major score

While visiting my parents in the big city last weekend, Mom and I happened on a half price sale at Goodwill.  As we walked back to the furniture area two workers were carrying these fabulous oak chairs out to display.  I took one look and asked them to deliver them to the front door with sold on them.  Total cost $12.  They will look great with my new farm house table I'm planning.  At the same store was this heavy 10 drawer dresser for $25. It may just stay as a dresser with new paint or it would make a wonderful buffet.  I had to call AH to come and get this one, Mom's car was already full.  I also picked up a three tier plant stand for $5.  I'm always ready to do the happy dance when I find such great values.

new seat cover and maybe paint and these will fit into my new kitchen

quick paint job and this will be off to the resale shop

AH got this on the dolly and moved into the sun room before I could get a good picture..  Still can figure out how to rotate photos in this program

table redo

I picked up this dated lamp table at a thrift store for $4.  My first though was to cut off the top and make it an end table but decided against it.  Primer, two  coast of grey paint and a cute dragon fly decoupaged to the top made it look so much better.  I even panted the lamp shade to tie in with the color.

table how to

I picked up this table at a church rummage give away.  Several of the churches in the area will collect items you no longer want and set them up as a service to the community.  Of course most of the things are clothes since it's back to school time.  This large coffee table was one of only three pieces of furniture being offered, I also picked up a small end table.  I took my goodies home cleaned them up and added a coat of Kilz primer.  This stuff will block out just about anything so you can paint over it.  Two coats of gloss black spray paint, finished the bottom.  For the top I used a base coat of white then scumble painted with off white, grey, and cream.  This technique has no right or wrong way to do it and looks great when finished.  First I pour 2-3T of each of the colors on a foam plate.  Starting with the darkest color and using a very beat up chip brush I pounced the color randomly over the table.  Working quickly so the paint was still wet I did the next two colors.  You want the colors to blend together and overlap, and for some of the background to show through.  If you think the color is too strong or light you just put more color over it.  Keep adding paint until it looks right to you.  DO NOT OVER THINK THIS!!!!! This table is 3X4 feet and took less than 20 minutes. Don't try to make a pattern or have exactly the same paints every where.  Let the paint dry for at least 24 hours then spray with clear acrylic spray at least 3 coats for a table top that will get wet occasionally. This beauty is already at the resale store.
NOTE:  don't use a fancy expensive brush for this technique you will ruin it.  A 2" chip brush is under a dollar  and the more used and abused it is the better it works.

perfectly fine but kind of boring before

updated after

close up of top paint

epic fail

I recently raided my sons basement for furniture to flip.  We had a little rain the morning we were coming home and the furniture got wet.  Unfortunately this little desk I thought would just need a quick coat of paint was made mostly of MDF.  That stuff doesn't like rain one tiny bit.  It looked ok when I got it home except the top was bubbled. I'm glad I didn't pay any money for it.  When I started trying to pull off the top to replace it the whole thing just fell apart in my hands.  All that's left are the legs which are wood and the drawer that didn't get wet.  Time for plan B.  This pile will never be a desk again but I will keep the legs and drawer.  Lessons learned: never listen to your husband when he says it's not going to rain and always carry cheap tarps or plastic with you on junking missions.

cute chair redo

I bought this chair at a rummage sale for $3.00.  The wood was scratched, the cushions outdated and it really smelled.  I threw out the cushions, put the chair in the shower for a good scrubbing with soap and bleach because of all the mildew covering it, thus the smell.  Afterwards I gave it 3 coats of ivory spray paint and a new cushion seat.  The hardest part was getting the ruffle off the frame, the staples were so rusty they kept breaking.  Now it looks fresh and new and is very comfortable.

stinky before

bicentennial fabric cushions

ready for paint, I did remove the strapping before painting 

in the living room.  I threw a quilt on the back for a little softness but will probably make a back cushion for it.  Soon it will be off the the consignment store.  I think it looks pretty good for a $3 investment.  I had everything else left from other projects.

teeny tiny redo

Some times you can make a room look brand new with just some simple changes.  This tiny, 3'X5' half bath needed new paint and some sprucing up.  I pulled everything out, purged and cleaned.  For $50 for labor and some left over paint the walls look much better. This room is so tiny it is harder to paint than the kitchen was. Two new hooks, $store trash can and a tp holder brightened up the room.  A can of spray paint  made a couple of old dated wood pieces look much better.  For less than $75 and some serious purging it looks like a new room.

I think this is the worlds smallest bathroom sink and may have been made for a camper

purge, clean, organize, repeat I will put tags with what's in them on the boxes 

new paint makes these 90's pieces look new again

new projects

I always seem to have a few projects going on.  I have been working on painting and antiquing a few tables to take the the consignment shop.  A couple  coats of paint, a new top for one a stencil for the other and  some antiquing wax and the are finished.

I got this table free from a friend but it came without a top.  3/4" plywood scumble painted and waxed did the trick

 I'll do a tutorial on the paint technique some other time but if someone buys the table and wants a marble top this one could easily be replaced.

