My Backyard Eden

Painted Bathroom Cabinet DIY Makeover Tutorial

2017-05-04T16:31:00.000-07:00

I’ve been busy updating my hall bathroom. I’ve already picked out my paint to cover up my outdated faux finished paint, and now I’m moving on to the ~~messy~~ fun stuff. This weekend I tackled my bathroom cabinet.   Here’s a peek at the finished product:

Here’s what I started with:


It looks pretty good in the photo. But it really hasn’t stood up to the abuse my two kids dish out every day. Up close the finish looked like this:

Meet my Minwax friends: MinWax PolyShades, and Wipe-on Polyurethane. I have used Wipe-on Poly before and I just love it. It is so easy to apply and the results are fantastic.   So much easier than the brush on products.

I took the door, the drawers and the top dummy panel off and gave all parts including the base a good sanding. Then I brushed on a thin coat of Minwax PolyShades in Classic Black Satin.


I allowed it to dry overnight, then I took some fine steel wool and distressed the edges. I followed up with a coat of wipe on polyurethane. I replaced the brushed nickel knobs with some simple black ones and I was done.

I’m very happy with the finish. It definitely has a high-end cabinet look, not just a home-depot stock cabinet redo look!

Sorry for this rotten photo. The bathroom is pretty narrow, so it was really hard for me to get a good photo of the whole thing.

Don't forget to pin it ^^!

Cedar Chest DIY Makeover with Paint

2017-05-03T20:24:00.000-07:00

I bought this cedar chest at a consignment store years ago. It’s been quietly sitting in the corner of our bedroom for the last several years. Most of the time, it’s covered with stuff. Books, laundry that need to be folded and other miscellaneous stuff.

One of my goals this year is to turn our bedroom into more of a relaxing sanctuary. That means getting rid of clutter catching items like this cedar chest. So I decided to move this piece of furniture out of the bedroom and into our living room.

That means a new paint job. Take a look at this beauty. I gave it a light sanding and I painted it in my favorite Behr black: Black Suede. After just a bit of distressing, it was ready to go!

It looks great in my living room.

My dog Rosie thinks so too.

Hi Rosie. You’re in the way. Go get in your bed.

Have you ever revamped a piece of furniture just so you could move it into a new room?

Pin this one!

Easy Tailored Bedskirt Tutorial

2017-04-17T19:00:00.000-07:00

I just whipped up this super easy, super cheap tailored bed skirt.

I was tired of looking at all of this stuff peeking out from under the bed.

Here’s a close up just in case you didn’t notice all of the ~~crap~~ important stuff shoved under the bed. This is hubby’s side of the bed, and in his defense, we have really small closets, so lots of things get stored under the bed.

I found these window panels at Target on clearance. They rang up at $1.98 each so I bought three. They are the perfect, neutral woven fabric.
Here’s how I did it:

I cut the panels lengthwise into two 20” by 63” pieces. I zig zag stitched along the raw edge since they seemed to be unraveling like crazy. Then I joined them together along the short edge so I had a piece about 20” wide by 124” long.

Since the long edge was already hemmed, I didn’t have to hem the edge.

I trimmed off both edges so the ends would be nice and straight.   Then I measured the side of my bed, added 1” for each side hem, and 8” for each pleat, and cut my long fabric piece to this length. I sewed a 1” hem on each side edge.

This is a really badly drawn diagram of the pleat. Because the pleat folds back on itself, each 2” pleat adds 8” to the required measurement. I pressed my pleat and then stitched across the top raw edges to hold it in place.

I pinned it directly to my box spring using safety pins. Couldn’t have been easier.

Now everything is hidden away. So much better!

Pin this one!

Just got my Fix!

2015-06-25T17:39:00.001-07:00

I'm probably late to the party, but I’ve been hearing for a while about Stitch Fix and finally decided to give it a try. Super fun!

You fill out a personal profile, answer a bunch of questions about your sizes, preferences, etc, and a stylist sends you a box of things to try based on your answers. You even get a style card showing different ways to wear each piece. Super fun getting that surprise box! You have a few days to decide what you want to keep and what you want to send back. I kept two super cute tops.

Can’t wait to get my next Fix! Perfect for me since I’m not a natural-born shopper.

