Ta-da...Nursery Progress

This is going to be mostly a pictorial blog entry since I've only got 2 full days left before heading to the hospital to have Big Baby Boy #2 (and lots of loose ends to tie up before we go.)  Time flies!  The nursery isn't ready, but it's getting close.  Which is fine, since our 1st baby didn't spend a lot of time in his crib or his room for the first 6 weeks or so anyway! 

Here is the "project complete" list - I've sewn the crib skirt, recovered generic cream bumper pads from IKEA, recovered the glider rocking chair cushions with a vintage blue bedspread, and saved enough of said spread to use as the backing for a quilt.  I have never made a quilt before mind you, but my pregnant brain thought this would be a fun time to try.  It was fun, but don't look too closely.  I took lots of liberties hat would probably make a proper quilter's blood boil, but in the end I'm very happy with how it turned out!  I also completed the "You are my Sunshine" wall hanging using an old screen I scavenged last summer and have been anxious to use, some raffia ric rack that I love, part of my button collection, and some scrap fabric.  Finally, the collection of thrifted embroidery hoops has been filled with pieces of fabric from the nursery project and hung over the crib.  Love it - they look like giant, vintage polka dots!!

The " project not-so-complete-yet" list includes adding ties to the tops of the bumper pads (there is only a lower set,) sewing buttons at the corners of the glider foot stool to hold the cover in place (it was expertly gathered and pinned by my good friend Jen months ago,) embellishing the plain linen fabric in the largest embroidery hoop (maybe with baby's initial once we settle on a name,)  and a host of other little details I'd like to do but aren't essential.

It's been a really fun project and I can certainly take it farther after babe is born if I can find the time, but for now I'm pleased with the outcome.  Enjoy the pics!!

Nursery

Rag quilt front




Rag quilt back

 






I have no idea why this one keeps rotating, sorry!

Close up of wall hanging

Loose Ends

I was re-reading some of my past posts yesterday and realized that I had a few loose ends to tie up!  So I ran around quickly and took a few snap shots.  Remember this chair from my July 11th post about a great estate sale I stumbled upon?  Here is the before and after. 

Before

After



The ticking I used on the seat was from my favorite thrift store.  The ticking is a versitile neutral blend of cream, white, black and gray - plus it looks french to me, which I love. And for those of you who wonder -yes, I truly do find uses for all the splendid finds I bring home.  

Here is a before and after of some wicker chairs I got at a garage sale for $5 each.  I wanted some casual seating outside our front door so friends and I have a place to sit while the kids ride bikes/trikes/scooters in the driveway.  The chairs look less stable than they are, due to a support frame built under the base.  I have purchased some fun Sunbrella brand fabrics on clearance with which to sew cushions, but that will probably wait until next summer since I hear freezing rain is on the way soon (boo!)

Finally, I promised a picture of my seasonal decor change in our main bath way back at the beginning of June (gulp.)  I love the Alexander Henry fabric as the focal point.  I originally wanted to stretch it over an IKEA fabric frame, but the remnant I bought was not quite the yard it promised so it didn't fit.  I improvised by stapling the fabric over a cork bulletin board.  I love it because I can reuse the fabric when it's no longer wall decor (which will be soon, as I'm busy coming up with a fall theme.)  A side note for those of you new to my blog - I do a super simple change of the decor in our main bath each season to keep things fresh (I get bored too easily.)  It's a small space with a neutral palette, so it's easy to move things around from other rooms of the house, such as the b&w daisy pics I stole from the entryway this time.  Different colored towels, rugs, maybe shower curtain and I'm done!  Since I rotate through the different colored towels and rugs I already own, it's very inexpensive to do and truly doesn't take much time at all.  Big reward for little effort - love it!!  It's something you could easily do yourself if you were so inclined.

Enjoy your Saturday, my friends!  Thanks for stopping by.  xoxo ~J

A Much Needed Post

Hi!  Hi, hi, hi!  Hi, hi, hi!  I'm so excited to be blogging, I can hardly stand it! 

Life has been too much work and not nearly enough play lately.  You know how I can tell?  First, the last post was a month ago - ugh!  Second, I am about to explode like a cork out of a champagne bottle if I don't get something written (or made, or sewn, or constructed.)  Know the feeling?!

