Sneak Peek!!! A(nother) Work In Progress..

Today I am excited about a few things.  One I will share with you all shortly.  The next is that I am linking up for the Very First Time to Miss Mustard Seed's Blog for her Friday Furniture Party!   Who doesn't love a good piece of furniture???   Or, better yet, a bad piece of furniture turned good???   Be sure to click on the link and head on over to check out all the other goodies!

I am also participating in Frugalicious Friday over at Finding Fabulous.      -Make sure you stop there for a visit as well! Couldn't we all stand to find a little "fabulous"?  And, aren't I just the party animal today?!?

Now, I am *repurposing* this same, old, tired post to participate in Funky Junk Interiors Saturday Nite Special party.  You must go check this out!   Funky Junk Interiors always inspires me to think more *out of the box* and be unique with some furnishings.


This post is a teaser:   Sneak Preview of a few upcoming projects.....

Some days weeks months feel like all of my projects are in limbo or almost done or just started.   It's been a while since I've said "TaDa!   It's finished!"    Those days will come around again, I'm sure, but for now I will have to tease you with a few works in progress...

Actually, the below is still "pre" progress.  As in:   No progress has been made yet, but a plan has been formulated - Oh yes it has!!

This beauty stands on my front porch right now.   Notice it's dark hunter green color along with the ceramic, country little knob.   I will excuse you for a moment while you vomit.    Go ahead, I really won't be offended.

Feel better?  Okay then.   This is actually almost The Perfect Piece of Furniture for a part of my hallway/kitchen/dining room.  It really is!  And it's been right under my nose this whole time!   All it needs is a

little TLC. A makeover, if you will.

Edited to say:   A few gals have mentioned that they like the finish.   I have to say that I like the rustic-ness of it, but I am very done with the green (my entire inside of this home was dark hunter green when we purchased it) and I am planning to utilize this in my dining room area and need it to *fit in* a little better.

Umm,  and that's it.  That's where my story about this piece stops, because I have not actually done anything about it yet.  

Moving right along, we have another work in progress.    This fine little table was purchased from our local Mill Stores and has been unfinished for 10 years.  YES.  Ten Years.   I have no real excuse for this, but I think it's REALLY about time she sees her day in the sunshine.   

I've chosen a pretty off white color called Pop Corn Ball.   It's actually the same color as the trim in most of the downstairs in my home, but I really love it.  I don't want it to be TOO matchy matchy, so I will be distressing and adding a glaze.   I think.

It's in perfect shape and is basically boring and unoffensive, so I think if it has a neutral color, it could literally blend anywhere in the home.   Nice because I tend to have multiple personality decorating tendancies, and it will probably move around alot!

It does have one problem....

But I think a few coats of paint should cure it's ills and we will go from there..

Here she is after two coats.

I did a little light sanding/distressing to get the ball rolling, and right now I am ready to call it a day

Stay tuned for the big reveal!!!    Can't promise that it will be "any day now" but how about we shoot for "any week now" instead? 

Smiles and Hugs,
Joyce

Thrift Shop Re-Do - Sitting Stool

Hey again!  One more for ya on this rainy Saturday.   This project actually was done in a series of steps, but just completed this morning.   I never, NEVER seem to have a chunk of time more than an hour long available to me at once.  

First I want to thank you guys for all of your comments.  They definitely keep me inspired to continue with my little "decorating on the cheap" journey.  I also want to welcome all my new followers!   I am so, so pleased and honored that you've joined and hope to have many inspiring posts over the next little while.

Anyways, on a trip to the thrift store a couple weeks ago, I came across an adorable little stool.   

Along with a candle holder and box, but that's for later...

Needed some work, clearly, and it also seems like it started life as a tall stool that somebody cut down.   But no matter, there was something appealing about it and guess what?   Six Dollars.   Six!  That's it!  You cannot buy a stool at Walmart for six dollars I don't think.   Well, maybe you can, but then what on earth would I do with my rainy Saturdays??

I plan to have this little guy downstairs in the kitchen or the room off the kitchen or the entry way, or maybe even to bring into the family room if extra seating is needed.  I have too many options sometimes.   So the color had to be black.

I spray painted him up. 

First step, make sure it's a nice day, so that this does not happen.

Then find a nice open spot outdoors, spread out an old blanket (or something) and find yourself a cute helper...

