Back from vacay!

By Chelsea



Hi friends! Gee-whiz, this last week away from the blog has felt so long, (to me at least. You probably didn't notice)! Usually when the blog is quiet for a whole week I'm either working on something HUGE, or absolutely nothing at all. In this case it was the latter. We spent a beautiful week at my grandparent's lake house with the whole family. We relaxed in the hot tub, drifted on inner-tubes on the lake, nearly died on inner-tubes on the lake, skied, played games, watched soccer, took walks, and ate lots of deliciousness. It was a wonderful time of being together and I am so grateful for the time away. Here's a little photo recap of our week; a glimpse into life happening.

This is where we were - Deep Creek Lake. My beautiful sister took this amazing shot!

These guys. Doesn't get any better to this Momma.

That's a happy 4-year old face right there!

Every day, doing as we please.

Floating 'business' meeting with Cate

Cherishing time with these girls

S'mores. And s'more and s'more...

And where there were s'mores, there were dogs. :)

My love

 

Skiing after the storm

Dad time.

Coming up this week, a simple dresser gets completely transformed thanks to ScotchBlue painters tape, and I've got a sweet and simple DIY hostess or birthday gift.

Thank you for stopping by! Missed you all!

~Chelsea

Our WWI Army cot

By Chelsea

Hi guys! My favorite part of this blog, hands down, is sharing ideas. Ideas that I hope will inspire you to put your own creative touch on your home. Whether we share the same style or not, my wish for this little corner of the great wide web is to inspire you to fling the door to freedom and creativity within your own home wide open. You are one of a kind and completely unique, and so should be your home!

Today I'm really excited to be sharing a fairly unique idea. This one seemed kind of far-fetched a few months ago, mostly because I wasn't sure Matt would be on board. I really need to give him more credit! My guy, (usually), has a pretty open mind, and with his 'thumbs-up' I moved forward. I can't believe the day is here that it's a finished, functional, loved-on project! 

If you follow along on Facebook, you may have seen this photo a while back:

I asked if anyone knew what it was and wasn't surprised when, within minutes, one of my history buff uncles posted the correct answer: An old army cot! During a typical Craigslist search for some furniture to refinish, I stumbled on a listing for a handful of WWI Army cots. WWI, people! I was completely lost in curiosity. I drove out to take a look in person. It was love and intrigue at first site. The criss-crossing legs, the faded color of the wood, the old metal brackets...it was an easy purchase, (and for $40 nonetheless)! The seller, who had a handful of these, said they belonged to his grandfather who was a doctor during the war. 

Since my cot was used by a WWI doctor, (and you don't have to have a great imagination to guess what happened on these cots during those days), I really wanted to replace the original cover with something...cleaner. Vintage Army cot canvas covers are not quite a popular search, so the first company I found, Hoggan's, was basically my only source. I wouldn't imagine that WWI Army cot canvas cover replacements are in high demand, but for some reason it took almost two months for my cover to arrive from when I placed the order. But, the price was great and the quality is superb; worth the wait in my mind.

With the new canvas cover on, (an easy replacement that Matt and I took care of in 10 minutes), our WWI Army cot is being given a less eventful second life as a comfy reading, (or napping), spot in our living room!

I topped it with a pile of pillows that I made from mismatched placemats, ( how-to here), and a felt zipper pouch, all from World Market's clearance section. The whole lot of pillows cost under $15!

It's an honor to get to reinvent something with such deep history.

And it's quite enjoyed these days.

If you are local and interested in getting your hands on a WWI Army cot, please contact me! I've kept in touch with the seller and told him I'd refer any interest his way. I'd be happy to put you in touch; he's got quite a stash!

Thank you so much for stopping by!

~Chelsea

Sale recap!

By Chelsea

The 5th Chelsea's Garage sale this past Saturday couldn't possibly have fallen on a more beautiful day!

Cate and I squeezed in this shot together right before the day got rolling. She managed to look effortlessly fresh and beautiful throughout the entire ordeal. I was already sweating at this point. Like a guy.

Luckily, I went through and snapped some pictures of the garage the day before, because once we opened the door, it was game on! As with the previous sales, there were guests waiting at the front of the house an hour early, (hence, my sweating).

Here's a little tour around the 'shop', as it looked on Saturday:

My favorite part of the day, and really, the whole reason I host these garage sales every now and then, was getting to meet and mingle with the friendly faces who came out. Some old friends, some brand new. This was one of our younger guests, practicing excellent patience while his Mommy and Daddy looked around. So, so sweet. :)

We've said goodbye to a hefty handful of pieces since opening the garage door last Saturday morning, but there are still some beautiful pieces left waiting for a new home! Please check both of the Available for Sale links on the right hand side under, 'New? The fun starts here!'. Those pages will be updated frequently as new pieces become available and old pieces go, so check back often! And of course, custom orders are always an option if you have a piece of your own that you'd like to refresh!

