a commoner's castle

Bye Bye Bolty - Our Kitchen Transformation

2013-03-16T14:52:00.003-04:00

So, when we first found our house there were a few small cosmetic things that really rubbed me the wrong way. They were just hideous and I have no idea why anyone would have chosen them for their home at anytime. The "lightning bolt" in our kitchen was definitely in the top five as far as the most awful list goes. Well, I am so happy to tell you that it is finally gone!

Here's a shot of the kitchen with the lightning bolt still there in all of it's horrible glory...

...and here is he ceiling after the bolt was taken down, the ceiling was repaired and painted, and the lighting re-installed without any trace of that awful bolt.

I can't believe we dealt with that thing for over a year. Do you remember it from this post? I hated it back then, and I hate it just as much today. I'm so blessed to have such a handy husband.
The whole process ended up being a little more time consuming than we had originally planned. The lightning bolt was the previous owner's way of covering up the damage from removing the fluorescent lighting that apparently was original to the home. So, after a few coats of spackle, and a few coats of paint, you can't even tell that the bolt was ever there. YES! Victory for team Barkanic!

This is the first in a series of posts that will give you all the details about everything we're doing in our kitchen to bring it up to date and transform it into the kitchen of our dreams!

a broken barkanic

2013-03-08T20:07:00.001-05:00

i am most definitely aware of the fact that i haven't posted in a ridiculous amount of time, and the longer it's been the harder it gets. i think that i have started this post at least 10 times now, and have never brought myself to finishing it. we've still been moving full speed ahead around our castle, i guess i was just in a bit of an anti-social space for a while there.

i am also completely aware that this is most often a diy/ home improvement blog, and some of you might have no interest in our personal life at all, but more than anything this blog is a record for us of what is going on at our house, and there has been a lot more than diy going on, and i think it's time for me to put it out there, no matter how difficult that might be for me.

yes, i am rambling, a little nervous about this one. i'm sure most people have wondered, but rarely do i tell people that we are dealing with a serious case of infertility. we have been trying to conceive our second child since olivia was 8 months old, and she will be 6 this july. so, it's been 5 years at this point. at first we really weren't worried or in any kind of rush, after all we had our hands full with olivia and she was still just a baby. i have suffered from pcos since i went into puberty, so i knew that it wouldn't be as easy for us as it was for everyone else, but because i conceived olivia without even trying , i never imagined i would be in the same situation five years later. (the only pcos symptoms i have are not ovulating or menstruating and some weight issues) my ob/gyn suggested that we try clomid, to give me some help with ovulation, and we gladly agreed. we went through five cycles in the spring/ summer of 2008, and obviously they didn't really get us anywhere, other than a little bit crazier, so we decided to just take a break for a while and see what happened.

nothing happened, we let things go for four years, i wasn't ovulating, but was hoping that maybe i would randomly, and happen to have everything align for me to get pregnant, i'm still pretty young, so it wasn't until 2011 that i really started to get the itch for a baby in a serious way. some of my friends were also struggling to get pregnant, so it wasn't so bad, we were all in it together, and i was at peace with trusting God and his timing. needless to say about 90% of my married friends have had babies in the past year or two, and that is not an exaggeration. some of them are even cooking up there second kiddos.

struggling to get pregnant is terrible, but struggling by yourself is torture. i had a few months in 2012 that were the darkest of my life. if it weren't for my faith i don't know how i would have made it through. i know that the Lord has a beautiful plan for my life, and that it's so much better than anything i could ever come up with. sometimes it's hard for me to accept not knowing what that plan is, and how things are going to go, but He has blessed me so abundantly, that i know i have nothing to worry about as long as i let Him have control.

we had our first appointment with a fertility specialist in february, we are going to take things slowly with her for now, until we're confident in our decisions, and what we're going to do.

i'm so relieved to get that out of the way, and can't wait to share with you all of the exciting stuff we have been doing to the house! we have been putting a lot of effort into the kitchen, and it's really starting to come along. if you follow me on instagram @lauren_barkanic then you've gotten to see some of the progress and it's super exciting! here are some of the ig pics. I will be posting more in depth about them very soon!

we got rid of the bolt!

we painted!

we tiled

and tiled some more!

i am super excited about the progress! and there will be even more very soon! be sure to check back in and see how we did everything, and what's coming next!

Tufted Headboard Tutorial from Mallory and Savannah of Classy Clutter

2012-05-31T08:00:00.000-04:00

I am really excited to have Mallory and Savannah here to share their amazing tufted headboard tutorial with you! They are both extremely talented, and Mallory was one of the first bloggers I "met" when I started blogging, she was extremely supportive, just when I needed it. They also have a really great linky party every Saturday, so be sure to check it out! Here's Mallory and Savannah, I'm sure you'll love them!

Hello Commoner's Castle Readers! We're Mallory and Savannah, the author's of the DIY/Home blog, Classy Clutter. We are beyond thrilled to be over at Lauren's blog sharing a post with you today! We hope you enjoy our post and we'd love to have you stop by our blog!

While I was in Arizona over the Christmas break, Savannah and I tackled a few projects! Of course! It's pretty much our favorite thing to do when we are together! That and going out for sushi ;) One project we really wanted to get done was her youngest daughter's bed. Her (almost) two year old little angel was done with her baby crib and needed a big girl bed! Savannah knew exactly what she wanted but she was a little nervous to tackle it herself. It was definitely a two person job but turned out to be a really fun project!

Savannah had an adorable twin bed that she found at a local thrift store for a steal. Most people would look at it and think... "great lines, cute bed, I'll paint it and it'll be fantastic!" well... that would be true BUT Savannah wanted to take it one step further! She wanted a white girly bed with a soft lime green upholstery and some killer cute colorful buttons! Not a tall order or anything.. ;)

First, we made a template of where we wanted the upholstery. We used butcher paper and taped it to the bed frame.

Then we measured and marked where we wanted the tufts and buttons to be.

Next, we drew straight lines from each point to get an idea of where the folds in the tufts would be.

Next, we removed the template from the headboard and I traced and marked the foam while Savannah painted the headboard a gorgeous creamy white!

I laid the butcher paper template on the foam (we used 2" upholstery foam from the fabric store) and traced in with a sharpie. (Yes, a purple one!)

Then, we cut around the traced edge of the foam using a serrated knife. We also poked holes in the tuft markings. (didn't get a pic of this step! Sorry!)

Next, we re-taped the template to the bed, after the paint dried. Then, we drilled holes in the headboard using the template tuft markings as a guide.

Then, we made 17 fabric covered buttons for the tufting. They were so stinkin' cute! Totally worth the sore thumbs! You can get these button kits at a fabric store. We got hers at JoAnn's Fabrics.

