The Lady Bug Revival

I had the absolute pleasure of giving this cute little cart a face-lift for my friend and fellow business owner .

The client loved the style of the cart but wanted to modernize it to fit better with the flow of her space. It was pretty wobbly when I picked it up, so I took the whole thing apart to find the root of the cause. Once I figured out how to fix that, I got everything cleaned up and prepped for paint.

She told me there is a lot of black in her space so I went with black paint to cover the wood laminate on the shelves. We liked the idea of gold for the spindles, but the original was pretty brassy, so I just gave that a touch of my favorite gold spray paint to brighten and modernize it.

The top is where it got fun! As you can tell from the before picture, the top was damaged and would have been difficult to fix. Megan gave me quite a bit of creative freedom, so I decided to completely replace the top! I sanded down some pine 1x4s and bought some backets to hold them together. Since she's using the cart for her catering business, I wanted to add her logo in colors that matched but not have it be too "in your face".

Once all of the topcoats were dried and set, all that was left was to put it back together! I LOVE the way that this piece turned out and can't wait to see it put to work. Thnolacateringwyotrusting me with this project🤍

Online auction! Proceeds go towards helping the ranchers rebuild as well as supplies for firefighters.

https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=61564980714949&mibextid=ZbWKwL

Saw this post from and immediately asked if I could repost it. So many people think that furniture refinishing is "just a fun little hobby," and believe me, it is. I have so much fun and get so much enjoyment out of doing it. But it's also A LOT of work. And there are SO many things behind the scenes that don't typically get accounted for. Generally, I only post on social media when I have finished something or want to show a progress photo. So when you see me dormant on social media, I'm probably doing any number of these things. Even if I'm not posting every day, I'm still here and I'm still working on pieces to help elevate your living space🤍

Thanks so much to my clients for your patience and understanding that good things take time 🤍

Okay friends, I need some help. Bear with me here, I know there are a lot of choices but I'm terribly indecisive. I'm looking to change my logo and have created a bunch of mock ups but need your help deciding which one to go with! I'll probably narrow it down and do this one more time before making a final choice. Put a 👍 or ❤️ on the logo you like best😊 I am planning on making some merch eventually (Tshirts, sweatshirts, stickers) so i want something that will look good on clothing. also I'm very open to suggestions in changing these or doing something different if anyone has ideas❤️

"Listen, smile, agree, and then do whatever the f*ck you were going to do anyway" - Robert Downey Jr.

✨️Friendly Reminder✨️ Don't take people on the internet too seriously.

I posted in a few furniture refinishing groups that I'm a part of looking for some advice. I included pictures of the look I was trying to get along with pictures of the table in its current state.

The following thread were some of the comments I got.

Guess what? I did it anyway, and I LOVE it❤️

P.S. I also had quite a few people who were very kind and actually gave me the advice I was looking for🤍

Found this votive holder (I think that's what it was for?) at the thrift store, and I immediately saw its potential🕯

I've had these insulators F O R E V E R but haven't been able to find a holder that fits them just right.

Absolutely loving the dreamy lighting they give off. They're the perfect centerpiece for our new kitchen table, but don't worry, I have plenty more insulators. I'm definitely planning on having more of these to sell, so keep an eye out if this is something you're interested in🖤

It's finally done!🥰

This table has been in my family for 3 generations since sometime in the 1960s. There have been countless cups of coffee had, beers drank, stories told, pages of homework done, tears, and laughter around this table. I'm so thankful I get to carry on all of those things in my home.

Obviously, with having all of that happen over that span of time, this table needed a little TLC (Swipe for before pictures). I wanted a cottage style look with natural wood tones. I also wanted to keep all of the dings from where grandma ran her wheelchair into it and scratches on the top from games played and homework done. So, this style was perfect to highlight all of that.

I started by stripping off all of the old finish using a chemical stripper. Once that was done, I rinsed it with TSP, and that helped to get the dark stain out (i left some of the darker stain in the nooks and crannies for highlighting). I covered the whole thing with a tan wash (tan paint mixed with water) so that when i put the finish coat on, it wouldnt alter the natural color. After that, I added an antiquing glaze to really bring out those dents and scratches. The final step was a matte wipe-on polyurethane. I went with matte to give it a more natural looking finish but still have the durability of polyurethane versus a wax or oil finish.

I'm so in love with this table and can't wait to share more that I'm working on in this style❤️

In love with the wood grain pattern on this mid-century dresser😍😍

Nowhere near done but I'm absolutely LOVING this natural wood look for my dining table. Can't wait to share the finished product!

We have heat! You guys, this is a G A M E C H A N G E R! I can't say how thankful I am to Hadley West for getting this installed for me. I'm so excited to be able to continue my work throughout the winter without having to bring it all inside. Still planning on keeping the business side of things a little slower until after the new year, but looking forward to all the projects I will be able to accomplish because of this stove and Hadleys hard work❤️

Just wanted to post a little winter update for The Lady Bug Revival.I haven't been very active on social media lately, so here are some things going on!

I have finished most of my Christmas decor for my booth (find it at ). I am still working on a few more items that should be ready to bring with me this Friday. I've been working on a couple of custom orders but am taking advantage of this season to slow down the business end of things and really focus on my home as well as my friends and family.

