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Showing posts with label How to posts.. Show all posts
Showing posts with label How to posts.. Show all posts

Tuesday, October 19, 2021

If The Walls Of This Old House Could Tell A Story…The Master Bedroom

Four weeks ago, I began sharing the most wonderful junkin’ project of my life thus far.   The renovation/ transformation of a 108 year old house that my Cowboy grew up in, and now owns. 
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The house was in a nasty state of disrepair inside and out, and in desperate need of some attention.   I spent a little time chatting up my Cowboy, talking him into Tootsifying the old place a little bit…okay…who am I trying to kid here…Tootsifying the place a LOT.  He finally agreed…and we got started.
   
The Cowboy is an avid hunter, and always wanted to have a place to crash during hunting season.  He tends to hunt in Minburn county,  (where the old house is located) and having an option to stay would be wonderful, as we live in another town about an hour away.

The old lady is getting a renovation, cleaning and total make over.  She is going from a ruin…to a cowboy/hunting/rustic hideaway. 

The transformation has been fun - fun - fun!!!

Since I shared the small bedroom last week, I am going to share the master bedroom today.
 
Lets get started! 
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THIS nasty mess is the master bedroom!   The wallpaper is faded and falling off…the plaster is crumbling and it needs a LOT of work.   The kind of work that we do NOT have the time to do right this minute as hunting season is almost here.   I need to come up with a way to make this room suitable to sleep in…and I need to do it fast!   My Cowboy is certainly lucky that his Tootsie has a very good imagination…and a pile of energy.
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I contemplated this room while I cleaned out the clutter and garbage on the floors….
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I had a lot to do in this room, so I brought in the “troops” to help!   My two oldest kids were happy to help me clean out the room and pull off some of the hanging wallpaper.   In all honesty, they were absolutely delighted to pull OFF the wallpaper…They are normally not supposed to be touching the walls of any house…so demolition type activity is a real treat for them!  lol
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Since we are planning to do some serious work on these two walls…but not this month, due to time restrictions, I decided to seal in some of the ICK with a nice thick coat of paint.  I was happy to use up the last of the old red paint that I had kicking around, so that part of the project was free…!  YAY!    I then painted the baseboards, and the other two walls with the plateau gray that I painted the walls of the small bedroom with.
  
Once the walls were dry…
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I grabbed some of these…
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….and attached them to the walls like this.
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I put up several across the top and the bottom of the red walls.

I then cut some copper pipe.

I just know you are wondering what the heck I am doing…so I will just get to the point.
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I had several sets of sheer curtains left over from my old house.  They are in a taupe color and right now I am hnot using them.  They are taking up valuable storage space in my house, and I just knew I could make them work in this room.
 
Lucky for me, the Cowboy had replaced all the plumbing in the house the week before, while I was working on the small bedroom,  and he had a nice pile of copper pipe sitting in the back yard on the scrap pile.  I needed some nice strong curtain rods, in a nice long length…and that copper pipe was just screaming my name!

I headed out to the pile…and brought a bunch of those lengths of copper pipe into the house.   I cut it, and pieced it together with pipe collars that we picked up at the hardware store, and made myself a custom curtain rod!
  
I threaded the sheer curtains tightly onto the copper pipe that I cut, both top and bottom.
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I then set the top rod of the curtain on TOP of the L brackets that I set up earlier.   The nut and bolt are there to hold the rod from rolling off the bracket.  I then put the bottom rod UNDER the bracket…the nut and bolt are pointing downward to hold the rod in.
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The bottom will look like this!
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This is what the two walls that we will not have time to repair completely look like now!

The curtains cover the red paint that seals the walls…and it softens the room nicely!
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I then added some nice cream colored bed sheet curtains the same way that I did in the small bedroom…and was good to go!
 
Walls, ceiling and trims are all done in Plateau Gray…and the floor got the rosy color that we like to call a happy accident…as we ended up with a custom color…and the room is ready for furniture!
  
My Cowboy was away at work for two weeks, while I was playing in this room among other things.

When he got home, I took him on a little tour of his old home…

He was certainly surprised to see the changes I made to this room…he loves the curtained walls!   He even commented that maybe we should just leave them up for good!
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So?   How did I do?   Do YOU think this quick fix will make this room comfortable enough until we get some time to get in there and fix those nasty walls???

