A Vintage Nursery Project
I know I just now finally shared the nursery with you, but I also just finished a fun little project in there.
I was given this beat up little vintage dresser the other day , with plans to turn it into a book shelf for toys.
Suddenly it struck me. Those two drawers could also be another project, perfect for some storage! I cleaned, sanded, painted, roughed, waxed, added wheels and knobs, and viola!
I absolutely love how they turned out! B can now store toys or clothes in them, and they should fit under any bed, so he can use them for a long time! My helper approves.
This was my first time using paste wax. I tinted my wax myself with paint. I really like how it gives the drawers a barn board feel. I think with a little practice this could be a new favorite technique! What do you think?
Spring Cleaning
Like I said, last weekend we did some deep cleaning for spring. Yesterday on my Thursday off, I finally finished (as finished as housework ever gets!) the spring cleaning. I wanted the house to be spotless for my family coming into town to visit this weekend. So, here are some always great to remember spring cleaning ideas:
1. Clean the gutters. Spring is time for rain, rain will flood your basement if the gutters are overflowing! Or like us, you might have to walk through a waterfall to get out the door! So, Tony climbed the ladder, hauled a garbage can along with him, and cleaned the gutters.
2. Wash windows. I love clean windows, they even brighten up a room. But, at least this one time a year you should deep clean them, inside and out. I not only windex-ed them, but also took a Q-tip to the corners and tiny spaces. Fresh spring air is great flowing through clean windows!
3. Scrub the walls and untouched spots. Walls, especially in the kitchen, get grimy. Paint will look more its original color if gently washed clean once in a while, plus it keeps spider webs out of corners and in vents. Also, take a dish-soapy towel to the tops of cabinets and inside the cupboards. These rarely cleaned spots need it now and then!
4. Spray and scrub siding. We are still working a bit on this one. But, taking the hose to your siding will instantly freshen the outside of your house. On the porch I scrubbed stuck on dirt off with a wet cloth.
5. Move all furniture to clean/vacuum. I vacuum all the time. But, sometimes I am lazy and don’t move every piece of furniture. I actually never move the bed or couches. So, this time of year I try to move all things, even the big ones and clean or vacuum under them. You never know how much crud has built up under there.
6. And, finally, go through drawers and cupboards. We have a junk drawer that overflows every once in a while. Spring in particular is the time to go through these drawers, even clothes drawers of closets. Toss things you no longer want to keep, gather up the things you want to sell or take to Goodwill, and neatly arrange back the things you want to keep.
After taking these few steps your house should be spring ready (pretty much!). Take a deep breathe once you are done. Doesn’t that feel good? Fresh? Spring is the time for fresh starts! 🙂
And, while there are no pictures of dirty windows and gross gutter goo to show you, I do have a set of cute martini glasses for sale! They are plastic, and oh so cute!
So, what other good spring cleaning ideas do you all have?
Garage Sale Day Find
Garage sale day in our little town was Saturday! This day has to be one of my favorite spring days. Scouring someone else’s junk for that perfect treasure is a great way to kick off the season. I even got Tony in on the fun. We didn’t find much to bring home with us, but a few treasures makes the day worth it. We brought home a few vintage glass marbles and a couple large dice for the collection. But here is our bargain beauty:
This is an antique set of mailboxes from a post office in Champagne Illinois. I came back twice to check it out, and at the end of the day he said it was too heavy for him to carry back home, so he gave me a sweet deal! It took two men to load it into my truck and we took the drawers out to get it into the house, but since it is on wheels it is easily movable in the house. I love it right here in the kitchen. The drawers were the perfect addition to the “landing strip” area. Tony was thrilled to have his own drawer for his pocket junk. I love its mismatched drawers, and the vintage numbers and letters above the handles. I know, I know. Some of you probably think this guy is tacky (my mom didn’t like it!), but we think its great. And, the drawers are big enough to function in the house! Here it is in the landing strip area:
I’m not sure if the school desk should stay now or not. But, for now, this is what the area looks like. Suggestions?
Also- we did pick up one other thing at the garage sales, but that project will have to wait… 🙂
Some Color In The Pocket Office
Over the weekend I made a few tiny but fun changes to the pocket office. First, I added some bright red paper to the blah sides of the drawer set under the desk. It looked as if it had just been stashed under there, but now it looks as if it was intended to be there. I also tried to eliminate some clutter. I took down the picture mobile, arranged some of the hanging photos on the inspiration wire, and changed the art a bit.
I had seen online where framing simple art in a blank CD case can be easy to swap and add a fun punch to your walls for little money. So, I hung three of these CD case frames with some strange art in them above the desk. The art was small, cluttered, and mismatched. I changed the art out to something more simple and in the color scheme. I then hung them vertically to contrast with the inspiration wire. I think this is starting to look much better than my original office a few months ago!
The colored paper on the drawers.
The CD case art I made.
Doesn't it look so much better!?
And, the other side of the office, so you can see the pretty matching boxes.
What do you think?
Make Mine Eclectic 