Next, the upholstering began! We used spray adhesive to attach the 2" foam piece to the headboard. Then we stapled a large piece of batting over the foam. We used a staple gun for the upholstery.

Then, we trimmed the excess batting and we used some clamps to hold the upholstery fabric in place so we could begin the tufting process.

TIP: Do you tufting before you staple. If you staple the fabric first, your tufting may look too tight. We wanted nice deep tufts so we did not want to pull the fabric tight until the very end!

We used a long upholstery needle and upholstery thread. Start from the back fof the headboard and feed your needle through to the front, through the fabric. Attach the button and run the needle back through to the back of the headboard and staple the remaining thread securely to the back. Make sure to pull the needle really tight to get really deep tufts!

The back should look like this when you're done with this step.

Next, we stapled the fabric to the headboard and trimmed the excess.

Lookin' good! But we've got one more important step! Piping!

Finally, we started making our own piping so it would match the green fabric. We already knew how to make piping but if you need help, here is a great tutorial. Click here.

Then, hot glue your piping around the raw edges and TA-DA!!! DONE!

Here's an up close picture of the piping and tufting...

We were so excited to tackle a project together since we haven't been able to do that in about 6 months! BAH! Sad huh!? It couldn't have turned out any better! We are a team and our team work always pays off! We both are in love with little Millie's bed! Savannah is working her tail off to get the rest of Millie's nursery turned into her big girl room!

Thanks so much for having us Lauren! We'd love for ya'll to stop by our blog and say hello!

Are you ready to tackle your next project yet?? Head over to Classy Clutter for more furniture and home decor inspiration!

Mallory and Savannah are best friends and the brains behind Classy Clutter, a one-stop shop for all things creative with a focus on Furniture and Home Décor. Both are moms with a mission for being creative on the cheap! Mallory is a full-time mom of two little boys and a student. She runs her Etsy Shop –Heartfelt Designs and Photography Business from her home in New York. Savannah is a cosmetologist at an Arizona salon called Hair Do and keeps busy doing furniture, crafts and activities with her two little girls! Classy Clutter keeps them connected from NY to AZ! Classy Clutter is your place for inspiration, tips and tutorials! Please hop over and check us out! We’d love to have you!

Thanks so much ladies! This is an A-MA-ZING project, and I'm so glad you shared it here!

Our Big Surprise!

2012-05-30T07:30:00.000-04:00

We have had quite the eventful week here at Casa de Barkanic! We celebrated our one year Blogiversary on Saturday, and had great posts all week long thanks to some of my favorite bloggers. In other Saturday news, Mike's Dad got married on Saturday, and it was absolutely beautiful (and long overdue!)

I was hoping to check in on Monday, with our big surprise, but our big surprise is taking a lot of my attention right now. Our big surprise is...

adorable,

shy,

playful,

and furry!

This past Monday we drove 2 1/2 hours to pick her up,

and my heart was instantly stolen by this little girl. Olivia and I had decided from seeing her picture that we should call her "Sassy", when she first came home I wasn't 100% sure it would fit her, but now that she's getting used to her new home, it is spot on.

She is 3 months old today, and she weighs 4.2 pounds. I am absolutely smitten, and so is her big sister!

I have been going bonkers pinning all kinds of great diy doggy projects on pinterest, but have actually only got around to making one. A little puppy harness, that I realized I needed at 10pm on Sunday night. Her car seat is designed to attach to one, so I figured I would whip one up as quick as I could. I made it out of white linen with gold embroidered flowers. I knew it was going to be super hot Monday, and I didn't want her to overheat, so I made it as light as I could while still able to do it's job.

Isn't she just a doll!!

I hope you've enjoyed my little sweetheart, I know I do!

Be sure to stop back tomorrow, we have a great guest post from Mallory and Savannah of Classy Clutter!

Happy Blogiversary to Me and Happy Memorial Day to You!

2012-05-26T11:44:00.003-04:00

Hello! I hope you all are having a wonderful start to your Holiday weekend! I was hoping to have a wonderful tutorial for all of you today, but unfortunately that isn't going to happen. My father-in-law is getting married today, so there is quite a lot to do, and writing up a tutorial just won't fit into the schedule. Sorry :)

Make sure you didn't miss any of our great guest posts or tutorials this week!

Here they are-

Monday- a Coffee Table Makeover from Pam of Simple Details

Tuesday- Turning an Ugly Frame into a Modern Mirror from Me

Wednesday- Our Gallery Wall & How to Hang it Straight from Me

Thursday- Lamp Shade Makeover from Jennifer of Dimples & Tangles

Friday- How we can fight C.R.A.P. syndrome from Alyssa of Clever Nest

I also have some very exciting family news that I will share on Monday, once all the details are figured out. I can't wait to tell you all about it! It will definitely lead to a whole new realm of home decor projects for us! If you follow me on Pinterest you might have some idea what I'm talking about!

Happy Memorial Day Everyone!

Alyssa from Clever Nest

2012-05-25T07:00:00.000-04:00

Today we have Alyssa here from Clever Nest, and I love what she chose to share about. Please take a minute to check out her blog. She is kind and funny, and you will love her! Here's Alyssa...

’Ello everybody : ). I’m Alyssa Wine of Clever Nest, and I was so excited when Lauren asked me to guest blog for her one year blogversary! I’m a loyal fan of Lauren’s, I think she’s fantastic, and her entry way make over is the bomb. Lauren, thanks for letting me be part of the fun!

Now, it’s time to confess a dirty little secret of mine.

Self Diagnosis

I follow quite a few awesome DIY blogs (that’s not the confession). The confession is, some days when I’m reading the posts of my blogging friends and the wonderful things they’re up to, I feel… intimidated. Seeing picture after picture of beautiful homes, flawlessly executed crafts, and overly photogenic children I think, “how can I compete with this?” Everybody but me obviously has perfect lives and spends their time smiling and painting chevrons on things all day long!

This is true for Pinterest as well.

I know I’m being dramatic, but, have you ever felt that way too? I look around my house and see my hubby’s dirty socks on the coffee table, my half finished craft sitting on the dining room table, and the baby smooshing crackers into the tile.

I have named this feeling. I call it, Comparison Rage And Preoccupation syndrome. Otherwise known as, feeling like C.R.A.P.

Getting’ Real

The first thing I do when I start feeling this way is to remind myself that beautiful pictures show only one side of the room, er, story.

Here’s a real life example. I wrote a post revealing my little guy’s newly finished nursery (you can see the full post here). Before a camera got anywhere near that room, I dusted, vacuumed, removed half Andrew’s diaper and wipe paraphernalia, fluffed blankets, and styled stuffed critters. Here’s some of the pics I posted-

Now, here’s the pics I did not show anybody. If you had turned to the right, you’d see why I didn’t show the closet view.

