Crocheting, Curtains, and Artwork

I thought it would be fun to post some photos of projects I've been working on.
A hat with a big flower for Renie

A sock monkey blanket and hat for my new niece or nephew. I don't think my brother reads my blog, but if he does, Surprise! It'll be in the mail soon!

I painted our light wood non-descript generic barstools in fun colors that match our decor. (That one isn't pink, it's terra cotta and the other one is yellow, not cream). I also screwed the tops on so they don't spin anymore- it was noisy and the kids would spin them all the way in one direction until they came off.

I painted the stairway and we hung a Sacred Grove print there. That was a challenge. We stacked books on the stairs and then stood a ladder with one leg on the stairs and one on the stack of books on the step below. Then Lincoln held the ladder while I inserted anchors and hung the artwork. It weighs a ton (it's a good thing I've been working out) but we both felt better about Lincoln being the ladder holder than the ladder climber. I also recently installed a banister guard to keep our children from plunging to their deaths down the stairs. It's clear plastic, look closely. We had baby gates there before so it looked cluttered and busy.

I hung curtain rods and curtains in the living room and dining room. They aren't the Pottery Barn dupioni silk ones I've had my eye on, but they add some color and a finishing touch to the spaces. (Look closely again and you'll see Jesse walking into the picture)

Laundry Room and Bench Cushion

Those of you who know me well know that I love to always have a project to be working on. Some sort of thing that beautifies or improves my home in some way. It's an addiction, really. I love to be painting, moving furniture, decorating, creating. So here are photos from a couple of recent projects.


Before and after in my laundry room. Those who know me well also know I can't stand to leave a wall in my house white. I crave color. I have further plans for this room- we'll see if I get to them!




I made a cushion for the bench in our mudroom. I've really been loving the combination of black and off-white with red as well as toile with gingham. So I put it all together in this little cushion.



Check back to see a couple more projects I've got in the works.

Boys' Room Redo

Over the weekend I painted and decorated the boys' room. I'm including some pictures, though they are terrible. My camera does not have a flash anymore so they were really dark and I just cranked up the brightness when I edited. But hopefully you'll get the idea. The thing I'm most proud of on this room is that with all the little decor items and the paint we only spent $40 to transform the room. (I always check mistint paint where ever it is sold. I struck it lucky and found a gallon of the exact blue i was looking for. The green was left over from another project.) You'll be shocked to learn that we still need a couple things for the room to tie up loose ends, but it's mostly done.

A Project I've Been Working On...

I wish you could really get an idea of how nasty these were from the before pictures. They were chippy, mildewy, stinky, and stained. Perhaps if you click on the picture of the chair you'll get a better idea. But I loved the lines and WOW! these things are solid! I scrubbed, sanded, painted, and recovered them. I tried to go with a fun, colorful look since these are for playing games in the basement. I bought the set for $40 on Craigs List. All the paint I already owned. The vinyl for the seats cost about $2.50. So the big expense was the slipcover to cut up for the fabric seat covers. I bought a couch slipcover (the same as the one on my couch) and have been using it for different projects in the basement.




I actually sanded off the entire tabletop finish and restained in a darker, red mahogany.




My favorite detail is the tie on the back.

And that $20 Craigs List dresser in the background? Watch for a makeover of that as well.

In The Beginning...

I've decided I need a place to dump photos of projects I've completed. Sometimes I direct someone to see a post about a project and realize they don't really need/want to also hear about the kids' parent-teacher conferences or the youngest's potty-training progress. So, a new storage shed, as it were.