SweetGirl Expressions

Made Especially For Amy

2012-02-29T11:10:00.000-08:00

Here it is after I cut it in half & dragged it inside to paint

The other day I showed you guys a little peek of something that I was making for my friend, Amy. Well it's all done now so I'm going to share it with everyone...Way back when the weather was warmer I stumbled across a barn sale that was awesome! Luckily I had our van & not my VW bug so I loaded it up! It was a great sale, they had so much stuff & they were practically giving it away so I was in heaven! One of the things that I picked up was an old wooden ladder that had been spray painted black. When I first saw it, I wasn't even sure if it was for sale, but I made an offer anyway. She accepted my offer & in the back of the van it went. I had a couple of ideas on what to do with it but I couldn't make up my mind. So it sat in my garage waiting....Then my friend asked if I could make something for her to hang all of her belts & purses on........right away & said "yes" & I knew I was going to use the ladder for it. The first thing I did was saw it apart.....

After sawing it into three smaller, more manageable pieces I set about painting it. Right now I do all of my painting outside of my office, in our hallway, right by the front door. Living near Chicago makes painting in my garage not a possibility...at least not until April or May....( I hate the cold)...

I told my friend what my idea was & once she told me the color she wanted I just went with it......

Looking down the rungs...

Here it is.....I used a couple different kinds & colors of paint (A.S. chalk paint - two shades & three different shades of craft paint that I mixed).....I've come to realize that I can never just use one color, I always end up layering different colors & then sanding over them again to get the color that I like.......

After I was finally done painting I used some graphics from The Graphic's Fairy & a few others that I had & put them on the ladder to give it a little personality.

In some places I used a few old postcards that I had......

You can see the different colors & layers of paint that I used....old white, paris grey, a pale yellow,and a tan & a cream that I hand mixed......

I love the script on this part...

I sanded & distressed it so parts of the original black paint can be seen in some spots..

Detail on the bottom rung

She is planning on either hanging the pieces on her wall, propping them up against the wall or she can even put them together to form an actual ladder....then she is going to use the rungs to hang her belts on. I also added a some chain & hooks for her purses too, but I forgot to get a picture of those....... I hope Amy is as happy with how it turned out as I am.........

And you know what?.....I still have the third part of the ladder in my garage...it looks like a little step ladder now......Now I just have to make up my mind on what I want to do with it :)

Something For A Friend.....(a peek)

2012-02-24T12:24:00.001-08:00

I've been so busy lately that I just realized it's been a while since I posted anything.......so this is what I have been up to....I'm not quite done with it yet, so here's a peek......can you guess what it is????

Hopefully I will finish it this weekend & then I will show you guys the end result. Oh yeah, I am still working on my kitchen & my master bathroom. It's just slow moving....if I could get a vacation from every day life (you know, feeding kids,paying bills,working..blah,blah,blah) I could get everything that I want done, but you know how that goes....... I will also hopefully get pictures up on those projects too.

As far as the reality show try-out...I sent them our video submission but haven't heard anything back yet....Oh, well....it was still a lot of fun making the video! :)

What is Love?

2012-02-13T11:50:00.000-08:00

With tomorrow being Valentine's I had a few errands to run. Every year I get each of my kids a box of candy & search for that perfect card for my husband. Some years it's a funny card & other years it's your more traditional romantic card. I'm sure you all have your Valentine plans & enjoy the day with the ones you love, but have you ever wondered about that emotion....."love"?

It's so powerful. Wars have been started & fought over it. People have done almost anything to have it. Some of these things may be wonderful, while other actions belong on the opposite end of the equation. Whatever actions they take it's because they are desperate to find & hold onto that one powerful emotion...Love. Do you believe in "love at first sight" or is love more of a mutual, feeling that grows stronger every year....almost like it's earned? Is it possible to have both kinds?

Does everyone have just one great love in their life? One person that they are searching for, a soul mate? I used to think this but I think there are exceptions to this. Sometimes, some people get lucky & actually find a second great love of their life. Take for example the couple that are in love & then one of them dies suddenly, leaving the other feeling lost. Then something wonderful happens.....they meet that one other person. They become lucky enough to find another great love in their life........

There's so many different types of love......young love, innocent child-like love, a really deep friendship kind of love, the love of family, a love that you feel for a pet, a heart pounding lust producing type of love, and the long lasting, all enduring kind of love.

Whatever kind of love that you have or are looking for .....keep at it, because even though it can cause heartache & pain it's worth it. The Beatles had it right......"love is all you need".

Have a Happy Valentine's Day!!

Kinda Crazy Right Now....

2012-02-12T09:20:00.000-08:00

Some you may have noticed that I've been a little absent lately......Things have been really crazy around here. Besides being in the middle of two room redo's & multiple projects I have been running around like a crazy woman. Remember that reality show I mentioned, well it turns out that they are interested in me (whaa???) so I've been busy emailing,faxing & next day airing applications,forms & legal paperwork to them!! Today is the craziest thing, my assistant & I are are supposed to send an audition video to them. Normally we would have a while to work on it but we only have today to get it done. Yikes!!! I guess they meant to get a hold of me earlier, but never did.....
My assistant is going to be my partner in crime, Diane from Sweetgirl Crafting. It's funny to think of her as my assistant because we craft together, but never actually use our skills together to make one thing.
So...I'm going to get jacked up on Starbucks (they said they wanted high energy) & do my best.......wish me luck (again) ;) - Katie

A Solution!!!

2012-02-06T11:25:00.000-08:00

So I'm sure you have all heard about Google friend connect going away on March 1st....I never understand why when something works it always seems to get "replaced with something better".....in other words, taken away.

Well there's a solution now! Linky Followers!! ( HaPpY DaNcE!!!) Look to my right, on the sidebar....see it? Please follow me & add this to your blog & I will follow you back!! Come on everyone, we can do this :)

Is Someone Pulling A Joke On Me??

2012-01-31T12:34:00.000-08:00

So a while back there was an email floating around blog land. It was from some people who were developing a reality/competition show for crafters & that they were looking for interested people. I thought that I had nothing to lose so I might as well respond. I figured that would be it,... that I would just shoot them an email & never hear back from them.
Today I got the surprise of a lifetime...they responded & they're interested. They sent me additional forms to fill out & they want more information from me. ...really?,..little, old me..?! I am beyond surprised!!! Is someone out there playing a trick on me?.......Trick or not, I'm going to fill out their forms & send them more info........maybe, just maybe I will get lucky.......:)

Creative Brain Freeze...Or Just Plain Lazy?

2012-01-26T07:17:00.000-08:00

Recently a few of you have emailed me asking where I've been or what I have been up to. Hubby was on a business trip, leaving me to "hold the fort down" for awhile. With four kids, & the fact that I just started working (part time) again, it has been kinda crazy. As a result I have had little time or energy to do anything. Happily now the hubs is back & hopefully life will be back to the normal, manageable level of insanity.

I've been trying to decide what I want to tackle next & there's definitely no shortage of ideas or projects that I want to do. The problem is getting motivated to start. It's like my brain is stuck on freeze. Maybe it's because it's so cold & dreary here now....maybe it's because I'm lazy. So in an effort to try to get my butt moving I'm going to show you guys two major projects that I need to get going on.

The first is the master bedroom & master bath. I don't have pictures yet of the bedroom, but take my word for it, it's a mess. There's still boxes of stuff from when we moved into this house last April that I haven't cleared out. It looks like a bomb went of in the room. I know that if I get it painted that I will be motivated to get it somewhat presentable. I do have a few pictures of the master bath though.

The bathroom is green with your basic builders cabinetry....maple with a white marble counter top. Not bad, but just borrring! As for lighting above the sink...ugly hollywood style strip lights. We took those down right away & I put them on the curb. Of course no one took them, so in the trash they went. The faucets are bad though.....one of them is even broken. We bought new faucets & with the help of my father-in-law we have replaced them. The shower & the tub will need a plumber....there's soldering involved. We did manage to replace the handle in the shower, which I am happy with because the old one was upside down. As for the cabinets....you guys can probably guess.....I'm going to use chalk paint (surprise). I will post pictures of the sink area as soon as I finish....

boring..also not digging the brass hardware....

close up of the lovely faucets...(yuck)

Another lovely touch that this bathroom has is an ugly boob light. At least that's what I call it. The bathroom has really high, dramatic ceilings so I'm thinking that a little bling will be in order.

the boob light

The other project is the BIG one.....the kitchen. I wish I took a picture to show you guys...the kitchen was a coral/orange/red color. It was bad, very bad. The color kinda just clashed with everything, so they got painted asap. The walls are now a taupe/light grey color that I love! When we moved in I was happy to see stainless appliances & wood floors (that need refinishing, badly). The cabinets are all maple & have great moulding across the top. They aren't bad looking, but I want to lighten up the room so they're going to get painted. The island will also get a makeover too. I'm going to try to disguise it & make it look like a piece of furniture or something more custom looking. All hardware is also getting changed, along with the stupid leaky faucet that I have already broken once. Father-in-law to the rescue on that too :). If you look we have a beautiful white sink, which is stained & looking pretty bad too.....that's going too.

In my world this IS clean lol :)

The counter tops are all laminate, a kinda white with tiny grey speckles. Not sure what they were going for here, but they don't look like stone or anything. What I really want is soapstone & some calcutta marble <3......not sure if the budget can swing it...maybe the marble on the island if we get lucky enough to hunt down a scrap that would work. I have a couple of ideas for the main countertops, different projects bouncing around in my head. I just have to decide which way I'm going to go....

the island with the protruding knobs that always get caught on my clothing

view from family room, ....I think I'm going to eat that banana now...

one of my favorite parts.. (imagine sarcastic tone) so lovely the way the fake maple veneer has bleached to a beautiful shade of yellow

I'm hoping that by posting these pictures you guys will nag at me to get off my butt & get started.......

As of right now I'm thinking that my chocolate lab, Emma has the right idea....just being lazy. :)

Emma- my big brown lump <3

Wish me luck guys...I have some big projects ahead of me!

My Un-Wanted Entry....The Blue Cabinet

2012-01-23T08:09:00.000-08:00

So it's Monday morning & I've had my cup of coffee & I'm awake :). Time to show you guys my cabinet that never made it to the final round of competition..... As I mentioned earlier, this was a curb side find. My hubby & I had just had a discussion about how I need to stop filling our garage up with furniture to paint. I explained to him that I would try to control myself & not bring home any more when, whatya know, his parents call me & tell me that their neighbor is throwing out two cabinets. They emailed me photos & I immediately said "yes, I want them"...(sorry hubby). I did show a little restraint, I only took one of them.

It wasn't in too bad of shape, just some veneer peeling off so I found a place for it in my garage. I knew right away what I wanted to do with this cabinet so it wasn't in my garage too long. First I painted it with chalk paint, using the shade Napoleonic Blue. I decided that I really like this color, & that I need to use it more often.

just getting started

After painting it blue I used some stencils that I had on the inset part of the doors. I actually hate using stencils...I always smear the images & splatter paint everywhere. As a result I always end up going back & painting over a bunch of the images, in this case the flowers. I just went & hand painted a few of them & then touched up the rest that I could save.

after all the stencils were done & yes, I paint in my front hallway :)

stupid smudges

It's probably just me, but I'm not a big fan of stencils..... After fixing the flowers I then used a layer of clear wax, followed by a little bit of the dark wax in some spots. I also used a little bit of rub-n-buff on the hardware too. Then my favorite part.....distressing it. I have long come to the conclusion that I do not like "perfect" things. I like stuff that looks like it has stood the test of time & that has been "loved".

