Coastal Arrangments Tutorial

The other day while shopping in one of my favorite stores, I spotted a container garden with succulents and shells.  It was gorgeous and would be perfect on my kitchen island.  The price was anything, but gorgeous!  It was a staggering $250!  Immediately, I took on the challenge of creating a similar arrangement at a fraction of the price.  It started with the tool caddy I found at a local flea market.  After some sanding, staining and waxing I was ready to start planting.

I gathered my supplies which consisted of succulents, shells and soil especially made for succulents.  I brought my container to the garden center and arranged the plants inside the container to ensure I bought the correct amount of plants.  Then, I headed to my local souvenir shop with my tool caddy in tow to see what shells would look best and how I wanted them arranged.  Sounds crazy carrying the container and plants from store to store, but trust me it is better then guessing and making a mistake.

PS: Souvenir shops have the best prices on shells!  Don’t buy these items in gift shops as you will spend double the cost!

The next step is to line the container.

I use a simple yard waste bag to make the container water resistant.  There is no drainage hole, so you will need to be careful you do not over water.

Next, fill the container with soil and add your plants.

When you are adding the plants, carefully loosen the root ball to encourage growth.  Be careful as succulents break off easily.  Now, you are ready to add the shells.

That’s it!  Simply enjoy your gorgeous creation!  Remember that succulents like bright sunlight and can be moved outside when the nighttime temperatures are above freezing.  Succulents like to be dry, so don’t over water.  They will take in the humidity from the air, so they only need to be watered every 2-3 weeks (unless you live in an extremely dry climate).  If the leaves start to loose their plump, cushiony texture and instead feel flat, it is time to water.

Aren’t the colors stunning with the shells?

It only took a few minutes, but looks stunning on my kitchen counter.  In fact, I’d say it looks like $250 despite costing less than $100!

Fireplace Makeover

Moving into our new home was so overwhelming!  There were so many things we wanted to change, like teal walls!  The shade of teal that burns your eyes and gives you nightmares at night!  So, we made of list of projects we wanted to tackle before the holidays descended upon us.  The fireplace made the list!

Here’s what I wanted to change:

1. Lose the brass on the fireplace doors.
2. Good Lord, paint the walls!
3. Antique or glaze the boring mantle.
4. Add fun accessories with coastal touches.

The first thing I wanted to change was the brass on the fireplace doors.  The brass really dated the doors that otherwise worked fine.  So, instead of spending money to buy new doors, I decided to paint them.  I saw tutorials online where homeowners spray painted their doors, but lord think of the mess!  Instead, I used a product that could be applied with an artist’s brush.

This Rustoleum product worked great!  I painted on smooth leaving no brushstrokes behind.  The paint resists heat up to 1200 degrees!

Next, I tackled the mantle.  I wanted to antique or glaze the mantle to give it some character.

I applied the Valspar Antiquing Glaze with an old t-shirt working the glaze in long strokes.  I applied the glaze heavy into the grooves of the mantle to create depth.  The glaze looked great against the freshly painted walls.

Lastly, I added some fun accessories.  I dressed the top of the mantle with boxwood topiaries  and a boxwood wreath tied to an old window.  The window brought out the glaze on the mantle.

I added some cotton as an homage to my former hometown, Atlanta.  The olive pail was purchased at Walmart and “rusted” or aged using Lysol toilet bowl cleaner!  Simply apply the cleaner where you want some rust and allow it to soak for a few hours.  Then, scuff up with a brillo pad and rinse.

As a nod to my new home by the ocean, I added some coastal lanterns I found on sale at Hobby Lobby.  I dressed up one candle by wrapping it with twine, securing it with upholstery tacks and then gluing on a starfish.

What a dramatic change and thankfully, it no longer burns they eyes!

