Little Miss Muffet sat on a....

Tuffet?

At least that is what came to mind when I saw these little chairs at an auction. When I googled "tuffet" I found pictures of little ottoman kinda things...but the definition is "a footstool or low seat." So I am going with tuffet.

As cute as they are (or probably were in 1978) I knew they would require my least favorite chore...upholstery...and sewing!

So of course they sat in the garage for months.

But I could see them all dolled up in my mind's eye so this week I decided to tackle the project.

First I had to strip off all the old upholstery and remove all the nails and staples!

I found an upholstery material I really love but there wasn't enough to do the whole chair...so I found a solid that coordinates with the fabric...sometimes you have to improvise!

Chalk painted and distressed the frame...

Rather than use upholstery nails I used gimp...

The cushion is attached to the seat with buttons so I covered buttons with the teal fabric.

Just too stinking cute!

Not sure if these are "technically" tuffets but they are child size and ready for another lifetime of curds and whey!

On a side note, I "googled" what exactly is "curds and whey"...turns out it is nothing more than "curdled milk." I raised two girls...neither included curds and whey in their tea party menu!

Little Miss Muffet

Sat on her tuffet

Eating her sausage and egg biscuit

Along came a spider and sat down beside her

And Little Miss Muffet squished it.

We should be empowering our girls...

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Sign post from old bed posts...

I have had these old bed posts for eons...they have been sitting in my garden cubby for...seriously, I have no idea how long! I can not tell you how many times I almost tossed them, only to stick them back in the cubby "just in case."

I love the blogs that post inspiration pictures with links...but there are just too many...and honestly, I'm kinda lazy! If you need or want more inspiration, just search "sign post" on Pinterest. I promise you will find something that trips your trigger.

I stumbled across one in my search for ideas for my guest room (I promise to share soon!) Light bulb moment. I have old posts! I have some old hooks....and scrap wood...and paint.

I CAN DO THIS!!!!

So I did...

Super simple project...while I have all the necessary tools in my Tool Box, this really is a project that needs little more than a hammer, saw, screw driver, glue and nails.

First I had to clean all the gunk off the posts...then I puttied the holes and built a sturdy base (just a scrap board screwed into the post and trim)...

....chalk...paint...distress...seal...add a hook!

Perfect for a little "Welcome" sign on the front porch....maybe a hanging basket of flowers. You could even add a few more hooks and use it as a coat rack or set it in your bathroom or by the pool for towels...the possibilities are endless!!!

Super simple. And a great way for me to purge another "just in case" thing from my garden cubby!

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The breakfast nook table and chairs makeover

When Matt decided to buy his first home (details here), I knew my love for "making old new again" would come in handy!

I love the dresser and chest I found and refinished!

He was able to use the farmhouse trestle table I featured here.

And of course this "cute as a bug's ear" vintage chair makeover!

But he didn't have a table that would fit in his breakfast nook...a relatively small space in his kitchen.

I knew it needed to be a round table since the space is only about 9x9.

I found this round oak table at a flea market...a tad dated in it's original condition but I knew exactly what I wanted to do with it.

Normally these oak tables are around 48" in diameter but this one was only 32" so it is the perfect size...just not the perfect finish.

I honestly didn't want to strip and restain the top so I decided to go with gel stain...again, I ONLY use the General Finishes brand. It really is the best!

Rather than go with my usual Java color, I decided to go with the Brown Mahogany.

As I have said in other tutorials, the first coat is a bit stressful....

...you really question whether this stuff is going to work.

Patience...wipe on a coat with an old athletic sock...let it dry overnight...then wipe on a second coat, then a third....

I promise, by the third coat you will see the results you want. Then just seal it with the General Finishes wipe on top coat.

Sunlight streaming through the windows is awesome in the morning...not so much for photographing furniture...but hopefully you get the idea....

After staining the top, I chalk painted and distressed the table base. I picked up a couple of oak chairs at an auction and chalked painted and distressed them as well...then recovered the seats with some leftover fabric from my club chair makeover!

Perfect fit for this small space.

One tip...this little table came with a leaf...while this space really isn't big enough to expand the table, it is always smart to refinish table inserts just in case want to use them in the future!

Also, just a reminder that I do not seal my chalk paint with wax...I use polyacrylic. Someday this whole "distress" thing will go out of style and he will want to paint this furniture...wax would have to be stripped before he could repaint the piece!

