MERRY CHRISTMAS/LAST MINUTE GIFT IDEA!

When I first started blogging I posted a page called “Every Woman’s Tool Box.” If you look at the links at the top of this site you will see it!

I realized today that some of you may be searching for last minute gift ideas (for your wife/girlfriend/college student!)

As I mentioned in that post, I asked for a toolbox full of tools for Christmas one year! One of the BEST gifts I ever received!

For some reason it is so empowering for a woman to be able to hang a picture or tighten loose hardware or door nobs…the ability to make any minor repair around the house.

If you are a guy, this will definitely shorten your “honey-do” list…you know, that list of mundane little tasks that your significant other needs you to do on your day off!

I put together a little tool box for my daughter when she went off to college…she loves it!

So guys…or mom’s of college students…go to Lowe’s and search around for a bunch of “little” tools…find a tool box small and light enough to keep tucked away in a closet…put a bow on it and PRESTO-BINGO! Awesome last minute gift!

In the little tool box or bag I would suggest the following…hammer, Phillips and flat screw driver, needle nose pliers, regular pliers, tape measure, 6” level, utility knife and blades, a stud finder, maybe a little socket set and a small box with an assortment of picture hangers, screws and nails.

The post also lists a lot of “big stuff” any DIYer might like…saws, sanders, clamps, nail guns, etc…but just the basics is all you really need if you aren’t into the whole DIY thing.

This may seem like a silly gift idea but most women I know would love this!

I hope you all have a VERY MERRY CHRISTMAS!!!! See you next year!

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Painted kitchen cabinets and a new entry...

When Matt bought his house over a year ago I promised to share the projects. One year later, I am finally getting around to keeping that promise!

As I mentioned in earlier posts, Matt first had to find his inspiration and make a plan.

His first major project was the entry makeover. My entry makeover was obviously his inspiration but his entry felt SUPER tiny compared to mine.

These aren’t the best before pictures but you can see there is a header across the top of the opening between the living room and the “entry”…so the space felt really tight and cramped…wood flooring (again, a no-no in an entry IMO)…popcorn ceilings.

The “plan” was to remove the closet and header to open up the space, tile the floor and paint the door. Simple!

Before you remove a closet, make sure you have a plan in place for the things you would otherwise store in that space. In Matt’s case, he’s a single guy with two spare bedrooms and closets, a large master bedroom closet and a nice hall pantry. He had plenty of storage space for coats and such…getting rid of the entry closet was not a big deal.

UNTIIIIIL…you start hacking into walls and removing headers that are framed with aluminum studs instead of wood. Interesting to say the least and somewhat of a challenge for a “traditional” builder such as myself.

Lots of sheetrock repair, black paint on the front door that Matt is not real fond of but is living with for the time being, new trim, new tile, new paint. Eventually I think he will replace the light fixture…but it does the job for now.

Here you can see how the entry opens into the living room…before there was a “header” that dropped down 12” and really closed that space in…removing that header not only opened up the entry but it now matches the opening into the hallway that leads to the bedrooms on the other side of the living room.

Matt built the little bench! I found the beautiful metal mirror on clearance at a home interior store.

The fireplace was pretty “dated”…he painted it last year ….

…and we replaced the dated 8x8 beige tile with the same tile we used in the entry. MUUUUCH better!

The very first thing we did before he moved in was built open shelving in the kitchen. We used the “hidden bracket” method I shared here.

His kitchen cabinets were old, nasty oak and he knew he eventually wanted to paint them…but time and finances dictated he wait…the open shelving was a pretty easy and inexpensive way to give the kitchen a tiny update. Since he had his inspiration and had a plan, he knew what colors he wanted to eventually paint the kitchen cabinets…so he knew what color he wanted to paint the shelving.

We simply removed the cabinet to the right of the sink and installed 3 shelves. The cabinet we removed didn’t go to waste…he hung it in the garage above his work bench!

Painted cabinets…this summer he was finally able to complete this part of the plan.

The kitchen before…

The kitchen after…

He hired the actual “painting” part but he did all the prep work himself. He changed out the hinges from nasty ole’ brass looking things to nice new satin nickel hinges.

He also changed out four upper cabinet doors and put reeded glass in them…

The shelves inside the cabinets were old and “sagging” so we built new shelves since you could see them through the glass.

I would like to think I was the inspiration behind that change since I am a tad partial to reed glass cabinet doors!

