stellar bump

Hello friends!

It's been a while (again...) but I promise there's a very good reason!

The day I wrote my DIY laundry detergent post last month, I was definitely multi-tasking. In one room, I was grating bars of Ivory soap for the recipe. Then, keeping half an eye on the toddler (who if you'll remember, was busy adding glitter to the detergent recipe.) Then, in the bathroom...

This was happening.

See how the vertical line is a smidge less bold than the horizontal? It looked questionable to me. (Denial? Perhaps.) But that line appeared minutes after the horizontal one...it gave me the first impression that it was negative. I walked away, returned to the bathroom a few minutes later and saw the faint vertical line. Hmmm.

So, I went to the store to buy the fancy test...the digital one that left no room for interpretation.



BOOM. There it is! Preggers!!!

The boys and I drove back to the grocery store but went straight to the bakery this time. The kiddos were bouncing off the walls from the freebie sugar cookie they got on the store run an hour earlier - one was tugging on my pants while bouncing up and down (and yelling) and the other was doing laps around the donut display. I was balancing a cake in my hands and trying to pass it over the counter while proudly asking the cake lady to write "I'm pregnant!" on the top.  I saw her glance around to the semi-out-of-control boys and I had a little moment of  "Holy Moly, can I handle a third?!" In my brush with embarrassment, I contemplated denying them..."Wow, who are these houligans running around? Where is their mother? MY baby...THIS baby...the one this cake is all about... is my first...and he or she will never do such things! Hmph!"  Then I realized I was having fun with them, they were excited, so was I, and the judgmental cake lady could shove it. I have great kids! And I'm so excited to have another! Parenthood is chaotic even at it's best moments. So I kept on smiling, gave my boys a hug, and waited on my cake. The cake lady can think whatever. I was asking her to frost a cake, not babysit.  

Hubby got home from work a little late - he had dinner with his boss that night, so it meant we could go straight to dessert upon his arrival! I asked him to pull out the cake and slice it up for everyone. I waited with bated breath until I heard a "Whaaaaaaaaaaat?!" come from the kitchen. I peeked my head around the corner and said "Surprise!" He gave me the biggest hug and kiss ever, and although he will probably deny it, he totally cried. He's been wanting another baby for a loooooong time but I just wasn't ready yet. No joke you guys, it was only a matter of days after saying I was open to the idea again, sometime in the near future, when we found out. The timing is hilarious and amazing. I think I could have already been pregnant when I said the words. Ha.

 

So anywho, these last few weeks have been crazy. Getting into the doctor, battling day-long nausea that seems to break just long enough so that I can stuff my face, only to have the nausea return  mere moments later. And the exhaustion! OH. MY. GOSH. I am pooped. Every day feels like I ran a marathon the day before, when in actuality, most of my days are spent parked on the couch.

Oh, and I must share this with you. The day after I told my big sister the news, she invited us over for brunch. I had no idea I'd be walking into a "Welcome Baby Brunch!" Awww.

Isn't this gorgeous?












And she's not even on Pinterest, can you believe that? Thanks again, Hol! xoxo

Till next time you guys!

Jess

from the bottom of my heart

Ok, so if you've followed my blog for a while, you know I am prone to not only irritated rants, but mushy drawn out love stories, and frankly, just about everything in between. I shoot from the hip here on this blog - and when I sit down to write, I sometimes feel like I bleed onto the keyboard.  I pretend I am writing to my best friend about exactly what I am thinking and feeling, about whatever topic I choose to write about, be it something from the bottom of my heart or something silly, trivial and completely light-hearted. Sometimes that means I say things that I know will make my Mom face-palm when she reads them, (sorry Mom) or sometimes it means I'm not sure I should say it out loud. But this is my honest place, so to me, it means showing pictures of my messy kitchen, saying things like "I'm working on my marriage" and telling you I'm starting a new budget to get out of debt.

I started this blog to promote my furniture painting business. But I realized recently, after reflecting on your amazing feedback, that I missed the boat entirely. Blogging is about connecting, not promoting alone. It's about sharing the human experience. Do I love to paint and write about that? YES. Do I love to share that I spent all day "polishing a turd" and painting a project that was a lost cause? YES. Because we have all been there. (If you haven't, keep it to yourself. This is a blog for the unperfect ones, thank you very much.)

