She Endeavors

Making the time...

2011-10-09T21:06:00.001-04:00

This past week Brian and I decided to break up the work grind with a dose of nature and a hike. There is a mountain with a beautiful trail very close to our house. So, off we went...

This is the bridge that greets you at the beginning.

It really is a very scenic trail.

Now, I didn't get any pictures of all the rocks we tripped over or the trees that I had to hang on to to keep from sliding down the side of the mountain when I was gasping for air trying to keep up with Brian. Apparently, we chose the shorter but steeper trail and the switchbacks were a killer. It was a challenge but in the end it was totally worth it.

Look at the view!

You can see Atlanta from the top and a nearby lake.

It was so peaceful & quiet with perfect weather. We really enjoyed it because rarely do things go this right for us when we try to do something outdoors.

We sat on this bench a good while and talked about everything & nothing.

Sweaty, happy people.

We left our mark..

God is good.

We slept well that night. I hope you take time to enjoy something simple this week.

Backyard Baby Steps

2011-10-07T12:26:00.004-04:00

I've moaned and groaned about my backyard and it's craptastic state for a long time now. I got tired of listening to myself and took two little baby steps in making it somewhere that I would like to spend time.

I have to start by telling you that my mom and I SKIN the plant clearance racks at Lowe's on a regular basis. They always have great plants that just need to be watered (most of the time) for like $1.00 to $1.25 and the same plants were going for $7-$10 a week ago. So with that in mind, I decided it was time to beautify the backyard.

So I took these..

And some of this:

And we turned this dirt patch (with a lovely stump) ...

Into this..

I can see this flower bed from my kitchen window and it makes me happy...worth every minute I had manure compost on me (note to self, next time don't wear flip flops).

The pinkish-red bell flowers attract hummingbirds & butterflies. I also have Veronica Lavender and Autumn Joy Sedum in this bed.

And the stump is being very helpful in keeping my lovely pot upright.

And look who is still around!! Here is one of the little black kittens from earlier this summer. Unfortunately, only 2 of the 5 are still here - we named them Kevin & Pickles. I don't know what happened to the others. They're scaredy cats and it has taken weeks & weeks for them to trust us. They eat by the back door instead of the very back of the yard and I can pet them now. I'm taking them to the vet next week..we're just winging it from there. I'd love to rehome them but 2 skiddish kittens are a hard sell. Although, Kevin is turning into a love bug..so I think they will be wonderful little kitties once I can really get my hands on them.

Ok, moving on...here's the second bed...

I already had some of these plants here but it needed to be cleaned up. A little bit of hump-busting work on a Saturday and we're done! It looks a little weinee-ish now but these plants will fill out and be gorgeous next year.

I'm going to have some fun in the back with color.

And check out these great pallets!! I am thinking we'll work these into some kind of outdoor furniture around the fire pit (that doesn't exist yet, but we're working on it).

And one little nod to the garden that we've enjoyed all summer...

They were delicious!

Thai Basil - yummm! We made flavored oil, added it to salads and gave quite a bit away, too. The flavor is amazing and it smells just as good!

So bye to summer fun...until next year...

(Two posts in 2 days...are you amazed?)

Smell ya later,

Furniture-O-Rama

2011-10-06T18:09:00.002-04:00

I'm going to be cramming a lot into this post, so get ready for some picture overload. By the way, hi! It's me...Jennifer. Remember? If you don't, non taken...

One of the up sides of not blogging for a while is your project pipeline backs WAY up! I have a nice backlog of posts now. One of my goals was to clear out the garage and I managed to put a nice dent in our storehouse of furniture. And let me just say, Brian is so happy! It looks like he may actually get to park in the garage this winter...dreams DO come true!

First up is this cute little vanity/desk that I keep in my closet for storage.

Before:

The wood on this desk was extremely orange. It doesn't show bad in this picture but I never liked the stain. I was already in the process when I remembered to get a picture.

After:

This is a couple of layers of paint. First coat was too light blue, second coat was too green, so I mixed the two, added a little black and got what I wanted.

You can see the layers of color in this pic. I actually kept the original knobs; that was a new one for me.

Ahhh...solid wood top (without the orange tint).

So, here it is in my closet, along with my tub-o-purses and pile of clothes that need to be Dryel'd. I have an older home with skinny closets...gotta be creative with storage.

Another project that I scratched off my list was this chest..

Before:

Cute little Goodwill find. Love the casters but the stickers across the top?..not so much

After:

This went home with my sister. She is as bad a furniture collector as I am..in fact, me, my mom & sister (and it looks like my nieces now, too) are constantly changing furniture out & moving it around.

I painted it a light gray & white and changed out the knobs.

Another was this simple but very cute dresser..

I don't have a before picture. I hate it when I forget to take the pictures! It's already delivered and full of stuff, I'm sure.

And one more thing..

I've been working on our den for a while now. We've been doing things here and there, a little at a time. Well, I finally refinished my built-in desktop. I decided to decoupage it in old book pages and I couldn't be happier with it. My only regret is waiting so long to do it. We're adding the crown molding in the next couple of days and I'm finally going to show the whole thing finished. It's amazing what beadboard, old books, paint & some glue can do!!

I'm linking to: All Things Furniture at Perfectly Imperfect, TDC's Before & After Party

For a while I have wondered how to sign off on these posts. In an effort to be faithful to my true self, I'm going to tell you like I tell my friends and family all the time...

Smell ya later,

Hallway & Some Befores

2011-08-20T00:01:00.007-04:00

For pete's sake! It's been a MONTH since I've been on here! I feel like the page creaked when it loaded just now. When I have to choose between family, work, my sanity or blogging...blogging gets kicked to the curb.

While my job can be demanding at times, I work with some pretty awesome people. In fact, my hilarious friend & coworker, Leslie, sent me this card. I got it in the mail today and LAUGHED my head off....

The inside reads, "A bad day is all about perspective."

Classic. She's the best & I don't know what I would do without her!

So let me show you the hallway. We finished it a few weeks ago and I'm pretty happy with the new look.

Before:

I had already taken down pictures and started patching the walls.

After:

Ta-da!!! Yes, it's a white hallway. Seriously, though this was A LOT of work. Brian installed all new trim, added crown molding and then I caulked & painted everything. The devil is in the details and he whipped me on this one, but it was totally worth it!

Here it is at night with the light dimmed.....looooove it!

Here's a view from the back of the hall. I have some blank frames hanging while I work out which pictures go where. This will also motivate me to get enlargements finally made of vacation pictures. I'm the worst about getting that kind of stuff done.

What I really like is that I can easily add more pictures and go bananas with frames from ceiling to floor, and it will totally work with my look here.

Other side.

We used the slip-on corner pieces and I love how easy they are to install (or I should say Brian loved how easy they were to install.)

I flipped the attic cover and found this grooved wood. Love it!

And yet, another angle. It feels more open and brighter now.

Before I run, let me show you really quick what I have going on for the next few days (and next couple of years)...

I have this chest painted and will be putting the finishing touches on it sometime this weekend. This one is going up for sale.

I'm sanding the top of this coffee table and will stain it, then paint the legs. It's a nice solid piece.

This is what's going to take a few years...my backyard rehab...

We had 2 Bradford Pear trees removed last week. It's always hard for me to pull the trigger on trees but it had to be done. (Bradford Pears are brittle and will split in half and make a mess.) We have a lot of work to do but this was a good start. Now that we're getting some good sun back here, we're going to relocate and expand our garden for next year.

And I'm working on this..

When the guys cut the trees down, they trashed my trumpet vine. Not a big deal - it needed to be pruned anyway. A little TLC and some paint and this will be ready to enjoy when the weather cools down some.

Mom says that as long as you own a home you will never be finished. And you know what? She's right! Thanks for reading and I'll talk to you soon!

I'm linking to The Before & After Party at TDC, Anything Goes at Type A.

Hugs-

A Feature at Type A!!

2011-07-18T10:46:00.000-04:00

Super sweet Tammy from Type A featured me today!!! Hop on over to see my guest post AND there's a peek at the hallway.

Hugs and a good day to you!

Happy Day!

2011-07-14T19:31:00.000-04:00

Today is a special anniversary for me and my husband. We met exactly 6 years ago..so every July 14 we try to do something just a little special..nothing major, but something nice. Usually we go to the restaurant where we had our 1st date. It's a very charming place off a very cute square in a nearby town.

Well, this year I pulled out ALL the stops for Brian. Do you want to see what I gave him for our special day??

A destroyed hallway that needs to be put back together!!! JUST what he wanted...

While he's doing the trim & molding...I'll be painting these frames (all for $25 at ReStore)..

and finish taping then paint the hall door..

So.....

He's VERY understanding of my wonky ways...one of the many, many reasons I adore him!

I'll leave you with some Norah Jones and one of our favorite songs.....

Lamp, Finds & a Few Changes!.

2011-07-11T23:56:00.003-04:00

Hey kids! I'm having movie night with Brian and it's a sobering one..The Company Men on Netflix. Pretty good but it's a huge dose of reality. I prefer to live in lala-land, personally!

I'm making some changes to my blog by adding new pages and getting a little more organized. It's going to be slipshod for a while, so bear with me.

My sister and her family came to town this past weekend for a visit and we did some junking (woo-hoo). Here's what I snagged:

Picked up another globe for my son's room from an antique shop. I'm going to paint the stand red. He really likes his collection!

Now this one, I love! I found this fixture at Habitat..it was $8.00 and 50% off..yep, $4.00! I have already spruced it up and I can't wait to show you how it turned out. We're going to hang it in the hallway that I'm working on now. I have the walls patched, sanded, trim off..basically, it's a flipping mess! Now I have to put it all back together - the fun part.

Moving on...remember this?

I'm using it in the den for a little pop of color.

Here is what I did with it...

I used spray glue and covered the shade with the silk floral print and trimmed the rough edges with a cream ribbon. This lamp looked like this not too long ago, but I didn't think the blue was working in this space, so I changed it up. I think the orange is MUCH better!

Another little shot of color. I'm tickled with how the den is turning out. We still have to put up crown molding. I added my own special touch to the carpet by knocking over my paint tray. Brian says it looks like a flower...it happened in slow motion and it totally sucked eggs to clean up. I'll include a shot of it in the "big reveal".

Here are a few of the pillows I made with the other fabric. (I didn't have the heart to knock Olive out of her comfy spot.)

And you'll never, ever guess what else I'm doing....can you tell what this is?

It's a family of kitties that showed up in my backyard a few days ago! Apparently, they got the tweet with my address and headed on over. It's a mommy with her 4 babies. This picture is taken from far away because they are super skiddish. I'm not sure if they're totally feral but it's going to take some time to win them over. We are making arrangements to get mommy fixed before she finds herself in a 'family way' again, then the babies. After all of that, they are going to need to be relocated.

I'm finding a lot of great resources as I take in all these little guys and I'm going to be sharing them from now on on my Pet Rescue page. Some of the groups I'm working with have chapters all over, so hopefully it will be useful for others that are stray magnets, like myself. Please check it for updates.

I was watching the movie while writing this, so if part of this post makes no sense, you know why.

Talk to ya later! Hugs-

Stargazers, Catch Up & Hallway!

2011-07-06T23:27:00.001-04:00

If you were here, I would tell you that you MUST smell this beauty....

Stargazers are my favorite flower.

I have a few that come back every year and this year they were huge!

I didn't have to edit these pics. They had just bloomed & were perfect.

Ok, now on to this last week.. I'm not going to bore you with all the details, so here's the Reader's Digest version.

