Monday, June 27, 2011

Some things are never done

This hutch....

Ugh!




... became this hutch....


... and now looks like this...



But I am still not happy with those upper doors.  I love the cane radiator metal, just not here.
So, here's another option:


This hutch serves as a coffee/toaster station outside of the small kitchen area.  It is a Godsend!


That is just a swatch of fabric, obviously the roosters would cover the entire panel in each door.
The Rooster fabric coordinates with the fabric I used to make my kitchen valances.

and yes those are Xmas decorations hanging on the chandelier.. 

And I used the same fabric on the chairs I painted and reupholstered:







Is the pattern too large, making it too 'stripey'?  
Maybe if I made sure not to match up the Roosters on each door, so that the stripes are not also horizontal, as well as vertical?

Ok now I am leaning towards some art on each panel, something like these Roosters on this page:

I know I have some of those Wallies around here somewhere... I guess the next project is to organize my craft stuff so I can find what I want to use?  Shocking!



Sunday, June 26, 2011

That's better


My Kitchen Hutch

See the hutch doors?  The one on the left is the cane radiator cover, in it's natural state.  
The other three are the same cane radiator cover, spray painted black.  
I really don't love either of these options and I'm glad I did not glue them in place!  I'm going to try some of the Rooster fabric I have and see how that looks.




Yesterday I stripped the top and I think it looks much better!



This was it with the counter painted to match the body:

And now:


Friday, June 24, 2011

Wha'chou doin'?

Heh heh!

I redid this hutch in the winter/fall:

It has doors up top, that I took out the Godawful gold glass and replaced with cane style radiator metal, though I think that was not the best choice and will try to find another option for the door inserts.

I think I had these glass inserts removed within seconds of taking it off the truck!  Blech!


She was dark, dark, dark- a reddish black stain that I had everywhere while I sanded her.



The counter did come out baby bottom smooth, so I think taking it down to a natural wood look, and keeping that smoothness will add alot to her charm, not to mention lighten her up a bit.  Right now she is  dark, dark, dark.




The 'Replacement' replaced [barely] the Blue/Red hutch I sold that I never should have:





So since I most recently redid and sold items for the rescue, this next week will be doing something for me... maybe.  I'm going to take the 'Replacement' and strip down the counter to wood in the hopes I will love it.  If that does not make me love it, I'll sell 'er and keep searching for another one like my first.



Tuesday, June 21, 2011

I can't get no....

... Satisfaction.

My stepdad is/was a huge Stones fan, and I listened to the Some Girls album and a few others often as a kid growing up in his house.  Why the DJ at my wedding refused to play- I forget what song I wanted-   for our Father/Daughter dance I will never understand [but then there is a LONG list of things from that day that still baffle, so there ya' go].

Anyway, my hutch.  I sold this one, and regretted it the next day:


I bought this one for $50 and redid it, but it's not big enough, in hutches size does matter,  and I want drawers down the middle- hard to find.


It has doors in the top that I took those God-awful gold glass swirl windows out of and replaced with Caned look painted radiator metal.


But I just do not like it.  So now I am thinking of stripping/sanding the top down to raw pine like I do my tables, and replacing the metal caning with chicken wire and fabric... and then selling the whole thing.  Of Course.
Then I'll be back on the hunt for a hutch for me.

So that's what I'm doing.  Again.  what are you up to?








Friday, June 17, 2011

Check out this kitchen

ooh la la!  I love it so much I had to share with all 29 of you!
I am not painting my kitchen, I am not painting my kitchen, I am not painting my kitchen!!!

Ok kinda' kidding on that 29 comment, I was thinking of doing a 'I wanna be THIRTY' contest of some sort... silly really.  But we are so close and we've been hovering right on the cusp for soooo long!!!

Thursday, June 16, 2011

Fathers Day Gift- DONE!


I've been taking pictures of my boy and his Dad at their Little League games for 2 years now.  
Finally, a project to use them in!





I picked up this window at Habitat for Humanity ReStore.  
I knew the minute I saw it that I had to have it!





And thanks to a Retirement Dinner tonight, I had a chance to throw it together while D was out of the house!

Big wheel keep on turning...

Seriously I feel like I have just spun my wheels this week.  The problem is really that I have so much to do and when that is the case I really and truly only want to put it all off... procrastination should be my middle name!  I did little bits of each job.. so now I have various projects at various stages of complete/incomplete [you decide which].  OY!

I got some of the bonus space cleared up, and a whole big bag of donations gathered, 2 bags of garbage thrown out, and a few more garage sale items found.  Did some serious cleaning to get ready for moms visit, though some of it keeps getting undone- such is life with 3 dogs, 3 cats, a kid and a husband.

I also almost have the garage sale items, table and China Cabinet, I was working on done.

This is the story of my life... I get things 85-95% done and then RrrrrrrP!  I grind to a halt.
What is wrong with me and completing things?

My goal today is to complete 3 things.  You all will be my task masters- I will post pics of those items this evening [or maybe tomorrow morning, since D has a Retirement Dinner tonight so I am 'babysitting']

So there's your assignment: Crack That Whip!   Any 80's music fans?

Aaaannnnnnndddddd



DONE!
Small solid wood table donated to the rescue for me to redo
$30



The Rescue Table

Before:

Almost done:
above is how the entire top will look when I get the leaves done





I need to finish the leaves- I have 1/2 of one leaf to sand:

On the left is a leaf with the original finish, 
on the right is after sanding, and sanding and sanding

On the far left, behind them is the sanded leaf,  the near left is the leaf untouched/original finish,
and on the right the sanded top of the table with the Howards Preserve and Protect, 
Beeswax and Orange Oil stuff.  Love it!



This is my Laundry room:
This is the back door leaving our laundry room.  The girls sleep on their bed in front of that door.  
In summer the sun just beats in there and it can get quite warm.  So I made them a 'Faux Roman' shade:




It's just on tension rods, but it will do the trick!



Here's the Rescues Corner China Cabinet

these are the rooster knobs I ordered- super cute!



Another 'Almost done'... 
I'm thinking the handles/hinges need another coat of paint and the inside top as well...






Here's what she looked like when she got here, in case you forgot:

I also went through the boxes of stuff my neighbor donated and priced it all, dusted it off [sanding got them 'dusty'] and repacked it all up to take over Saturday morning.

I also touched up some other projects:


I got this picnic baskey at a garage sale [$1] and am spiffing it up to resell or for a gift.  I want to make a liner for it, it will be velcro'd to the sides so it can be removed and washed.  I also used the Howards Preserve and Protect on it, as it was very dried and rough looking.  It worked a charm!
I had to paint the top as it was particle board and stained.  I have never done decoupage, but I think I might try it with this, to add something to the top... but what?

For Summer break, so that my son does not lose his handwriting and reading skills, as well as follow directions 'ability' [or lack thereof!] I've decided one day a week will be his night to cook.  
Tonight was our first night, though school is not out until next week.   He made us tortellini w/sauce, and cupcakes.  
During summer break I'll have him plan what he wants to make, write a list of what he needs after reading a recipe, take him shopping to buy the items, and then make it.  Should be fun!  I want my boy to know how to cook.

Tomorrow?  More sanding to get the table leaf done, last minute touch ups, and loading up to take it all over to the garage sale!

UPDATE: all 3 larger pieces that I took to the garage sale, the China Cabinet, the Dining Table and the Small Table  sold for full price.  These pieces, donated to the rescue and redone by me, raised almost $300.  Toss in the table/chair set I redid for the sale the month before that sold for $100, and I have raised $400 for the rescue!!!  I could never, ever, ever donate that kind of money out of pocket, so this means the world to me!!!