CRAPTASTIC

My First Week in the OR and Blogiversary Giveaway Winner!

2012-02-26T11:29:00.003-09:00

So I had quite the interesting first week in the OR! I'm doing my surgery rotation with an orthopedic group. It really is similar to wood-working. There are drills and screws, and dremel type tools.

{via}

Ok, so obviously this is an exaggeration. The surgeons don't stand around with their masks half on holding huge power tools, but it's pretty awesome!

On Monday I met my preceptor at 6:45am and got changed. Our first case was a totol knee replacement. Pretty crazy stuff!

Once that case was finished we moved over to the outpatient surgery center. At this point I had only eaten a poptart and it was getting close to 10:00am. We headed to our next case which was a rotator cuff repair. This is an arthroscopic procedure, and I got the job of holding the arm in the correct position. Essentially I was doing two bicep curls for almost an hour. And I'm a wimp. I have absolutely no upper body strength, I swear this person's arm weighed 20 pounds, and I was starving.

I was sweating bullets and could feel myself getting weaker and weaker. I sat there hoping the procedure would be over soon.

I managed to wait until the surgeon had left the OR and my preceptor, a PA, was getting ready to close the incision. I couldn't hold out any longer, and I told her I felt really weak.

One of the RNs came to my rescue and helped me walk over to a stool in the corner of the room. I wasn't feeling any better, so they had me lay down on the cool floor. All I could think about was getting some food in my stomach, and I kind of felt like this:

{Dailyburn Life}

Once a little bit of my color returned they helped me into the hallway and went to get me a coke. While I was waiting for the coke I proceeded to have a massive hand cramp. Looking back now I can't stop laughing at how ridiculous this whole scenario is.

They finally returned with a coke which I chugged, and almost immediately felt better once I got some sugar in my system.

We only had one more surgery for the day, so I grabbed a big lunch and did fine.

Moral of the story, you gotta eat your breakfast and keep hydrated!

Wednesday went much more smooth and my preceptor made sure I was eating all day. Thank goodness, because we ended up being in the OR from 7:30am - 10:00pm.

My feet were a little tired at the end of that day, and I was hopping from foot to foot in the OR, kinda like this gal:

{Children's Hospital Blog}

Now that I've learned to eat, I'm enjoying the OR much more! It's not nearly as terrifying as I thought it would be. Now my biggest obstacle is learning my anatomy, and my goodness there's a ton of it!

I've already seen a total knee replacement, total hip replacement, a few knee and shoulder arthroscopic procedures, ankle fusion, a few hardware removals, a gamma rod placed in a fractured hip and a fractured elbow repair. These folks are busy!

Thanks to everyone for your words of support and encouragement!

Now, what you've all been waiting for!

The winner of my blogiversary giveaway!

Congratulations to Pinwheels & Peonies!

I'll be e-mailing you shortly!

I hope you all have enjoyed your weekend, and have a great week!

Cheers!

Introducing Countrytouch Crafts!

2012-02-25T19:12:00.001-09:00

I want to introduce you all to one of my pals, Trish, of Countrytouch Crafts!

I've known Trish since I was a wee one! She was a nurse at my family doctor's office growing up and knows both myself and my family well! She's helped me out through dog bites, stitches, mono, and all the regular childhood illnesses.

More recently, I completed one of my six week clinical rotations at this doctor's office and was so glad Trish still worked there! She took me under her wing and made sure noone was rude to me, and that I didn't kill anybody! :) Her daughter Amber, who is my age also worked there! It was great having them both!

Trish finally had the opportunity to quit nursing and focus on what she loves - crafting!

She offers a painting class at the Hobby Lobby in Murfreesboro on most Fridays - if you're in the area you should definately come!!

I've gone twice so far, and it's so nice to relax and paint for a few hours after a long week at work. In the picture above you can see what we painted a few weeks ago. This week we did Winter:

This is my handywork! LOL! I'm not nearly as good as Trish!

I can't wait for the next two weeks - we're doing OWLS!!

On Friday, March 9th, we're doing team owls, or you can paint the owl any color you choose:

Two weeks after that, Friday, March 23rd, we're doing a big, sleepy owl:

Classes are only $10 and Trish supplies everything, although you can bring you own brushes and any color of paint that you like!

I'll be there both weeks! Classes start at 5:00pm!

Trish also just opened an Etsy shop, Countrytouch1234.

She has more cute owls, and you can get an owl in any team color you choose! She also has other country decor, so stop by and show her some love!

Cheers!

Five Feature Friday #27!

