Shabby Chic Dining Table

Once the new Guest/Study Room was built, I needed to do something with the dining room set that used to be there when it was a Dining Room.
I originally thought I'd like to fix it up a bit, paint it, reupholster the chairs, etc...but at the time I wasn't sure if I really wanted to put the time, money, and effort into it.
So after several weeks of having it posted on Craigslist, and it NOT selling, I decided to go with my original plan, and give it a facelift! =) 

There are 4 parts to this NEW Dining Room Set:

- Paint/Distress Table
- Paint/Distress China Cabinet
- Paint/Distress Chairs
- Reupholster Chairs

Every part is a bit time-consuming, time that I don't always have a lot of!  ha ha 
So TODAY I worked on the TABLE!!!

Here's the entire set:

Let's get started!!! =)

After 2 coats of Valspar white paint...

((since I'm distressing, I didn't need to make sure it was "perfect"))

I then took the table outside, and sanded down the top of the table. 

It originally had a glossy finish, and I wanted a more rustic finish.

This is after the top was sanded, I applied stain onto the legs, and scruffed it up a bit with sand paper...

And here it is NOW...

Here's a side-by-side view:

...and some close-up shots of the "distressing"...

After finishing this, and seeing what a BIG difference it made, I can't WAIT to start on the China Cabinet!  Stay tuned! =)

oooo - Jenny

Pavers & Polymeric Paver Sand = simple DIY Summer project!


It's Summer time, so I thought I would share with y'all a simple DIY Patio project using bricks and paver sand... 

LEVEL out the area you want to lay your paver or stones...
((we used regular play sand to fill the hole))

After it's all level, arrange the pavers (I call them bricks) how you would like them...

POUR the Polymeric Paver Sand into the cracks...

BRUSH Polymeric Paver Sand into cracks, and off the actual paver/stone.

((the paver sand will later harden, so you want to make sure it's off your stone.))

SPRINKLE water on top...not too much...allow to dry, sprinkle some more, allow to dry, sprinkle some more, repeat until you feel the paver sand has hardened...

Add a Firepit ((or at least that's what I did...haha)), and TA DA!

Thanks for looking! =)

oooo - Jenny

DIY Serving Tray & MORE!!!

This is what was left over from the DIY Table that I made from a Changing Table, you can find details on that here.  It is basically the bottom shelf, and the ledge that I cut off...

I went and cut the ledge in 1/2, nailed them to the shelf, painted, and turned it into a Serving Tray!!!

Here's a sneak peek at the Photo Collage wall we've been working on.   I still need to paint the older frames that we added to go along with the IKEA white frames, and I'm not sure if I would still like to add MORE frames to the wall.  I may just need to live with it for a while.  I also, of course, need to add actual PICTURES to the frames!  ha ha

Thanks for looking! =)

oooo - Jenny

SURPRISE!!!

Before I tell you what this post is about, what are your first thoughts on this table? 

So...what did you think? 

I needed a skinny table to put on this new wall that we built...the width couldn't be too wide, because the hallway going into the kitchen isn't very wide.

My first thought was this Shoe Cabinet I saw at IKEA...

If you notice, there's no back legs, it's almost like a dresser cut in 1/2.  It would have been perfect for the hallway, as it almost fits flush up against the wall.

Then one day as I was cleaning and organizing my bedroom, I noticed how our Changing Table was basically just a spot to hold all of our clean, folded laundry.  ha ha

We never really used it much to change diapers on.

After starring it down, trying to think of what I could do to make it look more like a table, and NOT a Changing Table, I loaded up the kiddo's, and went to Lowes to pick out some paint!

I thought if I painted it first, maybe it wouldn't look like such a Changing Table, and it would spark some ideas in my head!

Before painting, I already knew I wanted to take off the bottom shelf.

I thought maybe eventually I could store a bigger basket underneath the table to hide toys.

By the time I finished painting it, my husband was home from work, and I was able to get his opinion on what I should cut off next to make it look less like a changing table.

He suggested the same thing I thought, which was to cut off the front ledge.

Great minds think alike.

Here's how it looked after I took off that front ledge...

I sanded it down, did some touch up paint, and WALLA!!!

And a view from the Living Room...

So...BEFORE I told you it was a Changing Table...

Could you tell that I UP CYCLED a Changing Table??

My NEXT project is to turn this wall into a Photo Collage...I picked up a bunch of white frames from IKEA, and I'm going to hang them all around this table.

So stay tuned!!!

Paint Color:  Valspar Samples - Tropical Bay

Live, Laugh, Love Wall Art:  Shipping Pallets!...read about that HERE!

Baskets:  Target

Flower Arrangement:  My super talented Sister!

http://www.krhdesigns.net

Study/Guest Bedroom UPDATE!!!

I know y'all haven't left your computer since my last update on the Study/Guest Bedroom! 

I know y'all have just been DYING to know what we've been up to, eh?  ha ha ha

Well, now y'all can get some sleep tonight, because here's an UPDATE!!!  Yea! 

((I know, I know...I'm a dork.))

Last time I checked in was here , when we had the walls up, and the framing and doors were done.

Well, check it out NOW!!!

Here it is after it was textured...

...and after it was painted...

The paint color is:  Benjamin Moore - Rockport Gray

Putting together the Sofa Bed turned out to be a bit of a challenge.  Not only were the assembly instructions MISSING from the 4 boxes it came in, but the instructions were also NOT listed on the IKEA website!!!  On top of that, it was missing 4 screws!!!

So after matching up some screws from Lowes, and "guessing" on how to put together this Sofa Bed, here's how it's looking NOW...

Next on the list:

- moulding

- electrical work

(gotta switch out the chandelier that was there for the Dining Room, to a ceiling fan)

- and a few decorative touches!

I'll keep y'all updated!

oooo - Jenny

Pumpkins in July!!!

I wanted to get a head start on making pumpkin decorations to display around the house this Fall.  My plan is to do at least ONE Pumpkin project each month up until November! 

FIRST on the List!!!

Yarn Wrapped Pumpkins! 

I saw this idea on Two Shades of Pink and LOVE what she did with hers.  I do plan to eventually make some in the color shades she used, but I worked with what I had.

I already had some yarn that I got for FREE from a Garage Sale, and I just went through the pumpkins I already had.  Hobby Lobby has their Fall decorations out now, but they don't have them on sale yet.

And let me just say...this project is VERY time consuming, and some-what painful.  I think I may have sizzled off the top layer of skin from my fingers, because of the hot glue gun!  ha ha

Supplies Needed:

- Yarn (the thicker ones are easier to use on this type of project)

- Hot Glue Gun & Sticks!

- cheap dollar store pumpkins!

- ...and patience.  ha ha

So on these pumpkins, I just did vertical lines up, down, and around the pumpkin.  I put a layer of glue down, and laid the yarn on top of that. 

Super easy!

To make the flower designs...

And that's all there is to it! 

Very easy, very time consuming, and oh-so-worth it!

Thanks for looking!!!

oooo - Jenny