Stunning. We haven’t exactly gotten around to installing closet doors. Thankfully Andrew is still young, and not yet old enough to know how he’s being neglected by his parents. And if you had turned to see the hallway, you’d find even more good stuff.

Ye lovely Pile O’ Mess. I scooped up everything that wasn’t photo worthy and dumped it out of view! I just walked in the other room and took a picture of what the nursery looks like on a normal, blanket fluffing free day.

My Andrew sign is wilting...

That’s the plain, unphotogenic truth. I appreciate it so much when my favorite blogging ladies show their behind the scenes pictures! Their houses on a normal day, the untouched rooms with gloriously high stuff piles, even divulging their secret to making a bathroom towel look extra fluffy in the “after” shot. It reminds me that, they live real life too, just like me.

You Got This

The second thing I do to alleviate feeling like C.R.A.P. is to remember my triumphs. I definitely don’t always knock it out of the park (the time I hung a fish-turkey on the wall!),

but sweet comments by family, friends, and you guys remind me that sometimes I do get it right. We’re all trying to make our lives a little more awesome, and chances are, we underestimate how much what we do means to those around us!

Embrace the Fail

When all else fails, I stop blog surfing and type in this website. CraftFail. I discovered this site a while back and I always leave feeling better about my artsy endeavors (I was not paid to say this, I just think they’re awesome!). Here you can laugh along with fellow crafters who had their project fail hilariously and miserably. You can even see one of my very own flops on there, this lovely thing!

Holy Restickable Gluestick Batman. It wasn’t funny at the time, but now it is! : ) Sometimes a good laugh reminds me not to take it all too seriously.

Craftians, Unite!

Nobody paints chevrons all day, certainly not me. I know that, but sometimes a reminder is good for the soul! My house doesn’t look like a magazine cover 7 days a week, and that’s ok. My crafts sometimes are only fit to amuse. I’m a real human being with a stuff pile just as big as the one I’m sure my favorite bloggers have at their house too.

Don’t get me wrong, there’s nothing wrong with cleaning up before you show off your space, or showing off our sweet craft ideas. We all like looking at pretty pictures! BUT- what I’m saying is, let’s not let those glossy, white balanced, staged pictures fool us. Let them inspire and motivate us to be creative, never make us feel like second class uncraftians. Will you join me in fighting C.R.A.P.? Pinky swear?

<3 Alyssa

www.myclevernest.com

(Sorry for saying C.R.A.P. so much, mom. It had the letters I needed.)

I know I am guilty of C.R.A.P. from time to time. I am also most definitely not living in a photo ready house in a moments notice. I often find myself taking pictures while trying to avoid a pile of laundry, or toys. I'm in Alyssa! How about the rest of you?

Lampshade Makeover from Jennifer of Dimples & Tangles

2012-05-24T08:00:00.000-04:00

I am so excited to have Jennifer here from dimples & tangles. She is super talented, and has amazing taste when it comes to interior design. She really doesn't need much of an introduction, so here's Jennifer...

Hello to all of you fellow a Commoner's Castle readers! I have so enjoyed Lauren's blog and am thrilled that she invited me to share with you today. I'm also a fairly new blogger and have been so blessed to become a part of this wonderfully supportive blogging community.

This is the very first project that I posted on my blog, and I thought I'd also share it with you. I bought these lamps several years ago at Hobby Lobby for 80% off.

Loved them as they were and they were the perfect size to flank my mantel...I love using lighting on the mantel! I have enjoyed them but am gradually moving away from so much red in the family room, so I put them away for a while. When the time came to pull them out and use them again (I have a big stash of accessories that I switch out all the time, do you?), I searched high and low for new shades. Not an easy task, being that these shades are very tall and narrow.

Usually I just recover a shade that I'm tired of, but this one had curvy lines that would have made it really difficult. I couldn't walk into Ross or Target like I normally do and pick up a replacement. I'm sure I could have found some online or from a fancy lighting store that would have been the right size, but I wasn't willing to shell out the big bucks that I knew I'd have to pay.

I finally pulled out the scissors ready to snip off the old shade and try use it as a pattern to fashion some sort of new one, when a thought popped into my head. Paint fixes everything, right? Especially black paint! Why not try painting them? I was originally looking for a white shade, but knew that white wouldn't work over the red fabric. I use a lot of black accents so I decided to try it.

First, I snipped off the X cross pieces. I didn't want to work around them.

I used a bottle of Fabric Medium from Hobby Lobby and mixed some with my black acrylic paint. The medium helps the paint spread on more smoothly and evenly.

Using a foam brush, I applied the paint with a light touch as evenly as possible, being careful around the edges to get a clean line. I did discover that if I pressed too firmly the paint soaked through to the white silk liner underneath.

After the first coat I placed the shade back on the base with the light on and could still see the red showing through, so I painted a second coat.

Perfect! All it took was less than two dollars for the paint and about 20 minutes.

I think the darker shades add a touch of sophistication and
are a nice contrast to the brick.

In my opinion they look better than any replacement shade I might have found, and were much more budget-friendly! Do you have an easy fix for tired lampshades?

Congratulations Lauren on your one year anniversary of blogging! Keep up the good work!

Jennifer, Thanks so much for being a part of our blogiversary celebration, and for always being encouraging and inspiring.
I really hope you will all stop over to her site, and say hello! She has a beautiful home, and always has something amazing going on.

Finally! Some Art for the Living Room

2012-05-23T08:08:00.002-04:00

I finally figured out how to get my new frames from last week, hung and they are all level! (at least for now!) I had a really hard time getting these up. They are the frames that have the two hooks on the back panel that holds the picture in, and let me tell you the are never the same from frame to frame(plus, they move around a lot.) I realize I could have just used the command strips, but they start to add up pretty quick, so this is what I did.

First, I gathered my supplies. The pictures here are pretty self explanatory. A hammer, a level, a measuring tape, 10 Large Sawtooth Picture Hangers (about 77 cents a pack at Wal-Mart) and Command Picture Hanging strips.

Not pictured- painters tape (this could be improvised with card stock or whatever you have around the house), a piece of scrap cardboard or soft fabric to lay your frame on while hammering), and a nail with a fat head.

Then, I got to work! I held my hanger up to see where I wanted it. I measured, and the bottom line was at 1 1/8". I made to marks at this point.

I used my level as a straight edge to draw a line between the marks.

I also marked the center point of the frame.

I lined my picture hanger up to the marks I made, and pressed by big nail into the holes to make a starting point for the tiny nails that are used to hang the hanger.

Because the nails are so tiny, I folded a piece of painters tape in half and poked the nail through. This gave me something to hold the nail with. I just ripped it off once the nail was secure.

