Change is a coming...again

As much as I like to think everything stays the same around here...things do change!

Change came when Brian and I combined households. One of the many additions when he took up residence was his very large and very brown leather couch....

I featured the club chair makeover **here**

BB (before Brian) I had a light and bright couch....this couch went to the den....

(My daughter now has this living room...the couch, the leather chair and the rug!)

...after I gave away the hulking "mustard" couch!

The simple yellow couch went to my daughter's so for now the big brown couch has moved to the den ....

...to make room for the NEW couch I ordered two months ago...

...and as you can see, it has still not arrived.

There was a time when I probably would have ordered off the floor because I was too impatient to wait. But wait I have...and waited and waited and waited. Fortunately, it is due to be delivered today.

The biggest problem I have right now is the "matchy matchy" of the big brown leather couch and big brown leather chair in the den...

....so the new couch may go to the den and the big brown leather couch may go back to the living room.

Who knows...all I know is I am grateful for furniture movers and Brian's strong back and endless patience!

One disadvantage (or advantage, depending on your perspective) to going to auctions and having a resell outlet is the never ending supply of relatively affordable furniture. This Duncan Phyfe table was a fixture in my dining room for 15 years....

Then I found this really nifty antique table and shared how I refinished it here....

Then I found a really nifty trestle table and shared it's little makeover here....

I held onto this table for a time only because I thought I might follow the "farmhouse fad" and try to infuse a little in my dining area. But truth is, it always seemed a tad big...and honestly, it just isn't "my style."

A few weeks ago I snagged this cute little antique draw leaf table at an auction....

Not sure I am in love with it, but it suits the need for a smaller table nested against the wall and it can be expanded once a year for Thanksgiving dinner.

So, change is coming...when the couch gets here. It has been over two months since I ordered it so I hope I still LOVE it when it is delivered. Couches are one of those things I really need to love...because they are big and they are expensive and for me they are the anchor for the room. Rugs, pillows, tables and wall decor can easily be changed out to completely change the feel of a room...couches, not so much!

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The hardware sets the tone...dresser makeovers!

We have been pretty busy this past month so I haven't been able to go to too many auctions. I was forced to scrounge around on Craigslist and online garage sale sites to find a few pieces to work on..

They did not disappoint!

As usual, I am drawn to the "nobody wants me because I am totally ugly" pieces of furniture.

I like different and unusual.

This chest and side table checked off all the boxes...kinda ugly and unusual.

The ugly part is pretty obvious but they do have nice "bones." Solid and sturdy!

The unusual part was the hardware. I love unusual hardware. Sometimes the hardware dictates what direction I go with a piece.

In this case the heavy black handles pushed me towards blue/gray. A friend asked me what paint color I used. Well, let's see...I had some blue, I threw in some black...too dark, so I added some white.

So I have no idea what color it is....blue/gray!

They had some detailing so I decided to do a chalk paint and distress treatment. I usually save that for pieces that have good detailing that will "pop" when I distress it.

Two coats of chalk paint, a little distressing and sealed with poly. The hardware just needed a little cleaning and it was good to go!!!

Hardware can be a booger when it is missing. I picked up a campaign dresser last week and the brass hardware was amazing. The only problem was it was missing one handle and they are next to impossible to replace.

I really wanted to stay "true" to the style of this dresser...a mid century campaign. But the old finish was pretty dark and dated. (did I take a before picture like a good blogger...um...no!)

Very similar to this little side table I recently refinished.

I decide to shine up the brass hardware and give the piece a sleek new look with gloss white paint.

The missing handle, however, posed a real challenge!

I knew I was going to have to scale back to one handle on each of the top drawers but I couldn't just patch little screw holes because the handles actually "inset" into the face of the drawer.

The thickness of the hardware was 1/4"...so I bought 1/4" pieces of craft board....

....cut out a hole big enough for the hardware to sit in and then attached the boards to the face of the drawers with wood glue to cover the existing cut outs!

