My "new" bench

I have this blank space in my family room

(I promise I will post after pics of this room someday soon...I keep hoping Mr. T will finish all the tv wiring so it looks totally complete...anyway).

It's an awkward space with only the piano against the back wall.

I have really wanted some sort of bench/storage area since this is where we enter the house 99% of the time (it's the first room you hit coming in from the garage.)

enter...my sister's old coffee table.

When she told me she got a new table, I told her to hang on to the old one for me because I really needed a bench. And don't worry...I gave her a fantastic green armless chair (that I LOVE but don't have a place for)...so it was a fair trade:)

I gave it a very quick sand and a coat of primer...then 2 coats of Espresso spray paint.

I have recovered a few things before...but have never done buttons on anything, so I did a quick search on the internet and found a great tutorial Here. Following those instructions, I was easily able to finish my bench.

I didn't realize making your own buttons was so easy.

No more blank space!

(ohhh...that little lamp shade is the next on the makeover list...)

.add 2 baskets for shoes and Mama is happy.

Thanks Vic for the great "table"...I'm loving my "new" bench!

I'm linking to these parties!

The CSI projects paint challenge

I'm reposting this dresser I did for Lil D a long while back. The CSI project is having a paint challenge, and I thought I would join in the fun. Head over and link up for favorite paint project, or take a look around and get inspired!

Mr. T has had this dresser for about 10+ years. When Lil D was ready to move out of the baby room and become a big boy...I decided to give him a new dresser.

(sorry, it's the only before pic I have of it)

after a good sanding and a coat of primer...I gave it 2 more good coats of semi-gloss white.

Then I painted the door fronts with apple green (craft paint...I don't remember what brand).

I found the wood cars at Joanns and painted them and hot glued them to the top drawer.

Then found a font I liked and printed it in the right size. Using carbon paper, I traced the words onto each drawer and then filled them in with 2 coats of a paint pen.

here it is:

I still just love it! and Lil D loves to read all the letters...even "pretends" he knows what they say:)

cost less then the gas to drive and pick it up...

When we started selling off all of the living room furniture...I told Mr. T that I would spend VERY little on the tables and such that would go back into the room. I REALLY wanted a little round table to go in between my 2 green slipper chairs.

Mr. T found this table for me....it was $5.

I sanded the crap out (off) of it...primed the wood and the metal (with metal primer) and gave the metal a nice coat of oil rubbed bronze...and the wood a couple coats of Martha Stewart's Aegean blue. I also had to replace all the bolts, washers and lug nuts as they were seriously rusted...they got a coat of ORB too.

My little $5 table is oh so perfect now.

I LOVE it...and it is the PERFECT height to go with the slipper chairs.

Great find Mr. T....now we just need you to find me a coffee table I can mess with.

I'm linkin to Frugalicious Friday.

Since my sister has no blog...

I'll show off her skills for her:)

My sister has had this table and chair set for a few years. She would love a new set...but like so many, can't just run right out and buy what she really wants. Her other issue was the lack of color in this area of her home (someday I will show you the rest...she has great taste and serious decorating skills) so I suggested she paint the table and chairs and then add fabric to the seats to bring in some more color...

from ho hum...

To...

Fabulous!

don't you love the fabric she picked?

she even added a good amount of cush for the tush!

don't you love it?

I do...if you leave a comment, I'll make sure she gets it:)

I'm still working on her to start a blog....I'll get there!

I'm linkin' to

DIY project parade

Metamorphosis Monday

DIY day

Power of Paint Party

Guest bedroom decor...complete...(post 3)

So here it is...the rest of the "stuff" for the guest room...

I bought this chair at DI last week for $10...

I sprayed it the same red as the lamp and recovered the chair with the same fabric as the curtain (no extra money spent...that's a good thing at this point).

Total cost: $10

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I decided that this room has A LOT of patterns going on, but I still wanted to add pillows to the bed, so I went with texture instead of pattern.

Meet my furry pillow...

and my ruffly pillow...

Ohhhh...how I LOVE them!

Total cost for the 2 pillows: $26

(tutorials to come)

add in my etsy pillow (for just a little color and pattern)

(I saw this pillow on PK's blog on her post about damask print...I went right over to etsy (designs by Nancy T) and bought it...I just HAD to have it...thanks PK for finding it for me:)

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The roman shade

...this thing seriously stressed me OUT...

