The Decorating Diaries

Two More Light French Gray Tables For My Booth

2012-01-22T08:48:00.000-08:00

I just can't get enough of this color combo. And it's a great seller, so why stop?

It looks so pretty with pink.

Here is the not-so- pretty before.

And here it table number two.

This one came out a little more distressed, so I added dark wax. The first table only had clear wax. You can see my technique and budget friendly tips here where I did my first table.

Since I was a little slow getting this post done, the first table has already sold. I took the second table to the antique mall yesterday.

Now, should I do another booth project or a kitchen project for myself?

Janet

I'll be joining ...

Mary at Boogieboard Cottage for Masterpiece Monday
Susan at Between Naps on the Porchfor Metamorphosis Monday
Kim at Savvy Southern Style for Wow Us Wednesdays
Judy at DIY by Design for Winter Blues
Michele at Primp for Primp Your Stuff Wednesday
Paula and Patti at Ivy and Elephants for What's It Wednesday
Kelli at Restore Interiors for Restored it Wednesday
Gina at The Shabby Creek Cottage for Transformation Thursdays
Sherry at No Minimalist Here for the Open House Party on Thursdays
Cindy at My Romantic Home for Show and Tell Friday
Courtney at French Country Cottagefor Feathered Nest Friday
Marian at Miss Mustard Seed for Furniture Feature Friday
Honey at 2805 for Potpourri Friday
Heather and Vanessa at At the Picket Fence for Inspiration Friday
Diann at The Thrifty Groove for Thrifty Things Friday
Debra at Common Ground for Vintage Inspiration Friday
Sherry at The Charm of Home for Home Sweet Home Friday
Rachelle at Fingerprints on the Fridge for Feature Yourself Friday
Jen at Tatertots and Jello for the Weekend Wrap-up Party
Donna at Funky Junk Interiors for Saturday Nite Special
Meg at Meg & Mum's for Saturday Splendour

One Kitchen Wall Redone!

2012-01-09T14:36:00.000-08:00

In my last post I talked about getting things done through "baby steps". Well, I started the very big project of painting my kitchen and great room. And the first baby step is complete - one little nook of my kitchen.

I even got to put up my Chateau de Fleurs sign I made and was saving just for this spot.

You can see the rest of my walls are still the faux finish and my pantry door is a little ho-hum, but that's ok, I'll get to it. No pressure.

Before, I had a kitchen cabinet desk and you can see the "during" below. That was after I removed the desk and put this hutch in its place.

And now...

One step closer. But for now the walls will have to wait, I have a booth that is looking a little sad and empty. Hope to share some of those projects soon.

Janet

Mary at Boogieboard Cottage for Masterpiece Monday
Susan at Between Naps on the Porchfor Metamorphosis Monday
Kim at Savvy Southern Style for Wow Us Wednesdays
Judy at DIY by Design for Winter Blues
Paula and Patti at Ivy and Elephants for What's It Wednesday
Kelli at Restore Interiors for Restored it Wednesday
Michele at Primp for Primp Your Stuff Wednesday
Gina at The Shabby Creek Cottage for Transformation Thursdays
Sherry at No Minimalist Here for the Open House Party on Thursdays
Cindy at My Romantic Home for Show and Tell Friday
Courtney at French Country Cottagefor Feathered Nest Friday
Honey at 2805 for Potpourri Friday
Heather and Vanessa at At the Picket Fence for Inspiration Friday
Diann at The Thrifty Groove for Thrifty Things Friday
Debra at Common Ground for Vintage Inspiration Friday
Sherry at The Charm of Home for Home Sweet Home Friday
Rachelle at Fingerprints on the Fridge for Feature Yourself Friday
Jen at Tatertots and Jello for the Weekend Wrap-up Party
Donna at Funky Junk Interiors for Saturday Nite Special
Meg at Meg & Mum's for Saturday Splendour

How To Do It All in 2012 ?

2012-01-05T07:36:00.000-08:00

Wow! It's been a long time since my last post. As I reflect on the past year, I can only say that it has been overwhelming. I continue to work a full time retail job, (and if you have ever worked retail, you know how exhausting it can be), I started my booth at the antique mall, and sent my daughter 850 miles away to college. I had no idea how much time the booth would require or how much fun it would really be. But, I had hoped it would give me more material for blogging, instead of keeping me from blogging. And I miss doing projects in my own home.

I dream of one day not doing the retail thing, so I am going to keep trying to do it all. How? I have no idea. Right now my new motivation is "baby steps". I have been wanting to repaint my kitchen and great room for some time, but I just can't start because I know how much time and effort it is going to take. "Baby Steps". I will just look at it as one wall to get done. I can paint one wall, right? Right. I won't worry how long it takes to get to the next wall. And I really, really want to grow my blog. But instead of saying I need to post everyday, why not just try for once a week? That's an achievable goal ( I hope).

All that being said, I took a baby step. I have been wanting to replace the desk in my kitchen with a piece of furniture. A cupboard finally showed up on Craigslist and I bought it. It wasn't exactly what I was looking for, but it will work until I find something else. Here is my kitchen desk before.

Since we have a home office, it was not being used and I'm moving away from those colors. The hutch pictured at the top of the page has always been one of my favorites and it was a perfect fit for the desk area. So I moved it over and put the cupboard in its spot. Here is what I was left with.

No turning back now! The walls will have to be painted. I hope to show you a pretty "after" soon.

So...with a fresh new year as inspiration, I will continue to take "baby steps" to achieve my dreams. Good luck to all of you in this new year.

Janet

Anthropologie Inspired Hutch

2011-10-27T15:30:00.000-07:00

This is my "hutch of many colors". A little out of my comfort zone, but I love it.

This is the not-so-beautiful before. I found this one sitting out in the rain, all lonely, just like my farm table .

That's dirty white paint peeling off a bright yellow underneath. I sanded off the white, but the yellow didn't budge. While I was sanding, I discovered the back of the hutch had painted over wallpaper. Ugh!

As I removed the wallpaper, I discovered a blue painted underneath.
That makes three colors. For some reason, I got the feeling this piece should be painted with a bright color. I could not decide between turquoise and green. While shopping over the weekend, I saw a cabinet in Anthropologie that was painted with the green and turquoise together, and I knew that it would be perfect.

While I was sanding and distressing, there came that yellow again. It was actually a great accent. I'm so glad I picked colors that looked good with yellow. My white primer also made an appearance, making this a very colorful hutch.

I hope someone falls in love with it at the antique mall.

Janet

Feathered Nest Friday
Home Sweet Home
Furniture Feature Friday

Show and Tell Friday

Friday Nite Special

Foot Board Turned Coat Rack

2011-10-04T19:44:00.000-07:00

This was just a really fun project. I found this twin foot board at an estate sale.