What's really funny is that my hubby doesn't want me to get rid of this one, but I will be selling it.....after all I have to make room for more :)

before & after

My Was-To-Be-Final Entry......Sneak Peak

2012-01-22T14:36:00.000-08:00

the "before" shot, I almost forgot to take one :)..you can see where I had just started....

I was all set to show you guys what was to be my final submission in the One Month To Win It challenge today. Since I didn't make it through the last round I am free to share it with you guys but......I'm lazy today ;). As a result you guys will just get a little peak at it for now. It's a little different then things that I have done in the past...it doesn't really have a frenchy-shabby feel to it, but I think it kinda "pops"!! I hope you guys will like it.......

to give you an idea of the color....

...the best part is that this cabinet was found on the curb, all sad & lonely waiting for the garbage man :)

Butterflies In January?.....

2012-01-20T12:44:00.000-08:00

sad little caterpillar & some butterflies

So I didn't make it to the final round on One Month To Win It........that's ok, I had a lot of fun. Besides the entries for this last challenge (to make something with a bunting) were fantastic! You should still hop over there to vote in the final round next week. Well here's my last project that I entered......I covered a canvas that I had with some vintage sheet music. Then I made the bunting out of some lace,sheer fabric & ribbon that I had. Next I added some butterflies & a caterpillar. To finish it off I put one of my favorite sayings on it..."just when the caterpillar thought the world was over...he became a butterfly". I even managed to make some butterflies flutter off the canvas. I like how this turned out, especially now, in January....(as I write this we are getting a snowstorm). I don't know about you guys but as for me....I'm thinking about spring!!!

all finished..

I will also be showing you guys what was to be my final entry in the contest, if I had made it that far.......Since you had to submit your next project before knowing if you were going to move on, I already had mine done. The next challenge was to be furniture....my Favorite!!!! As soon as I take some pictures I will show you guys :)

My Little Lamp Made It Through :)

2012-01-16T06:46:00.000-08:00

my "before shot" of the lamp

The Decoart products that I used

As you all probably know by now I am in the One Month To Win It Challenge and Suprise!!....I made it through round two. In this round you had to use something from the Decoart paint product line. I decided right away that I wanted to use the paint to do something a little more unusual. Looking around my pile of stuff, I found this little lamp that I bought a while back at Goodwill. I knew that it was going to get a makeover!
Off I went to Michael's to decide what colors to use...after changing my mind a hundred times I decided to go with my first choice.....turquoise blues.
First thing I did was take apart the lamp & painted the inside. I also sanded the brass base & painted it with a champagne glitter paint for more "bling".Then I painted a bunch of plain old copy paper the different shades of paint that I had picked out. After the papers all dried I used a craft punch & cut out a ton of circles for each shade. I was originally going to cover the paper shade that I had for the lamp with the circles but as my children would say..."Fail"! It was not what I wanted. So in the garbage that went & back to the drawing board I went. I wanted the light to shine through the different shades of color so I knew I had to make my own shade from scratch. I managed to save the wire rim from the ruined paper shade but I had to build the rest of it. It wasn't too hard, I just got out my trusty glue gun & attached some fabric that I had. I played around with the circles trying to decide on what pattern that I wanted to make with them, but I decided that a simple, graduating color theme was the best. Next came the fun part.....gluing all of the circles on. That took a while & I only managed to burn myself a few times so it was a success in my book! :)
I put a bulb in & yeah, it worked!!! ........you would think that I would have checked that first....duh.

painting the inside...

getting the circles punched out

deciding on a pattern

close up of the inside of the shade that I made

all done :)

my fancy collage photo......aren't you impressed?..haha

the lamp at night.....so happy that I managed to get the look of stained glass that I was trying for.....

I think it turned out cute & I'm thrilled to say that you guys must have to, because I managed to get enough votes to get through the Decoart paint challenge! Onto the next round.....the photos should be posted on The One Month To Win It blog tomorrow, the 17th. I would so appreciate it if you guys swing on by there & continue to vote...(hopefully for me)....
I really, really hope I get through this next round because the last challenge is my favorite project & I want to be able to show it..........I am keeping my fingers & toes crossed until the voting ends on Thursday night.....

wish me luck......

p.s. there's a button on my sidebar to hop over there & vote...--------->>>>

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A Peek Into The Past

2012-01-10T09:28:00.000-08:00

I wanted to show you guys these great vintage pictures that I picked up a while back. If I remember right I think I only paid a dollar or two for each one. I actually passed them up the first time I saw them but I regretted it. Luckily when I went back a few weeks later they were still there so they came home with me! (Happy Dance!!)

The first one is a portrait of a lady in a beautiful outfit. I just love her hat! I'm not sure when this is from because I couldn't find a date. I just really love this picture. In the bottom corner it does say "Warmbold Superior Finish Studio, 1515 Milwaukee Av., Chicago. Maybe I will do a little internet hunting?......

The second one is a class picture. One girl in the front row is holding a sign that says "St. Alphonsus School - Chicago June 14/95". I think it's safe to assume that means 1895, right? It's so cool to look at all of the different expressions on the kids faces......some are smiling, some look bored & some look kinda angry. Maybe it's because of that nun on the left side. I mean look at her, she looks like she means business!!! I wonder if she has a yard stick hidden up in her sleeve? Yikes.

It always surprises me when I find old vintage photos. I wonder how they end up in resale shops or barn sales. Even when I see them at estate sales I'm surprised. Doesn't that family want these photos? I know my mother has quite a few old vintage family photos & in our family they are treasured items. Each one is an important piece of family history. So important that I'm not allowed to have any of them yet......at least I can look at them at my parent's house, where they are safe from my four crazy kids!!

Oh, and if you have time I would totally appreciate it if you could hop on over to One Month To Win It to vote in round two. This challenge was to use something from the Decoart paint products line. Maybe you can even figure out which one is mine & vote for me ;)

I have a link on my right side bar ------>>>>>>
So please swing on by there & check out all the great entries and vote ;)

Organize Me!

2012-01-06T07:53:00.000-08:00

I am happy to announce that I have made it through the first round of competition at One Month To Win It! I want to thank everyone who voted, even if you didn't pick my project...thanks anyway. With the first round being over I am now free to share my project with you. Our challenge was to create something using images from The Graphics Fairy. The hard part here was picking which image to use, she has so many awesome ones. Of course I couldn't just pick one, so I used a whole bunch :).

I had a shelf that I picked up at Goodwill that was sitting in my garage so I decided to use all of her graphics to give this shelf a new look.

after the first coat of paint

Being a bad blogger, I forgot to take a before picture so......imagine this shelf in hunter green. It was very 1980's, but in good shape. I painted it using chalk paint in old white, waxed it & then distressed it. Next came the fun part! I carefully cut out the images that I printed from the Graphics Fairy website & attached them using Mod Podge. I also took two wood blocks that I had & painted numbers on them to make a perpetual calendar. For the bottom shelf I had a small basket that I cut in half & painted. I actually used milk paint on these (surprise - I used different paint). I made "in & out" labels for them so I can place mail in them and attached them to the shelf. Added a pad of post it notes & a pencil & it was done. Hopefully this will help keep me organized & get that pile off of my kitchen counter!!!

the finished product

bottom shelf with mail baskets

top shelf with calendar blocks & writing area

now I have to find somewhere to put this...

The second round of competition should be posted around the 10th, hopefully I will squeak by again ;)

A Little Something

2012-01-03T09:04:00.000-08:00

A while back I made this lampshade to go with something that I'm working on. I like how it turned out, but I thought that I needed to make something else. Something with a little more oommph to it. So....this just got set aside in my craft room where I promptly forgot about it. Well I rediscovered it again this morning & decided that even though I didn't use it as I originally planned, I still like it. Now granted, it doesn't fit this lamp very well but I wanted to let you guys see it, so I plopped it on & decided to take a few pictures. It's a really simple project.....just a cheap white lampshade that I covered with some vintage pattern paper using a glue gun (my best friend). I topped it off with some ribbon & there you have it. I think it's charming but I don't think my hubby likes it........he thinks it's "weird".....whatever ;)

Oh & yeah, that's my Christmas tree in the background,along with all of my storage boxes. Can you tell what I'm supposed to be doing now?

It Has Begun.......Please Vote For Me ;)

2012-01-03T05:38:00.000-08:00

Today is the beginning of the contest on the One Month To Win It Blog. The first entries are up & holy moley are they good! To say I'm worried would be a huge understatement. I can't tell you guys which project is mine, so hopefully you guys will either be able to tell (must sharpen my psychic abilities) or maybe, just maybe you will actually think mine is the best.............a girl can hope, can't she?
I want to wish all of the other participants good luck, (which they obviously don't need) and I hope everyone enjoys this fun contest!!!

Click on the link, it should take you directly there.......that is if I did it right ;)

I'm A "Blog On Fire" & My Picks

2012-01-02T10:01:00.000-08:00

I just found out that I got awarded The Blog On Fire Award! Lesha at The Uncluttered Lifestyle awarded it to me...much thanks :) You should check out her blog, she has some great before & after pictures of projects that she has done!
With this award you are supposed to tell five unique things about yourself & then pass the award onto five other blogs of your choice. So here are my five things:

1. I write with my left hand,cut with scissors & use the mouse with my right hand, but do sports both ways.....kinda messed up, huh?
2. I am the queen of freak accidents - I have had a live bug in my ear, smashed my fingers numerous times in doors & lost finger nails, broke my toes many times & have had countless random objects in my eyes. Insurance companies have called me more than once to confirm accident reports...really, I'm not kidding. It's amazing that I don't wear glasses & that I still have all of my fingers!
3. Back when my husband & are were dating & later on before we had kids we used to race beat up old cars on a local dirt race track. I competed in the "powder puff division". I now have mad skills when it comes to driving in the snow - (I have even impressed my 18 year old with them)!
4. I have a wicked sense of humor & it's very hard to embarrass me. You can just imagine what kind of situations this has gotten me into ;)
5. mushrooms gross me out, always have & always will

So there you have it.......I know, I'm weird.

Okay so here are my five nominees:

1. Scribbles & Swirls - Tami finds the greatest inspirations & posts them here for everyone to enjoy.
2. Fat Cat To Fit Cat - My high school friend Cat writes this. It's about her daily life. It's sweet & very heartfelt, but she doesn't have very many followers, so please stop by & visit her.
3. Sweetgirlcrafting - The "other Sweetgirl"....her name is Diane & she is my partner in crime, enough said ;)
4. Timeless Treasures - Audrey has a beautiful eye for staging & taking photos. Lots of lovely vintage things too! Hop on over for some eye candy.
5. Kathe With An E -Kathe started her blog the same time I started mine. It's a lot of fun to read & I visit it often...swing by & give her a peek.

So congrats girls!!!..........and remember to pass it on :)

http://unclutteredlifestyle.blogspot.com/ http://kathewithane.blogspot.com/ http://sweetgirlcrafting.blogspot.com/ http://audreyzumwalt.blogspot.com/
http://fatcat2fitcat.blogspot.com

Hopefully all of your links work......some of you did not have buttons & some of your button s I could not get to work.......:(

The Past 5 Months

2011-12-28T06:39:00.000-08:00

Some of you may or may not be aware that I am still I "newbie" when it comes to blogging. I have only been doing this since late August. I have always read a bunch of wonderful blogs that were written by some very super creative people, but I never thought about starting my own until this past summer. Let me just say one thing.....I love it!! If I have any regret it's that I wish I had started this sooner. I have learned that there are a lot of sweet, inspiring & friendly people out there in "blog land"! I have met quite a few of you that I'm sure if we lived close by each other we would be dumpster diving & flea marketing together!

