Consistency...It's Not For Me

Wow... I don't even want to know the last date I was on Blogger!  I've just finished up spring semester of grad school year 1.  I have a week off then back to class for May/June session.  I'll be gone this summer to work at Double H Ranch, so plan for more inconsistency.

So Greer and I have worked on a handful of projects since I was last on.  I'm not sure if I posted the near-finished antique record cabinet (still needs hardware), so I'll just go ahead and show you a picture of its current state.

Did you spot two other new things?
- We finally got around to hanging one of our wedding gifts- a photo taken by one of Greer's good friends.  The friend didn't know the colors of our living room, but it matches perfectly!  Greer built the frame from scrap molding, spray painted it brown, then sanded to give it a rougher look.  So nice to have something on that wall!!

- My dad picked up an old record cabinet at a thrift store, which Greer repainted and is now using as our tv stand/record storage.  I'm glad he has a place to keep his favorites in our living room (other than the floor...).

I think it could use some new hardware but, you know, that's lower priority right now.  Here's an open-door view.

The suitcase table is now then end table, and the end table is upstairs.  Here's the suitcase table in it's new home:

My in-laws are moving and downsizing all they own, so Greer and I got lucky and inherited their antique buffet.

I'm super excited about that guy.  I kind of want to paint it but I'm leaving it alone for now.  Excuse the animal bowls.. I got lazy about moving things to take pictures.

The little roll-top desk that was in that corner is hanging out on another wall for now...

I can't remember if I posted the semi-finished bookcase I was working on, so I'll show that (again?) too.  This was a old Hoosier cabinet top my dad pulled out of the dump.  It needed loads of love- like replacing some of the plywood frame.  Here it is in our upstairs hallway landing, looking so much better!

Remember what that used to look like when it came out of the dump? No? Oh.. here:

It only had a few of the doors, so I'm playing with how I want to use those.  I'm also messing around with some ideas for the tall cabinet on the left.  I might hang some hooks in there for scarves on top.  Only time will tell.  I also still have no home for the little shelf sitting on the floor.  Oh, I should probably return that red clamp to my dad.

My goal for this little week break is to choose a color for the front door and finally PAINT IT.  It's, what, a year later?  Something like that...

Well, that's a little update about our life in this clearing in the woods.  I'll try to post a little more this month, but not guarantees!


Participating in Link Parties at:
http://tatertotsandjello.com - Tatertots and Jello

Hoosier Cabinet Top: Strippin'

So I've inherited a Hoosier Cabinet top from my dad who was going to throw it in the dump.

Excuse me?

Thank you, Greer, for telling him to see if I wanted it first.

Is it even a question?

Anyway, I'm pretty excited to start the process of refinishing this baby.  She's not in the best shape but believe you me she is gonna look goooood by the time I'm done with her.


If you want to read about how I strip......read on ...
So the process begins (while the paint and stain dry on my Farmhouse Bedside Table) with stripping!

I was so scared of using the stripping agent the first time simply because my dad said, "If you get it on your skin, it's gonna burn like hell."  Remember that note?  Well, I was wonderfully safe about it because I still haven't had any burns and hope that good streak continues.

...haha...listen to me...stripping and streak....

Anyway.

I started with the doors figuring it's always nice to start with the smaller stuff so I can feel accomplished before tackling the bigger chunk. 

Before using the stripping agent, I used a paint scraper to scrape off any loose paint flakes.  You'll know when there are no more loose paint flakes because the scraper will sound like it's running across a glass plate (i.e. you will shudder).

When all/most/some of the loose stuff is off (or you can't take the noise anymore = me), don those rubber gloves and get ready for some fun!

Use a crummy old paint brush and old container (coffee can, unusable Tupperware) you can dedicate to furniture stripping.  Dump some of the stripping agent into the container and slosh the paint brush around in it. --- I prefer to err on the side of using less because I am not about to try to get the unused stripping agent back into the original tub. ---

Using the paint brush, slap the stripper onto the wood everywhere you wish to take off paint.

Give the stripping agent a few minutes for the chemicals to eat away at the paint.
Pick your paint scraper back up and just scrape away the layers of paint.  It may take a few rounds of applying the stripper and scraping to get off all of the paint.

When most of the paint is off, sand the entire thing.  I start with lower grit paper, then finish with higher grit like 300 or so to smooth everything out.

You're ready to paint!