I think the biggest service we can provide other women with is our honesty. The other day at my 6 year old's T-Ball practice, some of the Moms were talking about their jobs. When asked where I work, I replied that I work from home. Another Mom said "Oh, that must be so great!" And I said "Yes, there are perks. I don't mean to sound ungrateful, but to be perfectly honest with you, most of the time it feels like I do a bad job at everything. I'm half-way in the computer, typing away furiously, and then half-way parenting my sons..throwing cookies at them for 5 more minutes of editing time... It can be really hard." It got quiet for a moment and I felt like a total freak. (oh my god, I'm the only one here who doesn't relish being a mom every moment of every day. They think my children should be taken away, I'm sure of it....worry! worry! stress! stress!) Then, one Mom broke the silence and said "I AM SO GLAD YOU JUST SAID THAT. I just had to quit my job this year, because I couldn't handle the kids AND working and I just felt like I was failing at both, and had to make a choice." It lead to one of the best conversations I have ever had with other Mothers, and I left feeling so validated and totally amazing.

Today, I really just want to thank you guys. I never thought that random strangers could touch my heart they way some of you have, and I am eternally grateful that you take the time to come here, read my ramblings, and comment with your experiences. I know how busy everyone is. That you would take the time to come here, inspire me, lift me up with your words when I am down, congratulate me when I am up...I just never saw all that love coming. It's an awesome thing.

In response to the post about my hubby and I reconciling after an almost year long separation, you wrote:

"Marriage is work and sometimes, the work is harder than we can imagine. If you can close your eyes and envision a future with one another, that somewhere in your hearts you each have but an ounce of hope, and you can still make each other laugh, your love will find its way through the muck. xo"
"its great news that you are both going to try again and make it work... probably with less financial strains, it will bounce back lovingly before too long.. after all, you did feel so much in the first place to get married... All the very best, and hugs from across the pond."

On downsizing my space at Adjectives Market, you wrote:

"RIGHT ON! Do what you please and be pleased with what you do. It's hard for all of us go-getters. But recognizing and having the strength to know your truth and put it out there is revolutionary. To me, that is the antidote to comparison. You rock."

"You are going to be fine, you have failed nothing. When the time is right you will be ready to kick some ass again."

"That my dear is an AMAZING post. We have all felt that way...well, at least I know I have... and are too chicken to admit it. Thank you for your honesty, bravery and for sharing your thoughts. It made me feel better. I am stronger for reading it and I am ever thankful to you."

"I think that the goal of our lives is to LISTEN to our OWN guidance and follow where it leads. How do you know why you are being given this message to slow down now? Maybe you are preparing for some totally new and fabulous thing that is coming your way, that you can't even imagine yet. If you didn't listen to this message now, and kept pushing yourself in a direction that isn't meant to be for you at this point, you wouldn't be ready for this new thing that is MEANT to be for YOU! Maybe, by listening, you are averting some disaster that would come upon you if you ignored the messages you are getting. When I'm held up in traffic, I always TRY to think "well, maybe it's saving me from a terrible accident...." We don't know WHY, but our mandate is to LISTEN. You are right on for following your OWN star in my book!!!!"

Those are just a few examples of why this job has been more rewarding than I could've anticipated. And that last comment? I think she may have had a crystal ball into my world, because there have been some new developments, and there are some bigger changes happening than I have told you guys about yet. So stay tuned.

It is an amazing thing in this day in age to open your heart to someone, and I feel how much you guys have opened your hearts to me and I want to continue to do the same. I hope you continue coming by, reading my posts and taking the time to comment and share your experiences with me.

It never goes unappreciated. I pinky promise.

xo,

Jess

and now for the part where I go Amish on you

Hello, friends!

So as you know, I'm not really a lifestyle blogger -  I try to keep it all about the furniture with a smidge of family life. But since I haven't been doing too much painting lately, this is my attempt to keep it real and continue blogging. So I'm hoping you'll indulge me while I share some goings on in my family life.... like this little gem:

Today I made my own laundry detergent.

What has brought me to such epic, Amish proportions of behavior?

