Wine, Cheese & Lacquer Please....

Today's post is a little DIY with a little bit of effortless entertaining.  I found this fun bamboo piece from a little shop in Irondale and immediately knew I had to get it!

Here is this little gem before I spruced it up a bit...

Bamboo Table in Store 

Bamboo Table | Before

This piece actually wasn't in too terrible of shape if you are looking for that shabby-chic look.  I actually really liked the turquoise hue, but it just wasn't the right fit for my purposes.  This piece was actually constructed of true bamboo which I found was an EXCELLENT feature.

I decided I wanted to lacquer this piece to create a sleek 

+ timeless look.  Thank goodness I found the essentials from Amy Howard at Home!

The best thing of all is that Amy Howard takes your step by step on how to refinish your thrifty find....

Furniture Lacquer Spray Paint here

Step 1 :: Sand

After Lightly Sanding

Step 2 :: Prime

Primed

Step 3 :: Lacquer

Coat #1 :: La Grange

Coat #2 :: La Grange

Final Coat in La Grange + Acrylic Tops

I wanted to add that extra bit of sheen, so I opted for a pair of  acrylic table tops....just to be warned, Home Depot and Lowes will NOT cut the acrylic for you.  I ended up using a table saw to cut mine to size, so another option would be to have true glass tops cut to size...probably just as cost effective.

Now that we have a lovely lacquered piece in record time, it is ready for entertaining!

Finished Lacquered Piece

Another way to effortlessly entertain...I grabbed a fresh tomato from my produce bowl and sliced it, pairing it with a few gourmet crackers I had in the pantry with a generous helping of "Palmetto Cheese" (found at your nearest Publix or Costco).  To wash it all down, I used a Savignon Blanc...Cupcake is actually pretty nice to fit within a tight budget :)

Fresh cut flowers from whatever is blooming in your yard, in my case azaleas, adds a finishing touch to make you the perfect host or hostess for unexpected, or expected guests!

Fresh Cut Azaleas

I hope you enjoyed today's post!! It's effortlessly easy and will be the talk of the town at your next soiree!

Effortless Floral Bouquet....

It's the start of April and Spring is on the verge of being in full bloom across the South.  One of the things I look most forward to this time of year is when the bushes and trees begin to blossom and I am able to create fresh floral arrangements from my very own yard.

I have included a few images of what's in bloom in my yard, and if you live in Alabama or one of the surrounding states, you are probably seeing the very same blossoms.

Camellia Bush

Loropetalum Chinense Shrub

Encore Azalea 

Dogwood

Other shrubs and trees you may see in bloom is Forsythia full of yellow blooms, Tulip Magnolias, Star Magnolias, and of course the Redbud.

Once you have the blooms you want to use to brighten your home, you must have a vessel for which to display them.....this is an item I left off of my bridal registry that I certainly regret.

Since I don't have a wide variety of vases I have had to become quite creative in how to display fresh cut flowers.

Variety of Floral Vessels

For my current arrangements, I have chosen to use my great-grandmothers hand painted, emerald green tea pot and a recently acquired candy dish.....one item that is a necessity to create an effortless floral arrangement is a frog {shown at the bottom}.

For my effortless floral bouquets I used a variety of blooms cut at different lengths to create a layered effect for my arrangement.

Effortless Floral Bouquets

Teapot Arrangement

Effortless Arrangement with Frog

Easter Table

Enjoy your the rest of your Sunday, and create an effortless arrangement to brighten your home this week!