One Handy Chick

A new product and a new life

2011-11-09T21:24:00.001-08:00

I found this precious little dresser in a falling down barn we pick in Mart, TX. We love those folks there! It was in rough shape when we saw it…and I almost thought twice about it! But, it was just too cute to pass up.
It was covered in mess from dirt dobbers(sp?) and had about a 1/4 inch worth of grime and dust over the whole thing! It was missing one of the pieces of hardware, but no big deal!
A little bit of wood glue and clamping secured the structural integrity and then I got to work on the finish.
I had heard about a new product…well, not new, but new to me! The product is called Howard’s Restor a finish and it is THA BOMB! The Howard’s website shows a step-by-step process of how it works, but essentially here is the deal:

Pour some Restor-a-finish into an old glass jar

Grab some #0000 steel wool and soak it in the jar

use some gloves-its not harmful, but it will stain.

Rub the steel wool on the furniture with the grain of the wood.

watch the grime, water stains, icky-ness, and the other stuff just fall away revealing the natural beauty of the finish!

When you are done, take an old t-shirt and wipe away any excess. Then, after 30 minutes, use the wax (also from Howard’s) to give the piece of furniture an amazing finish!
Seriously folks…it’s that easy! I loved this project and cannot wait to tackle it again.
Here is a plethora of photos to give you a lot of before and after comparison.
Here is the before picture alongside the after picture:

and a few side by side comparisons:

a few of the great detail shots:

And one more good before and after shot:

I sure hope you like it! It is in our shop now and you can check out some more of my before and after transformations here

I will link this to Perfectly Imperfect's furniture link party

See you soon!
XO,
Cece

My new entertainment center

2011-11-04T12:45:00.000-07:00

After painting hundreds of beautiful pieces for clients, I decided it was time to do something nice for myself! I spied this beauty at a flea market sitting in the HOT sun! I paid $35 dollars for it...YAY!

I knew exactly what i wanted to do with it, but it took a while to dive in! Here is the beautiful Duncan Phyfe style buffet before:

Can you believe this piece was only $35 buckaroos? JACKPOT!

It was missing some hardware, or pieces of what was left, but not to worry, I had other plans for the leftovers.

I knew I wanted to stain the top and use my favorite Annie Sloan Chalk Paint in Old White for the bottom.

When i sanded the top to be able to stain it in a Dark Walnut, I fell in love with the quality of the wood. Look at this piece as I am staining it!

Isn't that just the most beautiful wood top you have ever seen? I stained it with two coats of Dark Walnut by Minwax and then finished it with two coats of Annie Sloan's Soft Wax.

The base was finished in ASCP Old White and then took a pretty good distressing. We removed the top three drawers to make a nice shelf for our media components and then cut two holes in the back for cables.

(sorry about the bad photos...these are silly iPhone photos, but better than nothin')

I have since styled this a little bit differently to reflect the season, but you get the gist! Inside, we store our plethera of videos (most of them kids movies) but there is SO much space! It was so fun to turn this trash into treasure for our family to use forever!

Hope you enjoy!

XO, Cece

I will share this project at a few link parties!

Here's your sign...

2011-11-02T08:01:00.000-07:00

Everyone seems to be on a custom/distressed sign kick these days! It's everywhere in blogland and on Pinterest. If you want to check me out on Pinterest, I am here. Here are a few that I have worked on over the last few months.

For these signs, I have a great friend who keeps giving me old fence wood. Ya'll, she has like loads and loads of old fence wood! So, I use my handy dandy overhead projector and type up some cool sayings with cool fonts to trace. I use a graphite colored paint that is kinda gray, kinda black. Then wait for it to dry and distress with a fine sanding block.

Same story here with the grocery sign...I need to make some more of these...I like these!

This Happy Holidays sign is one of my favorites. I have the hubby chop up some of the more flat fence posts and use my favorite stamps to stamp out some great sayings. This is SO easy, ya'll!

Do you think you will make anything fun like this for the holidays? We have loads of handmade signs all over our house...too fun! If you need anything custom then just email me or visit our website to place an order! email me here

XO, Cece

back from the dead

2011-10-31T13:07:00.000-07:00

There has been so much happening that I will fill you all in on slowly. For now, I am trying to fulfill my goal of posting regularly!

Here is a fun little project I tackled recently for my new store I have opened!
I found this dusty old serving tray at a house I visit for picking every now and then. It was in a falling down barn for the last 40 years! There was a leather inlay that was beyond help, so I thought it would be a prime candidate for some "rewerking"! It got a fresh coat of paint, a real good cleaning and a new bead board inlay!

Before:

During the transformation:

and the final product:

It's covered with all sorts of store items, but you can still see the Paris Gray distressed beauty!
Isn't she lovely!

Paint and a little bit of elbow grease can do wonders! It just goes to show you that a $5 oversized tray can turn into something worthy of reselling!
check out my other items online at our facebook site too!

XO,
Cece

Back to life!

2011-05-31T15:14:00.000-07:00

Okay peeps! I know it has been a LOOOOOONG time since I have last posted. It has been a whirlwind of a year! yes, a year!!!!

But, great things have happened! My business has taken off, I got married, and have a great new family whom I love to pieces!

I will post all about it very soon and will fill you in on all the major details.

I have been working on a ton of projects over the past year that I will be so happy to share with you! There are also big projects coming down the pipeline as well!

I hope you all are well and enjoying the beginning of summer!
Talk with you soon!

Work, Work, Work!

2010-07-08T12:43:00.001-07:00

I have been a busy bee, but that is great for me! Being ADD, I always have to have several things going on at a time.

This past month has been a super busy month for furniture sales, so that helped with some extra funds…me likey!

So far, I have sold 2 dressers, 4 chairs, 2 end tables and one small table (for the store). I am currently working on 2 more dressers(for a client) and one full dining room set (for a client)!

