Category Archives: Uncategorized

Just A Quickie

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For a few months I’ve been working on a wall collage above the living room  fireplace. It’s been an ongoing project and it has taken time to find just the right objects to work into the collage.

I picked up the sticker below at an art show a few months ago. I thought it would be a great addition to the collage. I totally love it. Of course, the giclée print would’ve been my first choice, but I liked the size of the small sticker and thought it would be fun to get creative with a frame for it.

DSC_0618_2

I like to use wire and beads to embellish small objects. I decided to try a little something with this.

I simply applied black paint to a small canvas (7″x5″), gave it a wash with a few dabs of silver paint, beaded strands of wire and wrapped that around the canvas –  I was hinting at a nest with this idea. I used double-sided pop dots to float the image on the canvas.

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This was just a quick project I did in a few minutes. The great thing about using acrylic paints is the fast drying time. And it’s so easy to dress something up with a few beads and wire.

Well, that’s it for today. Thanks for checking in. I’d be glad to see some of your super quick projects too.

Also, if you like this sticker with image “Crow Totem” by Michael Rohner you can see more of his work here at his website.

Thank Yous (and apologies) part one

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This is a very long overdue “thank you” to a couple of fellow bloggers who have been so kind as to nominate me for blogging awards. It’s also an apology for taking so long to acknowledge those awards.

If you are anything like me, you are busy. No, I’m not bragging about my over- flowing- with exciting- blog- worthy- events of a life. Just busy. I am always amazed at how fast the days go by, so when I was looking back over a few comments left on my blog I was totally ashamed of myself for not acknowledging these fellow bloggers sooner.

Inspiring Blog Award

The frist award came from finefrugality way back in August and was actually for my blog apostaday, a daily music blog about random songs that get stuck in my head (though lately it has been put on the furthest back burner out of sheer laziness). THANK YOU, finefrugality for finding my silly random blog ummm inspiring.  I should add they aren’t always songs I actually like…

As someone who has difficulty keeping artificial plants looking alive, I have such respect and awe for those who are blessed with an ability to not just grow things, but also create healthy, delicious meals out of things found in the garden. It’s so amazing to me. This is one reason why I find finefrugality so interesting and inspiring. I love her photos, tips and thrifty finds as well. Maybe someday I will be half the gardener she is.

Lovely Blog Award

The second award  came from Daniella at dingdongitsmrwrong. While I’m in a very healthy, supportive, loving relationship with my husband, I realize this is certainly NOT the case for millions of other women (and men). Daniella is on a crusade to raise awareness on choosing the right partner and recognizing the warning signs of a bad (poisonous) one. She does this with humor and wisdom and not with sweeping, hateful rants about the male population.

I love how she wants to hear both sides of the stories from men AND women and also stresses the importance of showing Mr. Right the appreciation he deserves. KUDOS to Danielle, she certainly deserves the Lovely Blog Award!

Thank you to both fellow bloggers for their recognition and nominations! I promise to follow-up this post with my own nominations soon.

And please forgive me for my dereliction to my blogging duties.

Cheers!

Altoids – It’s What’s for Dinner

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I recently chatted with a friend I havent talked to in several years. We used to scrapbook together, in fact I introduced her to that whole scene. While she’s still an active scrapbooker, I have since focused my interests elsewhere (though rather sporadically).  I told her I  miss scrapbooking but haven’t been very motivated to drag out all the old supplies and face those dusty, partially completed scrapbooks I enthusiastically started oh-so long ago.

My friend suggested I make her a birthday card. That might get me motivated; rekindle my interest in an old favorite hobby. I immediately thought that would be a good idea ( I sometimes work best with dead lines) and I remembered the growing stash of Altoids tins I’ve been saving. I’ve always wanted to make a little scrapbook or card or book of some sort out of an Altoids tin.

After our conversation, I got right to work. My friend told me she likes earth tones and butterflies. EASY – I thought. I love earth tones and butterflies too, but even after sifting  through all my existing papers and searching through collections of internet images, nothing seemed to spark my interest.

A  trip to the local craft store was sure to give me a good push down the road to creative wonderland. As I strolled through the aisles, I came across this paper pack and a familiar feeling of excitement came over me…  I couldn’t get home fast enough to start cutting and creating.

