It’s Miller Time! Tootsie Style!

  Dusty MillerTime that is!

Don't get me wrong..I do enjoy a good beer once in a blue moon...but today... is not one of those days.

Today we are throwing all self control out the window and planting some Dusty Miller seed.    For those who may not be familiar with this plant, allow me to introduce you!



I really enjoy the silver qualities of Dusty Miller…also known as Silver Dust…when planted in amongst other plants with colorful blooms, it seems to reflect them. 
Colors Just pop against the light colored fuzzy plants! They are a versatile and fun to use plant in pots, in beds amongst plantings or even as a border…(such as the one I have planted below)





Grab your planting tools…and lets get busy!



You will need your trusty packages of seed….you can see what Dusty Miller seed looks like in the top right corner of the package…I like to make sure you all know what color and size they actually are!



Next you will need to go to your stash of pre-filled seed cells in a lined tray with Daisy support tray below.
I like to use the Sunshine professional soil mixes...check them out if you haven't already!

Follow the directions on the package…

Once you have placed your seed on the top of the soil, and your tray is all planted up…you will want to place it on the shelf and fill the lined tray with water.

Make sure you set that tray near the window…remember Dusty Miller NEEDS light to germinate!



Watering from below will help make sure that you don’t lose your seeds…and will saturate the entire cell of soil.

And then….we wait. 

 

….and WAIT….and WAIT some more!

I have terrible luck with Dusty Miller most years…I often have to re-seed before I get results.  I hope this year is not one of those years.   I have a great idea planned for my Dusty Miller Plants this year!

That’s it…that’s all!   How easy is that?   I don’t think there is any excuse for anyone not to try to sow from seed…do you?

Until Next Time... Happy Gardening!

*)*)*) If you don't see the light at the end of the tunnel...remember not all tunnels are straight!!!

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

Recipe For Blooms

Geranium Blooms!!!



Oh ya…kids…it’s time…yep..time to GET YOUR PLANT ON!!!
LETS GET SOME DIRT IN OUR HAIR!   WOO HOO!  
Yes…I am a little excited…but hey…it’s planting time…what do you expect?   IT’S PLANTING TIME!  :) 
Okay…ahem…I am going to pull myself together here…and stop celebrating for a few minutes…so I can help you guys get YOUR plant on!   It’s a simple recipe really…



You will need a few little supplies…I use the items above quite regularly.   Included in this photo are:
~Plastic garden markers (made out of an inexpensive mini blind that I cut up)
~Chamomile Tea bag
~Stainless Steel Widger (helps to move soil and seeds)
~Seed spoons
~tweezers
~scissors
~permanent marker



~Geranium Seeds!!!



~soil and pots!!!  
Lets get busy!
!!!!!!!!   WAIT   !!!!!!!!
Now, before we continue here, I think it is important to discuss my choice of planting medium.  I have had a lot of questions regarding what I use to plant in, and I think it is about time, I answer this question once and for all…don’t you?  


I like to use Sunshine professional growing mixes!   There are many different mixes…and there is always one that is just perfect for your planting needs!   I have used Pro Mix 3 and Pro Mix 4 for YEARS now and I have never been disappointed in this product.

 To visit the website for more information and to see what else this company has to offer, click on the highlighted words or the photos above…and you will be taken straight to their site!
Okay…I feel much better now…so lets get back to business….



Geraniums are vulnerable to damping off …and I like to take some precautions to try to prevent this disease from becoming a problem in my greenhouse.   At one time I used a chemical product, but have learned a more environmentally friendly way to manage this issue.  I use chamomile tea!     I haven’t had any trouble with Damping off since…so it must be effective!
I use a plastic greenhouse tray, add a plastic liner (as some of them are getting old and have a few little leaks)   I fill the tray with water and put a tea bag in there to steep…



(I also steep a full garbage can of chamomile tea in the greenhouse for watering purposes for a few weeks) 



Next we need to make a little dimple in the soil to put out seed into…I use the tip of my marker to do this…it’s the perfect size.



Remember…not too deep…just be gentle!  Now that we have our little dimple made…it’s time for SEEDS!



Using the seed spoon or tweezers, place one tiny seed into the dimple you just made in the pot!