I will take some pics of my workspace and the stack of furniture growing in my garage pretty soon. Its been an average of 100 degrees here in Central Texas, so the paint dries REALLY FAST and makes things go fast!

I just got finished with a really cute little table and I love it so much I want to keep it. But, I probably shouldn't.

I wish I were better at taking before pics because I think that would make for a more grand reveal….I will try next time:)

Here is the cute little table I just finished:

Isn’t it adorable?? I really like this one a lot, but I don’t have a place for it….I guess that means that I should not keep it.

Other news:

The house is still on the market, so please help me pray for a sale soon enough. As August gets closer I worry about things dragging on even further as most people won’t want to move in the middle of a school year.

Thank you all for continuing to keep up with me…I appreciate you!

I need your help!

2010-07-07T10:41:00.001-07:00

Okay, readers....I have a project for you!
I have posted a short poll survey at the top left of my site. Please take a moment to give me your opinions and then, I will be able to answer some of your burning questions a little more efficiently!
Coming up, I have some big things planned, but I want to make sure I am on track with what you want to see happen, so your opinion matters!
I will leave you with a few images taken over the past weekend by myself and my now 2 year old Teegan-who has figured out how to work my iphone better than me!
We had Teegan’s second birthday party with family, enjoyed cleaning the house from top to bottom, and Teegan had a blast playing with some fun new toys!

Teegan’s cupcakes in a cone…she LOVED them!

How many licks does it take?

Teegan taking pictures in the car

She likes to walk around in my shoes

Taking a bath with cousin to get rid of all the sticky icing!

Teegan and cousin enjoying a nice meal together

One of Teegan’s new toys…then she created her own drive-in movie!

Helpful Household Hints from my friend Julie

2010-07-06T09:53:00.001-07:00

My good friend from college at Carson-Newman in East Tennessee started a blog a while back, and its been a great way to keep up with her and her HOT husband!

She posted about this not too long ago and I asked her if I could share too! Thank you, Jules for the inspiration!

Here goes the goodness:

Take your bananas apart when you get home from the store. If you leave them connected at the stem, they ripen faster.

Store your opened chunks of cheese in aluminum foil. It will stay fresh much longer and not mold! [switched out the plastic bag for some foil not too long ago…its already better!]

Peppers with 3 bumps on the bottom are sweeter and better for eating. Peppers with 4 bumps on the bottom are firmer and better for cooking.

Add a teaspoon of water when frying ground beef. It will help pull the grease away from the meat while cooking.

To really make scrambled eggs or omelets rich add a couple of spoonfuls of sour cream, cream cheese, or heavy cream in and then beat them up.[Oh, girl! you are speaking my language!]

For a cool brownie treat, make brownies as directed. Melt Andes mints in double broiler and pour over warm brownies. Let set for a wonderful minty frosting.[Jules, L-O-V-E it!]

Add garlic immediately to a recipe if you want a light taste of garlic and at the end of the recipe if your want a stronger taste of garlic.

Leftover snickers bars from Halloween make a delicious dessert. Simply chop them up with the food chopper. Peel, core and slice a few apples. Place them in a baking dish and sprinkle the chopped candy bars over the apples. Bake at 350 for 15 minutes. Heat up leftover pizza in a nonstick skillet on top of the stove, set heat to med-low and heat till warm. This keeps the crust crispy. No soggy micro pizza. [I don’t do nuts cause I am allergic, but I will let you guys tell me how this works out]

For easy deviled eggs, put cooked egg yolks in a zip lock bag. Seal, mash till they are all broken up. Add remainder of ingredients, reseal, keep mashing it up mixing thoroughly, cut the tip of the baggy, squeeze mixture into egg. Just throw bag away when done easy clean up.

When you buy a container of cake frosting from the store, whip it with your mixer for a few minutes. You can double it in size. You get to frost more cake/cupcakes with the same amount. You also eat less sugar and calories per serving. [Sounds so yummy!]

To warm biscuits, pancakes, or muffins that were refrigerated, place them in a microwave with a cup of water. The increased moisture will keep the food moist and help it reheat faster.

When you get ready to start putting in your plants, work the nutrients in your soil. Wet newspapers, put layers around the plants overlapping as you go cover with mulch and forget about weeds. Weeds will get through some gardening plastic they will not get through wet newspapers.

Use a wet cotton ball or Q-tip to pick up the small shards of broken glass you can't see easily.

Place a dryer sheet in your pocket. It will keep the mosquitoes away. [I am so glad this works for you, Julie, but it has never worked for me!]

To keep squirrels from eating your plants, sprinkle your plants with cayenne pepper. The cayenne pepper doesn't hurt the plant and the squirrels won't come near it.

To get something out of a heat register or under the fridge add an empty paper towel roll or empty gift wrap roll to your vacuum. It can be bent or flattened to get in narrow openings.

Pin a small safety pin to the seam of your slip and you will not have a clingy skirt or dress. Same thing works with slacks that cling when wearing panty hose. Place pin in seam of slacks and ... ta da! ... static is gone.

Before you pour sticky substances into a measuring cup, fill with hot water. Dump out the hot water, but don't dry cup. Next, add your ingredient, such as peanut butter, and watch how easily it comes right out.

Hate foggy windshields? Buy a chalkboard eraser and keep it in the glove box of your car. When the windows fog, rub with the eraser! Works better than a cloth![Love this one…hot outside (Texas) and cold inside makes for foggy windshields and I hate ‘em!]

If you seal an envelope and then realize you forgot to include something inside, just place your sealed envelope in the freezer for an hour or two. Viola! It unseals easily.

Use your hair conditioner to shave your legs. It's cheaper than shaving cream and leaves your legs really smooth. It's also a great way to use up the conditioner you bought but didn't like when you tried it in your hair. [Tried this one and it works great! I used to only use body soap, which worked fine too, but Teegan has a TON of baby shampoo and conditioner from showers 2 years ago, so I am using what I got!]

