::My Big News::

So my band of Paint Mavens have been doing pop-up vintage markets together for the past couple months. One gal who owns a shop has moved from her North Webster location to right downtown Fort Wayne!

Her shop is all cutie-patootie home decor, gifts and upcycled furniture....including my soap :)
Check out Emiley's Haute Cottage!

The shop is located in an old brick carriage house.  Here's the front (and the courtyard where we'll do our vintage market during Saturday's Grand Opening.)

But here's my great news!  The Paint Mavens are selling our furniture and finds in the upstairs of the carriage house!  Another Maven (Aimee of Restyled Vintage Designs) is a retailer for The American Paint Co, and her paint can be purchased there as well.  Her first 'Refunk your Junk' class is coming up!
Others are Cottage in the Woods, Foreverest Handmade Home & Vintage, and Revived. 

Here's a sneaky-peeky of what I'll have there from The Serendipity House:

You'll have to come Saturday to see them in their full glory :)

If you're anywhere around NE Indiana, this shop is definitely worth your time to stop.  All unique, one of kind items!  We're all thrilled to be joining together in this endeavor, doing what we love to do in a group of supportive women who all understand furniture hoarding and paint samples.  That's saying a lot.

I'm still fighting this sick thing, but slowly coming out of the fog.  Hoping to be 100% by our show on Saturday....would just love to meet any local readers!  Please introduce yourself if you stop by :)

::Annie Sloan Chalk Paint Workshop::

PSSSST...I'm no longer blogging here!

You can now find me at

www.acottagegirl.com

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If you follow me on Facebook, (and if ya don't, please do!) you'll know I hightailed it to an Annie Sloan Chalk Paint workshop at the very.last.minute this evening at this new wee shop just down the road from me.  It's called The Poppy Cottage, and well, I'm smitten. 

With both the gal who runs the joint, and the paint she peddles.  

Smitten.  

(Meet Tammy, my new girl crush.  And meet Tammy's banner, my new, um, banner crush.)

I'm fairly certain I totally freaked her and her hubs out with my incoherent ramblings upon entering their shop for the first time earlier in the week, realizing such amazing-ness was a mere 2 miles away from my front door, in a shop I used to work in no less (it was a children's book store when I worked there).  

Serendipity.  

My new word, by the way: Serendipity.  

You might be hearing more of it 'round these parts.  

I've had a run of serendipities...er, serendipitous moments recently.

(via)

It means "happy accident".

(via)

And finding Tammy and her uber-awesome shop was most definitely Serendipity.

'Cause I was actually looking for a stockist for Annie Sloan Chalk Paint, having attempted a few DIY versions that left me wondering, 'Oooooh reeeeeally' in my best skeptical Steve Martin voice.

And not only did I find a stockist, but she's like a long lost bosom buddy.  

Yes, I typed that out loud.

(a quart of *cream* ready for action at the workshop)

I just wanted to see what all the stink was about, really.

(There's no stink actually.  I mean, no literal stink to this paint. It's awesome.)

I bought a quart (*provence*, of course), a brush, clear wax, and a waxing brush on my first visit.

And made a brand-spankin' new friend.

With SERIOUS ::cottage instincts::

Serendipity.

(it's playtime girls!)

Stopped back a couple days later under the guise of checking to see if my brush was in, 

.....aaannnnddd picked up two sample jars: *coco* and *old white*.

("laying on" the paint, barely pulling the brush along)

Popped back in tonight for the mini-workshop and might have bought a sample jar of *duck egg* and the bigger waxing brush.

I also may have a wee problem.

(practicing the rustic technique, which looks great after adding the dark wax, pic down the post )

I was impressed.  My DIY versions were nothing close to this paint.  Which is not to say others don't have success with DIY versions....but mine were nothing like the consistency, quality and coverage of the true blue (lettered) Annie Sloan Chalk Paint.

(on the left side we did the french technique)

Tammy's hubster Jon actually taught the class, which was really helpful, even though it was taught by a man (KIDDING!). He cleaned all our brushes about 4 zillion times...which is where he was while the gals got their pic taken below.

