This paint will stick to almost EVERYTHING!

CeCe Caldwell's paints and Miss Mustard Seed's Milk paints will stick to almost any surface! My mom brought these gold candle holders to my house one afternoon and asked if I wanted them. I said sure, I think I may paint them and give them a new look. My first coat of paint was Ironstone by Miss Mustard Seed's Milk Paint. It covered the gold perfectly. I was painting another piece with CeCe Caldwell's Santa Fe Turquoise so I decided to stipple some of that on the candle holders. My last coat was Miss Mustard Seed's Milk Paint Mustard Yellow. I really like mixing both of the paints to give a nice texture. I finished the candle holders with CeCe Caldwell's Endurance. This was a fun and fast painting project. You can order paint from us on our webpage: www.freshjaspertexas.com  
What a difference a little paint makes! Here are the before and after pictures of this quick and easy makeover. 

Doors Added to Cupboard: Part 2

Yesterday I posted about the 1930's cupboard I purchased at Canton Trade Days. I removed the doors for a more open look but decided to paint the old doors with Miss Mustard Seed's Eulalie's Sky to add some color. I can't decide which I like better but it does give me another option and I like options! 
I used Hemp Oil to finish this old cabinet. Hemp Oil is one of my favorite ways to finish Milk Painted furniture. The oil is food safe so you can also use it on your wooden bowls and cutting boards. Dry pieces of wood can be revived with Hemp Oil to give a nice fresh look. After you have painted your furniture apply the oil with a soft cloth or brush, let dry for several hours, and then remove any excess with a clean rag. You can add several layers of the Hemp Oil for more protection. I usually apply two coats to my projects. Would you like to learn more about the Milk Paint? 
We have a Milk Paint class scheduled for July 14 at 6pm. This class will be great for getting you started using this great paint. You can stop by Fresh or call us to sign up. Space is limited so contact us soon. Here are a few pictures of the cabinet with doors. We also sell online- www.freshjaspertexas.com

1930's Cupboard goes from Blah to Blanca!

This was another great find at Canton Trade Days that I found while shopping there. Canton is a great place to find treasures! The cupboard is from the 1930's and it was in fairly good condition. I used Miss Mustard Seed's Milk Paint and Hemp Oil for my finish. I mixed Ironstone(white) and painted three coats on the cabinet. Some of the wood on this cupboard really soaked up the paint so three coats were necessary for a good coverage. I removed the doors on top because I like the look of an open cabinet. I decided today that I would paint the doors with Miss Mustard Seed's Eulalie Sky and I will show you a picture of those later. I wanted to fill the cupboard with my collection of blue mason jars and quilts. I think Eulalie's Sky will bring a little color into the cupboard and highlight the blue jars. This cupboard could be used in a kitchen, bedroom, bathroom, laundry room, or a family room. Here is how the cupboard looks right now but I plan to reattach the doors in a few days. If you want to order Miss Mustard Seed's Milk Paints go to our website and email us. www.freshjaspertexas.com

Start with Something Small

Painting furniture has never been so easy! Very little prep, only two coats of paint, wet distress, and choose a finish. No sanding, no stripping, no strong harmful odors(you can paint inside) and you can be finished with a piece in a couple of days. Does it sound too good to be true? Most people are shocked when they come into Fresh and we demonstrate how easy and fun CeCe Caldwell's Paints are. 

I suggest that you start with a small project to get familiar with the product. We have several plaques and hooks that you can purchase to make a small project and see how this paint works. 

Sharon and I usually have a painting project in the studio that we are working on and we would love to show you what we are doing.

On our website, you will find paint instructions - www.freshjaspertexas.com. We also offer classes each month and we are always ready to answer any questions you may have. 

If you painted furniture years ago like so many of us, you will be pleasantly surprised. Here are a few of things that I have painted with this wonderful paint. Stop by Fresh for help on getting started!

Turn the Radio On or Turn the Coffee Pot On?

This old radio cabinet probably entertained many during it's hay day! I can just see several family members gathered around listening to the latest news in their living room or enjoying relaxing music.
It's so much fun to find old pieces and imagine the history behind them. Some painters say that their furniture projects "speak" to them. Others make up stories about their treasures to make it interesting! Do your projects speak to you? 
This old cabinet is by Silverstone and was completely empty(no radio or speakers). It had been painted in a very popular green antiquing kit. I wanted a color that would brighten and make it cheerful. With that in mind I used Miss Mustard Seed's Mustard Yellow and added stenciled burlap for the doors. In my mind I could see this old cabinet as a cute coffee bar or a small accent piece in any home.
I lightly sanded with a sanding block, removed the doors and hardware, and painted two coats of Mustard Yellow. I painted the hardware with Typewriter black by Miss Mustard Seed to give a little depth. I love that I can paint the hardware with the milk paint to give it a newer look. 
Remember to follow us on facebook to keep up with the latest news! If you need paint and want to order you can go to www.freshjaspertexas.com.
Have a wonderful week!

Just Peachy!

The girls and I traveled to Terrell,Texas and visited Ham Orchards again this year. We bought several sacks of peaches and picked a few blackberry's. Behind the business you will find a nice breezy covered area to relax and eat scrumptious BBQ and the best blackberry tea I have ever drank. If you are looking for a fun family day this is the place. The workers are very helpful and ready to answer any questions. Inside you will find ribbon cane syrup, peaches, peppers, watermelons, squash, strawberry cider, cute t shirts(yes we bought a few),caps, homemade peach ice cream, and much more. Everything is reasonably priced and you may have to wait in line to check out but we found that it went fast. I highly recommend this place! 
I'm back home and working on several projects for the store and for Canton Trade Days next month. Sharon and I have scheduled several painting classes in both paint lines. You can find the schedule on our facebook page - go and like us and all information is listed. We would love to meet you and teach you about the wonderful paints that we sell and use. My next post will be a before and after so come back in a couple of days to see how it turns out! www.freshjaspertexas.com - if you want to place an order.

Where is Fresh?

Fresh is fully stocked in several locations and if you are near any of these locations you will find our two lines of paints-CeCe Caldwell's Chalk and Clay Paints and Miss Mustard Seed's Milk Paints along with finishes and brushes.
Our home store is in historic Jasper on 403 College Street where we sell vintage salvage, antiques, painted furniture, and painting classes.
Junktique the largest antique mall in Jasper houses our paints. Sharon and I occupy booth spaces there where we have antiques and vintage wares. It's a great place to shop and open Tuesday-Saturday from 9-5 located on Hwy 96 North.
Kelly B's located in downtown Henderson is a great antique mall with antiques, fun clothing and shoes. We love all the staff at Kelly B's and they will be glad to assist you with our paints.
Junk in The Trunk and The Consignor's Mall in Livingston located right off Hwy 45 are stocked with our CeCe Caldwell's Paints. Both malls are filled with antiques and goods.
Loretta Too's in Woodville located on 190 is a fairly new business that is a house full of antiques and our paints.
Timeless Treasures in Canton is a great antique mall with a great staff. You will be greeted by Barbara the manager of this wonderful business! You will also want to allow time to shop this large antique mall- the booths are nicely decorated and full of good "stuff"!
Canton Trade Days Pavilion 4000, Booth 4268- the best place to find good deals and the largest outdoor market in Texas. Plan to spend a few days in order to cover it all. If you love digging to find treasure you will LOVE it. Market days can be found online as well as accommodations.
Online-www.freshjaspertexas.com We love shipping paint so email us for the Miss Mustard Seed paints and just use the shopping cart for our CeCe paints. We also have great instructions on our website that are helpful.
Sharon and I are working on new classes that we will advertise soon. We are now certified in Miss Mustard Seed's Milk Paint so we look forward to adding those classes for our customers. We love the paint and we know you will too!

All Work No Play, Makes for a Boring Day!

I love to work and I love my job, but a girl's gotta have fun! I've been visiting my kids this week and enjoying every minute of it. My two daughters are on a health kick and so I joined them (actually didn't have a choice). I'm not going to lie this girl likes to eat and my food of choice - Mexican Food! I never get tired of eating good Mexican Food. Of course, this was not on the menu at their house. 

The first morning we had one boiled egg and 1 slice of bacon with coffee. Not too bad because I'm not much of a breakfast eater. 

We went to the park close to the lake and walked for about an hour. The Texas heat is a real killer this time of year so needless to say sweat was pouring profusely. 

I'm hoping this will kick start me into doing better on my eating and exercising. I've gotten lazy the last few years but need to do better. Well that was not the "fun" that I was referring to in my post title. 

Haley got us tickets for the Rangers game and we had a great time even though they lost. We cheated a little on the diet since it was dollar hot dog night. But we got right back on track the next morning with a boiled egg and one slice of bacon and a cup of coffee. We are planning a trip to the peach farm in Terrell Texas Saturday morning. We went last year and had a blast, so we wanted to go again this year. Who knows what we will do tonight but I know one night we are going to eat Sushi which is another one of my favorites. Sushi is a little more healthy than Tex- Mex so it's allowed. 

Hardware with a Soft Side

The search for cute hardware is ongoing for me. I don't know about you but I buy hardware before I have a piece of furniture to put it on. What is wrong with buying the hardware prior to the furniture? I never know how many knobs I should purchase. Most antique chest you need six to eight knobs, on a bedside table usually one or two, and antique vanities could have two to four. I would rather have too many than not enough. So I buy accordingly!
Where do I shop for hardware? Today, I went to Anthropologie and they were having a great sale on hardware, so I bought several. I bought two mercury knobs, several hand painted knobs, and three lavender colored knobs. The Lavender ceramic knobs reminded me of the Miss Mustard Seed's Milk Paint color Dried Lavender. Retail price was $8.00, sale price was $2.95.  My opinion that is very reasonable and will add a nice touch. Anthropologie is a great place to go and get ideas about merchandising and decorating. I find them affordable with good quality. 
I also shop for hardware at Hobby Lobby. They have a great selection and every other week they put hardware on sale. They have knobs with lots of bling, knobs that are painted, drawer pulls out of rustic metal, zebra painted, and glass knobs. Check them out when they have a sale and you will save a ton. 
Canton has several vendors that specialize in hardware and they have a great selection along with reasonable prices. 
I bought two mercury knobs, several hand painted knobs, and three lavender colored knobs today. I'm sure I will find the perfect project to use these on. 
In my opinion, good hardware is like buying a good pair of shoes. Shoes can either make or break the outfit - as does hardware on furniture. 
Here are a few pictures of hardware I purchased today. One picture is of my grand dog, Dallas. He wouldn't look at the camera and all I could get was the back of his head! 
If you are ready to start that summer paint project check out our website to buy your paint, finishes, brushes, etc. www.freshjaspertexas.com

Sweet Dallas!