THE HEART OF HOSPITALITY || and it's not all about me

Hospitality has been growing in my heart for the past few months.  Isn't it the ache of every human heart to be known and loved?  I get way too caught up in entertaining and 'putting on a show' {which can be a lot of fun!!} instead of focusing on sweet people around me.

I should be use to the fact that we always have a project going at our home.  Now that we have moved, we have a lot of projects, and no furniture.  It's the perfect storm for me!  I LOVE to create and work on projects, I can easily get lost in them and forget about people outside of my walls.

It's been a about 7 weeks since we moved.  God has really placed on my heart being hospitable.  Opening our home and lives to others.  Loving on people and not being so concerned about having a perfectly cleaned or decorated home.

It's hard on my pride to open up my home to people when my home is not furnished or decorated/designed how I want it to be.  Not that I have always had a perfect home, or one that was perfectly decorated.  But sometimes it's in the least expected times that I realize I am selfish and prideful.  Ugh.

This weekend we had a lovely little family over for dinner.  We have only met a few times.  We really didn't know anything about them, and they didn't know anything about us, other than they are nice and have two darling little girls just a bit older {6 months} than our girls.

That's what it's about.  Opening our homes when they aren't perfect, because really, when are they ever perfect?  Sharing food, and laughter, and stories.  It's about relationships.  I can get so caught up in everything else and forget to focus on the hearts of others.

When our 'new friends' came over, I kept wanting to apologize.  Apologize that I didn't have furniture,  that there were toys everywhere, that I didn't have dinner perfectly displayed…..

But, when we are invited to someone's home, I just love being there.  Talking.  Doing life.  I don't care about their decorations, their furniture, if the food is perfect.

So, this weekend was a bit of a stretch for me.  To open our home to others who don't 'know our story'.  They don't know that we always seem to have a project, or we like to fix things up.  And I don't want my identity wrapped up in that.  I want to love on others.  I want my girls to see that first hand.  I want them to love on others and be hospitable.

As I come up with easy hospitably tips, I will be sure to share them here.  It's so much easier to have people into our homes when we don't feel like it's a big deal.  Don't you think?? If you have tips, I would love to hear them!!

SIDE TABLES || before + after

So, you may find this surprising.   I have a million little different projects going at once.  Surprising, right??  Before having little people in my home, I could finish projects in no time.  Now, I am accustomed to a little project stretching out for days.  I love this season of life, so I don't mind.  It's teaching me patience and flexibility!

Since we sold most of our furniture to our home buyers, I am on the look out for little tables.  I picked up these two cuties and thought they could make great night stands.

For the pine piece, I lighting sanded the bottom, cleaned it really well with vinegar + water, and then applied a coat of hemp oil.

For the top, I applied 2 coats of MMS Milk Paint {color::  TROPHY}.  I lightly sanded the edges, applied clear wax, then a coat of dark wax.

I am almost positive I will change it {probably sooner than later}, but for now it fits in our master bedroom perfectly.

The other little table got 2 coats of Milk Paint {TROPHY} as well.

I distressed it then added one coat of hemp oil.

These cute little guys work for now and things off of the ground!

Next week, I should have BEFORE + AFTER pictures of my new design studio!  Until then, have a great day and go paint!!

MATT'S HOME OFFICE || the next project

Hello!  I hope you had a fun and restful weekend!

As you may have noticed, I have been tackling the small rooms in our new home.  I feel very overwhelmed at decorating  and furnishing a 4200 s.f. home, especially when we sold 90% of our furniture to our home buyers!

I love, love, love creating and decorating.  But, with little ones, the time I can spend on my own home is so limited…..so, the little rooms are providing me instant gratification ;-)

The next 'little room' on the list is Matt's office.

It's a darling little room right off of the living room.

It's got it's own entrance, a closet and a fireplace.  It's lacking good lighting, but that's a project for down the road.  Until then, I will add lighting with table lamps and a floor lamp.

This is one of my inspiration photos.  I want this room to feel masculine, but still flow with the rest of our home.

Beautiful tufted leather furniture is not in the budget for the office.  But paint and accessories are!  Matt's really pushing for the bear skin…..

