Mirror Mirror on the wall

Mirrors.  I love them.  Gilded Mirrors?  I have to have them.  Everywhere you turn I have mirrors in my house.  They bring so much light and glamour and make everything looks more spacious.  The bigger the mirror the better...except why must they be so expensive?  Of course every time I see big plain mirror at Goodwill or Savers, I bring them home.  It is seriously crossing the hoarding line. So for next few projects, it is going to be all about mirrors.  I have a few left over Efex appliques I got from Maison Decor that I used for my dream bed make over project. I decided to use them to create a  gilded French mirror out of this.

I forgot to take pictures of the left over Efex appliques.  This is the picture I took before I used them on my French bed.

The mirror is plain but it has so much potential.  I painted the trim with a coat of Chalk Paint® in Antoinette.  It actually didn't matter what color I paint it since I plan to gild it anyway.  Painting the frame just help the wax go on better.  Then I cut the appliques and tape them to the mirror to create a design.  Don't be afraid to experiment with design and patterns.  Go big or go home, ladies.  Do it up!  If I have more appliques, this mirror would be so much more ornate but I didn't want to spend any money for this project.  I truly believe that with a little bit of imagination, you can turn any ordinary object into something truly beautiful.

The mirror, itself, costed me 10 dollars.  I brushed my new bff contact cement on both the appliques and the frame.  I let them dry for about 20 minutes and pressed them on.  Brushed some gilding wax on and after it dried, went over the whole piece with dark wax.  I am kind of glad I didn't have a lot of extra appliques to use for this mirror.  I like that it is a bit understated yet still demand your attention.

It is going to be hanging in my bathroom but it's super heavy so I have to wait until the weekend for B to help me with it.  In the meantime, she resides in the living room with all the other beauties.

Next time you walk past by a plain old mirror, don't just ignore it.  Imagine all the wonderful things you can do.

Love,
Victoria


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A day of celebrations.

I have to warn you... this post has nothing to do with DIY or decorating.  The girls had their birthday party yesterday.  Every year I go all out...like plan six months in advance all out.  This year I asked them what they want for their birthday party and they said SPA! Spa?  Of course.  They are my children after all.  I was an esthetician and make up artist for years.  My mother took me to get my very first facial when I was 12 and that started my obsession with skin care.  So here we are...starting our own little traditions.

It was such a wonderful day of friends, food and a lot of girly pampering.  All the girls got their nails done, hairs done and make ups done.

There were nine girls and they loved every second of it.

I mean...just adorable.

There was a fashion show at the end.

And of course cakes.  You know it takes a village to raise a child.  Well, I have a pretty amazing village.  Here is my best friend, Jess and I.

Life has a way of throwing you road blocks but sometimes those unexpected blocks allowed you to get on a much happier and blessed path.  I am happily content.

Oh, we have a motto in our house.  Red Lipsticks and turbans are always good ideas.

My Dream Bed

This past week has been a week of celebrations.  My baby Bella turned five and we celebrated everyday with a cupcake.  I mean I personally think we should celebrate everyday with a cupcake but that's just me.  We celebrated the beginning of our gardening season.  We weeded and planned out our new gardens.  For two weeks now I have been working on my new bed.  I have been dreaming of a fancy French bed for years but could never afford one.  About a month ago, I bought this bed from a flea market for $50.  Score!

She has the perfect shape and even painted beautifully...but it just wasn't me.  I knew she could be so much more.  I think by now you all know I love fancy things.  Life should be celebrated everyday and I try to make our home feels like it.  I used to think that I have to have a lot of money to have certain type of furniture but now I realized I can still create the type of home I want and still be in my small budget.  I just have to get creative!  I am sorry for the crazy amount of pictures I am going to show you.  I am just so excited!  Here she is now.

This bed wouldn't be what she is without appliques.  Ladies, I know I am late in the game but appliques are the game changers in this DIY world...especially for a Francophile like me.  The possibilities are endless.  A week after I bought my bed, Amy from Maison Decor asked if I could think of any projects that might need appliques.  She just started carrying Efex appliques at her amazing store.  I knew right away that my bed would be the perfect project for it.  Amy was kind enough to send me some appliques to try out.  I have used other kind of appliques in the past but most of them are not bendable.   Efex appliques are almost like rubber so I can bend it and cut it anyway I want.

 

 I painted them first with a coat of Chalk Paint® in Paris Grey and cut them into individual pieces.

I also painted the bed with a mix of Chalk Paint® in Paris Grey and Old White.  I taped the appliques to the bed to give me an idea of what I wanted.

This is the important part.  You have to use Cement Contact to adhere appliques to the bed.  Regular glue or liquid nails will not work.  I brushed the Cement Contact on both appliques and the bed and waited 20 minutes then pressed them together.

Sorry for this awful picture.  It was taken at one in the morning. The cement left some yellow residue but I just painted over it. I gilded the appliques then waxed the whole bed.  I used dark wax to bring out all the details.

A bed like this is all about the details.  By cutting the appliques into individual pieces, I was able to achieve the look I wanted.  It was like doing puzzle pieces.

My bedroom is almost done.  I really have no rules when it comes to decorating.  I just surround myself with things I love.