First and foremost of course, I blame Pinterest.

Secondly, Hubby and I decided to go on a hard-core Dave Ramsey style budget. (My sisters and I have long referred to it as "financial lockdown." ie; "No, I can't go get a pedicure today, I'm on financial lockdown.") Hubby and I have some new goals and are going to work our hardest to try and achieve them authentically, aka; NOT financing them. We are going old school, saving our pennies, paying off debts, and working towards true financial freedom. It's a maddeningly frustrating exciting time for us!

Second, I had a sort of health scare about 4/5 months ago that I didn't share with you guys. I found a lump in my breast and I just wasn't in a "sharing" place about it. Which is weird, because I am a chronic over-sharer. I suppose it was because I was trying to ignore it - and informing all of you would probably mean being held accountable and DOING SOMETHING...so I kept quiet. I finally decided ignoring it was incredibly stupid and I was stressing about it anyway, so I went and got it checked out. I *hoped* the Doc would say "Oh, it's nothing. I don't even feel a lump!" But no, he immediately ordered the next round of tests and on we went. A few tests and stressful weeks later, everything turned out to be (basically) fine (ie; not cancer) but it shook me up. I decided then and there, I would make strides in "greening" my family's routine. I'm not a Doctor... Hell, I didn't even go to college. So - I'M NOT AN EXPERT. But simple logic tells me that for example, rubbing chemical-laden deoderant all over my freshly shaven pits daily, JUST MIGHT end up causing an odd lump in your breast near your armpit. You can call me crazy if you'd like. But I've got the lump to prove that something is going on in my body that shouldn't be, and I'd be a fool to not try everything in my power to get myself as healthy as can be. De-stressing, Eating better, resting more - it was a wake up call.

I know, guys, I know. Even voicing some of this out loud seems way too granola, and lest you think I have gone completely dirty-hippy on you, know that I decided deoderant was a must. (Until I discover a DIY recipe that works.)
Also on the chopping block?

Moisturizer
Face Wash
Shampoo
Conditioner

(Wow, you must really think I smell bad now...)

AND

Laundry detergent. I'm DIY'ing all of the above now.

(If you guys actually want to know about the other stuff - what I'm using instead and how it's going, I can share. LMK!)

So according to Pinterest, you can make a batch of laundry detergent that will last you about a year (so they say) for $12. (We'll see how that turns out. I can't be the first person to never, EVER get 120 loads of laundry done with that one bottle of Tide, right? We'll see if this is any different!)

Here's what you'll need:

4 lb. box of Borax 
4 lb box of Baking Soda
4 lb. box of Washing Soda
3 bars of (grated) Ivory Soap (I used 5, 'cause I'm a rebel like that.)
1 ginormous air-tight container to hold it all.



First, grate up the bars of Ivory soap with a cheese grater. (It's much easier than it sounds, and if you are a total nerd like me, you may even enjoy the job.)

 

Side note: While you are grating, do not turn your back on your 2 year old, or leave the container on the ground. He will dump the glitter and pipe cleaners from his older brother's art project into the mix.



And I don't know about you, but I'm not really a glitter-in-my-clothes kinda girl...

Well,  I guess I am now.



Sigh. Life goes on.

Next, add a few cups of your ingredients at a time. (You will end up adding every last bit of each box, so, there's no reason to be precise.) Just dump them in little by little, so you can stir it up easily.  If you just dump them in one by one, you'll end up with a thick layer of each. This isn't 4 layer dip, people. We gotta mix it up, so, add little bits at a time and stir.





And this is what your kitchen will look like when you are done!



One more thing - where did I find my awesome, perfectly sized container, you ask? Well, savvy me - while walking around the store purchasing all these fine ingredients, I checked the prices on new containers. I couldn't find one for less than $7, so I moved along. Then I spotted the container you saw above, in all it's cheese-ball holding glory, crying out to me for only $5.88.

$5.88 you say?

So, I got the amazing container AND four gallon size ziploc bags of cheese-balls for less money.




And no, the irony of deciding to make my own laundry detergent while citing health reasons, and then buying four gigantic bags of greasy, neon, fake puffs of malnutrition is not lost on me. But, I never claimed to be perfect. So whatevs, y'all...

