Hueology

Simple. Simple?

2012-02-17T18:09:00.004-05:00

Of course I've been dreaming of painting my kitchen cabinets for quite some time. I've been content with my maple cabinets for almost 10 years now. But, once I discovered ASCP I began dreaming of what I could do with the cabinets.

As you can see cabinets are quite simple and plain. They do not possess beautiful curvy lines. They are straight forward flat paneled with just a simple crown molding on top. My counter tops are Gray Specked Corian and I'm still in love with my back splash. So after going through many color combo's and a few sample boards I had it narrowed down to Pure White on top and Paris Grey on bottom.

And look what I end up with...

PURE WHITE

with just a hint of Paris Grey

Simple. Simple. But was it Simple?

It was and it wasn't....

My first hurdle was thinking that after cooking and living in this kitchen for 10 years wouldn't require more than a quick wipe down of the cabinets. WRONG!

I found out the hard way! After applying my second coat on 4 cabinets and their boxes I had a serious situation of cracking and peeling paint! Paints worst enemy is grease. Seems that I had quite a buildup of it. I then had to clean each and every cabinet and drawer inside out with Mineral Spirits and then wiped off the MS residue with Denatured Alcohol (both available at HD and Lowes). Some of them were so cruddy that I just sanded the crud off instead of all the wiping! Needless to say this really slowed down my project. No slapping it on and moving on to the next section! It took three weeks of off and on again work. But, that was just me working. Strange that you seem to lose your friends when you start painting kitchen cabinets!

After completing all the tops with Pure White, I painted one cabinet on the bottom with Paris Grey and deemed that it was not the right shade of gray to be right up next to my counters. I could have made a lovely custom gray, but then decided to go with Pure White on the bottom too. So glad I did! I am so in love with this clean bright look against my counters and my back splash. I did paint the cabinets over the stove and the glass accent cabinet here in PG. It was just the right about of soft contrast needed.

I'm really glad that I went plain and simple with the cabinets.

But look I see some wood in this picture that could maybe use a really cool, not so simple finish!

Off to the next project!

What's not to LOVE...

2012-02-07T16:54:00.000-05:00

What's not to LOVE about this fabulous color by Annie Sloan Chalk Paint called Emperor's Silk? It's the perfect shade of red... add a little dark wax and Whoop Whoop, you have the beautiful richness to make it go in any room and decor!!!

So the question is...

Even if you are NOT a "red" person,

don't you find Emperor's Silk fabulous?

Toned down the Annie Sloan way...

2012-01-31T22:43:00.004-05:00

Well, it seems the last post about the color "Provence"wasn't everyone's forte'...So we toned this one WAY down... ha ha ha! What fun is it adding sheet music to such a lovely side piece!!! This was painted with the neutral color Country Grey and what a GREAT color it is. We are working on trying to get more pictures and posts soon... so be patient for the fun to come.

WHat's your favorite NEUTRAL color?

We Heart Annie Sloan "Provence"...

2012-01-15T21:38:00.001-05:00

What's not to LOVE?!?!?! Add a little now with a little then and voila... F-A-B-U-L-O-U-S! MJ painted this great piece of French Provincial chest of drawers for her living-room to set below the "new" flat screen TV. Even though the TV hasn't quiet made it, she was kind enough to put it in Total Bliss on display. Of course, for the right price...it's for sale.

Look at that detail! She lovingly added the Pure White details along with the incredible color Provence by Annie Sloan Chalk Paint. After a little distressing to show the original creamy yellow, MJ ended up with the perfect combination of colors...Don't ya think? (We actually had one "fan" on Face Book that didn't like it and said so...It's hard to be perfect like us...he he he!!!)

What's your favorite Hue by Annie Sloan?

Don't you love it too?

12 Days of Hueology Christmas~ Day 12...

2011-12-24T08:20:00.000-05:00

"On the twelfth day of Christmas, my true love gave to me"...

Twelve chairs to sit on,

Eleven blogger blogging,

Ten winter windows,

Nine bristle brushes,

Eight merry mantles,

Seven painters painting,

Six shabby shutters,

FIVE GIFT CARDS BLING... cause we sell them!!!

Four scraps of wood,

Three chest of drawers,

Two cans of wax and

A quart of Annie Sloan Chalk Paint!!!

After 12 days of coming up with things to entertain our followers with, we feel our chairs speak for themselves. They take a lot of time, but are well worth it in the end!!! (F.Y.I. the chair above is painted in French Linen and the one below is Antibes Green)

So here is our infamous attempt at singing the "12 days of Hueology Christmas"... PLEASE ~~put your dogs outside~~ gather your family around, ~~keep all wine glasses in the kitchen~~ join us in a little Christmas cheer AND ~~don't bust out laughing too loud~~ sing-a-long to our latest holiday hit!!!

We are afraid to ask "What did you think?"...
So we would rather leave you with a simple
THANKS for following us and for ALL your support
this year as we get started in our Annie Sloan Journey!!!

12 days of Hueology Christmas~ Day 11

2011-12-23T08:08:00.000-05:00

"On the eleventh day of Christmas, my true love gave to me"...

Eleven blogger blogging

Ten winter windows

Nine bristle brushes,

Eight merry mantles,

Seven painters painting,

Six shabby shutters,

FIVE GIFT CARDS BLING... cause we sell them!!!

Four scraps of wood,

Three chest of drawers,

Two cans of wax and

A quart of Annie Sloan Chalk Paint!!!

We give full credit to Blog Land for our discovery of Annie Sloan Chalk Paint. It is only fitting that we honor a few old favorites and some new ones that are rocking some ASCP! Make sure to visit some of our beloved blogs due to several are having a HUGE Annie Sloan Give-A-Way of lots of goodies and a chance to win a ticket to the "2012 Annie Sloan American Tour"!!!

Let's start with the blog that started it all....Annie's Blog

1. Annie Sloan

2. Miss Mustard Seed

3. Perfectly Imperfect

4. Whimsical Perspective

5. Paint In My Hair

6. Shades of Amber

7. Stiltkin Studios

8. The Empty Nest

9. Mak and Jill

10. Counting Sheep Antiques

11. Embellish and Restore

We know there are MORE than 11 great blogs talking about the ASCP... what's your favorite?

DO you have one yourself?

12 Days of Hueology Christmas~ Day 10

2011-12-22T08:28:00.000-05:00

"On the tenth day of Christmas, my true love gave to me"...

Ten winter windows

Nine bristle brushes,

Eight merry mantles,

Seven painters painting,

Six shabby shutters,

FIVE GIFT CARDS BLING... cause we sell them!!!

Four scraps of wood,

Three chest of drawers,

Two cans of wax and

A quart of Annie Sloan Chalk Paint!!!

We wish we could share pictures of ALL the fabulous windows we have come across and loved, let alone painted (never enough time)!!! We were just happy to get a good photo of this one before it was sold. We are even thinking of having a couple's "make-n-take" night in February and serving chocolate dipped strawberries while you and yours paint a window together...

This window was painted with an impasto effect in "Arles" by Annie Sloan Chalk Paints... isn't it the most yummy window ever?!?! All we have to do is pop off the holiday topper made by Nancy at Total Bliss and it's ready for year round. The options are never ending!!!

And if I must add the most precious item EVER... This darling little snowman was hand-made by some very SPECIAL adults at Lifespan! Look for your local talent...

12 Days of Hueology Christmas~ Day 9...

2011-12-21T20:36:00.000-05:00

"On the ninth day of Christmas, my true love gave to me"...

Nine bristle brushes,

Eight merry mantles,

Seven painters painting,

Six shabby shutters,

FIVE GIFT CARDS BLING... cause we sell them!!!

Four scraps of wood,

Three chest of drawers,

Two cans of wax and

A quart of Annie Sloan Chalk Paint!!!