If you check out Stitch Fix via my link and end up signing up I'll get a referral credit.

Have you tried Stitch Fix?

The Power of Protein

2013-02-22T17:24:00.001-08:00

It's easy to understand the excitement. Protein is an important component of every cell in the body. Hair and nails are mostly made of protein. Your body uses protein to build and repair tissues. You also use protein to make enzymes, hormones, and other body chemicals. Protein is an important building block of bones, muscles, cartilage, skin, and blood.

Along with fat and carbohydrates, protein is a "macronutrient," meaning that the body needs relatively large amounts of it. Vitamins and minerals, which are needed in only small quantities, are called "micronutrients." But unlike fat and carbohydrates, the body does not store protein, and therefore has no reservoir to draw on when it needs a new supply.

WHEY/SOY VS. ARBONNE VEGAN (Yellow pea, brown rice & cranberry blend) Protein
SOY - Is an allergen and cannot be used to build muscle because of its low incorporation levels, it contains phytoestrogens that can lead to estrogen dominance which leads to fatigue, weight gain, insomnia, increase risk for chronic disease and feminization of men.

WHEY - Is a mild derivative, it is allergenic (not just milk allergy), it is loaded with bovine white blood cells. It is hard to DIGEST so it can deposit in the intestinal track and colon and it can lead to long term kidney and liver problems.

Arbonne Vegan Protein - Yellow pea, brown rice and cranberry blend is the MOST EASILY DIGESTIBLE PROTEIN WITHOUT ALLERGENIC REACTIONS (100% hypoallergenic) that dairy & egg protein creates. Because it is so digestible it decreases the gas and bloating and can be absorbed and used to create muscle, promote healing, etc.

Arbonne Protein has an AMINO ACID SCORE of 100 = HIGH quality.
Amino Acid Score is a method for evaluating the relative nutritional quality of different protein sources based on the digestibility and usability.

If you cannot DIGEST IT, YOU CAN'T USE or...ELIMINATE IT PROPERLY! Amino Acid Scores <100 = low quality protein sources, Amino Acid scores =100 = High quality!

I hope this helps you understand how to chose the BEST protein sources for you and importance of having the right kind protein in your diet!

HEALTH TIP OF THE DAY from Carleeta Nelson, ENVP in Arbonne and former Nurse Practitioner.

For a sample of Arbonne’s vegan protein, drop me an email. 100% soy free, dairy free, gluten free! 100% delicious!

Delicious Holiday Gifts

2011-12-02T01:59:00.000-08:00

One of my very favorite things to do each December is making edible gifts for my friends, neighbors and family. In years past, I’ve made

Sweet-Hot Spiced Pecans.

and Toffee.

This year I think I’m going to try these:

Don’t they look yummy? They’re Easy Oreo Truffles. I found them on AllRecipes.com. Can’t wait to give them a try.

What are you making this holiday season?

Easy Thanksgiving Centerpiece

2011-11-20T18:28:00.001-08:00

Inspired by the most recent Woman’s Day magazine cover, I made myself a festive fall centerpiece. These are some of the monsters I grew in my garden this year. I had these overgrown summer squash displayed with my pumpkins for Halloween, but I thought they could use a little spiffing up for Thanksgiving. All it took was a little bit of paint.First, I sprayed them with white paint. Then, using a brush, I painted the stems gold. Finally, I splattered on a little more gold paint. I really like the natural look of the twisty stems.

What’s on your table this fall season?

Delicious Freschetta Giveaway!

2011-05-12T13:01:00.000-07:00

This is a Sponsored post written by me on behalf of FRESCHETTA®. All opinions are 100% mine.

Did you ever have one of those nights when you get home after picking up the kids from practice and have no idea what you're going to have for dinner?

Unfortunately, around my house these days, those kinds of evenings happen far too often!

Luckily, just last week I received (along with a cool bamboo cutting board), a coupon to try the new FRESCHETTA® Simply…Inspired™ pizza.

I picked the classic bruschetta variety. It reminded me of the pizza margarita we loved in Italy. Thin, crispy crust, basil, tomatoes and roasted garlic, a bit of cheese and a spicy tomato and garlic pesto sauce.

