Wood Working project

Sunday, March 2, 2014

Lovely Lilacs

Hey there! A good friend and I went a "pickin" the other day, only this time it was for fresh cut flowers. In this case, these lovely lilacs located in her yard. Arent they pretty?

And the scent they are releasing in my home is amazing. They smell of Spring....

Heres one more look just cause they are so gorgeous.....

Happy Friday Friends! And thank you to my friend for the lovely lilacs! :)

P.S. For a vintage jar like this, google images of old labels, print them off and glue them to any old jar. Voila, instant vintage jar!

The Planning Stages

Were getting ready to embark on yet another project around our house and Im particularly excited about it as it means Ill be working on it outdoors in the sunshine! Were going to give our front porch a little attention during the next couple months and hopefully utilize the space in a way that is more comfortable and inviting.

While Ive been working on putting together a plan, I thought Id share with you the steps I take every time we begin working on a new project, particularly one that encompasses an entire room. As always, I feel the need to put in a little disclaimer that Im by no means an expert... in fact, the majority of the time I feel like I know absolutely nothing... but these are merely a few things that help me.

Gathering Inspiration

source

A few easy (and affordable) solutions (Country Living)

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Love this porch - Blushing Bride hydrangeas bloom in a galvanized tub on this guesthouse #porch.

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source

This is the first step I take when looking at a remodel project. For years I have clipped photos from magazines and catalogs that inspire me and tucked them away in a binder. Now we have Pinterest too, and although it took me a long time to break down and use it, I have to admit that I love this method of gathering inspiration (you can find me on Pinterest here). For me, its not so much copying, but rather gathering together a variety of ideas to incorporate. Ive taken inspiration from all the porches above, even though the color schemes, styles and designs are different. Its taking all those little pieces of inspiration that speak to you in that photo - a color, an architectural detail, a suggestion of comfort, accessories - and using them to help you put your vision together.

Staying True to your Style

Isnt this probably the hardest thing of all when it comes to decorating? I know it is for me. We have so much access to beautiful photos and ideas that sometimes its easy to get overwhelmed and lose focus on what we really love and also what works best for us and our families. I always remind myself that this is our house and it needs to fit our lifestyle and our family... its okay to be different!

A Color Scheme

Sometimes we might have a color in our mind that we love, but something prevents us from using it. This is often the case for me because Im trying to work with something we already have. I would love to have a porch that was entirely shades of blue, but we have a green metal roof... a perfectly good metal roof that we dont plan on replacing (smile). That means its time to compromise. Im teaming up with Lamps Plus on this project, so I was thrilled when I found a couple beautiful outdoor pillows that incorporate both blue and green from them.

Visualize

As I gather ideas and brainstorm, I like to visualize what the entire room or project will look like once its finished. True, there are always adjustments along the way, but it helps me to have a vision. Oftentimes I even sketch my idea on paper, such as furniture placement, etc.

Establish a Budget

While its easy to wish this wasnt a factor to take into consideration, I dont think Im speaking for just myself when I say it is. It helps to establish a budget in the planning stages, because youll soon determine what is most important to you. It can sometimes be a wonderful thing though... it gets those creative juices flowing and you may end up with several things in your room that are handmade, unique, and special. It has always helped us in remodeling our home to work with what we can and do the work ourselves.

Think Outside the Box

I added this step after establishing a budget because it goes hand-in-hand with those creative juices. When something is out of your price range, dont give up quite yet - look for alternatives. (What do you think I should plant in this galvanized tub Ill be using as a planter?)

Accessorize

In our case, the bulk of our cost usually goes to structural details, but I also like to factor in some accessories. Accessories can complete your look and theyre also fun to daydream about since youll get to use them when your project is complete (smile). This doesnt mean I know absolutely every accessory Im going to use in the planning stages, but it does help for me to have an idea of a few things as they help complete that vision.

Do What You Can... And Buy What You Cant

I couldnt think how else to word that! We have cut costs many times by doing the work ourselves, but sometimes you just cant and sometimes it just isnt worth it. I am so, so lucky to have a handy husband that likes to build things... in the case of our porch, adding an outdoor rug and a coffee table were both things I had on my mind. So I went with a rug (which I cant make) and asked my husband if he would build us a coffee table (which will practically be free since we already have the wood). ~~Even though Justus isnt thrilled with having another project on his to-do list~~ I know in the end well have a piece of furniture that will reflect the style of our home and will also be special.

Make a List

I know you probably arent surprised with this last item, as I imagine most of you probably have figured out by now that Im a list type of person (smile). But it always helps me to stay on target if I have a list of everything that has to be accomplished and theres also so much satisfaction in crossing something off. Its just a helpful little way for me to keep from getting overwhelmed when I can take something in pieces. It also helps this forgetful mommy remember ideas!

