The Pink Antique Sofa Set …and the Dye.

Hey guys!   Long time no see from me hey?   I do apologize…I just have not had a choice.   Things in my world as of late have been hectic.   I have been struggling with some rather serious health issues…and have had to make a few concessions in my world to accommodate that.   My little family is growing up so fast, that I don’t want to miss anything with them…(and they are super busy)…My little company has gone gang busters, and I am so very busy with that, that I have no time to do much else.   I have been forced to learn to schedule my time by the hour…just to get things done every day!   This is a good thing…but it did take a big bite out of my ‘play time’.    But…as any good mother would tell ya…sometimes real life has to go before the junkin’ fix …I do plan, in the near future, to write a post to let you all in on what has been happening around here…but today is not the day…today…we are doing another fabulous project!!!
so…lets get started!
If you have followed me for a while, you know I love junk…and I love antiques.   I love to decorate with both of them…and that when I find the perfect piece…it must be mine!  You will also know that I always try to wait just a little while before I make a big change to a piece of furniture.   Especially if the change is to the upholstery.   I like to get a feel for it, decide if I am in love with it, and if I plan to keep it for a long period of time.   There are a few exceptions to my ‘think it over’ rule…but for the most part, I force myself to be just a little bit patient.
This project is not one of those exceptions to my rule.  
My story begins almost 3 years ago.   I was in an antiques shop in a little town not too far from home, and I found a loveseat and a sofa that I immediately fell in love with.   Sadly, I did not have anywhere to put a large antique sofa set and, had to leave them behind.  
I pined after these pieces …talked about them to my friends, children and anyone else who would listen to me…and still I did not think I could work them into my home…so at the antique store they stayed.   Months went by…and I never imagined they would still be in the shop…but they were…and I still loved them.
I spent a little time, trying to make the small settee that I had re-done a few years ago work for my living room…but sadly, it didn’t offer nearly enough seating for everyone that we have visiting us regularly…so I had made the decision to store it until one day I have a space that it will work in.   I finally had made room for my beloved set!   I called the store…excited to tell them to hold onto it until I could pick it up…AND IT WAS GONE!
Someone had bought my sofa set!  
I was ticked!   WHO deserved that set more than me?   HOW could this have happened?   I guess I will just have to live with my beautiful yet much too small setee …for now.
I had all but forgotten about the antique sofa set…I was kicking myself for not snatching it up when I had the chance…It was a really good price…and in very good condition.  I thought that the set was meant to be mine.  
When Christmas arrived and we were all sitting on random chairs and stools and the floor, I mentioned that I wish I had purchased that set…it would have been perfect for all of us to sit in.   15 minutes later, I opened an envelope that had a photo of my beloved living room set in it!  
The very next day, the sofa set was moved into my living room where it sat for the last couple of years, (with me contemplating it over and over again…)  and it is still there.
I suppose now would be a good time to share what it looked like….right?

THIS is the sofa.  The loveseat, (photo did not turn out) is the exact same…only smaller of course.  
(To be honest, I never really got a lot of photos of this set…between my recent health issues, my little company, the kids, work, and life in general, photos kind of were one of those things that didn’t take priority. )
Back to my story…
I love the bones of this set.  Now…take a good look at this photo.   Can you tell exactly what it is about this piece that I absolutely was NOT in love with?
Here…I will share it again.

WHAT about this sofa do YOU think I am not loving?
Well?   Did you see it?
IT IS PINK!
Ya…I am NOT a pink girl.   My sister is a pink girl…Busy is a pink girl…millions of other girls are in love with pink…but Tootsie….not so much.
The other day, while I was at my desk working, I looked up, and there it was…in my earth toned living room looking pinker than ever…I finally make the decision that the PINK HAD TO GO!  
…the only issue I now had…was that I don’t have a lot of spare time to play around and re-do the upholstery.  
Because I am a busy single mom…(and about a million other things right now)…I decided that I would take a very big risk and try to simply update this sofa set.   The pink has got to go…and slip covers won’t do the job.   I decided to dye it.
Off to the store I went…to pick up the supplies I would need.   I have never done anything like this before…so I wasn’t quite sure what I would need…not to mention, I live in a tiny little town that hasn’t got a whole lot of options to offer…so I got what I could…and took the leap of faith. 
The whole time I was spraying on the dye formula, I kept telling myself…that the worst that could happen would be that I will have to bite the bullet and shop for some fabric to cover this sofa and love seat.  
I am pleased to say…

