Inspiration

I am just sharing a picture with you today. It may not be too exciting, but hopefully it can give you some inspiration and ideas. Sometimes, I see a furniture piece or fabric that I want to duplicate or refer to for future projects. I just snap a pic and keep it for future reference. I love having a phone that makes this possible and convenient. Just so you know, I have plenty of future project ideas. More and more each day.

This is a door of a cabinet I saw last month. I love the aged look, the chippiness and levels of color and texture. I will try to duplicate it for something in the master bedroom. Until then, I will keep looking at this little photo.

Line dance

Hey y'all! Last month, I had the privilege to attend a line dance class my mom has been teaching in Boulder City, NV.  She is quite good.  All the ladies in the class just love her and she really enjoys her time with them. When I found this shirt I thought it'd be a good one to re-fashion or alter and make it better suited for her. 

I paid $3.50 for this at a thrift store and laundered it once I got it home. 

I decided on the sleeve length and cut it about 1.25 inches longer than the desired, finished length. (A short-sleeved shirt is best for line dancing because you can work up a little sweat.) 

I know it is so difficult to see, but I used this little western buckle to cinch up the sleeves a bit. So cute! (Maybe I will get a pic of my mom wearing it so you can see this detail better.)

Here is a little hair clip I made to match using more buckles and a rosette. The buckles came from a past thrift store outing and I was saving them for just the right thing.

Clipboard collection

Does anyone collect clipboards? I want to, but I have only had a single one for sometime and decided to pass it along to my dad.

I think he collects them. He has two hanging up in his office. But, they are just plain old clipboards.

I decoupaged some fun orange paper on the front and back of this clipboard. Then I printed a recent family photo and decoupaged it on, too. I sent along a plate holder so he can display it in his office.

tip: I used clamps to hold the clipboard to the table and keep the 'clip' open so the modge podge could dry. 

Happy Holy Days!

For to us a child is born,

to us a son is given;

and the government shall be upon his shoulder,

and his name shall be called

Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God,

Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace.

 Isaiah 9:6

Merry Christmas!

Merry Christmas!

Here is something I got to make this week while watching Christmas movies and musicals.

I used vintage books, cardboard (some from cereal boxes), and hot glue.They are lovely for Christmas, but I plan to keep mine up year-round.

I saw it on pinterest and followed the link for tutorial details. House Revivals explained the process. She has clever ideas that I have tried out the past few months. One difference is I added a hanging ribbon to the back of mine before gluing on the second layer of cardboard.

I can't wait to give them to some friends this weekend!

Bye-bye Birdie, Hello charger!

This morning, I sat down to post and could not find the charger for the dead camera battery. The frustration of seeking but not finding provided enough energy to get some projects started and finished. I sanded down a nightstand, distressed and sealed the base of the hoosier cabinet, and completed a star shadow box. (The 5th star this week!- show you tomorrow.)

We had homemade pizza for dinner and watched Bye Bye Birdie. We'll be singing those songs for a week or so. My daughter is convinced she needs to be in this musical now. Then, my sweet husband found the battery charger just awhile ago. So, thanks, hubby!  


So, this really has nothing to do with refinished furniture or re-purposing. Although, the bright colors from the movie gave me some inspiration for a future piece.

Spoiler alert!!!

This will spoil my sister's gift! OK, not her gift, but stuff for her kids. I am pretty sure she will forgive me. My mom suggested a theme for gift-giving this year: Home-made, hand-made, and second hand. Well, this fits me just fine! So, here is what my niece and nephew are getting for their tree this year: dino ornaments. 

I re-purposed a couple of my sweaters and made these! The colors are perfect because my sis loves turquoise and green. I wish they were wool so I could have felted them. That would hold up so much better.

This T-rex is for my nephew. I used embroidery floss and stitched them closed with a blanket stitch. Best explanation for that is here on futuregirl.com.

My niece will get the brontosaurus (or long-neck if you recall the Land Before Time series of movies. I only liked the first one). Sis, if these don't hold up too well, than we can upgrade. :)

I guess I like the British flag

I know I already showed you the Union Jack file drawers. Well, our friends have a son named Jack and he has a few little shirts with the flag on them. So, I knew his mom would like this little plaque for his first birthday! 