Repeat those steps 8 times, or as many times as you need to depending on how many frames you have.

I didn't do them all at once, it was tedious and time consuming, so I did 2 or 3 when I had a minute.

Finally! Time to hang them. I put a piece of painters tape on my level, and marked the distance between my nails. I started on the right side, and measured up the wall about 5' for my first hole. Remember this will be where the center of you frame sits. I just kept lining up to my original mark, using the level.

I wanted four inches between my top and bottom row so I added 4" to the length of the frame, and measured up from the top of the frame below it.

I used about 1 3/4" nails to hang the pictures. I hung the first one leveled it, then the second one. I then held the level above both to make sure they were level with each other.

I also checked that the lines were staying straight by holding my level across the top of three frames.

Just keep going until all your frames are hung. I had to adjust one of them, and move the nail up about an eighth of an inch, but other than that it all went really smoothly.

I plan on adding a command strip to the bottom of each frame to help keep them secure and level.

Mike and I are thrilled with how it looks. The size is perfect for the ginormous wall!

Now, I just have to figure out what order I want them in. I like them the way they are, but I am thinking about doing it a few other ways.

What do you think? How would you arrange them?

Ugly Picture Frame to Modern Mirror

2012-05-22T08:01:00.000-04:00

I am loving how this project ended up. It was totally random, and I just kind of went with it, and let it become what it was meant to be. Usually I have a pretty detailed plan laid out in my mind before I start a project. When I started this one I thought I knew what I was going to do, but then I was inspired, and the store I went to didn't have the right color paint, so I just winged it.

I found this frame at a garage sale over the weekend, and I figured for 50 cents it was worth a shot to see if I could make it over. I loved all the girly details, and I liked that it had that faux bamboo texture.

This is what it looked like when I brought it home-

It's most definitely dated, but I was hoping some paint would mask it's ugly past.

I removed the back to see what I was working with. I was pleasantly surprised to see that it was very sturdy, and in great condition. All I needed to do was clean it up a little, and get to work. I washed it up, and peeled the "painting" off the particle board.

I started with two light/ thin coats of quick drying primer from SW, then I did another two light/ thin coats of Ivy Leaf by Krylon. It wasn't my first choice, but the hardware store that was open had a very poor selection. It must have been fate. :)

hmmm...
what to do for the art?

I thought and thought about it, and after a few minutes it came to me.
Maybe that's because I was checking out Land of Nod a few days ago, and saw this-

or maybe I'm a genius! I was thrilled at the idea. I measured the original glass, and it was exactly 12x12, that shouldn't be too hard to find. So the wheels started turning, as I tried to think of a place where I could find an inexpensive 12" mirror.

Then I saw it, the builder basic mirror that I took down in our powder room. Maybe I could use a razor knife, and cut it up!

I decided to google it, and there were tons of tutorials.
I realized that I was going to need a glass cutter to get this done, so I picked one up for about $4 at the Hardware store. (the one with a very poor selection of spray paint colors)

All I did to cut the mirror was hold my straight edge up to the edge of the mirror, and make marks at the 12" mark then I lined the straight edge up to the marks, dipped my cutter into some oil and pulled it towards me. I did the same thing in the other direction, and I was done. This was my first time cutting glass, and it only took about 10 minutes. It wasn't perfect, at all, but the edges don't show, so it really doesn't matter. The same thing goes for the bevels, I was going to cut them off, but they are covered by the frame, so I left them.

See how wavy that right side is? I'm sure if I wasn't in such a hurry it would've looked much nicer. My first cut was perfect, but that second one was pretty wonky. Oh well!

After I cut the mirror, I went to check on the frame, and it was still a little tacky, so I gave it a quick blow dry, and brought it in to put back together! So excited!

Here's a before and after to show you just how much of a transformation it went through!

I'm thinking about highlighting the details with some light aqua paint, what do you think?

Pam from Simple Details is Here!

2012-05-21T01:00:00.000-04:00

I am beyond thrilled to have Pam from Simple Details here to kick off our Blogiversary week! She is always so kind and supportive, and has amazing taste when it comes to interiors. Be sure to stop by and check out her amazing blog when you have a chance! Without further ado here's Pam...

Hi everyone, I'm Pam from Simple Details, I'm thrilled to be kicking off

Lauren's Blogiversary week! Congrats on a fabulous year, Lauren! You couldn't be

sweeter or more supportive and are a true delight to have in the blogging community!

Today I'm sharing one of my favorite updates, our living room coffee table.

I thought it was looking a little dark and heavy, and in my plan to update the living room

that I started here, here, and here, I wanted to include a more neutral palette.

So, I did what every diyer does - painted it!

BEFORE

AFTER

The Products:

Rustoleum Protective Enamel Oil Based - Gloss Almond

Anita's Metallic Craft Paint - Classic Gold

My Favorite Purdy Brush

Small Brush - from Kid's Art Kit

The Price:

Rustoleum Enamel - $9/ quart - used about half

Metallic Paint - $3 - used about half

The Prep:

Per Rustoleum instructions, I gave it a light sand,

sprayed it down with water (squirt bottle) and dried.

Taped off the fretwork and medallions I wanted to paint gold.

The Painting:

I used 3 coats of Rustoleum Enamel,

allowing 24 hours drying time between coats.

After the 2nd coat I sanded lightly with 220 grit sandpaper

and then took my leaf blower to it

to get all the particles out of the ~~thousands of~~ crevices!

The Problems:

I wish I would have filled these little holes, and the area where the boards meet,

I did everything except pour the paint in them hoping they'd disappear, no luck.

This is the worst of them, and I'm sure it's one of those things only I notice. :)

Patience!

                                     Each coat took almost two hours and the gold fretwork,
                              I lost track, I just kept at it whenever I had a few spare minutes,
                                                  the good news, it dried quickly!

I love the high sheen lacquer finish ~ it was definitely worth the time!

If you like to check out my latest look for spring go here or stop by

Simple Details to see what's up with my latest projects.

Thanks so much for inviting me over Lauren, wishing you another successful year!

Thanks so much Pam for sharing your gorgeous table makeover with us. I'm going to have to give the Rustoleum Protective Enamel a try, it looks wonderful!

I am really excited about all the amazingly talented guest posters we have this week.

I have some great project tutorials in the works as well, so stop back again,

this week is sure to be jam packed full o' blogiversary goodness!

Getting Ready to Party!

2012-05-20T20:58:00.000-04:00

I am super excited because my One Year Blogiversary is coming up this Saturday! I'm even more excited about the fact that some of my favorite bloggers will be stopping by this week to help me celebrate, and show you their favorite projects!

