I know I have been MIA for the last few weeks, but I have SO many exciting new things going on...hopefully I can share in the next week!

I am chomping at the bit to share all the wonderful things going on around me...in due time. I have a post written but I am waiting on a few things to fall into place before sharing!

Because of the holidays and this crazy cold weather, I haven't really been able to project much. And because of the (fingers crossed) exciting new things going on, I have been frantically trying to get a few things done around my house...hardly worth pictures and a post!

So I dug through some of my old project pictures to find a simple project I have not shared to date. Something that can easily been done inside during these cold, dreary months!

One of the first things I stumbled on was this antique mirror. Naturally there is no "before" picture, but trust me, the frame was very worn, bland and generally unappealing...which is why it sat in my booth for MONTHS and did not sell. I finally brought it home, gave it a simple little chalk paint and distress treatment and BAM...it didn't last a week...

One of the reasons I wanted to share this project is because it is SO simple and it shows how such a simple "update" to an otherwise "outdated" piece can make a huge difference. I used the same treatment on the "old" pictures in my dining room and the change was simple but stunning!

I make my own "chalk paint." The recipe that works best for me is 2 1/2 tablespoons of Plaster of Paris, 1 1/2 tablespoons of warm water...mix well...than add 1 cup of latex paint. I like this recipe because it is super cheap, I can mix it up with ANY color of paint I have laying around and I can even mix two or three different colors of paint to get a "custom" shade.

I usually apply two coats of the chalk paint to a piece. Really no need to sand or prep. It dries super fast...within an hour. Then I distress a bit with 220 grit sand paper and then seal with a spray on poly. I know a lot of people like to wax their pieces...and that is okay if you want to get a certain "look." But I like the ease and durability of poly...to each his own!

New frames can be expensive but a simple little "makeover" on a dated frame or one that is just the wrong color can make a huge difference!