It turned out fantastic!!!
All I did was purchase several boxes of fabric dye powder (there was no liquid dye available to me so I took what I could get)   I then put down a LOT of garbage bags to protect the floor below....yes...this is a very messy project.
I mixed the dye fairly strong and added some salt to help it set.  I wanted a color in the olive/khaki/brown family...so I decided to mix equal portions of dark brown dye with forest green dye.   I also took into consideration that the dye mixture would have to mingle with the dusty rose/pink that was already on the sofa...and figured that it would be great if in some places a little more of the pink would show than in others.   I also was prepared for different shades showing up in areas that were more faded or worn than others.
Put the mixture into a spray bottle…and started to spritz it on!      I made sure the entire surface was saturated with the mixture…and left it to dry overnight.  
In the morning, I took out my carpet cleaner, and mixed up a cold water/vinegar solution to run over the whole thing with.   This step pulled any excess dye out …and helped prevent dye from transferring to our clothing.   Once that step had dried…I sprayed it all down with scotch guard…and we were good to go!
I love the way the whole thing turned out…It was a fairly long and involved process…but was just a fraction of the cost and time that it would have taken to have re-upholstered the set.  

Now….my antique sofa set looks wonderful in my earth toned living room…and I can work without the distraction of the PINK sofa screaming at me to change it up!     My antique sofa set can sit like this until I find the perfect fabric to cover it in…and the time to do it!  Yay!!!  Maybe by that time, I will have been able to get the dye that stained my hands off.  haha!
It is difficult to see the exact color of the new look...it is an olive brown...but it looks different in different light...in some light you can see more green tones...and in other light...greyish brown...I love it!
I still need to do a little something to the wood on this set…but that will be a post for another day. :)

That’s all I have for you this time…but very soon I will share what I have growing in the greenhouse…and possibly (time and energy permitting) I will be able to share more of the inside of my little house.
Until next time….Happy decorating!

 *)Unless you're ready for what comes around... Perhaps you should not go around in the first place!  You only end up being the laughed at!  (you know who you are)  “hugs” :)

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

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

                                                   

Check them out!

Re-dressing The Dresser

I have re-finished a lot of furniture…but never have I done a home made treatment.   I have used paint, stain, ink, fabric, paper and metal…but never have I looked into my kitchen cupboards to re-create a piece of furniture.  

A few weeks ago, I was looking online for a way to distress wood, to make it look old.   I happened upon a few sites that gave several different techniques that would weather wood quickly.   Intrigued, I tried every last one of them.   I was disappointed in all of them.   None of them gave me the results I was looking for.   So…in my usual Tootsie fashion, I mulled it over for a few days. 

Everyone knows how I love rust.   YES I said RUST.   I love old rusty metal things, that I can use in my decorating adventures…I just love it.   I love rust pretty much anywhere and everywhere…except on my Truck.  lol   I decided that I would age some wood…and I would do it using a coctail of rust, vinegar. baking soda, and strong black tea.

I poured a jug of vinegar into a pail, threw in a rusty piece of metal and added a sprinkle of baking soda.   It started to bubble immediatley…the vinegar was eating the rust off the metal and turning it to a wonderful shade of brown.   The tea was hot, super strong and a glorious shade of deep brown…It was time.   I just needed to find some wood to age!  I poured the tea into the bucket of vinegar water and was ready to get to work.

I did a few sample boards to see what the concoction that I had brewed up would do to them…Spruce changed to a glorious color of gray…so did cedar…it got very nice and dark…almost black.   Pine changed to a soft shade of brown-gray…I think I found my new favorite treatment!   I NEEDED to try this Tootsie Brew on a piece of furniture!

