The Palmyra location of The Purple Painted Lady will be open from 10-6pm on Fridays- starting November 2nd.
Come on in and visit Julie!
Not only can she paint- she makes a mean slip cover! Julie is incredibly talented and kind! Which is why she is perfect for The Purple Painted Lady.
Back in October 2012- ……I brought home Miss Mustard Seed’s Hemp Oil from the shop the other day and used it. My verdict?….
I love it! I truly LOVE IT!
Were any of the pieces I used it on painted with milk paint?
Surprisingly, no. They were just ordinary, OLD, wood pieces of furniture that definitely lacked any luster or life and that had seen better days….many years ago! But I love the pieces and have kept them around.
Now, I know this may come as a shock to some, but The Purple Painted Lady actually cleans her own house. Yep, sadly…I have no hired help or staff to off load any of my household chores on to. So, I am the one who scrubs the tubs, sweeps the floors, makes the beds, washes the dishes, does the grocery shopping, pulls the weeds, feeds the chickens….and (whoa, I better stop with this list before I start whining.) But cleaning your home is a great way to make you humble…and the only way to realize how we have way too much “stuff” in our house. And to be truly honest about wanting someone to come in and clean for me – it would totally stress me out! I know myself- and I would end up cleaning prior to the cleaning person coming and what would be the point of that, right?
Anyway, I brought Miss Mustard Seed’s Hemp Oil home with me and used it on an old side bar in my back mud room that leads out to the garage. 
This piece was a dull, grey-brown wood due a few too many years of neglect…the poor thing! (I am embarrassed to say that….but if you know me, you know how busy I tend to be and cleaning at this level is a luxury. Did I just say, “luxury?” Many would agree that “luxury” and cleaning or polishing furniture don’t quite go together.) Anyway, I figured this would be a great piece to play with Miss Mustard Seed’s Hemp Oil.
I used an old cotton shirt and poured some Hemp Oil out directly onto the buffet’s top. It is an oil… (feeling like I should be telling myself, “duh!” That is why it is labeled, “Hemp Oil” Trish!)
I have used Lemon Oil in the past- which I did not like since the Lemon Oil seems to evaporate off leaving an appearance of variegation – and then in a day or so, looks like you never even tried to give the furniture a face lift. Miss Mustard Seed’s Hemp Oil on the other hand, is nothing like that. The sheen and moisturized look stays. I was pleasantly surprised since my cynical self was expecting Lemon Oil results. I also really liked how the Hemp Oil made the wood feel moisturized, but not slick like you would think an oil would afterwards.
So, again- the buffet is in my back room and it is a big, bulky piece that hides a lot of my clutter and junk! I also used the Hemp Oil on my 1920’s upright piano- which now looks awesome!
After doing the buffet and the piano at 9pm, I then decided to try it on the wood sill behind my kitchen sink that gets lots of water splashed onto it. (On a side note, it seems I do my best cleaning late at night!) The Hemp Oil revitalized the wood sill. It is similar to when you apply moisturizer onto your skin, where the Hemp Oil made the sill appear fresher and newer. The wood looked much richer – and if this makes sense- healthier. 
Since I only started applying the Hemp Oil because I wanted to spruce up my house, believe it or not- I did not take “before” photos. But I did take the after photos which are posted above.
If you have old, tired looking wood pieces like I had- I would strongly recommend using Miss Mustard Seed’s Hemp Oil. I guarantee that you will be very happy with the results and love the look!
Also- and this is very cool!!….Hemp Oil works as a resist to the Milk Paint! So when you are layering two colors, apply the hemp oil in select places, apply your second layer of paint and you will get chipping where the Hemp Oil was applied. It looks awesome, so give it a try!
If interested in purchasing Miss Mustard Seed’s Hemp Oil or any of her other products- just click
I hope that this information was helpful!
The Purple Painted Lady also sells Annie Sloan products, such as Chalk Paint® on-line and we always ship same day! In fact- there are many reasons we think buying through us is the best. Read THIS little post about what sets The Purple Painted Lady apart from the rest.
To visit our on-line store- click HERE.
Lastly, we share a lot more information to help you get the most functionality out of your Chalk Paint® on our Facebook page. Consider checking it out by clicking HERE. While there- kindly consider LIKING us.
Time well spent.
My father, Ralph Migliore had a life that was not easy growing up. His own father died from pneumonia when he was not even one year old in 1933. It was a terrible time in the United States and the Great Depression was in full swing. I know that the elementary school he went to would supply him and his brothers with clean clothes. It had to have been very difficult, but I suspect that it instilled in him a drive to provide for his own family someday in a way he wished his own father could have.
My mom Lena was a typical American housewife. She kept the home spotless, watched soap operas and had her girlfriends like Maria Canella from the neighborhood over for coffee mid-day. We had a wonderful middle class suburban life.
My dad worked road construction-and my mom was a bit frugal. But I mean that in a nice way, in that she was the type of frugal that she would go without new bras or underwear just so she could save money so at Christmas there would be a ton of toys under the tree, all wrapped perfectly! My mom and dad were incredible partners in many ways and on many levels. I can honestly say, that I never remember them fighting, but do remember being woke up after I fell asleep because they were laughing so loud! My mother always had our beds made, laundry folded & put away, dinner on the table and some icebox dessert or pudding in little glass dishes ready for us all to enjoy later after our meal. My dad took great pride in our home and kept the lawn and landscape manicured. Every time he mowed the lawn, the hose would come out and he would wash down that mower afterwards. It did not matter how old things were around our home, they always looked new since my mom and dad took care of them so well. 
At some point – my parents decided to turn the front family room of our 1964 split level into a dining room. My dad surprised my mom with this chandelier in the early 1970’s. My mom cherished it! I remember it was always sparkling and how often she would clean it. I can still picture her in the dining room with bright sunshine beaming through the front picture window, as she took off each crystal. My mom loved music and would always have it playing when she cleaned the house. I can literally hear Bobby Vinton singing Blue Velvet right now! She also loved Engelbert Humperdinck!!! She use to tell me she thought he was so handsome! I am having a flashback and can so see it like it was just yesterday, versus being 35 long years ago. My mom would play the music ….and sing and dance and clean our home. Life was perfect then…safe and warm and it was a really happy time in the home I grew up in.
As for that chandelier, as a little girl I don’t think I ever saw something glitter and sparkle more. As I got older, I recall thinking that it was a bit too big for the room and the height of the ceiling, but for my mom- it represented how much my dad loved her! I always admired it and enjoyed all the holiday and celebration family dinners we had beneath it.
Four months before Steve and I were married in 2003, we purchased our home in Macedon, New York. It is an 1880’s Victorian Farm House – and we were so excited on the day we moved in. My mom came to my house in East Rochester and helped with supervising the movers pack up all my boxes onto the moving truck. Upon walking in to the new house – we found that the previous owners took the dining room chandelier and our foyer overhead light….leaving only bare wires hanging for us. 
A few days later, my mom brought her chandelier over to us, all packed up safely with each crystal wrapped and said it was a house warming gift from her and my dad. I should share – that in January of 1982 when I was only eleven years old, my dad passed away from cancer. Life changed after losing him and our family has never been the same since.
Well, I spent an hour last night carefully taking each and every crystal down and cleaning it…and I enjoyed ever minute of it!
I was trying to find a photo of us at the table, but instead here is one of the table set waiting for Thanksgiving dinner to begin back in 2008. You might notice the dishes on the table? They have a silhouette of two men sitting at a table on them. Those dishes were my maternal grandmother’s. Her name was Theresa Zupparo Mastroeni. She collected the dishes that would come free when you purchased Cooks Coffee and other household staples. The dishes were manufactured in America under two lines- one was Taylor Smith Taylor and the other, was Hall China.
Click on photo to enlarge
It seems now I know my father more through stories shared with me than my own time spent with him. I am so proud to say that he was a family man, a man who was the first to jump to lend a hand to others and always friendly and smiling. A man who spent Saturday nights with his wife and best friends gathered around our kitchen table playing cards and telling jokes. A man who I believe- I received so much of my personality from. 
I love you so much dad and know how happy you must be watching me and my little family live out our lives. We sit under your chandelier every day for our family dinner now. Thank you so much for all that you gave me. I love you – always & forever.
It has been a great week. We hosted a Chalk Paint™ Decorative Paint by Annie Sloan BASICS Workshop on October 18, 2012.