One element of his original plan was to change out the tile countertops to a solid surface like quartz or granite. Honestly, once the cabinets were painted neither of us found the tops to be nearly as offensive so that part of the plan got bumped to the bottom of the list. It will happen someday, but it is no longer a top priority!

This kitchen is a relatively small space…kind of a “shotgun” or “galley” kitchen if you will…brightening it up with paint and installing the glass front doors and the open shelving made a HUGE difference!

The next big project on his list is his master bathroom. He wants to remove the tub/shower insert and build a walk in shower similar to mine.

Last week I went to an auction and I was able to purchase enough 12x24 floor tile and subway tile for pennies on the dollar!!! He’s been researching the best way to build a shower pan and of course we are experts at demo! So this little project could commence any day!

In the meantime he is busy being a home owner…mowing and raking the yard, mundane chores and dealing with all the grief after a tree falls on your house during a storm! Yep, it even damaged his brand new storage building he is so proud of!

Such is the life of a home owner!

Next week is Christmas and I may take a few weeks off since the whole family will be here! I hope you and yours have a VERY MERRY CHRISTMAS AND HAPPY NEW YEAR!

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Modifying a Dillingham MCM dresser....

So often I buy mid century pieces fully intending to clean them up and sell them. But then, well, I don’t. Inevitably I fall in love with them or one of my kids does (just search mid century on this site…you will see)

Such was the case with this mid century walnut Dillingham dresser….

It did have a few boo-boos…a broken corner piece I was able to fix with a little wood glue…

A tiny bit of chipped veneer I decided to ignore…

And of course the finish was a little worn and tired looking and needed some freshening. First I tried a little Restor-a-finish….

You can kind of see the difference…the right side has been wiped down with Restor-a-finish.

It helped a tad but in the end I scrubbed it down with mineral spirits and steel wool and applied 2 coats of tung oil finish…brightened it right up and blended all the scratches and wear…after all it is a 50+ year old piece…it’s gonna have a few nicks and dings. But again, nothing terribly glaring.

Even though the issues were relatively minor, I hesitated to sell it. I considered painting the sides to disguise the biggest issue…the broken corner.

Enter my kid! Matt absolutely LOVED it and wanted it for an entertainment cabinet!

The dark walnut matches his vintage Lane tables perfectly and like me he has a real affinity for MCM pieces.

So I went to work modifying it for his needs..specifically he needs a place for his turn table.

(Side note…I get tickled at the newest generation of vinyl lovers. People my age remember how thrilled we were to get away from bulky old record players and vinyl records that scratched and skipped. Cassette tapes and walkmans and boom boxes…life changing! Now the younger generation have circled back around to “vinyl” and think they have discovered the greatest thing since sliced bread…HA!!! See, if you live long enough, it all comes back in style!)

So…how to modify this dresser without changing it too much.

I decided to make the bottom two drawers one deep drawer. That entailed removing the face front of the middle drawer and attaching it to the black face frame and bottom drawer…creating what appeared to be two separate drawers…but is actually just one deep drawer.

Confusing I know…let me see if I can show you what I mean in pictures.

First I had to cut the face frame in half to detach it from the cabinet.

Since it is a laminate material, I knew I needed to tape it first to keep it from “splintering.” ALWAYS tape laminate before you cut it and draw your cut mark on the tape!

I could have used a skill saw with a trim blade to make the cut. But I knew a skill saw wouldn’t work to cut the little shelf inside that separated the two drawer spaces. So, darn, I had to buy a new tool…I hate that when that happens! (NOT!)

I have a small Dremel that has similar functions but this little guy is pretty heavy duty…and it worked like a charm!

Next I used my Kreg jig and glue to attach 1x2 pieces of oak to both edges of the face frame. The drawer fronts and face frame only over lapped by about 1/8”…attaching the oak allowed me to secure the face frame to the drawer fronts with glue and screws.

We used a hole saw to cut a hole in the back of the cabinet to feed electric wires through.

That was pretty much all the modification this dresser needed to turn it into the perfect entertainment cabinet!

In the photos you get a peak of a few of the changes Matt has made to his house since he bought it a year ago…the painted fireplace I shared here and the new tile I haven’t shared yet.

I have promised for A YEAR to share a few of the projects he has completed on his house…he opened up the entry, painted his kitchen cabinets and installed glass cabinet doors, built open shelving in his kitchen and laid new tile in the entry and around the fireplace. He has even built a little storage shed! I am so proud of his “projecting” so while I was there taking pictures of his new entertainment cabinet, I snapped a few of his entry and kitchen and I PROMISE to share those next week.

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Traditional Christmas!

My Christmas decor changes so little from year to year I hesitate to even share. (search Christmas on this site…you’ll see what I mean!)

But every year I add one tiny element.

If you follow along you know that Brian and I travel to Colorado every year in the fall. We do our annual guided fishing trip and enjoy the fall Aspens. And every year we take a few hours to walk around Georgetown. A precious little mining town just off I-70.

Every year I try to find something a little Christmasy. It is a “tradition” I started years ago.

This year I picked up this little troll.

Too cute. I guess this year Santa trolls are the “in” thing. Again I rarely go all out with the latest “fad” but I thought it wouldn’t hurt to pick up one little piece to add to my “Colorado collection.”

This year as I set out my little collection it dawned on me that I have no idea what year I bought what. So this year I started writing on the underside of each piece the year I purchased them. Not important now but maybe 50 years from now it will mean something to someone.

Here are just a few pieces I have picked up over the years….

The snow birds….

I shared here the realization that I have an obsession with little birds.

The birch Santa…

I think Birch trees are the closest thing we “low landers” can get to an Aspen…I even bought a birch candle stick when I changed out the mantel decor this year…

This little guy….the older I get the less I want to hang and fluff so I love anything I can just tuck in a corner…

I didn’t actually buy this little guy…we stayed in a condo in Frisco and this was a little gift from the owners…just precious! How did they know?!

A “tradition” has to start sometime by someone! Don’t be afraid to start your own…time flies and before you know it your great-grandchildren will be reminiscing about years past at Grammy’s and how she always had Lord ? displayed in her kitchen…

The matching pajamas she gifted every Christmas eve and how she made everyone shower and primp Christmas morning for family pictures before they could open presents…

The 9’ tree adorned with priceless ornaments given to their grandparents by their great-great grandmother!

Sticking with “traditions” is the way to go for so many reasons…

1) It cuts down on the cost of the holiday. Decorating for any holiday can be expensive…especially if you change your decor every year trying to keep up with the latest “fads.”

Years ago I contemplated changing out the colors in these bannister wreaths to blue and silver…

My daughter promptly reminded me that “gold and red” are traditional colors…she was right. I would have regretted spending a lot of money just to follow the “in” thing that year.
I ended up making a simple Christmas box with blue and silver and that pretty much fulfilled my desire to jump on the blue and silver decorwagon…

2) Your kids and grandkids won’t remember every gift you gave them but they will never forget the “traditions.” Whether it is the Christmas pajamas, a favorite dessert, the priceless ornaments. They don’t forget traditions…

3) While my “same-ole-same ole” holiday decor may seem a tad boring, decorating for the holiday is super simple since I pretty much know where everything goes and how everything is decorated, year to year. Little changes. It cuts down on the stress of holiday. I may pick up a few pillows or a knick-knack here and there if something strikes my fancy but most of it stays the same…i.e. easy and stress free.

This year I picked up a few “grey” holiday pillows for the couch…

But the guest bath is the “same-ole-same-ole.” I store a few trinkets under the vanity and pull it out…a festive candle, a little snowman, holiday hand towels, a holiday soap dispenser and a festive wreath I hang over the boxwood wreath. It takes me all of 2 minutes to “decorate” the guest bath.

4)Decorating for Christmas falls on the same day every year…without fail. The Friday after Thanksgiving. We fill the house with Christmas music, Brian heads to the storage building to pick up boxes while I take down all the fall decorations, and all day Friday and most of Saturday is spent decking the halls…and walls…and shelves. There is never a question of when we will find time to get ready for the holiday. Again, I may pick up a little something here and there throughout the season…but the bulk of it gets done that weekend.

Sticking with “traditional decor” (red, gold, green, silver) makes it easy to blend new with old if I see something that strikes my fancy!

5) I have no doubt that if the time comes when I can’t decorate my home myself, SOMEONE could step in and do it for me. Since little changes, all my kids know exactly how mom likes her mantle, the tree and her kitchen decorated. HOPEFULLY one of them will step up to the plate and take over the job if I am unable. Morbid? Maybe…but such is life…the day will come.

Keep the holiday decor simple and stick primarily with “traditional” vs. “the latest fad.”

These are my tips for enjoying this amazing season!

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The grey couch....

If you remember, I had a booger of a time with my living room couch purchase. I ended up purchasing the “Michael” by Younger Furniture.