My Cowboy had this dresser sitting in storage.   It needed to be fixed up.  It isn’t in the “worst” shape…nor is it “old”…but it is something he likes, so he wanted it fixed up a bit.   It is made from solid pine…and had a varnish treatment on it.   I was absolutely “up” for the challenge to make this small dresser over.   It would need to be done in such a way that it would look like it belonged in the Minburn house that we are renovating and transforming.  

I eagerly pulled out the electric sander, and got straight to work!

I sanded for a couple (3 1/2)  of hours, until the dresser was completely naked.   None of the varnish was left at all….It sure did come out white!

There are a few blemishes on the front of the bottom drawer, but for the most part, this piece is in good shape!

I then pulled out my Tootsie Brew…of vinegar, rust, baking soda, and black tea, and got busy painting it onto the dresser.

Waiting for that coat of “brew” to dry seemed to take FOREVER!….

….but it was worth the wait!   I am loving the way this wood is aging!  

I sent my Cowboy a photo of his dresser thus far.   We both agreed that maybe I should try another application of the “brew”   just to try to darken it up a bit more. 

So…I applied another coat.   While I waited for it to dry, I worked on the hardware.

I bought a can of hammered metal spray paint in a brown color…and sprayed each of the drawer pulls. 

By the time the drawer pulls were dry, so was the dresser…and I could marry them!

OH YEA….This looks GREAT.

I love the new look for this dresser…it is rustic and aged…it’s not shiny, it’s not pretty…it’s gorgeous!

It is a great change for this inexpensive dresser.  I am so happy with the way it turned out…and best of all…my Cowboy loves it.  We are both looking forward to putting it into the 108 year old house we are fixing up!

If you would like to read about the 108 year old house project…you can find links to the first 4 chapters at the end of this post.


What do YOU think?   Did I do this dresser justice?   Did my “brew” age it?   Don’t forget to weigh in with a comment!   I’d love to hear from you!

Until Next Time…  Happy Junkin’/ Renovating/ Decorating!

*)*)*)… Beware the true intentions of false people

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

www.tootsietime.com

Did you miss a post or two in the 108 year old house 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 #3If The Walls Of This Old House Could Tell a Story…The Small Bedroom In The 108 Year Old House

Article #4 If the Walls Of This Old House Could Tell a Story…The Master Bedroom

When Their Roots Are Growling….FEED THEM!!! Plant’s Get Hungry Too!!!

 
TOOTSIE TIP!!!!
A quick tip for fertilizing/ feeding your plants... do it first thing in the morning. Plants are waking up and getting their juices flowing...they will benefit the most from a morning feed.  After all...don't they say "Breakfast is the most important meal of the day?"
 

Loads of questions have been coming my way about Fertilizing and feeding ... I thought I would take that as a hint to post and share with you some of the things I know about the topic...
 

 
FERTILIZING/ FEEDING FACTS
It is possible to simply stick your plants into the soil and walk away. Watering alone will help keep them alive, but if you want to see them THRIVE…give them a kick in the roots and add a little fertilizer or organic plant food to your regimen. Fertilizer/ plant food gives your plants the added nutrients that your soil may be missing . These nutrients help keep them strong and healthy, and loaded with blooms.
 

 
Chemical Fertilizer is made up of three primary ingredients:   Nitrogen, Phosphorus and Potassium . These will be listed on the label of the fertilizer in number.
Nitrogen (N) will always be the first number.
Phosphorus (P) is the middle number, and
Potassium (K) will follow up last.
If your label reads 26-13-0 that means that you have 26% Nitrogen, 13% Phosphorus and 0% Potassium.
 
Each element in the fertilizer recipe accomplishes a different task.
Nitrogen helps the leaves and stems grow and stay green.
Phosphorus aids in healthy root growth, flowering, and fruit/seed production.
Finally Potassium helps the plants stay healthy and resist disease. It also helps to keep the actions of the first two ingredients in balance.
 

 
When purchasing a fertilizer/ plant food you will need to consider a couple of things:
How often you want to apply the product, and what you are looking to accomplish with the product are the best questions to ask yourself.
 
The specific rules of fertilizing/ feeding are different for each brand, or plant, but in general you should follow a couple of simple guidelines. NEVER fertilize/ feed a seriously dry (to the point of wilted or collapsed) plant. Pre- water the plant to allow the roots to be ready to absorb the food and then apply the fertilizer treatment.
 

 
When watering newly seeded plants, it is best not to water with fertilizer or plant food at the first sign of germination. It is best to wait until the plant has it’s second set of true leaves. The sprout that first pushes out of the soil is very tender and may be burned by the fertilizer of any kind. At this point, the soil should have enough nutrients to sustain life for a few days or weeks until more foliage develops.
 

 
More is NOT better when fertilizing/ feeding your plants. It is possible to burn the leaves and roots of a plant by over-fertilizing/ feeding.



If I had to choose, I would choose to err on the side of caution and add a little bit less than to risk adding too much. It is best to feed during daylight hours.   Watering at night leaves us open to a host of issues with moisture and and rot, and problems. (a whole other post in itself)



In the past, I have tried the fertilizer sticks that you add to the side of the soil in potted plants. I have not found them to benefit my houseplants in any way. In fact, a few months after inserting them into the soil, they were in exactly the same condition as the very first day! My plants seemed to take no benefit from this form of feeding.   I have tried many different types of organic and chemical fertilizers in the past.   I think it depends on personal preference and availability as to what will work best.   
 


I have not touched on the different types of fertilizers/foods today,  but will say that there are MANY different brands and techniques.  I did not want to focus on specifics as I do not endorse any particular brand or type of feeding.   I also did not want to cause a huge fight…there are a lot of people who have very strong feelings about fertilizing/ feeding of any kind.   For some this is a very HOT topic.   I choose to keep my preferences to myself…and not dredge up any drama!  I really love ALL my followers, and do not want to offend anyone!
I will say that I am quite intrigued with the latest trend in organic/natural feeding products that are out there, and have been trying a few of them on my houseplants.



In the case of my gardens…I would love if any of you have any ideas how I can use some of the organic type of plant foods to feed them…I have a LOT of watering to do…and I don’t want to spend the entire day watering with a watering can…I need to use the garden hose to do this…and would love some advice on using one of the sprayers to feed organically!

 

 
TOOTSIE TIP!!!!!
Water with warm water! Watering with cold water will shock the roots of your plants and stop them growing until they recover. Just think of it as bathing yourself in a pool of ice water…how long does it take you to warm back up?
 


Well…that’s all I that I know about Fertilizing and/or Feeding the plants!  
 


Until Next Time…Happy Gardening!
 
*)*)*)   Silence and a smile are two powerful tools. A Smile is the way to solve many problems but Silence is the way to avoid many problems.
 
(¯`v´¯)
`*.¸.*´Glenda/Tootsie
¸.•´¸.•*¨) ¸.•*¨)
(¸.•´ (¸.•´ .•´ ¸¸.•¨¯`•.www.tootsietime.com

All of my house and garden plants are planted in Sunshine potting mediums.  

Tea Party For The Birds! (and a how-to)

Over the winter my tea pot bird bath sustained some damage. While assessing said damages, I remembered all the photos I took while making this adorable bird bath. 



There have been many many requests for me to do a show and tell-how to make my tea pot bird baths.  I thought maybe it would be a little easier just to re-share the post, rather than sending a link to everyone.  It also will give my new followers the opportunity to see too!

The photo above is my tea pot bird bath made with a ceramic/terra cotta pot tray...I am not so happy with the terra cotta, as it is porous, and does not hold the water...it s all seeping into the ceramic vase I have it sitting on...(and I sealed it to the vase..gross)

Below is the very first one that I ever made...it is on a plastic tray. I had it until last spring when I knocked it over and broke it! Luckily I had another one in the garage ready to go! I have made 8 of these in this style...(roses) They have all gone to friends that were very excited to have one.



I didn't make these out of my head from scratch! I found the idea in a magazine years ago....it was in an advertisement and was VERY pricey. I fell in love with the idea of them almost immediately.

I kept it in the back of my mind for several years....then one day I decided to make one from what I remembered it to look like….It doesn’t look anything like the one I remembered…but…it is mine…and …this...is another "Tootsie Original!”

So...? Is everyone ready to make one? GOOD!

Here's what you will need...




