Between Blue and Yellow

Be my guest: Primitive and Proper

2012-02-02T09:00:00.002-05:00

I'm sure most of you already know my next guest. Cassie has been around the blogosphere for a while and was one of the first furniture blogs I started reading. She greatly inspired me to start my own blog and furniture refinishing. This girl is so sweet and a genuine blog friend. Always taking the time to comment and reply with sweet messages. So here she is Cassie from Primitive and Proper!

Welcome!

Hello Between Blue and Yellow Friends! I am Cassie from Primitive and Proper, where I blog about furniture makeovers (and have a weekly furniture link party), home decor and design, and all sorts of creative miscellany! I am so excited to be here today on Kathleen's blog! In blogging terms, Kathleen and I go waaaaaay back and I am so looking forward to meeting her in person when we go to Haven! And I get to spend an extra day after that with Kathleen, as she shows me the awesome shops in her neck of the woods. I can't wait- we are going to have a blast!

Anyhow, a love of redoing furniture is what originally brought Kathleen and I together, so I thought I would share a furniture makeover with you today. And how bout a little mix-it-yourself chalk paint, too?

I found these chairs on my local craigslist. It was a set of 5 for $50, but one of them still needs some work, so I painted a set of 4 for now. Here is what they looked like before... (sorry for the car, recycle bins, etc, but hey, we do live here, too!)

Now, if you follow me on my blog, you rarely see me do chair makeovers, and there is a reason. I really do not like sanding all those small detailed areas that really have to be sanded by hand. Chalk paint is a great solution, but at $38/qt, it's not exactly easy on the wallet. So what's a girl to do? Make my own chalk paint of course! Because there was no way in heck I was sanding all those little spindles!

I have had a few blog friends already try this process out, so I checked out their posts about it. I think Sherry was the first person to write about it, and then Sharon and Carmel both tried it, too. Well, if a few of my blog friends could do it, I knew I could, too! All I needed to buy for this was Plaster of Paris available at Home Depot. I bought a small carton (And to tell the truth, I actually had my husband pick it up so I don't know the exact price, but it is dirt cheap.).

I mixed 2 parts latex paint to one part Plaster of Paris. I used Dutch Boy's Lake Champlain left over from my sideboard. Now to give you an idea of the aqua on the sideboard here is a picture:

As you can see the aqua is very pretty, but more vibrant than I wanted on the chairs. I wanted the chairs to be more "faded" and worn looking. I had heard that this method of mixing chalk paint created a lighter variation of the original color, so I went on mixing to see what would happen. And the color came out perfectly! It was exactly what I wanted!!!

I didn't prep the chairs except to lightly sand the backs and seats with my orbital sander. Then I applied two coats of paint, which was plenty to provide the right coverage. Now, as a note, I was very nervous after the first coat that it wasn't sticking properly. However, once I added the second coat and the paint was thicker, I did not have those problems.

After the two coats dried, I used 150 grit sandpaper to distress the chairs by hand. Here is an image that shows the chair on the left undistressed, and the chair on the right already distressed.

I found the distressing with the homemade chalk paint MUCH easier than distressing with store bought. Also, with store bought, I go through several pieces of sand paper as the paint "gunks up" on my sandpaper. I used one piece on all 4 of these chairs, and here is what it looked like when I was done.... still perfectly usable for the next distressing project! I also liked the "chippy" look this paint had when distressed. They looked well loved!

The final step I took was applying a finishing wax. There are several brands out there, and I have a couple of favorites. The one I used for this project was Briwax in natural. I simply dipped a rag into the tub, and picked up a little at a time, wiping all surfaces of the chairs. When I had finished, the chairs had just the look I was going for, and the wax gave them a nice hard finish. Here they are, ready to be pulled up to a rustic farm table, or perhaps a modern white tulip table. Chairs like these mix well with many styles!

Thank you so much, Kathleen, for having me here today! I hope you will pop over and visit me at my blog!

Corn Cakes with Tomato Avacado Relish

2012-02-01T16:10:00.001-05:00

I wasn't quite sure about this recipe when I first saw it at Annie's Eats, but I've been a little more adventurous with my cooking lately so I decided to give it a go. My man is a very "meat and potatoes" kind of guy, so I was pleasantly surprised when he said he liked this meal. Of course, it would probably be best with fresh corn, garden tomatoes and soft avocado. But I did my best with it being winter and all.

Photo annies-eats.com

Corn Cakes with Tomato Avocado Relish (go to the site for a printer friendly version)

Yield: 12 cakes
Ingredients:
For the corn cakes:
3 large ears of corn, shucked
1 cup all-purpose flour
½ cup cornmeal
¼ cup red onion, finely diced
¼ cup thinly sliced fresh basil
1 tsp. baking powder
½ tsp. baking soda
Coarse salt and freshly ground pepper
2 large eggs, lightly beaten
2 tbsp. buttermilk (I used milk didn't seem to make a difference)
2 tbsp. unsalted butter, melted
Canola or vegetable oil, for frying

For the relish:
1 large tomato, cored and chopped
1 scallion, minced
1 tbsp. minced fresh basil
1 clove garlic, minced
Juice of half a lime
1½ tsp. olive oil
1½ tsp. white wine vinegar
Coarse salt and freshly ground pepper
1 ripe avocado, pitted and diced

Ranch dressing, for serving (optional)

Directions:
Cut the corn kernels off of the cobs and place in a large bowl. Place 2 cups of the corn kernels in the food processor and pulse several times, until the corn is slightly pureed but still chunky. Scrape the mixture into the bowl with the remaining corn kernels. Add the flour, cornmeal, onion, basil, baking powder, and baking soda to the bowl. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Stir to mix well. Add the eggs, buttermilk, and butter, and stir just to combine.

To make the salsa, combine all of the ingredients except the avocado in a medium bowl and mix well to combine. Cover and refrigerate until ready to serve, up to 2 days. Just before serving, mix in the avocado.

Place a large skillet over medium heat. Add just enough oil to barely cover the bottom of the pan and heat until sizzling hot. Scoop the batter into the skillet a heaping tablespoon at a time, cooking the cakes in batches of 4 or 5 so that they are not touching. Fry 1-2 minutes per side, until golden brown.

Transfer the cooked cakes to a wire rack and repeat with the remaining batter.

Serve immediately topped with the relish and drizzled with ranch dressing, if desired.

Come back tomorrow for a guest post from Cassie at Primitive and Proper

Gift wrapping station

2012-01-30T10:42:00.000-05:00

For my gift wrapping station I use one of my old dressers. It works perfectly for easy storage of all my gift wrapping needs :)

This dresser sits in our guest bedroom and was handed down from my in laws. It's a piece I will most likely never paint.

On the left I have various ribbons the right side holds my collection of tissue paper

The middle drawer is a variety of gift bags I've saved and re-used over the years.

I'm a firm believer in taking bags home from parties and using them again.

And in the bottom drawer, the wrapping paper.

Be inspired to work with what you've got.

Please send your inspiration projects along to me to be featured.

betweenblueandyellow@yahoo.com

B&A Friday

2012-01-27T10:22:00.001-05:00

If you would like to be featured for B&A Friday please send your pictures to betweenblueandyellow@yahoo.com

It can be anything you want, just as long as you have a before and after pic.

Today I have a couple of cute little side tables to share with you.

These are from Lisa over at Before meets After

She has some really great furniture re-do's over there.

And this great little gray side table is such an improvement.

Head on over and check out Lisa's work~

Have a great weekend!

Be my guest: Lily Field

2012-01-26T09:00:00.004-05:00

Today I would like to introduce you to a new blogger named Heidi from Lily Field.

She and her husband Chris work together to create some stunning furniture and color combos

Here are some of her pieces that I really love.

Welcome Heidi!

I am so excited to be guest posting today for Kathleen! I am Heidi and I am half of the face behind Lily Field Furniture. My man Chris does all of the hard work so you get to see a picture of him too! This is us on probably the one day of the year that I didn’t have paint clothes on!

I thought today I would tell you a few of my favorite things so here we go-
1. Brushes. I love my brushes like a normal woman loves her shoes. I am weird like that. I am a Purdy fan all the way. They are a bit pricier but you will be amazed at how great of a job they will do. Now that I have jumped on the Annie Sloan train, I also do love the big Italian waxing brushes that she suggests using with her wax. I like to have 2- one for clear wax and 1 for dark wax.
2. Paint. I have tried all different brands and for me personally I have found that Sherwin Williams works the best with my sprayer. Something about the consistency and coverage- highly recommend! Plus, there is this nifty little app called ‘color snap’ on my phone that lets me take a picture of anything and then translates it to a Sherwin Williams color for me. So much fun for a geek like me! As I mentioned above, I also now use a lot of Annie Sloan paint. I really am in love with her product. It’s great for someone like me that lives in the frigid Midwest to be able to paint inside and not worry about the fumes and chemicals my family is breathing in.
3. Sealers. When I am using normal latex paint, I swear by a sealer called Varathane. It comes in a few different finishes (satin, semi-gloss, gloss, etc) and does a great job of not yellowing those light pieces. If I am using Annie Sloan paint, I really, really like her own Annie Sloan wax. It took me awhile of playing with it to figure out how to best use it I admit. Now that I have the hang of it I am in love with it!
How about just a few of my favorite every day things, not painting related?
1. THIS coffee machine! I have had the Tassimo and all of those fancy machines but there is something about this machine that I love! It is awesome because it has the hot water dispenser right next to it so you can always have hot water for tea or cocoa or oatmeal. And the coffee it brews just tastes so much better than my cheap old Mr. Coffee machine did.
2. THIS perfume. If you like the smell of vanilla, this stuff is amazing! I found it a year ago when I was strolling through Anthropologie and have been hooked on it ever since. I can’t find it on their website but they do carry it in stores. SO worth the $18!!
3. THESE tea cookies- highly addicting!! Try them and you will thank me!
Well, I hope you have enjoyed my ramblings and thanks again Kathleen for letting me guest post today! Come on over to Lily Field and check us out!

The old man is snoring

2012-01-23T10:39:00.000-05:00

We've been getting an awful lot of rain here in Atlanta for the past few days. Not to mention it has been kind of cold too. So our outings have been very limited, so has my work. But today I'm trying to figure out how I'm going to get up the nerve to take these kiddos to the grocery store. It's hard enough on a regular day, but throw some rain into the mix and well...ya know...

