Overwhelmed and Overjoyed!

I've spent one full day at the Haven Conference, and I don't mind admitting that I'm totally overwhelmed. New vocabulary terms like page views, SEO and above the fold are all floating around in my head. Everything about this conference from the speakers to the sponsors to the atmosphere is absolutely top notch. I will be processing this for days! Weeks, maybe.

I had the privilege of meeting Rhoda from Southern Hospitality today. For those of you who don't know, she is the genius behind Haven. Her blog is aptly named - she exudes Southern warmth and charm. She was more than willing to spend time speaking to this blogging newbie, giving advice and just making me feel welcome. 

And while I'm gushing, can I please tell you how much I love love love Atlanta?! Our first day here we hiked to the top of Kennesaw Mountain then finished off our day at Marietta Diner, a restaurant once featured on the Food Network's Diners, Drive-Ins and Dives. Here's half of their dessert case:

Brings a tear to your eye, doesn't it? This is such a beautiful city; tree lined, clean and so very friendly. I could so live here! 

I'm overjoyed because in the process of cleaning out my iPhone (more like was forced to clean it out - I was out of space and couldn't take any more pictures), I found a few before and after shots that I didn't even remember taking!

I think this may be one of my favorite furniture redos to date. I found this vintage gossip bench at a yard sale in the middle of nowhere. I splurged on Annie Sloan Chalk Paint in Paris Gray then gave it two good coats of her clear wax. I found the fabric on joann.com, it's Waverly Sun N Shade Outdoor in Chippendale Fretwork Mineral. 

There are no befores of this dresser, which is a shame because the transformation was pretty dramatic. It was one of my very first furniture makeovers several years ago, and was really looking worn. I had experimented with crackle paint (first and last time), a dark navy undercoat and a cream crackle finish. I loved the idea of it, but the end result didn't quite work. I stripped the entire thing down and gave it two coats of a sage green paint I mixed myself using a too-bright green on my basement shelf and the Annie Sloan Paris Gray. I finished it off with the white paint in the edging, and later changed the hardware to white handles.

I found this frame at a Goodwill with a really hideous picture of a vase of flowers. I ditched the hideous picture, spray painted the backing flat black, and created the lettering using my Silhouette Cameo. I used plain white craft paint with a little unsanded grout mixed in, just to give it an authentic chalk board feel. 

It's hanging in the front room of our home, but of course I don't have a cute, stylized picture. Just this one. Oh well, you get the point. Anyway, not the best pictures, but not bad for a camera phone.

Thanks for stopping by! I'm off to bed now, I need a good night's sleep so I can absorb as much as possible tomorrow! 

A New Beginning

Hi! Thanks for taking time to stop by my new blog! I'm excited to start this latest adventure. I'm always working on a project around my craft room and can't wait to share what I'm up to.

I've been incredibly busy over the last few months and I had so many before and after photos to share, but guess what? I crashed yet another hard drive. Another hard drive. This is the 4th hard drive in 4 years, the second hard drive in this particular laptop. And the professional opinion is that recovery is pretty slim. Of course. And naturally, I couldn't tell you the last time I backed up. So instead of this being one of those fun posts with tons of interesting photos, it's me grousing. Ok, enough of that.

I did happen to have 3 photos that did not get lost:

This antique table belongs to my aunt and uncle. I stripped it down to the raw wood, stained it and sealed it with 3 coats of General Finishes' Arm-R-Seal Polyurethane Top Coat. I love the way it turned out!

 

There are no before photos of this chair. I'd like to blame the computer crash, but the truth is, I didn't take any. You'll have to use your imagination. This chair is solid maple, and was almost orange. I stripped it down to the bare wood, stained it lightly, and finished it with 4 or 5 coats of General Finishes' Arm-R-Seal Polyurethane Top Coat. (Are you sensing a theme here? I adore the General Finishes products!)

There you have it. My first real post on my new blog. Who knows, maybe a week from now I'll have my pictures back! A girl can always dream.... 

In the mean time, I'm headed to the beautiful city of Atlanta, GA to attend the Haven Conference! For those of you who don't know, Haven is a DIY blogger's conference. I'm beyond excited! I'm going to spend 2 days surrounded by some amazing and accomplished women, learning as much as I can. 

See you next week!

Cozy Cottage Life is under construction. Please come back soon!