Spray Painted School Desk

I found a great old fashioned school desk at a rummage sale a few weekend ago and I just finished it's rehab. I chose I really awesome Marigold Spray Paint (Krylon brand from Kmart, I believe) which I coated the whole desk inside and out with (the top of the desk lifts up for storage inside). 

Then I painted the alphabet and some alium in a walnut color. I traced the letters onto the desk very Old School. Because I couldn't find any carbon paper....where the heck do you find that stuff??

Here's how I did it:

~I printed out large letters onto regular printer paper and cut them out. 

~I flipped over the paper and traced the shape of the letter on the back of it in a colored pencil (but a regular pencil will do, too). 

~Then I placed the letters (traced side down) where you would like them. Trace over the lines on the front side of the image and it will PUSH your tracing on the back side right onto the desk (or whatever project you're working on). 

~Then, I just painted over the letters. The alium I free-handed. I was actually inspired by THIS hand-painted alium sidetable from Art Is Beauty.  

~I coated the desk with clear acrylic spray paint once everything was dry to keep the paint from smudging/scratching easily. 

 So, that's my little school desk redo. I am in love with that marigold spray paint, by the by. I am a woman to be wary of with spray paint.....once I've got a can I find myself scanning around for the next thing to spray. I can totally see the appeal in graffiti. :-) 

I shared this post at the following funky linky parties:

Raising Monarchs: Update 4 Fly Away!!

 This is the final update about Raising Monarchs....if you'd like to see the entire post from the beginning, click HERE!!!!

Well, guess who made an appearance in the vase? Mr. Butterfly arrived even sooner than I expected!! 

So we waited until the weather was just right and let him go out in our flower garden. At first he wasn't ready to leave:

I used one of the sticks and coerced him to step onto it, then I gently pulled it out and brought it to a flower. He stepped onto it.

And, within moments he had made a friend....

He stayed for about two seconds....and then caught a fast breeze and zipped away!! I didn't even get a chance to take a picture of him on the fly. He made up his mind and just did it....well, I suppose it IS a long way to Mexico from Maine. :-) 

It's so magical to imagine a such a change happened in this little cocoon:

I suppose that might be what some of us are trying for when we get all wrapped up in a treatment at the spa....if a caterpillar can do it....

:-) 

Thanks so much for following along as we went through the process of Raising a Monarch!! 

A Marvelous Mess #33 and Features!!!

It is thundering in Maine. In October. We're having some strange weather around here. Usually our leaves are all turning beautiful colors by now....but it's been so darned warm that they are waiting. I want my chilly fall temperatures and Autumn leaves!! I want a frost in the morning. Is that so much to ask, Mr. Global Warming? Heck, I would settle for a brisk breeze at this point.
I <3 Autumn.

Before I get to features today I wanted to mention a quick little problem I am having....
quite a few of you are not linking back to me. :-( Now, I'm not picky about linking back.....do it in your post or your sidebar with a button or even just add me to your linky party page (with a mention to go to it in your post, please).....but it would be so nice of everyone to actually do it. You have no idea how many different posts (over the whole course of this linky party) I thought about featuring on my sidebar and DIDN'T because they didn't link back to me anywhere on their site.

Now, if you're new to blogging and link parties and you don't know HOW to do it.....that's one thing. Just ask me and I'll totally help you out. But, if you're an established blogger than I think you know better. Please? It's the polite thing to do.

Okay. I'm done. :-)
Please?

Here are my fave's to feature from last week:

Homemade Taco Seasoning from Whole. New. Mom.

P.S. Love that photo. Pinning It!!

Awesome Homemade Laundry Mousse from Raising 4 Princesses. Totally trying this one.

Paper Quilled Daisy Earrings from Red Ted

And, the post I am going to feature on my sidebar for a week is....

 Biscoff Buttercream from Home Grown Beanes. I've never heard of this peanut butter substitute. Drool worthy. :-)

Thanks so much to all of you for linking up....don't forget to grab a button!!

<br /><center><a href="http://marvelouslymessy.blogspot.com" target="_blank"><img border="0" alt="A Marvelous Mess" src="http://i941.photobucket.com/albums/ad256/MarvelouslyMs/buttonbackground1-2.jpg" /></a></center>

Raising Monarchs: Update 3 - Cocooned!!

Our little fellow has been in his cocoon for a week and a few days and is showing signs of being ready to come  on out soon. Monarchs will usually hatch from their cocoon in the morning. I am expecting this butterfly to make it's appearance.

Colder weather = Knitting

When the leaves start changing colors around here I think there is a switch that goes off in my mind that tells me it's time to think knitting. I can only seem to knit in colder temperatures....luckily Maine abounds with them. :-) A fantastic bonus of becoming a knitter is going into a yarn shop. The textures and colors, the coziness and the friendliness are so welcoming. Now, if you don't have a local place to buy wool yarn you could try going to a wool shop online.

Wool and the Gang is a really fun online shop that features some gorgeous Peruvian wool. I would LOVE to work with this stuff!! Take a look at these gorgeous colors:

And, there are plenty more colors and sizes (from chunky to thin) where these came from. 

Just cause the weather is cold doesn't mean you have to make bland color choices in clothing!!

A fantastic feature of the Wool and The Gang site is a page dedicated entirely to tutorials. Love it!! Trust me, as a novice in the fiber arts, I can tell you that those little videos are SO handy. You'll find yourself going back there over and over again.

At Wool And The Gang you can get anything from a ball of yarn to clothing kits you create yourself to get you started.....and if you would rather leave the knitting to someone with more patience, you can find some fantastic knit clothing there as well.

This article was sponsored by the site Wool And The Gang. All the words and opinions in the post are entirely my own.

Fall Centerpieces and Bouquets

Though my Husband and I were married in the early Summer, I have always had a passion for fall. Cooler, drier temperatures and the gorgeous palette of the changing leaves in New England leave me breathless with wonder. There is no better season in my book. Recently I have seen a lot of centerpieces and bouquets for Fall occasions and I am just in love with the visuals. 

The use of gourds in these next few photo's are fantastic!!

http://www.design-decor-staging.com/blog/pumpkin-flower-centerpieces-fall-table-decorations/26571

And, these bouquets are gorgeous. Love the use of deep burgundy and the contrasting spicy oranges:

There are so many options for a gorgeous fall bouquet or centerpiece. I am just in love with the palette that we associate with Autumn. If you are looking for flowers, try local nursery....or even better for a better selection of flowers order online.

Another great thing to do in fall to get some color ideas is to visit a botanical garden. We've got a beautiful one in Maine called Coastal Maine Botanical Gardens. It is fantastic....and they've got a whole section themed just for children. Here is a link to their site where they list what's blooming in each season!!