So, whatcha think? Should I stick to furniture posts?

Be kind.

Love ya,

Jess

rightsizing; aka; ch-ch-ch-changes

Hello friends! Hope all is well in your world today.

I whined wrote last month about taking control back of my life and making myself get back to work. No sooner than an hour after hitting "publish," I was hit by a metaphorical Mack truck and was as sick as I've ever been. A month later, I am still treading lightly and not feeling my best. I won't bore you with all the nasty, flu-ey details, but all this laying around has given me much time to reflect.  I already have a sensitive and introspective nature - combine this with a flair for the dramatic, you might guess how being so ill and turning 30 in the same month created the perfect brewing place for an existential dilemma that lead to some big changes being made.

My space at Adjectives Market has brought me so much joy and so much excitement - but if you've been there lately, you have seen that my space has not looked it's best. There were various (legitimate) reasons for a while - first I moved, then I got sick, then the boys got sick, then me again....with this constant excuse making, I finally decided it was time to scale back. Jeremy, the owner of Adjectives Market, knew my struggles, and was so kind and helpful as we talked about what was best for me moving forward. He offered me a smaller space that would be easier to manage, so this past weekend I moved into it. It will allow me to work at a normal pace and will leave time for real life. Initially, once the decision was made, relief washed over me. I didn't realize how overwhelmed I was, and once I knew it was coming to an end, I was (ironically) completely inspired to get back to work. I was still sick, but I was making time to paint again. Hooray!

But as I moved out of the space, a big part of me felt defeated. I don't like to admit failure, and the truth is, I couldn't hack it in the larger space. But I have to remind myself, this isn't the end. I can always move back up when I'm ready. And I need this break. I deserve to enjoy my work and my life. Getting sick right after deciding to get back to work made me realize that I was leaving no room for error, illness, flat tires or needing a new transmission. (Yep, that happened this month too. No vehicle for almost two weeks. I was beginning to get the message loud and clear. SLOW DOWN OR ELSE.)

The thing is, I don't necessarily think scaling back alone is the failure - I think the failure was in my attitude. I compared myself to others who are moving up, while I am taking a step back. I would never tell my best friend she 'failed' if she chose to devote more time to motherhood, or chose to slow down a little...so why do I tell myself that?

 Theodore Roosevelt said that "Comparison in the thief of joy."
 
 

So why am I always comparing myself to others?

"She sells out of TWO stores PLUS her Etsy store and can handle the work. Why can't I do all that?"

"She has four children and a business and is doing just fine. What am I doing wrong here?"

"She writes several blog posts weekly, makes healthy meals from her organic garden, home schools her children, keeps a clean house, recycles or repurposes everything, throws perfect parties with handmade Pinterest-y invitations and favor bags, bakes gluten-free desserts for school fundraisers, volunteers at the local homeless shelter while taking in stray animals she finds on her way home and then nurses them back to health, she always has on lipstick and her hair always looks so nice, she never has boogers on her clothes, AND is the T-Ball team Mom! .... I could never do all that! What is wrong with ME?" Aaaaaaaaack!

So why can't I do all that? Truth is, it really doesn't matter. She's her and I'm me. Our inner worlds and struggles are rarely known by others, and I think we all just do the best we can. I don't know "her" struggles, so I'm being terribly unfair to myself to compare what I perceive as her strengths against my weaknesses. (It's true, that last woman is made up, I'm just painting the picture of how I torture myself. Remember my flair for the dramatic?)


















So, for now, I will get back to my current mantra... "I'm not downsizing. I'm "rightsizing." I am doing what is right for my life. I bit off more than I could chew, and I'm making it right.

Yay for me.

Right? ;)

the perfect chalkboard

 I think it's fair to say I'm pretty obsessed with the chalkboard trend.

It's kind of my go-to method for repurposing something.



like....chalkboard drawer fronts. I lerves 'em.





Chalkboard paint over a dated and ugly end table makes a great play space for my kiddos.





How about a game table from old coffee table?





Headboards turned signs for events like The Fancy Flea? Yep.



You can give a grungy cutting board a new life as a memo board...




