Coffee & End Table Redo

A few months ago I finally got around to giving our coffee table and matching end table a face lift.  So I've been meaning to share it with you and finally got around to snapping some photos today!

We bought these when we got married, over 14 years ago, and while I still loved their clean lines, they just really didn't go with our room anymore.  Especially since hubby now finally appreciates painted furniture!

He's always been all about the wood!  Wood tones everywhere!  You will see what I mean in a second!!

The tables are very well made, so I didn't want to just get rid of them.  They are solid wood and made by Broyhill.  I knew that some creamy white paint would totally change their look and feel!

See what I mean about lots of wood?  I am not a fan of the wood walls in the least (that is hubby's taste), but I guess a girl's gotta pick her battles, right?!

I keep telling him that our next home will have beadboard.  Lots of white beadboard!!

Notice Katie on the couch?  As soon as I was about to have my little "photo shoot", she decided she wanted to get in on the fun, and promptly hopped on the couch!

Of course I forgot to take before shots of the tables, but you can get a peek at what they used to look like in the photo below.

I used a nice creamy white by Behr, the same color we used on our dining table and chairs.

I'm so happy with how they turned out!

What a pretty puppy!

I used several coats of paint, let cure for a few days, then distressed just a bit around the edges.

Then I used a clear satin sealer for protection.  And since I loved the oil rubbed bronze drawer handles, I left them as is.  I think they make such a nice contrast to the creamy white.

I'm amazed at how a few coats of paint totally transformed their look and feel!

Of course, one thing leads to another, so I had to paint the basket that I keep magazines in, too!

I just gave it a quick coat of creamy white spray paint, to give it more of a whitewashed feel.

So now I want to repaint our other end table!

This is it, on the other side of the couch.  It belonged to my mom, and she gave it to me years ago.

I eventually want to replace the wicker rocker (which will go back to its original home in our bedroom).

I do love it, but it is oh so uncomfortable to sit in! I adore chairs with lots of tufted buttons on the back, so that will be the look I go for.

Here's a better look, without the tablecloth.  Since the top is very shiny, I'll use a deglosser first, and paint it the same creamy color.

I can hardly wait to start! 

Here is one last look.

Thanks so much for stopping by, hope you have a great day!

Less of Me!

Ever since I was a little girl, I've struggled with my weight.  I've never been one that you have to remind to eat!  Believe it or not, I went on my first diet when I was just 9 years old.  I know, sad but true.

I did manage to lose weight many times over the years, only to gain it back, and then some.  

And for the past several years, I really had been putting on the weight

(all of that stress eating!!), but never mustered up enough motivation to do anything about it.

I was miserable.  Not just with the way that I looked, but the way that I felt.

My knees started aching.  And I would get winded easily.  That made me mad!  I was way too young to feel that way!

Plus, my blood pressure and cholesterol were high.  I refused to go on medication for that.

Something needed to change, but I was in denial.  Sure, I knew I was overweight, but I never weighed myself, and stopped looking in the mirror.

The last straw came this past summer, after seeing pictures of myself, and then seeing photos of myself from 10 years ago.  I was shocked.  Not to mention very depressed.  That was a low moment to say the least.

I guess that is just what I needed to get me started.

So, since late last August, I have managed to lose over 29 pounds!

I snapped the below pic of myself today.

While I am by no means slim, I feel great!

I have so much more energy, and the best part is I never once felt deprived!

No, I'm afraid that there is no "magic pill" to lose weight!

I personally don't believe in diets.  In fact, I called it my "weight loss plan".

Just the word "diet" sounds painful to me!  And it implies something you go on, and then off.  Not something that you can maintain for the rest of your life.  Or that teaches you good habits that last a lifetime.

 The below pics are from our trip to Italy last June.  I am totally embarrassed to show them, but I wanted to keep it real!  I was so appalled when I saw them, I didn't show anyone, other than hubby, and I certainly didn't print them out and add to our photo album!

 I may have been smiling for the camera, but inside I was anything but happy.  I was just so mad at myself.  Here we were, on the Amalfi Coast, one of the most beautiful places we've been to in the world, and I was so ashamed of the way I looked and felt.

 I never want to fall back on my old bad habits.  This is the first time in years that I've managed to lose more than a pound or two,

So, I started watching my portions, and had to totally cut out my "trigger food" of potato chips!  I don't even want them in the house, I never could just have a few!  And I also cut way, way back on cheese, another weakness of mine.  No more non stop mindless snacking in front of the tv at night.  And no more nightly glasses of wine.  Wine now is just an occasional treat!  Boy, do I miss that!

 I also dusted off my treadmill and walk on it just about every day.  And I went from "wimpy" short little walks with our cocker spaniel Katie (where I got easily winded!), to long walks with her each day.

 I still would love to lose a few more pounds, but for now I am just so much happier with the way I feel!

I am amazed how much more energy I have, and I don't get winded!

And my outlook on life has vastly improved!

Thankfully I always loved healthy foods, so I am still eating plenty of fresh fruits and veggies, along with other good for you foods.  And I do allow myself little treats here and there.

