Calendar Pages

2014 is upon us and our path of days that seem to move by way too quickly have entrenched themselves into our year...yet again! Where are you with all those New Year's Resolutions that you made? I know that I am doing better with some than with others. It is a fact that we call January 1st the start of  the NEW Year. 

 It is a new year but it is so much more than that. It is so very symbolic. We engage in all sorts of activities that entrench that symbolism into our consciousness. First, we welcome in the new year with parties and celebrations.We write off the past year and think, "Awesome! I have another whole year to do things differently, to do things better, to make improvements where they are needed...this is the year for great change," ...and then we do it all again next year and make all the same "resolutions."

For those of you who are tried and true paper calendar lovers, we buy a new one or restock new pages into our day planners. As I partook in that occurrence this year, the thought struck me of how this physical act of taking out the OLD pages and putting in the NEW kind of cements this thought process. With each new page that I clipped in, the thought that I can re do each day again jumped off those pages. As I wrote dates into the calendar thoughts flew through my head like:

This year I will:

~Keep better track of buying and sending cards and gifts...on time

~Get to the gym on a more regular basis

~Make more dates to spend time with family and friends

~Be more prepared in the months before a sale/show so I am not spending all nighters way too frequently (I am getting too old for that)

~I will blog more frequently and chronicle the projects that I am working on better

~Those family nights that we talk about all the time will be scheduled more often

~Decorate for Christmas earlier and take the Christmas card photo NOW so as to have a hope to get the cards out on time

~Go to church as a family more often

The list and thoughts fly through my mind more quickly than I can process them.

What resonated more deeply this year though, was the thought that I am grateful to HAVE these days to DO again!! Sounds corny, but I am here, I am alive. The fact that I CAN do all of this again is a blessing indeed and one that I want to grab onto more firmly this year than any other.

As we age, our parents age, people we know and love face health challenges, some win them...some lose them. 

This simple act of loading calendar pages struck a chord this year...a deep one.

A connection to that chord is what spearheaded Chris and I last year to launch Exclaim Your Life! 

This year, the chord will dig deeper into that topic.

We held our first retreat in November and we were thrilled by its reception! 75 women joined us that cold November day.  Chris and I learned so much from the experience, the women who attended (thank you!) and from those tid bits of knowledge and comments we received about the day. We are excited to be moving forward with more events, workshops and retreats in 2014 to help women experience and live life with an exclamation point!!! 

For those of you who missed it, here are some shots of what we did that day and what it looked like.

The event was held in both the upper and the lower barn. We had a beautiful sunny day although a bit cold!

The upper barn made a great spot for our guests to listen to the presenters. 

Agendas, notepads and pens were placed on each chair, just in case one wanted to "take note."

NBC News reporter and author, Lu Ann Cahn opened up the morning with a fabulous presentation chronicling her book, I Dare Me, which was due to be released two days after our event. In her book, she talks about a year long challenge that she instituted herself, for herself,  to step outside of her comfort zone each and every day to participate in one new thing. By taking chances and getting outside of what made her comfortable the year long experiment reinvigorated her life.

She graciously had copies with her that you could purchase and she could autograph. All the proceeds were donated to Living Beyond Breast Cancer. Lu Ann is a two time cancer survivor and that organization is near and dear to her heart. Since it was near and dear to her heart, it became so for us  and we donated a portion of the ticket price to her charity as well.

The purpose of the day was to reach out to women and get them thinking about how they can live their lives with an exclamation point; go after those ideas that are swirling around in your head, look for a purpose and fulfill a long neglected passion. Wow! Lots to talk about in an afternoon! Given that, we gave an introduction to those ideas and then launched into talks about nutrition, fitness and beauty given by three different experts in these areas. The mind and the body are inexorably linked; what one does to one part, affects the other, and vise versa.

Of course, Life's Patina would never do something that did not involve creativity or doing something with your hands!

We set up craft tables and challenged the women to "try something new" sticking with the theme that Lu Ann presented.

Many of the women had never heard of or used Modge Podge before but they were a quick study and they created personal clip boards with a strip of chalk paint on the bottom where they could write their name, quote or inspirational word. They could then clip their notepad to it and write notes to themselves of how they were going to live life with an exclamation point!

Aren't they beautiful?

Of course another element that Life's Patina would never neglect to have at such an event would be great food! We worked with Loraine Houston, a dear friend who owns Loraine Houston Catering to come up with a menu that would fit both our nutritional target and be delicious. She succeeded!  

 The menu fell right in line with the Fall season as well as the decor. I have to admit, that my absolute favorite part of the whole event was creating the special places that the women would be spending their day in. I wanted them to feel pampered, to feel special. We used beautiful old chairs to raise elements of the buffet, burlap and art inspired paper table runners. 

We used a color scheme of black, tan, pale green and cream using items that we carry at the barn sales.

We gathered chairs that we also carry at the sales and brought in many from my own house. Love the look of mismatched chairs!