KSTP (Kilz, sand, tack and paint!) treatment, reinstalled the spiffed up hardware and.....

Perfect! Obviously someone else thought it was perfect because it sold the day I took it in!

Until next week....

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Oak dresser makeover....

I shared here how I scored a new bed frame for my master bedroom!

I bought the entire set which included a chest of drawers and two nightstands. Since I am not into "matchy-matchy" and didn't need the chest and nightstands, I decided to do something to mask the "timeless" honey oak of the remaining pieces....

Notice the use of "quotes" on "timeless." I have lived long enough to know that NOTHING is timeless. Nothing. Not subway tile, trestle tables or hardwood floors.

Why? Because while they date back decades, there was a time when those now-popular must haves in the decor world were seriously out of favor. Had you bought a house with subway tile and hardwood floors in the 70s, you would have immediately replaced them with wall-to-wall carpet and olive green 4x4 tile.

Not saying you shouldn't decorate with the times, just don't expect it to be the "in thing" 15 years from now!

Anywho, back to the chest and side table make overs!

As always I have to have my "stain" fix. Occasionally I will paint an entire piece, but if there is some redeeming wood on a dresser or table, I want that mix of stain and paint. These piece are oak, but the color of the oak was the dated "honey oak." So I used gel stain on the tops and drawer fronts and painted the "cabinet."

Gel stain is super easy to use and allows you to change the color without having to strip the old finish.

I always stain before I paint. Primarily because after the stain and finish cures, you can tape it off to paint!

Again, no stripping or sanding. I have tried every gel stain on the market....General Finishes brand is the ONLY gel stain and finish I would recommend for this process. It comes in a variety of colors and sheens.

First, knock the sheen of the old finish off by lightly sanding with 220 grit paper...you don't need to get it ALL off...just a light sanding (WITH THE GRAIN!), then wipe it all down with a tack cloth. Wipe on the first coat of stain with an old athletic sock (I put on a disposable glove first)...let it dry for 24 hours, then wipe on the second coat with a fresh old sock...dry 24 hours...then wipe on the 3rd coat (again, fresh sock).

The first two coats will leave you in a panic...don't. I promise you will have the look you want after three coats.

Keep in mind, it is stain...NOT paint. So don't be heavy handed with it or try to get perfect coverage with the 1st and 2nd coats. Keep it thin and translucent. And ALWAYS wipe with the grain of the wood! After 3 coats of stain, I seal it with the General Finishes wipe-on poly!

If you goof, the stain will easily wipe off with mineral spirits BEFORE you seal it with the poly.

Let the poly cure well, at least 4-5 days before taping it off for paint.

This is what my "assembly line" process looks like when I prime several pieces....

I had four dressers that needed priming. This is also what I call taking a piece to "base neutral." Sometimes I have no idea what color I want to paint a piece until I can get the old crudy finish covered. I prime and sand and then wait for inspiration.

When it was all said and done, the oak dresser and side tables got plain ole' "off white." Classic.

And of course, new hardware.

Obviously I did something right...the chest of drawers sold immediately.

If you have a piece that has a "dated" finish, try using gel stain to update the stain color. Every decor needs the warmth of a wood finish...so don't be so quick to slather paint on every piece!

Until next week....

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Your yard may need a new "rug!"

As I mention here (when I ranted about my neighbor's trees!) my yard is an extension of my home.

I obsess when it is time to replace a rug or flooring...I cruise the internet, pin every room that catches my eye on Pinterest, and spend months bringing home hardwood and tile samples! (Stay tuned for the drama of the new couch selection!)

But what about our yards...does your yard need "new flooring?" Mine sure as heck did!

It's not like I have ignored it....I have resodded this area at least 5 times in the last 17 years...most recently just last year. But it never thrived because I kept putting down the wrong sod...Bermuda and Zoysia...both of which need sun and this area of my yard did not get enough.

