Workin' On Somethin'

I picked something up on Sunday that I bought off Craigslist. Been working in the garage this week to fix it to my liking and I hope to have the little girl room reveal soon. Can't wait to get it all together.

Also, am up to my eyeballs in paint samples! Paint is so frustrating!!! Can I get an amen?
We are taking the plunge and painting the foyer/living/kitchen/breakfast room which are all one big room so if you're going to paint one, you gotta paint it all. This is a big decision, people!! It's making me sweat. I hope to show some good pictures of the new, lighter and brighter space.

Right now, we are living with Valspar's Lyndhurst Timber which is OK but the lighting in our home has always brought out it's red undertones and recently it's starting to make me wonky.



The first runner up now is Bleeker Beige by ol' Benny Moore



Honestly, these two look practically the same here but, trust me, it's a difference here with the sample painted on half my wall.

Thanks to Favorite Paint Colors Blog at least I can browse real pictures to get some ideas and inspiration. Wish me luck!

My Little Girl's Big Girl Bed

I'm on a roll lately! No, I have not found miraculous extra hours in my days, these projects have all been sitting in various stages of progress for months and I've just recently put the finishing touches on them. Which means lots of posts for you guys!

I found this headboard at a local thrift store (LAST SUMMER?!) and immediately fell in love with the shape. I wasn't so much in love with the cheapy, thin, green and white micro-check fabric. By the way, Little One was just barely over a year old and we weren't moving her into a big girl bed anytime soon but I knew I had to get this or I would regret it. It sat in the garage for a while waiting for it's destiny! And here we are on the verge of her 2nd birthday and I am so glad I was the "crazy one" who bought her big girl bed a year in advance. When you like something, you like it, am I right?

Compared to those chairs, the staples on this one were sooo easy. The foam underneath was in great shape so I just put a layer of quilt batting over the foam and put this nice new romantic girly fabric on it.

Ralph Lauren Saratoga Toile....yummy

Calico Corners is having a 20% off all fabric sale until the 26th....just so you know....

There was quite the drama with this fabric. Ordered it in Sept. didn't open the package till January after I got the bed frame painted and glazed. Upon opening, realized there were blue pen marks all over my 3 yards of fabric! Had to reorder only to learn the fabric was on backorder for a month. A lesson in patience I tell you! But it was worth the wait because I really do love the choice.

Why, yes. Yes that IS double welt cording I made and glued on m'self!

I am convinced Centsational Girl and I live parallel lives because on more than one occasion I have come to an impasse or question on some project and I need only wait one or two days and her next post has to do with the very thing I am stuck on. It's a bit freaky....

In this case, her post on double welt cording was so timely as I had visited a sewing store the previous week looking for a special sewing foot to make double welting and was so disappointed to learn that there was no such thing? Thanks to CG I was able to move forward.

Will be showing off the whole big girl room makeover soon....I am loving the room so much I may just start hanging out in there instead of my room!

Party Time!
(again)




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FINALLY: Fear Paint No More!

Well, I just discovered this little blog and am SO very excited.

Hallelujah!

For all those paint-o-phobes out there. If you're like me, choosing a paint color can be overwhelming.

I am a firm believer that you should always take a paint sample from the store to your home, to the room you will be painting and tape it on the wall and live with it for at least 24 hours but preferably a few days. The light in your home is always different than the light in a store. So, even though the pictures on this blog may not give you an exact representation, at least you get a really good starting point and inspiration.
Enjoy!

The Chairs....Six Months in the Making

Back in September I traveled to Round Top, TX for the semi-annual antiques/junk fair. I have searched high and low for some cheap Louis salon chairs to redo. I looked on craigslist and at garage/estate sales. Even frames for these suckers are usually about $300. And they usually need reupholstering. I wanted to try to salvage something and use some new painting techniques and I didn't want to sink a lot into them in case it turned out to be bad.
Imagine my surprise when I am browsing at Round Top and I see these two little ladies sitting battered and bruised (VERY bruised).

Let's just say "filthy" is a polite word to describe these things when I picked them up. The pictures don't do them justice. These things were so bad I wiped my entire car down with lysol wipes after transporting them.

The seller wanted $40 for each and after inspecting the chairs and realizing they were wobbly and needed frame stabilizing work and serious reupholstering and major cleaning I offered $25 for both chairs not really thinking he'd take me up on it.

before I knew it.....SOLD! gasp. what did I do?

Oh right, $25 on 2 chairs. If it's a bust I will trash them for that price. My friend, Emily, wasn't even with me when I impulsively bought them. As I walked her to the vendor booth I felt I had to prepare her before she saw my purchase and I said "don't laugh at me but I have a plan". Famous last words, right?

Removing all the staples and upholstery tack strip almost drove me insane

(this is only a fraction)

The stripping got pretty nasty. Lots of mess.

I got so fed up with the gooey mess at one point that I just power washed the chairs with my garden hose nozzle on the "jet" setting. After the chairs dried and I regained my composure, I started to see the nice natural wood show through and they drew me back.

Then I was paralyzed for WEEKS on how to paint them until I got some inspiration and guidance from Miss Mustard Seed. I finally decided on a nice grayish white. After my first step with the paint I employed child labor to help me wipe the chairs down.

Don't worry. They're using baby wipes on latex paint. No chemical exposure here.

Then I had to tackle the dang webbing! What did I get myself into?

Oh, but here is the "after"....ahhhh....the after is what we live for, right?

I'm in luuuuuv....$25 bucks, I mean REALLY?!?!?!

And another before/after shot

So worth all the work! I think I'm going to add some little burlap bolster pillows for an accent??



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