Here is some fun we've been having around the house.

I brought in some pretty cuttings from the yard to cheer up our dreary day.

Found an awesome play dough recipe on Pinterest via An Art Nest and my girl played with it for an hour straight. No lie.

A whole lotta this,

and this

What can I say this girl loves to bounce. I can't believe she is five months.

The weather is supposed to be nice tomorrow, but then more rain later this week...

I hope to get started on a new awesome piece I found on the side of the road.

Winner of the Giani Granite Paint

2012-01-22T11:45:00.002-05:00

Thank you to all of you who entered to win the Giani Granite Paint.

The winner is.....

Commenter #5

ScrappinMT!!

Congratulations! Please contact me with your address and which kit you would like to receive.

betweenblueandyellow@yahoo.com

B&A Friday

2012-01-20T09:56:00.000-05:00

Happy Friday y'all.

Today I'm bringing you a before/after from Cindy at Cameras and Chaos. She made over this cute little chair for only $11!

Welcome Cindy.

This chair started out in really good shape. it's a nice heavy cast iron. not a bad paint job and the cushion was in great condition. the paint job was a little beat up, but that's to be expected with it's age. the original fabric for the seat cover under this tapestry was an olive green velvet.

the tapestry seat cover was pretty but a little old-fashioned looking.
the legs were gracefully curved and
the back had a pretty flower and vase detail.

The gold detail is always the first clue that something is dated.
i felt that it needed a dose of fun and modern
so
i sprayed it a glossy white paint and recovered the seat in a fun, modern and graphic fabric.

chair: craigslist $5.00
fabric: hobby lobby about $2.50
spray paint: home depot $3.50
total: $11.00

What a deal! Great job Cindy :)

Be inspired:Free Art

2012-01-19T10:00:00.000-05:00

From now on I will be trying to post inspiring projects from myself and others. If I come across something on Pinterest, around the blogasphere or if you would like to send in an idea. It must be something you would like to share to help inspire others to make their home lovely.

I've been known to frame my share of pretty note cards I receive from friends and family members. I also like to frame pretty calendar pages. Today I will share a couple with you. It's an easy, usually free, piece of art work if I have an extra frame lying around.

Several years ago my cousin sent me this pretty card. What to do with a pretty card you don't want to throw out? Put a frame on it!

Or how about tearing out one of your favorite monthly pictures from a calendar

(pink flowers on the left).

And this nice card my mother in law gave me.

Be inspired.

Cinnamon Apple Bread

2012-01-17T10:49:00.005-05:00

First, let me start by saying that I only post the recipes that received rave reviews in my house. Not just any old recipe makes the cut for the blog. They all must audition first. Then after careful thought and consideration, I post them to share with you all.

I found this one at Two Peas and their Pod. Gotta give credit where credit is due.

Cinnamon Apple Bread

Ingredients~

1 1/2 cups all purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 teaspoons cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon all spice
1/4 teaspoon ground cloves
2 large eggs
1/4 cup canola oil
1/4 cup applesauce
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 cup granulated sugar
2 cups chopped apples, skin removed (we used Granny Smith)

Topping:
2 tablespoons brown sugar
1 tablespoon sugar
1 teaspoon cinnamon

Directions:

1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Spray an 8 by 4 loaf pan with cooking spray and set aside.

2. In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, all spice, and cloves. Set aside.

3. In the bowl of a stand mixer, add the eggs and beat on medium speed for about 30 seconds. Add in oil, applesauce, and vanilla and mix until smooth. Next, add the sugar and mix until well combined.

4. Slowly add in the flour mixture and mix until flour is barely combined. Gently fold in the apple chunks. Pour batter into prepared loaf pan.

5. In a small bowl, mix together brown sugar, sugar, and cinnamon. Sprinkle over the batter in the loaf pan. Bake for 50-55 minutes, or until loaf is golden and a toothpick comes out clean.

6. Cool bread in pan for 10 minutes. Loosen sides and remove from pan. Cool completely on a wire rack
before slicing.

Don't forget to enter the Giani Paint give away!

Giani Granite Paint Review and Give Away

2012-01-16T14:25:00.004-05:00

For the past two years, I have been greatly considering painting our cheapo-fake butcher block counter tops. We obviously could not afford to get what I really wanted, which was marble. So I decided to try the next best thing, paint! I had seen the Giani Granite Paint before and thought it was really cool.. But not sure it was for me. I put it on the back burner. Well, low and behold they contacted me and asked if I would try it out and review it on my blog… I felt like it was meant to be. (They are extremely nice folks over there.)
I started the project last Thursday and wrapped it up on Saturday. There is a lot of waiting time involved. I knew I had to get rid of sticky fingers that would be touching the wet paint, so off went my 2 year old to her grandparents.
The steps are clearly noted on the web and the DVD they send you, so I’m not going to repeat what you can already find. I will how ever share with you some of the videos I watched on You Tube that helped me. This one and this one about veining.
They say you don’t have to be a creative person to make this look good, but I disagree. It does help the paint look more real if you spend extra time and a bit of creativity on your project.

My first tip would be to find an example of the type of granite you wish to recreate for your kitchen. Giani offers 3 different kits. The out come is really up to you. There are so many different ways of doing it. I wanted a lighter color so I chose the Sicilian Sand kit. I used a lot more white paint near the end to achieve my desired look.

2. Make sure you watch the DVD included several times to really understand how to paint it on . Use the internet to search out all the other bloggers who tried this. Also watch You Tube videos, there are many.

3. Follow all the steps. It really does make a difference if you miss one...not that I did, oh no not me....

When I first started, I thought I had made a mistake in doing this. But everything started to come together once I was half way around the kitchen. I began to feel more comfortable and started being more creative. And then the paint started to take on a life of it's own :) Over all my husband and I are very happy with the end result. I think once I finish my cabinets and paint the wall it will look like a brand new kitchen at a fraction of the cost.

Please feel free to contact me with any questions.

GIVE AWAY IS CLOSED

Link Parties~

Domestically Speaking

Primitive and Proper
The Sasse Life
Finding Fabulous

Today

2012-01-13T13:17:00.000-05:00

Today I'm guest blogging over at Primitive and Proper. Cassie is a wonderful girl who also does furniture re-dos. She is very creative and sweet, so hop on over there and check out my cool tips for staining a dresser top.

Also.... here is a little sneak peak of the project I've been working on.

10 points to whoever can guess what it is....

Be my guest:Lesley Graham

2012-01-12T09:00:00.003-05:00

I've accidentally posted this twice. So sorry for the confusion...
Today I'm having my first ever guest blog post. Lesley Graham is a dear friend of mine and a very talented seamstress and blogger. Please head on over and check out her amazing creations in her new Etsy shop.

Hello Between Blue and Yellow readers! I'm Lesley. Kathleen and I go way back to high school (actually middle school, but we weren't friends then). When she asked me to guest post, I was a little stumped on what to talk about because she is miss DIY (her furniture pieces amaze me) and I'm DIsometimesmaybe. One thing we definitely have in common is that we are both working from home while raising kids. This year I'll be putting all of my extra energy into my new shop, Tiny Fete, while keeping up with my three year older daughter, Matilda.

Carryall available here.

A few things I've learned in my first week of working from home:

Don't count on naps.

Clean as you go so you aren't spending all of your time at night cleaning. This makes watching things like Vampire Diaries a lot easier.

GET OUT. In the winter cabin fever tends to sneak up on us and kids feel it too. Even running morning errands is good for everyone.

Try and keep working hours. I find that having a set start to my day is really motivating. The alarm still needs to go off at a certain time each day.

These two things make me feel pulled together, even if I'm totally not: 1. Getting dressed right away and 2: Making my bed.

Did I leave anything out that some of you pros want to school me on? I'm ALL ears. - Lesley

Thanks, Kathleen!

Garlic Potatoes

2012-01-11T09:00:00.001-05:00

These potatoes....seriously so good

you must try, if you don't mind consuming a bit o' butter.

Countryliving.com

1 pound medium russet potatoes, peeled and sliced into 1/4-inch-thick half-moons
4 tbsp unsalted butter, melted, for potatoes
Salt
Freshly ground pepper
1 tbsp unsalted butter
3 cloves garlic, chopped
3 tbsp chopped fresh parsley leaves
1 ounce pecorino cheese, grated (about 1/4 cup)

Preheat oven to 400 degrees F. In a large baking pan, toss potatoes and 4 tablespoons melted butter together. Season with 1/2 teaspoon salt and 1/4 teaspoon pepper. Spread potatoes in a single layer and roast until golden, about 35 minutes.
Meanwhile, in a small skillet over medium heat, melt remaining butter. Add garlic and cook until golden, about 3 minutes. Stir in parsley. Remove pan from heat and set aside.
Transfer potatoes to a serving dish. Pour garlic-butter mixture over potatoes and gently toss to mix. Sprinkle with cheese and serve hot.

Crafty Trade

2012-01-10T09:00:00.018-05:00

My sister Jamie and I decided to do a trade of our services. I offered her one of my dressers for her sweet daughters room, and she is going to help me paint my kitchen! Jamie has her own blog where she shows off her many talents. She creates some wonderful baby blankets, aprons and shoulder bags. Go on over and pay her a visit. She can make you just about anything you want!

Here is the dresser for a very special little soon to be 7 year old. I worked hard to make it something that would stand the test of time. Because I can see her having this piece into her adult years.

I can’t wait to see the look on her beautiful, little face when we bring it to her house.

Link Parties
Sugar bee Crafts
Coastal Charm
I'm Topsy Turvy
The Silly Little Sparrow
Primitive and Proper
Elizabeth and Co.
The Sasse Life
Miss Mustard Seed
Fingerprints on the Fridge

Cold Air

2012-01-09T10:00:00.000-05:00

**First, I have to say that I was not compensated in any way shape or form for this review. It's just a great product and I had to share.

I don't know about you, but as soon as the weather starts to get cold so does my home. I can feel the coldness pouring in from my old window frames. I knew there had to be a better way to keep the cold out without having to wrap my windows with plastic, yuck!