***This should also be used with furniture that is stained because most likely it has a wax finish.  You'll need the chemicals of the stripping agent to eat away at the wax finish because paint will not stick to the wax.

Simple Spray Paint Projects

I snagged two little finds at a thrift store that I thought would make some fun wall hangings.  Of course I only remembered to take pictures of one... but the other is just a frame anyway.  You'll see it in the finished product photos.

You may like it the way it is and that's completely fine.  Isn't it just fun to spray paint things?  And to have a project you can finish in a day?!  That's my favorite part.

The shadow makes it a little hard to see.

I chose the ever-popular Rustoleum 2x Coverage Satin Heirloom White (couldn't find it at Lowes.. had to go to Home Depot)...

[You can see two works in progress..recycling center and end table.. oh! The frame is in the background]

And transformed the wall hanging and frame to these....

I didn't care about taking out the frame backing... a little lazy on my part but what is it hurting?

Do you have a favorite spray paint project?  I'd love to see!

Bedside Table Update

Hi friends!

If you've stopped in lately you may know I've been working on Ana White's Farmhouse Bedside Table which I am super duper excited about.  If you know me, you know that it takes weeks for me to finish a project because I am involved in so many things (grad school, grad assistantship, Zumba instructor...).  The table is so close to being finished I can smell it!  Well...actually I smelled it from the beginning.  I believe I need a face mask to work in my dad's shop....

Neither here nor there.

So I've got the drawer and table frame sanded and painted a beautiful off-white Valspar paint color called Belle Grove Antique White, one of the National Trust Historic Colors. [btw-- don't trust Lowes online paint selector...completely off when I looked up this color].  I wanted white, but not sterile white.  I picked up the paint chip, loved it, and then noticed it was Belle Grove... which is very close by to where I live (see it here).  Done and done... and I'm very happy with it!

The bottom shelf and table top are cut, glued, screwed, sanded and stained (Minwax Provincial).  All that's left with these babies is polyurethane coats and  wax finish (I use an orange-scented beeswax finish). 

Top shelf

Bottom shelf

I cannot wait to assemble this sweet thing and get it in place on my side of the bed.  I seriously need the table space, shelf and drawer like whoa.

After this project, I will have a brief furniture interlude to start on a Christmas gift for my neice.  Another Ana White plan but I'm not giving away which one just yet!  You'll have to come back and see.

Que pasa bien la semana!

Recycling Center

I am so proud of my recycling center.  I found the plans at (where else?) ana-white.com where it is used as a laundry basket dresser.

It's made of four peices of plywood from the dump that I shoddily spray-painted limey green.  I am so very proud of this project because I did it all. on. my. own.  (Following directions)

This includes cutting the long L-shaped aluminum rods with a hand saw and using the drill press to drill holes into them so they could be screwed into the sides.

I installed the L-rods (or whatever they are called) for the top two baskets but decided to simply rest the bottom one on the floor.

Everything with this project went fine... until I screwed the plywood together incorrectly.  I assembled it with the sides on the inside margins of the top and bottom, rather than outside margin (as seen in photos).  I was so mad I took a week off from the project.  The following Saturday and disassembled the thing, made some more cuts, reassembled and bam! 

Recycling center.

There's just one finishing touch that needs to happen.  The sides bow outward (I left them in the sun..don't do that) so the middle shelf is very sensitive.  It falls off the L-rod easily.

To remedy this, I plan to screw a plank across the back that will pull the bowed area inward for better support.

Hooray!  We no longer have to walk across the yard to throw recyclables into various crates.

Wood Filler Mini-Tutorial

I love wood filler.  I hate holes, so I love wood filler.  It's so easy to use and after the furniture is painted, you can't even tell there was ever a hole there.  Would you like to share in my bliss?

Since my father and I recycle old wood for projects, the wood can come with nail holes and any number of "defects" (put in quotes because sometimes I like the character those "defects" give).  How we fill the holes depends on the finish for the peice.
Stain = no wood filler. 
Paint = yes wood filler.

The bedside table I've been working on has quite a few holes that have needed patching.  For once I remembered to take progressive pictures for you!  I decided I'd give you a run-down on wood filler.

Here we have pretty little bedside drawer.

It is pretty sturdily put together, not just with screws but with notches as well.  Just the same, I would rather the screw holes not show up in the finished product, especially those in front. (Can you spot them on either side of the front?)

So I grab the Elmer's wood filler to start patching things up.

