Chalk Paint: The Cure All For Down and Out Furniture

Over the summer I had been itching to get rid of all my living room furniture and start again. I also want unlimited pizza every day and that hasn't happened either. So, rather than rob a bank to fund any new purchases, I knew I should look into giving some of the pieces a bit of a facelift.

I had a beat up, cheap, boring, laminated side table from Argos. All our living room furniture is currently Argos buys and I liked it at the time but 4-5 years on, I look at it and just go "What the hell was I thinking?" I have since learned that the answer to your bad furniture woes is: CHALK PAINT! Seriously. It just goes over everything so easily it makes doing a spot of DIY that much easier. If you have something that you're tired of looking at, give it a new look with chalk paint.

I'm pretty pleased with this piece as it looks a bit like white birch and that was what I was going for. Well, to be honest I had no idea what it was going to end up like but there's nothing like taking something that's a bit crap and making it a bit less crap.

Tools: Sand paper, Rustoleum chalk paint in Clotted Cream, Rustoleum furniture wax

Method: I didn't even bother to sand the table before applying the chalk paint. You probably could but this was a cheap piece of laminate furniture from Argos and it didn't seem worth it to put that much work into it. So I just wiped it down to ensure it was clean. Then I slapped on two coats of the paint, allowed to dry, and took my sandpaper and went to town distressing it. Easy peasy.

Props: Chalk heart coasters from Avon (really!)

What's Next: Creating Business Plan

As per my last post, it has become very clear to me that if I don't get organized and have a business plan set in stone then this little bird won't ever fledge from the nest (haha!).

So here are the next steps I need to take, in list form of course! Future posts will be dedicated to each of these points in depth.

1. Mission Statement
2. Goals
3. Schedule
4. Suppliers
5. Pricing
6. Packaging
7. Sites
8. Ideas
9. Stockists
10. Workspace

It's a jumble and not really in order of importance.

But it's a start and it helps to see where I am, where I need to be and an idea of how I'll get there.

A Work In Progress

As usual, I'm getting ahead of myself with this whole "Start your business, craft like mad, be your own boss, make money. Simple!" My first post on this blog was of course written about 5 months ago (for another, now defunct blog). I've just now decided on a name, created a Facebook page, set up a Twitter account, etc.

I'm learning, with a little bit of research that this is tough and it's a *tad* more tough because during the day my main job at the moment is caring for my 8 month old. And then by the evening, I am so tired I just want to flop on the couch and binge watch TV. Currently on the magical Sky box is Desperate Housewives. Fitting, eh?

A Pilgrimage To Wantage

My very bestest friend took me to the most amazing used bookshop in Wantage back in May. I can't even remember the name of it because as we walked in I just about lost all sense of anything, trapped in the heady aroma of used books. Well, I *am* a book sniffer.

Hearts Galore

How funny is it that I got all ready and raring to go with my crafting projects, my brain full of ideas to the point it felt like it was going to burst and then I sat down to actually *do* something and...poof.

I instantly felt stuck. Jammed. Like all my ideas flew out of my head. Then my dad came to visit from the US for a week. Then *we* went to the US for what was supposed to be a 2 week visit but turned into a month and a half.

I think because I was so happy and excited to get this small business going that it's actually terrified me and I was able to use my trip home and other bits of life, to get in the way. Using it as an excuse almost. "I don't have the time for that right now." "Maybe tomorrow."

Because what if it doesn't work out? What if I'm a huge failure? What if I'm a huge success and people all across the land are beating down my virtual door to place an order?!

I realize I am really putting the cart before the horse but it's just the way my thought process has always worked. I think everything through with multiple scenarios. It can be exhausting at times and also a bit of a downer. For some reason I tend to lean towards the more negative side. Although I'm working really hard to get more on the positive side.

But in the end, I'm trying something new and I am going to just push on through that fear. Something really great could happen and it's that hope, that desire, that is going to keep me motivated when things get tough and one of my project bombs...

What I've Worked On:

Alphabet Table Confetti (I'm thinking ideal for weddings). The idea is that they can be used like the fun fridge magnetic words.

Spell out something fun, a message to the happy couple perhaps? Or Mr & Mrs? I like the idea of using #lastname and then taking a picture for Instagram as couples are wont to do these day with creating their own wedding hash tag!

There will also be fun things like ! ? & # Maybe even some hearts IN the hearts #heartception

Unfortunately my dog felt the need to show her displeasure at the English language being stored in a tiny dictionary...so I'll be using it to make some fun dictionary table confetti

I have my eye out for more in the "Midget" series but have yet to come across any! This one is from 1964.

Best intentions and all that...

The following words were written and posted on *another* blog I started back in April. Funny how things work out (or don't!). I had every intention of starting that second blog, get down to work and poof! Have my business started and a blog full of my products and "How To" posts. 

Like I said, best intentions and all that!