First of all..do you guys know what this is?

That's Goliath. It's an INSANE roller coaster at Six Flags.

Rule #1, don't ride roller coasters when you're stopping for Pepto on the WAY TO Six Flags because you feel queasy. Rule #2, LOOK at the roller coaster BEFORE you get on it. I didn't do that. I just got in line behind my husband and hopped on...like an idiot.

Sure, it was a thrill to feel my face smearing off as we zoomed along the track and down a 175 ft. drop at 70 mph, but was it worth it? You tell me, I got off the ride, went straight to the ladies' room & barfed. I was a trooper though..we were at the park another 7 hours (SEVEN HOURS) after that, spending the last 2 hours soaking wet from all the water rides. My conclusion, I think I'm getting too old for some of this.

The next highlight was a fierce storm that blew through July 4th. Lightning knocked on my front door, came in and cooked my modem, seriously..it was FRIED. So after many, many phone calls to AT&T and a delivery from UPS, we have a new modem and are up & running. Being offline was strange, to say the least. I didn't realize how much I rely on the internet; the upside is, I got a stupid amount of projects either finished or nearly finished (applause, applause). The newest one started is my hallway...

Kinda before:

I took all of our pictures down, then remembered to take a picture.

After I have worked my magic with spackle. Since this is a small space, I'm going to do something that packs a punch.

I'm inspired by this:

Coco&Kelley

I'm not quite sure exactly how I'm going to paint the hall or the frames yet but I love LOVE this picture. This is beadboard all over but I think white paint will have a similar impact, as long as the details are done well.

I finally have stuff to share on the den but since I didn't want to do megapost, I thought I'd wait until tomorrow. I'll talk to you later & it's good to be back online!!

Hugs,

I Am a Patriot

2011-07-04T13:21:00.001-04:00

THESE are the times that try men's souls. The summer soldier and the sunshine patriot will, in this crisis, shrink from the service of their country; but he that stands it now, deserves the love and thanks of man and woman.

Tyranny, like hell, is not easily conquered; yet we have this consolation with us, that the harder the conflict, the more glorious the triumph. What we obtain too cheap, we esteem too lightly: it is dearness only that gives every thing its value. Heaven knows how to put a proper price upon its goods; and it would be strange indeed if so celestial an article as FREEDOM should not be highly rated.

Britain, with an army to enforce her tyranny, has declared that she has a right (not only to TAX) but "to BIND us in ALL CASES WHATSOEVER," and if being bound in that manner, is not slavery, then is there not such a thing as slavery upon earth. Even the expression is impious; for so unlimited a power can belong only to God.

- Thomas Paine, The Father of the American Revolution

It is the love of country that has lighted and that keeps glowing the holy fire of patriotism.

- J. Horace McFarland

God bless our country and our people on our nation's 235th year of independence!

How to age over night..and an armoire...

2011-06-24T22:06:00.005-04:00

Intrigued on how to feel like you are 80 years old in the blink of an eye? Well, I won't leave you hanging in suspense...throw your back out. That'll do it! You can go from being an optimistic, active "go-getter" to being a flat out mess (not even a hot mess) unable to sit, stand or lay down without feeling like there's a hot axe in your back put there by the devil himself. That has been me off and on for the past week.

After carefully retracing my steps, I believe I figured out where I went wrong. It has something to do with this thing...

and thinking that I can move mountains (and monster furniture) by myself just because I own one.

I am on the mend now and I've learned my lesson. I've said this over and again, but I have to give Brian props for being the best husband. I know, without a doubt, that he'll be there to wipe the drool off my chin when we're old and he won't even think I'm gross. *sigh*

Enough about my shenanigans, I finished the armoire that I mentioned in this post .

Before:

Here it is newly painted and at home in the den.

I used some leftover chalk paint I had. Since it dries out kinda fast, I didn't want to waste any of that precious gold. I used the ceiling paint color (a light gray) to add some details.

Ceramic knobs from Hobby Lobby.

This piece was simple but it also had a few very pretty little details.

It tiered up on the top and I took advantage of all of those lines.

I don't rush trying to put together a vignette. I kinda let it evolve; they just seem to turn out better for me that way. The picture on the left was given to me by my Mom from her trip to Spain, she also gave me that fabulous old typewriter. It's the sentimental stuff I love most of all. I drew the flowers on the right myself.

Here's a little closer look. I drew this at work one day. I doodle a lot and I guess it pays off sometimes. Instant art! Guess what my inspiration was? My mousepad...it's a souvenir that my brother gave me with beautiful flowers on it. I think I've stared at that mousepad for so long those flowers are burned in my psyche (I work some long hours at times).

Lastly, I added more of my accent color with old books.

One more thing, I want to thank Stephanie Lynn at Under The Table & Dreaming for featuring my armoire! She graciously hosts a fabulous linky party every Sunday.

Ok, well, since my glass of wine isn't going to drink itself on this rainy Friday night, I'm going to take off now. I hope you all enjoy the weekend and thank you so much for coming by.

Hugs to you -

I'm linking to: Funky Junk's SNS, Miss Mustard Seed's FFF

Desk For An End Table

2011-06-13T09:53:00.009-04:00

Two posts in two days...I know it's a shocker!

In my long journey to turn my dumpy den into a fabulous family room, I have moved around quite a bit of furniture. I'm really big on storage...I need it - have to have it. One recent change that has really helped was the addition of this desk between the chair & sofa.

(As you can tell by the trash bags, I run a professional operation here.) It had been by the front door but when I added the armoire, I had to move it. It looked good just like this but I thought it would be too dark in the den and wanted to lighten it up a bit.

I saw this on the Sundance website and fell in love with their whole line painted like it:

I like how it's painted but still plenty of the beautiful wood is showing

With that as inspiration, I did this:

I used latex paint that I already had. Dover White & Ashley Gray (at 50% strength). I drybrushed then sanded.

I like how the paint really brings out the details like the planked sides.

I left the hardware alone.

The end result reminded me of chalk paint. This was really old wood so it took the paint really well.

There's a lot of wood showing on the top. Very lightly dry brushed.

It's so hard for me to get a good lighting shot in this den. I'm going to have to figure something out.

Maybe I'll take a page from Doo's book and use a bedspread and pot lid.

I'm linking to these parties: Type A's Anything Goes Party, Met Monday @ BNOTP

Thanks for coming by!

Reworked it til I LOVED it!!

2011-06-11T11:55:00.007-04:00

Part of the upside of not posting is that your projects pile up and there's plenty to talk about! Before I get into the furniture part let me just tell you that I have one hour to color my hair, dress and be ready to walk out the door. We're going to my sister's in AL where we are celebrating my brother-in-law's retirement from the Army. So, of course after spotty blogging for over a month, I feel the need to get this post up under a time crunch. I should put my color on THEN do this...brb. Now I'm sitting here looking like I have a massive head wound with my wet burgundy colored head. Lovely.

So in this post I talked about the armoire..and how I was going to use it and how I painted this design on it. Like some other projects I've done, I didn't like this and the more I looked at it the more I wanted to change it. I mean if you don't LOVE it then why have it? SO, I got out my ever faithful Mod Podge and my favorite postcards and sheet music covers and went.to.town!

Now I'm like this:

Stick a fork in it..I'm done!

Here's the new look. It's very graphic and perfect for this room.

It reminds of an old suitcase with stickers all over it.

Here's a little breakdown..

These are the little Dutch postcards I picked up at an estate sale last year. I still have plenty left and I will appreciate them a lot more now that I will see them every time I come in or go out the front door.

I've said this before, using chalk paint is a messy business if you can't do it outside but it distresses beautifully.

I love all the different fonts, colors and pictures!

Little pink house on Shady Lane.

Time to wash this crud outta my hair, so I gotta go but let me show you two more things really quick.

This is the new accent color for the den. I totally changed my mind from the blue. It didn't give enough of a punch. I covered a lampshade and made pillows with it. I'll show you guys that when I get back.

The other thing...

I bought this off Craigslist a couple of weeks ago. It's repainted and in place with stuff crammed in it already. I'll show that too when I get back.

Hugs to y'all and have a good weekend!

Linking to these parties: Type A's Anything Goes Party, SNS @ Funky Junk, Under The Table And Dreaming,

Let me dust this thing off....

2011-05-31T21:33:00.009-04:00

Haven't touched my blog in weeks! I feel out of touch for real this time...haven't done much computer wise outside of work in a while. I tell ya what I have done though...I've seen a lot of movies, read a book, spent a lot of time with my peeps, ruined a slipcover, sewed a lot of pillows, covered a lampshade, acquired another cat, started 530am workouts again and I painted this....

Here's the before to this big old girl. I used chalk paint in Old White & sealed it with Fiddes & Sons clear wax. The sanding part was messy but it's a smooth as silk finish and it's so easy to get an authentic distressed look with chalk paint. It was super expensive though - $89 for 2 quarts (with shipping)! I will say that not having to prime or prep at all was worth it!

I found this design on the internet from the Paperchase Folk Tree collection and loved it. It has a Scandinavian feel to me which is what I wanted for this piece.

I posted this and then messed with it some more..I think I'm finished now, so here's the after, after:

I used my overhead to keep scale and acrylic paint, then sanded and added a stain to dull the colors a bit. I wanted it to look worn & faded.

I outlined the flower tree so it would stand out. I like how it looks a little haphazard & folksy.

The extra storage is AWESOME!

I love this part - little bird hooks for our keys!

I love all the muddled colors

Still can't believe I got this armoire for $40.

Pretty details.

Here's a back view. We have an open floor plan and this helps separate the front door from the living/dining rooms. So you can hide if someone comes to the door and you're not decent (and by you, I mean me)!

Now on to my newest little wanderer...

This one just showed up last week. Scraggly little guy with an eye infection, ear mites, hungry...all kinds of beat up...will you just look at that poor little face. I think he was working me.

So we fed him, loved on him, took him to the vet, got him neutered & named him Scooter.

I tried to make him an inside only kitty but I can't tame his wild heart. He's happiest skipping around the yard.

He follows me to the mailbox every day.

Here he is after dinner...big old tummy and ready to nap!

So there ya go...more furniture & another kitty! Another bit of good news, we're now sponsoring a little boy from the Philippines. His name is Fritz and he's 9 (the same age as my son). I'll share more info on the program as I learn it myself. I got started here. We're really excited to get to know this little boy.

Now that I finally posted something I hope someone is still around to read it!!

Hugs to you - until next time,

Whatchadoin?

2011-05-15T23:05:00.003-04:00

I've been up to my eyeballs in alligators!

Work, work, work..

I work from home which is awesome and I'm totally blessed to have such a good job, so I don't complain. But when it gets busy at my office, I just settle in because I know that I'm not going anywhere or doing anything except meeting deadlines (the joke around my office is we'll all have company issued catheters, so we won't ever have to leave our computer!)

That means..no blogging, no painting, no new cool finds...

seriously, it's sad.

But, wait..what's this?

It's daylight!! I'm coming out of the dark tunnel of deadlines, conference calls & late nights and into the light!

And I'm thrilled!!!

But I have to tell you this, you know I LOVE my cats but I swear they are going to put us in the poorhouse! Three of them came down with a terrible case of the kitty flu/strep. They are all ok now, thank goodness (after several trips to the vet and swipes on my debit card)! Giving one cat meds is bad enough, but THREE was miserable and they all have devil claws to boot!