Next week I hope to share Matt's first big project...painting the brick fireplace. If you are debating whether to tackle yours, you really want to see what a little bit of paint can do...impressive!

So tune in for the big reveal.

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A proper guest room...

I have three empty bedrooms upstairs. Three empty rooms that my heart still feels are "the kid's" rooms. Truthfully, Mitchell hasn't lived in his room in 12 years. Matt has moved home on a few occasions since he graduated, but he just bought a home. Katie is still in college 15 minutes down the road, but she has made it clear that she has no intention of moving home...she will graduate next year and I have no doubt she will set out to set the world on fire.

So while my heart feels those are "the kid's" rooms, I know in my head that it is time.

Time to paint over the big "fail whale" in Katie's room.

(In case you are wondering, those are the photo albums...for the three youngest...I know, I have issues!)

Time to replace the baseball paddle fan in Matt's room.

Time to purge a few more things in Mitchell's room.

I've made small changes to each room over the years...Katie's room is now our "home gym." But honestly, throwing a weight bench and elliptical machine in a room doesn't really make it a "home gym."

I have boxed up MOST of Mitchell's plaques, framed certificates and trophies...but it is still "his" room.

Matt took much of his furniture when he moved into his new home, but he left his junior high jersey and his high school diploma and senior picture, so I immediately rearranged the few pieces of furniture (a bed and chest) and put his personal momentos back on the wall.

But it is time to make some serious changes...and as always I found the little push I needed and a bit of inspiration on another website. J. Cathell ...a site that showed up on my "Bloglovin'" feed. I also found this tutorial at Today's Creative Life that outlined a few essential "must haves" in a proper guest room.

And this super handy checklist here...a great list to make sure I have all the bases covered if I want to create the perfect guest room.

I don't intend to put the bath items in the bedroom...the bathroom is rarely used so I just need to make sure it is organized, clean and stocked with "guest necessities."

Inspiration...the first step to making a plan for any project, big or small.

The room featured on the Jess's site is a tad "over the top" for our needs. Truthfully we don't have a lot of guests...the kids come home for the "momdatory" holidays and occasionally my uncle will come for a visit.

Inspiration none-the-less...and a push to get the ball rolling.

A plan...right now the plan is in my head and relatively simple.

This week I tackled the first step in "the plan." Since Mitchell's room was the most recent makeover, little will change in there. I boxed up a few more things...VHS movies, books, etc. It will still function as a guest room but it will be a room where I can still display the important stuff like diplomas and such.

Katie's room will still be our "home gym" but it needed to be purged and neutralized...in other words, it was time to paint over the fail whale.

Since it is our "home gym" we think we MIGHT eventually move all the diplomas, framed jerseys and trophy's into that room. It has the largest tv so it is also ideal for the grandkid's game room when they visit.

The paint in Matt's room is not bad, but I want to eventually coordinate all the colors in the three rooms. I painted Mitchell's room BM Rivere Pewter but I wanted to go a tad lighter in Katie and Matt's rooms...so the plan was to paint them SW Nuance...the same color I painted my master bedroom. It appears to be a shade lighter than the Revere Pewter. (As you can see, I managed to get Katie's room painted but after two days of painting and purging, I decided Matt's room will just have to wait!) The trim in Katie's room was the original trim color so it was a tad "yellower" than the Swiss Coffee I have used in the rest of the house...so that was painted as well.

Brian replaced the baseball paddle fan in Matt's room...not a huge deal.

I wasn't thrilled with the amount of light the new fixture put off. I moved a little wicker side table from Mitchell's room and the lamp from Katie's room and I think guests will have sufficient light!

A major "purge fest" in all three rooms...boxed up the keepsakes that will go in the attic and filled four boxes to donate. I made sure the bathroom was free of expired products and used toothbrushes. I gathered up all the spare blankets and pillows and stacked them in the closet.

Purging, paint and a paddle fan. Seems like a small step but those things made the biggest mess, the biggest impact and set the tone for the rest of the plan.