We will have posts by-

Pam from Simple Details

Check out this amazing monogram pillow she made. It's quick and easy, but you'll have to give her a visit to see how she did it! Be sure to give yourself some time, she has lots of great ideas and inspiring projects.

Jennifer from dimples & tangles
She shared her patio makeover a few weeks ago, and I still can't get over how gorgeous it is. She didn't miss a single detail! She always has something fun and creative going on.

Alyssa from Clever Nest
She did these "Fool-Proof" paintings herself, and gives a step-by-step tutorial for it. She has also made some other significant changes around her nest in the past few months, so make sure you have a look!

We have another possible surprise guest, but I'm not sure whether or not they will be able to celebrate with us, so we'll just have to wait and see!

I will be sharing some super fun projects that I am very excited about!

I also wanted to send a HUGE thank you to my readers for your support and encouragement! The blogging community is truly amazing, and I am definitely blessed to be a part of it!

Let there be Art!

2012-05-16T20:02:00.001-04:00

I have been unhappy with the art situation in our Living Room since right after we moved in. We have two story ceilings, and a honkin huge sectional, so the art piece needed to be quite large, or else it would just look silly.

I thought we had finally found the solution when I found a painting that my grandfather has had in his basement for as long as I can remember. It was quite large, and I liked the scene, but once I painted the frame, and hung it, I just wan't feeling it for our space.

I considered painting over it "paint-by-numbers" style, like this garage sale makeover we hung above the console table to the right of our fireplace,

but I wasn't quite ready to do that, so I took it down, and for the past couple of weeks the wall has been blank. I would rather have nothing than something I'm not crazy about.

While Livi was at school Tuesday, I decided I would browse Kohl's and see if anything caught my eye. I couldn't let that $20 in Kohl's cash go to waste!

Well something certainly did catch my eye, I have been looking for large simple black frames with white mats for a long time. I know they are available everywhere, but I just can't justify spending a ridiculous amount of money. I found these Crestview™ 11" x 14" Montego Matted Frames in black.

They were originally $31.99, but I got them at 60% off, so they ended up being $12.79, they are also offering scratch off coupons, if you use a Kohl's charge, I have never gotten more than 15% with one of these, so that brought it down to $10.88 each, which isn't so shabby.
I went back today when I realized three was no where near enough for that huge space, and got five more, for some reason they were only 55% off today, but at $12.23 I couldn't complain.
I ended up paying just under $95 for 8 frames. Which is a lot for us, but in the big scheme it's a really good deal.

Now, if only I had some idea what in the world I want to put in them, I don't want to end up spending another $80-$100+ on prints, so I had to use my head, and figure out what I was going to do.

I remembered some really great botanical prints I had seen from the Graphics Fairy, so I decided to check her site out, and see if there was anything that would work.

When I showed the prints to Mike he wasn't 100% sure about them, he was a bit nervous that they would look grannyish, so I got to work adding some boldly colored backgrounds, and modernizing them a bit in photoshop. I couldn't find 8 prints that I loved, and went well together, so I chose four, and just did them with two different colored backgrounds. This is what I came up with.

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I'm still not sure exactly how I'm going to end up arranging them. I'm pretty sure I will do two rows of four, but as far as the order of the pictures I won't know until I can lay them all out in front of me.

How would you arrange them?

Happy Mother's Day!

2012-05-13T20:46:00.000-04:00

Hope everyone is having a wonderful Mother's Day!

It wouldn't be a Mother's Day post without mentioning the sweet little girl who calls me "Mama."

I anxiously awaited Mike and Livi this morning, (while pretending I was asleep,) so they could greet me with a delicious breakfast in bed.

Then we got ready for our day in Doylestown. It's one of our favorite places to visit, and it had been a while since I had toured Fonthill Castle!

The place is amazing, truly an architectural wonder. It is made entirely of concrete (and lots of tile.)

Unfortunately they do not allow any photography inside the castle, and I was unable to find anything usable online. You have to visit Mark & A.J. Serfass's website to see their gorgeous photos of the interior. They really captured the essence of Fonthill.

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I am so glad that we chose to visit Fonthill for Mother's Day, it was even more amazing then I remembered. Olivia was completely enamored with the whole place, and couldn't stop asking questions. She even listened to their do not touch rule, which I didn't know she was capable of doing. When we got in the car after our tour we had a conversation that went like this-

Me- "The homes here are so beautiful!"
Livi- "Can we move here Mommy?"
Me- "Don't you think you would miss your friends?"
Livi- "Are there kids in Doylestown?"
Me- "Yes, I think there are kids in most towns"
Livi- "OK, let's move. I can make new friends!"

She must have had an even more amazing time than Mike and I. She is usually the child who cries for months after a friend moves away, and will go on about how much she misses people.

I don't think we'll be moving anytime soon, but I'm sure glad that one of my favorite towns made such a good impression on her. I am certainly one proud Mama tonight!

____________________________________________________

It also wouldn't be a Mother's Day post without mentioning my own amazing Mom who I was so blessed to have 25 amazing Mother's Days with. I wish we could have had more, but I cherish the memories from all the time we did spend together. She was the most amazing woman I have ever known, a kind, supportive and encouraging mother, a wonderful listener who always had the perfect thing to say. She was not only my mother, but my greatest friend and biggest fan. I am forever grateful that the Lord chose her as my Mama!

Unfortunately Uninspired

2012-05-11T22:49:00.002-04:00

Sorry for my lack of quality posting this week. I will blame it on the upcoming holiday, and all the hub-bub that comes along with it. For the past few days I have felt like hanging out with my family, and being a bit of a missing my Mama mope.

Here are some photos that I think are amazing projects to hold you over until I am back in action next week!

This amazing IKEA hack from the Painted Hive

Super Duper Custom Slipcovers by Shelley

Thrifty Decor Chick's Genius Flower Trough

(I am coveting one for my mantel)

DIY Rope Mirror from Martha

I hope you all have a wonderful Mother's Day weekend.

Take two minutes to call your Mom to say "I Love You."

There hasn't been a day in the past two years that I haven't thought about how much I would love to do that.

I will be back Monday with another post about home projects, I promise.

Until then I'll be recalling all the wonderful memories, and making some new ones with my sweet little girl!

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Out with the Old

2012-05-08T13:47:00.001-04:00

Somehow I have convinced my darling husband that instead of getting me a new purse for Mother's Day, we should get something that we really need for the house.

These are some of the ideas we toyed around with-

a new mirrored nightstand

new countertops

we want to do butcher block on the stove section, and carrera or calcutta gold marble on the sink section

new kitchen flooring

Can you guess what we chose?

We're still in the deciding stages, so we are doing our research, and trying to find the best deal on...

...

NEW KITCHEN FLOORS!