So as I'm reading my This Old House mag, they recommended putting this stuff from DAP called Seal' n Peel Removable Weather Strip Caulk in the cracks of your windows. I thought it made sense, so I tracked down the stuff at a hardware store near me. The majority of the big retailers didn't carry it, shocking. This website can help you find it in your area.

Here is the best shot of what it looks like on my window.

The sealant works great! I can really tell a difference in our bedroom where it's usually 5 degrees colder than the hallway. And when the weather warms up again, you can just peel it off! Genius.

B&A Friday

2012-01-06T10:48:00.001-05:00

I’ve decided to start showcasing readers before and after pictures again on Fridays. So if you would like one of your projects to be featured please email me your pics at betweenblueandyellow@yahoo.com. It can be anything you want, as long as there is a before and a better looking after.

This one today comes from Jeannette at Strikes my Fancy, she did a lovely little re-do of an old trunk.

What color is more vibrant, calming, and fun all mixed into one? For me, it is a bright robin's egg blue. It can be a statement color, and accent color, or whatever you want it to be.

I painted the top, sides and then feet. I didn't saturate the wood with a layer of paint, cause I still wanted it to look a little old and rustic. The pictures, again, don't show it that well. I'm still learning this whole camera thing too...Then I had to decide on the detailing. As you can see, I opted for black. It is classic, timeless, and hot right now. Lets face it, I was pretty sure I was going to sell it on. I wanted something marketable. Let me know what you think of this lovely little thing! I love hearing back from you. (Oh and yes, it has already sold by the way.) Props to my love for seeing the potential in this!

Chicken Wild Rice Soup

2012-01-03T11:56:00.003-05:00

This is one of the best soup's I've ever had.

No, It's not fat free and no it's not ready in 20 minutes.

But the time you put in it is totally worth the effort.

Ingredients

1/2 cup butter
1 finely chopped onion
1/2 cup chopped celery
1/2 cup sliced carrots
1/2 pound fresh sliced mushrooms
3/4 cup all-purpose flour
6 cups chicken broth
2 cups cooked wild rice (I used a medley)
1 pound boneless skinless chicken breasts, cooked and cubed
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon curry powder
1/2 teaspoon mustard powder
1/2 teaspoon dried parsley
1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper
1 cup slivered almonds
3 tablespoons dry sherry (optional)
2 cups half-and-half

Directions

Melt butter in a large saucepan over medium heat. Stir in the onion, celery and carrots and saute for 5 minutes. Add the mushrooms and saute for 2 more minutes. Then add the flour and stir well. Gradually pour in the chicken broth, stirring constantly, until all has been added. Bring just to a boil, reduce heat to low and let simmer.
Next, add the rice, chicken, salt, curry powder, mustard powder, parsley, ground black pepper, almonds and sherry. Allow to heat through, then pour in the half-and-half. Let simmer for 1 to 2 hours. (Note: Do not boil or your roux will break.)

Source: http://allrecipes.com/recipe/chicken-wild-rice-soup-i/detail.aspx

Link Parties
House of Grace

Next!

2011-12-30T13:35:00.001-05:00

Am I the only one who actually looks forward to taking down the Christmas mess, I mean decoration. After Christmas day, all of my lovely decor that has been up since the beginning of December is now starting to wear on my nerves. Including the fact that all of my girls toys are scattered all over the living room, and the pretty wreath that I made is now dry and brittle and shedding all over my mantel. It all has me a little excited today to get it all back to normal.

Anywhooie, I’ve been obsessing just a little bit about our kitchen. Not much has happened since we moved in 4 years ago, we haven’t really had the funds. But I’ve been doing a lot of research and realized you don’t have to be Donald Trump to have your dream kitchen.

Here are some colors that have been bouncing around

Linen white, Storm Cloud Gray,and Wythe Blue

I fell in love with this color pallet when I saw them on this house.

The gray I want for my walls is darker though.

I can’t wait for a weekend with out any interruptions so I can at least start priming my cabinets. I will just have to continue to be patient because I know this is a long project I am about to embark on.

Have a wonderful New Year!!

What are your plans?

Merry Christmas to me

2011-12-28T13:13:00.001-05:00

It took 4 years 3 months and several days for us to finally update our corroded, old faucet. For some reason it just took a back seat to all the other stuff we were replacing. Yet I always longed for a new one. With some gift money from the folks I went ahead and splurged on a new faucet.

I'm so excited because this signifies the beginning of our kitchen update. We tend to take baby steps when doing any project around the house. Take our basement for example. We started it about a year ago, and have yet to finish. But the kitchen will be done faster, because I care a little bit more about it.
Getting this faucet off included two trips to Lowes, and a visit to my neighbor to borrow some tools. The bolt holding the old faucet was so corroded that it just crumbled into bits when the hubs tried to unscrew it.

Yuck and double YUCK!

ahhhh.....

Next comes the counter tops, I'm looking forward to showing you what I will do. Until then you will just have to guess...I will also be doing the cabinets and the walls. Hopefully be starting in the new year!

Have a safe and happy New Year!

New Favorite

2011-12-13T14:47:00.009-05:00

~SOLD~

This cute little dresser came to me unfinished and sad. Thankfully I didn’t have to sand very much because the wood was pretty raw already.

I used a color called Redstone Blue Spruce

I strayed from my usual dark walnut top, to a lighter shade. Which I think is beautiful! There are all sorts of pretty faults in the wood.

Link Parties

Primitive and Proper
Freckled Laundry
Ginger Snap Crafts
The Sasse Life
Miss Mustard Seed
Common Ground
French Country Cottage
My Romantic Home
Chic on a Shoestring
Fingerprints on the Fridge

Clean Brushes with Hot Vinegar

2011-12-12T11:07:00.003-05:00

I pinned this a while ago from This Old House, but had yet to try it out until last week. I wasn’t going to post about it until I was sure it worked. Because let’s face it, hot vinegar?
Who would of thunk it.

So I took a pot full of vinegar and brought it to an almost boil on the stove. You could probably use a microwave as well. Then I poured it into a canister I had and let the brushes soak for about 15 minutes.

This is a brush that had been sitting outside for a while caked in paint.

And here is is after about 15 minutes. Probably should let it soak for at least 30 minutes.

I also tried it with a brush I used for stain and it didn’t work as well, nor did it work for the wood finish.

But this is a very cheap and environment friendly way to clean paint off your brushes!

Bin Pull Dresser

2011-12-07T13:40:00.010-05:00

~SOLD~

It’s a cold, blustery day here in Atlanta, and I was unable to move this monster into my house. So I had to stage it outdoors. This was fun.

With Christmas coming it’s getting harder to finish projects, but I’m finally done with this one and think it turned out great. Considering it went from hot, chunky, 80’s mess~to soft, delicate, welcome to this century….
The top was badly scratched so I had to sand it down and re-stain it.

I really like the separation of the dark wood going through the middle. This piece would be perfect for any bedroom. Or even serve as a buffet for a dining room.

Link Parties

Primitive and Proper

The Sasse Life
Fingerprints on the Fridge
Alchemy Fine Living

DIY Wreath

2011-11-30T14:10:00.005-05:00

This wreath was practically free to me. The only money I spent was about $2 for the 18” wire wreath frame. I clipped the branches off the evergreens around my neighborhood. And I had the burlap on hand. I’ve been seeing these simple, beautiful wreaths all over the place and figured I could make one just as easy.

First, I gathered different sizes of branches from the trees. If you don’t have any trees around to clip from, a lot of Christmas tree farms will give away the clippings for free.

I used some flower tape and the wreath frame to begin placing my branches

I went around the whole frame, tucking and taping the branches the way I wanted them. It took me a total 15 minutes I tell ya! Easiest project ever!

Wrapped some burlap around the top and tied a bow.

Brought in a mirror from my dining room and all the other decor I already had. Total cost of my Christmas mantel this year, roughly $2.

I hope this inspires you to decorate using existing items around your home, instead of spending unnecessary moolah on new stuff.

Link Parties

The Sasse life
Fireflies and Jellybeans

Winner of the Shower Curtain!

2011-11-22T17:14:00.001-05:00

According to Random.org the winner of the vintage shower curtain I made is

Comment #4

Andrea!

Andrea said...: I'm a follower and I love the shower curtain!; November 16, 2011 8:06 PM

Congrats girl! I will be sending it in the mail promptly.

Vintage Sheet Shower Curtain Give Away!

2011-11-16T09:24:00.002-05:00

Thank you all who have been there supporting me and sticking around while I’m still adjusting to balancing my new life with two babies. Unfortunately sometimes the blog and my work suffer, but I’m still here and continue to slowly work on new pieces.

On to the give away…

When I had the idea to make a shower curtain from a bed sheet, I got two sheets that I liked to see which one would work best.

I made this one first, a fun vintagy floral pattern.

But ultimately I settled on the second one I made, because it went better with the bathroom.

So now this other one is just sitting and waiting to be used, and I thought a reader might be interested in it. If you would like to have this for your bathroom shower, please leave me a comment and be a follower. (USA only please).

It’s a standard size shower curtain, not absolutely perfect, but looks fine once hung. It has button holes at the top.

The give away will go until Monday November 21st

Antique Wardrobe

2011-11-03T13:13:00.008-04:00

~SOLD~
This piece came from an impromptu yard sale a few weeks back. While driving down the road I saw the sign in the yard and did the drive by thing where you go reeeeealy slow and see if the people have any furniture. You know you do it too. How excited was I when I saw this piece near the end of the drive way.

I must add that it was near the end of the day and they were starting to pack up. I grinded to a halt and jumped out of the car asking how much they wanted for it.

From the looks of the picture it appears as if I did a crazy thing by painting this beautiful wood. But in reality the wood was in bad shape and needed serious cleaning.

Here’s the After

It was extremely difficult to get a good picture of what this color look like in real life. It’s Wythe Blue by Benjamin Moore.

i Love the original hardware!

This is the truest pic I could get of the color.

Link Parties~

Finding Fabulous

Fingerprints on the Fridge
Miss Mustard Seed
I heart Naptime

Bathroom Vanity Re-do

2011-11-02T09:53:00.009-04:00

I’ve been making a lot of progress on my girls bathroom re-do. I’ve finished painting the walls, hung the shower curtain and painted the vanity. Next I would like to put a frame around the mirror and hang some new pictures.