This is the only before picture I have. See it leaning against the wall? It was the typical yellow cream most of these pieces have.

I painted it French Gray and left the gold details, added hooks from Hobby Lobby that were painted white and antiqued, and then made the "DREAM" banner.

To make the banner, I used wooden letters from Jo Ann's. I spray painted the edges gold to match the detailing on the foot board. Next I traced around the letters on antique sheet music, cut out and applied with decoupage medium. Finally the letters were hot glued on a piece of twine.

For some reason, nothing I had looked good hanging on the hooks. So I decided to show some of the frames I had just painted. Decorator's block? Maybe.

Anyway, I really love how this turned out and it has already been taken to the Antique Mall.

Janet

I Rocked It at The Ivy Cottage
The Power Of Paint Party at Domestically Speaking
Restored It Wednesday
Wow Us Wednesdays
Saturday Nite Special

Book Page Table

2011-09-08T19:48:00.000-07:00

I found this wonderful little table at an estate sale.

It was very dirty and the veneer was peeling off, but you gotta love those legs.

The veneer came off very easily. I painted the table a creamy white and covered all the veneer areas with the pages from an old hymnal.

I used some of the torn pages, and I love the way it turned out.

The staining of these pages was so deep, that I didn't use any dark wax over the white paint, I liked the contrast.

As usual, I tried to find a spot for it in my house, but no luck. So it went to the antique mall today.

Linking to these parties:

Frugal Friday

Furniture Feature Friday

Flaunt It Friday

Saturday Nite Special

A Sanding Surprise and Questions

2011-09-01T14:12:00.000-07:00

I brought home this practically free table from an estate sale. It looked very unloved sitting in the front yard in the rain.

I wasn't quite sure where to start. Strip? Paint? Sand? A lot of the paint was peeling, so I decided to just start sanding. Under all this ugly brown, was a hint of bright red . I loved it. So I kept sanding.

Before...

After...

Now that's a patina you just can't reproduce.

I did have to use some paint stripper on the top. Then I just followed with clear wax. Beautiful. So much character. Can't you just see this on a farm porch? Wish I had one.

So this leads me to the "questions" part of the post. When is something beyond saving? Or when is it just too much time to invest in saving it? Is it that I love giving new life to these pieces or am I just too anxious to find a bargain? This table definitely seems to have been worth saving, but what about the time I put into it? I just can't seem to pass up a sad, neglected, often beyond saving, piece of furniture. And sometimes there is a smell that just does not go away, and no one wants that in their home.

While I'm trying to answer these questions, please go enjoy the parties I will be joining. You can find all the links on my sidebar.

Furniture Feature Friday
Show and Tell Friday
Feathered Nest Friday
Home Sweet Home at The Charm of Home
Saturday Nite Special
Farmhouse Friday

Completed Projects For My Booth

2011-07-28T07:57:00.000-07:00

A couple of posts ago I showed you my "pile o' stuff" that needed a little something before they were ready for my booth. I finally completed a few of those. I'll show you my favorite project first, an old basket that I painted with "belle fleurs 25 c." .

This is the before picture of my "stuff".

I love this wood box with the rope handles. It got a grain sack inspired label.

The old step stool got white paint and numbers.

I made three more coat racks out of old molding. These have proven to be good sellers in the past.

I painted one of the buckets with a little white paint and "fleurs". Everything that I have painted with "fleurs" has sold, including the basket and bucket I'm showing today.

And here is just a quick look at my booth after I added the new items.

I still have more projects in my pile to finish. I hope you'll come back to see them.

Janet

Links to these parties on my sidebar:

Transformation Thursday
French Inspiration Thursday
Share Your Awesomeness
20 Below Thursday
Show and Tell Friday
Home Sweet Home
Saturday Nite Special
Flaunt It Friday
Feathered Nest Friday
Amaze Me Monday
Power of Paint
Restore it Wednesday

French Gray Coffee Table

2011-07-13T19:53:00.000-07:00

I finally got to use my French Gray paint!

I found this frenchy style coffee table at Goodwill. I haven't really painted any furniture since the chalkpaint-clear wax- dark wax craze started. Since I don't paint that many pieces, I decided to use what I had to get a similar effect.

I used Behr Light French Gray paint, minwax clear wax, and Briwax dark brown wax. I applied the clear wax with a cloth and the brown wax with a very large stencil brush I purchased at Hobby Lobby. I've heard negative comments about using Briwax, but I just rubbed most of the wax off the brush before applying. It gave a very light finish.

The hardware got some Rustoleum American Heirloom White spray paint and a little brown wax.

And I'm very happy with the results, all done on a budget.

Sadly, this is going to my booth. It really is hard to part some of these pieces.

Janet

Transformation Thursday
Time Travel Thursday
Share Your Awesomeness
Furniture Feature Friday
Show and Tell Friday
Feathered Nest Friday
Home Sweet Home

Chateau De Fleurs Sign

2011-06-30T17:50:00.000-07:00

I found a pair of old glass cabinet doors and I decided to turn them into signs.

I made two of these. One to sell at the antique mall and one for myself. The one I took to the mall looked like this. I left the back clear.

I decided to experiment with mine a little bit.

I aged some brown packing paper. You can see the technique I used here. After I aged the paper, I coated it with decoupage medium and just stapled it on the back. I like it both ways. The paper gives it a lot of interest.

I wanted to stage it for the picture, but time just didn't allow it. Instead, I took a picture of the sign surrounded by my pile-o-stuff waiting for paint, letters, and numbers. I'm planning on repainting my kitchen and putting it in there, so I'll show you when (if) it gets done.

So which do you prefer?

Plain?

Or Paper?

I'll be attending the fabulous parties listed on my sidebar. Won't you join me?

Janet

Roses On My Table

2011-06-13T17:51:00.000-07:00

I had more fun at the Saturday night auction.

I bought this old wicker table. I really thought it needed something to brighten it up.

That same night at the auction I bought three boxes of books, unseen, for a dollar. A couple of days later, I opened one of the boxes and it had a set of old gardening encyclopedias. One book was titled "Roses". Yeah! My favorite.

It was meant to be. A little decoupage, and the table was dull no more.

I love the vintage feel of it.

I think this would be adorable on a porch or in a sunroom. And if you get bored, you can learn all about roses.

I'll be joining all the link parties on my sidebar. I hope you will, too.

Janet

French Folding Chair

2011-06-06T16:05:00.000-07:00

I got this wonderful weathered folding chair at the auction. Since I'm planning on keeping this for myself, I'll tell you that I only paid $1.00. It is perfectly sturdy, too.

Here it is in the before stage. I liked it just as is was, but I'm glad I decided to go "French".

