An Office Project Finished
As I said before, I have recently started a new job. With that has come a new, but bland, office. So, I got to work. The first project I have completed is a table for the office. I found this ugly guy with a paper top for a couple of dollars at the thrift store:
I started by sanding the wood legs and sides a bit and then painting them black. I then used scrapbook paper on the top. I taped the paper down, starting with a full sheet in the very middle of the table. When the sheets were lined up nicely, I used ModPodge to cover the sheets, using a foam brush. I did several coats of this, drying in between.
Black and white, of course!
One thing I learned from using the ModPodge was that it makes the paper wet, so at first it will bubble up. This smooths out as it dries. But, I did make the mistake of lining the paper sheets up perfectly edge to edge. Lining them up with a bit of overlap would have prevented the sheets from moving as they dried. I do have a few tiny spots where there are gaps between the paper now. I learned! 🙂
Wine Corks
Our friends at the bistro up town have been saving all of the used wine corks for us to use for a project. Months later…we have a cork board!
I painted an antique frame that was falling apart with a shiny black paint. The nailed a piece of solid peg board to the back of the frame. I used a hot glue gun to glue the corks in, and viola! A message board for the kitchen.
Actually, we have a little gap in one of the rows due to corks all being different sizes, but we are cutting a cork down to half size and filling in the gap. Also, if you are going to try this, nail the peg board to the actual back of the frame, not inside where a picture would go. this makes the framed area a bit deeper, for the fat corks.
Simple, easy, and best of all, free!
Adorable Little Chair
Behold the new addition to the shop (or soon to be):
Isn’t he cute?? I’m not sure if I will remodel this little guy or sell as is. Any suggestions? I was thinking black paint and new cushion. But then again, I love the wood and the teal vinyl. Hmmm… Let me know if you have any interest in this oh-so-cute MCM chair (refinished or not) and I will keep you all updated on what I do with it!
I did end up leaving the chair as is after a good cleaning, and a girl immediately fell in love with it and snatched it up!
**SOLD**
Fire Pit Finished
I picked up a few bricks yesterday and we finally got to work on finishing the fire pit. Yes, we are short by exactly one brick (not a bad guess!), but that will be taken care of next weekend. The bottom two layers which we laid a while back were now settled in mud and ash since we have been using the unfinished pit. After much digging and playing the mud we finally had them all arranged and neatly packed in. We cleaned out the bottom and laid a few rocks. What a difference! And, grass is poking up where we put grass seed already! We were so excited! Maybe there will already be some green out there in time for the party! I’m hoping it is strong enough be then so we don’t crush it all!
Yes, one quite obvious brick is missing! 😉
And here is the new chairs and table that we picked up over the weekend. They will be getting a special paint treatment…soon!
At first I was disappointed to not have found two of these style chairs that match, but we now think it will be fun to do them indifferent colors and embrace the uniqueness! (Plus, I couldn’t beat the price we found these for!)
Overall, it was a very productive and fun weekend. And, our softball team won our first game!
Roadside Find
On a quick drive to Peoria yesterday to pick up some new lawn chairs I spotted the oddest, cutest little chair on the side of the road in Kewanee. On my way home it was still there, so I quickly threw it in the back of the truck and sped away!
It’s so ugly right now, but I think there is a lot of cuteness potential under there! That storage could be very useful too! Some scrubbing and some new fabric… maybe even some paint? Mid century lovers should love this one when its finished, so keep your eyes peeled because it will be another shop addition!
Yard Progress
A lot of work and a few sore muscles, and we now have a usable yard. The backyard, as I have mentioned before, was three lots of mounds of compost. An unusable waste is what I call that. Compost is a great idea, but an entire three lots full? No thanks. So, I set out to get the yard summer-ready. We are finally almost there.