2012-02-25T09:14:00.001-09:00

Well, I survived my first week in the OR. Kinda - haha! I'll be back tomorrow to announce the winner of my blogiversary giveaway and I'll tell you all about my week!

Onto the features!

Little Green Bow revamped this waterfall style dresser from a vibrant red to the gorgeous look you see now! The side is covered with a beige linen fabric.

The Nesting Game took these two campaign style nightstands she found and merged them together to make a dresser!

A Girl and A Brush painted this table to look like a mustang! Love the colors!

The Apprentice Extrovert built an amazing daybed outside! How wonderful would this be during the spring!

The Junktion refinished this kid's table set! I love the gray against the wood grain! Gorgeous makeover!

Feel free to grab a button if you were featured!

Cheers!

How I Made My Custom Desktop!

2012-02-19T12:52:00.003-09:00

A few months ago I found myself incredibly irritated with the layout of my office. I didn't have very much space to cut my fabric and I felt like my corner desk was taking up a lot of unnecessary space. I often found myself cutting fabric on the dining room table, ironing in the hallway, and sewing in my office. I was spread out everywhere and completely disorganized. I made up my mind to build a new desktop and that was the end of that.

I wanted to repaint my office, but I wasn't sure if I wanted a light or dark gray. Then I saw this photo from The... Late, Young Family. I loved the contrast of the vibrant turquoise with the dark gray.

Please click here to pin this picture.

Once I had my wall color picked out, it all snowballed from there.

I wanted a long desktop space along the wall where I could sew, use my computer, and have storage and workspace on the desktop. Originally I was going to have the long desktop on the back wall against the window. But with that layout I couldn't figure out how to work in another desktop to cut my fabric. Then I had my lightbulb moment and decided to make a T-shaped desk on the other wall! Perfect!

I bought three 2x8x12 pine boards from Lowes. I think they were around $6-7 a piece, I can't remember. For the "T" section of the desktop I bought two 2x6x15 (I think) pieces of pine.

My room is a little over 10 feet wide, so I had Lowes trim the 12ft boards down to size. Same for the two long boards - Lowes cut them each into three equal sizes, making six boards for the "T" part of the desktop.

Now for the tedious part - sanding, staining, and sealing.

In the photo on the left you can see how I propped all the boards up on paint cans so I could sand, stain, and seal off the ground. The smaller boards were all propped up behind me.

I sanded with 80, 120, and finally 220 grit sandpaper. This part took what felt like forever. I rushed on the smaller boards because I got sick of sanding, so they aren't quite as smooth as the larger boards.

The photo on the right shows the difference between the two boards with one coat of stain. The board on the left does not have stain, the board on the right does.

For the stain I made a custom mix using Natural stain and adding in Ipswich Pine until it produced a color I liked. I normally love Dark Walnut, but the paint was already so dark I wanted to maintain a more natural look of the wood to warm the room. I applied two coats of stain and one coat of Minwax Satin Poly to all the boards.

Once everything had dried for 24 hours the hubby and I brought it all inside to install.

We used a clamp to hold all three pieces of the large wood together, then the hubby put flat metal brackets underneath to help hold the three pieces together and stabilize the wood.

Once that was finished we flipped the piece over and set it on top of the filing cabinets and bookcase. In the future I'll likely replace the bookcase with a metal pole to allow more foot room under the long boards, but I didn't want to spend any more money and just used what I had on hand.

We used similar, but smaller, brackets to secure the smaller boards together. After making sure the two bookcases were in line, we set the smaller boards on top of the two bookcases. Hubby used wood screws to secure the boards to the bookcase from inside the upper part of the bookcase. DONE!

I hope this all makes sense - I didn't get many pictures of the installation process, we both had our hands full for the most part.

Now I have an area dedicated to my sewing, and a huge space to cut fabric on. I can work so much more efficiently now! Everything has its place, so I don't waste time searching for materials I need!

I use the bookshelves under the desktop to store books, storage bins, my trash bin, and my iron.

Really all I have left to do is strip and stain my chairs. At least now my office is fully functional! I love my new desktop!

The lumber cost $40, and the brackets cost $20. I probably spent around $10 on the little sizes of stain and I already had the sealer.

In total, I spent about $70 on my desktop. Not bad for a custom workspace! :)

Just a few tips that I learned along the way:

1. BRING YOUR TAPE MEASURER to the store! The wood is never the same size as the advertised size. This can result in big errors, so always measure and know the exact dimensions of the space you're updating.

2. Lay out the lumber you are selecting next to each other. The are a lot of curves and variations in the wood, and you'll have to look through at least a dozen pieces of wood before you find multiple straight pieces.