We are going to paint the wood shelves white.  See those two little patches of drywall under the windows?  We are going to paint those white too, then the entire wall will look built in.  The walls will be a dark, rich blue, I will post the name of the color when I show 'AFTER' photos.

We are replacing the interior doors with a 3 panel door that will be painted black.  Very masculine….right?!?  Matt is going to build a desk.  We can't seem to agree on what desk will fit, so, he decided to build his own….

I think I am going to get this floor lamp.  Remember when I said I felt overwhelmed at needing to furnish and decorate our new home?  Well, on the flip side, it's really fun to get to buy new items and find used treasures to re-purpose.  If we hadn't sold our furniture, I would be working with what we had.  So I guess it's a blessing {in disguise}.

The new hall lights arrived Friday, I can't wait to show you what we are doing in the hallway!

Until then, I am off to go paint night stands I bought for our bedroom.  I have about 30 minutes left in Savanna's nap time, so I bet get moving ;-)

{savory} CHEDDAR & DILL SCONES || a recipe

I just thought I would pop in to share this easy and delicious savory scone recipe!  I love it when a food can serve two purposes.  You too??  These scones were perfect with our beef stew last night, and then equally perfect with our bacon and eggs this morning!

Ingredients 4 cups plus 1 tablespoon all-purpose flour, divided 2 tablespoons baking powder 2 teaspoons salt 3/4 pound cold unsalted butter, diced 4 extra-large eggs, beaten lightly 1 cup cold heavy cream 1/2 pound extra-sharp yellow Cheddar, small-diced 1 cup minced fresh dill 1 egg beaten with 1 tablespoon water or milk, for egg wash Directions Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F.

Combine 4 cups of flour, the baking powder, and salt in the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with a paddle attachment. Add the butter and mix on low speed until the butter is in pea-sized pieces. Mix the eggs and heavy cream and quickly add them to the flour-and-butter mixture. Combine until just blended. Toss together the Cheddar, dill, and 1 tablespoon of flour and add them to the dough. Mix until they are almost incorporated.

Dump the dough onto a well-floured surface and knead it for 1 minute, until the Cheddar and dill are well distributed. Roll the dough 3/4-inch thick. Cut into 4-inch squares and then in half diagonally to make triangles. Brush the tops with egg wash. Bake on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper for 20 to 25 minutes, until the outside is crusty and the inside is fully bake.

This recipe is one of Ina's recipes.  She is one of my favorite cooks!  Her recipes are so approachable….and so good!

In other news, I took some pictures of the guest room progress.  But, it's too rainy and gray outside, my pictures just didn't turn out well.  When the sun shines again I will show the progress of the guest room!

Next on my list…..ordering a sofa, and furnishing Matt's office!  Fun!!

MARCH GIVE AWAY || a little taste of spring

Hello friends,

March seemed to sneak up on me!  I turn around and it's March 3rd!  Are you ready for a giveaway?  A little Spring treat??

This month's giveaway includes ::

~ a cute little cake stand and glass dome.  Perfect for cookies, a giant cupcake or even a little plant.

~5 green chevron bags from my shop.  Perfect for little goodies.

~ a package of 6" tall green celebration candles from my shop.  These are darling on cakes and cupcakes!!

~ 1/2 dozen freshly baked peanut butter cookies.

To enter to win~

1. Like MD HANEY & CO. on Facebook {if you don't already ;-} and tell me your favorite Spring time sweet treat.

2. Leave a comment on the blog telling me your favorite Spring time flower.

A name will be drawn on March 31st and the basket will be delivered or mailed shortly after!

Good luck!!

A QUICK BED TRANSFORMATION || and my baby turns 3

Good morning friends!!

I thought I would show you a quick furniture 'BEFORE + AFTER'.  And a testament to how easy Chalk Paint® is to work with!!

A friend was re-decorating her guest bedroom and asked if we wanted the Queen bed.  Of course I said yes!