Ill keep you posted on our porch progress!

Note: The products pictured here I received from Lamps Plus and you can find them here:
          Outdoor Pillows
          Seagrass Outdoor Rug
      Candle Lantern
      Galvanized Tub

Saturday, March 1, 2014

A Home for the Girls

Last fall we purchased two baby Rhode Island Red chicks to raise for our own organic, free range eggs. When I was a child, my grandma had chickens roaming around her yard just as happy as they could be and since then I have always wanted to own a couple of my own. Now, we finally do and let me tell ya, they are funny little creatures.

Although we planned to let them free range during the day, they still needed a place to lay eggs and roost at night so I came up with this cute little coop idea loosely based on different plans I came across online. I spent 3 or 4 days building it with the help of my hubby. It really wasnt that expensive to build, especially when compared to models sold online. I think it turned out great and after our chickens finally realized where they were supposed to lay their eggs, they seem pretty happy with it, too!

Monday, February 24, 2014

Go Bold with RED Milk Paint!!

I've been sooooo busy. I finally got into a space at a store!

But first.....

I Just completed another "Go Bold" Milk Paint Dresser!!!

Can you say, "RED". OMG. This milk paint, from the Real Milk Paint co. , has the most

brilliant red! It's gorgeous! The tung-oil finish just makes it so beautiful.

I wasn't about to lug this in the house to stage it, only to lug it back out the next morning to transport it to the store! So you will just have to use you imagination, forgive my trashed garage floor, and shop-vac in the background!

I painted the wooden knobs 'cuz I didn't have enough of the crystal! I painted the appliques milk paint red and then dry-brushed w/CeCe's white.

I found this cool fabric to line the drawers!

Beachy Vibe Little Maple Buffet

I found this piece of, er, um,,,,,piece at a garage sale around the corner.

It was a sad, sad little water damaged buffet. But the nice thing

about wood is that it's hardy and forgiving!

Take a gander at this solid maple beaut...

Yes,,,that thing lying in there is the bottom shelf. The top looked just as bad as the rest of it.

They were asking $30...I offered 20 bucks. The two girls nearly threw it at me.

Should have offered 5. Oh well.

I had a bit of left over milk paint in turquoise. I brush a bit here and there on top and then painted the whole thing with CeCe Caldwells White.

Another Gem Colored Milk Paint Dresser!

I just cant get enough of the stunning colors from the Real Milk Paint Co. !

Last dresser re-do it was a bold cobalt/ultra-marine blue. This time Im going

TURQUOISE.

But first, let me tell you about this score on this dresser.

Not too bad. It was obviously a well made piece. Nice type of mahogany. It was in pretty good shape.

The gentleman I bought it from (CL) was one of those storage war people. Although, he

said he got this from his uncle who had passed. He wanted 85 for it. We agreed on $60.

Had no idea what a score I was about to discover.

I have never seen handles like this before. I took a quick glance at them and thought

they were unique. Even the escutcheons were beautiful. Of course he didnt have the key.

Does anyone ever have the key????

Anyway, got the beauty home and started my work. The handles were nice and hefty. Got out the

Brasso and started to see how they would shine up.

Hello!!!! Holy-Solid-Cast-Brass Batman!

Yes. Solid. No plating. I know you know how much solid brass handles cost.

10 handles and 5 escutcheons. You do the math.....uh-huh......Scoresville!

Heres hubs shining the booty up on the polisher.

Want to see what they look like on the finished piece??

Like gold jewelry on a gorgeous gown....check out my Turquoise Baby!!!

I just love this color! I had planned on selling this one. But after seeing how great this color turned

out, and of course this awesome hardware, I think Im keeping this guy.

So I actually used the one marked cobalt blue. However, the rep said that they had an error listing the names, as I told him this color was no where near cobalt. So I really dont know what color this is. The one labeled turquoise is more of a teal. The company was nice enough and sent me two other colors (Peacock and Black) and a jar of their burnishing paste. Its a matte acrylic topcoat. Sort of like using wax on top of chalk paint.

This totally looks like Bo-bo the clowns dresser.

After layering on the milk paint.
Once I start sanding, the other colors
will peek thru.

This shows how I layered on two other colors of chalk paint before painting over the whole
thing with the milk paint. Milk paint works best on completely bare wood. It went over the chalk paint with no problems.

It was a paint-fest!! I have serious issues. While doing the dresser, I also tried out my milk paint on the new campaign dresser I picked up. Yes..a Baker Campaign dresser. For the paltry sum of $15.00!!! Dont Hate! I will talk about that painting fiasco in my next post.....Sheesh....