We figured this would give us the most bang for our buck right now, the current floors are TERRIBLE! Everything shows on them. I have to vacuum and mop them at least 4 times a week to keep them looking clean, and even then they have nicks and scratches, not to mention the most eighties looking maroon rose pattern, that drives me INSANE!

The photo above shows some of the samples we brought home from the flooring store. I can't wait to get them in!

We still haven't decided if we're going to get hardwood, laminate hardwood or cork. Have any of you used these in your kitchens? What have you learned, and what do you think would look and work the best?

Painting Progress for Our Princess

2012-05-07T12:04:00.001-04:00

Mike worked really hard in Olivia's room this weekend, and we made some big progress.

All we Mike needs to do is another coat or two of the hot pink below the chair rail, and then it will be time for me to come in and get my stencil on! I am SO excited! Here are some before and after shots of our progress so far.

This is what the room looked like right before we started painting-

(this is how the house was painted when we bought it)

This is how the room looks now-

The bright pink is showing up brighter than it is in real life, but everything above the chair rail is pretty accurate.

I am really happy with how everything is going, and I am so excited for it to be finished! I need to work on the floor plan today, hopefully I can come up with something great!

Quick and Easy Art

2012-05-05T18:11:00.000-04:00

Have you ever found an empty frame at a thrift store or garage sale, and passed it by because you figured it would just be to much work? When I first spotted this beauty I knew she was worth the extra effort. Unfortunately I don't have a before picture, but it was a dark brown. Kind of like this.

When Mike had his spray booth set up to paint the cabinets, I had him give it a quick two coats with some heirloom white spray paint. For a couple months it was moved around the house as just an empty frame. A few weeks ago I decided a little silver Rub 'n Buff would really help to bring out the details, so I dabbed some on it with my finger. I loved how it accented all the detail.

I decided then that it was time for this to be more than just an empty frame, so I took some really great fabric from my stash and nailed it to the back of the frame. Because the frame was so old an brittle I had to predrill holes for the nails. (be careful not to drill through the front of the frame)

My nails don't go in 100% of the way, but it doesn't matter because it's displayed on the bookshelf in my office. You could also try a staple gun, tacks or hot glue to attach the fabric.

I suppose it was a little backwards, but I didn't decide to personalize the piece until a few weeks after I added the fabric. I printed the biggest outline of a B that I could, I cut it out, centered it, and traced it onto my fabric. I used the font "BacktalkSerif BTN" which was included with my Word program. You could use any font you like.

I carefully followed the outline with my paint brush, and then filled it in with paint until it looked good.

It looks awesome on my bookcase!

I will never pass by an empty frame again!

Tufted Bench Tutorial

2012-05-04T20:53:00.000-04:00

This project is probably one of the biggest transformations I've done so far. It is certainly a trash to treasure piece.

This is what it looks like today-

This is what it looked like for the past 10 years-

I knew from the time I bought it that I was going to recover the seat, but it took me a VERY long time to actually get it completed. I had started recovering it, but only got as far as stapling the two long sides, and that was about ten years ago. It sat in my Mom's basement forever, and then in the shed.

It finally got pulled out, and was ready to be made over.

This project would also work great on an old coffee table with a removable top.

I started with an upholstery weight leopard print fabric from my stash, and a scrap of brown dupioni silk for the buttons and piping. I thought it would go well with the finish of the frame. I thought about painting the frame, but I like the crackles, and touches of gold it has, and it would have taken forever to strip that thing down to a paintable state.

The first thing I did was make my covered buttons, if you've never done this before here's a quick photo tutorial. Let me know if you have any questions. There are instructions on the package, and it's really pretty simple.

FYI: I used two layers of the fabric since it was on the thin side. I didn't want any of the metal base showing through. This also added extra texture.

I was also really intentional about where I cut my circles from the fabric, I wanted to include the little nubs and irregularities.

After I was finished with the buttons I decided how I wanted to arrange them the bench. I used my ruler, and marked dots on my foam with a sharpie. (I used 2 inch foam)

I used a sharp knife to stab through the foam and I did it in both directions to from an X across the dot. This made it much easier for the button to recess into the hole when I put them on later. I considered cutting holes, but figured this would be less noticeable if I made a mistake, or wanted to change the placement later.

Once I had my slits cut I put my foam in place on top of the wooden seat, and poked my sharpie through the holes in the foam to mark for drilling.

I drilled! :)

Time to do the tufting!

I used spray glue to attach the foam to the wood. Make sure your holes line up!

Thread your needle. I highly recommend using a 4 or 5 inch needle, but this was what I had, and somehow I made it work.

Stick it up through the hole in the bottom of the wood, and through your foam.

Slide your button on.

Pull the needle back down through the hole, pushing the button as far into the hole as you would like it to go. I like deep tufts!

Staple your thread onto the wood on the bottom. Keep going until it is very tight!

(I like to make an X with my staples, the top one helps push the bottom one even tighter over the thread)

Keep repeating those steps until all your holes are done! You might need to take a break, because this can be brutal on your fingers.

Fiddle with the diamond shaped folds and buttons until you are happy with how it looks.

Now you need to staple the bottom into place.

You want all the folds to go straight out from the buttons to the back of the board. These folds will not form on there own, you need to guide them.

Staple directly on the fold so that it will stay in place. I needed about one staple in between every fold for it to hold together nicely, but this will vary depending on the distance between your tufts, and the type of fabric you're using.

The corners can be tricky. Just wrap them around and when you like how they look staple them!

I originally folded my fabric away from the corners, but right before I added the piping I ripped it apart and folded it toward the corner for a more streamlined look.

Once you have the bottom all cleaned up it's time to add the piping.

I bought regular 3/8" piping at the fabric store, and measured around the bench to see how much I would need. (I added about 8 extra inches just in case) I cut the silk in 3" strips, on the bias (diagonally), and then wrapped the cording, and sewed it as close as possible to the piping.

I used my hot glue gun to apply it, and started gluing on the middle of the back side.

I continued gluing in 6-8 inch sections until I got to the end.

When I reached the end I cut my piping, with 1-2 inches extra, and glued it down. I trimmed it some more, glued the end, and added a staple for extra stability. I added a few staples around the whole thing.

I flipped it all over, made sure it was perfectly in place, and screwed the top back on to the base!

YAY! A new piece of furniture that was 100% free for me! I had everything I needed around the house, and I couldn't be happier with it!

I just love the curves of the legs, and the crackly patina.

I just need to add that I had the hardest time taking pictures of it, when I was finally finished. My bedroom was a total mess, and every shot I took, had either clothes, tools or wood in it. Oh well, I got it done, and I love it! That's all that matters in the end!

Do you ever have to try to work around messes when trying to take pictures of your projects. I really hope I'm not the only one!