Cheers!

Five Feature Friday #26!

2012-02-18T11:04:00.004-09:00

Happy weekend!

This week I started my fifth clinical rotation! I'm incredibly excited, because it is my orthopedic surgery rotation! I'm very interested in pursuing orthopedics as my specialty when I get out of PA school, so I've been looking forward to this rotation! My first day in the OR will be Monday, and I don't know if I want to jump for joy or barf all over the place! :) I'm both excited and nervous, so wish me luck!

Onto the features!

musebootsi shared her adorable striped kitchen drawers, but I think the entire kitchen is great! It's so bright and cheery!

Little House In the Big D freshened up this boring jewelry holder with a fun, modern pattern! Gotta love that chevron!

no. 2 pencil shared this awesome turquoise dresser makeover! Love the style and the new color!

The Blooming Hydrangea shared her madeover coral nightstands, but look at the rest of the room! Isn't that stenciled wall amazing!

Michelle Lee Interiors updated her office with DIY wooden shelves! I love how they look displaying the beautiful pillows and fabrics in the basket!

Feel free to grab a button if you were featured!

If you haven't already, be sure to enter my one year blogiversary giveaway! You have a chance to win this sweet scalloped tote, a large travel case, and custom mix CD from yours truly!

Cheers!

One Year Blogiversary and 750 Follower Giveaway!

2012-02-15T21:39:00.000-09:00

Yep! I actually missed my one year blogiversary! It was back in January, but we can celebrate now! I promise to be good next year and actually plan ahead for my two year blogiversary!

I also promised a giveaway when I hit 750 followers, so I decided to roll them both into one celebration!

I'm excited about this giveaway - I actually would love to keep both items! :)

I made this adorable sweet scalloped tote inspired by See Kate Sew! It would be perfect to tote around a book and some snacks!

The lining is a plain turquoise fabric.

Then I have this cute travel bag. It's HUGE! It's about 13 x 8 - plenty of room to store all kinds of travel items!

I'll also be throwing in a CD with some of my favorite songs on it! Aren't you pumped?! You should be, I have incredible taste in music, or at least I think so!

HOW TO ENTER:

Please leave a SEPARATE comment for each entry and provide an e-mail address if it is not attached to your profile!

MANDATORY

1. Be a GFC follower of CRAPTASTIC!

EXTRA ENTRIES

2. Tell me where you would love to travel with your new tote and travel case.

3. Tell me one of your favorite CRAPTASTIC projects!

4. Blog about this giveaway!

I'll leave the giveaway open until Saturday, February 25 @ Midnight CST. I'll announce the winner the followeing Sunday!

Thank you all for your support and inspiration! You guys rock!

Cheers!

DIY Chalk Paint - Aqua Curio Cabinet!

2012-02-12T11:03:00.000-09:00

I am so excited to finally be finished with this curio cabinet! I got it from my Dad for my birthday (in November) and it has been sitting in my office unpainted, taunting me!

This is the first piece of furniture I have tried a DIY chalk paint on, and I am in love! No sanding or prepping - just clean your surface. Two coats did an amazing job of covering this wood. I was worried about how textured the paint was, but with very minimal sanding it became silky smooth!

I followed the same recipe Korrie @ Red Hen Home shared back in October. That's how long I've been waiting to try this!

I was a good blogger and snapped a before picture. And yes, I know, it's oak. I can't even say that it was in such horrible shape that I had no choice but to paint it. But I wanted it aqua, so look away all you squeamish oak-lovers! If it makes you feel better I have an antique washstand that will never see a drop of paint.

The hardest part was painting all the wood on the inside, but I don't think it took me more than four hours to paint. Rather than tape off all the glass, I just scraped all the excess paint off with a razor blade after I was finished.

Here she is housing all my fabrics in my craft room! *LOVE*

Here is a close-up of the paint and subtle distressing. You can really see the texture of the wood and paint here! I love it!

Just look at those legs!

I put a sneak peek of the photo on facebook last week, and my pal Bonnie lovingly pointed out that I'm well on my way to becoming a fabric whore! Haha! Yes, yes I am!

I walk in and see how neat and colorful it looks in here and I just sigh with contentment!

On a side note, do you know how hard it is to take photos of a cabinet that is almost entirely glass and has a mirrored back? Very hard!

Here's the view when you first walk into my craft room. I don't know why all my walls have a chocolate look in these photos, but they're dark gray, promise!

Don't laugh at this next shot, I'm know it's horrible. Just wanted to show you the light in the top of the cabinet. You know, just in case my fabric gets scared of the dark! ;)

This is my absolute favorite picture - I love the key hole, and this really shows the color of the cabinet best!