We love our brushes, any shape or form. It's what makes the texture on your piece unique to each it's own!!! We love trying new ones and could kick ourselves when we leave them to harden like rocks. One cool thing about Annie Sloan Paints is if yo leave your brush a bit too long, just soak in water for a few hours and it will soften to be able to clean!!! Trust us... we even out it to the test (not on purpose) and after 2 weeks of several brushes being left in a baggie, we soaked and whala... a good soaken and brush cleaning and they were good as newish!!!

MADE IN the USA...COOL!!!

What's your favorite brush to paint or wax with?

12 Days of Hueology Christmas~ Day 8...

2011-12-20T17:37:00.000-05:00

"On the eighth day of Christmas, my true love gave to me"...

Eight merry mantles,

Seven painters painting,

Six shabby shutters,

FIVE GIFT CARDS BLING... cause we sell them!!!

Four scraps of wood,

Three chest of drawers,

Two cans of wax and

A quart of Annie Sloan Chalk Paint!!!

When we found this incredible mantle, we almost felt guilty handing over the $20 bill as we were running to put it in the van!!! It sat is Trish's garage for several months before the "mood" set in. The first coat was in Graphite. Seemed like a great choice in our minds... Ummmm NO!!!

I guess in the end, a couple coats of French Linen by Annie Sloan Chalk Paint and are VERY happy!!! SO happy in fact that Trish's husband thought it would be cool on the back porch. So there ya go, nothing like making the "man" happy!!!

Other than FREE on the side of the road

(we've all done that a time or two),

what's your BEST find that you just couldn't part with?

12 Days of Hueology Christmas~ Day 7

2011-12-19T23:35:00.000-05:00

"On the seventh day of Christmas, my true love gave to me"...

Seven painters painting,

Six shabby shutters,

FIVE GIFT CARDS BLING... cause we sell them!!!

Four scraps of wood,

Three chest of drawers,

Two cans of wax and

A quart of Annie Sloan Chalk Paint!!!

One thing that we LOVE more than painting is meeting new folks that have the same passion as we do!!! We have had the opportunity to meet other Annie Sloan Stockist from across the states to held workshops for folks that have never even picked up a paint brush. As much as we love to learn and paint, teaching is a BIG part of our work as well and we LOVE to share our knowledge with YOU.

Thanks to everyone in our pictures that we don't even know ;) We see Janet from TLC Vintage collection, Barb from Faux Works Studios, Amber from Shades of Amber, Janelle from Sodderbug... who are we missing? Who did I mis-announce?

Our own painter MJ Taylor!

Where are you from and/or where do you like to paint?

Do you teach, attend or both at Annie Sloan workshops?

Simple Sunday...

2011-12-18T07:54:00.000-05:00

12 Days of Hueology Christmas~ Day 6

2011-12-17T11:07:00.000-05:00

"On the sixth day of Christmas, my true love gave to me"...

Six shabby shutters,

FIVE GIFT CARDS BLING... cause we sell them!!!

Four scraps of wood,

Three chest of drawers,

Two cans of wax and

A quart of Annie Sloan Chalk Paint!!!

We think these picture say enough... does it get more traditional than this? How can you not love the simplicity of richness of Annie Sloan's Emperor's Silk with Old White and Versailles peaking out? Here are Hueology, MJ LOVES blue and Trish is Green to the core, but nothing says Christmas like the combination of red & green!!!

So, let's hear it all you paint junkies... What's your favorite Christmas colors? Do you incorporate them in with your decor colors you already have or do you stick with tradition and pull out all the good ol' timer colors?

12 Days of Hueology Christmas~ Day 5

2011-12-16T15:19:00.000-05:00

"On the fifth day of Christmas, my true love gave to me"...

FIVE GIFT CARDS BLING... cause we sell them!!!

Four scraps of wood,

Three chest of drawers,

Two cans of wax and

A quart of Annie Sloan Chalk Paint!!!

So... what's not to love about a gift certificate to learn something new with folks you like and getting a little messy at the same time?!?!? We at Hueology have gift certificates an ANY increment... hoping that you want to hang with us too. We teach beginner's workshops on Annie Sloan Chalk Paint, we hold "Bring Your Own Furniture" night, SUPER fun Make-N-Take's and MORE!!! Coming in the early new year, we will be offering advanced workshops, couple nights and one-on-one training for the folks who simply want MORE!!!

We hold all our workshops at Total Bliss in Summerfield. Looking for somewhere closer to you? Make sure to check out Jolie Designs for your local retailer of Annie Sloan products and workshops.

Can't find a place close enough to you for purchasing product or attending a workshop? Interested in selling/representing and learning more about Annie Sloan products? Check out Jolie Design & Decor to see if your area is available for becoming a Stockist or local retailer!!!

And finally... thanks for noticing that Trish CAN'T spell!!! Did you catch it... or was it only her mother that points those things out?
"Just kidding mom" ~Trish

12 Days of Hueology Christmas~Day 4

2011-12-15T07:17:00.000-05:00

"On the forth day of Christmas, my true love gave to me"...

Four scraps of wood,

Three chest of drawers,

Two cans of wax and

A quart of Annie Sloan Chalk Paint!!!

Now I know this isn't very "Christmasy" looking, but how could we resist this opportunity to share a ~~little bit~~ bunch of fun at little cost?!?! And the best thing is, NO measuring, NO perfectionist, & NO rights OR wrongs... Now that's a gift in itself!

One of our FAVORITE things to do at Hueology is grabbing scraps of wood and simply playing. Our dear friend, Janelle from Sodderbug thought it might be a good idea to gather some friends, power-tools and make wall art for out of scraps... and boy was she right! It's a great way to use up bits and pieces of other people's "trash" and make a real treasure!!!

Thanks to Janelle (our local country girl), Pierina (our local Italian girl), Grant (Trish's son) and of course Cooper (the 140 pound yellow lab) for all your help!!!

Look what our FABULOUS MJ did on her front step!!!

Who is your favorite paint buddy?

Your saviest trash picker?

Your best GOOD time friend?

12 Days of Hueology Christmas~ Day3...

2011-12-14T00:23:00.000-05:00

"On the third day of Christmas, my true love gave to me"...

Three chest of drawers,

Two cans of wax and

A quart of Annie Sloan Chalk Paint!!!

What's better than taking a vintage set of drawers (okay, any piece of furniture for that case) that are lacking life, than to give them fresh life with a simple coat of paint!!! Here at Hueology, we have jumped on the "french provincial" bandwagon. We LOVE to find it in the most unusual places, grab it and run to the shop and PAINT, PAINT, PAINT!!! Yes, we know, that not all our finds are priceless pieces that have been shipped to the states which are true antiques worth thousands, but it sure feels like it when we are done loving each piece!!!

Here MJ painted these little darlings in Pure White with Paloma accents. She then added a custom mix interior of Scandinavian Pink and Pure White... ALL colors by Annie Sloan Chalk Paint. We truly hope some little girl will be smitten with this for years to come and cherish them as we have.

What's your favorite type of furniture to buy, paint and or decorate with?

12 Days of Hueology Christmas~ Day2...

2011-12-13T08:29:00.000-05:00

"On the second day of Christmas, my true love gave to me"...

Two cans of wax and

A quart of Annie Sloan Chalk Paint!!!

Here is a great photo of clear and dark wax while MJ was in the midst of waxing! We use one or both waxes on most EVERYTHING we paint! Did you know you can make colored waxes too? Sign up for a workshop near you to lean more!!! Checkout where you can learn more from your local retailer at Jolie Designs...

What do you prefer, clear or dark?

12 Days of Hueology Christmas~ Day 1...

2011-12-12T23:30:00.000-05:00

"On the first day of Christmas, my true love gave to me"...

One quart of Annie Sloan Chalk Paint!!!
(even though, our true loves know us better and would've given us one in EVERY color!!!)

YES it's true, Barcelona Orange has officially arrived in the states and we are super excited to have it at Total Bliss in Summerfield!!! Nothing like a fresh new color to keep a girl happy... not to mention it's the color for the upcoming year. We predict you will see orange in several shades for 2012, so you'd better grab a can and find a "hue for you"!!!

