Small Redo's, So Fun

  We have a pretty office, but we don't use it all that much and since I haven't had any place to take out my scrap booking, sewing, or painting stuff and leave it, well,  whats a girl to do?  This girl found a wall in the office that wasn't being used that would be a  perfect place for a counter top.  We had a nice book shelf in there also, but once I evaluated all the space, I came up with a plan.  We had plenty of bookshelves in the family room, so I emptied all the books into them.  That left me with a whole book shelf for my craft stuff, why hadn't I seen this before.  The pictures are horrible but it really is a cool space.  I cut dividers for the millions of pieces of paper I have so that I can now see it all.  I used an old door (from Restore for 3 bucks)for my counter top until my hubby made me some nicer one's

Here's the nice one's.  We got these at Home Depot for fifteen dollars on clearance!  What a deal.

Isn't it fun to find things at second hand stores or at yard sales that you know will make such a good redo?  I had a lot of luck finding accessories for my craft "counter".  These are a few things I found here and there to fix up, and store my stuff in.   

I found this really neat metal can wrapped in white and blue rope, just the right color and size for some of my scrap booking punches.  Next to it are Dollar Store plastic trays, three for a dollar, again, just the right color.

I saw this really cute idea out in blog land somewhere and I wished I could remember where, so sorry not to give credit where it's due.  It was to use old fashioned clothes pins to wrap your ribbon around and store it that way.  I got the bottles from the Dollar Store also.

I found this bulletin board at a second hand store.  I didn't have to repaint it but did have to replace the fabric and ribbon.   It's right above where I sit and craft so I have put some pictures there that make me smile every time I see them.

I wished I had a before picture of this mail holder because it really has been transformed.  The sides weren't indented like they are now, I cut it this way.  It was all drab brown and straight up and down, very boring.  I cut the sides out, painted it black, added the paper with modge podge, then a metal "m" for mail, and a ribbon.  It really did turn out fun.

I saved one of the funnest redo's that I have done for last.  I love it so much because I use it all the time.  This is and old sewing box, it was all brown and in a shambles.  I took it apart, and believe me, there are dozens of teeny, tiny, pieces and screws.  I painted the wood a fresh white and then found this really refreshing blue paper.  I didn't paint the inside because I knew with all the tight fits I would run into problems with it sticking.

Didn't it turn out nice?  I have had a lot of fun doing smaller projects for my craft and sewing space that has helped me be more organized.  Now when I want to leave my scrapping out, or if I'm in the middle of a sewing project, I can just leave it where it is and close the door. 

                                    I usually post about the furniture that I do, which I love doing,
but it's nice to take a break once and awhile.  But now it's crunch time because I have a show coming up in two and a half weeks.  I have 2 dressers, a server, a huge buffet, a small secretary, and two end tables to get done by then.  I have been so lucky in finding some of the neatest pieces for this show, can't wait to get them done and share them with you.

                       Thanks so much for stopping by, I love your comments and followers as well.
                                                                          Sandi

My Very Own Workshop!

I am so excited!!  I am getting my very own work shop.  It's not very big or elaborate, but it's all I need.   My husband made himself a shed a couple of years ago and I have loved it. It stores all our yard supplies and equipment, camping supplies, building supplies, and my hubby's tools. 

He is in the construction field so he has a lot of tools.  Well since I have been refinishing furniture

I have learned to appreciate and love many of those tools.  My hubby is thrilled

when we go to the Sear's tool department and I'm as excited about being there as he is.  Here's a picture of the front of his shed, I added the decoration of course.

Well, he decided that it was time for me to have my own space.  I think it was because he felt like I was taking over his space, or because after I cleaned the shed and he came in to get something, he maybe felt like I watched him too closely to make sure he returned it to the right place.  Here's a look at the start of my new "work shop".

I can't tell you how much I will love this space.  The one end, (I know it looks small but it will work) will be for spray painting, there's plenty of ventilation with the two windows we installed. The other end will be for storing all my tools and supplies.  This next piece of furniture is one of the best parts to the whole shop.  I purchased this really neat old buffet for paint supplies and for the counter top.  I was at a furniture bazaar and this pretty thing was there, and it was just what I was looking for.





I didn't want just the every day, ordinary cubboards in there.  I wanted one that had some personality, and this one has just that. I can't wait to install this and put all my things in it!!

