Friday Five

January 17, 2014 Sherri Rice

Welcome to the first Friday Five of 2014!

And welcome new friends! If you are new here, Friday Fives are posts that I do when I have been busy working, but don't yet have a finished project to show you; they are random things from my week that I think are interesting and/or fun. So without further ado...

1. I chose my #oneword and then, through Holley Gerth, found Krafty Kash on Etsy. She makes these great necklaces that are perfect to highlight your One Word. I had some Christmas money to spend, so I got one...

Isn't it beautiful? I love that she uses vintage books to create them. I know I will be wearing it often!

Thank-you, Kashoan!

2. I am loving my Juki! I posted about it here, and I just wanted to say, it is still working great, especially with the gorgeous Pottery Barn canvas that I am currently working with. If you have the budget, it is great fabric (especially for this project - we are doing topstitching at the seams, instead of piping).

3. And, WOW! I linked up to Miss Mustard Seed's weekly linky party last week and a WHOLE LOT of people came over to my blog for a visit. If you found your way here via MMS, thank-you for checking out my project! And if you haven't had the chance to check it out, hop over when you are finished here. Just allow yourself some time - there are a LOT of great projects there!

4. Have you seen this yet? I shared it on my Facebook page, but it is too good not to share again :)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vOc0mRQIW8k

5. And finally, have you read this post from Nester? In this age of, what can seem to be an obsessive drive for "Pinterest-worthy" pictures and posts and diy-ing, there is always HOPE (and arrows). Be encouraged :)

Have a great weekend!

Sherri

One Word for 2014

January 8, 2014 Sherri Rice

Have you ever picked one word to help you define or give focus to your year? Last year my word was Grow and it certainly was a growing year! My blog grew (although when you start from nothing, it's hard not to see at least a little growth :) - to all of you who faithfully follow my musings, thank-you!) and August Blues grew and I learned a few things along the way as well :)

I have been thinking and praying about what my word needed to be this year and quite quickly abide came to mind.

Abide, as in:

"5 I am the vine, you are the branches; he who abides in Me and I in him, he bears much fruit, for apart from Me you can do nothing." John 15:5 NASB

I love this definition of abide from Webster's: "to continue in a place : sojourn"

More than anything, I need this!

Do you have one word?

Sherri

Happy New Year! With a Top 5...

January 1, 2014 Sherri Rice

2014-Numbers-Happy-2014-Wallpaper-New-Year-Image

Happy New Year and welcome to 2014!

It feels so strange to write that :) We will spend this first day trying to keep the boys busy (only 5 more days until school starts again ;) ); oh, and there will be a little football watching, too.

I took a little time to look over this past year of blogging (my first!) and thought it would be interesting to share my most popular blog posts:

5. This Brought to You By... Dropcloth!

4. Vintage to Fabulous

3. There's Something About a White Slipcover...

2. Breakfast Bar Transformation

I know - not a slipcover post, but it sure was popular :) I guess lots of people are looking for ideas for their breakfast bars!

And the No. 1 post??

1. Matelasse Project

It has been a fun year - I am looking forward to more great projects in 2014!

What were your favorite projects?

Sherri

Merry Christmas!

December 24, 2013 Sherri Rice

It's December 24th, family from Canada has arrived, boys are sleeping in their beds, gifts are wrapped, Overnight French Toast is made (thanks, Mom!), Christmas music is playing, and I wanted to share a few Christmas images from our house this season. The theme this year was "simple." Enjoy...

(Alphabet printables available here)

I love this picture so much I had it made into a canvas :)

I love simple! And I love Christmas...

"For this reason he had to be made like them, fully human in every way, in order that he might become a merciful and faithful high priest in service to God, and that he might make atonement for the sins of the people." Hebrews 2:17

"But the angel said to them, “Do not be afraid. I bring you good news that will cause great joy for all the people. Today in the town of David a Savior has been born to you; he is the Messiah, the Lord." Luke 2:10-11

Merry Christmas to you and yours!

Sherri

A Little Bit of Everything :)

November 25, 2013 Sherri Rice

Thanksgiving break is here and I have a little break between projects, so I thought it might be a good day to check in here, 'cause it's been awhile (and I know I still owe you an office reveal post)! It's been a busy few weeks since I last wrote. So here is a little update...

