A Pleasant Surprise

Someone thinks I'm great! I'm so happy they do! The Hand Me Down House..has given me an award!

I LOVE HER...Her blog is amazing and I'm so honoured...really...her PB knock offs are to die for and lets not forget the rest. I'm in the processes of taking quite a few of her ideas and running with them. Thank you Amanda it's so great to be recognized by such a wonderful blogger!

I've had this blog only a few short months and have managed to have 26 fabulous people stumble upon me.

I'm amazed really. I was hoping to be able to share this with more than just my small group of local friends, and I think I'm succeeding. I hope you all are enjoying my blog as much as I have fun creating it!

ANYWAYS

Rumour has it the terms of the award are that I have to tell you seven random things about myself.

1. If I could choose one thing to eat for the rest of my life it would be a pizza covered in feta, tomato, green pepper, mushrooms, pineapple, and green olives...

2. I have many whims that I got on (spells my friends call them), where I want to create a new job or try a new category of craft!
3. I smile at the smell of cow manure or sea scumm...why you ask, it reminds me of home.
4. My hubs and I have a ritual of since day one of watching Desperate Housewives every Sunday night..and in the space between the seasons we are beside ourselves waiting for it to start up again.
5. I eat peanut butter by the spoonful...
6. I eat bags of candy/peanuts (anything in small pieces) by the twos..always even numbers
7. What's that song called? Emotional Girl? I cry at or for just about anything that has emotion...I can cry just watching a show half way over not knowing what's going on. If it's emotional I'm gonna cry..money down.

Now I guess I'm passing on the award to a few blogs I have recently discovered.

Ticking and Toile - This Gal is hilarious, and creative

Sew Can Do - Amazing Tuts on sewing and such!

Peace Love Sweater - A Lady who's hit the mark

Living with Punks - LOVE her ideas!

House of Smith's - One of my first to follow, I love her ideas, vinyls everything :)

Domestically Speaking - Hosts one amazing Power of Paint Party !

Canadian Cottage - A fellow Canuck with my taste to boot...LOVE just LOVE

Well I could go on for days but that's 7 so I'll leave it at that...and if you don't already follow them give them a look...they are deff work the click.

Again want to thank the giver of my award and let her know the feeling is mutual!

And to my followers Thank you SOOOO MUCH...once I hit a certain number...I'm going to think of something really special for you all!

Learning the Hard Way

So I've begun my painting adventures again in the hall...and have learned the hard way that when painting white over a darker color you CANNOT cut corners. A few months ago I began to paint my entry way a shade of white over my light beige. It took about 4 - 5 coats to get it not to show through...I thought it was because I bought the cheaper can of paint and opted to get another brand this time to do my hallway. Below I am going to show you how I learned "the hard way"

This photo shows my hallway after two coats - painted the day I felt "under the weather"

LOVE the streaks after two coats, don't you? So I got fed up and quit for the day.

Then I thought, today, one more coat I'm sure of it....let it dry and nope that's still no good....then one more coat making FOUR....still showing some streaks. ARE YOU KIDDING ME

THAT'S IT! THIS IS DUMB! I QUIT....

well I can't because it's part of my challenge, DANG!

So I got smart...just prime it. My little helper voice said...see what happens....

YEEEAHHHH, IN YOUR FACE PAINT....I WIN! - the little voice is strikes again

This photo is after just ONE coat of primer and ONE coat of paint.

It's finished..well the challenge part anyways...I say not finished because there's not trim or molding or baseboard

In time though, In time

I have not the Energy..

Since I have no energy today...and still feeling very icky after a shower, a few freezes, and a bit of housework, I have decided to work on the task of "finding ideas for the window panes - all it really requires is a bit of typing and staring at a screen - simple enough. My windows are in the above photo and here's what I have come up with...each window is about 4 ft high by 2.5 ft wide.

I like this coffee table but my windows aren't the right size for this.

LOVE this idea ! Since I have one window with no panes in it...this is perfect.

Or Photo Frames?

I love this frame idea so cute...my windows have this bar of wood along the top or bottom depending on what way I hang it...SOOO, I thought about writing Legere on that bar....cute huh?

This is just a bookcase/shelf framed with a window.

Photo Filled Post

Three Down and 4th is Getting There

As you all may have rememered in my last post my son was sick...we'll he gave it to me...THANK YOU COHEN!
So...despite the fact that for the last two days I have felt as though my hands legs and throat are going to be the end of me I have still managed to complete a few more things off my list...and even some bonus things...
I managed to clean up the toy room..though it's not entirely clean you can now see the floor...and It's not really relevant as in a month or two this is going to be my craft room so we will have to weed out the toys and put them in the gremlin's room.

And I managed to get the first two coats of paint on one side of the hall wall, though thinking about it, I don't think it was a great idea, the moment I finished my body went into cold sweats and I'm paying greatly for it this morning. I'm going to try and get the other side with the second two coats today. Wish me luck...I desperately need it.

(no that is not paint on my floor it's drywall dust from sanding it smooth)

As a few bonus jobs, my dad managed to install my counter top in the bathroom and I managed to sell two of the dressers that have been clogging up the kids room...which means...more room to stuff their toys in their room for me to get my craft room back.

My mom found this table for just 20.00 at one of our FAV thrift stores. It is very similar to mine but needs a little work...but still a steal and nicer than the one she has currently..can't wait to see it all fixed up!

