Jan10

Still Learning and Growing

Posted on 10 January, 2013 by The DIY Spot

I learned a lot about myself and had some “ahh haa” moments while I was working on No.1 Son’s bedroom. The biggest discovery – a total room makeover in a short period of time while blogging isn’t for me. To be totally honest, I stink at it:) I have the utmost respect for those who are able to to create amazing spaces while taking amazing pics along the way. I bow to you. I’m not there yet, but more importantly, I realized that I’m not so sure I want to be there. Maybe, I will change my mind at a later date. If so, I will add it to my list of aspirations and forge ahead then.

We all have talents and my creative talents work best for me when I focus on one, not many. So I decided to dedicate this year to doing what I love and using discarded remnants of everyday life in fun and inventive ways.

So whether I’m using discarded shirts to create fun pillows

or cover a footstool

or leftover fabric to make an ornament

or updating the outdated like this dining table turned island,

my creative passions lie in mixing and matching ideas to create unique designs worthy of life anew. That is when I have fun, that is what makes me happy and that is what gives me the joy. With that said, I think 2013 is going to be a good year!

Do you have any creative plans or aspirations for 2013?

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Jan3

After Holiday Blues

Posted on 3 January, 2013 by The DIY Spot

After Holiday Blues

The Holidays are over and as I looked around my home on New Years, only remnants of the holiday remained.

One lone kiss left on the advent calendar remained.

Toys thrown under the tree

Pinecones infiltrated with Legos. They are taking over the house these days.

The welcome wreath on the door turning brown

and holiday CD’s back in their cases waiting to be put away.

I wasn’t quite ready to take down a wreath I made from a 99 cents store garland

surrounded by an unfinished wallscape. Believe, Faith, Peace, Love and Hope never made it into their frames. But we carry it in our hearts and will continue to do so all year long.

Well Santa, it’s time to come down.

Hard to believe just a few days ago the stage was set for the big day.

Christmas was a lot different this time around. Our usual trip to Manhattan to see the holiday store windows and Christmas tree at Rockefeller Center didn’t happen. Early dawn wake ups and “cant sleep” excitement are no more. No. 2 son is eleven and the magic has faded. This year it was a 7:30 AM wake up. You think that would be a piece a cake but it was hard getting up just the same. I was up to 3:30 finishing last minute gift wrapping and getting a jump on dinner preparations.

Christmas time excitement through a child’s eyes is so special and I am going to miss it in our home.
So I found it a little difficult dismantling all the holiday decorations this time around. It will be a new kind of Christmas in our household from now on. But next year, I will look forward to celebrating the holidays in more mature ways. The moral of this story – cherish the holiday magic because they grow up so fast! And as I wrote in our holiday cards “May the good times and treasures of the present become the golden memories of tomorrow.”

Do you have any after holiday stories you’d like to share?

Jan1

New Year, New Name

Posted on 1 January, 2013 by The DIY Spot

New Year, New Name

Happy New Year!

A few weeks ago, I was home alone and decided to drop everything and do nothing. I just wanted to be alone with my thoughts. Immediately, I began thinking about my blogging behavior and realized why I was resistant to something I had enjoyed and loved. My passion was waning, why?

I realized that I still like blogging but a sole DIY focus no longer served all of me. A few months prior, I made a commitment to do some personal soul searching and it has been, and continues to be, one of the best decisions and journeys of my life. Living authentically requires honesty, hard work and accountability. It requires you to show up and live live consciously, all the while, staying in the present moment.

I was changing and evolving while The DIY Spot remained the same; no longer in sync, I was finding it increasingly difficult to write posts that I was excited about. It became clear that I needed to shift my blogging voice as well.

Don’t get me wrong, I still love DIY and the creativity it brings; it is a big part of who I am and gives me such joy. However, it is not all I am. I am also passionate about the tiny remnants- a profound quote, a powerful lyric, an expression of gratitude or a discarded item – that might get overlooked yet have the potential to have great significance in my life and, hopefully, yours as well.

And so a new year brings new direction and a new name, Meaningful Remnants. I hope you will continue the journey with me.

Wishing you a Happy New Year filled with blessings beyond measure.

Dec28

Home by Christmas – Part 2

Posted on 28 December, 2012 by The DIY Spot

Home by Christmas – Part 2

I was all psyched to do my remake of Home by Christmas. By the way, I figured out why I am so drawn to this movie. It’s because of Linda Hamilton’s character’s “pick yourself up by your bootstrap” tenacity, her creative approach to life’s dilemmas and, of course her passion for home decor.