Here is the vanity before

I added some bead board wallpaper into the middle of the cabinet doors to give a more custom look.
I got it from here

Pink knobs from Hob Lob

I also did the side as well.

I need some advice as to whether or not to spray paint the hinges. I was thinking of a nickel color?

Full reveal of the bathroom soon to come!

Link Parties~

The Sasse Life

Primitive and Proper
Someday Crafts
Miss Mustard Seed
Finding Fabulous
Fingerprints on the Fridge
I heart naptime

Winner of the Poster Print!

2011-10-28T19:25:00.001-04:00

Between having a whiny, sick 2 year old and painting the bathroom, and all the other stuff I had to do today. I finally got to the winner of the give away.

I went to Random.org and entered in all 8 of the comments :) And it generated this~

The winner is Comment #1 Cassie!!!

“True Random Number Generator Min: Max: Result: 1”

(This is all I could copy and paste from the site)

Yay Cassie!!

hoooray!

Vintage Sheet Turned Shower Curtain

2011-10-27T10:20:00.006-04:00

I’m redecorating my girls bathroom. It’s been the same since we moved in 4 years ago, and I wanted something a little more girly and sweet. I’m not quite finished yet, but I did whip up this cool vintage sheet into a shower curtain.

I really love the look of the Shabby Chic shower curtains, but not the price tag. And if you’ve ever look at and felt them, they almost look and feel like an old bed sheet. Soft and worn. So in my mind I thought “I can go to the thrift store find an old sheet and make one!”

And that’s just what I did.

Do you see the blue color on the wall? That’s the new color, I’ve been a little under the weather the past few days so haven’t been able to finish. But today I’m feeling better, maybe do a little work in there. Also painting the cabinets and getting new hardware for them.

Final reveal soon to come :)

Total cost: $3 compared to $29.99 for the Shabby Chic one.

If you have a sewing machine, this is pretty easy to do.

I lined up the new one with the old one, pinned and cut it the same size. Then sewed up the rough edges, and sewed some button holes at the top. I didn't even know I had this feature on my machine but I figured it out and made them then cut them out. You could also use some grommets.

And there you have it!

Link Parties
The Sasse Life
Remodelaholic
Fingerprints on the Fridge
Someday Crafts

400 Followers Give Away!

2011-10-21T12:00:00.004-04:00

First I want to say thank you to all of you who follow along with my little ol' blog. It has been so much fun getting to know some of you.

I have reached 400 followers recently and I wanted to reward one of you with a cool gift. A poster print of your own photo from uprinting.com

Poster Printing is one of the sought after service in the Online Printing industry. It offers photo enlargements for the artistic and crafty customers.

One (1) Winner will receive a 18”x24” Poster Print

Semi gloss OR high gloss

1 business day print turnaround time *Free Shipping

Restriction: Limited to *US residents 18 years old and above only.

Here's how to enter-

(Optional)

1) I would love for you to follow along on my blog :)

2) like/follow UPrinting on Facebook and Twitter or sign up on GiveawayBlogs.com

3) Leave me a comment telling me what photo you would have enlarged if you win.

The contest will start today and end Oct 27th.

This giveaway is sponsored by UPrinting, no monetary compensation was given and I will receive a poster for hosting.

My Front Door

2011-10-17T14:54:00.005-04:00

I'm getting a little trigger happy with my paintbrush. It seems I want to paint everything in sight. It’s just so amazing what a little paint can do to freshen up, in this case my front door.
There are lots of painted front doors for the out side but I rarely see a painted door on the inside. After painting our basement door, I got inspired to do another.

Here, the door before with some paint already applied.

And after

I also used a little stain on the trim so it would stand out a little more.

What d’ya think?

This was my inspiration photo
I loved this turquoise color, but I just used what I had on had and mixed up a paler version

Link Parties

Domestically Speaking

The Sasse Life

Fingerprints on the Fridge

How To: Stain a Dresser Top

2011-10-14T14:18:00.003-04:00

Here is a step by step tutorial of how I stain my dresser tops. If you don’t know how to do this, this post is for you.
This dresser had one of the worst tops that I had ever worked with
It was covered with water rings and scratches.
Step 1: Some may not choose to do this, but I find it makes the sanding part a little easier. I choose to strip off the old varnish first. I use Citristrip I get from Lowes. It’s a better alternative to those stinky strippers of yester year. And it works great. Follow the directions on the bottle and get a good tool for scraping off the stuff. It gets pretty messy so wear some gloves.
After you scrape it all off and it’s dry move on to the next step.
Step 2: (You must have a sander for this part) Sand the heck out of it with some 60 or 80 grit paper. I recently got an orbital sander and it works great. It will take a bit of elbow grease, but it will be worth it in the end. I also highly suggest you get a nice breathing mask, it’s probably not a good idea to be breathing in that dust. After this sanding part, go over it again with a 120 grit to get the top smooth.
Step 3: Make sure you clean the top of all dust. I just use a wet rag and wipe it down several times. Allow it to dry completely. Then if you want a more even distribution of the stain, I recommend using a wood conditioner. I use Minwax Pre-Stain Wood Conditioner. Follow directions on can.
Step 4: Get the stain you want to use, I use Dark Walnut by Minwax. Use a good quality brush and begin to paint it on with the wood grain. Allow it to sit for as long as you want. They longer you let it sit the darker it will be. However try not to let it completely dry. You will want to wipe off some after 15 min or so. If it’s not dark enough for you, do this process again.
Step 5: Once you achieve your desired color, allow it to dry. You can also brush some polyurthane on top as a protective coat and to make it shiny. Clean your brush right away, because the stain is a b*%$@ to get off when it dries.

So there you have it. My basic 5 steps for achieving a beautiful dark stained top like the ones you see here.

Green Dresser #2

2011-10-05T10:32:00.007-04:00

***SOLD**

Okay, so I'm sure you've guessed by now that I love the color green. Proven here, here, and most recently here.
With this dresser I decided to make it look similar to green dresser #1 because it has been the most popular piece of furniture so far.

This was one U-G-L-Y you ain't got no alibi piece before

After, with dark stained top

The color is Pine needle by Eddie Bauer

This piece would be perfect as a buffet or a TV console

The cabinets open up to reveal two more drawers.

The drawers could be removed to make room for DVD player, or video game system

Link Parties

Primitive and Proper

Perfectly Imperfect
Coastal Charm
House of Grace
Momma Hen's Coop
No Minimalist Here
Thrifty Decorating
Fingerprints on the Fridge
Finding Fabulous
Miss Mustard Seed

Another Sewing Table

2011-09-27T11:32:00.011-04:00

Finally, after 4 weeks after having a baby, I was able to start on a new piece!

I had pinned this photo from Design Sponge a while back

I fell in love with the distressed green, and was determined to recreate it.

I like to use what I have on hand, so the green doesn't match up exactly. But I love the way it turned out.

So allow me to introduce Mr. green

Here it sits in my foyer.

And I also just picked up a dresser last night, that I can't wait to get started on!

This is a custom mix of green, white, yellow and brown paints I already had.

Link Parties
Primitive and Proper
Between Naps on the Porch
Coastal Charm
House of Grace
Sugar Bee Crafts
A Beach Cottage
Perfectly Imperfect
Crafty Scrappy Happy
Miss Mustard Seed
Fingerprints on the Fridge
Finding Fabulous
The Sasse Life
Fall Pinterest Challenge

Our little girl

2011-09-05T17:35:00.001-04:00

Just wanted to let you all know that we welcomed the newest member of our family on 8/28.

I look forward to getting back to work on the furniture soon.

But it may be hard to stay away from this face for too long :)

From Office to Nursery

2011-08-23T12:30:00.007-04:00

Two days before our baby girl is due, we finally finished her room. We were on a limited budget so most everything is re-used from her big sister or from other parts of the house. However, I did sew some new bedding for the crib, which only cost about $15.

Here is the room when we first moved in.

Instead of painting the shelf for this table, I decided to cover it in the same fabric as the bedding.

I just used some Mod Podge, cut the fabric to size and pressed it on.

Yesterday a rude man yelled out to me at the gas station and said

"Looks like you're ready to pop!"

Nice.

Link Parties
Finding Fabulous
Domestically Speaking
Remodelaholic

Painted Door

2011-08-11T15:14:00.002-04:00

We are still working on getting our basement fixed up. It has been a long process, mainly because it's not really a priority. One of the problems is the fact that I can't see it most of the time. I only go down there to get something maybe once or twice a month. So it's been neglected to say the least. But over the weekend I started sprucing it up a bit and finally painted the door going out side.

Much. Better.
The next step will be painting the floors. That will have to wait .
But this is a major improvement.
This is a mix of white, blue and green paint I had in my paint collection.

Sweet Side Table

2011-08-05T11:00:00.004-04:00

I finally got around to painting this cute handmade side table for our new baby girl's room. It has been sitting in our kitchen collecting dust, for close to a year now. But with some free time and a burst of energy I hauled it out side and got to work.
Usually, I'm not a fan of pink. But for some reason, I've felt this piece should be a soft, delicate pink to go with the crib bedding.

Before

~Link Parties~
Miss Mustard Seed
Fingerprints on the Fridge
Remodelaholic
Finding Fabulous
Primitive and Proper

Crib

2011-07-28T16:33:00.002-04:00

It's amazing how ready one can get for the first baby. Then when the second one comes along your scrambling to get the room in order when you arrive home from the hospital. Thankfully though I've got the bed all set. Still working on some pictures for the walls, but hey, I've still got 3 weeks right?
My wonderful cousin, who has been ever so helpful in giving hand me downs from her girls, gave me her old crib set. It wasn't really going with the wall color, so I re-covered it in new fabric.
Sorry, no before shot....

I used the pattern from the old covering and cut out each piece. This was a very easy project, if you can sew a straight line you can do this too. Check out my tutorial from the other crib bumper I made.

Full room reveal still to come!

New Piece For Sale

2011-07-21T09:55:00.009-04:00

**SOLD**

Maybe it's the whole "Nesting" thing, but I've been on a role with furniture lately. I don't know how I find the energy, but I'm thankful it's there!

We also could really use the money, so maybe that's where my motivation is coming from.

I got this lovely antique dresser on Craigslist. I paid a little more than I usually do, but it had so much potential.

