Tuesday, May 1, 2012

A little hissy fit with a BIG finish!

Happy May 1st!
We are bustling around here in major preparation for our Grand Opening on May 19th.
**My mind just registered MAY 1st and thus the real countdown begins.....tick, tick, tick....**

I remember promising to share many sneak peeks until "the big day".....but alas life continues to spin and when I finally land in bed each night I sigh in exhaustion and have little creative words to utter. Let's not even mention the energy needed to edit photos!
(Am I the only one that cannot stand Picmonkey?)
Hmmmmmmm, how was that for a glimpse at pathetic?

Actually, a lot has been happening but I kid you not when I tell you that we rise almost daily at 4AM and fall into bed each night sometime before the clock strikes midnight. And we have been doing that since January 5th....but really, who has hardly noticed?

 
I'm not here to complain and actually I am not really complaining.....more like whining.....just a bit.
*SMIRK* 
Restored~Home Boutique & Studio is a love/hate relationship on a daily basis.....
Love to paint, love to decorate, love to train with Annie Sloan Chalk Paint, love to meet new customers.....
hate to paint the ENTIRE outside of the building, hate to shovel a gravel driveway, hate to clean windows, hate to pay the bills.....etc.
You get it....I know you do.
This girl just wants to HAVE FUN!

Moving right along.......sorry, I am here alone in the shoppe today and needed a shoulder to virtually cry on for just a minute. I'm better now.....thank you.
No worries, I will be here for you when you need me.
Pinky promise!

Let's see what I can dig up to show you......

I knew that I wanted a unique piece to be used for our checkout counter.  I perused Pinterest for days looking for inspiration.  Seriously.....have you been there?  Oui Vey, I could stay on Pinterest for hours and not even realize.......you know, I know you do.

So, this is what we came up with.


YUCK!  I know....go ahead and say it....
I wanted to spit on it!
Let's just say....NOT the picture in my head.

So we tweeked and pounded and manipulated and played.....
*translation = screamed, cried, kicked and cursed (no....not me....)

And this is what we came up with.


Not too shabby for a fit throwing, Annie Sloan Chalk Paint slingin', crying, screaming and spittin' fiesty Texas gal!

(Ok, I confess Mr Restored~Home had a part to play also but I only let him throw a small hissy fit.)

Whatcha think?

Check back tomorrow and I'll show you how we did it!
Pinky promise.....

Blessings Abundant.....

Tuesday, April 10, 2012

Angelica...the Keeper of the Shoppe.

Good Tuesday Afternoon, Homies!
I did promise you some "sneak peeks" of our new boutique/studio space, right?
So today you will get to meet "Angelica."
Angelica was aptly named when my sister-in -law, Melissa, set out on a journey to find the perfect name for the centerpiece of our little cottage.  She is the main player as she will house, display and protect our beloved paint.....Annie Sloan Chalk Paint!
I actually searched for a few months for this Pièce de résistance and was thrilled when I finally found her.
She, of course, has a very French background and has the loveliest of accents.....she just needed a little tweek to accentuate her legs and her curves and her adorning crown.

(Heck, I wish paint and wax could do that for me!
Maybe I should ask Annie about that. I mean, this paint sticks to almost anything...could work....)

Well, enough of my descriptive terms. 
Here she is "before."


See.....she is lovely.


You may be surprised by a few of the changes that we made.  But remember, Angelica was chosen to display our paint and it is rather hard to display behind doors.  Initially I was going to remove the doors and repurpose them since they are GO-orgeous.....but I could not get past the detail that they add.  The cabinet without the doors just wasn't.the.same.
We have a local friend...shout out to ya, Crea.....who has amazing woodworking skills and so we drug Crea over to help us out.  He cut out the recessed panels in the doors and added shelving to the inside.
WOW! Now we are talkin'!


Sorry for the phone pic....I'm working with what I have. LOL

Next came color.  It seems to me that I lamented over that choice the most.
I began with the thought of Louis Blue.....made my way over to Old Violet.....even thought about a custom color.....but in the end decided on Country Grey and Old White.



Old White is still my number one seller.  It requires no explanation.
Country Grey is not grey (or is it gray?)....you can take the naming convention up with Annie....she is aware and I think, finds it most amusing that we Americans expect Country Grey to be grey/gray.
LOL.....seriously, it is the.MOST.stunning color.  Putty like, if you ask me....abso-tively...
poso-lutely PERFECT for Angelica.
Incidentally, in the last week I have sold more Country Grey than any other color in the shoppe.
Guess it pays to advertise.

This is the part where I inundate you with pictures....so sit back, relax and enjoy the fashion show.....

"Angelica's Big Debut"


Angelica all dressed up for the party!


You must accessorize!




Did I mention that we now offer Sample Pots of Chalk Paint?
Available online soon!


Wax and brushes....


and the newest member....Cracqueleur.
It is a 2 step varnish crackle and it is addicting....
You've been duly warned.


Showin' off the curves.....


and a leg shot......


and of course, the royal crown......

As Annie would say......"Brilliant."
Don't you agree?


So there you have it....Day 1 of the Restored~Home Sneak Peeks.
So much more to come as we count down to our Grand Opening on May 19.

Blessings Abundant.......


 

Wednesday, April 4, 2012

"Restored~Home" is finally OPEN!

Hello!  (hello, hello, hello.......)
Holy pete it has been a long, long time, huh?
I have finally come up for air and I am back!

If you are new here let me kind of give you an update.
About 4 months ago we decided to open a "stand alone" studio to retail our Annie Sloan Chalk Paint from and teach workshops in. 
We found a location (God kind of dropped it in our lap really) and began the journey of a lifetime.
SERIOUSLY!

Here is our "Before" picture.....just wait until you see the "After."


It has evolved, and evolved and evolved and we are now a BOUTIQUE and studio and residing in a most adorable little cottage in the heart of Alvin, TX.
(well, we are still working on the "adorable" part....but we are getting there...LOL)

We began work on the building the first week in January and I sort of "fell off the map", if you will, on my blog.  Honestly, something had to give and it was my blog. 12-18 hour days of hard physical work leaves little room for mental creativity!  I am telling you that it was NOT for "lack of content".....oh nooooooo....I have more content that I could share in a year.....and I will be catching you up to speed.  I mean, who doesn't love a story that involves a major water leak on a Friday night at 10pm the night before my first workshop?  Did I mention that we had no idea where the water main was to shut it off AND it was gushing all over my newly installed (THAT DAY) kitchen floor?  ARGH.


Or how about a bathroom water leak that caused us to tear out a wall (that we were not planning to tear out) that broke the porcelain sink (that we were not planning to replace).....that caused us to repurpose a dresser into a vanity with the most lovely of antique bowls for a sink story?
I do just LURVE happy accidents......

This is before the "happy" water leak.....
It is SO MUCH BETTER now!


We have experienced the good, the bad and the ugly on this journey....water leaks, glass breakage, bugs, power issues, and even a bloody head and broken arm......all in a days work.


We believe that the worst is behind us and brighter...much brighter....days are ahead.

We are now planning our "Grand Opening" for May 19, 2012.
(maybe 2013 is more realistic....)

So hang with me a bit more and get ready for stories and pics and fun!
It's coming and when I get started I may have a hard time stopping!
Mostly, I have missed sharing and interacting with my friends/readers here.....you are all so dang sweet!
Thank you for all of the emails that I've recieved asking if we were okay....still alive, etc.


All is well at "Restored~Home"......what a well named shoppe, don't you think?


Blessings Abundant.......

Monday, January 16, 2012

Restored~Home has a new home!

2012 has started off with a BANG!
A dream of mine was dropped right into my lap!

Restored~Home
 has some new diggs......


218 W. House Street
Alvin, TX 77511

We are not "officially" open for business yet......much renovating/remodeling going on.
We are experiencing the "snowball effect."
  You know what I mean.....we start one thing and that leads to another and another and another.....


Renovating an entire small house = $$$$$
The look on the faces of two 10 year old boys when told they could demolish 2 walls with sledgehammers = PRICELESS




Our new home may not look so special right now but when we get done it will be divine!
Of course, I have BIG plans.....paint (duh!), landscape.....the list goes on and on.....
(can you just envision gorgeous window boxes overflowing with petunias in the Spring?)

I'm not going to share our "Before" pics until I can share some "After" pics....
suffice to say that our new little spot has great bones and huge potential and we are going to
make.her.shine!

We are holding Annie Sloan Chalk Paint workshops there....in fact, we had two this past weekend.
Pardon our dust.......
(Shout out to all of our fantastic and fun participants!!!  More details to follow on that later..)
If you are interested please register soon for our upcoming classes here.

So please stay tuned as I will be sharing all of the "adventures" in this process.

I am lovin' every minute of it.....
(yes, Mr. R~H.....even the Friday night flood in the kitchenette.)


Blessings Exceedingly Abundant....ABOVE all that we can ask or imagine........


 

Sunday, January 1, 2012

And the winner is.....................

Ah, ah, ahhhhhhh.....not so fast!
You know by now how I love torture suspense!

First, I'd like to wish you all a Very Happy and Blessed New Year!


I appreciate each and every reader I have (Hi Mom!) and am always amazed when I receive
an email from someone that I don't know saying that they follow my blog and actually
enjoy it!  Seriously, that is a BIG thrill for me!
(ok....so I lead a very small life.....)



2011 started out a little weak but has finished up pretty big.....
2012 (although I am quite sick with a yucky cold right now) is planned to be even B.I.G.G.E.R!

I promise I will stop torturing you with cliffhangers and make my next post the all revealing
"Big News" that I have been promising for awhile now.
Stay tuned.....

On to the winner.....the BIG winner!

This is a pretty super cool giveaway, if I do say so myself.....
I mean not only will my winner get all of this......


She will also be entered into the giveaway at Annie Sloan Unfolded!
Each winner of the local contests is entered there for a chance to win a $350.00 credit
(YES, I said 350 BUCKS) toward more awesome ASCP or they can chose to apply their credit to attend the Annie Sloan American Tour at a city closest to them!

WOW!  Can you even believe that?  Everything that Annie does she does BIG!

So, are you curious now who my BIG winner is?

It is..........






BECKY from Sweet Bee Hollow

(disclaimer: I searched her entire blog for a picture of her and this is what I came up with. 
Of course, I adore this pic and I am assuming that she does too since she put it there first!)

Becky is the lucky winner and you can tell that she believes in F.U.N!
I know that she will have a ton of fun with her new Annie Sloan Chalk Paint product
and I cannot wait to send it out to her asap.
(Email me Becky and we will get you hooked up!)

Thanks to each and every one of you who entered the giveaway and as always,
thanks for making this blog such a fun place for me to hang out with y'all!

Blessings Abundant......


Friday, December 30, 2011

Annie Sloan Chalk Paint.....2 Days left to sign up!

Good Morning!
I'd love to chat with you....I have MUCH to tell you all......
massive, huge, exciting, fantastic things about to happen for Restored~Home!

God has been amazingly good to us and I promise I will share all of the details with you soon.

Today I want to remind you that you have 2 MORE DAYS to sign up for my


Do not miss out!
Annie Sloan Chalk Paint is the one and only Chalk Paint.
Do not be confused by any imposter......homemade varieties included....
they cannot and will not give you the same finish.
Once you try ASCP you will be forever conformed......

So get on board.....sign up to WIN big in 2012!



Blessings Abundant,

Wednesday, December 21, 2011

How about a little makeover.....

Good Morning Homies!

I have been working a lot of custom pieces lately but have not had the time to post them.
This one has been one of my favs!
(and yes, now I need to have one of these for myself.....sorry, that is the nature of this business.)

I love "before and afters" that really are dramatic.
I think this is one of them....


Sorry for the untouched pics.
You get the idea.
Lovely curves and in fantastic shape....
I just adore this style.


Here she is now...


Much better, I think....


The antiqued finish is actually two-toned.
You cannot really see that here.


Some minor age-worn distressing.


Really love the lines.


Of course, this makeover could only be done with Annie Sloan Chalk Paint!
The look is amazing......but the feel is soft and smooth.
I call it "velvety".....nothing finishes like ASCP.



Speaking of Annie Sloan Chalk Paint....
Have you entered my GY-NORMOUS Giveaway yet?


Do not miss out!  It is HUGE!
You can find it here.....
Winner to be announced New Year's Day!

Big things coming for Restored~Home is 2012.....
I'll share soon!

Christmas Blessings Abundant.....