I started by pulling the massive amounts of growing weeds out of the compost piles. Once fairly clean, my options for the compost were to either give it away to people who used compost or to spread it out evenly. Upon further inspection I realized that the compost was old and mostly now decnt soil. I decided to spread it and make level ground around the fire pit area. This took an entire day and I was definitely sore after all the work, but it was well worth it. We sprinkled grass seed on the raw dirt areas and are hoping that something other than weeds sprouts by the time we have our backyard engagement party.
These pictures look boring after the rain, but it was much cuter the other day (and will be when we have company over!). We have moved the picnic table out near the fire and have a table cloth for it. We also have a large hammock and fun pillow ordered for in between the trees. The large log near the fire is actually a seating area. We are using it as-is right now, but will form it into a bench later. We also have some cute red paper lanterns to go in the trees and a few buck candles to go around the area. I think it will all come together well.
We also worked on the side of the house near the alley. We have a hard time finding keys and getting into our kitchen door in the dark, so we added a few inexpensive solar lights to the walk-way. They really make a boring area look homey. The former residents of the house also left an annoying pile of rocks near our parking area. We have no idea what they were meant for, and they are now growing weeds. So, we dug in and Tony arranged them where my car goes. There is only one slab on cement and a lot of mud where I park. This may not be the cutest solution, but it definitely helps and now its all ready for when we get more cement poured (or better yet-a garage!). Didn’t Tony do a nice job making the rocks look neat and even!?
And, on a prettier note, our peonies are in bloom! Another bush of pretty pink flowers is also in bloom, which I think might be a kind of roses. Here is a shot of the rose bush and the bouqet we cut for the table and even some for the bathroom. They smell great and you gotta love a free touch for the home! 🙂
So there you have it, our yard progress. Not super exciting, but it has opened the way for us to work on a few more diy projects for the yard. We will keep you updated!
Engagement Party Decor
We are finally ready to throw the long awaited engagement party!! We have been patiently (or not so much) waiting for good weather and a finished yard in order to throw an outdoor fest. We now seem to have both (or as good as its going to get). So, bring on the party!
I have a few simple ideas swirling around in my head, but for some fun inspiration I put together a few photos I’ve spotted.
This idea is so simple and cute. Although the picture is more fall decor it could easily be summer-y with some sand or shells in the jars!
This scene is so pretty. We already picked up some red paper lanterns that are perfect to go under our trees around the fire because they are battery operated.
These vintage letters would look neat in our yard showing our initials or wedding date.
I love the colors of this space. We hope to use some random candle-light as this photo does.
Are you all in the mood for some outdoor time yet? We will keep you updated with our party pictures- the party is on the 20th of June…
Kitchen Cabinets!
They are done. Yes, they are done! I love love it! Remember, as you look at the pictures, though, that the old white on white counter-tops look won’t last long. We will be getting the new dark counter-tops in a few weeks. Also, notice the new cabinet in between the stove and the fridge- now the dog food can be hidden! (It will also get a counter-top!) A before to freshen your memory:
Here you go:
Well? What do you think? I think it feels so nice and new and clean in there! Remember, things will keep changing for a while. In addition to new counter-tops there will be a hood where the old microwave is, and the cabinet above the fridge will change. We also have a few more projects for in here… like new lights and something to do with antique rolling pins… so let me know what you think, and stay tuned!
Kitchen Sneak Peak
The kitchen is almost done! I’m exhausted, but it was totally worth it. Here is a little sneak peak for you until I am ready for the final reveal:
If you like these little snap shots then stay tuned for the rest…
A New Headboard
I think this was Tony’s favorite project yet! My mom had an old brass headboard for a king size bed. She was going to throw it out, so I snatched it right up. After a coat of primer and a couple coats of black paint…
He was so excited last night after we got it hung that he said the bedroom looks like a hotel now. I take that as a compliment! I was afraid that the black would be too much next to the black art above, but I think it worked out well. Always a work in progress…
I think the pups approve too!
Make Mine Eclectic 
