It's a Major Award! (better than a leg lamp) The Liebster!

  I hope you all had a relaxing Thanksgiving holiday!  I really enjoyed mine but it went so fast!!!  On your mark, get set, race to CHRISTMAS!!  (Already?)

I was trying to slow down and really focus on all of the things I was thankful for when I found out that I had something else to add to that "thankful for" list.  I was overjoyed to find out I'd been honored with a Liebster Blog Award, by Kelly at Hooked on Home Decor!!!

I am SO excited to be recognized by one of my peers in the blogging world.  This is what Kelly had to say about me... "Her personality really comes out in her writing, her DIY skills are apparent in her projects, and she has an awesome blog title!"  What a BIG, LARGE, HUGE, AWESOME compliment! Thank you Kelly!!!  (I told you it was better than a leg lamp!)

I couldn't wait to learn more about the award itself.  Liebster is a German word meaning "dearest or favorite", and the award itself is meant to showcase up-and-coming bloggers with fewer than 200 followers.  The acceptance of the award requires a few things of the winner:

• Thank the person that gave you the award and link back to their blog
• Copy and paste the award to your blog
• Reveal 5 blogs you have chosen as worthy to receive the award and notify them by commenting on their blog
• Request that those 5 bloggers will pay it forward by awarding the Liebster to bloggers they would like to honor

 It always amazes me how much kindness, support and friendship there is amongst bloggers that focus on home decor and DIY projects!  So, I'm passing this award on to these bloggers so they can also feel the love!  

Here you go....

• Jill from Junky Vagabond.  I had to laugh when I found Jill's blog; clearly we're kindred spirits.  I completely love her makeovers!  She paints everything and has a to-do list a mile long.  (I WILL borrow this idea)  And who isn't looking for balance, right??

• Sarah from Hallway Happenings.  Sarah is doing what a lot of us are doing, learning about design and about herself all at the same time!  The best part is that while a lot of other bloggers are posting about their Thanksgivings, Sarah was posting about her outdoor furniture - because she's in Australia!  I love the idea of getting a slightly different viewpoint from someone across the globe!

• Rebekah from Potholes & Pantyhose.  I chose her blog for several reasons, but mostly 1) because her tutorial on canning jalapano jelly was far more detailed than mine, and 2) are you kidding, she has a photo of herself with a sledgehammer in hand - awesome!!  Far more than a DIY blog, her's is more a life adventure blog.

Okay, I had to save this one for last.  I have been reading this blog since the beginning of my blogging days AND JUST REALIZED THAT I HAD YET TO "FOLLOW" HER!  Um, duh.  We all know what followers mean to a blogger!!!!  I will admit that I also assumed she was one of those big-time bloggers that have about 15 thousand followers (we can all dream)!  So, here it is...

•  Amy from The Salvage Collection.  I love Amy's humor, lack of capital letters and occasional self-deprecation.  She is talented with a capital T, has one thing I'm really envious of (a design degree), and taught me how not to buy furniture with worms or termites!  What more could ya ask for?

(Okay, you caught me, there are only 4.  I promise to update this post when I encounter another worthy of the love!)  

I hope you'll visit all of these blogs.  While you're there, leave a comment and become a follower.  I know from experience that it will make their day!

***Update 12/1/11 - As I was finalizing my picks for passing along the Liebster Award, I received an email from Julia at ShoeStringBean that she had also awarded me the Liebster Award!  So, thank you Julia for making me a two-time winner!
Please visit Kelly and Julia's pages!!!

 

A Little of This and That - Busy Weekend!

I have lots to share, so bear with me, this may just be a 'stream of consciousness' (brain dump) post!  Sorry for the dark photos, it's seriously cloudy here today!!!

First, if you have little Harry Potter fans in your life like I do, you HAVE to make these great wands!  (The boys have only seen the first movie - I think they're still too little for it all.  But, they're huge fans anyway!)

Let's just say I am pretty popular in my house right now!  I even made one for Hubby and I so we could play along.

 

We spent the weekend casting spells on each other, the dog, the cat, inanimate objects....you get the picture!  I found the tutorial HERE and honestly, it's so easy I'm mad that I didn't think of it first!

