Okay this is going to sound bad, but one of the biggest things I miss about Minnesota was our local Ikea. It was my happy place. I could just mosey through the store collecting ideas, grab a few little (cheap) things here and there...eat some meatballs and mashed potatoes for $5.99 and call it a day. I LOVE IKEA! I've been meaning to get to the one here since we moved, but it's not a mere 20-30 minute drive. It's a jump in your car as soon as the kids get on the bus...drive fast...shop and eat fast...make it home just the nick of time kind of trip. BUT SO WORTH IT!!
(Lenina)
(Joannie)
So a few weeks ago I grabbed my "sugar sisters", and we headed out for our First Friday fieldtrip. Back story...several weeks ago I was at lunch with these girls, and we did a pinky swear that we would be there for each other. We would let each other in. It's a conscious effort to do that with people. Friendship is an investment of time, energy and trust. We just decided it was worth a pinky swear moment.
We walked the aisles. We gathered ideas. And for me it was like being back home. Don't you love that you can walk into a store or restaurant chain and it's pretty much the same everywhere. Even though this Ikea was a little different, it was still the same. It felt like home. So nice that I can drive an 1 1/2 hours and get that feeling.
We did good.
I've been waiting around for the perfect barstools and let me tell ya they are expensive. At least the ones I kept finding. I found these for $69 at Ikea. When Mom and Dad were here we spruced them up.
My friend Tiffini just recently redid some chairs and they were gorgeous. She made her own chalk paint...click here for the recipe. Chalk paint is really expensive if you buy it premade, so I thought what the heck I'll try it out. You mix 2/3 paint to 1/3 plaster paris. At least that's the "chalk" I used. There are various recipes. It was really a trial and error process.
The paint was SUPER thick and went on extremely gloppy. I don't think I stirred it in long enough. Mom was helping me and it took a good three coats to cover the chairs.
The color is off in this picture, but the chairs finally turned out great. I sanded them to give them a worn look and then waxed and buffed them with furniture paste. They really add an awesome punch of color to the kitchen. I'm hoping to figure out a numbered stencil to add to the front of each chair. Tiffini did a no. 1 and no. 2...it looked so pretty. I think stenciling is beyond hard. Kind of chicken to try it.
I also found a funky rug and curtains. Initially I wanted a furry, soft on the toes rug, but when I saw this one it made me rethink that. My friend Joannie assured me it was THE ONE! Do you think it's too crazy? I like crazy. Oh and the curtain post is coming. I also made something super cool to go behind that denim chair in the corner. It's so fun fluffing the nest;)
Have a blessed day.
449. warming up a space
450. finding just the thing you've been looking for
451. the color RED
452. graphic stripes
453. my sugar sistas!!
