Archives for February 2013

Paint Update

My painting is done!  I ended up painted half the downstairs.  It is hard to photograph paint so it shows up true to color.  This is pretty close.
The entry way (below) is Sherwin-Williams Perfect Greige.  (can you guess my next major project?  The staircase and banister….ugh!)
 More Perfect Greige

 The dining room/living room is Sherwin-Williams Garret Gray.  It is similar to what I had before, just a hint more toward the greige.


Amanda

Vintage Easter Art

 I am in love with vintage Easter art!!  I printed a few and put them around my house….it feels like spring!

Here are some of my favorites and a link where you can find them:
Big Bunny with Egg from Graphics Fairy 
2 Peeps from Graphics Fairy
Easter Bunny with Chicks from Graphics Fairy
 
 

Amanda

Sprinkles, Sprinkles & More Sprinkles


 

Don’t laugh at me, but the state of my “Sprinkle” organization has been bothering me for quite some time.  I don’t have a fancy remodeled kitchen like in my dreams.  I have builder-grade cabinets from 1989 which I have painted twice.  Do any of you have this small little cabinet above the hood in your kitchen with the vent occupying most of the space?  This is what mine looked like:

Often times I would open the cabinet and sprinkles would actually fall onto my head.  (By the way I love sprinkles and I pride myself on having a selection fitting every holiday.)
 I emptied the contents to my counter:
 I have sprinkles in every possible container, tub, or shaker thing-a-ma-jig.  My friend gave me all these empty shaker bottles and I knew that was my answer.  All the sprinkles needed to fit into like-sized containers…and so the process (a day’s work) began.
 

 I emptied all my sprinkles into their own same-sized bottle and tossed the original packaging.

 The only problem was all the labels on the new containers were all different and I wasn’t going to spend a week removing them.  Enter in scrapbook paper and sticky strip.

 I cut a 2″ x 6″ strip out of paper that matched the sprinkles in the bottle.  I didn’t want all the bottles to look the same with fancy Martha Stewart labels.  I like that look, but when it comes to sprinkles I need to grab and go!  Color coded bottles were just the answer!  Green sprinkles get green paper, etc.

I went to the Avery label website and printed off custom labels to attach to each bottle.

 It is starting to look happy in here!!!

 I planned on returning my sprinkles to my double-decker Lazy Susan.  Only it needed a bit of sprucing up.  Enter in Washi Tape.  In a matter of seconds I transformed a very boring item into something bright and cheerful!

 Next, all the cupcake papers needed homes and one jar was not enough.  I could have bought all matching jars, but I didn’t want to make a trip to the store so I used what I had.  It works.

 (The inside of the cabinet is not the cutest – yes, that is the actual wall you see inside the cupboard – QUALITY!!)

 I grouped the sprinkles by color, then by holiday.  That should work for now.  It won’t make the cover of a magazine or anything, but it makes me feel happy when I peek in there…..and it makes me want to bake something yummy!!


Amanda

Painted Tea Cabinet

 I have been wanting to paint this cabinet for quite some time.  I can’t believe I finally did it!

 This is how it looked before.  It was stained one color.  Enter in Sherwin-Williams “Splashy”.  Only my new favorite color!

I decided to tackle this project at 10pm Saturday night.  That’s just how I work.  I took the doors off the hinges and lightly sanded – I mean LIGHTLY sanded.  This piece does not get a lot of wear.  I didn’t even prime (gasp).  I wanted some wood showing through.
 (Do you like the cereal boxes used to hold the doors off the floor!)
After it was painted I rubbed a walnut stain on the painted parts and then quickly wiped it off.  It took the “Splashy” down a notch and made it look a little more vintage.


 I bought some glass knobs which give it just the right touch.

 I added wallpaper to the back of the cabinet.  I cut the wallpaper to fit the dimensions on my rotary cutter.  I followed the manufacturers instructions on adhering the wallpaper.  It was quick and easy.

 
Whose ready for a tea party?

Amanda

Lace Banner

 I have this old fashion radio in my entry way.  I have this curvy part to my stairs and it is the perfect item to fit there.  I wanted to break up the brown a bit so I sewed this lace banner.  It was super easy. 

 I simply cut triangles out of lace and sewed them together using ecru crochet lace.  Super cute!

 I may not always keep this here – but it’s fun for a while!

Amanda

Bookshelf Re-Styling


I spent some time re-styling my bookshelves.  Its kind of a fun process.  I got out everything around the house I thought might work, put it in a pile and then proceeded with some trial and error.  I am happy with how it turned out!

 My friend gave me this little owl and I love him.

I love turquoise Ball jars and vintage hankies.  I could have a room full.

 I hung this flower painting to the back of the bookshelf.  I got it at a garage sale for $2.  I bought it for the frame but I decided I kind of like the flowers!

I also got this lamp at a garage sale.  I sewed some ruffles and glued them to the lampshade. 

Amanda

More painting with Marbles the Bengal Cat

 OK enough of the cat pictures….I know!  Today was one more painting day and Marbles was ever so fascinated with the ladder.  He would climb to the top and not know how to get down!  Hopefully I can get things put back together and take some pictures of the paint!

Amanda

Painting with a Bangle Cat

I have been painting my entry way and dining/living room.  I guess Marbles the Bangle cat likes paint or something because he won’t stay out of it!  He follows me around, puts his paws in the wet paint and tries to catch my paint brush!

Here he left a perfect paw print on the chair.  My kids begged me to leave it there!

 This looks like fun!  Oh – and Marbles loves to climb ladders!  I have scratch marks all down my neck from where he used me as an extension of the ladder to get in the tall window.  More painting today!!  I had to get hubby to help with the big giant ladder!

Amanda

Strippy Table Runner

 I bought this fabric last year in hopes of making a table runner for the dining room.  It finally happened and I love it so much.  The fabrics make me happy when I look at them!!!  There is no real rhyme or reason to the pattern.  I figured out how I wanted it and cut various widths of fabric then sewed them together.  I sewed crocheted lace on the strips of solid grey.  I like the feel it gives it.  For the quilting, I did straight line quilting every 3/4 inch.  I love it!!!

Amanda

A little Antiquing!


Today my friend and I journeyed to North Hollywood for a bit of antiquing.  We found this fun store called Glass Horizons. 

 Outside they have all these pretty flowers potted in old bakery bread tins.  This shop has thousands of bread tins.  They are using them for everything!!

 They also have mini loaf tins and muffin tins.  They are so much fun.  I purchase one of the bread tins and I am hoping to use it as a shelf.  They are $15 each – not bad.

  
This shop also has a lot of architectural salvage – windows and doors.  Fun!!

 

Some of the antique pieces were a bit pricy – but we had fun looking.  I left with a bread pan and a wood crate! 

Amanda