Back to School Table Desk & a Photography Tip

This was a custom order for Shannon and her daughter who needed her desk flipped so she could study in style. I'm in love with crystal knobs on black furniture. I looks so classy! I buy mine at Hobby Lobby but when they're out you can find them at Home Depot or Lowe's.

I got a little carried away while I was editing these pictures- I also discovered the ''auto fix'' option... It made a HUGE difference in the pictures. You'd never know the sun was going down when I took these pictures... or that they were taken from my cell phone... unless you're some picture expert or something, maybe.

I usually spend roughly 30 minutes photographing each piece that I paint and take around 60ish pictures that I sort through and pick my faves. I then spend between 30 minutes to an hour cropping, editing, and adding my logo. When it's all said and done about 10-20 make it to the interwebs (I post more to my Facebook than my blog) and I invest upwards of an hour and a half of time to pictures of each piece. I think it's really important to have good pictures and capture your hard work. I lack in the area of photography but I'm learning a little- I do know that good sunlight will make a world of difference if you're using a regular ol camera that doesn't have fancy options. Orrr, just hit that auto fix button =) That's my photography tip of the day- and probably the only one I'll ever give.

 

 Thanks for reading!

-Audra

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Art Deco Meets Sophia's Coco

This week I've had the pleasure of doing some furniture flipping for Momma Kim. Who is Momma Kim you ask? She's the person who shuffled "The Three Musketeers" around in high school... To the movie, on dates, youth group, shopping... you name it. The 3 Musketeers met at her house almost every weekend and didn't leave until after we got some breakfast casserole on Sunday morning. Her daughter, Katie, Kala, & myself were inseparable. Our summers were spent laying out by their pool, and at school we hung out in the halls between every class. Momma Kim was the mom away from mom and her home was our home way from home.

Enough reminiscing, on with the furniture flipping!

When she dropped off her art deco chest of drawers and the bed to match, she asked for cream, grey, & ''scratched up'' =). That idea got pushed aside after she saw the Coco Dresser by Sophia's Decor on Pinterest. So, I sent over an email to Kristen of Sophia's Decor and she was totally cool with me replicating her work. I changed up the colors and added some distressing and this is what I got:

  Before:

Check back later in the week for after pictures of her deco bed =)

 

Thanks for reading!!

-Audra

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Black Beauty {Painted Dresser} {Before and After}

This was a custom order for an old friend of mine, Courtney. We were neighbors for a few years when I was 12ish. They had the best play house ever! It was the size of some people's actual homes- it was 2 stories and pink (I think)... it was fun. Now we're all grown up and married and getting our furniture painted and doing things adults do... Not playing hide and seek with Amanda and Leah =)

I forgot to take a before picture (of course) but use your imagination like every other time I forget the before =)

My husband has been off of work this week and gotten 6 pieces sanded and primed for me! Poor guy- he works ridiculous hours with his regular job... some weeks he barely gets an entire day off... then, when he does get a break, I put him to work. He must love me or something. I'm planning to have 4 of those pieces finished by the end of this week, I can't wait to share them with you!

Thanks for reading!

-Audra 

Sharing at:
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Primitive and Proper

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Turquoise Dresser {Before and After}

Remember the Broyhill dresser I found in Atlanta last week? No? You can read all about it here. Anyway- I was so excited to start working on it that I unloaded it all by myself- where there's a will there's a way! 

I get so excited about my projects- I worked and worked and worked on this piece. I don't even think the paint was completely dry before I was dragging it out in the back yard for a photo shoot. Thank goodness for hand trucks!

Here's the before

Thanks for reading!

-Audra

PS- New followers put a smile on my face =)

Sharing at:
Miss Mustard Seed: FFF
Primitive & Proper
Primp Your Stuff Wednesday 
Embracing Change 
The Shabby Nest: Frugal Friday
Redoux 
Liz Marie Blog

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Simply Salvaged & the Late.

Last week I gave myself a little time off to hang out with my little brother before he starts back to school- I'd planned on keeping him an entire week but after one night he wanted to go home. It really broke my heart. I actually shed a tear or two secretly and that, my friends, is rare. I felt like a crappy big sister who isn't entertaining enough for a 7 year old. I can't imagine how emotionally difficult it must be to be a parent once kids start getting minds of their own. I got a little glimps of the ''I'm too kool for you, mom'' thing. It made me feel really bad for my parents raising me because when it came to the 'I would rather do anything but spend time with my parents' thing I was as guilty as they come. Not to mention the hell I gave them ontop of that.

Anyways I decided to go ahead and take advantage of my empty schedule and spend some time with my husband who was working in Atlanta. He was actually working in Alpharetta which is where he lived when we started dating. I mapped out the area's thrift stores before I went, of course.

The drive was beautiful...

...The food was awesome!...

 I LOVE Mediterranean food!

...the price on this Broyhill dresser was AMAZING!...

You should of seen me unloading this thing off the back of the truck ALONE. Don't ask me how... I just really really really wanted to paint it.

...also a vintage filing cabinet I got for $10

Sitting in a hotel room with nothing to do but think about what all you want to do next is great for motivation. I didn't even take my bags into the house before I started working once I'd gotten home.

I hope you all are having a good week!

Thanks for reading!!

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