B&A Friday

These before/after shots come from Kristi over at The Speckled Dog, she drove down from SC this past weekend to pick up the green dresser I refinished a while ago.  She loved it so much, she was willing to make the 2 hour drive down to Atlanta to pick it up.  It made me feel so good that she loved it and was going to appreciate the hard work I put into this piece.

Here is what her media center looked like before

After

I love the way it looks in her living room!  So nice that the piece goes perfectly with Kristi's decor.

Head on over to The Speckled Dog to read the story behind it and check out the rest of the pictures.

Hope you all have a safe and HaPpY HaLLoWEEN!!

Craigslist Tips

Almost every time I tell someone I use Craigslist, I get a weird look.  Like "Are you crazy , that's so dangerous." The only people who don't judge me for using it, are those who have used it themselves and had a good experience.   I think the Craigslist Killer has ruined it for a lot of people, thanks a lot, loser.
Anyway, so after I tell people about my wonderful experiences with it, they seem to loosen up and decide they will check it out.  I have a few rules I follow to help those of you out there who have yet to find your treasures through the wonders of the Internet.

#1~ When answering an ad, be polite and specific. You are more likely to get a quick response and potentially get the piece.  When I get a rude response from some one, or they are very wishy washy  I just delete their email.
You want to do business with someone who seems reliable and polite.

#2~ Go with your gut instinct.  I can't stress this enough.  If something doesn't feel quite right to you, listen to your feelings and move on. 

#3~ When going to a house to pick up a piece, always bring someone with you.  Whether it be your friend, husband, older child or your sweet old grandma, bring a buddy.

#4~When picking up a piece, never go into the house to get your items.  If at all possible, request they have the items outside for you to look at.  If they can't meet that request, move on.  Also if you are selling something from your own house, have the items out side for them to look at. 

#5~ If something you want seems to be priced too high, don't be afraid to negotiate.  Many people are desperate to make a sale, and will go down on their price if you are willing to buy quickly.

These are my top five rules I follow, I feel they have worked very well for me.  I have been using Craigslist for several years now.  Bought many pieces of furniture and got several nanny jobs.  I know there are people who have bad experiences, but if you follow these helpful tips and a few of your own, you will be fine. If you use Craigslist, or any other types of Internet classifieds, tell me your tips!

Here's my latest acquisition from good ole' Craig

 

I don't think I can bring myself to paint this baby. I'm in the process of sanding it down right now. 

Reveal coming next week!

Cod Fish Cakes

This recipe came from my mom, who I think got it from a magazine.  We both make these all the time, in fact almost every time I ask my mom "what are you having for dinner tonight", she says "cod fish cakes".
It's a very simple recipe, and really tasty any night of the week.

1 lb of cod
1/4 c bread crumbs
1 small onion diced
2 celery stalks chopped
1 egg
2 tbsp mayo
1 tsp Tabasco sauce
1/2 tsp salt
1 tsp lemon juice
1/4 c oil
Boil cod for about 5 min in water.  Saute onion and celery until soft.  Combine cooked cod with sauteed celery and onion, mix in all other ingredients.  Chill for 1 hour (this step is important, because it helps keep them together when cooking)
Fry in oil med/low for 5-7 min on each side.
I serve mine with a salad, or something else light.

Sweet baby shower

 My friends and I threw a baby shower last weekend for K.  She is having a boy, and didn't want the traditional shower with games and all that normal "baby shower" stuff.  So we kept it simple and inexpensive by using what we had and making all our own food.  I wanted to share with you how to have a great baby shower on a budget.
First of all, have it at someones house.  I've been to showers at restaurants, and as lovely as it may be, must cost a fortune.  We had this one in my back patio/carport area.   We decorated it with love, and with all my beautiful plants that are still in bloom.

 Before~ Not much to look at, but it has potential.

 Here is what we did with it

 I borrowed tables, and we brought all the chairs we had between the 4 of us.

Added flower center pieces, and thrift store white table cloths.  

Another tip is to have some help planning the party.

  The four of us planned and split the cost of everything.

The food spread. 

Homemade chicken salad, pasta salad, tomato basil salad, dirty rice, bread and cookies.

I think it's important to keep things simple, and elegant. 

 Pumpkins make a perfect center piece.

The weather was perfect, which made for a nice relaxing atmosphere.

Any ideas on how to have a low-cost party? Do tell!

*All photos (except top one) by Jessica Mahady

Check out her site here

B&A Friday

It's time for the 2nd installment of Before and After Friday

This one comes from Sondra over at The House of Healy

I really like this make over because it is a project I have been thinking about doing for awhile.

 She was tired of her old back splash blending in with her counter tops, so she added some bead board wall paper, look how it turned out...

Before

 After

 Doesn't it look real?  So much for sawing and cutting to make real board fit, this is a great alternative!

Please send any before/after pics you would like to share with the world!

betweenblueandyellow@yahoo.com

Mellow Yellow

As I said yesterday, the colors of fall have really inspired me.  So I decided to go with a bold choice for this next piece.  It's not a color I would not usually go for. But hey, you only live once right? 