Eventually I want to paint the walls and change the bed frame in the Matt's room (the REAL guest room). I want to replace the chest of drawers with a nice dresser. Eventually incorporate all the little things Jess featured in her guest room makeover...a comfy rug, a chair or bench, new curtains and wall decor, a charging outlet, a cute wifi passcode sign, a jar with little guest necessities, a luggage rack, nice alarm clock and all the little homey nick-nacks that make a guest room comfortable and inviting.

Truth is the most important elements of any guest room is that it is clean and clutter-free and has a comfortable bed and bedding....I can check that off my list of "things-to-do." The rest of the checklist will come with time and patience.

Thank goodness we are not expecting over night guest anytime soon!

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Another mid century dresser...

I love vintage mid century furniture! Love it. The style is my absolute favorite to refinish and as I have said before, I try to infuse as many pieces as I can into each room. Beautiful wood...clean lines...sturdy as the day it was built!

These are just a few of the dressers and chests I have refinished over the years...

Here....

Thank goodness my kids have inherited my passion for this style of furniture...because when I found this awesome dresser and matching chest on Craigslist, Matt had no problem taking them off my hands (AFTER I had worked a little makeover magic on them!)

As you can see I couldn't wait to start stripping the old finish before I remembered to get the camera. And the finish on this sucker...it was a booger! Usually my 1/2 and 1/2 mixture melts old finish right off! I dang near had to blast this stuff off...I finally had to break out the heavy duty stripper and break my cardinal rule against sanding veneer (DO NOT attempt to sand veneer unless you have some serious experience.)

The top is laminate so I decided to paint the cabinet and refinish the drawers and legs....

Stripped and oiled the drawer fronts and legs...KSTP the cabinet and tops...drum roll....

I usually add a piece of protective glass on painted dressers...just to be on the safe side!

I love these pieces...and they are perfect for Matt's new home. He is using the dresser in his master bedroom and the chest in his guest room! Because these pieces were so well built, they will last another life-time!

I have several projects in Matt's house to share! He has already started "projecting" and I try to sneak in and take pictures when I can! So stay tuned for a cute little breakfast table makeover and his updated brick fireplace.

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A vintage chair makeover for the new house....

As I have mentioned before, it is important to do research on "vintage" or "antique" pieces before you take a can of spray paint to them...God forbid you find LATER that you have spray painted a potentially valuable piece.

Such was the case with this pathetic little chair....

Someone had painted a true "vintage" piece...a McGuire ratan chair. (At least I THINK someone painted it...I couldn't find any information indicating this chair would have originally been painted)

With a little bit of research I found a listing for this pair on 1stdibs selling for a small fortune!

The prices on 1stdibs and Chairish always seem a bit high for my tastes but I have found both sites to be excellent sources for researching vintage pieces.

When I first researched this coffee table (Drexel Declaration) I found it on one of these sites for around $1600. And this little cabinet for thousands.

This little chair sat out front of 410 Vintage for several weeks before I decided to tackle it. I wasn't drawn to it because of "what it is" but rather Matt needs a few little accent chairs. Since they sold it to me for $10 I didn't feel too guilty about painting it...the "true value" was pretty much toast in its current condition!

The strapping on the joints (strictly decorative) is actually leather, but it was all pretty dried out and one was broken...a little hot glue fixed it right up.

I repaired the broken seat strapping, primed the frame with Kilz, sanded a bit, sprayed it with black satin paint and made new cushions and pillows. I had some foam cushions stored away in my attic from an old couch and a few small pillow forms lying around so the only thing I had to buy was the paint and fabric.

Since Matt is a pilot and we are leaning towards an "aviation" theme in his living room, I thought this fabric choice for the pillows was down right clever...lol!

Not bad for a small investment.

So now Matt has a defaced "McGuire ratan" accent chair...of little value but perfect for his needs!

And cute as a bugs ear!

Closing is next week and I can't wait to get started...not sure if I am more excited about Matt buying his first home or getting all this "stuff" I have accumulated out of my house! I have most of the pieces ready to load and go! I am ready to roll out the rugs, set the furniture and hang the pictures.

In a few weeks I will post a few "project pieces" I have worked on for Matt's house. I can't wait to share what a few bucks and a little time and effort can do.

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Happy Thanksgiving!!

Happiness is a choice. A conscience decision we make, no matter what the circumstances, to be happy.

Impossible you say? Obviously it may seem impossible every single minute of every single day. The sad fact is, "the negatives" in our lives (and our pasts) have a way of creeping into our minds and stealing our happiness.

