French Dresser

I have been drawing and painting ever since I was a young child. My love for art blossomed and my thirst for creativity did too. I began falling in love with the masters. Impressionist painting was always a favorite. I lived a dream two years ago when I traveled to Italy and got to see the Sistine Chapel and other Michelangelo works, among others like Leonardo Da Vinci. There is nothing like seeing and feeling a piece of art.

I am telling you this because a few months ago, during a paint class, one of my students had a frame that she was going to paint but wanted me to throw away the print inside of it.

It happened to be a Renoir print.

I didn't have the heart to throw it away. I loved it. I also knew that I could incorporate it in one of my pieces one day.

So like many other ideas and supplies.....it ended up on a shelf.

You know the shelf....the :someday" shelf! Ha!

Well I got the perfect piece of furniture to do a fun technique on. A french dresser. This piece sat in back of the store for a while till I could come up with an idea.

and I finally did...

and that little print that was a "someday" project became the main attraction.

I decoupaged part of it to fit the flat part of the dresser.

It didn't fit perfectly.

The best part of art to me is that it doesn't have to.

With some of my Country Chic Chalk and Mineral based paint, I started mixing colors to match the print and began painting.

I added the paint where the paper seam was to make it look more fluid. The eye continues and doesn't stop at the straight cut of the paper.

It was so much fun to do. Since painting furniture, I haven't had time to truly paint a canvas type painting. This helped the urge a little.

The details of the dresser fit the look of the painting too.

I love when a project comes together like this one. It sits in the middle of the floor for sale at Dreamingincolor!

Call 615-907-0091 if interested.

Hope you learned a little, got inspired, and just like it!

If you would like to keep up with Dreaming in Color
enter your email address to get posts in your inbox!:

Blueprints by Barbara Delinsky (A Giveaway)

Some women are born with an instinct for knowing how things work—and what to do when they break

I have to admit, this got me! With all the "Fixer Uper" type shows and blogs out there, I felt like this really fit. It peak my curiosity for sure. Love the name Blueprints too. Books are wonderful. I love to read them and decorate with them. Like my book mantle I did for Valentine's Day. I see this book as a great read near the pool, beach or in the tub! Best of all, a giveaway goes with it below!

Barbara Delinsky, New York Times bestselling author, wrote this book about 

Caroline MacAfee a skilled carpenter, her daughter Jamie, a talented architect. Together they are the faces of Gut It!, a home renovation series on local public television. Caroline takes pride in her work, and in the way she connects with the show's audience.  But when she is told the network wants her daughter to replace her as host-the day after Caroline's fifty-sixth birthday-she is devastated. The fallout couldn't come at a worse time.

For Jamie, life changes overnight when, soon after learning of the host shift, her father and his new wife die in a car accident that orphans their two-year-old son. Accustomed to organization and planning, she is now grappling with a toddler who misses his parents, a fiancé who doesn't want the child, a staggering new attraction, and a work challenge that, if botched, could undermine the future of both MacAfee Homes and Gut It!

For Caroline, hosting Gut It! is part of her identity. Facing its loss, she feels betrayed by her daughter and old in the eyes of the world. Her ex-husband's death thrusts her into the role of caregiver to his aging father. And then there's Dean, a long-time friend, whose efforts to seduce her awaken desires that have been dormant for so long that she feels foreign to herself.

Who am I? Both women ask, as the blueprints they've built their lives around suddenly need revising. While loyalties shift, decisions hover, and new relationships tempt, their challenge comes not only in remaking themselves, but in rebuilding their relationship with each other.

To read an excerpt of the book click here

I am so excited to be offering a giveaway for the book Blueprints by Barbara Delinsky and a tool kit for all you DIY'ers!

Giveaway open to US addresses only.

Prizing and samples provided by St. Martin’s Press

a Rafflecopter giveaway I hope you like the book and giveaway!

Learn more at BabaraDelinsky.com 

If you would like to keep up with Dreaming in Color
enter your email address to get posts in your inbox!:

Beach Sign

Summer is here!

There is nothing like the smell of salty air and sand between your toes.

Still dreaming of the beach though.  For me growing up in New Jersey was something I always treasured, especially since I moved away when I was in High School. There are so many memories I hold on to. My family always got together and when they did we had a blast. Being from up north we were loud and proud and loved being together.

My grandparents took us to the shore when we were little. Atlantic City was their spot and eventually Cape May. I remember the smell of peanuts and the smell of the boardwalk like it was yesterday.

I had the opportunity to ride all the rides on the pier in Atlantic City, Seaside Heights and Ocean City.
There was nothing like it. We would sometimes rent bicycles and ride on the boardwalk early in the morning. We would spend the day on the beach, go back to the hotel to take a nap and get ready for night.

Night time was the best! All those lights from the rides and games like skee ball and miniature golf. It was so exciting.

I am not sure if I will see a beach this year. One thing I know for sure is I will be surrounding myself with beachy things.

