Thursday, June 23, 2011

I'm Not Just Eating Bon Bons...

I just wanted to show you guys one of the projects I've been up to since you last heard from me.



I promise I've been busy.



Hubby is at the academy where "you learn to fold your clothes in ridiculously small ways," I am taking my next to last master's class, I have 3 kids and 3 dogs who seem to go different directions at the same time. Blogging has taken a backseat.



Sorry :(






Anyway, this post is about my master bedroom. "I've seen it" you say?



I don't think so. Remember the blues? This room got them too.






My bedding was in sorry, sorry shape. I love toile and red and Hubby really likes blue. I struggled for awhile how to marry our loves without looking all "Americana."



It's not that I'm non-patriotic, I just had visions of 1980's countrified Americana decor. Then I found the fabric. For me it always starts with the fabric.






Then I found the blue. And I think it just took off from there.



I kept a very little bit of the original red toile to make a "napping blanket." I got a simple blue blanket from Wal-mart, sewed the red toile on the front and then put about 9-10 covered buttons on it to keep the two pieces of fabric from shifting too much.

My old dining room table has become a desk. Granted I'm sitting on the bed typing this blog, but the desk looks cute doesn't it?
This chair was the inspiration. It was another auction find, but this one got a little expensive.




I had hubby bidding against this really oddball guy and I just couldn't let him and his oddballness have it. While the bidding was going on he would get really close to the auctioneer and just stare at him while he was deciding if he should bid again or not. Then when he would decide to bid he would make a big deal about bidding-throw his hands in the air and yell really loud. That chair would have been so unhappy at his house.

I put these old closet doors behind the dresser because it is on a really long wall and I needed to break up the wall. I did not want to think about what to do with that big ole wall. I actually like how the white breaks up the blue. Closet doors behind furniture is my new favorite thing.

I used chalk paint on the chest. I'm not completely sold on chalk paint yet. It is easy to use, but I didn't fork out the bucks for the waxes so the polyurethane yellows the paint. Plus I'm not used to the heavily distressed look. Maybe I just need more practice.
I added the monogram to the headboard using contact paper and my Cricut. It was a big ole brown space that just needed a little sumpin.


You know how much I love plates. This is just part of my collection of red transferware. Some plates are hung with nails and some are hung with 3M velcro tabs. It is one of my favorite parts of the room! You know how I am about "views." This is the view from my bed.


This picture is taken before the plate wall was done, but you can see the closet doors and my some other favorite pictures. You can also see the "napping blanket" being put to use by my youngest daughter!




I decided that I would enter my "Americana" bedroom over at the CSI challenge this week. Come on by and see the other red, white and/or blue entries!




Also linking up with Roomspiration:

Wednesday, June 22, 2011

The Clock Strikes Twelve...

I introduced you all to Cinderella a l-o-o-o-o-nn-n-ng time ago.
The last time you saw her she was in her "mouse dress."


It took me another l-o-o-o-o-o-o-on-n-g time to decide on a color. I thought about red, but a house can only handle one Scarlett. She doesn't share the limelight with anyone.


I wanted to do something bold and blue, but I wanted the flexibility to put Cindy whereever my mood strikes and blue felt a little limiting.


I thought about white or black but, as my oldest daughter says, I paint everything black or white. No, Cindy needed something less predictable.


I finally decided on a shade of black. (Way to go out on a limb Mols). It is a Benjamin Moore color called "Wrought Iron." It is almost navy and it going to look fab against my new living room color.


It hasn't been polyurethaned yet...


BONG!!!


BONG!!! Did you hear something?

BONG!!! There it is again...

BONG!!! Seriously that is getting annoying. Do you hear it?


I already have the spot all picked out in the house for it. It is going to look so amazing.


BONG!! Wait. What is that?


See those holes? What character it adds to Cindy.


BONG!!! Hold it. How did this get so dirty?



BONG!!! What is this?


Well, after several google searches, phone calls to local bug people, and emails to some people who I consider to be furniture experts I diagnosed Cindy to have "powderpost beetles."

BONG!!!


Yep folks. The clock has struck twelve and my poor Cindy is sitting all alone with nothing but the beetles to keep her company.

My research tells me that it is going to cost me three figures to get her clean. Granted I only paid $15 for her, but that price just isn't worth it.

I seriously thought about just throwing caution to the wind and putting her in the house anyway, but according to pest experts those little creatures can spread to other furniture and are impossible to kill without major fumigationm and expensive pesticides.

I thought maybe the paint would seal them in. I thought the hot summer heat would kill them. Nope. The sawdust says it all. Those little piles just appeared yesterday. So even if I do love her and I already have the space for her, she is going to the curb. It is going to kill me. I guess I am the wicked step-mother afterall.

WAHHHHH!!! (That's me crying.)