World's biggest Chalk Paint® decorative paint Loser Blogger!

I have been the biggest loser blogger of all.  I had great plans to make it to the Haven Conference and hoping to be inspired to blog more often and then I tore my rotator cuff in my right shoulder serving in a tennis match.  Prior to surgery I was not ambidextrous, but I did discover that my left hand actually can brush hair, teeth, and do the basics. 

NO bueno!  

I'm 6 weeks post op and actually feeling good and finally out of the dreaded sling.  I haven't been a stellar patient and MAYBE I drove before I was supposed to and MAYBE I carried some paint boxes that weighed more than 5 pounds, but funny when I went back for my 6 week post op this week, my surgeon said, "Nobody has ever had a range of motion that you have at 6 weeks!"  Ha.  I didn't let on why, our secret, okay?  I started back teaching workshops and had a blast with kids camp a few weeks ago and finally feel good enough to paint again.  I'm not yet sleeping through the night because rotator repair is AWFUL, but I am regaining strength and my ability to do more paint related!

I get calls often from customers wanting me to paint for them.  Contract work is great, but I can be super critical of my work, especially when it's something being painted specifically for a customer.  I usually never turn down contract work, but always try to talk my customers into taking a workshop so I can teach them how to do it on their own.  It's SO empowering for them and darn, if I have a bum shoulder!  

The sweet customer that owns the table below just said the right things to me that talked me into painting for her.  I'll share the dining table in another blog post, I think it is about 100 inches long.  It's huge with 4 leaves and I painted it exactly as Annie did in the French Look Book, page 83 with Chalk Paint® decorative paint in Paris Grey with the edges gold leafed.  I'm no Annie Sloan but it turned out beautifully thanks to her inspiration.  

While I was picking up the dining table, I admired this stunning old game table in the hallway. I look at EVERYTHING now with the thought of ohhhhhh, what will dark wax do for those edges?!!  My customer said that someday she would like me to paint it for her.  Well, there is no time like the present, so along it came with the dining room table to my garage.  I stared at it for days as it is simply beautiful and imagined what I would do with it.

As the days went on, we emailed back and forth and she shared with me the story behind it.  I sincerely hope she doesn't mind me sharing, it's such a sweet story.  

"I'm really excited about the two-tone idea for my mother's little game table.  She'd be so happy about this... she was an artist, and this would mean the world to her. My mother was my everything until I lost her in 1999. (I cared for her, that's why I put off nursing school...I graduated from nursing school just last year.)  That table is the only item I have of hers, other than a little tea cup.  My mother was born with cerebral palsy and had a very tough life, so for her to have found the money to have purchased that little table was an enormous deal.  She must have used her life savings. I cherish that piece so much because it meant so much to her."

Sniff (right?)  I am so touched she entrusted her table in my hands.  She will be picking it and her new/old dining table up tomorrow to take back home.  I hope she loves it.  It's painted in a custom color with Chalk Paint® Olive and Old Ochre mixed with Old White to highlight the trim and Clear and Dark Wax.