To get rid of pesky fruit flies, take a small glass, fill it 1/2' with Apple Cider Vinegar and 2 drops of dish washing liquid; mix well. You will find those flies drawn to the cup and gone forever![Totally worked! Those yucky flies are GONE!]

Put small piles of cornmeal where you see ants. They eat it, take it 'home,' can't digest it so it kills them. It may take a week or so, especially if it rains, but it works and you don't have the worry about pets or small children being harmed!

The best way to keep your dryer working for a very longtime (and to keep your electric bill lower) is to take the filter out and wash it with hot soapy water and an old toothbrush (or other brush) at least every six months. Dryer sheets cause a film to build up on the mesh that could potentially burn out the heating unit. By rinsing it, you could even extend the life of your dryer for twice as long! [ooooh, if you could see what I saw last night doing this…so scary! This is a fire waiting to happen. I don’t use dryer sheets, only fabric softener, but there was still a buildup!]

Here's to happy housekeeping, ya’ll! And thank you, Jules for the helpful hints…keep them coming!

Just for fun…here are some pictures of me and Julie from college with a few old friends as well!

So, how about it…do any of you guys have tips that you live by? Fill a sista in!

Paint Horrors

2010-07-02T10:28:00.001-07:00

Not too long ago, I started painting all the walls in my house a nice Antique White from Behr at Home Depot in order get all the walls looking good.

I had much success in the bedrooms, kitchen and main living areas, so next on the list was tackling the hallway.

But in my desperation to save money on paint, I chose a much less expensive version of this color from Glidden. Big Mistake. HUGE.

I started with my first coat on the walls using my trusty roller (we are bff's now) and extension rod (cause i am a shorty) and things were going quite well. I moved on to the next wall and then the horror struck. (insert scary movie music here)

I looked over to my previously painted wall and this is what I saw:

Can you see the horror??? Totally not okay with me!

The walls I was painting over were also painted in a water based paint, so no need to be concerned about oil based and water based paint mixing. I also used the same technique I always use when painting….I am practically a pro now.

But somehow, I ended up with this madness. I was trying to be quiet while Teegan napped and I painted, but I am pretty sure a few loud comments escaped my mouth.

What to do? Well, I waited until Teegan was done with her nap and then armed with the half empty paint can, I drove back to Home Depot to tell them what happened. Praise the Lord for Home Depot. I simply explained to them that the paint was literally dripping off my walls and they, without question allowed me to exchange the Glidden for the Behr paint WITHOUT charging me the difference!!! HOW COOL IS THAT?

I love Home Depot for a variety of reasons, but most lately, I love them for their excellent customer service. Way to go Orange!

And, I know you love a good before and after, so here goes the after:

Do you guys have any favorite stories from your home improvement stores? Share, please!

July Goals

2010-07-01T08:55:00.001-07:00

Inspired by Katie at Bower Power, I decided to put my goals out there for the world to see.

You really can’t back out of things if they are public knowledge, right? Right!

Some of my faithful followers have asked how I was able to lose 12 pounds in under a month…definitely not good genes -- short and stumpy runs in the fam, ya’ll, or a major workout plan -- come on…you know me better than that!

I have joined some of the masses on this one, following the steps of my sis-in-law who recently lost 25 lbs in just under 5 months!!!

I have started participating in Weight Watchers. But, I don’t do the meeting thing because:

1. I do NOT want anyone seeing that scale except for me

2. This single mama does not have time for one more meeting

So, I do the online plan…they have a cool little tracker that is really easy. I can tell it what I ate and it does the calculation for me. Plus, no one is telling me I can’t have what I want. Based on my height and weight and activity level, I have a certain amount of points each day and then as a bonus (WW must have been thinking of me when they started this) they give you some extra “just in case” points for messing up or splurging! YAY!

So, 12 pounds down and, oh…..30 more to go!!!

So, Here are my top 5 goals for the month of July (my birthday month!!!)

1. Lose 5 more pounds

2. See Eclipse, the movie

3. Start swim lessons with Teegan

4. Blog every other day

5. Make smarter choices about foods

Sounds pretty reasonable, don’t you think?! We will see!

Oh, and stay tuned because I will have my first giveaway on the blog in honor of my birthday month! WAHOO!

To put it out there….here is a picture of me about 5 years ago in tip-top shape….this is my goal picture!

My new food plan

2010-06-26T20:13:00.000-07:00

When I started this blog, I never thought food would be a part of it. But, after losing 12 pounds so far, I really think its time for me to share a little bit about what I am learning!

Portion, portion, portion! Did you know that Americans eat 3 times as much food per meal than other countries? And the average soda size in America is 20 ounces, versus the rest of the world at 8 ounces! That is just crazy to me. It should sound crazy to you too.

But, let me be clear...I HATE DIETS.
DIETS DON'T WORK.

If someone tells me that I cannot eat something, what will I want to do more than anything? Eat it!!!

So, I have decided to take on some elements of basic logic to try and lose some weight...baby weight that I should have lost almost 2 years ago.

How did I do it, you ask? By tricking my brain. I am using smaller plates, eating natural foods and eating all day long! It's working great so far! 12 pounds down and about 20 more to go!!!

Here is an example of what I ate this weekend. If it looks good to you, I will share the recipes on my blog later tomorrow, so come back and check it out!

Breakfast:
Scrambled egg whites with fresh tomatoes and shredded cheese

Dinner:

1/3 pound salmon with broccoli and corn

Looks pretty good, eh? Tasted great too!

So, come back tomorrow and I will share the secrets!!!

My new side business!