With out further ado....

                                                                                            

I'm so sorry, I won't be able to say what color this is. It's a mix between two different oops paints that have no name on them :(

There aren't very many yellow pieces of furniture out there, so this piece is quite unique.

I think I love it.

Link parties~

http://www.somewhatsimple.com/2010/10/sys-blog-link-party-with-simply-camo.html

http://www.theshabbychiccottage.net/2010/10/long-awaited-bleeding-brain-cake.html

http://primitiveandproper.blogspot.com/2010/10/piece-of-work-wednesday-link-party_19.html
http://www.fingerprintsonthefridge.com/2010/10/feature-yourself-friday_21.html

http://www.remodelaholic.com/2010/10/remodelaholics-anonymous-42-blog-link.html

http://missmustardseed.blogspot.com/2010/10/furniture-feature-friday-favorties-and.html

http://www.storiesofahouse.com/2010/10/project-diaries-volume-5.html
http://betweennapsontheporch.blogspot.com/2010/10/fireplace-for-my-dream-library-welcome.html

http://craftskeepmesane.blogspot.com/2010/10/motivate-me-monday-41.html
http://www.thethriftyhome.com/2010/10/57th-penny-pinching-party.html

http://www.domestically-speaking.com/2010/10/43rd-power-of-paint-party.html
Perfectly Imperfect

Inspired By Fall

As I said before, I've been going through a little dry spell with finding furniture to re-do.  But Monday I picked up  this awesome dresser, and a project was in the works.  Lately I've been inspired by the beautiful tree leaves changing all around me.

The bright yellows, and reds.  I just felt like these colors were calling me somehow.

Like I've said before, my inspiration comes from all over.  Nature is a great place to find colors that go together, for a room, piece of furniture even an outfit.  Look how wonderful the bright blue sky and the bold yellow compliment each other.

So I picked up some paint colors and well.... you will just have to tune in tomorrow for the outcome of my new dresser!

By the way have you ever gone looking for a color and just happen to find it on sale in the mis-tint section!

I just love when that happens :)

Quick decor tip for Fall

Although I don't usually decorate for fall indoors, I do like to set out a few things on my front porch. This was seriously quick, easy and best of all CHEAP!  So if you are looking for a way to brighten up your front entry for visiting guests, take a bit of time to search around your home for things that could be considered fallish.   I also went up to Lowe's and found these  large mums for $2 each on their clearance rack.  They said it was because they were "All bloomed out."  But they looked pretty good to me!

 The pumpkin was $5, and the lantern from an estate sale a while ago.

                 The planter I had in my backyard, not being used. And the tin one was a gift.

I brought down this chair from the guest bedroom to add some height, so everything wasn't just sitting on the same level.

All for a total of about $9.

Link party

B&A Friday

I'm trying out a little something new for my blog.  I thought it would be a good idea to feature one new before/after every Friday.  So I asked you to send in any before/after photos you wanted to share, and many of you responded, so THANK YOU, to all of you who took the time to share your photos with me.

Here is my first feature to share, it comes from a sweet gal named Jena over at Involving Color

Check out what she did with her back yard!

Before

  

After

 Before

 After

Isn't that just beautiful!  The stones kind of remind me of the ones we just did, but hers looks so much better.

Way to go Jena! Thanks for sharing :)

**If you want to be featured for "B&A Friday" please send me your pics at betweenblueandyellow@yahoo.com

Urban Park Chairs

I bought these chairs from a nieghbor during our annual neighborhood yard sale.  You could tell they had been neglected and left out in the rain.  But they had great potential, they look just like the chairs in Bryant Park in NYC.  Which go for over $100, I might add. I scooped these babies up for a grand total of $10!  That was 2 years ago, they have been sitting on my porch ever since.
Meet my chairs~

So yesterday I finally got the urge, during my sweet girl's nap, to take them out back and give them a make over.  I used my trusty old can of oil rubbed bronze spray paint, and some oops paint I had on hand.
First I sanded down the wood slats in the seat and on the back. Then I taped off the slats and spray painted all the metal parts. Next I primed the wood with oil based primer. When the primer was dry,  I brush on two coats of paint.  Sorry I don't know the name :(.

Here she is all taped up. Ready for paint.

Here's what I ended up with.

 Cute little chairs all ready for my lady friends coming over for a party this weekend.

*Remember, send me your before/after pictures. I'm starting a new post featuring one new blog/person every week!

PS. You don't have to have a blog to send pics :)

Link parties
http://www.somewhatsimple.com/2010/10/sys-blog-link-party-with-befunky.html
http://www.theshabbychiccottage.net/2010/10/transformation-thursday-oops-edition.html

http://lifeaslori.blogspot.com/2010/10/get-your-craft-on-thursday_13.html

faux

So many, many questions as to how I did this dresser.  I'm not the best "how to" person. I have said many times that it's hard for me to tell someone how I refinished something because I work in the moment, making changes as I go. I have an idea in my mind and I work at it until I achieve the look I want.  But I will do my best to explain how I go this look. 

