I know, I know

The last few weeks have been so busy.  Last week especially.  I planned 2 events, helped with 1, gave two talks, 2 public comments...by the time Saturday came and went, I was in bed by 8PM.  I am not usually in bed by then.  Which leads me to why part 2 of the office refinish isn't finished yet.

opps! no real before picture.  Don't mind the messy background.

So, last post I told you about my desk.  This post I will talk about the refinishing.  When my mother called me to ask me if I wanted the old credenza from my grandpa's old office, I was of course jumping and saying YES!!  So, now I had two furniture pieces for my office.

I found a couple tutorials on refinishing without sanding, because I didn't want to sand all of that surface area.     Now I can't for the life of me find the pin.  I was pretty sure I pinned it.  Isn't that always how it goes?
Anyway, a few of them recommended a product by Rustoleum, Furniture Transformations, I did the glazed charcoal.  It was fairly easy, the instructions spell it out for you.  You use the step one cleaning, step 2 the basecoat, step three the glaze, step 4 the sealer.  Everything but the brush come in the little kit.  You have to have it tinted at the store, so don't leave without doing that first.  I think I was a little confused on that one.  I did buy some cheap plastic cups to put the paint in for ease.

I realized the coverage for the product was off from the surfaces I had to paint, but not enough to purchase 2 @ $40 each.  Which, isn't bad to not have to sand.  I after stressing much deliberation.  I decided I could mod podge the paper onto the desk drawers and save me some paint, as, I mentioned before.  I was going to use wall paper somewhere in my original idea for the desk anyway.  That made it so I had enough paint for both projects.



I am pleased with the finished product.

Now, to show the whole office.  Just need to finish the curtains...

     About a year ago we moved into a new house.  We have been busy over the last year making it our home.  The latest project is the office redo.  I promised a few people I would post pictures of my desk project.  I have been putting it off long enough.  So here is the desk project.  As soon as I have a few other small projects completed, I will show the entire office reveal as well as some things we have been doing around the rest of the house.

      I have to tell you that I came across this desk by accident.  I went with the husband to pick up an item at his uncle's auction for his mom.  They had been having a surplus auction of all of the things that the county was no longer using.  It was sitting on the law waiting with about 15 other desks to be loaded onto a truck to be taken where ever desks go when they are not wanted.  The hubs aunt and cousin saw me eyeing it and told me I should just offer the dude like $20.  So, I did.  He accepted, and she came home to live with us.
Before the refinishing.

 Desk drawers.  The handles were glued on so I had to hammer them off to finish them.  I was going to replace them anyway, lets face it.

I will tell you more about the painting later when I show you the matching credenza, but the story goes, I didn't have enough paint to do both pieces, so I decided to cover the drawers in paper.  I purchased this lovely handmade paper with gold dust from Paper Source.  . It was love at first sight.  Using Mod Podge, I covered the drawer fronts.  Then I finished it off with handles that I purchased at Pick Your Plum, an advantage to local pick up, is you get to see fun things.  They weren't this color, and I'm not sure where the before picture went.  I spray painted them with Rust-Oleum's Sun Yellow and then because it was a little too bright for the project I glazed them with Martha Stewart finishes, I think coffee bean.  It has a metallic shimmer to it.  

And the final product

I love it.  Can't wait to show you the rest.

Projects

I have all these amazing projects I've been working on that I am loving how they are turning out.  I am dying to share them with you, but I need some better photos...and some finishing touches.  I am not sure that I have shared it here but I have recently moved into a new house.  It is a blank canvas awaiting my touch.  It is two years old and doesn't have a yard so unfortunately that has become the priority.  I will be posting the projects as soon as I get them completed and get time to post them.  Have a beautiful day.