I resisted putting down the sod I KNEW I needed...Fescue. Silly reason actually. Most of my yard gets tons of sun and the Bermuda has thrived. Bermuda goes dormant in the winter and turns brown. Fescue does not...it pretty much stays green year round. The thought of having two different types of grass was more than my OCD could tolerate.

The fact is, after years of failure, there really was no other option...dirt or grass. No brainer really, but the grass I WANTED to grown wasn't going to survive the shade! Want in one hand, poo in the other.

Fescue it is...and it made a HUGE difference.

Just showing off some of my pretty potted plants!

The MAJOR upside to sod is instant gratification. A day of hard labor and you have a beautiful yard that will not wash away!

Sod vs. seed. In my opinion, the difference financially is really minimal longterm. Yes, the upfront cost of sod may seem substantial. I probably spent $600 on 4 1/2 pallets of sod and some top soil.

You have to top seed with straw. You will have to hope and pray you don't get a heavy rain that will wash away the seed (we have had more than a few of those in the last month!)...and of course there are always the birds who find it very tasty! Yes, you have to water sod, but you will water much more to establish seed and even then you might have a tough time nurturing it through the hot dry months of the summer! Seeding in the spring just does not give new grass time to get a good root system before the heat of summer!

In my opinion, sod is the only way to go if you have the ability to put it down yourself...and trust me, it takes very little "skill!" Just a strong back and clothes you don't mind getting dirty (REAL dirty!)

By the end of a back breaking day I had a beautiful new "rug" for my yard...and hopefully THIS time it will survive!

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Drexel Accolade Nightstand makeover....

I cringe when I even think about painting any MCM piece but occasionally I bite the bullet and paint. Painted this MCM dresser and chest and have never regretted it...yet.

These little Drexel Accolade campaign "nightstands" are described as "MCM" but my research shows they are from the 1980s...so at best they are "vintage." (I cringe even more describing anything from the 80s as "vintage" since I graduated from college in the 80s!)

These little tables vary in "value." Originally my intent was to sell both as-is. But one had some serious "splash marks" all over it and as much as I tried I could not get it off. My only option was to completely strip and refinish the piece...or paint.

Since I am AGAIN working on the final stages of my den makeover, I decided to paint the one with the serious flaws and use it as a side table. I started to strip and stain it, but I really need a painted piece rather than stained....just my preference. I believe it is important to have a balance of paint and natural wood in any decor and in this case the scales tipped toward paint.

(I will remind you to use extreme caution when painting "vintage" or "antique" pieces...do your research and know what you have FIRST! Make an informed decision before you refinish or paint...you don't want to find out later that you slathered paint on a 1796 colonial side table or spray painted a Hans Wegner chair...just watch "Antique Roadshow")

You can use ketchup or lemon based cleaners to clean brass. Just Google!

The brass hardware on these little tables needed some serious attention!

One interesting tidbit I ran across was how to determine if you have solid brass or brass plated...a magnet...magnets won't stick to solid brass...if it sticks, it is plated...interesting. Mine are solid so that determined how "aggressive" I could be cleaning them.

I'm not sure if a "clear coat" was sprayed on this hardware or age had taken a toll (maybe both), but even my 1/2 and 1/2 mixture didn't cut it. In the end I used a toothbrush, 0000 steal wool, a heavy duty brass cleaner and a ton of elbow grease.

Then I gave the entire piece a little KSTP treatment...Kilz, sand, tack cloth and then paint.

I really like the look of "high gloss" so I went with a high gloss lacquer white...I think the brass really pops against the gloss white and hopefully it will look good with whatever couch I finally set my sights on!

One word of warning I hope all will take seriously...give paint time to "cure." Nothing is more frustrating than spending time and effort making a piece pretty with paint, only to mess it up by putting doo-dads on it too soon! Cure time IS important!!!!

I cleaned up the other and it may be sold...I may hang onto it for the time being to see if I can use it in the den...but I am not really into "matchy-matchy" so I may not use it...who knows. And besides, that brass is a booger to shine up so I'm not really looking forward to doing that again any time soon!!!

