Friday, February 5, 2010

A $10 dining room makeover! (this project, anyway!!)

Hooray for mist-tints, a $10 makeover to the dining room! And enough left over for the back of the china cabinet and a million other projects. I also made those curtains a few months ago now, (that's why I didn't count them) for about $14, the fabric was $3.50/m. They have a really cool textured diamond pattern. I found the little scone curtain brackets at the thrift store for $2 and with some dowel we had already, we are trying out a new look. It will need some white paint and finials at some point, but it will work for now...I haven't properly introduced them so here they are...New window treatments by MOI. LOL

Yep, the dowel definitely needs paint and finials! Don't look... :-P
In the light of day before the curtains went back up. The long picture was sort of what we were working around colour-wise, so we're pretty happy with it!
The chandelier is straight up uggggg, we know...There are rumours all the out dated lighting is being replaced, fingers crossed!!!! Since they are putting in a new kitchen starting Monday I don't think I'll jump on that bus quite yet. (Can't wait to see what they are putting in-apparently they're maple cabinets, nickle hardware, and a taupe countertop-easy to work with that palette!) The cabinet installers will be here Monday-Wednesday so I'll post the before and afters as soon as it's decent again. We started packing up the cupboards tonight, so the kitchen has exploded into our bedroom to keep the kidlets out. Locks are a great invention. :-)
The taupe wall to the right of the window will be dressed up, it's on the list, don't worry...Since I can only work at night it takes me awhile to get it all done!
Just to prove I HAVE actually accomplished something...

The first pic is right when we first moved in. It looks so bare and lonely!
Before I started the "new to us" dining set transformation, and new curtains up...(the old metal curtain rod and hold backs seem to "light" for the look, but I have a new home for the hardware elsewhere.
Today! See, it's coming along...The furniture takes the longest, of course, but once it's done all the little finishing details will all come together for my shabby/beachy look.

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How can the little monkey sleep like this???? Crazy!


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Wednesday, February 3, 2010

First coat is up!

Hopefully I'll get some pictures up tomorrow. The first coat is up in the dining room! Yay! Once I finally got around to filling the little curtain rod holes and taping it was really fast...It's looking a little dark though, eeek! Once the curtains are back up it will tone it down though I'm sure...
Nothing exciting to share tonight, so off I go...I'm going to go check on all the "parties" and see what you all have been up to though! I've been seeing some beautiful Valentine's decorations around Blogland-we usually don't decorate for the little holidays, but now that the kids are getting older it might be fun...Next year. LOL
Have a great night!
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Saturday, January 30, 2010

Paint help!!!

Think this will be OK in our dining room? I originally wanted a colour close to the middle of the store swatch, but when we were in the store awhile ago there was a big can of the top pop can swatch (thanks, creative hubby!) for $10. It was originally a $35 dollar can of paint, gotta love those mis-tints...I don't think we've ever bought a regular can! (oh-except for the dining set that needed to match the leather seats) More of a blue than the teal I was hoping for, but I think it looks pretty good, right? The taupe paint behind it will still be on the other walls as we are just doing a feature with the blue, and painting the back of the china cabinet blue too. The curtains are staying, I made them a month or so ago. I think the blue will highlight them, as they blend in more right now...It'll be a lovely shabby/beachy/vintage dining room I hope...That is the plan, anyway...
Beadboard would be awesome in there too, not sure if we can add it or not since we don't own the house. I think it would look fabulous but someone else might not! This little creation on my living room floor is the 3 year old's "train tracks". Made from his little sister's cloth diapers. (Fuzzi Bunz are the bomb, Mama's...They have both worn them, they're easy, green, and soft on those little bums!)
This picture also illustrates why I do my crafting and projects at night when the little "angels" are sleeping!
Perhaps we have a future engineer on our hands...
Until next time!

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Friday, January 29, 2010

Farmhouse dresser mini-makeover, and a mini-pity partayyy...

I've been lazy with writing (and in finishing my dining chairs-they have only received their first coat of paint...If I had been on the ball they would have been done!) this week due to the reality/crash that I have gone from an intense, fulfilling nursing job in a neonatal intensive care unit to not getting a job offer after my one and only job interview since our relocation. (for my husband's work) The interview went really well it seemed, it was a position in a dollar store the next town over. Perhaps she didn't believe me when I said that I could tie a balloon? Yes, this was the first time I've been asked that in an interview...LOL! The only nursing jobs are over an hour away, and they are only hiring for short calls (be here in 20 sort of thing) so I have been looking elsewhere as financially I need to be working right now. It's been a bit of a wallowing week. I have a few leads so hopefully something will pan out soon. I'm prepared for any new challenges and career paths! Once I start working again I want to get busy planning my online store too, but one needs to come before the other for that to happen! We have our family, our health, a roof over our heads, and things will come together. This time next year we will be in a much better position, and after the past year that will be a welcome relief. The dream job came with a not-so-dreamy pay cut the first one to two years, but the lifetime of experiences it offers will be priceless.
We had great news today, though-we're in a house owned by the corporation my husband works for, and they are replacing the kitchen next week-top to bottom! We'll get to enjoy it the next four years we're posted here so it was a great call to get. I had some say in the layout of the cupboards, they added a broom closet and raised up one of the counter tops so little people fingers won't be able to pull things off-more usable counter space! Wooo hoooo! I have absolutely NO idea what type of cupboards, counters, colours, they are bringing in...Should be interesting!!!!

OK, so enough of my pity party...Seriously, I annoy myself too, sorry!

I found this dresser on Craigslist for free♥free♥free♥free♥free....It is so cute! Rustic, sturdy, and it keeps Kara's clothes from the floor. (the one year old just discovered how much FUN it is to rip all her clothes off her bedroom shelves...not so fun for me...Her big brother also liked to "help" her out once the party started...grrrr)

It came from a gorgeous acreage and had been in their family for years, so I says it's "Farmhouse Chic". Cute little caster legs, it has some rugged handsome-ness...It needed some glue, clamping, a few nails, and we're in business! All I changed in it's appearance was adding some new hardware, I had some extra oil-rubbed bronze handles kicking around, I think it made a big difference though! The brass/wood handles are what it came with. The colour is cute, so no hurry to paint it yet, still too many projects to finish first! I will probably take the mirror off and hang it on the wall instead, those mirror "harps" are just held in with screws so easy-peasy.
^I got excited about changing the knobs and had to stop to take some "before" pic's.
In it's new home!
The same day we went "in to town" I made my ritual thrift store stop-and found this beeeeeautiful silver plated vanity tray-perfect condition-for $2.49! It cleaned up like a dream! The tray bottom is engraved in a floral design, but I put a doily on the bottom to protect it from scratches. It is now holding my perfumes, my Grandmother's silver compact, the choker I wore for our wedding, the brooch that was on my bouquet, some vintage inspired hair pins from one of my besties, and some faux pearls for glamour.
This is a better view of the choker. Loved it!
The brooch I put on my bouquet. I found it in the gift shop of the hotel our reception was at! We bought the flowers at Costco and made the arrangements at home.
A little of everything this week! Must get back to business with the dining chairs, I am thisclose to finally being done...
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Sunday, January 24, 2010

FABULOUS Freebies, thrifty goodness, and vintage family fun...

Happy Sunday! Thank you for all the wonderful comments, and new followers...It makes my day! I've been trying to keep up, but sometimes diaper duty/peacekeeping calls!

So, on my never ending Craigslist snooping I discovered..
An ad for a motel under renovation, promising FREE goodies...

Packed the kids in the truck and headed down there, about an hour and a half away. Our little town is an hour to the next nearest town, so heading out is always fun, it means we get to stop at Tim Hortons for coffee and tea, and I do some power thrifting!