You guys have no idea how much you have helped me limp through a very difficult year......losing our business and home is the sum of it, but I don't want to dwell on the negatives........you guys have helped me "make lemonade out of lemons". Instead of focusing on the "remember whens" you guys have helped me see the possibilities of the "what ifs". From the bottom of my heart, thank you.

Looking forward to the next year I have many projects that I'm going to tackle. I have a kitchen that needs to be redone so I will probably make that my winter project. A master bath & bedroom that badly need a makeover, chair rail that needs to be put up in my living room & a downstairs bath that could also use a facelift. Obviously I have a lot of work ahead of me but I will share my successes & failures with you guys :). Besides planning on having a booth at my local monthly flea market (Kane County Flea) with my partner in crime - Diane at sweetgirlcrafting. I'm also hoping on finding a store that will let me place some of my larger items. Okay, enough with the rambling on......

Here are some of my favorite projects from the last 5 months that I would like to share with you guys......

My old Ikea high chair that I still had

Minnow trap lights

My Beach locker...now I just need a beach ;)

Vintage footstool that got a complete makeover

Lonely resale chair I found

One of my salvaged old windows

Rustic pedestal platters

Union Jack side table

Anthropologie knock off

Funky zebra chair

$3.00 dining room chandelier

From my home to yours, I'm wishing you all a wonderful New Year!! Love, Katie

Wishing You All.....

2011-12-23T16:17:00.000-08:00

My three youngest with their creation.......

Well I got up early today & worked at the bakery kneading bread all day. After that I made & decorated three batches of cookies with my kids. Finished covering all of our pretzels in chocolate & made the stuffing for our turkey. Hubby is napping on the couch so I will have to wake him up to help me prep the turkey for tomorrow night. But first I wanted to take a moment & wish all of you a very Merry Christmas!!!!! I'm hoping you all have a wonderful holiday spending time with the people that you love & creating wonderful memories together! Enjoy the season!!! - Katie

......of course they ate it 5 minutes later :)

WIsh I Could Show You Guys....

2011-12-19T17:49:00.000-08:00

I have been so busy lately making things in my office that my family now thinks I'm part elf! I shoiuld be wrapping Christmas gifts (& getting that one last item) but I have too many ideas in my head that I just can't seem to stop. Hopefully I have the Christmas gifts hidden well enough that my snooping children will not find them before I wrap them.
Not sure if you guys read my earlier post but I was picked to compete in the One Month To Win It challenge. I have already finished my first entry & I'm half way through my second. I'm also shaking around ideas for my third entry. Each entry has to follow their theme. The first one is to use something from The Graphic Fairy. Of course the hard part with that is choosing which one, she has so many great things on her blog! The second one is to use Decoart paint & the third is to use a bunting or banner in some sort of a way. The fourth one must include furniture...yeah! I love to redo old,abused or neglected pieces of furniture.
The only problem is that I cannot show you guys anything yet until they have been posted on the One Month To Win It Blog & have been voted on. After the voting I can write a post on what I have done. Of course if I get knocked off early I can post about everything that I have made since I won't have to wait for the different challenges to get voted on. You guys might just get a flood of new projects if that happens......

One Thing I Like About Winter

2011-12-19T06:47:00.000-08:00

Yesterday morning I was inside cleaning the kitchen & trying to break up my kids fights when I looked out the window and saw a surprise. The trees & bushes were all covered in a thick layer of frost. The sun was shining brightly outside making the frost just glow! So I grabbed my camera & tried to grab a few photos.

I wish I had noticed earlier because the frost was actually starting to melt, but at least I got a few shots of the pretty winter morning.

As you can see from these photos we do not have a very big yard & the big brick building in the background is the back wall of Target. Yes, I live right behind Target....and yes they should have a back door for me. I can't complain, it's convenient & they are a quiet neighbor but sometimes I miss our old yard. We used to live on over 2 acres with woods behind us. I often would look out & see deer & the occasional coyote in our yard. It was always very peaceful there. Considering that we back to a busy retail center it is surprisingly quiet. What I usually hear now are the sounds of kids playing & I will always enjoy that sound. After all of the changes my family has been through in the last year I am very thankful for what we have now.

Look closely, see the little spikes that the frost has made on the branches?

My neighbor's weeping willow - I wish this was a better picture, it just sparkled in the sunlight!

As I looked down I noticed that we had a visitor earlier - rabbit tracks! Even in the suburbs you can still find wild animal life :)

Birch trees in my front yard

Today, as I write this post all of the snow & frost has melted away, leaving piles of leaves that never were picked up exposed. I'm hoping that mother nature graces us with a winter wonderland for the upcoming Christmas holiday. Instead we have been having warmer than usual temps & little or no snow. To say that this is unusual for the Chicago area would be an understatement. Even though I do not enjoy the cold, I still enjoy a white Christmas :)
I will just have to keep my fingers crossed......

I'm Shocked,Nervous & Excited!!!

2011-12-16T12:31:00.000-08:00

In case you have wondered why I haven't posted anything lately it's because I have had a little, (make that a big) surprise happen to me. I have been chosen to compete in the next round of One Month To Win It! Yikes! Can I say that again?...Yikes! I am so flattered but nervous too. I mean have you guys seen the competition? Wow! They are a bunch of women who are incredible. When I linked up my little Union Jack Ottoman I figured "what the heck... I won't get picked, but this will be a fun blog to follow". Well I'm super flattered to be picked so now I have to get my mind going & come up with some projects (hopefully fabulous ones) to wow everyone. Wish me luck, ...please. :) You can hop on over to vote for your favorite crafts, so please do so. I cannot tell you which project will be mine so I'm hoping you guys will be able to tell. I'm not sure how long I will last in the competition but at least it will be fun trying :)

My union jack ottoman that I submitted as my entry

Bling Me Up!

2011-12-11T09:23:00.000-08:00

Some of you may remember this chandelier that I picked up a while back at a church barn sale. It was a bargain, I only paid $3.00! It sat in my office/craft room until I could make up my mind what I wanted to do with it. At first I thought I would spray paint it a bright fun color & sell it. But then looking at my dining room I decided that it needed a new chandelier. There was nothing wrong with what I had, but I just wanted something original. So then I thought I would paint it black. I was all ready to do that but after thinking about it again & decided to go with white to lighten up the room a bit.

So I painted it with chalk paint instead of spray paint because I wanted a flat finish & I wanted to buff it so that the brass would just peek through. I liked how it was coming along but I decided that it needed a little bit more. It needed some bling. Now usually my hubby is not a fan of bling, he usually prefers a more industrial style. But not me, I like both styles.... so I figured I would just go ahead & bling it up, he would just have to put up with it if he didn't like it :).

Here is the official "after" shot. Some of the crystals are vintage, some are not. Some of them are glass & some of them are just acrylic. I used what I had and only bought a few items, to keep the cost down. I think the total I spent for all of the parts was about $17.00. I know it was under $20.00, so that made me happy. You really can't tell the difference unless you get up real close & inspect it. Who is going to do that anyway?......it's just for me & I'm happy with it.

With the lights off...

I covered the chain & the plastic candle cover thingys with some fabric that I had. It's like burlap, but nicer.

The chandelier really gives the room a lighter, brighter feel now, which is great. The best part is that my hubby actually likes it......blinged out & everything!!! What a surprise....he even said that if he saw it in a store he would pick it out! Goes to show you that even after knowing someone for 25 years they can still surprise you :)
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Distressed Mirror- Anthropologie Knock-Off

2011-12-09T10:25:00.000-08:00

I'm sure you have all seen the pictures of the antiqued mirror that Anthropologie sells. I think they're gorgeous but way over priced...(at least for me they are). I've seen how a lot of people have made their own versions using muratic acid. I've been wanting to make one of these but not really wanting to mess with muratic acid. A while back one of my fellow bloggers, Jill from Junkyvagabond.blogspot.com came up with an easier way to make one of these. Her way does not use muratic acid, she used Easy Off oven cleaner & made a beautiful mirror. You guys should check her blog out, she has some really great stuff on it. Anyway I finally decided to give it a try. Of course I start to tackle it late in the afternoon, after the kids are home from school & I should be starting dinner.....(leftovers tonight guys). I thought I had some Easy Off but nope, I didn't. So I decided to try using Lime-A-Way.

After taking the paper backing off of the mirror I just sprayed it all over it's backside & let it sit for awhile. By awhile I mean like maybe 3 minutes. I told you that I am not a patient person. Besides I had to hurry up & get this done so I could warm up the leftovers...lol. Well the Lime-A-Way did the trick, it started to remove the paint fast & with a little bit of scraping with a razor blade the silver coating started to come off too. Then I just took some sandpaper & sanded it until I got the look that I liked. Looking back now I know that I should have worn gloves but here's another fact about me, I only follow whatever directions that I feel are important. I tend to just "skip" the rest. Besides I have no idea if I even own a pair of rubber gloves.

I decided to leave a lot of the mirror intact, I only wanted it antiqued in a few areas. Afterwards I just slid in a piece of scrapbook paper that I liked. You could put anything behind here. I was thinking for Halloween maybe I'll put some old photos in there for a creepy effect.....hmmmm....

Overall I'm really pleased with how this turned out. Not too bad considering I spent a total of about 15 minutes on the whole thing.

You can see my tools that I used..Lime-A-Way, a razor, sandpaper & a lot of paper napkins (messy job)

I have another mirror that I want to do this to but it's a few feet across so maybe I will try the muratic acid on that one since it's such a bigger surface. I will have to add it to my list of outside projects to do once the weather gets nice again, which is a long way away since we got our first snow today. Oh yeah, that's the wonderful Chicagoland weather for you.....why do I live here again? ;)

You can see the green paint coming off of the back, underneath was the silver mirror coating

all cleaned up

I took this so you can see what parts I antiqued or distressed (the pink paper shows through on those parts)

With the scrapbook paper that I put behind it

don't look at my fingers....I need a manicure, badly!

A shot with my family room reflecting in it...(see the chair that I just finished?)

One thing that I love about this little mirror is that I can use it as a tray too

The bird is looking at his reflection :)

Quick Rustic Christmas Garland

2011-12-07T07:05:00.000-08:00

I wanted to show you guys the quick little rustic garland that I made for Christmas. It was very easy to make. The little ornaments are made out of a dough that is part salt, flour & water. I used cookie cutters to cut them out. Very, very easy. The only thing that takes a while is cooking them, which is pretty much all afternoon. I didn't mind though because I'm always cold this time of the year so having the oven on low all day just made it cozy in the house :). After they were done I just strung them on some twine, attached some fabric scraps & some old jingle bells that I have & I was done! I will be making some more of these clay ornaments or tags soon so I will explain them better in another posting.....I will even remember to take a lot of pictures too!

Here it is strung across my kitchen window

Lighten Up!

