A Junk Gypsy Book Inspired Project and a Sneak Peek at the Cactus Collection

"We love the unexpected, the gloriously chaotic combination of a million different elements... 

We love rock 'n' roll style as well as farmhouse. We love boho and hippie and country. The truth is. we're a little of all those things combined... We love color, but we also love white."

 -The Junk Gypsies in Designing A Life at the Crossroads of Wonder and Wander

Usually, I'm more of a farmhouse white, rustic and neutral colors with just a splash of turquoise mixed in, but recently I've been on a color kick! 

A few weeks ago, I would have never thought I would be painting leopard! Seriously, I don't even wear leopard, but I was inspired by a turquoise, pink, cactus and leopard piece of furniture I saw on Facebook and I knew I could do it on this night stand. I was in the middle of painting it, when I got the email that I was officially part of the Junk Gypsy Book Launch Team.

As part of the book launch tribe, I got to preview the Junk Gypsies book and was inspired by the DIY  Ombre Cactus and knew it could be used as a backdrop for my new collection and used at our Yamboree booth in October. I went a little rogue in following their directions and added a little extra to it. Instead of just spray paint (because I honestly ran out and used with what I had on hand - "granny economics"), I added an outline and a few brush strokes and glitter. 

What's better than turquoise glitter?!? 

 I loved the quote about grit from the book. As I said, I was working on the night stand and got the first coat of paint on it, then I stayed up late that night reading the book. The next day, I knew the top of the furniture needed something to finish it and recalled them sharing ideas of things to mix in your paint for texture. One of them was sand, so I added some to my paint and came out with a gritty texture to the top of the night stand and love the outcome. That's a picture of my paint brush with paint and grit (sand) in it and knew their quote was fitting. I'll never forget a discussion with a former boss, trying to justify his own actions, who said all teenagers and kids were lazy and my response "No sir, we weren't. Some of us were raised up with a work ethic"... Grit! Amie and Jolie so accurately describe the way I was raised.

 I've got a couple more coordinating cactus pieces of furniture that I have been fixing up and several new pillows, frames, and clothing items that will all debut and be available in our Yamboree booth. 

  While working on these items, I received an order for burlap bouquets in jade, hot pink, and purple and it all matches the furniture and pillows, so it made its way into my photo shoot this weekend.

 Not all who wander are lost.

Now for a couple other details: Preorder the Junk Gypsy Book  NOW (It comes out October 4)! It is fabulous and oh so inspiring! You can also enter to Win a trip to Round Top, lunch with Amie and Jolie, 2 nights at The Wander Inn and $500 shopping spree. They are also doing a book tour and I hope to meet them in person, when they come to the Pink Pistol in Lindale, Texas October 15!

The following week, October 20-22, we will be set up at the East Texas Yamboree Fairgrounds in Gilmer, TX. The cactus collection and almost everything you see in the pictures (and sooo much more) will be available then! We are buckled down, creating lots of new items and collecting lots of fun junk for our booth and can't wait to pull it all together with Angea from Rooster Tails!