The motel wasn't super exciting, it had been picked over pretty well, unfortunately...It was supposed to be a 2 day event, we got there 1/2 an hour before the start of the first day and the early birds has swooped in! Being my nosy self, I struck up a conversation with an employee, and learned they had more goodies hiding...I told them how far away we were, and they literally took me on a tour of freebies-LOL! Never hurts to say HI rather than just giving up and going on your way!

We left with 2 upholstered arm chairs that will go in the guest room, I decided to take the 9 drawer dresser for upstairs. It seems like such a waste to have all those empty drawers when we could use them! The chairs will go in the corner of the room where the dresser would have been, with a little table between them. It'll be a nice little nook for our kid-less guests to have some quiet time. The wood will need to be painted, and they definitely need to be re-upholstered. The furniture in there is shabby black french provincial, so I'm thinking black arms and legs, with a burlap/canvas material, sort of old grain sack like...I just saw someone out there do one very similar, but for the life of me can't remember where it was!!! If you remember, help a girl out? As I posted earlier, the room is still a work in progress, it looks a bit unfinished still.


The original finish of the 9 drawer dresser-it's friends are now the shabby black you see. I have 3 more drawers to finish, the main body, and the mirror. It's cold in the garage so I've neglected it for awhile! 3 of the drawer pulls were broken, so I have to replace them somehow. I'm thinking of replacing the top 3 drawers (or middle 3) with 2 crystal antique knobs, and putting an embellishment between the crystal knobs to give it some romance! It's a beautiful set, it came with the big dresser and mirror, nightstand, headboard, and footboard! There weren't any rails so I have to find a way to attach the footboard. One of my Dad's friends GAVE it to us. I love it! I couldn't believe our luck, what great bones it has! With lots of moves in our future, we need something that will last.

My thrift store adventures netted me this little wooden carry thing, and the shelf thing, $2 each! The carry thing can be used for many things in our house-diaper paraphenalia, towels, gardening supplies, I just haven't quite decided yet!


This shelf will go in our bathroom for some extra storage, it has very little, so it will help! I'm guessing someone handpainted both items, but the nice thing about giving thrift items new life is making it work for you-both were primed tonight and are awaiting a new paint job. (and a new handle on the shelf) Maybe some MOD PODGE! That tray was fun! http://shabbyserenity.blogspot.com/2010/01/bedside-tray-for-230.html



I like to do project steps all at once, so tonight was reserved for priming the last 2 dining chairs, and since I had the primer out, I did the frames I've been collecting the last few months. I'm going to make a little feature wall with the oval and round frames, the square one came with some beautiful vintage petit point and I'll be pairing that with some signed, vintage Emily Sartain (1841-1927) art prints. They were my great-grandmother's. They are lovely, still the original chippy paint on the frames, gorgeous! I think I paid $7 for all these (including the gorgeous petit point) if I remember correctly.
A couple photos of my great-grandfather and his brothers (I think) I found that are so awesome, I just love them! I think these 2 will find homes in the frames above. Aren't they hilarious??? Pure BOY. I can just imagine Cole being a goof like that with his friends!

My GG is the one on the bike in the first photo, and in the second photo he is in the back row, far right. He passed away before I was born, but my great grandma was with us until I was 14. I wore her wedding veil on our wedding day-that is a very cool story for another day. I think the photos will look awesome framed, I'm going to get a few more old family shots in black and white to complete the feature.



Off to bed now! Thanks for stopping by!

I'm going to send my Grandma a link to this to give her a chuckle! (this is her Pop)

Hi, Grandma! xoxoxo


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Thursday, January 21, 2010

Bedside Tray for $2.30!!!!

