Chalking it Up to "Spring is in the Air"!

This week, today, March 1, 2012,  I'm saying "goodbye" to these fellas:

I'm saying "Hello" to this:

I said "hello"  (a few days early, I know), to Spring on my "new" chalkboard!

This little project had been going on in my head for some time now.  I just love all the chalk boards I've been seeing, and thought one would fit really well in my kitchen.  Since my motto of using what you have seems to be coming more and more to fruition these days, I started thinking of a way I could make a chalk board out of something I already had.

This is what I came up with:

A picture frame that I got at Goodwill several years ago.  I had actually painted the back of the picture white and had some black and white pictues cut out of an old book on it.  You can see a picture of that here.

I had long since taken it down, (I'm known for that), and it was just stashed in the garage.

This was actually the "lovely"  picture that was in the frame when I first got it. 



Sorry, this is only a small portion of the picture.  Trust me, you are not missing much my not seeing the entire picture.  I mainly took this to show the name of the artist.  If someone recognizes this as a famous artist whose art is very valuable, please just don't tell me, because this "lovely" picture is now painted over with chalkboard paint!





Now it looks like the pictures below, and I don't know about you, but I like it much better!  I still have some tweaking that I want to do; like putting a shelf under it.  I'm excited about the endless possibilities that come with having a chalkboard.  You know, like changing it up every day season!

Everyone seems to always be so ready to embrace the Spring season.  I know I am. When I was younger, Fall was my favorite season, but as I get older I like Spring.  I love the warm weather it brings, the sunshine and all the signs of new life.  Of course, I'm reminded of the new life which we can have in Christ.  I'm reminded of His death, burial and resurrection.  I'm also thankful for this.  I hope you are thankful for this as well.  If not, and you would like to know more, you can read about that in detail here.

So here's a before and after picture of my DIY chalkboard:



Before



After

Linking up to this DIY party.

SO SIMPLE, NO SEW CURTAINS!

Need some curtains and need them quickly?

You might want to take a look at what I came up with.

These curtains really show my simple style  (once again, it's REALLY simple!) as well as my love of linen.

These curtains are SO SIMPLE!  They actually are NO SEW SIMPLE!

A sewing machine or needle never came near these curtains!  Not that I'm against sewing machines or anything (well I have had my moments with them), but it's just that I like quick......really quick. 

Here's how I did it.  First, look at this before picture of the window without the curtain.  The wooden blinds which had been up for 16 years was nothing but and eye sore.


YUCK!



NOT SO NICE!





















These were nice at one time, I actually love plantation shutters, but something bad happened here. I think maybe water damage in some of the really bad rains we have had may have leaked in. I really don't know. I just know that I had to keep them pulled up at all times so this mess would not show!


So......time for something new!  I have been wanting to make some curtains out of linen for this room for some time.  I thought I would have to special order linen, but was nicely surprised one day a few months ago when I saw it at Joann's Fabrics.  I couldn't believe it.  It was exactly what I was wanting .....and the good part is that it was ON SALE!  So, I brought some home with me!

If you decide to do this, make sure you know the length you want your curtains, and they will cut it for you.  I had them cut it for 8 ft., length.  The above fabric is actually doubled so I just put it in the floor and cut it in half.  (You could also have them do this at the fabric store). 

This is where the fun part comes in.  Simply (love that word), fold the edges of the fabric over along the sides at the top and then fold the top over this.  I folded mine over about 2 1/2 to 3 inches.  I didn't even pin it or anything I just folded it over and then clipped it to the rod which my husband had hung for me.  (I have never had much success at hanging curtain rods, so I don't even try.  My husband does much too good of a job!) 



Fold at top and sides so the raw edges won't show.



Curtain hooks.....way to go, in my opinion!

So simple!



I know it would have been nicer to have them sown the right way, and someday, in my "spare time", maybe I will, but for now, with company coming for Labor Day weekend, they work!  Honestly, you cannot tell they are not sown or hemmed unless you walk up and closely examine!  You're welcome to come to visit, but if you do, please don't examine my "So Simple" curtains!













I know you're probably wondering what I did for the hem at the bottom.  Glad you asked!  I simply (there's that word again!) let them "puddle"!  I hope that is not way out of style.  Is it?  I don't really know.    I just folded them under and they were long enough to puddle on the floor.  If they were not long enough, I suppose you would have to hem them.  (You could always use tape!) 



The puddle!



This little project even motivated me to actually clean the window inside and out.  I am so glad to get that done. 



A few more shots.



At night, pulled together for privacy, of course.



Hope you enjoyed hearing about these "So Simple" , quick and easy curtains.

Linking to Beneath My Heart's DIY party.

From Barn to Charm!

This is a project that has been an on going, Summer, project. We bought these (there's two, but I'm only showing one throughout this post) night stands at an estate sale early in the summer for a whopping $10.00 a piece! This was at an old horse farm in our area that I didn't even know existed. They were selling the house furnishings (which was a huge old house), all the outside equipment and all the barn "stuff". The barn is where we found the night stands. I think from the looks of them, they had been stored there for a looooong time! They were in pretty bad condition as you can see.




  I know, you're probably thinking, "what were you thinking?"!  These are ugly! They were, but I could see potential in them, and I could tell they really were "nice" nice as in quality and as in being solid wood, and  remember the $ tag ?......only $10@, and did I mention, they are French styled? (my favorite style of furniture)!  But I do admit, they looked pretty bad!
Not to mention the smell.  Oh, maybe I shouldn't have!  Well, they did come from a barn!  Also in their "better days", they must have belonged to a nice, little, southern lady, because there was also a smell of talcum powder mixed with a moth ball smell!  WAIT, please don't quit reading.  It gets better.....Ha Ha!  Some of the table drawers were lined with contact paper, there were straight pins in the corners and edges.  (Our little, old, southern lady must have been a seamstress too!)  Of course there was dirt and, hold on, there were spiders (dead ones of course)!  WHAT WAS I THINKING?!?!  I can't believe that recently I have actually been considering trying to start a business of refurbishing old furniture.  I don't think I was thinking!

We started working on them early on, but because of our busy Summer schedule, we were not able to work on them as consistently as we would have liked.

We have only had time to work on one so far. Lots of steps have to be taken to get this project from "barn to charm"!

First, while my husband sanded and sanded and sanded some more, I cleaned  the inside. I removed the wonderful contact paper (yuk!), and cleaned and cleaned and cleaned some more! Just call me the "Clorox Kid"!
After we got it cleaned and sanded, (believe me, it got the best cleaning it had ever had in it's life from me! Let's say bleached!, we coated it really good with a sealer. Then we let it set outside in the hot summer heat for weeks. Then the grandkids came and it got put on hold for weeks! That is ok, though!


 Anyway, here it us the end of October, and we are starting again. I am so pleased to tell you that all the steps we took and especially the sitting outside in the heat for weeks, took care of the smell. It no longer has the old, mothball, talcum powder smell. I'm glad, cause I don't know of I could have taken that since these are going in our room as nightstands.

I'm excited because we just got a new mattress and it sits so much higher than our old nightstands, that it is hard to reach anything from the bed. Our charming barn nightstands are much higher. I believe they will be just the right height.

Anyway, as of this week, Oct, 27, 2011 after more sanding and a coat of this paint,  (I decided to use a oil base paint and have as sleek of a finish as I could),

It is beginning to look a little more charming! 

Maybe not quite there, but close!  Just hang on! 

Ok, after more sanding and a second coat of paint on the outside as well as a second coat of sealer on the inside, it is  time for the "big reveal"!  Ta da!  I'm excited!







These are the original handles spray painted  with this paint:  Krylon Brushed Metallic, Satin Nickel

The following are just pictures of the finished project.  (well, there's a couple of tweaks that have to be made, such as the drawers need to be put in to fit just a little better.  That will have to wait until my husband gets back from an out of states missions trip.  He's the one who fixes these kinds of things!) 



Sure am glad the height of the table matches the height of the bed! 



BEFORE!



AFTER

Whew!  That was a lot of work, but I think well worth it, I think!  I hope you like them too!  I don't want to sound conceited at all, but I do think a good name for this little nightstand project is, "From Barn to Charm"!  What do you think?  Do you think they are charming?  What do you think about my opening up a furniture refurbishing business?  Well, never mind about the last question!!!

So there you have it!  I am so glad to have rescued this little nightstand from the spiders, dirt, etc.  The only thing is we have another one just like it waiting......probably until next summer!

Linking up to:  Beneath My Heart's October DIY linky party.

                      My Uncommon Slice of Suburbia's Tuesdays Treasures

Time to Tile!

"We"   (I'm smiling sheepishly right now because my husband did all the work) , finally jumped into a project that we had been putting off for a looooong time.  That is to tile the bathroom upstairs that goes between two guest rooms.  We actually have had the tile for a couple of years now.  It was just one of those things that we kept procrastinating about.  I know no one else ever does that! : )  When company was coming for a few days, that got us hopping.  As a matter of fact, there were other projects that were completed as well; one being a new microwave oven installed  (YAY!  Can you see the big grin on my face?)  by none other than, you guessed it, my DIY husband!

So slowly, but surely, (cause my DIYer is also a perfectionist), things are getting done.  I love it! 

The flooring that was in the bathroom (which I forgot to get a picture of) had been there since the house was built, 17years ago and it was uuuuu ga ly! Not to mention worn out.  It literally had a hole in it that I had to cover with a rug.  So, it was time for the tile!

These first pictures are of the bathroom after the vinyl flooring had been ripped out, and before the tile was laid. The "before" pics, I guess you can say.



It got worse before it got better!




Cutting the board that goes under the tile.





Bringing the board upstairs.  He made a lot of trips up and down these and the basement steps.  He was pretty tuckered out after this.  We are not getting any younger, you know!  He enjoys this kind of stuff, though.  I sure am glad!  He has gotten some experience at laying tile in the past couple of years; some for us and some for others.  I don't think he's ready to go into it as a career or even as a hobby.  It's pretty hard work.  Take it from one who knows!  (there's that sheepish grin again!)

 .                                                            Now,  for the "reveal"!

Welcome to the upstairs guest bathroom!

........and here are more "after" pics...........

It looks tons better!  Keep in mind that this is only a renovation of the tile.  The little room also needs to be painted.  I think I have decided to paint it some kind of a gray color and use yellow accents.  Those two colors (I don't know if you can tell by the pictures or not, are actually in the tile.  That's where I got my idea from!  I'm  really smart when it comes to decorating!)  Just kidding!

Here are a couple more pictures of this little space to show a little more how it looks.  We may never come this way again! Unless.....it looks really cool when and if I ever get it painted gray!   I really had rather do posts on other rooms than bathrooms!  I kept trying not to get a picture of the commode!  I thought you could probably do without that! 




Yes, I had to put a little "French twist" to this room as I do to most of the rooms in my house.  Le Bain.  Now that doesn't  sound too bad.  Maybe I will do another post on the bath and entitle it Le Bain.  You can be on the lookout for it, ok?  I'm sure you can't wait!

Linking to Beneath My Heart's "Best DIY Project for June" Party.