Guest Post: Kala #2 {My Breezy Room}

I'm still galavanting across the pond, so Kala is here to share a few lovelies.

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Hi guys! Have I been here often enough that these introductions are getting awkward? Well I'm Kala and I blog at My Breezy Room. I dabble a bit in exploring the decorating world while running a (very small) side "business" where I sell painted furniture. I think some people have a hard time picturing how to incorporate painted furniture into their homes. Today I'm going to keep it short and sweet with a couple examples of how I use painted furniture in my own home. Living in a one bedroom apartment, I promise you this wont take long! My bedroom is by far my favorite room (of the 3 that I have {bedroom, living room, and kitchen}:  

 I used Annie Sloan Paris Grey and Old White to paint this set.   

The color varies depending on the light - from gray to purplish to bluish. Love it.

The door I use as a headboard is from the old farmhouse my parents remodeled. It is probably my very favorite part of it all.

Then I have this dresser turned TV stand in my living room. I really do love it, although I've thought about painting it more of a turquoise or teal color.

I'd love to show you the rest of my living room so you can see how it fits in, but currently I'm trying to find a good end table color. So at the moment I have no less than 3 side tables that are painted different colors. Green, gray and yellow if you must know. That is an example of painted furniture you should not have sitting all in one room, even if you are just "testing" out colors.

Do you have any painted furniture in your house? If so, how do you balance it with unpainted furniture?

I hope you're enjoying your time away, Naomi. Thanks for having me!

Guest Post: Kala #1 {My Breezy Room}

Yep... Still in the midst of being a "world" traveling type of person.

Take it away Kala!

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Hi Patterned Love people! I'm back AGAIN and super stoked to be sharing even more tips for making over furniture. Have you ever found a great used piece of furniture at a garage sale or thrift store, but you passed it up because it was already painted and you weren't sure what to do with it? That's okay - I've been there, too. But today I'm gonna lay out a couple of your most promising options. There is, of course, an easy way. But like with all easy ways, it has limitations. If the original coat of paint/stain/finish is even and in good condition, you can use chalk paint, no sanding required. For this piece (my first so please forgive the awful photos), I was able to start painting right away with no issues.

This is definitely the easiest approach. If you're not up for a ton of prep work, this type of project is your best option.

But sometimes you stumble upon a great dresser with chippy paint like this one that you just can't pass up!

Unfortunately, when paint is chippy, or old/in bad condition, it's best to go back to the old fashion method of sanding, even when using chalk paint.

In my experience, if you don't sand the paint off of these types of pieces, the imperfections in the texture will show through your new coat of paint.

I also like to take precautions with super dark stains as well, because they tend to bleed through the new coat of paint. Oftentimes you can use primer or a sealant like Zinsser Shellac to seal in the stain so it doesn't leak through.

So those are two basic ways I handle furniture that are already painted/stained. For more painting tips and before and afters, head on over to my blog.

Thanks again Naomi for having me back! I've really been enjoying my time in your space. :)

Guest Post: Anni {Anni's Bubble}

Please welcome Anni, who will be bringing some awareness to Patterned Love.
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Hey Dolls! So happy to have the opportunity to share with new readers! As we welcome the month of October, and in light of all things fashion and fun, Let Us Think Pink. Cancer is a broad term for a class of diseases characterized by abnormal cells that grow and invade  healthy cells in the body.  Breast cancer starts in the cells of the breast as a group of cancer cells that can then invade surrounding tissues or spread (metastasize) to other areas of the body.

Every woman, despite her age should know the symptoms and signs of breast cancer. While it is not easy to detect the early signs of breast cancer. By performing annual mammograms, women will be able to more easily identify any changes in their breast. Cancer is a disease that is hard to prepare for; detecting early signs of cancer makes for a community that is more aware and in the know.

Healthy Habits to Fight Breast Cancer

Although we are not able to prevent breast cancer, 
we can take active steps to reduce the risks:

Limit Alcohol Consumption
Do not smoke
Increase your vegetable and fruit intake
Exercise
Maintain a healthy weight

Think Pink! Share, Inform and Educate this October as we honor Breast Cancer Awareness.

 Be sure to talk to your healthcare professional if you notice anything unusual. Encourage your mothers, daughters, aunts and friends to take annual breast exams. Think Pink

Guest Post: Kala {My Breezy Room}

You all know that I love to thrift shop... 

You know... before there was a song about having $20 in my pocket.