Our "New" Hutch

2012-05-03T16:47:00.001-04:00

This Hutch came from my Mom's house, (a lot of our furniture did) when we sold her house I just didn't have the heart to let it go. Most of the furniture is stained wood, and that's not really our style, so we're slowing taking her stuff, and transforming it. Thankfully most of it is good quality furniture with great lines, so it's easy, and fun to make it over.

My Mom purchased most of the furniture for our family home at a "naked furniture store," and did the sanding and staining herself. What can I say, DIY is in my blood. I remember as a kid I would get embarrassed because she always had a note book in her purse, and when she saw something she liked she would pull it out, draw a quick sketch of the item, and what she thought it was made of. I don't know if that makes me sound old (cause I'm not), but cell phones were just coming out then, and they definitely didn't have cameras.

So, let's get back to it. This is what the hutch looked like in our Dining Room before we painted it.

There were some big knots and a few cracks in the tongue and groove panels on the back of the top piece, so I decided to replace the whole thing. This also helped the whole thing to look less country and rustic.

First I used a screwdriver to pry off the old panels.

Then I measured the opening, and we used a ruler to mark the cut lines on the hardi-board. We used a circular saw to make the cuts, but you could also do it with a jigsaw or sawz-all, maybe even a really strong razor knife with a few passes on both sides.

I sanded the edges, and lightly sanded the whole board to scuff it up a bit for better adhesion.

Once the whole thing was sanded I took a damp rag, and wiped the board until I stopped seeing brown dust after wiping.

This one will come as a surprise. I did not use Sherwin Williams paint. I picked up a few sample pots of Valspar when we were at Lowe's. I was originally planning on covering the board in paintable wallpaper, so I used a few small pieces to test out the colors (I'm glad I did because I didn't like the way it looked with dark paint on it) I decided that the Swizzle Stick color was just too bright and too light, so I was left with night scape and off broadway. I ended up using "Swizzle Stick" for the first coat and "Off Broadway" for the top coat. I rolled the first coat on pretty haphazardly, and there were a bunch of roller marks, and it didn't look very good.

For the second coat I was more intentional about my use of the roller, I went from top to bottom, and worked right to left, I put more pressure on the left of the roller, so when I went over with the next stroke the roller marks get covered.

I only got a few photos of what Mike was doing, because we were working in separate rooms, and he moved pretty fast, first he sanded and wiped everything down, and applied one coat of primer.

Then he used a foam roller to apply two coats of white semi-gloss paint (I'm pretty sure he used Muralo) that we had on hand.

When we were both done, and everything was dry, we screwed the four corners of the back onto the top piece, and then put a few small nails in between to make sure it would stay flat against the back. If your going to do this be careful about the placement, because you want to make sure the nails go into the frame, and not through to the front.

After we put everything back together, I was thinking that maybe we should have stained the shelves instead of painting them, but after a few days of looking at it I'm glad we went ahead and painted the whole thing. I love how clean and bright the whole thing looks.

Finally, I have a place to keep my milk glass!

Here's some more shots of it from different angles.

I love the look of a contrasting back on any type of shelf, and I think this dark greenish-blue does a wonderful job of making the milk glass really POP!

The color is probably most accurate in this photo, I put my camera into manual mode for once, and did my best to get a good shot. My photography skills need some work, but at least you can see how the room looks in real life.

One of my best friends gave me some of the wheat that she uses in place of rice, and I planted it. It worked! YAY Wheat Grass! I love how it adds a touch of life and some color. I plan on planting more in some of the other containers as well.

Here's the before and after shots.

What do you think? What furniture have you been updating with paint?

Living in the Work Zone

2012-05-02T09:25:00.000-04:00

So, this is what our entry looked like last week-

but today it does not look like that, we were doing some work over there, and noticed that the trim seemed loose, and the wood behind it was soft, so we pulled some back to find a LOT of rotten wood. Our Homeowners Association is taking care of it, which is great, but living in a work zone is never fun! This is what it looked like last night-

and it's getting worse as I type.

Anyway, I will be posting the how to on our hutch makeover tomorrow when the sun comes out, and I can get a decent photo, but for now I am enjoying the sounds of chainsaws and hammers.

Hope you're all having a wonderful week!

Look what came in the Mail!!

2012-04-30T17:26:00.002-04:00

We had a wonderful surprise last week when we came home and found this on our doorstep.

That's right! It is the Large Chez Sheik Stencil from Royal Design Studio, and I can't wait to use it. Olivia will be turning FIVE in the beginning of July, and we are planning on having her room completely finished in time for her birthday.

Here's a better view of the pattern.

I am absolutely in love with it, and I'm sure I will end up using it in other spots around the house when we are finished with her room.

Our deadline (Livi's birthday) is quickly approaching, so there was really no better time than now to get started on it. I used the Sherwin Williams Visualizer to see how all of our color choices would look together in her space, and I love it!

Obviously the design below the chair rail is not what the final product will look like, but it gives us a nice idea of how the colors will work together.

Here's a shot of the paint chips to give you a better idea of the colors, though they still don't look quite like the real thing in front of me, they are definitely closer than the visualizer image.

The colors in order from top to bottom are:

Rosebud (6288)

Ceiling

Intuitive (6017)

Above Chair Rail

Priscilla (6575)

Below Chair Rail (Stencil)

Vivacious Pink (6850)

Below Chair Rail (Base Color)

We are using ProMar® 200 Zero VOC Interior Latex. We got 2 gallons of flat for the ceiling (Rosebud), 2 gallons of low sheen for above the chair rail (Intuitive) and 1 gallon each of low sheen in Priscilla and Vivacious Pink for the stencil below the chair rail.

Some of you might think I'm nuts for using anything other than eggshell in a kids room, but this was a very well thought out decision. This paint is made for areas where you don't want the sheen but still need scrubbability. (well isn't that a fun word) The matte finish also helps to hide imperfections in the walls, while a higher gloss paint would reflect the light, making any nicks, dents and pops much more noticeable. We also decided that since it was going to be in our kiddos room, that the Zero VOC was our best bet.

The Zero VOC formula is pretty new at SW, but we tried it before when we painted the door in our entry, and it went on beautifully. Another big factor in our decision was the peace of mind that comes with knowing there won't be any harmful off gassing for the next couple of years. To me that is totally worth a few extra dollars. This paint is as close to perfect as it gets when it comes to a child's room.

So, I am so excited to get started on this project, and we have a pretty long way to go before it will be finished (probably about two weeks), but I know it's going to look amazing!

Have any of you stenciled before? Any helpful hints would be appreciated!

Kitchen Cabinet Refinishing

2012-04-28T08:00:00.000-04:00

Before we even bought our house we knew that the first project we wanted to tackle was the kitchen cabinets. We knew that if we waited until we moved in that we would have a whole bunch of food and kitchen supplies in our way, so we wanted to get it done before hand.