That was at the beginning of the week THEN I was cleaning out a desk drawer and moved the garage door opener - didn't think a thing about it. So I'm just piddling around the house, doing my own thing and then I wondered where all the cats where..no one was around. Well, I accidentally OPENED the garage door when I moved the opener and let all my cats out and didn't realize it until about 1.5 hours later. So we had to round them up at 10pm with flashlights and that took hours..one came back the next morning like the conquering hero..bunch of dummies.

On the upside, we actually started putting the finishing touches on the den this weekend. My goal is to get everything finished (except the flooring) this week. We're painting the ceiling now and it's NOT white! Woohoo!

Well, I just wanted to say hi! Talk to ya soon -

Aliens & Tables & Mom!

2011-05-09T22:26:00.007-04:00

That pretty much sums up my Mother's Day! Before anything else, I want to thank my mother, Betty Jane. My brother, sister & I have been blessed, truly blessed, with a generous, strong, kind, light-hearted, sincere, faith-walking, praying, spanked you when you needed it, unconditional-loving mother. I spent Saturday (Sunday too!) with her...

If this picture disappears you'll know she didn't like it and made me take it down.

We had a nice lunch & bought beautiful fabric! How awesome is that? Here are a few of the things I gave Mom..

I just love the whole look of this one. It's perfect in her living room! It was part of the furniture pile I brought home a week or two ago.

Here's the before:

I had already sanded the top down.

Next, lamps....

I also gave her set of brass lamps a lift. She loves them - mission accomplished! (But let me just say this, you'd have to pay me $1000 to make another lampshade like this...no how, no way..nuh-uh. Burlap is miserable to work with..I know it's dearly loved by many, but it sure can mess up your contacts with all that lint flying around. Not to mention when you have hot glue stuck to your fingers and burlap lint stuck to the hot glue..MIS-ER-yyyy.) But if you are up for a challenge, then click here to see how I made this shade.

Here's the lamp before:

We had these when I was a kid..time for a change. Oil Rubbed Bronze & the shade update brought them back to life!

One more table..

Looking a little tired & very, very brown.

Again, it's perfect for her living room. I just love the lines of these tables..SO pretty! A little paint & elbow grease go a long way..and a really good sander.

And seriously, how could you not appreciate that beauty?

As for my Mother's Day...

Hey...what's this? For moi?

(BTW, delivery person - don't mind the plants, just drop it anywhere!)

On top of living with two funny guys who keep my life interesting & full of love, they gave me a spray painter for my special day! No more aching hands or wrists from holding a brush for hours!

My two sweetheart aliens take good care of me!

Before I go..

Little Birdie here is hoping you all had a wonderful time celebrating Moms!

and Betty left you some flowers....

Talk to you soon!

P.S. I'm linking to the side bar parties!

Lady Luck Smiled At Me (& I hope it's not haunted....)

2011-05-01T19:45:00.001-04:00

Lady Luck did give me a nod and here's my story...

I've been pining for an armoire/wardrobe for a while. We really, really need a coat closet and I thought that would be a great solution while adding a little foyer area when you walk in the front door.

So, I found a few armoires that I liked on Craigslist and sent emails to see if they were still available..in the meantime, we had new garage doors installed. I got carriage doors and love them! Not real carriage just stamped, but in my book, they weren't cheap. I decided to hold off on an armoire b/c I felt a little queasy spending so much money in ONE week. So I emailed the lady back telling her I would have to pass - she wrote me right back and told me I could have it for free just please come get it!! She said I was the only person who was interested and she wanted to get rid of it. Of course, I was beyond tickled.

We picked it up yesterday..

It's a HUGE, very old wardrobe and the finish is pretty banged up, but it has locks that work, dovetailed drawers (my fav), plenty of storage & aged mirrors. It's all around awesome! I'm going to paint it, but I'm going to live with it for a while first. (hard to get a good pic but you get the idea)

I couldn't just take it. I insisted the lady take something for it, so in the end I got it for $40. She was a widow and this was her late husband's and it seemed she really wanted it out of the house. So here's the part that kind of creeped me out, I was watching "My Ghost Story" last night (because I'm a giant chicken & regularly scare the tar out of myself with shows like this).. anyway, they were talking about haunted houses and haunted FURNITURE...hello! I was watching some haunted chair terrorize a woman and turned around and looked at this wardrobe wondering if I really DID get a good deal....dun, dun, dunnnnnnn. Crossing my fingers all I brought home was furniture!

Adding to that, this is what my living room looks like now..

Doesn't this look warm & inviting? The two white tables are sold and one was delivered this morning. I'm going to get that wooden desk on the left ready for sale this week.

Today we went to a festival and it was so nice to get out of the house. We're all dirty & tired..all in all, a pretty good weekend.

Talk to you soon & take care -

Tables Up To My EYEBALLS!

2011-04-30T14:53:00.001-04:00

I'm dead serious when I say I have tables all over the house and into the garage. I don't know what the deal is but lately that's all I'm finding! The good thing is they are pretty awesome tables, both in quality and shape. Dibbs have already been called on 3 of them and I'm painting those.

Here's my haul..

On top of Tables R Us in the truck bed, I had the back seat stuffed too!

This is one of the tables that's been sold - chairs sold too...working on getting them finished & moving them out!

We might end up keeping this one (at least for a while) because Brian loves the storage. I have sanded the top down, restained it and waxed it. I'm painting the base to go with the den.

I can't tell if this was handmade or what. It's made with old fashioned nails & wood planks - it's very cool.

So this is what I'm working on right now. I've been distracted lately and haven't finished alot of my furniture. You all probably know about the terrible, terrible storms we had tear through the South. Our town was hit and I'm amazed at how quickly my little community has pulled together to help the ones who literally lost everything they own. We were in duck & cover mode for hours; it was pretty scary at times. I count my blessings that my sister and her family are okay too. She lives in Harvest, AL and it was devastated by one tornado after another. Subdivisions all around her were destroyed..it's amazing how some homes are left standing and others have disappeared.

I count each day a blessing and hope you all are enjoying yours!

In love with my loveseat!

2011-04-25T22:16:00.003-04:00

First of all, I hope you all had a nice Easter! We did..just relaxed and took it all in. I appreciate everyone one who prayed for my friend (previous post). I talked to her today and she's doing as well as can be expected. She's a tough cookie but keep those positive thoughts & prayers for her!

Ok, so I keep thinking I'm finished with the living room but then I see something and want to switch it all up! My latest move was changing out loveseats. I had a Cushman wood sofa in this spot but it just wasn't very comfortable for "crapping out," as we call it around here. So when Brian and I saw this cushy sofa at GW, we brought it home.

It was in pristine condition. Love the shape of it but the stripes in the upholstery were a bear to cover. I had to double layer the slipcover (that was a new one). It was a lot of extra work and UNfun!

Here it is all finished. I think the piping really accentuates the shape of the arms. Plus, Olive likes it..so..that's important. I would hate to not have cat hair all over it.

I really like the curvy legs.

I woke her up..I don't think she cares about my blog.

Look at her pretty green eyes..they match the pillow.

Before, before:

This is the living room with the wooden loveseat..we're moving that to the patio.

After:

I think this looks better and it's SO comfortable!

So I picked up a truckload of furniture last week, literally. The garage is crammed, CRAMMED full. I have to get busy painting..can we add more hours to a day? Let me know if you've figured that out! I'm linking to all the cool parties in the sidebar.

I have a pile of dishes to take care of, so we'll talk soon -

Prayer Request

2011-04-19T15:12:00.000-04:00

Hi sweet friends,

I had this whole post ready to go on a slipcover and then I received devastating news about one of my dearest, most precious friends.

Jane is a strong woman with an amazing love for Christ and I credit her with literally saving my life. She suffered a tremendous loss this week and out of respect and love, I'm focusing on lifting her in prayer. So I would really appreciate it if anyone who reads this would say a prayer for peace for Jane. I love her so much and I wish I could take away her pain.

I read somewhere that none of us escapes this life without tragedy, unfortunately, it's true. Hug your family and make sure everyone knows how much you love them.

Be still and know that I am God. Psalm 46:10

Wishing you all a peaceful Easter...

love,

Everything BUT blog

2011-04-16T21:39:00.007-04:00

I know you guys can relate..between working my day job, taking care of the fam, the house and furniture rehab I am wiped out at night! So by the time I could blog, I was just too tired. All of that changed today and we had a fun & relaxing day.

So this past week I finished a table that has been sitting in my dining room for weeks.

It's a pine table with great storage.

It's one of those 70's pieces. I don't have a before pic of it but it was stained that orangey color with black flecks - blech. I painted it Dover white and lightly distressed it. I used Fiddes & Sons clear wax - that stuff is awesome. It was so easy to buff.

It was nice to sand that top down & appreciate the pretty wood..so satisfying. If you want more details on this piece, it's for sale at SpringHouse Furniture.

Do you want to see a happy man?

We have a good sized yard and it can take hours to mow both front & back with a push mower. With this baby, it took Brian 35 min to mow both today! It's weird what you find exciting as you get older...mowers, garage doors, paint chips...life has definitely changed.

Enjoy the rest of the weekend and we'll talk soon -

Peacock Blue Table

2011-04-11T10:43:00.000-04:00

Geez what a weekend! I worked my hiney off getting furniture ready to sell and it's taking me SO long to get it all posted. I hope I get faster with practice. I have this table posted here ready to go to a new home!

I had alot of fun painting this one...here is what the poor thing looked like when I brought it home..

Gorgeous oak table in need of a makeover!

After:

I am really loving this color!

Here's the breakdown:

First a coat of Wipeout by Behr. I didn't want full coverage, so only one coat.

Then I dry brushed Dover White (remixed from Benjamin Moore) over it.

I drybrushed horizontally & vertically.

Before drybrushing...

After drybrushing.

Then I used my sanding block to distress it. I glazed with Ebony by Minwax. I've tried a lot of different glazes and I always go back to using Minwax stain. I really like how you can manipulate it and get the exact look you want and IMHO you can't beat the colors.

Last step was to protect the finish with a coat of wax. I wish I could keep this one but I can't, so it's up for sale!

I'm linking to the parties listed in my sidebar.

Talk to you soon!

It's Official!!

2011-04-09T19:28:00.001-04:00

We've officially started our business..SpringHouse Furniture Design & Finds!

The site is ready and I will keep a button linking to it on the side bar from now on. I have been painting all day and will have a few things up for sale by tomorrow. It's a lot of work but I have to say I LOVE IT!! In addition to selling furniture, I'm going to offer slipcovers but I have to figure out the logistics of it. So if you're local and interested, then please let me know and we can work something out.

Until we talk again..shine on!

Peacock Blue Lamp

2011-04-07T17:21:00.001-04:00

My brother lives in California and while I deal with stray cats and squirrels here in Georgia, he has peacocks strolling around his neighborhood! We visited him last summer and had a wonderful time (duh, it's California!) and I totally fell in love with those peacocks and their beautiful colors.

I was looking for an accent color to add to the den and thought a toned down version of the peacock blue would be perfect. Here is a lamp that I painted and set up today...

I love the shape of this lamp. I couldn't find a before picture of it but it's just a plain old brass lamp. I know most of you guys are the same way but I don't pay any attention to the color, fabric or anything like that when I'm out on the hunt. I look for shape..if I like the shape, then I can work with it.

The color is called Wipeout by Behr & I glazed it with jacobean stain.

So this blue will be the pop of color in my otherwise neutral den.

I'm keeping it short today! We're working some more on our garden this evening and I finally decided to put some flowers out. It's officially feeling like spring to me!!

I'm linking to parties in the sidebar...click away!

Talk to you later -

Curtains, A Pillow & Fabric Heaven

2011-04-06T20:50:00.000-04:00

I've mentioned Fabric & Fringe a few times here lately. I'm going to give you the low down on it today but first, I would like to show you what I've made from their fab-u-lous fabrics...

Dining room curtains..

I used swing rods over this window, so I didn't need full panels on both sides - they're just for show.

This fabric was $15 a yard. I used 3 yards, cut it in half and lined each piece with a $5 flat sheet from Walmart that was also cut in half.

I don't remember how much this was but I LOVED the peacock blue. (I'm painting a table right now inspired by this blue.) I made 2 pillows and trimmed them with brown pom-poms.

I've shown these curtains before. They're in the den (and it's still a work in progress). I lined them with drop cloths that I had left over from making slipcovers.

This is why I think Fabric & Fringe has an awesomeness problem...

First..it's a pretty store from the outside..

And it has a nice room to drop off uninterested parties that you brought with you....(the lighting in the store was terrible for pictures).

They sell jewelry reworked from vintage pieces.

And it has all of this:

Tassels & tiebacks

All kinds of fabric in all colors...

Racks & racks of trim...

Cowhide anyone?

Loooooong aisles of fabric bolts

I have tons more pictures but like I said, the lighting was really bad and they don't do the store justice. If you are in North Georgia then go, go, GO! It's a great resource and it's really inspiring to see all the colors and combinations that you may not have considered.

I'm off to finish painting my table & I have to bring chairs in from outside. Did I tell you we've started a vegetable garden? My first one! If you have any tips on growing your own food, I'd love to hear it!

Talk to you soon -

The Green Hornet aka My Buffet

2011-04-04T17:04:00.016-04:00

I love this buffet. It was a steal but needed some work. I knew right away that I wanted to paint it - Brian fought it. He was leaning more towards a full restoration of the mahogany. Since it didn't look that bad, we just put it in the dining room and used it. We left it in it's "before" state for years...

Before:

We snagged this for $40. It was really dark and I REALLY wanted to paint it. This is actually a good picture of it - the veneer was damaged & it was pretty beat up. I was hoping Brian would change his mind about painting it and he did!!.....

After:

Yeah..BIG change. The heavy distressing brought out the details.

It took a lot of sanding to get through that hard finish.
(I don't have man hands, btw. That's Brian sanding)

The top was polished with 2 coats of wax.

It's a bold look but it really works in this room especially with the curtains. The walls look bright on my monitor but they aren't scary green.

Token busted drawer.

Gorilla glue took care of it.

Dovetailed drawers are a beautiful thing.

I know this look isn't for everyone but I looooove it.

Just another view .

Like I said, it really works in my dining room and painting this piece means that the whole room is FINALLY finished!! Now, I'm making some pillows and painting furniture like crazy (we're supposed to have a storm move in tonight and I gotta move quick). Hope you all had a good Monday!

Talk to you soon -

I'm linking to Thrifty Decor Chick's Before & After & all the parties in my side bar. Check them out and see a ton of other cool projects!!

Cleaning Old Bottles

2011-04-03T22:31:00.002-04:00

Hey kids! I'm just wrapping up my weekend and wanted to pass along a little tip for cleaning those old dirty bottles that we love.

You may already know this but it was new to me. This method of cleaning them works like a charm on MOST bottles but it won't do anything for rust (diluted muriatic acid gets that out - it will also burn your face off - that's a whole other post). Anyway...

I love their shape but it also makes them hard to clean with a brush.

Using these two will do the trick.

Start with salt the more coarse the better...

add some dishwashing liquid & splash of warm water..

give it a good shake...then rinse

and enjoy your pretty bottles!

You may have to do the whole process a couple of times but it works really well for surface dirt. I finished a couple of pretty big projects this weekend and went to Fabric & Fringe again ( it was fab-u-lous!) I have pics to share of fabric heaven - so check back!

Linking up to Making The World Cuter and .

Talk to you soon -

Savannah or Bust...

2011-03-30T08:55:00.004-04:00

Hello, Hello!!! I'm back all refreshed & rested...it feels great (I hope it lasts). We headed south this past weekend and spent 3 days in gorgeous Savannah, GA. We really needed to get out of town and just relax. It was a 5 hour drive and our timing was perfect because we missed a bunch of storms while we were gone.

I'm just going to load you down with some shots around town. We started at the Bonaventure Cemetery.

These pictures don't do justice to the beauty of this statue. It's carved marble from Italy. The azalea's were scattered around her when we got there. It was stunning and very sad.

"Allured to brighter worlds and led the way."

Brian taking in the Jesus statue marking a family grave.

The details were amazing. Again carved marble from Italy.

This lady was an actor telling the story of her husband's death. It was a little jarring to see her gliding through the graves.

Azaleas were in full bloom.

Trees covered in Spanish moss.

John Wesley Square

Market Square
This is where you can get some great pizza at Vinnie Van Go-Go's.

Lady & Sons block

(We didn't go to Paula Deen's restaurant, btw. You have to queue at 830am inorder to make reservations by 9am and the line goes around the block THEN you end up waiting for over an hour to eat. Sounded like too much work to me.) We went to a place call The Pirate House and it was amazing food!

This stove was in The Pirate House. It's the oldest house in Georgia and is rumored to be haunted. They encourage you to explore the building, so you can do your own ghost hunting!

The patina on the railings and brick were so pretty.

Right before I took this picture a man was picking flowers to give to his wife - what a good husband!

These horses were huge! We saw a woman wiping one of the horse's rear end...that's dedication.

Savannah is so beautiful. There are tons of nice hotels to stay in right in town, you can walk to most places. We must've walked 10 miles (no joke) including up and down this flight of stairs!

They were super steep...but look what waited for me....

!!!FIESTA!!!

I've been collecting Fiesta for years and it's fun to see the older pieces. These nesting bowls were over $2,000.

There were tons of antique shops to poke around too...

Entry to 37th & Abercorn

Peeking into a closet.

Delicate hankies, linens & silver were in this room.

Clocks everywhere.

Very, very old babies.

This piece was just gorgeous!

Look at these details!

And of course the resident kitty found the coolest chair to call his own!

Shiny happy people!

I'm painting furniture this week and working on my new blog - all fun stuff but we're also seeing our accountant to file taxes...double blech! Weekends like this make dealing with the day-in/day-out things a whole lot easier! I hope you all can make a little time for yourselves soon!

Slipcover the house already

2011-03-23T11:53:00.002-04:00

I seriously think I may need a slipcover intervention. I finished another piece today. It's the curvy number I bought last week and I'm pretty happy with how it looks cleaned up.

Before:

I actually prefer to buy older furniture; I think it's just made better. We have new pieces and I really like them but you just can't beat dovetailed drawers, solid wood tops, unique hardware, upholstered pieces with hickory frames and cotton batting, the smell of old wood and the thrill of the hunt! LOVE it!

Back to my chair, here she is:

I made a point to overstuff the seat cushion. It's a very comfortable chair. I had been asked in an email if I ever double piped - I have now! It was really out of necessity, you could still see some of the old tapestry peeping out at the bottom and I needed to add a bit more length. It worked and I like the look, so yay!

I did have to do a very minor repair job on the seat springs.

I needed to add strapping down the middle. There was a spring that had sprung!

Just followed the other two and stapled down. Easy enough.

Kinda messy job covering it all but it's on the bottom.

And a parting shot...

I made the curtains and hung them last week. The table to the right was given to me by my mom and she's threatened my life if I paint it (I wouldn't even without the death threat). It's a gorgeous piece. That pillow won't stay but for now, I'm pretty pleased with it all.

I'm going to spend this evening tinkering with my blog and linking the 'furniture for sale' blog to it. I need to figure out a better way to list the linky parties. I've seen where some people list all the buttons at the bottom of the post and I like that. Until then, just follow this link for the party buttons & Feathered Nest Friday @ French Country Cottage.

Halfway to the weekend - have a good one!

Chairs: A success, A FAIL & Finds!

2011-03-18T09:25:00.004-04:00

I've been working on chairs..pretty much all chairs all week. Some pieces I research to find out who made them, when and where. It's been pretty interesting with some furniture. We're also adding on to our workshop and that's exciting. Just to have the space to really work and the equipment/tools right there when you need them and NOT be all over the living/dining rooms is pretty awesome!

This seems to be an American Empire chair:

This is one scary before picture.

Beautiful shape and nice sturdy mahogany wood frame.

I had to cut out all the upholstery and basically gut it. This part sucks eggs, that's for sure, but it's a work in progress. Beer me patience! (Office joke)

I finished this beauty:

Love the lines, wide seat & back..mid-century modern Danish style.

Eww..yeah, this wasn't working. It reminds me of a nurses uniform from the 50s - FAIL. I stopped before attaching the seat - back to the drawing board!

Black distressed paint is much better and I tied in the fabric from the drapes. Yep..this will work!

One more..I picked this up Wednesday and I'm making the slipcover now:

It's a solid frame and super comfortable. And it reminds me of armchairs I was admiring at Williams-Sonoma. It has that 30s-40s sitting room style and it's perfect in the den. So my little den is really shaping up and everyone in my house is diggin' it!

I celebrated my wedding anniversary yesterday and my sweet, sweet husband gave me a beautiful locket with a picture of him and my son in it. I just love it! We're also going on a little trip to celebrate and I am taking plenty of pictures of the cool shops I'm planning on visiting. Alot of fun stuff to look forward to!

I'm linking to these parties and Feathered Nest Fridays & Inspiration Friday!

Have a fun Friday!

Making Progress!

2011-03-13T14:03:00.005-04:00

I didn't finish any major projects but I did make some headway...

Mom and I set off for IKEA yesterday morning to start her kitchen remodel. She picked out gorgeous cabinets. Here is a model of the kitchen she's chosen:

It's the STAT model with beadboard fronts. She's getting granite countertops & her appliances are black/stainless steel.

Now the fun part of tearing down the kitchen and putting it all back together begins...this is where Brian comes in, bless his heart. We have to switch around some electrical, vents and do some demo first. I'm going to drag all willing to come through this process with us. I have some experience hanging sheetrock, but I want to really learn how to frame a wall, minor electrical, plumbing, the artful use of shims, etc.

And while I was at Ikea, I bought another piece for our entertainment center.

I will have this loaded down with my beautiful crap in no time!

Also, if you are anywhere near Atlanta, then you must go to Fabric & Fringe Warehouse in Marietta. A guy in town who does upholstery tipped us off to it a couple of years ago. They have a HUGE selection of gorgeous fabrics, trim, and even custom made jewelry. Really good prices too, some of the fabric is $5 a yard and it's not cheap stuff. We had a blast in there..although, after awhile it can start to feel like too many choices - a problem I will gladly work through.

So here is what I picked for den curtains:

Love, love, LOVE it!!! The background looks like a paler shade of the wall paint and the black has a distressed look. Perfect!

I'm getting some furniture ready to sell today - it's painting weather here! I hope you all enjoy your Sunday & I'll talk to ya soon!

Jennifer

Paint rocks & A Winner!

2011-03-09T08:50:00.002-05:00

We piled up in our vehicles this past weekend to convoy to my sister's place in Alabama. There is a fabulous antique mall we hit every time we're out there and here's the loot I picked up.

Vintage train case by Samsonite..I love these & try to get them when I find them. A lovely bird (some kid's art project but I loved the shape), little bowl, gutter cover wire thing & insulator cap. All kinds of awesome.

The train case is now my sewing box.