I did a simple aging technique with the paint. I used red craft paint and an old paint brush. Then with a fairly dry brush, I gradually added layer on layer until I got the right look. I scrubbed on a dark brown wax with steel wool for more aging.

But the best part of the project is the stenciling. I like to imagine that this chair is from a French beach resort.

Or that I just came home from the French market. Maybe someday.

Now go visit the parties on the sidebar and see what everyone else is up to.

Janet

White Table With Sheet Music Lined Drawer

2011-05-30T17:53:00.000-07:00

I found this small table (or is it a desk?) on Craigs List. I played it safe, and painted it white.

This is a picture of the table before.

For the top, I just applied a few layers of Briwax dark brown. I really love to use wax on a very worn surface. It turns the imperfections into a beautiful patina. Here it is in the process.

The drawer had lots of "imperfections", too, so I lined it with sheet music. A glass knob was the final touch.

These two gold pieces got a makeover in white as well.

And here they are in my booth.

This is the booth after the addition of my more shabby chic items. I used the screen to divide the space. I have a "French" side and a "romantic" side.

I enjoy both styles, so I plan on doing some of each. I'm a little behind with my posts. I have several projects completed that I hope to show soon. In the meantime, I will be joining some of the parties on my sidebar. Please go and visit.

Janet

Sweet and Shabby Rocking Chair

2011-05-16T18:40:00.000-07:00

I found this small rocking chair that was in perfect condition. It was just so boring in its current state and I wanted to do something fun with it.

Since it was small, I thought it would be perfect for a girl's room. Of course I chose pink paint.

It needed a soft, comfy seat. I wanted to upholster the seat, but due to technical difficulties, I decided to just make a seat cover.

This pink and white toile was just too sweet to pass up. This was actually made from a shower curtain that I found at a thrift store. I've had a lot of trouble finding fabric lately, so I started looking for window treatments, sheets, napkins, and clothing that can be used for home dec projects.

I just love this rocker. It's going to my booth and I hope some little (or big) girl falls in love with it, too.

I'll be joining some parties so see my side bar for all the links.

Janet

Corner Cupboard Facelift

2011-04-21T18:45:00.000-07:00

I found this corner cupboard at the thrift store. It wasn't too bad, it just needed a little facelift. Here is the before.

The fabric was a bit outdated.

The wood wasn't very pretty.

And the shelves were covered with wall paper.

I removed the paper and painted the shelves white. The back got a pretty blue paint with dark wax antiquing. And the doors got new linen panels.

I had planned to repaint the outside and add glass knobs, but I thought its simple country charm was, well, charming. The cupboard is now at the antique mall waiting for a new home.

I'll be joining some parties on my sidebar, so please go visit everyone else.

Janet

Junk Chic?

2011-04-15T04:43:00.000-07:00

I just can't stop.

I found more buckets and I just had to paint on them.

Look at the patina on the fleurs bucket. I really wanted to keep this one.

I've also been making coat racks out of some old moulding I found.
This one has bird hooks that I painted white and distressed.

When I was deciding what to paint on these buckets, my husband suggested some things that were not exactly what I had in mind (I'm sure he was aware of that). I said, "No, I want it to be romantic." That's right, I want my junk to be romantic. So what should I call this style? Junk Chic? Romantic Junk Style? Any ideas? Or is there already a name for it out there?

Janet

I'm joining Saturday Nite Special at Funky Junk Interiors.

Adding Accents With Stencils

2011-04-10T18:18:00.000-07:00

I found a few more things to add to my booth, but they needed just a little something.

Old buckets...

Got numbers.

An old stool got a Paris address.

And then they all got taken to the antique mall.

I used an old shutter to make a shelf along the top of my booth. Since my booth is so small, I wanted to add more display space. The booth behind mine has Christmas all year, so I guess there will always be Christmas trees in the background. Hmmm, unless I can find a way to disguise them. Any ideas?

I also added a stack of books and a great old scale I got at an auction. Thanks for all the encouraging comments on opening my booth. It really helped me feel more confident about my decision.

I'm joining a few parties listed on my side bar. Please go visit.

Janet

French Grain Sack Folding Screen

2011-04-06T03:51:00.000-07:00

In my last post, I showed you my new space at the antique mall. In it was this folding screen, and I wanted to share my before and after.

When I found the screen, It looked like this.

It was covered with macrame and had a broken bar, but I could tell the frame was really old and had potential.

I thought the screen would be lovely with vintage floral fabric panels.

Or with no panels and using it as a drying rack or to hang photos or art work.

Ultimately, I decided on french grain sack panels. I painted them using my stencil method you can see here.

I addd a graphic from the Graphics Fairy blog. I used a transfer method I learned from Shellagh at Ticking and Toile.

And here it is again at the mall.

Please visit all the parties I'll be joining. They are listed on my sidebar.

Janet

A New Adventure

2011-04-03T18:04:00.000-07:00

I have a space at the local antique mall! I've been talking about it for years, and I finally did it.

Here it is.

It's a tiny little space, but I think it's just right for me to start.

I definitely need to add more "stuff".

See the fleurs tote? It was my first sale. Yay! It was my favorite thing, too.

I have been so busy getting this ready, that I haven't done any blogging. Sooo, I will be showing some "befores" and "afters" after they have gone to the mall.

Now back to work.

Janet

Saturday Night Slipcovers

2011-02-26T08:20:00.000-08:00

Donna over at Funky Junk Interiors is having a slipcover feature for her Saturday Night Special party. Since I love to slipcover anything and everything, I wanted to do a post that showed all my slipcovers.

This is a very simple slipcover for a chair in my dining room. For a before and after, go here.

This chair was my first slipcover. I actually remade it not long ago. My daughter would lay on one arm while watching tv and the arm was practically threadbare. The back wasn't much better. I had extra fabric, so I took it apart and replaced the worn peices.

A view from the back.

I call this a table slipcover. You can see the tutorial here.

And I slipcovered a stool to go with the chair. Tutorial here.

This chair was a dumpster find. The back is upholstered and the seat is slipcovered.

Love to slipcover lampshades.

Lampshade tutorial here.

And finally, a blue and white slipcover for my blue and white guest rooom shown here.

It was fun looking back at all my slipcovers. Now I'm off to see what everyone else has made.

Janet

How To Make A Rosette Neckline Accent

2011-02-19T12:33:00.000-08:00

I wanted to show you how I made the rosettes for the dress form bodice. If you missed it, you can see how I made the dress form here.

The rosette neckline was made from five rosettes in graduated sizes. The center rosette being the largest.

I start with a strip of fabric and round the edges. I left the edges raw. I wanted an aged, ragged look. The strip for the center rose was 2 inches wide and 21 inches long. The rosettes on either side of the center were 1 1/2 inches wide and the smallest rosettes on the end were 1 1/4 inches wide.

I hand gather the straight edge....

