A Fish Bench...with CHALK PAINT®

A customer inspired me with a page from a magazine she brought in the store. I am not sure which magazine it was, but there was a terrific old bench in a chartreuse-green color with a folk art fish painted down the length of the bench. I fell in love with it! So...I had to make one myself.

Here is the process:

My husband built this for me using pine boards-


This did not take long, but I would recommend waiting for the stain to dry overnight before painting on top of the stain. I wanted a dark wood to show through when I distressed the top of the bench.



Using CHALK PAINT® decorative paint on the top of the bench, I mixed 2 part Arles with 1 part Antibes Green to get this "yellowy-green" color...very creative & scientific name I gave it, don't you think?



Instead of straight-up plagiarizing the fish from the magazine, I opted for using some of the same color elements, but changed many of the fish pattern to mimic an old fishing lure. I started with the white base using Old White CHALK PAINT®.


Using Graphite CHALK PAINT® for the outline & details of the fish. Outlining artwork gives it a more "folk art" feel.



I added more CHALK PAINT® colors to the body of the fish. Scandinavian Pink, Provence & Olive. Keeping the paint very watered down, I was able to blend the colors in the body of the fish.



Because I thought this bench may need to have a home outside someday, I used an indoor/outdoor poly-acrylic satin varnish to seal the bench top.



And...voila! A fish bench...using CHALK PAINT®!

NOLA and Fishing and Springtime

Have y'all been to New Orleans lately? If not, here's my visitor's perspective: The food is amazing! We started eating at Cafe du Monde and didn't stop for four days. (Yes, we were popping TUM's like they were candy. So worth it!)

At Cafe Du Monde

Annie talking about her new book

We just got back from an annual meeting there, where we were hanging out with the Chalk PaintR decorative painting crowd, starring Annie Sloan herself. We stayed in the Loew's hotel, which was really nice. Too bad, I didn't take any pictures. I like nice hotels. 

I don't know if she actually said it or not, but I was thinking about it and I have decided that Annie Sloan must subscribe to the philosophy that says "Give a man a fish and you feed him for a day. Teach a man to fish and you feed him for a lifetime." 

I'd say over the week, she was teaching us to fish. (more on fishing later)

Annie is so very generous in sharing her talent and knowledge, and she's easy to listen to because she is funny and has a lovely English accent. If you've taken a class from us or talked to us for very long, you know that, in fact, we think she is quite wonderful. (She says 'quite' a lot while speaking.) She- and her team- shared not just about paint, but also about style, social media, photography, art influences, and business management. It was inspiring and challenging and at times, validating. And it sort of lit a fire under us, as evidenced by this blog after an 8 month silence.

The message she gave us (and would have us pass on to you) is: 

'Get on with it.' 

In other words, go for it. Just do it. Do not be afraid. 

Apply this to whatever it is you haven't had the courage to do yet. Go fishing for yourself.

You have our permission and blessing. 

According to Gary and Byron, this was some sort of fishing trifecta.
Yes, I think they had fun.

This year, we took our handsome and handy husbands with us to New Orleans. They had some fun of their own fishing in the Gulf of Mexico. I'm pretty sure that's the main reason they tagged along- not to learn more about our 'magic paint' as it is referred to by at least one of them.

But, they did not complain at all about the food or coffee we made them consume. So, maybe they can go again next year. Maybe. 

Byron and Cari 

Shannon and Gary

We ended our week with dinner at Palace Cafe. And guess what I ate? Fish. Pecan crusted catfish. Again, yum. 

Seriously, wouldn't you order that?

And finally, here's a look at our springtime storefront. 

Have you seen our awnings? And we have new oilcloth banners. 

We'll have the doors open, (unless it is snowing or sleeting or hailing or raining buckets or the wind is blowing 100mph- all of which are possible in Spring in Arkansas) so stop by soon. 

https://www.facebook.com/pages/Red-Hill-Gallery-and-Homewares/134308699952099?ref=hl

Thanks to Cash Mob Fayetteville for nomitaing us for September's store. Vote and leave a comment....pretty please!!
It has been a long and very hot summer, but we are gearing up for cooler weather and the Holidays. Mark your calendars- our Open House is scheduled for October 3-6 with great specials/food/demonstrations each day.

Coming Soon- House Special Interiors (our partner store) will be stocking Miss Mustard Seed's Milk Paint. We can't wait to get our hands on her incredible colors!

Check our our website for more information about the store and our products-

Update, up to the minute

Hey friends. Happy Thanksgiving! 

I hope you are able to be with your family this week and enjoy relaxing, eating, and watching the Razorbacks. I hope that you take time to stop and count your blessings, too. That's what I have done here. Since I don't blog everyday (nowhere near) I have made a list of things I am thankful for- one for each day of the month. I promise to be brief and not explain each one. And these are in no particular order.

Okay, really fast, here goes:

1. my computer, my pandora radio, and my phone
2. chocolate
3. tea and coffee
4. my parents, sister, and brothers
5. my extended family (ALL of them)
6. my home
7. my BIBLE
8. my friends- old ones and new ones
9. boots
10. on-line shopping
11. electricity
12. living in Fayetteville, AR, USA
13.  my husband who loves me and is handsome and handy
14. Hudson
15. Grant
16. Amelia
17. Georgia
18. my (minivan) vehicle
19. public school teachers who love my kids
20. restaurants
21. sleep
22. a new day every morning
23. sunshine, rain, snow, and fresh air
24. Books & book stores
25. Music (especially my kids playing piano & singing)
26. Paint, Paper, and Fabric
27. my church
28. exercise videos so I don't have to go to the gym
29. good manners
30. My husband and kids- I am putting them on the list twice because I am especially thankful for them and it's my list. :)

1 Chronicles 16:34 O give thanks to the LORD, for He is good; For His lovingkindness is everlasting.

Thanks for reading! See you Friday at the store for some 'Black Friday' fun!

Fall in Fayetteville

After our freakish Winter,  a Spring of floods, and a Summer with record high temperatures and very little rain, I am so thankful for Fall!

I (normally) enjoy all the seasons. In fact, I am so glad to live where there are distinct seasons. But I can easily say Fall is my favorite. I LOVE Fall. NOT just because school starts, although I do enjoy routine. It's more because I love to wear jackets and scarves and boots. And I love all the foods that go along with the cooler weather- soups, chili, pumpkin pies, even tailgate foods! I love the sense of community that comes with Razorback football. I love the craft fairs that are all over the place in October. I even love the un-creepy parts of Halloween. And then, Thanksgiving is my very favorite holiday- friends, family, tons of great food, with the focus on being thankful for what we have, not on what we want! A perfect holiday.

Here at the store, we're in full-gear Fall from now till November, when we will switch gears to Christmas! Can you believe it is coming so soon? Our Open House for the holidays will be on November 4 & 5 (with a sneak preview on November 3). You won't want to miss it. Also in November, we'll be at the NWA Boutique show. And Red Hill Gallery & Homewares will celebrate our one year anniversary. It's hard to believe, but we are happy to reach our first big milestone.

The store looks great and is really a fun place to shop. We have lots of new merchandise in stock and get new stuff almost daily.

So, after a rather long blog break, that's the update. Thanks for keeping us busy! We are really having fun!

Uncool...

Besides the literal reference to the blazing hot temperatures, I have been informed by my younger sister that I am pretty much very uncool. Let me explain - she is four years younger, a buyer for a major department store, married just three years and no children. Can I repeat that last one in case you missed it?...No children. She gets uninterrupted sleep at night, she can still wear a two piece and she does not have to go to Chuck E. Cheese...ever. That being said, she is often embarrassed when shopping with me at "mom" stores, laughs at my bedtime and is just plain astonished at my choice in television programming.

Just last night on the phone she was mentioning the live-streaming episodes of "24" she and her husband had religiously been watching the past few weeks. Then, I (mistakenly) thinking we had something in common, mentioned that we had also become addicted to a show on Netflix- The Andy Griffith Show! There was silence on the other end of the phone....I think she had covered it up with her hand to laugh.  I spent the next few minutes trying to defend Andy, but I just couldn't make her understand- she would have to see for herself.

Our family watches two, maybe three episodes a day. This totally fine, because there are hundreds of episodes. Alongside Seinfied, The Andy Griffith show ran eight full seasons and actually ended when it was still was at the height of it's popularity. It is funny, nostalgic, clean and wise beyond it's time. Trust me, it is very much worth any "un-coolness".

I think I should mention some very "cool" new products we have in our store...


These are handmade, letterpress signed and numbered prints done by two friends just north of us in Missouri. They are called 1canoe2 and you must go check out their website and all their cool products. We are currently carrying the above print, the "Round" things coaster set, the Storybook House Kit, and the recipe cards.

We have lots more new stuff in our store, we are working on stocking up for the fall and planning for the Christmas season, too.

Needless to say, we have been "busier than a cow's tale during fly season!"....(The Andy Griffith show, Season 1, Episode 21).

Hotter than a $2 Pistol

Hello Friends! Happy Friday to everyone. 

It has been a long time, but (as they say in the movies) we're back!! Thanks for hanging in there with us. Last Thursday, Friday, and Saturday we celebrated our grand RE-opening. Thanks to all of you who braved the heat to come out. (and WOOOIE it is hot!!) It was lots of fun for us and hopefully, you too.

We are SO happy to have found such a great spot to relocate to, 

as well as having such fun ladies to work with at House Special Interiors. 

You've got to love the convenience of having two great stores in one really easy to get to location!

Congratulations to:

Robin Primm

Gina Hellum

and

Lynn Fisher

They were the lucky winners of our cool chair giveaways. 

Enjoy ladies! We hope you love them as much as we do. (especially the vintage quilt seats)

Over the weekend, we got this 'new' old piece in the store:

How great is this? It would look perfect in so many places- a screened porch, a bedroom, a home office. I'm thinking it won't last long.

We also have a fun new line of rings and earrrings by local Mimi Bird. Check these out:

And, of course, you'll find our usual fun stuff!

So, stop in.
See you at the shop!