A Blend of Formal and Whimsy

Where to begin! The whirlwind started when I wrote my last post in April.  My husband decided to take a job in California!  Faced with a tremendous move, I hunkered down so to say!  My focus shifted to what would be one of our most difficult moves yet.  I walked away from my business and blog and instead focused on my family’s transition.  We settled in Southern California or the OC as some may refer and left behind all that felt familiar.  We purchased a fixer upper and increased our mortgage by triple!  I hope you will continue my journey as a transform my home from purple and pink walls to a comforting oasis on a shoestring enforced budget.  I’ll be tackling decorating and storage issues while creatively making the most of the budget at hand.  As for Lula Belle, well I need to find my new self here in my new home and who knows what will come next.

Let’s start the journey in our new formal living room.  What?  A formal living room?  I’ve haven’t had a formal living room in years!  Oh, and I mentioned that shoe string budget, right?  How to transform the space and have it ready before two families converge on the space during the Thanksgiving holidays!  The best part (and sometimes worst part) of a new home is looking at your furniture and accessories in a new light.  Given the budget, I couldn’t start from scratch, so I looked at what I had in a new way.  The couch used to reside in our master bedroom along with the marble cigarette table and lamp.  The rug is from our master bathroom and the chairs I stashed when I found out we were moving.

The chairs began like this….. a poor, pathetic state!  They were scratched and looked like they went through a battle!

The transformation from trash to fabulously French began with paint, of course!  I used Annie Sloan Old White and then dry brushed a coat of Annie Sloan Coco.  I sanded the chairs to reveal some of the details and then gave them a coat of clear wax.  Don’t you love the legs?

Then, I dressed them in a gorgeous, script fabric.

I love this script fabric and the touches of crowns!  I do love my crowns!  In fact, when I was little I asked for a crown for Christmas!  My parents bought a homecoming queen type crown and my mother even sewed a red velvet pillow, so it could have a place to rest when I wasn’t in the mood to rule.  I guess you could say those days haven’t ended!  Still, I didn’t want this chair to be too formal and I love using surprise fabric on the back of chairs.  So, I added a touch of whimsy!

What’s great about this room is that you can see the backs of the chairs as you enter the room.  The chairs really made the room!

I added some pillows that I already owned along with the marble coffee table that belonged to my dear Aunt Opal.  I carried the antique theme by added old family photographs and plenty of mercury glass!  I also used a mirrored tray on the coffee table.  The tray holds an embellished mercury glass votive, an old oil lamp converted into vase and of course a crown frame containing my two princes!  I added touches of the South with the magnolias in the oil lamp and the dogwood photograph over the mantle.  The large frame was from our master bedroom, but it contained artwork that just didn’t speak to me.  A cheap fix?  Enlarge a photograph and order it in a poster size.  The cost?  Under $20 for artwork I love!

The space is perfect for pre-dinner drinks or enjoying the sunlight streaming in through the windows.

Or even taking a nap!

The best part of the room are the new chairs!  I love the formal, yet whimsical touch they bring to the space.

Fabulously French

Picture this chair with a red, velvet fabric.  It would be easy to overlook.  Upon closer inspection I saw the gorgeous floral carvings and those curvy legs.  Basically, I fall madly in love with ALL French chairs no matter what their condition.  This chair had huge potential and as I walked out of the store I knew exactly how it would be transformed.  The chair was in great shape so, all it needed was new upholstery.  I used my favorite French script with a fun surprise for the back of the chair.

I love the floral carvings with just the right amount of distressing to bring out their details

What I love most about French style chairs are the legs and arms that make up their signature look.  Simply gorgeous!

The back of the chair gives a bit of whimsy to this serious French look.

How cute is that?  Simply French with a touch of whimsy!

 

 

Dresser Before & After

All things worth doing are worth doing well, right?  Well, this antique dresser haunted me!  It sat in my workshop for months!  I was terrified of making a mistake!  I knew it needed to be painted due to the missing veneer, but I couldn’t decide on the color.  Being a perfectionist sometimes leads to procrastination!  I began to wonder if the finished results could live up to the vision in my mind.  Did you know that is why so many of Leonardo da Vinci’s paintings went unfinished?  He was quoted as saying they would never be as grand as the vision in his mind.  As furniture in my booth sold, this dresser loomed in the background until one day I was forced to tackle it!  With a somewhat steady paint brush in hand, I went about the transformation.  I started by repairing the veneer and sanding the top down to the bare wood.  Then, I painted the dresser in Annie Sloan Chalk Paint in Coco and Old Ochre.  I love how the two colors brought out the carvings on this exquisite dresser.