I also had a busy day Saturday because it was so warm! (Hurry, paint EVERYTHING!!!!  Can you see me running around my garage?  Yep, the neighbors think I've lost my mind now, too)

  Here are a couple of mirrors I finished; they both started out gold (and not in a pretty way)!  The first I painted white and glazed with black and the second got a shot of hot pink!

I also finished more of these...

They're iphone case inserts.  Lucky for me, my girlfriend who ordered them has my same first initial so I made myself a few new ones, too!  Want some?

Then, these funky brass candle stands adopted me...inspiration hasn't hit yet, but I can tell it's right around the corner... for the gold Christmas mantel maybe?

And last but not least, my favorite find of the week (maybe the month)....

What do you think?  I love this carved mahogany bench so much!  I have no idea where it should go or what to do with it!  So for now, it's going to sit here next to me and wait patiently!

Any suggestions for these last pieces?  Do you buy things even though you have no plans (or need) for them, or is that just me?  (Good thing I'm cheap frugal!)

 

Nightstand for a World Traveler

 

I decided that it was time for our oldest son to try waking himself up for school in the mornings.  The problem was, he had no place to put an alarm clock as the bookshelf that sits next to his bed was too high for him to reach.  I'd found this old, feminine looking nightstand and decided I'd try to work a little magic with it.

 I forgot to take a true before picture of the entire piece, but there were flowers painted on the drawers (which would NOT be okay with this guy)!

I've been experimenting with the many home recipes for ASCP, and what I had on hand this time was powdered unsanded grout.  I mixed it with a wall paint we had leftover that was a green/tan color.  I primed and painted and at first I loved the color and thought it went on pretty smoothly.  Then I freaked out when it was dry because it was so rough.  I sanded and sanded and sanded and sanded.

  And this is the finished product!  I think it turned out really well, but it's much more chippy and distressed than I would typically like.  But he loves it and it works perfectly in the room!

His room is decorated with globes and old maps and I thought these adorable compass pulls would be the perfect finishing touch for the nightstand.

I also Mod Podge'd some pages from an old atlas inside the drawers.

Then I repainted a trunk for the foot of his bed.

With a new comforter/duvet for the bed the room will be complete.  I think it says "World Traveler" without screaming "I'm a theme room"! What do you think?

I linked up here:

Furniture Love - Girlie Rose Back Chairs

As much as I enjoy being crafty, I realize that I love furniture transformations far more! 

Crafty Cork letter

Crafty Diaper Cake (circa 2007, I thought it was pretty cute back then!)

Mirror before and after

 
SO, I took advantage of some mild weather this weekend to get moving on a few pieces of furniture that have been waiting patiently.

These rose back chairs were inexpensive Craigslist finds, but they were pretty and had potential!

The roses and curvy legs are so feminine, they just were screaming for some pink!

I started off by reupholstering the seats with canvas drop-cloth.  (Yes, I said it, a drop cloth!  It's canvas, it's pretty, it's easy to work with and softer than burlap.  Do NOT share this secret, or the guys at the orange store will just start charging more for it!)
I found this original needlepoint rose fabric under the top layer.

After reupholstering, I added a little color with fabric paint and a stencil.

I brewed up a little homemade chalk paint using the following recipe:

1 1/2 Cups latex paint

1/2 Cup water

1/2 Cup calcium carbonate (ordered online - it's just powdered chalk)
I used an old pasta sauce jar and shook it up really well.  This is the perfect way to paint furniture if you plan to distress it at all.  It covers everything, doesn't require priming and dries really fast!!

Thanks to Sherry at No Minimalist Here for the recipe!

Just for good measure, I used two coats of white paint and then painted the roses with pink craft paint.  The pink originally felt too bright, so I watered down a bit more of the white chalk paint (making it really milky) and painted over the roses.

Once the paint was dry, I distressed lightly, and glazed with Valspar Mocha glaze.  I love the way the carved details stand out!

Notice the little distress mark on the left side?  This same mark is on both chairs.  I think it must be where the chairs were pushed into the table over and over in their former life.  Can you picture it?  Sorry to get sappy, but something about making that connection just fills me up.

Voila!

I'm really pleased with these!  They seem perfect for a girls' room (which doesn't exist in my home!)  What do you think of the transformation?

One more before and after...

I was featured here!!!!!



These pretty girls are partying here: