Painted Furniture Friday: Beachy Bookcase

I have been lugging around this bookcase since college from one house to the next. It has always been a great source of storage, but not so easy on the eyes.  (I had already taken the shelves out in the picture below.)

The color was just blah, but when I saw this image of a perfectly turquoise bookcase from one of my favorite blogs, Puttin on the Grits I knew there was potential.  I pinned the image so long ago, and kenw at some point she would end up beautiful.

{My inspiration via }

 I cleaned the shelf and then used CeCe Caldwell's Nantucket Spray.  I have been dying to use this color ever since we first got our paint in, and I have a feeling I will be using it on many more pieces.  After two coats of Nantucket Spray, I wet distressed the entire piece and finished with CeCe Caldwell's Clear wax.  I'm in love... 

 

 

 

And just to keep things real...I styled the bookshelf in the middle of my living room.  It is going to be used to hold CeCe Paints at our booth.  We should be getting our next order of paint in soon, and we will have several new colors and a few new finishing products.  

 

 

To purchase CeCe Paints come visit the J.Kelly booth at

The Antique Market of San Jose

5107 San Jose Blvd  Jacksonville, FL

or

if you are out of town we would be happy to ship!

Contact me: paint (at) juliannekelly (dot) com

 Linking Up to:

Redoux
Common Ground
Miss Mustard Seed

Bathtub Herb Garden

Growing up my aunt always had the most adorable hungarian bathtub that she would use to grow herbs or fill with drinks at a party.  When I found several of them a few months back I snatched them up and knew I had to keep one for myself.  I was hoping to use it for drinks at a party, but since we don't have any parties planned and our summer is pretty busy I decided to go ahead and use it as my herb garden.  I mentioned before that I have a black thumb, but I am happy to say that I have kept my herbs alive. :)

I began by filling my tub halfway with soil, and then placing my herbs where I wanted them.  I planted the taller herbs towards the middle (rosemary, basil, dill, mint) and my herbs that would spill over along the edges (parsley, oregano, thyme).

A few weeks later it looks great and the herbs are happy as can be.  My mint has gone crazy....time to make some mojitos.

I have one hungarian bathtub left and it is priced at $275.  Email me at julianne@juliannekelly.com if you are interested.  

Let's Keep it Real Mondays: All I Need

Happy Monday Everyone!

This past week my friend shared with me an excerpt from a book she is reading called The Fruitful Wife, by Hayley DiMarco.  It was so good that I wanted to pass it on to you...

"For many years my discontentment stressed me out.  I was driven to success, but never quite attained the level I desired.  And so I was never content, always wanting more-more money more stuff, more love.  And this discontentment with life led me to busyness, worry, and joylessness.  After all, how could I be joyful when I had so much that still needed to be done? But once I took my eyes off of my lack and put them onto His abundance, I found the joy I was lacking.  Discontentment no longer robs me of my joy because, through the power of the Spirit, my definition of success has changed.  It is now a great success to me to only abide in Him, to rest and to trust that where I am is just where He wants me, and in that there is nothing but pure joy."

How good was that?  I have struggled lately with exactly what that woman was experiencing.  Our church did a sermon series a while back called Death of the American Dream.  It touched on the fact that the American dream can never truly be attained, because we always want more.  We are trying to get a better job so that we can have a bigger house,  or a nicer car in hopes that we will feel satisfied and fulfilled.  Reality is, once we get that nicer car or bigger house, we are rarely satisfied.  Instead we want more and still find ourselves filled with discontentment.  Now, I am not saying that it is bad to work hard and achieve great things, but what are your motives behind it?  I often find that my motives are self-centered.

via Lara Casey

This is a daily struggle for me, and I know that my discontentment is directly rooted in where my focus is.  No matter how many items I check off my to-do list it, will never be enough.  Only His abundance and grace is enough and like the print above says, all I need is Jesus.

Featured on Annie Sadler Designs

One of my sorority sisters, Annie of Annie Sadler Designs, recently reached out to me about using Cece Caldwell's paint, and I am happy to say she loved it so much that she has written a little review over on her website.  Annie has some adorable vinyl creations and even creates custom wedding websites.  Go over and check out her crafty creations and digital designs.  

http://anniesadler.net/

Annie is a first time furniture painter and I love how all of her pieces turned out...especially the coloring of the little bookshelf.   I recommended that she use the satin finish, because it is so simple to use (just a brush on technique) and it is more durable than wax.  Next time you pick up CeCe Paint, grab some Satin Finish to go with it.  I promise you won't be disappointed.  

If you are looking to purchase CeCe Paint or have any questions feel free to email me at paint{at}juliannekelly{dot}com

Lets Keep it Real Mondays: Ironing

Remember my post two weeks ago about my tomato plant?  Well I am happy to say it is doing a little better.  My sister (who inherited my dad's green thumb) came over and gave it a little love.  I am still not convinced it will last much longer.  Truth is, I don't really like tomatoes anyways, unless they are paired with mozzarella and balsamic or fried.  :)

Enough about tomatoes, on to ironing.  I hate ironing.  I get a headache, my back hurts and I only get about 2 shirts done before I decide to quit.  I feel like a terrible wife, because my husband's closet and my closet are a wrinkled mess.  I realized that something needs to be done about my lack of ironing when Michael said, "I have the best news...there is a maid that will come and iron our clothes!  I think we should hire her."  My initial thoughts were one, we can't afford that and two, I need to start ironing now.  So I grabbed a few shirts and only got two one and a half done. ha.  Our closets are still a wrinkled mess, and I think a steamer would be a good solution.  Any recommendations on a steamer? 

the pile of laundry and ironing that is ALWAYS in our bedroom

I realize that you might be thinking...her biggest problem is that her clothes aren't ironed?!?!  That is not what I am saying at all.  The problem is that I start to feel inadequate when small things like ironing are not in order, but I have to remember GRACE NOT PERFECTION. 

via Emily Ley

"My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.  Therefore, I will boast all the more gladly of my weakness, so that the power of Christ may rest upon me."  2 Corinthians 12:8-9