I loved the lines of it.  We wanted a Queen bed for the guest bedroom….it was just made to be :-)

I painted it GRAPHITE.  I didn't sand or prime.  Just wiped it down with a clean cloth and started to paint.  It took two coats to get a really nice finish. I applied 1 coat of CLEAR WAX and it was ready to be set up in the guest bedroom the same day I painted.  Talk about instant gratification!

The guest room isn't finished/decorated, but I wanted to show you how the bed turned out.

I am addicted to this paint.  It makes painting so enjoyable and rewarding!

Now I need to find a table and lamp.  I am thinking a red table could look really darling in this room…..don't you think?!?

And, I thought I had some great pictures of my birthday girl.  Turns out, just a lot of videos and phone pictures.  This is a photo of when she crawled out of bed….her room was full of balloons when she woke up.  I got that idea from a friend {fill the bedroom with balloons while they sleep} and she was so excited when she woke up!

We spoiled her with lots of sugar, a new bike, and a trip to see her first movie at the theater.  Did anybody else cry like a baby at the FROZEN movie?  Oh I was a mess!  I think I can thank motherhood for that!

OK, off to {hopefully} finish up my chores at the vacation rental for the week!!

THE NURSERY || savanna's room

Hello and happy Monday!

I finished decorating my sweet baby's room last week.  She just turned 10 months, so before long, we will be re-decorating for a big girl room.

Where does time go? Seriously!  We celebrated Addilyn's {and mine, well, not my 3rd, just my birthday ;-} 3rd birthday yesterday!  3 years old!  I will post pictures later this week.  Until then, here are some photos of Savanna's room….

Her room when we moved in….

and her room now.  One of the many great things about our new home, is the abundance of natural light!  There is really no need for lights during the day, even our dark-gray-Pacific NW days.

I painted the crib 'VERSAILLES' {Chalk Paint®}.  It took two coats.  I lightly sanded the edges and waxed it with a clear wax.

As you already know from here, I painted a chalk board wall in her room.  I love chalk board paint! I love the way that it looks, and it serves a practical purpose.

All of the bedrooms in our new home were already painted this wonderful soft gray.  It's light but softens the room.  It's the perfect backdrop for bright colors!

Matt made this shelf years ago when we were first married.  I painted it 'CHATEAU GREY', lightly sanded the edges and waxed with a clear wax.  I added a few treasures I had lying around the house.

Matt's mom gave me this dresser a few years ago. I sanded it down and painted it with milk paint.  Last week I added some fun and colorful knobs {from our shop} and it adds a touch of whimsy.

And finally, a little wall with hanging plates.  I love adding plates and dishes to walls!  It can be an inexpensive way to decorate walls, and it's a lot of fun.

Well, there you have her little room.

I will check in later this week with pictures of the birthday girl!

Now I am off to take a birthday girl to the doctor for her annual check up, and then meet up with some old friends.  We will be planning the food and decorating for a dear friend's funeral this week.  She passed away unexpectedly, last Thursday.  We know she is in heaven, but if you think of it, please say a prayer for her grieving family….

PROGRESS ON THE VACATION RENTAL || and a handful of bookings

I have been slowly working on turning the cottage back into a vacation rental.  A hour here, 20 minutes there, my girls are good sports as I try to make adventures out of making a bed and sweeping floors!

I finally photographed the downstairs bathroom.

It's a small bathroom with marble floor, pedestal sink and claw foot tub.

I can't seem to find a 'BEFORE' photo, but this is the 'BEFORE' photo of the hallway and living room leading to the bathroom door….so you get an idea!

We went back and forth on building a beautiful tile shower, complete with large glass door.  In the end, it came down to budget and time.  We opted for a reproduction claw foot tub/shower.  It fits the space perfectly and adds instant charm!

The downstairs bathroom was the last room to be remodeled in our little 1938 cottage.  We actually remodeled it after we moved out!

Matt also built a twin bed for the upstairs office.  The cottage can now sleep 5.  Usually the 5th person is a kid, college student or someone who just needs a bed for one night.

It's nothing fancy, but for a vacation rental, a much better use of the space than a desktop and cabinetry.

This is how it looked when it functioned as our office.

A darling office….right?!?

I will post an entire tour of the vacation rental.  Hopefully by next week I will have it cleaned, furnished and photographed!