I love working with paper from these coordinating packs, because all the colors and patterns work perfectly together and you can cut out parts of the patterns to make simple embellishments that also coordinate perfectly.

Before starting on the tin, I wanted to research what glues would work best and check for any tips that might be helpful so of course I Googled “Altoids tin crafts”.

I was led to this helpful tutorial by Kristin Batsel (aka rackycoo)) at crafters.org.  I also decided to follow the link to Kristin’s blog, Junk & Stuff, was I ever WOWED. You should check it out. She doesn’t just create fantastic altered Altoids tins, she is also an award-winning crafter (a true artist) and her blog is full of crafty inspiration.

Anyway, I’m not great at step by step written instructions, but here is the general idea ; (for more in-depth instruction go to Kristin’s tutorial at crafters.org.)

First, I drilled small holes where I wanted to add a handle. In the second photo below you can see two small holes just above the dots I made to mark my spot (the first time).

I cut the required shape (I prefer scissors over the exacto knife) then measured and cut the small strips needed for the edges (I used a paper-cutter to ensure absolutely straight lines)

After cutting the card stock, to touch up the edges and camouflage the white edge I used the edge of a felt tip craft marker with a coordinating color from the design.

I glued every thing in place using tacky glue.  In the above photo it’s glopped on, but I spread it out evenly over the surface of the tin. After the paper was applied, I added the beaded wire handle (pierced it through the paper that covered my pre drilled holes).

I used felt to line the inside edge of the tin, I thought this would work better to cover the wire than card stock.

And viol´a: Finished.

The next step is really up to you. You could simply line the inside with paper or fabric and be done with it. Since this was a very special card for an old friend on a landmark birthday, I decided to go all out and have some fun. I stuck to basic old-fashioned scrap-book skills.

For the inside I cut two strips of 12 x 12 card stock the width of the tin, then folded accordion style to ensure the folded strip would fit neatly inside. I had to glue two strips together at their end segments because it needed it to be extra long for what I had in mind. But you could keep it short or opt not to do it at all.

I embellished each segment and on the end segment (the first one you see when you open the tin I ran a bit of ribbon through an eyelet so the “card” could be easily pulled open.

In order for the folded card stock to fit, I had to trim the corners.

I used a corner rounder on bottom edge of the last segment, but folded the inside segments together and nipped off the corners, you can see the effect above. This helps everything fit neatly into the tin when it is all folded up.

That’s really about it, here is a small peek inside:

This project was so much fun and I now have a TON of ideas for more. Unfortunately, I have saved only a few tins and I can’t get everyone to eat them fast enough –  So, if you happen to have any great dish ideas that call for mass quantities of Altoids in the recipe – send them my way!

As a side note: After I completed this project I came across a post from Pillows A- la-Mode in my reader list and found this great idea for tins. It’s just so cute, I had to share…

What are some of your ideas for Altoids tins? Show me your creation, I’d love to see it!

Walking With a Ghost (confessions of a “hoarder”)

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A few days ago we went to an estate sale. At least, I’m pretty sure we went. It could have been a dream in which I was being guided by some character only Dickens could think up.

Ghost of Jacob Marley Closeup

As I walked through only two rooms of the home, I saw jars of beads, crates of fabric, paint, yarn, how to books on beading, mosaics, drawing, water coloring… I have all these books! I also have jars of beads, drawers of fabric, a closet full of paints, baskets of rubber stamps and stacks of paper –  don’t even get me started on the paper. Then there are the interesting assortments of miscellaneous items I’ve hoarded away, all of which I’m positive I need to create my magnum opus ..SOMEDAY.

I only made it through two rooms of the house because frankly, I got  sacred. I felt a surge of panic well up inside me. Much like a junkie might feel when they walk past an old familiar crack house. While I had an overwhelming urge to quickly hire a U-Haul to have all those wonderful goodies speedy delivered to my house, I also had a short (somewhat terrifying) glimpse into my future. Or should I say my kid’s future.