2010-06-23T19:39:00.000-07:00

YAY! I am so excited to announce that I officially have a new side business!
I will be painting and upholstering furniture for a great lady who owns this marvelous space inside one of the largest antique malls here in Waco-Cameron Trading Post.

If you are anywhere near Central Texas, its located at 618 Austin Avenue and I would love for you to stop by and see some of my pieces!

I already have a few things there for sale, but here are the latest little projects I have worked on. I currently have 2 tables and 3 other chairs in the garage with the first coat of paint on!

I also have a new website set up to display some of the greatness (its not much right now, but I have a master plan) so, please check it out and let me know what you think! http://www.rewerkedfurniture.com/

Let me know what you think!!!

1) A painted white harp back chair with light distressing and a beautiful light blue/grey and white damask printed seat

2) A cross back chair with great detail, heavier distressing and a glaze to go with the brown and cream colored fabric on the seat.

How do you say, "Thank you"

2010-06-21T09:51:00.000-07:00

I don't know about you, but sometimes its really hard for me to take a compliment. I know, I know, just a simple, "thank you" will do, but sometimes it simply wont!

I received a nice little compliment this past week and I wanted to let you all know about it, and to say out in the open how much it meant to me!
TONS!

My new blogging friend, Sunny, from Life in Rehab sent me an email last week to let me know that she was writing a post that featured me as a "Top Ten Blogs I Check Before Knocking Out a Wall or Firing Up the Circular Saw."

How seriously cool is that? Like, a bubblegum icee on a 99 degree hot Texas day...that is how cool that was!

Along with my blog, there were lots of other greats to check out, so I encourage you to visit Sunny. I guess its just because I am still so new to blogging (I dont even have a regular posting schedule-shame on me) that I didnt really think anyone was paying attention to the things I am doing.

So, Sunny....thank you for featuring me and for thinking that I have some-ish skill when it comes to renovating! I truly appreciated it!

How do you guys say, "thanks" when someone does something uber nice to you? I would love to hear your comments on this one:)

xoxo
Cece

Out of the office....er, in the office!

2010-06-15T14:43:00.000-07:00

I have been up to my eyeballs in paint...literally!

After seeing some of my posts from the furniture painting, I received a call from an old friend who owns an antique store.

She literally has hundreds of chairs, tables, dressers, armoires, etc and wants them ALL painted!

WOWZERS.

And, she chose me!

YAHOO!

But, that has meant some late nights (on top of my 8-5 job) painting in the garage in 90+ degree heat!

SHEESH.

So, I will be posting lots of cool pictures of the afters...I hope i can remember to take some of the befores:)

Here is one pretty cute after:

Its a petite desk chair painted in a light grey and distressed to show some of the white and some of the original dark wood.

Also, I have been a little busy with this little project:

She turned 2 yesterday. My little baby is growing up so fast!

LOVE. HER. TO. PIECES!

An award?? For little ol' me??

2010-05-14T06:20:00.000-07:00

Thank you, thank you, thank you!
This award comes to me from Tracy at Tracy's Trinkets and Treasures!
I was honored along with a few other fabulous bloggers out there, so please check out Tracy's blog and the other amazing ladies as well.
Thank you again, Tracy! you made my day!

House updates and a peek…

2010-05-10T19:53:00.000-07:00

I have shared some before pics of the house, and now that all of the work is done, I feel good about sharing the after pics!
get ready for a long post!
EXTERIOR
before:

and after:

I knocked down the brick wall in front, created an inviting seating area, and planted a flower garden.

KITCHEN
here is the before picture of the kitchen:

and, here is the kitchen after:

(painted sign by yours truly)

I knocked down the old cabinet blocking the way from the kitchen to the breakfast nook. I painted everything an antique white, added bead board wainscoting, 5.5 inch baseboard moldings, finished off the tile countertop with a nice white edge trim molding, added sheer white drapes with a nice black and white damask valance, knocked down a useless half wall, and set a nice table using some simple dishes and a few fresh cut branches from a tree in yard.

LIVING ROOM
Here is the living room before:

and, here is the living room after:

In the living room, I painted everything an antique white and built a mantle and designed a board and batten treatment on the lower half of the fireplace to break up the wall of brick. I found a craigslist coffee table and intended to paint it white, but I kinda like the chippy natural wood color that it is now. Hung some burlap curtains and woven wood blinds to contrast with the white hearth. and, throughout the living room is the new tile:)

MASTER BEDROOM
Here is the master bedroom before:

and, here is the master bedroom after:

(craigslist entertainment center)

(craigslist dresser and yard sale prints)

(craigslist bed and goodwill night stand)

TEEGAN’S ROOM
Here is the before picture:

(sorry for the dark pics)

(the toddler bed i made)

THE HALLWAY
Here is the hallway before:

and after:

THE FRONT ROOM
Here is the before:

(in all of its orangish-red glory)
and after:

(with all of Teegan’s toys)

GUEST BATH
guest bathroom before:

and after:

and a few bonus pics (because I neglected to take before pics!)

(entry from kitchen into laundry with new beadboard)

(office/study area with $30 shelving system)

so, that is where I have been for the past two weeks. Please forgive me?!
What do you think of the work? Tell me the good and bad, please!
The house is officially on the market and has had several lookers so far! Please pray that the right buyer comes along!!!

and, for the sneak peek:
I have found my “dream home”! If it were possible to be in love with an inanimate object, I would be in love with this house! I call it “the beach cottage”! Its a little over my budget of $75,000 so I am also praying that when I make an offer (i have to wait until I have an offer on my house), they will accept it. Please pray for that too!
Want to see pics?
okay, but be warned that it is SUPER cute!

