DIY That Caught My Eye #2
I received my shipment of Annie Sloan Chalk Paint yesterday! Finally, I get to have the same experience as everyone else in blogland, a fun time with ASCP. Yeah!!! After seeing so many beautiful makeovers, I’m a fan of all the possibilities that await me. Here are a few I came across recently.
How about these from Confessions of a Craigslist Junkie
Confessions of a Craigslist Junkie
To distress,
Confessions of a Craigslist Junkie
or not to distress. Beautiful either way!
Found this one on A Brush of Whimsy.
And I’m so glad I came across this makeover at Maple and Magnolia because I was thinking of doing my kitchen cabinets. I really like this look!
So there you go; some Annie Sloan Chalk Paint makeovers that caught my eye. You have to stop by and see the befores to fully appreciate these transformations.
Can’t wait to carve out a little me time to experiment with it myself. How about you? Any great makeovers you like to share?
Sharing this post with:
Miss Mustard Seed:Furniture Feature Friday
Funky Junk Interiors:Saturday Night Special
Between Naps on the Porch: Metamorphosis Monday
Desk Love!
I’m so excited!
And I just can’t hide it!
I know I’m dating myself but that’s the start of a 80′s song by the Pointer Sisters. The first 2 lines are an indication of how I felt after placing my order with Patty of BestFurniturepaint.com for Annie Sloan Chalk Paint. As for the rest of the song, it gets a little hot and heavy, not quite in line with the DIY experience.
Anyway, I can’t wait to receive my order. It’s been used all over blog land and I am probably one of the last ones to give it a try. I have so many items, I want to paint. So, I’m so excited and I just can’t hide it!
So now onto my desk love. This desk has waited a long time for my attention. I stripped it years ago and it sat, and sat and sat, and well, you get the idea.
So here it what it looked like when I snatched it up off the street just 2 blocks from my house. Somehow, I managed to pick it up and put it in the back of my van, all by myself. It is really heavy! I guess the adrenaline started flowing and I turned into a DIY super hero or something:)
The top was covered with contact paper. I think that qualifies as furniture abuse, don’t you?
Using Citrus Stripper, I removed the paint and found a treat. The upper drawers had a beautiful inlaid design on them.
Why would anyone want to cover that up?
However, now that it is stripped, it has a few issues to contend with.
Some chips on the top
and the drawers.
No problem, its a beauty that deserves to be saved.
To be continued……
Sharing with The 36th Avenue: Share Awareness Thursday Fabric Bows and More:We’ll See it Wednesday Miss Mustard Seed: Furniture Feature Friday
September 11, 2011
Dedicated to Those Who Fell and Those Who Carry On
A Day of Remembrance
I write this with a heavy heart as I think about the 2,977 lives taken so senselessly, the survivors who’s lives are forever changed and for all who said goodbye to someone they knew or loved 10 years ago.
It is a sad day and one of mixed emotions. Some will mourn, some will relive the days events and others will focus on the resiliency of our country’s ability to overcome such this horrific terrorist attack. Wherever you fall along this emotional spectrum, September 11, 2001 will always remain a defining moment for all of us. It is my wish that this day offes you healing, strength and better tomorrows.
Love, Prayers and Blessings,
Joselyn
I’m a Rebel!
Yes, I am now the proud owner of the Rebel T2I! After reading Consumer Reports, consumer reviews online, and much deliberation and procrastination, I decided to stay with Cannon. My previous point and shoot cameras were Cannon, so I decided to take advantage of their product loyalty program and buy a refurbished camera at a discount.
It came just two days after Hurricane Irene passed through. After losing power for two days, it was a welcomed and pleasant surprise. This has been one crazy summer weather wise; hail the size of golf balls, an earthquake and a hurricane, you have to wonder, why?
Anyway, I’ve been familiarizing myself with all the features and settings. I am actually reading the manual! That’s a first. By the way, if there’s any other Rebels out there, I would love to hear from you. I have been unsuccessful trying to achieve blurred backgrounds despite following the manual instructions for adjusting the background and aperature settings. Also, having issues with the flash. I turn the flash off, yet it seems to reset itself to on. Help! Can’t wait to become proficient with my new friend. Until then, I welcome any suggestions and tips you might have to offer.
Project Hopping
I’ve been project hopping. Do you do that? You know, doing a little of this, and a little of that, no completed projects. I decided I would do the grunt work first.
I’m sanding.
I am totally in love with this flatware chest.
I’m stripping my patio chairs. Remember these?
It’s been some time since I had a date with my Citrus Stripper.
And then there’s some serious gluing going on too.
Okay, I just outed myself. Yes, I have a thing for vintage flatware chests.
The plan is to get all the yucky prep work out the way so no ooohs and aaahs just yet. But soon the fun will begin and I will be able to play and party hop once again. So I’ve been hanging out in the garage a lot lately and looking forward to the makeover fun ahead.