I had big plans to have a beautiful styled room for No. 1 Son coming home from college for the holidays. Let’s just say that the final result didn’t quite match my good intentions My room makeover resulted in a calamity of events, back aches and shear exhaustion. The sore back came from going up and down 2 flights of stairs all day long and hauling furniture, retrieving supplies, tools, etc. between the basement and 2nd floor. At first, I was wondering why I was so exhausted and then by day 3 I decided to put on a pedometer. Turns out I was averaging 10,000 steps, mostly stairs each day. I think that would exhaust just about anyone, don’t you think? If this is sounding like a pit party, I assure you it’s not. Well maybe a little:)

What exactly did I accomplish?

I removed the decoupaged sheet music from the nightstands I had refinished a few months back.

The veneer was in such bad condition and I was looking for a quick fix.

It just didn’t work and they sat it my garage ever since. So I removed the decoupaged paper and started over.

Boy was that a challenge! After much scraping and sanding, I patched the veneer, worked out the blisters and repainted.

I refinished his dresser

and stained his desk.

Installed cellular shades.

No success finding any curtains as of yet. I might resort to making some if I continue to have no luck.

After that, it was mostly cleaning and tidying up. I discovered No. 1 Son, like Mr. DIY, has paper issues. He still had high school papers nestled in this book case. It was a mess but it’s organized now. I wanted to paint it but I ran out of time.

This photo album was buried in all the rubble. His grandmother arranged a montage of his life. I stopped to reminisce for a while. Time flies much too fast.

Hard to believe my now 6’2″ son was ever that small.

I stuck a lame bow on the door. When No. 1 Son arrived home, I accompanied him up to his room. A young man of very few words, his response went something like this:

No. 2 son: New furniture?
Me: No
No. 2 Son: This is my desk?
Me: Yes
Taking a closer look, then quickly diverting his attention to the dresser
No. 2 Son: (Wide tooth grin and shaking his head) That is NOT my dresser!
Me: Yes, it is.
No. 2 Son: Wasn’t my dresser wider?
Me: No. that’s the same dresser.

He took a couple of turns around and smiled.

That’s all I remember. It was extremely late and I was exhausted having worked right up to the last minute. Although it was a great learning experience (I will save that for another post), I was glad to be done for now. The end result was a spanking clean room, three furniture redo’s – a blank canvas, ready to be accessorized.

Can you relate? What do you do when your vision and execution are out of sync and frustration sets in?

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Miss Mustard Seed: Furniture Feature Friday

Funky Junk Interiors: Saturday Night Special

Dec21

Dresser Recovery

Posted on 21 December, 2012 by The DIY Spot

Dresser Recovery

What a difference a day makes! No more blue madness! After soliciting suggestions, I considered painting the room a more neutral color but then I caught myself. I rather redo a piece of furniture then paint walls. I painted the dresser black and it looks so much better with the blue walls.

One day my dresser was suffering the blues

And the next day it looked like this

I used black milk paint, stenciled the numbers using Paris Gray chalk paint and added new hardware.

I still have to drill new holes on drawer no. 1 for knobs. I haven’t reattached the lower trim piece. I might alter it some more or use a straight piece of trim instead. Not sure just yet.

But it has come a long way

I’m so glad it’s no longer blue:)

And I am no longer in over my head:)

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Funky Junk Interiors: Saturday Night Special

Dec13

In Over My Head

Posted on 13 December, 2012 by The DIY Spot

In Over My Head

I decided to make over No. 2 Son’s room and I think I took on a little more than I can handle in such a short period of time. Things are not going as smoothly as planned and I am starting to panic.

I am having trouble with trying to coordinate all the different finishes among the different style of pieces in the room. I don’t like my first attempt with the dresser. I thought I would try a two toned look, stained top, painted bottom using some Federal Blue milk paint I purchased years ago and never used. It has a purple tint to it that I tried to tone down but is still looking strange especially with the blue walls. If this wasn’t a “use what you have” makeover, I would have tried one of Miss Mustard Seed’s pretty milk paint colors for sure.

So what else is in the room? A pair of black mid-century nightstands, one of which is pictured above.

A desk which was left unfinished since Mr. DIY made it many moons ago.

I used Minwax English Chestnut which I am not exactly doing cartwheels over.

A media cabinet I made for him as well.

And his bed also made by Mr. DIY and myself.

I never took a picture of the finished bed but you can get an idea of what it looks like. It has a rich chocolate brown finish.

Yes, even more blue. Blue walls, blue headboard and blue dresser. Perhaps a little too much blue for one room. It’s just not looking like what I envisioned in my head. Not sure what to do but I am running out of time. HELP! Suggestions welcomed.

