Tuesday, July 14, 2015

Transformation Tuesday: Do it for the "After"

Good morning!


It’s been a while since my last post and boy do we have some catching up to do!  I’ll get to the personal life changes in a later blog, but what I wanted to touch base on today was the power of a good #TransformationTuesday.  


People will often ask me why or how I got into distressing furniture and the truth is I love comparing the before and after.  Growing up one of my favorite shows as a preteen was TLC’s What Not to Wear.  You know the show.  Some administrative assistant from Brooklyn, NY who owned 5+ cats and some bad velvet maxi skirts from the 80’s would get an extreme makeover/shopping spree with the best personal shoppers around! The process was kinda painful as you watched a 45 year old woman battle with fashion icons Stacy and Clinton on the pros of keeping her crochet kitten sweater, but man those afters were so worth it! I would be so fixated on each episode waiting patiently for those reveal shots when they turn the person around to get a peek at their new look.  


That’s the same feeling I get when I refinish furniture.  Every piece that comes into my workshop whether it be a client's’ or a piece I purchased to flip has a back story.  It was either very sentimental to someone and needed to be kept, an inspirational piece for a new decor scheme, or absolutely awful and tossed aside as trash (these are typically my favorite).



Before
As I think about the process I go through, stripping the furniture down to prep it for the painting, I can’t help but relate the process to life.  Often times we strive for the “after” and don’t realize how much work goes into the approach or the transformation.  Sometimes situations happen in our lives that “strip” us down and make us feel like we are starting over. I know I’m guilty of feeling it! We are under constant pressure to seem like accomplished individuals who achieved the original goals we set out for.  It gets a little discouraging when you have to take a step back and evaluate where you are to where you thought you’d be.  That’s where faith comes in.  Knowing that whatever occurs in my life is all part of God’s divine plan for me gives me a Cloud 9 feeling day in and day out.

After



Do you feel the same way?  Striving for that transformation whether it be furniture, fitness, career, or relationship is a whole lot easier knowing that it doesn’t all happen at once.  Embrace the transformation phase! Take small steps and pretty soon you will be comparing your own before and afters in whatever you decide to spruce up.



XOXO,

Katie

Wednesday, April 9, 2014

The Proof is in the Pudding: YaYa's Chocolate Pie Recipe


I promise I really do like things other than food, but this week my roommates and I needed a little pick me up.  Really we had an extra pie shell and were like "what should we do?" so of course I called my YaYa to get her delicious chocolate pie recipe.  I kid you not when I say this homemade concoction will knock your sweet tooth socks off.

Most of my favorite childhood memories include my YaYa (grandmother) and her silly stories.  She and I are alike in so many ways and there is never a dull moment with this sassy seventy-three year old.  From working in her garden, knocking back V8 juice at our tea parties, to the countless shopping trips, we have had a blast every second of hanging out.  The funniest stories I share with my friends usually involve her and her Lucille Ball comical life.  She can run circles around anyone my age with her will to get up and go.  I admire her for that and it is something that is so rare in the world we live in today.  I love this feisty lady more than anything in the world.

YaYa's Chocolate Pie

Ingredients:

1/2 cup of sugar
2 heaping tablespoons of Hershey's Coco
1 tablespoon of flour
2 cups of milk
2 tablespoons of vanilla flavoring
1/2 stick of butter
1 pie shell

Combine sugar, flour, vanilla, and coco in a medium pot over the stove.

Cook on low heat stirring constantly.

Once the sugar has started to melt, add in one cup of milk.

Keep stirring and take it to medium heat.

Add in the second cup of milk and keep on stirring.

Omg, your kinda working out cause your arm is killing you now isn't it?

Ok, once you see the mixture is beginning to thicken up some, add in the butter.

Keep on stirring until the chocolatey mixture is the consistency of pudding.

Pour the mixture into the pie shell and bake on 350 until the pie crust is golden brown.


If you are looking for me to say, "oh wait, add some pretty meringue on top" it isn't happening.  That is too complicated and I know your arms are sore from stirring that chocolate so your not gonna want to beat some egg whites either.

XOXO,

Katie


Wednesday, January 29, 2014

My Second Favorite Bar: Granola

Ok, it's freezing in Oxford, MS and I don't have class luckily.  If you know me, you know that when I'm bored I either cook, clean, or paint.  These moods just come and go and they don't typically last long.  We have a few basic staple goods around the condo to whip up a snack; granola bars! Except I have no clue how to make these.  I figured you need dry materials and something sticky to hold it together right?  I mean it can't be rocket science, can it?