Teacher Appreciation

Today was the last day of school.  My oldest has been bugging  asking me, since teacher appreciation a few weeks ago to do a gift for her teacher.  Well, the last couple weeks have been crazy.  I just haven't gotten to it. I meant to do it yesterday and then got coerced into  got asked if I could help with field day, which it was my good friend so of course I said yes I'd help.  It was divided up into two sessions so I thought for sure I'd have time to work on my project (if I could remember what I was going to do).  Well, turns out things came up for other volunteers, SO, I helped all day, and have the sun burn to prove it.  No problem right, I still have the rest of the night (what was I going to do?).  Well, then the guy who was trenching for our sprinklers came and I had to keep all small children off the sidewalk and make dinner.  And then husband wanted to plant some things in the garden and, well, when he's willing I take the help.
Fast forward to time for school this morning.  Now, I know, I saved an idea somewhere for what I was going to do, but I still don't remember what it was.  7:00 frantically searching online...7:30, just give up and go get a gift card or something, not everything has to be homemade (get over your neurosis), 8:00, I checked Pinterest and came across something I remember liking but wrong time of year for doing it cheaply.

Bummer, what am I going to do?  8:30, I've got it!   

I have an obsession with cupcakes, and while I don't have the supplies for this large cake I may have some for a cupcake.  Did I mention that school gets out at 12:30?  So, I ran around my house gathering supplies, which isn't easy as we are still in a bit of a mess from moving. 

I found a tube in my trash from my vinyl rolls, but you could use a yogurt container, or sour cream, or the bottom of a plastic bottle cut off.

I used a hacksaw to cut my tube into three pieces and I made a duct tape bottom for it, which if I were really intentional and cool I would have used patterned not just the silver.  You tube videos on making duct tape wallets really came in hand on this one.   

This was really using the trash I had on hand and making do.

I got a box of crayons 24 pack for each of the three I had to do, and an additional box to split between the three because 1 didn't quite do it.  You'll need to chance your number depending on your base container.

I lined the crayons up to look as nice as they could color wise.  There are not enough purples in a box, might I add.

After I had them lined up I taped the back with packing tape so they could use them if they wanted to. You will need to leave an inch and a half at both ends.

Then wrap the tape sticky side out around the tube and secure on itself making a ring that fits around the tube.  Then fill in the remaining sticky with the remaining crayons until it is surrounded.  You could just put double sided tape around the tube and then apply the crayons, or you could make it more secure by using hot glue but you wouldn't be able to use the supplies, which was my goal here.  And the tape trick made it so fast.

I then added some supplies to the middle, paper clips, book clips, treats, erasers, a glue stick.  

Because I didn't use heavier glue I wrapped it in a ribbon and tied a bow to the outside and wrapped in cello wrap for good measure.

After I filled it, it didn't look like a cupcake like I wanted it to, so I grabbed the tissue paper I had in my wrapping stash and folded it into a loose tube and wrapped in a coil gently crumpling it to the shape I needed and then I taped off the end on the bottom and taped it to the top of the stuff inside and squished it into the crayons carefully, so it would stay on top but could be taken off to see what was inside.  I did have to make a trip to the store for some goodies but I finished it at 11:40 and ran to the school. 

Valentines wreath

I had this brilliant idea for a wreath out of felt.  I wanted it to be heart shaped and I wanted to do it out of felt and have a variety of flowers.  I changed it up a bit from when I started. 

I wanted to make a wreath for Valentines day.  Whew, I got it done and still have a few days to show it off.  And now that I look at it I can see some things I would move.  Ha isn't that how it always goes.

So this is what I did:

I cut a billion 3" circles.  Well, ok maybe not a billion but more than one hundred.  I didn't really count them, sorry.  It was about a yard and a quarter worth of felt sold on a bold I'd say maybe a 72" wide.  Next, with the help of my 6 year old assistant, I folded them all in half and then in half again so I had a quarter circle.  Then we stuck a straight pin in the point and pinned them into a straw wreath.  You could use another kind but straw was cheaper.

I pinned them pretty close except for the last third I did loosely so that I could put the flowers on that side and it wouldn't stick up too far.  Next I made several different flowers out of red, light pink, and dark pink felt.  I also used some teal tulle too just to add some more interest.

I sewed the flowers but you could glue them with fabric glue or hot glue.  For this one, I had a middle that needed to cover my stitches and so I used a button for the middle.  I happen to have a large box of vintage buttons that belonged to my grandma.  Side note: This piece of information does not help the hoarder in me get rid of anything.  If you know much about me, you know that I really love my grandma and I got a lot of my crafting abilities from her.  Every time I look in the box I find little reminders of her and the legacy she left behind.  I love her.
After gluing the button to the middle.

Notice they were 25 cents, for more than one button.  That's just all that's left.