I've done a few mini-projects out of necessity, but they aren't cutting it.  I've sewn a stuffed animal holder for O's room and a black-out curtain for the one window that didn't have one - both were quick, sloppy projects that didn't satisfy my itch.  Although, O really likes the stuffed animal holder hanging above his bed (it's just a couple of pockets sewn to a larger piece of fabric,) so that's good.  I've also tried some new recipes, like Emeril's baked mac and cheese with bacon from the Food Network Magazine which the guys loved!  However, it's not been enough to help me find the balance that comes with some serious making, crafting, or re-inventing!

So, step one toward balance is to write this blog entry.  *Big sigh with a grin*  Step two is to do a few of the projects I've been contemplating (or at least one of them - he, he.)  Also, to share some of the cool things I've come across.

Yesterday I was looking at plans from Knock-Off Wood's Ana White for wall cubby shelves.They are on my list to make for the arts and crafts room, which needs to be reolcated btw, as I've completely outgrown it.

I found a round foot stool on metal casters at a garage sale this summer.  It's currently covered in baby-poo yellow pleather and my plan is to make a slip cover for it out of some awesome upholstery weight linen I scored at a different garage sale for $4.  I am thinking I may try a flowy drop ruffle around the slip cover, we'll see.  I will post some before/after pics, as I don't have a pic to post today.

Then there are the felted wool embellishments I enjoy making.  Mostly flowers for now, but I'd like to try some new things, and I'd like to fatten the stock in my Etsy shop for holiday shoppers.  I have tried some different techniques after making flowers with friends one weekend and seeing the cool ideas they came up with.  The result was very frilly and fun flowers, but they still need some finishing touches and I need more time experimenting!

On a side note, my mother-in-law and sister-in-law have launched a website for their awesome felted wool mittens, Asbury Mitten Company.  Check it out!  You might recognize some of the same felted wool in my flowers, since I started making them with some of their scraps.  It's really been a fun new medium for me this year and I owe them a big thank you for introducing me to "fabulous felting."

Enjoy your weekend, friends.  If you have a project in your sights, please share with us.  It's always fun to hear what everyone else is working on (besides WORK, right?!)  Happy Friday!!

The Other G of Summer - Garage Sales

Good morning!  A week has already passed since my last post; so much for sharing garage sale finds a day after I shared our garden progress.  But then, if you can't do as you please with your blog, in what area of life can you enjoy such freedom?!  Tra, la, la, la, la.  This seems to be the theme of summer.  *big grin*

On to the meat of the post!  With the end of the week upon us and the prime garage sale days it brings, below are a few of my favorite finds from the summer.  But first, a little background - my mission in 2010 is to renew our home, brighten it up, and change our furnishings from "Pottery Barn or Crate and Barrel circa 1999" to something more eclectic and casual with vintage touches sprinkled in.  I jokingly told our neighbor I'm on a mission to sell or consign every "new" piece of furniture we own in exchange for something comfortably used.  Along the way I'm incorporating fun fabrics, lots of ticking stripes, vintage light fixtures, and slip covers (for now - I'd love to replace our couch etc.)

You've seen the perfect little desk from a farmhouse yard sale earlier this summer, and the makeover of the $2.95 thrift store find, so here's the $5 table from my return trip to July's estate sale.  Ta-da!  The crock, books, and milk bottle holding the massive hydrangea are all garage sale finds as well.  I love this new corner of my dining room - much better than the tacky fake ficus tree that sat there for the past 4 years! 

Here is the $2 side table discovered at a neighborhood sale displaying the $1 quilt I found at the same sale.  I'm ashamed to say I've paid more for a glass drawer pull like the one on this table before!  All the table required was a little scrub down, and it was ready for use!

Finally, here are before and afters of the $5 chandelier that replaced our heavy black Home Depot chandelier.  It took some serious clean-up, reshaping, and 2 cans of "Canvas White" spray paint, but it looks great!  I only wish our Nikon was fixed so I could've gotten better pics.  (note: the little pink sticky notes are to mark which arms need re-wiring, as only 3 lights work for now, so turn a blind eye as I have.  Patience is NOT my middle name so I'd rather enjoy it as is for a while until my hubby has a chance to work on the wiring.)

Before

After

  There have been so many other treats and treasures from garage sales, estate sales and yard sales this summer.  I love it.  I love that it keeps the items someone else is done with out of our landfills.  I love the opportunity it's given me to teach O about money's value, spending it, and making choices about what we want.  Finally, I love the thrill of a gorgeous discovery and figuring out where it will fit into our home.  Happy hunting!

I'm so excited, and I just can't hide it {or how my heart swells with Joy for $25}

Friday and Saturday yielded such outstanding, inspiring, exciting finds that simply had to pop in to share them with you!  