Well once again, welcome back my friend Kala from My Breezy Room

She is a refashionista of another sort! Furniture!!!!

And today she has some tips of and tricks to share with you!

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Hi guys! I'm glad to be back today to give you some tips about the kind of thrifting 

I do on a regular basis. Just like Naomi finds old clothes and refashions them so they 

fit in her closet, I find old, outdated and ugly furniture and repair/repaint 

it to make it fit into my decor style. 

Today I'm going to share a few of my furniture thrifting tips with you. 

1) Real wood is the way to go.

Unless you're shopping for a specific chair or something a little different, let's 

just assume that most of the time you're looking for a dresser or a table or a 

cabinet to repaint. I've learned there is a difference between real wood and particle 

board. Real wood is easier to paint, easier to repair and much more sturdy.

2) Thrift stores aren't always the first place to look. 

Now that shabby chic has become super popular, thrift stores have jacked up the price 

of every piece of furniture made out of real wood. If you only check out the thrift stores, 

you'll end up spending way more on a piece of furniture than you have to/should. 

3) Never underestimate the power of garage sales. 

For the most part, there is just a bunch of junk at garage sales. Especially when 

you're looking for furniture made out of real wood, not particle board. But sometimes 

it's a lot of fun to go from garage sale to garage sale and try to find hidden treasures. 

One time I spent an entire Saturday  garage saling with my sister and we came 

home with lamps, picture frames and quite a bit of other stuff for under $30.

4) Estate sales are like golden garage sales. 

So this may be a bit morbid, because usually they are the product of someone dying, 

but families are also willing to get rid of everything for a lower price at estate sales. 

Be sure to go to the ones ran by the family and not the ones ran by estate sale companies,

 the companies generally have higher prices. The best thing about estate sales is that 

they are selling everything, not just things they're willing to throw away like at 

garage sales. This means there is more potential to find bigger, nicer furniture. 

5) Don't entirely give up on thrift stores. 

While I don't think you should spend all your time there, checking in at thrift stores 

from time to time can earn you some pretty great scores. I got this dresser I now 

use as my TV stand at a thrift store for $4.99. 

6) Don't be afraid to ask for a lower price. 

The first time I did this I was terrified. I was at an estate sale and decided to buy a 

bedroom set that consisted of a dresser, a chest of drawers, and a night stand. 

They had it priced for $200. After debating with my boyfriend and making myself 

super nervous, I offered them $125. They accepted it before I could finish saying my offer.

That's when I knew I should have gone lower. They practically would have paid 

someone to haul that set out of the house. And don't feel bad about it. 

Most of the time, people just really want to get rid of their old stuff. 

Hopefully these tips help you in your next search for a hidden treasure, 

whether it's to add that perfect touch to your living room or find the perfect 

nightstand for your bedroom. If all else fails, ask your friends and family if they 

have any furniture they'd be willing to get rid of. Actually, maybe you should 

start with that step! Head to my blog now for Naomi's tips on thrifting clothes!

Thanks again, Naomi, for having me back here so soon!

Guest Post: Kala {My Breezy Room}

Today I have a real treat for you all!

My friend Kala from My Breezy Room is here to introduce answer a few questions!

I'm over on her turf today introducing myself on her stomping grounds of the interweb.

This girl is seriously talented at the DIY: furniture addition! I mean, come on people. 

Who doesn't love a good find, refinished? But I wont babble to much. 

I'll let Kala take it away now.

1. Why did you start blogging?

I honestly look back and think about this all the time and I'm not sure what I thought I was getting into. I definitely knew nothing about the parallel blog world that exists. I think it was mostly a combination of two things. First, I was working my first job out of college and it was an administrative position. I was worried that wouldn't provide me with enough experience to get a job using my degree. I realized I hadn't taken enough computer classes in college and needed to acquire some skills on my own, and a blog sounded like a good idea. 

Secondly, I was also obsessed with this "breezy" look I speak of all the time and was excited to start decorating my room in that style. I had only read one blog before, The Inspired Room, and I laugh now thinking that decorating my room alone was going to be enough to keep a blog going. Anyways, with my desire to learn more about building a website and my desire to decorate my room, my DIY/home decor blog was born. 

Oh and about six months after starting my blog, the experience I gained allowed me to move up to a position in the communications department. 