You can slap it on a mirror to remind you that you're fabulous no matter what your reflection shows.




And this Pinterest image inspired me to chalk paint the rust-spotted old fridge in my rental house.



But prior to discovering the holy grail of chalk board paint products, all the DIY chalk paint recipes left me with less than stellar results.

The tile grout recipes are stinky and didn't wipe clean.

Ditto for the Plaster of Paris recipes.

And heaven forbid you press too hard with your chalk, the paint might actually scratch right off your project! Eeek!

I was also less than thrilled with the chalk boards I made from chalk or clay brand name paints. I love, love, love the products in general, just...not for my chalkboards.

So I thought I'd share my secret ingredient to save all our customers from buying another crappy chalkboard, or for all you DIY'ers who might waste a day making a chalkboard that will never come clean.


My secret ingredient is..............drum roll....................

Websters Chalk Paint Powder!

I get to use any color or brand of paint that I want, but I add a smidge more of Websters than the instructions say, and it works perfectly. My chalkboards have been beautiful since discovering this product. They wipe clean without water,  which is actually important to me. I don't always want to use water to clean them completely. I like them to be a little messy, used and chalky looking - but I don't want to be able to read previous messages, you know?




Here's the most recent project I did using Websters Chalk Paint Powder. I needed a new, larger milk paint cabinet for my milk paint at Adjectives Market - and I wanted to answer some FAQ's right there on the cabinet. So naturally, I used a chalkboard to explain. (Only the chalkboard sections contain Websters Chalk Paint Powder. The rest of the project uses Milk Paint. Details below.)

I mixed up some Websters with warm water, then added it to a soft black latex paint. Two light coats of paint later, followed by a thorough rubbing of chalk all over it to "prime" the board, I wrote out all the milk paint logos and deets, & then brought my cabinet into Adjectives Market.

Do you love it?










So, have you tried Websters yet? Any interesting applications you've found for it? I'd love to hear about it!

To order Miss Mustard Seed's Milk Paint, don't forget to visit my space inside Adjectives Market or my online store at www.stellarjunk.storenvy.com.

The milk painted cabinet is a blend of Ironstone, Shutter Gray and Grain Sack with a Kitchen Scale Interior. Love that chippy goodness.



The chalkboard color is called "Bohemian Black" from Sherwin Williams, mixed with Websters Chalk Paint Powder.

If you're new to Websters, feel free to use promo code "stellarsavings" to let them know I sent you, and to get 10% off your order! Enjoy!

Ok friends, lots more news to share this week, watch for another post later on!

Have a great week!

Jess


P.S. To those of you who were expecting this post last Friday following my Facebook announcement about it, please forgive me! My darling hubby whisked me away from the computer and from real life for a fabulous (and partly child-free!) weekend, where we celebrated (/mourned) the last few days of my 20's. Today I am 30 years old. I'm just not sure how I feel about it all yet...

when unspiration strikes

I've got a major case of unspiration.

Does it happen to you? What do you do when it strikes?

"Browse Pinterest." some will say.

But what if you're completely saturated with it all? There is certainly no shortage of inspiring projects out there. It seems in this day of social media, a trend is everywhere in mere moments. It's hard to feel original, hard to feel like you could ever be noticed amongst all the other amazing artists out there. So, although others work can be inspiring, it's not where I turn when I need my creative batteries charged.


"Read a magazine." others might suggest.

Sigh. Mostly the same problem here. I don't want to look to furniture for inspiration. I don't want to copy others work, and it just feels like it's all been done. Pinterest has taught me that. Someone, somewhere has already done what you are going to do. It can be discouraging.



 "Take a break." some will say.


I thought that seemed like a viable plan. So, I took some time off. I haven't painted since December. My space at Adjectives has pieces for sale in it, so nothing is immediately pressing me to create...but, I'm a little worried. I've never gone this long without the itch. I used to take a day or two off from painting and I was dying to get back into the garage.


I suppose we all have our reasons for creative slumps. Life gets in the way, we get burned out, our attention shifts... There will always be setbacks with running any business, let alone running a creative business - and lack of inspiration can be a big setback on the road to success.