I find myself mired in "the negative" all too often. Something bad happens or an old memory creeps in and it is just too easy to slip right into "the negative." Shit happens....don't have enough money to pay the bills, a kid is struggling in school, or worse, in life...the cat is sick and the vet bills are astronomical, someone you love's health is failing, the stupid policeman wrote a ticket right before the holidays, the car won't start.

For me, this week, it was a fire. Not at my house but at the manager's house at the apartments. Somehow the gas shut-off valve to the dryer "opened" and gas filled the laundry room. The dryer was running and it sparked an explosion that blew out the window and caught the room on fire.

Curses.

For two weeks I have been dealing with the expense of plumbers and inspectors and materials and the back breaking work of replacing windows, trim and siding, repairing sheetrock, cleaning every square inch of a room covered in soot, Kilzing it all and paint.

All right before the holidays.

Specifically a holiday for which we "give thanks."

This is one of those times when I had to dig deep to find my happiness.

So the first thing I did was look for SOMETHING to be grateful for...because the truth is, the best way to find happiness is focus of the positive...the things in your life you can be grateful for!

First, I am grateful that the dryer was running, otherwise the house could have filled with gas and killed the occupants. Had the door not been closed the smoke and fire could have spread to the rest of the house and created a MUCH bigger mess.

I am grateful that my plumber was willing to move heaven and earth to get everything tested and inspected quickly.

I am grateful it is fairly warm out and we didn't end up with frozen and busted water lines.

And as always, i am grateful I have the ability to do the work that needs to be done to restore order.

Positives. Gratitude. Happiness.

A choice I make to focus on the positive, the things for which I can be grateful, rather than focusing on the negatives that are inevitable.

How ironic that we only set aside one specific day a year to "give thanks."

So this Thanksgiving, focus on the things in your life for which you can be grateful...and vow to carry that gratitude with you every single day. When the negative creeps in and grips your heart and soul find something positive to grasp ahold of and focus on it....it won't be easy and sometimes it will seem down right impossible.

But it is a choice...a conscience choice you make...to either be happy or be unhappy.

It really is that simple.

Have a grateful and happy Thanksgiving!

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What's my "style"....

As I have said time and again (and evident by my Home Tour) my "style" is very eclectic. What exactly does that mean?

It means I like what I like and because my home is not all "farmhouse" or "traditional" or "mid century" I can pretty much find a place for any piece I fall in love with.

As I mentioned in my last post my son Matt is buying his first home so I have been on the hunt for pieces that can be transformed and used in his house. Taylor, my daughter-in-law, asked me what Matt's decor style is...hum...not sure I ever asked him. Fortunately, like me, he likes what he likes and doesn't restrict himself to a specific style. He loves the mid century Lane Acclaim tables, but he also loves the farmhouse table I refinished several months ago! I promised him that if it didn't sell, he could have it for his dining area. I have picked up a few chairs and a round oak pedestal table for his breakfast nook. I'll share them when I get their "facelift" done!

In the meantime I want to share this nifty dresser. Seriously horrid in it's original condition, but I could see the potential.

Solid wood and very well built...and unique!

I think it could be an awesome piece in his bedroom, along with this little dresser, but I'm not sure I have convinced him it is worthy....but then again, he hasn't seen it finished!

I absolutely LOVE this piece, especially the old rusty hardware. Matt asked if I could put cup pulls on it like the little dresser, but honestly, this hardware too cool... so unique and amazing. I cleaned them up and reattached them...rust and all! I just think they are awesome!

I chalk painted and distressed the cabinet and gel stained the top. The drawer fronts are latex paint.

As I said before, if he still doesn't love it, someone else will!

That is the great thing about being "eclectic"...to each his own!

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I blame it all on "Fixer Upper" ...

As I mentioned here, Matt is buying a house so I have been on the hunt for inexpensive pieces he will need. I often remind my children that it took decades for me to accumulate the pieces I have in my own home...so patience!

But I find myself being terribly impatient when it comes to someone else's house. I blame it on "Fixer Upper." A couple walks into their home after 1 hour and it is perfectly decorated and styled and staged...certainly I can do that in 2 months.

HA!!!!

Maybe if he had an endless budget...but he doesn't so I have to focus on the essentials with a few "froo-froos" thrown in for good measure.