Scream Cropped

I could see the expressions on their faces as they sorted and catalogued all the items for my future estate sale.  Each hoarded item reaffirming what they joked about my entire life – “Yep, she was a crazy one”.  I imagined their confusion when trying to explain to my grand kids just what their grandmother could have been thinking by keeping all this JUNK.

What do you suppose she was going to do with this:

or these:

And why in the world would she want to save all this?

I can only imagine their horror and confusion at this:

The Skeleton I Found In My Electrical Socket

Now, I didn’t take this picture, but I did happen upon such a find last year while unpacking our house hold goods. My initial revulsion quickly turned to love at first sight as I thought of  how I could use this little guy in a nature collage. And yet, a little voice inside my head kept yelling:
CRAZY LADY! Look Out!

Since I’m not 100%  ready to make the jump from artsy old cat lady to freakishly creepy shut-in I had to let him go; in symbolic recognition of my still intact sanity at least.

But yet am I really crazy? What I truly find crazy is all the stuff people throw away; the lack of creativity and resourcefulness. Sure, there might be little use for ten-year old cell phones or a decaying critter carcass, but I find it just a little sad when I see past “must haves” tossed out on the curb.

And while it’s true, I’ve hoarded away a lot of miscellaneous items which on their own are junk, I have managed to actually do SOMETHING with some of it (eventually).

I’ve blogged about a few of my “creations”; a pouffe from a discarded cable spool and fabric scraps; a painting from old cords, tiles and a ripped canvas; a mosaic stool from old CD’s and beads; a mosaic table from an old papasan chair base and a stack of plates someone threw away.

While my work may not be gallery quality, I enjoy doing it. I find great satisfaction in making something from nothing while feeling I’ve also contributed in a small way to the survival of mother earth.

Yes, I will continue to gather and collect, build and create and also question my sanity daily. So far, my collecting has little impact on our quality of life; my house isn’t cluttered or in disorder and perhaps my creations will give my kids and grandkids something amusing to talk about at my estate sale (rather than just rummaging through buckets of cords and jugs of buttons mumbling about my questionable sanity).

What about you? Are you a collector / saver / hoarder? Are there certain items you just can’t throw away? What creative things have you made with your found and saved objects?

Has This Happened To You? (Adventures in Blogging)

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Since I started blogging back in November I’ve developed a regular blogging routine. I have a blog I post on daily where the writing is extemporaneous. Needless to say some posts are good, some are not so good and some are extremely short, depending on my mood and schedule (and I use the word ‘schedule’ very loosely).

On this blog, I try to post once a week or at least every other week (if only to just barely keep my poor blog from dying a slow death).  In my free time I work on rough drafts and brain storm. Every morning I like to check my stats (actually I check them about every ten minutes) and peruse the Freshly Pressed posts where I always find something to my liking. At least weekly I try follow up with commenters to my blogs, visit those who “liked” me and in general just show a bit of courteous reciprocation to my fellow bloggers. I have found some great blogs this way, several of which I follow and read regularly.

I should mention, of the 4 million blogs on Word Press, I’m raked 399 millionth so I am always excited to have the underwhelming one or two “likes” a week and the occasional daily visitor. I’m ok with that, really I am, but It doesn’t mean I don’t get just a little excited when my likes and views extend beyond the normal one or two. Don’t you just feel just a little surge of excitement when you log into Word Press and see a little high lighted star signifying that someone out there really liked you? It’s intoxicating. Of course, for you more talented folk, I imagine such an event is no more exciting than discovering a dust bunny behind your night stand. Lucky You.

Anyway…..

Imagine my surprise yesterday as I was typing away on a rough draft when my comment icon lit up. I waited as long as I possibly could before clicking on it. I wanted to bask in the glow of it for a while before deflating my bubble by finding it was only a cleverly disguised spammer:

…”I like you much. You write just what I look for”…

There is something about the comment icon; for those of you who remember, I compare it to the flashing red light of an answering machine -

somebody loves me

there’s the  build up of  ”oh, some one called me, someone was thinking of me. Who could it be?” The excitement of a possible party invite, a dream job offer, a long lost but now found pet. Oh the anticipation of it all!