Just take a little peice and start pushing it into the hole.  Make sure you cover the entire hole, putting a little extra around the edges. 

You also want to leave a small mound because it tends to shrink as it dries.

The amount of drying time depends on the size of the hole.  Small holes like these probably take about 15 minutes for drying, while larger ones can take an hour or more.  The directions on the side of the box have more advice about that.  I've left it for days, actually, because I haven't had time to get back to it.

After the filler dries, you simply sand the area so it's even with the rest of the wood.  Bam! No more hole.

Prime the project like normal and you're good to go.

If you're like me and eager to get the thing done, you may notice after a coat of primer that you missed some holes.

No worries here!  Simply repeat the same process- filling, drying, sanding.

Then give it another coat of primer and take you out of the oven 'cuz you're done!
Hope some of you found this as useful as I did.  You can also use wood filler for peices that you're refinishing, not building from scratch.

Remember- don't use wood filler if you are going to use wood stain!  It is for paint only.

Hooray for holelessness!

Bedside Table Progress

So I've been working on the bedside table from ana-white.com with the help of my master carpenter father.  I am sure I could go to Lowes and buy the wood and get it cut and follow Ana White's steps and be okay, but we have a field full of free wood.  The challenge is that I have to do the planing and cutting and glueing to make peices I would otherwise buy.  BUT.  The would we have is free.  There is a steady supply as my husbo keeps taking down old houses.  I am recycling wood (hooray!).  There is a story to the wood and I know where it's from.

So I am learning the skills needed to take on these preparation steps before I can follow Ana White's steps.

Anyhallyhoo I remembered to take a *few* pictures of where I am in the process of building this table.  I even took a few for a mini wood-filler tutorial (super duper stinkin' easy).

Here is the current state of the bedside table:

Sorry about the mess.. I've been working in Greer's shop to protect the beaut from pesky bugs that get stuck in wet paint.  This is all put together and primed, waiting for me to select the color to paint (most likely...white).  The lines you see towards the top of the table are notches for the table top to fit in.  It will make sense later.

The drawer is together, but waiting to be sanded and primed.  I still have some wood filler on it to sand off, but here's what it looks like now:

This entire table is made of pine from an old house my husband has been taking down.  The back of the drawer is cedar to add that lovely smell.  The bottom of the drawer is masonite because it's light, strong and we had some lying around.  Otherwise we would have used some spare plywood.

What's new in your lives?

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The Dorothy Dollhouse- FINISHED!

I've done it! I've finally done it!

I finished that "simple" Greenleaf Dollhouse (The Arthur) that my mom has had since, oh, the 70's.  If you have spoken with me about it, you know that it has been the biggest pain in my patootie.  I mean, I've had fun picking out colors, wallpapers, etc., but when it comes to the whole "insert tab into slot and BAM! You have a dollhouse"- that is baloney.  Sheer lies.

Here we have the painted exterior (pink) with interior walls wallpapered.  In the bottom left you can see the start of my many attempts to get some sort of skeleton put together. With plenty of help from Marzipan.

There is so much wood glue and hot glue on the Dorothy Dollhouse that it better stay together.  Oh, did I mention I also used right-angle brackets to hold the base together with welding glue?  Slot-Tab design my foot.

 I've learned a lot in this process. 

I should mention I made it for my 18-month-old neice, but she's a bit too young for it.  That's gives me plenty of time to get some interior peices for it.

I tried so many different ways to keep the dang walls together at the start.  I had it balanced perfectly, propped up with the fan blowing to dry the glue, then crash.  I'd hear it from the living room.  My hard work falling to peices (again).

Finally,  I got the main walls secured (somehow).

And next were the additional walls and roof peices.

Oh, by the way... this was all in February.  I finished it in mid-May.  Why?  I got so frustrated I took a break from it around mid-March.  The smile up there... very fake.

And with the roof (minus shingles):

That brings us to April, the month the Dorothy Dollhouse got its name.  You may remember I mentioned a tornado that bizarrely swept through our yard at 2:00am?  I have not posted about it.. just don't really feel like it. 

Surrounded by pillows in tiny bathroom during storm.

But on that horrifying night, my studio window was evvver so slightly open (less than an inch).  The dollhouse was facing open side to that tiny little opening.  Since the tornado caused the rain to swirl, it came in horizontally.  I discovered this the next evening when I noticed the window.  I checked the dollhouse to find all my wallpaper and flooring were no longer flat, but wavy.  But luckily, that was the only damage!  It's relatively ignorable (word?), so I chalked it up to a story and named it the Dorothy Dollhouse (...Wizard of Oz).