The detailed painting was slow and tedious, but I quickly saw my vision coming together.  The paint enhanced every curve and the eye was no longer distracted by the different wood tones.

When the painting was complete, I was ready to stain the top of the dresser.  I thought a dark walnut would add a dramatic contrast to the paint.

I sealed the entire piece in a clear wax.  The icing on the cake was the hardware.  I decided to go with gorgeous, Mercury glass pulls that speak to the dresser’s vintage style.  Nothing like a little bling to complete the look!

Despite the trepidation, I am thrilled with the final result!

The dresser is available at Lula Belle Interiors in Alpharetta, Georgia.  The accessories are coming soon to Lula Belle’s online boutique.

Living Room Update

After the winter holiday season, I felt the need to make some changes to my living room.  The room needed a little refresher so, I looked around the room noting the areas that were not working for me.  There were many areas that I felt needed improvement, but I decided to start with the tables.  Our coffee table is huge so, it required large accessories that were easily moved for board games or my husband’s weekly bill paying.

I worked in odd numbers adding accessories that I loved while paying close attention to scale.  I decided upon a new lantern with a candle I embellished, a topiary and my Yankee Girl crate full of my favorite books.  Next, I moved onto the side tables.

I added my favorite Easter bunny for the Spring season and a crown with a candle inside.  I love using antique book to elevate accessories.

The final side table was kept simple with a frame and a cloche.  This table gets the most use, so I definitely wanted it styled, but minimal.

A frame with a favorite, family vacation photo looks great on the table and a basket is kept underneath the table to keep newspapers handy.

I also added a cloche.  I love cloches!!  They make ordinary objects look extraordinary.  I painted the base of this cloche black with mild distressing to match my furniture.  Then, I made a burlap, ruffled circle to go under the fleur de lis making this a unique accessory.  So, what is my favorite accessory?  My Cavaliers!  Here is Zoe taking a break next to my favorite Easter pillow by Pottery Barn.

What could be cuter?  Look for many of the accessories featured here to be offered in our new online store coming this Spring!

Lantern : Hobby Lobby

Candles with Embellishments: Lula Belle Interiors

Preserved Cypress Topiary: Lula Belle Interiors

Yankee Girl Crate: Flea Market Find

Bunny Statue: Gift Shop Find

Crown: Lula Belle Interiors

Cloche with Fleur de lis: Lula Belle Interiors

Script Basket: Hobby Lobby

Easter Bunny Pillow: Pottery Barn (this year)

Beadboard Frame with Burlap Bow: Lula Belle Interiors

 

 

 

Bunny Wreath Tutorial

Today, I thought share a wreath I made this Spring.  This bunny wreath is adorable and much easier to make than you would think.

Supplies Needed:

10″ Grapevine Wreath (head)

14″ Grapevine Wreath (body)

24 Gauge Wire & Wire Cutters

Clothes Hangers

1 1/2 Package of Burlap Ribbon (sold at Hobby Lobby)

Glue Gun and Sticks

The first step is probably the easiest.  Start by laying out your wreaths until you have the body shape you prefer.  This is a messy project so, welcome to my messy workroom!  Those grapevine wreaths shed a ton!

Then, flip the wreaths over and wire together using floral wire.

You will notice that I pull the wire through the middle of the wreath so, the wire is concealed and isn’t visible from the front.  You can also add some glue (using your hot glue gun) to add more reinforcement.  Easy so far, right?  Now, onto the ears.  It gets a little tricky, but I think you can handle it.

The first step of building the ears is to make a tube out of the burlap ribbon.  Simply run a line of the glue onto the top of the ribbon, fold the ribbon up to the glue and press until secure.

Next, you take a straightened clothes hanger and form it into an ear.  Once you have the shape you prefer, tape one end of the hanger (so it threads through the burlap without catching) and then thread it through your burlap tube.

Lastly, using pliers twist the two ends of your hanger to secure.  Once you have both ears complete you are ready attach the ears.

Lay your ear bad side up onto the wreath.  First, glue the ear to the wreath and then secure with the floral wire.  I use both the glue and wire to ensure it is secure.  Then, apply glue onto of the wired hanger and cover with the bottom part of the ear.  This gives you a clean look and keeps the hanger and wire concealed.  Repeat these steps to attach the second ear.

Now, flip your bunny over to the “good” side and glue on a burlap bow.  Here it is on my front door.

It looks adorable!  Can you spot my vicious guard dog?

That’s my male Cavalier, Duncan, keeping a watch over “his” domain.  Completing the spring look of my porch, I added an Easter basket.

The bunny I found last year and painted chocolate brown to resemble a chocolate bunny.  I kept the colors simple by using a green and white color scheme.  The simple, bright colors make the porch look fresh and spring like.

Lastly, I updated my door mat.  I bought this doormat a few years ago with an initial insert.  This spring I cut a new insert from a cheap doormat at Lowe’s and painted a white bunny onto it.  It is a nice way to tie in the theme.

The porch looks great and is ready for the Easter bunny if the nasty, green Spring pollen doesn’t kill him first!  😉

Vintage Chair Makeover

This chair was in sad shape when I found it a few months back.  It had two different tones of wood and a lovely, red velvet upholstery.  Still, I loved the details on the back of the chair and of course the cute legs!  This makeover started with a fresh coat of Annie Sloan Chalk Paint in Old White followed by a wash of Coco.  I used a 4 to 1 ratio for the wash, (1 tablespoon of paint to 4 tablespoons of water).  I worked in small sections brushing the wash onto the chair while chair concentrating on the creases and details.  Then, I immediately wiped off the wash with a piece of cheesecloth, repeating the process until the look I desired was achieved.  The wash really draws out the details of the chair.

You can really see the details in the legs.  I love the shape of the legs and the fluting detail.

When I saw the fabric, I knew it would be perfect for the chair.  The embroidered leaves brings out the chair’s white background.  I think the fabric is stunning!

The paint combined with gorgeous fabric create a fabulous makeover for this sweet, little chair!

 

Princess Chairs DIY

A friend of mine gave me these cute children’s chairs.  I loved their shape and even the blue, chipping paint was cute, but I couldn’t leave them alone!  I thought a fresh coat of Annie Sloan Chalk Paint in Antoinette would be perfect.  I love this soft shade of pink!  After a couple coats of the paint and then a coat of clear wax, I knew instantly how I wanted to embellish them.  I found these crowns at Hobby Lobby.  The size and shape of the crown was what I wanted, but not the bright paint!

I decided Annie Sloan Chalk Paint in Coco would be a great compliment to the pink.  I love pink and brown together!  So, I gave them a quick couple coats of the Coco and Antoinette.  Then after waxing, I glued on some gems I had on hand.  I think they look super cute!

These freshly painted chairs are waiting for their perfect princess!

 

Ordinary to Extraordinary

Not all makeovers are big and sometimes the small makeovers give the biggest reward.  I loved the shape of this pot, but hated its green, patchwork color.  It looked like someone glued different shades of green tissue paper all over the pot.  It just wasn’t working for me.  So, I decided it needed a quick makeover.

I painted the pot with a base coat of Annie Sloan Chalk Paint in Paris Grey.  Then, once dry I began to dry brush layers of Annie Sloan Chalk Paint in Coco and Old White.  Dry brushing is a simple way to add color, dimension and texture.

Once the paint was dry it was time to embellish.  I chipped and sanded the pot in places to reveal the terra cotta.  I also did not wax the pot as I wanted a matte finish.

I like adding the unexpected to items so, I decided to add a cross to the pot.  I used a cross I had on hand and embellished it by wrapping the middle of the cross with twine and then gluing on a keyhole.  Once the cross was dry I simply glued the cross to the pot using a hot glue gun.  I like how the different metals add rustic interest to this once boring, tacky pot.

This pot now is ready to hold a cherished plant, kitchen utensils or anything else that may need corralling.