Guest Post ~ Laurie from Heaven's Walk!

Hello everyone!  I have a special guest today!  Laurie from Heaven's Walk is here!  I met Laurie through blogging several months ago.  She is from Michigan as well and her home and gardens are beyond beautiful.  I love her style and to top it off she is just the sweetest!  If you haven't yet been to her blog, you must go treat yourself to a visit!

~

I am so honored to be guest posting at Maria's lovely blog today!
I fell into her Rusty Hinge world a while ago,
and found myself swooning over her gorgeous home,
drooling over her stunning vignettes,
and envying her amazing photography.
After discovering how many of the same addictions loves we shared,
we quickly became friends.

(I think we could start a store called "Grain Sacks R Us", 
but I'll save that idea for another time...)

  ~  ♥  ~



My first trip to the local Habitat for Humanity ReStore last month

was very successful to say the least.

Hubby and I spent hours digging, scrounging, peeking, lifting, moving,

gathering and tagging quite a few treasures there

and then stuffing them all in the back of my vehicle.

I was giddy.

He was feeling pretty proud of himself, too,

for tagging the find of the day.
(All of the time I've spent training him in seeking out potential French-Nordic decor is paying off!)

Unfortunately, this particular beauty wouldn't fit down the basement stairs

where I planned on working my magic on her.

So, she was relegated to the barn 

until the temps were warmer and I could start painting her.

There she sat, the poor dear,
next to my John Deere tractor
waiting patiently for me amidst the dust, hay, and cobwebs.

With our weather being so summery a couple weeks ago,

we rescued her, lovingly placed her into the back of our golf cart carry-all,
and drove her down to Hubby's workroom.

He set me up with his big, honkin' handheld belt sander

saying that my little palm sander would "wear me out".

Really?
 Okay...if you say so...

He left me to blissfully sand to my heart's content.
And sand I did.
I was thrilled to see how quickly that man-eating sander bit through that nasty finish.
Shhhh!  I just may have to confiscate this baby...

Now, don't hate me ~ because in my happy dance anxiousness to begin working on her

I forgot to take "before" photos.

I know.  I know.
Go ahead and call me a bad blogger.
I deserve it.

But just close your eyes and imagine a dark, extremely shiny, scuffed up,

drop leaf table...with metal claw feet.

Dark.

Extremely shiny.

Scuffed up.
An ugly duckling with pretty feet,
but definitely having potential.

Got it?

Ok.

After an hour of sanding with that he-man of a sander,
(great workout for my biceps)

I had most of that ugly shiny-ness removed.

I spent a couple hours painting her with a coat of ASCP in "Paris Grey".

She was looking better,

BUT

the pinky redness of that dark stain beneath started showing through 

even after my second coat of paint.

Agh!

So, I decided to go for more of a rustic-elegance look for this little lady

and dry brushed on some

Kilz.

Yup.

I used Kilz.

I swished it on the areas that the pinky stain was showing through,
then continued dry brushing the rest of it
here and there ~
even between her rusty little toes.

Next, I brushed on a coat of clear wax and let it dry overnight.

The next day, after a good hour of rubbing and buffing,
more rubbing and buffing,
and even more rubbing and buffing,
(another great bicep workout)
she slowly transformed into a beautiful swan.
A wonderfully subtle sheen emerged on her wonderfully Frenchy bleu/grey color.


Would you like to see how she turned out?

*Sigh!*

I adore "Paris Grey".
It's the perfect French bleu-grey.

She's currently residing at Doster Emporium in my sweet, little, white room
where I'll be selling my Heaven's Walk treasures soon...

BUT

I find myself in a dilemma.

I want to keep her.

I want to give her a home at Heaven's Walk.

I haven't the slightest idea where I'd put her.

But I want to keep her.

Badly.

I guess I'll think on it awhile.

She'll be a beautiful place to display items in my booth for now...




Thank you, Maria, for the opportunity to share a little of Heaven's Walk at your blog home today!  
You are a gem!
 (Now...about that store....)

[ Blessings ]

~

Thank-you very much, Laurie!  I so enjoyed your visit and you are welcome back anytime!
Laurie's blog, Heaven's Walk is stuffed full of more wonderful inspiration!  I hope you all head on over to say hello!



I will be back later with an Easter inspired post.  Have a great week!




Maria ~Rusty Hinge