Nap Time = New kitchen curtain!

Ok.....I should be better at updating my blog now that Fall in upon us.  I found out this summer that projects really dont get done.  Im way to busy and it WAY to HOT for paint to dry!  Here is a little project I did today while Carter was napping.  IM IN LOVE WITH CHEVRON!!!  I wish I could find it locally in all different colors....but for now just in yellow.  This came from Hancock 50% off:)  Next up with this fabric is recovering pillows. 

PLUS!  The Whatcheer Flea Market is next weekend!  So I should have some new stuff ahead.  I really dont have any room for any more furniture.  But....I did run this idea by Kenny the other day....I would LOVE to have my own booth at the Flea Market next year.  We will see.  The problem is I dont have ANY storage space to keep everything.  SO if we can get that figured out this could be something in my future.  Or something smaller that I could sell somethings.  I really enjoy making/redoing but I OUT OF SPACE!  I also Have lots of little things that I have done throughout the Summer that I will post when I have more time!! 

Erica:)

New stuff!! Yes Im alive!

It has been awhile!  I have been working on new projects around being sick...again!  And then Carter got tubes in his ears, so its been busy!  Im going to post a few now and then a few in the next couple days. 

I have been wanting a sewing desk and have been looking for awhile.  Come to find out this beauty came out of my parents basement storage room and got it for FREE!!!:)  YAY!  But I think I know why.....it was a HUGE PAIN!  I sanded this ^%@JJD*(())* for 2 hours, first with my sanding block then I got to business with a power sander.  It had the thickest coat of dark brown varnish you have ever seen. Also added 2 green glass knobs for the handles.  Here is the before and after!

During.....

Also on the desk is a lamp redo!  Before pictures I forgot to take....but the base was gold.

Next is a picture that I found at a thrift shop here in Belle Plaine for $8.  I knew it would be a amazing chalk board because the frame on this picture was amazing!  Sorry "farm girl" painting that is under the black paint!  But what I did was paint the glass...this is the way to make a chalkboard if you can, by painting the glass.  It makes the paint so smooth and look great!

 After!

And I guess I will tell you about that chair.  Bought that at a flea market for $10.  I wanted a sewing chair that had a pad that I could recover.  BUT...finding the right paint color and fabric has been a pain!  Still not happy with my combo, so they chair may not be staying yellow.   Maybe if I wasnt OCD this wouldnt be a issue.   I do love the "pop" of the yellow if I can find the right fabric.  Here is what it looked like before!

So as you can see that is a unfinished project!  But hoping to find some fabric soon!

This next mirror I love but it will be a drag down fight because my Sister says that it is hers.  She might be right and that it did come from my Grandparents and she wanted it.  BUT....I found it being unused in a closet at my parents.  So who is right??  I say ME:)  But I guess she can have it back.......tears........:(  So what Im am asking you......If you know of where I can find one let me know!  My Mom said that they got 3 of these as wedding gifts!  BUT...sold them at a garage sale 15 years ago!  Nooo!!  So if your parents got married in the late 60's early 70's check closets!!!  GO NOW!

Before

AFTER!

Well....that is all that Carter is giving me time for today!!  Yes, I am almost done with my "Mouse Pee" dresser.  I am just looking for hardware that will work on curved drawers.  Not an easy task!   Also SORRY for being MIA!  Hope you are all having a great Summer:)  -Erica

New projects coming SOON!

I have been working on a few things lately and starting new projects before the last one is finished!  Lot of pictures to come.  Working on my "Mouse Pee" dresser today.....hoping to get it done.  It has been A LOT of more work then what I excepted.  No wonder it was so cheep.  I also had to get Kenny involved so he could cut some boards for it.  Why you ask??  Because the mouse pee has taken over.....it has made our whole garage smell like death for the past 3 weeks!  Insert GAG face here!

Also I am redoing our spare bedroom.  Not getting into it to much because it will hopefully be a nursery in the next couple years or so.  But until then it will be my craft and sewing room.  Cant wait!  So stay tuned for lots of pictures!

Our shed redo and flea market finds!

First off our shed had turned UGLY grey and was a eye-sore!  We (I) have been wanting to paint it for 4 years and it is finally done!  Here are some pictures of the process.

Before.....pressure washing

Priming.....

AFTER!:)  This project took us all last week....painting and landscaping:)  Kenny made the window boxes and the shutters.  And the windows were still blah so I made them match our house windows with alittle white electrical tape!!:)  Genius!  Except trying to get the tape lined up perfectly was a pain!

Here is Kennys pride and joy.....is it me or Carter???  NO!  His gardens!  They are turning out really good and we had our first HUGE bowls of salad from it!  YUMMY!

Here is our first harvest of lettuce!!!

My little helper on his tractor!

The next project the idea came from the website www.pinterest.com.....if you havent visited this website you are missing out!!  I got the candle sticks from the flea market for .50 cents and the plates and bowl from Walmart for super cheep.  I love how it turned out and will be great for cheese and crackers!

Here is what I used......

And here is the finished project!

I really didnt take a lot of pictures at the flea market mainly because I forgot.....I was to caught up in it all!  We left at 7:15 and got there alittle after 8am.....apparently to late bc our first stop that we always make when we get there some lady was buying TONS of stuff!  And of course I wanted what she was buying....note to self...go earlier next time!  Here are a couple of pictures and our truck on the way home....NOTE: One load had already went home with Kenny and my Dad! 

I just really like this table....I didnt buy it but it would have made a awesome dining room table!

Here is a dresser that I bought for $20.  I just started redoing it today...its going to be a lot of work. A bigger project then what I had thought it was going to be.  It has a nice stink of mouse pee and mold and the drawers are falling apart inside.  I think its bc the amount of mice that have peed in it in the past 50 years!  Stay tuned for after pictures!

Mouse nest....SUPER stinky!

This is another thing I bought but it didnt need any work!  Love the color!!

Until August flea market!!

Flea Market here I come!

Tomorrow is one of 3 days a year that I SOOO look foward too!  If you dont know what Im talking about I will be happy to fill you in!:)  Whatcheer, Iowa, 3 times a year has a fantasic flea market.  Its huge and takes us all day to get through.   If you cant make it this weekend I will post some pictures of the day and hopefully some of my finds.  If you can make it...its Friday-Sunday and starts at 7 am.  We have been sick this week of course!  What a "great" week to be sick.  So Im hoping everyones antibotics will be fully kicked in by tomorrow!! 

On my list tomorrow...and as in list, its really what Im keeping my eye out for.  Because I could come home with everything on my list or nothing.  A sitting chair to redo, antique plates to make a cake stand, candle sticks, hooks, door knobs (I want to make a coat/purse hanger), and some outdoor decor.  And Im picky when it comes to outdoor decor, I dont want it to look like junk sitting around. 

As for any projects this week.....we started our shed redo!  Im so excited.  Before it was just plain wood that had turned grey in the last 4 years.  Ugly!  So now between being sick and the rain, its almost primed.  A few trim pieces to finish.  I think we will paint it the same as the house...darker tanish.  Kenny has made flower boxes for the shed and will be making shutters.  I might be painting those black.  Who knows.  I have taken before pictures but I will post them when it is all done:)   It a long time overdue!! 

Anyway...hope you all have a great weekend and sorry for a boring post!  Hopefully after tomorrow I will have some new projects in the works! 

Spring is (nt) in the air! Projects and "How To" fabric flowers!

One day again we will be able to have our windows open and play outside!  But I guess the dull weather allows me to have a little more time to do inside projects and post them here!:)

First let me start off by saying that IM NOT thrilled about converting Carter's room to a "Big Boy" room.  Makes me tear up.  But...with his 2nd birthday coming up in less then 2 months I gotta do something.  So my first project are these pictures.  I bought the canvas at Hobby Lobby, I think it was $8 for all 4.  Spray painted them with Krylon Banner Red.  Then just used acrylic white paint for the hand and foot prints.  The process of doing the prints was a DISASTER!  I stripped him down, put him in the tub and painted one at a time his feet and hands.  Trying to keep him from doing his own artwork on the tile in the shower was pointless.  Thank GOD that the white paint could be wiped off because we has a few mistakes and movements of limbs.  Lets just say this is a TWO person job and have a glass of wine ready when you are finished!!  You will need it!....or 2!  But I loved how it turned out and cant wait to hang them up!

 

A couple of people wondered how to make the fabric flowers I have been using...they are so simple but do take a few times to get them right. Or at least it did for me.  There isnt a right or wrong way, just take your time and see what you like.  Also...I bought a bunch of different patterns of fabric and is much cheaper to buy it by the yard then "fat quarters".  If you buy 1/2 a yard you can get about 6-7 large flowers.

Here is what you will need.  Fabric glue, scissors, fabric!  Dont worry about the pattern on the fabric, you wont see much of that.  Pick out a fabric with the colors you like rather then pattern.

First cut your fabric strip into a 1 inch piece.  You can use as long or short of a piece you want.  Shorter-smaller flower.  Longer-bigger flower.

Next fold in the one side, then fold over the other side.

Next you will start rolling the end of the fabric...about 6-8 times.

Then along the fabric run a thin line of glue...this is when you will start twisting the fabric around the "roll".

I like to twist mine alittle looser so it looks alittle more "fluffy".  Does that make sense?  Hope so!

My fabirc doesnt stayed folded the way it was which is fine and gives the fabric a "not so perfect" look.  Keep twisting and put alittle glue every pass or so around.

Then when you are dont just glue the end.  See easy!!

This is a bigger flower.  In the next picture you can see the difference in the shorter vs longer fabric.

Next project is still in the process.  I had leftover fabric from the bulletin board that I made a couple weeks ago.  And I have been needing to recover my dining room chairs because they are a puke beige.  So I had enough leftover fabric to recover one to see if I liked it.  And I did!  So now I need 2 more yards so I can finish what I started!  But here is the chair I did this morning!

Before...blah.  Whoever designed these chairs to be covered in puke beige microfiber needs to be slapped.

During.....

AFTER!!!!

This next chair I just finished.  I bought it at a auction for $4.  Sanded the heck out of it, primed it and painted it with Krylon Blue Ocean Breeze.
Before

After!

The last one I just did because I needed something for this little vase and needed something NOW.  I like it because it was free!:)  Who knew that painted dead sticks from the yard could look so good!!

Last but certainly not least....my little "helper"!!