Abundant of flowers.

Books to inspire me.

A little romance.

my French chairs.  Both of these girls are getting reupholster but in the mean time, I keep them close by.

I think all this room really needs now is a vintage chandelier to bring a bit of magic.  I am still deciding between plank wall or panels.  I feel like I should wake up every morning with a crown and a glass of champagne, no?  Or would that just make me a delusional alcoholic?  I finally feel like I am home.  A home should be reflection of who you are and how you live your life.  Who am I is someone who loves life and feels so grateful to wake up every day.  And what better way to wake up and celebrate life than in this amazing bed?

I hope everyone had a great Easter weekend!  

Love,
Victoria


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A Vibrant Dresser for Spring

What does it mean to live in a romantic and feminine home?  What is romance really?  I feel like I should know the definition of it but when I try to type it out, I can't.  Because to me, romance is a feeling.  It is an emotion that stir from deep inside of me.  Romance is love.  Romance is surrounding myself with things that make me fall in love with life all over again.  Creating a feminine home is to appreciate and cherish everything about a woman.  I love women.  Ok, that statement sounds a bit wrong when I type it out but I do.  I have always been a girlfriend type of a gal.  I love my girlfriends.  I always get confused when I hear other women say they don't have a lot of girlfriends or don't like to be around other women. I love being a woman and all the qualities that we encompass.  I am forever amazed and inspired by the strength and empathy and giving nature of women.  Just like me, my house is unapologetically  and wholeheartedly feminine. Recently I brought home Romantic Style by Selina Lake.  The girls and I practically live at the library. I rarely buy books but I utterly and hopelessly fell in love with this picture from the book.  I am sure it was me and everyone else who has read the book. So it came home.

Ahhh...that dresser.  I can't stand how beautiful it is.  I love how vibrant and girly it is.  The funny thing is I don't even like color.  My whole closet is black or gray.  My house is pretty much a gilded monotone.  But this...oh this...I have to have.  I have an old and beat up dresser in my workroom that needed serious TLC.  What's better to transform into a beauty than a tired and sad little dresser.

I knew that if I was going to paint a bright color, it was going to have to be heavily distressed...detailed...but faded.

 I did a coat of Annie Sloan chalk paint® in Old White then a coat of gold glaze followed by Annie Sloan chalk paint® in Florence.  I love it when layers of paint are blended together.  It must be the painter in me.

I put it in a little neglected corner of our living room.  Now it is the first thing I see when I walk into the room.  I love pieces that command your attention.  From afar I am attracted to its beautiful color but its faded charm and details call out to me for a closer look.  And I might as well enjoy the beautiful blooms and might even be tempted to smell the flowers.  For that few minutes, my mind is in the present moment...it is not traveling back to things I cannot change or wondering forward to moments I cannot predict.  That is the most peaceful gift I can give to myself.

I hope your day will be as vibrant as you are.


Love,
Victoria


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In the name of Romance

Sometimes I have an idea and it sounds good in my head but I don't know how it is going to translate in real life.  I get my inspirations from a lot of different things but some of them are from fashion.  I love fashion...absolutely adore it.  Marchesa have a way of taking my breath away with every thing they make.

Magical

Romantic

 For awhile now I have been trying to play it out in my head how to duplicate the beading and the delicate details of a couture gown onto a piece of furniture.  I want to create something that would exude the air of soft romance and aura of feminine love.

This dress to me is heaven.  Every inch of it sings to me. I have a pair of  gorgeous end tables that I know  would be perfect for it.

 Like most of my ideas, I never know if it is going to work.  One of my art teachers told me never to second guess myself and never be afraid to fail.  I have always stuck by that rule when it comes to art.

The whole time I was painting it, I really had to remind myself not to rush it.  Couture gowns are not created in a day and it takes time and passion and attention to details to make magic.  Since from the first time I painted my first piece of furniture, I realized I am drawn to one of a kind pieces.  Pieces that can stand on its own and make you appreciate every detail.

It was very important for me to get the textures right.

I had a vague idea of what I wanted it to look like.  It was originally painted in ASCP old white.  I put a coat of gold glaze then used different stencils to create the details.  I kept dabbing antique gold wax over the stencil to create textures.  I really wanted the look of lace on the table.  There were a couple of ways I could have done it but what I really wanted was the look of a golden crown.

No amount of paints was going to create that.  So out came Mod Podge and lace.  I again dabbed gold wax over the lace.

  Then I thought it was done...I stared at it...stared at it some more.  Something was off.  It was lacking the softness.  I wanted the look of soft flowy fabric on bare skin.  I painted the legs and the edges with a coat of gold glaze over Annie Sloan Chalk Paint® in Antoinette.

Delicate...intricate...soft and romantic.  Slightly Faded yet demand your absolute attention.  Nothing I do will ever be perfect.  I believe in balance...aged yet elegance.  It looks so beautiful next to my painted French settee. The whole setting reminds me of a timeless romance.

My beloved book covers art case that I made for B one Christmas but I love it so much, I kidnapped it back.

I hope spring is there where ever you are.  Til next time...

Love,
Victoria


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