One ceramic tea pot

Two tea cups to match or co-ordinate

One plastic plant pot saucer (to scale with your pot and cup)

One 4-5 inch piece of doweling (for the project I am about to demonstrate...a concrete anchor)

4 washers (if you use the threaded anchor)

 4 nuts (for anchor)

some wire (for added support)

One smaller bolt /two washers and a nut to fit. (to hold tea cup)

marine goop or silicone sealant (must be waterproof)

a masonry drill bit to match the size of your doweling or rod

drill

masking tape

colored plastic bits, or rocks

spoon

clear liquid resin and the active ingredient (to make the faux tea)

First you need to gather all materials

got them?

 good...

Lets get started!

1. drill hole in the bottom of the tea pot just below the spout. This hole needs to be large enough to fit the dowel.

TIP: putting a piece of masking tape on the ceramic will prevent the drill from slipping and chipping.





2. Drill the same size hole in the rim of the large plastic saucer



3. Attach the doweling ( or in this case threaded rod) to the tea pot (drilled hole) and add the washer and nut to the inside...and the outside.

Tighten and set aside.



4. Drill a hole in the tea cup and saucer to fit the size of screw you will use to hold the tea cup and saucer onto the larger saucer.

Drill same size hole in the bottom of the plastic saucer.

Secure with washers and nuts to fit. Go in through the bottom, that way the nut won't make your base sit all wobbly.




5. Using your wire and the remaining nuts...place the tea pot onto the plastic saucer.

Secure with nuts. One on the top of the plastic saucer and one under the rim ...and use the wire for added support to help hold the pot in place and not fall forward. We will hide it later.




6. Using the marine goop...seal all nuts, screws and wire....also seal the opening to the tea pot spout to insure that it doesn't become a home to some bugs, or fill with stagnant water...









7. Using the marine goop sealant....attach the lid to the tea pot (so it does not fall off ) and fill the spout of the pot with sealant as well.

(this prevents it from becoming a home for pests such as wasps etc. as well as making sure it doesn't fall off and break!)



8. This step is optional: Following the directions on the resin solution you have purchased....fill cup 1/2 way with colored rocks or gravel....and fill with the epoxy resin (the stuff they sell in craft stores to make paperweights out of ) put spoon in before it hardens, allow to set...and you have a cup filled with tea. (may want to add coloring if you don't have the right color of rocks (also at craft stores))

Filling the tea cup will help weigh the whole thing down, and hold the bolt that holds the cup and saucer in place on the tray.




Once you have filled your cup with "tea" set aside and allow to set.




Have you noticed that it is a cabbage? lol....seriously cute for the garden isn't it?

9. After all is set and secured to your satisfaction place on base that you have chosen....large old vase, pedestal, table, tree stump...etc...and viola! your done!

You don't have to fill the cup with the resin....you could use it as a feeder, by adding a little bird seed... or you could fill it with water.

Waiting to see what I suggest for that second tea cup and saucer on the list?

You can drill hole same size as a screw that is about 1 1/2 inches long....in the cup and the saucer...secure cup and saucer to long piece of doweling or post with screw...fill with seed and you have a feeder to place in the flower bed where ever you want....or fill with water...and have a butterfly bath!



So? How did we do?

Wanna see our finished product?
 
Okay...you convinced me...here it is!



WAIT!!!!

It's missing something!

... hold on....I know what I forgot!....



I couldn't let it go without the raffia ribbon I bought to hide my work!



Okay! That wasn't so hard now was it? And it sure did not cost us a lot of money...the entire project cost me about $40....and that included the resin that we did not use all of!

We can make more if we want to! The one I saw in the magazine was at least 3 times that much!
So...not only did we save money...but making it ourselves makes it mean more!



This one was shipped as part of a giveaway I did back in 2008. It went all the way to Texas!

So? Are you going to make one?

 What theme is your tea pot?

 There are so many wonderful shapes out there…the possibilities are endless!

That’s all for me today…should anyone have a question about the instructions...please feel free to ask...I will get an answer out to you as soon as I can!

Until Next Time…Happy Garden Decorating!

*)*)*)    Imperfection is beauty~ Marilyn Monroe



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


www.tootsietime.com

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