We tied printed quotes around each napkin and stuck them in the flower arrangements that we made from hydrangeas and cream roses. The quotes were taken from famous women who spoke to the strength of women and their inspiration. (The quotes were also hung on the tree branches on the buffet table)

Flavored waters and ice tea rounded out the delicious luncheon and of course...

desserts were the encore.

All in all, it was a day that spoke of beauty... both externally and internally!

We are so excited to invite you to put our next Exclaim Your Life Event on your calendar page. This workshop will be a more intimate setting utilizing only the lower level of the barn due to the wintry cold that has filled the upper level. It will highlight small groups with the same attention to detail that makes every Life's Patina Event unique.

Would love to see you give yourself some lovin for Valentine's Day 2014!

Yours truly and in homage to paper calendars~

Meg

Design Inspiration in Atlanta

If it exists...they say, then you can find it at the Atlanta International Home and Gift Show. We just got back home from a power trip there where we explored three buildings of almost twenty stories each in two and half days. Each floor had its own personality or rather each vendor had its own personality...and then some!

You really have to have your wits about you before you set out on this journey. There is no time for small talk and no time to oh and ah over items. In and out, we like to say, snapping pictures as we go, taking notes of what we might like to order to come back the next day and do so. Our meals we grabbed at the free offerings of nibbles that many exhibitors offered and our nights were spent tucked in our beds, computers on our laps, inventory and ordering sheets spread out along with the cumbersome catalogs. At one point we looked at each other and declared how lame we were! Away in Atlanta... to be holed up in our room at night, furiously trying to accomplish all that we could in these precious few days before we would fly back home to take care of all that we missed while away.

We were invigorated and enthused to order for the Spring and Summer Sales for 2014 with some of the beautiful merchandise that we saw. We like to supplement the antiques, refurbished items and one of a kind pieces that are our mainstay with some new designs that fit into our repertoire.

We also like to see the trends...just so we know what we are bucking!

Only joking...kind of... sort of. Some we have already been doing ourselves and we did not even know that we were trending.

(notice the fleur de lis at the top of the centerpiece from our Christmas sale)

We saw them everywhere!

In wood...

for the garden...

long stretched out varieties that were covered in bright flocking...

and metal ones.

Paper items and

books and journals were also seen in almost every designers showroom.

High backed sofas were hot...

and so were arms and legs...

which we think not!

Animal heads seemed to be all the rage...

but the only places we could think of to put these ones...

was back in their cage!

These little guys were cute, but we did not succumb.

What to do with a little guy wrapped in a leaf???  made our brains dumb.

Pardon my rhyming, but we often resorted to tactics such as these, so as not to break out in laughter when speaking with a rep while gazing upon such objects.

Ah yes...Mr. Owl's place still has not been usurped. He stands tall and proud amidst all the mirth.

We know that there must be new designs and concepts every year to keep things exciting and interesting. It is that way in fashion as well but I have never been into what's hot just because it is new and outlandish. It seems like they are trying just a little bit too hard. 

We experienced this first hand at the W Hotel we were staying at. I have never been a huge fan of that spin off from the 

Westin. I know... it is the cooler hip version of it's sister hotel but again it eeks of trying a little bit too hard to be edgy and trendy. Turquoise doors with red trim should have warned us of the interior. Flowered upholstered chairs, with deer HEAD pillows of which the back of a nude woman hung above clustered with two other paintings that had no similarities what so ever. Add to that a bathroom where the sink was next to the bed and the sliding door into the bath room was clothed not in wood or metal but a sheer rice paper material. Call me an old stodgy lady but give me the Westin or the Hampton Inn for that matter (love that chain!) This experience did prove that there is something for everybody!

Really cool table base

There was tons of inspiration to be had and you just might see some of that inspiration in some of the items that we are working on for the Spring and Summer Sales. This is our time of year to dream up those concoctions and ideas and bring them to fruition so check back to see the list of upcoming events and dates that will be posted by the end of the week. 

You might not want to miss some of them!

Happy mid January to you all!

Meg

New Life for Old Frames

As promised, here is a blog that shows you how to take those cast off frames that you find in antique stores, yard sales and in your grandmother's attic and turn them into beautiful purposeful bulletin boards or chalk boards.

All of these frames are beautiful in their own right but ned some loving to bring them into present day.

This frame had an outdated color combo of white and gold accentuating the flourishes.

This frame had many nicks and dings along with peeling gold paint. 

This frame was a heavy wood frame with gold embellishments that again dated it.

All of these frames were made into bulletin boards using the following instructions.

 First you need to determine where the finished piece will be going and this will allow you to determine what color to paint it.

Once you decide what color you are painting it, I recommend that you take out any glass that might still be inside, matting boards or artwork so you are left with just the frame itself. If there is a heavier wood backing that was in the frame, do not discard it for you can glue the cork right to that piece of wood if it is in good shape and it is not warped. 