This step is not necessary.   This particular cute helper got bored after about 5 minutes and retired indoors to watch SpongeBob.   To each his own.

I basically just used my trusty can of Valspar Black (I used a flat, not a glossy.   Why?  I couldn't tell you.)  and sprayed him all up.

When one coat was dry(ish) I flipped him onto his head and sprayed the underparts.

Let him dry in the sun for a bit.

I like it alot better already!

I decided that since I didn't prime or sand, or anything else that is recommended before painting, that I would show A Touch More Love by spraying one last coat of a protective sealer.

To be honest, it did not make a bit of difference that I could SEE.  But it did make me feel better.

So this is how things were this morning....

Being a bit of an idiot inexperienced with recovering furniture (even the small stool variety) I had wondered how to make the top a comfy place to sit.   A nice lady at the fabric store suggested just some plain old batting that could be shaped for an underlayment and then fabric on top.

Perfect!   I chose the remnants of the same fabric that was used on my window mistreatments.

That way if it is in the kitchen, it looks more at home.   Somehow it's changed from a "him" to an "it".  Did you notice that too??!  :0

Okay, I have neither tools, experience, brains, or a staple gun, so I again relied on The Magic of Glue.

Fabritac for this project again, to be exact.

I basically guesstimated the amount of batting and fabric that would be needed.   I went extra on the batting, because I wanted an actual "cushiony" feel.  

Cut it all with plain old scissors and then went about putting it together.

I initially did this with the stool right side up, but it turned out much easier (duh) to turn it upside down.

Did a bit more trimming just to make sure there wasn't a ton of overhang.   And what I did was basically put the fabric on the bottom (right side down), then the batting on top of that, then the stool on top of THAT.  Something like the picture above.  Actually, EXACTLY like the picture above.

I glued a little hem along the edges of the fabric, just to make it look neat.  Because don't we always get people that come into our homes and proceed to peer underneath all the furniture to make sure things are neat?   That's what I thought.

I did one side first.  Just wrapped him all up like a present.

And worked my way around.

Oh!  I almost forgot.   Make SURE that you have really sophisticated and "fancy" tools at your disposal to hold everything down while the glue is drying....

My personal favorite is the Chip Clip.   So many uses.

Followed closely by.....

A Small Box Of Heavy Things.   This holds everything in place very well also.

Despite me and Chippy's best efforts, it's still not THE absolute neatest job in the world.   But, remember - this part will be on the underside.   And I don't think people REALLY come to your home to look under furniture.   Just sayin'.

Here's a view from the top looking down.  Or the bottom looking up (it's still upside down)

And, I think he's done!    All dressed up and ready to meet the rest of the house...

I'm sure this will more around ALOT (most of my small furnishings do) but for right now it's in between my Kitchen and my Room That Is Next To My Kitchen.

Just for a fun look, I also tried it with a band of black trim along the edges.   Can you tell it's even there??  

It is ingeniously held on by.....

Tada!  Glue dots.   This is probably ANOTHER practice that is not generally recommended, but it will suffice for now.  That way, when I don't like the trim, or want to change the trim - I can just pull it right off again!   Easy Peasy Lemon Squeezy.

The queen likes it too.  

 I had so much fun with this project!  I'm really happy with how it came out - even though I didn't quite have the foggiest clue what I was doing.   And I'd love to hear what you think!  I'd also love to hear about any projects that seemed overwhelming and just a little scary, and how it all turned out for you.

Ta for now!

Smiles and Hugs,
Joyce

Fall Wicker Basket

Okay, so I really REALLY love baskets.  All kinds, all shapes - I must have literally almost 100.  I used to hang them from the ceiling at our previous house, but it never seemed to look right here.   Trouble is, they all seem to be some different version of wood.


Not that there is anything wrong with that.  Not whatsoever.   But, they tend to take on some kind of dingyness to them and they are all varying shades of the same thing.   Nothing looks like it wants to work together.  

So enters my new best friend, Spray Paint.   I have been spray painting everything lately (or at the very least finding things that I WILL spray paint the next chance I get)   My poor dog is cowering in the corner - he thinks he's next.

Here's a batch of them drying in the sun....

This is what happens when you take an ordinary wicker(ish) basket and introduce him to Valspar.

The end result of this particular basket - it's the largest on the top left corner of the above photo.

A definite improvement, but I still needed to add something.    I grabbed this

and these

and went to work adding some fall "festivities" to the mix.    The foliage (for lack of a better term) has probably seen better days, since I've been stealing from it here and there.   

Some of the berries were used for this fall project

And some other pieces had been used for the candlestick "redo" on this project here

So the back was looking pretty sad and "unfluffy".   I have no real fix for this.  I just figure that will stay in the back and anybody who notices will be too polite to say anything.   So much of my life is like that.

Anyways, attaching the garland was very, very easy to do.   I simply held a piece up and figured out where to adhere it with some floral wire.   I am positve that there are better and more "permanent" ways to achive the same thing.  But since this is not for my store or a gift, it will just be used here at home.   The good news about that is also that the garland can easily be taken back apart and replaced with something else for each season!

So you'll be sure to meet this basket again.  :)

I basically wanted to make sure that wherever the wire was attached, it would be covered by a leaf or another part of the garland and not stick out like a sore thumb bright shiney gold piece of wire.

The leaves do seem to cover it up very well!

So after attaching it on each side (or maybe in five different spots altogether) we have our end result

TaDa!

I so love the way these colors look together for fall.   Here's another view :

But that's just in an upstairs hallway and I wanted this little beauty somewhere that we actually ARE.  So I ended up bringing her back down to the family room on my hearth.

Cute!  I love it.  This would be great for newspapers, magazines or even a little stash of firewood.   Here's another cute tip:

Turn a basket upside down and it becomes a GREAT area for a small display!  

Total cost ZERO and time was approx. one and a half hours (even counting waiting for the paint to dry - I think you are actually supposed to Prime it first and wait a much longer time, but whatever.)

Now I just can't figure out which I like better!  Either way could hide a bunch of yucky - very useful.

By the way, I am linking up to Reinvented's Trash to Treasure Tuesday (if I'm able, since it is Wendesday LOL!)   Be sure to  check her out here!

Have a great day!

Smiles and Hugs,
Joyce

Pottery Barn Wannabe

Good morning to you all!


Today's project has to do with my never ending list of wants.   I really REALLY want a mudroom and I really REALLY want a cute coat rack, shelf combo with a bench underneath.   Like everybody seems to have nowadays! 

Something like this would be fine.  Nothing too fancy. 

Even just one of these...

That would do.

I saw this one from Almost Amish (cute name, no?) 

It's $139 dollars.   Not exactly falling into the decorating on a small budget theory.

Courtesy of Woodworkers Warehouse

This one is gorgeous too.  I love the little cubby drawers instead of the usual baskets you see.

Anyways, I did  already have a small shelf coatrack thing so I looked at it, and looked at it again, and looked at it some more, and got to work.

I can't seem to find a before photo, but it was basically that ugly oak material.  Or wood I guess you'd say.  So I got me my faithful black paint and just painted the whole thing.  While it was still attached to the wall actually - Don't Tell My Husband.

Then it seemed to look kind of funny with this bulletin board I have above it with my daughters school "stuff".  This I do have a before picture of...

There she is!

Basically kind of basic and boring.   She wanted a make over too.  Luck would have it that I am so lazy sometimes that I never even hung the damn thing up.  So I took her down and started painting away.   Yes right on my kitchen counters.  Again, Don't Tell My Husband.

I've been using some of the cheapest acrylic craft paint possible (it's about 1.42 at Walmart) and a matchingly cheap paint brush.   Works absolutely fine so far.

Don't worry if things don't go exactly perfect - this project got a bit all messed up (maybe I SHOULD get a better brush) but it doesn't show when it's on the wall anyways.

I did 2 coats and it literally dried in about 1/2 hours, so up on the wall she went (hung with push pins - this will someday prove to be a mistake - I can just feel it).

It's still pretty basic and boring, but I added a basket to the shelf (makes me feel more pottery barnish)

And then I took a crooked picture, because all the cool bloggers do that...

That was a joke by the way.

My point is that looking through "designer" magazines and websites can leave us jealous and frustrated at times, but it can also be an incredible source of inspiration.  I love paint.  I look around my house for things to paint.  Often.  Too often apparently.

If anybody has some cool or interesting painting projects or updates, I'd love to hear about them!

Smiles and Hugs,
Joyce