Sadly, the lock was broken and we had to have a locksmith open it to tell us that. So the keyhole is only for looks. Bummer, this would have been so cool with a genuine skeleton key lock!

Cheers!

Five Feature Friday #25!

2012-02-11T12:02:00.000-09:00

Another Friday gone already! I'll be back later this week with my curio cabinet makeover!

I'm in love with this vibrant dresser revamp from The Turquoise Iris.

Sophia's made over these adorable end tables!

Folksy Home really brightened up these boring chairs with fun paint and coffee sacks!

Love this amazing stenciled dresser from Comfortably Carried Away!

Johnnie's Junk made over this bookcase into a rustic beauty!

Feel free to grab a button if you were featured!

Cheers!

"Dwell In Possibility"

2012-02-05T11:45:00.000-09:00

Almost an entire year ago I got a wooden wine crate from my Dad. It sat in my garage since then while I tried to decide what to do with. I was trying to think of something that was genius, but just couldn't think of anything.

Last weekend I was playing around with the decor in my new craft room and ran and grabbed this out of the garage. I decided I just wanted to use it in its simplest form and make subway art.

Here is how I did it without vinyl:

1. I started with the wood crate and painted it with some Glidden oops paint I scored at Home Depot for $2! In gray no less!

2. I searched and searched for a quote I liked, and found this one by Emily Dickinson. I typed it in Word in "Impact" font, size 125. I put my freezer paper directly onto my screen and traced with a sharpie.

3. Next I put my ScotchBlue painter's tape directly over the letters and cut them out with my exacto knife. Don't forget the little pieces you cut out of letters like "P" and "B."

4. I VERY CAREFULLY peeled the painter's tape off the freezer paper and transferred it onto my box.

I didn't photograph this step, but I just used my finger and acrylic fuschia acrylic paint to paint in the blank spaces. Then peel off the tape!

I gave it a good sanding with 220 grit sandpaper and it was done!

Also, I wanted to thank Morgan at Sweet Stitches for my coffee cozy! She had a giveaway on her blog and I won! Yaay!

Now I have a good excuse to stop at Starbucks! I love it Morgan!! Thank you!

Cheers!

New Pillows for the Office!

2012-02-04T12:31:00.000-09:00

A few weeks ago I made some cute pillow covers for Bonnie's 1-year blogiversary. They looked so happy in my office I was kind of sad to see them go! So I made some replacements!

The first one is a bunting pillow very similar to the previous one I made - just different fabrcis for the pennants!

The second one is a cute yo-yo flower pillow! I've been dying to make one for awhile!

I love how bright and cheery it is!

Now my little office corner is bright and cheery again!

Cheers!

Five Feature Friday #24!

2012-02-03T08:56:00.000-09:00

How gorgeous is this striped chest from The Green Dresser?

I about flipped when I saw this entryway from Meeha Meeha! How could you walk through there and not smile!

Nine Red did a wonderful table makeover! I never even look at these tables I think the style is so bland, but WOW! This is awesome!

Revamp Home Goods made an amazing 'Land of Nod' knock-off for her kiddo! Love the chevron!

I might have squealed when I saw this end-table-turned-kid's-play-table from Maple and Magnolia! She styled it using my chevron thread holder as inspiration and I flipping love it!

Feel free to grab a button if you were featured!

Cheers!

Chevron Curtains, Lolly Jane Winner, and Opinion Needed!

2012-01-29T20:39:00.000-09:00

Holy long title! Can you tell I've got a lot to cram into one post?!

Let's start with the AMAZING giveaway I won a few weeks back from the sweet gals at Lolly Jane!

I think they are just the most adorable gals! They are so sweet and creative! And twins!!

They host a linky party, Whatcha Got Weekend (WGW), each week and I'm always sure to link up!

Anywho, I won a credit to their shop and chose this adorable sign that reads "Life is short. Enjoy the ride."

I love it in my office! Thank you so much girls!

Next, I've been very busy this weekend! Even with a nasty cold I was determined to get some work done on my office. I was able to finish my chevron curtains inspired by A Drop In the Bucket.

I'm so excited with how they turned out!

I used a 6' x 9' dropcloth from Home Depot and it only cost $10.50. I had the paint already.

They're not perfect - I didn't coat 100%, but I like them that way.

Right now they're very stiff, so I'm hoping over time they'll relax so they don't look so rigid. Any pointers on how to soften them up? I'm kind of scared to put them in the dryer.

