Be Inspired Features and Link Party #101

Happy Tuesday! Welcome back for features and party day!

In addition to today's features, there were a ton of really wonderful Top 10 posts at the party last week. If you have a chance, I suggest you go back and take a look!

Meet Bernadette from White Cottage Boutique. She is just stunning in navy blue!

Over the weekend, Megan and I were talking about how maybe navy blue could have been (should have been) the Pantone color of the year.  Upcycled Treasures shared a post filled with lovely images using radiant orchid. Not sure it really works in my house, but if a big vase of lilacs qualify, then count me in!

Deb from Twice Nice used the frosty weather as inspiration for the beautiful vintage chest on chest dresser with a hand-painted detail!

Gail from My Repurposed Life just might be the queen of turning headboards into benches. This time around, she shared a wonderful tutorial for making a corner headboard bench!

I love the simplicity of this DIY sofa table from Urbane Jane!

Jamie from Anderson & Grant beautifully transformed thrift store glass vases into candlesticks with a little paint and sandpaper. Don't you love when a simple idea knocks your socks off?

Debbie from Painted Therapy shared her method of painting hardware. Sometimes a girl has to get creative!

  

Looking for a special treat for your Valentine? You might want to try these Easy Homemade Truffles from Sarah at Linley House!

Aren't they gorgeous?

Thanks so much to everyone who linked up and linked back!
If you've been featured, feel free to grab a cute little button from the sidebar!

Now on to this week's party...

*Link up your furniture makeovers, DIY projects, home decor, crafts, recipes, thrifty finds, etc... We want to see whatever is inspiring you at the moment! 

*Grab a party button or link back in some way.

*And we'd love to have you follow along with us!

We'll be back next Tuesday with features and a brand new party!

Mid Century Modern in Lamp Black

It is much too cold around here to even think about painting at the moment. But I'm already getting the itch - new furniture, new colors - I can't wait! ... In the meantime, I have a few pieces to share that were completed before winter and this one immediately made my favorites list!

 

 So what do you think ... dresser, buffet, credenza, console, media cabinet? No matter what you call it, definitely a mid century modern beauty in perfect condition!

 

This one was going black and that can be a tricky color to get just right. So I went with a tried and true favorite - General Finishes Milk Paint in Lamp Black. This is not a powder or even a true milk paint, but a water based acrylic. I love the way it goes on smoothly and levels out nicely - perfect for furniture. I buy it at my local unfinished furniture store and it's the only paint they use.

I went with a light distressing and love the contrast of the brown showing through the black.

I didn't even consider changing the hardware, but I gave it a shine with a little Rub 'n Buff in Antique Gold.

 

I finished up with two coats on Wipe On Poly in a satin finish.

This one was done in time for our holiday sale, but it only made it as far as the driveway before it got carried away, literally.

 

I know these men are wondering why a crazy woman is taking pictures of them!

I was absolutely thrilled with the way this piece turned out and I hope it is enjoying life in it's happy new home!
 

 

And while I'm on the subject of General Finishes Milk Paint, I have another favorite color to share - Buttermilk Yellow. It is my favorite yellow for furniture and let me just tell you, it's just yummy!

 

Yellow is another color that is sometimes hard to get right and even harder to photograph. But here are a few blasts from the past (fuzzy pictures and all) in Buttermilk Yellow.

 

This dresser lives at Megan's house and she is a girl who definitely loves all things yellow!

I just couldn't part with this one in yellow and white. It really brightens up my guest room.

This pretty petite dresser has an ochre glaze.

My living room coffee table.

 

 

 

And a mellow yellow rocker.

The fine folks at General Finishes recently added fourteen new colors to their milk paint line and generously sent me a few samples to try. Wait until you see Persimmon!

Is it spring yet?

I'm sharing with ...
Three Mango Seeds
A Stroll Thru Life
Mod Vintage Life
Coastal Charm
Clean and Scentsible
Domestically Speaking
52 Mantels
French Country Cottage
I'm Not a Trophy Wife
My Repurposed Life
Redoux
504 Main
The Shabby Nest
Nifty Thrifty Things
Glitter, Glue and Paint
 

Be Inspired Features and Link Party #100

Happy Tuesday! Welcome back for features and party day!
 

How awesome to kick off the new year with our 100th link party!
Thank you for sharing your talent and inspiration with us week after week.
Can't wait to see what you have in store for 2014!

Since we took a little blog break over the holidays, most of today's features are Christmas related. So get ready to pin away and start your inspiration files for next year!

Robin from Happy at Home shared a roundup of thirteen handmade Christmas décor projects, each one beautiful and totally doable. You really want to bookmark her entire post for next Christmas!

 

How cute are these glittery bird nest ornaments made from vintage jello molds by Cassie over at Primitive & Proper!

The Pin Junkie created the sweetest little Christmas Sheep from bits and bits that you probably already have around the house!

 

I absolutely love Heath bars, so I was thrilled to see that The Pin Junkie also shared this recipe for Homemade Old-Fashioned English Toffee!

 

 

Danielle from Silver Pennies shared her recipe for homemade Easy Peppermint Bark!

 

 

And Anjana from At the Corner of Happy and Harried shared a Sunny Orange Pound Cake that looks divine. Now I know exactly what to do with that big bag of oranges I just bought!

 

 

Hot chocolate bars are very popular right now and so much fun all winter long.

 

 

And if you stop by Upcycled Treasures, you will find a super cute chalkboard printable that's just perfect for this crazy cold weather that many of us are experiencing!

(This morning it is zero degrees here, with a wind chill of -20, brrr!)

 

This Wild Herbs Christmas Wreath from Meeha Meeha is beautiful and comes with the best story! Meeha Meeha lives in Romania, where wreaths are not all that common and where there are no big craft stores filled with supplies. But she loved the wreaths she saw on design blogs and decided to head outside, gather some natural materials and try her hand at making her very first wreath. She was convinced that it would be a total failure, but I think we can all agree that Meeha Meeha's wreath is simply stunning!

I know you love holiday house tours, so let's wrap it up with one of my very favorites this year. Denise over at Pink Postcard has a real knack for blending vintage and modern and keeping it all so fresh and pretty. Her home is lovely all year round, but it really sparkles at Christmas!

 

 

  

Thanks so much to every one who linked up and linked back!
If you've been featured, feel free to grab a cute little button from the sidebar!

 

Now on to this week's party...

 

*Link up your furniture makeovers, DIY projects, home decor, crafts, recipes, thrifty finds, etc... We want to see whatever is inspiring you at the moment! 

 

*Grab a party button or link back in some way.

 

*And we'd love to have you follow along with us!

We'll be back next Tuesday with features and a brand new party!