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!
Lawn Chairs and Cookouts
Yesterday I finally got the garage sale lawn chairs finished! Remember the old blue metal set we got for $10? The one that looked like it belonged next to pink plastic flamingos in, well, not our yard? Yes, those are nice shiny black now! Before:
Now:
All we needed was a couple fun cushions. Well, that has been a task. Since these chairs are so old no cushions are the right size! And, have you noticed how dull this year’s “summer” colors are? Blah! But, we stopped in at K-Mart just to check, and found a decent, fun and bright set. Not what we thought we wanted, but it will work for this year! They are a bit different shape, but when you sit in them and squish them down they are perfect. I would also like to add a couple red throw pillows to match the ones we would like to throw on the hammock (coming soon!). Here’s what we have so far:
Better! And Tony even helped me pick ’em out! So, we decided to celebrate a productive day (and the fact that it didn’t rain!) by grilling out and having dinner at the picnic table.
The pups even joined in! Have a great weekend!
P.S. Just for the record, the blue on the chairs was a really pretty color. But, we have a lot of red in our yard and it just wasn’t matching what we wanted to do out there. But, after already painted the set black we realized the new cushions do have the exact blue in them! Oh, well, sticking to the plan! Now they are versatile enough to change our minds on cushions all the time! (if they weren’t so ridiculously expensive!)
Counter-Tops!
They are in, and it’s official- I love ’em! Here is a dark before to remind you:
What an improvement, don’t you think!? It is all coming together so nicely. We do have a few more projects in the works. See that vent pipe above the stove? That is getting boxed in, no more tacky-ness. We also have a great set of lights that are being installed which I will reveal later. A few creative touches are in the process as well.
Notice the old microwave is gone and a hood was installed in its palce as well…
What do you think? Suggestions?
Lawn Chair Project
It hasn’t stopped raining here for days, so please excuse the dark, dreary photos. But, I had to share the other garage sale day find with you. Lawn chairs! They were a steal, and they will be fixed up with some paint and cushions, so don’t be alarmed! Right now I think they kind of look like they belong next to some plastic flamingos in, well, not my yard. But, they will.
Really that shade of blue is bright and fun, and has started to grow on me. But, I think it would look out of place in our back yard. I’m not sure what color I am thinking, however. I know we always lean towards black. We are blah. But, black might bring them up to date and they could be dressed up and brightened with some bold patterned cushions. Yes? No? Ideas? Always something to work on, but I love it! 🙂
Also, I wanted to let you all know that I am going to start selling off some of our projects. I love to keep busy and remake fun things, but our house is getting full. So, I am going to keep doing what I love, but start selling the things I make or remake. Right now I have a coffee table in the works, so stay tuned. I will post befores and afters of the items I plan to sell. For now they will be listed on Craigslist, or you can contact me through the blog. But, we are thinking that in the future I might rent a booth at one of our local antique shops. Check back, and let me know if you are interested in anything, or are looking for something in particular! 🙂
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!
Typewriter Table Detailed
Sorry, I forgot to upload new pictures yesterday. But, today you get to see a lot of progress from the weekend! Here is the typewriter table that I showed you before. It is now finished and detailed!
Once I finished the second coat of white spray paint I arranged cardboard scrap-booking stencils in the placement I liked. I traced and filled the stencils with a paint pen. These little guys work great! I have used it on a couple of projects now and it always does the trick. I think it is super cute and ready to be used!
More Curtains!
Last night we finished hanging curtains in the living room. I am so excited to not have these flowery old lady curtains any more:
I really wish I would have remembered to take specific before shots of these. They even had poufy, paper-stuffed valences!
I’m not too sure about the new curtains we chose, so I need your opinions and suggestions. They are, no doubt, better than the before, but not exactly what we had in mind. We wanted to stay inexpensive for right now, so we got these at WalMart (no Ikea near us!). We originally picked a charcoal color, but when we got home we realized that the packages we grabbed were all black! They do need some steaming, but here they are:
I think it is a huge improvement, but it still feels a little off. Tony likes the blinds on one window (this is the previous family’s doing- not mine!) but, I think the small window should have sheers as well so the two match. What do you think?
Either way, these are much more our taste, style, and colors, and best of all- no foofy grandma curtains! 🙂
Oh, and I realize that we really need a rod that is meant to be showing, but we aren’t going to spend the money on a custom length one right now. So, the white bar has to stay and we just have to deal with it for a little while!
Mini Bar Makes More Progress
I think the mini bar project is almost done (the mini bar we made out of a re-purposed vintage TV armoire). We are going to leave the wood as-is, at least until we see what it looks like next to the black desk (which is still in progress). We are planning on changing out the handles, but haven’t found the perfect Hollywood Regency looking pair yet. Yesterday we got the mirror for the back and the glass for the bottom cut and installed. We also hung a stemware rack under the top and I lined the drawer with some fabulous material. I would like to find a very simple mountable wine rack to hang under the top on the other side, so if you have one of those to recommend…! So, here it is, looking gorgeous!
Make Mine Eclectic 
