The Greatest Love Of All

Hi Guys,
Whitney once sang that the children are our future, I belted that tune out as a 10 year old in spite of the fact that I have 0 singing talents and I am sure I drove my parents crazy, Today I know my future will, at some point be in their hands. This is why I whisper lovingly into each of their ears when the others can't hear and say "you're my favorite, don't tell the others". I figure which ever one ends up choosing my home will believe my words and pick out something nice, at least my fingers are crossed that will happen. To clarify I don't really have a fave but there are plenty of days when I have a least favorite depending on who has or hasnot done what.

I can honestly say that while I love many things I do, within a short period I hate it. In fact I think I would haveto say there are only a few things I still love and until now my deepest DIY love was my patchwork chair.

This DIY was actually Jule's idea and it was BLOODY BRILLIANT, sorry but it deserves that kind of praise,

So those who have been around here for a while might remember a few craft rooms ago I had this table.

Then I covered it in houndstooth contact paper, which I did like but I missed this particular dining table so a few months later I ripped off the contact and placed it back into the kitchen

One evening, the night after the new peel and stick vinyl floors were laid, I went out when Jule's came up with an awesome idea. He took the scraps and off cuts from the flooring and placed them on the glass to imitate an old farmhouse wood topped table.

You see a few days before I was leafing through a Country Living or something similar when I saw an iron and wood table, it was only about $3500 and I fell in love, I showed Jule's and declared it to be my ultra dream table.  Anyway one night out I go and when I get back there was the newly covered table, he made it look pretty with candles and everything. I went out of my mind, fell in love (with both the table and Jules all over again, he's a keeper). Can you believe that the wood is in fact peel and stick tiles? I'll tell you now, I had a recent termite issue and the pest control guy was stunned, this guy inspects wood for a living peeps!

This top holds up to anything my lot can throw at it and believe me, if you have seen a four year old at a table that is quite a feat! I LOVE IT.

So since I work real quickly these days, 8 months later I took my old wooden chairs which the kids over the last 15 years had pretty much rendered them to the ugliest chairs on the face of the earth and painted them up.

My goodness can't even begin to tell you how thrilled I am with this dining set. My suburban country style home is coming together and for this all I spent was $15 on paint WOOOT!!!

She truly is a beauty, so in honor of my lovely lady I dedicate this song to her, take it away Whitney




Thanks for reading,

Mel xo

Roll Top Desk Maakeover

Hey Guys,

Remember this desk, the catch all of my crap in the entryway before it had it's makeover? Elizabeth has always wanted it and so I thought the time has come. She goes off to high school in January and she will need somewhere to work in private away from the little two.

Using the Canterbury Blue Chalk Paint, I painted it white and I bought these beautiful pumpkin pulls off ebay for less than $2 each. I found them in store for $12.50 so I was pretty pleased with the price.

Only problem was the 4 week wait for them to be shipped, however I just think they're so pretty.

See Pretty!!

DIY Delight or Disaster? Oh delight for sure, I have always loved the desk but I think she is just stunning in white. I love the Canterbury Blue paints, I did receive a pot of the white paint for free, but have since bought a few more, I just love them. So the first touches of green in her room and they're so pretty.

Thanks for reading,

Mel xo

Dining table & Chair, (I might need to change the name of this blog to the Barbie Dream house)

Hey Guys,

Sometimes I forget I am a responsible 38 year old mother and I like to rebel against maturity. I also, for reasons unknown to me, have 4 dining tables that I like to switch out every year or so but this one was left outside and had become quite weathered and not in a good way. If you visited my guest post at The Thrifty Rebel last week, you'll know that I did something to freak Jules out.

I wanted to go back to a drop leaf table to try and make a little more room during the day when the little ones have all their toys out to play and this can be pushed up against a wall.

These chairs are from another set and had really become quite yucky out in the garage.