It cooked up fast and was ready to eat in no time. I loved how the crust turned out. Thin and crispy, and not a bit thick or doughy. The only problem was I should have bought two! This was a hit with my kids as well. It was gone in a flash.

The packaging was different too. It comes in what they call FRESCH-TASTE SEAL packaging, that keeps the pizza fresh, locks in the vibrant flavors, yet uses 30% less packaging.

It was definitely a product that I will purchase again and keep on hand for those crazy-busy evenings.

And guess what? The nice folks at Freschetta have a gift for one of my readers too! One lucky winner will receive their own Freschetta coupon along with a neato bamboo cutting board.

Want to enter?

Simply leave a comment here sharing your favorite type of pizza.
For an additional entry, "Like" FreschettaSimplyInspired on Facebook.
Want another entry? Follow them on Twitter @FreschettaSI.

Good luck!

Sweet Ruffled Pillow

2011-03-06T19:05:00.001-08:00

I just finished this sweet ruffled pillow for my daughter’s bedroom.

It started when I spotted this aqua zebra fabric at Wal-Mart. My daughter is CRAZY for anything zebra these days. It was perfect because her room is painted a beautiful Tiffany box blue. I bought a half yard and a package of pale mint green blanket binding.

I started by marking a circle on my fabric with my super-complicated-calibrated-circle-maker.

Then, bunching up the binding as I went, I sewed it along the marked circular line. Before doing this I quickly ran a line of stitching along the edge of the binding so the two sides of the binding wouldn’t slip apart.

Then I repeated the above using a slightly smaller circle. I sewed on four rows of binding.

To get the binding to lay down better, I snipped every few inches with my pinking shears.

For the center, I used fabric glue to make a pretty flower shape. When the glue was dry, I stitched it onto the pillow.

I covered up the messy center with a big black button from my Grandma’s button box.

I think it’s super sweet. And she loves it!

It looks perfect in my daughter’s Tiffany blue, zebra-loving room!

Have you made a pillow lately?

My Craigslist Dresser

2011-02-20T20:32:00.001-08:00

Meet my new dresser. Isn’t she pretty?

So sorry about the dismal photo, but it’s been raining here all week, and I just can’t seem get a decent photo of this piece! I should have taken photos last weekend when we were having a sunny winter heat wave and temps were nearly 80 degrees.

I started with this super long (78 inches!), super heavy, monster from the 1960’s. I bought her for a song from a nice older couple who were downsizing, but had lovingly cared for their furniture all these years. This piece was really well built, sturdy and perfect for replacing my too-small bedroom dresser.

She had dovetail joined drawers and super heavy, nice brass hardware. And lots and lots of storage space!!

I started by stripping the top and staining it a dark walnut.

I used Sherwin Williams “Creamy” color-matched in Behr satin paint with primer. Then I distressed, glazed and finished it off.

I used so many of the guidelines Mandie presents in her Altar’d Guide to Painting Furniture. I highly recommend it if you’re thinking of redoing some furniture.

I did WAY more distressing than I usually do. I just kind of got going and got carried away. Then I stepped back and gasped. My husband (who doesn’t even feel comfortable painting wood furniture) nearly had a heart attack. He likes how it all came together though, and I think the end product is really pretty.

I painted the brass hardware with an Oil Rubbed Bronze spray paint.

I love the way it turned out and I LOVE having all of this storage!

Have you ever bought and revamped a Craigslist piece?

Tray Makeover – Take Two

2011-02-02T23:50:00.000-08:00

Here’s the finished, and refinished product!

Remember this major craft fail? I had such a problem cutting vinyl with my Silhouette, then didn’t follow the directions on my paint and the whole mess just peeled off.

Well, I took everyone’s advice and put my tray in mandatory time out for a while. Alicia suggested trying the hammered finished spray paint. You are a genius Alicia! I lightly sanded the mess and gave it a couple of coats of hammered finish black paint. It did a great job covering up my previous difficulties.

Here’s the before.

And the after. I picked a simpler design since I was having so much trouble cutting the vinyl.

Now it’s the perfect place to set a book or a cup of tea.

If at first you don’t succeed, take a time out and then try again!

What have you been working on lately?