Doing so keeps me happy.

I love this beach inspired project so much. The hardest part was deciding which wooden cut out to use!

Old Time Pottery sells these adorable wooden wall hangings of whales and seahorses. I knew the moment I saw these I had to do a project with them.

I love whales. I hope to one day fulfill my bucket list of seeing them, hundreds of them swimming together!

This little sign will remind me and keep me dreaming.

Supplies needed

One of the beach wooden wall hangings

rattan mat

fabric

wire 

stencil (letters)

paint pen white

I started ripping strips of this beautiful fabric I found at Old Time Pottery and feeding it through the rattan mat holes. I love that they have fabric and I have done several projects with some I purchased there, like recovering chairs and making bunting.

Make the strips at a desired length and keep knotting across the bottom

You are making a fringe with tattered edges. Nothing precise. That is what gives it charm.

Turn the whale over and locate the toothed hanger. You will use this to tie your wire through and wire to rattan mat. I also wired the tale to keep it secure.

Using a stencil I traced the words "Beach Love"

Use a white paint pen to color in the letters

You can add shells or a starfish or leave as is. I used two push pins lined up with the rattan holes to hang on the fireplace.

This will also look great on a front door!!

I getting tons of nice comments when people see it.

Now ...Who's ready for the beach?

An Artisan Affair and Lifestyles with Denise Simons

Talk about a busy week! Whew!

Not only was I apart of a cool event with the Nashville Symphony Showcase Home, Did a TV (Lifestyle with Denise Simons) show about my redesign and how I will be speaking on stage with other Tennessee bloggers on Saturday at An Artisan Affair. My time will be at 11:30. I will be speaking about blogging and doing a demonstration about paint.

Today it began and the bloggers got a sneak peek at the beautiful things available.

With a backdrop like the Oaklands Historic House and Museum, how can you go wrong?

continue reading by clicking below

Nashville Symphony Showcase House

It is hot here in Tennessee and this is a happening week!

I was invited to a VIP sneak preview of the Nashville Symphony Showcase House yesterday. It was an event by Forest Home Media.

The house is built by Castle Homes, Architecture by Wade Weissmann Architecture, and designed by area designers. 

The Nashville Symphony will be the benefactor for the home event held June 12-28 in Forest Hills, Tennessee.

I love home tours but these are my favorite because I can actually see the rooms. The crowd is smaller at a preview. So enjoy the many pictures of this home.

As I walked into the home I went straight into the kitchen where a 300 year old piece of white oak, out of a Wisconsin Milk barn, was the centerpiece island.

A piece from the same barn was used as the mantle on the fireplace.

The stove hood is wrapped with subway tile. It is straight and makes a statement in the kitchen.

The room that connects to the kitchen is the Family Organization Center/ laundry room. Yes that is what I said! Look how big. It is lined with beautiful wood look tile. This wood table was one of my favorite pieces.

The mud room is off of this room and goes outside near garage.

My favorite room in the house was the lounge.

Love this antique rug upholstered on this bench!!!

My other favorite thing was the awesome photography by Nashville Artist Andy Detwiler.

In the middle of the house is the dining room and living room. The gathering room.

Another beautiful table in the dining area made out of reclaimed wood from Nashville Municipal Auditorium 

Beautiful centerpiece! Love hydrangeas

This coffee table is from a Chicago building's window guard

Loved the credenza too

the study is to the right of the staircase

I was thrilled to see a painted piece in here

and look who lives here?

Is that Mr. Clooney? Ha ha

The master designed by Julie Couch Interiors 

loved this cool bubble chandelier in this vaulted planked ceiling

The master bath with lots of windows. It had tons of light. Not used to seeing that many windows in a bathroom. 

Upstairs there were two bathrooms that connected his and her guest bedrooms

Designed by Rozanne Jackson Interiors in a Belgium style

I love the side tables

And this oversized antique mirror made me drool

Both bedrooms are connected with a sitting area with this gorgeous feather ceiling light

with the only major color other than the art on the walls was this feather pillow

the other bedroom had this cool display case filled with old vinyl

We are in Music City after all!

Back downstairs I could pass up the chandelier on the staircase

The outside was just as pretty as the inside

When we were through we were treated to delicious treat from Miss Daisy King

A wonderful gardening book by Troy Marden, The man behind the beautiful flowered woman at the Antique and Garden show I wrote about.

Then the talented Carmen Johnston taught us how to make container gardens that later became our gift.

It is so pretty. The perfect mix of flowers

I had a wonderful time and hope they raise a lot of money for the symphony. I will be attending a show of the Wizard of Oz on Sunday that the symphony will put on. It will be my first time there. I can't believe it has taking me so long.

Hope you enjoyed the blog tour and go get a ticket to see in person. 

It is always better in person!

If you would like to keep up with Dreaming in Color
enter your email address to get posts in your inbox!: