Slipcovered the Green Giant!

Did you guys hear angels singing yesterday?

I finished my slipcover!  WOOHOO - applause, applause!

After sticking myself about a million times, blowing up a sewing machine, ordering a new one, then knocking the belt off that one, fixing it @ 2am, having my house smell like a swimming pool for a week from all the bleach, dropcloth scraps everywhere and becoming one with my seam ripper, I finally finished the slipcover for my living room sofa and I-LOVE-IT! It was worth every drop of blood and every minute of sleep lost. I've been doing the happy dance all day.  Am I being too dramatic? Maybe..but this was an ordeal and I'm doing it all over again with this couch.  I'm a glutton for punishment.

This is what it did look like...

A Hickory Chair sofa that I had made 12 years ago.  It has a hardwood frame and still solid as a rock (even after being dropped off the back of a moving truck a few years ago). It's a great piece but I was sick of the green fabric & it was showing some wear.

Inspiration photo:

 One more of mine...

  Here's the view from the kitchen. The strapping on the pillows ties into the framed coffee bag hanging over  the other sofa (I'm going to sand and restain that sofa in the spring.)

I have my fingers crossed that this next slipcover is easier and goes a little faster.  I think I'm going to dedicate a post to dropcloths because I learned a few things the hard way and (queue talk show tears), if I can save just ONE person from making the same mistakes I made...

I'm off to make swiss cheese out of my hands again..it's so unnerving to get jabbed with a pin..something to look forward to *sigh*.

I'm going to be linking to these parties.

Take it easy,

Table Top Revived!

I love wood!!  

(That's what she said) 

*giggle* 

Seriously though, after digging out of the festive rubble that was my Christmas decor,  I rearranged a couple of pieces in the living room.  I had this piece here and this one here.

After moving them around I decided to improve their looks as well.  I finished one of them today and while it is a small change I think it is a nice improvement.

Here's a close up of the problem...

These black marks didn't bother me when I first brought it home.  It was kinda tucked in a corner but after moving it I had to get rid of them.

 I used 50 then 120 then 220 grit. Now it's all smoooth! Sanding it also brought out all the beauty of the wood and it's variations of color that those nasty black marks were hiding.

And here's the after....
 

 I used my favorite wax, Walnut Minwax.  

It adds color, a satin lustre and it protects the surface..great combo!

I think it looks much nicer now!

The cabinet I mentioned at the top of this post is in the middle of my living room ready for glaze. I'm going to catch up on my TiVo'd shows and finish it!

One more picture to show you...

Bedtime at my house....

(a rare moment when one of them isn't tearing something up)

I'm joining Miss Mustard Seed's FFF - c'mon over!

Take care -

Do over!

So for every project that turns out exactly the way I saw it in my little imagination, I have at least one that ends up right in the ditch.

Case in point...

Stamps were 50% off at Hobby Lobby last week, so I thought, "hey, I know!" I'll stamp the back of the cabinet that faces the front door. It looks so boring and this will give it some character."

So I started...brushed on black acrylic paint and stamped & stamped & stamped...

And ended up with this..hmmm..can you smell the disappointment? Again, this is what you see when you walk in the front door. It might as well be a big toe. I asked Brian what he thought and he said, "you'll repaint it within a week." He knows me well. Mom said live with it a few days..I did and it hurt my eyes to look at it...I hate it when that happens with a project.

Thing is, I didn't want to repaint it.

I painted it a few years ago. I didn't want to start over.

So I did the only thing I could do...glued my ever handy sheet music to the back and called it a day. I know I've used this alot lately but some of the pieces I've done aren't staying in my house so it's not overkill...yet.

I think this looks better and adds the kind of character I had in mind.

As my Dad would say, I "reached around my elbow to scratch my ***", but it's done...even if I did it the long way!

Take it easy..

A little paint goes a LONG way

As I said earlier this week, I bit off more than I could chew this past weekend with projects. They snowballed..I started one and then noticed something else and started that and then saw something else and started that...you get the picture.

I wrapped up 2 more last night and that puts the finishing touch on the fireplace! Here is the before..it's a Christmas picture but you'll get the idea of the blech mantle.



Here is the after:

I have not mastered getting a good picture yet (& may never!)
Since we were already contemplating replacing the mantle, I thought I'd try painting it to see if that would help it not look so pitiful. I used high gloss black and I really like it..I might even love the new look! It really ties the mantle into the rest of the room that I'll show later (after I put the laundry away!)

These are a couple of windows that I painted and had hung on a screened porch in my apartment days...I LOVE old WINDOWS!

This is a new little arrangement I'm working with...I need to tweak this but it's ok for now...


I just love this...I like how it's a little kooky & it's alot sentimental.


This is a family clock that was given to me (thanks Mom). It's beautiful and I think the candlesticks with the clock make a perfect grouping.


I painted, waxed & sanded these chunky candlesticks. I wanted to add some white to the mantle and I think this works.

This is the same mirror that I've always used over the fireplace - just I added a chunky frame.

Well, there you have it..my revamped fireplace that cost ZERO dollars because I used stuff I already had. We are looking into building a new mantel in the future but this will do for now.  If you need a change don't be afraid to pick up that paint brush!