A year later, I love it!

One of my biggest concerns was the fact that it is grey. I wasn’t sure at the time if I was really going to like having a “grey” couch. Not grey-grey, but grey enough that I was afraid it would be dull or too trendy…or just “too.”

I felt at the time I was breaking my cardinal rule of going “trendy” on a big ticket purchase.

Truth is, it is a chameleon…it pretty much changes with whatever I throw at it. When I first got it, I had my Christmas decor up…and it looked great.

After the holidays I threw my teal and floral pillows and a teal throw on it and it looked just as awesome. (No photo…wow I need to take more pictures!)

Fall…oranges, yellows, greens, browns…wasn’t sure it was going to cut it.

But it did!

I love that it can take any color I throw at it! After the holidays I am considering transitioning to another color pallet in the living room…maybe a navy blue or olivey green. Don’t know yet but I know that whatever I do, the couch will not be a factor!

(You can see the transformations of grandmother’s chair here, the Drexel coffee table here, the club chair and ottoman here, the round walnut table here, and the large mirror over the couch here. )

And it really did turn out to be quite comfy.

Which brings me to the point I have often made…on big ticket purchases, stay neutral. I love the deep green and vibrant blue velvet couches. Beautiful! And if you KNOW you will love that couch for years to come, I say go for it. But if you just aren’t certain or you know you will want to regularly change up the look of your decor, stay neutral on the “big ticket” items and let your pillows, accent chairs, rugs, wall decor, throws, etc dictate the decor. Those elements can be easily and relatively inexpensively changed to make a big impact on the feel and look of a room!

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Just another little makeover....

You are probably asking yourself “WHY?”

Why would she even mess with something so hideous?

Because I knew I could make them pretty…that’s why!!!

Truthfully these pieces didn’t have a lot going for them…but what drew me to them was the really cool hardware and they are pretty sturdy. Ugly, but sturdy!

The hardware is obviously “reproduction”…made to look like the hardware of years gone by.

They aren’t REAL flush mount ring pulls, but they are real brass so I knew with a little scrubbing, they would shine right up!

The top…fake leather…ewww!

But it was in good shape!

The front of the cabinet and drawers were solid wood but the sides were particle board…and it had some minor “water issues.” Some of the particle board had started chipping and “bubbling.”

Rather than use wood filler I decided to add a little trim piece to the bottom. Glue and trim nails…simple!

The trim covered the chipped areas and beefed up the base a tad. The minor “bubbling” on the particle board sanded smooth.

The bottom of the drawers had that “fake print” thing going on but they were in great condition. Ugly, but solid and sturdy.

I decided to disguise the “cheaponess” with paint.

First I removed all the hardware and spend a few hours scrubbing it. Again, I have no deep dark secrets for easily removing years of tarnish on brass. SOS pad and brass cleaner…and a lot of elbow grease!

I Kilzed the entire dresser…even inside the drawers.

Sanded everything smooth.

Tack cloth…always!!!!

I painted the inside and sides of the drawers with a sample pot of latex navy blue paint. (I recommend priming and painting the inside of drawers if they are “cheapos” or if you can’t remove offensive smells with a good cleaning and vinegar!)

Again, I am kind of obsessed with the white lacquer finishes especially with bright brass hardware.

The repaired sides painted beautifully!

Told you I could make them pretty!

Remember the MCM chest of drawers I featured here? I finally got the brass cone hardware from China…worth the wait!

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Master bathroom reveal....

Like so much in my home, my master bathroom has certainly “evolved” over time.

Before the first “makeover.” Booooo…..

This is after the first little makeover. I removed the hideous gold shower enclosure…new cabinets and lighting…a new tile backsplash…new paint…new vanity top and sink…new mirror…new operable window (my absolute favorite change!)…nothing earth shattering but enough to give it a little update and make it more functional.

While the few changes I made on this go round SEEMED relatively straight forward, the process was messy, back breaking, expensive and worth every bit of it!

Demo and new plumbing done!

Durrock and shower pan done…

I LOVE the curbless showers…and I really thought about biting the bullet and putting one in…but that would have required busting out the slab under the shower and pouring another below the finish level of the rest of the bathroom or building up the entire bathroom floor, which would have required removing the counter tops and cabinets. That wasn’t happening…so curb it is.

Waterproofing done and tile going up! (yes, I hired the tile install…worth every penny!)

