soon be a bench. Of course I will post the completion as soon as I can get it done. Until then feast your eyes on this weeks completions below :) My wonderful friend Adele dropped off this for me last week. It was all the same color as the top finish and already in great condition. I wanted the ornate detail on the bottom to stand out a little more so it could be appreciated so I sanded, primed, painted, distressed, and finally glazed it. I am loving the result and this piece will also be available at the fair next week. Thanks Adele and I haven't forgotten about your haircut!!!

SOLD!

Then last night I stayed up until 1:30 painting this piece...I think it was worth it but I'll let you be the judge :) This is the top I faux finished to look like brushed copper.

And here is the rest. I know the pictures are a bit dark...that's what you get when you take them without any natural light. Anyway this one will also be for sale next week. Hope you all like them. Have a great weekend everyone!

SOLD!

Craft fair coming up!

I finally sold this little piece (it's just been sitting in my entry) but I wanted to show how I ended up glazing it afterall.

SOLD!

I am gearing up for a local craft fair (civic center April 16th) and so I am in a hurry to get some pieces ready to sell! It's not going to be easy with my already crazy schedule. Oh and I also just started working at our local Real Deals so if you stop in be sure to say hello :) Some of you may remember this screen below from a while ago. I am almost done with it. At first I wasn't too sure about the chicken wire but it has grown on me. I am hoping to get the hutch behind it finished as well in time for the fair...we'll see. Oh and I almost forgot, I am working on the most amazing headboard footboard bench...pictures to come!!

Just some of the finished pieces I will be selling. My friend Alyssa who solders jewelry will be sharing a booth with me so stop in and see us on the 16th!

Thanks guys!

A new little table to share!

I have loved the antique looking brown against black lately...so much that I changed my dining chair pads (again) in my kitchen. I really hate the plastic cover look over the top but with small children feel like I have no choice. Anyhow, on to the post at hand. As I was saying I have been loving this color combo and so... when my friend Jen gave me a couple of pieces of furniture she had been storing in her basement last week I already knew what vibe I would take on this little table. Here it is before. Good bones but I felt the hardware was a bit large on such a small piece.

So I painted it in a flat black paint and then painted the drawer faces in a light tan then using the backside of some damask wall paper I pressed it against the paint while wet and then antiqued over it (once dry) with some glaze. Oh, and I swapped out the hardware as well.

Then I repeated the same treatment to the back side of the table...if you look closely you can see the damask pattern peeking out from then books and pillow.

I also ended up distressing it a bit and painting out some of the trim for added interest.

If you like what you see and want to purchase this item please let me know at lemonsqueezing@gmail.com I am asking $25 for it. Thanks guys and have a great day!

SOLD!

Tick Tock.

Well, what can I say I am at the public library (my computer crashed) and these are all the pics I have with me so I realize they are of the poorest quality but they will have to do for now. I will also have to find a "before" shot and post it later but basically I primed, and painted this a light almond color (Krylon) and then covered in an antique brown glaze. The clock hands still need to be replaced but I am going to let my mom finish that job since I am giving her the clock :) Anyway I apologize for the blurriness. Here's an up close shot that is a little better.

Well, that's it for now. Life has thrown our family a few curve balls since the last post and without going into the details I will just say it could always be worse :) Anyway, please please be patient with me. Thanks!

Blah...

I have been missing in action as of late and I have to apologize to those of you who are "regulars" on this blog. We have just recently discovered that our 5 year old son has epilepsy and we are currently in the process of learning more about it and hope to have more answers after next weeks follow up visit with the pediatric neurologist. Until then I am afraid that I won't have anything to post about. I do however, have some future plans to finish a grandfather clock that was recently given to me (thanks Lyndi)! I will be finishing it for my mother who has always wanted one. As soon as things start to settle down I promise to muster up the motivation and get going again. Thanks for your patience in the meantime.