It's Just Me

2013-05-12T10:01:00.001-04:00

My New Job is My Dream Job

2013-04-13T06:40:00.001-04:00

Happy Saturday everybody. My eyes popped open this morning at 5:30 and I couldn't fall back asleep. Since I don't head out for my junkin' jaunt for another 2 hours, I thought I would give ya a heads up with what's been going on with me. About a month and a half ago I was asked if I was interested in doing a apprenticeship at a furniture design studio. Ummmm, YES please. I was excited with given the chance to learn new techniques. After a few weeks of sanding, priming, painting, Kreg jigging and planing wood I was offered a job. I couldn't be any more excited. I feel very blessed to be able to do something that I love and get paid for it.

Here's a few of the pieces we've done within the past couple weeks -

(this is a SMALL fraction of what we've been working on - MANY projects go on here at one time)

I wish I could show you this piece at night. The cubbies, where the chalkboard and antique ceiling tin are, light up. There are LED lights installed that are programmable. The coolest thing about them is they react to sound. You should see it with music on. AMAZING!!! There is also a soft white light installed in the back so at night the whole piece glows. It's really beautiful.

All pieces are finished inside and out ... completely. Front, back, top and bottom

This was the first piece I actually helped on. I chose the color combo

It's an honor that a company would trust my opinion right off the bat

This German art deco piece is SO cool.

Check out this chalkboard made out of 8" crown molding from a church

It's impressive in person ... and HEAVY!!!!

Also for the first time since I started doing this (3 years now) I will be heading to Mount Dora in November. I can't wait. We're also doing a BUNCH of shows coming up this fall. I can't wait.

So, that's what's going on in my life right now. Some crazyness. Aside from all the pieces we're working on at the shop, I have my own inventory I'm working on. I was also headhunted to pick for a local shop. No more doing this just for me anymore.

Please make sure to stop by the 390 Design Facebook page

and check out their other work (follow them - they got it going on)

Off for my day of junkin'.

Have a FUN & SAFE Saturday ya'all!!!!

: )

Turn of the Century Game Table Makeover

2013-03-29T09:38:00.000-04:00

The beginning of last year I picked up this turn of the century game table at a rummage sale for $20.

It was WAY more than I would normally spend but when I saw it I knew that it was something I wasn't gonna come across very often. In fact, I knew it was different but I wasn't to sure what it was so I took it to an antique appraiser friend of mine

who told me exactly what it was used for. It was a game table.

The top opened up and came off to reveal a space that you could put cards, game boards and game pieces. There was a hole in the frame that a disk (on the top - that was missing)

that allowed the top to swivel.

The piece was solid except the top was a little rickety do to it's age. I took it into the shop to secure the box frame. We removed it and found some COOL square nails which gave us the age of the turn of the century.

It made the piece even cooler to know how old it was.

I wanted to do something really cool but couldn't figure out what it was gonna be ... UNTIL it hit me

I started by sanding the whole piece and applied the base coat of black

Then with multiple shades of gray, a little blue and some white I tackled the box

frame. I wanted it to resemble aged weathered wood

After the paint was dried I decided to add some numbers. They mean nothing. I just wanted it

to have a shipping crate feel

After a lil' distressing ... don't cha' love the black peeking through?

Now onto the base. I applied MANY layers of colors (letting each one dry in between) ...

Again a lil' distressing. Ok, a lil' more distressing than I liked

I wasn't feeling it so I re-applied the light gray/white color

and distressed again ... much better

To tone everything down I broke out my stain

I wanted something different when you opened the top. So I applied a vintage

nautical San Fransisco nautical chart on the underside of the top

Once the chart was dried I applied Minwax's Special dark wax over it (and the rest of the piece) to give it a nice aged look

Once the piece was completely dried, I took it into the shop and we hard attached the top to the base so that it now only opens on the side the "box" is on.

There's no playing around with this piece ...

get it ... playing around ... it's a game table

Sorry, lol. I like how it turned out. I can see it in a "man cave"

It's a VERY VERY cool piece now

: )

What I'm working on now ...

This set has been a CHALLENGE

Wish me luck ; )

I'm partying at:

Miss Mustard Seed
5 Days 5 Ways
Serenity Now
My Repurposed Life

That's One Handsome Dresser Now

2013-03-28T11:35:00.000-04:00

Howdy Ya'all ...

First let me start today's post by saying a eary very

HAPPY EASTER !!!!

Now, I'm SO excited to FINALLY be able to share the project that has been never ending

until yesterday. If you follow my Facebook Page

you were with me when I picked this guy up at a garage sale

He was in really rough shape. The top was BADLY warped but the body was in decent shape.

Even if the pieces couldn't be rescued I knew I could save the solid brass handles.

