Back from vacay!

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

This post was published under Chelsea's Garage, now affectionately known as StyleMutt.

Sale recap!

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

This post was published under Chelsea's Garage, now affectionately known as StyleMutt.

My first 'Take-two'!

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

This post was published under Chelsea's Garage, now affectionately known as StyleMutt.