Just Popping In...

Just popping in to wish everyone a wonderful Friday!

The girls and I will be heading to one of our favorite spots here in Williamsburg pretty soon...I don't think we have spent one full day just in the house for the past month (unless it was raining!) because there is so much to do here. It will be a bit sad to move away from Williamsburg because we are so close to many outdoor activities, BUT at least we will still be within driving distance to all of it...and I bet we will still be coming here a few days a week because we love all that Williamsburg has to offer.

Hope your weekend is great and you can get out and enjoy the outdoors too!

Thanks for stopping by!

Painted Chair with Gray and Yellow Striped Fabric

I don't know what it is about gray and yellow together, but it is a striking combination!

Here is a little back story to that comment above, in case you are wondering. :)
A few years ago, when I was walking around Hancock Fabrics (which sadly went out of business where I live) with my daughter (I only had one at the time...and therefore a little more time to shop!), I spotted this gray and yellow striped fabric and just knew I had to have it. Ever happen to you with something you are not really looking for?
At the time, I wasn't sure what project I was going to use them for, but it was on sale and I loved it...so I bought a few yards. 
I ended up using the fabric to make curtains in our-then guest room.
Well, that was 2 years ago, and so we no longer have the curtains hanging up that I made, but I held on to the fabric and have finally been able to use it for something new now.

That's where this chair comes in!

Here are some pictures I took of the finished product...
nothing too fancy...
you know, because you can only do so much when photographing a chair...there are only so many angles to take. ;)

I sanded, painted, and distressed the chair a little bit so it doesn't look "too perfect."
I also added some flowers to the top side with some of the left over fabric.
The "Love" written at the top of the chair wasn't really planned right away...that spot just needed something and the word "Love" felt appropriate.

She is a sturdy little thing with a cool punch of color. 
I happen to think it turned out lovely. :)
Hoping to use it for our girl's in their new bedroom.

Thanks for stopping by and have a great day!!

Styling a Buffet Table/Sideboard

One piece of furniture we bought at a thrift store a couple of years ago was a wooden buffet table.
It was in GREAT shape...but a little outdated.

I can't find a picture of what it looked like when we bought, but it was just all made out of wood.
I love natural wood furniture pieces, but this kind didn't go with our decor and so I wanted to paint it.

I first started by priming the piece, which was not all that fun because of the intricate details on the front doors. Needless to say, it took some time and patience.
After that was done, the buffet table was ready for some paint.
I chose Nuance, by Sherwin Williams.
I love this color- it's a great off-white with just a hint of gray.

After painting, it was time to style...my favorite part!

This piece is no longer available to buy, but we are on the hunt for another one soon! :)


Some tips for styling a buffet table/sideboard:

1. Lamps are a great accessory and provide extra lighting. I chose a green base lamp from Target since green is one of my favorite colors.
2. Layer mirrors together- seems to be a timeless design trick and it looks beautiful.
3. Don't be afraid to add some contrast above your buffet table with a printed pattern or paint- especially if your piece is a neutral color like mine.
4. Add a few more accessories of your liking to personalize.


And that's all!
I hope you enjoyed this post.

Thanks for stopping by!


**Don't forget to like my new Facebook page
https://www.facebook.com/LoveOlympiaJune2014 

The Best Cookies- Add Anything In

About a year ago, I was searching for a good cookie recipe to make for a get together with some friends. I happened to stumble upon a new-to-me blog called "Sally's Baking Addiction."
I was very eager to try this new recipe out because I could just never find the right cookie recipe.
You know what I mean? 

Every time I made cookies, they were either way too soft or too hard and would stick to the pan...even when using a "no-stick" pan. How does that happen?

Once I made this recipe, I was hooked.
This Sally lady really knows how to bake!

Here is the link in case you are interested in making some.

And by the way, you can add whatever you want to them.
I've made them with chocolate chips, oatmeal, etc...and I'm sure you could add some pumpkin spice to them for the fall season if you so choose. Hooray!

One tip though: Sally says to put the batter in the fridge for 30 minutes before baking. This is key because the dough will be a little soft if you don't and that will make it a little difficult to place the cookies on the pan...not that I'm speaking from experience here or anything. ;) Just follow the directions...that's all. :)


Here are some pictures of them...they are seriously delicious and wouldn't last a day in our household...but we try to control ourselves, so they last about  days!  ;)

Would love to hear if you decide to make some.
Tell me what you think.


Thanks for stopping by!

Just Popping In!

Hello!

Just popping in to wish everyone a Happy Wednesday!

 We took this photo at one of our favorite places to visit...Colonial.

I hope to be back this week with a favorite cookie recipe I discovered last year!
Hoping to have some wonderful photos to share with you because it really is a recipe that you can't go wrong with when you want to make some delicious, soft cookies!


P.S.- Doesn't it almost feel like fall some-days?? I love it!


**Don't forget to like my new Facebook page!
https://www.facebook.com/LoveOlympiaJune2014 

Thrift Store Nightstands

Two years ago, we bought a pair of nightstands at one of our favorite thrift stores.
Yep, you read that right...we love to buy our furniture there! 

They weren't in terrible shape, BUT they needed some work.
Once we realized the drawers worked properly, we picked them up and have had them ever since.

When I first got them, I decided to paint them in a gray color by Sherwin Williams called Dorian Gray. I LOVE this color, it's what we have on our bedroom walls, but I wanted something a little lighter.
So I took some sample paint from Sherwin Williams called Nuance, and painted over the gray. Nuance is an off-white with a slight hint of gray. It's beautiful!

Here is how it turned out!

I also added some detail to the front and kept the knobs in their original state since they went perfectly for the nightstand.

Some tips on styling a nightstand:

1. If your lamps don't have enough height (I like to keep ours pretty tall), add some books underneath.
2. Some fresh flowers in a vase always look good in any space, in my opinion. ;)
3. A special picture, or something similar, gives a nice personal touch.
4. Keep it simple!

And there you have it! A quick way to update any piece of furniture- just paint it!


Happy Monday!


**Don't forget to like my new Facebook page!
https://www.facebook.com/LoveOlympiaJune2014

Linking up with:
a pinch of joy
A Stroll Thru Life 
http://thestylesisters.blogspot.com/

Horse Fun!!

One of our favorite places to visit is Colonial.
There is such great history there and beautiful scenery.
The girls love it!

We decided to do a little photo shoot recently there and got some great pictures.

Picture overload coming right up!

As if it wasn't obvious enough, the horses are so friendly and just come right up to people that want to stop and say hi. It's such a lovely place and we enjoy it very much.

Thanks for stopping by and have a great weekend!!

Horsin' Around

Here is a little sneak peek of tomorrow's post!

Enjoy!

Happy Thursday!