And I managed to find this on the same day and place (before I got too sick) and started to work on it a bit...I can't wait until it's finished! It's going to look amazing in my dining room! LOVE IT and for 20.00

(the centre doors have three drawers hidden behind them...I love that feature, it makes my heart sing)

The dresser I know is going to be white...unlike everything else in my house..hehe...just needed and looking for some suggestions on what color to paint the handles? Just until I can change them up for something I really love...

2 Down 8 More to Go!

WELCOME TO TASK NUMBER TWO

So you remember the stool right? The Brown/Rust Retro Chunk of Ugly I got for 2.00 or was it 3.00? Well...Incase you forgot here it is...in all its glory!

When I bought this I was certain it would go in front of Emily's and soon to be Cohen's as well little cushy rocking chair...and sure enough...it looked like it was made to sit there. Same size, same height...

I am doing the gremlin's room in blue requested by Miss Emily herself (white walls mom with blue) She's got such great decor sense already! So when I found this amazing blue fabric - ON CLEARANCE at Wal Mart - with the tiniest white pin strips through it I knew it was perfect. 1.94 / metre? I'll take 2...no wait 4 metres....maybe I should get more...no 4 will do for now.

What to do with it now....quilt, curtains? OTTOMAN! Yes yes YES! Girly but masculine.....oh the adrenalin. waaahhhooooo! OK so it wasn't that exciting but still I was pretty pumped!

I began to make a slipcover. I didn't want to upholster it because...well you haven't met my son...but he's pretty messy and grubby and his dirty little hands seem to get on everything in a; wash my couch once a week kinda way.

I wanted to give it a bit of ruffle but not too much so I first stitched it by hand and gave it a slight pull...wrapped it around the ottoman and pinned it on the underside once I knew it was about the right fluffy...yes I just said fluffy.

Lastly, I turned it inside out and with the machine finished it off. I must say...I'm pretty impressed with myself. It turned out looking soo cute! AND it's not overly girly.

1 Down 9 To Go....

Even though I spent most of yesterday nursing my fevered 20 mth old and am typing this post one handed, because he won't leave my side, I am determined. I managed to get my frame re|do| started and finished without hanging them up just yet. I don't want to put 16 holes in the newly painted bathroom walls with my amazing measuring skills. I think I'll get my loving father to do that part this weekend as my husband is busy working at his paying job and then building the new door frame for his "at home for wife-y" job once he gets home.

So here are some photos of the process...I must say I'm pretty pleased with the outcome.

I bought these wonderful frames (20 of them actually) when Sears Portrait was emptying out their closets. For the whole box I paid 10.00 (that's .50 a frame - and the extent of my math skills)...so even though I didn't have have a use for them IT WAS .50 A FRAME! I don't leave deals like that behind...for any reason. |Light Bulb|-this is probably why my house is buried in clutter...huh maybe...anyways

I took three of them and did this....

Then this....

Then let them dry....

And got this....

I wanted to have a nice flat finish and going with the old phrase "use what you have" I used black chalk board spray paint I had left over from another project...yay me! I love free makeovers...just love them...

The pictures are still at the lab waiting to be picked up...can't wait to see them in the frames!!

My "Motivation" List

The Shabby Chic Cottage is hosting a Tasking:

In no particular Order...here are Mine! My "Motovation"

- Feel free to cheer me on, on a regular basis -

1. Paint Trim in Bathroom
2. Paint Hall Way
3. Clean out Kitchen Cupboards
4. Re Create Ottoman
5. Think of uses for Old Window Frames
6. Paint Bathroom Vanity
7. Do a Photo Session for Contest
8. Complete Wedding Edits
9. Re"do" and Hang photos in Bath
10. Clean out Toy Room

PS.

I thought I should share with you my "gutsy" move on the farmer's peony bush at the top of our road!

NOooooo...I didn't steal them...that would be wrong, I simply went up to them while they worked in their yard, with my hands clasped so tight together that they were turning white and asked nicely (begged) if I could have some...Don't you just love the stash I got...can't wait to get my own bush someday though so I'm not skeefing others anymore!

Here's some photos of them placed just so, in my cutesy little spots...ahhhhh the charm.

Don't mind the mess in the photo...I'm not great at layering as you can tell...and yes I am aware my wall is not fully painted

I'm in LOVE honestly...my husband even asked why I don't get so excited about him that way...I simply told him because even though he smells...it's not that nice. J. I told him not to get so jealous...they would only be around for a while then he'd have me back all to himself...but for now...PEONIES!!!

Lastly a full view of them in the new guest room...still no art work/photo...maybe I should add that to my list as well....oh well too late now...maybe if I win I'll use that piece of art work in there...yeah that's what I'll do! Now to go choose...just incase....

Life's a Beach

Remember my drift wood ? Well....here it is now....in all it's beachy glory! I'm so glad it came to live with me instead of staying on the beach....not that the beach isn't a great place to live, but my house needed him...he completes us! ahhhh love, sweet love!

He's going to look so sweet in my bathroom once it's all done up pretty and new!

How I did it?

First : I sparingly painted the board with a flat white paint...I actually used ceiling paint, making sure not to cover it completely and with no real even storks and let dry.
Secondly : I Painted the words beach in a contrasting color...I free handed mine but you could always measure and trace or use stencils.
And
Third : Once the paint was dried I scuffed it up to my liking with sand paper.

Linking to :

Can you guess what I'm up to this time?

Some inspiration...

Love the pulls on this vanity

Love the colors and contrasts of the pales...the softness of the fixtures

The Chandelier the TUB...keep dreaming

The floors, the window dressings, the vanity (top), no wait...EVERYTHING

The True Before....

The Newer Before...

The Progress....

The Floor...

Getting There....

Stay Tuned!