I still am worried about the maintenance part.  I know this is something I will have to work at for the rest of my life.  I've never been one of those lucky people that is just naturally thin!

So, if I can do it, anyone can do it!!

Thanks so much for stopping by, have a great weekend!

Paper Heart Garland

One of the benefits of all the frigid temps and snow that we've been having is being able to stay indoors and create!  I've been getting so many fun and inspiring ideas from Pinterest lately. Wow, it's way too easy for me to spend far too much time there looking at all of the amazing ideas!

So today I thought I'd share with you my paper heart garland that I made the other day, inspired by those spotted on Pinterest.

I know, I know, we are not even half way into January, and here I am thinking of Valentine's Day already!

 I had so much fun with this project, and in the process learned what I would and wouldn't do the next time!

I used a large heart punch to cut out all of the shapes, from both scrap booking paper as well as vintage sheet music.

The fun part is that the garland is stitched on the sewing machine!  Yep, that's right, you can indeed sew paper!

 Each heart is three different layers, folded to give dimension and interest.

 I was having a total brain freeze when I made it, though!  I knew that I wanted to drape or swag it over something. What I hadn't thought of was that I should have had the hearts on one half of the garland facing the other direction!  Instead, I goofed and sewed them all going the same way. That would have been fine had I just hung the strand up vertically.  But to drape them, one side of the hearts would be upside down.  Phooey!

 So, I fudged a bit and cut one end off, and taped it going the right way on the side of my hutch.

(ooops!)

I also would punch my hearts from double sided paper next time.  I thought about that, but really wanted to use the paper that I did, as the colors and patterns were just what I had in mind.

All in all I am happy with how it turned out, though!  You could use different shapes or sizes of punches of course.  I think the garlands could be used in so many different ways.  At birthday parties, bridal or baby showers, or just fun accents for your home!

 Oh, while we are here looking at my hutch, I wanted to show you this adorable bird silhouette, below.

 It was given to me for Christmas by a friend who knows my tastes so well, and I just love it!

The silhouette is mounted on a vintage French book page. So me, and so tres chic!

I just so happened to have the perfect frame for it in my stash, this beautiful vintage metal filigree frame that I'd already painted cream.  Love the contrast with the black.

And here's one final look at my hutch with the heart garland.  I can't wait to make more, and this time I'll be sure to remember what not to do!!

Thanks so much for stopping by, have a great week!

Snow Days

With temps in the single digits here (don't even ask about the wind chill factor!), staying warm and snug indoors is tops on my list!

I snapped these pics as we were getting blasted with snow today, all from the comforts of our nice warm sunroom.

We love feeding the birds.  Not only do we have multiple feeders, but even a heated birdbath!

So I imagine our backyard is the most popular in the neighborhood!

 We've been fortunate to have 5 pairs of cardinals visit each day.  They are just gorgeous, especially against the white snow.
The pine tree that you see is actually our Christmas tree.  Hubby puts it out each year to provide much appreciated shelter for the birds.

 Look closely at the above shot.  There is a little red squirrel sitting beneath the gazebo feeder, feasting on the fallen seeds.  He seems totally oblivious to the snow!

A pretty female cardinal and  purple finch are waiting and watching for an open spot at the feeders.

 Isn't he the cutest?

 The birds really love having fresh water.  Just look at those icicles!

 This little guy was out for the longest time.  He was so cute all dusted in snow!

Cardinals are one of our very favorites.

 I was so excited to capture a shot of a male cardinal in flight (below).

Notice him in the center upper portion of the photo.

 And another cardinal in flight, below!

 And where does Katie hang out during snow day?

Why, perched on a window ledge in the sunroom, of course!

 Not only does she enjoy watching all of the wildlife in the backyard, but she loves soaking up all of the heat from the registers directly below the windowsills!

Keep warm and cozy!

Tray Chic!

Hi everyone, hope your year has gotten off to a good start so far!

I just love trays.  Whenever I'm out thrifting, I always keep my eye out for interesting and sturdy pieces that I can transform.  It's amazing what a little paint and tlc can do!

Whenever I come across well built pieces, even though they might not look too terribly attractive, you can be that I quickly scoop them up!

Do today I thought I'd share with you two trays that I just finished and added to my shop.

 While I don't always know just how I will transform each piece, with a little thought inspiration usually quickly comes!

I had so much fun with this little wood tray!

It wasn't ugly or anything when I found it, just plain wood.  I could almost hear it begging to be painted my favorite creamy dreamy shade of white!

I thought it would be fun to add this fork, knife and spoon graphic, that I found over at the Graphics Fairy.

 I cut them out by hand, then decoupaged on after painted and distressing the tray a bit.

I never need to be told to eat (hahahaha!), but thought the "bon appetit",

which I stenciled on by hand, would be the perfect addition.

 I was super excited to find this large and heavy wood tray, below, in the same thrifting expedition.

Again, it wasn't hideously ugly or anything (like many of the trays I find start out as!).

It was just plain ol' brown wood.