Normally, I get so into doing things for other people, which I love doing, that I don't have/make time to do things for myself and my own home. This season so far, Hadley and I have been able to decorate a lot more than we normally do, I've learned how to make sourdough, and I've been working on a lot of homemade gifts for my friends and family.

In other news, Hadley is installing a wood stove in the shop to keep me warm for the winter, so there will be a lot more products coming! But for right now, I'm very much enjoying the slow down❤️ Thanks to everyone who continues to follow and support me! I absolutely couldn't do this without all of you! Wishing you all a very merry Christmas 🎄

❄️ 🎄 IT'S TIMEEEE! 🎄 ❄️

Christmas has arrived at booth #83 at Marketplace 3301 . Come check out all of this, plus all the other amazing vendors ❤️🤍

And as an added bonus, the green waterfall dresser and vanity set is now 10% off! Just in time for Christmas 🎄 🎅

Special thanks to Marci Perry Hilliard , Mykel Daly , Cooper and Cassidy for helping get everything set up. 🤍 and to Hadley West for helping me keep my sanity (mostly) while creating all of this❤️
*twheresthetylenol

Okay friends, we're headed to Spokane next weekend and bringing the trailer! Looking for some good thrift shops, antique stores, or flea markets either in spokane or between Billings and there😊

Highlighting some of the "smalls" and displays from my booth🧡❤️ Very much embracing the autumn vibes🍁🍂 Come down to Marketplace 3301 and take home your favorite🤍

Anyone else have this song stuck in their head forever? Now you can get it out of your head and onto your wall just in time for halloween🧡 Available in both black and white at Marketplace 3301 in downtown Billings. These will also be available on my etsy shop soon😊

L I M I T E D S T O C K !

Posting on here before I stock these in my booth tomorrow.

So in love with how the colors turned out😍

These are the only ones I have available, and I will not be making more this year, so get them while you can!

UPDATE: The orange one has been claimed🧡
#

Day 1 of Halloween drops!👻 This sign is now available on etsy or for local delivery! Link in bio for my etsy shop. Keep an eye out throughout the rest of the week for more halloween decor!☠️

It's giving 🍁fall🍂.

The fun part about these colors is that I don't typically choose them myself! I mean sure, i choose which color to use on each project, but most of the paint colors I have in my shop are paints that I have picked up from thrift stores or hardware stores after people have ordered them and didn't like the color or didn't use the whole thing.

This not only saves my business money but is also eco-friendly 🍃. It aids in reducing waste, resource conservation, reducing the chemical impact, and lowering the carbon footprint. I'm not saying I'm saving the planet here, but it really is the little things🤍

I also struggle with decision making when it comes to colors for my projects (or just life in general), so it's nice to be able to look at colors that someone else has already chosen and decide from there which one to use for each project.

I'm not entirely sure why I chose to ramble about why I reuse paint samples instead of buying new paints this morning, but thanks for sticking with me! I hope this brings a little bit of awareness to the benefits of upcycling/recycling/sustainability 🤍

New product launch coming your way!

Love getting reviews like this and knowing that people are enjoying a product I worked hard to create!🤍

Friendly reminder that sometimes it's more about the ✨️vision✨️ than the current state🤍

Happy September, everyone! Just wanted to take a minute to recognize the August employee of the month, miss Kora Noreen. The best guard dog, wasp and fly eater, shop dog, and of course, napper. Great work Kora! Stay tuned to see next month's employee of the month!

New sign design launching on my etsy shop tomorrow 🌻🪻🌱⚘️

I think I'm a little overdue on a reintroduction post. This is me. The one behind the furniture. The owner, designer, accountant, marketing team, secretary, and much more for The Lady Bug Revival.

First of all, I'd like to talk about how I chose the name for my business. My grandparents were both a huge influence in my life, and I wanted to pick a name that reflected that. When they were younger, they owned a ranch in Eastern Montana called the Bug Ranch, and my grandma started referring to herself as the "lady bug" since she was the lady on the ranch. Revival obviously comes from the revival of the furniture and upcycling of items that may otherwise be thrown away. So there you have the short version of how The Lady Bug Revival got its name😊

I got started in this industry during covid when everything was shut down. I was (and still am) in the service industry so when the shut downs happened I felt lost and didn't know what to be doing with my time since I wasn't able to go to work. I had done a couple of refinishing projects previous to all of this for my own home but decided to start getting crafty (literally) with ways that I could bring in income without being able to go to work. I started listening to business podcasts and looking for local resources I could use to start a business. When they lifted the covid restrictions and I was able to go back to work, I did. But I kept refinishing furniture as much as I could while working full time. Currently, I'm still serving/bartending a couple of nights per week, but I'm working on being able to make The Lady Bug Revival my full-time income. Recently, I had the opportunity to have my items on display full time at Marketplace 3301 in my hometown of Billings, MT. I am extremely grateful for how much I have been able to grow with this business and am looking forward to the opportunities that lie ahead.

If you're still with me, I'd just like to say thank you to everyone who has followed and supported me on this journey, and im so looking forward to continued growth and development, not only in the business world, but in myself as well. 🤍

📷 photocredit: 🤍

Slowly but surely adding more inventory to my booth! If you're in the Billings area and looking for something to add to your home, swing on in and check out all of the amazing vendors at Marketplace 3301🤍