.messes & masterpieces.

I LOVE LEOPARD! and stripes....and black & white... so I adore everything about this table.

My sister, & I started on this many moons ago. I changed my mind about what I wanted more than I care to admit, we procrastinated, she had a baby... Long story short, a lot has happened from the time we took this table from our parent's garage to the beauty it is now.  It was definitely worth it, right? It is GORGEOUSNESS...

Oh yeah, hey...here's my sister! Her name is Terra & I love her guts.  We make messes & masterpieces together, usually at the same time.  Our husbands love it.  She's a lot more skilled in sewing & detail work than I am, so she contributes a lot to my diy projects {sometimes she takes over & does the whole thing for me...I like that the best}

Ok, back to the table.... here is what we started with {this was seriously over a year ago..that is embarassing}

 

 We started by sanding the entire thing with an electric sander & painting the top of the table with  Behr black suede.

I didn't get many pictures of the detail work because I didn't realize I would be using it for a blog...my apologies. 

 Terra is pregnant with Jade here.  Doesn't she look precious?

We also had a little helper.  She was such a hard worker.  She also thinks she is the boss, in every situation.  She was telling Terra how to pain the base.  She knows everything & likes to make sure everyone around her knows about it {she must get that from someone}

Terra freehanded all the leopard spots from a picture I took of a table I liked at a local boutique.  Pretty good, right?

We used Martha Stewart vintage gold for the base color.  The spots were done with a basic black (that I had on hand) & Martha Stewart pyrite textured metallic.  

I painted the apron with Glidden red delicious, while Terra worked on the base.

For the stripes, we used Behr heavy cream & Behr black suede.  Terra eyeballed the stripes & just taped it evenly, starting from the center & working outwards.  I painted the top with the heavy cream color first & we painted the stripes after laying the tape.  I painted 4 coats of the black.  I let it sit overnight & then sealed the whole table with Rust-Oleum clear enamel.  I did 4-5 coats  of the enamel so it won't chip.  We use our table for everything & I don't want all of our hard work to get messed up later. 

I am so happy with the results & LOVE everything about the way it looks.  What a difference a little paint can make!

.snapshots & souvenirs.

We recently had family pictures taken by Tonya at 374 Photagraphy & I am in love with them. Tonya did a wonderful job & I am so glad we finally decided to get them done.

I have wanted to get family pictures done for a while, but we just never got around to it. I take tons of snapshots of our daily life & of Paisley, but there is just something wonderful about having a professional photographer capture your memories. We all change so much from year to year & I'm hoping we will continue having them done, every year.

I saw some pictures on pinterest of a family taken at the fair & I fell in love with them. I was instantly drawn to the bright colors & all the different options for backdrops.

Tonya was fantastic with Paisley. She captured her personality & expressions perfectly. Paisley is strong-willed {understatement of the year} & doesn't warm up to people quickly so I was worried she would clam up & not act like herself. Tonya had her helping her & talking to her within just a few shots.


   

Look at her...Isn't she gorgeous?  I might be slightly partial,  but just a bit.  See that ornery face?  You can really see her personality in these & I love it!

I'm so glad we finally had pictures taken & I'm sure in a year {or 10} I'll be even more thankful that I have them to look back on.

Until next time!

.welcome.

Hi! My name is Tabatha Johnson, welcome to my little corner! I love cooking, baking, hairstyles, fashion, crafting, & creating. I LOVE reading tons of blogs & will link to my favorites often.

I have a messy house & always have 10 projects going, all at once. {to the dismay of my husband} I laugh loud & often. I will give my opinion, even if it isn’t asked for. I love big hair & high heels. My world is filled with church & shopping {you truly need both}

I have a fabulous husband & a gorgeous daughter named Paisley. We live a very blessed life. I take too many pictures & decided I wanted to share some of the details of our journey.

You will find daily posts about what I've been cooking, my personal style, how I do my hair, inspirational findings, lots of family adventures, and much more.

Come back often & feel free to stay a while! I'm so happy to have you! Enjoy!