You may notice I have a mix of MCM and "traditional" in my den...and that is honestly how I would describe "my style"....eclectic or maybe "transitional"...a little of this and a little of that. It allows me to add elements I love without having to worry too much about the actual "style" of each piece.

Until next week....

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Bee Box Shelf....

Sometimes things get "stored" in my garage and I spend a few years kicking them around.

My daughter started raising bees several years ago. She would occasionally bring home old "bee boxes" to paint.

One has been hanging out in my garage for...oh, I would say at LEAST two years. Waiting to be painted. Never happened.

In my quest to "organize" my mess of a garage I decided to purge a few things...but it is always hard for me to toss anything wood. One of my few "hoarding" tendencies.

An old bee box...scrap pieces of bead board from another project...old dresser drawer pieces...hum....what to do, what to do!?

Yep...a "bee box" shelf.

I used one side of an antique dresser drawer as the shelf and the scrap bead board for the back. A little glue...a few nails. I sanded the box and the shelf to clean them up a bit. (I could actually smell the honey!)After sanding and assembling I sprayed the entire piece with a clear coat just to seal the "chippy" paint.

Easy, peasy.

Not my style so of course it will be sold, but just a quick reminder that you can turn any old "scraps" into something pretty and functional with just a little imagination...this didn't take too much time or any expensive tools...just a saw to cut the shelf, a hammer and a little sand paper.

Next week I'll share the project that produced all the scrap bead board...another "repurposing" project!

Until then....

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MCM dresser makeover AGAIN!

I featured my personal dresser make over here!

I really love this dresser but as I mentioned in the original post, I have always regretted painting the drawer fronts. They have a little slant and as you can see in the linked post, they have a little "inlay" detail! Looking back, I wish I had stripped the drawer fronts, oiled them and just painted the cabinet and top....kind of like what I did with this dresser!

I guess I could have rolled up my sleeves and taken on the task of stripping the fronts...but honestly, you can't go back and easily undo what has been done...or can you?

If you find the exact same dresser, YES YOU CAN!!!

I happen to be driving down the street this past weekend and spotted a dresser and chest of drawers sitting out in a driveway. It just so happens they were the EXACT same style I have. I couldn't stop fast enough (annoying to the person behind me since I was hauling my 14' trailer) but was disappointed when told someone was coming to pick them up later that evening. I asked them to call me if they weren't picked up...that is when I found out they were GIVING them away...would I be willing to PAY for them? YOU BET YOUR BAZOOKA!!!! I couldn't get them in my truck fast enough. Do I feel a tad guilty that someone showed up later that evening to pick up their free furniture...only to find it gone...naaaaaa...okay just a tad.

So this is what the dresser looks like in it's original glory! A "Ward Furniture Manufacturing" dresser. It is identical to my blue one before I gave it a little makeover.

Hardly a scratch on it and the veneer was all intact and in good condition. I am always amazed when a 50 year old piece of furniture is in such amazing condition...I wish this 53 year old had faired as well!

I removed all the drawers and stripped the fronts using this process...never fails and a pretty quick process! Even though the finish was near perfect, old finishes "muddy" and "amber" over time and just removing the old finish really brings out the beauty of the piece!

TIP! When you remove drawers from a chest or dresser, make sure you label each drawer (I mark them on the underside with a pencil!)

The drawers may look identical, but truth is they may not fit properly in a different place...age and wear can make drawers "stick" if they aren't put back where they were originally!

I gave the cabinet a little KSTP treatment...Kilz, sand, tack and paint! I applied 4 coats of tung oil finish to the drawer fronts and legs...sanding (with 0000 steel wool) and tack between each coat.

I. LOVE. WALNUT. AND I. LOVE. MID CENTURY!

And now I. LOVE. THIS. DRESSER!

I didn't "dislike" the original dresser, but again, I did regret that I didn't restore the drawer fronts. Now...perfect!

As much as I would love to keep the matching chest, it will be sold. Can't keep every piece and since these aren't "valuable" MCM pieces, I don't feel too bad letting it go!