2011-12-06T12:00:00.001-08:00

I finished another chair. Not quite sure where I'm going to keep it for now. I'm running out of space. The funny thing is that I really like how this one turned out. I was planning on fixing it up & selling it but now I'm not so sure. If I kept it where would it go? I'm just going to have to figure something out or sell it, like I originally planned.

before: dark, dreary & dirty :(

I found this one way in the back corner of a resale/thrift shop. It was full of cob webs & looked like it hadn't been touched in years. Besides being covered in an ugly & now dirty fabric, it looked like it was in pretty good shape. When I asked about it the sales lady said it was half off so of course it came home with me. Never mind the fact that I had already picked out two old windows,some shutters & a lot of other small miscellaneous items. Normally this wouldn't be a problem if I had brought the family truckster (aka the van) but nooooo I had the beetle. All I can say is thankfully the car is a convertible & the weather was nice. Any way here she is after I painted her with Annie Sloan chalk paint in Old White. Then I used some clear wax,"beat her up" a little & gave her some brand spankin' new clothes. What do you guys think? She's been "lightened up a bit, don't ya think? :)

painted a nice bright shade of Old White

After: much brighter & cheerful......I think she's smiling now :)

I love the lines of this chair

her new outfit

lovely legs!

for sale?

Decorations That Are Special To Me

2011-12-06T08:21:00.000-08:00

Yesterday I finally finished putting up the rest of my Christmas decorations.....(putting all of the boxes away that they were stored in is another thing, entirely)......Anyway I wanted to show you guys two things I have that mean a lot to me. Both of these items have been safe through basements floods (two separate times!) and they have both been through a house fire & have come out unharmed. During all of these house hold emergencies after I knew my family was safe, I always thought to save family photos & heirlooms, which is what these are to me. Luckily they were safe from harm, except for one year it was a little close, but everything turned out ok. :)

The first is my nativity scene that my grandmother hand painted for us for our first Christmas as a married couple 21 years ago. It has been broken & repaired quite a few times (poor camel) but to me it will always be beautiful. I just love the detail that she put into painting it. She was a great artist, constantly painting with her oil paints or creating some fabulous homemade dish. Every year I try to put this in a special place & now that my youngest is 5 & understands that it's breakable (no, the three wise men do not want to hang out with Barbie) I can put this out without too much worry of it getting broken again. This set has become extra special to me since my grandmother is no longer around to make gingerbread cookies with me every year, but when I look at this it always makes me think of her & the great "art projects" we would do together....and then I go make gingerbread cookies with the kids :).

close up of the three wise men

the holy family

I just love the little sheep's face :)

The other Christmas decoration that is special to me is my miniature Christmas tree. My mother made this when I was probably about 6 or 7 years old. Every year we would set it up in the dining room. She hand made the tiny candy canes & gingerbread men that adorn the tree. The gifts are tiny wood blocks that she carefully wrapped in paper, using only wrap with a small scale so they would fit the look of the miniature tree. I am lucky enough to have the tree now where it sits in my dining room, on the buffet. What is really great is that now I decorate it with my daughter! On Christmas Eve when we host the whole family for dinner my mom always comments & says "there's our little tree", but to me it will always be my mom's......I'm just lucky enough to get to display it.

The tiny tree all set up for Christmas

The little gingerbread men all are different from each other too!

Of course I have some new decorations that I either bought, or most likely made that I also put out, but these two mean a lot to me. I always make sure that I have a special place for each of them. What special decorations do you have that you put out every year?

Spell that out for me.....

2011-12-02T13:17:00.000-08:00

above our kitchen door....

one of my favorites...

in my workspace where I often change the phrases on my chalkboard or flip my open sign to closed....

a sign that I love....

phrase that I added to a mirror in my dining room wall - "life is measured by the moments that take our breath away"...

I try to remember to do this, even if it's only for a moment to reflect....

bible phrase that I added to a chair I did.......

Something that I have always noticed about myself is that I like letters. By that I mean I love to decorate with them. I use them all over my house, in almost every room. Sometimes I use them to spell out words or phrases and sometimes I just use an initial. I've also noticed that I'm drawn to posters or pictures that have phrases in them too. Usually it's because I like what they say or when I read them they make me think. I'm not sure why I like these things but I just know that I always have. As a result I'm always collecting letters & making or decorating them. I wonder if I'm the only one with this compulsion? I guess I will find out because I'm cleaning house & putting a bunch of them up on my Etsy store.

I also have a similar addiction with numbers, but I will spare you guys the pictures of those ;)!

another wall in my workspace- "imagine" & "free yourself".....

Maybe these phrases inspire me or awaken my creative side......or maybe I'm just weird.

A Little More Christmas

2011-12-02T12:27:00.000-08:00

Just a quick little blurb here to show you guys another terrarium that I made & two little snow globes. The kids really love the snow globes! My youngest just loves to shake & shake them while watching the snow fall down. I kept these real simple with just painting the lids with chalkboard paint. It's fun to write different things on the lids. You could even make one a countdown until Christmas snow globe if you wanted too. I think the hardest part about making these was just trying to find the right little thing to put inside :)

Winter White Wreath.....Try Saying That Real Fast!!

2011-11-30T10:46:00.001-08:00

I made this wreath last week, took a picture of it & then forgot all about it. I swear I'm getting so scattered- brained lately! Anyway....it was easy to do. I just covered a straw wreath in white flour sack dish towels (from Target) & then made a bunch of flowers out of white felt. Then I used a glue gun to put them on. The wreath looked pretty this way, in fact I was planning on just keeping it that way. I figured that I will use this wreath after the holidays are over, during the cold snowy month of January. But.....I decided to add some seasonal swag to it! I blinged-up some foam snowflakes that I had, strung them on some silver ribbon & now my wreath is all festive! The best part is that I can take the snowflake banner off (it's just held by pins) so I can still use it after the holiday season is over :)

sharing at: http://savvysouthernstyle.blogspot.com/ http://shabbyartboutique.blogspot.com/

Glitter Everywhere!.....(More Christmas Decorations)

2011-11-30T07:56:00.000-08:00

Yesterday I was busy making a bunch of Christmas decorations. I made so many that I felt like an elf :)
If you follow me on Pinterest (my link is on the right sidebar) you have probably seen my huge Chirstmas board. There are so many great creations out there in blog land that have inspired me! So here are my versions.....

The deer are from Goodwill, they were brass & I spray painted them. The angel & the diamond shaped ornament are from Michaels '- I just glittered them up :). It's hard to see but I also made the glass ball ornaments too. They're also from Michael's - I filled them w/snow flakes & glitter.

Another angel that I "glitterfied" & some glass balls that I filled with vintage sheet music & more glitter :)

I've had this guy forever, I used to use him when I would sketch but now I use him more for display. I decided to turn him into an angel so I made him wings & a halo.......

....of course I made his wings to big to fit inside his little "home".....ooops ;)

Two little terrariums that I made. I used more white glitter for snow.

I used chalk paint on the top so I can change up the lids & put whatever I want on them.

I just used glue & glitter (surprise) to decorate these. Very easy to make :)

Close up of some of my ornaments.

I also made snow globes too but they are "curing".......I'll have to show you them later. Of course now I have glitter everywhere! By everywhere I mean ALL over my house & me. You would think that eventually I would be glitter free but nope, that's not the case. I swear every time I look in the mirror there is something sparkling on me! I'm like a human disco ball....ugh. I mean seriously, how many times do I have to vacuum to get all of this stuff up?!

Old Found Items...(lots of pictures)

2011-11-26T13:51:00.001-08:00

Nice & rusty with an old key that was still attached

In the last few weeks I have been to a couple of barn sales & resale shops & I found some great stuff...at least they are great to me. Here are a few pictures of my finds:

A pretty old flat blue bottle & a white tea pot

An old catsup crate...(I call it ketchup:)

The side of the crate - great graphics!

T.A. Snider Preserve Co. Cincinnati OH

Old bottle with the label still on!! It says Ayer's Hair Vigor for "restoring the natural vitality & color of the hair"

A collection of blue jars- Ball, Atlas & Mason. Can never have too many of these :)

Sterling silver napkin rings, telephone insulators (love the color) & a rusty old brush thing

Two old seltzer bottles- I want more but they're hard to find or too much money usually.

A great old loaf pan & a mercury glass candle. The pears are mine - I just covered them in old encyclopedia pages.

The candle is actually from Pottery Barn, & never even used! The best part - I only paid a few bucks! Woo-hoo!

I love searching for old vintage treasures. It's so much fun because you never know what you will find!

Vintage Looking Pedestals.....(more quickies)

2011-11-26T13:35:00.001-08:00

A few of you have told me that you like my "quickies" so here is another one. A while back I posted some pedestals that I made out of candle holders & crystal. They were fun to do but I wanted some with more of a vintage or rustic look. I had some old pie plates & a few more candlesticks so I made these. I'm really liking the look of these. It's fun to see what different styles I can make. What do you guys think? Which do you prefer, the crystal & china or the pewter & tin look?

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I Call Her Babette

2011-11-26T12:19:00.001-08:00

I hope everyone had a great Thanksgiving. I had a nice one. I ate too much & then I was basically in a food stupor all day yesterday. Today is a new day & I decided to get to work & finish the end table that I started a few days back. I actually have two of these but so far I have only finished one. I'm not sure if I'm going to do the other one to match or do something entirely different with it though. Above is my before picture of one of them. They were both pretty scratched up when I found them (at Goodwill :) but I loved their legs & the wire sides. I call them my "girls".
Oh yeah, that is a chandelier next to her that I am in the middle of working on too. It's almost done, I'll show you it later. Anyway...here she is:

Elle est jolie ;)

You can see what makes her different here, she doesn't just have a plan old table top....not this girl!

her profile

close up of her vintage french style ;)

You can see the wood finish peaking through the paint on her curves.

more french touches

Oh la la!

I love the wire on her sides!

close up of her leg

I used Annie Sloan chalk paint again, ( I know-what a surprise) in the color Paris Grey. Applied clear wax & then "beat her up" a bit. After doing that she looked great but needed that extra something- something. You know, something to make her stand out in a crowd. So I decided to Mod Podge some vintage French Ephemera that I had onto her. I think it brings out her Frenchiness. Ok, I know that's not a word but that's what I call it. After I was done I stood back, took one look at her I decided that I will now call her Babette. My husband thinks I'm weird (what else is new) but that's how I refer to her now. As in "I'm going to put Babette in the living room for now". I would love to keep her but I have nowhere to put her, so she will be put up for sale in my Etsy store soon. Her poor sister is still out in my garage feeling all neglected so I think I will have to get to work on her soon. I'm just not sure if she will be another French girl like her sister (Brigitte maybe?) or if she is a different type of girl all together.....
http://tatertotsandjello.com/2011
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Take A Peek & Happy Thanksgiving!!

2011-11-23T08:23:00.000-08:00

I've been so busy lately working on multiple projects and now getting ready for Thanksgiving. We are going to my parents again this year. I'm looking forward to it because my mom makes a lot of dishes that I have grown up with & enjoy. She made it easy on me, I only have to make a dessert for all the kids. They won't eat pumpkin pie...I know, they're crazy but hey- it's more for me ;) So I'm going to probably make something with brownies & chocolate chip cookies.

I'm going to give you guys a sneak peek of what I'm working on even though neither one of them are finished. Oh & yes, I'm doing both projects at the same time. It's my crafting ADHD rearing it's head again!

