Annie Sloan Chalk Paint, a Dumpster Dive chair and Big Dogs Rule! 
So what do all these words have in common?

You see big dogs,when eating should not bend all the way to the floor so thus I started making these  chairs and this is chair number 5,finding old solid wood chairs tossed to the curb. Playing with neutral paint tones enables the chair to fit into any household. I use the Big Dog Rules line on each chair for fun...if people want I will place the dogs name on the bracer bar across the top, for my own dog..it would say Thor, the wonder dog...my own German Shepherd....this is a small frame chair so it will not take a lot of space,where ever used....So what big dogs do you love?

Can I say this is not a great picture. My back room has been the off load spot for all the work we have been doing in our living room...you will see pics down the road.

Back to the dogs folks......Say hi to Lucy and Linus, LOL names for this guy and gal,I call them the Polar Bears, I dare you to hurt a hair on one of my grand kids.They are sweet and they think their lap dogs...but they love their kids and they handle tons of abuse from them and take every roll. These two are a perfect example of a big dog and why a dog chair is great, solid and hold up to their feeding. I use Annie Sloan chalk paint because it is so hardy, with the wax finish just wipe it off....I place a layer of Velcro in the hole and it that helps secure the bowl in place...

I want to say thank you to each of the over 11,000 folks who have stopped by and so sorry I have not done any posts since the start of the month. Between the work on the living room and a terrible case of the flu that became pneumonia I have been out of blog land posting....so now time to get back into the swing of clearing my corners of all the projects that have been sitting waiting for some type of kalamity....

2012 Round up and a Happy New Year wish to all, a year of positive, pay it forward actions and peace......and let it start with me.


I know a bit remiss on posting...I am taking a little break while my Mr Kalamitie or my best friend and  hubby and the guy who can fix any problem I struggle with, is enjoying his much deserved Christmas break.  I do have lots of projects in the wings....or garage,and my backroom and my craft closet....amazing how projects fill up all the nooks and crannies. 

SO how are your projects lists looking? Has Christmas break slowed your progress? Priorities...family family family and the projects will be their waiting. I have had too much fun playing with grand kids, the menagerie of dogs and cats we have...and Mr Kalamitie.

We celebrated another Birthday for Britton my grandson with the unending imagination. I dug this out from my pic archive's. Brittons first birthday where have the year's gone.. he is wearing his grandpa's boots true vintage. He is now the master dragon trainer  and has a ongoing story full of imagination and energy that stops only when he collapses...Happy Birthday Britton

March of 2012 is when I started my blog. Thank you to my son Matt who first pulled the plug,and started the progress....then I started playing with the layout. I felt OK but not what I foresee and this is when I went to Miss Karen Valentine.....she is wonderful to work with and I will be honest with 2013 I have again reached out...I want a fresh look and would love your suggestions...don't worry I am thick skinned Hey I was in management for over 38 years...Karen's Button is on the bottom of my blog...check her out!  My shop is called Alexandria Attic and this little precious was the inspiration for my shop name....she is now the Shark Loving, no fear and full speed ahead grand daughter who has me wrapped around her finger....

# 1. This is my most purchased item, my own version of the muscial  sheets turned into a garland that is great for holiday,but does not stop their...hang over your windows.....hang on your bed posts. I have asked before do you want a tut....I have had comments that led me to telling them how.....if you want to know the tricks I need to hear from you....

#2. This is my #1. inspiration a no sew ruffled tree skirt....(I have to learn the steps so one post takes a person to another post) Miss Mustard Seed inspiration....I have sold 4 of these and next I will be doing some small versions....I am thinking the whole tree for table tops HMMMM  But I fell in love with her blog and thought if she can do that so can I...so I started..and now my head is  full of ideas from blog hoppin....I had never even read a blog before 2011....now I can't stop

#3  Paper Love   I fell in love with old musical sheets and how to take them and make something unique and beautiful with paper...plus I am a tree hugger....and to reuse this product in a new eventful way is so much fun...This was in March and I wanted to get the word out about Marta and Friends.....this was the first one and now with 2 under our belt and a Christmas open house...Marta and I are on a roll ...planning for Spring.. Paper love a wedding cake from a vintage dictionary and a ballerina from a falling apart dress form, a old lamp base and imagination.

# 4, OK this piece has been my no# 1 commented item. The before and after is drastic...yes look at June posting for all the details...from what was a trunk that most would walk away from, to once I said I can make this better....sold within 1 week The amazing power of paint and ASCP

# 5. My No.1 I wish I had taken this outside for a better picture.The piece was so great but the pics never did it justice. Again another learning curve that I have a way to go...

# 6. My No 1.dumpster dive save. This dress form was trashed, the paper mache broken and the magic of decopage and The Graphic Fairy....love her images...most of the mannequins find their way to another vendors shop...to be used for their displays.

#No 7 My biggest project to date and the most work from start to finish. What was a blonde version and really Blah! became very cottage shabby. Lots of work and surprise went into the home of a lovely 70 year old lady who has a big family and 6 chairs and the leave was perfect.

# 8. My fastest sale to date and not even a good pic...Ombre detailing from the top to the bottom.  Fun distressing  and again the pic does not give a true read of the Moody Blues of this 1 hour sale. This also is my go to color tone...I have sold more items painted in shades of aqu,turquoise and ASCP Provence....Turquoise love has a whole board on my pinbords

# 9. My biggest mistake painting chairs and playing with paint treatments..Thinking I can get both chairs to match. Not using a solid paint but a mix of colors and layers for a weathered look. One came out darker and I could not get the other to balance....so one chair became a Tiffany blue and this one became Miss Paris...she sold in one week and Tiffany blue took 2 months.

# 10. My big lesson in pricing. I know I undersell some of my labors. Our market does not support the same pricing of say Austin nor the venue south. I sold this for 150.00 The work to put it all back together when the top had to be reassembled.  The mirror placed back into the mirror. I used ASCP and my sander and found this wonderful original milk paint. She was so cottage chic. A vendor from Waco bought her and turned my 150.00 and all my work into her sale of 400.00 Ouch

# 11. My no 1 repeat in furniture...Big Dog Rules..I have another one ready for the shop. This chair was in sad shape. So a mix of ASCP. then some green tape. I have done 4 versions of this idea and each sells within 2 months. My dogs are my inspirations...Thank you Thor.

# 12. My not for sale but best art work, I have ever done.  My one 2013 personal goal, get back to my pastels and create. 

So a review of 2012 and my Blog journey to date. TO all my followers thank you so much and to those who comment...I appreciate your time ......those who stop by for a visit....thank you!