Painting dressers today so until next week....

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A new bed frame!

The last time I shared my master bedroom I had just finished the laminate flooring!

In this post I shared the "before and after" of my bedroom furniture.....

The bed was just so big and heavy and dark! Painting helped a bit, but it was still pretty big and "scrolly"...and I was just never really fond of it. For the record, I was madly in love with the entire set when I paid a fortune for it 16 years ago...but not so much these days.

It is no secret that in my OWN home, I have been slow to embrace the "country" style in large scale...mostly because I am afraid it will be a "passing fad." Not as bad as the chevron and burlap "fad" of 2014, but I worry enough about it that I am not going to start dragging my prized furniture to the garage and slathering it in chalk paint. (And for the record, it is another reason I am a HUGE advocate of sealing chalk paint with poly rather than wax...when the fad fades, you can easily repaint the pieces without having to strip the wax! And yes, you will have to strip the wax!)

What I have done is be very selective about incorporating the style into my home decor with a few pieces that I won't be too torn up about when the "fad" fades and I have to restyle them or dispose of them.

To me, that is the secret to decorating. Incorporate the latest trends in less expensive ways...decorative pillows and curtains, wall decor, small furniture, wall paint.

It is one reason I have not jumped on the painted white cabinet train...it is a HUGE undertaking...both financially and physically, and when the trend fizzles in a few years, there are going to be a lot of people not so happy with a kitchen filled with expensive painted cabinets. (For the record, I am NOT opposed to painting some kitchen cabinets...just not mine...yet!)

"But white cabinets never go out of style" you say. Well I say you obviously don't remember "honey oak" or "cherry furniture." EVERYTHING goes out of style. So be selective and proceed with caution when shelling out big bucks and Herculian effort to follow the trends! Do what you love, but think very carefully before taking on a massive Pinterest project!

Sooooo...back to the big, heavy and still too "dark" bed frame.

Since I have not been "in love" with this piece of furniture for many years, and since I have made an effort to TRY to fall in love with it again, and failed, it is time to make a change.

And here is how I did it....

Now, before you think "OMG, she bought an expensive country style bed frame," let me tell you how I did a little horse trading to get this piece without breaking the bank.

First, I bought an entire bed room set at an auction. I didn't take pictures of the bed frame, but this is the matching dresser and nightstand...

Honey oak...EEEECKKK! My least favorite wood and color. And it is certainly "not my style." But stay with me!

So it came with a mattress and boxsprings...I didn't need them so the auctioneer resold those for me...deduction number one. Then I sold my old bed frame...deduction number two. At this point, I am at "break even." The dresser and bedside tables are getting a makeover and will be sold. The frame got a little makeover for my room.

This is how I justify incorporating the latest trend in my bedroom...it didn't cost me anything but a little time and paint.

Am I madly in love with it? Umm...not really but I like that I have incorporated the latest trend with little expense and effort.

I like that it is not as big and dark and hulking as my other bed frame...simpler, smaller, different.

I do LOVE the fact that when the "country faze" finally fizzles, I will not beat myself up for disposing of an expensive piece of "trendy" furniture!

Adding elements of the current "decor craze" doesn't always entail making a big financial commitment.

Case in point....

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Birthday traditions and a cheesecake extraordinaire!

As evident by my "Cooking 101" page, this is not a food blog. I usually share recipes that are easy or ones I have put my simple "twist" on.

But today I am going to share one that may seem a tad intimating but honestly, super easy. And because it APPEARS to be difficult, it not only tastes great, it will impresses everyone.

One of the great traditions in this home has developed as the kids got too old for traditional birthday parties. For your birthday dinner, you get to pick the meal and the birthday dessert.

I can usually guess the favorite desserts...but occasionally one of the kids will surprise me.