The ladies in the class had a great time! 
Have you ever thought about taking a workshop? You should! Get a bunch of friends together and sign up and have your own painting party. The BASICS workshop is all hands on and so much fun to do! You learn so much – I guarantee you will be impressed or I will give you your money back!
In our BASICS workshop we created some gorgeous sample boards- like this one!
The week ended with me painting the top of my workshop table with Provence. The whole week was great!
Seriously- some days I just am excited and happy to be “here”…to be alive and I am very grateful to do what I love! I feel very blessed to meet wonderful people who share the same painting passion as me!
And I am super grateful for my hubby and cute daughter who on Thursday nights, hang out with me at my shop since I close at 7pm.
Last night I stayed a little late at the shop even though I had been there since 7am. I love the feeling of my store at night with the chandeliers lights twinkling. I tell my daughter Danni that I believe fairies live there and come out after we leave. I know if I was a fairy I would live there! It is such a happy space where people come to create!
So, as I said, I repainted my workshop table top in Provence Chalk Paint™. I sincerely love how EASY Chalk Paint™ Decorative Paint by Annie Sloan is to use. Pop the quart open and paint! It had previously been painted with Duck Egg Blue and had Clear Wax over it, but since there is no prep- when I decided to paint it Provence, all I did was paint right over the old wax! Super easy!!!!
And…..on a total random additional thought, I am also loving my red boots being debut in the photo of my shop table below! It was fitting that I wore these boots on the day that I was emailing back & forth with none other…..the JUNK GYPSY’s!!!! Oh yes I DID!!!! Too cool, right?
Visit their website by clicking HERE! You will not be disappointed!!!!
And everyone knows how much I love the Junk Gypsy’s!!!! And in how my next life I plan on being born SOUTH of the Mason Dixon line! Anyway, get a load of this…. I got those red boots at Kmart. YES Kmart…and I love them. $34.99 and they are super cute!!! Get yourself a pair- they will make you smile when you look down at your toes…I promise! CLICK HERE TO SEE THEM IN THE KMART SITE.
Well, for now, me, my new red sassy boots and painted workshop table wish y’all a good night!!!
DURABILITY OF Chalk Paint®????
Never doubt that Chalk Paint® Decorative Paint by Annie Sloan won’t withstand outside use.
One of our amazing customer’s who owns a local consignment business near us called Lu’s Back Door painted her front door and house shutters in Napoleonic Blue Chalk Paint® a year ago. What do you think? She loves it!
So first, I want to state that Chalk Paint® decorative paint by Annie Sloan is amazing paint!…. but it is not a miracle.
What do I mean by that?
If you have an unstable surface you want to paint- meaning peeling paint. You need to remedy that issue. I often tell people that you cannot build a skyscraper on quick sand. You need a stable base. A good example of this may be someone’s deck.
However, with that said, below are a couple examples of how I have used (intentionally and not intentionally) Chalk Paint® and have been extremely impressed with the results! (especially with it’s use outside!)
This is a true story told by me- Trish, The Purple Painted Lady. 
In July of 2012, I went to the Adirondacks with my husband Steve and daughter Danni.
While away, my side kick Adrienne covered the store for me.
I received a call from her, “Trish- we had an accident.”
Me: Uh oh.
Adrienne: “A customer dropped a sample pot of old white in front of the neighbor’s store. It opened and paint spilled.”
Me: “hurry and dump a bucket of water on it and clean up what you can.”
Well, the paint had sat there a bit already and had dried.
Now, keep in mind that every summer, the little village of Palmyra, NY where my shop WAS located has literally, tens of thousands of people visit since it is the home of the Mormon religion. Many, many people walk by my shop and right over that Old White spill…which has totally held up.
The shop next to me was repainted in September 2012 and they tried to have their painter power wash the spill off….and the spill has totally held up. Here we are…..almost 7 months later, snow shovel scraping the sidewalk and that Old White spill.. still looks like a brand new spill and we have done everything we could to remove it!
Keep in mind- the store next to me had their facade painted in early September- and during prep- they “attempted” to power wash it off. But it is still there! My shop is on Main Street- we get a lot of foot traffic- bikes riding over it…and it is still there.
I painted my barn’s cupola with Chalk Paint®. No top coat- just Chalk Paint®. This was in the fall of 2012. Here is a photo a year later and it still looks amazing! Again- we live in New York…think snow! Check out that post HERE!
Next, I will be painting my little barn at my house shown below with it starting late August, 2013. Check back here or on my Facebook page for updates!
So, the moral of my story is….please do not doubt the durability or adhesion qualities of Chalk Paint® and make sure to not spill it!
Living in a home that was built in the 1880’s – can be wonderful. And then on the flip side, it can also be very expensive and labor intensive. For example- since we moved in ten years ago, we have:
* Painted every room since the whole house was white inside.
* Pulled out the big old-oil furnace that looked like an octopus and installed a high efficiency gas furnace. But before we could do that- we had to run the gas line about 700 feet from the road to the house.
* Then, we changed out the electric hot water heater to a new gas one.
* We had concrete walk ways added to three entrances to our home, cement aprons in front of the garage, barn entrance and had a patio poured.
* Next was the roof ..yep, it needed a total tear off – all FIVE layers! Fortunately (VERY fortunately) for us- we have a an incredible friend who is a commercial roofer and he stepped in to help us with this project. I do not think we could have afforded to have had this done if he hadn’t. (Thank you John S!)
* And lastly, about a month ago, we had all the old, drafty windows on the second and third floors replaced with new vinyl windows by Wonder Windows. What a difference that made with noise control and drafts. I am excited to see what a difference the new windows will be this winter.
We have also changed out the 30 year old appliances, put in new toilets and sinks, and …well, I don’t want to bore you with everything else we have done, but again….if you are thinking about buying an old house…heed my warning. Plan on spending some money.
Anyway, my “to do” list of smaller chores for our house is pretty long and does not get addressed often. It is not that I procrastinate in getting these chores done, but rather finding the time to do them is really impossible. But today I found myself with the luxury of having a little time where I did not have to be anywhere and thought I would tackle one of my many “to do” items!
If you live in a home that was built over 100 years ago, peeling paint is no surprise. We have two porches that both need painting. But the floor on the porch off of our kitchen had been screaming to be painted for at least the last four years now- and today it was going to be silenced!
To prep the porch, I used a big bristle broom and swept it really well- to remove any of the remaining loose paint. I had washed it about a week ago after I hosted my Barn Sale & Junk Jubilee due to the dirt that was all over it, so I knew it was still fairly cleaned. (you should consider washing off the surface of what you are painting outside, but give it a few days in dry weather to make sure there is no moisture left prior to painting. Moisture in what ever you are painting is one sure way to cause the paint to fail on you!)
Like I said, the porch has needed this for a long time- so the good thing about that was practically all of the paint that could peel off – has peeled! After aggressively sweeping it, I used the leaf blower and removed any dust or Hollyhock seeds I accidentally got on it while working in my garden that is directly in front of it.
Choosing which paint to use was the easy part. Chalk Paint® decorative paint by Annie Sloan is incredible paint. Besides creating luxurious finishes on furniture and cabinetry- it performs hard core for uses outside of your home. The important thing to keep in mind though, is that although Chalk Paint® is amazing, it is not a miracle! It will certainly work well if whatever you are painting is exposed to sun and the Chalk Paint® is able to dry really hard. Annie Sloan said, “I have painted many things outside and they are incredible but some don’t work that well because they have too much water on them and have been done when it is too damp I think. As long as that wood is not teak, then it should be fine.” For me, The Purple Painted Lady – not needing to strip, sand or prime are also a few additional bonuses when it comes to choosing Chalk Paint®. And if you live in an old home and have plaster walls versus dry wall- Chalk Paint® will provide an incredible beautiful finish to the plaster. (and it also works wonderful on dry wall too!)
Steve (my hubby) and I chose to use Old Violet. I love this color which is like a periwinkle in my opinion. Old Violet definitely has a blue hue to it – but works well with the various shades of purple and white that already are on my house. Oh, and this is how I named my business by the way. I started my painting/mural business about 10 years ago- and one night when I was sitting around with Steve brainstorming a name to call the business- he came up with “The Purple Painted Lady.” Since we live an old “Victorian” farmhouse- and Victorians are often referred to as “painted ladies” – “The Purple Painted Lady” was born!