(Notice the fan hanging in the window…it is facing out. That helped pull a lot of the dust outside…not all but A LOT)

As I mentioned when I posted the first makeover, I didn’t have (nor do I really want) a big sprawling space to work with…it is a relatively tiny bathroom….and I am okay with that. I would rather have the square footage in other areas of the house. That didn’t mean I couldn’t create a space that not only suited our needs but was pretty.

I loved “the first makeover” for many years!

The time will soon come when stepping into a whirlpool tub we never use will be an issue so it was time to make some major changes…while we can still climb the stairs to the spare bathroom! I joked with Brian for years that we needed to do this before we broke a hip and couldn’t use the tub or walk upstairs…joke, right? Then our friend, BR, broke his hip and had to have a partial hip replacement…HE’S OUR AGE!!! Suddenly it wasn’t so funny and it really is a “need” vs a “want.”

First, I had to again find my inspiration…that was a tough one! I loved the tile surround and floor tile I installed 19 years ago.

Since it is a small bathroom I knew I wanted to keep it light and bright!

I brought home and ordered many tile samples and searched the internet for inspiration….

I knew the look I was going for. Light and bright and something that would carry me through another 20 years…..I didn’t want to do anything too trendy.

I love the sliced pebble tile and after using it on the tile back splash I knew I had a winner for the shower floor and niche!

I like the look of subway tile but I didn’t want the “busyness” of a small tile on the shower walls…fortunately Dal Tile makes a large 6x18 subway tile. One of the things I hated though was the small bullnose trim…usually 2x6. Fortunately the tile I choose had a large 4x12 bullnose trim…PERFECT!

The flooring…that was a real booger! Truth be told, I loved the floor tile I had…it was light and bright and had awesome “texture.” Unfortunately it was 12x12 tile with 1/4” grout lines…very 1999! I knew I wanted a 12x24 with small grout lines.

I finally settled on kind of a “greyish” porcelain tile I found at Lowe’s. But in my heart I knew I didn’t want to go with grey…just too “trendy.” While I was at the tile shop ordering the wall tile I stumbled upon a special order tile I thought I might really like. All they had was the sample board so I brought it home, looked at it for all of 5 minutes and went back and ordered it. Eck!!!!

But you know what…I LOVE IT!!!!

Originally I planned to use the bullnose trim around the window and niche. But then my “blog friend,” Cristina, shared her bathroom makeover and I absolutely fell in love with the pencil trim pieces she used! (Her bathroom is absolutely stunning and beautifully staged! Check it out!)

I immediately ran to our Home Depot only to discover THEY DID NOT CARRY IT IN STOCK! I found it online and ordered it. It arrived two days later as promised.

Broken! Eleven out of 26 of the fragile trim pieces were broken. And while I am smart enough to always order more than I think I will need, I certainly didn’t order THAT much extra.

I promptly reordered more trim. Fortunately the delay didn’t hang up my tile guys…too much! I ordered 20 more knowing I only needed 11…good thing I did because the second order had 7 broken tiles! (They really should reconsider their packaging!)

I absolutely love this trim around the window and niche!

Speaking of window…I know the glass block probably screams 1999 as well. My original plan was to change it out. Now that the tile is done, I don’t find it as offensive. It may not be the “hip” thing to have right at the moment, but I can live with it!

I decided to reuse the existing base trim. I carefully removed it during demo, pulled all the nails and sanded it. I painted it with my “go-to” trim color, BM Swiss Coffee. Then I reinstalled it, puttied the holes, caulked and gave it another coat of paint!

I debated on a glass shower enclosure but honestly, I don’t like them. Just too high maintenance…no matter what you do, there will always be water spots. I found a longer curtain online so I ordered it…nice thing about curtains, you can always take them down and wash them.

The teak bench. I didn’t add a built in bench because the only place to put one was in the back of the shower…the side wall and the back wall are on the exterior of the house so expanding “out” wasn’t an option. A bench in the back of the shower kind of defeats the purpose if you want to sit in the shower. Seriously, who does that? Brian…when he is sick he likes to sit in the shower. And I need something to prop my legs on when I shave them. So I bought a little teak bench. It looked kind of dinky sitting in the back of the shower and Mr. Jinx needs a place to sit while we shower (he use to sit on the edge of the tub…weird cat!) So for now it will sit outside the shower unless we need it (lets be honest, who really shaves their legs EVERY day?)

