My first bench!

Wrapping up January's "Favorite Projects". 

 

 I am ready to wrap up January too and move into spring!  I am excited for some new projects coming up!  :)

 

But first here is one of my very first projects......

 

 When I saw this bench at the flea market I knew it was perfect! I had set out to find a bench for our hallway off our mudroom.  We needed a place to sit to put on our shoes!  I got this bench for $18.00.  I acutally kind of like that funky fabric!

 

   I wanted this bench white.  I was on quite the white kick for awhile.  I had not yet discovered Annie Sloan so I spray painted the bench white.  (after removing the cushions)  I then sanded the edges to rough it up. 

 

 I used painters drop cloth for the fabric.  Cheap cheap cheap!!

 

 

 

 

 

 

I added some nail heads to the back.  Easy!!

 

 

 

You can read about the entire project here:

 

http://www.blogger.com/blogger.g?blogID=5262909746498862430#editor/target=post;postID=3676572396215870541

 

  

 

 

 

Here it is!  Perfect for that spot!  BUT it has been awhile and I am getting alittle bored with that bench. Plus it gets alot of use so all white was probably not the best choice of colors!  I have some new ideas of how to spice it up!  Stay tuned!  :)


 

My most favorite project this year!

Re decorating Bryce's bedroom had to be hands down my most favorite project this year!!  We had soooo much fun!!   

When I started going to flea markets and began to slowly re purpose furniture and change our home around Bryce was not a fan.  She did not like the idea of used things and could not understand why I was bringing that stuff in here!  (or painting everything white for that matter!)

Over time she started like the vintagey feel of things.  It was her idea to re do her room with all things from a flea market!  I was in heaven!!!! :)

                      



Bryce and I knew right from the beginning we wanted a barn door type head board for her bed.  We found EXACTLY what we were looking for at the Kane County Flea Market.  This barn door was the perfect color and it was sealed so we did not have to worry about old paint chipping!  And it was $50.00!!!  Love it!!

We decided to go with a soft gray on her walls.  This is a great neutral gray.  It is Benjamin Moore Coventry Gray. 

 

 

 

 

 

This little nightstand was part of a bedroom set TJ and I had years and years ago!  It was a honey pine color and had flowers painted on it!  We had donated all but this night stand. I painted it with Annie Sloan Chalk Paint in Aubusson Blue and changed out the hardware with some chunky glass hardware.  I love this piece!

We found this old window at an antique store in Wisconsin.  It is the perfect place for Bryce to put up her favorite pics!

 

This wall is so fun!  Bryce wanted to hang a rope to display her special things.  We got clothes pins and she can add or take away whatever she wants. 

 

 

The LOVE, DREAM, FAITH, PEACE board was a surprise I made her while she was at camp.  I found the old door in the trash at a flea market.  I clean it up and painted it with Annie Sloan Chalk Paint in Old White and Provence.  Then I stenciled on the words in black paint.

 

 

The dresser was also from a flea market.  It is great condition and has wheels. Love that!  We painted it with Annie Sloan Chalk Paint in Old Ochre.

 

This little sunburst mirror was on a stand.  I had TJ take it off the stand and added a hook so I could hang it.  I love the splash of gold on the gray wall! I also love a true old sunburst mirror!

 

 

The little bench under the window was an old piano bench we had in the basement.  I painted it with Annie Sloan Chalk Paint in Old White and roughed it up.  I stapled some painters cloth to the old worn leather top.  Perfect!

 

 

 

I love this little corner.  The mirror Bryce already had, we just spray painted it yellow.  The white table was in the basement not being used.  It is perfect for her makeup!  The vintage mirrors and frames on the wall are some of the first things I purchased at a flea market. 

To read more about this project you can click on the link below:

http://www.blogger.com/blogger.g?blogID=5262909746498862430#editor/target=post;postID=1282129980523037797

This room was so fun to do.  It was very inexpensive since we re used many things we already had.  It feels so good to put old things to good use!   The rest we found at flea markets!  That of course was the BEST part! 

More favorite projects!

 

This project is by far one of my favorites! 

 

I found this old door in the trash at a flea market.  So that means it was FREE!!!!

 

It was pretty dirty and needed some work but I had a vision for it!

 

 

 

 

 

I saw this door at a flea market over the summer.  They were asking $250.00!  I thought it was cool, but $250.00???

 

I knew I could do this myself for much less!

First thing I did was clean my door really well!  (and then cleaned it again!!) You can read about the entire project here:

 

http://myeverchanginghome.blogspot.com/2012/09/mirror-from-old-door.html

 

 

 

 

 



 

After the door was clean and the old window film was peeled and scraped off it was ready to be painted.  I decided to go with Annie Sloan Chalk Paint in Provence. 

 

 

Provence
Blue green shutters in the South of France are the inspiration for this colour. Set against walls of any of the whites. Provence needs light and bright fabrics with a Mediterranean and seaside feel. Other paint colours that work with Provence also need to have the same freshness and strength. Of course a cupboard painted Provence looks great against a wall of Old White.

 

 



 

After the paint dried I applied both Annie Sloan clear and dark wax. 