The phone calls and summer bookings are already starting, the summer craziness is officially beginning!

Do you like to stay in vacation rentals when you travel??

PAINTING WITH CHALKBOARD PAINT || an addiction

Hello!  I hope you had a wonderful and restful weekend!!

I get a lot of emails and questions about painting with ChalkBoard Paint.  {Not to be confused with Chalk Paint}.  ChalkBoard Paint is the paint that turns almost anything into a chalk board.  It can be purchased at almost any hardware or big box store.  I always have a quart {or two or three} hanging around!  Chalk boards are so fun! I love that they can turn anything ordinary, into something fun and unique.

You have probably noticed I have a lot of chalk boards around my house….I guess it's my 'old house' now. ;-)

And chalk board walls {my old office}….

I love the look, and they are really fun for kids!

I have quite a few tucked in here and there at the shop too!

Here are a few tips and tricks I have learned from painting with ChalkBoard Paint…..

~ Cut in along walls and base, just like any other latex paint.  The consistency is a bit thicker than most latex, but treat it just like you are painting a wall or piece of furniture with a latex paint.

~ Always apply 2 coats, and be sure to wait 24 hours between coats, and then another 24 hours before priming the surface with chalk.

~ Most importantly, always 'prime' the painted surface.  By priming, I mean run chalk vertically and horizontally across the entire surface.  Then wipe it clean with a damp cloth.  If you don't prime your newly painted wall or furniture piece, your chalk writing will be etched into your new chalk board.  After it's been primed, you can write and draw to your heart's desire, then easily erase.  Make sure to prime, I learned this the hard way!!

I know chalk boards may just be a trend, but I have loved them for years and imagine I will love them for years to come!

A WINNER || & progress in the baby's room

Hello friends,

We are still trying to get healthy, but we are feeling much better around the Haney household!  I am going to have to cancel my big VALENTINE'S DAY BAKE SALE.  Booooo.  But, I am still sick, and nobody wants to buy sweet treats made by a sick girl.  I am really bummed, but I already roped a very talented friend into helping me next year!!

Next order of business….the winner of the February drawing!

KIM PRICE!

 Yay Kim!  I can drop your goodies by this afternoon!

{Discloser:: I would have posted a picture of my cute kid pulling the number from the basket.  But, she has a gross nose and nobody wants to see that!}

And, to happenings around the house….

I have moved on to decorating Savanna's room.  This is what we are starting out with….

A black crib that we were given, before Addilyn was born - thank you Stef!

A dresser Matt's mom gave me 3-4 years ago.  I refinished it then, and painted it will milk paint.

It's been hard to feel inspired to decorate my sweet pea's room.  I was stealing everything 'cute' for Addilyn's room!!

Here is what I am working on now...

I am painting the wall behind the crib with Chalk Board paint.  I love having places all over the house where the girls and create.  Plus, I needed something for that big, blank wall.

Since the black crib would blend in with the black wall, I am painting the crib 'VERSAILLES', it's a Chalk Paint® of course!

I am going to add cute knobs to the dresser, something similar to this...

I decided to go with a DASH AND ALBERT rug.  I have them through out the house.  I love them to pieces, and love that they are so easy to launder!

Hopefully I will have more pictures for you by next week.

Have a wonderful weekend!!

GRAHAM CRACKER SWEET TREAT || a made up snow day treat

Day #6 of snow.

It's beautiful!  We haven't gotten cabin fever yet.  Probably because we are all fighting colds and just wanting to lay low and relax.

Yesterday we were running low on groceries, and activities.  So, we made GRAHAM CRACKER SWEET TREATS. A wing-it-figure-it-out-as-you-go-can't-have-many-ingredients kind of treat.  We love them….especially frozen!

The recipe is very technical.  Your 3 year old will feel very confident in their culinary skills after making this!

Open 1 sleeve of graham crackers.  Line them on a baking sheet.

Melt butter and brown sugar.  Pour over graham crackers and top with sprinkles, chocolate chips, nuts, dried fruit, whatever your heart desires!

Fun, easy and they definitely satisfy the sweet tooth craving!