Isn’t it the cutest little place, ever!??
It will be perfect for me and Teegan, so I am praying so hard that it will wait for me to make the offer. It has hard wood floors (LOVE IT), great landscaping (LOVE IT), a flat back yard for Teegan to play in (LOVE IT) and lots of character. It was built in the 1930’s and has been updated, but tastefully.
So, I will ask that you all join with me to pray that the right house will be made available for me and Tee. Something way cheaper than where we are now, in a safe neighborhood, with a good yard and less space to maintain.
Thank you all for checking out my posts and for contributing with your comments. I SO appreciate you!

much love,
Cece

Decisions, decisions

2010-04-26T10:32:00.000-07:00

I love being a home owner...... but, sometimes you just have to know when to say, "when"!
I may need to sell the house. Not excited about it at all, especially since I am working so hard on making it liveable for me! But, there is too much month at the end of the money! And, that leaves no space for more projects. Its silly, but food and diapers are more important than house projects....why does it have to be that way?!!! j/k.

So, I am embarking on the every popular, "how much to list the house for sale for?" and also finding an agent I like and feel good about. My dad is a real estate agent/broker, so I know what a good one looks like, but there are not many out there it seems!

Once/if the house sells, I will be looking for something much smaller, or even consider renting again.

Right now, I am finishing the beadboard and molding in the kitchen and repainting that. Also, installing the new baseboard molding thorughout the house since all tile and grouting is finally done.
I have patched the popcorn (ew) ceiling in the kitchen where I tore out the cabinets that blocked the view. I need to chisel a beam down a little bit so i can set in some drywall to patch where I knocked down a half wall to open things up a bit.
Sheesh! after that, all the beadboard and baseboards need paint, all the doors need paint, and all the trim needs paint.
There are not enough hours in the day!
pray for me!

The Dreaded Kitchen

2010-04-21T10:33:00.000-07:00

I am going to show you some images of my current kitchen. The tile is coming off the counters in chunks and the layout is not the best, but right now I am mostly just concerned about the tile.
If you have any suggestions of something not too expensive and DIY, then PUH LEEEZE contact me ASAP!

Tile pieces are missing from the edge....ick.

Pretty sure you are not supposed to be able to pull away the tile from the counter...are you?

__________________________________________________________________

On a fun note, I had a friend of mine help me get rid of these awful cabinets over the cooktop. They blocked the view of the LR from the kitchen! It really opens things up, don't you think?!

Before:

During:

After:

I have since painted the walls an antique white, will paint the cabinets a nice glossy new white and somehow do new countertops! Oh, and I got rid of the old oven and added a new (to me) oven/micro combo. Fun times. Next to the cabinet on the far right side, I will make some sort of a decorative shelf to conceal the unfinished side there.

So, bring on the ideas for new (cheap, cheap, cheap) countertops!!!!

Down came the wall...

2010-04-19T07:31:00.000-07:00

So, here was the wall that came with the house:

The two trees died because of some wierd Texas tree rot, so those were gone before I moved in (very sad, I know!).
Without the trees, the brown on the shutters looked like POOP, so I painted the shutters and the garage door black asap.
Without the trees in the yard, the house just looked univiting and very 1970! So, after plotting and planning, some good guy friends came over and had a little bit of fun with a sledge hammer! HA!!!

They got things started and then I took off a little more each night for about a week. These are still kinda "in progress" pictures as I still need to patch up the brick on the side of the house, but you can get the feeling of how much more open this is going to feel!

And, here it is now, with the brick repaired and all the old stuff hauled away!

Come October, I plan to plant two large crepe myrtle trees where the old trees were!
I also have some fun landscaping I will share with you later this week!

I hope to find some nice pillows for the Goodwill chairs I found (2 for $20)...I need to take more pictures of those to show you the great patina they have (note to self).

I spray painted an old beat up chippy table and want to find some nice plants to dress up my new front porch!!!!

A new total house paint job will be coming in the next year, but I am trying to pay for everything with cash so that I dont go into debt on anything.

Still lots of projects on the list, but I am chipping away at the list with fervor!

Any new ideas for my front porch? I welcome them all!!!

I am sharing my work on these blogs!

Finished Fireplace

2010-04-15T17:29:00.000-07:00

Here are some images of the finished fireplace.
Check out my post here to see the step by step transformation. There is fresh new paint on the hearth and the board and batten are all painted as well! I almost hesitate to decorate it because that means covering up my new handiwork! That hesitation won't last long, I assure you!

Any ideas on what I should put IN the fireplace??

I will be adding the top molding to the beadboard wall tonight and tomorrow so I will update you soon!

I am linking up to these parties!

Just had to share....

2010-04-12T08:59:00.000-07:00

After bath time last night, Teegan had a lot to say. I kept asking her what she was saying and then she got seemingly upset that I didnt know what she was talking about!
Here she is....

Change is a comin'....

2010-04-12T07:14:00.000-07:00

I should know bettter by know, but somehow I am still surprised that I can't leave well enough alone.
This is a post about projects in progess, so please bear with me.

My house was built in 1971, also known as "the era with no real architectual style." my house was complete with spindle posts, popcorn ceiling (still have not remedied that one yet) and orange shag carpet. sheesh.

I am mostly through my tile grouting, but needed a break from the monotony, so I decided to take on two projects that would make me feel like I can actually complete something that wont take forever and a day.

So, this weekend at Home Depot I loaded up the back of the car with mdf & wood, strapped two large sheets of beadboard to the top of my car (thats right, i said car, not truck) and got to work!

I wish I would have taken a picture of the beadboard on the roof of my car, but I think I was so afraid of what the neighbors might think that I hurried up to get it off!
Here is a shot of the mdf and wood, though!

that is a baby wipe on the wood there, because Teegan decided to have fun throwing her cup of milk on the wood...oh the joy!
I decided to start with the bead board wall. Eventually the whole kitchen will be bead board, but for now I had to cover up what was there before. There was this wierd rail thing that was there and had been painted over about 6 times, so it was a pain in the bootie to take off, leaving a large patch job that I was not excited about taking on. Then, I saw Layla's kitchen and knew where to draw my inspiration!