I guess that's it for me - my attention has shifted. My boys are growing so fast. I spent 2012 painting almost non-stop, it was practically (ok...totally) an obsession. I became obsessed with growing my business. I missed out on so much of my boys last year. I have enjoyed these last two months with them more than I can express.

Now, Liam & I walk Noah to and from school every day. We take "the long way" because it's so beautiful. We pass these ancient, massive trees and an orange grove that is bursting with fresh fruit and orange blossoms. Have you ever smelled an orange blossom? I seriously don't think heaven could smell any sweeter. Sometimes our walks are quiet, sometimes they are filled with excited little boy chit-chat about his day. I absolutely treasure this time, and wouldn't trade it for anything in the world.



We are moving slower. I am laughing more and stressing less. Playing games with my children instead of worrying about doing all the dishes. Eating dinner at the table instead of in the car, out of a fast food bag, while on the go. Making time to talk to my husband. Cooking with him, then cleaning up together. Going on dates with him. Going for family bike rides. Reading books. Sleeping in on Sundays! Taking my boys to Disney. Unpacking and decorating our new home.





I am happy. I find myself savoring every moment of it.

I am done with the glorification of "busy."


That being said, I need to get back to work. I can't let everything I've worked for slip away. I sell things I love to create in a store owned by the most fabulous people, with a waiting list for spaces that's a mile long. I am a retailer for a fabulous line of products that I love to use. How amazing is that? I can't ignore the opportunities I've been given and have created over the last few years of work.  With that kind of pressure, inspiration starts to feel like a slippery bar of soap. The harder I try to squeeze it, hold it, use it... the faster it slips out of my hands.

Today I guess I am hoping that by sharing this with you, and finally giving a voice to these concerns, it'll be the first step in fixing what's wrong.

The first step is admitting you have a problem, right?


So here's my plan.

I call it the "take creativity by the balls and show it who's boss" plan:

First - devising a new schedule with creating in mind. Start some good habits. Some structure, so that the bursts of creativity don't rule my life completely. I am hoping it'll be like my what friend LeeAnn says, "Where energy flows, focus goes."




The second part of my plan might hurt your feelings.

I hope not, because I mean no ill will. I am grateful to everyone who comes to this blog and listens to me, takes the time to comment, and shares this page with their friends.

But to be perfectly blunt, I am going to forget about you a little bit. I'm giving you the old "it's not you, it's me" routine, because it really is me. I am going to release myself from the pressure that I put on myself to "wow" blog readers and Facebook followers. Each project simply can not be better than the next. I am not Miss Mustard Seed. I am not Stiltskin Studios. I am not Annie Sloan. I am just me.

I am going to remove from my mind how many repins, likes, shares my projects might get. How many hits a blog post can get. I will remove myself from incessantly stalking Facebook, Pinterest and blogs for inspiration, the way a zombie goes looking for brains. I will go back to being inspired by nature, fashion and a million other little things...you know, Pre-Pinterest.













.

Once upon a time, I painted because I loved it. I want to get back to that. You'll still hear from me, of course. I really love writing and blogging, as much as I love painting. I just need to forget that anyone is listening or paying any attention. :)

I am grateful for my break. I am grateful for my work. I am ready to find some balance. I am ready to kick some ass.

pricing your junk

I get asked a lot of questions about restoring furniture from running this blog and my Facebook page. Whenever I see an email from a random stranger new friend I would almost bet money that the email contains one of the two following questions:

1. What kind of/color/brand of paint is that?

I make it a point to share the information when I have it, if it's an exact color from a brand that you can go and purchase yourself. A lot of times though, it's a dollop of this, a dollop of that, until I come up with the color in my mind.  So when the info isn't there, it's usually because I can't give it. :)

The other question I am asked most often is:


2. How do you determine the price for your items?

So after getting another email with this question just yesterday, I thought I would share with you the method of madness that is (and isn't) the Stellar Junk way.



Might I add:
* Where you're at in the country plays a factor.
* The ol' supply and demand thing counts. If your market is saturated with painted furniture, you'll have to be more competitively priced. If you're the only painter in town and your custom order list is a mile and a half long, you can probably get away with charging more.
* I'm not really an expert, I just play one on this blog.


I've heard lots and lots of methods from all the painters I've met in blog-land.