I started by removing the top completely and replacing it with a couple pieces of wood

I traced the front of the dresser under the front piece and cut it out

Then glued (Gorilla glue) and clamped it down for 2 days

After it was attached securely, I took a sander to it and rounded the edges

also making sure that the seam was not noticeable (I didn't use any wood filler)

I then stained the top with some Minwax Dark Walnut

After I let that sit and dry for a few good days I started to sand the rest of the piece

You can kind of see the inside of the middle drawer. I had to remove the bottoms of the two large drawers because they were unsalvagable

Here's where it sat for about 3 weeks while I was on the hunt for the perfect knobs

I took the drawers into the shop replaced the bottoms then stained them with the same Dark Walnut

Then I painted the top, inside and bottoms of the drawers, inside of the dresser and the back with Behr's Indiscreet Red. A little distressing, some more stain, sanding, wax, some new knobs and he's DONE : )

He's handsome now

BEFORE

AFTER

(sorry for the bad picture inside : ( )

Here's a quick sneak peek at my next post ...

A Turn of the Century Game Table

Hope you're doing well

Have a wonderful weekend and again

HAPPY EASTER!!!!

: )

I'm partying at:
The Shabby Creek Cottage
French Country Cottage
Serenity Now
Miss Mustard Seed
The Shabby Nest
Craftberry Bush
The Romantic Home
Chic on a Shoestring
Homespun Happenings
My Repurposed Life
5 Days 5 Ways
Knick of Time

Updated Shutters with Some Age

2013-03-08T10:26:00.002-05:00

Happy Friday Everyone!!!!

Kinda excited for tonight, we're going to see The Great and Powerful Oz.

The Wizard of Oz is my ALL time favorite movie so I've been counting down the days till Oz starts

YAY!!!!

Anywhoo, back to today's post. I wanted to share a small update that has made a HUGE difference

in our living room. I tried to find a picture of these shutters before and I could only find this one

I bought 3 of them last year at a garage sale for $2. They were unfinished pine

I originally stained them Dark Walnut then decided to spray paint them with

Krylon's Bahama Sea where they've been the past couple months

Nice but they just didn't seem right

I wanted a more layered/aged look. Kinda like they might be found somewhere in Key West

So I started a coat of flat Behr's oops paint over the Bahama Sea

After it dried I added a coat of flat Behr's Indiscreet. The same color from my dresser you can see in

the background which you can see it's story here

Next came some distressing. I wanted to make sure the different blues come through

I then glazed it using my stain (Minwax Dark Walnut) & baby oil technique

which I found from Down to Earth Style - here

I'm loving the finished look

I think they look like something I would find at some old barn or

Key West

: )

$3 is My Lucky Number

2013-03-04T13:31:00.000-05:00

Hi guys!!!!

Were you worried that I've fallen off the face of the Earth?

I know I've been MIA lately but I've been working on a few different things.
A couple pieces of furniture that I picked
up the past couple weeks while garage-salin' for $3 a piece.

First there's this dresser ... seems like dressers are drawn to me lately

Here's what he looked like the day I bought him

What sold me on him, beside the price, were the vintage brass cup handles

Sweet, right?

After AAHHHLOT of work, here's what he looks like right now

I need to replace the bottoms of both the bottom drawers and find handles (the rope handles are temporary - The Hubby HATES em') before

I write my blog post on it but the transformation is amazing

Next, I picked up this $3 wing back chair at another garage sale
See, $3 IS my lucky number

The first thing that drew me to it was it's back

I noticed the Oriental toile fabric, which I think is original, on the arms

I've already started to remove the old fabric from the wing backs

I'm not quit sure but I don't think the toile is on the rest of the chair so I'm

waiting to decide what I'm gonna do to finish it ...

Look at it's frame. Isn't it pretty

Also wonderin' if I should paint it. I'm thinkin' YES : )

Lastly, I've been makin' some goodies for my Etsy Store

Here's a few examples ...
Some jewelry ...

Some handprinted towels ...

and a few cute charms that will be making it on some jewelry soon ...

Anywhoo, that's what I've been up to. I haven't fallen off the face of the Earth

Just keepin' busy ...

How you doin'? (in my BEST Joey voice)

I'm partying at:
Coastal Charm

Vintage Dishtowel to a Sweet Pillow

2013-01-15T13:50:00.000-05:00

I've been playing around this week changing the feel of my couch. I have been
wanting a more shabby relaxed feel so I've been rearranging/making pillows and had an
A-HA moment!!

I remembered that I had a couple vintage dish towels that I had bought early last year at a antique fair. One was absolutely perfect with gray and red stripes. I checked my MANY pillow forms and sure enough I had one that fit. It's like it's meant to be

I just used a drop cloth on the back, created an envelope closing and presto I have a pillow

The No.7 (my favorite number) and the red and white ticking pillows were made last year

The 2 large pillows are from Ikea called Ursula for $12

I made the French-y pillow yesterday. I found the graphics on Graphics Fairy

I used 2 different images and created this beauty. I was thinking of selling one

like it on my Etsy store. What do ya think?

I really like how clean and fresh it looks now

Now I think I wanna ~~make~~ find a soft gray pillow and I'll be a happy girl

Just not sure how or what I want it to look like quit yet

Maybe a Union Jack white and gray pillow ... Hmmmmm ????