You may recall that I painted the cupola for the top of my barn last year with Pure White Chalk Paint®. It has been over a year now and my cupola – that is exposed to New York winter’s, changes between the hot and humid summers and the freezing cold months- and it looks amazing!
For the kitchen porch, I used a foam roller, the 4 inch kitchen cabinet roller (Whizz brand) and added an extension to the roller handle so I could paint the floor without straining my back. Since the end of all rollers typically have a universal thread, so the extensions found at Lowes, Home Depot or Walmart can be used. Get one of these and I guarantee you the next time you paint a room or floor, you will cut your project time in half!
I painted two coats of the Chalk Paint® today and I think the porch looks amazing! Quite frankly, I could have done just about anything and the porch would have looked better. But most importantly, I wanted whatever I did- to last more than just a season.
I realized this quickly after we had a Chalk Paint® spill outside of my old shop. A sample pot of Old White was dropped in July of 2012 on to the cement walkway outside my store. That splatter of Old White- endured – even after we attempted to power wash it off. So, I figure a protected porch should be a piece of cake! Keep in mind that Chalk Paint® is a flat, matte finish. It will show scuffs and serious dirt, but you can rinse the dirt off- and I am good with that. If however, this was an interior floor- I would have chosen to use Annie’s Lacquer that is made for interior use only- specifically high traffic areas. It is water resistant, but not water proof. So, do not use the Lacquer if the space gets exposed to lots of water- especially if it is standing water (meaning where it is not wiped down.)
COVERAGE WITH CHALK PAINT®: My porch is about 16 feet wide and 6 feet deep. (that equates to 96 square feet) A quart of Chalk Paint® is noted on the quart label to cover approximately 150 square feet. I was able to get 2 whole coats completed out of one quart.
I am now excited about painting that little side table in the photo above in Annie Sloan’s Arles. Arles is a golden sunflower color that will compliment the Old Violet floor and the white and orange chair perfectly!
If considering using an alternative top coat – always do a test in an /inconspicuous spot. Often very strong protectants have the ability to cause crazing, crackling, or even pull tannins from the substrate…even over after a month.
If you are wondering if Chalk Paint® would be a good fit for your project, don’t hesitate to contact me. I am here to help you. And if you know me- I am not afraid to lose a sale if I feel what you want to do is crazy and not a good fit. For example, I had someone ask if they could paint the inside of their bathtub. My answer- NO! Or, how about your boat? NO! I am here to help you and when it comes to my customers- I am always available to answer project questions! So, with that said – did you know that I sell Chalk Paint® and other supplies? We sell all our products at the lowest price we can and we offer the lowest flat rate shipping! We also ship same day and ALWAYS have everything in stock! Visit our on-line store HERE if interested in placing an order.
Now, with this side porch done~ I just have to hope this incredible warm spell continues so I can get the front wrap around porch done next!
Thanks so much for visiting my blog!
XO
Trish ~ The Purple Painted Lady
—————————————————————————
Tips & reminders on painting unconventional surfaces:
1. Chalk Paint® is amazing- but it is not a miracle. Be realistic in what you are painting. Decide if you are looking for a “season or a lifetime” and get feedback on if it will perform to your expectations.
2. Slippery surface? Chalk Paint® does not require stripping, sanding or priming, however, if you are covering something that is super, super slippery- it would not hurt to scuff it up with some rough sand paper. Again, Chalk Paint® is amazing- but it is not a miracle. I have people write me about painting wall tile. Annie’s does not promote that, but I have a customer’s who have and they are elated. I would clean them really well. Use a little Mineral Spirits on a ScotchBrite scrubbie. Clean and then rinse with plain ole’ water. Make sure to wait a day or two to allow any moisture in the grout to dry. Scuff them up with some 180 grit sand paper. Blow off dust.
3. Apply initial coat of Chalk Paint- thinning it just a little. WAIT 24 to 48 hours hours before applying a second coat. I am incredibly impatient- but this allows the paint to “do it’s thing” – basically scientifically – to let the molecules settle, connect and really adhere and grip to the surface. Once done- clear wax over your paint or lacquer.
4. If choosing to use Chalk Paint® outside, it needs to be on a surface that will not be saturated with water all of the time or under water. Most products will fail in this environment.