And then roll up, stitching the bottom as I go.

The leaf is just a triangle, about 2 inches on the short sides and 4 inches on the long side.

Again, I just hand gather the long side...

And you have a leaf.

I sewed the leaves onto the rosettes, and then sewed the rosettes onto the bodice.

I used this same method for the rosette on my hanging lamp shade.

The only difference was that I did not want a raw edge. I cut out a strip of fabric twice as wide as I wanted the rosette and folded it in half.

I rounded the edges and with right sides together and sewed them on my machine.

I then turned it right side out and followed the same steps as for the other rosettes.

One of the comments on my dress form post was that the rosette neckline would make a good necklace. I thought that was a great idea.

I hope you try making some rosettes, if you haven't already. I'm always looking for a place to add another one. And go visit the link parties on my sidebar for more ideas.

Janet

Are You A Pinkster?

2011-02-15T16:55:00.000-08:00

I know I am. I dream in pink. I had to contain a little squeal of delight when I saw the cover of the latest issue of House Beautiful magazine.

Don't you just love the affirmation of seeing your favorite decorating color on the cover of a magazine? Of course all the pink rooms are very sophisticated and beautiful, not at all Barbie-like.

Just look at all those pinks. I could never pick a favorite.

There was a wonderful article called confessions of a born-again pinkster by Carol Prisant.

"Pink is expressive. Pink is eccentric. Pink is witty. Pink is wonky. Pink is good for the heart. Pink is so...pink!!"

She also says that "Pink takes guts".

I wish I had the "guts" to do pink walls. I know I would love them.

Don't worry if you're not a pinkster. There was something for just about everyone in the magazine.

All red and white and weathered.

Soothing whites. Love that dress form.

So tell me. What is your favorite color to decorate with? Do you use it with "guts" or are you a little bashful, like me?

Dress Form Made From Recycled Paper Grocery Bags

2011-02-11T15:14:00.000-08:00

I was so excited when the store where I work decided to get rid of these forms and I was allowed to take them home. There were two of them. Not really my style, but I could see the possibilities, unlike my ever encouraging family that exclaimed, "What are you going to do with those?" and what they really meant was, "Oh no, more junk."

Speaking of junk, I have a lot of unused things hanging around. I've had this coat rack for years, used it here and there, but never loved it anywhere. I thought it would make the perfect base for my dress form.

I cut off the top and added this plumbing hardware to fit into the metal tube of the form base.

Perfect!

Now I needed to make it a "dress" form. I added a hardware cloth shaped skirt and duct tape to make a smooth transition.

Finally, the fun part. I used paper grocery bags torn into sheets and tea stained like I did here with sheet music. Here they are, hanging by the fireplace to dry.

After drying I crumpled the paper (actually I talked my family into crumpling the paper while watching TV, so I guess they can be supportive after all). I took dark brown Briwax and lightly rubbed it on the paper, highlighting the crinkles.

The paper was then torn into smaller pieces and applied to the form with decoupage medium.

Layer after layer after layer...until

Ta Da!

I have to say, I really loved the way this turned out, but...after I looked at her for a while, her shape was just too realistic and "naked". A little clothing was in order.

I made this top to resemble an old dress bodice. It is tea stained of course, and embellished with a rosette neckline. I'll share how I made this in another post.

I didn't want to cover too much of my hard work, so I kept it simple.

Oh! And did you notice the Paris address at the neck?

I used an address I found at the Graphic Fairy. I just printed it on to the brown paper, and applied with the decoupage medium.

This whole project cost about $15 in supplies. Not bad for an antique Parisian dress form. (I can pretend, right?) Now I just need to finish the corner of my bedroom that is going to be her permanent home.

Please visit all the link parties on my sidebar and come back for the next project.

Janet

Vanity Stool and Mirror Makeover

2011-01-23T15:22:00.000-08:00

Add a pinch of pink to the recipe and you have a soft and romantic dressing table.

I found this stool and mirror at my favorite resale shop last fall. Under twenty dollars for the pair. (more on that screen later)

I painted the stool creamy white, and recovered the seat. This is what the seat looked like when I took the top layer off.

It was in pretty bad shape, very dirty, and a bit smelly. So I stripped it down to the board and added a new piece of upholstery foam.

For me, the best part of the project was this beautiful vintage-look fabric.

And I couldn't resist painting the mirror my favorite shade of pink-Glidden pink ballet slipper.

Before...

And after.

I'm planning on adding lamps with ruffled shades (I think) and a few vintage accessories that I have yet to find.

So there you have it - my first completed project since before Thanksgiving. It feels good to be back in "project mode". Thanks for sharing it with me.

Go visit all the parties I'll be joining. You can find the list on my sidebar.

Until the next project,

Janet

Merry Christmas

2010-12-19T17:36:00.000-08:00

I just wanted to take a minute to wish everyone a Merry Christmas.

There's only been a tiny bit of decorating at my house. I have wonderful memories of my days as a stay at home mom...the decorating, the baking, making gingerbread ornaments with my kids, all the classroom parties at school...Now I work retail. Do stores really need to open at three o'clock in the morning and close at midnight?

Since I wasn't able to blog during the Christmas season, I am looking forward to the new year and lots of new projects.

I hope you make lots of wonderful memories with your family.

Merry Christmas to you all!

Janet

Make Your Own French Grain Sack Stencils

2010-11-23T15:03:00.000-08:00

I have made a couple of projects using painted fabric to resemble french grain sacks.

My current project (which I will share later), requires three long panels of the painted fabric. The measuring and taping can be quite tedious for a long piece. One day I saw a stencil you could buy to paint the stripes. Why didn't I think of that? The price of these stencils ranged from $35.00 to $45.00. Too much for me, so I made my own.

I purchased blank stencils from JoAnn's for $1.99, measured and drew lines,

And cut with a blade and straight edge. I must confess that I ruined the first one. It took a little practice to get the hang of cutting.

I mix craft paint with textile medium. That way your color options are limitless. Just follow the instructions on the bottle for mixing and heat setting. It is totally washable. My son spilled a full glass of orange soda on my table runner and it washed up perfectly.

I like to paint the stripes with a stencil brush and pouncing method. It really gives an authentic and faded look.

I also use a stencil spray adhesive to hold the stencil and help prevent the paint from leaking under. I put a mark at the center of the design on the stencil to help line it all up.

And this is what it looks like when you remove the stencil. So much easier than taping.

This was definitely worth the time of making the stencil. I plan on using them for several more projects.

Click on the parties link on my sidebar for all the parties I will be joining.

Until the next project,

Janet

Top 10 Project Ideas For Sheet Music And Book Pages

2010-10-25T14:59:00.000-07:00

Now that I can make my own "vintage" sheet music, I've been looking at all the great projects out there. I thought I'd share some of my favorites with you. Here they are in no particular order.