There it is!



Lightly cover that tiny seed with some of the growing medium and you are almost ready to grow!



If you are like me, you like to know what color everything is going to be.   I label each pot with the color of the geranium that is planted in it.  I use the cut up mini blinds and my permanent marker to tag each pot with the bloom color!



All tagged and sown…ready for some water!



Once I have sown and labeled each pot, I like to let them absorb some of the tea steeped water from the bottom.  The chamomile tea will help to prevent damping off disease, and soaking in from the bottom will prevent our little seeds from being moved from their new little homes.   Once the soil is evenly moistened…I move them back into their growing trays and wait. 
…and wait.
…and wait.
…and wait.   I can’t even explain why I love to grow from seed so much…anyone who knows me knows I am NOT a patient Tootsie…and it seems there is a LOT of waiting involved in this hobby doesn’t there?  well…it’s worth it.
You will need to repeat the entire process again and again and again until all your Geranium seeds are sown…




I planted 200 Geraniums of various colors today…How many do you plant?  Do you have a favorite color?

Well that’s it for me today…

Until Next Time…Happy Gardening!

*)*)*) Trials of life can either make us or break us - it's our attitude that makes the difference.

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

Chicken Coop Curtains - Tootsie Style

After the move, I had to re-think pretty much everything in my house.  The windows are NO exception to this problem. 

Those of you who have been reading me for a while know that I could not sew if my life was on the line...so I have to be creative with my window treatments...or let them look like they came from a big box store.   I refuse to be typical...so I choose to be creative.

My youngest daughter has a fairly large window in her bedroom.  I did not want to get rid of her pretty sheer curtains that she had, so I had to modify my design to make them work with her new window dimensions.

Simply hanging the curtains without a valance worked at our other house, but definitely NOT in this house.



The curtains look “okay”…but they are just not quite what I wanted to see…so I got to scheming…and trying to come up with a new look for them.

One night I was browsing around the internet and I came across some adorable curtains made out of chicken wire.  I loved the look of them…but didn’t want to have the same thing…no copy cat here!   I kept on looking…but could not get those curtains out of my head…nor could I find them again to look at!  So…I have to thank my inspiration person from here…”thank you who ever you are for the inspiration!”

With the inspiration of that elusive post  still fresh in my mind, I decided to make my own Tootsie version of those curtains.

I pulled out my roll of chicken wire…and grabbed a couple of gauzy window panels and started to work.  I cut myself some of the chicken wire to fit the window and folded it in half to make it the right size for my plan.




I then started ripping strips of fabric and weaving them in and out of the chicken wire.




I wanted the valance that I was making to be “imperfect” and look a little frayed…so I added a little more detail with some purple pieces ripped and frayed to add a little “shabby” to the whole thing. 
After several hours of weaving and ripping and tying little pieces onto the chicken wire…My masterpiece was complete!




I hung the valance onto the existing curtains with a couple of curtain clips (it is really light weight) and ripped a couple more strips to use as ties on the sheers.

“Busy” absolutely LOVES them now!



I am far from finished in this room…but the window is off to a very good start.  The purple in the valance pulls the purple in her bed spread quilt out nicely!  I have ideas for that bed…and a few other little projects  that I would like to find time to work on in the near future.  In other words…you haven’t seen the last of this bedroom!

 Stay tuned…one of these day’s I will find time…and this room will get Tootsiefied completely.

So?   What do you think?   Do you like the Tootsie Coop look?  ha ha ha!

Until Next Time…Happy Decorating!

*)*)*)  Maybe things don't happen TO us. Maybe things happen FOR us, to make a choice, to decide how we live through the trials and tribulations in life.

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

I am linking in today with the following:
Fabulously Creative Friday
Frugalicious Friday
Inspiration Gallery
Be Inspired

Leather Bound…Right?

Welcome!   Today I am sharing a super easy to do project that I have been working on for a few days.   I am changing the look of a small cabinet table that I have had kicking around here for years and making it into something new!
 
I have had this little table/cabinet for years.  It has three drawers in it…and is quite functional.  There are dividers built into the drawers, that gives it versatility as to it’s use!   It has been everywhere in my house in it’s time and I have painted it and changed it a few times too.  It currently stands in the hallway under a mirror holding a few spare bathroom supplies. 