GRAHAM CRACKER SWEET TREAT

Ingredients ::

1 sleeve of graham crackers

1/2 cup butter

3/4 cup brown sugar

assorted toppings {sprinkles, chocolate chips, nuts, dried fruit, etc.}

Directions ::

Spread graham crackers on baking sheet.  Melt butter and brown sugar in microwave for 4-6 minutes.  Stir every 2 minutes.  {this will be hot!!}  Pour over graham crackers and top with topping.  Wait 1 hour, or until topping has hardened.  Break into bite size pieces.  Store in airtight container at room temperature or in the freezer.

PROGRESS ON ADDILYN'S ROOM || and moving on to the baby's room

Hello and happy Monday!  I have a really sick babe this morning, so our Monday will involve cuddling and watching a lot of Olympics.  But, I thought I would pop in and show some progress photos of Addilyn's bedroom.

Her room is slowly coming together!  I love this rug {Dash + Albert}.  I can toss it in the washing machine, let it hang dry and it's back and ready for action in just a few hours.

Matt built her a headboard when she starting sleeping in her 'big girl bed'.  Eventually he will build her a bed, but for now this works great.  The headboard was originally painted with green milk paint.  When we moved, I painted in 'Scandinavian Pink', distressed it and waxed it.  I love it because you see the green underneath!

I painted her dresser and the shelf 'Scandinavian Pink' as well.  That's the beauty of Chalk Paint, you can paint virtually any surface and really create fun pieces of furniture!

I would like to add a few more canvases to her room.  The colors match perfectly and she really loves looking at family pictures.

Well, that's all I have time for this morning.  Off to tend to my sick one.

Have a great Monday and I will be back tomorrow with a fun sweet treat recipe!

xoxo~Darci

A LITTLE UPDATE || our organized chaos

We survived our move!  It almost got the best of me!!  Packing, cleaning, moving two businesses…. and all with two little helpers was rough.  Matt says our next move will be to a nursing home ;-)

Matt is busily working on making my new studio space 'pretty'!  I am so excited to have the shop/studio so close to home.  I will be able to devote more time and energy into helping customers and painting projects.

This is what the space looked like last week.  It's a really neat space, I can't wait to show you the finished project!

Matt is painting the walls today.  The walls and ceiling will be a really soft gray…..

I got these cuties for the wall mount lights, there are 2 of them going up the stairs.

Matt ripped out the existing carpet and is installing this laminate floor.  We wanted to go with a vinyl or laminate.  Both options are easy to clean and can handle water and paint spills….perfect for a paint studio!!

I have a painting workshop this Saturday, so our goal is to have the space ready by then!

Meanwhile, the rest of the house has 'organized' piles of chaos,

or, it has nothing.

We sold most of our furniture to our home buyers.  I wanted to buy new furniture for this home so it was a win-win for both of us!

Once my shop/studio space is set up, and our Main Street property is set up and functioning as a vacation rental {again} we will start to decorate!  Addilyn's room is first on the decorating calendar!  This is what we have so far….pretty bare bones!

Thanks again for all of your patience.

My design clients have been so patient and gracious, my paint customers have been so understanding, my rock-star of a husband has been busily up-packing and helping around the house.  Addilyn spent all day yesterday with her Grandma and I was able to get so much un-packed. Such a blessing-all of you!

I can't wait to share all of the changes with you guys!  And, I will be offering a new line of paint {in addition to the Chalk Paint®}.  So much great stuff in the works!!!  But, for now I need to get painting!!

JANUARY GIVEAWAY || a winner

Well, you know what they say…..'better late than never'.  Today is February 2nd, and I finally drew a name for the January giveaway.

The winner is CINDY OLLIS ~ #7!  

{Cindy, I will drop your treats by the post office this week!!}

And now, it's time for the February give away!

Since February is the month of love, I thought I would give away some cute treasures for backing/packing/loving on the sweet ones in your life!

This month's giveaway includes ::

~5 red patterned treat bags from my shop.  Perfect for filling with cookies, chocolate or little treasures.

~A darling Valentine's day print.

~ Set of 6 mini heart cake pans from Cost Plus.

