A Fabulous Porch Design Just In Time for Summer by TLC and an update on Annie Sloan Chalk Paint being sold in Tennessee

{Image via The Lettered Cottage}

It's off to the beach for me! I can't wait. I just checked out The Lettered Cottage's porch revamp and it is so inspirational. Check it out. Makes me want to grab a cold glass of lemonade and kick back. You can read about it here, at The Lettered Cottage.

On a side note, I am now a stockist for Annie Sloan Chalk Paint! I can't wait to provide Tennessee with such a wonderful product. As of this post I am the only stockist in Tennessee. My online store, The Back Porch Mercantile (www.thebpmercantile.com) will open August 1st and I will let you know ASAP when I have it placed in store front in Knoxville. So if you follow this blog, please start following www.thebpmercantile.com because this blog will merge eventually with it. Thanks!

ANNIE SLOAN CHALK PAINT-Have you used it?

I am interested in hearing responses from people who have purchased Annie Sloan Paint? Did you love it? Ease of use? Was it worth the money and would you purchase it again?

It looks beautiful!

Paris Gray with wax by Annie Sloan Paint

Furniture and image by Miss Mustard Seed .

Duck Egg Blue and Old White

Image via Annie Sloan.

Louis Blue and Old White.

Furniture and image by Miss Mustard Seed .

Aubusson and Old White.

Furniture and image by Miss Mustard Seed .

Old White	Country Grey	Paris Grey	Paloma
Old Ochre	Cream	Versailles	Arles
Emperor's Silk	Scandinavian Pink	Primer Red	Henrietta
Emile	Old Violet	Antibes Green	Duck Egg Blue
Provence	Louis Blue	Olive	Aubusson Blue
Greek Blue	Château Grey	Graphite Colors Available. Image via Annie Sloan.

Gettin' Crafty: Jones Design Company

This week has been a little busy with my sister graduating from nursing school and all of the fun activities associated with that, so I am a little behind with posting a fun Friday craft. Here is my favorite this week to put into the files. If I would have had the time I would have made one for my sister's pinning ceremony, but I got her a nice rosebush to remember her ceremony.

Jones Design Company is one of my favorite blogs. She is a great designer and always is doing something fun and inspirational. Check out her blog, here. She had a fun Flower week this past week and I can't wait to start working on some. I wanted to pass them along to you. Go check these out and the Jones Design Company Blog. She also has a wonderful font section to check out as well on her home page. Oh how I love letters and numbers!

Button Flowers Tutorial, click here.

Rolled Fabric Flower Tutorial, click here.

Rolled Paper Flowers Tutorial, here.

My new toy came... Learning how to sew!

My new toy came! It is new Singer Heavy Duty Sewing Machine. Yes, heavy duty because I plan on sewing heavier fabrics like canvas, french ticking and grain sacks. Now I have to learn how to use it! Any class suggestions? Any fabric source suggestions? Here are some fabrics I am craving... I am going to need a warehouse for all of my craft stuff!

Doggy fabric for Family Room pillows.

Grain Sack for Living Room and Kitchen Table.

Lovely trims for something!

The Emporium at Kudzu Originals is Open!

I love this. I have made several.

emporium [ɛmˈpɔːrɪəm]

n pl -riums, -ria [-rɪə]

(Business / Commerce) a large retail shop offering for sale a wide variety of merchandise

[from Latin, from Greek emporion, from emporos merchant, from poros a journey]

The Emporium at Kudzu Originals is now open on ETSY! It has a been a journey getting there. Organizing my things, my thoughts and defining my style. Hence the name emporium, a JOURNEY with a WIDE variety of merchandise. Since my long hiatus from blogging, I have really tried to define what I love and what makes me happy. ( And strangely, a few graphic projects along the way!) I read a lot of other blogs and ripped images out of magazines. I love art, photography and interiors. I love old things. I love personalized items and monograms. I love handmade. I love making something from scratch. I must really like the color red and and blue. I love old furniture, french style and industrial. I love paint just out of the tube. I love Caleb's selection of crayon choices. I am learning how to LIVE with what I LOVE and make it all work together. The start of my ETSY store is a small sampling of what I like and hope you like too. Something small to add to your home or to give as a meaningful gift. And I guess if I do what I LOVE, then I will LOVE what I do!

The JOURNEY begins!