This is where I am going to leave you for today.  Stay tuned for a sneak peek at the custom furniture I am making to put in this old house…I will be posting a tutorial in the next day or two!

Until Next Time…Happy Junkin’/ Renovating/ Decorating!
 
*)*)*)… never mistake kindness for weakness.. Because one gives freely does not mean that you have to take always.

(¯`v´¯)
`*.¸.*´Glenda/Tootsie
¸.•´¸.•*¨) ¸.•*¨)
(¸.•´ (¸.•´ .•´ ¸¸.•¨¯`•.
www.tootsietime.com
Did you miss a post or two in this series?
Article #1  If The Walls Of This Old House Could Tell A Story…The Saddest Chapter Is About To End.

Article #2   If Walls Could Tell A Story…The 108 Year Old House…On The Inside

Article #3 If The Walls Of This Old House Could Tell a Story…The Small Bedroom In The 108 Year Old House

This post has been proudly sponsored by 


and
(it actually works great!   We tried it!)


Thursday, October 3, 2019

Tasks: The Greenhouse In October

Many greenhouse growers use their greenhouses for a short period during the warmer months of the year, but there are a small percentage of us that grow year round!
This month by month outline will share what tasks may need to be done year round.
Keeping in mind that I garden in Alberta Canada, (zone 2) the outdoor growing season is from mid to the end of May until the hard frosts take my gardens in mid to late September or early October. If your climate is a bit milder than mine, you can adjust your greenhouse schedule to suit your climate.
This schedule is made for a plan to plant outdoors in Mid to late May.
OCTOBER
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October brings with it a significant slow down to the daily activities in the greenhouse.  The summer blooms, crops and heat waves have passed on to make way for the cooler temperatures of fall.  We no longer will need to be so vigilant with daily watering, damping down and venting, but instead we need to pay attention to cool weather patterns and be ready to turn on the heat at night after the sun has set. 
In spite of the beautiful colors that fall in Alberta Canada brings, it also brings with it frost and much cooler temperatures.  There are specific tasks that I will need to take care of in the greenhouse before the full effect of fall sets in on us.
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In October, in my greenhouse I do the following tasks:
*  I live in a cooler climate and that means that I will have to take measures to ensure the heat is kept in the greenhouse over the winter. I will need to install my winter flooring over the decking in the greenhouse.
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The material that I use to insulate the floor in winter months is a 1/2 inch thick layer of foam matting.  (I use anti fatigue mats) This layer  of flooring mats will help to insulate the floor and keep some of the chill off as the temperatures dip below the freezing point.
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*  We all need to be sure that our heating systems are in perfect working order.  We certainly do NOT want to get caught with our “pants down” if a cold snap should hit. 
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*  Make sure the thermostat on the heating system is set to help keep things at a “happy” temperature inside the greenhouse…  Especially during those cooler nights.
*  It is time for us to stop damping down this month.  There is no longer the need to provide extra humidity, or too cool things off.  Too much humidity can cause more harm than good.
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*  Try to always keep some ventilation going.  We don’t need as much air flow venting as we did in the hot summer months, but we do need some air flow to keep fresh air moving about and helping to even out the temps in the greenhouse.
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*  Between mid morning and early afternoon is the best time to open your vents but remember to close them at night.  Try not to open vents on wet days if possible.
*  Be careful with your watering!!!   Over watering is a possibility now that it is cooler and the days are shorter.  Our plants are not as active and the warm temps are gone.  They do not need too much water this time of year. 
*  Try not to water too late in the day, as we need to allow the leaves and staging (if it gets wet) to dry out before it gets dark outside.  If we water early on in the day, any splashes can dry out before the sun sets.
*  Clean up your plants!  Remove any dead or yellowing leaves and/or spent flowers.   Spray I insects or diseases are present.  Make sure that if you need to spray for bugs, that you do it early in the day, regardless if you are using a “green” home made spray or a chemical commercial one.
*  Bring all of your frost sensitive plants inside for the winter months
*  Stop feeding your plants on a weekly basis this month.  The cooler temperatures and shorter days have caused many of them to go dormant.  Starting in October, cutting back to monthly feeding for most plants will be sufficient.
*  Assess what you will need to do to winterize the greenhouse for those coldest of months…make sure you have the supplies to do this.  We must have it all in place in the next month or so!
* Check your stock of supplies such as pots, soil, plant food, bulbs etc. and replenish what is low.
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*  keep your water reservoirs filled!  I use two large plastic garbage cans to hold water for the greenhouse.  I fill mine as needed from the outside tap.  It will not only keep your plants moderately watered…but will help keep some humidity in the air.
* Don’t forget to update your garden journals!!! Continue to take lots of photos to remind yourself of the things you do and do not like for future reference!
* maintain those clean conditions in the greenhouse…this will help prevent problems!!
I will see you again in November with more greenhouse tasks!
What tasks do you do for the month of October in your greenhouse?
Until next time….Happy gardening!
(¯`v´¯)
`*.¸.*´Glenda/Tootsie
¸.•´¸.•*¨) ¸.•*¨)
(¸.•´ (¸.•´ .•´ ¸¸.•¨¯`•.