Here's a sneak peek of how they look today!

Our first step was taking all the cabinet doors off, we numbered all the doors inside the well of the hinges, and covered them with tape. Then we started prepping them for paint.

First, they got a good sanding with a palm sander. Then we wiped them down with a rag, followed by a tack cloth, to make sure there wasn't any lingering dust. Unfortunately I don't have photos of a lot of this because we were in the middle of our move, and I was a bit scatter-brained!

Since we were mid-project anyway, we decided to rip out that stainless steel back splash while we were at it, and I am so glad we did. To find out more about what we did to replace it, check out this post.

Once the cabinets were sanded and cleaned they were ready to be primed. We set up a temporary spray booth in our living room. In this photo you can see the construction paper on the floor, and just how crazy things were in the month between closing and moving in. We covered the opening between the dining room and living room in plastic, and sprayed everything in the opposite corner of the room. We covered the doors on this wall too, we left the walls uncovered, because we knew they were the next thing that would be getting painted.

First, we sprayed on Sherwin Williams Adhesion Primer, and when that was dry we brushed an oil based primer over any spots that bled through. We sanded everything smooth with a 220 grit sandpaper, then did a final coat of the adhesion primer. We followed the second coat with a very light sanding to make sure everything was silky smooth.

We let the cabinets sit with the final coat of primer for two or three days to make sure that nothing else was going to bleed through. We wanted to play it safe since the cabinets were original to the house (1991), and we weren't sure how much grease and oil they were exposed to over the years.

Then, it was finally time to start painting them! WOO-HOO!!! We painted the doors with Sherwin Williams ProClassic® Interior Acrylic Latex in Satin. We decided we liked the look of a white wall cabinet, and a slightly darker base cabinet, so we used Twinkle (SW 7135)- white with a slight touch of blue to it on the wall cabinets, and Zircon (SW 7667)- a light shade of gray on the base cabinets.

We used the same colors on the faces and insides of the cabinets, that we did on the doors, but we only needed one coat of primer and two of paint.

REMEMBER!!! When spraying, tape and plastic are your friend. Tape off any doorways into the room, tape off everything that isn't getting painted, if you don't there WILL be some kind of spatter or paint residue on it!

We sprayed the doors, faces, and insides of the cabinets with a professional sprayer that Mike borrowed from work, (if you need one check your local construction rental places, or just pick up one that is meant for homeowners, we recently got one at harbor freight for under $30!) we did two coats, allowing plenty of time in between for drying. When the were dry we left them a few more days to fully cure before they were hung.

We were so thrilled when they were fully cured and ready to be hung!

Here's the before photo, you can see how far our kitchen has come!

It's not all that noticeable in this picture, but a lot of the poly was beginning to peel off the doors, and they were looking very "eighties orange."

and...

the after!!

We love our "new" cabinets SO much, and are really glad that we painted them. This was definitely the longest and most daunting task we have done in our home, but it was totally worth it. It would have cost thousands to replace the cabinets, but we spent under $200 on our supplies.

Things I will do different next time

Instead of spraying the faces and insides of the cabinets, I will probably do it with a foam roller. These are much less noticeable than the doors, and a lot harder to paint with a sprayer. I would roll them purely because of the convenience and the less mess factor.
I think I will stick to an oil based primer and paint for everything next time. (We haven't had any problems with our finish, it looks just as great as it did in December, but I don't know how long it will last)
I will use a more significantly different color difference between the base and wall cabinets. I was going for something not so subtle.

Here's a few more pictures for you to enjoy!

This is the view from our breakfast nook. Make sure you take in the wonder that is that lightning bolt on our ceiling. It will be gone, gone, gone in the next few weeks. I originally wanted to take it out right a way, but Mike want's to try to reuse the track lighting, so it was put on hold. UGH!!! Can't wait for it to be gone!

We added the knobs a little over a month ago, I love how they add some fun color to the space!

edit: We still haven't chosen a paint color for the walls in here, whenever I think I've finally settled on something I see another inspiring picture on pinterest, and I change my mind. Ugh! Part of the whole paint dilemma is that the kitchen has a chair rail. I know I want to do wither beadboard or picture frame moulding below the chair rail, and that part will be white, but that just makes it more difficult because I have to find something that will look good with that.

What color would you choose?

If you have any questions feel free to leave a comment below or email me!

Another Free Printable!

2012-04-27T18:13:00.003-04:00

Yesterday I shared a PDF of my post planner, and today I'm going to share another planner that I love. I keep this one above the mirror in my closet/ Mom Room. I usually print two out on a page so it's smaller, and it's nice to just keep in mind what I have coming up!
It's similar to yesterday's planner, just more basic.
Click the link you want to download the PDF:

Full Page Version

Two Page Version

Enjoy! Have a Great Weekend!

Tomorrow afternoon I will be sharing how we refinished our kitchen cabinets, and took them from...

this,

to this!

Free Printable- Blog Post Planner

2012-04-26T13:08:00.000-04:00

I have been working my tail off trying to make this blog the best that it can be, but I needed something to help me stay organized and keep all of my post ideas and schedules in one handy place. I came across Amy Bayliss' Blog Planning Editorial Calendar Printable, and it has been SO helpful, and just plain awesome! I have been using the editorial calendar like mad!
I also like her post planner, but unfortunately because my content is different it wasn't a perfect fit, so I made up one of my own. I included spaces for 5 posts, because I would like to be posting 5 times a week sometime in the near future.
This is how it's set up-

Click Here to download a PDF of my Post Planner

I hope that this planner can help some of my blog buddies as much as it has helped me!

Hutch Day

2012-04-24T14:41:00.000-04:00

So today is unofficially Hutch Day for us! We decided to get to it, and paint our dining room hutch this morning while Livi was at school. Mike started priming it while I worked on painting the hardiboard for the new back piece.

So far it is looking really great.When Livi walked in the door she said "Oooohhh, that's great!"

This is the base coat for the back of the hutch top. It is much brighter than the top coat.

In between my base and top coats I stopped to check my email, and saw that I got an email from a guy on Craigslist who was selling a gorgeous hutch for just $25! As soon as I saw the ad I knew I wanted it. The blurry pics couldn't mask it's beauty.

It has beautiful lines and great hardware, and I can't wait to work my magic on it.

Sorry for the back of the truck iPhone pictures. I couldn't wait to share it, and we won't have the man power to get it out of there until later this afternoon.

One of the pulls is missing, but I think I have a solution for that. Anyone else have any ideas?

Also, I wanted to let you know that our facebook page officially went live yesterday afternoon so be sure to stop by, and "like" us!

As you can see we had a very hutchy day!