Cute Long Scarf = Perfect Easy Winter Project

2011-01-30T18:00:00.000-08:00

I never learned to crochet when I was growing up. My Grandma Mae was a big knitter so I learned to knit instead. Having recently taught myself to crochet a few simple stitches, I must say I’m hooked! I finished this up watching American Idol with my 12 year old last week. It’s warm and long and I love it!

Here’s what I did.

Start by chaining until you have the length you want. My scarf is 80 inches long, without the fringe. I used a size N crochet hook and some bulky yarn I’ve had lurking in my closet.
Single crochet in 2nd chain from hook and in each chain until the end.
Chain 3 (counts as first double crochet), turn, work a double crochet in each stitch until the end.
Chain 1, turn, work a single crochet in each stitch until the end.
Repeat rows 3 and 4 until it’s the width you want. My scarf is about 5 inches wide.
Add fringe to the ends if you like!
It’s long enough to wrap around your neck a couple of times and still be long enough.

Lion Brand Yarn has a great crochet learning center with tutorials and videos that make it easy to learn to crochet.
Do you knit or crochet?

Major Craft Fail

2011-01-25T13:48:00.001-08:00

Did you ever have a project that made you want to hang up your creative hat and hide under the covers? It all started with this large, heavy weight tray I found at a thrift store. It was exactly perfect to place on the ottoman in my living room. While I liked sort of liked the kitschy design, I thought I’d spruce it up a bit using some paint and my new Silhouette machine. Isn’t this design gorgeous? It would look just perfect painted in black on my freshly painted tray. I thought it would be simple to cut it in vinyl and use it to stencil the design on my tray. WRONG! That machine was so darn frustrating. While I followed the settings that came with the vinyl, the machine kept pulling off little pieces of the cut vinyl and getting all stuck up. Three tries later, I finally had my vinyl stencil cut. But only after having to pick the tiny adhesive backed pieces out of the inside of the machine. Grrrr….I wonder if it’s too late to get my money back? Happy to have the cutting part out of the way, I painted the edges of the tray and the stenciled area with black gloss enamel paint. I chose to ignore the fact that this paint was made for wood, glass and glazed ceramics. Why wouldn’t it work on a painted metal tray?

The moral of the story: Follow the directions!

The paint is totally peeling off. I’m not sure that the whole thing can be salvaged now. I’m going to have to scrape or sand all of the paint off since I know that it’s just a matter of time before the black paint on the edges starts coming off in big sheets.

That kitschy Asian design is looking pretty good to me right about now.

Anyone want to share a craft fail? Misery loves company you know.

Cutest Messenger Bag Ever

2011-01-17T15:12:00.001-08:00

I just made the cutest messenger bag ever. One of my goals this year is to take more time to sew for myself. This super cute bag really fits the bill. I purchased the June Bag pattern from Fourteen May.

The bag only takes four fat quarters of fabric, some fusible fleece and interfacing.

The bag has a handy deep pocket on the back.

Take a look at this fully lined goodness.

I dug around in my Grandma’s button box for this beauty. It’s hard to see, but it has a tiny mirror inside.

I love the finished product. I highly recommend the pattern. It was easy to follow, full of great photos and instructions. Go check out Fourteen May for more great patterns!

What have you made for yourself lately?

Stenciled Sugar Bowl

2011-01-09T20:00:00.000-08:00

It’s been very cold and very wet here in Northern California. Lately, we’ve had an invasion of sorts.Ants. Everywhere. I don’t think they much like the weather so they’re looking for a warm place to stay. This sugar bowl is one of my favorite items in my kitchen. My husband and I bought it in Siena on a trip to Italy ten years ago. Unfortunately, the ants like it too.
I needed a temporary ant-proof sugar bowl until we can get these little buggers under control.
I found this inexpensive air-tight and ant-tight storage container at Wal-Mart. It’s a Flip-Tite container from Better Homes and Gardens. Using my newly acquired Silhouette Cutting Tool, I stenciled on a simple design.
In a nod to my Italian sugar bowl, I also stenciled the Italian word for sugar. I couldn’t forget Spanish and French as well. But the best part is the air-tight, ant-tight lid!

Have you had any uninvited invaders this winter?

