Wednesday, August 8, 2018

Back to School

It has been a joy to scroll through my Facebook feed and see so many happy faces of kids and teachers excited to go back to school. Even if you're not going back to school this season, August tends to be a season of transition from summer fun into anticipation of cooler fall temperatures and fun fall activities. In honor of those transitions, I wanted to share some of our recently created products that you might like to send a friend or just to put something fresh on your own desk.

First up are the Shimmering Succulents.
These little beauties feature a sweet selection of succulents that are accented by amethyst crystals. Amethyst is thought to have many healing properties, and can help cleanse the mind of stress and negative thoughts. That makes it a natural choice for an office or desk, where it can work it's magic on stressful days.

Another fun addition to the plant lineup are our mini cacti and succulents. 

Cactus plants are thought to symbolize endurance and longevity. Don't be afraid of the cacti's prickly reputation, these make a great gift for a friend who is facing a literal or metaphorical journey, to celebrate recovery from addiction or physical injury, or to remind yourself that you can thrive in your environment and not just survive. 

These cuties come in a hand-painted terra cotta pot and are very low maintenance. We had so much fun putting them together, that we decided to create a giant cactus out of reindeer moss to display them all on. Stop by our Gay Street store and check it our for yourself :-)

In our next post, I'll share some of the summer floral treasures we've been creating with beautiful flowers from some of our local growers. 

 

Wednesday, October 23, 2013

Rustic Barn Door Baby/Dog Gate


First things first, we got a new puppy!! Here she is..
She's an Irish Setter, and we figured out pretty quickly that a regular plastic tension supported gate just wasn't going to do. So, I found this GREAT online tutorial and promptly gave it to Dusty.  http://www.remodelaholic.com/2012/09/diy-barn-door-baby-for-stairs/

We built it out of Pine, which is on the expensive side but it probably the sturdiest lighter weight wood. Read the tutorial for specific instructions but basically you build a square to the measurements you need your gate to be, then attach trimmed boards to that frame. The "X" detail is probably the hardest part, but its purely aesthetic so can be skipped if you don't have it in you. 


 Dusty "roughed up" the wood using a pocket knife and we painted our gate in Glidden's Linen Canvas door & trim paint. http://www.homedepot.com/p/Glidden-Trim-and-Door-1-Qt-Linen-Canvas-Interior-Exterior-Gloss-Oil-Paint-GL304-04/202800151
The finish turned out great but I will warn that this is an oil-based paint, so don't use it unless you have space you can dry your project in. Its VERY fumey.

We framed the wall and mounted using SUPER heavy duty bolts and a self closing hinge.

Here's another of the finished product:

Friday, August 9, 2013

How to Dye or Stain Leather Furniture


Several years ago, Dusty & I were given a hand-me-down sofa from my mother. It is American Signature brand and was a taupe-ish colored leather. The sofa had lived a good life, 6 or so years in her living room and 4 or so in our rec room, so when we started redecorating the room we were torn. The color of the sofa really didn't look good in the room. Tan walls, tan tile, tan sofa? I think not. 
Boomer on the Tan Sofa-- BEFORE!

My husband really wanted a darker color but we hated to discard such a good piece (plus we didn't have the funds to purchase a new piece). He said to me "why don't you dye it?" and I thought he was crazy... turns out its not only completely possible but its EASY!! So, here is how you do it:

  • First of all, I think this probably only works if the item in question is genuine leather. Bonded leather, I don't know about.
  • Order your supplies. I ordered online from http://www.fiebing.com and received my goodies in around 2 days. If you can't wait, I know that Tandy's Leather shops also sell this brand. 
  • You will need Deglazer, Dye, and a Finish. I used 32 oz fiebing's deglazer, 32 oz professional oil dye in walnut, and 32oz tan kote finish
  •  I used Fiebing's deglazer in the 32oz size for this project. The 32 oz was fine, but if I were to do it again I might double up. http://shop.fiebing.com/c/leathercraft_cleaners_deglazer
  •  I have also read that you could use straight acetone but the fiebing's really isn't that expensive so I figured, why risk it? 
  • The deglazer removes dirt, body oils, and any existing finish that is on your sofa. We were AMAZED at how easily it all came off. It prepares your surface to accept the dye, so your leather will have an almost suede-like texture when you're finished. Apply the deglazer evenly but don't scrub. We started out using old socks, but switched to some left over felt I had and this worked well.
  • Next is the dye application. I used Fiebings professional oil dye in Walnut http://shop.fiebing.com/c/leathercraft_dyes_professional-oil-dye. I purchased 32 oz of this as well, and could have easily gotten by with about 1/3 the dye. 
  • We used the felt again for this and it worked well. It is a good idea to use an old spray bottle of water to mist your leather as you apply the dye- it does help the dye go on more evenly. Use broad strokes.
  • I did a first coat, the a second coat mainly to even out the color an hour later