: )

I'm partying at:
The Ironstone Nest
Under the Table and Dreaming
Nutmeg Place
Savvy Southern Style
{PRIMP}
Made in a Day
Common Ground
Shabby Art Boutique
Romantic Home
Homespun Happenings
My Repurposed Life
French Country Cottage
Serenity Now
Shabby Nest
Chic on a Shoestring

Finding My Home's Soul

2013-01-04T13:10:00.000-05:00

Sometimes I find that the process of "the journey" is sometimes harder when you don't know where the beginning is. It usually starts with some brilliant thought like, "I'm gonna to ..." then a pause, which leads to the next question, "How the hell am I gonna do that?" That's where I'm at.

Yesterday I told you guys about how I was changing the way that I view my home. That I am going to start to have my home rise up to greet me. Let me just say that is harder than it sounds. I've lived in this house for 20 years. I have changed the design of the house. Meaning I've painted, removed cabinets, carpet, etc. but the way we lived in the house has remained the same.

Today I took a step in changing my thought process and created something just for ME.
Not many times do I get the chance to make a space that's mine. I had been dreaming of my own spot to blog. A spot that I could create in. A place that speaks to my soul.
So what was my brilliant idea? I converted the dining area into my blogging area. We only use our dining room table 2-3 times a year so anything that I do can be un-done for those few times.

I love this table. It's a huge pine table that was unfinished when
I bought it at a garage sale a few years ago for $40.

Here's how it looked after I refinished it.
It has been pinned numerous times and I take some serious pride every time it is.

However, when it's not in use (or having pictures taken of it for my blog)

It's loaded down with piles upon piles of "things to be put away".
The Hubby calls it the dumping ground
(it's kinda like our version of "stairs")

(so shameful - this was before a garage sale)

I pushed it against the wall I moved the bench under it for some extra "out of the way" storage

(don't mind the white wires)

Then started pretty-ing it up a little.

I added a tool caddy my Grandfather had made. Filled with a couple plants from Ikea, a Dundee Orange Marmalade jar that holds my pens and scissors, a beautiful angel statue and my Grandfather's folded yard stick.

Next to that is a tool box I found at a garage sale for $2 that
I painted and added our house numbers to. It's filled with so many of my favorite odds and ends.
Including antique door knobs, vintage wooden rulers, and vintage lamp parts.
The antique tub foot hides my external hard drive.

The flowers were a wonderful surprise yesterday from The Hubby in a turquoise Ball jar

A few photos of The Hubby and I and my 'Lil Pride 'n Joy Leo

Behind the pictures there's a simple stool that holds a few more of my favorite things

As well as my Grandmother's wooden thread spools on top of some decorating books

I decided to leave my favorite piece of furniture. This red dresser truly has given me sparks of inspiration and having it next to my blogging space reminds me that although some view something as junk, there is beauty. You can see how this piece started here.

This is my favorite vignette in my house. I love the simplicity.

It has turned into the perfect center of our home.
Not only does it give me a space to blog but a great place for Kricket to do her homework.

(sorry for the fuzzy picture - taken with my iPhone)

They say that the kitchen is the heart of the home
I think I found my home's soul

: )

I'm partying at:
Funky Junk

A New Way of Thinking for 2013

2013-01-03T15:22:00.000-05:00

I am starting this new year with a new way of thinking about how I view my home. I've decided that I wanna live in ALL parts of my home. No longer living with those items that don't speak to my soul. Previously I held onto things that I thought meant something to me, like certain pieces of furniture. Lately however, I've come to realize that those things really don't touch my spirit. I remember hearing Nate Berkus once say that your house should rise up to greet you. I never really understood what that meant. I took a lot of pride in how my home was decorated but there was just something missing. I would live in a space for what it was intended for never for what I needed it for but with 3 people, 2 dogs, a cat, a bearded dragon and a turtle it just seemed that I was making things "fit".

My thought process started to change about a month ago when my dear Grandfather decided to move back to Cincy to live with my Aunt and Uncle. My Mom was left to clear out his belongings, clean his place and get it ready to be sold. She asked me to come over and take whatever I wanted. At first I went through my Grandmother's things. Her antique china, glasses, dishes, towels and sewing goodies. I lost my Grandmother 15years ago, so having her belongs (even a simple dish towel) put her right next to me. I can see her washing her dishes with the same dishcloth (happy tears)

(my Grandmother's wooden spools)

Then, I made my way out to my Grandfather's shed. OH MY!!!! A junker's heaven. I had MORE fun digging through dirty toolboxes that my Grandfather had built. Pulling out old tools, gadgets and do-hickeys. Bringing home all my Grandparent's treasures made me realize that I was coveting items that don't touch me the way a simply made tool caddy that my Grandfather built with his 2 hands would.

(1 of the many tool caddys my Grandfather built. Now sits on my desk)

With the start of this new year, I am promising to myself to hold onto this thought.
That when I look at an item that something within me smiles.

