Happy Weekend everybody !  I want to send out a big welcome to a new sponsor, The Shabby Chic Cottage, a shop filled with all sorts of home accessories that will add so much style to your home !

Hop on over to pick up a few lovelies for your nest!  Don’t forget, Mother’s Day is May 9th, that’s only one month away, so you can find a mom you love something special at The Shabby Chic Cottage! 

Also, here’s a few features around blogland.  YayDIY posted my answers to Eleven Questions.  The lovely Mrs. Limestone featured my favorite spot to curl up in her not-to-miss ‘favorite nook’ series.  And my friend Amanda over at Serenity Now let me takeover her blog for a day with these ever so simple scrap and tissue paper butterflies.   Also, Erin over at House of Turquoise was kind enough to feature on her blog our grown up girl’s room, how cool !  

For some other great weekend roundup reading, visit Kimba’s Favorite Things at A Soft Place to Land and Julia’s Weekend House Fix over at Hooked on Houses, plus Becki’s Roundup of great links at Infarrantly Creative ! 

For those in Northern California who will be joining me for the April 25th Antique Fair, make sure you RSVP with an email so I can get a proper headcount !

Finally, for those of you still interested in a MirrorMate custom mirror makeover like mine . . .

. . . remember there are dozens of frames available, here are just a few !

And if you enter the discount code CENTS at checkout you receive 15% off  !!!

Now, back to your weekend fun . . . . :-)  

Enjoy !

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First of all, thanks so much to all of you for your very kind compliments from yesterday.  I am so delighted you love this grown up girl’s room as much as my girl does!

Here is the project breakdown, plus source guide for inquiring minds !

Amanda at The Eck Life wrote: “That chandy looks like the one I just put in my laundry room – did you get it a Home Depot per chance?

First let me just say, big thumbs up from me for putting a chandy in your laundry room!  To you, Amanda, I bow.  And yes, my friend, I did find it there last year !  In fact, when our local Home Depot EXPO closed its doors last summer, I picked this one up in the store for $50 bucks.  Sadly, it sat in her closet until last weekend. 

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There are those years when your kids are growing up that they really want to be in charge of the décor in their room.  And that’s important.  And ya gotta respect that. 

So for years and years, my stepdaughter was in total control of her personal space until something happened when she turned 17 – she was ready for a grown up girl’s room, and I was invited to help !  OMG, are you kidding me ?  I get to collaborate on the new space?  For real ?  Pinch me !   I was honored and delighted to lend a decorative hand. 

So it was out with the tween decor and in with the girly glam.  We finally got around to hanging some pictures and adding a new chandelier last weekend, so we deemed the space officially ‘done’.  Here’s a tour of the new and improved grown up space for my girl !

Before:

After:

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There was a mention in House Beautiful last November about this brand new product by Hudson Paint: colored  chalkboard paint.  I was completely intrigued, but then I forgot all about it until the the other day.  Then I remembered, and I just had to order some for a special project I’m working on.  I’m just so excited so I must share with all of you what came in the mail today: this quart of ‘Deep Ocean’ Hudson chalkboard paint !

Hello gorgeous. 

Be still my heart. 

Where have you been all my life ?

It’s a little expensive compared to latex paint, $25 a quart, plus $7 shipping, but with the 24 colors available, can you imagine the possibilities ?  Entire walls of breakfast nooks, kitchens, dining rooms, kid spaces, playrooms and closet doors covered in these amazing colors.    

And talk about cool DIY crafts too – imagine the message centers and labels you could create !  Of course I’ve read you can DIY your own chalkboard paint with tile grout but some of the reviews are mixed.  You can find several ‘recipes’ online, but something about buying this smooth textured paint ready for instant use makes me so giddy. 

I plan on using my ‘Deep Ocean’ this weekend for a special project I’ve got planned for my boy’s room.  To see the full spectrum of Hudson chalkboard paint colors, look right here.  Another company, Tilano.net has a few colors available, but their chalkboard paints are more expensive.   Also I found out that Crayola has a line of colored chalkboard paint available here, again slightly more expensive. 

Yes, it’s a whole new world of paint.   Let the fun begin !  Have you ever used or made colored chalkboard paint ?  What were your results ? 

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I am proud to announce that the winner of the MirrorMate giveaway is none other than . . . .

Lucky # 414  Niki R.

Niki wrote:

“Ah, thank you for finding this ! Even if I don’t win I’m still buying one of these. I was going to have our builder mirror cut down by a glass company and have it framed by Michaels. This is so much easier! I pick Pacifica in Silver Sheen!”

Lucky girl, she got her wish.  Congratulations to Niki ! 

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