 Like I said in this post, when I first got this several years ago I sanded it and stained it (can't remember what stain, but it was dark).

 It stayed that way up until a few weeks ago when I got a wild hair and wanted to paint it turquoise.

I used my left over woodlawn valley haze by Valspar from this project, and brushed on 1 coat.

After it was dry, I did another coat. When the second coat was dry, I hand sanded the edges with 100 grit paper.  I wanted the piece to look as if the paint was worn off.  So I sanded most of the paint off the edges.

 Then I wiped it down, and rubbed in some dark stain with a clean cloth in all the areas I just sanded.  Let the stain sit there for a minute and then wiped it off with another clean cloth. The stain I used is Minwax wood finish, dark walnut.  I wiped and rubbed all over the piece, can't really say exactly what I did, just allowed my creativity to flow through me.

Which I highly encourage you to do. 

Finally, I allowed the piece to dry and brought her inside.

I have yet to put a topcoat on it, I think I like the unpolished look of it.

Any other ?'s feel free to ask.

I hope this helps!

Idea

Hey there!

I've been thinking lately that I would love to feature your before/afters here on my blog every week.  Would you be interested?  

You don't have to have a blog, just email your before/ after pics of what ever project you want.  It could be furniture, a craft, redecorated room etc.  It's so much fun to see a good before/after and I know you love them too, so come on and send in those pics!  

Email them to me at betweenblueandyellow@yahoo.com

Thank you!

~Kathleen

Fall favorite

Last night I made my version of Shepherd's Pie.  If you've never had it, you should definitely try it.  It's great comfort food and will warm your chilly bones during cold whether.  My family loves it, and we always have leftovers for lunch.

Shepherd's Pie 

1 lb ground beef or turkey (I've used both)
1 c shredded Cheddar cheese
1/2 pack of frozen mixed veggies (carrots, peas, corn...)
1 1/2 onion
1 tbsp oil
Pack of mushrooms sliced (optional)
3 large potatoes
2 tbsp butter
1/4 c milk
2 tbsp ketchup
3/4 cup beef broth
1 tsp Worcestershire sauce
2 tbsp flour
Cook your potatoes in a large pot until soft, once they are done mash them with butter and some milk adding 1/2 of a shredded onion. Set aside.
*Preheat oven to 375Saute one chopped onion in oil for several minutes.  Add meat and cook thoroughly, drain out any fat. Mix in ketchup, broth,Worcestershire sauce, and flour stir until thickened.
Add in your frozen veggies and mushrooms, simmer 8 min.  Spread meat mixture on the bottom of a baking dish, top with the mashed potatoes, spread layer of cheese over the top.  Cook for 20 min at 375.
Enjoy!

Yard work

Another weekend passed and I have yet to get started on a new piece.  The yard work took precedence this weekend.  We have been wanting to fix up a small section in our yard that gets little sunlight, and I can't seem to grow anything but shade tolerant plants.  We have done very little to beautify this space, so we took advantage of the time we had while our baby girl was with her grandparents.  We also recently scored some free stones from my folks, they had a ton left over from their backyard project.

                                                         This is how it originally looked

In progress

We filled the gaps with small river stones

Not finished yet!

So far we really like the look of it.  I'm going to plant ferns along the side, as well as getting rid of some of that mondo grass around the area.

~Final pic coming soon~

I assure you there will be some furniture coming soon.  I received my parents old coffee table and I'm thinking of doing something like this.

Just Beachy

One of those weeks

This week has been quite uneventful.  I have not touched, or bought one piece of furniture.  In the last few weeks, I have not gone a day without one or the other.  It's not like I haven't tried though.  I've been trying out some new thrift shops around my area, and have yet to find a cute piece I can afford.  However I do have some side tables patiently waiting for me out back, I just haven't been inspired by them yet.  I've been looking through the link parties trying to find some inspiration.

 I like this idea from Rubie's Place She used two separate end tables for a desk

.

However, the end tables I've got to work with look like this

 They are really cute, with great potential.  I'm just not exactly sure how to bring out their beauty.

On a side note, after seeing this over at The Frosted Gardner

I really, really want one of these!

Hopefully, over the weekend I will accomplish something so I'll have it for you on Monday.  I plan to go to some estate sales, maybe a yard sale or two. or three...

Browsing

Don't you just hate when you see a piece you love, but it's out of your price range? 

Yes? Me too! I went thrift hopping yesterday and visited a few stores for the first time.  Has anyone else noticed that Goodwill is more expensive than other second hand stores?

Check out these lovelies I found, but had to walk out before I emptied my bank account.

 This was only $70, but I just couldn't bring myself to buy it.  I may go back though...

 Oh what I would do with you!  Or not, she's gorgeous as is.

 This green velvet chair was b-e-a-utiful

 So lovely

 I guess I should have known better, it was one of those "antique mall" type stores. They generally are more pricey than my standard hole in the wall thrift store. But I always come out with inspiration and new ideas.

So I will continue to torture myself by going to these places, who knows maybe one day I will find a great piece I can afford.