~Pack of 24 polka dot straws from my shop.

~ Heart shaped glass bowl, perfect for holding your Valentine's day candies.

~ NOT PICTURED ~ 1 dozen chocolate chip cookies, baked fresh right before delivery!

1. To be entered to win, leave a comment below telling us what your favorite Valentine's day candy is.

2. Like MD HANEY & CO. on Facebook, and leave a comment telling us your favorite Valentine's day candy.

Since this giveaway is centered around Valentine's day, the drawing will be on Wednesday, February 12th!

MOVING THE STUDIO :: and the vacation rental

I feel like we are always moving/building/creating/changing.  I love it, wouldn't have it any other way.  But, with sweet little kiddos in the mix now, we don't have the bug to always move/build/change.   You know?!?  We still love all of that, just don't want it to take up all of our time.

The new house we are moving into has a great detached garage + upstairs office/studio.

I love working at/creating at the studio.  It's my own little creative space and I love the opportunity to meet new people!  But, it's really hard with two little ones.  So moving the studio to our property is going to be awesome!!  I will have more details about the new studio space once escrow closes {next week}.

With all of the moving changes, we have decided to turn our Main Street property back into a vacation rental.    We have had vacation rentals in Carlton for 6 years now!  Crazy how time flies! This past week, we have been slowly making the changes to turn it back into a vacation rental.

The living room is slowly coming together.

I sold all of furniture last year when we turned this house into a studio {of course}!  So I am buying new furniture and moving things over from our house.

This is what the dining room currently looks like.  Lots of work ahead of us!

I have the kitchen stocked, cleaned and ready for renters!

The kitchen takes me the longest to clean after we have had renters….at least 1 hour!  But nobody wants to vacation at a home with a dirty kitchen!!

Matt still has to build a bed for the upstairs office, and convert the work room back into a bedroom, I have to make changes to the website, yada yada yada.  Seriously, we are crazy!

But, I know in the long run it will be much easier, and I can be more productive, to have the studio where we live.

Life is good, I am so very blessed.  Hard work just keeps me sleeping good at night and not having to work out!

DARK CHOCOLATE CHUNK OAT BARS :: a {very easy} sweet treat recipe

Tomorrow afternoon I am hosting a Chalk Paint® class.    I really enjoy teaching classes.  It's an excuse to meet new people and get our creative juices flowing.  I like providing refreshments, even if I am the only one eating them ;-)

For tomorrow's class, I am having sliced apples, this yummy dip and tasty, dark chocolate chunk oat bars.  I made them last night and they are sooooooo good, especially warm and right out of the oven!!

I love to keep sweet treats around for me and my little family.  I usually we have sweets that are sweetened with honey, made with oats, and so on.  I try to go for a bit more wholesome than a traditional chocolate chip cookie. {I do love me some chocolate chip cookies!}

These fit the bill perfectly!

Healthy Dark Chocolate Chunk Oatmeal Cookie Bars  (original recipe)

Prep Time: 5 minutes

Cook Time: 25 minutes

Total Time: 30 minutes

Yield: 18 bars

Ingredients

• 2 1/2 cup old fashioned oats
• 1 cup all-purpose flour
• 1 cup white whole wheat flour or whole wheat pastry flour
• 1 cup brown sugar
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1 cup coconut oil, melted (if need you may sub canola oil)
• 2 eggs
• 1 tablespoon vanilla
• 8 ounces dark chocolate, chopped into chunks (about 1 1/2 cups)  ** I didn't have dark chocolate, I used 1 cup of dark chocolate chips and 1/2 of a hershey bar.**

Instructions

1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.
2. Grease a 9x13 inch baking dish or line with foil or parchment papper.
3. In a large mixing bowl or bowl of a stand mixer, add the oatmeal, flour, brown sugar, baking soda, salt, melted coconut oil, eggs and vanilla and beat until combined and the dough holds together (the dough will seem oily, this is good). Mix in about 1 cup of the dark chocolate chunks.
4. Turn half the batter out into prepared pan, pushing the dough into pan. Sprinkle on the remaining dark chocolate chunks and then place the remaining half of the dough over the chunks. Some of the chunks will most likely be sticking out, that is fine. Don't worry about it looking perfect. If desired you may even add more chocolate to the top.
5. Bake for about 20-25 minutes, just do not over bake.  Allow bars to cool in pan for at least 30 minutes before slicing and serving.

