Apath, apotho, apithaca....cool coffee table find and redo

First off, my leg is on the mend!!  whoop whoop

So being able to, I went hunting for a better proportioned coffee table.

I searched in all the places, I thought I would find one, but I didn't find one to even try to like.

A whole lot of end tables, though.

I was leaving the last store and heading home, tired, disappointed, cofffe tableless.

coffeeless, hmmm

I really needed some coffee and I didn't know of any, in that part of town.

So I took a side trip and stopped at another store I had given up on months ago.

I figured what the hey, I had a nickel for parking and it gave me exactly 5 mins to look.

Then, giving up I spied this little gem for 15 dollars!!!

I think I literarly jumped for joy, and squealed a little.

I ran to the cash register and told them I would love to purchase the coffee table and I only had 2 mins left to do it.  They told me to pull into the building and they would load me up.

That was when I did the happy dance, to their amusement.

It's not often I can out hyper a 16 year old, but I did at that moment.

So here it is

What do you think?

It's solid wood and a little flaky but I see visions for it. 

Kinda like this. 

Thinking it looks a lot better than the previous one, that was longer than my couch. 

I switched out the knobs,and did a paint treatment to fake the metal look on the drawers.

Although I am not completely done (end of feet still not painted) 

I am pleased with it and now need to seal the top and maybe pin-stripe around the drawers.

Maybe put a stencil on top before I seal it.....hmmmmm

oh the paint color is a darker gray than seen, can't ever get these photos real to color.

I'm back and reflecting

So I was sitting in my bedroom and was still tickled with how it came out.

I was just really thankful for everything in it and the people who helped me.

The awesome chair given to me in an old post.

The sweet "i love you because" diy art that even my daughter now uses.

 So many things in here that make me smile

Those awesome floating shelves I found at a thrift store.

When asked how much they were, they said "those things?...how about free." 

Then I found a couple of Easter baskets for 10 cents and spray painted them grey.

Yes, I know, my window treatment is still pretty horrible.  Still plotting on that. 

The green makes me happy.

Speaking of thankfulness and green.

We decorated our tree last night, very late for most people, I know.

Yet, I am ok with that. 

So everyone was pitching in this year.

If you were in the house you were decorating the tree. 

Rooo was in charge of guarding the sparkly stuff.

There was much excitement over participating in the festivities. 

It was evident on all their faces. 

I have a tendency to gather random teens. 

Loving my wall even more!! 

Ok back to the tree.

Are you ready?!?!?

This is my cartoonish grinchy Christmas tree TAAAA-DAAAAAAA!!! 

Having the teens decorate helped in achieving random and bizarre.

It's perfect!!!! 

I am excited to finish up the decorating and adding to what they have accomplished.

So much to be grateful for.

I think the reason I don't start on Christmas early is because Christmas never goes away.

It lives in my heart everyday.



Starsky and HUTCH and other 70's things

So do you remember this thing?  I can almost hear the slap bass when looking at it.

Don't worry it's not a high dollar one, it's mostly particle board and plastic molding.

Got your gold swirlies in the glass and more intricate plastic on the bottom. 

Not to mention this obnoxiously large and heavy piece of particle board and plastic on top.

I will tell you it took quite a while to unscrew the fifty million screws holding that baby on.

I will tell you it was worth it!!  After painting for a week and then trying to smash the glass without putting my eye out.  For some reason it wouldn't break, even when I smacked it with a hammer.

I really, really want to start on my living room but I have this vow about not starting something until I finished the other.  So here is my greatly improved hutch (minus Starsky, sadly, I had a crush on him when I was little) 

 Now, I can just crush on this,

Off the HOOK TAAAAAAA-DAAAAAAAA!!!!

Big ole difference eh?

I am not completely done, I still have to put the handles on and build a "X" wine rack for the middle shelf.  Where I have the wine now.

I spray painted the handles grey.  I wanted to find some other handles that were more modern, but after searching I can not find the same size of the ones it came with....boo 

Found this amazing fabric at Fabri Guru, so love that site!!

Fabric I can afford, with reasonable shipping and great patterns. 