Coming up tomorrow and Friday I've got a brand new DIY rug tutorial, as well as an amazing online retail shop selling gorgeous handmade items, (for home, little ones and you), for a great cause. You're gonna love it; I can't get enough!

Thank you all for stopping by!

~Chelsea

My first 'Take-two'!

By Chelsea

Three days until the 5th Chelsea's Garage sale! Here's today's sneak peek:

Sometime last week I posted a photo of this piece that I picked up at the Habitat for Humanity ReStore:

It felt like any other first meeting with a new piece: "Why, hello there; let's check you out. Mmm-hmm, you got it goin' on. Good bones, kickin' body. I would looooove to get my hands on you; are you spoken for? You're not?! Well then let's go, I'll pull my car around and pick you up. What's that? You don't think you'll fit in my minivan? I assure you, there's nothing 'mini' about it; it's pretty spacious with the seats out. C'mon. My house isn't far and my husband won't mind."

Then, after a few drinks, (of water), I went to the garage to remove the hardware from my new piece, (bow-chicka-wow-wowww). In that instant, I realized we had met before. Months ago. How embarrassing!!

Let's take a quick walk down memory lane. I found this piece at Goodwill last fall:

Turned it into this:

And it became a highly praised and shared Before / After feature on Apartment Therapy, catapulting the piece to hundreds of boards all over Pinterest. I couldn't believe it!!

So, when I started to recognize this new piece from the ReStore, I flew to the computer to look at photos of the previous piece I'd done last fall. Every detail is exactly. the. same. In 4 years of refinishing furniture, I can't recall ever finding a duplicate piece. I felt ridiculously giddy as soon as I realized I was getting a 'take-two' opportunity with one of the most popular pieces to come out of my humble garage!

After some back and forth, I decided to go in a totally different direction this time. A little quieter, softer, and slightly more versatile:

I couldn't use the original hardware; it was missing too many pieces and wasn't quite the look I was going for. After browsing some options online, I decided on these beech wood pulls from ATG Stores which I think add stunning contrast to the crisp white.  It's the natural wood that gives the entire piece a down to earth feel.

Gentle distressing over a crisp white piece is my favorite. There's a warmth and coziness that distressing adds, even to this Pure White by Annie Sloan Chalk Paint.

Before / After, Take-two

My first After / After

Pretty different, right?! Both good saves, in my utterly biased opinion. Find this and other one-of-a-kind beauties this coming Saturday! Cate and I will be selling two months worth of refinished pieces right out of my garage-turned-showroom. We are so excited to see and meet all who can make it!

(Please contact chelseasgarage@gmail.com for the address. Cash or Check are accepted)

Thank you for stopping by!

~Chelsea

First piece of Spring!

By Chelsea



Hello there! Three days ago I was looking at the weekend ahead with a pit in my stomach. None of us could walk through the garage, that's how full it was. Saturday morning Matt and I got our kids, (who have kind of become wild animals throughout this fierce winter), outside to do their thing, and we tackled the garage. One mound was a trash pile. The other a donation pile. Here are a few words I would use to describe our garage-clearing experience: Invigorating. Cleansing. Therapeutic. Rejuvenating. Terrifying. (every time I went to pick up a bag or towel or move something that hadn't been moved in months, I was sure I'd see a dead animal. Or worse, a living one). Romantic. (hey, watching my man lift heavy stuff is never a bad thing).

So, when I got to drive the van jam-packed with stuff to donate to the thrift store, I couldn't help stepping inside to check out what they had in the furniture section. I mean, we had just cleared TONS of room, so why not, right?!

True as it may be that I was probably not the right one to go to the thrift store, (especially with all the new space in our garage), I really could not pass up this beauty. Thankfully, Matt agreed!

First piece of the Spring season! 

I have a lot riding on this piece, not least of which is a better mood!

Hello rocker-chic hardware!

So, I'm starting on the piece this week. Old White with light distressing, original hardware. Dimensions are 47.5"L x 30"H x 17.75"D. If you have any interest at all please contact me ASAP at chelseasgarage@gmail.com. Finished pictures will be up when it's done! 

And just so you don't miss it, our beautiful Cate, (SIL, just married my brother, incredibly talented DIYer), will be stopping by soon to share some of the amazing projects she's been working on over the past few months. Stay tuned!

Thank you so much for stopping by!

~Chelsea