Enjoy!!

BLACK DOORS :: and a little bling

 Matt and I have been married 11 years.  It really does seem like we were just married…..time sure flies!  When we were newlyweds, our heated discussions were usually about family, work or money.  Geesh, I was a selfish young bride!  Thank goodness those heated discussions are pretty few and far in between.  Do you know what most of our heated discussions are about now?

Homes and spaces.  

It sounds really shallow.  Like maybe that's the only thing we are passionate about.  But, I assure you that's not the case!  I could really get into boring details here, but I will spare you.

A few days ago, we had heated discussion….it went a little like this.

image

Me : What do you think about me painting the interior doors {at the new house} black?  And maybe adding some pretty glass door knobs?

Matt : I don't think you should paint them.  If I have time, I would like to make new doors. INSERT me rolling my eyes.

Me :  When are you going to find time to just widdle up 8-10 interior doors.  I think painting them would look great.

image

Matt :  It could look great, or REALLY BAD.  If you don't want me to make them, then I think we should buy new doors.

Me : I think that's a little over kill, do we really need to buy all new doors?  I just wanted to paint them and add pretty hardware.

Matt : What do you mean 'add pretty hardware?'  You started out with wanting to paint the doors.

Me : Yes, but you can't paint them and not add new hardware.

image

Matt : OK, well that is going to get expensive.  So, if you don't want to do ANY OTHER improvements, we can buy new doors and hardware.

Me : Are you talking about buying doors made of solid gold? What do you mean we can't do ANY OTHER improvements?

Matt : If we are going to do it, I want to do it right.

image

Me : Well, what if we buy 1 door and handle set at a time?  We can change it out as I finish {decorating} each room.

Matt : No, if I am going to have to paint or finish doors, I want to do them all at once.  Plus, I want to change out all of the hardware at once.

Me : How about you don't worry about it and you just let me do my thing.

Matt : Under his breath 'it's going to look like cra*'.

image

Me : I don't need your help.  I was just being polite by asking your opinion.  I will do it ALL myself.

Matt : You know how to change out door knobs?

Me : Yes, plus I have my own tools, I can figure it out.

image

Matt : You know what?  You are right, we can just do 1 at a time.  You can try painting them, and if you don't like how they turn out, we can just replace them one at a time.

He is a good man.

Pictures to follow, after we move in ;-)

Have you painted your interior doors a color other than white?

CHALK PAINT® CLASSES :: what's the difference?

Hello and happy {rainy} Thursday!

This is what has been consuming my extra time lately….

Packing, cleaning, and organizing.  It feels so good to go through everything!

I am using the dining room as my packing and sorting room.  If I don't love it, or haven't used it in one year, it's donated or put in the garage sale pile.  It's hard to stick to my rule!!  I am always thinking 'someday I might use that'.  Yesterday,  I took six huge bags or little girl's clothing to the Blessing Room….and I still have two bags to give away and several outfits to sell at the garage sale! It feels soooo good to simplify!!

Speaking of simplifying, some areas of my home are looking pretty bare!  I am having a garage sale tomorrow, and the buyers are coming by to see if they want to purchase any of our furniture.  My goal is to hardly move anything…..either sell it or donate it!

So, the point of this post is not to talk about me, but to explain the different Chalk Paint® classes and workshops we offer.  I get quite a few customers asking about the differences.  Good question!  Below are descriptions for our most popular classes.

First Friday {which I am going to change to every Friday starting in March}!

The first Friday was something I started this year, and people seem to really love it.  As of March, I am going to offer this every Friday, instead of just the first Friday of the month.  I will be calling it OPEN WORKSHOP.

OPEN WORKSHOP is where you can bring your own project to paint, in our workshop.  We open our workshop from 1pm-5pm on Fridays.  