Think I paid about 4 dollars a yd for this.

Ok so my staging is lacking, pizazz,.....and elegance,....taste, whatever.  It's what I had on hand and wanted to get this posted.  I will do another pic when I am able to do fabulous. 

So let's add this up, shall we?

Thirty-something for the hutch and ten bucks for the fabric.  I already had everything else!

Under 50 dollar hutch, can I get a whoot, whoot?

VICTORY!!!!! (we will we will ROCK YOU....sing it now)

Meet my nemesis    >-< ooooooooh!!! how I hate to sew.  Think we've gone over that while making 50 chair covers back in the fall.  It has been long enough I have forgotten.

I had no choice, I needed cushions for outside and the cheapest one I found was 20!!!!  for one. 

 After checking around it appears outdoor cushions are quite valuable and one wonders why you would leave them outside.  O.o  I am now contemplating a life of crime by stealing people's outdoor cushions and selling them on the black market.  My lack of storage and common sense is keeping the thought at bay.

So my attempt at making cushions was a total fail. 

It probably had to do with not having a pattern, or measuring.  Or even a faint attempt at any kind of structure in making this cushion.  I still love the fabric though.  Trust me I will still use the cushion (I'm not that proud) and throw it on a stool or something.  On top of it being confusing it was waaaaaay to small.  boooo  See there's that measuring thing again.

So with much apprehension I attempted to redo these awesome chairs a friend of mine gave me.

I stained them a light grey and found some great outdoor fabric at fabric guru.  Who knew you could actually find outdoor fabric for 4 dollars a yard and if that wasn't awesome enough shipping is only 4.99 for any amount!!  Take that 30 dollar cushions!!! 

So here they are back from forgotten to fabulous!!!

TAAAAAAAA-DAAAAAAAA!!!!!

Simply sublime...sigh...

I even attempted artsy photos :) 

Here's a close-up of the fabric.

See that little black smudge?  Look closer...yeah that's why it was 4 dollars a yard.  Now ask me if I care...nope not one bit.  I'll just blame it on the cat :D hahahaha

Not only did I have complete victory over my sewing machine once but...

TWICE!!!!! 

Have I mentioned we live near a rain forest? 

If you don't mow the lawn within a two week span it tends to go back to jungle mode.

Our lawn mower got pulled out, did a few passes and then promptly died of a heart attack.

Thinking about renting some goats.

Coming around the horn

Sorry, I haven't been posting.  I've been working on my bedroom redo with purpose and it takes extra time when you are doing it yourself and you're not able to just buy what you want.  I love looking at people's blogs but have come to a conclusion, they have more disposable cash than I do.  There's just no way I can keep up and I will no longer try.  Sorry :( but really I'm not.  The truth is sooooo freeing!!   Ok, so I will show you what I have been up to.

Cool huh?  I've painted the walls and a few accents.

Not only did I paint the walls with this green but I made the color up.  It's a combination of two paint chips.

The before of this lovely owl is in my previous post.

I am also coming around the corner of finally finishing this room.  I can't wait I'm so excited.

I really scared myself when painting the room, it was so different and there was just no going back.  I look at it now and it just makes me smile.  My husband even likes it.

So until next time, do what you can and enjoy it.

It's been awhile....

Hi to all who read this, or maybe howdy to just one.  It's ok and I'm happy to have anyone listen to me long enough to blink.
I had such a great time in Seattle with my husband, to make up for it I got sick when I got home.  So I laid here with my  trusty laptop and foraged for ideas and amazing deals.  Last post I think I showed my horrible sleep cave and the inspiration I hope to transfer it into.  So I have diligently paintd squares of different colors to see which one I like the best.  This is new for me, as I only ever bought "oops" paint for 5 dollars a gallon.  This time I am really trying for something on purpose.  I'm scared, hold my hand as I try to follow a plan.

   Not only did I not find the color I have in mind but I had them experiment and find a new color between two paint chips.  I love it!!!!!  I can't wait to put it on the wall.  I did put  little square on the wall, but don't think it will compare to the whole room when completed.   At least in my head...things are always different in my head.  Ok, so here is my paint blobs.  The apple green on the left was what  I was thinking about but then decided on making my own.