I still love this cute little piece, but I think it is time to make a slight change to this spot.
I have recently acquired another piece while I was out junkin’ and the new piece happens to be an antique wash stand, so I had to make the executive decision to let this one go to a new home. 
I found this old cabinet a new house to live in, (with a cowboy that I know)  so all I have to do is make it look like it belongs in it’s new place!  Today…I am going to do a make-over from the simple black sophisticated …to a casual country leather bound look!   What!!!   Don’t look at me that way…you know there is a method to my madness!!!  Trust me…this is gonna be great!
If I am going to give this table/cabinet to a cowboy, I decided that it should be sort of finished in a western-ish (yes...that is a word…in my world)  style…so I settled on a leather look finish.   It was very simple to do…I ripped up pieces of plain brown wrapping paper, and crumpled them up…then with a paint brush and some white glue, I glued them all over the piece to cover the entire surface!  EASY.

I let the whole thing dry overnight, and the next day went back in and did a coat of mod podge all over it to add a little smoothness and sheen to the paper.
 
The white glue does not dry as smoothly as a mod podge does, but it is cheaper and easier to work with when putting the first  layer on to glue down the paper. 
I let that dry…

I don’t think it looks quite finished yet do you?  I think it needs a little pizazz!   I can still see the black paint through the paper a little bit…SO!… A little paint is just the thing to give this paper covered table/cabinet the final touches. 

I mixed some brown acrylic paint with water to give it a thinner texture….and simply washed it onto the surface of the piece!   I add a little more where I figure it needs it and just work through the entire thing.
 
This is starting to look a little more like leather now!  I am loving this new look!  

I put another coat of the mod podge to the entire thing to seal it up…It goes on white and as it dries it disappears to a nice glossy finish!   The podge puts a nice durable seal over the paint so that daily use and cleaning will not rub the finish off of it!

Once it dried I put the knobs on, and this cabinet is ready to deliver to the cowboy!  He is going to put the dividers in the drawers and use it to house his CD collection!   He has no idea that I am making this for him.  I just know he needed a new space to store his music collection, and that he had mentioned that if I should be out and about junkin’ to keep him in mind!

The sections in the drawers are just the right size for CD cases!
I think it will go very nicely in his house…and will compliment the crate tables that I made for him!
Are you ready for the big reveal????    Here it is:

You guys have NO idea how hard it was to get a good shot of this table today!   I definitely will not be seeking employment in the photography field!   I am just learning how to use this new camera…and well…lets just say…the curve is wide for this girl’s learning!  ha ha!

I did the back in case he decides to float it in the middle of a room some time…


Both sides also turned out nicely.

VOILA! There it is! It is a faux leather treatment easy enough for a child to do but tough enough for a cowboy!
I sure hope he likes it!   If not…I have a great spot for it in my own house!   hahahaha….like you would expect anything less from me!
So? What do you think? Anyone I have shown it to in person really likes it. One person argued that it was real leather! I think it is a nice change…and will look great in that cowboy’s home. I can’t wait to show him in person…turns out someone showed him a photo…and he’s very excited too!
Until next time…Happy Decorating/Junkin’!
*)*)*)  You should never walk all over someone or take them for granted because the day you need them the most will be the day they will be gone.
(¯`v´¯)
`*.¸.*´Glenda/Tootsie
¸.•´¸.•*¨) ¸.•*¨)
(¸.•´ (¸.•´ .•´ ¸¸.•¨¯`•.
www.tootsietime.com

Seating For 6 Or More…At The Door

Welcome!   I am so glad you popped by today!   I am excited to share one of the projects that I have been working hard to finish around my house the last little bit.
I have been junkin’ just a little bit…ok…I have been junkin’ a lot lately.  A friend and I have had a little luck finding some fabulous things…and we have been playing a little with it all.   I have taken a few pieces to add to my house, and I am going to start the sharing today!

I shared the doors that I picked up a few weeks ago, and today I am going to show you all what I did with one of them!  I began with cleaning it up…a lot.

Once it was cleaned up I brought it into the house and set up a space to do some work on it.  I had to bring it inside as I needed to be able to use my china cabinet as a color reference.  This door is about to become my new dining room table!  
I have a beautiful dining room table…but it is far too large for the space allotted in this house as a dining room.  It fit in…but then there was no room for people!  So…I put the table in storage…and got busy working on a new solution to the dining room problem!

I began by laying down a tarp and protecting the floor below my work area…then I set my sights on paint.

One nice thick coat of a good primer to both sides of the door was in order.  I needed this to be sealed up…It was very dirty when it came to me.  I also didn’t want any of the original blue to leech through and show up.  There is no blue in my dining room!  
If you look closely at the photo above, you can see the original dining room table in the background.  I love it so, but it is just way too large for this space.

With my primer dry…I started to rub the door with a gel stain in Dark Mahogany color. 

I LOVE playing with paint.   I think I might be addicted to the smell of paint too…ha ha!   I am not so crazy about the paint fume hangover I get the next day, but hey…It is worth it!

Dark Mahogany on, I start adding some color!   I don’t wait for the different colors to dry…(who has the patience to wait…right?)  I just start rubbing them on.  The second color after the primer is called Cabernet.  I put it on in small patches all over the door…

Just like this!

The next thing I added was a few little touches of black high gloss paint the same way as I added the cabernet.  please ignore the disaster mess in the background!  ugh.

I then went back over the entire door…colors and all with Dark Mahogany again…it blends the colors together a little…so there are no definite lines of color addition…it just kind of softens the lines out.
After all the colors are added to my preference…I needed to wait for the door to cure.   It was left overnight to do this.

In the morning, I got up bright and early…and started to focus on things such as legs….I was gifted these fantastic legs…but there is just one problem…one was broken a bit…

Have no fear!  It's an easy fix...a pair of wooden blocks glued together for me to put on the top of the short leg.   Yay!!   I love these legs…and I think they will be perfect for this project!

I got a cowboy to help me with putting the legs on…and decided that I didn’t want this table project to look like a door sitting on some legs…I needed to dress it up just a little bit.  So, I went to the storage room downstairs and pulled up three pieces of crown moulding to add as a skirt to the table.

I treated it in pretty much the same way that I did the table top.  There is a little more black involved with the skirt…I needed to make it match the china cabinet after all!

The legs are going to be just perfect…

That cowboy did a fabulous job attaching them to the door…and making a little support for the crown moulding to attach to.  (My next project is going to be that ugly fireplace in the background!  I hate that thing!)

TA-DA!!!

I don’t think i want to paint the legs!  I like them just the way they are!

The skirt looks amazing on there!

I plan to find old wooden chairs to sit around the table on…and I think I will try to distress them to look like the legs ….

It looks wonderful!…but now… need to address that horrible little curtain situation that was on the window in this room…That was a no brainer…

I hung a layer of sheer curtains, and then on another rod over top, I added lace sheers…and tied them back with burlap!   Not bad I think…

I like the mix of the casual and the formal…it suits this space.
Man is it hard to take a good photo of the window when the sun is shining!  ha ha !

My dining room feels good now…lots of room for family and friends to sit around the table…and there are some pretty things in here for us all to enjoy.

I am in love with the black chandelier that we put in.  (except for it shows the dust really bad)  ha ha !

The very first chance I had, I hosted a dinner party for all those who were involved in the making of this room…from my junkin’ partner and her hubby, to the cowboy…in total there were 8 of us all sitting around this table enjoying each other’s company and having a nice meal.
I am so happy that I tried this idea.  I really like this table, and I love the way my dining room is coming together.  Right now, I am just using iron chairs that I have from another set that I have, but eventually you will see this room again, when I have enough old wooden chairs distressed to perfection to match the legs of the door turned dining table in my house!
I hope you have enjoyed your visit today!!!  
Until Next Time…Happy Decorating/ Junkin’!
(¯`v´¯)
`*.¸.*´Glenda/Tootsie
¸.•´¸.•*¨) ¸.•*¨)
(¸.•´ (¸.•´ .•´ ¸¸.•¨¯`•.
www.tootsietime.com

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