Up and at 'em! Laundry going, checkbooks balanced and I am going to share with you some fun things I have been working on before our girls get up.

"Necessity is the mother of invention." So true in so many ways in my life. I wanted to be a stay at home mommy and raise our girls...so, I started selling some of the furniture I refinished and buying more. Thus, The Vintage Barn was born. Another example...I love decorating and swapping out my living room décor for the season. Well, purchasing pillows was starting to add up. They can be so expensive (and poorly made.)

So, I took one sewing class with a friend of mine and was hooked. My mom came over to help me navigate my way around my machine. I was a total rookie...still am, just making things that look a bit better now. I was only making pillows for myself, I had just repainted our room a deep, rich chocolate brown and wanted new pillows on our bed. Done. Then another girlfriend of mine asked me to make some similar for her. Done. I thought, "I already have an Etsy shop. Pillows are MUCH easier to ship than furniture." So, it was a no brainer. I haul my furniture with me to my local shows and just sell it locally. No more late nights in the garage with my husband trying to box/crate a vanity to ship to Florida! (Nightmare!) I bought an authentic French Grain Sack a while ago. Learning all about the different stripes/patterns/colors and how they represent the various farmers. Much like a brand on cows. The two gentlemen were very nice that my mom and I bought the sacks from...they went on to tell us more about really looking at the way the bag was sewn will tell you if it is French, German or Austrian. Very neat!

So, I came home and started making some grain sack inspired pillows...LOVE THEM!!! I have even gotten into the Christmas spirit with them and made some red ones. Most of the pillows have a canvas front and back, some have a vintage inspired ticking stripe fabric on the back. Just so simple...yet, so cool!

This last one is a grain sack wine sack...perfect holiday party hostess gift!!! Have a FABULOUS day...love and junk, Julie

Okay....so this time when I say I am going to stick to it....I AM GOING TO STICK TO IT! Blogging, that is. I am being realistic though. My husband (we just celebrated 5 years of marriage yesterday, WOO HOO!) and I have two beautiful little girls. Our oldest is almost 4 and our baby just turned 1 a week ago. So, for me to try to blog daily...is going to be a goal. I have just finished a FABULOUS piece that a friend gave me. It is a beautiful, solid oak buffet/hutch. I wasn't sure how I was going to refinish this...what color? So, I will take you back a few weeks. All summer I was going back and forth with trying to decide whether or not I should venture out an buy a quart of that much talked about chalk paint. I didn't. All summer and early fall I painted with my good ol' standbys. They did the job. A good job, too. Then on a last minute getaway to Santa Cruz, I found a cute little vintage shop that carried the famous chalk paint. Coming off of a very "good" weekend for me the weekend before at a show in Clovis, I decided to "invest" in my business and get a quart. I told myself I was investing...but I really just wanted it. I wanted to try and see if it really lived up to all the hype...so I went home with 2 cans and the wax. SPLURGE!!! Once we got home, that next day I started on my project. Was this really going to be "life changing?" I prepped my piece simply by wiping it with a clean cloth with a little bit of TSP (cleaning agent) on it. I let that air dry and then dove right into one coat of chalk paint. I only did one coat on this project because I really liked the grain of the wood and wanted to make sure I could still see it in certain spots.

Next step, wet rag and wipe where I wanted the distressed look. Are you kidding me? I have been going crazy with my sander, getting sanding dust everywhere and eating up expensive sand paper (and always running out and not having what I need when I need it!) Really? Wet a cloth and wipe? Yep...and it was pretty easy. A little more elbow grease in some areas than others...and it was done.

I have to say, I wasn't even finished with he project and I knew I was sold! I LOVE this chalk paint and will be buying more. It also went a long way...just like everyone said. I painted this huge hutch and I would say there is a little more that 3/4 of the quart left. That is great coverage!!! Here are some pictures of it...and stay tuned for my next piece. I am redoing an old library desk that my husband's fraternity brother gave us. It is HUGE and I wasn't sure I was going to be able to do much with it. But, I have a couple quarts of chalk paint and I have a plan! Stay tuned...and don't forget to check out my Etsy shop www.thevintagebarn.etsy.com.

Love and Junk, Julie

Follow Your Heart...

WOW! It has been almost one year since I last blogged. I am ready to share my junkin' finds and paint again!!!!! I am back being able to do what I love...because like everyone says "God has a plan." Well, yes He does. We don't always think He does, or are often not satisfied with His timing. I, am one very happy, thankful and grateful mom and wife today. Last year I went back to working full time...from home WITH A 3 YEAR OLD AND A NEWBORN! I think I was nuts...well, I had to have been, I only took 4 DAYS of maternity leave. Yes, you read that correctly...4 days off! It was manageable...but not ENJOYABLE! If you love what you do you will never work a day in your life, right? I will not be returning to that job this year...and am relieved. This past year I was working from home and I would keep up with my crafty friends and really began to miss my painting days. I watched my favorite decorating shows and those darling Junk Gypsies and really begin to miss my business. I really began to think "Why can't I do what I love?" I am pretty sure God put me in that position to show me that the $$$ didn't make me or our family any happier, in fact it made me miss the simpler times. I truly missed the quiet of my "studio." My studio is our HUGE garage where all of my paints, paintbrushes and tools waited for me. Waited for me to realize you have to do what you love...and you will never work a day in your life! Now, we are back on our schedule. The girls and I go for our walk on the dairy in the morning, play and paint! I love "working," me in my garage painting and listening to the baby monitor. When my girls wake from their naps...my "shift" is over. Nobody to email me about what needed to be done and who it needed to be emailed to when it was done. I am my own boss...AGAIN! (Well, my 3 1/2 year old and 8 month old may argue with that!) So, my goal is to post before and after's here. I always love looking at before and after's, as well as where these pieces fit in my customer's homes. I have received a few pictures of happy families with their furniture and I LOVE posting them. For my first big project: my husband and I need a room makeover! A bit of a love-shack, junk-gal...meets cowgirl will be going on in here...stay tuned! I love finding something that just looks sad, lonely and worn out and giving it a little TLC, fun paint and a new life! It really is a love of mine...and it is something I can do on my own time, in my own home studio and even have my girls right along with me.