This is my first header that I made myself. *Cringe*:

2. Dream Job. Why?

My dream dream job would be to be a stay at home blogger and to continue selling furniture on the side. Maybe even eventually opening my own little shop. I feel like I would be so free. I'm not naive in thinking that I would work less, just that my time would be my own. If I chose to do something different with my day, I might be up all night painting furniture, but at least that would be my decision. 

My 8-5 dream job would be to work as an event planner for a nonprofit. I'm fairly close to that now, but my organization does not raise money through events like golf tournaments and galas, which is what I would love to do. I just like working toward an event that makes such a significant difference for an organization and ultimately the people's lives who benefit from it. I interned at a hospital in college and loved it. 

This is me at the Gala I helped with:

3. Where did your love of furniture refashioning come from?

My mom had heard about chalk paint and wanted to try it out. We signed up for a class last winter and I just kept using it. Before then I didn't plan on repurposing furniture as a hobby or a way of decorating. But it ended up being more affordable for me and when I ran out of things to blog about about my room, furniture makeovers took over. I'd never really had an official hobby or felt creative before that, so it just kind of developed over time. 

This is the side table my mom and I painted using chalk paint for the first time: 

4. What is one thing most people learn about you right away?

That I talk ALOT. My boyfriend is still amazed that I can talk to him, but really be having a conversation with myself. If he doesn't answer fast enough or add something valuable to the conversation, I'll just bounce around from topic to topic while he stares at me like I'm crazy. Add a couple drinks to that and it's embarrassing. While I'm talking, I think it is apparent right away that I am opinionated, determined and independent. Some people hate it, some admire it. But it's just who I am. 

5. How do you fit your projects into everyday life business?

I'm struggling with this right now. My plan is to start working out in the morning again. When I do that, I feel like I've accomplished something early and want to continue being productive throughout the day and after work. When I wait until after work to work out, then I feel like I only have time to cook dinner and work out, then it's time for bed. Kind of silly, but that's what works for me. 

Also, sometimes you just have to turn down plans. Since I have a shabby chic booth, I have to treat it like a business and sometimes I just have to miss out on stuff. I also write down everything I want to accomplish each day in my planner to hold me accountable. 

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Head on over to My Breezy Room and show Kala some love!

Guest Post: Maggie {2ndHand Knowledge}

Hi there! I’m Maggie from the blog 2ndhand Knowledge (link to blog: http://2ndhandknowledge.com), a personal style blog. My mom owns a consignment boutique, so 99% of my wardrobe is secondhand. I love showing how versatile, high quality, fashionable, and unique a wardrobe can be when shopping primarily secondhand. Today I’m sharing some of my favorite secondhand shopping tactics with you.

1. Learn to sew – Don’t pass on a pair of jeans because they’re too long or because they’re wide-leg and you like skinny. Don’t forgo a skirt because it’s an awkward length. If you can sew, those things are easy fixes. Invest in an inexpensive sewing machine. Needles and thread are cheap. Naomi here on Patterned Love is great inspiration. She’s almost always wearing an item that she altered or upcycled, and they always look fantastic!

2. Learn your fabrics – Cotton, polyester, rayon, spandex, silk, wool…if you know a little about the different materials clothes can be made with, you can easily gather whether something is high quality or cheap, regardless of whether you’re familiar with the brand/designer. You can check the tags, but also try to become familiar with the feel of the fabrics so you can still gage quality on tagless items. More high end items will last longer because they’re made with more durable fabrics and/or better construction. It’s okay to get things of lesser quality, just know that you shouldn’t be paying as much.

3. Shop when you travel – I’ve been to thrift and consignment stores all over the country, and the stores in Arizona are totally different from the stores in, say, Missouri or Florida. It’s fun to explore what different locations have to offer, and some of my favorite and most unique pieces I got while traveling. Do a little research before your next road trip or vacation, and schedule some time for a bit of resale shopping. My sister and I are itching to plan a trip to Asheville, North Carolina just to spend a day exploring all the thrift and consignment stores there.

4. Go online – I love hats, but I don’t find hats very often in the stores I frequent. Also, I wear a size large hat, and they’re hard to come by. For unique things like that, I go to Etsy, Ebay, or other online vintage shops. Etsy is my favorite. Tons of options for whatever you could dream up. You can filter your search results to fit your wants/needs, and new stuff is always being added.

5. Get up early – I love yard sales. How much? I get up between 5:30 and 6:30 am every Saturday to be a yard sale “early bird.” The early bird gets the worm! I mostly get housewares and other odds and ends from yard sales, but I typically score a few cute clothing items or shoes each week. Almost all of my heels are $1 finds from yard sales because I don’t wear heels enough to be willing to spend much on them. They’re nice though! I went to one yard sale about a year ago where the lady wore my size and was getting rid of a ton of really nice Nine West shoes. Other cool finds? I got a designer chair worth $800 for $8, a telephoto zoom lens for my camera for $10, some vintage wire baskets worth $80-ish for a few bucks, a flat panel TV for $25, and my sister got a super nice electric piano for $50.

6. Have an imagination – If you don’t wear crew neck sweaters but love the color of one you found at a thrift store, turn it into a cardigan. Chop off the top half of a dress and make a skirt. Replace the buttons on a sweater with some new funky ones. Look at items for their potential rather than what they are. Of course, only invest if you’ll actually make the change or you’ll soon have a bin filled with to-do projects that you’ll probably never get around to.

I hope my thrifting tips are helpful to you. Most importantly, just have fun!

Guest Post: Kristina {Kristina in Retroworter}

Hey lovely readers of Patterned Love, I'm Kristina! I blog over at Kristina in Retroworter, a little place were I share all my interests in personal style, crafting, my two adorable beagles, photography, my adventures with my husband, honestly, just about anything that interests me really! I'm a Texas girl, born and raised, who loves just about anything creative, going on new adventures, and watching endless episodes of Rehab Addict on the DIY Network. Although, I'm not a miracle worker with a sewing machine, but, like Naomi, I love going thrift shopping for clothes and finding fantastic deals. This little number is my latest find, and I have to say, I couldn't believe it when I pulled it from the Goodwill rack. You see, as much as I adore checking out Goodwill, my local one looks like 1982 came back in-style or something, not super conducive to finding good finds. But, by some crazy happenstance, I pulled this dress from the rack, looked it over, checked the size to see if it'd actually fit me, and then did a little jig because I couldn't believe my luck! Oh, and it was only $10!

Thanks so much for having me Naomi! I hope you're having lots and lots of fun at camp with your high schoolers :)

Guest Post: Rachel {My Wholesome Home}

Today I have a treat for you! My sister and I used to do what we titled "Sister Swap." It kinda fell off the wagon when summer came and we both got swamped and could hardly keep up with our own blogs, let alone an extra. But today she's back! Doubling as a Sister Swap and a fill in while I'm away!

I'm baaaaack! I know it's been awhile since I've Sister Swapped over here, but I have something extra awesome to make up for it ok? Because, please...look at those skewers, can we say tasty? The best part? It took me about 20 minutes total to make them-from opening the fridge to stuffing my face.

BBQ Chicken Shishkabobs

-favorite barbeque sauce

-fresh (or canned) pineapple chunks

-chicken breast

-skewer sticks

1. Start your barbeque.

2. Cut up the pineapple and chicken. I was eating solo this time, so for 4 skewers I used about 1/4 of a fresh pineapple and 1 boneless, skinless chicken breast. You want to make bite sized pieces.

3. Soak chicken in barbeque sauce. Ideally, you could do this overnight-the flavor would be a lot better. I forgot so just coated it. It was good, but not as good as marinading it would have been.

4. Alternate chicken and pineapple onto skewers. Leave room to hold the ends.

5. When barbeque is ready, put on grill. Cook about 6 minutes and flip. Cook for another 5-6 minutes.

6. Serve and enjoy!

It's summer, get out of the kitchen and get your grill on. Make sure to pop over and check out my other great recipes at My Wholesome Home.

Guest Post: Caroline {Love Caroline}

Hey girls, I am so excited to fill in for Naomi while she's gone!

My name is Caroline! I'm a lover of everything fashion and DIY and any good recipes. I blog over at the Love Caroline Blog. I blog about recipes, some of my favorite outfits, and some of my new favorite DIYs. I'm a follower of Christ and saved by his grace alone and I am constantly seeking to glorify him in all I do.

Top: Vender in NYC

Shorts: Target

Shoes: Cato

Shoulder bag: Vera Bradley

Hat: Target

I've been a real beach bum lately. I went to New York and went to the beach and then I've went to relax in Galveston, Texas at the beach. I can tell you that my fedora has been getting its full use at all the beaches and lakes that I've been to this summer. 

