Sunday, March 14, 2010

Kicking my Butt in Gear

I'm about to administer a swift kick to my own rear-end...figuratively, not literally.  There are a few projects that I've had floating around in my head for a while now since seeing them around blogland.  I'm going to list them here and then commit to checking them off the list.  Soon.  Very soon.  Of course, I'll take pics and blog about them as I get them done.

1.  A framed monogram like Jessica's @ This Blessed Life.
 (photo from www.thisblessedlife.net/2010/03/easy-framed-monogram-project.html)
 
Don't you love it?  I picked up a truly hideous gold plastic picture frame from the dollar store...I'm hoping I can transform it with some paint.  Anyone know if you can paint plastic frames?  I guess I'll find out...

2.  A burlap valance for the dining window like Vanessa's @ Vanilla Lavender
(photo from vanillalavender.blogspot.com/2009/06/no-sew-window-valance-featuring-burlap.html)

I bought a curtain rod on Friday and I've had the burlap and some accent ribbon for a while now...just have to fire up the sewing machine.

3.  A family name sign from an old cabinet door.
(photo from www.americanwoodcrafts.com/PersonalizedFamilyEstablishedSignMonogram-idv-481-4.html)

I've seen a few versions at various blog linky parties.  There's one in particular that I quite liked, but I didn't bookmark it and I can't seem to find it again.  Sigh...when will I learn?

Wish me luck!

Monday, March 1, 2010

Sponge-Painting Begone!

We all wish we had more storage in the bathroom, don't we?  Our bathroom needs some major updating, but for the short-term, a little extra storage space would be lovely!  

(I took this pic at midnight...bad lighting...sorry.)

Quite a while ago, my mother-in-law did a complete makeover on one of her spare bedrooms.  She changed it from an adult-type guest room into a kid-friendly sleepover room for grandchildren.  Primary colours and bunk beds are now the name of the game.

In the transition, we fell heir to an old nightstand.  It's not very big and that's ideal because it fits perfectly in our bathroom.  It has a drawer -- another added bonus since we only have one drawer in our bathroom vanity.  It's just made of particle board, but...uuummm...it was FREE, so who cares?  Then there's the paint job -- white and periwinkle blue -- some solid white, some solid blue, and some white with blue sponged on top.  If you're thinking that my mother-in-law must be stuck in a time warp, I assure you this is not her current style.  I'm sure it was all the rage in it's heyday (early 90's?), but I felt it needed a little facelift and my mother-in-law gave her blessing.

Here's the "before" in all her sponge-painted glory:
 

What I did:
  1. Cut a bigger opening at the base of the apron so that the bathroom scale would slide underneath.  Okay, okay, my dad did that part.  It was my idea, though, AND I drew the line for him to cut along.  That counts for something, right?
  2. Removed the drawer pull and filled the screw holes with spackle.
  3. Sanded and painted the whole thing -- Pittsburgh's "delicate white" in semi-gloss.  
  4. Drilled holes for the new drawer pull and attached it.  I love the patina on the cup pull.  I got it at Re-Store (Habitat for Humanity's thrift shop) for 50 cents!!!
  5. Added a cute little lined basket and took pics!
What I didn't do (yet):
  1. Sand the edges for a distressed look.  I'm undecided.
  2. Apply glaze for an aged look.  I'm undecided.
  3. Paint a third and final coat.  I will do this later today, but I was anxious to take pics and blog about it so I skipped ahead.  Do you do that, too?
The "after" shots:
 
(Another midnight photo...bad lighting...sorry.)



(Yet another midnight photo...this one with flash...hence the blinding white.)

I either mis-calculated or mis-measured because the cup pull is not positioned where I wanted it.  It'll stay for now.  I'll add it to my to-do list...

Linky linky!  Check out all the awesomeness at these parties:
Remodelaholic ~ RA Meeting
Thrifty Decor Chick ~ Before and After Party
Between Naps on the Porch ~ Metamorphosis Monday 
Cottage Instincts ~ Make it for Monday 
Making the World Cuter ~ Mondays 
The DIY Show Off ~ Project Parade 
The Girl Creative ~ Just Something I Whipped Up 
The Persimmon Porch ~ Made it Mondays 
A Soft Place to Land ~ DIY Day 
Today's Creative Blog ~ Get Your Craft On 
Domestically Speaking ~ Power of Paint Party