Wishing everyone a fantastic Thanksgiving & happy shopping during black Friday!!! ....I won't be shopping though.....I've got some projects to finish :)

Reasons Why I Need Etsy & I'm Not A Hoarder Part II

2011-11-21T12:40:00.001-08:00

Many of you might have noticed (or might not have) but I now have a link to my Etsy store on my blog. My longtime best friend & I have joined into this crazy venture together. You can visit her blog from the link that I posted. She is the other sweetgirl, Sweetgirlcrafting. Swing by & visit her, she just started blogging and would love a visit. We have known each other since grade school & have always loved doing "artsy" things together. I remember signing up for many park district art classes together. Now you can find us visiting resale stores & flea markets together. Our hubbies may think that we are crazy with all of the "junk" we drag home or all the garbage picking & dumpster diving that we do but eventually they will understand. Or they will just stay out of our way unless we need some "man power". ;)
We eventually hope to be a vendor at our local flea market here in Illinois. It's a great one to go to. It's called the Kane County Flea Market & I love it! Until then we need to start selling some stuff so we've decided to give Etsy a try. I've bought things on Etsy but selling is new to me. I figure that it can't be too different from Ebay. I won't speak for my partner in crime but I am out of space. I have nowhere to put anything. Nowhere at all. Our basement is finished so what little storage space we have is spoken for. As a result my office is crammed full of my supplies, my dining room corner has boxes of stuff & my garage..........let's just say it's packed! If I didn't drive a VW bug, I would have a serious problem! As it is now the car is squeezed between furniture that I'm working on & other pieces that I haven't started yet. Just to get into my car I have to maneuver my behind into the tiniest spot & then carefully open the door, all the while trying not to damage anything. This is not a pretty picture. After seeing me perform this nearly impossible feat of dexterity the kids have learned to wait until I pull out before they try to get in.....they have no choice :). Throwing away garbage is a trick too. I either have to do the "squeeze" all over again or pull out the car to get to the garbage cans. As a result there is usually bag or two of garbage sitting by the door that need to be put into the cans. I'd move the garbage cans but to where? Thinking about it now I realize that my family & I are a classy bunch! Ugh.
I guess I could stop making things......but I can't. That's not going to happen, it's too much fun! I have told my hubby that I will try to stop picking up furniture. I was sticking to this until my mother-in-law called the other day....."hey my neighbor is throwing out some stuff"......you can guess what happened next!

Can you see where I spray paint stuff?

It takes some top-notch driving skills to squeeze my car into here....

So I thought I'd share with you guys a quick peek into my garage. I think you'll understand why I need to get rid of stuff...I can't end up on the Hoarders show......:0
Here is what I have stashed in my garage right now:
one cabinet
two matching end tables
a vintage full size headboard, footboard, frame & rails
a vintage dresser with matching mirror
two old windows
an old steel pail
two wood chairs
two upholstered chairs
a couple of shutters
a stool
an old wood ladder (can't see it in this picture, but it's there)
an old clock
and many, many miscellaneous items....
All of this is just on my side of the garage. The other side has a refrigerator & my hubby's motorcycle. As long as that is safe he has been ok with me stuffing the other side but I think my days may be numbered. Hopefully he won't read this post- then he'll realize exactly how much stuff I've jammed in there! For now he parks the family truckster in the driveway but it would be nice to get it into the garage...someday.

The garage is just my "before" stuff! Yikes!

Looking at this now I'm thinking that I've got some work to do & that maybe I should look for a local store to sell some of my stuff.....dont'cha think?

I can't believe that I'm posting this.......I have no shame.

It's Starting To Feeling A Little Like Christmas...

2011-11-21T12:05:00.000-08:00

Around here, way out west of Chicago it is starting to feel pretty cold. Not as cold as usual, but cold to me! In fact they keep saying that it's "a warmer than usual November" & "its a beautiful crisp day out". Really? Then why am I freezing & I need a coat? .. and why again do I live here? Whatever..... As a result instead of working on my many projects that I'm in the middle of I have decided to ignore them & make some Christmas decorations! So on Saturday I sat down & got to work.

These are my two sheet music Christmas trees. Not too hard to make...I bought some cardboard cones from Michael's & covered them with some of my vintage sheet music...(which by the way was one of my best "scores" ever from a barn sale)! The stars are also made from sheet music, they're just covered with gold glitter. I also was covered with gold glitter......I swear no matter how careful I am it still gets everywhere!!! I also made a few Christmas ornaments. They are made from pages of an old encyclopedia set that I have, some craft paper & yet again more glitter. By the time I was done with these two projects I looked like a disco ball! I have some more decorating ideas but these are just my start.....what do you guys think??

I Needed Something To Put Here & No, I Refuse To Be A Hoarder!

2011-11-18T17:46:00.000-08:00

I was walking around my house a while ago re-arranging things (which I do very often) and I couldn't find the right stuff to put on my little brown wood cabinet that I have in the family room. So I decided that I will just make something. I actually was going to sell these letters that I made in my Etsy store but now I think I want to keep them......Is it just me or does anyone else sometimes find it hard to part with things? I need to sell stuff because I'm running out of space to put things! I keep making stuff so I'm thinking you guys understand my problem, right? I've got to watch it or I'll end up on that Hoarders show as one of those crazy people trying to explain why they desperately need their stash of empty bags or huge piles of old magazines! I scare myself when I think how easy I could be this...(yikes...must purge tonight)! Ok, back to the original topic.....

So here are the letters that I painted to look like they are made out of metal. First I spray painted them silver then I wiped off the black paint, using a paper towel to wipe the black partially off while it was wet to get the desired look. It was a messy job, but not hard to do. The book birdhouse was another "quickie" I did while watching television. Come to think of it, I think I was watching Hoarders......

I Can't Believe It!

2011-11-16T06:22:00.001-08:00

I just came in from getting the kids on the bus & off to school ( bbrrrrr-cold out!), put a load of the never-ending laundry in, grabbed a cup of coffee & turned on my computer. Then I saw something unexpected......I have 100 followers!! I cannot believe it! It wasn't too long ago that I was thrilled to have 11, then 27 followers. When I look at it & see the number of you all go up I'm amazed that anyone would be interested in reading my ramblings or looking at my crazy crafting projects. I am so flattered & thankful for you guys! I have only been doing this for a few months & I still consider myself a newbie. So much so that I still don't know how to do very much computery (is that a word?) stuff. Your comments to me have always been so sweet & I love the friends that I have made through blogging. I just want to thank you guys for always putting a smile on my face & inspiring me to try different creative things!!! I hope I am doing the same for you too...love ya, Katie :)

Old Window- Repurposed

2011-11-15T09:48:00.000-08:00

A few months ago, back when the weather was warmer I made my oldest babysit my youngest so I could go & check out some barn sales & resale shops. My hubby drives our minivan ( I call it our family truckster) to work so that leaves me with our other car. The car he won't drive because he says it's too girly. It's my VW beetle convertible & I love it. The only problem is that it's a small car. As a result it makes it hard to bring home large items. I secretly think that is why my hubby leaves me with it! Well on that warm morning a while back I didn't let that problem stop me. I dragged home two shutters, a large glass paned window, a huge magnetic board, a small chippy glass window, a chair & misc junk items. How? Well I said it was warm so I put the top down! I'm sure I was quite the sight driving my bug with it so filled up. I even surprised one of the ladies who was working at the resale shop......she couldn't believe that I made it all fit! Where there's a will, there's a way!! Just imagine what I could've gotten if I had the family truckster!!!

I've painted the shutters & I'm hoping to start the chair soon. I forgot to mention that about a half mile from home I had to go through road construction & wouldn't you know it but CRASH! I lost a pane out of the smaller window, but at least everything else was ok. This is what I did with the small window. I busted out the broken pieces & replaced it with chicken wire which I painted to look rusty. Then I covered the other panes in vintage pattern paper & old encyclopedia pages. I love the old paint chippiness of it. In fact every time I move it a little more chips off. That's ok for now but I might eventually have to seal it. I love using this window in different places as a backdrop. What do you guys think?

Next time I will make sure to take a picture of my bug when I fill it up like that again. It might be awhile though since the weather is too cold to put the top down..........unless I see something way too good to pass up ;)

Linking up to Knick of Time Tuesday

Her Makeover Is Complete.....Finally!

2011-11-15T08:26:00.000-08:00

This is how I found her

She was falling apart & full of hay & horse hair :{

Took the nasty cover off & this is what I had to deal with

Lots & lots of nails!

Notice my mangled thumb..ouch!

Still working on getting the nails out

Well I finally finished it. What you may ask? The little victorian bench that I picked up at a church barn sale a while back. This is how she looked when I bought her. Not in too bad shape but she was falling apart from the bottom. As a result no one wanted her :(......but I was happy to have her & she was half off too!! :) I think the fact that she was stuffed with grass (yup, you heard me right) scared a lot of people off. Not me. After taking her apart I also noticed what looked like horse hair!? Ewww! That was pretty gross. So I made sure to dispose of that nastiness quick,wondering how old that horse would be now?....There were a ton of staples in her so I don't think the dirty red fabric was original. Once I got the tons of staples out I found out my next surprise. There were a zillions of teeny, tiny nails in her. Most of them were rusty & had been in there forever. I'm sure these were original. Hours later (it was night time when I finished this step) and one mangled thumb (hello tetnus shot) I finally got most of them out. I just gave up on some of them & hammered them in flush. You won't see them anyway. Shhhh...my little secret. ;)

She has a new coat of Sea Green milk paint on!

Close up of the paint job

If you look carefully you can just make out "made in fra..."

Ready for some fluffiness!

Getting her fluffiness.....

All fluffed up :)

After giving her a good clean up & decided to try something different with her. I had read about Milk Paint from Miss Mustard Seed's blog & decided to purchase some. I choose the color sea green. It was easy to use, just like chalk paint except it was a little thinner & took more coats. Probably because I added too much water, it's not like I was going to actually measure or something.....geesh...what do you expect from me? So I just followed Tim Gunn's advice & painted multiple coats to "make it work". Next time I will try to use less water when mixing it up. Here she is all painted up. I really like how she turned out. This paint was much easier to "beat up" & give a weathered finish to. I even noticed on the inside of her were words stamped "Made In Fran...." my hubby thinks it's France but it's hard to read so I can't tell for sure. I then went about putting her back together. This is a first for me since I have recovered furniture before but not built it up from scratch. I think it turned out ok, probably not perfect but I'm happy with it.

Working on her outfit....

Close up of her stripes

Her makeover is complete!

She's hanging out with some of my bottles....

Close up of the top

I think she's pretty now.....

The next step was deciding what kind of outfit to give her. I had a lot of different ideas but of course I choose the most complicated one. I used a bunch of different fabrics that I had laying around & made a union jack flag. Not the traditional one, but my version. If you have been reading my ramblings you might remember my union jack table (which I'm still planning on selling) I definitely have a "thing" for the union jack design.

Originally I was going to put her in my bedroom but my dog, Bella has taken ownership of her. Bella is a stubborn dog & no matter how many times I shooed her off it she just hopped right back on. So now my little bench belongs to her. My hubby threw a pillow on it to keep Bella from destroying it.....hopefully I can make something else for her & eventually get the bench in my room...sigh...

My dog Bella likes her too :)

It's A Light Or I Have A Problem

2011-11-14T14:18:00.000-08:00

I think I have a problem. Nothing serious, it's just that I can't stop looking at things & thinking "hey that could be made into a light". It's almost a compulsion to see how many different things that I can turn into a light of some sort. I think my family thinks that I'm off my rocker. So without further ado here are my latest "creations"! Can you guess what these are made from?

I might change the finish on this one, I can't decide.

I wonder if Betty Crocker would disapprove?

my son says that this one needs a haircut :)

One Way To Justify A Drinking Habit ;)

2011-11-14T13:44:00.000-08:00

The other day I spent a whole afternoon cutting & sanding some of my wine bottles. As I write this I have at least two dozen bottles waiting to be turned into something. I love the different colors & shapes that all the bottles come in & I have tons of ideas for creating things with them but........there's just one little problem...........they are a pain in the you know what to cut!! It's not that it's hard to do, it's just that it requires patience. A lot of patience. I am the first to admit that I pretty much lack that quality. I'm very impatient. If you don't take your time and do them slowly they will crack. But I surprised myself! I actually got nine bottles cut & only trashed three. I always make sure to do this on the day before garbage pick-up so I can get all of the broken bottles out of the garage before one of my kids get any ideas! Believe me, they would find some way to mess with them, get hurt & then not admit to who's idea it was.....sigh...anyway....