1.Furniture

Notes From A Cottage Industry

2. Roses

The Tin Rabbit

3. Dress Forms

Notes From A Cottage Industry

4. Walls

5. Cones

6. Ceilings

7. Book Covers

8. Random Shapes

Mustard Seed Creations

9. Candles

Let it Shine

10. And of course, Wreaths

Primp

Now...which to do first?

Janet

Make Your Own Antique Sheet Music

2010-10-21T18:29:00.000-07:00

I love all the projects everyone is doing with sheet music. Besides ebay, I have no idea where to find vintage sheet music. So...

I decided to make my own. I just made photo copies of some sheet music I found at a music store. I'm not sure about copyright laws, but the copyright date on this music was 1903, and since it's just being used for craft projects, I think it's ok. Then I tea stained the music. I used one family size tea bag in two cups water. I poured the tea into a large pan and soaked the music for 30 minutes.

I removed the music and layed it to dry on some newspaper. To get the darker stain spots, I sprinkled some instant tea on the newspaper and put the music face down.

It dries really fast and I love the way it turned out. I almost forgot to tell you, I did iron the music. Put a paper towel on top, iron one side for a few seconds, then turn over and iron the other side.

I tried printing a botanical image on the music. I think that look has possibilities as well.

I'm sure you could achieve different looks with stronger tea or different soaking times.

And I don't need to tell you all the ways you can use the music. For now, I'm just enjoying it as it is.

Have you made any projects with sheet music? I would love to hear you ideas. Or send me a picture.

I'll be joining some parties, so click on Link Parties on my sidebar.

Janet

Lamp Shade Turned Into Hanging Light Fixture

2010-10-17T17:29:00.000-07:00

I made this hanging light for my bedroom using an old lamp shade.

This old lampshade was "unique" to say the least. It is also very large.

I saw this lampshade at the thrift store one day. The first thing I thought was "Oh! I love the shape of that". When I picked it up and saw how large and gaudy it really was, I had second thoughts. I checked the price - $2.80. Should I or shouldn't I? All I need is more junk laying around to fix up, my family would think I lost my mind, and quite honestly, I was a little embarrassed to buy it. So I didn't.

The next time I went to the thrift store, there it was. I still liked it, so I decided to buy it. Trying not to look embarrassed, I took it to the counter. Apparently the price tag had fallen off. I told the young guy that worked there that I had seen the price of $2.80. He said, "Why don't we just make it $1.80", in a "I should pay you to take it" tone.

Still feeling proud of myself for having the courage to buy it, I arrived home with my prize. And then I had no idea what to do with it. First things first, I ripped the cover off the frame. The shape I fell in love with really stood out now, and that's when I decided to turn it into a hanging light.

These are the supplies I purchased from The Home Depot.

First you attach the rod through the hole in the shade.

Then run the wire through the rod.

I turned the shade upside down at this point so it looked more like the picture on the instructions.

You screw this cap onto the rod.

And tie an underwriters knot. (Just copy the picture on the package)

Attach the wires to the socket screws and push it into place. That's it!

A hanging light fixture. I added the extension cord so it would be long enough to plug in and then just hung the cord from ceiling hooks.

I wrapped the cord with white voile and tan tulle fabrics.

The shade "before" reminded me of the hats the ladies wore at the races in My Fair Lady, so I added embellishments inspired by vintage hats. A tea stained ribbon, pink velvet rosette that I made, and more tulle.

I didn't know if I would like a "naked" frame, but I really do. And I vow not to be embarrassed to buy junk any more. Look at the fun I would have missed. I wonder, have any of you ever been embarrassed to buy something ugly?

Click on the link parties list on my sidebar for all the parties I'll be joining.

Janet

Book Page Fireplace Insert

2010-10-08T13:51:00.000-07:00

Hello everyone! I've been suffering from blogging withdrawal. I don't know why I haven't had time for any projects (besides running a half marathon, working, going to watch my daughter cheer at football games, shopping for a homecoming dress, and so on). But in between all of that, I finally filled that empty space in my faux fireplace mantle.

Before...

I covered a peice of plywood with old book pages using the starch method you can see here. I then made a frame for it out of moulding and painted it to match the fireplace.

I glued the frame to the plywood so it could easily be removed from the mantle. You know how I love to change my mind. It only took one small nail to hold the frame to the mantle.

I want to hang a floral print in the center, but I haven't found what I'm looking for yet. So I put a small stool in front and topped it with a pitcher full of the last hydrangeas from the garden.

And here is another look at the after.

Oh! And did you notice my little ten dollar rocking chair? It's waiting for a makeover, too.

I'm joining the I made it without my Hubby party, Show and Tell Friday, and Saturday Nite Special. Monday parties are Show off your cottage Monday, Make it 4 Monday, and Metamorphosis Monday.

Janet

Buttons, Ruffles, and Bows

2010-08-29T19:08:00.000-07:00

A Slipcovered Chair For The Guest Room

Well, I've been doing a lot of this...

And not a lot of blogging. I've been training to run a half marathon in October. I did a nine mile run today, and I'm starting to have some doubts about the whole thing. But I'm not ready to give up yet. Anyway, I did find time to finally finish this chair. Here's the before.

The chair was not comfortable to sit in, so I decided to replace the seat. What a mess that turned out to be.

O.K. Now what?

I had to cut a piece of plywood for the seat, install supports to hold the plywood, cut foam to fit the seat, and cover with batting. Not the paint and slipcover project I had originally thought.

There's the chair with white paint and a new seat, ready for the slipcover. I used three of my favorite things - covered buttons...

Bow ties...

And ruffles.

This chair is for my blue and white guest room. It is filled with many projects to do. I'll show you more of the room later.

Now I just need a cute pillow. Oh well, there is always one more project.

Janet

Now onto the parties.

Making the World Cuter
Show Off Your Cottage Monday
Make it 4 Monday
Metamorphosis Monday
Modern Craftswoman Monday

Pink Paint and Power Tools

2010-08-15T17:01:00.000-07:00

What more does a girl need?

I had this shelf from my previous home. It is a shaker style and was originally painted a Williamsburg shade of green, if that makes sense. Many years ago, I painted it white and added lace trim to the shelves. Still didn't work. So it has been in my basement waiting to be sold, donated, whatever.

Yes, it is meant to hang this way, even though it looks upside down. Well, since I've been trying to repurpose the things in my basement, I thought why not try to transform it from shaker style to cottage style?

Using plates and bowls as patterns, I drew curves on the side of the shelf.

I cut the curves with my jigsaw. I used a scroll blade.

And it worked! No one could be more surprised than I was. At this point, I put on a coat of paint. It looked terrible. I thought there was no way to get the new cuts smooth enough to paint. So, I did what I had to do.