So after like two weeks of going un eaten (is that even a word?), two granny smith apples found their life purpose today as the inspiration of this gypsy inspired granola bar.  I honestly just found things in the panty and threw them in there.

Important Info:
Let's be clear.  Sometimes I really don't measure things.  I know, I'm a screw up.  Whatever.  Feel free to add or subtract some ingredients as needed. (Like when you get to the part where you have to add the dry to the wet ingredients and you're all like "Ummm this isn't enough honey.")  Just wing it!


Gypsy Granola Bars

What you will need:

Dry Ingredients:
2 cups of old fashioned oats
1 cup roasted almonds 
4 graham crackers 
2 green apples
1/2 cup brown sugar

Wet Ingredients:
1/2 teaspoon vanilla
1 1/2 cups honey
1 cup of peanut butter
4 tablespoons of butter

Preparation: 
Cut apples into small bite size pieces
Break graham crackers into small chunks
Roast almonds (I just threw mine in a skillet on the stove for a few minutes)
Grease 9x11 glass dish

Combine all dry ingredients in a large bowl.

On the stove, combine all the wet ingredients on low heat until it creates a smooth runny mixture. 

Take the mixture off the stove and pour over the dry ingredients in the bowl.  

Toss everything around until the dry mixture is coated.

Spoon the granola bar goodness into your greased pan and bake on 325 degrees for 20 minutes

You are done you domestic rockstar!

Let the bars sit out until they start to harden and then cut.


I would say to store these bad boys in a sealed container and maybe separate with wax paper. 



Let me know what you guys add to your recipe?  How did they taste?  Leave me a comment and let me know what you think!


xoxo,

Kate

Sunday, December 22, 2013

Poppin' Corks Y'all: DIY Cork Board Project


Hello again you little rays of sunshine,

It's a rainy day in Wiggins, MS, so I thought I would do a little DIY project for you lovely readers.

Margaux, a sweet non-crafting friend of mine, asked me for help with a birthday gift for her best friend.  Of course it was finals week and of course I don't study, so I said yes!  Margaux had been saving wine corks practically all year to create a project, but had no idea what she wanted to do with them.  That's where I stepped in.

If there is one thing I love as equally as crafting, it's wine.  Moscato to be exact.  We put our heads together and came up with the idea of a cork-board made of corks (like duh), but what we didn't know was what shape to make it in.  So we brainstormed ideas and came up with the state of Louisiana.  I love all things Louisiana, it's like the fun BFF of Mississippi who is really pretty and knows how to have a good time.  So we laid the corks out and began the process.  It's really easy and we were super excited with the results.  Below are the steps and materials needed for the project!  Good luck!

P.S. Don't try to drink all 40 bottles of wine in one night, trust me.  Hobby Lobby conveniently sells corks in a baggie of 8.


Materials:

  • Foam board (I used black because the white clashed with the color of the cork)
  • Hot glue gun 
  • Hot glue sticks
  • Corks

Project time: 45 minutes to 1 hour

1)  Figure out your shape.
This should be the fun part.  Depending on how many corks you have you can do pretty much any shape, any size.

2)  Trace your shape onto the piece of foam board.
Once it's traced, place the corks on the foam board ends up, to make sure you have enough to fill the entire shape.

3)  Once the shape is filled take the corks off and cut out the shape.  I used a box cutter, but an X acto  knife would be better.

4)  Start hot gluing the ends of the corks down starting around the edges of the shape.

5)  Once you have the outline of the shape glued down, work your way to the center, line by line.

6)  I found it helpful by putting hot glue on the bottom of the cork and on the side that connects to another cork.  This makes for a better hold.

7)  When gluing, press down on the cork firmly for at least 2 seconds.

8)  Keep going, don't give up!

9)  Once you have all of the corks glued in place, run a line of hot glue in between each of the corks on the edges for a better hold.

10)  You are done my crafty friend!  Now depending on the size of your shape you can hot glue a photo hanger on the back of the board to hang on the wall.  Since our piece was larger, we displayed it on an iron easel.


If you have any questions or comments I would love to hear from you!

