The Cheerleader

 Do you have a cheerleader?

Do you sometimes float along in life and forget that you need one?

Yesterday mine got me through a major funk.  I was disorganized, overwhelmed and stuck.

And just like she always does, my cheerleader said all of those magic things.

You know, those things that you KNOW in your heart and your head, but wow, does it ever make a difference to hear it from someone else?

When the doubt creeps in.  That's when you need your cheerleader.

I really hope you have one.

If you don't, send me an email.  I'll do my best to fill her cheerleader shoes for you.

The Humor in Craigslist

It's probably no secret that I love Craigslist.  With only one exception, I've found that the people who buy and sell on Craigslist are nice, genuine people.

Finding an antique or vintage piece that was unloved or unneeded, fixing it up and giving it drama and a new life makes me a happy, happy girl! (A few examples: here, here, and here)

But let's be honest, Craigslist is also pretty darn funny.  *disclaimer:  I'm about to poke fun at a few people, so if you're sensitive to that sort of thing, just look away.  I'm not perfect and don't expect anyone else to be, but this stuff is just funny.

Craigslist is full of typos, grammatical, and spelling errors. "Dinning Room Table" and  "Chair for sell" are common.  I get it.  People are in a hurry, who has time for spelling and grammar, right?

But, I have to give a shout-out to an entire population of people who give a guy named Chester a LOT of credit.  Almost daily I see this....

Chester?  Really?  It's so common.  Maybe this post can serve as a public service announcement.  It is an upright chest, with drawers people!  Or maybe, unbeknownst to me, in certain parts of the county a Chest of Drawers DOES pay homage to the Great Chester, Builder of Drawers.

Here are two more of my favorites...

 

Mirrows and Draws.  Yes.

Now, I'll admit, I freely exchange the terms dresser and chest of drawers and some furniture purists are probably poking fun at me.  But that's okay because I LIKE fun!  Don't you?


 

Report Card & What I've been up to!

Now back to our regularly scheduled program....

(107 degrees = stringy hair and serious painting face)

Unexcused Absence.

That's what it would say on my blog report card.

While I wasn't writing and editing photographs, I WAS busy with eleventy-four thousand projects.  And I DID manage to photograph at least a few of them.

And I HAVE gotten myself a little more organized.

SO, I'm going to do my best to get you all caught up on the furniture whirlwind that has been going on in my studio.  So, stay tuned!!!

 

Burlap Rose Wreath in 3, I mean, 30 minutes or less

Because I'm such a good friend and because my front door is a bit bare, I'm taking part in the Welcoming Wreath party hosted by Gwen over at The Bold Abode!

So, here's my tutorial for making a wreath in 30 minutes or less!

Step 1) have grape vine wreath, old burlap coffee sack, hot glue gun, scissors and other various accoutrements already on hand.  Okay, the whole deal make take a little longer if you don't already have these goodies.  You are NOT required to factor your trip to the crafty store into your time, especially if you're lugging children.

Step 2) cut said burlap into approximately 2 inch wide strips.  How long?  How about 1 coffee sack width down and back.  Each strip will make one 'rose'.

Step 3) roll until the center of the 'rose' is formed, then continue to roll and add a twist every couple of  inches.

(sorry, I stink at self-portraits)

Step 4) glue to aforementioned grape vine wreath.  Repeat.

Step 5) decide that wreath looks like a FALL wreath, not a SUMMER wreath and add green fabric scraps and even some faux greenery.

Setp 6) hang and admire handiwork!

Okay, this seriously did take me all of 3 minutes.  I realize that Martha probably wouldn't approve and normally I'm not much of a grapevine-wreath-with-burlap-roses or faux greenery of any kind, kind of girl, but I have to admit, I really like it!

So, hurry up and make a wreath so you can link to the party too!  Or, if nothing else, go HERE and check out all the other link ups to find some inspiration!!



Linking here:
30 Minute Fixes at The Bold Abode
Saturday Night Special at Funky Junk Interiors
Get Schooled Saturday at Too Much Time On My Hands
Weekend Craft Soiree at Homemaker in Heels

Spray Tans for Furniture

About a year and a half ago I was obsessed with spray tans.  

Source

Not the orange "I'm in a fitness competition" spray tans, just the kind that left you feeling a little healthier and maybe even looking a little thinner without the nasty business of lying (laying?) in the sun.

 (Who has time for that anyway?  Okay, I admit, I wish I did!)

