Drop Cloth Skirt...

Before, I start I want to apologize for the quality of the pictures. It's hard holding a toddler out of the frame and taking the picture at the same time. Whenever I pull the camera out to take a picture of something besides him, he has to be in it.

Ok, a skirt. Well a skirt for my entertainment center.

I have been staring at this piece for weeks, thinking man, I just don't want to spend the money to get another one, when most likely we will be doing something different with this set-up once we move.

I sure don't want to get the paint out either. My hard labor does not come cheap these days.

I knew there must be something I can do, to make me happy and avoid spending a ton of money that will also give me a solution to the thing that has been plaguing me.

Drop cloth.

I purchased two large ones, last week for a chair I am working on. Post to come later.

And I remember seeing other fellow bloggers using "skirts" to hide storage under their desks or tables and I thought, well I can hide the darkness just as easy.

Here's the darkness.

I laid out the drop cloth and took measurements.

I added a few inches to the top so that I would be able to fold it. I cannot sew, so this is the easy fix for me.

Cut it by a chalk line that I made. I just used chalk I had lying around the house. You can barely see it and once I made the fold, you can't see it at all.

Then I tacked the two ends with furniture tacks, to hold them in place and let the center fabric hang loose so that I could place a crease in the middle.

I gathered the fabric in the center folding on each side and then joining them in the middle to make one nice fold.

Then placed a tack to hold in the center.

I did not completely place the tacks on the ends until I was sure that I liked the fold in the center. I also had my hubby there to help hold and to give more cloth in the center to adjust the fold to my desire.

I really like it and think that it fulfills my request to down play the darkness of the room.

Green with Envy

Well, I hope that's the way you feel after you see my latest transformation of furniture. 

I wanted to add a little color, not to brighten it up but to change the simple colors, I always choose green.

But the hubby gives me a big, fat VETO, before I even get in the car to get the paint. But I had an idea, I would "tone down" the green before he saw it.

Wish me luck!

Here is my $20 Craigslist purchase. 

Yes, $20 for the set.

I primed right on top, now roughing it up for me.

Remember, I have to surprise the hubby.

With fingers crossed, of course.

Second coat of green paint.

I think the green is on the relaxed side, but still kinda bright for my placement in our living room.

I slathered on a very generous layer of dark walnut stain.

Mostly, because I like it.

And, because I don't want to do it twice.

After about 10 minutes, I normally wait the longest possible, because again I only wanted to stain it once, but I use a large amount so I did not wait this time.

I wiped it off slightly, and still did not think the green was aged. It looked more covered up to me.

So, I rubbed some more.

And then a little more.

That is the best thing about the stain, you make it the color or aged look you want.

So I stopped rubbing.

This is what I got.

I like it.

And so does the hubby.

Entry Piece Re-Do

When you enter my home, you walk smack dab into the middle of it. No lie.

Our entry/living room/dining area is just one huge area. Though we like the openeness, it sure is hard to decorate. You can't tell where the living area begins and ends, or where the dining room ends and begins, as well as how the entry way is really the entry way, when you really have already entered into the home and there is no other way.

It's difficult. But I do know that a little lighting up won't hurt.

So here is my entry cabinet/side board/buffet piece. I sold a piece on Craigslist that I had re-finished and it sold for the exact amount this piece was listed for.

SCORE!
 

Now, don't get me wrong, I love the piece, we even prefer it in black. But the owners before us, used a gold paint pen to accent it. I mean accent everything and it was totally free hand. I just could not walk by this every day knowing this.

I am just trying out the green star, my hubby does not like it. So it most likely will not be there later. I was also testing a rubbing method of painting to see how it turned out, just FYI!

The primer coat. It covered very well, since the piece was black I was afraid I was going to have to put four coats on it. But it soaked it right up.

First coat of paint. Just on the side there, that's why it looks odd. I wanted to make sure it was covering well and that I would not change my mind about the color.

Clear coat, brushed on. I think it looks very "light."

Now, back inside near the ol' whatever- you -want- to -call- it!

I purchased some cute lamps from IKEA, they were having a huge sale, but I wanted a more adult look. So cute wasn't going to work. Though, these were more then I normally spend on lamps and expensive for IKEA, I think they were worth it and really tie everything together.

Detail of the knobs, I think the black really hide this. With the lighter color it really exposes it more.

                                       BEFORE:                                                        AFTER:

Another Bright Idea

The hubby and I have searched and searched for ways and ideas to make the entrance, i.e. the front walk, more inviting. We want to replace the door, but of course the ones we like are several hundred dollars, and I don't want to spend that kinda of money on a house we are going to sell.

Then we thought about paint. But this door is an older door and I am not sure how it would handle paint. And if I did paint it, it would probably take a week to dry and then my children would wonder off.

So I went with the next best thing.

Wreaths.

I don't just love them inside the house. I love them outside, too.

I have handmade all of our wreaths.

So I started with the simple vine wreath, which was on sale at HL and cost a whopping $2.23!

Then, after spending the day in the yard I headed to Michael's because they were having a floral sale.

These white flowers were $1.99 with an additional 40% off.

I can handle that. I also wanted to make this wreath simple and eye catching. I was driving by a neighbor's house that lives a few blocks over and she has a wreath similar on her door. It caught my eye and a broke my neck checking it out. Maybe it will do the same on our house.

I totally just inter twined the stems into the vines and tucked and pulled and tucked some more until I liked it!

I do.

I like it!

Lamps Once More

My original post about these fab-o lamps.

This picture is after I painted them black, but still had a small problem with the border ribbon on top. It was brown and beige striped.

And it stayed that way for weeks.

Shhhhhhh!

But then I grew tired, oh so tired.

Every time I walked by the lamps said to me, "oh please do something about this up-matchingness!"

Yes that's a word.

So I did.

I am loving this detail!

Before:             After:

The President's Completion!

So I have been updating a ton on this piece and have really enjoyed flipping it.

Really because it has so much character.

I really think by taking down completely to the base and then starting over has really helped this piece and showed it's true colors.

But I'll let you be the judge.

I also Mod Podge the drawers with some scrapbook paper and really liked how they turned out as well.

So here we are:

I used a spray paint color I just loved but purchased it in a can of semi- gloss because I don't think I am good enough to spray paint an entire piece maybe another time.

Original Hardware!

Walnut stain on the top.

I really like the contrast!

The drawers lined wtih paper!

BEFORE:

AFTER: