Reimagined Monday: Aman Dhaliwal's Retro Redoux

Welcome to our first Reimagined Monday in May.  The sun is shining, the birds are chirping and everything feels refreshed. It's the perfect kind of day to share this fantastic retro redoux!
 
Lovely Aman Dhaliwal of Saman's Balti took this dated table from faded to fabulous, or as Aman put it so well, "thrift store find now one of a kind".

Chalk Paint® decorative paint by Annie Sloan doesn't require sanding or priming to adhere to any surface, but Aman wanted a clean fresh start for her project.

With the colour choice made (the hardest part!), some clear and dark Soft Wax, a good brush and Annie's "50 Transformations" book as a handy reference, it was time to dive in!

Duck Egg is a greenish soft blue, the perfect choice to offset the gorgeous yellow glass on this piece.

Chalk Paint® dries in a short period of time, so there is rarely much of a wait between coats and it is quickly ready for waxing!

Annie Sloan Soft Clear Wax protects the paint and creates a soft, velvety look and feel, though the paint is durable enough to hold up even on exterior surfaces without a finish.

Some buffing with a light sandpaper adds some glorious shabby chic-ness!

Aman brushed on Soft Dark Wax to give the table even more richness and character.

Duck Egg is a favourite at the Boutique, and here's an example of why...

No matter the origins of the piece, this colour always looks great.

This is such a wonderful reimagined little table, Aman.

Thank you for sharing it with us!

What have YOU Reimagined?

Send in your project pics and be entered to win our Reimagined Monday draw!

Reimagined Monday Draw

We would like to highlight more customer projects!  Send us your before/during/after pictures and tell us about your creative process and you'll be entered into our monthly Reimagined Monday draw.

Each month we will give away a different item like paint, brushes, books, supplies, gift certificates and more. You don't have to be featured to be eligible... the month you enter is the month you will be included in the draw. 

Send your name, pictures and story to:

info@appleboxboutique.com and win!

♥,
Apple Box Boutique

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The sun is shining... visit Highlands to see what we have in-store and more!

Highlands is a beautiful place to shop and take a stroll! 

Stop in to see what's new at Apple Box Boutique including great gifts for Mom, have a beverage and snack at Mandolin Books & Coffee Co., or a full supper and drinks at Creole Envie or La Boheme, visit Sabrina Butterfly Designs for fabulous fashions and jewelry, and peruse some lovely antiques at Chickies.  

It's a breath of fresh air along the river valley, and the exquisite historic buildings are a bonus! (Highlands was voted one of the Top 10 Historic Communities by This Old House magazine).

♥,
Apple Box Boutique

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A letter of thanks from Leanne

If you are a reader of our blog or our FB page, you’ll know that I left early in April for a trip to the UK we had entitled “Destination Downton”.  It was interesting and fun, and while there is much to share about that adventure, there is something else I want to focus on today.

There are numerous enough books and websites and wall hangings out there that remind us of why it is important so I am not going to preach to anyone about what it means to us as people to carry gratitude within us.  Instead, I want to very simply give my thanks.

Upon my arrival home from England, I was quite ill and unable to return to the boutique.  I’ve been very fortunate in my life, surrounded by a loving family and a network of fantastic friends who I appreciate every day.  I knew they would be there for me while I recovered because they are wonderful.  It’s built-in and none of them feel I need to say thank you.  I am thanking them anyway.

But I also want to give thanks to you… everyone who took the time to post notes, send emails, call the store and stop in to give well-wishes.  I’ve always known the people who visit and shop at Apple Box Boutique are a very special group, but this ordeal has ended that sentence with a HUGE exclamation point.  Such kindness and concern is still surprising because we all have busy lives and yet YOU stopped to care about 'the lady that owns that shop in Highlands'.

Your positive messages, your thoughts, your time and your friendship mean more to me than I can ever express in words.  I worry that this isn’t enough, I want you to know this comes from my heart, I wish I could write this in the sky…

Thank YOU.

♥,
~Leanne~

New Hours and an Update

Hi there,

This is Mista, Leanne's Daughter. I may have met some of you in person at the Boutique, on the phone or online with your orders these past few weeks....

As you are all aware Leanne travelled to London this month and had a wonderful time! I can't wait to see her blog post with all of her photos and stories of her experiences!

After a few days home in Canada she became ill (if you follow Apple Box Boutique on Facebook you already know I came in Tuesday for her because of said illness).... She is still quite ill and will need some time to recover from what she has.

Below is what I posted on Facebook... It also includes the hours for Today and Thursday. I'll do my best to keep Facebook and the Blog updated with hours for the store as Leanne recovers.

 I'll thank you in advance for your understanding while we try to keep up with everything that Leanne does around here.

"A little heart to heart with all of you lovely folks.... Leanne is very ill... It's going to take her some time to recover so please bare with us while we adjust to make sure the Boutique is open as much as possible (please don't panic, she will be alright it's just going to take some time to be completely healthy again - which I'm requiring before she comes back to work). There are new hours for Wednesday and Thursday THIS week posted below.... Friday we ...will be closed. We are truly sorry for the inconvenience this may cause you... We are doing our best to keep up with all online orders and answering emails and voice mails but please do have patience as this is a completely new area for many of us.
 
Thank you for being such wonderful customers, you all make the Boutique feel like home! We love hearing your stories and seeing what you are creating!
 
And keep checking our FB page for updates on schedule changes and such as well as this blog site.

Thank you!

  ~Mista
  (aka: Leanne's Daughter)"

Click photo to Enlarge

*Please note Wednesday the 24th and Thursday the 25th!!!!

 

Reimagined Monday: Tatiana's Bedside Table

It's our first official Reimagined Monday since returning from our Destination Downton trip, and we're really excited to share this one with you.