Anyway, it occurred to me that even with the purchase of the booth and the sprayer and the tanning solution, I would still have to find someone to spray me down.  And that's where the dream died.

Until today.  Sort of.

Over the past week I've been working on getting my spray studio ready!  With the help of my Mom the dream is alive again!  (She's so much taller than I am - not fair!)

So, here are a few before and during photos of my new studio. 

Let me clarify, only furniture will be changing color here AND the space is not much to look at...

Glamorous, right?  You should see me in my respirator - very sexy!

 This beautiful chest will be my first victim transformation!

Spray victim number 2!  Isn't this a great piece?

So, stay tuned for what I know will be a couple of great "afters"!

 

Happy Mother's Day!

Happy Mother's Day to all of you great Moms out there!  May you all have a restful day!

 

Dilemma of the Day - be careful what you wish for

Good morning sunshine!  

I'm writing this post at 5:05am and that's waaaay to early for me to be awake, so I'm feeling a little loopy!  Mornings are not typically my time to shine, but Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday mornings this week, I woke up at 4:18am.  (Okay, well, 4:18am was when I first looked at my phone.)  How does that happen?

This isn't a good thing as I canNOT fall back to sleep once this brain gets to cranking.  I try.  Sometimes if I count backwards from 100, imagining I'm painting each number, I come close.  But usually, around number 79, I find myself spinning out and making to-do lists, priority lists and lists about lists.

So, Wednesday night I prayed to sleep "past 4:18".  

You guessed it, Thursday morning I woke up, looked at my phone and yes, it was 4:19am.  I couldn't make this stuff up.  BE CAREFUL WHAT YOU WISH FOR, right?

So, I was much more specific in my sleep request last night and was shooting for 6:00.  I settled for 4:29am.

And now I'm here, typing and listening to Brutus snore so loudly the windows are rattling.  Remember this guy?  He's pretty excited to find out he just won the Hurl-a-Squirrel prize from the Rockin' Pet Party over at The House at Bluebird Lane!!  It's National Pet Week!

(well, he WILL be excited, but I don't have the heart to wake him up and tell him.)

Moving on.... my dilemma is this.

(sorry, bad lighting at 6am)

THESE, to be more precise.

Ignore the ugly sink, faucet, counter-tops and popcorn ceiling.  It's the two oddly sized windows, in the corner, in my kitchen, that I'm referring to.  We've lived in this house for 7 years and nearly every day I wonder what to do with this decorating nightmare of a corner.

I guess if it were up to me and we didn't live in suburbia, I'd leave all of our windows open and uncovered, which is probably why they've been left for so long.  I don't think the neighbors mind the occasional view of me washing dishes or cutting vegetables, right?  Notice that there aren't even screens on the window?  (this is my doing)

Notice the funky houseplants?  I seriously think the one on the left was given to me after a car accident in high school and the other my Mom gave me when I went to college.  No kidding, you can't kill these things.

Notice the completely off-center light fixture? I don't know who to blame for that, but it doesn't line up with anything. at. all.

The cute pendant light used to be a can light but I converted it with one of those easy-peasy kits from Lowe's.  The glass was red before as well, but some Krylon took care of that.

Notice that I went through a 'cross phase'?  SOO over it.

So what to do with this awkward little space?

Dress the windows?  Add a cute little chandelier with lots of sparkle?  Help!

Tomorrow is Saturday; surely I'll sleep until 6am?!?  Happy weekend my friends!!!

 

The Rules

When you have a home full of boys, sometimes you need rules.

 (the offender)

Rules like, "snacks and drinks stay on the hardwoods" (also known as you're not allowed to eat in a room with carpet) 

Rules such as "a healthy snack before junk food." 

Or, how about "take your shoes off when you come inside the house."

Sometimes the rules are forgotten and Mom has to remind everyone.  Sometimes even Dad needs a little reminding.

So, when Mom drops an entirely full (as in never even opened, brand spanking new from the store) quart of black chalkboard paint and it explodes all over the carpet, is a new rule in order?

(after 20 minutes of blotting and wiping down the wood floor) 

 (from another angle, sure why not.)

Or should we just be done with it and throw all the rules out the window?

 (after 1 cleaning, not too bad)

After a second dance with the carpet cleaner, the whole mess is basically gone.  

And Mom has 'lightened up' on those rules.  

And can still be caught painting in the dining room.