First, apologies for the crummy photography.  Our Nikon D40 took a tumble out of the back of the car a month ago and has yet to be repaired (or replaced? *Gasp*)  That leaves me with the little point and shoot camera which even in macro mode, doesn't produce very detailed pics.  This long apology is necessary because the photos just don't do this stuff justice I tell you, it's so great and I'm so inspired to begin transforming, creating, and incorporating it into our home and our life!!

Details of the finds: 
*One garage sale with 5 boxes of fabric found in a mother-in-law's attic, each scrap was $.25.  This sale was a block over from my house and I met a really cool mom of 3, so we're certain to meet again at the neighborhood playground that's also a block away.  Such a bonus! 
*One estate sale happened upon by accident on our way home from Farmer's Market yesterday morn.  As it was the final day of the sale, everything was 50% off!!

First the fabric:  This piece is 53x35 and begging to be stretched on a wooden frame and hung on the wall.  It's from Finland circa 1972 (and totally my colors - love that bright citrus!)

Here are the rest of my scavenged scraps----(can you see the little green critter at the base of the apple?!  Wish I had my good camera - ugh!)  What ideas spring to mind when you see this stack?

The estate sale gave me some new projects and a bit of whimsy for our expanding garden.  I dug the chair out of a corner in the basement, there was no price on it, and the worker's response was that he'd check on the price but couldn't imagine it would be worth much.  The result - I paid $3 and felt that it was indeed worth A LOT.  The white plant stand only needs to be cleaned up and filled with pots of flowers.  Next year I think I'll use it to grow herbs.  The side table/magazine rack will stay in its weathered state, but I will probably replace the glass top with something a bit more preschooler-friendly.  Either a fabric covered board, a brightly painted top, or maybe a rustic tiled surface?  Maybe this is my hubby's chance to try a mosaic?  What do you think? 

Finally, the textile pieces from the estate sale.  A couple of fun dresses that look to be a perfect fit for my friend Jen and her daughter (wish I could've gotten a better picture of each so you could see the rhinestone studs on the pink dress and the texture of the fabric on the red/white one), a soft linen pillow case embroidered with yellow flowers (my color!) a softly worn white mid-weight blanket for O's bed (reminds me of grandma's,) and a great quilt which was hiding under a cheesy pink satin bed set (only $3 folks!!)

Time to sign off the computer, close down its screen, and head outside!  Talk with you soon, friends!  Hope your weekend has been wonderful.  ~Joy

Presto-chango!

Good morning!  After a horribly excruciating day of online continuing education yesterday (and no, I'm NOT exaggerating, it was terrible) I'm very happy to do something on the computer I enjoy - blogging - with coffee, of course.

There isn't much originality in this post; I'm not the first, and certainly won't be the last, to paint a piece of tired furniture.  However, this project is such a satisfying reminder of exactly how wonderful a cast-off item can be after a little TLC. 

I found this little number at a thrift store for $2.95.  It was badly beaten up and the top was full of dark rings, marks, and almost deplete of finish (it had been well worn.)  The lines of the piece were adorable though, so home it came.  Also, it's made by Bassett furniture, is solid wood, and even has dovetail joints on the drawers - not your typical MDF or plywood special.  It had some "bones" to it.  I was pretty pumped! 

After it sat in our lower level for 6 weeks, I finally made time to take it out in the yard during nap time and give it the attention it deserved.  I wish I would've taken a photo before I sanded down the top and removed the drawer and hardware, but I guess I was too eager to get going and lost my "blogging head." 

I applied a couple coats of blocking primer to conceal the dark rings and a couple coats of semi-gloss white paint, then brightened up the original hardware with some Brasso, and presto-chango...my beautiful new end table!!

Now that I look at it, I may have the hardware on upside down, but I like it better that way!  It is so much more interesting than the matchy-matchy, mega furniture store coffee table/end table set we had (which is at a consignment store as we speak.)  Most importantly, I smile every time I walk in the room and see it!  My goal is to trade everything in the house that's just "there" for something that makes me smile - a piece I really love!  My quest continues with this weekend's new batch of garage sales, yard sales and maybe even a flea market or two.  What's the latest quest in your life?  Or, what have you brought back to life in your home or yard recently?  I'd love to see some makeover pictures if you're inclined to share. 

Happy Thursday - big holiday weekend upon us in the USA!  Hoping to catch some fireworks and sending you all my best.  ~J.