I hot glued all of the flowers onto the wreath

Yay!  I need to make the wreath hang lower, but I love how it turned out.

Home made presents

This is one of those posts to keep in mind for next Christmas...well, or there's always birthdays.  We have a family tradition, each year we make home made gifts for the name we draw.  It's funny that most years we all somehow end up on a theme.  This year everyone was different.  Except that my sister in law and I both did chalk boards.  I don't think I even took a picture but I just wanted to post a few of the gifts past that I made that I have pictures of.

This is one from this year.  A dollar store cookie sheet with die cut paper dolls put on with Mod Podge,  I put scrapbook paper on adhesive backed magnet sheets and cut out the clothes.  

Scarf, one day I'll post a tutorial.

I'll have to find more pictures...

HOME ALONE

I have been experiencing a bunch of new changes in my life in the last year or so.  My husband changed jobs, we are attempting to sell our house, and I am home alone ALL day long.  That's right, the kids are all in school full time, what's a girl to do?  With all this wonderful, uninterrupted time to do as she pleases there is so much to do and...

I find myself wandering around the house wondering where to start.

I have plenty to do I just don't know what to do first.  Do I sit down at the computer and check Facebook and other websites I am addicted to checking while no one is here to bug me?  Do I clean the house and do house work because it will stay that way for a couple hours?  Do I work on projects with no one to get into things?  I wander...and look...wander back...make bed...brush teeth...and...sit down at the computer....next thing I know the kids are home.  Ugh!
Well, I need to figure this schedule out, so I have set some goals for myself, you know that accountability of setting goals? that's what this is right here.  I am going to work on projects and creating one day a week, I am going to start a chore chart to enlist help in keeping up with the house.  And I am going to be better at keeping up a blog or at the very least doing projects that I can post to this blog.  I have a few that I need to find just one more perfect element to complete them.  Hopefully some of my not knowing what to do with myself is just coming because we are in such transition around here. I am hoping that the sale of our home is just around the corner so I can start some of those home design projects in my head.

I need professional help...

I am so over whelmed by all of the stuff in my house.  Really, I look around and think 'I'll stash that here for a minute until I decide what to do with it'.  According to every magazine article I have ever read that is WRONG.  Only touch the paper once right?  Well my system is so non existent not working.  Help, I don't think I can do this on my own.  However, in my defense, we have been trying to sell our house and I am living in transition.  I don't want to come up with a system that will not work in our new location.  And I have packed away half of the stuff we own to take away some of the clutter.
I want to start some amazing creative project to make it all better.  I go to look for supplies to start...it's in the storage shed...  So that's no good.  Then I get a call that someone needs to look at the house and I scramble to think where in the world I can hide the mess.  FAIL!
So, I scour organizing magazines, pictures on Pintrest, blogs...and weep dream of the day when my life will return to a normal pattern.  I imagine me sitting in a large mostly empty room with a few empty boxes and before me all the tools to complete an amazingly organized space to rival a picture in one of those magazines.   But really, I probably just need a professional organizer to help me get through my crazy scrambled un-focused mind.  What's her number and how much does she charge?

And today...

I have done so much but yet so little.  I was feeling all productive like and then BAM! had to leave the house for a minute and the only thing I accomplished after that was showering and shaving my legs (which REALLY needed to be done)  I'm not one of those nature girls.  No offense I just can't pull it off, it drives me crazy when it all gets too long.  Was that an over share? 
Well, all my great intentions have gone out the window today to update here.  So, I thought I'd share something with you.  It's about color.  Have you ever noticed that there is a difference in the richness of colors?  Like Wal Mart vs Dillards.  The color pallets are somewhat the same but Dillards seem so much richer.  I often refer to colors as Wal Mart or Dillards.  I used to say Macy's but here that's also a grocery store so it doesn't work (not that I have readers from elsewhere but ya never know perhaps someday).  I tend to like the brighter more rich colors.  Wal Mart colors are a little washed out.  This isn't a bad thing just a different.  Often things that are more expensive have a richer color.  Is it because it costs more to have more pigment?  Or is it just that we perceive that richer colors are worth more?   There is a lot more to color than just what we see.  There is a lot going on inside us when we see color.  Try to pay attention to this.  Right now I am drawn to really bright but tranquil colors like turquoise, maybe it's because I really am ready for spring.  Maybe when you get these feelings of love for a color you should write that down somewhere for future reference.  One day you may decide you want to paint a wall and you wonder if you will like the color, you can refer back to your notes and see what kind of reactions you have had from that color.  When I paint a wall orange you will know I had to have had a major moving feeling towards it cuz I'm not feelin' it.