Then with the touch of a button in a few short seconds you are once again reduced to being the worlds biggest loser, a forgotten soul, lost at the bottom of an old back pack amidst the lone Mentos and lowley pennies

“Heeelllp Meeeee”

- it was a hang up call or one of those voice recorded sales pitches, in which case the hang up call offers the most interest and mystery, keeping you up at night…wondering….

And so it is with the comment or like icon. There’s the moment of exciting anticipation as that little star glows at you

I am LOVED

- “Wow, someone visited my blog, someone read my stuff!! And they liked it. Who, Who, Who????”

Then just like that, click - it’s over. It was simply someone driving viewers to their sales pitch. Ah Well…..

Now that I have given you a little glimpse at how insecure I am and my pathetic need for recognition and acceptance,  you can imagine my total elation when I clicked on my little notification icon to find SOMEONE liked me. A LOT. Apparently, they thought whatever post I had written that  brought them to my blog in the first place was so super fantastic they decided to hang out a while and read all of my posts. AND they liked all of them, I’m now the happiest person in bloggy land. Someone out there appreciates me! FINALLY!

English: Mushroom toxicity icon - Edible

Well, of course I just had to pay a visit to this like-minded blogger who obviously has such good taste. I had to give them a big thank you and read what they had to say. This could be the beginning of a great new friendship, after all we obviously have a lot in common.

Here is where it got really strange. My liker and I had nothing in common at all. In fact, I can’t even figure out what would bring them to my blog in the first place. I did write a post about our dogs once, so perhaps he (or she) zoned in on the tag DOG, because one would get the impression from reading his (or her) posts, they might most definitely be a dog.

yes, it’s filled with my tears

I wont bother to mention the blog here, I’m not sure it’s a place I would want to send you. I’m all for free speech and appreciate the fact we all have different interests and opinios and everyone is free to express those opinions in whatever way they chose, but I draw the line at promoting someone whose views are so clearly borderline despicable (in my opinion).

Now, I use the words he/ she, his/her because really I am not so sure my overzealous fan  is a man. One wold be led to believe it’s a man with an attraction to a certain type of female. Yet I have to wonder if this isn’t an experiment in psychology or social networking or the psychology of social networking or something other than what it seems to be on the surface. I hope this is the case. If so then – Oh my aren’t THEY the clever one. If not, well, be afraid be VERY afraid.

I Kill You!!

As I read through a few of the comments on his/her blog I found others who were lured there to offer up their gratitude as well, only to become as equally as confused as I was. Well, on the one hand the ploy worked, greatful and curious bloggers were driven to his/her blog. On the other hand it makes me uncomfortable. It’s like being invited to a BBQ only to find youv’e been led into a convention hall of Archaeopteryx worshiping cultists.

Archaeopteryx litographica from the Late Juras...

You WILL worship and adore ME!

Most the time I easily shrug off the spammers or sales pitches and I’m not above visiting and comenting on someones blog who happened to like me for my possble visit to their blog, but in this case I’m just a little more than turned off and confused by it. But mostly I am deeply hurt and dismayed he or she really didn’t like me after all.

English: lonely, unhappiness sp: tristeza, des...

How about you? Do you find it discouraging when your likers turn out to be a fakes? Does this happen often? Have you ever been sorely let down by an imagined fan base? Do you feel a little surge of excitement at those glowing notification icons? I’d love to hear about it. Perhaps we can form a support group.

See you there!

A meeting room set.

I’ll be waiting for you

The Conditions of Unconditional Love

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In a few days my husband and I will celebrate our 24 year anniversary.For the most part it’s been a pretty easy. That isn’t to say it hasn’t been work. All relationships require work. Don’t kid yourself into thinking they don’t.

And don’t think for a minute love is unconditional. No one should ever have to live in an unhappy, physically or emotionally abusive marriage to prove their undying love. There is a huge difference between being supportive, forgiving, patient and encouraging and being turned into a used up tattered rag.

I’m lucky I found my husband. I’m lucky he became the man he is today. As a young girl, I would sometimes think of marriage and the kind of man I would have for a husband, but I never made a list of “must haves”.

My husband and I were very young when we married. Like most young couples, we didn’t put much thought into how much work marriage would be because we were in love. Older married couples would tell us how much work marriage was. Work? If you are in love, truly in love, a marriage is no effort at all right?

Fast forward 24 years:

I have learned a lot. Over all, it has been easy – when compared to most marriages I’ve observed it has been a real cake walk. It has also been a lot of compromise and sacrifice and WORK on both our parts.

In reflecting on my marriage I decided to share a bit of insight about what has made my marriage work and hope that others may read and think about how they can make their marriages work as well.

Here are just a few things I thought of today:

Acknowledge each other

I get absorbed with my own personal agenda at times. I have the potential to become a bona-fide workaholic, focused only on what I need to do and forgetting about the simple needs of others.

A few years ago when our kids were very young I was busily cleaning the house when my husband came home from work. I was mopping and barely looked up from the floor to greet him when he got home. I continued to clean while he took the kids to the park. When he came home I was busy preparing dinner and probably carrying on with a few other chores as well. We went through the nightly routine of stories and baths and more cleaning. When we got into bed that night my husband said “You didn’t even say hi to me when I came home”.

Well, my first gut response to this was:

EXCUSE THE HELL OUT OF ME!!!!! Are you not an adult? I do a million things all day long, so sorry I don’t have time to acknowledge your presence when you walk in the door!

This is where marriage requires work. I could have easily blurted out my first thoughts. Then what? Hurt feelings, more hurtful words, grudges and eventually resentment.

Instead, I apologized and asked him how his day was and told him about mine. In the end, it really wasnt so hard. Since then, I always make an effort to stop what I’m doing and say “Hi, whats up? How was your day? Guess what I did today?” But believe it or not, this is sometimes a real effort for me. Not that I don’t care about my husband, I just get preoccupied with other things.

Everyone deserves a little Me time

My husband ALWAYS comes home after work. He never calls me to tell me he is going out with the guys. Not that it would bother me if he did,especially now that the kids are grown. But I know men who do that all the time, sometimes they don’t bother to call at all. Then they wonder why their wives are so pissed when they come home at 1 am with receipts for a $500.00 bar tab and glitter in their pants while she has been fighting homework battles and cleaning up puke. Once or twice a year? Cute, hope you had a good time, you are forgiven. Twice a week? – You need to rethink your idea of me time.

There is nothing wrong with getting together with friends to cut loose a little. And there is nothing wrong with a spur of the moment call – “Hey I’m gonna stop for a couple of beers with Larry and Moe after work” but it isn’t exactly fair to make a regular habit of this. Though it might hurt to tell your friends you need to get home – that is marriage.

I always found scheduled me time worked best, especially when there are small kids involved. It’s far better to let the other person know you have plans to do something on Thursday night so they can make their own plans too and not spring it on them last-minute. Not getting called at all? Well, we all know how that can end up.

You would call your boss to let them know you’re going to be late or not be in at all. You would never expect your co workers or your boss to put up with repeated tardiness or poor work performance – why would you expect your spouse to put up with it?

You are no longer single

I wonder sometimes why people get married. I wonder if they consider why they want to get married in the first place. To fill an obligation? To feel they are a real adult, a productive member of society? All the wrong reasons to get married.

Regardless of your reason for getting married, you need to realize you are married and there are certain things married people should not be doing. Coming home on a nightly basis at 1 am with glitter in your pants is definitely one of those things.

Sometimes, it will hurt to give up certain things or change a behavior – this is work. Get over it. When you decided to get married you may have thought life would go on as usual. It usually doesn’t, especially when kids are added to the relationship.

I’m in no way suggesting submitting to a controlling relationship, I am only reminding you that part of working at a marriage means there will be things about yourself you will have to alter if you want to make your marriage work.

The thing about money

We all know money is the cause of most fights. How do most couples cope with this issue? By spending more money of course!

Honestly, I can not recall my husband and I ever fighting about money. We went through some financial difficulties, but we were always on the same page about how to fix it. Unfortunately this is not the case in most marriages.

In our early years of marriage we racked up a lot of credit card debt; we were young without kids and we knew we were both equally to blame for the debt.  After our son was born we realized we had to get a grip on our spending. It took a lot of work but together we got out of debt and managed to save enough money for a down payment on a house.

