What to do Weekend's #186

Good evening. I hope you're all having a beautiful August.
 Welcome to  Shoestring Elegance and the What to do Weekends Party!
 Shoestring Elegance is joining Linda, from Crafts a la Mode to be your hostesses and we could not be more excited to have you here, joining us for our "What to do Weekend Party"! We'd like to Thank you all of you, who come join us here, each week, with your wonderful Crafts, Recipes and DIY creations
If you are new to the Party, Welcome! We are so very glad you are here!  We have been pinning away, during the week, so, Please do check out the Party Board! 
Here are some of my beautiful favorites for this week and Shoestring Elegance's Features!

I loved Lolly Jane's Distressed Farmhouse Pots!

and Debby Goes Shabby's beautiful Friday Goodwill Finds in these cute little Mr. & Mrs. pillows, perfect on her rocking

Sam @ Raggedy Bits created this adorable DIY Rustic Pallet Bath Caddy! I need one!

What to do Weekends #185

Happy August!
 Welcome to  Shoestring Elegance and the What to do Weekends Party!
 Shoestring Elegance is joining Linda, from Crafts a la Mode to be your hostesses and we could not be more excited to have you here, joining us for our "What to do Weekend Party"! We'd like to Thank you all of you, who come join us here, each week, with your wonderful Crafts, Recipes and DIY creations
If you are new to the Party, Welcome! We are so very glad you are here!  We have been pinning away, during the week, so, Please do check out the Party Board! 
Here are some of my beautiful favorites for this week and Shoestring Elegance's Features!
Girly Pretties's Party La Vie En Rose

What to do weekends #184

Hi, Friends, and Happy last week of July! Can you believe it?! Although, it is no secret to my regular readers, right now I am truly, once again,  Anxiously Awaiting Fall!  :)   

 Welcome to  Shoestring Elegance and the What to do Weekends Party!
 Shoestring Elegance is joining Linda, from Crafts a la Mode to be your hostesses and we could not be more excited to have you here, joining us for our "What to do Weekend Party"! We'd like to Thank you all of you, who come join us here, each week, with your wonderful Crafts, Recipes and DIY creations
***Please note:  Shoestring Elegance and Crafts a la Mode each select and display their own Features, each week. So, If you don't see your entry Featured, here, make sure to see if you're one Linda's Features this week~!**

If you are new to the Party, Welcome! We are so very glad you are here!  We have been pinning away, during the week, so, Please do check out the Party Board! 

On with it, then!
Here are some of my beautiful favorites for this week and Shoestring Elegance's Features!
I'm totally in Love with

My DIY Envy's Farmhouse Furniture Makeover with Old Fashioned Milk Paint

What to do Weekends #177

Hi, Friends, and welcome to this week's Party! 

 Welcome to  Shoestring Elegance and the What to do Weekends Party!
 I'm Theresa, here, from Shoestring Elegance, joining Linda, from Crafts a la Mode, and we are your hostesses. We could not be more excited to have you here, joining us for our "What to do Weekend Party"! We'd like to Thank you all of you, who come join us here, each week, with your wonderful Crafts, Recipes and DIY creations
***Please note:  Shoestring Elegance and Crafts a la Mode each select and display their own Features, each week. So, If you don't see your entry Featured, here, make sure to see if you're one Linda's Features this week~!**

If you are new to the Party, Welcome! We are so very glad you are here!  We have been pinning away, during the week, so, Please do check out the Party Board! 

Here are some of my beautiful favorites for this week and Shoestring Elegance's Features!
Diana @ Dreams Factory shared these adorable DIY Shabby Chic French Recycled Tin Cans

What to do Weekends #135

Good Evening, Happy Thursday and Welcome to What to do Weekends Party! Your hostesses, Theresa and Linda could not be more thrilled to have you here to kick off the Weekend and the Party!!  Thank you to all of you who come join us here with your wonderful Crafts, Recipes and DIY incredible creations with us every week~

If you are new to the Party, Welcome! We are so very glad you are here!

We have been pinning away, during the week, so, Please do check out the Party Board! 

Theresa's Bonus Feature This Week was Penny's Container Gardening! Lots of wonderful ideas!

What to do Weekends #133

Welcome back to What to do Weekends! Happy Thursday Evening. Thank you, all, so much for your absolutely wonderful contributions to the Party each and every week! If you are new Welcome and Thanks for Joining us!

Please try and connect with us, in some way!

You can find Linda Blogging here @ Crafts a la Mode

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You can connect with me right here @ Shoestring Elegance

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We have a Party Board and we pin! Please be sure to follow to see if your project has been Featured!!

So let's get right to it! On with Theresa's Features for this week!
 Theresa's Bonus Feature went to Heather at Stringtown Home's Yummy Chunky Chocolate Covered Strawberry Trifle

May -- Chalk Paint Tray!!

I hope you are all enjoying the beautiful weather, as I have been. I’m quite excited to share with you all the wonderful project I've been working on.  I have been so excited about doing this for the last   month, since I found this little treasure at the Goodwill…

It made me wonder through. What is about the vintage? The Old French Country?  The Antiques, that we find that excites us and makes us want to restore or remake them to into something beautiful, something that feels as if it’s from days Gone by?I have in my home a beautiful little floral tray with handles and an edge. I love it!!!

I prepare my noon meal, snack or an early supper and place it on my old floral tray, along with my napkin, my drink, the salt and pepper and butter and take it to wherever I feel like dining. Whether on the front porch, on the couch, down to the garden, or even here at my desk.   Did I mention, I love it? 

I don’t know if it is so much the tray or the joy of preparing it and then feasting from it as if I was Jane Austin’s “Emma” in the garden and the cook had just brought it to me. I believe it is that feel of yester year that is so simply and  elegantly irresistible.. That for those 15-30 minutes were transported back in time… Maybe it’s just me!! But if sounds like you too, you’ll love the project I’m sharing with you today!

So here it is!  I happened upon this rather tattered , well-used wooden tray at my favorite thrift store.  It had wear, some water mark a few scratches, but over all the bones of it were quite good and I believed with a little chalk paint and some work it could be possible my new little favorite luxury.. Did I mention the price? Oh yes, it was a little more than I usually pay, it was $2.99, but I decided it would be worth it.

So as much as I would love to have some of Ms. Annie Sloan’s beautiful Chalk paint and wax, I simply can not afford it.  So, I searched for alternatives to achieve the same type of finish and found that Lowe’s carries Behr’s version of Chalk paint, a sample container for only 4.99!!! Everybody has told  me a little goes a long way so I decided to test the theory. And, I am pleased to say I was very happy with the results.. What do you think?

So here’s what I did;

Sanded the tray and wiped clean with damp cloth

Applied 2 coats of Behr’s White Linen Chalk Paint (only took 1/3 of the sample)

Sanded the edges....(distressed it) to my liking

Applied regular wood wax for light woods rubbed it in then wiped of any excess. Waited  for an hour then applied Clear Polyurethane That’s it!!! 

Used it twice already.  I hope you enjoy making something that speaks to your heart today!

The best part of my little tray Re-do;  total cost for this project approx. $5.50, given that I have two-thirds of the chalk paint left.  What fun I am going to have deciding how to use it!

 I hope you all have a Heavenly day!