So what do you guys think? I was thinking that after drinking all of that wine & sitting in that candlelight if that didn't get you "in the mood" I don't know what would ;) />

Mexican Zucchini Soup....My Way

2011-11-11T08:45:00.001-08:00

I've been meaning to post some recipes that are popular with my family. Besides my hubby I have four kids, ranging anywhere from five years old to eighteen & getting them to all like something is not easy! As long as I can remember to take a photo of my dishes I will try to start posting them. That way if you guys have families with super picky palettes like I do you might want to try some of these.

The photo above is for my Mexican Zucchini Soup...it is great for a cold,windy night so last night it hit the spot!!.....I even have some leftover for lunch today....(yeah for me!)

Here are the ingredients...... you don't have to be too exact in measuring,....I never am :)..in fact I usually double the recipe

1tbs olive oil
1 cup chopped onion
2 cloves of garlic,minced
1/2 tsp dried oregano
2 (14.5 oz) cans of chicken broth...I use low fat
1 (14.5 oz) can of stewed tomatoes....mexican style, like Rotel are the best!
2 medium zucchini, halved lengthwise & cut in 1/4 in slices
2 medium yellow squash, cut the same way as the zucchini
1 (8.75 oz) can of whole corn,drained....I also used mexican style to add some zip
1 (4.5 oz) can of green chilis.....add if you want it even more zip, or you can just leave these out
12 ozs of Velveeta cheese spread, cubed..I use the low fat
1/2 tsp black pepper

This is what I added to make it my own.....
a generous handful of fresh cilantro,chopped up nice & small
3-4 boneless,skinless chicken breasts, cut into cubes & cooked (you can cheat & buy pre-cooked too)

Heat olive oil in a large pot & saute onion & garlic until tender. Season with the oregano. Mix in the chicken broth & tomatoes. Bring to a boil. Add zucchini,squash,corn & green chilis. Reduce heat & simmer until squash is tender. This is where I add in the chicken. Simmer for awhile....it will start to smell yummy! Add cubed Velveeta & stir until melted. Finish off with adding the cilantro. Keep simmering on low,stirring often until you are ready to serve it.

I also like to add sliced avacados on top & a small slice of lime (if I have one).
Serve with chips & enjoy :)

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A Little Space To Call My Own

2011-11-11T07:12:00.001-08:00

Well I think I have finally finished my work space. Actually not completely finished but about 90% finished & in my life that's a huge accomplishment. In case you guys don't remember what my office/den looked like or you're just now visiting me to read about me babbling on about stuff, here's the before pictures. Notice the lovely blue wall that the previous owner had done. Don't get me wrong, I like color but this was very dark. It was the color of the background in our fish tank. In fact now that I think about it with that wall color & the french door I kinda felt like I was in a tank! Anyway...it took one coat of Kilz primer & three coats of paint to cover that up!!! ( I even had primer in the paint too!) Here are the after pictures. I was hoping for a nice sunny day to take these but the weather out here by Chicago has been anything but! It has been cold,windy,cloudy & yesterday was our first snow. Not pretty snow, just the ugly windy, blowy mixed with freezing rain kind. Did I mention that it was cold too? Ugh. Ok...back to the photos. My area might seem cluttered to some but I like a lot of "stuff". The kind of stuff that makes me happy, gets me inspired & motivated. I also have to admit that I have crafting ADHD...I'm all over the place, starting one project & then abandoning it for another. Oh well, so here's my area & my "stuff" :)

I tried to take some pixs with the lights on first....& yes I have 2 lights. A blingy chandelier that I love & another one for up-close work.

My desk is actually our old dining room table from Ikea. Underneath it hidden behind an old cotton curtain are my bins of supplies. Next to it is my newly painted locker that holds all of my paint.

I know a lot of people have made these memo boards out of old crib springs but I love how they look & how functional they are. I added some burlap & rope for some texture & to change it up a little.

This is what you see when you first walk into the room....better picture (no lights on).

Close-up of my re-purposed crib springs & my chalkboard that I made out of a silver plated tray. ..and yeah, that is my autographed photo of the original Charlie's Angels.......I know, you're jealous...;)

Close-up of my desk top. This table has a decorative lower wire shelf so I just slid my two printers drawers & my magnetic board in there. It works well as a place to display & store stuff. You can also see my bulletin board that I just made here. Underneath it is a old trough that I picked up at a barn sale which works great mounted to the wall.

I was surprised to see that everything fit perfectly underneath the glass, on top of the wire shelf. If you can't tell- I've got a thing for rulers. I'm stock-piling them for a future project.

More rulers & an old bread & cake cabinet that I got at the flea market. I love the vintage label that is still on it. For now I'm using here for storage but I will probably put it somewhere better where I can show it off....

This is the wall opposite my work table. I obviously need to still do some organizing here but I'm dreaming of someday getting a huge old vintage armoire to store everything in........sigh....

Look closely, you can see my supply bins hidden under the table

Still working on this corner. I finally got my hubby to agree to let me paint this old flea market desk! It has some great details but they get lost with all the old,chipping wood veneer. After I paint it I will decide what needs to go on the walls....

Well, that's my little space that I call my own......except for my side of the garage where I have all of my furniture pieces carefully tucked around my car. It feels so good to finally be out of my dining room & have my own space :)

Woo Hoo, Wednesday!!!

2011-11-08T18:50:00.000-08:00

Tomorrow is Wednesday. Usually when people think of Wednesday they think "ugh, middle of the work week" or "happy hump day". I am excited for tomorrow! There's a logical reason why.....I got all of my "work" done the last two days. You know,the yucky not so fun stuff that you have to do.....like laundry,cleaning,taking the car to the shop,catching up on all the important phone calls that you have been blowing off & of course, my favorite..paying bills. Ugh. In my world those things are never fun! But now that I have them all done I get to play tomorrow & that means make things!! I have so many half finished projects to do that I'm actually having a hard time deciding what to do first. I know...being excited over sitting in my room of junk & making things....that's a little weird, right? Oh well, I never said that I was completely normal ;)

As soon as the kiddies are off to school it's off to the craft store to buy a few things. Hopefully I can tackle some of these projects....of course I still have to finish my craft room/office too! I definitely do have crafting ADHD!! Ha!

Still have a ton of these...I have a plan, just got to tackle it!

remember this?....my little church barn sale stool that is stuffed w/hay & falling apart?...she is going to be a top priority

hopefully it will be warmer & not raining so I can get to work on this....my dining room is crying for it.....

Oh yeah, I still have plans for this....

Maybe I'll even show you guys what this is......here's a hint- it was another "quickie"

I Got An Award!!!

2011-11-03T14:31:00.000-07:00

I am so surprised!! Tami from Scribbles & Swirls nominated me for an award.....The Liebster Award!
If you are not familiar with the Liebster Bolg Award it is given to new up & coming bloggers who have fewer then 200 followers. Liebster is German & it means cutest, sweetest, nicest & etc.....basically a bunch of nice things & who wouldn't love that??! I know I do, so much so that it made my day :)
So now the fun part is that I get to pick out 3-5 blogs that I love. I get to tell them that & then they get to post the award on their blog......I love the land of blogs....everyone is so nice :)

So here are my nominees:
Mark from room 363http://www.room363.net

Tami from Curb Alerthttp://tamicurbalert.blogspot.com

Jill from Junky Vagabondhttp://junkyvagabond.blogspot.com

and an honorable mention goes to Rebecca from You Are Talking Too Much....she technically has too many followers but I love reading her blog! http://youaretalkingtoomuch.blogspot.com

Congrats everyone & let's share the love :)

sorry I couldn't get everyone's button to work......stupid computer/blogger is still arguing with me!! ugh.

Real Quick

2011-11-03T13:56:00.000-07:00

close up of the Emile paint peaking through the Old White

Since I'm in the middle of making over my office/slash craft room I decided that I needed another bulletin board. Looking around my massive pile of supplies I came up with this. I also tried out some new chalk paint that I got. It's called Emile...it's a purplish-pink color. I like it but I didn't want just a purplish-pink frame so I used Old White over it & then beat it up just enough to show the Emile paint through. Attached an old coffee bean sack that I had (I love these!) and there you have it..........another "quickie" :)

Now I just need to finish this room & tackle the bottles that I have all over the house....(another project that I'm working on)

I Got Mad So what's A Girl To Do?.....Paint!!

2011-11-03T13:11:00.000-07:00

Yesterday my computer was really buggin' me! It kept deleting my posts & arguing with me so I showed it who was boss. I turned it off & focused my energy elsewhere.......I looked around my half-done office/craft room & decided to do some painting. This is a picture of an old school locker that I dumpster dove for way back when my oldest was a little guy. It was behind a school that a little birdie told me they were remodeling. I still remember climbing into the dumpster & hauling this out, my hubby thought I was insane! (This was early into our marriage so he didn't know what to think-he's used to it now). There were at least a dozen old lockers, and thinking back now I wish I grabbed more!!! I also grabbed an old school desk which I still have (maybe I'll repaint that too)..... As you can tell I painted it to match my son's room, he had a star, moon, planet theme going on. Fast forward 16 years & he doesn't need it anymore so I reclaimed it. I'm using it to hold all of my paint supplies so it's out in the open now & looking at it I decided that it needs a makeover.

close up of the number I hand painted on it...

she looks a little bit different now,doesn't she...

Hopefully this picture shows a close-up of the different colors & layers

another close up....I sanded the stripe, trying to make it look like it's been on it forever...

I love this sign! I found it on Pinterest & used Mod Podge to put it on ( it was a free printable)...it makes me smile :)

I used Annie Sloan chalk on everything except for the stripe & number. First I used Old White, followed by a coat of Provence & then a little bit of Louis Blue in some spots. I used clear wax & dark wax to try to make it look old & beat up. Of course I sanded the beejeebers out of it too!!

So what do you guys think? I'm pretty happy with it :)

Since I now have this done I might just finish up the room & show you my official "after" picture soon........

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Technology Still Hates Me

2011-11-02T07:14:00.000-07:00

So today I am very frustrated with my computer. It is arguing with me. I had written a nice new blog (you know I basically just babbled on) about stuff that I am working on & etc but it will not post! I keep getting error reports.

So I am turning off my computer & going to find something to paint. Hopefully this will post..........ugh.

Maybe I will try again later.......................:(

Happy Halloween....(Being Goofy Again!)

2011-10-31T09:52:00.000-07:00

On Saturday we went to my friend's annual Halloween party & it was a blast! Her theme this year was good & evil or superheroes & villians. It wasn't too hard to decide on our costume. In fact anyone who knows my husband probably could have guessed our costume easily. My husband had a childhood hero....here's some hints: he drives a cool car, he hangs around with a "boy wonder" & likes to hang out in caves.....that's right, it's no one other then Batman!!! I can hear the theme song now..."nanananana Batman!"

my hubby's arm is a blur because he couldn't stop making action poses! :)

A bunny rabbit & a hunter

I originally wanted to go as Catwoman, not the Halle Berry version but the Eartha Kitt/Julie Newmar one. You know the original one, the cool one. Problem is that costume is no where to be found unless you want to shell out around $200 & that is not happening. I thought about making one but since I have been sick lately I just took the easy route & purchased a Batgirl costume. My husband had so much fun living out his childhood fantasy. In fact it was the first year he kept it on all night..(even driving the 45 minute drive there wearing the whole getup!)There were so many great costumes & I tried to take some good pictures but my camera had a mind of it's own. The flash only worked when it felt like it ....it was acting like it was under a spell or possessed or something......ooohhhh spooky...... A lot of the pictures looks very red, like the party was held in Hades ......ooohhhh spooky again!!!!