My super awesome son-in-law installed new lighting during the first makeover…I still love it! For now I will keep the lighting and the cabinets, vanity top and sink. All were good! (I did repaint the ceiling since I had to do a little sheetrock repair)

As you can see from these pictures I don’t do a lot of froo-froo! I’ve worked hard to create space for everything behind closed doors. Fortunately I have a large pantry space in my master closet where I store “extras.” No need for lots of extra storage cubbies and because the vanity top is relatively small, I don’t like to clutter it with stuff. I love the beautifully staged “spa retreat” mega bathrooms, but I don’t have the space or the desire…I want clean, bright and clutter free…very “utilitaryish.”

I do have bath rugs but they are plain ole’ white spa rugs so I took them up to show off the floors!

We don’t reuse towels so no need for cute hooks. We take our dirty clothes to the laundry room so no need for hampers. Everything is stored in drawers and cabinets so no need for pretty jars and baskets. And since I like to bleach all my towels and rugs I only use white rugs, towels, and wash cloths.

All in all, I’m pretty darn happy with these changes. Eventually I may change out the vanity doors and paint…I may paint the walls a different color…I may change out the block window…I may add a few more decorative elements…I may add some trim detail…I may change out the shower head to something more like a “shower” and less like “rain”…I may…I may not.

There will always be little “snafus” when remodeling…in my case there was the broken tiles and the difficulty of demo and the discovery that my “niche plan” wasn’t going to work. But in the end, it all worked out and I have a beautiful bathroom I HOPE will carry me through another 20 years!

Hopefully…maybe. Who knows! Check back with me in 20 years…lol!

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A mid century chest of drawers makeover...the reveal!

When last we spoke, I shared a little “step by step” tutorial for repairing and prepping this “less-than-desirable” chest….

I can not stress enough the importance of “prep work” on any project. Again, if you don’t take the time to make repairs and properly prep (regardless of whether it is a dresser or a wall or a floor) all the “pretty” is going to be wasted.

(BTW, while cruising Pinterest I found this super awesome tutorial for repairing chipped corners with wood filler! Great suggestions!)

Make proper repairs, sand patches smooth, use the right tools and materials! Do the repairs and prep or you are wasting your time and resources making it pretty.

After all the patching and repairs, the next step is properly priming! (I had already stripped and oiled the drawers and set them aside!)

I primed the cabinet of the chest with Kilz. That is usually my go-to primer since it sands smooth and holds up well. Primer is a SUPER important step on most paint projects…unless you are chalk painting! Since this was a relatively small project I used the spray Kilz…one can.

TIP: I know a lot of paints SAY they are a “paint and primer” in one…I may eventually change my tune but I don’t believe them. I ALWAYS use a primer…always!

After the Kilz had dried well (usually overnight but several days is best), I sanded it smooth with 220 grit paper.

After sanding I checked all the areas I had repaired…there were a few little spots that needed additional putty and one I missed on the first go round…

…no biggy….I just filled them again, let it dry, sanded smooth, spritzed on a little more primer and then sanded it again after that had dried.

Tack cloth…it is an absolute necessity on any paint job. I see tutorials all the time that recommend wiping the piece with a damp cloth or even mineral spirits. Forget about it! USE TACK CLOTH! It will pick up the finest grains of whatever and will make a huge difference in the final look and feel of your paint job!

I’m kind of obsessed with white lacquer these days. i just love the high gloss finish. Spray paint is always a great option for smaller projects and you can find a multitude of colors and sheens! Just make sure you use a quality brand! You can also brush and/or roll alkyd (oil based) or latex (water based) paint. ALWAYS use an additive and use a high quality brush and 4” foam roller to apply the paint. Pay attention to the manufactures recommendation for temperature and application…it matters!

Regardless of whether you use a spray paint or lacquer, latex or oil, always apply 2-3 THIN coats, allowing dry time as recommended. Thinner is better. If you try to get a one coat finish, you will likely be disappointed and make a HUGE mess!

Spray, roll, and/or brush on the paint…a thin coat…let it properly dry, lightly sand the boogers AFTER it has properly dried with a fine grit paper (IF needed), tack and recoat. Regardless of whether you need to sand between coats, always use tack cloth before applying additional coats. I usually apply at least two coats and sometimes three.

Most paints do not need a top coat but if your piece will be getting a lot of use, I recommend a light coat of polycrylic. Polyurethane is some good stuff but it tends to “yellow” so polycrylic works great.

So…before….

…and the oh-so-better after….

You may have noticed one little missing element. The hardware! Why? Well because I didn’t pay attention when I ordered new brass cone knobs and they are coming from CHINA!!! So I should have them someday…maybe…who knows! The hard work is done…knobs are no biggy!