www.tootsietime.com


today’s post has been proudly sponsored by 19 8ighty 9ine
www.chic-a-boot.com

Wednesday, September 4, 2019

Tasks: The Greenhouse In September

Many greenhouse growers use their greenhouses for a short period during the warmer months of the year, but there are a small percentage of us that grow year round!
This month by month outline will share what tasks may need to be done year round.
Keeping in mind that I garden in Alberta Canada, (zone 2) the outdoor growing season is from mid to the end of May until the hard frosts take my gardens in mid to late September or early October. If your climate is a bit milder than mine, you can adjust your greenhouse schedule to suit your climate.
This schedule is made for a plan to plant outdoors in Mid to late May.
SEPTEMBER
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September is the month when we begin to see the change from summer over to autumn. The days are slowly getting shorter and the nights are cooler. Most of our plants are still actively growing this month, but the cheerful blooms that made up our colorful displays are beginning to decline as the days go on.
We run the risk of frost in the overnight this month and we need to start to move some of our more tender plants into the the greenhouse from the garden to ready them for the winter. Even with the warms days still upon us, September is a good month for us to prepare for the cooer winter months ahead.
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In September I do the following tasks in my greenhouse:
*Check the heating system to ensure that it is in good working order and does not require any repairs. We may need to use it this month if the night time temperatures dip below the freezing point.
* This is a very good month to clean and disinfect the greenhouse in order to prepare for the moving in of the tender plants that we want to over winter indoors.
* Keep a watchful eye on the temperatures inside and outside this month. During the day, we will want to keep our vents open to avoid overheating the greenhouse plants. At night, or during those inevitable cold snaps, all vents will need to be closed to retain some of the sun’s warmth.
* Just as the need for ventilation begins to taper off this month, so does the chore of damping down. Only spray the floors and the staging down if necessary on the warm days, but make sure that you get this task done before mid day, to ensure moisture and fungal issues do not arise.
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* This month you will want to remove much of the shading that was installed earlier in the spring months, as maximum light illumination is of the utmost importance. Keep some shade, however, for those shade loving plants such as ferns that will reside inside the greenhouse.
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* If necessary fumigate the greenhouse with a fungicidal smoke this month…
* Get ready to move those tender plants into the greenhouse from the gardens! Plants that are not frost hardy can be irreparably damaged by one sharp frost. Make sure they are free from pests before taking them inside though!
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* If you are feeding your gardens and container plants, it is a good idea to begin to slow this practice down as many of our plants are beginning to go dormant for the winter this month. Feeding them would be a waste of time.
* Check your stock of supplies such as pots, soil, plant food, bulbs etc. and replenish what is low.
* Don’t forget to update your garden journals!!! Continue to take lots of photos to remind yourself of the things you do and do not like for future reference!
* maintain those clean conditions in the greenhouse…this will help prevent problems!!
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* Enjoy the last days of the summer in your gardens and greenhouse while we wait for fall!
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I will see you again in October with more greenhouse tasks!
What tasks do you do for the month of September in your greenhouse?
Until next time….Happy gardening!
(¯`v´¯)
`*.¸.*´Glenda/Tootsie
¸.•´¸.•*¨) ¸.•*¨)
(¸.•´ (¸.•´ .•´ ¸¸.•¨¯`•.

www.tootsietime.com

today’s post has been proudly sponsored by 18 8ighty 9ine Clothing House
 19 8ighty 9ine Clothing House

Wednesday, April 3, 2019

Tasks: The Greenhouse in April

Many greenhouse growers use their greenhouses for a short period during the warmer months of the year, but there are a small percentage of us that grow year round!

This month by month outline will share what tasks may need to be done year round.
 
Keeping in mind that I garden in Alberta Canada, (zone 2) the outdoor growing season is from mid to the end of May until the hard frosts take my gardens in mid to late September or early October. If your climate is a bit milder than mine, you can adjust your greenhouse schedule to suit your climate.
 
This schedule is made for a plan to plant outdoors in Mid to late May.
 
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Happy Spring!!!
 
As we have just passed the official date that marks the first of the warmer season, we have Lots to do in the greenhouse!
 
In my case, all but a couple varieties of seed have been sown, and things are growing like crazy!
 
This is an unusual year…the photos that I am sharing in this post are from 2010…as this year we still have 3 feet of snow on the ground! It has been a LONG winter, and it is not as warm as normal…spring is a bit delayed. So…I am going to give you the regimen that I use on a regular year!
 
This month, we need to focus on the plants…the watering and the feeding and the ventilation!
 
*High day temperatures can be a problem this month. Regular ventilation is essential. Make sure your ventilation systems are in good working order this month…you will need them!
 
*Some shading will be necessary in cloudless, sunny weather. I hang sheer curtains  or inexpensive thin white bed sheets as a shade barrier on the roof of the greenhouse.
 
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*Keep watch for pests. Greenfly, whitefly, vine weeval and red spider mite are all active now, as are the aphids.
 
*Regular feeding is essential. Do not over-feed, and make sure not to feed seedlings too early!
 
*The need for night heating is reduced this month, but be careful. If you have a cold snap young growth is especially susceptible. Watch your thermostats!
 
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* regular watering regimens are very important this month. I use the garden hose, but always make sure I have a reserve inside just in case!
 
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*thinning seed flats that may have been over seeded is important to avoid overcrowding, (which causes disease)
 
*re-seed any varieties that may have had sparse germination…there is still a little time before last frost!
 
*maintain clean conditions in the greenhouse …
 
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*keep our greenhouse journals up to date!!!
 
* April is the month that I like to start planting the hanging baskets and container gardens for my patio. This is always so much fun!
 
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*closer to the end of the month, if the weather conditions are right, there is always the option of bringing some of the plants outside to begin the hardening off process that we will focus on next month.
 
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I will see you again in May with more greenhouse tasks!
 
What tasks do you do for the month of April in your greenhouse?
 
Until next time….Happy gardening!
 
*)*)*)   don't ever settle. go for what you want no matter how hard you believe it is to obtain.
 
(¯`v´¯)
`*.¸.*´Glenda/Tootsie
¸.•´¸.•*¨) ¸.•*¨)
(¸.•´ (¸.•´ .•´ ¸¸.•¨¯`•.

Friday, May 25, 2018

What’s the MOST Outrageous Thing You’ve Ever Painted?

As many of you have probably noticed…I LOVE PAINT.   Not Chalk paint…but latex paint.   Chalk paint just doesn’t do ‘it’ for me…and I think it’s a colossal waste of time and money…so unless I find a brand that does what I want it to do…there won’t be any chalk paint posts from me.   I don’t do fads, and I think Chalk paint is just that.   This post…like most  of the others I’ve done…is a latex paint project.

Over the years you guys have seen me paint a LOT of different things…and for the most part I was sure of how the project would turn out before I even did it.   This time, however, I decided that I had nothing to lose…and I was VERY skeptical about how it would turn out…but SOMETHING had to change…so either way this project was going to get done.

Do you remember a few years back when I got my antique sofa set?   Of course you do!
In case you don’t …this is the sofa.

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Do you remember how much I hated the color of that set, so I decided to try to dye the velvet?   Of course you do!

In case you don’t…this is her after I dyed her fabric…


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We LOVED her new color…and I never did get around to updating the wood on it…BUT…after three full years of us using her…moving her...vacuuming her…and even steam cleaning her…the dye faded.

To read the whole post about the dye and the way I went about that project...click here.   

It looked sad.   Just sad and OLD.

sofa before

This is our everyday living room furniture...we USE it.   I imagine that had it just been in a sitting room, with occasional use…it would have lasted a lot longer…but…it didn’t and so I am in the ‘mood’ to fix it up a bit again.