(small suitcase and binoculars from my Grandfather)

(another tool box that sits on my kitchen counter)

Every time I look at these treasures, they make me feel connected to a simpler time. They remind me to slow down. To appreciate the beauty and workmanship that went into building them. More than anything though, I connect me to my family.

They rise up to greet me
I know somewhere, my Grandmother is smiling
: )

I'm partying at:
Homespun Happenings
My Repurposed Life
Craftberry Bush
Romantic Home
Shabby Nest
Chic on a Shoestring
I'm Not a Trophy Wife
Serenity Now
Five Days Five Ways
Redoux

2013's Word of the Year

2013-01-01T10:18:00.000-05:00

Happy 2013 ...

(image from Graphics Fairy)

Funny I JUST wrote 2012. I wonder just how long I'll be writing that.

When I think of 2012 it was a VERY ~~negative~~ trying year for my family. So in order to keep me focused on the positive things in 2013 I thought I would try the "Word of the Year" that I saw SO many bloggers do last year. I have been thinking, for the past couple weeks, what MY word would be. I kept coming back to 1 word ...

PERSISTENT

(Continuing firmly or obstinately in a course of action in spite of difficulty or opposition)

I see myself as a persistent person, usually. However, I find that when life starts to get difficult that positive thought seems to fly out the window. Then I start to feel like I'm spinning in a circle not finding the point of reference that keeps me focused. Eventually I balance myself again but there's a feeling that a small part of my spirit is gone. Ya see, I'm a "glass is half full" kinda person. I found myself in 2012 feeling like the glass just had something in it. Not "half full" or "half empty". Does that make any kind of sense? So, I'm really going to focus on staying persistent even when I feel like my world is starting to spin out of control. Ya know the saying that everything happens for a reason.

The other thing I'm starting today is something I found this past summer on Pinterest.

Ya start the year with an empty jar and fill it with notes about the good things that happen. Then, on New Years Eve, empty it and see what awesome stuff happened that year. I thought it was a good way to keep things in perspective.

So how 'bout you ... do you do resolutions? If you do, are you good with sticking with em'?

Have you done the "word of the year"? How did it work for YOU?

Happy New Year my Friends.

(I raise a glass to you)

Here's to new junque in 2013 !!!!

: )

I'm partying at:
The Lettered Cottage

2012's Top 10 Posts

2012-12-31T10:53:00.001-05:00

Am I going to be one of those bloggers who post their top 10 posts of 2012?
Why yes, yes I am ...

It's always fun to take a peek back at what people found interesting plus it gives my new followers the chance to check them out
So, without further adieu ...
10.
Unfinished Table to Perfection

9.
My Rustic Cheap Chalkboard

8.
My Re-Styled French Lampshade

7.
Come On Baby, Light My Fire

6.
My 'Lil Slice of Heaven

5.
Busy Busy Busy Dresser and Chair Beautified

4.
My "New" Old $20 Cabinet

3.
A Summer House Tour 2012

2.
The Dresser I almost Let Get Away

And coming in at number 1 with 13857 views
From a Dresser to a Chest of Drawers

Now wasn't that fun? Thank you for taking this trip with me

I'm looking forward to what junque I can re-Style in 2013

Happy New Year my Friends!!!!

A Few Post Christmas Questions for Ya

2012-12-27T12:06:00.000-05:00

Good morning. How was your Christmas? We had lots of fun here. Two days of presents. For the first time we had my Mother, her boyfriend, Mandy and my lil' Grandson Leo for a Christmas Eve lunch. I kept it VERY simple. Homemade turkey sandwiches, macaroni salad and chips. Nothing fancy but perfect non the less. Here's Leo in his Santa hat ... SO cute.

Christmas Day was spent home opening stockings and a few gifts between us. Then we watched movies the rest of the day eating popcorn and drinking cocoa and coffee : )

Here's my question for you ... when do YOU take down your decorations? Are you like me and find yourself wanting a clean space? I find myself not wanting any clutter. EVERYTHING has to go. That's usually the feeling I have after Christmas. Christmas night I actually turned to The Hubby and said, "I'm wanting to take the tree down". Since we're Buddhist we don't celebrate the Epiphany like others do. We celebrate the giving of love and peace for the holiday. So, I'm thinking everything might be put away before New Years this year. This leaves me with the idea of decorating AFTER Christmas.

Since we live in Florida the idea of a white Christmas is kinda lost. I'm thinking that this year I may lean more towards the nature of Florida. Maybe instead of "snow" I'll go with sand. Simple meets Nature might be the look of winter here.

Here's another question for ya ... when would you take the cocoa off a cocoa bar? I've added my new Keurig Mini to the cocoa bar and since it's not cold here for very long, I'm thinking I can take the cocoa, marshmallows and candy cane sticks off. What do you think?

I'm off to do a few returns. Hoping that the crowds aren't too crazy.

Did you have many returns?

Hope you had a wonderful Holiday ~

: )

Happy Holidays!!!!

