Shabby Chic Bedroom Before and After

Friday, May 30, 2014 1 comment
 You know those before and after photos you see on TV...where in the first photo the person is frowning, wearing their sweats, and sticking their belly out (which pretty much defines me on the weekend)...then picture two is the sequined dress, full make up, and spanks?  That's what this feels like....except I tried to take before and afters with this bedroom relatively neat.  The above photo is the 'before' shot.  I liked this furniture fine.  I bought it twelve years ago when I moved into the house-rustic, I loved the canopy, and this comforter (hard to see) is still one of my favorites, but there just wasn't a lot in the room that I found comforting.  I wanted to surround myself with pieces of 'me.'  This stuff may eventually get a second life in another room of the house, but first....the blue rustic became the shabby chic...
 I've been posting about a bunch of projects in the room...more on that in a minute-first-the before and afters.  No more canopy. New headboard made from pallets.  Add a trunk, and swap out the night stand.
 The rocker stays, I just switched out the blanket.
Below was the 'before' dresser-lots of storage room...
 Now, this was actually a gift from Kelly's Mom-we saw this at an antique store in Forney.  She surprised me with it- it was imported from England.
 Random spot behind the door.  The switch by the door doesn't lead to the fan, it leads to this plug, so I've had this little light I had picked up at Ikea with plans to replace it....for the last 10 years...
 Now....these lights and this old door.  I did several different techniques to cover those ugly cords both here and here.    I just repainted the chalkboard with some crackle antique paint.
 This is the 'sweat pants and frown' picture....I took this before when I was tossing some of the things I was finding FOR the revamp (old locker baskets etc) on top of the armoir...no more ugly storage spaces.
 Now....one of the main reasons I did this-so I could put my Grandmother's marble top dresser into my room.  I have a thing about 'seeing' TVs.....I don't like to....so I had to do the little frame collage behind this set up so it would be a 'part' of the collage.  Kind of.
 Here are a few of the details close up.  I found the mirror above the dresser at another antique store.  I made this faux mercury glass lamps.  Here are those steps.  And the book wreath I also made to fill that little spot.  My Mom was getting rid of some of HER books from high school, so I decided to use those for a craft to hang a little bit of her history here.
 The books were my great grandfathers and grandmother's.  Under the glass dome are some bible verses that were also at their house, but we grew up reading around the dinner table.  I put some bracelets in the tin.
 I'm a collector of buttons and safety pins.  Not on purpose.  A lady I babysat for gave me this little jewelry holder years ago, the mirror was on my vanity growing up, and the cross is from my mentor, Mr. Middlebrook after his visit to Israel.  He brought it back for me.  He passed a few years ago, but I've kept it close as a memory of our shared faith, and loved of learning.
 The salt shaker is another little random piece I've had for years.  I said I was going to collect hat pins...right up until I saw how much they cost.  I've had a total of two forever.  I'm really into layering right now.
 I'm also really into tarnished silver.  I had a bunch of these little frames through the house and I wanted to put them in a little collection, so I hunted down the most 'tarnished' tray I could find at an antique store.  These are an assortment of family members.  I put the tray on an old lamp stand with some randomness below as well just to give different height on the dresser top.  I'm sure I'll rework this 7 more times before this blog post, but....that's the fun....I doubt I'll ever 'finish' this project.
 I didn't want matching furniture anymore.  I've outgrown order.
 I had this window from a trip to Tennessee and a stop at a store there.  I made this little wish banner a few weeks ago...and added more photos that had to come down in another room of my house b/c it's also getting a make over.
 This is one of my favorite things.  This mirror was my great grandparents.  It's etched and hung in the entryway of my house growing up.  It used to bother me that it is missing a little of the molding.  Second to this molding, that is now some of my favorite parts of this piece.
 I'm a book-a-holic, so I've collected old locker baskets and drawers and fill these with books all over my house...and room.
 Random fun-my cousin gave me this photo of us when we were younger.  One of the most thoughtful gifts I've received.  I loved that he did this....and inserted this picture I don't think I've ever seen.
 Again...I'm currently into layer.  I've been collecting little frames for awhile, not sure what I was going to do with them....now I know...
 More pictures from other rooms I wanted to relocate b/c those locations are 'under construction.'
 New mirror.  Old frame.
 The church gave me this little plaque when I was born.
 Dresser top..
 Love this little pencil holder I found....it houses my chapstick.  I'm an addict.
 More baskets by the rocker....I store all my appliance chargers in this little toolkit.
 This trunk was my grandmother's hope chest.  It's a little extra 'seating.'
 I'm a fan of the senseless pillow.  I'll probably make 6 more of those before this post too.  Here is one pillow tutorial.  I kept the mirror, I had found that out of town a few years back....but I scraped the blue off that drew me to it b/c I could see white underneath.  I kept just enough of the blue so I could 'remember.'  I also uncovered some peach....and a few layers of my own skin during the process.
I snagged the bedside table with antiqued mirror top on sale at a furniture store-modeled after a piece at a flea market in France.  Old and new.  This is me.  I love that even the pieces I've bought had a story to tell.  The only story this room told before was about the factory in which it was built and shipped.  I needed more memories and pieces of 'me' in this room.  I still have a ways to go, but...I'm enjoyed the process.  