I used a can of paint my sister so generously donated to me, it's a cool green/gray.

Here is the before (Craigslist photo)

I just want to whistle at these legs, they are so lovely.

Please send me an email if you are interested in this dresser

betweenblueandyellow@yahoo.com

Link Parties

Ms. Blue

2011-07-14T09:46:00.007-04:00

I'm very excited to be sharing this piece with you today. As most of you know I'm about 8 months preggo, so I have not been doing much work on furniture these days. But I was literally itching to do something, so I picked up this great piece for $25. We've been needing something in our living room for the tv/toys to be stored in.

Before

I used a mix of dark blue and a dark grey I had on hand.

Linking to~
Primitive and Proper
Perfectly Imperfect
Miss Mustard Seed
Just a Girl

Spray Painted Wicker

2011-06-20T11:36:00.002-04:00

A while back I bought this cute little wicker seat for $40.

And not until just recently have I decided on a color to spray paint it.

Being almost 7 months pregnant, spray paint is the way to go.

With proper breathing protection of course.

Here it is after a couple coats of brown

First, I used a wire brush to chip off some of the peeling white paint, then I primed it with a spray paint primer. After it was dry, I used a brown Rustoleum paint, two coats.

It's a lovely spot to sit and relax.

Keep your eye out for these old wicker pieces, they are very easily fixed with a little paint.

Link Parties
Primitive and Proper

Room Reveal

2011-06-03T10:01:00.005-04:00

Over the past few weeks, I've been slowly finalizing the look of my daughters big girl room. She's adjusted fairly well to her new bed, however she does get up earlier now :(. She is 2 years old and very independent. So when she wakes up and comes to find me, she starts rummaging through all my stuff until I get up.
We love her dearly and it's been so much fun to watch her transition from a baby into a toddler.

Here is the room waaaay before (with old camera)

It was difficult to get a nice shot of the whole room, so here it is in pieces.

I decided to do somewhat of a gallery wall above her bed. She loves flowers and they go nicely with the green walls.

See the full bed reveal here
and the dresser re-do here

The glider chair will soon be transported into the babies room.

Budget Breakdown:

All of the picture frames, mattress, glider, bookshelf, I already had. The bed was free. $40 for the dresser, $40 for the bedspread. The curtains I got for $10 a panel on clearance at TJ Maxx.

And so in all I spent about $100 on this re-do.

Not too bad, if I do say so myself.

Link Parties
Remodelaholic

My Out Door Space

2011-05-19T09:11:00.003-04:00

Two posts in one week whoa, slow down!

I love participating in fun linky parties and today is no exception. When I heard that Kate over at Centsational Girl is hosting today's party, I couldn't resist. She is talking about outdoor spaces, and I love mine. We are outdoor loving people and I've worked hard on my space and wanted to share it with you all.

The pergola was here when we moved in, shaded by a large Fig tree.

It allows the perfect amount of sunlight to filter through.

I have a mixture of plants this year. Begonias, impatiens, marigolds, and many others not shown.

Check out other outdoor spaces here
also linked here
CSI Project

Big Girl Bed

2011-05-16T10:02:00.003-04:00

I must say that I have really missed blogging and painting furniture. I peruse Craigslist and envision all I could do with the pieces I find. But my husband tells me I must wait until I'm ready to start refinishing again before I buy anything.
Working on this bed for my daughter was so fun, but I realized I wouldn't be able to do it once a week like I used to.
This bed, I believe, came from my great grandmother. I slept on it as a child and now my daughter will sleep on it. It's been a great piece of furniture, and I almost hated to paint it...almost.
Over the past 100 years or so, it had it's fair share of dents and scratched. Along with some mysterious green stuff.

Here is the before

I sanded it lightly just to get a smooth surface, and then primed it with Kilz oil based primer. I then followed up with two coats of Greek Villa by Sherwin Williams. (The same color I used for this dresser )
Finally I distressed the edges with a sander.

We allowed her to watch us take apart her crib and put the bed together, so I think that really helped.

I did put a bumper on the side, just in case.

She slept on it for the first time last night and did great,

She was so excited, the transition went better than expected.

I found the bedspread at TJ Maxx.

The rest of the room is still in progress. I want to hang some pictures and move in this dresser.

I will be showing the final reveal soon....along with the new baby's room!

Linky Parties
Sugar Bee Crafts
Coastal Charm
House of Grace
Primitive and Proper

Updated Bistro Chairs

2011-04-27T17:24:00.005-04:00

Remember these great bistro chairs I got a while back for $10. I painted them back in the fall, but never really liked the color all that much. So yesterday I got out some green paint I've had for awhile just to see if I'd like it better. And I did.

Here is what they looked like when I first got them

After the first paint job, the light green/blue wasn't doing it for me.

and now, perfectly green

This picnic basket was not being used, so I turned it into a planter.

Happy Wednesday!

Linking to-

Primitive and Proper
Centsational Girl
Domestically Speaking
Miss Mustard Seed

B&A Friday

2011-04-22T15:03:00.003-04:00

I decided to share a little something of my own today. Since I'm not really doing much with furniture these days, I've been walking around my house saying "What can I paint today?"

I think I may have a bit of an addiction to turning something from ugly to pretty.

I got this mailbox at a thrift store a long time ago, it was the exact same one my parents had in the 80's that held pens and paper.

Now, I'm going to use it for stationary, pens and other mailing needs.

I love the little detail of the flowers.

I hope this inspires you to paint a little something over the weekend!

Link Parties
Fingerprints on the Fridge
Remodelaholic

Blog Break

2011-04-12T10:46:00.000-04:00

Some of you may have noticed I haven't been posting nearly as much in the past few weeks. And it will probably continue to be like that for a while.

To put it simply, life is getting in the way.

My tummy is getting bigger, and there are less projects I feel like completing.

So I wanted you all to know that I thank you so much for you encouragement and support during this venture in my life.

But, as far as this blog goes, it has to take a back seat for a while. Not sure how long, but I will post when the mood strikes me. There are a few projects that I will be sharing in the upcoming months. But posts will continue to be few and far between.

Hopefully most of you will follow along, until I get back into the groove of furniture painting.

Thanks again!

~Kathleen

DYI Project- Painted Frame

2011-04-06T13:13:00.001-04:00

Sorry folks for my lack of furniture re-dos, but I have not been very lucky lately finding cool pieces.
I will be updating my old antique bed for my daughter soon, and I hope to share that with you in the next few weeks.

However, I have been itching to paint something. I've had this old, honey colored frame for years and thought I'd try a technique I use on my furniture.

First, I lightly sanded the wood. And then started painting it with a pale blue/gray I had on hand.

Once it dried I used the sand paper to lightly distress the edges.

Then I rubbed some dark stain into the sanded parts, and wipe it off with a clean cloth.

Took me less than 15 minutes (not including drying time).

I see these at thrift stores all the time, I may try it with a more ornate frame next time.

B&A Friday

2011-04-01T09:00:00.001-04:00

It seems the weather can't make up it's mind whether or not to be Spring or stay Winter. I'm so very eager to start planting pretty flowers in the yard. The weather in GA has always been like this, my mom says "If you don't like the weather in Georgia, wait 5 minutes."

So, on to another addition of Before and After Friday. I love to get your pics so if you'd like a chance to be featured here please send over any before/after shots.

Here's another amazing re-do from A little place called home sweet home

Here is her hutch before

After

Love the chicken wire!

Great job Leah, thank you :)

Burlap Bulletin Board

2011-03-29T18:03:00.004-04:00

I decided to do a quick little project today, took me less than and hour. I saw this photo a while ago, can't remember where.

I loved the look of the burlap bulletin board, so I decided to make a smaller version of my own.

I had an old picture frame from the thrift store that I had already spray painted white.

The picture in the frame was made out of a hard white board, so I used that as the "bulletin" piece. You can probably find this board at any craft or home improvement store.

I cut out and hot glued a piece of burlap around the board. Pulling it taught as I went.

Then put the board into the frame and stapled around the edges, through the board and into the wood on the back of the frame.

Very easy!

Once the baby comes, we are moving the office downstairs. This new bulletin board will be a perfect addition when it's all set up.

Link Party
Today's Creative Blog

Spring Green

2011-03-21T09:00:00.018-04:00

I chose to paint this dresser in a lovely, soft green. It's almost turquoise, reminded me a lot of this petite dresser I did awhile ago. Did I mention how happy I am that Spring is finally here...

I loved the green color against the wood. For the top, I lightly sanded it and left it as is.

With this dresser I tried out a different technique. This time instead of sanding after I painted, I just used a damp rag to wipe some paint off the edges before it dried.

The paint color is a mix of two different "oops" paints. One a dark green and the other a pale grey/blue. I mixed enough together to achieve the look I wanted.

Link Parties
Between Naps on the Porch
Keeping it Simple
DYI Showoff
Making the World Cuter
Primitive and Proper
Miss Mustard Seed
Fingerprints on the Fridge
Finding Fabulous
Remodelaholic
Centsational Girl

B&A Friday

2011-03-18T14:47:00.000-04:00

Today is the perfect day to paint. Crisp, clear and dry. It's about 80 degrees here in Atlanta and I couldn't be happier. Sunday is the first day of Spring, cold weather good riddance!!
I've been working on a couple new dressers, so hopefully I will have a reveal for you next week. I've been moving pretty slowly, since I'm really starting to poke out now. Finally had to delve into my maternity pants :( And I have been feeling the baby move a lot the past few days.

Now on to the B&A, this one was sent to me by Margaret from

Sugar and Spackle

Her story...

My husband and I live in a rental and I gave our bedroom a major face lift this weekend by making an upholstered headboard out of cardboard poster board and burlap- the whole thing only cost me $10!

Before

After

Can you believe that? Such a cute headboard!

Go on over and check out her blog to see the step by

step on how it was done~

http://sugarandspackle.blogspot.com/2011/02/10-diy-headboard.html

Paper Bag Floors?

2011-03-14T12:11:00.001-04:00

Have you ever heard of such a thing?! Well, neither had I until a reader commented on this post about painting the sub-floors in my kitchen. I started doing a little research and came across several folks who have tried this interesting endeavor.

Photo

As the crow flies

http://artistwithcamera.blogspot.com/

hmmm.. not quite sure about it, what do you think?