2012-12-23T10:41:00.002-05:00

Good morning ya'all ...

Because my house is getting a little on the crazy side right now

I wanted to take a moment to send you a some

Holiday wishes from my house to yours

Hope you have a wonderful Holiday

Hugs to all of you ~

: )

I Stepped Outside My Box & Opened My Store

2012-12-18T08:35:00.001-05:00

Good Morning ...

I took a HUGE step, for me, yesterday and opened my Etsy store.

You see, I'm not usually a person who lives by fear but it seems that there is an underlying feeling of not being good enough. When I set up my account I had just started my blog. To me the 2 went hand in hand. Whenever I read a blog from someone who does what I do, they had an Etsy store. So, I set up my store and waited. Waited for some sort of flash of wisdom. Waited for some feeling to what I should list. Waited for ... I have no idea. January 2009 I started this blog. I decided to write about things that I loved. Things that inspired me. I figured that there were others that would be interested in the things that I do. Slowly it began to gain a footing. I began to meet and become friends with others that have the same love for vintage, repurposing and love of decorating that I have. As my blog grew I struggled with the thought that I was not good enough. That I didn't write as well as some of the other blogs (MANY other blogs) that I read. That my pictures weren't good enough. I would see something that someone else would have done and thought, "Why didn't I do (or think) of that" "Why didn't I post about that". Then I would take a step back and think that there's probably times when those people probably feel the same way. They probably doubt themselves as well yet the push themselves through that feeling. That one thought is what pushed me to open my store. Weird right? The idea to know that others maybe feeling that they aren't good enough yet they push themselves to step outside their box and take that one step towards the unknown is what gave me the courage to step outside my "box". That is the reason why this lil' store is going to mean so much. It's MINE. I did it. It will be filled with items that I love. Items that I treasure. Items that I have handpicked for it. I hope that you take the journey with me. I hope that you help to guide me. Telling me that you like the items I list. I'm slowly learning (after almost 43 years) that the only person I have to good enough for is me

: )

Please stop by and check out my store.

It's Just Vintage Beauty

Currently there's only one item listed. I will be posting more this week (I'm trying to learn how to take better picture). Thank you again for all your support. This is VERY exciting for me ~

Hugs to all of you

Deanna

Our Christmas Tree and Mantle 2012

2012-12-16T19:58:00.003-05:00

Howdy ya'all ...

Are you stressing that Christmas Eve is a week from today? I am!!!

I know that I was gonna show ya my tree and mantle last week but

I kinda got carried away with MASSIVE amounts of baking

I've made homemade hot cocoa mix, caramel corn, spiced nuts and cookies

all of which are gifts. I'll be lucky if the caramel corn makes it in packages

though. My family's been eating it like I made it for them, lol

Well, as promised, here's my tree and mantle with a lil' bit of description

This is our tree. It's actually a 12ft. pre-lit tree we bought about 7yrs ago from Sams

I would never buy another pre-lit tree again

When I set this up all the strands, but 2, didn't light so I had to add lights

(that's why you'll see some lights not lit in the pictures)

This was the first year I actually did a theme

It's "I Believe"

I didn't want a 12ft tree this year so I used just the top 2/3rds of the tree

In order for it to look right I sat the whole tree carefully on top of a crate

(I love that it says "Rio Negro" - Black River)

Now it looks like it's actually IN the crate

I took apart a grapevine wreath and used the wood pieces as garland

along with some burlap garland I picked up at Michael's

I made a simple button garland

I even placed the ornament that remind me of the loved ones I've lost

My Dad and Grams

Even the memory of my Golden Karma is present

Santa's reindeer are everywhere

I DO believe : )

Some ornaments on the tree are almost as old as I am

This angel is dated "1978"

I can remember my mom putting it on my childhood Christmas trees

Now she graces mine

I'm most proud of this years mantle

Since I took these pictures, a few days ago, I found some

beautiful french white reindeer ornaments at a garage sale

that I've placed in the garland

You can see how I made the lantern here

The galvanized bucket has a few "wish lists" scrolls just for Santa

All I did to make there was take some printer paper dipped

in coffee then laid them out to dry

After they were dry I stamped them with a scroll stamp that I have

as well as some ink along the rims

I stamped "Wish List" at the top then wrapped them around toilet paper rolls

Easy Peasy

So much Holiday spirit : )

I need to ~~learn~~ figure out just how to take good holiday pictures

Thanks for stopping by ...

: )

Christmas House Tour 2012

2012-12-12T09:10:00.001-05:00

Howdy ya'all ...

Although it's 84* outside it's Christmas time

(that doesn't sound right does it?)
I thought I would give you a tour of our decoration

**Warning, LOTSA pictures ahead**

I LOVE our red door, especially this time of the year

Well HELLO Loki ; )

Whelp, that's it. I warned you, lol

I gotta remember to turn all the lights off to get better pictures

If there's anything in particular you'd like to see in more detail, let me know

I'll be sharing the tree and mantle in detail tomorrow : )

: )

I'm partying at:
In the Old Road
French Country Cottage
Shabby Art Boutique

How to Make a Lighted Lantern

2012-12-10T09:57:00.005-05:00

Howdy guys!

Can you believe that Christmas is 2 weeks away?
I have been decorating and primping my house and

thought I would share with you

how to make one of my most pinned posts - a lighted lantern

You can see my recent one here on my mantle

The supplies are pretty simple

A lantern (picked up at a garage sale for $1)

and a lighting set (from Joann's for $2 while on sale)

I start by removing the wick "threader" on the lamp

Mine just "popped" out

(I know I need a manicure BAD. Maybe Santa will read my post ; ) )

Then, removing the felt bottom of the lamp you will find a bolt

which ya just unscrew

Next, I popped the socket out of the base

You will need to remove the bottom of the socket

I gingerly used a steak knife

***PLEASE USE CAUTION NOT TO CUT

YOURSELF OR THE CORD***

Note the sides of the piece you removed. You do NOT wanna break these

Also, you wanna note the cord. See how one side has numbers and the other doesn't?

You wanna make sure that when you put it all back together

it goes back EXACTLY like you started

Negative and positive thing, ya know : )

Remove everything

I line everything up as I take it apart so it goes back correctly

I then put the base under the round base that holds the glass globe

and run the cord through the opening

This is going to be in the globe

Then I just reattach everything in the order that I removed it

Re-screw the pieces together

This takes a little patience

Now, the socket

Reattach the cord EXACTLY the way you took it off

I use a pair of needle nose pliers to push the cord back onto the "teeth" that hold it

Attach the bottom

Push it back into the base

SO cute, right?

I really love it on our mantle this year

I think I'm gonna add some berries around it

There ya go, that's how the magic is created : )

Now I know you wanna see the full mantle right?
That will be next

: )

I'm partying at:

Under the Table and Dreaming
The Dedicated House

Nutmeg Place

A Trash to Treasure Rocker

2012-11-26T12:27:00.001-05:00

Howdy guys!
How was your Thanksgiving? Mine was peaceful even though I've been

fighting a HORRIBLE cold. A couple weeks ago I took Kricket with me junkin'

I never go junkin' with anyone and I have been wanting to give her

the experience. Now, junkin' with a 10yr. old isn't as easy as you would think

Her idea of junkin' and MY idea of junkin' are a tad different

She did do pretty good though, she scored a sweater, a lizard bean bag toy,

a barbie horse (she's big into horses) and a cute Christmas ornament

She really did have a good time

While we were out, we spotted this rocker waiting for the trashman

Even Kricket could see what a treasure he was

We both were sadden by how badly he had been abused and neglected

I was excited to get started in giving him his life back

I have to say, I wasn't surprised by how easy he came apart

I started by re-gluing the seat with Gorilla glue and clamping it with some shims

It needed some SERIOUS repair

Then I took the arms and back pieces off

I had to repair one of the spindles that was split with wood glue

I then glued and clamped the arms to the back

and the spindles into the back and seat

I let everything set and dry a good day

The whole piece was a nasty mess so

I decided to clean it with Murphy's Oil Soap

After everything was dry, I sat in the rocker

and noticed one of the legs were loose

so Gorilla wood glue again came to the rescue

Once everything was glued back together I got to sanding

first with my palm sander then by hand

I wanted to seal it with something that would seep deep into the wood

and harden from the inside out and still keep it sorta rustic

So I decided to try some Danish Oil

I was able to pick it up at Ace Hardware with a 50% coupon for $7

I liked that it stains, seals and protects the wood

3 steps in 1 : )

I followed the directions and in all I applied 4 good coats

This is after the 1st coat

Here he is after the 4th coat

I'm in LOVE with how he turned out

He's a definite trash to treasure

I love that I can show Kricket that something so special can be saved

She keeps saying that we should take a picture of it to the

owner and show em' just how handsome he is

Would you have picked it up or let it go with the trashman?

: )

I'm partying at:

Coastal Charm
The Dedicated House
Under the Table and Dreaming
From My Front Porch to Yours
No Minimalist Here
{PRIMP}
Beyond the Picket Fence
The Shabby Creek Cottage
Embracing Change
Made in a Day
French Country Cottage

Shabby Art Boutique

Thank You !!!!

2012-11-22T08:07:00.000-05:00

I wanted to first say THANK YOU for all your kind comments

on my bedroom and red dresser

I was blown away with the responses they received

It's fun to see just how many people love them as much as I do

With this week being SO hectic I wanted to take a minute

to hopefully put a smile on your face

: )

My Lil' Slice of Heaven

2012-11-09T13:59:00.000-05:00

Hey hey hey!!!!
A couple days ago I told you guys that I moved my bedroom around

so today I thought you might like to peek in and see

how it looks today

I've been referring it to my lil' slice of Heaven

My favorite room in the house

So sit back and enjoy ~~some~~ a bunch of pictures : )

I hope you enjoyed these as much as I did sharing em' with ya

Have a wonderful weekend ~

I'm partying at:
The Dedicated House
Mod Vintage Life
{PRIMP}
Savvy Southern Style
French Country Cottage
My Repurposed Life
Homespun Happenings
The Shabby Nest
Serenity Now
Under the Table and Dreaming
Keeping it Simple
Cozy Little House
Coastal Charm
Shabby Art Boutique

The Dresser I Almost Let Get Away

2012-11-08T21:35:00.001-05:00

Howdy ya'all ...