This is one of my favorite beach bum outfits that I wore to the fourth of July while I was in Galveston. I spent my fourth of July chilling at the Rainforest Cafe, watching fire works with my family and this was the perfect outfit for all my activities for the day. It was literally a 100 degrees in Texas and it was an easy decisions to wear shorts and a light weight top for the day. I just got the NYC shirt from my trip to New York and since it sported red and white, I thought it was the perfect time to wear it. 

Thanks again for having me over Naomi! I would love for any of y'all to check out my blog, the Love Caroline Blog! 

~Twitter~Pinterest~Instagram~Bloglovin~Facebook~

Guest Post: Jessica {Jeans and a Teacup}

Hi Patterned Love readers! I'm Jessica and my sister Megan and I blog over at Jeans and a Teacup. Naomi has kindly let us take over today while she is away...Mwahaha!   Ok, I promise nothing crazy, just a normal outfit post from me and some words from my sister!

Top: Foreign Exchange (similar), Tank: Marshalls (similar), Shorts: J.Crew Factory, Shoes: ShoeMint (similar), Purse: Thrifted, Necklace: J.Crew Factory (similar), Bracelet: Jeweliq, Lips: Sephora Love Test, Sunglasses: c/o Firmoo

This is typically what you'll find me wearing on a hot summer day - shorts and a tank top.  Sometimes I get frustrated in the summer since I can't add interest to my outfit by layering a lot of things.  So I added a breezy crochet top for some texture and tried to play with color for some interest.  And I added a bright lip color for some extra fun! 

While I mainly post about silly things, like what I'm wearing that day, Megan brings a more reflective aspect to our blog and I'll let her take over now!

Our cousin Cassie and Megan in Korea

Hi! I'm Megan - the other half of Jeans and a Teacup!

I recently went on vacation in South Korea. I had a great time with my cousin, who teaches English there, and loved observing Korean culture with her. We’re both obsessed with it for unknown reasons. 

The shocker to it all is this: I didn’t come back any cooler.

 I know, I was surprised too (just kidding—I wasn’t). I’ve noticed that people are impressed with my visit to Korea as if it was an accomplishment or makes me more interesting. That baffles me because all you need to be a world traveler is money and time, and neither thing inherently makes you awesome (as a disclaimer, I didn’t even have the money – my cousin generously paid for my flight). 

 What I’ve found is that experiences only change us if we’re in awe of our surroundings and hope and expect to grow from them. Through that, God opens mysteries to us and exposes the hidden places in our own hearts. But if we passively pass through our environment, assuming we have everything we need, we’ll stay the same, no matter what foreign land we step into. 

I do think visiting another country can change you. But so can visiting your next-door neighbor. I spontaneously stopped by my neighbor’s house a while back and found her crying on her kitchen floor while eating frozen pizza and blasting pop music. The next three hours were pretty amazing. I heard her life story, plus looked at my own life story a little differently after seeing it from her view. That night taught me more than many of the days I’ve spent overseas.

 I hope you get to travel if you haven’t already, but I also hope you walk around your neighborhood and linger at the counter of your favorite local coffee shop. I already think you’re awesome, but you might find some more awesome things just around the corner.

Thanks for stopping by!

Guest Post: Sara from De l'Etoile

Today I want to introduce you to one of my new blog world friends, Sara. 

Firstly, here gorgeous long locks make me really miss my hair. Oh how slow you grow!

But enough about hair jealousy, I'll let her take it away before I get carried away.

SARA:

Hello, Patterned Love readers! I'm so excited to be guest posting today! I'm Sara, 

from De l'Etoile. I blog about modest fashion, daily life, and random obsessions 

(often centered around shopping). But enough about me, let's talk about SUMMER! Besides

sun tans and vacations, something I love about summer are the new trends coming in!

What I've noticed about this season is, if it has a lot of color, GO FOR IT! The bolder the better! Pretty much anything outside of black is fantastic. I love this so so much, because you don't have to add a whole bunch of items to your wardrobe of that one hot color. You can shop your own closet and still look fresh!

Today, I went for a more subtle approach to this season's color explosion. 

I've been particularly drawn to light purples and bright reds recently, perhaps 

because these colors haven't been too prominent in past seasons. With mint green and 

oxblood dominating fashion spreads for the past year or two, I'm all for a little change!

How will you incorporate more color into your look this summer? :)

Top: gift

Cami: Romy

Skirt: Anthropologie

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You can see my post when you visit her blog. 

Be sure to stick around a while and show Sara some love.