When the 80’s Called and Demanded Their UGLY Back…

Hey guys!   How the heck are ya?   I have missed you all a lot, and finally have a few minutes to sit down and share a little bit of what I have been doing around here when I am not working on …well…work!

As you know, my Cowboy and the kids and I have recently purchased a beautiful acreage.   We moved in last November and are loving our new home…well Mostly.

This house was built in the 80’s.   It is a very nice size for us and has all kinds of wonderful things about it that made us want to live here.   However…there were a few things that right off the bat we knew we were going to change.   Today…I am sharing one of those things.

MY KITCHEN.

I adore the layout of this kitchen.   Having the stove on the island is a dream!   It makes this Tootsie who generally hates to cook or bake…almost enjoy that task!  There are plenty of cabinets and drawers for what we need…and on the other side of the dining area there is a built in china cabinet.
 
What’s not to love!



Ya…THAT’S not to love.

The oak Cabinets have turned VERY orange…and the finish is worn, dry and in bad shape.








We talked and talked about what to do with the finish on the cabinets.   The possibilities are endless when it comes to things like this.
 
I am NOT a fan of the chalk paint or the other fad paint products on the market right now.   So that would not be an option.

I wanted to go classic…and keep the integrity of the wood, so I got the sander out…and took off the old orange finish.

It took HOURS and HOURS and HOURS and PAGES and PAGES and PAGES of sand paper.   It was a nasty mess!

I sanded the doors of the cupboards outside when I could…the weather was great, and I enjoyed the fresh air.  :)



The cabinet frames and the island were done in place as I did not want to move them off the walls and floors…so I hooked my shop vac to the sander and went to town!

My oldest Daughter was in need of a project for her industrial arts class, and she decided that helping me would be a fun time.  So…I handed her some gloves and a sander and put her teenage self to work…teaching her how to do what she needed to do…and documenting all of her help.   (she did not want me to share the photos of her assisting me, so I am keeping it simple for her)



Once we finished all the sanding…we were ready to stain.



I didn’t really want to have a color that everyone else has…so I decided to mix up my own color and it turned out to be exactly what the Cowboy and I wanted!

Waiting for it to dry enough to do the finishing touches on felt like FOREVER.



Once the stain was dry, I applied a coat of protective finish to it all to ensure that it would last for years.   Once that was dry…it was time to put every thing back together.



Ta-Da!!!    The finish came out so great!



We love the way the light plays with the colors.   At different times of the day, it takes on a bit of a different shade…sometimes light grey, sometimes darker.   Either way it looks very nice.



Now…once I finished the main part of the kitchen, I turned around and decided that the built in china cabinet could NOT stay the original orange oak that it was…but we did not want it to feel like a big displaced heavy cabinet in the dining room…I had to co-ordinate…but be just a little different from the rest.

Here’s what I came up with.



I did the same finish on all of the doors and drawers…but painted out the frame with the same color as the walls.   I also used that cream color inside the microwave opening in the cooking area…so it all goes together nicely.



It was a huge undertaking…and a challenging one to say the least…but we are very excited at the way it all came out.  It went from Dated and Worn to a more up to date shade of pretty.



What do you think?

I know we are happy with the results…and pooped from all the work!   The clean up is almost as hard on us as the sanding!  lol

Thank you "Miss Georgie" for all your help!   I hope learning from your old Mom was fun!

That’s all I have for you today.

There is more to share from the adventures in this house…but time is of the essence and I will share again soon!

Until Next Time…Happy Decorating!

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

*)*)*)"When the power of love overcomes the love of power, only then well there truly be peace" ~ Albert Einstein

Todays post has been proudly sponsored by Chic-a-Boot
                  
                        www.chicaboot.com

The Shady Border

Shade is often one area of the garden that gives gardeners the most trouble. I would like to take some time today to share some great suggestions for plantings in a shaded area.

For the purpose of this post, shade will be described as an area of your garden that gets some morning or evening sun.   I have used photos that are not mine...they are from a book...and I am sorry, but I can't credit you if I don't know where the photo came from...so...if you see YOUR photo in my post...please message me and I will happily edit my writing to include you ...you deserve the credit!
Now...back to the best stuff...

The first thing you will need to do is to chose your area. When choosing your location, try to avoid making a bed under very large trees, as their roots often use up too much water. Building a raised bed under a tree can, at times, cause the tree to become distressed. When extra soil is added, the roots will be unable to breathe and the tree could suffer and eventually die.

Prepare your area by loosening /digging the soil up to a depth of about two feet. This will help you in removing all perennial weeds and their roots and make mixing in compost, manure or peat moss easier. (For more information on building a new flower bed...see this post…Building a new flower bed from scratch)
 
Once you have prepared your soil it is time to plan the plantings! (For more information about soil preparation/amendment see this post …Making Dirt Into Soil) Set out your plants and move them around until you find their most attractive spots and are showing their best side. You may also want to soak the plants in water before you plant them. This will cut down on some of the root shock. Keep in mind that it is best to plant any shrubs in early spring or fall to give them time to establish a healthy root system.

Now that you have planned out your garden still in their pots...it is time you start to plant it. Carefully knock the plant out of it's container and scarify the root ball a little bit. (you should check to see if the tag says not to scarify...some plants will not like it, but most will...)

SCARIFY: The act of roughing up the root ball a little to loosen the roots as to stimulate healthy growth.

Place the new plants into their respective spaces and stand back to be sure they are perfect to you. Water the new additions in using a fertilizer or plant food of your choice. This will help reduce root and plant shock and will also encourage new growth.

Need a list of possible shade lovers?

Lets begin with a few perennials:
I will describe all the plants in the above photo ( oh how I wish this was in my garden)
 


Hydrangea
Height: 3-15 ft.
Spread: 6-10 ft.
Beautiful blue or pink or white flower heads in the summer...Most are zones 6-9...but for us Canadians, Pee Gee Hydrangea is very tough ...can handle our -40 winters!


Hosta
Height: 1-3 ft
Spread: 3-4 ft
White or lilac flowers, but this plant is most often used for it's impressive foliage...there are many different variations of Hosta to choose from. And they are hardy to our cold Canadian winters too!


Hebe
Height: 6-12 in
Spread: 2-3 ft
Flowers early in the summer, is an excellent ground cover, but will need to be protected over the winter...best suited for zones 4-8.


Crocosmia
Height: 2-4 ft
Spread: 6-8 in
This plant prefers sin, but will tolerate some light shade. Orange, red or gold flowers will appear in late summer. Protect in winter in cooler areas...best suited for zones 5-8.


Rosa Rugosa
Height: 3-6 ft
Spread: 3-6 ft
This hardy plant blooms pink in the fall. Will grow in Canada! zones 2-8.


Bugleweed
Height: 15in
Spread: 24 in
Small purple flowers will appear in the spring with this ground cover. Very hardy plant...zones 2-8!


Ligularia
Height: 4ft
Spread: 2 ft
This is a pretty orange flowering plant that will bloom late in the summer in zones 4-9.



Smoke Tree
Height: 15 ft
Spread: 15 ft
This is called a deciduous or evergreen plant. Ball shaped flowers will appear late in the summer. Not hardy at all...zones 5-9


Foxglove
Height: 30 in-5 ft
Spread: 1-2 ft
Pink spikes appear in the summer, is self seeding and is a biennial.. I have some here that is hardy...but most only live in zones 4-10. (I am a zone 3)


Did you know there are different types of shade? Here are a couple of plant choices for them:

DRY SHADE

Euphorbia
This plant features round greenish yellow flower heads in the spring...gets about 3ft and is only a perennial in zones 7-10....would be an annual in my area!!



Gladwin Iris
Tall fast growing plants with bright pink berries in the fall...sounds interesting...Gets to about 5 ft and is hardy to zones 5-7. I once made an entire hedge out of these along a pathway.



Windflower
I love the name of this plant. It is also known by a less glamorous name - Anemone. It sports cub shaped blue, pink or white flowers in the spring. I have some that need to be protected but is safe in zones 5-8. Will be about 5ft.



Fringecups (Tellima)
Small bell shaped creamy white flowers will appear on this plant in late spring. It will be about 18 inches and will grow as a perennial in zones 4-9

DAMP SHADE

Astilbe
White pink or burgundy plumes show themselves in summer months. Will grow between 1-4 ft tall. Can be grown as a perennial in zone 3 if placed in a sheltered area and protected in the winter, but is best grown in zones 4-8


Royal Fern.Beautiful bronze plumes on dark green leaves...very tender plant. Will only grow in zones 7-9 and will be about 1-3 feet tall.


Bergenia
Pink or red flowers will appear in the spring and the leaves of this plant will be red - green. It will grow to about 18 inches. Very pretty and is hardy for zones 3-8. Finally one for the Canadian girls!


Marsh Marigold (buttercup)
This plant will be about 24 inches tall and will sport yellow buttercup type flowers in the summer months. Will also grow in zones 3-8


COLD AREAS

Spotted Laurel
This is a shrubby plant with evergreen foliage that will produce red berries in the fall. Will grow to about 8 feet and is best grown in zones 5-9

Anemone
(see dry shade)
HOT AREAS


Bears Breeches
Tall spikes with white and purple flowers in the summer make this plant a great addition. It will grow to about 4 ft. Good for zones 8-10


Globe Thistle
This plant will show blue globes of spiky flowers in the summer months. Will be about 2-3 ft tall. Zones 3-10

Now should you want to have some annuals in the mix...there are many that I grow in my own shade beds...I even have some full sun plants that do quite well it there!


Impatiens
Lobelia crystal palace
Lobelia (hanging )
Alyssum
Geranuims
Forget me not
Snap Dragon
Pansy
Marigold
Dusty Miller
Petunia
My shade is not deep and my beds get about 4 hours of sun each day...(for complete plant descriptions of the annuals, including photos of each...see this post: 5/22/08 called What Makes my Gardens Tick? Plant Directory.)


Now this is my shade garden a few days ago...it has since been weeded and has already changed quite a bit....(thank goodness for warm weather) also...please excuse the mess you see in both of these shots...HEY...I am only one girl!
You all now know all that I know about shade gardening!

Until next time….Happy gardening!

*)*)*) People inspire you or they drain you. Pick them wisely, and watch how you treat others!

(¯`v´¯)
`*.¸.*´Glenda/Tootsie
¸.•´¸.•*¨) ¸.•*¨)
(¸.•´ (¸.•´ .•´ ¸¸.•¨¯`•.
original posting 7/9/08

www.tootsietime.com

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