*Charge five times the purchase price of your piece.
*Count your hours and multiply them by the hourly rate you want to make.
*Look at what others charge and just stick a tag on it with a similar price.
*Figure out all your costs and then triple them.

Time to break it down....

Charge five times the purchase price:
Sometimes, I get an absolutely gorgeous dining room table out of the garbage. If I pay zero, I obviously can not charge x5 the purchase price. These items have an inherent value, even if someone has discarded them. That being said; this method doesn't typically work for me. Plus, if I find an end table at a yard sale for $5, I surely am not going to pop open a $35 quart of chalk paint, repaint this table and then resell it for $25. No ma'am.

Count your hours and multiply them by the hourly rate you want to make:
I don't use this method because my work hours are simply too erratic to keep track of. One here, six there - and I've always got at least three pots on the stove since I have total ADD. Plus, if I deliver four pieces to Adjectives Market in one trip, do I divide the delivery time by four pieces? Charge the delivery time for each one? Who really knows how to make all that work.
I've also come across projects where THEY. JUST. TAKE. FOREVER. Maybe you make a mistake. Maybe you're trying a new technique...whatever the reason, it takes forever. You can't always pass on that cost. On the flip side, what if you are amazingly efficient? Do you then deserve to earn less?
Therein lies the conundrum!

Look at what others charge and just stick a tag on it with a similar price:
If you find a crappy dresser with janky drawers and a pressboard back and you quickly slap a coat of paint on it and never bother to even wipe out the drawer interiors, you can not charge the same thing as someone who buys a solid wood dresser with working drawers and dovetail joints, who cleans the whole thing and refinishes with quality materials. I would think this is obvious...but as I walk around events like the Fancy Flea, I can see it is NOT obvious.
There IS something to be said for this method - but you need to compare apples to apples. If you are repainting garbage that even when you have repaired it to the best of your ability, it is STILL slightly junky? Improved greatly, but still funky? Hey; I've done it. I've fallen in love with the idea of a piece and wanted to save it so badly that I looked past flaws like sticky drawers. Even when I did every trick in the book to fix them, they still stuck. So guess what? I had to sell that piece for a LOT less than if I woulda just bought a $30 dresser with smoothly working drawers. And that just stinks.

Figure out your costs and triple them:
This is probably the closest thing I have to a "method." Keeping track of EVERY.SINGLE.COST is the only way to determine if you are making a profit. Those two pieces of sandpaper you used (if 20 sheets are $15 then that's $2.66 to sand that project!) then that half that container of Patch & Paint ($3) the 1/4 quart of chalk paint ($8.75) the wax, the mineral spirits, the gas you used finding the item or picking it up? Then for me, delivering that item to the store, the commission I pay the store, the 3% credit card fee that the store charges when someone uses their credit or debit card - I guesstimate all those charges and then triple them to come up with the price I need to charge to actually be able to afford to keep doing this. (I gave a breakdown of one project in particular in this post.)
Sometimes I keep track of all that crap and then decide it's just too expensive and I have to lower it a little bit to ensure it sells. Then other times, my costs were surprisingly low (like a freebie piece) and I'm able to earn a little more. I think when all is said and done, it evens out. 


My best tips:

You make your money when you buy it. I see some of the prices on Craig's List and I wonder how anyone can make any money revamping those pieces (a $400 dresser? Eeesh.Not for me.) I generally try not to spend over $50 on a piece UNLESS
1. It's a custom order that I already have sold.
2. It's a total steal and worth more than $50. (ie; Duncan Phyfe Dining Room Table at $60? Sold.)
3. I'm in love with it and would keep it for myself. (bad business practice, but whatever.)

Freebies come at a cost. I'm all for a freebie, but, if you've got to put SOOOOOOOOOO much time into it to bring it up to the condition that a $20-$30 Craig's List piece is in, only to sell it for less because it's ultimately a crappy piece? Check yourself before you wreck yourself.  Try raising the bar on yourself a little. It's a lesson I'm still learning, but the better I get at it, the easier life becomes.

Did this help or am I preaching to the choir with these points?

Can anybody add anything that has helped them?

I love to hear from you!

-Jess