Last month Brandon requested a "Reese's peanut butter chocolate cake." Hum...that was a new one. No biggy...I baked a two layer chocolate fudge box cake, spread peanut butter buttercream icing and chopped peanut butter cups between the layers, topped with chocolate butter cream icing, used my little frosting tip to make some little peanut butter frosting edging and them mounded the middle with chopped peanut butter cups. OH. MY. GOSH! Not only did it taste amazing, but it was the star of the dinner!

My opinion....if you want to impress people with your box cakes (and save some money) ALWAYS make a buttercream icing!

My oldest daughter's birthday is not until next month, but since she was here this past weekend I decided we would have her birthday dinner. No surprise that her dinner consisted of my famous Alfredo sauce...one I shamelessly "borrowed" from the Olive Garden (plus 2 tablespoons of cream cheese for thickness!) Usually over a pasta with shrimp or chicken.

This year her dessert request threw me for a loop...her usual is my grandmother's lemon cake...definitely one you need to try! But she requested TURTLE CHEESECAKE!

Seriously? I have no idea where that came from, and honestly, I have never made one! Sam's use to carry frozen turtle cheesecakes that were awesome, but they no longer have them...after 20 years, go figure!

So I did what I always do when I have to make something I am not familiar with...I went to the internet.

For the first few decades of my adult life, I had to do what everyone did when needing a recipe...dig out the cookbooks. Not complaining...the absolute best (and simplest) brownies you will ever eat are from the Betty Crocker cookbook. The most luscious peanut butter cookies you will ever eat came from an old church cookbook my mother received as wedding gift. And there is no better recipe for plain ole' chocolate chip cookies than on the back of the Nestle chocolate chip bag.

But the internet has changed a lot of things, so I googled "Turtle Cheesecake" and found a recipe that looked like one I could manage. The only change I made was using caramel ice cream topping rather than going through the tedious process of unwrapping a 14 oz bag of little caramels. I'm a lazy baker...lol!

The cheesecake turned out amazing.

One of the little tips I want to share is how I "drizzle" criss cross patterns on cakes and other baked goodies without a fancy piping bag. I also use this method for layering ricotta cheese in lasagna and anything else that needs to be layered or drizzled.

First, take a plain ole' ziplock bag and put it in a cup with the tip of one corner pointing down....

Fill the bag with your "stuff"...in this case, melted chocolate.

Lift the bag out of the cup and gently "squeeze" all the goody into the tip of the bag by twisting the top of the bag. Then nip the corner of the bag with scissors....

There you go...a simple "pipping" bag!

I actually have a REAL pipping bag, but this is much easier...I can toss the bag when I am done...told you I was a lazy baker...lol!

Baking is a lot like DIYing...we are so intimidated by the THOUGHT of the process, we don't even attempt it!

Think of all the awesome refurbished furniture and cheesecake we miss out on when we don't even try!

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Spring is ALMOST here!

Almost...who knows. Last week I was in shorts putting down mulch. Sunday we had sleet and snow. Go figure.

Here I shared some tips for prepping for spring...it will be here before you know it!

If you plant in your beds, now is the time to compost and mulch. Empty and clean your pots. I have a pond to clean out and new sod to put down and a new fence to seal. But all that will happen over the course of MONTHS rather than weeks...getting old sure slows you down.

The only thing growing in my beds now are perennials! No more crawling around in the beds digging holes! I am a big advocate of container planting Over the years I have collected everything from clay and plastic containers to galvanized buckets and old tea crocks.

This little chair has been in my garage for months....

It had a rattan seat but it was busted...I could have replaced the rattan but I decided to do something a little different.

I turned it into a little planter....

I cut the hole in the seat a bit bigger, trimmed it with some scrap wood (old fencing boards!) added some little slats (again, scraps of wood) on the bottom with glue and nails....

...and then chalk painted it a bright yellow! Distressed and sealed and it is ready for a little potted plant!

This is what I mean when I say "think outside the pot." You don't have to plant everything in boring old clay pots. This was a simple little project that would be perfect for a porch or even stuck in the back of a flower bed somewhere.

Simple...