Making Faux Ruby Depression Glass

2011-01-02T21:00:00.000-08:00

According to Wikipedia:

Depression glass is clear or colored translucent glassware that was distributed free, or at low cost, in the United States around the time of the Great Depression. The Quaker Oats Company, and other food manufacturers and distributors, put a piece of glassware in boxes of food, as an incentive to purchase. Movie theaters and businesses would hand out a piece simply for coming in the door.

I think the history of things we collect is just fascinating. During the Great Depression it must have been fabulous to open a new carton of oatmeal, knowing that something pretty would be inside.
Using a couple of dollar store glass candlesticks and my Krylon Stained Glass Paint, I decided to make a faux version of Ruby Depression Glass.

I like the way the light shines through them. Pretty!
Do you know anyone who collects real Depression Glass?

Using Looking Glass and Stained Glass Paint

2010-12-27T17:29:00.001-08:00

One more holiday project before I pack my decorations away!
My friends at Krylon sent me a selection of paints to try. They were perfect for this project. Come back on Friday for a chance to win a 6-pack of Krylon paints so you can try this project out yourself! I cut out some tree shapes and using Easy Tack Adhesive, stuck them to the inside of my dollar store hurricane. Then, using the Looking Glass Mirror Finish Paint, I sprayed several very thin coats on the inside of the vase. If you spray too much at once, it just pools at the bottom and takes a long time to dry, so keep the coats really thin. When dry, I peeled off the trees and sprayed the inside with the Stained Glass paint.
It’s pretty at night with a candle inside, or during the day with the sun coming in through the glass.
Make sure to stop by on Friday for a chance to win your own 6-pack of Krylon paint!
How long do you keep your holiday decorations up?

Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas!

2010-12-19T17:39:00.001-08:00

How are your holiday preparations coming along?

This week I’ll be baking and cooking, caroling and misteltoeing, visiting and toasting, wrapping and unwrapping, cleaning and recleaning, feasting and merry making.

Unfortunately, I won’t have much time for blogging or crafting this week. But I’ll be back next week raring to go!

Merry Christmas!

Delicious Holiday Gift ~ Sweet Hot Spiced Pecans

2010-12-05T21:18:00.001-08:00

I love cooking for my friends, family and neighbors at holiday time. Here is one of my favorite gift foods to make and share. I got this recipe from Sunset Magazine several years ago. I love this recipe because it’s not too sweet and there’s a subtle spicy bite to it. Wrapped up in pretty packaging, it makes the perfect gift for neighbors, coworkers or friends.

Sweet-Hot Spiced Pecans
1/3 cup granulated sugar
3/4 teaspoon cayenne
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon ground coriander
1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/8 teaspoon ground allspice
1 large egg white
2 teaspoons vegetable oil
2 cups pecan halves

In a bowl, mix the first six ingredients. Whisk in egg white and oil. Stir in pecan halves.

Line a baking pan with foil and spray with cooking spray. Spread nuts in a single layer on baking sheet. Bake in a 300 degree oven, stirring once until nuts are crisp and lightly browned, 20 to 25 minutes. Let cool about 5 minutes, then use a spatula to loosen nuts from pan; cool completely.

Share with those you love. Store airtight at room temperature up to two weeks (if they last that long).

Do you have a special recipe you like to share with friends at the holidays?

Cheerful Green Mantel

2010-11-30T13:57:00.001-08:00

Today, I’m happily sharing my cheerful green mantel. We have yet to unpack our Christmas boxes so I’m sure this will be going through some edits before the big day. Most notably missing are our stockings. But those will come out soon enough. I was inspired by this cheerful apple green color. My Felt “Peace” Mantel Scarf gave me a clean white canvas to start with and my Christmas Mitten Garland adds another pop of my favorite green color.
Dollar Store hurricanes and some bright ornaments make for a perfect combination. I reused some holly berry garland I purchased last year from Target.
I love to be able to use my milk glass and this year was no exception.
After a major craft fail involving sequins, a hot glue gun and a Styrofoam tree, I made this simple fabric covered tree, complete with a mother of pearl button from my Grandma’s button box. More milk glass.
I loved the sparkle and soft glow that these oil lamp candles added to my mantel. Until they set off my smoke alarm and I remembered why they’d been up in the closet for the last five Christmases. They’re now nestled unlit between my Dollar Store Snowflake Art.
My new Grapevine Rosette Wreath looks pretty hung over the mirror above my hearth.