The sofa after 2 coats of dye
  • We then left the sofa in the garage overnight to dry. I am not really sure if this is necessary but I didn't want to risk smearing the dye with the finish. 
  • The next morning we applied the finish. I used Tan-kote http://www.fiebing.com/catalogue/top-finishes/?product=198 . There are a lot of finishes available if you want a glossier finish or what not. 
  • We switched back to socks for this application, but I read terry cloth works well too. The finish reminded me of hair conditioner in consistency. It gives the leather a nice, conditioned look and sheen while it seals in your dye and makes the leather and color water resistant. 

After 2 coats of dye + tan kote finish
We let the finish dry for around 6 hours then moved the sofa back in the house have been enjoying it ever since!

Our new old sofa in its spot
Last but not least- Wear gloves!! It took me a week to get the dye off my hands.

Some tips:
  • Wear gloves!
  • Do not try indoors- the fumes from the deglazer and dye were particularly noxious
  • Take a before picture! Sorry, I forgot to do this.

Wednesday, July 31, 2013

Flower Meanings!


Folks ask us ALL THE TIME about specific flower meanings. I have always had some standard answers, mostly based on hearsay, but recently I came across Victoria's Dictionary of Flowers... and it is an awesome resource!! http://www.scribd.com/doc/53971049/Victoria-s-Flower-Dictionary

It provides us with awesome tidbits like gladiolus mean "You pierce my heart" and yellow roses stand for "infidelity"... There are some positive meanings in there too but I loved those two in particular.

The Society of American Florists is also a great resource for flower meanings.
Alstroemeriaaspiring
Amaryllisdramatic
Anemonefragile
Apple Blossompromis
Astercontentment
Azaleaabundance
Baby's Breathfestivity
Bachelor Buttonanticipation
Begoniadeep thoughts
Black-Eyed Susanencouragement
Camelliagraciousness
Carnation
pinkgratitude
redflashy
stripedrefusal
whiteremembrance
yellowcheerful
Chrysanthemum
bronzeexcitement
whitetruth
redsharing
yellowsecret admirer
Cosmospeaceful
Crocusforesight
Daffodilchivalry
Delphiniumboldness
Daisyinnocence
Freesiaspirited
Forget-Me-Notremember me forever
Gardeniajoy
Geraniumcomfort
Gingerproud
Gladiolusstrength of character
Heathersolitude
Hibiscusdelicate beauty
Hollydomestic happiness
Hyacinthsincerity
Hydrangeaperseverance
Irisinspiration
Ivyfidelity
Jasminegrace and elegance
Larkspurbeautiful spirit
Lavenderdistrust
Lilacfirst love
Lily
Callaregal
Casablancacelebration
Dayenthusiasm
Stargazerambition
Lisianthuscalming
Magnoliadignity
Marigolddesire for riches
Nasturtiumpatriotism
Orange Blossomfertility
Orchiddelicate beauty
Pansyloving thoughts
Passion flowerpassion
Peonyhealing
Poppyconsolation
Queen Anne's Lacedelicate femininity
Ranunculusradiant
Rhododendronbeware
Rose
pinkfriendship
redpassionate love
red & whiteunity
whitepurity
yellowzealous
Snapdragonpresumptuous
Star of Bethlehemhope
Stephanotisgood luck
Staticesuccess
Sunfloweradoration
Sweetpeashyness
Tuberosepleasure
Tulip
pinkcaring
purpleroyalty
reddeclaration of love
whiteforgiveness
yellowhopelessly in love
Violetfaithfulness
Wisteriasteadfast
Yarrowgood health
Zinniathoughts of friends

I have decided that if I had my wedding to do over again (which hopefully I won't!) that I would want to choose flowers for my bouquet that conveyed a special meaning. I went back to my own bridal bouquet recipe and here is what I came up with (using victoria's flower dictionary):
White roses- A heart unacquainted with love... hmmm? 
Craspedia- Edgy OR Good Health... lets go with good health on this one
Dusty Miller- Delicate, Happy ... better...
Stock- You will always be beautiful to me... perfect!

Wednesday, April 17, 2013

10 Beautifully Blossoming Spring Centerpieces