crank up the jams!

So, still working on my art center.  Finished making my ruffle skirt for the desk, (it was a fail) and I even got to use the desk last week.  But what I sat in was a fold-up chair from the 40's.  It's funny the more cushion I have the more I need.  Think about it, if you're my age and slightly fluffy, it will all make sense.

I went looking for a chair, with cushion, and wheels.  I searched the thrift stores, with much sadness, I could only find the cheapest one to be 15 dollars.  That just does not sound cheap to me.  Then I went to Wal-Mart and what did I find?  This sweet little chair for (drum roll please) 8 dollars!  taaaa-daaaaa!

I liked it :)  I was not in love with it, but that is ok as it is only a chair.

Like most things I drag home it was not safe from being tampered with.  I thought of finding a cool tutorial for recovering with some awesome fabric.  Then I realize I only have a week left until my mother moves in.

So speedy was the word of the day.  So what is used often for a quick fix?  No, I did not use duck tape. I went on to the next one.  I pulled out my paint!  Then I funked it up, while jamming out. 

BAM! just like that.

I have seen many posts on painting fabric chairs and stuff.  And yes they are so much more dignified but this is MY art center and I like things a little different.  I'm suppose to be inspired down there not restful. 

I even did a little chevron just to appease the masses.

So be appeased (shaking fist in the air) hahahhaah sorry, sometimes I just have to amuse myself. 

I took it for a test drive and it handles nicely.

Ok time to get off here and bust a few moves.  I have lots to do.

I be back soon with the redo.

Didn't know I was a poet, did ya?

the cheap, the colorful and the mundane

Well summer is over and I am left with two abandoned pool noodles.

No we don't swim with them up here.  Swimming is an indoor sport in the Pacific Northwest.

These were left over from doing the roof span in my grey and yellow patio.

Naturally I have been on Pinterest for days on end and have found this genius idea. 

Add tape, a little struggle and viola', instant wreath.

Ok the beginning of a wreath.  Or a really big circle.

I went with wreath.

I made two, both of them for two friends of mine. 

One likes simple and earth tones with green.

And the other loves bright colors. 

I hope they like them.

But ssssshhhh, sometimes they read this blog so don't tell 'em.

I have a functioning desk in my  craft room now.  It is perfect timing!!!

As it is football season and I no longer have to sit and watch instant replay.

I can create pretty things for my friends.....YAY!

Now on to a dilemma.

Or just a mundane wall.

I've recently changed the art on my wall and it has left the wall color kinda,...well BLAH. 

The empty space is for my daughter's pic when they come in.

The painting I did a few years ago.

Was inspired by a trip to Portland and some amazing artists there. 

The guitar had a broken neck and my husband was going to throw it out.  So I rescued it and made it a real "guitar hero". 

What drives me nuts is the wall color is so blah my furniture is blending in.

The chair is a wassily chair and it's grey.  The couch is actually a sagey green but looks grey int he pic. 

My carpet is blah but can't do much with that.

I have dark brown roman shades and gauzy brown curtains.

Also dark brown wood accents.

Now can anyone give me some ideas about what color to paint my walls so they aren't so mundane?

Pretty please?

Progress is happening!!

So this was my art center, yes it is horrible.  Which is why I have been hiding from it for over a year.

That thing on the back wall?  It is my painting canvas plastic.  I would pin canvas on it and prime it and create.  It was helpful when my daughter was younger and would paint with me.

Then my husband bought me a real easel and already primed and ready to go canvas.

Ok drifting from the point there.

Cluttery mess, that is my point.

This is the same wall.

Believe it or not it really is!!!!  And I only spent 3 dollars on the wall. 

Don't cha love it?  I do :)

*whispers* come here I'll tell ya what I did.

It's poster board from the dollar store and wrapping paper.

Pay no attention to the floor I will have that covered.  hahhahaha bad pun 

The bench is a coffee table I found for 10 dollars and re-painted.

I still need to find cuter things to put under it. 