My eleven year old couldn’t bear to leave out these sweet little love birds. They were from the Dollar Store last year. I painted their terra cotta birdiness with a little Krylon Champagne Nouveau.
It’s beginning to look a lot like Christmas!

What’s on your mantel?

Grapevine Rosette Wreath

2010-11-29T18:10:00.001-08:00

I did it! I actually finished decorating my mantel for Christmas by the end of Thanksgiving weekend!   This is way ahead of where I usually am this time of year. Here is a look at my final mantel project: a new Christmas wreath. Tomorrow I’ll share how my whole mantel turned out.
I took a regular grapevine wreath and sprayed it with a light coat of Krylon Brushed Metallic paint in Champagne Nouveau.   I love this soft color.
My daughter and I had fun making a pile of fabric rosettes using a helpful video tutorial from Jami at Freckled Laundry.   Then, I just pulled out my hot glue gun and added some small ornaments.
I made a simple hanger out of the same green and white check fabric I used on my Felt Mantel Scarf. I added another rosette at the top to cover up the nail.
It’s simple and pretty. I love it

How are your holiday decorating coming along?

Thanksgiving Wishes

2010-11-24T16:49:00.001-08:00

My little pilgrim candles belonged to my Grandma Erma. When I was a child, I would beg her to light them. Now that I have them in my own home, I’m so glad she never did. Each Thanksgiving my kids want to light them too. But I’m holding out. Just like my Grandma did.

Hope you have a lovely day full of things that make your heart happy.

For each new morning with its light,
For rest and shelter of the night,
For health and food, for love and friends,
For everything Thy goodness sends.
~Ralph Waldo Emerson

Decorate My Mantel – Dollar Store Christmas Art

2010-11-17T19:09:00.001-08:00

I just finished up my third Christmas mantel project. The photo above is courtesy my 11 year old daughter. She loves photographing things, arranging things and making things pretty. Since my mantel really isn’t camera ready yet, I think she did a great job working with what she had. I love the way these snowflake silhouettes look with my Felt Mantel Scarf and my Mitten Garland.
I was inspired to make these Christmas Art Canvases by Jan at the Simpler Life. Jan linked up her Christmas Tree Canvases a few weeks ago at Make it Yours Day. I thought they would be a good way to introduce even more of my favorite green color to my Christmas Mantel.
These were really easy to make. I used spray adhesive to adhere Dollar Store felt ornaments to some canvas panels. Once they were stuck down, I painted around them to show off their silhouettes, then peeled the felt off. I won’t bore you with the details here since Jan did such a great tutorial over at her place.

Are you making any changes to your holiday decorating this year?

Decorate My Mantel – Felt Mantel Scarf

2010-11-15T19:36:00.001-08:00

I just made a felt scarf for my Christmas mantel. I love my cherry wood mantel, but I really wanted a clean, white canvas this year for my mantel decorations.
I think it looks sweet with the mitten garland I made last week.
I started with 54” wide white felt and used the full width. I cut it the depth of my mantel, plus 12” for overhang.
Then, I cut 2.5” strips of this green and white check fabric, turned the ends under and stitched them on.
I used my pinking shears on the edges for a decorative look.
Simple and easy.
Using Heat 'n Bond , I appliquéd the word “peace” on the center. Peace is always on my wish list for Christmas.

Two projects down! I’m on my way to having a decorated mantel by Thanksgiving weekend!
What’s on your mantel?

Decorate My Mantel- Mitten Garland

2010-11-11T21:42:00.001-08:00

I finished my first mantel project today. A Christmas Mitten Garland. It was simple, easy, and fun.

I started with a fleece scarf from the dollar store, some white felt, some rick rack left over from my vintage smock project and some twine. Yes, this truly was a $1.00 project.
I cut mitten shapes out of the green fleece scarf, added a strip of white felt along the top, and embellished with a little rick rack. A single line of stitching along the rick rack holds everything together.
I pierced holes in the top, and using the yarn fringe from the scarf, tied them to a piece of twine.

Project number one done! I’m one step closer to having a decorated mantel by Thanksgiving. It looks a bit lonely on its own, but I think it will be sweet when the rest of my mantel is decorated.

What should I make next?