(my classmates, who all have lovely names that I can't remember.....someone forgot the Dr. Seuss nametags, but I won't name names.  I do remember my name was Vicki.  Don't ask.)

I'm still scared of the wax, especially that evil dark wax, but after I play some more I may come around.
It did look all kinds of awesome on my *duck egg* board....

So, did I mention I've decided I'm going to get serious about starting a furniture painting business?

I may need to call it 

SERENDIPITY

~Painted Funiture and Finds~

Because truly, isn't every cast off, thrifty furniture find a happy accident?

Isn't every trip to the junk shop/estate/garagesale full of mystery and happy surprises?

Serendipity, I'm tellin' ya.

I'll keep ya posted....

Thanks to Tammy and her Hubby Jon for hosting and teaching us all about the Magic Paint.

If you're ever in Fort Wayne IN, get yer rear into The Poppy Cottage.

But leave the cute stuff for me.

ps...I stole all the pics of her shop from her facebook page.
That's what friends do.

Go.

So Guess What.

I met a reader who happens to have her own wee shop full of vintage goodness

 not 15 minutes from my doorstep. 

Imagine me attempting to contain myself upon meeting a like-minded junker-fixer-upper who actually chased down her dream of opening her own place, doing what she loves (and has obvious talent for), and passing along the goodness to others.

I know.

So welcome to Amy's Like Yesterday Shop (facebook HERE)

She's only been in this location for a few weeks, so new signage is on the way. 

She shares her space with Moe's Bikes.

(Let's just say swoon-y vintage cruisers were definitely spotted.)

Amy's re-loving of furniture is amazing, her pieces are unique and stylish for all kinds of cottage lovers.

Her prices?  

All you locals better get yer bums in here before she realizes what a steal her stuff is.

She's got another room full of neato kitchy, rustic, vintage-y yumminess.

See here.

(My son's waving at cha)

Totally wanted this signage.

Vintage bottles. Ok, yeah.

Interesting, unique, one-of-a-kind cool stuff.  What's better'n that?

Amy has a love of old toys, like this fella here and several of his comrades.

Totally made me feel like an antique myself as I recognized lots of toys from my own childhood.

I think I'm ok with that.  

Maybe.

Her Hubs helps transform pieces like this with his wicked woodworking skills, 

like adding wheels to this crate.

She stocks lots of painted pieces as well as original stuff with beautiful patinas.

So far, she can't keep furniture in stock!
There's so few little shops like this in our area.

Amy loves color, and the shop is filled with cottagey colors all over the place!

And owls.  Owls tucked every which where.  

My boys had fun playing a version of where's waldo and discovered at least 34 owls in the shop.

No joke.  It's like me with birds.
Ok, not that bad.

She hand paints and stencils some of her pieces too:

My youngest sitting at a fun desk Amy painted, distressed, and stenciled.

Please excuse woman's rear-end.  

If said woman is a reader of this blog, I sincerely apologize.

As I said, Moe's stocks refurbished (and sometimes new) bikes, as well as doing repairs and rebuilds.

I know where I'll be purchasing my new (old) bike!

Amy painted the sign for the bike shop in back.

I kinda sorta covet this bike as it looks like my very first 2 wheeler back in the early '70s.  

Only mine was pink :)

I had such a great time meeting and chatting with Amy.

And what fun to walk in to THIS!

Here's me and the proprietess hereself, all fuzzified and sepia'd.

We're gorgeous.  I know.

Best news:  I might get to sell some pieces myself at Like Yesterday Shop and help Amy with 

styling and decorating!

Not that I'm excited about that or anything. *snort*.  

I'm fairly certain I talked too much and freaked Amy out abit, but she's too nice to say so.

I'll keep ya posted.

Amy's shop address: 

204 North Jackson Street

Auburn IN 46706 

Go forth, you locals, and follow your ::cottage instincts:: to Amy's place.

Amen.