A New Arrival

We have a new friend coming all the way from England: Annie Sloan paint brushes; they'll be here tomorrow!

These brushes come in three different sizes and are perfect for any Chalk Paint project, whether it's your first attempt or you're a seasoned pro. Their thick, tapered bristles are, according to Annie, "strong and firm, but pliable." It gives you maximum control, reducing brush strokes and helping the paint to go on smoothly.

We'd been saving this piece specifically for our new brushes. It's a six drawer chest with two slim drawers (for gloves, perhaps?)  The pieced veneer created a unique problem; patterns like this can sometimes make it more difficult for the paint to look smooth. Enter the Annie Sloan paint brush...

We decided to use Country Grey and added highlights in Old White, with some light sanding on the edges.  

The wax on this dresser is a little bit different. Instead of applying the clear wax first, we applied a blend of 50% clear wax and 50% dark wax straight onto the piece. This creates more of a rustic finish, which works well on this piece since there was a pronounced veneer pattern. The worn look perfectly complements the original bronze hardware--our favorite part of the dresser!

Beware to anyone who wants to try this look; you have absolutely no control over the finished look and you can't remove the dark wax using clear wax, as you normally can. You get one shot to get the look you want, but if you're confident enough to try it it can create a beautiful worn finish.

Remember to come in the shop tomorrow (Tuesday, May 1) to get an Annie Sloan paint brush so you can create your own Chalk Paint masterpiece!

We're packing up the paint and headin' out to Heartsville, Tn for the Strawberry Patch barnsale. The show will be April 27th and 28th 6pm at Starlight Farm. But if you wanna play in the paint with us, you have to be there for the Sneak Peak night April 26th.  For more information, please contact Christy Donoho at 615-388-7799.

Although we hate to leave the Barn sale early, we have to get back to C'est Moi in time for the book signing of Container Gardening For All Seasons by Barbara Wise! We are so excited to have her in the shop  from 1 until 3 pm this Friday the 27th. If you have never heard of the Brentwood Green Thumb queen herself, I am sure you have seen her handiwork in the beautiful containers of several communities developed by Southern Land. We would love to invite you to come meet Barbara and get inspired to go home and play in some dirt.

Treasure in the Trunk

We already introduced you to Waxing Poetic and their new Bespoken line.

But now you have a chance to get up close and personal with their beautiful charms, chains, bracelets, and other fabulous jewelry pieces!

C'est Moi will be having a Waxing Poetic Trunk Show April 20th and 21st-- that's this Friday and Saturday! Our doors will be open during normal business hours, from 10:00 to 4:00 on Friday and 10:00 to 2:00 on Saturday. That leaves you plenty of time to peruse all they have to offer, just in time for Mother's Day.

Waxing Poetic will also be giving away a chain and charm to one very lucky customer! So whether you long for peace, hope, or love (or are just feeling a little risky), stop by the show; we know their pieces are sure to charm you. :)

Let's Make a Dash for It

For those of you not yet acquainted with Dash and Albert Rug Company, let us introduce you...

Dash and Albert makes some of the most high-quality, versatile, and timeless rugs on the market. Whether your style is elegant and traditional or quirky and contemporary, Dash and Albert offers numerous options to fit your lifestyle.

And as if you needed more persuasion, they have recently introduced twenty new styles of indoor/outdoor rugs! You'll find bright sunny yellows and cool classic blues, along with new off-white backgrounds that transition perfectly to an indoor color palette.

Perhaps the best part of Dash and Albert rugs isn't the wide array of colors or their unparalleled quality but the ease of cleaning them. All of their indoor/outdoor rugs can withstand bleaching. Perfect for removing those little foot (or paw) prints!

With a new outdoor rug, though, other patio items can start to look a little run down. Why not spruce them up with a little paint? This styrofoam planter has been transformed from shabby to chic, all with the help of Annie Sloan Chalk Paint. For the same look, paint the entire planter in Graphite and then dry brush over it with Duck Egg Blue. Quick, easy, and beautiful!

Don't forget to save the date for our Waxing Poetic trunk show! Come by the shop April 19th-21st to check out their great line of products!

Who Wrote the Book of Love?

According to our sources, the author is the one and only Waxing Poetic!

Their new line, Bespoken, turns any event, celebration, or memory into a custom jewelry piece.

Whether you want to celebrate an anniversary or commemorate a friendship, you'll find plenty of beautiful options customized just for you.

As Waxing Poetic says, " You can dream up lovely, timeless, heartfelt jewelry items...and we craft them."

In addition to the charms shown above, the Bespoken line also offers rings and bracelets. This wax rolled signet ring just might be our favorite piece of all.

If you haven't had a chance to come by and see the Bespoken line yet, you're in for a treat! We are pleased to announce that we will be hosting a Waxing Poetic trunk show on Thursday, April 19th!

More details are forthcoming, but go ahead and mark it on your calendar; we want to see you there!

The British Are Coming! The British Are Coming!

We're so excited about the upcoming royal visit that we painted this lovely little dresser in homage to our friends across the pond. Apparently, the queen will not be accepting an audience while she's here, but another royal is...

Her Highness, Queen of Chalk Paint, Annie Sloan!

Instead of reading or talking about the products, come learn from the creator herself at the 2012 Annie Sloan North American Tour! You don't have to travel far; the event will take place on Monday, March 26th at the Franklin Marriott in Cool Springs.

You'll experience a full and exciting day, including a 2-hour demonstration and history given by Annie, a 4-hour hands-on workshop, and a book signing and social hour.

When you're done learning from Annie, you'll have enough confidence to create your own masterpiece, like this dresser we painted in Old White and Paloma for our YouTube video.

Pre-registration ends in 10 days, so don't forget to sign up and claim your spot! And in the meantime, stop by the shop and say hello. We'd love you to see our new items; they include this chic pillow that pretty much sums it all up. :)

Behind the Scenes

Did you know Annie Sloan has her own YouTube Channel? Well, she does! We've already shown you the first video about her shop in Oxford, "home to the best paint in the world."



The channel also features Chalk Paint stockists in England, the United States, and other countries; that includes our own shop right here in Brentwood! So how did we go about making our YouTube video? We started, of course, with a few cans of paint. This time we chose Barcelona Orange, Arles, Antoinette, and Provence.



Then we brought in a couple of willing volunteers, Tom and Jan, to take a Chalk Paint class for the camera. Looks like they had a little fun!



Behind the scenes, our videographer and creative mastermind Paul worked hard to capture the right shots so he could later edit them into one finished product.



Here's a better view of Paul. He was all smiles behind the camera and put everyone at ease...



Even when we had to paint on cue! Store owner and Chalk Paint expert, Tawnya, led the way, as usual. She began to paint the edges of this beautiful dresser, while Tom recorded and we all looked on.



Next it was Melissa's turn. Melissa helps Tawnya run the Annie Sloan workshops, so she's no amateur when it comes to Chalk Paint techniques!



Finally, C'est Moi store manager Vanessa had to get her hand (or at least a brush) in the paint. Vanessa usually keeps the store running at full steam, but she got to take a break from behind the counter to join in the fun. :)



Nicole, our always cheerful sales associate extraordinaire, was filmed for the video but didn't make it into the behind the scene photographs. We'll try to be back soon with a picture so you can meet her before you see the video!

Since there wasn't another photographer, no one got a shot of Kristin, our blogger (aka me!), painting the dresser as well. But you'll see that soon enough.

Paul is working his editing magic to have the video ready to go; soon you'll be able to "visit" C'est Moi on the Annie Sloan YouTube when you can't make it to the shop. :)