Two Little Monkeys Window Painting

Earlier this week I was invited down to paint the windows at Two Little Monkeys, a children’s consignment shop in my neighborhood by the owner, Sarah.  Sarah buys & sells  gently used kid’s clothes, baby swings, strollers, baby carriers, bikes, trikes…you name it, she sells it.  (And at incredibly reasonable prices I might add.)

The store front has 8 windows at is about 20′ long.  

I used Sarah’s existing monkey characters but gave them both the signature cheesy grin that you’ll find on all of my own characters.  The monkeys are having a water fight with the hose to beat this oppressive July heat here in Boston.  (Though as I type this it’s a dreamy 70 degrees outside and you could even get away with wearing a hoodie.  Eep!)

I also added the shop’s logo right on the center glass at eye level for greater visibility for passersby.  (I love that word.)

Contact me if you have a window that could use some love.  The designs are waterproof but also easily removed.  Perfect if you’re renting or if you just have commitment issues. 

Enjoy the rest of your Summer!!

Boston Public Garden Swan Boats Window

In the wake of the terrible tragedy that occurred in Boston during this year’s marathon, the true beauty of this city and it’s people has taken center stage.  People donated money in droves to help those most effected by the bombings, there were fund raisers every day, at my work, Beth Israel, people regularly check in on the care givers who were present that day & you don’t go more than a couple feet without seeing someone wearing their Boston Strong shirt.  The people of Boston are determined to not let this event define our city.  And that is a wonderful feeling. 

I wanted to focus on that beauty and highlight one of the true gems of Boston.  The Swan Boats at the Boston Public Gardens have been run by the Paget family here in Boston for over 130 years.   The pedal-powered boats glide through the pond in the Public Gardens throughout the Spring and Summer and are part of the fabric of this city.   

The boats cruise by the Make Way for Ducklings statues at the far end of the lagoon before circling back to go under the foot bridge that was built in 1867 and once held the record for being the shortest suspension bridge in the world.   

And it seems the price for this little trip around the lagoon hasn’t changed in over 130 years either.  Tickets are only $3.00 a person, $1.50 for kids and babies under 2 are free.   Pretty awesome.

Boston is always a beautiful city but right now especially, it’s a good time to be a Bostonian.  

Custom Artwork with a Paisley Print

 These paisley paintings were done for a little lady’s room inspired by the lampshade her Mom bought  at PBK from the Tera Paisley Collection.

All of the designs mimic the style of the fabric but are completely original to match the overall color-scheme of bright pinks, purples, greens and blues in her room.

Because there is no discernible top or bottom, left or right, they can be hung in any order and any direction.  They can be hung separately, one on each wall, in a row, in a grid, in a circle, on the ceiling…whatever her little heart desires.  

This one kind of looks like some sort of weird amoeba.  I’m ok with that. 

Contact me if you’d like some custom paintings for your own little one.  Thanks for stopping by!

Dresser Makeover: Recreating a $799 dresser for $42

Recently I was approached to recreate a beautiful dresser with a staggering price tag.  The Collage Dresser retails for $799 and I’m sure it’s well worth it- the dresser is lovely- but “in this economy” (aka the catch phrase of the 21st century) who can really afford it?  The recipient also wanted a decidedly less “shabby chic” version of the dresser with no distressing or faux wear on the paper.

To make this dresser I started out with my basic supplies.  My client already had an old cheap dresser in her house so we saved money on having to buy one though you can always find cheap dressers on Craigslist if you were looking to do this project.   Cost of project: $0.00

I also had some semi-gloss, oil-based white paint left over from another project and used that to paint the dresser.  It’s a good idea to use a gloss or semi-gloss on dressers so that you can wipe them down if necessary.  I did 3 coats of the white with a roller.  So far the cost of this project is still $0.00.  Excellent.

I ordered some vintage wallpaper on Etsy from 2 shops, Vintage Sheet Addict and Threads & Memories, I spent about $16 at each shop and the paper is awesome.  There were so many cool designs it was really hard to decide which ones made the cut.  Cost of project now: $32.

I laid the paper out on the drawers and experimented with placement until it looked right. 

One drawer in particular gave me a considerable amount of trouble.   I got it right on the 3rd attempt. 

I glued the wallpaper in place using Tacky Glue and then smoothed it out using a brayer.  (You can find them both at Michael’s, AC Moore, Blick, etc.)  This worked better than Modge Podge because since this is vintage wallpaper that’s been rolled up for God knows how long- it didn’t lay as well as regular paper would and the corners kept curling up on me.  Because the Tacky Glue is true to it’s name and “tacky”, it was easier to make the edges stick to the drawer.   

Then I spent $10 on some basic black knobs from the Target General Super Store and my dresser was complete.  Bringing my grand total to $42 and some change.  Not bad considering this project was done as a trade- I got to spend a week at my client’s house on Cape Cod in exchange for creating this dresser for her.  I think I got the better end of this bargain.

Thanks for coming by!  I hope you liked my project.  If you did, let me know in the comments below and don’t forget to go “like” me on Facebook.   (I told my Mom I was popular…I don’t want to disappoint her.)

Hand Painted Strawberry Clogs

These custom clogs are for a globe-trotting young sassafras who originally hails from Ireland.  She needed something worldly, bright and most importantly adorable.  I settled on a Matryoshka inspired strawberry theme and threw in some of my own flair.  They are painted by hand using weather-proof paint made exclusively for painting leather and will wear just like a leather shoe and sealed with an acrylic sealant to protect the image. 

Let me know if you have some clogs that could use a makeover.  It’s $60 for most  designs. 

Thanks for looking!  -m

Happy 4th of July!!

July is National Pickle Month!

Good Morning and happy first day of National Pickle Month!  To kick off this month-long pickle party I went over to Grillo’s Pickles, my local pickle store, painted their window, ate way too many pickles and talked about world pickle domination.

Travis Grillo, Chief Pickle Officer, started making and selling pickles in 2008 using his family’s 100 year old recipe.  He was slingin’ them out of a pickle cart at the Park Street T stop 2 for $1 and now has made his way into Whole Foods all over New England, Fenway Park and at his very own pickle store.

The store is located in Inman Square, Somerville (on the Cambridge/Somerville line which I hear is referred to as “Camberville” but I’m not buying it) at 1075 Cambridge Street and they are definitely worth a trip.

Go over, check out the window, have some pickles (try the hot ones they’re AMAZING!) and tell them Mandee sent you!  Happy Pickle Month!!