I also made a curtain rod using leftover wood from my desk and a $3 dowel.

Please excuse the white adhesive peeking through - I'm trying to avoid putting too many nails in the wall.

These were inspired by curtain rods I saw in a West Elm magazine YEARS ago!

Details and tutorial coming soon!

Ok - if you're still with me, thanks!

I had a spur of the moment decorating idea for my office and I'm still debating.

I still haven't been able to sell my zebra end table, so on a whim I threw it up on my desk.

My thought is that it could serve as both a shelf, and extra storage. Currently I've got my scrap fabric in the top drawer, and miscellaneous tid-bits in the bottom drawer.

So here is where I need your opinion - LOVE it, or HATE it?

**UPDATE - I decided I LOVE it, so I'm keeping it! I'd still love any input or ideas you have!**

Don't be mean to me please! Just let me know what you think.

Keep in mind that I'm not done decorating yet, so some things will change, like the visible sewing machine cords and some of the decor. The two chairs I currently have will be gone as of tomorrow night and replaced with modern wood chairs!

One more view:

Ok, don't make me cry!

Cheers!

Tag With Jane From Adventures in Dinner!

2012-01-28T05:00:00.000-09:00

Last week I got 'tagged' by Jane at Adventures In Dinner. So, I thought I would play along.

Photo of Jane and the Wee One - By Michelle Barbeau Photography

Now let me preface this by saying I always cheat at things like this and never follow the rules! :)

But, I always think it's interesting getting to learn more about the folks behind the blogs, so I thought I'd at least do that much!

You're supposed to give eleven fun facts about yourself, tag eleven folks to participate, answer your eleven questions, then make up eleven new questions. I'm cheating, and just answering the questions Jane asked!

1. Your best holiday ever.

Halloween 2008 - The hubby returned home after a fifteen month deployment!

(Sorry, can't find the original on my computer)

2. A skill that you don't have but wish you did.

Metal working! It would be so fun to make metal creations.

3. Best decision you've made.

Finally going on a date with the hubby! He liked me through college, but I didn't like him as more than a friend. So glad I finally gave him a chance!

4. Scariest thing you've done in the past 12 months.

A pap smear! haha - totally kidding (kinda). Cliff diving! It's exhilirating, but terrifying!

5. Worst fashion mistake.

Hahaha! Ok, so this is really more of a jab at my Mom! I borrowed her old Christmas sweater and leggings (complete with hole in the crotch) for an Ugly Sweater Christmas party!

I'm sure I've had my fair share of fashion horrors, but I can't think of any specific one. Maybe my big round bangs in 8th grade that I'm plastered with hairspray. Seriously, they were like a helmet!

6. Your favourite blog right now.

Hmm, I can't pick just one. There are so many I like for many different reasons!

7. The food you crave the most and indulge in when the chips are down.

Oh, the chips don't have to be down for me to indulge! I love food! In fact, I just scarfed down a delicious McDonald's M&M McFlurry! And I love pasta - especially fettuchine alfredo! Mmm!

8. Dream piece of clothing that you'd 'invest in' if you had the cash to blow.

I want a gorgeous pair of brown leather riding boots - they're awesome year round, but also around $400!

9. Type of decorating that is grabbing your attention right now.

It has taken me a long time to really discover my own style, but I'm finally realizing that I kind of have more modern taste. Which is weird, because I always said I hated modern.

10. Historical figure that you most admire.

Ok, I'm showing my lack of knowledge in American (or world) history here. I don't really have a historical figure that I admire (not that they're unadmirable). I admire my grandparents, my parents, my sister, and of course my husband! They're all the inspiration a girl could need!

11. Favourite quote that sums you up.

Pardon my french!

Cheers!

Mega Edition of Five Feature Friday #23!

2012-01-27T15:00:00.000-09:00

I have seen so many amazing projects this past week! I decided to do a mega edition and have over 15 features for you this week!

Being Brook shows her awesome new craft room!

Super cool 'The Nate Show' inspired rope shelves by Folksy Home

Fireplace turned chevron decor by Homey Home Design

Custom Slipcovers By Shelley repurposed this awesome chevron chair (and reveals her amazing bedroom)

Amazing hutch redo by My Crafty Home Life

Make Them Wonder designed the most amazing geometric wall

Old steps repurposed into a bookcase by Tattered Tiques

Gorgeous before and after from Sweet Girl Expressions

Mr. Fancy Pants from Shabby Loco

Salvation Army cupboard redo by Simply Chic Treasures

Little Green Bow built her own couch that converts into a bed!!