I have about a gazillion images from her house saved as my inspiration photos, so ya'll check out what she has going on over there!

back to the post at hand......

I measured twice and cut once:) that is how you do it around here. I don't like repeating steps, so I try to do it right the first time. I even figured out how to cut out around an outlet cover:) yeah, buddy!
here are some photos of the progress.....

Pretty cool, huh? I have to admit that I am proud of myself.

Note about the baseboards: I found a screamin deal on Craigslist (oh, how I love thee) for 40 8-foot strips of this 5 inch baseboard molding for 175. well, that alone might have been good enough, but not for this ~~cheap~~ thrify girl. I bargained the seller down to 75 bucks for it and had him deliver it too!

I used caulk on the seams where the beadboard pieces came together and then along the top of the baseboard and then used a joint compound to fill in any holes from the nails that I hammered in.

I dont have a pneumatic nail gun, so all projects are done with finishing nails and a good ol fashion hammer!

This project is far from finished, but at least it covered up an unsightly wall!

_______________________________

On to the next weekend project:

I posted on my mantel makeover a little bit ago, but was not quite satisfied with it.

I have had an inspiration photo from "Layla the great" for a while now of her fireplace. I LOVE the board and batten look and wanted to emulate that somewhere in the house. So, i got some mdf, luan plywood and liquid nails and went to town!

Here is what I started with, then the after when I built my mantle

now here is the photo progession of where we are now (still a work in progess with paint and touch ups):

What do you think???

I am so stoked with the way things are turning out!

I wish I had all the hours in the day to make these things happen....and endless financial means would be nice too!

but, I am working on a "I have to get as much done during nap time and after bed time" type of time table here:)

Thank you for checking out my work. I will have finished pictures to post very soon!

I will be sharing at THESE link parties

Off to work I go

2010-04-07T09:51:00.000-07:00

My hands are swollen.
My shoulder muscles have never had a workout like this before.
My knees hurt from being on the floor.
My eyes hurt from my contacts being in them for too long.

Why??

I am tiling and grouting.

This is hard work!!!

Because of dog pee and water damage to the laminate wood floors that were in the house before I moved in, I had no choice but to remove them. I attempted a vinyl wood plank flooring that actually looked really neat, but it wouldnt stick to my concrete subfloor!

So, after resolving myself to having to put carpet down everywhere (i hate carpet because of allergies) I found the deal of the century. During one of my many trips to Lowes, I came across a really nice ceramic tile. It was 16x16 and had a bit of a texture to it and it was a neutral cream color. To my surprise, the tile was 64 cents a square foot!!!!! nothing else had even come close to being that cheap! So, I bought all I could and now I am working my fingers to the bone.

People, I have 1200 square feet of tiling to do!!!!

All of the actual laying of the tile is now done, and the hard part has begun....the grouting.
This is not a simple job, and you really need two people to do it right.

But, I am only one woman.

Last night I worked from 9pm to 1am and got half of the master bedroom done. Does that tell you anything?? TOUGH WORK.

Right now, I am wishing I would win the lottery so I could pay someone to grout the floors. But, then I would have just bought hardwood floors and had that done.

Only one problem with that plan...I don't play the lottery!

Oh, well! On to more grouting.......

Learn About Link Parties

2010-03-22T07:33:00.000-07:00

Link Parties are a fun way to get inspired, meet new friends, and show off your hard work!
I can't participate in every party, every time, but here is a list if you'd like to ~~stalk~~ see a lot of great work from lovely ladies!
this is always a work in progress, so check back often!

MONDAYS

The Persimmon Perch-Made it Mondays
Between Naps on the Porch-Metamorphosis Mondays
Skip to my Lou-Made by You Mondays
The Girl Creative-Just Something I Whipped Up
The Twice Remembered Cottage-Make Your Monday
A Soft Place to Land-DIY Day
Making the world Cuter-Mondays

TUESDAYS
Today's Creative Blog-Get Your Craft On
My Frugal Family-Talented Tuesdays
Toot Your Horn Tuesdays

WEDNESDAYS
Room To Inspire

THURSDAYS

FRIDAYS
Remodelaholic-Remodelaholics Anonymous
Shanty 2 Chic-I Made it Without My Hubby
Miss Mustard Seed-Furniture Feature Fridays
The Shabby Nest-Frugal Fridays
Favorite Things Friday
Fingerprints on the Fridge-Feature Yourself Friday

WEEKENDS
The DIY Project Parade
Tatertots and Jello-Weekend Wrap Up

A New Mantel for me!

2010-03-19T13:24:00.000-07:00

One of the items on my house's "to do" list was to build a mantel (or mantle?) for my fireplace. I am happy to say, it is now complete--or should I say complete for now!
I had no plan to begin with, I just took some raw meansurements and starting piecing things together to make it look good.
What do you think?

please pardon the naked windows....I have a plan!

Here are some step by steps for making my mantel:

1) check to make sure the proposed mantel is level. mark your spots and prepare to drill.

i needed a hefty board to hang the actual mantel from, so i used a 2x6 in the center and then 2 smaller pieces on the outside to help with level and load.

2) with someone holding the boards in place, mark for holes to be drilled.

3) add suuport brackets if you want to make sure that you definitely trust anything you put on your mantel that is screwed into your 40 year old brick to stay secure!

4) invite a big strapping young gentleman to come over and help you screw in these massive bolts to the brick.

5) these are the bolts that i used and they definitely felt secure. i tested it by hanging off of the wood base before i slid the mantel on!

6) once the base was set, i slid on my mantel piece and here is how it looks today!

the actual mantle is made of 1x 8 white pine boards that i have beat up and stained dark walnut.

