The Weeks Ahead

I am unsure of my blogging presence for the next three weeks; I may have little or no internet access. However, should I have access, I haven’t decided if I will take advantage of it with good reason. You see, I am about to embark on an adventure of a life time with my family and want to focus on every moment, absorb everything around me and fully take in the experience. I know I am being vague, but I want to save it as a surprise and when I return to the blogosphere, I will be sure and share the experience with you. On the other hand, if I can’t wait and find myself bursting with joy and excitement, you will hear from me much sooner, rather then later. Until then, try and stay cool and enjoy the beautiful adventures life has in store for you!

Life is not measured by the number of  breaths we take,
but by the number of  moments that take our breath away
Author Unknown

Paint-a-Stain Finish

I have to first start by confessing to a problem I have. Last week, I realized I have PDD or Project Deficit Disorder. I find it extremely difficult to work on one project at a time. And now that I have so many unfinished projects waiting to be completed, my PDD is at an all time high. Through it all though, somehow, I am feeling very productive, working on a few projects simultaneously.

Mr DIY started building a bed for No. 2 son about 3 years. He didn’t like the way it came out; ahe joints weren’t up to his expectations and he wanted to chuck it and start over. He even attempted to stain it and, well let’s just say, that didn’t help matters any. So it sat and sat in the basement, then the garage. I decided to make lemonaide out of lemons, work some DIY magic and rework the design since perfection is truly overrated and the bed is solid and very sturdy.

I started by removing the Colonial Maple finish. I have worked with a lot of stain hues, but I don’t quite understand Colonial Maple. It could be me, but the orange tint is unattractive. I have tried it on various types of wood and it have never had good results.

Here is what it looked liked before:

and after sanding:

It still had an orange sheen that would not go away. I even tried to bleach it out and had no luck.

Next, I applied a dark stain with the hopes that the orange color would disappear. No luck, the orange hue continued to stand its ground and was visible just enough to annoy me. So I turned to paint. I watered down some chocolate brown latex paint I had lefteover from another project. I brushed it on and the orange hue was gone, with the wood grain was still visible, resulting in a stained appearance. I did add some streaks of watered down black acrylic paint to further enhance the wood grain. This is what it looks like now:

I am almost done applying a satin polyurethane finish. Unfortunately, my PDD caused me to have a little mishap, perhaps you can help me with. Multitasking the other day, I forgot to wash out the brush I was using. Does anyone know if it is posible to remove a water based polyurethane from a brush after it has dried? Turpentine, denatured alcohol or mineral spirits perhaps? I invest in good brushes so that I can reuse them and would love to save this one.

Have you ever used paint to create a faux stained finish?

Between naps on he Porch: Metamorphosis Monday

Domestically Speaking: Power of Paint Wednesday

Funky Junk Interiors:Saturday Nite Special

Secretarial Update

Back in January, I asked for your secretarial advice for this piece I had refinished a few years ago. I recieved some great ideas and welcomed your input. Thanks so much!

To start, I made painting the insert divider part of my 10 in 10 challenge. It had been waiting patiently in the garage for a very long time. Although a simple makeover with white paint, it took me a while to finish. I think it is made out of chipboard, and although I sanded and primed first, I was unable to smooth out the textured surface. Spray paint didn’t work as well as latex paint. When I didn’t get the results I wanted, I kept experimenting with different types of paint including craft paint. I lost count of how many layers in all but I am guessing there are at least 8 layers of paint.

Disclaimer: I aplogize for these really bad pictures; unfortunately they were taken late at night. I will update the post with better ones asap.

Next I painted the brass knobs I had removed from another piece and spray painted them white and added a plastic gem for a little pizazz and sparkle.

As for the upper section, I looked and looked for fabric that would brighten it up and came up empty handed. So what’s a DIY girl to do when she can’t find the fabric of her dreams? She defaults to drop cloths of course, especially since they are always on hand. I cut out cardboard sections to fit the back, punched holes for the tufting, layered it with batting, wrapped the drop cloth around it and taped it in the back.

Although I own a ton of buttons, I couldn’t find any that were suitable and in the quantity that I needed so I decided to use fasteners instead. I sanded and spray painted the fasteners, punched them through the holes and secured them in the back, creating a faux tufted design.