Super cute side table revamp by Larissa Hill Designs

Matching side table makeovers by Hartwood Roses

DIY pallet coffee table from Fabulously Flawed - look at that rug too!

Rustic dresser makeover by Emily's Upcycled Furniture

Orange and corkboard desk repurpose by Double Take Decor

Phew! What an amazing group of features! If you like what you see, be sure to click over to their blog to pin anything to Pinterest!!

If you were featured, feel free to grab a button!

Be on the lookout later this weekend for pictures of an AWESOME sign I won from sweeties Kristi and Kelli @ Lolly Jane!

Cheers!

Last Day to Win These Pillow Covers!

2012-01-27T10:41:00.000-09:00

Happy Friday!!

I'll be back later tonight with a HUGE Five Feature Friday!

I just wanted to remind you all that today is the last day to enter Bonnie's 1-year Blogiversary giveaway to win my two pillow covers!

Pink Stitches Giveaway Day 1 - Two Pillow Covers from CRAPTASTIC

Also, take a peek at the rest of her giveaways!

Giveaway Day 2 - Decorative Hand Towel and Coffee Cozy by Just Stitch

Giveaway Day 3 - Fresh Box of Handmade Macarons by Viv @ EAT & LOVE

Day 4 Giveaway - Custom Ruffle Pillow Cover from Kiss Kiss... Quilt

Grand Finale Giveaway - $50 Target Gift Card from Bonnie at Pink Stitches

Hope you'll stop by and enter all the amazing giveaways!

Good luck!

Pink Stitches 1-Year Blogiversary Giveaway!

2012-01-22T21:46:00.000-09:00

My blogging BFF Bonnie over at Pink Stitches is celebrating her one year blogiversary and she's asked me to participate!

Of course I was delighted to! I made these two pillow covers to give away to one lucky reader!

Her giveaway will begin Monday, January 23 at 8:00 am!

***GIVEAWAY CLOSED***

The first is a pillow cover for an 18x18 pillow.

They're sweet little birdies on a wire:

**Inspiration for this pillow from Bless 1234***

The second pillow cover is for a 16x16 pillow.

It's a colorful bunting pillow cover!

I hope you'll stop by for your chance to win!

She will be celebrating all week! I can't wait to see all the amazing things she has planned!

Happy 1-year Bonnie!!

Cheers!

A Chair Fit For A QUEEN!

2012-01-22T13:15:00.000-09:00

This chair is another prime example of my decorating ADD. I first refinished this chair into a vibrant blue last October. I loved it - but after I painted the office dark gray, I wasn't feeling the blue with the gray.

I thought a wild pink would look so much better! And it does!

I primed it, then painted it two different shades of pink. I put them on quickly and real sloppy - I didn't want the chair to look "new."

After the paint dried, I made up a glaze with one of the pinks and added a little purple to it. This made it more of a berry color. I used the berry glaze instead of the traditional antiquing glaze. LOVE IT!

Now it's a chair fit for a QUEEN! AKA me! :)

Below you can see the progression of the chair.

I kind of feel bad for the chair right now, because it is dark and rainy, and in a dark grey office. So the lighting doesn't do it justice. Believe me, it looks awesome!

Be sure to stop by tomorrow! I'm part of an entire week of giveaways over at my pal Bonnie's blog,

Pink Stitches!

Cheers!

Desktop Installed!

2012-01-16T18:57:00.000-09:00

Ok, so my desktop is finished! Well, mostly!

I worked all weekend to get it sanded, stained, and sealed.

Hubby helped me install it tonight. Good thing we're not moving any time soon. This will be a beast to get out!

Here is the progress so far:

See all that workspace? I'm giddy!

Cheers!

Five Feature Friday #22!

2012-01-14T07:48:00.000-09:00

I really need to consider changing this title to something having to do with Saturday! I never get these up on time! :)

Adventures of Our Fami-ly started with a side table that had not top and turned into this cuteness! The color is wonderful - check out the subtle difference in color along the details!

My Champagne Taste definately rocked this piece making it look like a million bucks! It looks perfect with the bright wall color! I love this whole set-up!

Embracing Change is at it again with this awesome nautical chevron dresser! Yes, please!

Mommy By Day {Crafter} By Night shared an awesome tutorial for this amazing kindle case! Don't you love the bird clasp! Wish I had a kindle to store in this beauty!

Maxwell House Interiors did a FANTASTIC job making over this bathroom! You need to check out the entire makeover - it has such a comforting, lakehouse type feel! Great job!

If you've been featured, feel free to grab a button!

Cheers!

Not Yo Mama's Thread Holder!