Whelp, this weeks project was a challenge

I bought this 100+year old oak dresser Saturday at a garage sale for $45

I saw it at 7am and was scared of all the work it

would take to make it pretty again

(not to say it wasn't pretty like this but I knew it could be better)

It drove me crazy until I went back at 11:30am and it was still there

The woman said the work scared ALOT of people off

When I brought it home I thought The Hubby was gonna murder me

It started to basically disintegrated as soon as

we started to move it out of the car

I mean the back was completely coming apart and

the bottom started to shift

it was a HUGE mess

He was not too pleased with me

So Sunday I got started on it by giving it a good cleaning with the hose,

making sure not to use too much water, and some Murphy's Oil Soap

Then I started to take it apart

This was my first piece that I would have to really re-glue and

restrengthen the structure but I knew it would be worth it

Along with my trusty clamp and Gorilla Wood Glue

it started to come back together

The top however was gonna be a challenge

It was pretty warped but I couldn't replace it so I tried to figure out

how I was gonna fix the HUGE gap down the center,

the split that paralleled it and the lifting on both sides

I ran some more Gorilla Wood Glue under the side and used my "c" clamps

hoping that it would stay down

Then I noticed that it was warped in the center as well

How was I gonna fix this? I came up with the idea of just trying wood glue

again and using my 25pound weights to try and push it down

I left it over night and it seemed to work

I wanted to try and fix an area between the top drawers

where a piece of wood was missing

Luckily I had a scrap piece in the garage that fit perfectly

I then filled the gap with Elmers Wood filler

Then I noticed that the other side needed to be glued and clamped

After I finished that, I left it to dry another night

to make sure everything was completely dried

The next morning I sanded the whole top

Already it was a huge difference

I wanted to darken the entire piece so Minwax's Dark Walnut came to the rescue

Next came paint

I wanted to try and get an aged old red barn look

I stirred up some chalk paint using my recipe from here

My first coat was Behr's Burnished Mahogany

then after that dried I applied a coat of Behr's Indiscreet

These 2 colors are similar to Annie Sloan's Chalk Paints

Primer Red and Emperor's Silk

After the paint dried I did some distressing

Then using a glazing technique I found here

where you use baby oil and stain, I finished glazing it

again with the Minwax Dark Walnut

I'll be waxing it in a few days but for now

I added the old handles

until I find ones that I like better

They don't look too bad : )

I can say now that I'm not scared of any piece that has to be "re-built"

Have you had to work on any kind of piece like this one?

By the way, The Hubby LOVES it now

I'm doing a Happy Dance

; )

I'm partying at:
Serenity Now
Miss Mustard Seed
Shabby Nest
I'm Not a Trophy Wife
Romantic Home
Homespun Happenings
My Repurposed Life
Chic on a Shoestring
French Country Cottage
Liz Marie
DIY Showoff
The Dedicated House
Mod Vintage Life
Domestically Speaking
{PRIMP}
Savvy Southern Style
Beyond the Picket Fence
Made in a Day
Embracing Change
Under the Table and Dreaming
Keeping it Simple
Between Naps on the Porch
Coastal Charm

What Have I Been Up To?

2012-11-07T14:51:00.000-05:00

Well "Hi" there

How have ya been?

Me? I've been CA-RA-ZY busy

Where to start ...

The Saturday before Halloween I had a garage sale which meant I spent

the past couple months trying to get ready then the 2 weeks before getting
AS much ready as I could. It was HUGE (usually is)

Here is 2 days before. I was just trying to get everything organized
This was only about half of what was sold

I did have something really cool happen though,
I had a reader/follower of my blog and

my Facebook page asking if she could stop by
the day before and pre-shop my sale

I had actually met her 6months ago at my last
garage sale where she started following me

Not only was it fun to meet her and know that she
follows my lil' slice in blog-land but she knew the items I was selling
She even asked about a bench that I had blogged about
but didn't have out for sale (it's going in The Hubby's office)

The sale was successful and VERY tiring

I've also been working on The Hubby's office
I've been working on a HUGE message board center
which is why I haven't posted anything about his office yet

I'm hoping to have everything finished so that I can show ya what I've done

I also moved our bedroom around this past Friday
which I'm excited to share with ya

I'll be posting that within the next couple days

It's really purdy ; )

The last thing I've been working on is this puppy

She was a COMPLETE mess when I bought her Saturday

I'll be writing about her once I get her done

Again, if ya follow my Facebook page you can see the work process

Lastly, I wanted to show ya some Halloween spirit that was at the Rio household
An awesome graveyard created in our courtyard
Dead branches, tree and moss gathered from my neighbors
All the kids loved it

And my youngest went from this
(She's SO cute)

To this ...
(cute but deadly)

Don't cha' LOVE the dress? We bought it at Goodwill and DE-STROY-ED it
Both my girls were attacked by my makeup brushes

A benefit of having a makeup artist as a mom : )

Whelp, that's what I've been up to
What bout' you?
How was your Halloween?