So what are you up to? Are you prepping or finishing? Please let me know so I can stop by for a visit.
DIY That Caught My Eye
Sorry, I took an unexpected blogging break. We took a family trip to Washington DC. No. 2 Son wanted to visit our Nation’s Capitol for his 10th birthday. We hit most of the touristy spots – U.S. Capitol, Library of Congress, U.S Treasury, Lincoln Monument, Washington Memorial and a couple of the Smithsonian museums. Unfortunately, we didn’t plan enough ahead to get tickets for the White House tour.
I did set out with my computer and thought I would blog while away but I left my power cord behind. I took it as a sign and thus explains part of my absence. Prior to our trip, I have to admit I have been floundering creatively, drifting from one project to the next, not finishing anything and feeling uninspired and unmotivated. That is so not me. Not sure what this creative block is about, but I do know the best remedy-surfing blogland. So, I did just that and here is a little of what caught my eye.
Tracey at General Splendour transformed her shed for just $40.
This is just too cute! Oh how I wish I had room for one of these.
I just love anything vintage, so when I saw this typewriter table, Carrie at Lovelyetc.com refinished, I was smitten. You have to pop over there and see the before to fully appreciate this transformation.
Functionally, I could see using this as a laptop workstation.
And this dresser is proof positive that anything can be salvaged. You have to visit Emily at Lovely Beasts to see the horrendous condition it was in.
Well, I am definitely re-inspired. And since I most likely got your creative juices flowing, as well, I discovered two great giveaways for Annie Sloan Chalk paint that is all the rage, especially among DIY crowd:
So hurry on over to Little Miss Penny Wenny as it ends Monday, August 21 and Robyn Story Designs until Wednesday, August 24.
I am sharing this post with:
Domestically Speaking:The Power of Paint
Patio Furniture
I have been looking for patio furniture ever since I started my patio makeover. I was looking for a lounge chair and a table and chairs. I didn’t want to buy new so I have been looking on Craigs List hoping to score. So far, I did find these chairs. They are in dire need of some TLC; the paint is flaking and some of the slats need to be fixed.
But they are rather cute and I can’t wait to get at them. My brain is already doing double duty trying to decide if I should just repaint them white or do something fun and paint each one a different color. While I am pondering what to do, I decided to use them with my old table until I get lucky and score a “new” old table as well. I don’t know what type of table I am looking for but as long as they will compliment these chairs, I’m open.
As for now, my current table is green plastic with a glass insert. I bought it when we first moved into our house 10 years ago with the intent on replacing it very soon. Never happened. Although it is plastic, I have to say it came from an upscale store and is pretty substantial, a far cry from the typical, inexpensive plastic tables. Here it is in all it’s green un-lovliness.
I used Fusion spray paint for plastic. And here it is after 3 cans later. I was deliberating between a hammer metal silver or gloss white. I decided the gloss white would look better in contrast to the grey patio pavers.
Mind you, I have a lot of touching up to do. I need one more can to finish the job. Perhaps, I should have primed it first. Covering up the dark green took so many coats. My other problem is trying to get to the sections underneath the glass since it’s not removable. I tried to angle the can different ways and could not get in that tight space. I might have to use a brush on paint for those under-sections.
Anyway I think it will work with the chairs once I give them a makeover.
Update: I did my touch ups and now contemplating frosting the glass; but I am not too sure the frosted finish will hold up under the elements. I just want to disguise the not so great paint job underneath. As I mentioned before, it was just too tight of an area. Honestly, I wasted too much time and paint for such a temporary stand in. My time would have been better spent working on the chairs. Live and learn. I guess DIY hind sight is 20/20 too:)
What do you think? Should paint the chairs white or each a different color?
I am sharing this post with:
The DIY Showoff:The DIY Project Parade
Between Naps on the Porch: Metamorphosis Monday
Coastal Charm:Nifty Thrifty Tuesday
Charm Bracelet Diva:Club GW
Domestically Speaking:The Power of Paint Party
Miss Mustard Seed:Furniture Feature Friday
My Patio Journey- Part 2
I ended Part 1 of my patio journey with laying the 12 x12 pavers to form a border.
After that, it was off to Home Depot to get 16 x 16 pavers to fill the center area. I needed 42 to fill the space and with each weighing 37lbs, I knew I needed help from both No. 1 and No. 2 Sons. I wasn’t taking any chances with my healing hand and elbow.
Can you see the strain in his face. I think he is thinking about having to load and unload them in the car as well.
As he loads them up, I am commentating about the noises, grunts and/or sweat pouring from his body. My sarcasm usually warrants a smile or laughter. He’s a good sport most of the time.
Then No. 2 Son pushes the cart to the van.