B&A Friday

2011-03-11T15:07:00.000-05:00

This has been a pretty uneventful week, I have been searching high and low for great pieces but just can't seem to find any. Hopefully the one I have my eye on from Craigslist will pan out. We plan to go pick it up tonight.

Anyway, here is a great little chair re-do from Leah at

Little place called home sweet home

This is so lovely, Leah says she was inspired my Miss.Mustard Seed. Aren't we all?

Click on over to little place called home sweet home to see her story and tutorial!

Have a great weekend everyone :)

Tip: Removing Contact Paper

2011-03-08T11:23:00.003-05:00

I bought this great dresser at the thrift store a while back.

Once I started to work on it, I realized all the drawers had this sticky contact paper in them.

Even worse it was stuck on so good, that every time I tried to pull it off, it ripped into tiny pieces.

I thought maybe if I put really hot water on it, it may be easier to pull off. After all it worked for my wallpaper problem. But that turned out to be a big ole' mess, so then I had the brilliant idea to try out a hairdryer. And the paper peeled off like a dream.

Some of you may have already discovered this little trick, but if not it may save you a lot of frustration on your next project ;)

Painting a Sub-Floor?

2011-03-03T09:36:00.002-05:00

I've seen several people out there in blog land, who rip up old carpet or tile and paint the sub-floor underneath and use it as regular flooring. My experience with sub-flooring is that it's paint splattered and very rough. So I really wonder how one prepares such a floor to use on an every day basis. Seems like a lot sanding would be involved, but totally worth it. What an inexpensive way to brighten up a room.

How do you like this one from

First A Dream

I absolutely fell in love with this one from Ashley at

Under the Sycamore

And Laurie from Little Blue Chairs painted the floors in her dining room

We have a the typical 80's linoleum still residing in our kitchen and I desperately want to get rid of it. But, of course it is not in our budget anytime in the near future. So maybe this might be a temporary solution.

What do you think???

Any comments or opinions on this matter would be greatly appreciated :)

DIY Ideas

2011-03-01T10:14:00.001-05:00

Lately I've been finding some neat and simple ideas in my recent magazines, so I thought I'd share them.

This is a really cute, and it's recycling. I always see old colanders at thrift stores so I think I may try this one.

It's drainage holes provide excellent drainage that a healthy root system needs.

image from Crafterholic

This next one comes from my Country Living mag

It is an idea from Camilla Fabbri at cfabbridesigns.com/blog

See how to make it here

Or how about this yard stick coat rack, looks easy enough. It's an idea from my DIY mag.

click here for the step by step

image

If you try any of these, I'd love to see how they turn out~

B&A Friday

2011-02-25T16:00:00.001-05:00

First of all, thank you so much to those of you who have submitted your pictures recently. I really love posting these and hopefully giving you a little more foot traffic. I could still use more submissions so please send over your before & after pics to be featured!

Here are a few furniture transformations that come from Julie over at The Painted Parlor. She does the same thing I do, but in Utah :)

This blue is fantastic!

Thanks again Julie! I hope you all have a wonderful weekend :)

Dresser for a Big Girl

2011-02-24T13:18:00.010-05:00

This is the lovely dresser I was telling you about. As of right now, I plan to put it in my daughters room when we update her room. I chose to go white, because I thought it would be simple and elegant. And also go with what ever bedding we choose. Originally I had thought of painting it a pretty color, but thought it might not be in style in a few years. White is always in style.

This piece had a lot of chipped veneer on the drawers, that I tried to salvage. But in the end, I just peeled it all off.

I just love the little drawer on top.

Dealing with chipped veneer is usually just a matter of fixing it with some wood filler.

But this time it was not working. So I got some tools, and started prying off the veneer. It took forever and I vowed never again to buy a piece with badly chipped veneer ever again.

But I probably will, if it's as pretty as this piece :)
The color is Greek Villa by Sherwin Williams

Link Parties
Shabby Chic Cottage
Primitive and Proper
Somewhat Simple
Miss Mustard Seed
Remodelaholic
At Home with K
Perfectly Imperfect
Alchemy Fine Living

Inspiration for Big Girl Room

2011-02-23T14:12:00.001-05:00

I'm currently working on a piece for my daughters new big girl room. We will be welcoming our little one in August and she will have to for go the crib for a new twin sized bed. I've been on the hunt for a cool old vintage/antique bed that I can spruce up. I've been looking at these photos for inspiration.

I love, love, love what Holly did for Wren over at

Life in the Fun Lane

I'm also really loving this trundle bed from

Pure and Lovely

And this headboard looks like it would be pretty easy to make

Pottery Barn

But, alas we are on a very tight budget so I will be hunting through thrift stores and Craigslist for my baby girls new room.

B&A Friday

2011-02-18T17:55:00.000-05:00

*** If I want to keep my B&A Friday going I need your submissions! ***

Please email me pics of any of your projects, doesn't matter what it is just as long as you have a great before and after to show off.

betweenblueandyellow@yahoo.com

Happy Friday! We have been having some lovely, warm weather this week, my soul has needed it.
I decided to share a couple before after furniture pieces with you today.

This cute little teal side table is from Deborah at Green Willow Pond

And this great lamp shade re-do and tutorial is so great

it comes from Lauren at 31diy

Thanks gals!

Have a wonderful weekend ;)

Lampshade Upgrade

2011-02-17T10:17:00.002-05:00

I know this has been done all over blog land, but I this is my first attempt at a lampshade re-do.

I took an ordinary lampshade off a lamp from Ikea, and wrapped it in burlap. I plan to spray paint the base in the near future

Here is the plain white shade before

Basically, I cut the burlap the same size as the lamp shade. Folding the edges of the burlap around the base of the shade, I hot glued it the the inside of the bottom of the shade.

Pulling it taut, I glued the burlap around the top.

It was a little rough around the edged so I

glued a little trim to the top rim, left over from this chair

Happy Thursday

Penne Franco

2011-02-15T13:03:00.002-05:00

This quite possibly may be my favorite pasta I've ever had. It's a copycat recipe of the one from Carrabba's Italian Grill.

It's not on the menu, just a special they've had before. I've had it many times, and finally decided it was time to try and make it. Believe me when I say this is

EASY!

Ingredients~

1 box penne pasta

2 tbsp chopped sundried tomatoes

12 artichoke hearts (in water)

4 tbsp olive oil

1/2 pack of mushrooms (sliced)

kalamata olives (as many or as little as you want)

2-3 garlic cloves (minced)

2 chicken breasts grilled, and sliced (I broiled mine)

Shredded Parmesan cheese (optional)

Salt&pepper

Preparation~

Cook you pasta according to package directions.

Pour olive oil into large pan, and saute garlic for 1-2 minutes over med-high heat. Add in mushrooms, sundried tomatoes, artichokes, and olives. Saute for several minutes, stirring frequently.

Add in the sliced, cooked chicken, and the cooked pasta. Stir until heated through, sprinkle with salt and pepper. You can add more olive oil if it seems dry. Top with shredded Parmesan.

Enjoy!

linky parties
Remodelaholic

Last Minute Valentine Ideas

2011-02-14T11:45:00.002-05:00

Here are some decorating ideas, that might put you in the mood. These are all very simple ideas, with a trip to the grocery store, they can be thrown quickly together for your sweetheart today.

I love this idea with the flowers and a vase full of Red Hots

Marthastewert.com

Simply toss some rose petals on the bed or on the floor leading to the bedroom

Or, if you don't have time for any of this, just lite some candles to set the mood.

Happy Valentine's Day!

New Piece (and some news!)

2011-02-09T09:45:00.010-05:00

I'm very excited to finally be sharing a new piece of furniture with you today. I guess, it's finally time I tell you why I've been a little MIA these past couple months. And why I probably won't be posting as much furniture. The big news is... I'm pregnant! So, between nausea and this cold weather, it has been difficult to get motivated. But by the time this baby is born in August, I plan to pick back up again at full speed. Anyway, just thought I'd mention it in case you are wondering :)

Before

After

This is the truest version of the color I could capture.

Once again, I used oops paint. The can has no label on it, so I'm afraid I can't share the color.

It's a very soft, pale blue/gray.

I stained the top dark walnut. And I'm still not sure about the pulls, I plan to replace them.

Have you ever taken pulls off another piece just to take a picture?

Happy Wednesday!

Link Parties

Primitive and Proper
Trendy Treehouse

Savvy Southern Style

Domestically Speaking

Somewhat Simple
The Shabby Chic Cottage
Beyond the Picket Fence
*Remodelaholic
Fingerprints on the Fridge
Miss Mustard Seed
Perfectly Imperfect

B&A Friday

2011-02-04T16:30:00.000-05:00

I know I'm not the only one who loves to see a great kitchen make over. I stumbled upon this blog and found this amazing kitchen transformation and just had to share!

It comes form Kelly over at

Kelly Rae Roberts

This is a serious transformation. I'm so excited to share it with you guys! we can hardly believe this is our kitchen.....

here are a few photos of our kitchen when we bought the place. it was tiny, had weird linoleum floors that had been sponge painted with green paint, and a very odd layout. oh, and there were no appliances either:

this was where the stove and refridge were (we think). it was an odd nook. you can't see it in this photo but there is a door inside that nook on the right that leads down into the basement.

here's one of photos showing kitchen demolition

And now for the grand finale

Isn't this just beautiful! A lot of work but well worth it!

Check out her blog for more pics and details.

Kellyraeroberts.blogspot.com

Chair Upholstery and Cording How To

2011-02-03T09:36:00.001-05:00

This chair was a little bit different than this one, and easier.

At first I thought I would have to take apart like the last one, but it turned out it wasn't necessary.

All I had to do was rip the old fabric off the chair. It was stapled just around the perimeter off the seat. Not folded under and stapled like most chairs.

I figured that would be the best way, look what I was up against! I wasn't about to try and take this apart.

You must make sure that you take the old fabric off gently, trying your best not to rip it. Because you will need it as a template for your new fabric.

Place the old fabric over your new fabric and cut around it. There were little notches to cut for the posts that run around the edges. Cut it out exactly like the old fabric.

Once your fabric is cut to size, either use the old batting and cushion like I did, or buy new stuff. I didn't see any reason to because it was still in good shape.

