A Spa Project

I like to be busy. Or at least you'd think so, by observing the alarming rate at which I take on multiple projects. The truth is I just like to do fun things, like planning weddings and spa rooms. It just so happens that usually, with my luck, I end up doing things like that at the same time. And that's not as much fun, but I always forget until I'm knee deep in projects and my front room is full of lavender sachets and votive candles while my garage is full of half painted cabinetry.

So, rewind: one of my friends who I went to esthetics school with is also a hair stylist, and she has her own salon suite for that business; if you're not familiar with that concept, it's like hallways full of individual salon rooms and businesses, so instead of leasing a station in a salon you have your very own space. It's pretty neat. Anyway, she went to esthetics school and is now leasing the suite next door also and will be turning it into her spa room for facials, peels, body waxing... all that good stuff.

She approached me and asked if I'd design and decorate it, and of course I said yes! She wanted something that felt desert-y and tranquil, without feeling overly southwestern.

That was the easy part. Now I'm painting cabinets for her -- just in case you follow me on Instagram or Facebook, saw the photos and decided I was certifiably insane for painting my kitchen cabinets again. This time they are definitely not mine!

To save on costs (this is a spa room not a custom kitchen, after all...) I had my friend buy unfinished stock oak cabinets. Oak is not my favorite, but they're going to look nice once they're in and she'll be happy with the money she saved.

So I've spent the last several days priming, painting, sanding, caulking, sucking down Diet Coke that I had promised myself I wouldn't drink anymore, crying a little as I remembered what a pain in the butt painting cabinets is, and giving myself pep talks in the vein of the St. Crispin's Day speech from Shakespeare's Henry V. (Kenneth Branagh, anyone? I'm a fan!)

Oh, and showering. Priming and sanding is so messy.

My goal is to have these suckers finished tomorrow so that while I'm out of town for 10 days at the end of June for various commitments, they can magically be installed by the cabinet fairy.

Easy DIY Chalkboard Table Numbers

Table numbers? Wait, when did this become a wedding blog?

I keed, I keed. While there are no major changes to this blog planned, I've been spending the last several months helping a lovely friend plan and coordinate her wedding. The fabulous event is now just two weeks away which means I'm starting to get a little frazzled trying to tie up loose ends, because that's just how I roll. (Sidenote: if there was a perfume called "frazzle," it might have to be my signature scent.)

There haven't been too many DIY projects for this wedding that I've had to take care of, but I did volunteer to make the table numbers. It was a really easy project that I'm going to share today!

You'll need to find some unfinished wood in the shape of your choice. You can search etsy or look at a local craft store. I found these in an etsy store called ChalkStyle -- they were sold as little chalkboards with one finished side. I'm sure you could save money by finding completely unfinished ones.

Next, I bought several 63-cent dowels at my big orange home store -- I halved each one to make them 2-feet long, and they are thin enough to be cut with flower shears. This means when the big day comes and we're putting them into vases, we can very easily cut them to whatever length looks best.

Since they're going to be visible from all sides, I decided to paint the backside of each shape and the dowels black:

And then I simply hot glued a dowel to the backside of each shape. You could easy give this another quick spray of paint to make the glue a little less noticeable.

Season your chalkboard and get to writing. I spent the most time on this step and ended up writing each number two or three times before I was happy...  because I'm just like that.

Note: I think brush-on chalkboard paint achieves a better surface than the spray version, especially on surfaces that aren't perfectly smooth. If my shapes hadn't already come with one side painted as a chalkboard, I would have taken the extra time to brush the chalkboard paint on the side I was going to write on. Just my two cents!

Last, spray each chalkboard with hairspray to help set the design. The lacquer in an inexpensive (read: dollar store) hairspray will help keep the chalk design from smearing or wiping off.

All in all, a very simple DIY with a really nice end result! Chalkboards are great for rustic themed events but they're still so popular I think you could use them for any sort of wedding.

Uppin' the Curb Appeal

Who is knee deep in summer projects? I love working outside when it warms up! I'm about to move into my backyard for some jobs I've got planned, but this past weekend I stumbled across such a good deal that I had to spend an hour or so on my front patio.

I've been looking for a little bistro set for this little brick patio space -- it has sat empty since we bought this house. I was out looking for supplies for a friend's upcoming wedding when I decided to duck into DownEast Home on a whim -- and look at what I found! A metal folding bistro set in aqua on clearance for $112. (I think it must have been fate, the way it was with these shoes.)

Sometimes it just pays to wait for the right piece.

See how sad and full of wasted potential this little spot was before?

A couple hours later, and now you just want to hang out and sip some coffee, right? I don't blame you. It's pretty cute.

I'm especially fond of the orange pansies.

I planted some Creeping Jenny in the raised brick planter behind the table and some ferns and heuchera along the side of the garage.

 

Now my front yard looks a little more pulled together, although people still refer to my little house as the "cabin-in-the-woods" on the middle of the street. I'm pretty fond of my little cabin and its wild front yard.

Look, it's my fake front house number making an appearance again.

What do you think? Want to come over?