So when I heard of a new Aussie chalk paint company Canterbury Blue from another Megan of One Plus One Equals Six of mine, I had to try it out. Juliana the owner of the company is an absolute delight, love the paint but I love her even more, how could I not buy from a woman who refers to herself as my paint pimp??  I've actually done quite a few things there will be more colours coming up in Elizabeth's bedroom. I LOVE her paint, it's much cheaper than the other brands out there and the wax just smells amazing, it actually smells like the bush after rain.

I decided to try painting the fabric, I truly do like the result, however I have heard around blogland that it feels like leather, I'd say more like oilcloth, but the best part about the painted and waxed fabric, it wipes clean. No jokes, Madeleine dropped her BLUEBERRIES on it right after I did them, could not believe my eyes when it wiped off.

So I decided I needed a pink table, I also decided to do this while Julian was away while he was on his recent business trip. When I told him he starts freaking out and declared "Great we're living in a doll house now" among other less blog appropriate things, to which I replied, "every girl wished she could live in the Barbie dream house" However when Madeleine told him we had a "princess table" he couldn't say no to her.

I happened to be out when he got home and saw it for the first time (it also might have been on purpose) and this is the message that came beeping through.

Which only goes to prove that it is better to ask forgiveness, than ask permission and they might actually like it. Now of course I am going to have to paint all the walls and do that room next but worth it for my pink table.

If you're in Australia and want to see the most beautiful and affordable range of chalk paints, from a 100% Australian owned and also made here (I have received some paint for free those posts coming up, but I paid for my beautiful pink for this is not sponsored) check out Canterbury Blue on FB.

Also if you want to check out more pink fun, head over to The Thrifty Rebel for more pink lady posts.

Thanks for reading,

Mel xo

Rocking Chair - Because One Day I Will Be A Nana

Hey guys,

I have a secret, I love rocking chairs, I actually love to sit in my rocking chair and knit. it's totally a Nana thing to do but there is no place I feel more peaceful than in this chair knitting.

Even better I got it for free, it was my Mum's but she had no where to put it and unlike me she's kinda short and her legs didn't touch the ground.

It was scratched and dinged up so I gave it a chalk paint makeover. Also check out the tapestry in the background. My Mum did that for me when I was about 5 and it is still one of my most favourite things ever.

I'm loving the fresh white paint perfect for the new craft space.

DIY Delight or Disaster? Well I was going to add something else to it but I sent a picture to Susan of Simply Vintageous asking advice and she said it was perfect, given she is the furniture makeover queen, I decided to quit while I was ahead. Now I can pretend to be a Nana until (hopefully) in a decade or so I actually become one. Delight!

Thanks for reading,

Mel xo

Trestle Table

You know that feeling when you're in a store and you see something and immediately fall in love with it. You must have it no matter what the cost....until you see the actual cost and then start either laughing hysterically at how overpriced it is, or cry because it was never meant to be.

Well when I was in Freedom Furniture this desk was my dream for my new craft room. I wanted it so badly Julian was all ready with the credit card so I could have something special in my new craft room (I really shouldn't tease him the way I do, he is actually a keeper, shh don't tell him I said that.).

source

I lovingly looked at him, then rolled my eyes and said "Are you serious? It's $449 I could make that for about for less than a quarter of the price!" So I did.

Two trestle legs from Ikea for $25 each, in hind sight I could have made them for about $10 but you know what, sometimes it's just easier to have it done already and $28 for the door which just got a couple of coats of paint.

Then she was done for less than a quarter of the price and not on the credit card, which makes me love it more! Also just to break up the all white you can see I added a pink grain sack pattern to my $2 thrift store chair that I made over a while back.

DIY Delight or Disaster? Oh man it's a delight for me, so much cheaper and honestly I like the black legs for contrast which is why I didn't paint them and it is around twice the size for much less than a quarter of the price, total delight!

TV Console - Mummy Approved!

Hey Guys,

I feel like we've done a heap in our lounge room update and I realised I haven't shared any of it. As is always the case we've had some hits and some misses. First hit was my TV console.

I scored this freebie from my Mum's place, it's my favourite place to shop...always free!