Good Morning, Texas: Sea Shell Crafts

Thursday, May 29, 2014 No comments
 Summer is here.  Shells, seasides, and souvenirs.  I was tasked with bringing some more sea shell themed crafts to the show.  This is a series of crafts I did last year in celebration of one of my favorite places and the memories I took home with me.  I'll be sharing four more crafts today.  I'm blogging about a few, and I'll post the video with the rest on facebook account later.  One idea is to create one of these family initial letters.  It would be a fun memory from a honeymoon beach walk, or a family vacation.
I bought a large chipboard letter at Hobby Lobby, and painted it a color that went with my room (b/c you can see a bit of the board underneath, you could also cover it with sand first).
 Then it was a simple matter of gluing shells on with a hot glue gun.
 I also took some baby food jars and made memory jars.  I went to Maine a few years ago and gathered some sea glass, sea shells and sand from Galveston, and a bracelet made by natives in Brazil and some pieces of broken brick I found around a church (our group had helped raise funds to build the church, and these were used in the construction).  Easy and cheap.  Instead of spraying the lids, I used this mod podge technique I use a lot to make decorative jars.
 Last up...shell game pieces.  I painted a paper mache box, and the pieces can be stored inside.  In this case I used two different types of shells, but you could also paint the shells two different colors.

Hiding Cords

Tuesday, May 27, 2014 No comments
 I recently bought these three lamps for one corner of my room.  There was a LOT of chain and wire to deal with.  I already had used a cord cover I put together on another little chandelier and I wanted to try out something different.  I google searched and never could find anything that really liked.  What I did find was a bunch of old lace at an antique store and I decided to put this to use.  I also bought some burlap ribbon.  It's not like anyone is going to NOT know there are cords there, it's just a matter of making them a little less unattractive.
I took the different laces and burlap and wove it through all the chains.
 I also had an old door that I used to cover the cords going down the wall.  I added a mirror I found at Hobby Lobby to give it a little more flair.

Easier than Pie Peach Cobbler

Monday, May 26, 2014 No comments
 I had some fresh peaches that needed to be used (notice eating them plain apparently wasn't an option).  I tried out a recipe I use a lot with canned fruit, and it turn out it's even more delicious.  I halved the recipe, but....I'll write it as a full recipe.  All you need is a stick of butter, a box of yellow cake mix (white would work too) and 8 peaches (more if you like your cobbler fruity, stick to 8 if you like a lot of crust).
 I washed and peeled my peaches, and then sliced them into small pieces.  I sprayed the pan with some cooking spray, and the covered the bottom with peaches (used a rectangle cake pan).
 Cover the top of the peaches with the cake mix (yes, just the dry mix), then cut up the stick of butter into small little pads and just set these ontop of the cake mix, spread it around.
 Place it in the oven at 350 for about 45 minutes (until browned).  The butter melts and cooks the cake, so it will be golden brown.
Add ice cream, or just dig in with a spoon.  I have it on good authority (my own) this makes a great breakfast as well, I pretend it's OK b/c it used fresh fruit.  Your really can add any fruit to the bottom (apples etc) or add two cans of pie filling, but fresh peaches just about might be my favorite version yet!

Garden: Ladybug Girl Gift

Friday, May 23, 2014 No comments
 I love giving book themed gifts to little beings.  My teaching partner introduced me to this cute little story, Ladybug Girl.  I then stumbled across these red gardening tools at Target in the dollar spot (the 3 dollar spot for the little metal pail), and my pal Terry was making these ladybug garden picks last year.  It was too perfect.  I bought the book and collected the gardening supplies to pass along in hopes of helping some of my favorite little ones collect their own ladybugs in their gardens.  A few years ago when I went to visit Blythe she was carefully watching the daddy and Blythe cactus she and her dad had bought on their last trip to the 99 cent store.  I'm pretty sure she'll appreciate adding these goodies to her porch hobby.

Garden: Rosemary Sea Salt Rolls

Thursday, May 22, 2014 No comments
 I grew some herbs last summer, and I have to use them quickly before I kill them..  I do believe this is my favorite of the lot....the 'bread' aspect helps.  Man, these are delicious and so easy to make.
 See, there's the pot of herbs I used....right before the Texas sun and my lack of gardening skills killed it...
I found this via whipperberry, and all it takes are a few ingredients and frozen Rhodes Rolls.  
Ingredients:  Rhodes, Olive Oil, Chopped Rosemary, Sea Salt
Instructions:  Defrost rolls and let rise as instructed.  (I put mine in a muffin tin-I greased the holes, then sprayed some Saran wrap and covered the rolls and let them rise for about 3 hours until doubled in size).  Mix chopped herbs and olive oil and brush over the rolls (how much you use is all up to your taste, and how many rolls you defrost, just a nice mix).  Sprinkle all the rolls with sea salt (again, to taste).  Cook 15 minutes at 350.  Eat.  Repeat.