2012-01-08T18:34:00.000-09:00

I'm slowly knocking out projects for the new office! It is taking me longer than I anticipated. I almost always underestimate how much time I need, so that's no surprise to me.

Rather than wait ten years to show you the final reveal, I'll show you little bits and pieces along the way! Mmkay?

Last month I found Grey Luster Girl's framed thread holder tutorial on pinterest and flipped out! I knew I was going to try this as soon as I saw it, just with my own little spin! :)

I changed my mind about fifteen billion times before settling on my final color and style. Originally I was going to frame it - then it was going to be all one color - then it was going to be yellow and white chevron heavily distressed. See? Creativity ADHD!

Once it was stained though I loved it so much I didn't want to cover it up!! Rather than frame it, I decided to tape off a 1.5 inch border to create the illusion of a frame.

1. I bought this basic piece of wood at Lowes for 8 bucks. It's something like 1.5 x 2.5 feet. 2. Then I used my favorite stain, Minwax Dark Walnut, to stain it. 3. Next I grabbed some ScotchBlue painter's tape and taped off the borders, then taped a chevron pattern (eyeballed it, of course). 4. I painted over it with white then peeled the tape off!

Once the paint was dry I took my orbital sander to it and distressed the mess out of it!

Now for the tedious part - math. Blah! I placed some freezer paper on top so I could still see the pattern, but draw directly on the board (can you tell I'm obsessed with this stuff? I use it for everything!)

I figured out how wide and tall the work area was, then I spaced out thread to determine how many spools I could fit into a horizontal and vertical row.

For example, I could fit 9 spools on the bottom row. I had 13 inches of space (remember, I'm not counting the border). So 13 divided by 9 is approximately 1.4 inches.

Doing the same math for the vertical row, I ended up with a grid that had 1.4 x 1.5 inch squares. I just traced it right on the freezer paper, leaving a little space on each edge so the spool of thread would sit right inside the border, not on it.

I used a small drill bit to place pilot holes, removed the paper, then hammered in all the nails.

I broke out in a sweat people! A SWEAT!

Now, it's hard to see in the photo, but the nails are actually in the shape of an "H". Look real hard, you'll see it!

I had this idea when I realized how few spools of thread I had. It would take an eternity for me to fill up the entire board, so I thought I would make the nails an "H."

Now my thread holder is a double piece of art - cool chevron pattern AND an initial!

*SQUEAL!*

I love the modern/industrial look with the white, wood, and metal nails!

The nails are 2 inches. I would have liked 3 inch nails, but I couldn't find any (I really didn't look hard).

Here you have a sneak peek at the desktop stained! I didn't go with Dark Walnut on the desktop because the wood is intended to brighten up this dark room!

Rather than make more holes in the wall, I'm just leaning the board against the wall next to my sewing machine.

The whole project cost me $10!

It can hold up to 137 spools of thread - if for some reason I need more one day, I'll just add in more nails to make it a solid block rather than an "H."

I love it!!

Cheers!

Five Feature Friday #21!

2012-01-06T21:24:00.000-09:00

Wow! I've been slacking on my FFF for awhile! Bad Katie!!

Check these out!

How dreamy is this dresser that Decor Adventures scored for FREE!! What a beautiful makeover! Love the blue and the crystal knobs (and that rug)!!

I simply love the color Fabulously Flawed painted this buffet! It goes perfect with the gold hardware! I love the details and the distressing!

Ummm, yes! Our DIY Diaries totally rocked this dresser and made it into an awesome console! How great is that purple!!

I just love the look of warm wood against darker colors like steel! Mingled Elements nailed it with this Restoration Hardware knockoff!

Ok, you need to hop on over to Thrifty Decor Mom to appreciate this room makeover. Seriously, it's like an entirely different place! I just can't get over the aqua and white bookcases! Love them!

If you were featured, feel free to grab a button!

I know I told you I wouldn't show you anymore of my office makeover until I was finished, but I caught a bad cold last weekend that I am still nursing, so progress is going a little slower than I had hoped.

So here is a sneak peek at a project I finished tonight!

Cheers!

Office Progress - I'm Halfway There!

2012-01-01T19:42:00.000-09:00

First of all, HAPPY NEW YEAR!! It's so hard to believe we are already in 2012! As one of my classmates pointed out yesterday, this is my graduation year! In about eight months I'll be out on my own! Hooray!

I hope you all had a great New Year! I had a big night playing Call of Duty and drinking Moscato! Haha! My hubby is a cop and he had to work, so I decided to just have a relaxing night.