I leave you a question
Have you noticed the Wal Mart color theory?  Do you have a color you just don't love but you see it everywhere? I won't hand slap.

I'm ahead of the trend

Today in the mail I got a Potterybarn catalog. As I was flipping through the pages I saw they had a room they had done with a denim paint look. I experimented with the technique when I did my first nursery. When I was expecting my second child we built our house. I knew I wanted my boy nursery to be denim and stars so I painted my son's room using this technique. That was eight years ago. I tried to find a picture on Potterybarn's website but couldn't find one but here's mine.

I've never finished the bedspread...I know, slacker. I don't always get to all the projects I'd like to.

This is the upclose. I added stitches too with stencil tape.

People always think it's wall paper when they see it. Nope! I painted it all by myself. And I did it before Potterybarn. =)

House part 2

I'm not sure if I'll get to the entire house but a few of my favorites at least.

This is a corner in my family room where I work on my jewelry.

The second peice of vinyl in my house. I cut a customers job the wrong size so rather than waste it and let it sit in my cast offs to use one day, where it usually gets bent. I decided to stick it on the wall.

I have to sneak this in because it is how I pass on the creative gene to my kids. This is their homework/art table. The folders on the desk were covered with papers they picked. There is one folder for notes and one for papers to go back to school, for each kid.

The bins have pens, markers, and other art supplies tucked away so no one can see them. The paper ream in mounted under the cabinet so they can get drawing paper when they need it.

My master bathroom is one of my favorite colors. This is one of the most relaxing rooms in the house. I love this room. I also used a framed mirror to add some sophistication.

For my birthday I was given some money and I was so excited when I saw these canisters, because it is rare that I find something inexpensive that I have the money for at the time. My realtor suggested that I put three black frames up above the bed. After buying the frames I realized I had to find something to go in them and that made it cost more than I wanted it to. While shopping for my canisters, I saw a plaque carved of wood that I loved but it was $25 and I needed three. Not cost effective, so I had to think of something. I tried to draw something and then I found a technique on a blog for stenciling http://vintagerevivals.blogspot.com/2010/07/seizure-wall-not-really.html

(next I need to learn how to make that just a word not a crazy link address) It gave me an idea and I ended up just making a vinyl sticker and putting it on the wall. Because I do this and have the supplies, I was able to do it cheaply and I didn't have to use my own drawing that wasn't going well and was taking tons of time. Yay! I love how it turned out. Now my whole room is pulled together and looks great. I love going in there.

Tomorrow, my jewelry projects.

I rarely find the time to get on the computer and do this sort of thing. After viewing and liking many other creative blogs I decided I need to keep it up and be better with it.

We have put our house up for sale, so I decided that I would have to document this house because I will leave it. (if all works out that way). So the other day I went through and took pictures. Welcome to my house. I have what you would call champagne taste on a beer budget. So, what I end up with is something I like while I dream of what I love. I'm going to start trying to make the beer look or is it taste like Champagne. Wish me luck on that one.

Sometimes I would like to have many things in my spaces, but find they make me crazy and I end up more simple.

This is my livingroom. These pictures fail to show it as it really is. One day I am going to do something with those tables. The first house we bought was the model. These tables were in the staging so we decided to buy them since we had a credit at the furniture store they came from. Bonus...fast forward to now. They have the scout oath and various names and signatures scratched in the top. The husband was a scout leader for twelve year olds that met at our house and well that was the only table in the room they gathered apparently. Perhaps when we move they will get a refinish.

My kitchen, I love Jadite. So my husband for Christmas this year surprised me with this lovely mixer. The bowl and juicer are jadite. I was so excited. It functions but I just like to look, so I won't be firing this baby up anytime soon.

The rest of my cabinets in my kitchen. And then, my favorite part.....