I followed the tutorials from Frugal Home Ideas and Little Green Notebook

They are great tutorials...I just was freakin' out about it. It took me WAY longer then I would have liked BUT...my fabric is perfectly straight (I will ONLY use solid fabric in the future) and it goes up and down...hurray!

Like Frugal Home Ideas, I sprayed the top piece and hot glued it back on (yep, used hot glue...hey future guests, don't go touching the top piece).

(and please ignore the awesome rusted metal thing...it's a basement...that's all I can say)

Total cost: FREE

It's the original blinds for the window...the fabric is part of the curtain fabric and the spray paint is left over from a ton of other projects...

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...that's it...

...it's all done...

...I really can't believe it...

When I put the pillows and chair in the room today I thought, "ok...what's next on the list?"

But take a look at that list over there...IT'S ALL CROSSED OFF!

...we're good...

...it's good...

...it's done...

Well, at least I got MOST of my February Challenge done.

Now I can turn around and face the scary room behind me and hopefully soon we can officially call it a play room.

You can see the rest of the decor in post 1 HERE and post 2 HERE.

Once I get all the pics taken of the whole room, I'll post 'em!

I'm linkin' to

AND
Frugalicious Friday

Guest bedroom decor...complete...(post 1)

The decor and makeover for the guest bedroom went from fairly simple to a little more time intensive. I decided (for my sake) to put all the stuff in one place...bear with me...it's a LONG post.

Project 1:

Turn this old lamp...(my husband has had for YEARS)

red...

don't say it...I know...it totally looks like a fire hydrant...I'm over it:)

and cover the shade...

Hey future guests...would you like to read by this light?

Lamp: free

Red Paint: $3.00

Fabric: $4.00 (but I only used a small amount...remainder used for other projects)

Total cost: $7.00 (I'm leaving the fabric cost out of the other projects)

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Project 2:

embroidery hoop and picture collage

Paint hoops black

add 3 fabrics (does that first one look familiar?)

hang on wall on top of ribbon with 6 framed pictures

(I saw the embroidery hoops on ribbon idea here)

(featuring pics of me, Mr. T, Lil D and my fam on different vacations around the U.S.-

Hawaii, Disney World, San Diego, Seaside Oregon, NY, and San Francisco)

embroidery hoops: $1.50 (only had to buy 1, had 2 on hand)

black spray paint: had on hand

fabric: $1.50 (only had to buy the black/white, red I had and the black/cream was used for this and the lamp and another project)

black frames: previously hanging in the family room

pictures: printed at Costco (4 5x7s & 2 4x5s) $1.99

ribbon: $3.00

Total cost: $8

(please ignore vacuum and mess in other room...I'm not done yet:)

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Project 3:

Jewelry holder

I looked and looked and looked on craig's list and at thrift stores (okay for like a week) for a scrolly framed something to make this with...but I ended up going with ikea's...

bought some of this because it was mesh and seemed sturdy enough to hold my necklaces.

(used a 40% off coupon at Joanns...it was one of those days).

hot glued it to the back (after removing the glass, cardboard, etc)

didn't really want to see the wall through it...so I added the remainder of this fabric...

(I hope it isn't over kill?:)

added ALL my etsy necklaces...

(I used 16 gauge black wire to make s hooks)

wanna buy one so this thing isn't so full?:)

Ikea frame: $24.99

mesh material: $4 (only used 1/4 of it)

fabric: (3rd project it was used for)

black wire: $2.00

total cost: $31

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Project 4:

Wall Art

(I saw these at Frugal Home Ideas and HAD to make them...

kind of the kick off point for this room)

3 canvases (purchased almost a year ago at 50% off)

painted black...added some tape for a 2 inch border

add mat

some spray paint

deal with overspray (dang it)

touch up (A LOT) by hand

...and hang...

canvas: I'm callin' 'em free since I have had them so long

black paint: used the furniture paint

white paint: can of Heirloom white I had

mat: $5.99 from Ross

Total cost: $5.99

(if you must count the canvases...I think on sale they were $10 a piece)

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I am really happy with how it all turned out. I still have to sew the curtains for the craft closet and make a roman shade and makeover the chair and sew a few pillows for the bed

THEN, I think I will be done...hopefully I can get it all done this week.

I'm linkin' to:

Weekend Wrap Up Party at Tatortots and Jello

and

Metamorphosis Monday

and

Make it for Monday

and

DIY Show-off Project parade

and

DIY Day