Trish has started painting her barstools in this FABULOUS Barcelona Orange...what do you think?

Please stand by...

2011-12-10T08:50:00.000-05:00

We are almost ready to share with you the 12 FUN filled days of Hueology Christmas...

We apologize for our constant procrastination, sick children, dirty dishes, neglected husbands and unwrapped gifts while trying to paint, wax, photograph, edit and YES... video!!!

Can someone pass the Egg Nog?!?!?!

Where have we been hiding?

2011-11-30T21:06:00.001-05:00

Ok... so we took a month off after our "31 days of ASCP" event in October...whew that was a lot of blogging. Hats off to you folks who do it full time and actually make money at it!!! What's next you ask? When are we going to post again and share more of the fabulous Annie Sloan Chalk Paint fun we have?

SOON our dear readers...We have the 12 days of ASCP Christmas coming SOON and our funny little elves are busy working on the posts and videos now!!! So stay tuned, trust us, this is going to be FUN!!!

Not to mention, we have put up almost 15 Christmas trees at Total Bliss where we house our beautiful treasures... and we are about out of painted pieces for the season. Again we say...WHEW!!!

The Grande Finale...Day 31....Annie Sloan Paint LinkyParty!

2011-10-31T06:00:00.000-04:00

It is Day 31 and I think we pretty much

fulfilled the challenge

to bring you a whole lotta Annie Sloan

during the month of October!!!

Okay, maybe we missed a day or two...but, judging from the comments it seems we have turned some new folks onto this paint! Yeah, welcome to the world of being addicted to Annie Sloan! For those of you who were already addicted, I'm glad we could be of service to feed your addiction a little bit more!

There is nothing better in Blog Land than a good before and after...well sometimes just an after when you forget to take the before shot! Can I get an "Amen" from everyone who has gotten so excited to get started that they snoozed on the before shot????

We would be oh so honored if you would join us today for our first Linky Party on Hueology. Of course it is an Annie Sloan Linky Party! So, link up to a project you have completed with Annie Sloan Chalk Paint! We can't wait to see what you have done!

If you would be so kind we would appreciate it if you did give a little shout out that you are linking to the Hueology blog!

We apologize that the thumbnails are not working when you link up! The links will still work, so please link up, even if the thumbnail does not show, the title of your blog or piece will! We promise to view them all!

31 days of ASCP, Day 30... Simple Randomness!

2011-10-30T02:00:00.000-04:00

Yep we paint just about anything!!! Really gets people asking about and feeling the paint as they rub my tiny little business sales reps... changes a quick conversation into, "Tell me more about what you do?"

And yes, picture frames are simple and fun randomness as well!!! Wait till you see our holiday frames we have coming soon... ALL this with Annie Sloan Chalk Paints and Waxes!!!

What have you painted that a bit more random?

31 Day of ASCP, Day #29... Giving Back!!!

2011-10-29T20:43:00.001-04:00

3 years ago, we started a little fundraiser for a local charity called "Friends for an Earlier Breast Cancer Test". Trish's husband, Shane, has an incredible side business called "Shane's Sporting Clays" and we thought it would be only fitting to hold an event for women ONLY and help GIVE BACK to a nasty disease that has touched us and so many others in so many horrific ways!!! Our event is called "Blastin for Boobs"...

This year, we decided that Hueology needed to be a part of the show by helping sponsor the clay target shoot and raise MORE money!!! We will have a very catered event for the novice shooter along with complete instruction, silent auction tables, iPad2 raffle, vendors to shop with, hot FRESH brick oven pizza and MORE!!! To date we have raised almost $19,000 and plan on having a record breaking year with all the fun plans that have been made!!! Last year we had almost 250 women attend...HOW COOL IS THAT!?!?!?!

Remington Arms Co. is a huge sponsor... they donate the guns to use the day of, the ammunition for every participant, pink hats, door prizes and MORE!!! We (Trish & MJ) thought we could add to the excitement by giving back, of course. MJ will be demoing a a side table, START TO FINISH the day of... then, we will be selling raffles tickets to win the piece, giving-a-way FREE paintbrushes (with pink ribbon of course), coupons to each goodie bag for participants AND even have a few specialty items for sale!!! ALL this to simply GIVE BACK to help beat Breast Cancer!!!

What to know more?

Want to donate, sponsor or attend?

31 Days of ASCP, Day 28....Holiday Gifts!

2011-10-28T20:44:00.000-04:00

Yes, it is a bit nuts that I had shorts and a short sleeve shirt on today while I oohed and ahhed over the latest over the top Christmas tree put up in Total Bliss! It has always been a bit of a pet peeve of mine to even think red until the candy has been handed out. But, now that I'm in the world of retail I totally get it! You gotta be ready. It takes planning and time and it is better to be on top of the game then left behind.

Of course Trish whipped up a fabulous Annie Sloan Gift Box Set today!

Did you expect anything less from her?

So, here it is, the perfect gift for someone special....1 can of Annie Sloan Chalk Paint, 1 clear wax, 1 dark wax a paint brush and a roll of cheese cloth! Everything a gal (or dude!) needs to get started. You can customize each box to contain whatever you would like.

You can even include a Hueology Gift Certificate to be used on one of our workshops and/or furniture!

Here is a sneak peak of a mirror that just went in the shop today. It is painted French Linen over Duck Egg and distressed and waxed!

Would you like to receive the gift of ASCP for Christmas?

Put it on your wish list!

31 Days of ASCP, Day 27...Your Work Zone

2011-10-27T07:55:00.000-04:00

Well, here it is...my glorious "studio"!

Aka

The Garage

A source of marital contention

A place where no 4 wheeled vehicles have seen the light of day

An episode of Hoarders

I could go on and on.....

Note that in this photo there are 3 MAJOR violations taking place. Our garage is divided into 4 quadrants. I am allowed to spread myself out in 3 of them. The fourth one {the one the Harley lives in) is OFF LIMITS! Here I see that the brand new, was still in the box, fire pit I scored at Goodwill has traveled into the penalty box, along with the desk stool to my french provencal set and 2 cans of paint.

As you can see I've got some in progress work going on and several more that need to get started! My goal is to get this under control and most of it out before the winter sets in. Oh how I hate to get in a cold car. I hope to have my van back in the garage in a few weeks!

Where do you paint??? We'd love to hear about your "studio"!

31 Days of ASCP, Day 26....Always have a good audience...

2011-10-26T08:31:00.000-04:00

It is no fun to work alone!

Talk over your ideas with someone who will listen....

someone who is not to opinionated....

someone who will lick you when you are done...

Dogs are so good for some many things!!!

Who's your favorite paint buddy?

31 Days of ASCP, Day 25....Have We Inspired You?

2011-10-25T07:00:00.000-04:00

25 Days of Annie Sloan Chalk Paint!

Has anyone been around since Day 1?

We hope you have enjoyed it thus far! Get your paint brushes out and your camera's ready because you have 6 days left to show us what you've got!

We are going to conclude the series on Day 31 with a Annie Sloan Chalk Paint Linky Party!!

We want to see what you have been up too. So, if you have a blog please link up a post on October 31st showing a piece that you have done with ASCP.

Don't have a blog? That is OK, we still want to give you credit if you have been inspired from our blog. So, e-mail us at hueology@gmail.com a picture or two of your project with a brief description of what you did, colors, etc. and we will post them on our blog. Please e-mail them by October 28th if you want to be included in the Linky Party.

Here is a look at a great 6 leg table we did in Old White and touches of Paris Gray.

To find out where you can purchase Annie Sloan Chalk Paint and Waxes

visit Annie Sloan Unfolded!

31 Days of ASCP, Day 24... Comment Love

2011-10-24T07:10:00.000-04:00

Well we are trying to keep up with 31 days straight and have missed one (well maybe two) days in this "31 Day Challenge"... We have gobs of photos and weeks worth of posting, but time and energy on ~~every, most,~~ some days are still a struggle. We just want to mention we have one full week left and are having a BLAST sharing our "challenge" of posting for 31 days in a row!!!