A few weeks ago, Kerry Engel visited the Boutique along with her daughter Tatiana.  They were on a mission to complete a project during spring break and it immediately became clear that these two lovely ladies were already experienced crafters!

Tatiana had been remaking her bedroom and wanted to reimagine her sidetable to work with her new decor. And WOW... does this teen have an eye for design!

Tatiana's Bedside Table

Arles... it is one of our favourite Chalk Paint® colours and it is a bold choice.  Tatiana, fabric swatch in hand, was fearless and confident that this was the right colour for her bedside table.

This sweet and simple table has great lines and is the perfect piece to showcase a pop of colour without being fussy or overstated.

Some of the great things about Chalk Paint® are that it has no smell, is low-VOC and dries quickly, which makes painting indoors a dream.  

Tatiana threw down a little cardboard to protect the floor and started her project on-the-spot.

Since the table was previously grey, Tatiana distressed through the Arles to let just enough peek through to create dimension, and to pull in the grey in her wallpaper and linens.

The result is this fabulous, custom piece:

 ... the perfect accent for an already stellar bedroom makeover.

All phtotos courtesy of Kerry Engel

Kerry and Tatiana breezed into the Boutique like a breath of fresh spring air and then infused it into the decor.  We think we may have a future designer in our midst!

Thank you for sharing your project, Tatiana... We can't wait to see what you do next.

♥,
Apple Box Boutique

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We'd LOVE it if you shared our blog:  

New Chalk Paint® Workshop: April 28th

Chalk It Up To Fabulous Workshop

This is the Chalk Paint® class everyone has been asking about!  Spend an afternoon reimagining your small furniture or home decor item.

Learn application techniques, colour layering, distressing techniques and the how-tos of finishing using clear and dark Soft Wax.  Then apply your new skills and reimagine your own piece, with expert guidance on hand.

Must be able to carry in your item unassisted.

Includes paint, finishes and all painting supplies for use during class.  
Lunch and beverages are provided.

Attendees will also receive 10% off all Annie Sloan products purchased on the day of the workshop.

Just show up in your paint clothes and be ready to have fun!

Date:         Sunday, April 28, 2013
Time:        11:00 AM - 4:00 PM
Location:  Apple Box Boutique 6507 - 112 Avenue, Edmonton, AB
 

♥,
Apple Box Boutique

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Destination Downton: Limited Boutique Hours

 Destination Downton

And so it begins... our journey through England!

A few weeks ago we posted that we'll have limited hours to accomodate a business trip overseas.  Today is the final day of regular Boutique hours until we make our return on April 23rd.

Starting this coming week we will be open as follows:

April 8th to April 21st

Monday to Thursday from 10:00 AM to 5:00 PM 

Saturdays by appointment only (contact info@appleboxboutique.com) with limited availability.

"Destination Downton" has been all the rage on TV screens around the world, and every time we watch we see sumptuous costumes and sets in which more than one Chalk Paint®  colour appears.

Inspired by our excursion and Annie Sloan Chalk Paint® being from the UK, we wanted to share our muse.  Enjoy!

Archways and balcony in Chalk Paint® colours Old White and  Pure White with Soft Clear and Dark Wax

Walls in Chalk Paint® colour Coco, fireplace and archways in Old White, chairs in Antoinette, Scandinavian Pink and Louis Blue, Floor rug accents in Pure White and Aubusson Blue, Clock and Coffee table in Graphite

Dresses and cabinet in Chalk Paint® colours Graphite, Old White and Emperor's Silk

Lamps and table fabric in Chalk Paint® colours Pure White and Aubusson Blue, Chairs in Scandinavian Pink, Sofas in Emperor's Silk, Chaise in Old Ochre, Scandinavian Pink and Emperor's Silk

Dresses in Chalk Paint® colours (left) Primer Red, (right) Emile and Old Violet, Ottoman in Emperor's Silk and Antoinette

Sofa in Chalk Paint® colours Antoinette and Old White,Walls in Louis Blue, door and wall panelling in PureWhite with Soft Clear and Dark Wax,  Dress in Emile

Lovely dresses in  colours (left) Graphite over Old White, (Centre) Greek Blue and French Linen, (right) in Old White

Suit in Chalk Paint® colour Graphite, Vest in Old White, Shirt in Pure White

The wallpaper is a beautiful William Morris paper in Chalk Paint® colours French Linen and Old White, wall panelling in Old Ochre

Dress in Chalk Paint® colours Old Violet and Old White, Pin in Antoinette, Vase in Antibes Green with Soft Clear and Dark Wax

The rest of these images are simply "gratuitous" (grin)  and we happily leave you to your senses.

Have a lovely 2 weeks!

 

♥,
Apple Box Boutique

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April Colours of the Month: Save and Give with Every Purchase!

Daffodil Month, held every April, is a national fundraising campaign of the Canadian Cancer Society. During the month, volunteers are involved with numerous activities to raise vital funds for the fight against cancer.

This month, we've selected the colours of the Daffodil campaign to show our support and join in the fight against cancer. For every quart sold, we will donate $2 to the Canadian Cancer Society; Save and Give with every purchase of our April Colours of the Month: Arles and Linen! 

Donations can also be made directly at: FightBack.ca

Here are a few fabulous projects to get you started on reimagining...

Miss Mustard Seed's Milk Paint: Linen

Miss Mustard Seed

White Lace Cottage

D'Bohemia

Knot Too Shabby Furnishings

Chalk Paint® by Annie Sloan: Arles

Paint In My Hair

The Shanty Girl

R. Lucas Scott

Twice Nice

♥,
Apple Box Boutique

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