I have been working so hard at the apartments the last few weeks, I decided to stay home and stay out of the heat today...HA!!! I started "projecting" before 8 this morning and was ready to pass out by the time I knocked off for the day!

I got a lot done and even managed to finish a few little projects. I thought I would share one little table that really turned out well.

This is a prime example of an old dated piece of furniture that just needed a little love and attention! It is SUPER heavy and well constructed...worth the time and effort to give it a new life!

I was pretty certain the stain and finish had been sprayed on together. Honestly, that makes it super easy to strip because all I did was coat the top with Citristrip, scraped off the majority of the old stain/finish with a putty knife, and then scrubbed it with the 1/2 acetone 1/2 lacquer thinner mixture (you can see a full tutorial here)....cleaned right up!!!

I restained the top with a walnut stain, popped the little brass plates off and gave the base a KSTP treatment....beautiful!!

I thought about leaving the brass plates off or maybe even painting them. But honestly, I like them...they are different and I always love "different."

I've said it time and again...sometimes all a piece of furniture needs is a little facelift! Don't we all after a few years...lol!

I finished several other projects...another table, a butcher block pig (too stinking cute!), a shelf thingy...a lot to share in the next few weeks!!! And still a lot to work on!!! My life would be so much easier if I had a big air conditioned shop!

HAPPY 4th of July!!!!

Sometimes I think the 4th of July is a little like Christmas...we get so caught up in the celebration, we forget the REAL meaning of the holiday!

This weekend most of us will spend time with our families and friends. We will grill, watch fireworks, head out to the ball park, go to a rodeo, or cruise the lakes!

Please take a minute to think about the REASON you can spend time with your loved ones, grill burgers and hot dogs you bought at the market, watch fireworks, take in a ball game, enjoy a rodeo or head out to the lake.

Because over 200 years ago the birth of this nation, and those who have defended this great country over the last two centuries, gave us those freedoms!

I am somewhat envious of all the wonderful 4th of July decor in the blogosphere. So beautiful. I do very little to decorate for this holiday but I did decide to add a few little pops of red, white and blue here and there!

This arrangement had some beautiful little white flowers but they haven't faired well with the drier weather and my neglect!

I always try to have something "holidayish" by the front door!

I hesitate to even share my pillows. Long story short, I found a cloth flag while cleaning out an apartment. I didn't want to just toss it in the dumpster so I brought it home and washed it.

I use to have a flag hanger on my front column...unfortunately, the USC flag I use to fly was very heavy and every time it was windy, the metal holder would break. I think I replaced it 3 times before I finally gave up. I no longer have a flag holder.

So...what to do, what to do. I "Googled" whether it was appropriate to cut up an American flag. I know the proper way to dispose of a flag is to cut it up and burn it, but I wasn't wanting to actually dispose of it...I wanted to use it.

There is a lot of debate out there...in the end, I decided that my intent is to show patriotism with respect for the flag. This is not a room where we "lounge" this time of the year and this is the only piece of furniture in the house where the animals are not allowed. So they will get little, if any, use.

...I made flag pillows. I already had the down forms so it was just a matter of making the covers.

I know I will get some criticism for "destroying" an American flag. If my Grandmother were still alive, she would probably thrash me (career military wife!) But in all honesty, I believe I have taken a perfectly good flag and "repurposed" it, with the greatest respect, to give it new life and honor.

Enjoy your holiday weekend. Please be safe and don't forget to take a minute to remember WHY we are celebrating this day!