You bring your own paint and wax {or purchase when you arrive} and you can use our workshop space, brushes and tools.  I am happy to offer tips and advice, in between helping customers.  You can stay for the entire 4 hours, or just pop in for 45 minutes.  The goal is to provide an incentive {a fun and creative environment} for you to just start painting!

I have light refreshments and the cost is $10.  You don't need to rsvp, but just know we only have space for 5-6 people at a time.

BRING YOUR OWN PIECE

BYOP classes are offered once a month.  The class lasts 3 hours.  Here we guide you through the steps to paint and finish your own pice of furniture {a tray, box or shelf are great, nothing larger than 2 feet wide or 2 feet long.}  We teach tips and tricks and help to build your confidence.  We provide the paint, wax, brushes and tools.

Light refreshments, drinks and a tote are included.  The 3 hour class is $75.  You do need to rsvp for these classes, the maximum number of attendants is 6.

INTRODUCTORY TECHNIQUES

This is a fun class, meant to inspire your creativity and evoke confidence.  You will learn four techniques to understand the basics of this unique paint and proper wax application.  You will learn tips to achieving beautiful results on all of your painted projects.   You will paint and wax molding pieces that are yours to keep.

Light refreshments, drinks and a tote are included.  The 3 hour class is $75.  You do need to rsvp for these classes, the maximum number of attendants is 6.

To sign up for classes, you can call {503.857.8176} or send a note via our contact page.  I will send you detailed information about the class and add you to the list!

Happy Painting!

JANUARY :: a busy month

Hello and thank you for bearing with me as I only posted once last week!  I probably won't post much for the next 3-4 weeks, I will be a little busy ;-)

My to-do list includes….

Packing, purging and cleaning our house….and a garage sale this weekend!

Turning our Main Street property back into a vacation rental.  {More on that soon ;-}

Packing up my design studio, I am moving the studio in 3 weeks!  

Updating the website with all of the changes.

Still working on design projects for clients, keeping my children alive and still trying to keep our home somewhat livable.

I love the challenge and I am super excited for this next phase.  I can't wait to fill you in on all the details!

Until then, don't hesitate to call if you want Chalk Paint, I am still happy to meet you if Fridays don't work.  I have the best customers….thank you and I can't wait to share all of the new changes with you!!

I will be back soon!

xoxo

JANUARY GIVEAWAY :: a giveaway each month in 2014

Good Monday morning and Happy New Year!  I think with the new year right around the corner, it's a good excuse to start having monthly give aways!  Right?!?  I love to give gifts and I know we all like receiving them.    My customers and clients are the best.  Seriously, you guys are so supportive and I appreciate your business and the opportunity to get to know you!

Plus, it's an excuse to get more Chalk Paint® into the hands of my lovely customers!

DISCLAIMER ::  OK, I will work on my photography skills. Since I have very few, this may take a while!  I apologize for the lousy pictures that follow ;-}

1.  WARM AND COZY print from this darling website, and a red frame.

2. Chalk Paint® color card.  These sell for $5 at the shop and they are quite popular!

3. A cute little spiral notebook.  I have these little cuties stashed everywhere!  One for my ever growing grocery list, one for notes, one for little hands to color, etc.

4. a 4 oz. sample pot of LOUIS BLUE Chalk Paint®.  These little guys sell at the shop for $11.95.  They are perfect for painting picture frames, a little side table, lamps and so much more.

5. not pictured ::  home made fudge to enjoy as you paint your little project!

So, here it is.  A sweet little give away to get your creative juices flowing!

THE DETAILS ::

You have three ways to be entered!  You can do one, or all three!  If you already 'like' MD HANEY & CO. on Facebook and receive the blog posts via email, thank you!!!

1. If you are on the BLOG page of the website, at the top right hand corner you will see a spot to enter your email address.  When you fill that out, you will receive blog posts via email (2-3 times per week).

2.  Like MD HANEY & CO. on Facebook.

3.  Leave a comment at the end of this post, saying what you would paint with Chalk Paint®.

Easy-peasy and so fun!  The give away will be open for the entire month of January, the winner will be announced on the website and Facebook January 31st!

Have a great week and thank you for a wonderful 2013!!