I started with an old vintage, wooden plaque from the 60's or 70's that had some random nature scene on it. Since I did not take a 'before' photo, here is another plaque I will use for something in the near future. You can find them for $1 or less at a thrift store. 

I sanded, painted, and decoupaged the paper union flag onto the plaque using colors that matched his bedroom.  Then I painted a dark glaze over it.

The letters are made from a cereal box, modge podge, and strips of book pages. (I will link you to a tutorial for this in a future post.) 

I think this is cute and love that it's a Union Jack for a little Jack! But, even if your name is not Jack, it would still be fun to have one on your wall. 

THE mirror

We moved a full-length mirror across the country because it was large and heavy duty and I was going to re-do it. (My sister's idea).  I found this bright, thick, textured paper that is hand-made and knew it was meant for the mirror's four-inch wide frame.

I used modge podge and decoupaged it on. It looks so much better. The original suede-like fabric finish was peeling off because it had been over the fire-place. I pulled that fabric off even though, at one time, it looked lovely. 

 

Here is how it looked brand new. Sorry, I don't have a photo of its falling apart stage. So, you may not be convinced it needed a new look. Oh, but it did.

It has a global, pier 1 feel to it now. And, only cost me about $12 to beautify it. It is in our master bedroom, which is in need of beautification. As you can see, I did not allow much of the room to be reflected in the photo. Ha!

Hoosier cabinet

Well, you might call it a vintage cupboard or baker's cabinet. This piece is consuming so much of my project time this past five weeks. And, I am not even halfway done.  There are four different colors layered on this piece. I am just working on the wooden base which has three metal drawers and an enamel top.

I have been using a heat gun and scraper. (The heat gun keeps me warm since it's getting chilly here in Staunton.) I also used a liquid stripper after the heat gun.  There is no easy way to remove the cracked layers of paint. In fact, I may take most of my 'profit' and invest in a massage to adjust the neck and shoulders. They have been working so hard!

Here is a nice little side view. I also wear a mask, goggles, gloves and layers of old clothes. Maybe someone can get a pic of me in my work outfit. Not!

I did not strip the inside. Instead, I cleaned it up really well and will paint a few coats of periwinkle blue and then glaze it. The exterior has received its base coat of black. I plan to paint it yellow and white and need to pick up some more paint today! And, you will see many more photos of this thing. I PROMISE.

Globes!

We Love globes. We decided to collect them awhile back. I keep an on-going list of what I will Always buy if it is a super cheap price. :) Globes are on that list (and old suitcases, clipboards, cool linens, ummm....furniture.....which is taking over the house.)

We moved an armoire (aka My closet) in our room to a different wall.  When I wake up, I get to see this pretty little collection of globes. SO, I am sharing that with you! 

I really only have a small collection of globes. One is not even up there because it's so tiny and made of glass. The one on the far right is actually a bookend. There are three of a kind resting in a bowl shaped like half of a globe. -Hmm....I think that armoire might need to be re-finished some day. It came with the key and I love it. 

 Here is a little peek of the top. I had to place most of the globes on books so they were more visible. Books are great for so many decorating uses!

Five minute post

A friend gave me this mirror to refinish. Of course, I did not take a before photo. (Please learn from me. ALWAYS take a before photo! Always!)

The frame is solid wood, so it weighs about 40 pounds. My kids had to help me lift it onto the mantle. I will be adding hardware and wire to the back for hanging landscape style (horizontally). The dimensions are 36 inches by 48 inches, so I think it would be neat to place on the floor, leaning against the wall. I will be posting in etsy and (hopefully) dropping off at a local shop this weekend.

I painted it turquoise and applied a glaze to age it. 

Here is my attempt at a quick Christmas mantle. :) It's the mantle in the master bedroom. Maybe next year we will have one in the living room.

Back in the day

We like old stuff. My husband has always had a thing for old books. I like antique furniture and linens. And, if it's not old, well, I like to make it look like it's been around for awhile.

I like to visit antique shops (that's a good place to find some old stuff-hehe). I had a space in a shop in Boulder City, NV. Here's a few pics of some stuff I refinished and sold a few years back.

The black armoire sold within days of displaying it. See the little red lamp? It looks like a cabinet or shutter door. It was not originally red, but it went so well with my theme, I made it match. Someone even drove from San Diego to the Vegas area to purchase the white and black dining set. (They saw it on my etsy store).

This shop is called Goatfeathers. If you are ever in Boulder City, NV, (or Vegas) make sure you stop in there. It's worth the trip.

More closet space, please!

Our 100 year old house has just a few, tiny closets. The kids have the roomiest closets, so, of course, we are sharing that space with them. We don't really have a formal entry way, or place to put coats and jackets. So, our long, narrow hallway has become a coat closet of sorts.

I found this old cabinet door and added vintage and new hooks and knobs. It is very solid and sturdy and holds about a dozen coats.

The center is adorned with an old skeleton key and hotel key chain from a local hotel of long ago. The key is hanging from original hardware left on the door. 

I did not refinish, sand or seal the door. It shows signs of wear and I like it that way. 

Now, really, we could use a whole wall of these. Instead, we have become more creative with hidden storage space and loving our armoires and wardrobes. 

The project probably cost about $15.00 I had some knobs from past furniture projects. (I think it is 'Anthropologie-worthy'.)

Christmas memories

I just wanted to share a few ornaments that are on our Christmas tree. They were made by my mother when I was a wee infant. 

Both the snowman and Christmas tree are made out of felt. She used some sequins and other fabric for the details. Fun fact: my mother used to help showgirls get dressed and ready for a show in downtown Vegas. I was just a toddler, but I remember the pieces of costume jewelery they would send home with her. Half a pair of earrings or other fun, sparkly stuff. 

If you knew her now, you might think that does not suit her. Well, she has always been a great seamstress and creative lady. She taught me to sew and inspires me to use the materials and supplies I have on hand to make my home what I want it to be.

Here is Santa. He is my favorite. He is missing a pupil. This is easy to repair, but I am neglectful toward him. Poor Santa.

Union style

I have seen the Union Jack or the flag of the United Kingdom adorning furniture and home decor. I wanted something of my own to display the fun stripes. I was on a mission to find a new filing system since ours did not hold up during the cross country move of 2010. I thought it'd be a nice thing to paint the Union Jack on a filing cabinet. (I wasn't quite ready to commit to red, white, and blue in my living room, but it would be fine in an office area). 

I am really pleased with how it turned out! I used a gray-ish blue. (I tend to mix my own paint colors, so I cannot really name the color for you.) The file drawers already had the brass hardware and keys. One bad thing about this piece: it is not solid wood. There is some laminate and pressed-board, which, usually, is not worth the effort to re-finish. However, I only had to invest $25, and this is quite an upgrade from our cheap, metal drawers we had. 

I did a little bit of research online to make certain the placement of the red stripes were authentic. You can probably tell that I did not spend too much time worrying about the angles.

Here are a couple of pieces online that helped me finish my project.

 This is from The Southern Eclectic. I really love the pink and orange and the gorgeous silver hardware!

I learned some good tips from Maple and Magnolia  on the taping off and layering of paint for the stripes.

Color envy

     I am guilty of envy. (I think everyone is.) It is difficult to turn that envy into an attitude of appreciation, but, I am trying to do just that.

     I have just recently become a member of pinterest and saw beautiful bedrooms in shades of gray and yellow. (I have always liked gray. It's one of my favorite colors to wear!) Well, now, it's weaving its way through my home and decor. I admit I have become envious of a few bedrooms....

LOVE this bedding! And the door, and window....

I have a thing for black furniture.

So, our master bedroom will be shades of gray and yellow. It might be a slower process than I desire, but I will take you along with me. 

Hopefully, I can make sure the current master bedroom is picture-worthy for a before photo next week.

  
     
    
   

Good luck, Charlie!

Confession: I like watching Good Luck Charlie with my kids. I have even watched it when they were not around. My sister watches the show because she loves their home decor. (Her house is also full of bright shades and hues of blues and greens.)

Well, these pale, apple green nightstands would fit in the GLC house. I sanded them down, painted a base coat, layers of green and accented the top and trims in white.

I used the original hardware because it was wonderful already. If you have solid, roomy nightstands, but are bored of their look, well, re-finish them! (Or have someone else re-finish them). It is so worth it.

Now, my client is no celebrity, but her home is lovely and we both agreed they went well with her decor. 

 See the iphone charger? That just proves she has great taste. Seriously, I loved her home. If I get to do more furniture for her, then, I may take a few shots of the house. (For inspiration, of course!) Until then, may I suggest stealing decor ideas from Good Luck Charlie.