Those are not doors on the shelves (they're canvas) but is where I am going to put doors.

The screen is my fake wall.  This is one side. 

So as my daughter was helping clean out and get rid of lots of stuff.  She was not wanting to let go of our po'dunk easel.  She still remembered painting on it.  So we decided to make it into art.

The screen is helpful but a little flimsy so we beefed it up and made it.....uhm different.

The cost was nothing but the memories will live on 

I had some left over flooring from my son's room.  The wall is stronger and now it makes a statement.

What it's saying is in the eye of the beholder.

Got a lot done getting it thinned out and still need to make a few things but with help I should have it done soon.  My mom is also going to be moving in soon so it is motive to get this house back in order.

Back to School!!

As I was cleaning out the downstairs I ran across this forgotten item.

I suppose it's been forgotten repeatedly by different people at different times.

I found it out by the dumpsters of my local thrift store.

I could not bear the thought of it living out the rest of it's ability rotting in some dump.

I brought it home and it's twin and used them for durable end tables in the rec-room. 

Alas with the rec-room coming to a close I was left with my twins once again.

After saturating myself with before and afters out here in blogland.  I had found inspiration to pretty up this one.  Maybe it will be well loved again.

Ok here it goes  (cue the drum roll)

Yellow Back to School in Style TAAAAAA-DAAAAAAA! 

Yes, I choose yellow as I had lots left over from my patio redo.

I just couldn't leave the inside plain.

I thought of mod podge but couldn't find any cool paper in yellow. 

So I pulled out my paint pen and a stencil and then sanded a bit and sealed it. 

Sanded, primed and layers of chalkboard paint. 

I'm not sure what I'm going to do with it yet.

I was hoping to sell it.

Maybe gift it......

I do like it a lot but my house is small and the whole point was reduce!!!

Any suggestions?

PS  I'm still working on my craft center.  The big news is "I can see the floor" whooohoooo progress!!
Anyone wanna trade the desk for some carpet?......anyone.......*crickets*

Lost in my mind

I have a major confession.

The below pictures are real.

They have not been photoshopped.

This is really my art center.

Actually this is my art center after I cleaned a spot.

This is literally my brain.  Stuff I see I want to remake.  Stuff I can't throw away because it is needed for something I can't remember.

Having switched to wood heat because gas heat is outrageous, has now left my craft center cold and cluttered.

It may have something to do with the cement floor sucking the life out of you through your feet. 

It could be the spiders looking down on you from the rafters.

It could just be life is so busy to remember this forgotten area of my house.

So I had an idea and inspiration.

Idea: actually use this instead of dining room.

 Inspiration: yellow and white with black awesomeness

Le sigh*  I do sooooo wish I could make it look like that.

But I don't have that kind of budget so it's off to the dollar store, (I will show you that later) and using what I have.

One of the things I have is this divider given to my by my sister.  This is the other half of the downstairs rec room area.  Nobody uses it because it's cold as well.  So it will become my husband's storage area for music equipment and softball equipment. That will make me happy to have it in one place instead of many. 

So I have a pretty big task ahead and will be gone for a bit.

This is what I have started, a easy build desk out of a core door and file cabinet drawers. 

I was going to paint everything white but got to impatient and covered it in white paper and then sealed it with plastic and yellow duct tape.   Cost?  ZERO, it's stuff I had in my scary pile.

OH, I almost forgot...UPDATE on KIKI 

This was Kiki after the vets, he couldn't stand and had to use the couch and stood like a tripod.  I had no hope for him.  It was soooo sad and many people were praying.  There were many things going on that we had been praying about.  One of our friends had been diagnosed with cancer that went from 1 to 3 in a day.

Yet this I know.....God is good. 

Kiki is healed!!!!  In  a week from being kicked, his breast plate turned back in and he was able to not only walk but leap as well.

Also our dear friend has also healed as their cancer is back to level one and has not spread!!

So amazing Jesus healing pets and people I love TAAAAA-DAAA!