Dec10

Home by Christmas – Part 1

Posted on 10 December, 2012 by The DIY Spot

Home by Christmas – Part 1

Have you ever seen the Lifetime movie Home by Christmas with Linda Hamilton? It’s one of my favorite holiday movies. It’s about a newly divorced mom who encounters some bad luck and ends up homeless while her daughter is attending school abroad. While she is living out of her car, her daughter decides to return home for the Christmas and her mom executes a last minute plan to set up a temporary home in time for her daughter’s arrival. It’s a great feel good movie if you ever have an opportunity to to catch it on television.

Well Christmas is almost here and in the spirit of the movie I decided to do my own version of Home by Christmas and surprise No. 2 son, who is away at school, with a “use what you have” room makeover. Nothing to drastic but it involves finishing his desk and refinishing his desk and a couple of nightstands. Normally, I don’t refinish pieces during the winter months but I decided to take the plunge and surprise him as a welcome home holiday gift.

Just finished sanding his dresser, a hand me down from the first bedroom set Mr. DIY and I purchased many many years ago when matchy matchy was the way to go. I much prefer eclecticism and bohemian design these days, mixing and matching various elements in a room to achieve a personalized style.

So here’s the before:

Although in decent condition and not showing it’s age, the dated hardware, dental molding and curvy trim at the lower edge had to go. Looking better already.

And here it is sanded and waiting for it’s finishing.

I am thinking of doing a two toned finish, using dark stain on the top only and some federal blue milk paint I purchased a long time ago and never used. Wish me luck!

Can’t wait to get started. Will keep you posted.

Nov23

Free Inspiration!

Posted on 23 November, 2012 by The DIY Spot

Free Inspiration!

I’ve been away far too long. My hats off to those who have incorporated blogging into their lives and do it consistently without fail. I love the art of blogging but have yet to find a way that works for me. All things in time. In the meantime, I have turned my frustration into patience as I find my way. I hope that you will be patient as well. Enough of that, time for the topic at hand.

I went into ~~the city~~ Manhattan the other day and ended up in the Business Library and later the Mid Manhattan library a few blocks away. Found myself perusing the craft section, no surprise and I was in heaven! What can I say, it’s the simple things that make me happy. As i turned the pages of countless books, daylight quickly turned to dusk and realized hours had slipped by. Walking to my bus, my mind was racing-all the neat creative ideas, techniques and projects dancing in my head, most of which included sewing, my first love.

There were three books that really drew me in. First, I think my mouth dropped open as I flipped through The Sweater Chop Shop, written by Chrispina French, a sweater alchemist.

The cover speaks for itself; she has created some beautiful designs, all made from discarded sweaters that would have been destined for the landfill. Amazing! The sweater dress is “Project Runway” worthy, don’t you think? You can learn about her and see more of her designs at her Etsy store.

And then I stumbled upon Fabric Leftovers by D’Arcy-Jean Mine, an older publication published in 2006 but still relevant. She uses remnants and creative stitching techniques to make one of a kind fashion and home fashion designs.

Lastly, I am definitely ordering Linen Crafts by Florence Le Maux.

I always have a variety of slippers and cozy socks on hand for guests when they remove their shoes. It’s a little comical at times to see them excitingly browsing for just the right pair that they will later take home with them. However, a handmade pair like the adorable ones pictured on the cover would provide that extra touch that makes your guests feel even more special.

It was definitely the nudge I needed to pull out and dust off my sewing machine; it’s definitely time to get reacquainted. Inspiration is an incredible thing! It’s all around us. The trick is staying in the present moment long enough to take it all in. I know, I know, not an easy thing to do especially when our everyday lives are so rushed and busy. Surely, we can find 15 minutes to inspire ourselves to do something, creative or otherwise, right? I would love to know what inspires you?

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Between Naps on the Porch: Metamorphosis Monday

Nov21

Happy Thanksgiving

Posted on 21 November, 2012 by The DIY Spot

Happy Thanksgiving

Enjoy this very special day!

Wishing you and your family a very Happy Thanksgiving.

Sep24

China Cabinet turned Bookcase – Part 2

Posted on 24 September, 2012 by The DIY Spot

China Cabinet turned Bookcase – Part 2

Finally, I got it done! I started working on transforming this china cabinet several months ago and here they are! Here’s what I began with:

I cut this piece into three sections and joined two sections together, forming two almost identical bookcase cabinets. You can click here for part 1 of this story.

I knew I wanted them to flank each side of media console in the basement family room which didn’t always look quite like this. When we first met, it looked like this.