(Those fabric swatches on top are for the den curtains & pillows.)

The name "Marge" is carved on the bottom with the year 1976. Marge did a good job but it's time for a change.

And here is the little bird now. A little spray paint goes a long way.

Now it's time to announce the winner of the $25 gift card to either Home Depot or TJMaxx. (I used the random generator to choose the winner)..and it's:

ALLISON from ACT OF SWEETNESS!!!!!

Woohoo, ALLISON!!!! I'll email you for your info!!

And I also want to say thank you to everyone who reads my blog. You are all very much appreciated!!

I'm linking to these parties and hope everyone has a great Wednesday!!

Windows + A Book = Just What I Wanted

2011-03-08T09:23:00.006-05:00

I've been yammering on for a LONG time about remodeling my den. It's a pretty big project because it needs everything ..big bookcase desperately needed updating (almost finished), paint (almost finished), new floors (haven't EVEN started), furniture that I like (almost finished) and art (DONE)!

My sweet mother gave me this a few years ago.

The Birds of America by John James Audubon. I have picked this book apart using the beautiful pictures in so many projects.

And here's the latest:

I think framing bird study pictures in these old windows does their beauty justice.

A few close-ups:

For you owl lovers.

I loooove the details of the windows & all the gorgeous birds.

An old book and old windows..seriously, decorating doesn't have to cost alot of money!

I had fun putting it together AND it means something to me. Little birds always remind me of my mom because she enjoys them so much, so I think this is a perfect ode to Mom!!

I'm finishing the walls today (second time painting it because I didn't like the color the first go round). Now, I'm painting it Ashley Gray by Benjamin Moore and LOVE IT!

The lighting is tricky in this room and this color is the perfect warm neutral.

Also, you can still enter my giveaway here! I'm announcing the winner tomorrow - super excited about it!

I link to these parties:
The DIY Showoff , Between Naps On The Porch, Making The World Cuter, DIY Home Sweet Home Project, Domestically Speaking, TipJunkie, Saturday Mornings, A Diamond In The Stuff, Faded Charm Cottage, Primitive & Proper, Blue Cricket Design, Type A Decorating, The Shabby Chic Cottage, House Of Hepworths, Beyond The Picket Fence, Chic On A Shoestring, Miss Mustard Seed, Tatertots & Jello, Stuff and Nonsense, Remodelaholic, Funky Junk Interiors and Under The Table And Dreaming all the links are here.

I'll talk to you guys tomorrow!!

Table & A Giveaway!

2011-03-02T20:30:00.008-05:00

I want so badly to put some flowers out but I'm afraid we'll get another cold snap. And I'm not lugging plants in & out like I did last year or covering them again..trash bags on all the window boxes is NOT the look I'm going for!

Until it warms up, I'll have to settle for little birds like this to remind me that Spring is right around the corner.

I made another baby step toward pulling the den together with this coffee table. It can't happen fast enough but I'm trying to be patient. I can't wait to get that carpet out of here.

We were cleaning out the garage this past weekend and found this table under a pile of storage tubs. I forgot we had it! I love the legs and of course the casters are awesome.

Here it is after a little paint. I gave it the usual treatment of deglosser (didn't need to sand), paint (light gray then dry brushed a bright white over it - the light just doesn't pick up any of it), distressed & sealed it with wax.

I'm not a big fan of glass tables but I might have to change my view on that. I think it keeps it from being too clunky..adds some lightness to it.

Who doesn't love a curvy leg?

Now, let's talk about something REALLY fun! I've been blogging for a while and to be honest, I haven't posted regularly. I've gone MIA a few times too *sigh*. BUT I'm figuring out what I want to do with all of this and the direction I'm heading with blogging and my business and I'm pretty excited about it!

I just want to say thank you to everyone who follows me and reads this little blog of mine. I want to show my gratitude with a giveaway of a giftcard from either Home Depot or TJ Maxx - winner's choice! All you have to do is leave a comment & follow. That's it! I'll draw a name next Wednesday & send an email to the lucky winner!

Thank you again for coming by & good luck!!

I'll be linking to: Power of Paint Party @ Domestically Speaking, Show & Tell @ Blue Cricket Design, White Wednesday @ Faded Charm, Piece of Work Wednesday at Primitive, & Proper, Type A's Anything Goes, Transformation Thursday @ The Shabby Chic Cottage, House of Hepworths, Beyond The Picket Fence, Flaunt it Friday @ Chic On A Shoestring, SNS @ Funky Junk & Furniture Feature Friday @ Miss Mustard Seed. They are all HERE.

Another Slipcover & Semi-Tutorial

2011-02-26T23:29:00.017-05:00

I've been a slipcovering queen for the past few weeks.

I'm happy to say I've recovered both of my sofas (living room sofa here) and I can finally put up my sewing machine or at least not be slumped over it all day.

I usually start off with the before and after but this time I'm just going to walk you through what I went through, share my mess ups & give some tips at the end. I didn't use piping on the body of the cover for this sofa. I wanted clean lines to go with the style overall.

Remember this sofa? Got it for under $50 at GW.

(Woohoo- still tickled about that!)

I didn't want all the little ridge things on the back showing through, so the first thing I did was cover the back with batting. I used a staple gun and slip stitched it in some places and tucked it in in other places.

Second step is drape your fabric & pin it. This is the first section, so I pinned the fabric right onto the arm. This way helps me get an idea of how much fabric I'm going to need & how to best position it.

I work in sections and mold the fabric around the piece. If you're unsure of where to place a seam for the best fit, look for the original seam on your piece. That is how I had to do the arms on this sofa. I followed the seam that was already there.

This side is pulled a little tight in the middle (it drove me nuts getting this part right), so I had to rip the seam and resew it.

This is a good example of scissor happy. I have no idea what I was thinking when I chopped the seat part off..but I needed it and had to patch it up. That was UNfun but it was under the cushions and didn't show. It's a learning process.

I would pin fit, trim extra fabric & sew, then turn it right side out to make sure it fit & looked right, then trim the extra fabric one final time. So this...

Looks like this....

And here is the after:

Since we're in the middle of remodeling the den it was hard to get a good picture. I see areas I should have tucked & straightened but you get the idea.

To say I'm thrilled to be finished with this is a total understatement. I just started using a sewing machine this past year, before that I would hand sew or use stitch witchery or something like that. I'm no pro when it comes to sewing and I believe if I can pull these off, then anyone can. So, if you're thinking of giving it a try, I say go for it!

I've been asked questions about how I make my slipcovers. Here's a few tips - I hope it helps.

1. Get an idea of how you want the finished slipcover to look. I found inspiration pics and it really helped when I wasn't sure how to finish an edge or where to put a seam.

2. Know your fabric. I kept that simple..I used drop cloths on mine. It really helped with the fearless factor of just doing it. I think it would have been harder if I was using an expensive or difficult to work with fabric. Using drop cloths I knew if I screwed it up, I'd just get another one.. no biggie. You can always upgrade fabrics down the road. Also, if you are using a drop cloth make sure it doesn't have anything wrong with it before you start pinning & sewing..just give it the once over. Trust me, nothing smells more like defeat than to sew an entire section and notice a small tear in the middle or a dark thread running through it, etc.

3. Pin Fit - I don't use patterns. I don't like measuring when it comes to stuff like hanging pictures or sewing...not always good but in this case, pin fitting fabric is awesome & pretty easy. You just mold the fabric around your furniture & pin it! Leave yourself some wiggle room of extra fabric at the seams in case you've fit it too snug and need to let it out. Speaking of that, I made my slipcovers a smidge loose to leave room for extra batting on cushions (just a personal preference). MMS has some great tips here that I found extremely useful and she is using piping at that link.

4. Work in sections - I started by draping then cutting a piece of fabric that will cover one arm, then cut another piece to fit another part of the same arm, pinned them all together, and then sewed that section. I added on sections from there. Each time I added a new section I turned it rightside out and "tried it on" the sofa to make sure it looked right. You have to do this alot and it's a royal pain but it's also fun because you start to see your progress!

Again, I'm no pro - I Gumped my way through these covers for the most part. But from my experience, I do think working in sections (pinning & sewing) is easier because you don't want to take this huge piece of fabric with 1000 pins in it over to the sewing machine and try to figure out what the heck is going on.

5. Use sew on velcro - that's what I recommend. I used the sticky back velcro on a few cushions and the glue that was stuck on my sewing needle was AGGRAVATING - my thread stuck to the glue & knotted up.Cooking spray gets the glue right off. I just sprayed some on a paper towel & cleaned my needle with it. It also removes spray paint from your hands and smells WAY better than goof off! I might be overlooking the attributes of sticky velcro but from what I've seen, no thanks.

6. Seam ripper - have one ready. They are made for a reason.

In the end you will probably need to pull out the old needle & thread for a few finishing touches.

These are areas that I pinned to get a better fit and put in a couple of hand stitches.

It is a job making a slipcover but they are a nice change, they aren't expensive AND you can wash them! Also, I have found that using baby wipes gets spots out of these drop cloths without fail. Now, I didn't go over making cushions but if you can make a pillow, then you can make a cover for a cushion. If you can't make a pillow, then you probably aren't thinking about making a slipcover!

I also made my mom a lampshade like the burlap one I made for myself last week. She loves it and I'll be sharing that soon..it's been like Groundhog Day for me...nothing but slipcovers & lampshades!

I'm linking to these parties & TDC'S Before & After Party. Have a fun rest of the weekend!

Fun lamp!

2011-02-19T15:36:00.006-05:00

This is going to be a short post..I have a ton of furniture painting to do on this gorgeous day, my little guy has a pal coming over for a sleepover and my big guy and I are needing some ice cream, so I have to get to the store!

I was poking around Tatertots & Jello yesterday and found this featured tutorial from mama says sew for a gorgeous lampshade. I took a drum shade from a lamp that will go into my newly revamped den (that I'm not finished with yet) and with my hot glue gun, a couple yards of burlap and When Harry Met Sally (on last night) whipped up this:

Mine is less ruffley than Terra's and I trimmed the top & bottom a little. It was fun to make while watching TV and a quick project. It was MESSY though with all the little pieces flying around. I'm sure using a different fabric would be a cleaner process but I love the texture of burlap.

I did one thing different from the tutorial mainly because I was being lazy with getting the iron out.

Instead of ironing the creases in the strips I just rolled them up like this with a pin. By the time I needed that strip it had a good crease in it. This was probably not so time efficient - rolling them up, but, whatever, I was just sitting there watching TV so I didn't mind it.

Little less of a wave.

I painted the metal part with ORB to freshen it up a bit.

Again, it's going in the den and I can't wait to show you that room when it's finished!

I'm linking to these parties and I'm going to get some ice cream now! Hope you guys have a fun weekend & thanks for coming by!

Slipcovered the Green Giant!

2011-02-15T20:51:00.007-05:00

Did you guys hear angels singing yesterday?

I finished my slipcover! WOOHOO - applause, applause!

After sticking myself about a million times, blowing up a sewing machine, ordering a new one, then knocking the belt off that one, fixing it @ 2am, having my house smell like a swimming pool for a week from all the bleach, dropcloth scraps everywhere and becoming one with my seam ripper, I finally finished the slipcover for my living room sofa and I-LOVE-IT! It was worth every drop of blood and every minute of sleep lost. I've been doing the happy dance all day. Am I being too dramatic? Maybe..but this was an ordeal and I'm doing it all over again with this couch. I'm a glutton for punishment.

This is what it did look like...