When most couples talk about cutting spending and saving more, I find they actually mean it’s the other person who needs to cut and save. In some cases one partner may be more of a spender than the other, but in many cases I have found both partners have problems with spending. How often have you heard of spouses getting back at each other for spending money by going out and spending more money? One person splurges on a set of golf clubs so to piss him or her off the other person purchases a pair of $300.00 designer shoes. And it goes on and on, leading to more resentment, grudges and debt.

As a side note –  if you are fighting over who bought diapers last, you are really heading for trouble. Believe it or not I actually heard a married couple arguing about this.

Honestly, if your spouse wants something why can’t they have it? You should both be able to discuss it and listen to each other as to why the purchase can’t be made or what you will sacrifice to make it. Most likely you both work hard  whether in the home or out, you both deserve to have what you want (within reason). There is usually a way to work it out; Save for it, sell things you aren’t using. If you can’t afford it, take a look around at what you do have and be thankful for that.

Which brings me to my next point…

Show a little Appreciation

There is no doubt in my mind that in most situations both spouses work hard. Sure I know of a few situations where one person might not work outside the home NOR do they work inside the home – they are plain lazy. If you are currently depressed because you can’t find a job, at least put your self to work at home, there is always something that needs to be done. (On the other hand, if you have a serious issue with depression, please get help.) But in most cases both spouses, regardless of what their job is, work hard at it and deserve to be acknowledged for that.

Don’t belittle your spouse because you think their job is so much easier than yours.

Don’t make your spouse feel inadequate because you don’t have the material things you want. Show more respect by being thankful for the things you have. Show appreciation for the things your spouse has provided or done for you. Take a look at what you have around you, chances are you will find something you once loved and had to have and maybe worked very hard to attain, don’t forget about that. Besides, if you want something bad enough you most likely have the ability to go out and work for it your self.

Accept that you may have to change

There are serious character flaws and personality disorders you will never be able to change in a person. Dont think for a minute you will change a philandering womanizer into a loving, caring, committed partner no matter how much he lies that you are “the one”. You can also be sure that the gold digging Barbie look-alike-wannabe will hit the road after she drains your bank account. Trying to change the other person will only lead to frustration, disappointment and self loathing.

Never, ever marry someone who displays any signs of having a poisonous personality disorder.

Instead of trying to change the other person maybe you just might need to consider it is you who needs to change. You may need to be more giving, more flexible, less demanding. While changing who you are is not something that should be required to maintain a relationship, changing how you react and respond and communicate can be important in keeping a marriage together.

It is very easy to be the taker in a relationship. My husband is a giver. His giving sometimes gets on my nerves. He often goes  without something to give me what I want. Why does this bother me? Because he deserves to have his wants met too, it isn’t all about me. Doesn’t sound like the attitude of a taker does it? That’s because I recognize I’m a taker and make a very conscious effort not to take but to give. Making a conscious effort is work.

Actually I am not really a taker, I am very giving as well, but it is a real effort for me to take the time and put forth an effort to truly give. I enjoy giving, it makes me feel good, but I just sometimes forget to do it and really have to make an effort at it.

Being an only child I never had to learn how to share. Not that I didn’t share, I never minded it at all, but at home my space was mine, my time was mine. I never had to compromise much because for the most part I was always alone. There wasn’t anyone to talk to or who wanted to be talked to, it was easy to get lost in my own little world and only worry about my own needs.

I have learned a few things about myself in the last 24 years and why I am the way I am. I have worked hard to not let my natural inclination towards self absorption leave my spouse feeling neglected or taken advantage of. More importantly my husband has also learned why I am the way I am because I told him – I didn’t make him guess, which is the first key to a good marriage: communication. 

So, I think these are a few basic conditions of love; make an effort to pleasantly acknowledge the other person, include them in on financial decisions, be appreciative of their efforts – no matter how small, give up your single life, realize you are not the only one who needs a break every once in a while, or that you are the only one with needs. All of this just comes down to one basic condition of love:
R-E-S-P-E-C-T
Of course there could be many more conditions and they will vary from person to person depending on one’s tolerance and expectations but hopefully these simple little acts of basic kindness will help you keep your marriage strong. It may require a bit of extra effort and work, but in the end all your hard work should be well worth it.