You all are leaving GREAT questions and comments (better known as COMMENT LOVE) and we truly read each and everyone of them!!! We might not have the time to respond as quickly as we had hoped for so we WILL be posting a Q & A post at the very end of this 31 Day Challenge... so don't give-up on us!!! PLEASE leave us all the comments, questions and concerns you may have and we promise to get back with you when the month is over.

ASK US ANYTHING... we dare you!!!

(keep it G rated please, he he he)

31 Days of ASCP, Day 23... Simple Sunday

2011-10-23T22:19:00.001-04:00

We are getting little behind here on Hueology with our 31 Day Challenge, but had a great workshop today... Problem? We tried posting from a new phone with anew app and well, needless to say another day we didn't get things caught up!

So here we are with a Simple Sunday post of simple sample of hues...Old White by Annie Sloan Chalk Paint. Yes it truly is SIMPLE, but it has that lasting hue of time that no other color can duplicate in the Annie Sloan line of paints!!! And what more... you can add it to ANY of the ASCP colors to perfectly lighten and/or change the shade of the other fabulous 28 colors available!!! (please note: all color combos below were found on the Annie Sloan website)

What have you mixed with Old White?

What's your favorite combo?

31 Days of ASCP, Day 22.....Scenes from a Porch

2011-10-22T07:00:00.000-04:00

This fabulous table was the second piece I painted with ASCP. You can read about the entire before and after project on my "other" blog One Nutty Girl. Where was Trish for this project? Tooling around in Europe for 2 weeks! After I finished this Duck Egg beauty I decided I HAD to keep it. We had just started a screen porch project and I decided to put it on the porch once it was completed.

The chairs are Old White and super distressed!

This bench was originally white. I loved it, but wanted to add a little bit more color. I slapped on one super quick messy coat of Versailles, let it dry and then got out my Ryobi Corner Cat and distressed it. One coat of clear wax and I had the perfect super quick makeover!

Check out my fabulous ceiling! No, it is not Annie Sloan, but I had to show it off! I'm just smitten with the blue bead board!

Thanks for visiting....we love our followers!!!

To find out where you can purchase Annie Sloan Chalk Paint and Waxes

visit Annie Sloan Unfolded!

31 Days of ASCP, Day 20... Smitten with French Linen

2011-10-20T07:51:00.000-04:00

Have you gotten a chance to use the new color French Linen?

It should be a staple in your ASCP pallet! We are loving the balance between grey and khaki. We've enjoyed using it alone and pairing it with Graphite.....the possibilities are endless. Loving Annie's idea to pair this with Emperor's Silk! Thinking this combo might show up in our Workshop this Sunday!

Here we used just one thin coat of French Linen on an oak chair. It gave the chair a great color, yet the richness of the grain of the oak still shows through!

This chair is now for sale at Total Bliss in Summerfield!

Are you ready to paint something in French Linen??

To find out where you can purchase Annie Sloan Chalk Paint and Waxes

visit Annie Sloan Unfolded!

31 Days of ASCP, Day 19....Mixing Color!

2011-10-19T07:00:00.000-04:00

Hav you tried mixing color yet?

We have done a little bit of mixing and playing to make new colors.

The easiest way to start is to make different shades of your favorite colors is by adding Old White to them.

We like to play using teaspoonfuls, that way you are not using too much of your paint experimenting.

Another important thing to remember is to RECORD your mixes in case you want to make them again! Paint a swatch on a sheet of paper and right down your formula under it. Another way we've seen it done is to use paint stirrers with the color on it and write down the formula on the paint stir stick.

Mixing is not just for Old White....mixing 2 and 3 colors together is really fun!

This glorious apple green was made with 3 colors - Antibes Green, Arles and Chateau Grey!

One color we have failed at over and over is Orange! So, we are super excited that Barcelona Orange will be back anytime now! We can't wait to pop the lid on that paint something Orange!

Have you mixed anything together yet?

Do tell...we know there are some fabulous recipes out there!

31 Days of ASCP, Day 18....Stars and Stripes

2011-10-18T08:09:00.000-04:00

What can you do with a little bit of Red {Emperor's Silk} White {Old White} and Blue {Greek Blue}?

You can stripe some barn wood and add some stars!

What can you do with a boring dresser?

You can stripe it!

We took some Duck Egg Blue and added Old White to get a lighter hue of the Duck Egg!

Have you thought outside the box with Annie Sloan Chalk Paint yet?

Break out and try something new and different!

To find out where you can purchase Annie Sloan Chalk Paint and Waxes

visit Annie Sloan Unfolded!

31 Days of ASCP, Day 17....Pumpkins!

2011-10-17T07:00:00.000-04:00

We are huge Auburn University Football fans!

So, when I popped the lid on Napoleonic Blue I knew it had to paired up with some orange in honor of the blue and orange Auburn Tigers!

I painted one coat of Napoleonic Blue on my pumpkin. In no time it was dry...love that! I then took some 150 grit sandpaper and rubbed it up and down the pumpkin, revealing pops of orange! I wiped the dust off and then coated it with clear wax. In less than 30 minutes the pumpkin was done!

My Taylor sign was also a super quick project.

Trish had picked up a stack of these chippy boards recently when she was on a "pickin" trip. I grabbed one up and stenciled on my name and house number with black craft paint. When that dried I waxed the entire board with AS clear wax. The board looks as good as it did the first day I put it out and it has been poured rain on for days on end! Thanks to AS wax!

31 days of ASCP, Day 16...Simple Sunday

2011-10-16T21:20:00.001-04:00

Some days in the fall are just SIMPLY incredible with color!!! Here at Hueology we just SIMPLY wanted to share that the colors from Annie Sloan Chalk Paint are just as beautiful as this fall day here in North Carolina!!!

What's your's favorite SIMPLE thing to do on a gorgeous fall day?

31 Days of ASCP,Day 15...Provence!

2011-10-15T10:06:00.004-04:00

My first purchase of ASCP included one can of Povence, one can of Duck Egg, one can of Old White!

I popped the lid as soon as I got home and knew I had to paint something with this delicious shade creamy turquoise blue immediately!!

I grabbed up this chair from my "stash" in my garage and painted her with 2 coats of Provence, clear wax and some good old distressing!

Love her!

Happy Saturday!!

Are you painting today????

Please post your projects on our Facebook Page!

31 Days of ASCP, Day 14...Hammer the Lids Down...Hard!

2011-10-14T08:43:00.001-04:00

We interrupt the 31 Days Series to bring you a VERY important tip.....

When putting your lids back on your paint cans make sure you hammer those lids down really tight!

Goodbye to a almost full can of Versailles!

Remember that lovely organized paint bucket from this post? Well, it seems I piled the cans pretty high in my bucket, didn't hammer the lid down tight enough, and and then stopped short on a downward hill.

OOPS!!!

31 Days of ASCP, Day 13, Our Shop is Total Bliss!

2011-10-13T07:13:00.000-04:00

We are blessed to have a retail space to call our own!

We recently spruced up our space!

We work out of a FABULOUS store in Summerfield, NC, called Total Bliss. We discovered this shop about a week after it opened a little over 2 years ago and it has been one of our favorites ever since! We were overjoyed when Nancy, the shop owner, said yes to selling Annie Sloan Chalk Paint and yes to having us {aka. Hue.olo.gy} sell our painted pieces and teach classes!

The makeover is just about complete!

We started by purchasing these bookcases {that had been on either side of a massive media center} at a local consignment shop.

The received two coats of CoCo and the detail was highlighted with Pure White and distressed.

What about the fabulous chalkboard between the bookcases?

Here is the before on that one! It was a huge picture that hung in my kitchen for years. It has been sitting in my garage for at least 2 years now. Almost taken to Goodwill on numerous occasions.