Once I finished up all my Christmas gifts, I got started on my office renovation. I've been obsessing over it for months now, waiting for Christmas break so I could begin.

The photo above is to remind you of the before - bright and fun, but I'm ready for a more mature look.

Here is the office with it's new paint color and halfway finished:

*SIGH* I'm in love! The color is Handcast Pewter by Better Homes and Gardens. I had it color matched at Home Depot in their Behr paint plus primer in one. It covered beautifully! We ended up putting two coats on the wall, but that's not bad considering the bright color we were covering.

The wood desktop will be stained of course. I will also be putting in an additional desktop where you see the bookcases. This will make a "T" shaped desktop work area - I'll have the long desktop for sewing and office work, and the "T" desktop will work as a cutting area!

I have a lot of big plans for this space, and I'm moving along as quickly as I can! I won't show you anymore peeks until she is all finished!

But I wanted to share this awesome paint trick I thought up while painting. Well, not really a paint trick, but a cleanup trick. I'd like to think I'm the first person to think of this, but you geniuses have probably been doing this for years!

I always do the edging when the Hubby and I paint - this is my favorite paint container to use. It has a handle and a magnet on the inside that will hold your paint brush when you're not using it. AWESOME!

They have a special plastic liner that fits inside perfectly. It's also pricey, so I use gallon size Ziplock bags instead.

Now that's not really the genius part. I know people use shopping bags and all that fun stuff all the time.

My brilliant idea came to me around 1am when I was ready to clean-up. I had paint left in my Ziplock bag. Just enough that I couldn't justify throwing it out. But at the same time I felt too lazy to dump the paint back in the gallon bucket, knowing I would probably have to use my little container again tomorrow.

DUH! It's a Ziplock bag! I just zipped that bad boy up and set it aside to use the next day! I had never done this before and wasn't sure how the paint would hold up. It held up perfectly! The next day my handy little paint bucket was ready to go and all I had to do was open up my bag.

This may not be a big deal to you, but in my delirious early morning state-of-mind I thought it was genius! Just thought I would pass it along in case just one person needed this idea!

I hope to be back next week with my full office reveal, but we'll see how that goes!

Cheers!

Shabby Chic Baby Rocker!

2011-12-28T19:05:00.000-09:00

A few months ago my cousins had their first baby! She is PRECIOUS and is the first baby of the grandchildren on my Mom's side of the family.

I had planned on refinishing this sweet rocker for her baby shower, but life kept getting in the way. I finally got it finished for Christmas!

This is the best before I have of the rocker:

I tightened up some of the wobbly areas and filled in some of the holes. Her room is light gray, light pink, and white. So I primed the chair in gray so it would show through when I distressed. I then painted it white and softly distressed it.

I was a bad blogger and only snapped one poor quality photo. It turned out so cute though!

Here is my sweet cousins' baby girl sitting in her new rocker on Christmas morning!

She is possibly one of the best babys I have ever met. She never fussed no matter how much we passed her around. We were all fighting over who got to hold her!

Also, I'm about to begin a big makeover in my current office and make it not only more suitable for crafting, but more grown up looking. I'm majorly obsessed with gray right now, so this is a sneak peek at my new craft room color!

Cheers!

Merry Christmas!

2011-12-24T11:48:00.000-09:00

From our Charlie Brown tree to yours...

Merry Christmas!

Double Wine Tote Bag!

2011-12-22T22:55:00.000-09:00

A few nights ago I was trying to decide what I wanted to make for my cousin's Christmas gift. I had already made her a cute pillow for her apartment, but I wanted to do something else.

Then it dawned on me - she loves wine! Why not give her a bottle of wine in a wine tote!

But then I had another great idea - a double wine tote!!

So as usual, I ran to google for answers and found an amazing double wine bag tote tutorial from HashiWorks! Yes please! She even has a pdf file you can download with step-by-step instructions!

I loved these so much I have made three so far!

This is my favorite!

I'll be adding a flower embellishment to this bag tomorrow.

And this is the bag I made for my cousin. She is a BIG Georgia Bulldogs fan, so I made it in bulldogs colors. It matches her pillow that I'll post later!

Each of these took me about 1 1/2 hours to make - but I'm a real slow sewer. I'm sure some of you pros could knock these out in no time! These would make great gifts for anytime!

I used the wooden dowels from Lowes with the green end - I spent $3 in total on two dowels and had enough for three totes. You use less than 1/2 a yard of fabric for the inside and outside, and I used fabrics from my stash. So in total, each tote bag was about $1! The contents are what cost me money!

Oh, and I took these to the wine store with me to pick up some wine, and they loved them!!

Cheers!