Ooooh La La!

LOVE these French Provincial Nightstands...a must have for any classy bedroom or powder room. I started with two structurally perfect pieces, handpainted them in one of my favorite springy colors and distressed them ever so slightly. The hardware is all original and very sweet!

I am busy searching for someone else's "junk"...to make my (and eventually someone else's) "treasure!" I LOVE finding a piece that is screaming for me to take it home, give it a little TLC and then send it on it's way to a home where it will shine. I know it sounds corny...but, it's true. Why would you want to buy from that "other barn" that has pieces that are mass-produced, made in another country and are SO outrageously expensive. When, you could buy from an artist right here in the WONDERFUL United States of America, who has saved a piece from the dump and revived it into something fabulous!

Okay, so back to these lovely nightstands. As I was painting this springy blue, I was getting hungry for one of my favorite things...homemade blueberry muffins! So, my sweet little toddler and I whipped up this easy recipe...so easy and so delicious!

Blueberry Tea Muffins

Blend together:
1/2 cup real butter
1 cup sugar
2 eggs

Sift and add alternately with 3/4 cup buttermilk:
1 3/4 cup flour
1 tsp baking powder
3/4 tsp salt
1/4 tsp nutmeg (optional...I love nutmeg, you might like cinnamon)

Fold in:
3/4 cup fresh, rinsed and drained blueberries
*(if using frozen, rinse and let thaw for a few minutes before adding)

Grease muffin pan. Bake at 375 for 20 - 25 minutes. We like ours a little more on the moist side...so you might check them at 18 minutes or so. When they are done, let them cool for about 10 minutes. Dip in melted butter and roll the top in sugar...so delicous and so pretty!

Love & Junk~

Julie

Linking to and ParTYinG with..........

Sring Fling

I am in LOVE with this beautiful weather here...absolutely in love! Flea Markets, swap meets and yard sales are here!!!

What a way to spend a day...walk with my lovely little 2 year old girl, lunch on the patio then she is off to sweet little nappy land. Mommy (that's me) rushes around and finishes a paint job, packs a table for shipping and snaps pictures of this chalkboard before listing...all before (hopefully) before my sweet baby wakes up. Which is why every mom needs a reminder somewhere (okay, everywhere!) to people who insist on ringing the doorbell!!! "Shh...Sweet Baby Sleeping!!!" Check out my most recent chalkboard on my website www.thevintagebarn.etsy.com

Just a normal day in my stay at home mommy life! Wait, I am not just "staying" at home...who else runs to the grocery store, post office, cleaners, Dr., dentist, does light yardwork...I am not "staying" anywhere, that is me doing all those things. But, I LOVE it!!! I wouldn't change living on a budget, checking out the new ways to save money, being home with my sweet baby, being able to make lunch for my dairy-farmer husband when he comes in, the tantrum throwing, the days when my ANGRY dairy-farmer husband farmer comes in for lunch, wondering how I am going to pay that bill...nope, still wouldn't change it for ANY paycheck in the world!!!

Life is good, spring is here! Check out my website for new pieces featuring some of my all time favorite spring colors...Robin Egg Blue, Sunny Antique Yelllow...and my new favorite Misty Morning Gray...inspired by my friend Misty!

Have a SIMPLY CHARMING day!

Julie

Still on my shabby chic kick!

This is SO unlike me...but, here is another fabulous (if I do say so myself!!!) shabby chic white piece! This is a wonderful nightstand or endtable...in perfect condition. Plenty of room inside, and painted with a fresh coat of paint for a clean start.

I see this in a sweet babie's nursery with books stacked on top, and toys hidden inside. This would also be perfect in your beachy-chic romantic room.

What a week...busy painting cool vintage pieces and trying to spotlight a few here in my blog. Hope everyone had a wonderful Valentine's Day...and all your days are filled with Vintage Love!

Julie

I am back!!!

Wow! Has it really been since May that I have blogged??? Yes...I have been busy and haven't taken the time (really can't find the time) to blog about my pieces I am working on. Now, all excuses aside...I am going to try to blog at least once a week. This is more realistic for me, my business and my family. So, here we go!!!

I am working on a great vintage piece right now. A tall chest of drawers I found sitting all alone in a thrift shop. Venturing away from my favorite style...classic distressed black, I am painting this one a creamy cottage white. A little shabby chic...a little soft, romantic rustic charm! Simply charming and sweet! This would be the cutest in a little girl's room, a grown up girl's room...or even cuter in a laundry room. Store all your cleaning products and laundry stuff in this...you will find yourself wanting to clean all the time...well, maybe!

I have been painting, finishing and listing as fast as I can. Check my website for new things www.thevintagebarn.etsy.com I've been busy!!!