And then my work begins. I laid them out similar fashion to tiling a floor. I smoothed out the sandy dirt for each paver using a piece of wood roughly the same width and height of the paver.
This took a lot of trial and error to get it level as well as continue the slope of the surrounding concrete. By the way, if you’re wondering why I am wearing long sleeves in such hot weather, it is because I was trying to fake out the mosquitoes.
This was around day 4.
And finally by day 6, my perseverance paid off, I was done.
So after 3 trips to Home Depot (too heavy to take all 42 pavers at once), 6 days, 25 hours of hard labor in 85+ degree weather, 15+ mosquito bites and 7lbs later, it is done. I still have some minor adjustments to make but the bulk of the work is completed.
Curious about the 7 pounds? That is how much I lost laying those pavers in the hot weather. I could literally wring my clothes out after working just 2 hours. It was definitely a workout and I was feeling every muscle in my body. By day 3, I was feeling it big time. Doing squats while lifting forty two 37 lb pavers a minimum of 4 times (average number of tries to get each one level); thats a whopping 6,216 pounds. And that doesn’t even include the border pavers. Is it any wonder why I was exhausted at the end of each day? It was definitely a slow process that I don’t care to repeat any time soon again. But you know how that goes. Never say never. So if you want to drop some pounds quickly, why not lay some pavers. Don’t have a spot to do so? Phone a friend and help them with theirs and maybe, just maybe, laying pavers will become the hottest new weight loss management system:)
Haven’t finished transforming the green border pavers yet. Unfortunately, I ran into power washer problems. I was testing it out on the surrounding concrete and after finishing one section it just stopped working. Ughhhh! One more thing to fix.
In the meantime, can you relate to this DIY project workout? Please tell me about it.
And after all that work I am ready for a party. How about you? I am sharing this post with:
Funky Junk Interiors: Saturday Night Special
No Minimalist Here:Open House Party
The Shabby Chic Cottage: Transformation Thursday
Somewhat Simple:Strut Your Stuff
Tales From Bloggeritaville:Thrifty Thursday
Everybody’s a Winner!
YOU GET A JOURNAL! YOU GET A JOURNAL! EVERYBODY GETS A JOURNAL! Forgive me, I couldn’t help but do that.
Thanks to Kim, Pam of Our Adventures in Home Improvement, Carol of The Polka Dot Closet, Poppy of With a Dash of Color and Jennifer of The Home Daybook for entering my summer giveaway. As soon as I receive your addresses, your journals will be on their way.
Congratulations!
My Patio Journey Begins
Like that familiar question “are we there yet?”, coming from the back seat of any car with children, I keep asking myself “am I finished yet?” The patio area at the side of my house is turning out to be one long journey. I have been working on it for weeks and it is slowly coming along. You can see some of my ideas I have in mind for this small outdoor space here.
Instead of me trying to fit everything in one long post, I thought it best to break it up with the hope that you will return and ride along with me for the rest of my journey. Before I start, a little background is in order.
When we first moved in the side of our house looked like this, minus the broken concrete of course. I took this picture when the concrete work was being done. At that time, there was no fence along the side and, as you can see, some “back in the day” dirty grey pavers.
The entire backyard was concrete and pavers as well.
Notice the 50′s checkerboard pattern. You can’t really tell, as these pictures were taken with a disposable camera way before I even knew what a blog was, but they are a mixture of green, red and yellow. After laying new concrete, we had all the pavers removed, replacing them with grass. The grass grew nicely for a while, but in the last couple of years, the side area started getting patchy and looked like this.
It is my guess that not enough of the sand was taken away when the pavers were removed when the grass was planted. Anyway, I used this to my advantage as your will see later. First, I cleared the grass. No. 2 son helped me with that and that only took a couple of days. When we finished, it looked like this.
Then, No. 2 son and I removed the excess dirt to make room for the pavers. I’m guessing but we must have removed at least 300 pounds of dirt to make room for the pavers. This has turned into another family affair, both my sons helping me along the way. Mr. DIY is out of town, again, on business. Somehow he times it just right to avoid hard labor as he did here.
No wheel barrow, no problem, we improvised and put all the excess dirt out of sight behind the garage for now.
Unfortunately, hand and elbow surgery postponed my progress. Ten days later, after getting the okay to resume normal activity, I continued my journey. I learned something really quickly; pavers are not so easy to install. Getting them even was very strenuous and time consuming. That coupled with a sore hand and elbow made everything even more difficult.
My original intention was to make this a no cost makeover using what I have, however, that idea went out the window when I realized I didn’t have enough pavers leftover from the backyard removal to fill the space. So I used the ones I had to create a border.
You might be thinking, those pavers are looking just a little tired. I agree. But don’t worry, I have plans to transform them. Just look at the difference a little power washing made.
So what’s next step of my patio journey? Transforming these old and outdated green pavers of course. Stay tuned, more to come.