One of the patched areas after paint…

Dry time…IT MATTERS. I cringe when I watch DIY shows and they immediately stage all the pretty pieces they just painted. There is a huge difference between “dry to touch” and “dry to USE.” Truth is, paint and finishes need time to cure before you put all your pretties on it. You can move it in place, but give latex paint AT LEAST a week or two to cure and oil based paints a good 3-4 weeks. Otherwise you may find that your heavy lamp or knick-knacks will stick to the finish or leave a mark!

This is another dresser I finished up a few weeks ago. It didn’t have near the issues the first had, but the refinish process was the same…KSTP the cabinet and refinish the drawer fronts…presto-bingo…

Again, I know this sounds like a daunting and time consuming task…but if you take the time to do it right, you will have a piece that will last another lifetime and one you will be proud to use in your home!

Next week I hope to share my bathroom remodel. In the meantime, you can check out Cristina’s master bath…it will knock your socks off!

Until then….

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Vacation and the bathroom renovation!

We returned from our vacation last week….AMAZING! One day of floating and fishing the Gunnison Gorge, one day of fishing the Colorado River and five days of beautiful Aspens in all their glory! Sadly, Brian nor I took our phones into the Gorge or I would have some breath taking pictures of some of the most beautiful landscapes this country has to offer. All I can tell you is to go see it yourself! It will not disappoint!

I knew I would have to hit the ground running when we came home. I have an apartment that needs tile repair, a cabinet rebuild and paint. And I found an amazing mid century dresser that has all the problems one might encounter with a dresser and I was excited to do a step-by-step tutorial on properly repairing busted drawers, fixing chipped veneers, stripping and painting.

But Monday the tile guys called and they are ready to start on my bathroom. Since I am too cheap to pay someone THOUSANDS to demo the old tile, I decided to tackle that chore myself with the help of my son, Matt.

And chore it was!!!! My plans to take out the wall tile in sections only worked about half the time…the other half we were beating out little chunks of tile and durrock. My plans to “pop up” the floor tiles went by the wayside when we discovered it came up in small slivers with a mere chisel and hammer.

One of the things I learned from my dad…build it to last a lifetime…and since I installed the tile 19 years ago, it was more than a booger to get up!

Thank goodness for tool rentals. This little “tile-buster-upper” thingy saved us about 2 days of work! Seriously, it was the best $60 I ever spend.

I still had to replace some insulation, add a few studs, do some floor scrapping by hand and I had to hire plumbers to move the drain and rebuild the shower valves. But all in all it is coming along nicely and HOPEFULLY it is ready for the tile guys.

As with all “best laid plans” there is one small snaffu in my plan. I had intended to do a shower niche on each side of the shower head…two shelves in each…like the one in my “inspiration picture.” Unfortunately the layout of the studs and plumbing messed up that whole plan….

…so now I can only put one on the right…que sera! Sometimes you just have to drop back and punt!

I can tile. Not a problem. Here I showed you the new backsplash I installed on the vanity! But I am glad I decided to pay someone else to tackle the bulk of this project. After two days of demo, I’m not sure I could lift a box of tile if I had to!

This is where I want to reiterate the importance of doing what YOU love! Not what is “in”, not what Pinterest says is all the rage, not even what your friends and family think you should do! I am all for “finding inspiration” for home decor and improvement projects, because let’s be honest, sometimes we just can’t find a vision for the changes we want to make. But doing what YOU love is important because otherwise you may find yourself hating an expensive change in the not so distant future!

I still love the wall tile and floor tile I picked out 19 years ago…but I know the day will come when stepping into a big ole’ whirlpool tub we NEVER use may be a major feat…a walk in shower will be, some day, a necessity!

So find your inspiration but do what you truly LOVE!

MAYBE next week I will have time to get started on that amazing dresser and I can share how easy it is to turn a trashed piece of furniture into something you will be thrilled to use in your own home!

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Decorating for fall and Mr. Jinx....

Since it is time to decorate for fall and Halloween I thought I would take a minute and formally introduce one of my “rescues.” Mr. Jinx…

All fall decors should include a black cat…right?

I shared pictures of him last year at Christmas…black cats are super tough to photograph. When I look at pictures of him I understand why black is a “slimming” color…he is WAAAAY bigger than this picture reveals. The kids say he is fat…I argue he is just big boned and really fluffy.