Happy Sunday!



xoxo,

Kate

"Wine is constant proof that God loves us and loves to see us happy." 
-Benjamin Franklin





Tuesday, December 3, 2013

Eat Your Heart Out Annie: A Thrifty Girl's Guide to Distressing Furniture

A lot of people have been asking me how to distress furniture, what paint to use, or the best method behind the madness.  So here I am, at 11:29 P.M. breaking it all down for you-- the easy way!  Who doesn't love the easy way out I mean am I right?! Anyway... below you will find some simple steps to get your booty in the crafting mood!

Step 1.  Examine your flea market find!

Before you get started, do a little checkup on the condition of your piece of furniture.  You need to know if its real wood, or if you have any loose ends you want to tie up before bringing out the color.  Fix whats needed and move forward with the process.

Step 2. Sanding!

Oh boy, this is the worst part.  You have to make sure that you get a smooth surface free of any top coats or old paint.  The sanding process is needed so that the new paint will stick to the furniture.  Trust me, I've tried cutting corners and this cannot be one of them.  You can sand with any type paper it really doesn't matter.  Just make sure you have broken the surface of the old paint, stain, top coat, sealer, etc.  Personally I use an electric sander because it makes the entire process a little faster and I have the upper body strength of a kitten and cannot even bare to do it by hand.

Step 3.  Color Baby!

This is the super fun part! Color choices.  Here is where most people try to sell you something.  Like the $8 million dollar name brand chalk paint that is supposed to work miracles.  Don't fall for that trap! Wanna know a secret?  You can make your own chalk type paint!  Its not chalk, but it has the same matte finish as the name brand for a fraction of the cost.  Your wallet will thank me later.  My favorite brands of paint are the Martha Stewart colors and Valspar that is found at Lowe's.  Once you have your fab color choice, mix together 1 cup of your paint to 1/2 cup of baking soda.  If the mixture is a little too thick add in a couple tablespoons of vodka.  Just kidding, water.  I have found that this can be a bit thick at times but don't you sweat it.  Paint your pretty piece and let it dry overnight!

Step 4. Distressing

Grab a loose piece of sandpaper, say a prayer that your hands don't cramp up, and get to lightly sanding some areas of the furniture to get that rugged and worn look.  You can distress it as much or as little as you like, it really depends on the look your going for.  The most common places I sand are edges of any sort, corners, and any detail the piece may have.  This is the part where it all comes together and you feel like a total achiever, like when Elle Woods got her LSAT scores sent back to the sorority house and was all like "Omg I'm going to Harvard!".  You may want to lightly and I mean LIGHTLY sand the entire piece if you have some rough spots from the chalk paint mixture, it's really just your call.


Step 5.  Seal the deal

So Johnson makes this awesome furniture wax that seals your pretty project up without making it all glossy.  Its a wax, so you literally have to karate kid it, and wax on and wax off.  The best part is knowing you won't have any further scratches and that the wax doesn't take away from the matte look of the chalk paint.

And there you have it!  You've just created a beautiful piece of furniture!  Send me some pictures so I can share them on this blog! I would love to see what you guys do.

xoxo
Kate

Monday, December 2, 2013

Keeping up with Kate


Wow, sorry its been so long since we last chatted!  Time flies when your having fun and do I know how to have fun or what?!  I've missed you all so I decided I would do a little post to fill you in on my life up until this point.

This past summer I interned at Pearl River CC in the public relations department and had a great work experience.  I didn't think I would have such a huge say in what went on, but I was wrong.  My boss and supervisor Mr. Chuck Abadie was great!  He and Mrs. Janet let me do a little bit of everything in the communications office.  From writing billboard copy, working new student orientation, creating recruitment material for the softball team, to implementing new social media, I got to put my knowledge to use.  It was a busy and rewarding summer that I will be forever grateful for.

The beautiful campus of Pearl River Community College.  This building is Moody Hall! 

Along with my summer internship, I decided to take my crafting to another level and open my own store!  I have always been a "trash to treasure" girl and loved my weekend projects of distressing furniture or up-cycling old finds.  I turned a passion into a business venture and began the Facebook page Mementos & Magnolias.  I sell unique art and furniture pieces made from recycled materials.    Sales have been busy and I have my very own intern Maddie Dunn.  She helps with the organization process of the orders that are placed and I am the creative.  This has been such a fun venture and have even sucked my parents in on the excitement.  My dad, the carpenter, has a way to fix everything and is such a great problem solver when pieces come in that need a little extra t.l.c.  My mama on the other hand loves to shop!  She has such an eye and can stumble upon some inexpensive finds for my dad and I to revamp.  Combined we make a pretty good team!  Its a little tough to manage the orders with school on my plate, but I enjoy staying busy!  My goals for the new year will be to launch some pieces on Etsy and buy a few booths at local antique markets.  Two things I have just been a little too busy to do.
A few pieces from Mementos & Magnolias!

Once school was back in session I began my next adventure: sorority recruitment!  I was elected as a member of the Executive Rush Committee and responsible for the decorations for Skit night!  So much work and preparation went into transforming the Alpha Omicron Pi house into a "Kate Spade" Vegas themed party!  With the help of my wonderful committee members, especially Chloe Dickinson, we conquered the night and won so many girls over.  I thought staying within budget would be tough, but I found ways to cut corners and lower the cost of some items.  I think my sorority sisters were happy with the results!
My sweet committee members Roxanne and Taylor posing in front of our fab sign!
Since the launch of my store I have had several calls/emails about creating decorations for weddings.  One Facebook email came from a good friend Maggie Rafferty.  It began as asking for decorations to her asking me my opinions on wedding related items.  A few days later Maggie popped the question to me and asked if I would be her wedding planner!  What PR loving girl could say no to a good event planning opportunity?!  I said yes and we have been in full throttle planning a beautiful October wedding!
Maggie and I at State DECA Competition!
The workload kept getting bigger as I currently have two internships this fall semester.  One with the PR department at Ole Miss and the second as an ambassadorship with Lover.ly.  Ole Miss PR has given me the opportunity to write many articles and press releases that I typically didn't do.  Before this internship I had never had an official byline of my own besides my Pearl River Dixie Drawl days.  Lover.ly is such a great up and coming company to work for!  It is all things wedding related which is great for planning Maggie's wedding!  My supervisor rewards me for things I do on our campus to promote the brand which is a plus! I'm always getting little "happys" in the mail!  These two internships have been so enjoyable!
Lover.ly care package! How thoughtful! 
Here it is, December 2 and my last fall semester as an Ole Miss student is at an end.  I have had some great opportunities to build my resume and better myself in more ways than one.  I'm so thankful for where I am in life and I look forward to what the future holds.

My final thought of the night is bring it on spring semester!!

xoxo
Katie

p.s. I still haven't finished that chair. (procrastination problems)


Monday, July 2, 2012

Opportunities in work clothes.

Sorry I have been so busy! I know y’all have missed me. Well summer is finally here and I am home Ole Miss to be with my family and catch up on some projects I have in mind.  Two of my favorite things are to make money and to spend it; and what better way to do both and craft at the same time! So for my big summer project I am working on refinishing and recovering a vintage couch and chair set.  My precious mama found this set for me on the side of the road! Who would throw away such a thing?? Being the wonderful mother she is, she bought it for me for $50! Shocking I know, it really was a great deal!
Since this is my first major recovering project, I wanted to take baby steps and tackle the chair first.  The couch and chair itself were in fairly good condition except for the fact a litter of roaches scurried from under the cushions and totally freaked me out.  I knew then I had to gut them down to the wood so no babies would lurk out once I was done.  Yuck!

With a little coat of black paint she turned into a beauty! I was so excited and couldn’t wait to find just the right fabric to give the chair a bold look! That was until I looked for fabric.  My excitement went down the drain as soon as I started pricing fabrics.  I found the most beautiful black and cream pattern that was so perfect, until I saw that it was $39.99 a yard. What a buzz kill.

Discouraged I gave up looking and was positive that I was never going to find anything inexpensive to cover my chair. I mean hello, it would have cost more for three yards of fabric than it did to buy the entire furniture set.  But good ole Ya Ya came to the rescue with such a clever idea. 

Her pack rat hording ways can 99% of the time be a negative trait, but this time she gave me the best idea. She recently ventured to a discount store and bought fabric table cloths with bright flowers and bold patterns, just the look I was going for but only $4 per table cloth! A fabric is a fabric and you gotta do what you gotta do.  This was the perfect solution to my fabric nightmare and I was back on track!!
Ecstatic, I am back on the project and have learned that I if I think outside of the box, I can have everything I want.  I can’t wait to show y’all the finished product!

"Problems are only opportunities in work clothes."
—Henri Kaiser