I am happy with the results and like the fact that it can easily be changed when I want a new look. Thanks again to everyone who offered their creative input. What do you think?

Linking this post to:

Between naps on the Porch: Metamorphosis Monday

Domestically Speaking: Power of Paint Wednesday

Somewhat Simple: Strut Your Stuff Thursday

Funky Junk Interiors: Saturday Nite Special

The Challenge Continues!

The time I usually devote to blogging has been consumed with my quest to finish the items on my 10 day challenge list. I am seeing more floor space in my garage as I continue to re-evaluate the fate of its contents.

Yesterday, I sought the services of a professional upholsterer to finish a setee that I had started re-upholstering about 4 years ago. It was in my basement and then moved to the garage when the basement was being remodeled. I got as far as the webbing and retying the springs. I partially tore a ligament in my thumb while tying the springs. Thankfully, it repaired itself with physical therapy. After that, I let it go for a while. When it came time for the foam padding, I wasn’t getting the results i wanted. So it sat in my garage, unfinished, all this time. Rather then continue to fool myself that I would finish it, i decided to have a professional finish it instead. I wrestled with not completing this DIY project but sometimes you just have to “get real” with yourself and realize you can’t always do it all. I was a little sad to see it carted off but I know it will get the professional attention it rightfully deserves. I am toying with the idea of having it just covered in muslin or a neutral canvas or duck cloth fabric and making my own slipcover for it so that I can change the look whenever I want.

Have you ever had a project that sat around unfiinished for a long time? How and when do you decide to throw in the towel and hand it over to a professional?

10 Day Challenge Ends

Happy 4th of July! Hope you had a great day! I did the barbecue thing despite the hot weather.

Yesterday was the last day of the 10 in 10 challenge. Although I fell a little short, it was a productive 10 days. I completed 6 tasks:
Repoted plant
Painted inset compartment to secretary
Replanted flowers and layed mulch in front of house
Painted vertical stripes on accent wall in dining room
Cleaned inside of van
Decluttered/organized garage

Had I not committed myself to the challenge, they would still be items on my “to do” list. The task that made me the happiest was decluttering my garage. It took me two days. I can actually see the floor again and all my DIY projects are lined up in an orderly fashion awaiting my attention. I decided I am going to continue until I finsh everything on my list. I figure I ‘m on a roll, so why stop now.

Vertical Stripes in the Dining Room

This weekend, I painted vertical stripes to create a focal point in the dining room, my fourth task of the 10 in 10 challenge hosted by The Shabby Chic Cottage. I used paint colors I already had, incorporating the surrounding wall and ceiling colors. I used the vertical lines of the faux paneling(certainly not my doing, it was there when we moved in) to create the stripes. The width of the stripes vary.

I realize it’s a lot of brown. My plan is to bring color into the room with fabric and accessories. However, they don’t wow me, they’re just okay. Should I create more pattern by painting additional stripes or paint the grooves with a bright white to give it a paint chip look, and/or paint the mirror and surround it with glossy white frames for drama? Or shoud I just live with the stripes as they are until I get another shot of inspiration? Not so sure what to do.

As always, I am open to advice and suggestions. What do you do when a project falls short of your expectations?

I am linking this post to: The Shabby Chic Cottage: Ten Tasks in Ten Day Challenge, Between Naps on the Porch: Metamorphosis Monday, Reinvented:Trash to Treasure, Domestically Speaking: The Power of Paint and The Shabby Chic Cottage: Transformation Thursday.

10 Day Challenge Update

This challenge has definitely been a challenge. Day 2, halfway through my task of cleaning out my van, I got a last minute call to attend a meeting. So my day 2 task got carried over to day 3 (yesterday).
Here is the before:

And the after:

Can you believe I actually found disposable diaper changing pads in my glove compartment? No 2 son is eight years old. How ridiculous is that? But now when I get into my van, a gratified sigh replaces my usual “ughhh”.

I was able to complete a third task, as well, replanting flowers (I planted some previously but they died, a first for me) and laying mulch.

Today, on day 4, I started painting the accent wall in my dining room. Halfway finished, I will resume tomorrow.

By the way, I am documenting my progress in the sidebar. It feels good to cross each completed task off my list. Had I not participated in the challenge, they would still be tasks written on paper.

Task 1 of the 10 Day Challenge

I decided to repot my plant, one of the easier tasks on my list for the “Ten Task in Ten Day Challenge” over at The Shabby Chic Cottage. Here’s why. After taking No. 2 son to school (June 28 is the last day), I headed to the PTA office to finish up my Treasurer responsibilities as well as attend to some of my Corresponding Secretary tasks for next year. For the last couple of weeks I, along with some of the other officers, have been hustling devoting a great deal of time to all the end of year activities like Field Day, Stepping Up Ceremony, Staff Appreciation luncheon…………… I’ll stop there, you get the picture. Truthfully, it gets hectic at times, but it is my way of giving back and being of service to others which is very important to me.

After that, I headed off to the gym, bank, Home Depot for gardening stuff for task #2, Office Depot, Stop and Shop ( to get drinks for end-of-year class party tommorrow), finally arriving at home drained, sweating (91 degrees today) with only 1 1/2 hours remaining before pick up.

By the way, why do people (you know who you are) think SAHM’s have it easy? It is such a misconception. Every so often, as I did today, I get one of those comments suggesting that I have little to do or a life of leisure;thwy really hit a nerve if you know what I mean. They have no idea and are sadly misinformed. I happen to work part time for Mr. DIY’s consulting business and my hours are flexible, but that aside, WAHM (work at home mom) is so much more accurate. Sorry about the digression, but I had to get that off my chest. Back to my task.

Determined to complete one task, I grabbed something to eat (breakfast at 1:15, how funny is that?), and started to repot my plant. Went to the garage, forgetting I was out of potting mix. Yikes!!!! Went to the neigborhood gardening store after pick up and, as you can see, I got in done. Not bad, considering I started with a small 2″ clipping. I need to cut it down so that it will fill out. Task 1 completed. YEAH!!!

Ten Tasks in Ten Days!

Gina over at The Shabby Chic Cottage is hosting a party challenging participants to come up with 10 tasks to accomplish over the next ten days, June 23 – July 2. I even emailed her for reassurance before I made the decision to commit to make sure this was not about pressure and she replied:

“Oh yeah, it’s all about fun and cheering each other on. No contest, no prizes, just motivation. If you complete them all, you get a pat on the back. Only complete only thing? You still get a pat on the back – it’s all about positivity.”

I gave it some thought and figured I would throw procastination to the wind and take the challenge. Why not use this opportunity as motivation to whittle away at my “to do” list? I’m in. Since I came up with more than 10 things and the paint tasks are weather dependent, I might modify my list as the days progress. But for now, here goes:

1. Paint display letters
2. Repot plant
3. Clean out sideboard drawer
4. Paint inset compartment to secretary
5. Wire No. 2 son’s lantern
6. Replant flowers and lay mulch in front of house
7. Paint accent wall in dining room
8. Set up DIY Spot Twitter page
9. Paint recharger drawer
10. Mod Podge decorative balls
11. Clean inside of van

Care to join me? How could you lose? Do you have a few tasks that you keep pushing to the back burner? (Do people say that anymore or did I just date myself?) How about joining in on some motivational fun and head over to The Shabby Chic Cottage and sign up? C’mon it will be fun! Don’t feel like partying just yet? Why not check in daily and see what all the partygoers, including myself, are crossing off their list? And don’t forget to root us all on! Your cheers will help us to keep going.

Father’s Day is Upon Us

Father’s Day, like Mother’s day, are low key days for our familly. I cook on his day and he cooks on mine (nothing unusual since Sunday is his cooking day anyway), followed by a small gift or two. For us, it’s more about bonding as a family so we look forward to quiet celebrations at home with an easy agenda.

I bought Mr. DIY cufflings while at Renegade. He happened to mention that he was eyeing them last year when he accompanied me. Thankfully, the vendor, The Weekend Store, was there again. Adjowah Brodie designs jewelry from vintage typewritter keys, watch movements and maps. Aren’t they cute?

I think the fact that they are not identical adds even more to their charm.

And No. 2 son picked out a woodworking book for his Dad at a huge book fair we went to in the next town over. You can get “like new” hardcover books for pennies. He is an avid reader so we purchased some books for the long summer days ahead.

How about you? Any special Father’s Day plans? How do you like to spend the day?

However you choose to spend it, have a wonderful day and enjoy your weekend!