Carefully place your new fabric in the exact same place as the old. It is a good idea to take lots of pics before to know precisely where everything was.

Staple the fabric around the perimeter, pulling it tight as you go. I didn't take a pic of this part.

It's not that hard though, you can always pull the staples out and start over if you mess up.

The cording~

I always thought this was going to be so hard, but really it is quite simple, if you have a sewing machine :)

I pulled the fabric off the old cording and re-covered it with the new fabric.

But if you don't have that option, you can buy it at any fabric store it looks something like this

So here is what I did. I'm not saying this is the right way because I was just winging it. I am by no means a seamstress, but this worked for me and it can work for you as well.

First I cut the piece of fabric to the length of the cord, wide enough to have extra on the sides.

I took the cording and wrapped the new fabric around it

like so.

Holding the fabric tightly closed around the cord I began to sew close to the outside of the cord

Sew all the way down to the end of you cord, it should look something like this.

Cut off the excess fabric

Now, take your new cord and hot glue it around the bottom of the seat, where the tattered edges and staples are. If you don't have a hot glue gun, I highly recommend you get one. You will use it all the time.

The finished look

You CAN do this!

Please let me know if you have further questions.

Link parties

Remodelaholic

B&A Friday

2011-01-28T10:40:00.000-05:00

Yay! It's Friday, not that it means much to me as a stay at home mom, every day is pretty much the same :)
But I am looking forward to an estate sale or two on Saturday. The temp is supposed to get to 60! I'm so over winter, I don't see how you northern folk handle it.
I have a great little before and after to share with you, I love to see ugly little half baths turn into something beautiful.

This re-do comes from Jena at Involving Color

Our half bath was the first room in our house to receive a full makeover.

Check out the before pics (with seller’s stuff):

After

I am happy to say that this is the only room in the house that had wallpaper – thank goodness! I love how the pedestal sink keeps the small bathroom feeling open, and along with the fresh paint color the room has a very airy feel. The light fixture, wall plates, and doorknob are ORB and the faucet, towel bar, and TP holder are chrome. The mirror has a gorgeous scalloped edge that catches the light beautifully. It ads an almost sparkly touch to the room.

I LOVE this wall color, check out her blog for all the details.

http://involvingcolor.com/blog/half-bath-reno/

New Chair upholstery

2011-01-27T13:39:00.004-05:00

This is my second attempt at re-upholstering a chair from the thrift store. This one is very similar to the other one I did here, but without the back cushion. This chair was much easier for two reasons. One, because I had done it before, and two because I didn't have to take the whole chair apart to put the new fabric on!

I will be doing a complete "how to" post next week to show you exactly what I did...

But for now the before pic

brown and dirty

After

fresh and clean

I choose a blue/gray linen fabric, which is soft and delicate.

Isn't she lovely?

Link parties
Somewhat Simple

Primitive and Proper

Beyond the Picket Fence

Type A

Finding Fabulous
Fingerprints on the Fridge

B&A Friday

2011-01-21T11:13:00.001-05:00

Sorry ladies and some gents... I've been a little MIA this week, well for a couple weeks now. I've just been a little preoccupied, you all know how that goes. I do plan to get back in the swing of things soon. I plan to make a trip up to my favorite thrift store next week, and hopefully come home with a great new/old piece.
So, on to the GREAT before/after for the day.

This comes from Maple & Magnolia

Here's her story....

I scored an awesome Stanley brand Armoire for a mere $25 on kijiji. Booyah.

Pretty sure I couldn’t go to Wal-Mart and buy a laminate cabinet for that price.

Well, maybe it wasn’t completely awesome but it had great potential.

Here are some before shots.

It had a bad paint job, tons of flowers and cheesy stenciling. Not my thang. So I painted it inside and out in Benjamin Moore Pike’s Peak Gray. And glazed it in Benjamin Moore Wolf Gray. It was supposed to go in my craft room but it was too stinkin heavy to make it up the stairs. So it’s now in our foyer which is actually pretty convenient.

I replaced the missing shelf and then added a pegboard and a bulletin board to the inside of the doors.
I used containers from Dollarama to organize all my supplies. There was even a spot for my Cricut machine!

This is one of my favorite furniture make overs of all time. I could really use something like this, my crafts are scattered all over the room. I'm totally inspired, how about you??

Have a great weekend :)

B&A Friday

2011-01-14T12:14:00.001-05:00

I've been a little MIA this week, due to the fact that we've been snowed in and my husband had to work from home. So the computer was a little tied up.
But I have some neat before and after pics to show you. I found these surfing through some of the link parties last week and thought they deserved some mention.

Here is a cute vanity from Elle over at Switcheroom

I love the bold choice in color, would look so great in a white room.

And this garage sale hutch from the folks at Triangle Honeymoon

I really like how she left some of the wood exposed, very different from others I've seen.

Thanks ladies, you did fantastic work!
Remember, you can always send me your B&A pics to be featured on Fridays!
betweenblueandyellow@yahoo.com

Devine Paint Winner!

2011-01-11T09:20:00.000-05:00

The Winner of the Paint Give Away is

Comment #8 (Random.org)

Allison!

Please contact me and let me know your address and what color you choose!

Allison said...: I love the Devine Spray or Devine Fog. I have never used Devine paint. They have a great color selection! Thanks, Kathleen, for the chance on your fun giveaway!; January 6, 2011 10:45 AM; Thank you all so much for entering! I really appreciate all of your support and kindness ;)

Snowed In

2011-01-10T16:39:00.002-05:00

Here's what it looks like at my house today

We received a record breaking amount of snow here in GA over the past 24 hours, with a thin sheet of ice on top. It's messy and dangerous, and if you live in the south, a reason for all life to be at a stand still.

It began last night and me and my hubby went out for my first snowball fight in years.

My sweet baby girl, didn't quite understand why this is supposed to be fun.

B&A Friday

2011-01-07T16:37:00.001-05:00

** Don't forget to enter the paint give away!**

I saw this great kitchen make over over at Creative Decorating on a Budget. I thought she did such a great job, I just had to share.

Here is her kitchen before

After

She did an amazing job! Doesn't even look like the same kitchen, I just love the bead board wallpaper she used on the sides of the cabinets. I hope this inspires you!

Have a great weekend :)

Paint Give Away!

2011-01-06T09:00:00.002-05:00

As promised, here is the awesome paint give away from Devine Color. They contacted me a while ago and offered to send me some paint samples. I got several great colors, and decided to use "Cayenne" for this project. This was the perfect shade of red/orange. Such a warm luscious color, I really enjoyed using it.

This was the little pouch sample I received and I used just one to paint the entire piece!

These little babies are just $4.99, if you want to try it out before you buy.

This paint goes on so smooth, rich and creamy. It really is high quality paint. They say it goes on like yogurt, and that couldn't be more true.

It also dries quickly, has low odor, and low VOC

The people over at Devine, are offering one of my readers a free gallon of paint. You can choose any color off their trend proof pallet.

**To enter the give away**
-Become a follower

-Leave a comment, and visit the site telling me which color you would choose.

Give away will end Monday, winner will be announced Tuesday morning.

Good Luck!!

I used one little pouch on a small table, just imagine how much a gallon could cover!

Back at it

2011-01-05T16:20:00.006-05:00

After I wrote this post on Monday, I realized I needed to get my butt out side and start a new project. I was feeling like the weather was too cold and all I want to do is stay inside and snuggle under the covers. But I had been doing that for too long and it was time to get back to work.
I had a little table my MIL brought to me. I thought it would be the perfect piece to try out a new paint sample I had sent to me from Devine Color. Which by the way, I will be doing a paint give away tomorrow! Devine Color is offering one of my readers a free gallon of a paint of their choice. From this selection. I will be doing a whole post dedicated to my thoughts on the paint and how you can enter for your chance to win.

But for now, all I have is a before and after. Which I know you all love.

The color is Cayenne from the Trend Proof Color Palette.
It's the perfect blend of red and orange, goes great with the dark top.

Come back tomorrow to enter for your chance to win a gallon of this fantastic paint!

Parties
http://primitiveandproper.blogspot.com/2011/01/piece-of-work-wednesday-link-party.html
http://firefliesandjellybeans.blogspot.com/2011/01/show-off-your-stuff-party-56.html

http://www.theshabbychiccottage.net/2011/01/2011-to-do-list.html

http://www.somewhatsimple.com/2011/01/sys-blog-link-party-with-anxious.html
http://ironvioletdesigns.blogspot.com/2011/01/fantastic-friday-1.html
http://missmustardseed.blogspot.com/2011/01/furniture-feature-friday-favorites-link.html

http://www.remodelaholic.com/2011/01/remodelaholics-anonymous-53-blog-link.html

http://www.justagirlblog.com/2011/01/show-and-share-day.html

http://www.fingerprintsonthefridge.com/2011/01/feature-yourself-friday.html

A little break

2011-01-03T10:47:00.001-05:00

Just wanted to let you all know I'm still here, just taking a much needed break from furniture and blogging. This holiday was so very busy, I hardly had a chance to sit down at the computer at all. But I do have some furniture in the wings, but still waiting for a day that is semi warm enough. The weather really affects my mood. I also haven't been feeling that well, so my motivation is less than zero.

Any way, here is a cute little blog I just discovered and wanted to share with you it's

Little Green Notebook or Pearl St. Interiors.

She's got some great tutorials like this ottoman, which I really want to do someday soon.

Enjoy!

Homemade Christmas

2010-12-27T11:16:00.002-05:00

Some of you may have noticed I took a few days off. But now I'm back and I can finally show you some of my homemade Christmas gifts I made this year. For several years now we all have been on a pretty tight budget, and me and my sisters make our gifts. This year was no exception. Thankfully we are all somewhat crafty and we can score some pretty cool things. Both my sisters are very artistic, one being a potter/art teacher. The other a baker, seamstress, artist, and all around crafty person.

Here is a little something I made for my mom.

I bought these small pots, painted them and then put a chalkboard label on.

And a few of the cards I made for my grandma and mom.

I used burlap cuttings for some, and rub on transfers

For these, I recycled an old calendar we had. Cutting out pictures of maps, and using Mod Podge glued them to the burlap.

We actually got a white Christmas this year! Never in my life have I seen snow here in GA on Christmas day!