I took the wood glue back up in May and started attaching the decorations and shingles. Shingles take forever!  I tried to be as neat as possible, but I know deep down it probably looks sloppy.  As Greer says, it's "perfectly imperfect."  He's such a sweetheart.

See the wavy wallpaper?  Ah, well.  I'm not re-doing it.  I purchased a little Hoosier cabinet and chairs, but I'm afraid the chairs may be too big.  I had fun added a mini mailbox and mini portrait.  Why are miniature things so fun??

I had some fun taking pictures.

I'm Still Alive!

Hello friends! I'm so sorry for the large chunk of time since I last posted... that's called grad school.  I had three 6-week classes that took over my life during June/July.  I have a little break now and don't you doubt I have been spending each day on projects!

I have a update for the lovely little end table you last saw primed white.  Here's that baby now...

I would say she turned out well.. but she's not done yet.  I'm going to add a stencil to the bottom square.  That's on the to-do list.

Did you need another view? Okay.

Get excited for the stencil addition (and tutorial if I remember to take pictures during the process.)

I'm participating in Metamorphosis Mondays at Between Naps on the Porch!

Studio + Guest Room: A Few New Detalles (Details)

In my previous post about the Studio + Guest Room's sleeper sofa, I mentioned the need to get creative and cheap to bring my mood board to life in this room.  I've started to take baby steps in that direction.

"Baby steps...baby steps to the door...baby steps down the stairs.." -What About Bob anyone?

Here are just a few of the detalles nuevos (new details).

You may have seen the aged wooden trunk in the mood board and possibly remember how I planned to relocate one of Greer's suitcase end tables.  It's hard to see in this picture (I'll post a new one another time), but I did just that.

I'm gonna just stop for a second and list a few reasons why I love a suitcase side table:

1. Greer makes them = it's DIY and I don't have to spend hundreds on the same thing at Anthropologie

2. Unique look = I think they're especially fun in a guest room for the metaphor

3. Storage = it's still a suitcase!  I store those things that we don't need to access often but don't want to get rid of (like electronics guides, extra cords, etc)

4. Table space = there's a lot more table area to a suitcase than your average end table.  This is great for guests.  Plenty of room for a lamp and decorative item or two, while leaving space for guests to add their necessary bedside items.

I'm sure I could come up with more reasons, but I'll leave that to you.

You can also spot in the above photo, one of the Pier 1 red flower dishes I got from my co-worker's yard sale.  Cheap decor- $6!

My last new additions are wall art.  I have a tough time decorating walls.  I'm trying to plan this out carefully and think about where I will want things to go.  So far all I've had to buy are the frames.

Studio + Guest Room Paint

Hola hermosas!  I just finished painting my studio office, which is also our guest room.  You have seen pictures that were taken in that room when it was painted coral.....everything. looked. orange.  I didn't even enjoy being in that room because the lighting + the paint color = pain.

(Click "continue reading")

Re-dressing Our Old Dresser

This has been a challenging process on many levels.  Not to be all sappy, but my mom owned this dresser and shared it with her twin (shared?) growing up.  My dad re-did it (and wrote on the back "") for my sister and added a mirror with two cork wings on the top.  I eventually inherited the dresser and it stayed in my old bedroom over at my parents' house. 

Until now.

It's March?

My goodness time is speeding by, which is good and bad.  Good because I cannot WAIT to start grad school (June 13!).  Bad because my projects have fallen by the wayside.  Between work and Zumba, I have almost no free time.  The free time I do have is usually spent laying on the couch napping.  I shouldn't complain, though.  I'm lucky to have a job, especially one that is flexible with my Zumba career.  And Zumba.. how many people can get paid for the hobby? Paid to exercise and dance?  Yes. I am lucky.

So... update on projects:

1. I did finish the dresser.  Just need to screw the handles back on (holding off on specialty knobs) and I'll throw a picture on here.  I think it came out pretty well, 3 coats of paint though!  I don't think I'll use glossy paint again.  I don't like the stickyness of it. 

colors are funky with my camera

2. I just need a few more tiles of the shelf I've been playing with and then that will be finished and posted here.  I still don't know where I'm going to put it.  I'd put it for sale, but the wood is kind of junky and it was just a fun project.

you guessed it...colors aren't right

3. My co-worker's custom bench is nearly done!  My dad and I worked on it for a long time yesterday and got the rest of the peices cut, sanded and assembled.  I only stripped 2 screws! Wahoo!  All that's left is sanding and painting.  I can't wait to give it to her- I think she'll love it.  I'll post that up here too when it's finished.