A Hickory Chair sofa that I had made 12 years ago. It has a hardwood frame and still solid as a rock (even after being dropped off the back of a moving truck a few years ago). It's a great piece but I was sick of the green fabric & it was showing some wear.

Inspiration photo:

One more of mine...

Here's the view from the kitchen. The strapping on the pillows ties into the framed coffee bag hanging over the other sofa (I'm going to sand and restain that sofa in the spring.)

I have my fingers crossed that this next slipcover is easier and goes a little faster. I think I'm going to dedicate a post to dropcloths because I learned a few things the hard way and (queue talk show tears), if I can save just ONE person from making the same mistakes I made...

I'm off to make swiss cheese out of my hands again..it's so unnerving to get jabbed with a pin..something to look forward to *sigh*.

I'm going to be linking to these parties.

Take it easy,

Copy Me Challenge

2011-02-08T22:09:00.001-05:00

While I am literally up to my eyeballs in drop cloths & bleach (slipcovering my living room sofa), I'm going to play Marian & Donna's Copy Me Challenge at MMS.

Remember this mirror that I painted for my sister? She gets it next month and I'm going to take advantage of it while I have it...

This is my little take on MMS's impeccable style!

I don't know if I'm the only one who does this but while waiting on the drop cloths to bleach and while my internet was down at home (couldn't work my day job), I skipped on down to the paint store. I picked up 2 gallons of paint and started on the den. To say my house is upside down right now is an understatement. God bless my husband, I would drive me crazy!!

Talk to you soon!

Total Score & A MUST Read!!!

2011-01-30T10:45:00.003-05:00

Hello, hello!

I have two things I would like to share with you today. First up, would you like to see what made a grown woman squeal yesterday??

This beauty!!

I walked into GW for a quick looksy and there it was sitting front & center when you walked in. I could NOT believe it! There were a couple of men sitting on it and I asked them how it felt. It got the thumbs up. They helped me test it for sturdiness (they were good sports) by wiggling around on it to see if it was wobbly or anything. Nothing...completely solid. It must have been under plastic or something b/c there are no funny smells and the cushions are like new..nice & firm.

I have been shopping around for a sofa for our den and LOVED these...

I love the legs on the second one and the curve in the arms on the first one but the $3500 & up price tags were definitely a bummer.

I know buying a used sofa is a bold move but I couldn't pass this up.On top of it being over 8' long, it was only $48.49! Can you believe that? I'm going to recover it..I don't know how or with what fabric yet. I don't want to cover up the beautiful shape, so this will be a challenge for me, as I have no idea how to do this but I'm up for it!

AND

It passed the crap-out test!

The second thing I wanted to share with you is a book called

"Nubs: The True Story of a Mutt, a Marine & a Miracle"

It is one of the sweetest stories I've ever read!

"Nubs, an Iraqi dog of war, never had a home or a person of his own. He was the leader of a pack of wild dogs living off the land and barely surviving. But Nubs's life changed when he met Marine Major Brian Dennis.."

It was given to me as a birthday present from my brother and I just love it. He was named Nubs because his ears had been cut off..how pitiful! But I promise this is a wonderful story and a great lesson for the kids about determination & friendship in humans & animals.

With that, I'm going to run now...take care,

Dining Room & A Feature!

2011-01-29T12:52:00.008-05:00

I want to thank Maryann from Domestically Speaking for spotlighting the mirror I painted last week at her Power of Paint Party -THANK YOU!!! I've followed her blog for a while now and love her philosophy towards life & decorating! I love link parties - the creativity shown by everyone is truly inspiring and I appreciate all of the gracious ladies who host them!

Ok, now let me ask you this...how confused does your husband stay? I keep mine pretty confused and guessing when it comes to my musical furniture shenanigans..here's the latest.

I bought this Ethan Allen dining set a couple of years ago from a consignment store. It's a well made maple set and it was a steal. I knew it was going to need some work but rarely do I buy anything that isn't a project.

The first thing I did was paint the chairs black. Let me just say that painting these chairs was a royal pain! There are so many details about them with the spindles, curves..gotta get every angle covered..it took me about a week to get them finished working around my job, weather & the fam.

It looked better but I still had some work to do.

(This looks so yucky to me now..but it was a start)

Next the table top....

I sanded the tabletop down to reveal GORGEOUS wood and sealed it with tung oil.

Then I pulled some things out of the room, so it wouldn't feel so busy and Brian hung the chandelier. But it just didn't look right to me (this is where the husband confusion comes in because when I told him the chairs just didn't look right, I got a resounding "WHAT!?!" back). Well, you gotta do what ya gotta do, so I 'sat on it' for a while and waited...patience grasshopper..THENNN

I found THESE at Goodwill:

Nice details & very simple.

I love this mid-century look - clean lines & just a smidge wide..perfect! So while I loved the shape, I did not love the fabric and they needed a paint touch-up.

Presto-Change-O

(I think I have a crush on this fabric...)

I recovered them in a woven houndstooth and added a fresh coat of paint. (like my chair model?)

Here's the dining room now:

I'm super happy with the change!
These white chairs & the chairs that I slipcovered a while back are just the look I was after.

The only thing left in the dining room is to restore our mahogany buffet...and then I'll be ready to repaint the whole room, I'm sure. And just in case all the husbands haven't figured it out yet, we'll never be finished!

I'm linking to SNS @ Funky Junk & Under The Table and Dreaming.

I'm going junking now - have a good Saturday!

Pretty Mirror Finished

2011-01-22T13:11:00.013-05:00

Do you ever have a blogging day when you don't really know what to talk about before you show a project you've finished? Well, that's where I am today. I worked all week and I have 3 fun projects sitting in my living room that I'm going to get on today, 2 cute boys in the house ready to go see a movie and plans to help my mom finish a slipcover she's making for her sofa later on tonight. So cut to the chase..here's a mirror with a makeover!

Before:

After:

I used Martha Stewart's Sharkey gray paint. It is a perfect oyster color without the pinkish tint. Then dry brushed it with Ivory Palace from Behr, distressed it & finished up with a light glazing.

I just love the details on mirrors like this. Sooooo pretty!

Little ribbon of flowers along the bottom.

I'm giving this to my sister for her birthday, since she reads my blog it won't be a surprise but we all must take a hit for the bloggery!!

I made a deal with my husband and son, I go see Tron with them and they have to go to Goodwill with me afterwards & not complain! We'll see if that's possible.

I'm linking to parties at SNS at Funky Junk & Making the World Cuter Monday, Strut Your Stuff at Saturday Mornings & POPP at Domestically Speaking .

Thanks for coming by and have a good weekend!

Where I go to Party!

2011-01-17T14:18:00.022-05:00

In an effort to be more organized, I am putting all of my linky parties in one place that I can link back to. These are wonderful blogs that give you a chance to show what you've been up to & become inspired by others. A big, fat THANK YOU to all the wonderful ladies that host these parties!

Monday

Tuesday

Wednesday

Thursday

Friday

Saturday

Sunday

Weekly/Monthly

Dish Cabinet & Latest Finds

2011-01-12T12:02:00.011-05:00

Since my week has looked like this

And while

was

I finished this...

Before:

I found this cabinet at Salvation Army a few years ago for next to nothing..maybe $10. I painted & glazed it when I brought it home. It was great storage for blankets and my son used it as a fort & hiding spot but it was time for a change. I rearranged furniture after packing away Christmas and this look didn't work in the new location.

After:

I love this cabinet EVEN more with the fresh look.

I added legs that I picked up at Home Depot.

It's pretty heavy with solid construction.

Brian cut a shelf from MDF that I covered in book pages. I love the extra storage for dishes and it is so organized & neat...stuff like this makes me feel like I have it together on days when I am feeling not so Raven!

One more thing, I found this lamp & mirror at ReStore last week. Everything is 50% off most of the time, so it's easy to feel double tingly when you end up paying less than $20 for cool stuff like this.

I'm linking to White Wednesday at Faded Charm,

& Hookin' Up with House of Hepworths & FFF with Miss Mustard Seed & Make It For Monday at Cottage Instincts and Making The World Cuter all here.

I truly appreciate everyone who stops by.
Take care -

Table Top Revived!

2011-01-07T20:21:00.000-05:00

I love wood!!

(That's what she said)

*giggle*

Seriously though, after digging out of the festive rubble that was my Christmas decor, I rearranged a couple of pieces in the living room. I had this piece here and this one here.

After moving them around I decided to improve their looks as well. I finished one of them today and while it is a small change I think it is a nice improvement.

Here's a close up of the problem...

These black marks didn't bother me when I first brought it home. It was kinda tucked in a corner but after moving it I had to get rid of them.

I used 50 then 120 then 220 grit. Now it's all smoooth! Sanding it also brought out all the beauty of the wood and it's variations of color that those nasty black marks were hiding.

And here's the after....

I used my favorite wax, Walnut Minwax.

It adds color, a satin lustre and it protects the surface..great combo!

I think it looks much nicer now!

The cabinet I mentioned at the top of this post is in the middle of my living room ready for glaze. I'm going to catch up on my TiVo'd shows and finish it!

One more picture to show you...

Bedtime at my house....

(a rare moment when one of them isn't tearing something up)

I'm joining Miss Mustard Seed's FFF - c'mon over!

Take care -

A Feature, a Button & a Wish

2011-01-06T21:09:00.000-05:00

Before anything else, I want to thank Kristi at Pink and Polka Dot for showing my dining room chair slipcover on:

I am really tickled and very appreciative! I love her blog and find so much inspiration following along! In fact, I'm bleaching drop cloths now for my living room sofa. It's a big old green girl desperate for a new look. My kitty 'grooms' the cushions and has made slobber marks on them...blech! So, I think I'll start with a drop cloth and hopefully get the hang of it, then maybe try another fabric later on. I figure if it all goes south I'll only be out a couple of $20 packs of cloth from Home Depot.

Now if you will please check out my sidebar on the right, you will see that I finally made a 'grab my button' button..what a pain in the tuchus!!! Designing the button was fun but figuring out the code for the scroll box was ag-gra-vating. I was saved from my torment when I found help HERE. So, if you are so inclined to grab my button, then let me know and I will gladly do the same.

One more thing before I go, in the excitement of my Ikea purchase I totally forgot to wish you a....

**Sorry it's late**

Thanks for reading and leave a comment so I can get to know you!

Sick of Ikea yet?? A little tip for you...

2011-01-05T10:27:00.000-05:00

We made the trek to Ikea last weekend. I read a post the other day about loving/hating Ikea..that's definitely where I am with that store. Brian and I were talking about how you have to know how to 'work' the system and save yourself some grief (and in some cases, your marriage!) We drove down last Friday to pick up this TV console:

It's part of the entertainment system that we're buying for our den remodel.

We drove to Ikea on Friday. We poked around the store for a while, had lunch and headed downstairs to pick up the console and check out. Well, of course, they were sold out of the one we wanted. They had plenty of consoles up high on the shelves but none on the floor and they won't pull them off the shelf during store hours...did NOT know this! So we had to go back Saturday morning (New Year's day) to pick it up.

This cruel venture back and forth to Ikea has taught me a valuable lesson. And here it is...if you are going to Ikea for a specific item and it's a major ordeal to get there (like it is for me), then call ahead that morning and make sure they have what you want on the floor (have the product number - you can get it off the website) and ask them to set one aside with your name on it. Another useful bit of info, we were told by a guy in customer service that you can't count on the website's inventory information..it's wrong.

All that aside, we're super happy with our console. It's solid wood (the frame & main support) and the hardware rocks PLUS all the controllers, chargers and whatever else is all tucked away and organized!