Saturday I scored a "free" sectional couch. It will be an awesome piece if an upholstery cleaner can get all the nastiness and dog hair off of it...for now it is in the storage shed along with patio furniture, garden tools, kitchen stuff I have picked up and of course his "college day" collection.

I do have a garage full of "projects" and a few of those pieces will work beautifully in his new house...IF it will ever stop raining and I can get them all repaired and painted!!! For now it is just a collection of "junk" that is stressing my OCD tendencies.

Actually I pulled a lot of it out into the driveway Monday, went for supplies, and got home just in time to drag it all back into the garage before it got soaked. Curses.

I worked Monday and Tuesday building and repairing and cleaning...making wood tops, gluing busted drawers, puttying splintered veneer and misplaced hardware holes. All the stuff you can do when it is raining and you can't drag everything out and start assembly line painting.

One piece is a neat little three drawer chest I scored while emptying out one of my apartments....

It certainly had it's issues. Laminate top, busted drawers, splintered veneer, and an AWEFUL finish!

Number one rule...if it is broke fix it PROPERLY! No sense in "making it pretty" if the veneer is going to continue to peel or the drawers don't function.

I removed all the "loose" veneer, puttied and sanded. I repaired all the drawers. And because I think this would make an awesome bedside table in Matt's new house, I replaced the top with a stained wood top....

I chalk painted and distressed the cabinet with one of the sample pots I bought when I was looking for a wall color for my bedroom. I kilzed and painted the drawer fronts with another sample! Nothing goes to waste!

And of course new hardware.

Again, I think it would make an awesome bedside table but I have a few other little projects up my sleeve Matt may like better. Nice thing about having a room in a vintage market...if he doesn't love it, someone else will!

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A simple side table...

When we added the new bedroom chairs....

...we decided to take out the "surround sound system." When I built this room 16 years ago, I installed surround sound and we had a whole sound system set up and wired through the walls.

Truth be told, we haven't used the surround sound system in YEARS...so there was no need to have the hulking components taking up real estate. It was just something to dust.

As pretty as the little MCM table was that held the sound system components, it really didn't work in the space.

But that left one small problem. Brian didn't have anything to set his computer or drinks on. Every guy should have a place to put his "stuff" next to his recliner...right?

Most of the side tables in my house are square or rectangular. And that just wasn't going to work in the space next to his chair.

Fortunately, my neighbor Carolyn has a "flea booth" and has a garage full of odds and ends. So I dug around in her garage and found this little round table....

She bought the little pedestal at a garage sale and attached a round craft board for the top. She hadn't gotten around to painting it and that was just fine with me! Again, "not my style" but it was the perfect size for the space.

So I brought it home, stained and sealed the top and painted the base the same color as the accent wall.

I painted it with chalk paint and considered "distressing" it a bit...and I may do that at some point.

Right now it serves it's intended purpose.

So now this room is done...right?

Nope.

Last weekend we went shopping for a king size bed. I have NEVER had a king size bed...but sleeping with a huge dog and two cold kitties was beginning to take a toll on my back and sanity.

So we bought a king size mattress and box springs.

That set off a frantic search for all new sheets and blankets and a bed frame that will support and conceal the box springs...it all had to keep my bedding simple and easy to make and fit into vision I have for this room.

OH MY GOSH!!!!

First, I hate shopping. It is just not my thing. Second, I'm "old school"...mattresses go on box springs, not platforms, which seems to be the "in" thing right now. That and REALLY tall head boards, which I don't like, or fabric covered headboards that will NOT work in a house full of critters. Third, box springs aren't suppose to show. And lastly, I'm lazy...the only way you can make a "platform" bed look decent is if you tuck all the blankets in on all sides. That breaks my "make the bed in 30 seconds" rule and we all know what would happen if I didn't make the bed every morning!

I did it. I bought new sheets and a mattress pad. I ordered a new down comforter and quilt online. I ordered a bed frame I THINK I will like...when it arrives in 1-4 weeks.

So when it all arrives and is put together, I will do ANOTHER reveal on the master bedroom. And that should be the FINAL reveal.... until I change out the paddle fans or buy the new lamps I've been eyeing, or finally find the perfect piece of art for the big blank walls.

It's only taken me 16 years to get this far...no hurry!