 I also wanted a second cubboard, something smaller that I could move around but that also would have storage space.  I found this one at a  second hand store and knew I could make it work also.  I didn't realize how dirty it was until I got it home.  But thats easy to take care of with a little elbow grease. 

Maybe a lot of elbow grease.

The butcher block top was filthy, worse then it looks.  I got out the Goo Be Gone, and it worked great.

 

So what I did was clean her all up, sand, and then used ASCP Graphite on the top and the top of the shelves.  I then used Cornbeard yellow for the rest.  It was too yellow so I went a shade lighter and then glazed it with Min Wax walnut stain.  Here it is, and I really like it. 

 I finished by sealing the top with  rub on Min Wax poly.

  It will be so much fun to organize my tools and painting stuff and get it all put out where I can leave it.  I have it all in totes right now and that can be a real headache.  I'm am so excited about my new space!

I will post my work shop when it's all finished (did you notice how I call mine a "work shop", and my hubby's is a "shed")?  By either name, I'll take one of those.

Thanks so much for stopping by, I love your comments and new followers as well.

My Favorite Night Stand

It seems like lately I have been redoing a lot of end tables and night stands.  This is the second night stand for my bedroom redo, and then I did a third one just because it was so cute and I couldn't pass it up.  I love this night stand because its so sturdy, has drawers, and has a fairly good size top.  I painted another night stand and a dresser for my room using white paint, so I decided to keep this one and paint it with ASCP.

I haven't been the biggest fan of chalk paint but since I didn't want to sand this and already had the paint, I decided to try it again.  I painted it old white, then sanded the whole thing until it was as smooth as silk.  I went into this project knowing that using chalk paint would require a lot of sanding. I think because I was expecting that step it made using chalk paint okay for me.  The sanding went really fast and I like that about this paint. 

I then distressed it and finished it off with spray on poly. I sprayed the hardware with Rustoleum's Oil Bronze, and feel they match the piece better now, it updated them.

I'm glad that I chose to keep this night stand instead of switching it with one of the

other one's that I had gotten at a yard sale. 

I have four dressers that are needing to be painted and because I finally got

the hang of how to use chalk paint,and know what to expect, I can't wait to get started on all of them.





Thanks for stopping by, I love your comments and new follower's as well.

Bringing In Some Fall

I absolutely love this time of year because I live in a farming community.  When I drive out to the country I roll my windows down so I can fully enjoy all of the smells of the harvest that is going on all around me.

In this valley we have quite a few mint growers, so from the middle of July until late September

the air is filled with the wonderful smell of freshly cut mint.

We also have hay growers.  Along time ago when my husband was a custom hay stacker he taught me how to swath hay.  Yip, I ran a swather, scary huh?  I did a pretty good job most of the time, my rows were straight, unless.....the hay in front of me started moving.

When I say moving I mean, like, little baby pheasants running straight a head of me because they

were so afraid of the noise but wouldn't leave the cover of the hay.

I couldn't stand the thought of running one through the header, which cut the hay.  So I would finally stop the machine, get out and shoo the birds away.  One time when I was shooing them, I

discovered baby kittens running up the row instead of pheasants.

They were so sweet, and so were the baby birds.  Thats why it took me longer in the

fall to swath a field of hay

then the men took.  And when my hubby saw me stopped and outside the swather, he knew

there must be an animal sighting of some kind.

My father was a farmer and I was raised on a farm.  Year after year I have watched the farmers till the ground, then plant, then water.  And then the earth, water, and sun do the rest. 

It has always amazed me how this wonderful earth gives us so much beauty to look at, and food to eat each year.  She never lets us down, year after

year, good ol' mother earth gives us so much to be grateful for.

We raised our kids in the country on three acres, not very big, just big enough to keep them busy.  We had a garden and I let them plant one of their own if they wanted to as well.  I have always planted lots and lots of flowers no matter where I have lived, but because of where I have lived and how I was raised,

I love the harvest season.

So my pictures of fake berries, pumpkins, leaves, flowers, and many more

fall things, is my way of bringing in the joy

that I feel this time of year.  I wished you could smell my wonderful spice/pumpkin

candle that is burning, it seems to fit in so well with my fall memories.

I hope all of you have wonderful fall memory's and will share them with me.  Have a Great Fall Season!

Sandi