Movin' Some Stuff Around

2012-10-18T21:09:00.000-04:00

Howdy ya'all ...

How's your week coming along?
I LUUVVV that tomorrow is Friday

I MUST say that I'm SO sorry that I haven't posted anything in awhile

My oldest daughter and grandson moved out and got their own apartment

(I'm SO proud of her)

So I've been moving things around. Converting her room into

The Hubby's office which I'll be posting about VERY shortly I promise

I shared with some of ya, on my Facebook page,

the move of my antique shoe rack into my kitchen for some extra storage

I'm storing all my cutting boards and rolling pins in my vintage olive bucket

The HUGE crock holds all our dirty dishtowels and napkins

That way I use a clean dishtowel everyday : )

Today, I got a wild hair and moved my Mason/Ball jars onto the rack

Then, I decided to move the rack into the room

Ya see, Mr. Vixen (the kitty of the household) FREAKS out whenever I vacuum

and hides in the window right behind this rack

Therefor, by moving it out, it saves him from knocking anything off a shelf

I REALLY REALLY REALLY like the storage on both sides of the rack

Can ya tell I REALLY like it?
I have a SUPER small and weird shaped kitchen so any
extra storage is welcomed

Mr. Vixen did some of his own re-decorating

The fall centerpiece on my coffee table

Needless to say, there is no more fall centerpiece : (

I wanted to also leave ya with some cuteness ...

Ready?

Oh - My - Goooooodness he's a cutie!!!

Can ya believe he's already 7months old?

Whatta' ham ...

So, do you move things around for fall or

do you wait till it gets closer to the Holidays?

I'm itchin' to just move things ...

I'm partying at:

Chic on a Shoestring

Goose Creek Candle Co. Review

2012-10-03T20:31:00.000-04:00

I am such a sucker for a good smellin' candle

I usually have one lit everyday

So when I was contacted by GOOSE CREEK CANDLE

asking if I would be interested in reviewing one of their candles I said,

"Yes, please"

All I had to do was choose a scent from their

American Heirloom Collection

Easier said than done ...

It's like asking me to pick just ONE cookie from a bakery

I browsed around the site and the first thing I noticed was the design of the jar

There's no label - I like that

The style is an early 1900’s multi-sided style jar - I LOVE that
(Aren't these pretty?)

After trying to figure out which scent I wanted

I decided to go with Vanilla Cashmere

The color is soft gray, which I KNEW would fit

into my decor perfectly, and it's described as

vanilla blossom, sugared raspberry, iced coconut and sandalwood milk

You had me at Vanilla AND Coconut!!!!

When it arrived it was SO securely packaged that it was VERY impressive

I have NEVER seen an item packaged so well

Once I removed the candle I was smitten

Again, the color of it is so beautiful, a soft deep gray

When I removed the lid, which was even cute with a tree indented into it,

I noticed it's beautiful smell and it's double wick

VERY impressive

I could NOT wait to light it

Once I lit it I was in LOVE

It is so simple yet so incredibly stylish

Usually when I buy a candle it smells yummy in the jar then I don't smell a thing when I light it. Not with this puppy. It smells amazing in the jar and just as yummy when you light it. The scent travels throughout the house. Even though I have it placed in the kitchen now,
I can smell it in our bedroom. To me, that's a GOOD candle

The one thing that REALLY makes me happy is it burns clean

There's no smoke that come up from the wicks as it burns

I have to say that this is one of the best candles I ever owned

As you can see, it's almost half way gone ; )

I'm really interested in their Halloween Candles

I mean, aren't these super cute?

With scents like Dark Potion Patchouli, Boo-Licious Caramel and Old Crow Maple Toddy the scents would fill my house all threw October. Plus, once the candle is gone I would be left with a super cute jar. I could see em' filled with candy corn

The American Heirloom Collection comes in 3 different sizes. The one I chose is a 16oz. which burns 90 hours. They also come in 22oz. which burns for 125 hours and a 39oz. which burns 215 hours

If you're a candle person, I would say check these out : )

What I Do in My Other Life

2012-09-25T18:30:00.000-04:00

With Halloween right around the corner, I thought I would share with you guys

what keeps me busy this time of year (aside from some good junkin')

This is me ...

It's actually how I feel I look most mornings, lol

Sorry if I scare anyone : )

Enjoy ~

I'm partying at:
Savvy Southern Style
Nutmeg Place
Made in a Day
My Repurposed Life