Fixer Upper

I watch a lot of HGTV and I am obsessed with the show Fixer Upper with Chip and Joanna Gaines!  I actually had the opportunity to see them speak when they came to the KC Home Show.  They are such of a down-to-earth couple and I love watching their show!  One of the main things that I love about Joanna Gaines' decorating style is that she is not trendy and she decorates in a way that she will be happy with her home 20 years from now!  She also emphasizes to buy what you love because you could create a beautiful home and buy expensive pieces, but if you don't love the pieces that you buy then it won't turn out to be as great as it could be.  Joanna Gaines has a very rustic style and her and her husband, Chip, spend a lot of time at flea markets.  They live in a beautiful farmhouse in Texas that they built.  Their farmhouse is amazing and their living room really inspired me because they have these two arched gable vents above their couch as you can see below!

I will probably buy some arched gable vents in the future to create a similar look but I was very inspired by this look so I did my first diy project!  I found these really cool arched windows but they were in a very bright "green giant" green as you can see below.

I did not love them in their original state so I bought some Annie Sloan chalk paint and painted them.  I then distressed them with a distressing sponge that I bought at Hobby Lobby.  After I put on a clear sealant, they were complete.  I think they turned out really well.  I am so glad that I did not distress them first and remove the original green paint because the green comes out a little bit and it makes it look really antique.  I also really like the copper metal design inside the arched windows because my husband and I recently renovated our kitchen and we have copper cabinet hardware and a copper light pendant that hangs over our kitchen dining table.  We have a farmhouse kitchen with cream cabinets that are glazed to give them a rustic look.  If anyone is wanting to do their first diy piece, I strongly recommend Annie Sloan chalk paint because it is so easy to use and you don't have to sand down your existing piece before you apply the chalk paint.  It is important, however, if you do use chalk paint that you buy Annie Sloan's clear or black sealant so that dirt and dust does not get into the piece that you painted.  Overall, I was very happy with my first diy piece and I think that Chip and Joanna Gaines would totally approve!