Pretty storage boxes....

As I have mentioned, I am not really a big fan of "pretty storage boxes." The kind that makes you open a pantry door and go "AHHHHH!" I mean, they are pretty and everything...and they sure make a closet or pantry look pretty and organized...but the truth is who REALLY knows what is in all those boxes. Again, labels mean nothing to me...and truthfully it is just too tempting to just toss stuff in a box when you can't SEE what is really in there.

I like plastic bins and boxes But I stumbled across this really pretty little ribbon box at Hobby Lobby and I thought it would be a good way to organize all my rolls of ribbon! There is a little dowel rod in the box and you put your rolls of ribbon on the rod and then string the ribbon through the slit in the side of the box.

Yes, it looks pretty. Yes, you can see all the ribbons. UNTIL YOU MOVE IT...then all the little ribbon ends suck back up into the box and you are right back where you started...a box of ribbons...so now you have to take the dowel rod out of the box and slide all the spools of ribbon off to get the one you want which in turn just messes it all up!

Nice thought...but really not practical. I like practical...so the ribbons will be stored in the pretty little box (afterall, I did pay $7.99 for it!), but they will just be piled in there with little pins in the ends to keep them from unraveling all over the place!

It would have been cheaper and just as pretty to cover a shoe box with scrapbook paper...but it would have been even cheaper and practical to use a clear storage box.

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Spring snow update....

Wow...what an amazing experience. For my friends who live in the mountains or up north, you may be use to snow in May. But for us southerners, this was a once in a lifetime experience! Snow in MAY!!!

As I mentioned, my hostas are already in full bloom and I had already planted my little annuals! So much for being in a zone where our last threat of a freeze is April 11...HA!

Truth is, they survived. While it was cold enough to snow, we didn't have a "hard" freeze so they probably didn't like it much, but they will survive!

And it was a beautiful experience while it lasted!

New zoysia sod...just in time for the snow!

Back in the 70s this week with a chance of showers...now THAT is an Arkansas spring!

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May 3rd....SNOW?!

Yes....it is May 3rd....I live in ARKANSAS and THERE IS SNOW ON THE GROUND THIS MORNING!

Seriously, this is the craziest thing I have ever seen.

I am so in awe of this entire event that I haven't quite taken time to panic about the HUNDREDS of dollars of little flowers I have already planted and the gazillion hostas in my yard that are now blanketed in SNOW!

Crazy...absolutely crazy.

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PINK TOOLS!!!!! Yippeeee.....

When I went to Lowes Sunday, Austin the Tool Guy showed me their knew PINK tools and storage boxes!

I was soooo excited...just in time for Mother's Day! The tool bags are stocked with basic tools and come in both lavender AND pink!

The pink storage box is perfect for everything....screws and nails, sewing notions, craft supplies! Anything and everything! It would be perfect for a young lady headed off to college...stocked with anything you can think of a young woman might need living in tight quarters in a dorm room!

They also have a little pink screw driver and a pink bit set! Not quite powerful enough to do the jobs I do, but perfect for little DIY projects around the house!

These are all perfect and affordable Mother's Day gifts for any mom wanting their OWN tools!!! And while you are at Lowes, run through the garden center and pick her up a pretty hanging basket...

DON'T FORGET MOTHER'S DAY!!!!

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What a beautiful spring day....

Yesterday was one of those days I just had to come home and ENJOY! I had a ton of work I could do (and should do) at the apartments, but I just had to take a day to enjoy! Lay in the swing and read a good book....cook my family a good meal (see here for today's simple but awesome dinner) and just soak in the wonderfulness of spring!

While I was laying in the swing reading I looked up and to my surprise there is the most beautiful cluster of lavender flowers on my wisteria.

I have written about the nightmare of wisteria before...but for all it's "pain" it really can be beautiful and provide an abundance of shade over the pergolas. But one of the reasons it is such a nightmare is because it grows soooo fast and just seems to take over! I have had to pull it out of my house siding and cut it out of the trees on several occasions. This is a picture of the porch pergola from a few years ago...and this is AFTER I thought I had really trimmed it back....ha! You trim a little, and the thing just goes mad!

My wisteria rarely blooms. The wisteria on the two swing pergolas just don't get enough sun but they create a nice little canopy, as long as I can keep it in check and out of the pine trees. I assumed the wisteria on the big pergola covering my back porch rarely bloomed because it was just too "lush." I have always heard that if they have lots of green foliage, they probably won't produce flowers.

But what I read today when I googled WHY I suddenly had a proliferation of blooms is that in order to get them to bloom, you have to prune them SEVERELY. Which, in a fit of frustration with the monster's manic growth, I just happened to do this year....to the point I was a tad worried I might have done some serious damage! But what I actually did was force it to bloom like crazy!

Who woulda thought!

I would seriously caution anyone who considers planting wisteria...it is HIGH maintenance! Be prepared to have to trim it twice a year and read up on it as much as you can BEFORE planting. There is a reason it is called "the bully of the garden." If not properly and regularly pruned, or planted in the wrong place, it can indeed become a nightmare!

And while the flowers won't last long, they are beautiful...and I can honestly say, I am grateful for the shade canopy the plant provides during the summer!

Simon the tabby was enjoying the lazy day with me! He is such a sweetie!

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Framing a mirror....

I have read several tutorials on framing "builder grade" mirrors. It is not a difficult project! And you can use whatever trim suits you...small and simple or big and bold. Stained or painted!

Two years ago I had granite installed in my bathrooms. That led to the need to "refinish" my bathroom cabinets and add new faucets, which I featured here, and the need to eventually replace the light fixture (someday) and the need to do something about the mirror. When I remodeled my master bathroom I removed the humungus builder grade mirror and installed a "free hanging" mirror. But I really didn't want to go to all that trouble in the kid's bathroom. When you remove those builder grade mirrors you are left with big "blobs" of adhesive, which of course have to be removed, which in turn tear up the sheetrock, which in turn requires sheetrock repairs and texture and new paint....just not something I wanted to tackle right now.

But the old mirror needed a little SOMETHING!

(No, I have still not painted the upstairs doors black...I told you, I am hoping that "phase" passes before I get to it!)

Framing out the mirror with a little decorative trim seemed the easy and inexpensive way to give the mirror a little umph! Again, it is not a difficult project, one most novice DIYers should be able to tackle, and in my opinion it makes a big difference! Nothing earth shattering but enough that it was worth the time and little expense and effort it took!

The first thing you need to do is MAKE A PLAN. Remember my suggestion about making a plan, writing it down, and taking all your measurements....that applies to the simplest project! In my case, I knew I wanted small trim and something I could stain to match the cabinets. You may want a bigger trim and something you can paint...doesn't matter! The process is the same.

So first, I made my plan. Make a plan, take the measurements and write down the materials I will need. Off to Lowes I went! I bought my trim...enough to trim out my mirror (40 1/2" x 40 3/4") which was basically two 8' sticks of small oak trim. I stained the pieces before I cut them. I would suggest staining or priming (if you are going to paint) before you cut, and then you can touch up the miter cuts with stain or primer after you cut them but before you assemble the frame. And make sure you do the BACK of the frame because you will see some of the back through the reflection in the mirror!

I used the same stain process I used for the cabinets...the General Finishes Gel Stain in Java. I can not tell you how much I love this gel stain! You can use it on raw wood or on cabinets that are already stained and finished. I posted a link to a tutorial about this process in the post about my cabinets (again, here).

After staining the trim, I miter cut the four pieces to make my "frame", stained the cut ends, glued, clamped with my little corner clamps, and then tacked them with a little trim nail.

I love these little corner clamps...believe it or not I didn't have corner clamps for many years but happened to stumble across them in a box of junk I bought at an auction. I have always just glued and then tacked my miter corners...but these little clamps really pull it all together tightly. You don't HAVE to have them, but it really does make the project easier and more secure.

I let this sit over night, removed the clamps and then sprayed the frame twice with a finish (I didn't use the wipe on gel top coat this time...no reason other than it was quicker to just spray it with a clear top coat I had on hand). If you are painting your frame, you will want to caulk the corners and apply your paint AFTER the frame is assembled! Again, make sure you do the BACK!

I installed this frame right over the top of the mirror. But I warn you, this is where you have to be VERY careful with the adhesive you use. I would suggest liquid nail... it does NOT dry clear but it does create a very secure bond. But because it does not dry clear, you want to make sure you put the adhesive were you won't see it in the mirror's reflection.

I ran a light "smear" of liquid nail where the outside edge of the frame would sit...if you get it too close to the inside edge, it will show in the mirror reflection...not good...trust me (again, I give these warnings after I learn it the hard way!) During the installation, I managed to scuff up my walls...good thing I keep touch up paint on hand for every room (again, live and learn!)

If the mirror "pops out" before the adhesive sets up, you can always tape it down until it dries. Just make sure the mirror is laying flat around the entire mirror.

And that's that...simple project that can make a big difference!

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Pretty in pink....and a little zebra....

Earlier I posted this "before" picture of a little dresser I brought home from the apartments.....missing a drawer and really not attractive! (I found it, and this one, in the same unit!)

But it was relatively sturdy and I knew I could install a shelf where the drawer was missing...perfect for little decorative baskets! Or books...or whatever!

I never posted a before picture of this chair....and unfortunately, I forgot to take a picture BEFORE I took it all apart. But basically it was just a little gray chair I found at the apartments...kinda nasty as usual and veeeery boring.

Both have been in my garage for months...kilzed and ready to go. What to do, what to do. I just couldn't get "inspired." I don't have a problem doing this stuff, I just have a problem deciding exactly WHAT to do. But the other day I was walking through Hobby Lobby and I saw all this pink and zebra stripe little girl's decor, and I thought "Oh MY!" Inspiration at last. Keep in mind, I have NO place in my home for this but some little girl somewhere is going to love this stuff....

The zebra stripes on the drawer fronts are hand painted. Don't get too impressed. While I have a tad of artisticness and creativeness in me, I'm honestly not THAT talented. Here's a little secret...if you see a design or picture you want to put on a piece of furniture, trace it onto a piece of wax paper. Then place the wax paper on a piece of sewing trace paper and trace it onto your piece. (TIP: use sewing trace paper...it doesn't "smudge" as badly as other traceable papers and the markings are easy to remove with a damp cloth!) You can do this on ANYTHING...walls, glass, furniture, anything!!! I painted the drawers white, traced the fabric design on wax paper and then traced that onto the drawer fronts....then painted them with black latex paint. And with everything, I sprayed it with a clear coat!

You can even print things off the computer and trace that...if the printed picture is too small for the project you are working on, just take the picture into any edit program and break it up in sections that can be printed off and then taped together. If it is REALLY big, you can always project it onto the object with a projector. We did that with a mural on my daughter's wall...if she EVER gets her room clean enough for me to take pictures, I will share her mural...totally awesome. Ever hear of a "fail whale?" Google it...it really is awesome!!

Anywho....animal print is not really my cup of tea...evident by the fact that I pretty much hated my bathroom when I decorated with "leopard print" in a failed attempt to decorate around my ugly gold shower doors!

But after seeing a little inspiration and how "fun" it can be, this was a fun little project.

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Sew awesome....

I really want, and honestly need, a sewing desk...some place I can store and use my sewing machine without having to set it up on my dining room table. I found this sewing desk in a thrift store and man-oh-man was this thing seriously ugly!

I knew this desk could be a little treasure after the cruddy paint job was stripped away!

And even to my surprise, what a treasure it is...what I found under two layers of paint was beautiful mahogany. Initially someone had painted it a really disgusting green and then I guess they tried to improve it by painting it a flat black.

This is a prime example of hurting a piece in a failed attempt to "enhance" it! Truth be told, I felt a little guilty painting the base and drawers white. But I could never live with myself had I not restored the top to it's prior glory!

Before I started refinishing, I cut the opening a little bigger to accomodate my sewing machine. TIP ALERT: when cutting veneer mark the cut with a pencil and then score the veneer with a utility knife. Then use a jig saw with a very sharp blade to cut "inside" the score...if you don't, the veneer with split and splinter and you will make quite a mess!

Normally I use Formby's Furniture Refinisher to strip latex paint and old varnish...but two layers of paint needed a little more muscle....so I used a citrus stripper. I will not use anything stronger on veneer (always use any stripper per the instructions and in a VERY well ventilated area!) This piece didn't have a single chip in the veneer and I didn't want to risk hurting the piece by using industrial strength stripper! Took a little more time and more than one application but it was worth it.

After removing all the old paint, I took 0000 steel wool and mineral spirits and gave the wood a "bath." When stripping wood, regardless of what you use to strip it, always "wash" the piece with mineral spirits to remove all the "crumbs." After it dries, take VERY fine sand paper or 0000 steel wool and sand lightly before applying stain or a finish.

TIP ALERT...keep old toothbrushes on hand to get into groves and corners when stripping furniture. DIYers never throw away old toothbrushes, coffee cans, socks, old tshirts or towels...trust me, you will need them!

Since I knew I was painting the base and the drawers, I didn't strip them but I did sand and prime well before painting.

And again...ALWAYS USE TACK CLOTH BEFORE PAINTING OR APPLYING FINISH...AND BETWEEN EVERY COAT!! I seriously can not stress this enough! So many DIY tutorials tell you to "wipe down"...again, I challenge you...wipe down your piece with a clean cloth, and even some mineral spirits...then wipe it with a tack cloth! You will be shocked at how much crud was still there!

Two coats of gloss white paint on the base and drawers. A light coat of walnut brown stain on the wood to even out the color and give it a little more depth....4 coats of my favorite Formby's Tung Oil. New crystal knobs. Total awesomeness!

I can not stress how beautiful this wood is....I wish I was a better photographer. And I wonder if I should have stripped and stained the drawer on the right...but then again, I kind of like the paint/stain contrast...I think I would love it either way!

I REALLY love tung oil.... it allows the grain of any wood to just shine! And it is sooo easy to take care of and touch up when needed! (Now I know why my father refused to use polyurethane) I think so many use polyurethane because they are concerned about durability....that is honestly not an issue with tung oil! Try it...it is almost impossible to mess up the application (unlike poly) and it is extremely easy to touch up scratches in the future if necessary!

This project was pure joy! Anytime I can take something that has been so abused and turn it into a treasure it just makes me happy!

Maybe now I will enjoy sewing just a little more!

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And MORE pillows!!!!

Remember the ottoman I recovered last week? As with most upholstery projects, I had a tiny bit of fabric leftover. Perfect for a little pillow! And I still have a bunch of pillow forms leftover from the destruction of my couch!

I found a website the other day that lists 100 tips on interior design by actual designers...unfortunately, I didn't "Pin" it and I have no idea where it is. But one of the tips is about decorating with pillows...lots of pillows and nothing "matchy-matchy." So any time you have a few scraps leftover from a project, or if you find a small bit on clearance at the fabric or hobby store, whip up a little pillow and throw it on a chair or a bed!

Okay, so this one is a little "matchy-matchy"....but I like it...I'm such a rebel!

It's the little treasures that make a house a home....

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Old wood windows.....

This one is a little "shabby chic" for my taste but I like that it fills a void. In the fall and during the holidays I always hang seasonal wreaths, but the spring and summer get nothing. Not real sure about the wreath just yet...seems a little "heavy." There is one a little "lighter and airier" at Hobby Lobby...may go with that one. But I like the layered look for now...easy to change when I tire of it!

A few months ago I had to completely gut and remodel my onsite manager house. My manager had moved...I can not describe to you the condition of the house after she moved. Think "Hoarders" with numerous cats and big dogs (in the house doing everything animals do)...not sure where she thought the cat went we found dead in a box covered with cat poo. Suffice it to say I spent the first week contemplating tearing the house down...seriously. But we rolled up our sleeves and put on our respirators and went to work. In the process, I took out 5 old wood sash windows. Being an avid Pinterest stalker, I knew what could be done with these old windows. So I saved them.

First thing I do with any old wood...CLEAN! Seriously, some stuff is just naaaasty! I keep Lysol wipes in my garage just for this purpose! Then I carefully removed the old glazing and glazing points, removed the glass (at least the ones I didn't break...old glass is VERY fragile...WEAR GLOVES!), sanded and painted! I didn't even prime these because I wanted to be able to sand the new paint and give it an "aged" look! Again, a little "shabby" for my taste but these are not ever going to look new...and you don't want them to!

I put the glass back in the one hanging on my porch. I think I am going to do one with magnet, cork and chalk board panels. I painted one black for Sis and another had never been painted so I sanded it and stained it. Very pretty! I saw one on Pinterest that was on an outside wall with a planter box underneath it...very pretty! I may have to do one like that!

The other day my window guy came buy to fix a broken window...we were talking about these old windows and he told me he puts new vinyl windows in old homes all the time and throws away all the old wood windows. I just about passed out! I told him NEVER AGAIN!! Just bring them to me!

I can't wait.....

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