Nacho Libre

Medusa....cool rubber snakes in her hair!

An evil knight & a fairy godmother

Dog the Bounty hunter & his wife Amy.....great costume, they had all of the accessories perfect- armbands,badges,gloves & etc!

Little Red Riding Hood & The Big Bad Wolf!!..(this wolf has all kinds of "bad" on his mind-check out the wine bottle!:)

Another great costume-the devil & an angel...she had both sides of the theme covered!

One of the party hosts as the evil ex-boyfriend #3 from the movie Scott Pilgrim Saves The World. With him is Lindsey Lohan- The "good"before & the "bad" after...(notice the bunny ears on the after)

The hostess as The Black Swan.....handmade & perfectly done

no party is complete without the wicked witch!!

My hubby enjoying his alter ego.....LOL!

the other Dark Knight couple

Ex-boyfriend #3 with a can of Miller Lite ....is the beer evil or good?...you decide :)

Batman & the evil Joker!!

Happy Halloween everyone!!!!!!

Feverish Crafting

2011-10-25T07:45:00.000-07:00

Sometimes I think I'm crazy. No really, I do. As you might know (if you've been reading my online blabbering) I have had the head cold from H*ll. I'm not exaggerating...it was bad. Usually I'm the type of person who just shuts up & deals with it. I've learned that I really don't have a choice having four kids.....but this one was bad, make that Bad with a capital B!! I'm still coughing like an old lady who is gasping for her last dying breath....
Anyway since I have just basically been sitting on the couch taking a break I caught up on all my shows on the DVR. Besides trashy episodes of the Real Housewives I have been catching up on one of my favorites......Project Runway. I just love that show. The people on there are so talented & a little crazy too. I wish I could sew like those people......someday I'll teach myself. I do have my grandmother's sewing machine.......

Even though I had a fever most of the time I was motivated to make something while watching the show. So instead of just relaxing I got to work & tried to ignore my throbbing head. It needed to be something simple & easy so my brain didn't have to work any harder than usual. (Insert smart aleck brain or IQ joke here). After scouting out Pinterest for an idea I decided on these.
I know they are all over the place now but I still think that they are cute. I needed something to decorate for fall & Thanksgiving time. Since I had some old sweaters I thought "why not?" I like how they turned out..they give me a cozy feeling when I look at them & cozy is good around here. In case you haven't heard Chicago winters are not fun. So what do you guys think?

I'm also working on a few other things too. I can never stick to one project at a time.......I think I have crafting ADD or maybe I am just crazy.....

just a peek of my stash of bottles...I love the different shapes & colors

Can you guess what I'm going to do with these?

Starting To Show Some Potential

2011-10-25T07:24:00.000-07:00

Looking much brighter in here with just one coat :)
Notice the paint on the chair.....that actually wasn't from me, it was from the "professionals" that we hired to paint at our last house.....nice. :(

I woke up this morning feeling better then I have in the last week. Finally I can function without some sort of cold medicine pulsing through my veins. Yesterday I managed to paint the first coat in my soon to be craft room/office. The paint I'm using is by Valspar & it's called Vanilla Steam. It looks pretty good considering the dark colors that I had to color. Even though I had them mix in primer to supposedly make it a "high hiding formula" I know that I will need at least two coats, if not three. Oh well, it will be worth it in the end........( I keep telling myself that while I paint). The color is a very faint greyish/tanish/white.....I can't really explain it better then that, sorry. I want a neutral shade since I know that I will fill this room with tons of stuff that inspire me & I still want to try to make it relaxing too. Wish me luck on that- ha! Hopefully I will get another coat done today.....maybe even two if I keep feeling better & can find some good music to paint to :)

I'm Going To Tackle It!

2011-10-20T06:58:00.000-07:00

I woke up today still not feeling well but pretty proud of myself. I managed to clean up about 90% of my mess in the dining room. I lugged almost everything down to our finished basement, planning on finally setting up my work area until I came up with a better idea. I decided that the office on the main floor of the house would be a much better fit. First I had to convince my sweet hubby that this is a good idea & why....basically swearing to him that it "won't turn into a junk dumping ground"........I promise. :)

You gotta love all of the cables & my copier on the floor...

Another view of the mess in here....I do like the french door though

This means that I have to get off of my hiney & paint this room. This room has kinda been ignored, it has turned into a "where should we put this stuff" room. To make matters worse one wall of the room is a bright, but kinda dark turquoise! All of the other walls are a boring tan color. Kinda hard to explain but hopefully you can see it in the pictures. Almost every wall needs patching up too. the previous owner was what I call Anchor Crazy!! She used anchors for everything & when she would move something she would just slap paint on top of the old unused anchors....as a result I have to do a lot of patching up first, before I paint! Ugh.
So wish me luck as I jack myself up on some Dayquil & try to turn this into a beautiful office/craft room....

p.s. I'm already thinking that I might just need an antique armoire to hold my supplies ;)

Oh Boy...

2011-10-18T08:07:00.000-07:00

I'm sitting here today & looking in my dining room at the mess. My mess. There must be about 4 or 5 half done projects that I'm working on. I really want to get these done but I feel like poop. My family has had a nasty head cold & now I have it. Oh yeah. So as a result I don't feel like doing anything except curling up with a blanket & watching some really bad reality tv.....

What I should be doing is cleaning the dining room but the blanket & couch are calling my name.........
maybe for just an hour or so then I can start to tackle my mess.....

I Got Featured :)

2011-10-18T05:58:00.000-07:00

It seems that my lights that I made out of minnow cages have gotten a lot of positive responses. I wasn't sure what everyone would think of them because they are a little different & give off an industrial vibe, but I have been surprised how many of you really like them!

Karen G. over at Itsstilllife.com liked them so much that she featured them on her blog.......I'm flattered by her sweet post :)http://itsstilllife.com/2011/10/17/fish-cage-lights/

Halloween Party (Adults Acting Goofy)

2011-10-16T07:56:00.000-07:00

Wayne & Garth- (us)

D*ck in a Box & Gilly

His costume was perfect...down to the anatomically correct suckers in the box :0

Every year one of my friends always hosts a halloween party which is basically just an excuse for all of us :adults" to dress up & act crazy. Of course my husband & I never miss it!! One of the best things she does is that she gives it a theme. One year the theme was tv personalities so my hubby & I went as Bret Michaels & Daisy DelaHoya (she is one of his special "lady friends"). The next year it was 80's rock stars. We went as Robert Smith & Siouxsie Sioux. I wish I had pictures to show you guys all the costumes from these previous years but I can't find them. :( .....But I do have the pictures from last year & I think last year's theme was the best! It was SNL (Saturday Night Live) characters!! We went as Wayne & Garth ("Wayne's World, Party On, Excellent!"). Everyone's costumes were fabulous so enjoy the pictures!!

It's Donatella Versace!

SNL Cheerleaders (Our hosts-the funniest part was that his head is shaved so I couldn't stop laughing at his wig!!)

Tiger Woods ( he was on SNL often then) & one of the Pump You Up guys in the background

The Church Lady & Mary Katherine Gallagher ( he did the best church lady dance :)

Laser Cats!!!!

Big Butt People (from older SNL season)

Buckwheat, Pat & Belushi's famous Samarai

This year her theme is Super Heros/Villains or Good/Evil.....of course we already know what we are going as but I'm not going to tell.......you will just have to wait for the pictures! ;)

I'm also hoping that I remember to take pictures of her house too, she does a awesome job decorating it!!

Our town also hosts an event that they call The Gallery Of Ghoulish Homes Tour. People decorate their homes & put on shows for people to come see. Then on a special judging night you can download maps to all of the houses. So.....of course we did this too! (Can you tell that I love Halloween?!) We spookified our house by making it look like a wedding party car accident scene. We even used my son's car to make it look real. I never got pictures from that night because we were too busy being swamped with people. It was a blast!! My hubby & I dressed-up as the bride & groom with his sisters being our dead bridesmaids. We also had a werewolf & multiple other ghouls running around scaring people. I guess we did a good job because we won The Rookie Award! I actually have the trophy on a shelf in my office......I know, I'm a dork.

my sister-in-law, Cindy

my other sister-in-law, Karen

My zombie children..(even supergirl is a zombie!)

my walking dead hubby

I'm Thrilled :)...Way Thrilled!! Yipee!!!!

2011-10-13T18:40:00.000-07:00

A few days ago I submitted my Pottery Barn knock off lantern to one of my favorite blogs. It's called Knock Off Decor & it's so much fun to read. People send her projects that they have done knocking off various famous brands like Restoration Hardware, Anthropologie & Pottery Barn. Its amazing to see what people come up with to mimic these stores at a fraction of the cost! Besides it's so much fun to get inspired by these places & then create a cheaper (if not better) version. Long story short.......my lantern is featured!!!! I'm so excited & flattered that I'm acting like a girl who just got asked out on a date by her crush.......(I'm gushing:)

Anyway please take a moment to check it out & to check out all of the other wonderful posts that she has!!http://knockoffdecor.com/sheet-music-lantern-chandelier

Forgotten Zebra

2011-10-10T17:30:00.000-07:00

One of my friends was looking at my blog the other day & said "where's your funky zebra chair?" I did this chair almost a year ago, in fact it was my first chair that I ever did. I wasn't going to put it on my blog since I didn't take a before picture but my friend convinced me that I should anyway. Anyway......I had been seeing a lot of cool animal print chairs & wanted one but they were always too expensive. So since I'm cheap I decided that I would just have to make one. I found a chair at a local thrift shop & then hunted for some fabric that I liked. The chair screamed the 80's--it was a honey gold oak color with a nasty gold & orange print fabric. It was ugly. First I painted the chair black, beat it up a little bit-(always fun:) and then re-covered it. Wasn't too hard- I just used my handy-dandy staple gun.
I still like this chair a lot...it appeals to my "wild side" :)

Minnow Lights

2011-10-10T17:00:00.000-07:00

I finally got around to taking pictures of the other lights that I made. Here is the before picture of them.They are two minnow baskets. When attached together they make a minnow trap. I just purchased a pendant light kit & mounted it in there. Easy, Breezy......

This last shot is a picture of one of them that my husband put up in his band room (yes, he is in a band & yes they practice here). He couldn't wait to see what they looked like lit up :) Ignore the green paint on the ceiling.....it's from the flourescent lights that the previous owners had put up.
So what do you guys think??

Of course I linked this to one of my favorites-Funky Junk

Nada Farm Event--lots of photos

2011-10-10T09:31:00.000-07:00

I attended a business class in this corn crib. It was given by Jennifer Rizzo (JenniferRizzo.com) & Jeanne Oliver (JeanneOliverDesigns.com)....they were so sweet & knowledgeable!

Heading towards the vendor's tents..

The vintage clocks in the Pepsi crate were fabulous..

I love this display

A view of the outside tents

This view is from inside the corn crib....during the class these little guys were quite outgoing & funny :)

The entrance inside the barn

Love the color of this tutu!

Beautiful handmade aprons!

Close up of some of the aprons...

see the dress form?....one of these days I will find the perfect one!

I loved these red signs....