My cute little $2 wooden tray! Courtesy of the local thrift shop! I also discovered Mod Podge with this project-who knew this wonderful stuff existed? Oh, everyone but me...Riiiight. Well, I bought a little jar and I have a couple more ideas for this lovely slime...All I did for this little tray was prime and paint, all stuff I had...A cute piece of 30 cent scrapping paper, and there we have it-my first Mod Podge creation! Who knew it was so easy??? Oh ya, not me...The tray's new home (for now, anyway! I might change my mind...) is in the guest room, which I will be ready to reveal in all it's new found glory soon...It'll be good, I promise!!!! Wait til you see the before/after.
I put some interesting books on the tray, and put it on the nightstand. I had no idea what to do with it once it was there, I played around with candles, silver, etc, but the books won! With my hubby being a Mountie we have some interesting RCMP books, and to top them off I put his fur winter hat on top...Thought it was kind of cute, a little bit of a rustic balance to the white crocheted shams...However, as he needs it on cold days at work, it might be out on the occasional field trip. LOL
The old Klee Wyck Emily Carr book is a first Edition from 1944 I believe, it was a gift to my great-grandparents. I love the uneven book pages and musty smell, is that weird? I'd like to add a few more books of that lovely vintage, so it has some company...
So, should the tray stay or go...Books? Something else? Don't mind the bed, it still needs some toss cushions on there-they'll be the same fabric as the curtains, and it needs some colour too. Definitely not quite ready for the big reveal, I still have a 9 drawer dresser and mirror to paint and put in there. Any thoughts on the mirror above the bed while you're here? Paint it? Leave it? It's covering an ugly breaker box, so something large needs to be there and the mirror was handy. :-)
I think I might take the night off tonight, although I'm sure I'll go sit on the couch with some tea and my leg will start twitching...And I'll go put that last coat of poly on the dining room table...And then I won't be able to stay away from the 2 chairs that are waiting patiently...We'll see how that works for me!!!
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The Shabby Chic Cottage Transformation Thursday!
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The DIY Show Off!
My Romantic Home Show and Tell Friday!
Funky Junk Interiors Saturday Night Specials!
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Making progress!

HI! I can't believe I have 11 followers now! Welcome! I feel so guilty for not writing-I got big can of poly for my birthday and I've been happily working away the past few days. (no, seriously...You other DIY'ers know what I mean, I'm sure!)

Yeesh, this dining set is taking forevvver...The table finally is distressed and has it's first poly layer, and I have 4 chairs completely done, 2 that just need poly, and 2 more that need the whole works. With a coat of primer, 2-3 coats of paint, and 2 coats of poly I can paint around those chair legs in my sleep...LOL
But check out the progression!!! That makes it all worth it...And really, I still don't have a job, so what else am I going to do...L-R: The original Blah, painted and ready for distressing/poly, and DONE!!!! The picture seems to exaggerate the white, and the cream, so imagine it toned down a bit?
Here's a sneak peek of the table!

Before the craziness started! Soooo dark and 70's...

There still might be hope I will get it done before the end of the month! I will be very happy to have my dining room back-I've been working up here since it's too cold in the garage. The china cabinet will be such a breeze after all the stupid chairs-all straight lines, easy peasy! I can't wait to stand back and it will all be done-and then I'll have to have a dinner party to show it off!

I am very happy to report that my Haiti Red Cross Jewellery Fundraiser (see post below) was a success! The winning bid of $345 will be in good hands with the Red Cross. Social networking at it's best-all the bids were through Facebook. I'm so proud of everyone who participated, you are all so amazing...

I'll update soon with some smaller scale projects in the works...I love the little thift store in town! Wait til you see what I got there...

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The DIY showoff!

http://thediyshowoff.blogspot.com/2010/01/fabulous-furniture-makeovers-and-diy.html?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+blogspot%2FpuSM+%28The+DIY+Show+Off%29

A Soft Place to Land!

http://asoftplace.net/2010/01/diy-day-with-imparting-grace/

Miss Mustard Seed Creations!

http://missmustardseed.blogspot.com/2010/01/furniture-feature-friday-winner.html

A million projects to put on the list when you go visit those ladies...

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