I bought a power sander. I had no idea that the wood could be that smooth. For those of you that already use an orbit sander, this is your cue to laugh. That's enough.

So I got the edges smooth and put on another coat of paint. It looked terrible. The curves were just to bumpy and imperfect. Back outside it went for more sanding. This continued on several more times until I was finally happy with the results.

And you remember my shabby pink bench that I made here? I have been dying to use more of this pink paint. So that's what I did.

I put the shelf over the toilet in the master bath. It is a very small, separate room, so that's the best picture I could get.

I'm going to have lots of fun accessorizing this one. I'll need storage for all those personal items, something to hold extra rolls of toilet paper, and of course a lot of "just because they're pretty" things.

Janet

I'll be joining these great parties:

Metamorphosis Monday

Make it 4 Monday

Show off your Cottage Monday

Modern Craftswoman Monday

Floral Accents

2010-08-08T09:59:00.000-07:00

At the heart of cottage style, floral patterns and fresh blooms bring color to the decorating landscape and lighthearted enchantment to our interior spaces. Whether they are sweetly hand-painted on a headboard, skillfully rendered on canvas, or plucked from the garden, these endearing floral elements live and breathe the essence of cottage charm.

~Victoria - Rooms of Bliss~

I received these beautiful roses for my birthday and I was inspired to look around at all the floral accents in my home.

In the dining room.

In the kitchen.

On the windows.

In the laundry room.

In the powder room.

From the garden.

And my most recent Goodwill find.

This wonderfully aged platter.

Today I'm celebrating the floral accents in my home For Show Off Your Cottage Monday at The House In The Roses and Todays Thrifty Treasures at Southern Hospitality.

Rooster Party

2010-08-05T12:10:00.000-07:00

There's a rooster party at Bella Vista but I can't attend afterall. I didn't realize you had to sign up by August 4th. Since I already took the pictures, I decided to share them. I hope you stop by the party to see all the other roosters.

I have to say, most of my roosters live in the kitchen.

On dishes...

On fabric...

On furniture...

This is the desk in my kitchen. It started out as the ugliest style of kitchen cabinets you can imagine. I added molding to the doors, painted it with a crackle finish (I know, I know, "friends don't let friends do crackle"), decoupaged roosters with some hand painted grass, and replaced the counter top with a piece of wood. I added the bulletin board to connect the top and bottom cabinets.

Since this is considered furniture, maybe I can go to Miss Mustard Seed's Furniture Feature Friday party.

A couple of roosters have gotten into the great room, too.

Well, I think that is more than enough roosters to show. Speaking of showing, I will also be joining Show and Tell Friday at My Romantic Home.

Janet

Three Tiers Of Yummi-ness and Other Goodwill Finds

2010-07-29T16:46:00.000-07:00

Or trays on a stick as my fifteen year old son called it.

I found this three tiered server at Goodwill for four dollars.

Not too pretty.

But of course, white paint fixes everything.

My parents were arriving from out of town, so dessert and coffee were in order. I thought it would be fun to show off my new tablecloth, too. It was from the antique mall. Nine dollars - not bad. I just can't pass up roses.

I filled my new treasure with treats.

Sugar cookies...

Mini cupcakes...

And chocolate.

I also found six of these cups and saucers at Goodwill - .50 each.

And these pretty plates for a dollar each.

Hmmm, I think I need a snack.

Janet

Parties to visit:

What are you going to do with that?

2010-07-22T10:46:00.000-07:00

That's the question my husband always asks and the one that I had to ask myself when I saw this.

If I can't answer that question I usually don't buy something, and I often regret it later. Well, I just loved the details on this.

And it was only eight dollars, so I bought it. I tried to hurry up with an idea for it before my husband asked "the question". I knew it would be great to hold ribbons, etc. in a work room, but I don't have a work room. And I almost put it on the kitchen counter to hold parchment paper.

Ultimately, I decided to put it on my kitchen desk to hold miscellaneous strings and such.

And just for fun, I tied on a tea cup to hold push pins for the bulletin board.

And when my husband came home, he didn't ask "the question". He said, "I like that thing over there, whatever it is."

By the way. Do you know what it is?

Joining Vintage Thingie Thursday.

Janet

Two Lamps Revamped

2010-07-18T18:54:00.000-07:00

Monogrammed Lampshade

Is it just me or do projects just "happen"?

I've been wanting to redo this lamp as part of my kitchen desk makeover. I had the idea to do the monogrammed shade, but was waiting to find a shade to cover.

I finally found a cheap-y shade at Goodwill that I thought would work.

I used osnaburg fabric. I srarted with the natural color and tea stained it.

I cut a peice of paper for a pattern of one shade section. I cut out six, and sewed them together. I added a ruffle on the top and bottom.

To make the monogram, I printed a "J", cut it out, and traced around it with a mark be gone marker. It washes right out when your done.

I embroidered the "J". You could also stencil it.

Here's lamp revamp #1. I spray painted it with American heirloom white and glazed it with Ralph Lauren Smoke. What happened to the monogrammed shade you might ask? Well, after I painted the lamp, the new shade did not look good with it at all. I could have repainted the lamp, but the white looked good with everything else. So I made another shade slipcover out of the red check. I added a linen tie because I really wanted to bring that look over to the desk.

Well...of course I had to do something with the first shade. I really liked it. So 45 minutes before the thrift store closed, I ran out to try and find a lamp. This was my two dollar find. It was a bright royal blue. I sprayed it with Krylon's oil rubbed bronze from Wal Mart and brushed on a gold metallic (Dazzling Metallics in espresso from Hobby lobby).

The finish really did turn out nice.

And this is lamp revamp #2. So even though I never planned to do the second lamp project, it "happened" anyway.

Janet

Please visit these parties for lots of great ideas:

Just Something I whipped up

Metamorphosis Monday

Making the world Cuter Monday

Thrifty Treasures

DIY Tutorial

Fun With Fabric at Cheap Chic Home

Screen Door

2010-07-13T14:42:00.000-07:00

On the wall no more.

This is the entry from my front door to my dining room now.

This was the entry before.

I had this old screen door hanging in my hallway.

I took it down, cut a little off the bottom so it would fit in the dining room opening, and painted it white. To attach, I just screwed the hinge into the wall.

And then, because it perfectly framed the shelf in the background, I had to finally get that decorated.

I hung a painting that had previously been in my bedroom, added a couple of floral plates, and finished with some books and a (I'm not sure what to call it) basket.

And then, of course, the table in front of the door needed to be freshened.

A bucket of dried roses.

A bowl for keys or mail.

And for a summertime feel, I tucked a croquet set under the table.

Placing the balls in a wooden bowl.

And once again, one project turned into three. And that's why there will always be "one more project".

Janet

Linking up to:

CSI Challenge
Table Top Tuesday
White Wednesday
Transformation Thursday

Resale Love

2010-07-11T17:38:00.000-07:00

Style For A Song

I found two suitcases at a local resale shop for five dollars (yes, for both) .

I also found two platters the same day.

The large platter was five dollars and the smaller one was four dollars.

These platters are large. The larger one is huge and the smaller one is big. And the patina is awesome.

I added a couple of suitcases I already had, stacked them up, and put the largest platter on top.

They are tucked in a corner in the great room.

What is it about vintage suitcases that is so romantic?

And don't ya just love it when two finds work together? And don't ya just love when you end up with a new table, shelf, or platter that needs to be filled? I'm not sure how I'm going to finish the platter, but for now I have a photo of my Grandmother and a couple of pitchers.

Janet

I love parties, so here's the list:

Metamorphosis Monday at Between Naps On The Porch

Show Off Your Cottage Monday at The house In The Roses

Thrifty Treasures at Southern Hospitality

Old Drawer

2010-07-10T14:52:00.000-07:00

I'm going to a theme party! Donna at Funky Junk Interiors is hosting her Saturday Nite Special Party. This week's theme is "drawers". I'm going to re-post some pictures for the party.

I found this old drawer for five dollars.

It is sitting on a vintage tea cart in my dining room for plate storage, but I really put it there just because I love its chippy-ness.

Well that's it. The only drawer I have (that I'm using decoratively that is) . I hope you stop by the party and see the other guest's ideas.

Janet

Aprons, Aprons, and More Aprons

2010-07-07T18:29:00.000-07:00

Apron collection out of control?

I found my first vintage aprons quite a while ago and knew I was hooked. I painted and put up peg hooks to hang my collection on, and then ... nothing. I didn't come across any more aprons. Over the last couple of weeks that all changed.

I finally found a apron with a bib for my Manni.

I found this cute rose print apron at the antique mall.

Then this white apron trimmed with strawberry ribbon appeared at the resale shop.

And this cute little, well used apron with the heart pocket was another antique mall find.

I also found this rose hanky. I'm not sure what I'm going to use it for yet, so I tucked into the apron pocket.

So my apron collection has grown a little bit . And my rule is - I will not pay more than five dollars for an apron. So it's ok if the collection is a little out of control. Right?

Janet

Parties to join:

Vintage Thingies Thursday at Coloradolady
Frugal Friday at The Shabby Nest
Frugalicious Friday at Finding Fabulous
Show and Tell Friday at My Romantic Home

An Old Door and a New Toy

2010-06-24T09:46:00.000-07:00

I mean a new tool.

I had this old door hanging on my wall. I decided to move it, but it was just a little too tall for the new space. I needed to cut a little off the bottom. So what to do? Forget about it? Not me. I can't forget about any idea.

Wait until I see my Father-in-law so he can cut it for me? No. I have no patience when it comes to projects.

So I did what any impulsive, impatient DIY-er would do. I bought a circular saw. There have been many projects I didn't do because I didn't have a circular saw, so it was a good excuse.

I have to tell you. After reading all the warnings, I was a little scared to use it. I must have stood there for at least five minutes trying to work up the nerve to squeeze the starter. I was sweating like crazy (or maybe that was because I was in the garage and it was 95 degrees outside). Well, I finally squeezed and successfully cut the door down to size.

Now on to the painting. It's going white of course.

Thanks to everyone for the comments on my broken chair. I did not put it in the trash. I'm loving the idea of making it a garden/ planter chair, I got an email with a great repair tip, or I could replace the front legs and make a floor length skirt. We'll see.

Janet

A Thrifting Oops

2010-06-23T08:24:00.000-07:00

What a great find. Only $3.00. At least I thought it was.

I didn't realize until I got home that the leg was totally glued together. Oops! So now what? I'm not going to spend time and money to fix it up. I don't want to donate it somewhere so someone else makes the same mistake that I did. And I can't even think of a use for any of the parts I could salvage. Off to the trash? Say it isn't so. If you have any ideas, let me know. Otherwise, lesson learned.

Janet

A Feature and An Honor

2010-06-21T13:30:00.000-07:00

I was featured today at The House in the Roses. Cielo did a lovely post about my home. I hope you can go over and see it. I am very honored.

Thanks Cielo!

Janet

Old Doors + Old Books + Old Photos = New Wall Art

2010-06-20T20:15:00.000-07:00

I had these two wooden doors in my basement.

I painted and distressed the outer frame.

And then I applied book pages to the center with a starch method that I saw at Notes From A Cottage Industry. Tracey has a video tutorial on the process here. Thanks Tracey, it worked great.

I chose some really yellowed pages. I love the aged look. As I applied the starch some of the stained color came off the pages and spread on top of the lighter pages causing more of a aged, glazed effect. Perfect! You just never know what's going to happen when you start a project.

I added knobs from Hobby Lobby.

I built this "sill" from a 1x2 with molding around the edges...

Painted and stained it to match...

And attached it to the bottom, so it would feel more like one piece and not just two doors.

I hung the finished piece in the hallway off the foyer. It is quite a narrow space, so a full picture was impossible. I hope you can get the idea. I had some old family photos that I put in the center.

My Mother.

My Grandmother.

My grandmother is the little girl in this one.

My Grandfather. Did you notice the chapter title on the page on the right? Just a coincidence.

I have to say this project was a lot of fun and I love the finished product.

Janet

Lots of parties to join:

Just Something I whipped Up

Metamorphosis Monday

Show Off Your Cottage Monday

Modern Craftswoman Monday

The CSI Project

I Made It Without My Hubby Party

Confessions of a Compulsive Furniture Rearranger

2010-06-13T16:24:00.000-07:00

Hello, my name is Janet and I have an addiction. I am constantly rearranging my furniture. I will let nothing stand in my way. I have even been known to develop almost super human strength to get my "fix". My family will attest to this. They arrive home and large pieces of furniture have gone up and down stairs and room to room. (I also tend to develop this strength when fabulous finds need to be loaded into a car). I feel comfortable sharing this with you, because I know I am not alone.

My favorite rooms to rearrange are my bedroom and the dining room. One small project is all it takes to start a room rearrangement. Today it was the dining room. (No super human strength was needed for these moves) I have an idea for a project that I will share later. But where was I going to put this completed project? Let the moving begin.

This bench I made was kind of hidden in its current location. You can see how I made it here.

And I never really liked this chair.

So I moved the bench in front of the window. And since the bench was at the end of the table, I just took away the chair.

I had this chair in another corner by the mantel.

I moved it over to make a little sitting area.

I added a candle and some potpourri to the birdcage. This is a flameless LED candle. What do you think? Is a fake candle a decorating faux pas like fake plants are suppose to be? Or do you love the convenience and long lasting-ness?