We did a simple makeover by painting 3 coats of CoCo right over the picture. The frame was painted Pure White. Without wax the Chalk Paint is just like a chalkboard! So, we now have a custom made chalkboard to keep everyone informed of all the latest classes and events at Total Bliss!!

We have also made sample boards in each color and displayed them on the wall!

We'd love to have you stop in and see it if you can! There is a lot more besides Annie Sloan Chalk Paint and Hueology furniture!

To find out where you can purchase Annie Sloan Chalk Paint and Waxes

visit Annie Sloan Unfolded!

31 Days of ASCP, Day 12... Emperor's Silk

2011-10-12T07:37:00.001-04:00

We will both admit that when we first popped open a can of Emperor's Silk we were not fans. We bought it to try to make orange {as we desperately wait for the arrival of Barcelona Orange!} and played around by mixing it with Arles. The result was a funky "flesh" color. We gave up and cast our can aside for a bit. But then, we discovered that if you dark waxed Emperor's Silk without clear waxing first you get an amazing deep red!

We gave this table base more of an asian flare with the ES and the Dark Wax

The table is ready to be reunited with it's top!

This little table caught my eye as I was on my way to my son's baseball game. I pulled over and paid $5 to a precious old lady in a short pink bathrobe!

Two coats of Emperor's Silk and one coat of Dark Wax and she was a brand new table! If I wanted it even darker I could have added a second coat of dark wax.

Red chairs are FUN! I have a whole new appreciation for the color red now!

If you have not used Emperor's Silk yet... are you going to now?

Play with it and HAVE FUN!!

To find out where you can purchase Annie Sloan Chalk Paint and Waxes

visit Annie Sloan Unfolded!

31 Day of ASCP, Day 11...Waxing

2011-10-11T08:24:00.001-04:00

A very important element in using Annie Sloan Paint is the application of the wax. This is when the "magic" really happens! Annie makes two waxes, one is Clear and the other is Dark. The Clear Wax pretty much looks like a tub of Crisco and the Dark is well....very dark, a very rich brown.

When you are finished painting your piece you will want to first apply a coat of clear wax. This is very important. If you apply your brown wax first it will stain the color of your paint. The clear layer acts as a barrier and gives you a "platform" to work on the brown wax.

A wax brush is a very helpful tool when applying large amounts of wax all over a piece. You may also apply the wax with other natural bristle brushes and soft lint free rags. But, once you have used this brush, you will be hooked and won't be able to imagine life without one. It is made of horse hair and retails for $34.95...worth it! If you will be waxing often we also recommend two. You will want to keep one brush for clear and one brush for dark. We purchased ours at Total Bliss in Summerfield, NC. Check with your local Annie Sloan Paint stockist to see if they carry it....many do.

In this photo I have applied a layer of clear wax, liberally applying with my wax brush. I then wiped off the excess with a lint free rag and then distressed. I then began to apply the dark wax. I applied a fair amount, pushing it into the detail, and into the nooks and crannies.

Once the piece was covered in brown wax I began wiping off the excess. If my wax was difficult to move or wipe, I used additional clear wax to smooth and even it out. When your wax is fully dry...usually in a few hours, {or you can wait up to 24 hours} buff it to a beautiful shine with some cheesecloth, or a soft lint free rag.

Working with wax is really quite easy once you get the hang of it. It is one of the techniques we teach in all of our Annie Sloan Workshops at Total Bliss. So much can be achieved with these two waxes! Again, this stuff is limitless!

Can you see how the brown wax has merged into all the nooks and crannies and into the brush marks? I love it! The sloppier you paint the more brush strokes you make for wax to stick in!

This piece was painted with Paris Grey and Old White. A fabulous combination!

To find out where you can purchase Annie Sloan Chalk Paint and Waxes

visit Annie Sloan Unfolded!

31 Days of ASCP, Day 10...Who are "We"?

2011-10-10T06:00:00.000-04:00

You might be new to our Hueology Blog....Welcome!

You've seen a lot of pictures of paint and furniture! Are you wondering who the "we" is in all these 31 Day Posts?

"We" are Trish Naylor and Mary Jean {M.J.} Taylor

A few years ago "we" discovered that it is much more fun to do just about everything together. Our kids hang together, our hubby's ride Harley's together and since we discovered Annie Sloan Chalk Paint we spend a lot of time painting together!

Trish goes for the Green's, Red's and has ventured into Grey! M.J. is all about some Blue, Blue and more Blue, but has rediscovered red due to Emperor's Silk with some Dark Wax!

Thank's to Annie and her amazing colors! There is a "Hue for Just for YOU"!

Tomorrow we will start getting into the nitty gritty on WAX!

To find out where you can purchase Annie Sloan Chalk Paint and Waxes

visit Annie Sloan Unfolded!

31 days of ASCP, Day 9... Simple Sunday.

2011-10-09T06:23:00.002-04:00

Some days we just want to relax and enjoy the day the Lord has made. Today we show you our "Simple Sunday" with a simple sample of hues... Coco by Annie Sloan Chalk Paint.

What's your favorite HUE?

31 Days of Annie Sloan Chalk Paint....Day 8....Pausing for a good "Pick"

2011-10-08T12:59:00.001-04:00

Today's post is LATE! Why?

Because we were picking....good picking here in the country of Summerfield, NC on this beautiful Saturday.

Sign of a good pick? A very dirty car!

Here is a sneak peak at some of the lovelies that were acquired!

Yes, there is another car full as well!

If you picked up something good give it a brag today in the comments section!!!

Day 7....Practice Boards

2011-10-07T15:37:00.000-04:00

We cannot stress enough that this paint is LIMITLESS! Really!!

We have been using it almost every day for months now and we have yet to do the same thing twice! Even in teaching classes we still do different color and wax combo's in every class!

The best thing to do to get your confidence up in trying a new color combo, waxing or distressing is to practice on some scrap wood. I've been using leftover raw tongue and groove bead board that I rescued from the dumpster when they did my screen in porch ceiling this past summer. I also had tons of MDF leftover from another practice. I quickly discovered that MDF is a great to practice on and even the more complicated techniques look equally as grand on MDF as they do on delicate antiques.

So find some scraps and start playing around with some paint!

Day 6....Supplies

2011-10-06T06:00:00.000-04:00

Just a few weeks after the discovery of Annie Sloan Chalk Paint and Waxes we found ourselves knee deep in quite a few cans of paint and various other supplies we were using on our pieces. Trish, the fabulous organizer, decided that we needed some method to our paint can madness.

We painted the tops of all the cans with a dab of color so they would be easily identifiable. She also got us these great plastic {a good material if a spill should occur!} basket crates with handles to haul all our supplies around in... and yes, that's simply a laundry basket from Big Lots with some cool matching bin in the middle!!!

The second most valuable tool besides the paint is the paint brushes. The best brush to use is a NATURAL bristle brush....no synthetic bristles with this paint please. These brushes are known in the paint brush world as "chip brushes" and they are quite inexpensive, starting at .99 for the small ones and up to $3.00 - $4.00 for the bigger ones. We like to give our students each a pack to take home with them from our workshops. They clean up great and if you forget to {or don't feel like it!} they can be tossed without feeling guilty about the price! A variety of sizes is good to have on hand ranging from 1" to 3". It is also nice to have smaller artists brushes on hand for painting small areas and details on things. These can be purchased at Michaels or any art supply store.

You will also want Annie Sloan Wax in clear and dark and 2 wax brushes.....this will be a separate post....so be sure to come back for the Wax Post....it will be very important!

Here is a list of other things we keep on hand in our "buckets" (besides paint & brushes):

sandpaper in a variety of grits, ranging from 80 up to 220
paint stirrers
paint can opener (we have several because we loose and find them everywhere!)
mineral spirits
lint free rags {old t-shirts or shop rags}
paper towels
baggies or aluminum foil to wrap used brushes in until you can clean them
screw driver for removing hardware
hair dryer for drying the last little spot you just cant wait 10 more minutes to dry!
Cheese Cloth for buffing or some sort of buffing tool
a simple notebook for jotting down your latest mixures
And of course..."Quick and Easy Paint Transformations" book by Annie Sloan

Having all this handy has many advantages (and it ALL fits in our cute little bins). It makes it all easy to clean up and put away. This is important to the hubby too. Your new habit may not set well with him, especially if you have suddenly taken over his garage! It also makes it easy if you are traveling to another location to paint. Your friends are going to beg you to come help them and get them addicted to the ~~crack~~ paint too!

