Projects, Projects, Projects

Well, I am pleased to announce that I was able to finish (apart from patching and painting a few holes) the Laundry Room Project.  My sis, Kara, took my lovely daughter for a two-night sleepover this weekend and, not only did we get projects done...we got to spend some much needed ALONE time together.  My hubby, Dave, is pretty handy and we rarely work out in the garage on projects together because one of us is usually parenting.  This weekend, however, we turned up the Michael Buble and got our PAINT on!  This is what the garage looked like......

 

 

 

 

 

The humidity has been oppressive these last few days.....We just are not used to that in the San Joaquin Valley!  So, not the most ideal weather conditions for painting projects, but we made it work.  I even managed to keep my cool when Dave used the saw right next to my freshly painted cabinet doors....Yes, that's right.  They were covered in speckly dust and I ended up sanding them down and applying a new coat.  Maybe there are more reasons why we don't work in the garage together....hmmm.....

Most of the projects were for the laundry room, but I will reveal the rest next week!  Don't forget to check back on Tuesday for the official Before and After's of the Procrastinator's Party!

Fancy Pears

They are yellow forms

Composed of curves

Bulging toward the base.

They are touched red.

(excerpt from the poem Study of Two Pears by Wallace Stevens)

 I love to use pears for decorating in the fall.  And you just can't find a representation better than the real thing.

 (Oh, and I picked up that cute little pedestal at a thrift store for just $2!  I love that almost as much as the pears!)  I came across this project while perusing the blog Shanty2Chic.

    I loved the idea and so, here is my interpretation.

    I first started with an old frame that I had in my closet FOREVER.  It was yard sale find for $2 and was originally white.  It got a couple coats of Flat Black spray paint and then I rubbed it down with some brown craft paint.  Next, I cut my burlap to wrap around the cardboard backing in the frame and secured it with hot glue.

 

Once you have it all glued, you're ready to put the frame back together.

For the candlesticks, I used two that I had on hand and then went to the DAV (Disabled American Vets) Thrift Store.  I wanted more height variation and so I looked for shapes that I liked as well as tall and short.  I gave them all a good 1, 2,3,and even 4 coats of Flat Black.

 

And here was my result....

 

I love the green and black together!  Plus, I just LOVE green....and BLACK! (As you will see in my Laundry Room.)

Thanks Shanty2Chic for the great idea and for great projects all the time on your fabulous blog!

**The pears have since reached their expiration date and have been made into to some tasty muffins.  So, the centerpiece is adorned with mini white pumpkins now.

 

  Just as cute but, I am thinking of adding a little shimmer and shine to the pumpkins with some gold and burnt umber craft paint....just in the grooves, you know?  Can't just leave well enough alone....

Happy Pear and Pumpkin pickin'!  Oh, and be sure to check out all of the other transformations at The Shabby Chic Cottage!

And on Friday for Cindy's Show and Tell at My Romantic Home!!

Alright, God. You Got Me.....

I went to 5 stores on Saturday looking for the perfect rug and window treatment for the laundry room.  I was not happy when I left the house and, after finding that none of the stores had what I wanted, I returned with an even more dismal outlook.  That night I worked on some more projects and the glass in my DIY framed art broke just as I was trying to put it back.  The paint I had used earlier that day came out too shiny and I was crying about the unfairness of it all.  Poor me.
I mentioned yesterday that I picked up a little something at the Antique Fair.

The woman who sold it to me said she thought it was done by Durer.  It had a mark on it and I thought it was interesting and I would look it up later.

 

That night I was reading a study in the book of Philippians.  The whole content is focused on putting others before yourself.  "In humility consider others better than yourselves." (Philippians 2:3)  Geez, God.  I have been hearing this over and over for the past two weeks.  I really want to put others first.....just let me get those cabinet doors painted.  Oh, and I have some cleaning to do....and, of course, my blog.  Can't forget about that.  Then I will have time for others.

The story is told of two young artists, Albrecht Durer and Franz Knigstein who hoped to obtain success, yet both were so poor that they could not go to school to study art.  They decided to draw lots and the one would study while the other worked to support the both of them.  Then when the one who had been in school made enough money from the sale of paintings to support the two of them, the other would stop working and go to school.