I am sharing my work at these parties:

these link parties

Too cute not to share

2010-03-17T13:53:00.000-07:00

A friend sent this to me to share what my little girl was doing. This is Teegan and her cousin, Jonah. They are watching her favorite show, Jack's Big Music Show. She has to do everything Jonah does, how he does it, and it is too cute!

This post is linked up with Sweet Shot Day

The making of a makeover!

2010-03-08T07:38:00.000-08:00

I am not one for suspense, so here is the quick before and after:

Here is how it went from drab to fab!
I found this dresser on Craigslist for $60.
It also came with a really nasty mirror that I will update for Teegan to have her own full length mirror!
After seeing the dresser, I was able to negotiate the price down to $30!!! woo hoo!!!
Back to the point at hand….
This is what the dresser looked like when i got it:

Isn’t that horrible?
There were glass rings and gouges and just overall, the piece was neglected.
The owner was getting rid of a bunch of furniture to move out of state, so I lucked out.
But it wasn’t until after I got home that I realized that I REALLY lucked out.
I was cleaning this gross red slimy stuff off the side of one of the drawers when I noticed there was a label inside the drawer.
Wanna know what it said? It said “Thomasville” and had a date of 1952!
Can you believe it?!!!! Shouts of joy rang out as I realized I just scored a circa 1950’s Thomasville solid wood piece of furniture.

Here is how I transformed it:

1. I sanded the entire thing with an 80 grit sanding pad using my Ryobi palm sander.
After I got the majority of gunk off, I gave it a light sanding with a 120 sanding pad.

2. I wiped everything really clean with an old t-shirt and covered the top of the dresser with newspaper.

3. I grabbed my spray paint can and went to town. Spray paint dries so fast, so I was able to give it 3 coats in one night. I realize that brush paint would have been cheaper to use, but I really wanted a specific color and didn't want to have to polyurethane anything but the top, so I decided to use spray paint. I used Rustoleum Heirloom White in the satin finish.

4. Once the paint was dry the next day, I started on distressing. I am sure the dresser would have looked great without the distressing or the glazing, but that is not how I roll. So, out came the sanding block with 80 grit sand paper and I went to town. There are some great details on the drawer fronts, so I really wanted to make them pop.

5. Once the sanding was done, I wiped down the drawer fronts and the dresser base and began the glazing. I use Ralph Lauren glaze tinted to “Smoke.” I use a foam brush and wipe on, wait 10 seconds, then wipe off-really, its that simple.

6. When it was time to start on the top, I chose to use the Minwax wood conditioner since I had never stained anything before and wasn’t sure how the wood would absorb the stain.

7. I chose the Provincial stain from Minwax because I thought it would be a good match to the base paint. I used a foam brush and evenly spread the stain onto the top, being careful of drips and pooling.

7. Once I let the stain set in for about 5 minutes, i used a rag to wipe off any excess. It looked great as is, but I wanted to put a second coat of stain on just in case. The next day, I used a tack cloth to clean off the top, then I applied a second coat of stain.

8. Next came the poly process. Poly is stinky and no fun! It took a total of 3 coats of polyurethane before I was happy with the finish. Halfway through, I thought for sure I had messed up my dresser, but I waited and things turned out fine. I put the first coat of poly on and waited a whole day for it to dry. When i went to touch it the next day, it felt rough and gross. I freaked out! So, I decided to sand it down lightly and see if that helped. Phew! It helped. Then I did another coat of poly and sanded after that day, and then a final coat of poly.

9. I couldn't find any new hardware that worked with the dresser, so I decided I would spray paint the old hardware. I used Rustoleums Oil Rubbed Bronze and it turned out beautifully!

What was once a neglected old dresser is now a beautiful piece of 1950’s Thomasville furniture. I really enjoyed this whole process. Bringing a piece of furniture back to life again was therapeutic for me. Kinda like going through the divorce left me feeling broken and dilapidated. Then, as God promised, He is bringing me back to life again!

You may be seeing a lot more furniture makeovers from me…I kinda like it! Here is the before and after again:

You can make this dresser yours:
visit my new furniture sales blog at http://rewerked.blogspot.com/

I am linking this post to a few other sites to share my hard work:

Between Naps on the Porch-Metamorphosis Monday
The Persimmon Perch-Make It Mondays
The Twice Remembered Cottage-Make Your Monday
Its So Very Cheri-Its So Very Creative
Shanty 2 Chic-I Made it Without My Hubby
Today's Creative Blog-Get Your Craft On
A Soft Place to Land-DIY Day
My Frugal Family-Talented Tuesday
Funky Junk's Saturday Night Special
Miss Mustard Seed-Furniture Feature Friday
The Shabby Nest-Frugal Friday
Making the World Cuter Mondays

Everyone loves a good before and after!

2010-03-03T07:49:00.000-08:00

Here is the dresser, finally finished! I will talk through all the steps soon!

Just a Teaser

2010-02-10T10:42:00.000-08:00

Here is a new (to me) dresser I have been working on for my room at the new house!

I am so excited to see it all finished and in its new home. Here is your teaser photo:

I promise I will share all the juicy details, but for now you will have to wait…I am awful, huh?

Staining Furniture

2010-02-09T10:40:00.000-08:00

I found this beautiful buffet for my sister on Craigslist for $40. The stain was bad and there was a piece of trim missing off the front, but the lines were great and it is solid wood, so you can pretty much do anything with that! She was looking for something to corral all the toys that our little ones use in her living room and this will be the perfect piece! I love open shelving and would love to see the baskets inside, but she prefers the doors. And, since this is going in her house, I will let her choose! what a nice sister I am ...

I will save the finished product for later, but I just wanted to show you the before pictures and keep you on the edge of your seat!

(Jonah thought this was the proper time for him to model the dresser for us)

We sanded down everything to the bare wood (what an arm workout) so that we could re-stain it a dark walnut to match an existing TV table she has. It is going to look stellar! The weather has been the typical unpredictable Texas February weather, so we are in the poly process after about 2 weeks of work. i can't wait to show you the final piece!!!