So I painted it the same shade as the tray above, then added one of my favorite Frenchy stencils, this pretty French patisserie sign.

 I just love all of the swirls and fleurishes.  I hand stenciled it in a dark midnight blue, which I thought was much less harsh than black.

 Tres chic!

 I've transformed many trays over the years, and thought I'd share with you some that I sold several years ago in my shop.

You know how much I love aqua.  I thought it was the perfect choice for this tray that had great curvy lines and pretty metal handles.

I decoupaged it with a French label, also from the Graphics Fairy.

 Sometimes I actually remember to take "before" shots!  Usually, I am so excited to get started with makeovers that I remember when it's too late!

 I added white little polka dots as fun accents, and glazed it to give an aged appearance.

 This little metal and wood tray is a real cutie, I think!

(check out the before, below.  Not so cute!!)

I painted it a bright and cheery aqua, then decoupaged copies of gorgeous floral vintage wallpaper, also from the Graphics Fairy,

 I nearly forgot I made the tray below til I was looking thru my photos.

I really love using vintage French book pages in my creations.  I decoupaged torn pages, along with these gorgeous vintage French rose prints (which were quite alot of work to cut out by hand!).

 This tray below was a favorite of mine, too.

(darn, I should have kept that one for myself!!).

It is solid wood and quite large, with great curved.

I found this darling bird image, again at the Graphics Fairy

(gee, I would be lost without Karen over at GF!), and decoupaged to the tray that I painted cream.

 Such sweet little birdies!

 Ok, last of all, a beachy themed tray.

I painted it my favorite aqua shade.

I don't have a close up of this one, but I decoupaged copies of vintage sheet music,

called "By the crystal sea", as well as this gorgeous mermaid.  Both found at the Graphics Fairy.

So that is it for now.

Thanks so much for stopping by!

Wishing you a creative and fun day!

New Year, Fresh Start

Hello and Happy New Year!

I don't know about you, but I'm rarely one to make resolutions. What few times I have, they have lasted all but a day or a week or two. And then I feel as if I've failed miserable.  What about you?

Do you make New Year's resolutions?

Somehow a new calender year always seems to bring a fresh new start, with brand new possiblities.

That's what I think of when I look at these chalkboards.

(all are pics we snapped on trips to Paris)

Wipe the slate clean, and viola, a new beginning!

 This year I have decided it's high time I become more assertive.

While I have gotten better over the years, this is not something that comes naturally to me!

Growing up, my parents taught us to never, ever "make waves".

If someone hurts or offends you, turn the other cheek.  Don't speak up.

And never voice your opinion if it differs from someone else.

All of that has cost me dearly. 

 Weather it be situations with friends or loved ones, standing up for myself has been quite the challenge.

Ok, lightening things up a bit, I do have a funny little story to tell you about my parents.

They didn't go out to eat very often, and one day they treated themselves to lunch out. 

They really were looking forward to a nice meal.  Imagine their surprise when at the restaurant, their waitress brought them both over orders of pancakes. 

Problem was, they didn't order pancakes!

Guess what?  They didn't say a word to the waitress.

Didn't say "this isn't what we ordered".

They just ate the pancakes that they didn't want!

Because heaven forbid they speak up and complain!

But they sure complained to everyone who would listen when they got home!

 Don't get me wrong, I have no problem speaking up in restaurants and stores.

If I am overcharged for something, I speak up!

And if my food arrives cold at a restaurant, I send it back.

And no worries, I never eat pancakes that I didn't order!

A few years ago, we stopped at a fish market in a small town in Northern Michigan.

We always stopped there when passing thru for their smoked fish.

Well, it's a very small market and was very crowded this particular time.  There was a large group of foreigners in line ahead of us, and they placed their order in very broken English.

The market owner didn't even attempt to try and understand them, and loudly became very rude and condescending to them. All because he couldn't understand them!

I was shocked that someone could be so mean hearted.

The ironic thing was the owner had a bunch of pictures of Jesus and bible verses on the wall.

Clearly he wasn't showing God's love that day!

No one said anything, and even though I felt so bad for the people, I didn't speak up and call the owner out.

Why didn't we say anything?  Why didn't we just walk out and not purchase anything?

To this day when I think about the situation, I am mad at myself for not saying anything.

I want to vow to myself to not be afraid to take a stand.

Reach out when someone is being mistreated.

And stand up for myself while I am at it.

Many years ago, a relative who is the same age as me stole things from me on a regular basis for many years.

As a young teenager, I told my parents that I wanted to blow the whistle on her once and for all,

and tell her parents.

Well, my parents didn't take a stand for me.  They said they didn't want me to "stir up trouble".

I remember being so incensed by it all. After all, I was not the one causing the problem!

So nothing was ever said.

So starting today, I want to truly turn over a new leaf, along with that page on the brand new calender.

I know that it won't be easy.  Old habits die hard!

Whew!!  I didn't mean to turn this into a little mini therapy session!

But don't we all owe it to ourselves to take a stand?

Not just for ourselves, but for others who may need support?

Wishing you all a very Happy New Year!