Durer was the one who was to have the first opportunity to study, while Knigstein began working at hard labor.  Durer sold several pictures and now it was the other man's turn to study painting.  Sadly he found that his fingers had become so stiff and gnarled from his heavy labor that he could never work with an artist's brush.  Therefore, Knigstein resigned himself to the fact that he would have to give up all his artisitic dreams, yet was not embittered.

Shortly after Knigstein's discovery, his friend, Durer, found him kneeling by his bed with his hands uplifted in prayer.  The artist heard Knigstein unselfishly praying for the continued success of Durer, since he himself could never be an artist.

 

Durer sketched the expressive hands of his friend and later completed the now famous painting known as the "Praying Hands".

Oh, dear.  A clear answer to what it means to put others first.  I have a habit of doing just the opposite.  Especially at the expense of my family.  So, all that to say....

God knew just what I needed.....and it came in the form of a bunny.

 

"Therefore, my dear friends, as you have always obeyed...continue to work out your salvation with fear and trembling, for it is GOD who works in you to will and to act according to his good purpose." (Philippians 2:12-1)

Shared today with Emily at Chatting at the Sky.

The Antique Fair

 Garden Pretty

After my week of DIY mishaps, (which I am sure I will love to write all about when we share our stories from the Procrastinator's Party) I needed a good dose of inspiration.  So my sister, Deanna, and I hit the streets of Old Town for their bi-annual Antique Fair.
Here are a few bits and baubles to spark some inspiration in you as well.....

Deanna purchased one of these lovely jars for a mere $7 to hold her pens and pencils.

So pretty and shiny...as my daughter would say.

 

Adorable table already SOLD.

My latest obsession....old amber colored glass detergent bottles.

Sorry for the poor quality....

The last photo is a print of a rabbit.  I am not usually one to go gaga over bunnies, but I loved the  sepia toned print and vintage look he had.  It was close to the end of the day and I was able to nab him for $15!  I thought it was a great deal and he is being added to the laundry room make over....

We stopped by a yard sale on our way and I picked this set up for $5.  I thought it would go nicely on the hutch for the Autumn season, but now don't know if I likey so much.....Any thoughts?

 

Of course, my tea savvy daughter was already pouring herself some "tea" and serving me as well, so I guess it's not a total loss:)  Now, off to start a new week and, hopefully, get that much closer to a completed laundry room.  Wish me luck!

Lush Fall Foliage

So, what's the worst thing that can happen after you sign yourself up for the Procrastinator's Party?  That's right.  Sickness decides to pay you a visit and stay for awhile.  Laid up and stuffed up.  Not much has taken place in the room I should be working on.  However, I wanted to share some Fall planting tips with you instead.
Fall has finally graced us with her presence and that means I get to fill my planters with ornamental cabbage. One of them being the mailbox planter.  I was going to line it from one end to the other with the cabbage, but then found this bright, cheery, yellow sedum that TRAILS.

I wanted to get more bang for my buck and, so, I decided to buy the 6-pack of cabbage instead of the 4-inch pots.  Last Fall I purchased the cabbage in 1-gallon containers to plant them in my window box.  With that size you get instant color and fullness.  The mailbox was too small for that size and with the 6-pk. I was able to fill the mailbox and put two in the window box.

 

If you're impatient like me, you want the lush look as soon as you plant.  To get the lush foliage a bit quicker, all you need to do is cross the plants at the root ball when you plant them.

They should look something like this when you have them in the container and are ready to replace the soil around them.  This way the large heads of the cabbage will be bursting forth with pinky frilliness.  I can't wait to see what they do by next month!

Happy Fall planting!!

Linked up with The Shabby Chic Cottage for:

The Procrastinator's Party

I am so excited about this party I can hardly contain myself!  For one thing, I LOVE a good party.  For two....I love a deadline!  Yes, that's right.  A DEADLINE.  Be it hosting a party in your own home, having the relatives that you never see suddenly show up for a visit, or just your own personal one.  I, for one, struggle with imposing the deadlines on myself, but love it when circumstances impose them on me.  When I have a deadline, or a goal, to work towards, I am one happy camper.  Because at the end of it only YOU are the most proud of your HARD WORK.

So, when I stumbled across Melissa's post at the Inspired Room, my wheels began a-turnin'.  Just what could I get done that I have been putting off?  It didn't take long for me to go straight to the laundry room.  It is one of those rooms that you WORK in, WALK through, and, frankly, don't want to spend too much time in.  This summer I surprised a dear friend of mine by making over her laundry room.  Of course, this only led to laundry room envy.

I don't have any BEFORE photos of it...and, oh, how I wish I did!  Just imagine white walls, oak cabinets, and florescent lighting.

Mistreatment courtesy of The Nester 

Pay no attention to the cabinet doors that have yet to be hung.  I offered out my husband's services to which he has yet to provide.  Thankfully, we have good friends:)

Okay, okay.  So, enough about them....back to me and my sad tale of a laundry room.

 

Oh, dear.  It's worse than I thought.  What am I signing myself up for?!  Deep breaths.....I have TWO WEEKS people.  Two weeks to get this puppy looking shiny and new.  And, of course, it's all about accountability.  You know I can't put this out there without some serious ribbing if I leave it incomplete.

So, I've got BIG plans for this tiny little space.  How I would love the counter top space or even a utility sink in here....it is not to be, though, so I will work with what I have.  Oh, and BTW, I am going to try and do this for next to nothing.  Can we do it?  Yes, we can!!

As an added bonus, I would love those of you who are following this blog but are not blogging, to join me on this adventure.  Send me your BEFORE and AFTER photos of a project you are going to tackle between the days of October 6-20 and I will showcase your efforts here at the end of the TWO WEEKS.  Just because you're not blogging doesn't mean you can't join in on the fun!  Check out The Inspired Room for ideas on WHAT project to do.  It's an amazing blog that has, well, lots of inspiration.

Okay, who's with me?  Come October 20th lay your paint brushes down, unplug your staple guns, and send me those AFTER photos!

Can't wait to share in the joy of a finished project with you all!

It's My Party and I'll Swap If I Want To....

I hosted my First Ever Annual Swap this past Saturday and, Boy Howdy, did we have fun!  We were 18 altogether and my lil ol' house stood up to the test just fine.  Didn't even bat an eyelash.  We dispersed the goods between two rooms where I had tables set up.  I followed the steps that The Nester laid out here and asked that everyone contribute an appetizer OR dessert to share.  Each person brought 2-3 items to swap(or more if they wanted it GONE!) 

Those pretty toile boxes looked right at home in their surroundings and, so, are mine now:)

We drew numbers and went through the tables in groups of four at a time.  There was some nail-biting and "OH! I wanted that!" exclamations, but we all left with things that we could use in our homes.  We had TWO organized rounds.  So, after the first round of going in order, we all went again but started from the middle.  (i.e. numbers 9-12 started the 2nd round)

The ladies patiently waiting for their turns again.(oh...and changing dirty diapers:):)

This way we all got to go through twice and make it as fair as possible.  Whatever was left at the end was up for grabs and the rest we packed into my car and donated.  I am already planning when I can host another one and trying to get others to host one so I can come to theirs!  The highlights of the day were:

Natasha and Kara (my sister) 

 

Jennifer and Stacy...don't hate me! It's the only photo I had of the outdoors:)

Seeing friends I had not seen in years!  Okay, not my sister, but old friends from high school!  It was so fun to have such a mix of people...those from the good ol' days and new friends too.

 This photo doesn't do it justice...ladies know how to bring the food!

THE FOOD!  Amy's pasta salad was the hit of the party... I wish I had a close up so you could see the sun-dried tomatoes and stuffed green olives.  Yummy!

Andrea with her loot.

Kara trying to steal my pillow...heehee.

 Stacy and Helena....so glad Helena got the duvet and shams I had for swapping!

Leaving with decor you can use in your house that you swapped for FREE!  I loved the fact that we had so many women from different age groups and decorating styles and still everyone went home happy...either that or they were lying to me;)  Either way I HIGHLY recommend hosting your own swap.  I was always a big fan of in-home parties and tried to host one every Fall.  With a swap, you have zero pressure to buy anything and you get the gift of giving something you no longer had a use for, but someone else certainly does!

**Being the host I completely dropped the ball on getting photos of everyone....bummer.  So, next swap I will put someone else in charge of that:)