1. These cushions are finally finished!

It was a great opportunity to put my new machine to the test and to work with Sunbrella Canvas. Machine works great; the fabric is a little tricky since it doesn't have much "give." But, it does feel better than just printed polyester versions of outdoor fabric.

Yep, they are for a boat :)

2. We have continued working on the playroom - a trip to IKEA yielded these shelves, which fit perfectly (you can see the rest of the room here).

The toys have been sorted, so I am just waiting to get the bins that will go on the shelves. I'm thinking of these.

3. If you have been following on Facebook you may have seen a few updates on this project...

These are 4 dining room chair covers that I did long distance - the chairs are in Alabama! Hopefully I'll be able to share pictures of them in place when my client gets them.

4. Speaking of projects, I am now booked into March of 2014!!! Looking forward to some great projects :)

5. The boys are off for Thanksgiving this week, so I am looking forward to this down time, before my next project comes in. Maybe I'll even take a little time to get some of my own projects done (I have my eye on a Craigslist wing chair...)

So, in case I don't make it back here before then, Happy Thanksgiving to you all!

And a challenge: if you need a book to read while you travel or hang out with your family, read One Thousand Gifts. Ann writes:

"...in this counting gifts, to one thousand, more, I discover that slapping a sloppy brush of thanksgiving over everything in my life leaves me deeply thankful for very few things in my life... life-changing gratitude does not fasten to a life unless unless nailed through with one very specific nail at a time."

Consider starting your own list of specific gifts - can you make it to 1000 before next Thanksgiving?

With thanks,

Sherri

Friday Five

September 27, 2013 Sherri Rice

Well, hello again! It looks like it has been a couple of weeks (!) since I have posted, so it's time for a Friday Five, or something... I've been keeping busy, so here are a few peeks ;)

1. My new sewing space went from this...

... to this!

Well, that's an "in process" picture, but you can get the idea. And I am loving it - it's bright and clean and easy to work in (and the new color is Benjamin Moore Ivory White). The best part? It was a family affair...

Complete room tour to come (and, yes, the boys will still have a place to play) ...

2. I have been doing a little of this...

...and this...

(comes with rearranging several rooms in the house at the same time)

3. This made it's way into my new office space...

4. I got this project finished and delivered...

(and I'm a little excited because I haven't had my coffee yet, but I was able to figure out how to make this collage!)

5. And last but not least, I got this beauty! If you follow me on Facebook, you will have already seen her (yes, I decided in this house of boys, I need as much girl power as I can get!), but I am still working on finding a name for her - ideas?

My next slipcover project is underway (white with pleats and piping) - I am thankful to be busy :)

Have a great weekend!

Sherri

A Celebration

September 2, 2013 Sherri Rice

I hope you have had a chance to enjoy this Labor Day weekend! I spent some time "laboring" today, but I am also celebrating - August Blues Slipcover Studio has been in business for 2 years!

One never knows for sure when going into business for yourself how exactly things will go. But I can say, God has been good and I am so happy to be doing what I am doing! In my first blog post (ever!) 8 months ago I wrote about Growth. I can can certainly see that growth has been happening - projects have been coming in more steadily, I am getting referrals, I can upgrade my equipment, I am re-thinking my workspace to make it "work" better, and my waitlist is telling me I am booked through to Christmas!

August Blues - Parson's chair in dropcloth

So, on this day I send out my deep thanks to my amazing customers (especially to Tonya Adam of When Pigs Fly, who took a chance and was my first customer - see her Parson's chairs above), to the Professor for letting me fly with this dream, my boys for putting up with the chaos and "Mom needs some work time," to friends in real life who have provided encouragement, and to friends and followers of this blog and on Facebook who have spread the word. And mostly, I thank God who blessed me with these skills and the opportunity to put them to use - it's truly a gift!

Happy Labor Day!

Sherri

Friday!

August 30, 2013 Sherri Rice

Just popping in to say that I'm still here :) It's been a busy week, getting back into our school routine...

...and sewing as much as possible. Oh, and dreaming of a little rearranging to carve out a bigger sewing area and desk/computer space (I found a desk on Craigslist this week - I can't wait to get the space set up!) ;)

Have a great long weekend!

Sherri

Welcome to August Blues - I'm so glad
you're here! August Blues Slipcover Studio strives to enable your home to better serve its purpose, by providing you with quality custom slipcovers that enhance the appearance and functionality of your furniture pieces. Established in 2011 and located in Denton, TX...Read More

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