Oh yes, we also suggest snacks...Chocolate is always on our list!

To find out where you can purchase Annie Sloan Chalk Paint and Waxes

visit Annie Sloan Unfolded!

Day 5....Mastering the French Look

2011-10-05T06:00:00.000-04:00

Annie's style of decor is very French influenced. The color pallet is amazing. Her book Creating the French Look is packed full of information on the different regions of France and how they have influenced her choice of paint color and style of painting.

One of our very favorite colors is Duck Egg Blue! When we scored a vintage cabinet that was used to store sheet music our first thought was....Duck Egg Blue for sure!

The great curves and wood carving were perfect to try out some of Annie's layering and sanding techniques.

The entire piece, including the detailed trim was painted in 2 coats of Duck Egg. After that dried {in super drying record speed!} we went back with a small brush and hand painted Old White on the edges and details we wanted to stand out.

Next was clear wax and then distressing to give it the aged "French" antique look. I love how when you distress back the Old White you get some of the blue and the wood peeking out! We then added brown wax just in certain areas we wanted to look more aged, like the corners of the doors and on the white to cute down the "newness" of the fresh white.

Did we get it right on this piece?

It was very hard to put it in the shop for sale!!!

Thanks for visiting....stick around....we've got lots more pretties to share!

To find out where you can purchase your own Duck Egg Blue {and all the other French inspired colors!} visit Annie Sloan Unfolded!

Day 4...Losing the Oak

2011-10-04T08:13:00.000-04:00

Lets talk a little bit about Oak today. There is lots of different images that come to mind when I think of oak. Very old antique oak can be beautiful. But then there is the other "Oak Factor". Visit any yard sale or Goodwill and you will know what I'm talking about. Great pieces, with great lines, solid and well made but very "oaky". Often times very shiny too! These pieces are screaming "I need some Annie Sloan" for a super quick makeover. They can give your room an entire new look. Great pieces that you don't mind really experimenting with color on.

For this table we chose Old Ochre and Chateau Grey

We layered the two colors and then did some heavy distressing to reveal back the bottom color and some of the wood. We finished the piece off with clear wax and she was ready to find a new home!

So, don't be afraid to cover that oak, it is no sin in the world of Annie Sloan Paint!

Day 3 - No Need to Prime or Prepare!

2011-10-03T06:00:00.000-04:00

No Need to Prime or Prepare? What? Really? That can't possibly be true!!

I was going to have to see this to believe this. I've done a lot of painting over the years and have always regretted when I did not properly prepare a piece beforehand. I dug out these SUPER SHINY side tables that have been doubling as bedside tables in our guest room for forever and a day. Check out the shine factor on this? You can actually see a crystal clear reflection on the top!!! {One must always have an audience when painting....that is why Asher is so handy....he always has to stand in a picture somewhere!}

Against better judgement I began slapping on Paris Grey. The first coat dried super quick and I had a second coat on in no time. Yep, it was sticking beautifully! I was so excited! Yippee I had a new best friend!

The table on the left is 2 coats of Paris Grey. I was loving the color, but wanted to finish them off with some distressing and waxing. On a whim I mixed up a deeper gray by adding some Graphite into the Paris Grey and wiped it all over the tables. I then waxed with clear wax and distressed!

So, it is indeed true, there is no need to prime or prepare! I've tested this statement from Annie Sloan over and over and it proves true each time!

Thank you Annie! You may but Kilz out of business!

Day 2....How It All Began

2011-10-02T06:00:00.000-04:00

So how did we become completely obsessed with this paint? It is really quite a simple story.....

While trolling the internet I {MJ from "One Nutty Girl"} happen to notice that a few bloggers were talking about this stuff called chalk paint and were showing off some of their pieces. About 5 seconds later I was desperately trying to find out where the heck I could get my hands on this stuff! Of course I was not going to do this alone! When taking on a new adventure there is nothing more exciting than doing with a BFF! Not just any BFF, but one that says "I'm in" before you even finish your sentence! Trish from "Life to the T" was my side-kick and off we went for our newest adventure together...

We found the paint at a store about 45 minutes from where we lived and set out for our first score. We bought 6 cans of paint, one can of dark wax, one can of clear wax and a wax brush and this....

This is the Annie Sloan Bible!!!

Everyone should own this book! If you see one somewhere GRAB IT! This book is HOT! It sells out in no time and then you have to wait to get your hands on one! I just did a search on Amazon and they have new ones listed from $136 all the way up to $300! Crazy! It retails for $19.99. Hold your horses because there should be more coming soon at that price!

Anyway, I dug right into the book on the ride back home. The lids were popped and we just started painting! Yeah, we are crazy like that. Sure we made a few mistakes and had to keep referring back to the book over and over, especially on the waxing part. But, Annie's step by step instructions with amazing pictures were very helpful.

Here is a look at our very first completed piece of furniture! We nailed it and even accomplished mixing a custom color!

It was like crack. Within days we were scouring places for more pieces, trying to decide what NOT to paint in our homes! Suddenly our cars were not being parked in our garages anymore. We needed this stuff and needed it BAD! Our minds spun out of control. Every waking thought was about painting. We knew we needed a closer place to home to score our weekly habit.

Within a few short weeks we had convinced our favorite local store Total Bliss to sell the paint and our "source" was now in our hometown of Summerfield, NC. In exchange owner Nancy McGee gave us part of her store to work out of creating and selling our lovelies! Thank you Nancy!!!

So there you have it...the beginning of the journey....

See you for Day 3 tomorrow!

Welcome to 31 days of...

2011-10-01T22:26:00.000-04:00

What?

Welcome to "31 days of ..."!!! Well, lets see here... I think we are just going to go with PAINT, Annie Sloan Chalk Paint that is! For 31 Days, yes every single day in October people, we will be doing something to showcase paint and it won't just be paint on furniture. We are going to go beyond furniture and stretch ourselves into other subjects all related to paint somehow. Colors, brushes, tools, surfaces, etc. The door is wide open!

Why?

Well, one of our favorite blogs, Nesting Place, {we've been fans since the beginning of time, that is blog time} is hosting its 3rd annual "31 Days of....". This year she invited others to join in and link up and we are taking the challenge! So, everyday this month make sure to come to our blog and see what we are up to in the world of PAINT! Shocking huh?

Who?

One thing we can ensure is that you will be seeing a lot of Annie Sloan Chalk Paint! We are head over heals with this stuff. We have recently completed all kinds of awesome training from amazing people like Barb Skivington of Faux Works Studios. Barb is first generation Annie, that means Annie trained Barb. We consider ourselves 2nd generation Annie's because Barb trained us! If you want to be 3rd generation Annie's you can take one of our Workshops in our local town of Summerfield, NC at Total Bliss {the store we work out of!} or you can visit the website Annie Sloan Unfolded to find a local stockist in your area to purchase this paint or take workshops from!

When?

See you tomorrow for Day 2!

What we learned for YOU...

2011-09-26T13:29:00.001-04:00

Kate, Trish, Lisa & MJ

Last week (Well, maybe a bit over a week ago), we had the privilege of going to a "Train the Trainer" workshop for all the Annie Sloan Paint Stockist & Mini-Stockist able to attend. "Stockist" (English term for folks who sell Annie Sloan Chalk Paint directly to the public in their cute little shops and boutiques) from all over the country met at Faux Works in High Point, NC where the classes were led by Barb Skivington and Lisa Rickert Jolie.

Barb Skivington

We had the opportunity to learn several techniques to pass along in our workshops... in other words to help educate our clients and customers in the wrongs-n-rights of how to paint & wax with Annie Sloan products properly. There are some truly GREAT bloggers and folks out there doing incredible jobs on their pieces (trust us, we happily blog hop through the day), but PLEASE make sure to check out your local Stockist to ensure you are applying ASCP properly. Annie wants to make sure everyone loves her products as much as we do and that you understand how to make your piece a valuable addition to your home and business for all to enjoy for years to come.

Wondering why the cans are upside down? Leave a comment asking so!

We learned tips, tricks and techniques, but we also made connections and had the opportunity to meet other folks who had the same passions as us. We had the chance to help each other with business ideas of things that work, things that didn't work so well and were able to meet "in person" (which is rare, but still valuable in this day & age!). I wish I could name all the GREAT ladies that were met, but that's a whole post in itself!!!

Are you wondering where you too can purchase ASCP? Make sure to check out Lisa Rickert Jolie's site for a shop near you (in North America)!!! If you must order on-line, we understand... but Stockist & Mini-Stockist are popping all over the country every month, so look first then take a workshop to learn what all the hoopla is about!!! (It's worth a weekend drive or girls "get-a-way" to take a workshop...trust us, we did it before we began selling & teaching too) Think you've got what it takes to open a store if there's not one in your vicinity...Check out Lisa's information on this as well!

Barb did a FINE job (for TWO days mind you) of teaching the class, keeping Chatty Cathy's at bay and sharing her knowledge and love for painting. Lisa was able to interject and let us know of all the rules and regulation (we as business owners) needed to know, give us the "scoop" on what's coming next from Annie Sloan Products coming to the states ::GIDDY::, to educate us how to help run our businesses (because Lisa is one super savvy business women herself) and to share the love of this incredibly unique company & all it has to offer!!!

And yes... a bit of funny from our favorite camera junkie (MJ smiling) and our lovely Kate from Total Bliss. For those of you who aren't aware, Total Bliss is located in Summerfield NC where MJ & Trish a.k.a. "Hueology" help Nancy & Kate teach their workshops, sell their paints and share our love of Annie as well :)

The New COLORS are Here!!!

2011-09-20T09:31:00.000-04:00

Annie Sloan's NEWEST colors!!!

We're sure you've heard ALL the buzz about the NEWEST colors by Annie Sloan!!! And we have our ~~messy little hands~~ neat little brushes in it and can't wait for you to try it too!!! There are some BIG plans at Total Bliss for some of the dreamiest items to cover with these lovely cans of liquid gold.

We have Pure White...

We have Coco...

We have French Linen...

Photo found on ASCP site

ALL our ASCP can be found at Total Bliss in Summerfield. What are you waiting for? What are you dreaming of painting with the NEWEST colors by Annie Sloan Chalk Paints?

Scandinavian Pink...

2011-09-07T23:23:00.000-04:00

Scandinavian Pink

We painted a desk Scandinavian Pink by Annie Sloan Paints. We didn't get good photos (did get this snap shot though), but didn't want to miss the chance to show this fab color!!! Sometimes simple is better. So...Scandinavian Pink, What do you think?

We love it as an under a main color for layering! What have you used it on?

Louis Blue Kitchen Island...

2011-08-28T12:15:00.000-04:00

An incredible new look!!!

When we were hired to paint this lovely kitchen island (see the before picture below), we were so excited when our client picked Louis Blue!!! We presented her 3 sample boards with different variations of the Clear-to-Dark wax from Annie Sloan.

We love the look of the bead-board waxed!!!

Shannon immediately went with the Dark wax and wanted to make sure it looked aged, different and that it was a separate piece of furniture in the kitchen... NOT like it had been set there from the cabinet maker to match the rest of the cabinets. We loved her combo and quickly got to work. Don't you LOVE the detail the Dark wax gave this island?

The handles were simply the icing on the cake...

The groves and detail.

The wine nook is extra cool!!!

MJ was super happy we were painting one of her favorite shades of blue! We had a fun time helping this kitchen transform into a more comfy, cozy and loved living space! Thanks Shannon for allowing to be apart of your home for 3 short days :) We hope you get many years of happiness out of it.

MJ Taylor ~ a.k.a. Hueologist

Here's a peak to what the island looked like before. What's your vote... Before or After?

Chalk Paint Beginner Class 101...

2011-08-24T22:25:00.002-04:00

...

SO we decided to jump in and start some classes to teach our LOVE for Annie Sloan Chalk Paint. What do you do in a beginner's class with Hueology (located at our local mini-stockist in Total Bliss)? You learn about Annie, her some of her techniques and walk away with the confidence to paint whatever comes your way!!!

...

What do you need to bring to class? NOTHING, but a willingness to learn!!!

What do we provide?
1. The sample wood boards.
2. The brushes.
3. The distressing tools (ie: sandpaper, Scotch Bright, hairdryer, etc.)
4. Handout of class outline.
5. Snack, drinks and YES a bit of chocolate too!
6. And MOST important the samples of Annie Sloan Paints!!!

MJ Taylor

You will be taught by one of our incredible team members from Hueology. Each one has been taught the "Annie Sloan" way from our local Stockist, Barb Skivington, at Faux Works Studios in High Point, NC (who was taught by Annie herself... yes, there is truth in 6 links to someone "famous"...he he he!). There will be an assistant for extra hands-on and help with clean-up, pictures and yes... passing out of the ever so valuable chocolates.

Duck Egg Blue Crackle with Dark Wax

You will walk away with at least 5 techniques to use at home. You will have the opportunity to try several different paint colors. Also, You will love your new ideas and latest addiction to the world of Chalk Paint. It's all about YOU learning at Hueology!!!

...

We hope you join us at our next class. Keep posted of our updates on Facebook. Want to be added to our e-mail list of what's coming soon? Send us an e-mail to be added to our mailing list. hueology@gmail.com

Our First Sign...

2011-08-22T22:26:00.001-04:00

FUN FIND!!!

Some things are just meant to be. We are LUCKY enough to know the incredible Janelle from Sodderbug.com and she knew exactly what we needed to make our new business complete!!! She is ever so talented and we simply LOVE our sign to show off who we are. Make sure to check out Janelle and all her goods on Etsy, Facebook and/or her blog at Sodderbug.

Don't you just love it? We sure do...THANKS J~

Green with Envy...

2011-08-16T07:55:00.000-04:00

Close Up of Antibes

So, once again...Antibes Green from Annie Sloan is ~~screaming greatness~~ scratching the surface of beauty!!! This chair is a true antique, my mother was the one to point that out after I acquired it from my cousin, from her mother, from her mother, from well... you get the point. The great part is, I have two, but only painted one... I will save more greatness for a rainy day!!!

Yummy Details

This chair is a bit on the small side, but now stands tall with it's texture and color. It's always fun to see how each pice of furniture shows a new personality after you start. NEVER FAILS... I start with one color or technique and end in another. From the distressing to the waxing, each piece is unique to itself!

Green w/ Envy in ALL her Glory

Below you will see a chair which we did the imposto (I think that's how you spell it) technique. It's thick and rich... and I am dying to try on an entire piece of furniture!!! I was wanting you to see the difference that one can of paint (and color wax) a can make. Annie Sloan, once again, is rocking the ideas!!!

TWO techniques and styles... ONE color.

Want to learn this technique? Take our class at Hueology!!!

Have you painted something green? Share it with us via e-mail and maybe we will post it on our blog!!! Or go to our Hueology Facebook page and post your pics there... We LOVE to share!!!

{E-mail us for more details on the class at hueology@gmail.com}

Light it up...

2011-08-12T10:50:00.000-04:00

This was one of this unique pieces that has been in need of something for a while. I still feel that the shade would be beautiful in a caramel shade of brown, cork or burlap of sorts. But it is, what it is and we have this "simple" shade in white on it still... but at the price we are selling it for (see last picture below) you can afford to go get that extra special shade that fits your style and not ours :)

Who doesn't love a little grey and tan for that neutral, go-any-where kinda floor lamp? Beats that old boring metal look we see in every "big guy" shop in town... and I'm not talking the shop for "tall men"!!! You know, the ones where they are cookie cut in another country?

This lamp was hand made and carved by a neighbor of mine several years ago... it's value is much higher than we marked it, but we also want someone to buy and love it as we have for years :) Don't you love the swirl in the base middle? That's one piece of solid wood!!!

The funny thing about this lamp... I just wanted to take fab pictures to show it off. What do you think?

Do you have a lamp you have painted? Do you love it, do you hate it or are you indifferent?

Whimsy Frame Fun...

2011-08-11T11:16:00.000-04:00

Okay, this time we decided to share a little something different!!! Who doesn't have one of those old gold frames, you know... the ones that look like they came out the 18th century, the ones that some company in China is trying to make look like they are cast of 24 carat gold, or the ones that folks think came from some Italian Gallery in the canals of Venice. Yep, we've all owned one or seen them at Michael's Craft Store (no bad vibes towards Michael's! We love your store, just your frames are lacking color from Hueology...he he he)!!!

So what did we do? We painted it with Annie Sloan Chalk Paint of course!!! We used Old Ochre for a nice base and neutral canvas. Then we used the dark wax to stain it a darker shade of brown. After that, a mix of dark wax and mineral spirits were brushed and allowed to "cure" for a couple days.

Little blue details make the difference!

I almost forgot... Provence was painted on with a small painter's brush to show the inner framing detail. {LOVE those little dotted bumps} Clear and dark wax were applied after that. A little buffing the next day and all was good in the world :). Instead of simply using the frame as a... FRAME, we decided to make it a bit more whimsical and add some cork from an old piece laying in the attic (Trish has an attic full of treasures awaiting their debut)!!!

Fun photo shoot with my son.

When it came time to shoot a few final "after" pictures of the latest ASCP project, my oldest son (who prefers to be behind the camera) took a couple funny photos of Mommy. And yes, that's my everyday paint pants... they are just getting broke in!!! Maybe I'll show a photo of what they look like at the end of the year...ICK! But golly, they fit and feel FABULOUS!!!

A beautiful board for any occasion!!!

Sooooooo, what do you think? Do you have an old icky frame that could use a bit of Hueology whimsy? It doesn't have to be a hideous gold one either. Yep, it can be done in a matter of minutes and treasured for years...ENJOY!!!

Combining Waxes...

2011-08-10T15:05:00.000-04:00

Green/Grey Combo

It's obvious that green is a favorite of Trish, but grey is pulling through as a top contender in the mix...It's seems to be as neutral as the browns, beige and tans have been for years!!! It obviously goes with all the beautiful blues from Annie Sloan, but using it with green simply shows off it's vibrance and beauty as well.

Tagged by Hueology

BEFORE

This fabulous piece was done in a matter of minutes (well, ok... maybe a couple of hours), but what a difference it made to this ho-hum dark brown table (shown above). After a bit of distressing, the final touch was clear wax on top of the green and dark wax added to the grey.

Table of Lovely Shades

For Sale...Sweet!!!

Don't you love the richness? What have you done with your wax from Annie Sloan? PLEASE share so we can have fun too!!! Interested in buying this pretty little jewel? Drop by Total Bliss in Summerfield, NC or e-mail us about shipping.

Giving New Life

2011-08-08T17:08:00.001-04:00

Our latest project involved making over a bedroom set! We started with a maple bedroom set by Bassett. It was over 10 years old, well made, and hard for the owners to part with this great investment.

Hueology to rescue! We gave this plain jane maple a whole new look! The furniture is for a 16 year old girls bedroom makeover done by local interior designer Julie Jersey of Jersey Designs. Without the expense of adding new furniture, Julie was able to do a lot more in the room!

We used Old White, Clear and Dark Wax to achieve a whole new look!

We still have the desk to paint and then we will show off the entire room!

Tiny Prayers...

2011-08-06T23:22:00.002-04:00

tiny prayers

I couldn't help but share this picture of the tiniest praying mantis I've EVER seen, he couldn't have been 3/4 of an inch big... even the smallest of things make such a big impact when you really take the time to look {including prayer}.
~Trish

It's not just another pretty color...

2011-08-03T08:48:00.000-04:00

Duck Egg/Old White/Dark Wax

Here at Hueology, we love more than the luscious colors of Annie Sloan Chalk Paints! We love the texture her paints create to the final project! Yes we are very tactile... we rub and feel everything we paint before, during and after. We've even been known to touch it before it dries by mistake a time or two as well!!!

Antibes Green

Old White

Olive {painted by Kate McKee}

Emperor's Silk {painted by Kate McKee}

Chateau Grey/Old Ochre

SO, next time you paint a piece, what does your undertaking feel like to you? Does she speak to you and tell you what to do next? Does she make you feel more finished and give you that sense of accomplishment when you put the brush down? Do you think we are crazy? That's ok... we do too!!!

{Special thanks to Kate McKee at Total Bliss for adding a little texture to her beautiful pieces for others to ~~see~~ touch!}

Seeing Red...

2011-08-01T23:45:00.001-04:00

At first glance, this color scared me...It came out of the can in a hot shade of pink!!! I was trying to figure out what the fuss was all about of the Annie Sloan CP Emperor's Silk.

Well, it didn't take long after two coats and a brush of clear/dark wax to richen this hue up to all it's potential!!! No distressing even needed. Don't you love it? You have to admit... even if you don't favor red everyday, there is a boldness in this color in every way!!! Want to see this chair in all it's glory? Come visit us at Total Bliss in Summerfield.

Question of the day... Do you like red? If so, what would you paint this color if you had a can?

Another lovely day w/ Paris Grey...

2011-07-30T22:49:00.001-04:00

Here's the latest addition to our Paris Grey (by Annie Sloan Chalk Paints) collection of goodies!!! It's truly amazing what a difference the dark wax made to this piece. Make sure to check out this and our other goods at Total Bliss.

So... what do you think? Isn't MJ super talented? What's your favorite Hue?

We're open for a new hue...

2011-07-26T21:26:00.003-04:00

It's true, we actually have our first place to call home!!! We are located in Total Bliss in Summerfield, NC and hope you will come by, see our precious painted pieces, learn about the incredible Annie Sloan Paints and enjoy what the world has to offer with a NEW HUE!!!

Hueology is going Green...

2011-07-23T09:34:00.002-04:00

Trish is a GREEN junkie (and were not talking the eco-friendly state). She loves the color!!! In any shade on anything and yes, she is friendly to our ever endearing environment. With Annie Sloan Chalk Paints. not only do they have fabulous colors, it has low VOC which helps our mother earth as well {happy}!!!

This is a custom mix from THREE of Annie's yummy colors. Would you like to know what they are... You only see two, what's the third? Leave us a comment and maybe we'll do a post on the mix from Hueology.

Look at the rich color contrast from this aged antique piece of furniture. This old buffet from Trish's Great-grandmother was "in-wait" for a new life. What do you have waiting?

{Want to see more pictures of this piece and learn the color combo? Head over to Life to the "T" to see more}

Start of it all...

2011-07-23T09:01:00.003-04:00

Here at Hueology, we love grey!!! It's neutral, it's mysterious, it's simply FABULOUS!!! This dated set of tables was in desperate need of some new life. Yes, we know, they are shiny wood and looks like a ton of sanding and prep work. NOT with Annie Sloan Chalk Paint...

MJ carefully picked the color Paris Grey from Annie Sloan, but didn't stop there...

She then added a mix of Graphite to get that look of aged worldly antiques from the south of France. You know... the ones we all love , but could never afford! The ones we dream of in dreamy catalogs leave us longing to be rich-n-famous!!! Well wish no more... your drams can filled in Annie's tiny cans of dreams.

Aged to Perfection!

Hope you enjoy our first of many adventures here at Hueology! Wait till you see what we have stirring next!!!