...my gigantic magnet board. I have months that magnet on to this but I can't find this month. This came about because I had this empty wall. I got this brilliant idea and told my husband, who drug his feet and never got around to it. Well, around Christmas one year my oldest and I went with Grandma to a play. While we were gone the boys made this. I was so surprised. Plus they used ABC magnets to make it into a giant card, which was cute.

I have a vinyl business and I don't have much of it in my house. You know the story of the shoe maker's kids, well that's like our house. This is was the one and only thing I'd done for years. And almost five years later I still haven't painted the frame...all natural.

Stay tuned for the rest of the house. My favorite room is coming up.

It's been a really long time. I'm just posting my creations today.


My fabulous earring creations. I've been having fun with Chandelier earrings. They turned out better than expected, which is nice for me because usually everything looks better in my mind and not great in real life.

This is my Lime Rickey broach. Love the beautiful fabrics and had to make something fun.

Next I'll be posting my glass charms. This is the first post with pictures so I'll see how it goes and then post more.

I'm still here, not much but are you?

Color Part 2

So I know it's a lot later than tomorrow but I'm getting to it.
Picking paint can be such a huge, and overwhelming task. There are so many how do you choose? One of the biggest mistakes I make is that I find a paint chip that I love and must have. I paint the room and am in love with my walls but then I can't find anything else that goes with them. Paint can be colored to match just about anything. Paint has the widest variety so don't start with paint start with something else. Start with a bed spread, couch, curtains or art piece that you will be using in the room. Match a color to one of these items. I take the color I like and go one, sometimes two shades down on mono chromatic paint chips (two colors lighter) . A small 2" square isn't a good indicator of what the color will look like on your walls. A lot of times the paint chip color comes out darker than you were thinking that is why I go two shades lighter, this means there is more white in the color. I have found that reputable paint stores are a great resource for picking color as well. I like to ask those working for advise for example, I needed a red but I didn't want a rusty shade or a pink shade I wanted a true red. I asked the paint store employee and he picked out a perfect red. If they supply to professional painters chances are they have seen the colors on walls or they have mixed enough of them to know what colors designers are buying.
There are a few things you need to know. Light in your room will change how it looks, it's best to buy a small amount and sample it. You can paint a 2'x3' piece of foam core (found at art supply stores) and move it around the room and view it at different times of day. Or different walls. I have painted rooms after dark and loved the color only to wake up in the morning and be disappointed by how it looks in the daylight. The great thing about paint is that if it doesn't work, it's not a big deal because it's relatively inexpensive to start over. Dark colors will require more coats. Plan on two coats with any color. The surface of your wall will change things also. Prep is so important, just as the foundation of a house, the better the bottom the better the top. Make sure the paint surface is clean and ready to go imperfections are only highlighted. There are whole books on how to paint and prep but I'm not going there. I hope you enjoy color in your house. You may be pleasantly surprised at the difference it makes.
End note: If you pick a paint first and go with it and can't match anything to it. Use neutrals. for example, I'm adding black and white in pictures, curtains, and bedding in my room I just couldn't wait to paint blue.

Are you afraid of color?

I am not at all. I love it. I can't even pick a favorite. Maybe that's partly because they change so much for me. Almost every wall in my house is painted a color other than white. Color can be very subtle or it can be very bold. If color isn't your thing, that's OK really it is. Don't try to use crazy color if it isn't really in your personality. Color has an effect on mood, size, space, and light. Color has an amazing effect it can energize you when you walk into a room, or it can make you down right depressed. The best thing about color is that it doesn't have to cost much of anything. Today's post will be about small ways to use color and tomorrow will be about paint colors because I could go on we should separate them. If you have a very sparse neutral room and you aren't ready for dramatic change start with something small. There is a large variety of throw pillows available in a large variety of places and prices. If you are out and about and see a fabric you love buy a yard and make your own. Or look for some pillows already made. Either way it's easy to just put a couple of purple pillows on the beige couch in the room with white walls to get a pop of color. If you don't know where to start with color look at magazine pictures. Maybe start with a favorite color and use it in a throw or pillows. You can even frame a piece of favorite fabric and hang it on the wall. These are ways you aren't married to your color choice and if it doesn't work for you give them to a friend, donate to a charity, or just put them away. Color can be fun you just have to get used to it.

Design notebook

I am a magazine junkie, I think it started when I was in design school. We had to go through magazines and pick out the elements in the pictures for vocabulary words, etc. I was always looking through BHG at lunch time so I ended up with a huge file of recipes cut out in a huge mess. Now days my addiction is two-fold, I really like that or I need that for later. So, I purchased an artist sketch book from the craft store and I am whittling away at my stack of magazines.

You will need:
Sketch book
self-adhesive divider tabs
Glue stick
Pen

First divide your notebook into categories that you will use, i.e. recipes, things you like, reference, home decor ideas, etc.
** I actually have ideas for a few different notebooks, for now the recipes are thrown in a binder with plastic page protectors I'll sort them one day into tried and loved and chuck the ones that I don't want, but one thing at a time. **

You can buy blank divider tags that you can use the self adhesive tabs to attach to a page in the notebook to help find the pages when the notebook is closed.

Then as you are going through magazines (for me it's two or three at a time so it doesn't get away from me) cut the pictures you like and paste them onto the pages in the appropriate category. The best part is you can write on the page next to the picture why you saved it so you don't have to remember for later. Sometimes for me there is something way in the background that appealed to me because it sparked another idea. I can record that info and later I don't wonder why I cut out a Clorox ad with a person in a tub. There is also enough space to sketch the new idea.

As you go through your notebooks you can start to see consistent themes that will help you define what your true design style is and what is just a passing phase.

Organizing

Every year Nov. to Jan. it seems every where you go stores are giving away free calendars. Most of the time these aren't ones you want to hang on your wall. Random cowboy scenes to tractors aren't my idea of good design elements. So, rather than waste those calendars I put them to a use. If you buy a calendar that you like and you would like to recycle the pictures to frame for later, I don't recommend writing on it. Sometimes pen will bleed through or even emboss or pierce the picture for the following month. So I save the calendars I love to hang on the wall and use for reference and the others I have a few different uses for.
I always get one from my bank that has pockets I like to use this one to collect my tax info or medical spending for the year. I keep it on my desk where I pay bills so that when I record doctor co-pays in my check register I record the receipt date in the box and put the receipt in the monthly pocket. When it comes time to claim flex spending or do taxes I have all of my medical receipts in one place and I have a record of them. I add them up monthly and write the total on the corner. Then I'll record when I've gotten reimbursed in another color pen. This doesn't happen more than a couple times a year so it doesn't get too confusing.
I get another spiral bound calendar from my insurance company. I like to carry this one with me in my bag. I like to write some to-do's for the week or month and fun things that happened or record growth or funny things my kids have said. It's also great for keeping track of birthdays. This way it's something I can file away to use to journal or scrapbook later. But it's all together. You can record new teeth, lost teeth, weight and height, appointments, vacations, first words, funny things, and you don't have to remember to write a date. This is good for those of us who are always thinking I need to remember to write this down, and don't. I also like to record housekeeping things to do like patch and paint the walls. I have found that if I write a specific date to do these things life always happens and it doesn't end up happening that day. This year I am going to write weekly goals and monthly goals this way I don't have a rigid deadline and I can still live but I also have a loose deadline pushing me to accomplish something. I really need something to push me to do the regular housekeeping things that need to happen but aren't so fun to do. At the end of the year I file my medical calendar. The other calendar I go through the info and take the things I need and record them in the appropriate place and put the calendar with all of our other memorabilia from the year. Now I just need a better filing system for the memorabilia.

Changing my blog

I have decided to change my blog. I will be putting my education to better use. I have been having these crazy creative dreams lately (probably due to the pain killers I am taking right now). So in my drugged haze I have decided I will make this blog about design and making a house a home. And making this some place I can share all my projects (maybe I'll finish some now). I will still have a blog about my thoughts and other things on another blog. So spread the word, post questions you may have and we'll see how long my creativity lasts.

Bad mom

I really don't know what to say right now. I am feeling a bit overwhelmed by life. I yelled at my children tonight and sent them to bed. They acted like untamed monkeys at the grocery store. I had had enough. I was so mad because I have been on vacation for a week and apparently everyone behaved themselves. So, I'm sitting here contemplating why everyone is being crazy and why I got mad and why really a lot of things. Typing my thoughts here when my son came out of his room to tell me he's sorry he acted naughty. So in the middle of this post about how I am a crazy parent my child proves to me a little that maybe all is not totally lost.