Sweet little crown & aluminum letters...

This was outside the barn (the sun had gone down)....loved the candles reflecting behind the window pane

I was lucky enough to go to the Nada Farm event this past Friday evening. I can only describe it by saying it was beautiful & inspiring! I took a lot of photos but since the sun was setting it was hard to get great lighting. Some of these photos are not that great but I'm going to post them anyway because I want you guys to get a taste of everything! There was so much great stuff & pretty displays everywhere you looked.....

You could just sit down on a bale & listen to the music....

One of my favorite things...the handpainted feathers on the walls!

See the feathers....

So much to look at..

Wanted this couch, but hubby would have killed me..

teacups hanging from the branches..

Harvest spelled out with twigs behind the register & dries flowers pressed behind window panes

Of course I checked out this dress form too...

The christmas tree cast a beautiful glow

The Swing was so sweet

Christmas ornaments made out of old cd's covered with vintage clock faces

Wanted to buy a pair of these for my daughter but they were all gone :(

Christmas tree & snowman made out of sheet music

This dresser was painted the perfect shade of blue-violet

close up of the bracelets made out of buttons & bottles decorated with vintage labels

Inside the barn was almost too much to take in...there were tree branches attached to the inside with tea cups dangling from them. Beautiful lanterns hanging way up high that lit up the barn with a warm glow...They had set up hay bales to sit on so you could listen the great guitar music & treats to buy to snack on but I was too busy admiring everything :)

I will definitely be driving out west past the "big cities", towards the farm fields to go visit NaDa Farm again......

Interesting Finds

2011-10-07T13:54:00.000-07:00

Just a quick note to show you guys some more things that I found. The vintage apron & column thingy came from the flea market, the architectural pieces (I have two identical ones but only one fit in the shot) came from a tent/barn sale & the blue shutters (there are also two) are from a local store that I love. It's called The Past & Present Shoppes. This place is fabulous!! I could spend hours in there & endless amounts of money.......but of course reality sets in so I always have to limit myself. I still try to go there often. If you couldn't tell by my pickings, my house doesn't have very much architectural interest at all, so I will just have to add some.

My Ikea Blue Boy

2011-10-07T13:11:00.000-07:00

Here's another quickie....This was my oldest son's (he is 18 now!) high chair that we had bought from Ikea, waaayyy back when.....of course I never threw it away. I'm either very sentimental or I'm a pack rat. Maybe just both. Anyway I painted it with my favorite paint using the color Louis Blue & a final coat of clear wax. Then I beat it up....that's my favorite part. I'm not quite sure what this says about me though....I was going to put some cute graphics on it or something but I'm thinking that I just like him this way. I call him Blue Boy.
Here's a close up of him......I also made the burlap garland which was also simple to do. I actually made it while watching television the other night. At least when I'm doing that I don't just feel like a zombie staring at the tv & doing nothing....Thinking that I might make more this week :)

Pottery Barn Knock-Off

2011-10-07T12:21:00.000-07:00

A while back I went to a church barn sale & got lots of goodies. I purchased two chandeliers for a total of $3.00. My husband thought I was crazy buying them in all of their brassy gloriousness but I told him that I had a plan......

For now I will just show you this one that is pictured above. As soon as I saw it I knew that I could make my own version of Pottery Barn's fancy-schmancy "Gothic Lantern". Or I could just buy one for $269.00.........Ahhh no, I think not. What's the fun in that? Besides I'm too cheap....

Here is my end result.....just a little spray paint & some old sheet music (to add some character) & viola!! I did manage to spray paint my hand black (don't ask) but it was a pretty easy project to do.
The hardest part was putting it back together. I mean do the screws have to be that teeny tiny??!!.....seriously,do they?!

Oh & now my hubby is calling me Ms. Fancy Pants since I showed him the wonders of paint :)

Off to Na Da.....

2011-10-07T05:45:00.000-07:00

I'm so exited today! I am off to the Na Da farm event today. I cannot wait to see all of the goodies & go to the classes there. I even thought ahead & made sure my husband left me the van today.....( I did promise not too buy anything big though...wink,wink). I'm hoping that I remember to take a lot of pictures while I'm there so I can share them with you......speaking of pictures- I need to get my camera out & get to business! I've been busy painting my bathroom cabinets and refinishing a high chair from Ikea. I also finished my Pottery Barn knock off lantern. Besides doing all of this my hubby & I went to Lowe's & finally picked out new pulls for the kitchen! So I need to order more paint & then there's no stopping me!!! We also got (or should I say I talked him into it) a beautiful crystal chandelier for our master bath. A girl has gotta have a little bling to start her day.....so why not?! :)
The sun is coming up so I'm off to take some photos......

Quick Simple Wreath

2011-09-29T12:55:00.000-07:00

I was looking at my front door today & decided that I needed to put up a wreath. At first I was thinking of putting up my traditional fall wreath....you know one made out of leaves,gourds & etc, but I'm not ready to put that one up yet. So I went into my fabric stash & came up with this. Its made from burlap & white cotton flour sack material (aka dish towels from Target). The best part is that the flowers are just pinned in. This is good because I can change out the flowers for anything else easily & if there's one thing you will learn about me is that I change my mind often. :)

It's A Frame Up

2011-09-29T09:22:00.000-07:00

I know that these have been all over blogland but I really like them. I figured that since I have some old frames & some chicken wire I would give it a crack. Here they are..I did two with chicken wire & one with burlap to make it a small message board. I used clothespins that I made all fancy with some paper to hold things with. To make things extra purty I also made some feathers out of old maps & sheet music.

These pictures show a close up of the feathers that I made & my fancy clothes pins.

Did you notice my other two "finds".....the cool steel suitcase & the old fan???- I've been looking for a fan with a blue base forever & it was only $10.00.....around here that's a great price!! :)

Linking up with Family memory Board Linky Party from http://blog.familybringsjoy.com ....thanks for the invite :)

The Red Resting Chair

2011-09-29T08:50:00.000-07:00

I just finished a chair. I call it my red resting chair. First let me show you a before picture. It's your basic wood chair, no fancy carvings or ornate woodwork, just a wood chair. This is the only picture that I could find & it's not the best, but you get the idea.....don't ya? The minnow baskets that are sitting on it will be featured in another post.......(I'm almost done with them).

I painted the chair Emperor's Silk (chalk paint again, no surprise there) waxed it, and then beat it up a little. I wanted it to look like it's always been that color. I hand painted the bible phrase "come with me by yourselves to a quiet place & get some rest". I was going to use my Silhouette & be all fancy & impeccable but I was going for a different look. I wanted it to look like the writing was put on it a long time ago by someone, not mass produced & perfect. Maybe I should make up a story about it being from an old school & some teacher wrote that on there.....kinda like an old timey "time-out chair"?? Anyway what do you guys think?

A One, A Two And A Three

2011-09-27T07:51:00.000-07:00

I almost forgot to post these.....

My silver platters! I found all of three of these at Goodwill (score!) painted them with chalk paint & made fun little chalkboard signs out of them. Please excuse my floors.....3 dogs & 4 kids are not kind to wood...

Fun Quick Stuff

2011-09-27T07:44:00.000-07:00

These are a couple of quick little things that I made. These two little birdhouses came from Michael's. I just painted them & used mod podge on them. They turned out cute, my daughter keeps stealing them & putting them in her room.

Next is a little small stool that I found at Goodwill. I forgot to take a before picture but it was yellowish-brown with a picture of peas on it.....it was kinda weird & way ugly. First I painted it gray,then a freehanded a branch on it. I hate using stencils,they drive me nuts! For the bird I drew it out on a page of an old encyclopedia & attached it with mod podge. Have I ever mentioned how much I love that stuff?

Here are two little wooden boxes that I did the same thing to.....painted them pink,drew branches and this time I made a cherry blossom design with paper & mod podge. These turned out really sweet & girly!

A Way To Serve My Bon-Bons

2011-09-26T12:45:00.000-07:00

These are some pedestal platters that I made last week. They are a real simple project to do. They are made from various plates & bowls that are just glued to some candlesticks. Very simple,easy-peasy & fun to do. My hubby asked me what am I going to use them for.."serving bon-bons?' Yeah,right. More like Oreos & popcorn around here.
I also have some other more "industrial" ones that I made out of pie plates too. I'll have to post a picture of those too.

It's Starting To Feel Like Fall Around Here

2011-09-26T12:34:00.000-07:00

Now that it is officially fall & the weather is confirming this I have started to put up some of my fall decorations. This is a quickie arrangement that I have on our dining room table. Most of the pumpkins & the grapevine tree came from Michaels. The cute little chairs I found at a barn sale for a bargain... (swooped them babies up fast :). The little jar is full of shredded tissue & a vintage picture of a bird, sorry it doesn't show up well here. The little numbered blocks was a fast little project that I did a few weeks ago. I just painted them,stenciled the numbers, & distressed them. I'm thinking about making some more. I was going to make a table runner just like this out of my burlap pile until I stumbled on this one. I liked it so much & of course it was priced right, so it came home with me.

The second picture is my fireplace in our family room. Sorry about the crazy picture but there are windows that flank each side of it. We usually keep the blinds open to let the sun in or else the room gets dark & dreary. I tried taking a picture both ways & neither way worked that well. I'm sure it's only because of my lack of photography skills. Anyway, I apologize....
As you can see we have two,tall deep holes or cubbies above our fireplace. Until recently they were empty. I finally bought some clear vases & used some branches from our birch trees to fill them up. It was quite a mess with me dragging big branches in & trimming them but I think it turned out well. My teenage son thought I was crazy but afterwards he actually complimented me. He basically said "I guess it's not that bad". Take it from me, that's a compliment. I'm thinking about adding some bright fall leaves too but my hubby likes it the way it is. I'll probably add some. :) It's not like I ever really listen to his opinion.....he is learning to just let me "do my thing". On the mantle there's more fake pumpkins that I had, an old broken rolling pin, & a cloche with wire birds underneath it. The antique bean pot was from my great grandmother. Inside there is a handwritten note explaining it's origins that my grandmother wrote. I simply love that bean pot! The three tiered rack in the middle I found at TJ Maxx. It's just filled with more jars & do-dads. The whole mantle is pretty simple but I'm going to spookify it in a week or two for Halloween.......I think this time of year is so much fun!

I love Church Barn Sales!

2011-09-23T14:36:00.000-07:00

Every year where I live one of the local churches hosts a huge barn sale. It has gotten to be such a huge event that it is now held at the fair grounds. Luckily for me I only live 10 minutes down the street. So of course I went..yipee!! I found so much stuff there at great prices that my head was spininng. On the second day everything is half price so of course I went then too! My husband was sweet enough to watch our kiddos that I got the luxury of browsing through all the junk & furniture by myself. That's right, you heard it....just me,three building of other people's cast-offs & my pocket full of cash. You can say that I did some damage, but everything was cheap! I got a glass cloche,an old checkerboard,2 small vintage silver serving dishes,2 baskets,an old typesetter's drawer,2 working light fixtures,a huge pile of vintage sheet music, misc. vintage fabrics & lace,a vintage book that lists birth dates with flower planting times for those months,a funky shade from bombay kids, & last but not least a victorian footstool. I have plans for everything too! :) I'm also proud to say that the most expensive item was only $7.00, so hubby even thought that I did well. I will be posting pictures of everything when I'm done so you can all see what I had in mind. I would have bought more my but bag was stuffed & my arms were full & dying from hauling all of my loot! :)

I'm still thinking about the old funky chair that I passed up on the first day only to find it gone the following day :(......will I ever learn?.......