All the best for your day!

Mirror makeover & the mixer!

2010-12-26T10:47:00.000-05:00

Anyone who knows me well, knows that I don't really enjoy cooking. There are a few things that I whip up that are pretty good but for the most part, I only cook so we don't starve not because I like it. So, it took Christmas baking to get me to finally use this beauty:

A KitchenAid mixer that was given to me by my very sweet mother-in-law a couple of years ago. Let me just say this - making cookies with this mixer was AWESOME! One bowl, no mess..that's my kind of baking. I can't believe I waited so long to use it!

Onto the before & after...I found this mirror at a local haunt. It was in the window for a couple of weeks and I finally stopped in to see it up close & personal. I've been looking for a mirror for my Mom's guest room and love the shape of this one. It is very old and had a few cracks in the wood, so I knew I'd have to paint it.

I repaired the cracks (on the four corners) & lightly sanded the whole thing.

Here it is after being painted with Dover White by Behr & glazed with Valspar Mocha. The spot on the mirror is from aging and actually one of the reasons I really like this piece.

Love the scrolling detail.

I'll snap a picture after she hangs it with the dresser that we painted - it's looking good in there. Now, I'm off to wrap up this Christmas weekend!

I'm linky partying with Remodelaholic - check it out.

TTFN,

Merry Christmas from my family to yours!

2010-12-25T11:06:00.001-05:00

Thank you for reading my blog & inspiring me with yours!

My house is covered up in a Christmas weather miracle! The last time there was measurable snow here on Christmas day was more than a century ago, in 1882.

Sending wishes your way,

Curtains & more Christmas...

2010-12-17T15:03:00.000-05:00

I finished curtains for the little boy's room. I was going to remove the closet doors and use them there, but I changed my mind. I like them on this window and more importantly, Andy likes them!

I like curtains to go from ceiling to floor because it draws your eye up & seems more dramatic. I wanted to keep his room bright, so I used white denim & ticking. I did have his artwork under this window but had to move it. (Those are Christmas lights wrapping around the lamp.)

I trimmed out the ticking with a grosgrain ribbon. I have to be careful not to go too froo-froo in his room. I checked with Brian and he said it reminded him of barber shop stripes - that works!

I made a simple valance for the other window and put Darth up on the lockers with blue LED lights.

Nana (my mom) gave Andy his own Christmas tree years ago. This year she added a Nativity set. It surprised me how much it meant to him. He was really excited about it. I think some of what we're instilling in him is sinking in - yay!!!!

Andy is getting a couple of presents for Christmas that will really help streamline his room & set it up to take him through his preteens, hopefully. We'll see..he might come home one day and want to paint it all black...which will totally freak me out. Don't borrow trouble, right?

I have to clean, shop, wrap, etc...have a good day!

TTFN,

Christmas Tour!

2010-12-15T22:23:00.000-05:00

It's definitely Christmas time! And to help us get even more in the mood - it's FREEZING here in GA. The least bit of sleet or snow flurries shuts this place down! The weather has definitely kept me indoors and I've been doing what everyone else has been doing - getting ready for company. I didn't think I had much for Christmas decor but Brian assures me that we have plenty.

This arrangement is by my front door. Maybe a little more sparkle next year?? It's pretty with the lights on. The front porch looks a little yuckity. We've prepped it for painting in the spring. I'm definitely going to blog that..it has been a process. *Thank you former owners for not priming before you slapped gobs of paint all over the place!*

O Christmas Tree, O Christmas Tree, You are crammed in the cor-ner!
Den isn't finished yet, so the tree was shoehorned into the living room.

My little red bird tree on the mantle.

Very sweet handmade ornament from my niece, Delaney.

This is another little tree on the fireplace. I made the garland from sheet music and the ornaments are from the different countries I've visited or family brought back for me.

This little tree is in my Pink Room.

I painted and "glittered" the pine cones. They are an easy filler for baskets like this.

This is a painted flower pot filled with garland and lights. I change up the decorations I put in it each year.

Santa collection. My sister painted the Mrs. Claus picture in the back and gave it to me last year. So cute!

I try not to go nuts with the Snow Village collections. I think it would be easy to do!

My little owl.

Always mindful of what Christmas is all about.

My sweet, sweet grandmother gave this Nativity to me when I was 5 years old. I absolutely cherish it.

I hope you all are enjoying this time of the year & thank you for taking the time to come by!

I'm linky partying with Thrifty Decor Chic and her Tree Party , Funky Junk's SNS and

TTFN,

Chandelier is UP!

2010-12-08T08:47:00.000-05:00

My dreams came true! Brian tackled removing our old light fixture & put up the new one this past weekend. I was thanking him the whole time because as you can imagine, crawling around in the attic is no treat!

Mom picked this chandelier up for me last year for $20 at Lowe's. They have the best clearance! I liked the shape but it was a little too fussy, so I simplified the design a little.

I painted it black at first but it looked too flat, so I repainted it with Oil Rubbed Bronze. ORB gave it a nice sheen & some dimension.

This is what it originally looked like. I used pliers to remove the leaves & sanded down any rough places left behind. I still have the crystals & will use them in another project, I'm sure.

I love the dripping wax look on socket sleeves but couldn't find any, so I made my own. I used hot glue and dripped it down the plain white plastic ones, then painted them a soft white.

(Aww man, the guy on the left is leaning a little. Didn't notice it until picture time, of course!)

We're installing a dimmer switch for it this week. I am seriously going to do that myself. I'm ready to move up from rewiring lamps. If you don't hear from me again, then you'll know I forgot to turn off the circuit breaker!

I'm linky partying with Frugalicious Friday at Finding Fabulous!

I hope you all are having a good week and staying warm. And as my niece says,

"Lemon out!" (we love 30 Rock)

My first slipcover!

2010-12-01T08:55:00.001-05:00

I've a hard time keeping up with blogging lately. I have several projects like an inch away from being finished and I'm in a mad dash to get them done before Christmas. And I haven't EVEN pulled out one single Christmas decoration yet - that kinda makes me queasy just thinking about that. I know some people love holiday decorating (my niece being one of them...if she could make outside Christmas decorating a competitive sport - she would AND she would win!) Don't get me wrong, I love a Christmasy feeling all over the house, but just the idea of hauling tubs from the garage, switching everything out & wrecking the house in the process, then having to put it all back up...blech! I guess that's a little Scroogey of me, huh?

Well, all that aside, I did make my first slipcovers for 2 dining room chairs. I bought these chairs for $5 each. They are super sturdy and just what I was looking for to do this project. I wanted to mix things up a little at the dining room table because it seemed too matchy-matchy with all the chairs being the same.

Before:

I would have just painted them & recovered the seat but there was some minor damage to the caning.

Added a layer of batting.

Pin fit a lightly bleached drop cloth. Covering the second chair went a lot faster than the first. I took advantage of the already hemmed drop cloth when I could (as MMS advises). I pinned just a smidge snug then sewed on the outside of the pin line.

After:

They're very simple but I like them. I'll try cording the next time.

I painted the legs black. I know I should have ironed it before taking pictures,
but at the time that seemed really, really hard.

I also played around with my centerpiece and added some berries & more candles.

We still have the chandelier sitting in the corner, so that sucker needs to go up and the 1980s one (seen in the mirror) can come down. I might be able to talk Brian into doing that this weekend.

Last night I made the curtains for Andy's closet and hung them. I'm finishing his window valances today. I love the way his room is coming together. I'm going to put pics of that up this week. And I'm pretty sure I'm doing some long term damage to my hands with my non-stop crafting. We suffer for our art, don't we?

I'm linky partying with MMS at FFF. Thanks for coming by!

TTFN,

Finally finished something!!

2010-11-19T11:22:00.000-05:00

My blog was completely abandoned for a while there. I've had an interesting few weeks..a little fun, a little chaos and a lot of work mixed in. This week I'm puppysitting for my mom, my Facebook got hacked into and bizarre things are happening on that front AND I have 2 sick kitties. I think I have a few new gray hairs.

I've also spent alot of time with this little guy (not so little anymore) - doing fun stuff with him & for him. First, a little Halloween fun....

He said he was a mercenary but everyone called him Rambo.

He had no idea who that was..but Rambo made out like a bandit with candy.

Then I worked on the lockers & cabinets for his room. I also touched up paint, hung pictures, scrubbed everything & organized it. His room is officially decrapified! I'm so happy about this..you know when you are working on a project in your home and you know it's truly going to change the quality of your life? Well, THIS was one of those for me! I absolutely L-O-V-E being organized and after this I have one.last.room. that is a disaster area - the den. I'm working on that one.

On to the lockers, before:

After:

I know, painting them white..big deal. BUT the big deal part is that they hold so much stuff!

Check it out! He has a locker for his impressive collection of swords, baseball & nerf gun locker, game locker, BB gun & telescope, backpack & school stuff, etc. Picture is a little dark but it's all in there! These cost me $25 & a weekend of elbow grease..totally worth it.

I don't have a before of these. It's 2 cabinets I found at Neiman Marcus (that's what my grandmother used to call Goodwill). I think I spent $30 for both of them. They were an off white with brass handles. I painted them a high gloss white & spray painted the handles a bright silver. The red crates hold a ton of toys.

Legos, Lincoln Logs & remote cars are in this one.

The other cabinet is full of his school papers that he wants to keep, pictures, journals, etc.

I hung some of his artwork on a wire under a large window. I'm going to show the whole thing after I finish sewing his curtains. I love the bright colors!

His room has a space theme but we have a little bit of everything in here. I found these nightstands at Salvation Army a few years ago and painted them Red Licorice from Behr. Great pulls on these.

Those are reproductions of 50s space posters.
The sight of a made bed just warms my heart *sigh*.

I got this mobile off Amazon a few years ago. I took it down & cleaned it and put more glow in the dark paint on the planets. It's really cool at night.

Here is the other nightstand with Space Sock Monkey & a lava lamp.

I have also sanded & treated my dining room table, painted an end table & continue to work on the den. I actually have finished rooms to post about now! I don't know how some of you superbloggers get all of your projects done & blog on top of working & take care of the fam - maybe I'll get there!!

I'm linky partying with FFF at MMS!

TTFN,

Lockers, etc.

2010-10-23T21:23:00.000-04:00

I was really happy to hear that Allison from House of Hepworths liked my book vases and featured them on Hookin' Up with HoH!! There are a lot of cool Halloween projects from last week on her site..LOVE it!

I don't usually talk food on my blog but we found the best chicken curry recipe this week and you've got to try it. It is dee-lish!! I'm a lucky girl - my husband likes to cook & he's good at it. I did have to clean the kitchen...totally worth it. Here is the recipe.

Since it was such a gorgeous day here in GA, I decided to do some painting.

Remember these?

They are going in my son's room. I'm in the process of getting all of the stickers off them, giving them a good scrubbing & painting them white. He has about a bajillion Legos and everything that goes with them. I think these bad boys will do the trick in getting his room a little more organized.

Hopefully, I'll have an after pic of these really soon! I hope you all enjoy your Sunday..I'll be resting and I'm soo ready for it.

TTFN,

Book Vase Tutorial & a lot to be thankful for!

2010-10-18T09:47:00.000-04:00

I love having the kind of weekend that just recharges you for the week to come! We had family stay with us and then more came over for breakfast on Sunday. I'm so thankful to have all of them and no matter what might be going on in our lives, we always end up laughing our heads off! Then Brian and I went to our Bible study group last night and it was totally awesome. By the time we got home, we felt completely shored up and renewed. God is good!