A few flowers from the yard and I'm done. (Sort of). So now I have an empty area where the bench was - mission accomplished.

Thanks for listening. I don't think I'll be recovering from this addiction anytime soon.

Janet

I will be joining:

Metamorphosis Monday at Between Naps On The Porch

Show Off Your Cottage Monday at The House In The Roses

Making The World Cuter at Making The World Cuter

Table Top Tuesday at A Stroll Thru Life

Modern Craftswoman Monday

Thrifty Trio

2010-06-04T11:26:00.000-07:00

Well, I finally made the pillow to go with my chair and footstool, so I thought I would share the completed look.

Footstool before.

And after. You can see how I re-made it here. It was a zero cost project.

I slipcovered this thrift shop find many years ago. Here's a peek at the chair underneath.

This pillow was made from leftovers. I just bought the form.

The great thing about this is that I made a plain white pillow.

And added this sleeve. It can easily be removed for a completely new look.

And there you have it. Since I think this Furniture Feature is both Frugal and Frugalicious, I will be joining these Friday Parties. Hope you have a good weekend.

Janet

Getting Organized With A Tool Bucket

2010-05-31T20:34:00.000-07:00

Have you met my tool bucket buddy? He goes everywhere with me. Let me introduce you.

While beginning one of my latest projects, I could not find any of my supplies. That was it! I was not doing any more projects until I got organized. This is not an original idea, but I've always thought it was a good one. It's just a paint bucket from Lowe's and a tool belt.

I gathered all my must have supplies...

And started loading up the tool belt.

I used this craft organizer from Wal-Mart for all my screws and hanging hardware.

I put everything in the bucket and I was ready to go. The beauty of this is that not only can I find everything, but even I can't find an excuse not to put the stuff away. Now I'm not saying I put the bucket away, but as long as I can find the bucket, there's no more searching all over the house for my tools.

Janet

Because I Loved The Color...

2010-05-27T18:47:00.000-07:00

Seven-Up Soda Crate

I found this soda crate? or carrier? for $6.00.The colors and patina were so perfect, I just had to get it. I'm just not sure what I want to do with it.

I could put it on the dresser in my family room.

Of course I could use it as a serving tray.

And I can always use more storage in the kitchen.

Or how about some candles on the coffee table?

Decisions, decisions. I love these kinds of decisions.

Janet

I will be joining Show and Tell Friday and Frugalicious Friday and Frugal Friday. I'm also joining SNS for old crates theme party.

Basement Challenge #3 ~ Ladder

2010-05-22T13:28:00.000-07:00

Ladder With A French Twist...

When Donna at Funky Junk Interiors announced the theme for her Saturday Nite Special as "Ladders", I thought, "I have an old wooden ladder." And where else? In my basement. So this was the perfect inspiration for Basement Challenge #3.

I brought the ladder up from the basement and gave it a good cleaning. Added some books, a vintage print, a basket of dried flowers,

And some linens.

It makes a nice backdrop for the great room.

One more thing out of my basement. Yeah! But the best part of this ladder is that it belonged to my Dad. The paint splatters are a combination of his projects and paint from my first home after I was married. Years of memories.

I will also be sharing this at Metamorphosis Monday and Show off Your Cottage Monday at The House In The Roses.

Janet

~Basement Challenge #2 - Footstool~

2010-05-02T19:36:00.000-07:00

Well, I'm continuing the challenge to clean out my basement by bringing up one piece at a time.

This was an old footstool from our previous home.

I gave it a coat of stick-to-anything primer.

A coat of paint.

And then, because I wanted it to be poof-y, and plush-y, and posh-y, I added a pillow to the top.

Then I covered it with quilt batting to hold it in place and smooth the edges.

And do you remember my "Faux French Linen"? You can see how I made it here. I used the extra fabric and the same painting technique to make the slipcover.

So for zero dollars, I have a "new" footstool.

Tea anyone?

I'm going on a trip for a few days, so I haven't decided on challenge #3 yet.

I'll be sharing at:

Show Off Your Cottage Monday
Metamorphosis Monday
DIY Day

Janet

~Basement Challenge #1 - Metal Shelf~

2010-04-28T19:39:00.000-07:00

A few weeks ago I began cleaning out my pantry. I had waay too much stuff in there. I kept buying things I already had just because I could not see it. So when I made the menu for the next couple of weeks, I used at least one thing in the pantry for each meal and before I knew it, the pantry was very empty.

So what does this have to do with my basement? My basement is overflowing with "stuff". Good stuff - architectural pieces, furniture bits and pieces, shelves, etc. So to clean it out, I decided to bring up one piece at a time and challenge myself to put it somewhere, make something out of it, or get rid of it. I was going to give myself a time limit, but that was just too much pressure. So I'm going to try to do it in about a week.

So this is my challenge piece.

It's a cute shelf, and the color is ok too, but it just seemed a little more shabby than chic. So I sprayed it with Rustoleum American Heirloom white and hung it in my powder room.

More chic than shabby?

So now I have decoration on a bare wall and a little extra storage for the cost of a can of spray paint.

Basement Challenge #2 - worn out footstool. Let's see what I can do with this.

I'll be joining some parties~

Transformation Thursday at The Shabby Chic Cottage

Frugalicious Friday at Finding Fabulous

Rescue Crew Review at LaurieAnna's Vintage Home

Frugal Friday at The Shabby Nest

Janet

~Friday Thrifting~

2010-04-25T20:24:00.000-07:00

I don't get to do a lot of yardsale-ing because I work a lot of weekends, but I did manage to hit the thrift stores on Friday after work. I think I hit the jackpot this time.

I found some great pieces to add to my kitchen shelves.

These cute glass dishes.

A few pieces of red and white dinnerware.

And this colorful planter.

I added them to my shelves right away. I displayed two of the plates on the top shelf.

The pictures don't show it well, but the color of the glass is a perfect match to the plates.

And I added the planter underneath to hold extra towels.

And these sweet birds are new from Pier 1. Only $3.00.

A freshened up look with some thrifty finds.

Parties I'll be joining...

Todays Thrifty Treasures
Show Off Your Cottage Monday
Metamorphosis Monday
Nifty Thrifty Tuesdays

Janet

~Love At First Sight~

2010-04-20T19:13:00.000-07:00

You see something from a distance. A little gasp - oh! You move in a little closer. Your heart goes pitter-pat. Yep, you're in love - with a hat.

I never know when true love will strike, or why.

Is it the perfect shade of natural "tea-staining"?

Is it the beautifully tattered roses?

Or is it simply the remembrance of times past?

Whatever the reason, the hat came home with me.

I will be joining 2nd Time Around Tuesday and Vintage Thingies Thursday. I hope you do, too.

Janet