Now You See It...

OR MY VENTURE INTO PHOTO EDITING

There haven't been any new projects lately, but in an effort to be a more consistent blogger, I will share with you what I've been up to. I've been trying my hand at photo editing (very time consuming, detailed photo editing). I took some pictures of my children recently that had the potential to be something special. I started with this...



I thought to myself, "Such a handsome little man can't be seen in such a low quality photo." So I tweaked it (and by "tweaked it" I mean painstakingly removed any distraction from the main focus pixel by pixel) and ended with this...



The next photo started like this...



And the results (better this time I think)...



Can you spot what's missing in the after photos?

If there is photo editing software that does this in a jiffy, don't tell me (I'm pretty sure there is) because I'm feeling like I may have a future in the Sunday paper's "What's Different About These Two Photos" section.

Here's wishing you a special moment preserved forever.

A Quick Update

OR CHANGE IS A-COMIN

Hello friends. I'd like to give a quick heads up that there are going to be some changes to this blog soon. I love the projects I've been doing and connecting with others online who are also doing them. But I was reminded recently that I also love writing and I haven't been doing much of that lately. It seemed too personal considering the traffic crossing my blog now may or may not even know me. So... we're breaking up. (It's not you, it's me. Can we still be friends?) I'm creating a second blog where my thoughts on life and motherhood will sit, and this will continue on with project updates and furniture makeovers. The next time you visit, this little spot in the blogosphere will be different. And change is good, or at least that's what I'm told.

Here's wishing you a good reminder.

How Easy Was That!

OR MOD PODGE, OH THE WONDERS

As you can tell from my recent posts, I'm experimenting and learning all kinds of new stuff when it comes to making things and, better said, re-making things. My latest project was a very tiny chest of drawers for the girls. They are at that age where they like to find something and hide it. Their "treasures" turn up in the most unexpected places. (My toothbrush could be anywhere at any given moment.) So they needed somewhere to put all their treasures.

I found this unfinished set (on sale... yay!).



Then I ventured into the world of Mod Podge. It's so easy to use it's ridiculous. I used a little scrapbooking paper and before I could say "Where's my toothbrush?" I had this...







I'll be so interested to see what turns up inside these drawers.

Here's wishing you something quick and easy.

Sweet and Simple

OR THE ROCKING CHAIR MAKEOVER

I'm on a streak of refinishing garage sale treasures, so why quit now right? It was my daughters' turn last weekend, so this little rocking chair came home with us...




Complete with graffiti...



So I gave it a little love. After refinishing it, I decided to sew a chair cushion for it. I have to be honest, I wasn't sure I had the skills and am more than a little surprised the seat cushion turned out. So happy it did...



I added these little scrappy little ties to the back. So sweet.



More makeovers and an update on doll making coming soon.

Here's wishing you a good streak.

The Missing Piece

OR THE CHAIR MAKEOVER

Remember that desk I made for my son's room? Well, you can't have a desk without a chair. It's like bologna without cheese, like shoes without socks, like Chachi without Joannie... you with me? So I headed to the garage sales again and found one I liked. I painted to match and reupholstered with some leftover fabric from the bookcase project and wa la! The finished product...



What a pair..


Then I decided my little picasso needed somewhere to hang all those masterpieces. So I screwed some clothespins to a couple yard sticks (an idea from Ana White's site) and he had his own little display wall.


My son is a happy kid, and even better, a quiet kid creating things in his room. And that alone made it all worth it.

Wishing you a few moments of quiet to your day.

A New Hobby

OR MY DAUGHTER'S NEW FRIEND

My free time disappeared for a while there so it's felt great to be fiddling around with something new. I've been slightly obsessed with a new project lately. I was inspired by the makers of some handmade dolls that are adorable and perfect for my girls, but were expensive. So the old saying is true... necessity is the mother of invention after all. I gathered my sewing supplies and decided to give it a go myself. After a firestorm of thread and material this little girl emerged...



I made a bunch of mistakes (I think her neck is weird) so it's good that I've got two more daughters still needing a new friend. (And I might even make a very boyish buddy for my son too.) But being my first attempt at anything like this, I'm happy with how she turned out.

She's new at our house and needs a name. Any suggestions?

Wishing you a new fun hobby.

My First Ana White Build

THE THREE CUBE BENCH

Well, folks, I finally did it. After mentioning for months how much I love Ana White's website (www.ana-white.com), I finally built something. Well, two somethings actually. I took advantage of some downtime over the holidays to make two benches for my childrens' playroom. Here's how they turned out...



I had to modify the measurements a little to fit smaller cubbies than the example on her site. I also had to modify to leave a couple inches clearance between the top of the cubbies and the bench so an overly full cubbie would still fit. You've never seen a cubbie stuffed full to overflowing until a two-year-old has had their fun with it.

I also made the cushions. My kids love the fabric that shows vintage scenes of children at a zoo. It was originally very expensive but I found an odd piece of it in Hobby Lobby and asked if they would discount it (because it never hurts to ask). It was still nearly $20 for less than two yards. And discount they did! I got it for less than $4. Geez, I love a good bargain.



There's nothing like taking your frustrations out on a hammer and a piece of wood and ending up with something beautiful. I can't wait to get started on the next build!

Wishing you a good hammer and some downtime.

---ADDED LATER---

I was asked two quesitons. First, the cost breakdown...

The bench I made: $44
The same bench at Pottery Barn Kids: $200
The same bench at Land of Nod: $189
The same bench at Company Kids: $150
*Prices don't include the cubbies and the cushions.

Second, the finish. I had originally planned on staining them, so I used a dark wood putty to match the stain. But I ended up using a lot of putty and could see they weren't going to cut it stained. So it took two coats of tinted primer and two coats of paint to cover the dark putty (because, of course, I wanted to paint them a light, creamy color). :/ I finished it off with a top coat of clear, satin finish polycrylic.