The carving on each side really pops with some antiquing

Llittle side table with Martha Stewart bee and wreath stencil.  Very light antiquing.

top secret project

I've been working on a not so secret project this last few weeks.  Can you guess what I'm doing?  It involves two van loads of things taken to the Restore.  Plenty of trash has been removed and there has been a whole lot of furniture moving going on.  In these picture it just looks like a big pile of junk but stay tuned and see what it is all about.

new work

Even as the kitchen remodel and the spring gardening go on I am still trying to get furniture pieces ready to sell at Home Again.  A friend, thanks Larry, has been purging and I have been the lucky recipient.

Clock face I may convert to a real working clock.  I made it personal by adding my maiden name, city  and year of birth.

This was once a dark stained very country style clock I have turned into a cabinet with shelves

Once mud brown and tarnished brass. The top was badly damaged so I added a piece of painted cork.  

The top and one of the legs were broken when i got this. Look at it now,white paint, a brown bag top and black tipped feet and it looks classy 

This coffee table is huge 3'X6' and heavy.  White paint and a faux sandstone top and it would fit into almost any living spac.  I love the legs and it's on casters.

Cute stenciled table, the top is cream not yellow.  This would be a perfect bed side or lamp  table 

kitchen update

This project is sooooo close to being done. AH got the can cabinet done with the exception of the front piece finished.  The weather is just not cooperating with doing staining or painting out doors so that piece will go on today.  The shelves in the corner are finished and look great.  I hope to put all my blue glass jars filled with things like dog treats, little utensils and all those small things that run around loose in your cabinets on the shelves.  The tiny lower corner needs its door, this is where I will store cookie sheets and cutting boards.  The light needs to be changed over the table and the table and chairs need to be painted.  We are going to use the sprayer so that has to be done when it is not too hot, not too cold, not windy and not going to rain. Who knows when that will happen in Illinois. The trim painting has started and the last thing to be done will be refinishing the floor while I am gone in late June.  I guess all most seven months for a complete kitchen remodel is not too bad for just working on week ends.  A friend told me it was like pregnancy, you forget the bad things when the new baby or in this case kitchen is here.

funky corner shelves, where the crooked walls and cabinets meet

Dish towel with just the right colors found at Walmart.  It sits right next to the sink for easy hand drying.  The hanger is an antique bottle corker.  I just cleaned it up and sprayed it with clear sealer.

Can cabinet, I should be able to store about 75 cans in this tiny space

This cabinet will have a black front and handle to match the rest of the cabinets

Funny corner the bottom.  We could not find the exact size cabinets so they could meet.  We could have just added a spacer piece but would have lost some handy storage.

giving back

A while back bags of soap base came into the Restore.  Rather that try to sell it for $1 a bag I took it, with permission, and had a class I was subbing in make it into new bars of soap that we can sell at the store.  Instead of $5 for the donation we can make around $100 selling the soap.  Mrs Stewarts Culinary Occupations class has all senior boys that love to eat.  They did a great job of making the soap and as a reward they got to make and eat chocolate dipped Oreos.  Absolutely no nutritional value but very delicious.

tables

I've aquired several tables that I've been working on lately.  While many are still in the base coat stage some are almost ready for delivery to Home Again where I sell my work.  Little tables always sell well for me so I like to keep plenty in the works.

I think I will add a small stencil in the center.  It's hard to tell but the base of this is white and the top is cream with metallic gold stenciling.  All it needs is a coat of dark wax.

The top of this is leather that was stained and ugly, I decoupaged the top with pieces of brown paper bags and glue.  One more coat of sealer and it is good to go.

The bottom of this is a charming group of  cherubs.  The top is cheap looking marbled MDF and looks really nasty.  I will paint a wood round to look like marble to replace what is ugly and chipped.

Yep that tag says $8 and I got 20% off so it is worth a try to make this look new and beautiful.

weekend fun

Now that the weather is getting nicer it's time for some outdoor fun.  A small town close to home has the Red Barn Market every April.  There are dealers inside the barn and out ready to sell the latest crafts and antiques.  It's always a nice mix and a fun morning to hang out with friends.  My friend Kathy bought a great glider and I picked up some small garden baskets and planters.  I never spend much money here but I always find a bargain or two or in this case five.

The building is an actual barn and the stalls are used for each booth.

Where there are shoppers there must be food.  

Instant center piece

Brightening up a dull spot and bringing in a touch of spring is not difficult, time consuming  or expensive.  Just two silk flowering stems in a re-purposed wine bottle do the trick.  Just be sure to bend most of your branches so they look more natural.  You would need to look very close to see these were not the real thing.  This week I'll cut some red bud, forsythia and peach branches and bring them in to force.

cute table

I found this little table at the Habitat Restore for $8.00.  It was in great shape and I grabbed it up, nothing lasts very long there.  I think I will put in a bottom to make a hidden storage area and paint it white or cream.  It will make a cute side table.

signs

I have had a little time to work on some new signs.  The dream sign could be used in the garden or in a bed room..  The garden sign will have hooks and would be great for holding garden gloves and small tools.