It was very exciting :)

I hope you all had a wonderful holiday as well.

Making guests feel welcome

2010-12-21T10:00:00.001-05:00

I'm sure a lot of you are entertaining guests over this holiday season, and I have some helpful tips to make them feel at home in your home.

~One of the major things to remember is that most guests are unsure as to how comfortable to get at your house. Even if you make it clear they can help themselves to anything they want, you should always be sure to offer them the things they might need.

The guest room:

This should be a room that makes guests feel cozy and relaxed. If they will be staying for more than a night, be sure to have items in the room and bathroom they may need. Like towels, extra blankets and pillows, trash can, toothpaste, shampoo, soap. Sometimes my guests like to sleep with a fan, so I make sure to have a little one handy just in case. It goes with out saying that the sheets be fresh, the room vacuumed and dusted.

Even if you don't have a guest room, and they are sleeping on the pullout in the living room, try your best to make that room inviting. If you are lucky enough to have a bedroom for them, fix the bed up pretty and try to make it look homey. Have the lights on when they arrive and a place for them to put their luggage. There should be enough room in the closet for them to hang clothes.

Knowing that you went to the trouble to set the room up just for them, shows them you care and you are glad they are visiting.

~Another idea is to add some greenery to the room. If you can't afford fresh flowers, try a houseplant or some pretty cuttings from the yard.

I like to set things on the bedside table, like an alarm clock, lamp, pad & paper, or anything else you can think of.

These nice little touches really say a lot to your guest. It makes them feel special and loved.

~As far as food, you should buy quite a bit before your guests arrive. Maybe even ask what they like for breakfast, and have it for them. Lots of snacks and plenty of drinks is always a good idea.

~Make sure they know where a key is so if they are out and need to get back to the house with out you, it will be easy for them to return.

These are just some basic tips I follow when hosting,

it also helps to be a laid back and flexible hostess. Anything can happen when you have house guests.

If you have anything to add, please feel free to leave a comment :)

B&A Friday

2010-12-17T10:00:00.014-05:00

Today I decided to show some before/after shots of some basements. Since we are in the process of re-doing ours, I have been looking around for some inspiration.

For more photos go here

Lifehacker.com

lifetransplanet.com

I'm so excited to add my before after pics to this line up. I really get inspired by all of you out there who take on your own home improvement projects.

Thank you!

If you would like to be featured, please send me pictures of your before/after projects!

Betweenblueandyellow@yahoo.com

Spinach and Sausage Quiche

2010-12-16T10:00:00.003-05:00

People either love or hate Quiche. My family loves it and I plan to make this for our Christmas day brunch.

It also works well for dinner.

This is a very quick and easy meal, and I'm sure even kids will love it!

Ingredients

1 pound ground sausage (I use chicken sausage)
1/2 cup chopped fresh parsley (optional)
3 eggs
1 cup half-and-half cream
1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 (9 inch) unbaked 9 inch pie crust
2 C chopped spinach. (use less if you want)

Directions

Preheat oven to 400 degrees F (200 degrees C).
Crumble the sausage in a large skillet, cook on medium-high heat until the meat is lightly browned. Drain off the grease. Add the parsley.
In a large bowl, beat the eggs, adding the cream, spinach, cheese and salt. Pour into the sausage mixture; blending well. Pour mixture into the pie shell.
Bake in preheated oven for 25 to 30 minutes, until crust is well browned and the filling is set. Let stand 10 minutes before serving.

I'm Dreaming of a Painted Staircase

2010-12-14T09:30:00.003-05:00

I really want the stairs going down to the basement to be funky, and different. So when people see them, they say "ooooh cool stairs!" Here are some inspiration photos I've been looking at.

House of Turquoise

Southern Living

I think these are my favorite

Funky Junk Interiors

And here are our stairs so far, we managed to rip the carpet off over the weekend.
So. many. staples.

Me and my man did a happy dance when we saw that the stair treads were rounded instead of flat on the edges. Makes for a much more elegant step :)

Any ideas for painting my stairs?

Christmas Cheer

2010-12-13T09:50:00.001-05:00

Here are some photos I've taken over the past week getting ready for Christmas. I have not worked on a piece of furniture in weeks, and I'm feeling kind of sad about it. If the temp rises above 50 I'm all over it. In the meantime, I've been relaxing and taking in all the fun that is Christmas time. Take a look....

We made a trip out to a Christmas tree farm

Saw this creature, 10 points for whoever knows what this is.

Fed some very friendly goats

It also snowed over the weekend and it made for a perfect time for this

Made from scratch chocolate chip cookies, recipe from Nestle Toulouse(said like Phoebe on friends)

Does anyone remember that episode?

Quick, easy and free mantel decor, I went outside and cut some holly and used free cuttings from our local Whole Foods store. Then I just used stuff from around the house to decorate.

I hope you all have a great week!

B&A Friday

2010-12-10T11:21:00.000-05:00

This before and after comes from Julie. She bought my cute side tables a while back, and she was kind enough to share her awesome mantel make over.

I love a fireplace. We bought our house almost 4 years ago and loved the big masonry fireplace. What our poor fireplace was missing though was a good mantel. This did not deter me from buying the home. I simply thought “oh we’ll get one soon to put up there…no big deal”. Well guess what…it was a big deal. Everyone I saw in Home Depot or Lowes was just boring and didn’t seem to fit. I once bought a shelf to try but it wasn’t substantial enough. Then I decided to ask some contractors about it…their quotes were about $600. Um…no thanks…I don’t want to pay $600 for a mantel. But I really wanted one

Before

Then my good friend Robin asked what she could make me for my birthday. On top of my list was a mantel for Christmas. I have wanted to hang my stockings and have a beautifully decorated mantel every year. So she and I scoured the web and came up with a design plan. We headed out to Lowe’s and picked our wood and trim.

It’s done! And here it is all decorated for Christmas. I’m so happy! I sit and stare at it and I am so grateful that my friend loves me enough to build something so special for me for my birthday.

I love it! It looks like it has been there all along. I love a great success story don't you?

Go on over to Julie's blog to check out the rest of the story

http://juliemoonphotography.com/blog/archives/160

Burlap Stocking. Take 2

2010-12-08T10:52:00.002-05:00

I was a little more than slightly obsessed with making this burlap stocking last night. I just knew I could do it. So using this tutorial, I mentioned yesterday, took it step by step and finally finished it just now. I was very excited about how it turned out, and had to share it.

I decided to go with a different color thread, so it would go with the trim.

My daughters name will either be stitched on, or glue with glitter

See, this is the difference when I really put my mind to something.

Before After

This was my first experience with pleats, it took a few tries but I finally got it!

I'm so pleased, much better the second time around. Click here for my first attempt.

I always thought this sewing stuff looked so difficult, but with a little (or a lot) of patience one can sew almost anything!

I will continue trying new projects, I appreciate your support on this new endeavor I'm taking on. I hope you have been inspired to try something new as well.

The high here has been hanging around 40 all week, so there has been little motivation to get out on my driveway and work on any furniture. So I've had to release my creativity in other ways...

link parties
http://decormamma.blogspot.com/2010/12/marketplace-monday17th-edition.html

http://nikkisniftyknacks.blogspot.com/2010/12/gettin-crafty-on-hump-day.html

Sewing and Learning

2010-12-07T12:05:00.000-05:00

Like I've said before, I'm not a seamstress by any means. But ever since I did this bumper for a friend, I've caught a sewing bug. I've been seeing these cute burlap Christmas stocking all around. They look really easy to make so I thought I'd try it out. I found this great tutorial over at Cozy Cottage Cute, it looked easy enough. But hers is way cuter, she took the extra time to do pleats for the cuff.

Here's how my first attempt turned out

Yikes! Very messy indeed, but I will try again. Isn't that what sewing is all about, if at first you don't succeed....

I'm learning as I go along, but if it wasn't for all of you and this blog land stuff, I probably wouldn't even be attempting this.

THANK YOU!

New Project

2010-12-06T10:49:00.002-05:00

Over the weekend we finally started on the next big project for our house, the basement. Thankfully when we moved in it was already finished. Just had old yucky carpet, that we pulled up, and a bit of a moisture problem. But we now have a dehumidifier running constantly and it makes a big difference.
I plan to document our progress, and post pictures as we finish certain tasks. We plan to paint the floor, which is going to take a loooong time. Because first we have to clean it, this is going to be quite a process. It has glue from the carpet and lots of white paint splattered all over. I have a vision for it though, and I know it's going to turn out great!

Here's what it looks like currently

Several pieces of my furniture waiting their turn to be refinished.

Big ole' mess!

But soon to be a great place to play and relax.

B&A Friday

2010-12-03T10:00:00.003-05:00

This week I'm featuring a reader's DIY before and after project of her built in dining room cabinet. As well as a little project of my own with some thrift store wooden trays.

Here is Amanda's project

Pretty crazy the difference right?

I can't tell if it's real wood or not, but whatever it is she did a great job covering it up with some white paint.

She's also working on her kitchen cabinets, looking forward to seeing those pictures!

And now onto my sweet little project from the other day.

I saw these awesomely painted trays underneath some rubble at my local thrift store. I'll admit I didn't initially see their potential, but I looked deep inside and saw they could be more than what some little girl thought was good Christmas decoration. Sorry Becky Gordon 2005, but your cute little tray is no more.

Needless to say , this is the before

I'm really into burlap and Mod Podge these days, can you tell?

I allowed some of the original white snowflakes that Becky so artfully dotted around the edges, to peak through. Just for sentiments sake.

The Winner of the Chalkboard!

2010-12-03T08:00:00.007-05:00

I'm so excited to announce the winner of my very first give away,

drum roll please.......

The winner is Tracie!

I used Random.org, but I couldn't figure out how to save the image of the number, but trust me when I say the number was 6 out of 33 comments,
Thank you all SO much for entering I wish I could make chalkboards for you all, but that would take a lot of time, effort, money etc.


Tracie said...: I am already a follower.... I love to decorate and read several blogs each day! I love this chalkboard and hope I win! Thanks for the opportunity! :); November 29, 2010 9:04 AM
Congratulations Tracie you've won the cute chalkboard!
You've got the "no-reply" bug, so
please email me with your address so I can send it on it's way :)