 

After a failed attempt of attaching a mirror to the front of the glass I decided to go with Krylon Looking Glass Spray.  I love this stuff!!

 

 

 

 

 

I put the door outside and spray several thin coats.  Letting each coat dry in between.  

Here is the finished mirror!  It fits perfect on that little wall!  It is so much fun to make things out of old finds!  Especially ones that you find in the trash!  :) 

 

 



Insanity!!!

 

I just checked the temperature and it is 9!  brrrrrrr. Think I need to wait a bit before I go out running!  This got me thinking about new years resolutions.  Do you have any? 

 

I have a few things that come to mind.

 

First off I have to explain I am just coming off Insanity.  Insanity is the hardest work out video I have ever tried.  It is a super intense  60 day, 6 times a week program.  It was good timing since it is cold outside, I could work out inside.  (I usually run)  TJ got amazing results with this video so I decided to try it.  The first two weeks I would collapse in a pool of sweat on the floor when I was done, NO LIE!  And my entire body hurt daily! 

 

 

The secret to these mind-blowing INSANITY workout results: MAX Interval Training.

Shaun T took traditional interval training and flipped it on its head—you perform long bursts of maximum-intensity exercises with short periods of rest. Each INSANITY workout keeps you constantly challenged as you alternate between aerobic and anaerobic intervals performed at your MAX. The result: burn up to 1,000 calories in an hour and get the most insane body in 60 days.

 

Sounds fun hey???? I definitely had a love hate relationship with Shaun T!

 

I worked my way up and by the end could do almost everything and had much more energy and strength.  My results however were not as amazing as TJ's!  I did lose some weight and I definitely got some upper body muscles I never knew I had!  I can do a mean push up now too!  :) 

 

I am glad I did this video, but it sure made me miss running! 

  So one of my goals is to mix in some Insanity with my running.  I think I will appreciate my running that much more!

 

So that is my first resolution.  Kind of boring, but it works for me!

 

 

Declutter!

 

 

 I have been working on this the past few months and need to continue.  We have soooooo much stuff.  I have made more trips to Goodwill than I can count.  That feels good!  I do not want all the excess, just what we need! 

 

This will also help in being more organized.  Another goal I have.  I am very organized in my real estate business, but it kind of stops there!  I want to organize everything!!!!  Maybe my kids will jump on this too!!!  You should see their rooms!  :)

 

 

Create!

 

My favorite thing to do is bring new life to an old piece.  I love this!   I can not keep it all if I plan to declutter though!  :)  So watch for some great things for sale soon!

 

 

Family.

 

This one is pretty easy.  Spend as much time with my family as possible.  Ok, not so easy with teenagers.  The years have gone by way to fast!  With an 18 year old applying to colleges and one who will be 16 in 26 days (who is counting???)  I have to say time goes flying by.  I just want to savor any little moment I can with these two.  TJ & I are very lucky because I think the kids like to be with us too at times.  That is a big bonus!  :) 

 

 This also goes to extended family that we do not see often enough!

 

God.

 

To continue to make God part of my everyday life.  To live my life according to His will.  To think before I speak and do, this is huge!

 

 

So not much for decorating today.  I was planning to post about a favorite project, but looking out at the cold made me think of not wanting to run outside, which made me think of my Insanity video, which made me think of New Years Resolutions!!  :)

 

OK, time to get out there and RUN!!!!

 

Do you have any New Years Resolutions??? I would love to hear them!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 



Some of my favorite project of 2012

 

Happy New Year!!! 

 

I hope everyone had a happy and safe new years!  TJ & I had a quiet and very relaxing one.  Our kids were out and about which made me worry of course, but aside from that it was wonderfully relaxing!  We made a good dinner, had a fire, played games, watched movies, perfect.  

 

 

I thought it would be fun to look back at some of my favorite projects from 2012 during the month of January. 

 

As I started to go through my past projects I realized a few things.....

 

1. I love doing projects! 

2.  I can not wait until flea market season is back!

3.  I have so many new ideas!

4.  I miss the warm weather!!  :) 

 

This first project is by far one of my most challenging and I have to say the least enjoyable.  The end results though made it so worth it!  I love that I was able to take something that was once a very special table to us, and make it special again! 

 

You can read about it here:

 

 http://www.blogger.com/blogger.g?blogID=5262909746498862430#editor/target=post;postID=168340909412726963

 

And here: 

 

 

 http://www.blogger.com/blogger.g?blogID=5262909746498862430#editor/target=post;postID=8947369287926576484

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 Everyday when I see this table I smile.  I am so glad I decided to re-finish it instead of sell it.  It is going to be with us a very long time!  :)

 

 

 



New counter stools!

I can not believe Christmas is over already.  It always goes way too quick!  I just love everything about the season!  I do like January as well though.   First off my beautiful daughter Bryce was born January 28th.  I also like the idea of a fresh new beginning.  I always try to organize, purge, and clean in January.  I also know that we are on our way to spring so that makes me happy too.  (although we have a few cold months to get through first!)

 

I have been all over the place with my projects lately.  I thought I would share my counter stool search . We have had black leather  stools at our counter since we moved in.  For years I never found a thing wrong with them, they worked and they were very comfy.  But of course I started to think they were too large and too dark and decided I wanted something else.  Like all of my other chairs I put them on craigslist to see how they would sell.  They sold very quickly and for a fair price. 

 

 

 

 Here are the black kitchen bar stools.  Nothing was wrong with them, I just wanted something lighter and not so bulky looking.  We also did not have much space between the table chairs and the bar stool backs so walking behind them was difficult.


I knew I was looking for a few things in our new stools.   I wanted a somewhat industrial looking stool.  I also wanted it much smaller than our previous ones. 

Here are a few styles I really like...... 

apartment therapy

Ok this is cool, but maybe a bit too cool for me! I love the barnwood looking island!



fixed point residence

I love these Delta style stools.  They would match my kitchen chairs perfectly!  

 

I love the splash of color in this white kitchen! 

 

house beautiful

 

  These light silver stools look great with the black! Cute kitchen!




matha stewart

I like these simple metal ones!

 

martha stewart

Love these too and LOVE this kitchen!!





Unlike my kitchen chair search my counter stool search was much easier.  I ruled out getting the matching Delta style stools because I did not want to match.  I also wanted backless.  This is what I found.........

 

 

 

 

I saw this stool at World Market while I was searching for my kitchen chairs.  This stool is prefect for these reasons:

 

1. It is industrial

2. I love the mix of wood and metal

3. This baby is sturdy! 

4. And the best part is it is adjustable. 

 

 I love this because if we need extra seating at our table it can be adjusted shorter to fit at the table.  Also if we move at some point and have a different height counter in our kitchen we can adjust the stools to fit!  I also bought this stool while World Market had its 25% off sale so I got a great deal!

 

 This is how this stool is described:

 

Our Twist Swivel Stool captures the cool, vintage vibe of an early 1900s draftsman stool. Its slender, sculptural silhouette features curved metal legs and a round wooden seat that twists up to bar height at 29.75" and down to counter height at 24.5". With such versatility it's a great option for both children and adults and can be used in a number of ways--try it at the coffee table for game night, or at an artist's easel.

 

 

Our previous black stools covered this space up.  The new stools leave it much more open, only down side to that is that wall is pretty beat up!!  It did not show with the other stools! 

 

 

These stools are proving to be perfect.  I like that they are backless.  It really makes that little walk way easier to get through.  They are comfortable and we have more room when we all sit at the counter to eat, which is often.  I also love the industrial look of these stools and that they are solid.  Some "new" made to look "old" industrial furniture looks nice but feels so cheap.  Even at the higher end furniture stores.  Like I said these stools are heavy and very sturdy, love that!  :)

 

 

~Wishing everyone a very Happy and Safe New Year!!! 

 

 

My favorite things about Christmas......

 

Happy Sunday and happy day before Christmas Eve!

 

I have a very loooooong list of things to do today.  I always wish I would have started all my Christmas things earlier, but for some reason I never do!  I must secretly enjoy the hustle and bustle at the end! 

 

I thought I would share some of my favorite things about the Christmas season.

 

 

1.  The birth of Christ.  My favorite part of Christmas is going to church and hearing the Christmas story & singing Silent Night!

 

 

 

 

2. Spending time with family and friends!  These three mean the world to me!!  I also love that we see family that we do not see often enough!!

 

 

 

 

3.  Watching Christmas movies in front of a fire. Here are a few of my favorites!

 

 

 

4. A Christmas snow

 

 

 

5.  Christmas Trees!  In the past we would make a day of it with the kids and cut our tree down.  Now that we have two very busy teenagers we are lucky if we get our tree up in time for Christmas!  We made it with a week to spare this year!  :)

 

 

 

 

6.  Shopping.  It is no secret that I love shopping.  But I really do love shopping for other people.  I also enjoy listening to Christmas music and wrapping presents!

 

 

 

 

7.  Christmas music.  If my daughter had her way we would listen to Christmas music all year long! 

 

 

 

8.  Egg Nog Chai from Starbucks!!! 

 

 

 

 

 

9.  Baking.  I have wonderful memories of my mom and my aunt baking all day.  The kitchen would be a mess and there were sooooo many different kinds of cookies by the end of the day.  My mom would store them in this little hall closet in Christmas tins and I would sneak cookies by the handfuls.  I had and still have a huge sweet tooth for Christmas cookies! 

 

 

 

10. Anticipation.

 

There is nothing like a child on Christmas.  My kids used to get sooooo excited for Christmas.  That will always be one of my favorite memories of Christmas.  Now my daughter is almost 16 and my son is 18.  Ok so my daughter is stilled sooooo excited about Christmas!  :)  I just can not believe how fast time has gone!  I get sad thinking that next year my son will be off to college.  But I am so proud of these two kids and look forward to what time will bring!

 

 

 

Wishing you all a Christmas filled with wonder of the birth of Christ, the warmth of the holiday spirit and the love of family and friends.....

This post is dedicated to Putch.