Kiddie Chair Face Lift

2010-02-01T21:04:00.000-08:00

I can now check one thing off of my 2010 to-do list!

So, this is my first ever attempt at reupholstering a piece of furniture! It probably wouldnt have even happened, but some good friends (thank you Amy & Brian) gave Teegan a great little rocking chair as a hand-me-down. However, it would not have gone with her new bedroom decor. So, I asked myself, "How hard could this be?" (insert menacing chuckle here)
After two evenings or work, running out of fabric, and one small injury later, the chair is finished!
Here is a quick side by side before and after:

Not too shabby, eh?

I still need to cover the screws with some cute covered buttons, but i couldn't wait to share the progress. I am rather proud of myself. Here are some progress photos to share as well!

This is me telling Teegan to get to work! j/k. I asked her to get up so I could start and she grabbed the screwdriver from me and insisted she work too!

Look at that dedication, folks. She is destined to be a do-it-yourself-er!

Okay, maybe its time I stepped in, huh Teegan?!

Start by uncovering everything. I used a little teeny flat head screwdriver and a pair of pliers to get out those pesky staples.

Not much to look at under all the covers. I don't know what i was expecting, but I know I was expecting more!

I removed the back rest from the actual chair part to prepare for recovering.

Measuring to make sure I was allowing enough fabric...a lot of good that did me!

finished back rest

finished seat portion

next come the arm rests. I just kinda pleated the fabric and stapled as I went along. There is not much "wood" to this chair, so stapling proved to be a lot harder than I thought it would be. This would be where my "injury" happened. I was trying to get in between the two pieces of wood holding the seat from drooping and realized I missed a pesky staple. It got me!

But, don't you worry, folks! A little blood never slows me down....

on to the second arm

Probably a little overkill, but I didnt want the back just falling off the chair when Teegan leaned back, so I made darn sure that would not happen!

I would have covered the chair in all the same small polka dots, but I ran out of fabric last night. Today, I went to the fabric store and they were all out. So, I chose to do the sides, back and front skirt in the new larger polka dot material. Not the way I would have originally gone, but I think it still pretty cute!

Here is Teegan checking out her new chair. I think she likes it:)

Again, here is the finished product! What do you think??

just a note...Teegan and I are moving into our first house together in the middle of this month. So, right now we are in a 400 sq. foot apartment. In the next year, it is my goal to tackle some pretty big projects to make our new house, a HOME! Keep up with me if you would like and I will share how I do these projects...at the very least, this way you will learn from my mistakes, right?!!!

Linking my project to:

Shanty 2 Chic

A Soft Place to Land

Between Naps on the Porch

Before and After Party

Funky Junk's Saturday Night Special

Mustard Seed's Furniture Feature Friday

Fun with fonts

2010-01-27T14:42:00.000-08:00

I love to make signs! There, i said it. It's official and everyone knows it now.
Okay, maybe just the few friends who actually read this blog know it now, but its out there. I probably make at least a sign a week. I love finding a great piece of old, nasty, weathered wood, cleaning it up and then making something great out of it! Its like i just breathed life into something that was once dead. TOO COOL.
Here is my latest addition. I love this one. It will hang proudly in my new kitchen. Once I move in and have some good pictures, I will show you its new home.
I always use Rustoleums antiqued white spray paint and get several good coats on there. i usually make my own layouts for the signs using publisher and then use an overhead projector to get them nice and big!
I fill in the letters with paint and then use my 3m sanding block with 80 grit sandpaper to really rough it up.
finish it off with a coat of non yellowing poly and then you are good to go!
hope you enjoy it too!

spray paint magic

2009-12-06T19:53:00.000-08:00

It is amazing what a little spray paint and sandpaper can do!
These are some old ceiling tins i found at an antique store that was going out of business. The tins were $6 for the pair! As much as I love a good antiqued tin, i just wasnt satisfied with how they looked. I wanted to do sort of a shabby chic take on them, so I grabbed the new can of Rustoleum and went to town. These tins got a good coat of spray paint, then i sanded them with 80 grit sandpaper to reveal some of the old rusted parts. I finished it off with a Ralph Lauren Glaze and sealed it with a poly. They now proudly hand over my bed as a cute little shabby headboard. GOTTA LOVE RUSTOLEUM!

old rusty ceiling tins

Rustoleum Heirloom white spray paint

spray paint, then sand to reveal some old-ness

glaze over all with Ralph Lauren glaze

check out your new piece of art

I am linking this to the Saturday Night Special

http://funkyjunkinteriors.blogspot.com/2009/12/sns-8-brings-you-anything-goes-and.html

and

Here is the link to the Shanty2Chic girls who are hosting a really good Rustoleum party! Check out the good ideas here:

http://shanty2chic.blogspot.com/2009/12/rust-oleum-revamp-link-party-and.html

Cabinet re-do

2009-11-02T22:49:00.000-08:00

Here is the before picture of the plain pine cabinet (pardon the toys in the background!)

Here are some after photos

This is going to be a great place to corral all of Teegan's books and toys!

yay for friday

2009-10-30T14:39:00.000-07:00

I have been pretty solid about updating my Teeny Bows blog, but not so great at working on this one, so i am starting fresh. This weekend, i have all sorts of projects to complete. I found a cute little curio cabinet on Cragslist for $10 and will paint it black and add new hardware so it can safely store all of Teegan's toys. Now i am on the hunt for cheap baskets to corral all that "stuff". I also have a bow order of 50 bows make this weekend...phew! And, I plan on garage sale-ing this saturday morning. Add to that, trick-or-treating with a toddler and making it to church and you have a full weekend!!!
I will post some before and after pictures of my cabinet re-do soon:)