It was getting an update no matter if I had to take the time out to reupholster it…or not…so in MY mind…I had nothing to lose.   We all hated the way it looked at this time…and the Cowboy even suggested we toss it in the dumpster and find a different set to add to our home.  One way or another…there was going to be a much nicer view in our living room.

SOOO…the most outrageous thing I have ever painted became…my antique French Provincial sofa set.

I just could NOT look at this sad, faded view any longer.   It was at the point where we were embarrassed to even have people see it!   When the decision was made…I was determined to make my idea work no matter what…and if it didn’t…I’d either let them hit the dumpster OR reupholster them.

sofa before (2)

With nothing to lose…I hit the paint shop, chose my color…and got the girl to mix me up a can of flat latex paint.   I wanted a darker shade…so as to hide that nasty pink…and I wanted something neutral.   I chose a color called Cambridge by General Paint.   It is a dark brown with grey undertones.

I had been researching painting velvet fabric for a few days, and I saw NO posts that were successful in painting velvet…and …and saw that I needed fabric medium…or glycerine…and there was NO way I was going to go to that expense for an experiment…PLUS…living in this tiny little town, there was no way I was going to get my hot little hands on either of those…so I decided to do what I do best…and use my experience with paint…and wing it!

I made my own recipe using specific parts vinegar, water and paint, and went to work on a project that all of my research said could not successfully be done.

WHY IS IT THAT WHEN I SEE THAT OTHERS ARE SAYING SOMETHING CAN’T BE DONE…I HAVE THIS STRONG URGE TO PROVE THEM WRONG????

When I first started…I was using my mixture AND a spray bottle of water, like I had seen in the posts I read of others trying this.    I figured that if I sprayed the fabric first, it would allow the fibers to soak up the paint better…but that was not the case…all that did was create more work for me.   (which is also where I think the others that tried and failed went wrong)

Sofa during

By adding the extra water from the spray bottle…I was diluting my mixture even more than I wanted to and ended up needing to do a second coat!   So…that spray bottle got ditched..and I just went with my little wax brush and painted in a circular motion (pushing down firmly) to make sure that the paint would get between all of the fibers in the velvet. 

This is the type of  brush I found the best to get right into the grain of the fabric…I borrowed this photo from the internet as I forgot to take a photo of mine.

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It took a fair amount of time to get the entire sofa set and cushions done…but I finished it!   I then used a regular soft bristle brush to paint the wood parts of my sofa in a full strength paint in the same color!   I could have used my fabric recipe to do the wood as well…but it was faster for me to just use it full strength.

sofa in progress

I set up a fan to get it to dry faster because I was SOOO excited to see how it was going to turn out.   It felt like FOREVER before it was dry…when in reality it was only a couple of hours…but an excited Tootsie is an impatient one!

Let me tell you…it was WORTH THE WAIT!!!

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MY SOFA PROJECT TURNED OUT WONDERFUL!!!

The first couple of days, it was as you’d expect it to be…just a little stiff…but not crunchy or solid…but the more we used it, the fabric softened right up!

sofa back close up

The next weekend…I found time to finish the set…and I am absolutley amazed at the difference it made to the entire room.

We all love the new look AND feel of the fabric…and I am proud to say that velvet CAN BE PAINTED and that it won’t be crunchy and hard but instead soft!

loveseat after

My antique sofa set looks like brand new!…well almost.   I am waiting on my new foam to put into the cushions, because as you can see the old stuff is kinda tired.   That will make another huge difference.

As you can imagine…the fresh look of the furniture has prompted a bit of a makeover of the entire room…and once it’s done, I will share again…but I just could not wait to say that I did it!…and I am glad!

So…that’s it for me for today…What’s the most OUTRAGEOUS thing you’ve ever painted???

Will you try to paint YOUR living room furniture?   If you want my recipe just say the word…I’d be happy to share.

Until next time…Happy painting!!!

(¯`v´¯)
`*.¸.*´Glenda/Tootsie
¸.•´¸.•*¨) ¸.•*¨)
(¸.•´ (¸.•´ .•´ ¸¸.•¨¯`•.

www.tootsietime.com

today’s post has been proudly sponsored by Chic-a-Boot…
chalk board sticker