4. While I've been crazy busy, my dad has cut a lot of the pieces for Greer's and my hutch base.  A little back story: We have a DVD shelf that is just the old shelf my dad built for me in college to put on top of my flat desk.  It's come in handy, but we have used up all the shelf space and then some.  So I had the idea to make a base for it with some doors and turn it into a hutch.  More DVD storage and perhaps some record storage for Greer.  He doesn't want doors, but I'm afraid I will insist.  The top can stay sans-doors.

5. The dollhouse is nearing completion.  It has been the. biggest. pain. ever.  I do believe I now hate Greenleaf dollhouses.  They do not assemble easily.  It is not just shove the tab into the notch.  It does not just take wood glue.  It took multiple tries and an different solution to get the main walls and floor assembled.  I will go into more detail when I post it.  I don't think I will ever make another dollhouse. 

7.  The $5 end table I purchase from Seed for the Nations Thrift Store- I have done one thing.  Pulled of the old leather.  Eventually I'll get around to completely stripping the thing.  I'm kind of nervous about the intense chemicals I'll have to use.  Part of the hobby I guess!

6.  New project on the list!  My parents are re-doing their laundry room and they got rid of the big old hanging cabinet in there.  Where did it go? Me!  They know I love finding peices to re-do, and always need more storage.  So that giant is in our storage shed for me to play with when I wrap up the other projects. Which gives us plenty of time to decide where to put it.  Here it is...

7.  Downstairs storage bathroom- just an idea.  What was supposed to be a pantry was converted to a half bath when the house was built.  So we have 2.5 bathrooms and just Greer and I live there.  Right now that half bath is a scary thing to open, with Greer's laundry literally falling out the door and the vacuum balancing on top.  My goal to straighten this up?  Install some high shelves for storage and a TALL laundry bin for Greer.  Turn it into the pantry it should have been (and possibly usuable as a bathroom?).

I think that's it for now.  Share what's up in your world!

Office/Dining Chair Revamp

Hola todo el mundo! 


My sewing machine is a little homeless right now....in the bottom right..



First, I am sorry that I forgot to take a "before" picture of this chair.  I just get too excited to start projects that I forget the "before" pictures!!  I am trying to get better at that...I've taken an "in between" picture of a recent project you will soon see.. but I digress.

We have 3 dining chairs, cheapos from a yard sale where the woman paid us to buy all 3 instead of the 2 good ones.  So 1 is kind of sketchy as far as staying together, but it has lasted since summer so that works!  I also like that we got such cheap, ugly chairs that it doesn't matter how much Marzipan scratches the seats.  She does that when we get home- like she's so excited she just has to scratch something!

She thinks personal space means space is personally hers.
All of it.

The point is.. we have 3 dining chairs.  So if say, both of my parents walk over for dinner, we have to whip out my small ottoman/storage/desk seat and someone gets stuck using that.  I've also hated using it at the desk.  Originally, I bought it from Target, needing a cheap seat for the desk that could be slid under (lacking space in the apartment) and I liked that I could store things inside.  Now, I'm not getting rid of it, but I did want an actuall chair for my desk.

Little brown stool. [snicker]

Enter disgusting, junked up, 100-year-old (maybe) leather upholstered, brown ugly material reupholstered dining chair.  My dad picked it up (at the dump?? Auction??) and stripped it down for me. Having too many projects on my own to contend with, Greer lovingly stained it (Minwax Natural) and threw on two coats of polyurethane. 

Thrilled to be re-upholstering

Not only did he do this, but he ripped off the crummy layers of upholstery and reupholstered the seat himself, even stuffing it with new foam!




New cushion woot woot! Sorry about the photo quality



So now we have an extra dining chair that will live at my desk. 

No more slouching!  There is a back to my chair! It is the appropriate height!  Ahh...joy.






Saving the Winnie the Pooh sign for future kids?  Originally for our neice.



I really want to re-paint that desk I just haven't decided on color or off-white..it's kind of fun the way it is but yesss the chair and desk don't match. WHATEV.

I'm participating in Metamorphosis Mondays & Good Life Wednesdays & Transformation Thursdays: