My Craigslist Freebie

I browse the Baltimore Craigslist "Free Stuff" probably close to 3 times a day. I there discovered some curio cabinets here. After making a few calls I was able to enlist a friend's help to go get 2 of them. They were/are in pretty rough shape. It didn't look all that daunting from the CL photos. But, I decided I wanted to do them anyway. In case the link to CL disappears, here's what they look like ((YIKES))

Even some splotchy white primer made it look a ton better ;o)

I chose a "Tiffany" blue color. My idea is to do a light gray on the walls, black tables and this be my one accent color/focal piece. That's how it is in my mind. The execution is another story

There you can see I started some of the distressing...

And Voila! 3 days later, some splinters, a sunburn and a LOT of elbow grease, here she is! One of TWO. I'm so not ready to do the other. Luckily for me, it's supposed to start raining and won't let up for about a week.

A side view look

BEFORE AND AFTER 

Pics to come later when I actually get the other one

completed and the walls "gray" like they're supposed to be ;o)

My Mothers Day Weekend Project - an Ikea transformation

Mothers Day weekend was great for me! All I requested was time and a few supplies to work on my first piece of furniture. My hubby says I'm not allowed to start browsing for pieces until I do one and see how I do. I believe his exact quote, "let's see whatcha got". Well, I showed him :o) 

This is an Ikea toy box that we've had for several years. Seemed like a pretty good candidate. Not too big, and not too many ornate details to work with.

This is your pretty standard, plain jain wooden box.

Here I primed it, and had already stained the top with a gorgeous Walnut stain by Minwax. (Zinsser makes sevearl really great primers. The one I used came in a can. The coverage was excellent!) Love the color (you'll see what I mean) - You'll notice I got some on the right side when I was wiping with an old T-shirt ;o) ooops!





See that walnut color? Lovely. This is after 1 coat of paint. Just plain white, with barely a hint of color. I wasn't too concerned with the color as I was already planning to brown it up with an "antique" technique. 

And Voila!

After using that same Walnut stain, brushing it on, wiping it off with a damp cloth, this is the desired effect ;o)

Turned out so good! Both my hubby and I were pleased with how it turned out. Much better than either of us expected to be honest ;o)

All this needs is a cute little vintage style vinyl on the front and it's a keeper!

Of course now that I've proven myself, I'm now allowed to freely browse Craigslist and visit the thrift store. Ok, so that doesn't mean I can hoard lots of pieces I think I'm going to have time to work on, buuuut, I can justify bringing something home - Especially if it's a freebie  ;o)

Inexpensive Flower Pot Makeover Tutorial

So I dropped the ball for a little bit after starting this blog with such enthusiasm. I was wrapped up in this thing called "life". It has a tendency to distract a person. But, here I am and I am so excited to finally get to post something. Woohoo! 

Flower pots. Never thought much about them until I thought it would be a great idea to do something for teacher appreciation week. I have been a terrible parent in regards to doing something for my children's teachers for the last 5 years, so this year I decided to do something special to make up for all the missed years LOL. Well, that and I wanted to do something crafty and practice for my upcoming bigger projects. Hahaha!

Stuff you'll need:

• Flower pots - any size will do!
• Primer - I had some left over spray filler/primer
• Paint - leftover paint from a bathroom job recently
• Sandpaper (for distressing) - you'll need about 150 or even 120 grit
• Chalkboard Paint - spray or even paint on would work
• Stencil (optional)
• Stain (optional)

I started with the plain old terra cotta pots from our local Lowes. They were like $3/ea. I had paint left over from the bathroom that was a pretty off white color, and I've been dying to try out chalkboard paint. I went to Wal-Mart to just see if they carried it, and ironically someone had returned a can. Can of chalkboard paint, $1. Yes, ONE DOLLAR. Score!

Ok, here's the primer I used. It worked great for filling in some of the pits in the pot.

First Coat of Paint

Distressing using sandpaper

This is the stencil I made. I got a package of 3 square sheets of vinyl
from Wal-Mart (about $4) I literally found a shape I liked, traced it
from my PC screen and used an Xacto knife to cut it out

I taped stencil to pot, then sprayed the chalkboard paint
It went on very smooth!

I used the original plant markers and decoupaged on some
fancy paper and wrote on them

And here are the two pots complete!
Actually just needed to actually plant them in the pots.
(Yes that's a towel because I had nothing else handy
and because that's how I roll ;oP)

Here is another variation: Painted White,
Distressed, Then sponged on and rubbed off
some Walnut wood stain. Love this antique look!

Up close and personal to show details

And there you have it folks! Plain Jane pots turned lovely personalized and shabby chic very inexpensively!

Another Something New

I am THE QUEEN of trying new things for amusement and to entertain myself. I have made and do make jewelry & duct tape wallets that I have sold through my Facebook fan page & Etsy store. For the most part, I see things & I think, "hey, I can do that myself". Then I will. I do crafts with the kids & share a love of creating new things with them. As a stay at home mom of 3 rugrats (2 in elementary school full day & the "monster" is home with me all day), I am always looking for some sort of time or activity or something that identifies me. Just me. Laurie. Not the mom, the wife, the in-law, the neighbor, etc. Okay okay, so realistically that's not going to happen, but I try. When you become a mom, you lose the "mine & me" mentality and life becomes about your family. And I'm okay with that...but, I've been told that it doesn't have to be. There is a way to balance some "me" time, and still be all those things I'm needed to be. But that's another post for another time in the diaries of self exploration as part of my "Identity Crisis".

I have found a passion, ok an obsession for DIY blogs and looking at other people's design ideas and tutorials. Although we do not own our home, our landlord has pretty well given us liberty to pretty much do whatever we want. After 3 years of this house, I'm pretty tired of how it looks and feels. Since buying a house is not in the cards right now for a few different reasons, I think breathing new life into what we already have is our best option.

  ~ So here's to another something new & the diary of my personal and home make-over ~