sunday beach picnic

"The sea does not reward those who are too anxious, 

too greedy, or too impatient. 

One should lie empty, open, choiceless as a beach 

- waiting for a gift from the sea."

Anne Morrow Lindbergh

ciao! fabiana

a visit to Peinture Studios

This sweet little vintage table was a hand-me-down from my in-laws. I had spray painted it a few years ago, but now I felt it needed some love. With the help of owner, designer Deborah Waltz of Peinture Studios, I was able to transform this little table into a lovely heirloom piece that feels right at home in my living room. 

Deborah suggested a combination of chalk paint, 2 kinds of soft wax, gorgeous gilding wax and new Annie Sloan stencils, and gave me great pointers to on how to complete my project.    
     

I love a little paint project, but I especially love the instant gratification you get by updating a piece of furniture with paint.  No paint is easier to use than Annie Sloan Chalk Paint.  It requires no sanding so you can skip all that prep work and just get right into painting.  

We chose to start with Old White as the base.  Deborah has a fabulous display wall in her studio that features every color of Annie Sloan Chalk Paint, each on a unique vintage chair.  The chairs are hung up on the wall by rope in a really creative display.  It’s a great visual to actually see what the color looks like on a piece of furniture.
       

We stepped into the workshop of Peinture Studios to assess my table and what fun techniques I could use on it to enhance pretty shape of the table.  Deborah teaches beginner and advanced classes here in her workshop several times a month.    

To start, Deborah suggested I place the piece upside down. That way all the surfaces would be covered, and I could finish off painting it right-side up to get a nice clean look on the top of my table, which is the most visible. 

Here‘s the table back at home, with its first coat of Old White. (It took two coats to evenly paint the piece. The paint dries quickly, so I was able to work fast.)   

Next, I applied the Annie Sloan clear soft wax on the entire table.  I then went in and accentuated all the grooves of the table with the dark wax. All I needed was just a little in the cracks and then it was rubbed off immediately with a soft cloth. 

A little of the colored wax goes a long way.  If too much is applied, it can be removed with clear wax. This tip from Deborah was really important, because it’s really fun to play with the different depths of color, and too much can be easily removed with this method. Using painters tape, I positioned the first stencil in place, the nymph. 

With a really soft touch of my finger and a small stencil brush, I applied the beautiful brass colored gilding wax within the stencil, being careful not to glop too much on near the edges. I did the same with the branches stencil.  (I immediately washed my hands after applying the wax.)

The branches stencil was pretty intricate, so I found that using a Q-tip dipped in clear wax easily removed any excess gilding wax that was not within the design of the stencil.  

The Annie Sloan stencils are an exciting and new addition to the Annie Sloan product line. Peinture Studios has an exclusive collection of them at the moment.

I love how the curvatures of my table are accented with these paint techniques.  I even applied the gilding wax to the little metal claw feet of the table for an extra, but subtle little added shine.

This is how the table turned out, and I couldn’t be happier!  It’s found a great spot next to a comfy cane-backed chair in my living room, and it's now the perfect place to enjoy a little tea or coffee. 

Visit Peinture Studios at SoCo in Costa Mesa for more inspiration, supplies and great creative workshops.  The workshops are so fun!  You get to bring in a piece of furniture and you leave with a custom painted creation made by you!  

I'd love to hear about your projects. 

ciao! fabiana

apple green and cobalt

Bright and cheery, elegant and playful!  The color combination of apple green and cobalt blue is one of my favorite looks for this season. Mix and match fabrics, pillows, tableware and plants in your own unique style, and it’s sure to be a hit! Here are a couple of great examples put together by Roger’s Gardens here in Newport Beach.    

ciao! fabiana

favorite red, white and blue tables

A little bit of red, white and blue

inspiration for the weekend

     ...from pinterest, of course!  

Mix and match patriotic paper goods for an easy custom look!

1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5

ciao! fabiana

healthy snacks for the long weekend

Getting ready for the weekend with my new favorite snack, yummy gourmet flavored Gaslamp Popcorn and my red, white and blue tableware.

ciao! fabiana

she sheds and zen dens

Today I am sharing with you, twenty-two of my favorite outdoor sanctuaries from pinterest.  These “she sheds” are the female equivalent of a man-cave. 

A she shed is a little oasis that one could also call a “zen den”. For more inspiration and for photo sources, check out my friend Nancy's shed, devoted to the pursuit of female happiness!

This one, with the coral double doors, is from 

last month’s Better Homes and Gardens magazine.

This one below, is Mary McDonald’s pretty outdoor getaway, styled two different ways.

The last one is my friend and neighbor Nancy’s elegant potting shed that she uses for creating gorgeous floral arrangements for friends and parties.

ciao! fabiana


For more She Shed inspiration check out this new book:

newport harbor home tour - Lido Manor

As you enter this gorgeous bayfront home, you are immediately greeted by the sound of water trickling from this unique fountain.  Named the “Lido Manor”, this home features the interior design work of Melinda Grubbs. 

The style is upscale Cape Cod and boasts gorgeous views of Newport Bay in the living room, dining room and kitchen.  One of the highlights of this house is the magnificent floating three story stair case.  

My favorite room is the guest room with the fun orange zebra-striped window shades, but the whole house is just amazing!  Guests of the Newport Harbor Home and Garden Tour were privileged enough to get a tour of this house last week.  

It's also been featured in Luxe Magazine, and now is one of the exclusive homes that have been on the home tour.  Let me know what you think!

ciao! fabiana