Half the time his little fangs are showing…he can’t help it…he has big fangs. Kinda scary looking but super cute when he is stretched out on his back asleep with his little fangs and tongue sticking out…

I have more than a few pictures of him on my Iphone!

Funny story about how I acquired this kitty. He hung around the apartments for months…I knew he wasn’t a feral kitty because he was super friendly. He would rub against your legs and then roll over for a tummy rub. He loves to have his tummy rubbed!

One day I was sitting in my car talking with my manager and mentioned that we should probably take him to the shelter since he was a super friendly and beautiful kitty and someone would certainly adopt him. About that time he jumped in my car and made himself at home on my shoulder.

What was I to do?

Naturally I couldn’t bring him straight home since I didn’t know what I would be exposing my other cats to…so I took him to my vet and had him tested for all kitty diseases. Clean. My vet thought he was about 2 years old and because of his size probably a Maine Coon.

I told the vet to neuter him and give him shots.

At that point I had a small fortune invested in this cat…so I couldn’t very well take him to the shelter.

What was I to do?

Brian was NOT happy that I brought home another cat…

So I told Brian we would foster him. I promptly named him Mr. Jinx…because, well, he’s black…and black cats are suppose to be jinxed right?

This was two weeks before Christmas so with the whole family and their dogs here and all the chaos that goes with the holidays, Mr. Jinx’s nerves kicked in.

Another visit to the vet, a few nights stay, a staggering vet bill…now I REALLY had a small fortune invested in this cat.

What was I to do?

I couldn’t very well just GIVE him away…right?

Brian was still not happy there was another cat in the house (seriously, I only have four…that isn’t TOO many, right?)

But after the holidays, calm was restored and Mr. Jinx settled in…and promptly fell as madly in love with me as I was with him.

Two years later we are still “fostering” him…truth be told, you would have to pry this cat out of my cold, dead hands.

EVERYONE loves Mr. Jinx…even the dogs. He is the coolest, most chill cat I have ever owned…and while Molly was a tough cat to top, he ranks right up there with one of the best cats EVER!

Even Brian has fallen in love with this kitty!

What was he to do…lol!

DECORATING FOR FALL!

It is really tough for me to break out the fall decor when it is still in the 90s every day. But it’s my rule…the week before we leave for our annual trip to Colorado, I decorate for fall.

HOPEFULLY, when we get home it will be a bit cooler. Rarely. Usually I have to put the jeans and Ugg boots back in the depths of the closet for a few more weeks. But the decorating is done and I can sit back and enjoy my favorite time of the year!

Not much changes from year to year…a few years ago I painted these little pumpkins and changed up the window decor…

Refurbished pumpkins, deer antlers, fall picks…nothing fancy! Still like this little vignette so it won’t change this year!

A few weeks ago I changed out the dining room light fixture…

I love the new fixture and I love even more that I can still add the fall garland!

I’ve added a few new elements to the den mantel…a tall vase and new candle sticks….

…but the garland and Mr. Owl are still the focal points. The same but different!

The entry…usually void of much because I still haven’t “decorated” it after it’s little makeover…but it’s a great place to infuse a little fall decor…

The seasonal box I featured here…still one of my favorite super simple projects!

I changed out a few pillows and throws….

Even grandmother’s chair got a little pop of fall…

Every year I find pieces of garland, wreaths and picks at the bottom of my storage tubs…I just scatter them here and there for little touches of fall!

Again, little changes, but I love it all the same!

So many don’t decorate for fall because of the cost of buying “stuff.” As I have mentioned before, I usually hit the home decor stores at the end of the season (which seems to be before Halloween these days) and pick up a few things here and there for pennies on the dollar! You may not get to enjoy it for a long time this year, but you will get to enjoy it for years to come!

This is also one reason I strongly recommend sticking with “traditional” vs. “fad” seasonal decor. As much as you might love those teal pumpkin pillows and chevron throws, I promise you won’t love them in a few short years.

I actually bought teal pumpkin pillows this year…

….knowing that I will tire of them quickly. No biggy…they have good forms I know I can reuse in the future!

There is no harm in spending a little money on the latest “fads” but be selective and thrifty. Create small vignettes with the latest trends but don’t blow your entire seasonal budget on it! And check out the blogs and Pinterest…there are thousands of nifty ideas for inexpensive seasonal projects that take little time, effort or money!

Fall may not be “in the air” just yet, but it is certainly “in the house.” Maybe this year it will actually feel like fall outside when we get home!