On to the tutorial -

I made these last week and was asked how I did it.

I'm sure there is an easier way but this is how I went about it:

First, pick a paperback that is about medium thickness. I've tried it with smaller & larger ones and haven't had much success with them. I also don't recommend an older book because the spine might be brittle. Trust me, it's beyond aggravating when halfway through cutting you split the spine.

Tear the cover off the front & back and draw your vase shape. It's easier when you keep the shape simple.

I use scissors and cut more than one page at a time. Depending on your design, you might need a straight razor for tight cuts.

Next step, bend back the spine, fan it out and figure out where you want to glue it.

I tried quick dry glue and it didn't hold. The ol' hot glue gun to the rescue (again)! It should look something like this after you glue the two ends together. Fan all the pages out again until they are spread out all the way around.

This is when I snip the pages that are sticking out a little further than others (I see one in this picture). And keep in mind, my version is not perfect. These are like the Christmas tree, you have to put the bad side to the wall.

If you try this, I'd love to see how it turned out. I'm off to start my week - take care!

I'm going to party with Met Monday at BNOTP - lots of cool stuff to see..

TTFN,

A couple of wreaths, a couple of books

2010-10-13T14:52:00.001-04:00

Like almost everyone else in bloggerville, I have created my share of wreaths. I made a new sheet music wreath last night (copied Miss Mustard Seed's). I ripped the sheet into fourths, so this one is a littler smaller. I'm hanging this on an old window in the hallway. I don't know about you guys, but I have a hard time just sitting and watching TV, so this was fun to do while catching up on my TiVo'd shows.

love it!

While I was at it, I carved up a couple of paperbacks. I was digging through my home magazine stash and found a Country Living with these in them and gave it a try.

I think they're fun and if you get tired of it just get rid of them. Disposable decor!

Last year I made my sister this gigantic book wreath. I didn't mean for it to be so big, but it kinda got out of control. I've learned to show a little more restraint since then.

I have just accepted the fact that my pictures are going to be shoddy at times until I get a fancy-schmancy camera.

means Happiness in French

I stamped gold stars with a smidge of glitter on the tips.

And this is the back.

I can't believe we're almost to Halloween. I don't really decorate for anything other than Christmas, so it's been fun looking at what everyone else has going on. Am I the only one that is too lazy to decorate for each holiday/season?

I'm Hookin' Up with HOH. Lots of projects over there!

TTFN,

The life of this hutch...

2010-10-08T16:38:00.000-04:00

Ok..so I picked up this hutch at a garage sale last year. It wasn't expensive and I would describe it as 'primitive' which means totally beat up with a high awesomeness factor. It was blech blue, so I repainted it to look like this:

I love the copperish pulls & the storage is great.

Added a little detail to the drawers.

Now I really did like this hutch. It reminded me of furniture we saw in Italy (I had to throw that in there - wink, wink).

It lived happily in my den filled with video games, DVDs, exercise gear, etc. until I mentioned to my mom that I was going to sell it because we're clearing space for new furniture and remodeling the den. She was like...uh, sell it?! I want it! So there ya' go..it's mom's now. I repainted it for her and it's moving out this weekend. Here's the new look:

A clean white French country look. It will fit right in at mom's!

I like the wood planks on the side.

I love using color on furniture but white really makes knobs & pulls pop.

I was playing around with old paperbacks the other day. I've seen quite a few altered books used as decorations & I was trying my hand at it. I really liked this shape and stuck in the bookcase - done!

So, this weekend we have friends visiting from PA and we're tripping the light fantastic with them. I'm not finishing any more projects for a few days, so I'll be bloghopping! I hope you all have a great weekend & thanks for coming by!

I'm linking to FFF at Miss Mustard Seed's and SNS at Funky Junk Interiors. There's a lot of cool stuff over there!

TTFN,

Valet for the Pink Room & Recent Finds

2010-10-07T14:37:00.001-04:00

My mom totally surprised me the other day and brought over something I grew up looking at:

My dad used this valet daily. Change, wallet, keys on top...this was also where he kept his belts. The belts that I had to choose from when I royally messed up. Yep, I was spanked as a kid - my brother & sister were spanked too. I know people freak out about it now, but I believe it was a necessary tool in my parents arsenal when it came to me & my brother. My sister, not so much - she was usually framed and I'm still apologizing for some of my stunts. But I digress....he also kept his shoe polish kit underneath. Of course, it looked a whole lot different then. Mom put a lot of work into this & totally refurbished it for me. She had to take it apart to slipcover the back and seat & painted it. She did a great job - I love you, Mom!

I love that it offers a hanger, tray & a seat!! Of course, I have my stuff all over it but it's there if you really wanted to use it.

This got bumped out of the corner and it's now floating under the window. I'll have to find a new place for it..good luck with that!

Here are a couple of recent finds:

I picked up these at Habitat for Humanity. I like using old serving vessels for my jewelry.

I've got to share this...a birthday card my sister gave me a few years ago that still makes me laugh..

TTFN,

Repurposing shelf brackets

2010-10-03T15:26:00.001-04:00

I picked up these two brackets at a garage sale a while back..I think I spent $1 for the pair. I wasn't quite sure what I was going to do with them, but I really liked the shape.

Here they are before:

They were pretty but a little busted up...my favorite!

After:

I saw quite a few architectural pieces at Scott's Antique Market, so I went in that direction. I screwed the two brackets together, painted & distressed them. They're a little wonky but that seems to be what I gravitate towards.

I'm slowly but surely getting the bookcase in order & will change things around several times a week (or day). Right now we're cutting the veneer into 3.5" strips and covering the desktop. It's a total pain but I think it'll be worth it.

Tonight we're meeting with a Bible study group from church and looking forward to meeting new friends. We're also going to take a big step this next week..I hesitate to say more until it's done. But we're so EXCITED about it and I'm just saying my prayers, crossing my fingers & toes it all goes smoothly!!

I love Sundays & I hope you all are enjoying yours!!

I'm linking to Metamorphosis Monday at BNOTP - pop over & see what everyone has been up to!

TTFN,

Spotlight & a Peek at the Bookcase!

2010-09-25T12:01:00.000-04:00

Sherrie from A Vintage Affaire chose me for her Blog Spotlight Saturday this week and I am so grateful and honored! Please go by Sherrie's blog. Her booth is beautiful and full of unique finds & I love her tutorial on aging silk flowers! Thank you so much, Sherrie!

I wanted to show a little peek at the bookcase. I finally feel like we are getting somewhere close to the end. It's one of those projects where you think, "I'm not doing anything for a while after this." But then I've already started something else..so much for that.

I think I'm wearing Brian out though. He asked when we would be finished with projects and I'm like..uh, never. So, I think he's super happy about that!

Onto the bookcase...

I could just hug paint! It's a clean look that I don't think I'll get tired of over the years (because I never want to do this again.)

My goal is to hide all of the ugly stuff that we need for our home office & in the den. I'm looking for pretty storage and using baskets like these.

I have to use these daily for work. They aren't pretty but they're a necessity. So getting them off the desktop, so my son will stop slamming the cord in the drawer was a must. A pretty hook goes a long way.

So today we have to do our usual yardwork (not gardening) yard.work. After that, we're laying out the veneer for the bookcase and may start that step today. We'll see, I have some family swinging by today and since life is about the people in it, this may get waylaid. I'm so grateful you spent a little of your day here with me and hope you have a fun weekend!!

TTFN,

Mirrors...need I say more?

2010-09-22T12:20:00.000-04:00

I messed around with the dining room this past week after my mom unearthed this HUGE mirror when she was redecorating one of her rooms. She thought I might like it..that's an understatement. It's fabulous..the bigger the better...

Before:

This was the old mirror that is quite a bit smaller. It's finding a new home in my son's room after I try something new on it. If it bombs, this mirror will never be seen again.

After:

Mirrors really open up a space. My dining room can look like a bowling alley if I'm not careful and this larger addition adds depth.

That's all I'm up to..one fun thing I have on my little agenda today is to pick out hardware for the redesigned bookcase. I love how paint can change the entire feel of a room or piece of furniture. Don't you wish life were that easy? I think everyone would keep a can of paint on them!

Talk to you all soon,

The beauty of black paint...

2010-09-21T11:11:00.000-04:00

I was talking to my sister the other day about how I haven't been blogging much lately and she said it's hard to blog when you are doing projects all the time - totally true. I've been working on this blasted bookcase for days now and I'm SOO over painting the grooves in beadboard! Another sandtrap has been my paint choice. I've heard so many great things about Sherwin Williams paint, but I think it's kind of on the thin side compared to Benjamin Moore & Behr. I've had to put 4 coats of paint on this bookcase PLUS a coat of primer to get the coverage it needs. If I don't end up in a cast from all of this painting, then I'll count myself lucky!

So to break up the monotony of white & because I suffer from 'must have multiple projects going on at once all over the house-itis", I walked around with a BLACK can of paint. Here's what I did..

Before:

*yawn*

After:

Black paint, new tassel & shade. New look..love it!

I'm trying the zinc look on a mirror..cross your fingers it works!!

TTFN,

Scott Antique Market & more beadboard!!

2010-09-12T20:09:00.001-04:00

I need a weekend from my weekend. I'm sure you can all relate. This weekend was Scott Antique Market - that's a big deal in Atlanta. I didn't take my camera, so I have no pictures...bummer. But if you have no idea what it's like and would like to this amazing blogger has some good shots.

It was a family trip out..my sister, her husband, niece, my mom & Brian all piled up for the one hour drive. There is PLENTY of inspiration to be found but man it's pricey...to be more specific, it's INSANE expensive. But I did find a little something that I think is uber cool...

This glove form.

Onto our project du jour -

Brian got busy with the bookcase and it's coming along, but it looks like a tornado hit it the den. We're reconfiguring my workspace (I work from home), so this is a big, big deal for me. I'm tickled!!

Before I go, let me show you this corkboard...

I found this in a local shop and it was a little more than what I normally would spend. But alot of work went into this and I appreciate the detail, so I think it's worth it. I have another frame that I'm going to attach to the one on it now that will add even more character.

I hope this post makes sense..I'm bleary-eyed and still have alot to do..but it's all good stuff!! Have a good Sunday night, ladies!

Shopping the house

2010-09-09T08:19:00.000-04:00

I like to save money & try to squeeze a penny until it screams on SOME things. I wanted a different chair for my 'office' in the den, so I had a look around. I decided to move an extra one I had in the dining room. I picked this chair up for $20 years ago. It is solid wood, very heavy AND it has another coat of paint on it thanks to the den makeover.

Before:

Using the flash for blogging is not cool, but unfortunately it's very necessary on cloudy days in my house. (What you can't see is my blinded cat off to the side who stared at the camera right when it flashed.)

After:

It looks very clean & simple now. I used Stratton Blue from Benjamin Moore & Dover White from Sherwin Williams. The Stratton Blue is going up on the walls in the den (I'm pretty sure). It will be a little brighter on the walls because I glazed this. BM is like painting with pudding..it's so thick & did I mention awesome?

I picked up the cushion at Pier 1. It's so comfy - which is REALLY good because this is where I'm parked for most of the day.

One more thing before I go. Here is a little peek at the bookcase...

I have everything crammed in there for now. I can't stand a mess and I have the den torn A-P-A-R-T! But I will tell you that I love how it is coming together even if I have to take baby steps. I'm a patient woman and I have a feeling that my patience will be tested during this den renovation!