The one below shows the chocolate brown wall that is existing for a limited time only. 

So the walls will be springy soon and the furniture is going white.  Yeah I know, not that original, but it sure will pop off that green. All of the dressers and nightstands will have to be painted, which I am not looking forward to.  I wish I had one of those cool paint rooms with a paint gun and heat.  I got the primer done with one piece.  It is starting to look much better.  

Now on to the deal of the century!!!!  I am soo excited about this one that I can't type right!!

I went to Macys.com to look around a bit.  I of course went to clearance first.  All of the bedding found there, did not go with my idea.  Lots of blue and brown and I wanted away from that.  I guess I'm ahead of the curve right now.  At least that is what I'm telling myself.   So I stumble upon this light grayish taupe with white and multi shades of green.  It is gorgeous and it comes as a 12 piece.  Pillows galore!  Ok, now to the amazing part, originally 350 dollars, sale price 99.  If that wasn't great enough, there was a sale going on which took it down to 75 and free shipping!!!!  I am in tears of joy, at this moment.  I click to check sizes and see the only size they have is,....... exactly the one I need!  I think I screamed at this point.  Then to add the cherry on top, Macy's had sent me a thank you for some Christmas thing I did.  So knock another 20 dollars off!!!!!!!  Wow, that has got to be the best deal I have found so far.  And I am a great hunter of bargains.  So without further rambling,

TAAAAA- flipping-DAAAAAAAA!

Yeah, I know the inspirations has a white coverlet but I live in the real world where white doesn't live long.

Did I mention all the pretty stuff  on it is embroidered?

 

Chandi Redoux-The Final Chapter

Yay I have finally completed this mission!!!!

On the last post I had rewired the small chandi and before that I had rescued the small chandi from an outdated contraption that was once a loved light fixture. I think, but it will be loved again <3.

So that should catch you up to speed.  I headed to the Dollar Tree store to find some do-dads to add to the naked chandi.  I found some mardi gras beads,  O.o .... some of you maybe thinking how is that french?  They are not but will become a lot better when I paint them with gold leaf.

See? looking better already.  So then I cut them into different lengths and grabbed my hated glue gun.  Have I told you how much I hate my glue gun?  It's soul purpose in it's life is to burn me and cover me in it's spider webby threads.  But alas I can not craft without it.  (insert pity here)

So without further whining and delay here is completed chandi french style.

TA-DAAAAAA! 

(insert OOOOH AND AAAAAAHS  here) 

Let's take a pause and reflect on the ugliness this use to be.

(shudders) ok enough of that, back to the after 

Ah sooooo much better.  So what's stopping you?

I saw it and painted it RED

Years ago I was at a garage sale and bought up a bunch of older frames of varying size.  They have hung around my house until I started this blog.  Now I am always finding ideas to utilize them.

This one has a 15" x 30" opening.

So I spray painted it red and found this awesome black and white fabric I found at Wal-Mart for 2 dollars a yard.  (can you say whoo to the hoo?)

Doesn't that look fabulous?

I am soooooo loving the look.

I wish it was a chair. 

Oh, I haven't told you what I am making, have I?  So sorry got so excited that I remembered to take a before shot.  Ok I am making a necklace holder thingy for my daughter's Paris themed room.

So I cut a piece of foam core and covered it in the fabric of awshumness and held it fast with duct tape.

I then stapled  it to the frame and screwed some cup hooks to the front.  Now since I was too lazy to use wood, I had to come up with a way to secure the hooks.  So I braved my evil hot glue gun and put a generous amount on the pointy end of the hooks.  Let cool and voila' you got a cool looking organized.......

As I examined my handy work I saw that the staples came through a little.  No worries I just simple hot glued on some red beads I had left over from a Christmas project.  

I think it came out pretty awesome!!  I love it and had a hard time giving it to my daughter.

Yes truly a masterpiece or reuse.  The total cost of project was the fabric, everything else I had lying around.

So yay for garage sales, and inspiration. :)

See the beads, it made it even better.

YAY! for mistakes to get you to reinvent your original idea.