Still at it in the Boudoir

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It has been a super busy two weeks, but it has been fun. We’ve spent time with family we rarely get to see and met a few new family members as well. Needless to say my master bedroom redo has been put on hold, however I managed to finish with one project just before all our festivities started.

I have two antique Chinese tables I thought about selling but then decided to give them a makeover instead. I know to some of my friends who love this Asian furniture, painting over such a lovely design would seem almost sacrilegious, but It’s only paint right? I love the tables, but in this  ”original” state they weren’t working at all with my color scheme.

The tables had a coat of lacquer on them so they needed a good roughing up in order for the paint to stick. Luckily I have a small electric sander which made this an easy process. (After my dresser redo I decided an electric sander would be a good investment.) I had to hand sand the drawers and the  molding around the doors though. Once the sanding was done the painting was a cinch. First, I spray painted the bronze hardware with a”hammered silver’ effect spray paint then I used a roller to cover the large surfaces. After the paint dried I taped off around the molding to apply the accent color with a small brush. If you have a steady hand – lucky you; when I paint straight lines I HAVE to mask off the surrounding areas which is the most tedious part of painting for me.

I used a set of rubber stamps to stamp the dandelion design on the doors and drawers. This set is called Seeds of Kindness and is from Stampin Up. Rubber stamps make this kind of project super quick and easy.

This is the new look:

I’m nowhere near finished with the room, but I am definitely moving along. It took me about two weeks to finish painting the walls. The walls are heavily textured which required some extra effort to work the roller into all the crevasses and I think it took about a week and a half working on and off to finish these tables. I’m sure this could be accomplished in a day though. It really wasn’t difficult at all. I used the same color paint on the tables I used on the walls.

Now, I know you are thinking they looked much better before, but I have no regrets about repainting them.

Well, until next time…

Discover Your Natural Talents

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This is Rex. As you can see, Rex is a cat. Rex isn’t aware he’s a cat. Well, perhaps he is aware in a sense that he knows he’s different from the dogs, but he seems to have little understanding of the unique characteristics he possesses that make him a cat.

Rex does not move through the house with the stealth like, regal swagger of a typical cat. Rex, all 12 pounds of him, often sounds like a young Saint Bernard when he darts from room to room. He also seems to lack the keen intelligence and inquisitive mind of your average feline friend. Rex will never be harmed by curiosity. I sometimes wonder if Rex ate paint chips when he was but a wee boy.

The strangest thing about Rex is his inability to jump. He suffers from no physical impairment that would hinder his jumping abilities. He just doesn’t realize he can do it. There has been the rare occasion when he has jumped on the kitchen counter and hid behind the microwave. From behind the microwave he stared at me, bewildered and confused about how he got there.

I keep the cat food on the kitchen counter so the dogs wont eat it. At first I worried Rex might starve, unable to reach his food. Apparently he doesn’t realize the counter top that supports the microwave is the exact same height as the counter where his food can be found. As Stella, his adopted mother, enjoys her breakfast and dinner, Rex only stares up at her, then at me perplexed as to why I choose to ignore his hunger.

Ah, but Rex is not as dense as he seems, he has shown some real ingenuity recently. He realized he is able to jump on a dinning room chair. Hooray for Rex!  From there it’s only a giant step to the table top. Once atop the table, a chair back can be used as a launching perch to the counter and ultimately to FOOD. However, this may take a few tries. Especially if the chair is not properly positioned.  Will Rex ever realize he can make the jump from floor to counter? Will he ever gain the confidence he needs to live his cat life to his full cat potential?

I think Rex is like a lot of people. A beautiful creature unaware of their gifts and talents or not confident enough to see the full potential in their natural abilities. I find I can really relate to Rex. I too often choose the more difficult route over the most obvious and direct one. Yet Rex has proven a little resourcefulness and tenacity will lead you to your goal.

Still Busy in the Boudoir

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Last week I started work on our master bedroom. I began painting right away, but I’m still at it. It’s been a long process as I have to start and finish early in the day to make sure the room has plenty of time to air out before we go to bed every night.

The other project I started on right away was the very UGLY headboard. I have despised the headboard from day ONE. No matter what bedding or how many pillows I throw on it, its ugliness glares at me. It reminds me of a car seat or those old chunky recliners you’d find in a cabin. It’s a new bed, less than two years old. We bought it because the mattress is awesome, unfortunately we had to take the rest of the bed too.

I should mention we bought it in Singapore so it is not a standard U.S. size, which means it wont be easy to find a frame to fit it. The other option was to remove the head-board, but honestly, the bed is comfy as is, I like the padding on the head-board because it’s great support when reading in bed. The only option I can think of is upholstering it.

I first thought I’d remove all the faux leather and some of the padding, but after peeling off the dust catcher and seeing how the bed was constructed and how the padding was attached, I realized attempting to change the structure of the padding in any way was sure to be way beyond my skill level.

Instead, I decided to apply the fabric over the existing material using my trusty staple gun.

After a few hours,  I was done with the head-board, but I still needed to do the rest of the bed, which you can see below. The fabric is not as shiny as it looks, I think my flash created a glare.

I’m not a great photographer, so in the photos It doesn’t seem like much of an improvement,  but I am quite happy with the result. Now I need to find bedding. I’ve been on the hunt for weeks and wouldn’t you know, I am finding exactly the print I want, just not in the right color. I’m starting to think I should have chosen a different color. Oh well, something will come up.

On Another Note:

Have you seen the cost of bedding lately? Good GOD you really could support a small developing nation on what it would cost for a decent bedding set. The prices really are ridiculous, especially when you consider some of that very fancy, expensive bedding is made in places where the producers would never be able to afford even half a pillow case. In the beginning, I thought to myself, I’m gonna splurge on luxurious linens for the bed.’ I just can’t bring myself to do it, even if I had the budget for it, it seems almost obscene to spend that kind of money on a duvet or a pillow sham. How much money are we talking here? Well, for starters a flat sheet I came across was US$190.00 by itself. NO WAY. You can imagine what the rest of the set cost. Try $499.00 for a simple coverlet – again, NO WAY.

Anyway the before and after: Gee, I guess I could have at least made the bed a little nicer in that first pic. :)

Covering the base of the bed was super easy and took no time at all.There is still a lot to do in here, but I think I can get this half of the room done in a couple of weeks. I really hope to find a reasonably priced comforter soon, in the color I want, and without having to take out a loan to purchase.

Well, until next week….

Gettin’ Busy in the Boudoir (part 1)

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Doesn’t it seem the master bedroom is the very last room in the house to receive any special attention? This has always been the case in our house(s). With every move we make I usually jump right into the decorating of our new abode, focusing on the main public rooms, the kid’s rooms and then only giving minimal attention to the master bedroom just before it’s time to move again. Even the laundry room comes first! But no more; even though there are no plans to move anytime in the near (or far off) future,  I decided to give full attention NOW to our master bedroom.

I spent several days first trying to come up with a color scheme. I like all colors, but I want to keep the master bedroom palette very subtle. Monochromatic would be a better description (if there is such a thing as a “palette” of only one color). I feel a simple, monochromatic look is more conducive to rest and relaxation. And romance.

I was torn between creams or greys and ended up with this:

Though I do love a monochromatic bedroom, I think a contrasting accent color would make the space look more finished. I am trying to decide on 1) yellow
2) purple or
3) dark blue

I’m sure I’ll find the perfect color within the next few weeks as I progress through the makeover, until then I’ll start with painting the walls.

I am hesitant to post a before picture because the room is in such a sad state, but this is what I have to work with:

As you can see it is a very narrow room, but it’s big. This photo was taken right after we moved into it. This was our son’s room, then my daughter’s until  she decided to move back into the guest bedroom. When my husband and I moved into this room, she decided to move into our old room. I think the game of musical rooms is now over and I’m settled on making this an inviting, relaxing get away. Somehow.

There are so many things on my to do list I want to get to ASAP, but the first thing will be to paint. Oh and I really, really, really want to do something about that horrendous headboard! In fact, I think I will get to that right now. Hopefully this time next week I will have a spectacular update for you. :)