This frame had the artwork and glass held in by tiny nails all around.  I used a pair of pliers to get them out and then removed all of the old material.

If there is no heavier wood backing, than you will need to measure the opening of the frame and cut one yourself. If you are making a bulletin board you can use about a 1/4" piece of plywood that does not have to be smooth. I do the cutting of the wood while waiting for the coats of paint to dry.

Step 1.
 Clean off the frame with a damp cloth. If it is really dirty you can use a vinegar and water spray to clean. The cleaning will allow you to assess wether or not there are any repairs that you have to make before you paint. 

Step 2. Make any repairs with wood filler.

Chips like these can easily be covered up with paint. If you have big separations at the corners or holes in the filigree, you can use wood filler to seal or fill in. Let the wood filler dry before you begin to paint.

Step 3. Painting

There are two methods that I use to paint a frame depending on the look that I am trying to achieve. 

Sometimes I use chalk paint which you do not have to prime with and sometimes I use just regular acrylic wall or trim paint in a low luster finish. (You can use a high gloss finish if you want something to really stand out and give it a lot of bling) When you use the chalk paint, there is no need to prime. When you use the wall paint you should prime first so the paint adheres better. 

When using primer, sometimes I use nothing else on top if I want a" barely there" coat where the original or base finish shows through.

This is a shot of the above gold frame with just a light coat and then another coat of primer lightly brushed on. For this method, do not saturate the brush but brush much of the paint off before quickly brushing over the frame. I would finish this frame off with a coat of clear wax.

This frame has 2 coats of primer (dark wood frame) and then 2 coats of the Latex paint on top.

I felt this frame needed a little something more so I brushed a dark brown wax on top and then wiped it off quickly. I also sanded the edges a little to distress it lightly. This method gives it more depth. If you apply too much wax, no sweat, just take some steel wool and lightly sand over the areas you want to lighten. The waxing takes some practice if you are using a colored wax. Clear waxes are a little easier to use because you are not putting on pigment, it just deepens the color.

Finished painted frame.

Chalk Paint Method

I am sure you have heard of Annie Sloan, CC Cadwell and the likes for their lines of chalk paint. They are very easy to use for they do not need a primer and really do stick to most anything. The problem that I found with them is that I am often asked to do a board that matches a trim paint or a paint color that the customer loves. The shades of chalk paint I find limiting in this case, so I typically use the wall paint method that I described above. I have found this powdered version of chalk paint that you actually add to the latex paint that you are using and wala...it makes chalk paint. (I know, for those Pinterest fans, you can also make your own powder but for the time saved, these little pre made bags are quite economical)

Websters Chalk Paint Powder and all you need to mix it.

I turned this frame...

 into this to match a clients room.

When using the chalk paint, you always finish with a clear coat or colored wax to protect the painted surface.

Step 4. 

Cut the wood piece that the piece of cork will be glued to that fits into the back of the frame like the piece of glass would have. You need a circular saw or table saw for this to get clean edges. Make sure to fit the wood piece into the back of the frame BEFORE you glue the cork on, to make sure that it fits and it is not too tight. You can always trim it if you need to.

Step 5. 

Now trace the piece of wood onto a large piece of cork. I purchase large rolls of cork from the website www.SCHOOLSin.com 

You can also purchase small rolls of cork at your local craft store. Just make sure the width and length are enough to cover the area that you need.

Cut out the cork with a sharp scissors or place cork on a rubber mat or a large piece of thick cardboard to cut using a razor blade. Make sure that you are protecting your work surface!

Once the cork is cut, glue the cork to the wood piece that was cut prior with Liquid Nails. Make sure to get close to the edges and apply liberally. Press cork down into wood thoroughly and then put another piece of heavy wood or another heavy object on top until the glue dries. I typically leave it for a couple of hours and sometimes overnight. Once dry, trim any edges that are sticking out with a razor blade.

Step. 6

If you do not like the look of plain cork, you can cover the cork with a large piece of burlap. Lay the corked board on top of a smoothed out piece of burlap and use a staple gun to adhere it to the back of the board. Wrap it like a present but start at the top and work your way down. Make sure you check the front to make sure that it is pulled tight. Trim any large edges off but leave at least an inch or two around to make the stapling easy.

Step. 7

Insert the burlap (or plain) covered cork board into the frame and secure with framing brackets or any framing hardware that secures the whole piece in the frame. 

Step. 8

Wire the frame to hang

Many of the frames often have old frayed wire on them that I like to replace with new wire. You can often use the old eye hooks but you might have to move them to get a more secure fit.

Optional Step 8.

To clean up the back of the frame and cover all of your work you can glue or staple brown craft paper to the edges of the frame to get a clean look.

Ta da...

The finished product all wrapped and ready to be gifted!

If gluing, sawing and painting is not your thing you can custom order ones through Life's Patina or you can come visit us in the Spring to pick out one from the many that we will have constructed for the Spring Sale. 

Either way...happy crafting!

Meg