OOH LA LA! It’s Tiffany Blue!

Hey guys!   Hope the summer has been treating you right.   I know it has been HOT HOT HOT here!   The summer holidays are just flying by!   The kids are loving their summer break…and I am realizing that this summer has been a very different one than any I have ever spent.   (that’s for another post entirely)  

I have been a busy girl this past week or so…and I might have a few things to share with you in the very near future that might just have a little something to do with my new gardens out here on the acreage…but until then, you will just have to settle for another furniture make-over reveal.   To see the last few projects  that I have done you can click here…and  here…and to see the BEST one yet…click here

This is going to be a fairly short but sweet little post…as what all can a girl say about a little desk this size?

When this desk came to me  (yup…another junkin’ find)  it was in a sad state.   It had been used and ABUSED in a big way.

All I could think of when I started to look at it closely, was that if this was in my room as a little girl, my Mother would have strung me up by my toes and smacked me with a wooden spoon if I did something like this to my furniture!   In fact…I still have the furniture that I had when I was a little girl…It is still in good shape…and I don’t think it EVER looked near as rough as this.   It is a good thing that I rescued this…because it was going to the dump if I didn't!   It is  going to look a LOT better once I am done with it.

I had taken my oldest girl along with me when I went to town to grab some supplies for giving this little desk a make-over.   I ended up coming home with a totally different look planned for the desk than was originally on the agenda.   My teenage daughter talked me into a little bit of color….Okay…lets be honest here...a lot of color.  


It really didn’t take me too long to do this peice.   The top was a simple sanding and stain…then the sanding and priming and paint on the bottom.   A bit of paint on the drawer pulls and …Badda Bing…Badda Boom…it was done!   I did a protective coat and the piece was ready to find a sweet spot to live.  My little “Busy” would really like to have it in her room…but she would like to have pretty much anything I have made in her room.   She is my biggest fan. 

I am quite happy with the finished result.  I was excited to share the new look I gave this piece, so the drawers are not closed tight as it needed to cure just a little bit more.   (you get the idea)   This piece is now cute, fun and right on point with the trend right now.

I can honestly say, I have never painted anything Tiffany Blue…and I have never put baby pink handles on a piece…so it’s been a fun adventure!   I can’t wait to see where it ends up!  




It really is quite a change!  

Well guys…that’s it for me for today.

Until next time…  Happy Junkin’ !!!  ( and re-finishing!)

*)*)*)   One of the hardest things you will ever have to do in life, is to grieve the loss of someone who is still alive.  
                                                                           Anonymous


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

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

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

Old School Lockers

Hey, I’m  back!   I know, I know…it took me a few weeks… and I am really not sharing in order of event…but I am at least getting a thing or two up and posted! lol

 If I were to tell you all of what’s been going on here since November…you would be in shock…so saving a headache… let’s move on to the fun stuff!

A few months back, a friend and I were having a casual conversation about organizing and making more space in our homes.   She was talking about how her garage is LOADED with everything except vehicles.   It had become a warehouse for her business ventures and she just needed to get rid of stuff so that she could make her space a little more functional. 

At one point she mentioned that she needed to get rid of a set of old lockers that once were used in her son’s bedroom but now were just sitting there…taking up valuable space in her garage…and no one wanted them anymore.

WHAT???   (head snapping around)

NO ONE WANTED A SET OF OLD LOCKERS????   (total shock on my face)

WHAT???? 

GET RID OF THEM???  (totally interested over here!!!!)

WHAT????

I know that you guys know that that is exactly what I was thinking! 

I told her that I would be there whenever she wanted to rid herself of this item…I would LOVE to have them!  

(and then I paced back and forth for days waiting to hear from her again…to say she was ready!)   (you know that I damned near wore out the floor waiting!!!   lol)

The day finally came (about three days later…but felt like WEEKS) and I was so excited!   I got that Cowboy into the truck, plugged in the radar detector (because there might have to be some speeding going on)  …and away we went! 

We had a nice little visit…and then loaded up the GOLD!   It was time to hi-tale it home at the speed of light…and get to playin’!   My wonderful new project piece went straight into the greenhouse for me to peruse…and perhaps to play with.

And then the next day, something happened...I didn't have time...and...Over the next couple of months, a LOT of things happened…and we were very busy, so my super exciting project piece had to wait. 

It was only after we moved to the acreage, that I had a day that I decided to just spend ‘playin’…and I pulled these out of the shed, and into my office to contemplate!


AREN’T THEY FABULOUS?????

I AM IN LOVE!

There is NO doubt, that this set was once in the possession of a teenage boy!   I  know those stickers…lol   Unfortunately, they must go!

The inside needs a tiny bit of work too…nothing a little elbow grease and maybe some shelf liner can’t fix…
I got to work…and the result was exactly what I wanted it to be!

I primed it out…and dry brushed it with several colors of paint to achieve the oxidized look I wanted.  (my photo does not do it justice!)  (I am RUSTY at this!)

I have another old locker in my garage that I thought would be the same dimensions…only a full length…that it would pair nicely with...but sadly…it is an army locker…and these are high school lockers…so they are not the same.   Oh Well…I still use them all!  lol

This treasure is waiting for the Cowboy to put a platform with wheels under it so that I can move it around at will…but for right now…I have placed it in my office/studio…and she holds bolts and bolts and bolts of lace…and other fancies for my business!
 
You sure can tell how rusty I am at taking photos and posting my stories…I am sure it will come back to me one of these days.  lol

I will share my studio/office and some of the others in our new home as soon as I get a chance to do so!   Right now my office is in full disaster mode…as there is a new line being created just in time for another big show coming up in April!
 
That’s all for today…I hope to see you all again in short order!  What have you been up to?   I hope to have time to get around and see ASAP!

Until Next Time…Happy Decorating and Creating!

*)*)*)…Invest ONLY in people who Invest in YOU. 

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

Todays post has been proudly sponsored by Chic-a-Boot

www.chicaboot.com

Best Door in the House

Welcome.   It’s been a while…I know.   Trust me, it feels like forever since we got to have some time together!   Life around here just seems to be so busy all the time that I am having trouble finding enough hours in the day just to do the things that are necessary!  
This week I decided to take a much needed break from my little company…(which is growing like a healthy child!) and have a decorating vacation!   Yep…I have been doing a little work on the inside of my house again.   It has been 4 years now…I think it is about time I just finished the bits and pieces of this place that are not quite done…and maybe freshen it up a little bit along the way.   Oh who am I kidding…I get bored looking at the same thing …and I MUST change it up here and there!
About a year ago I decided to do some painting in the house.   I chose two colors that were not white or cream…and I did some decorating.   It didn’t take long and I was in a total state of decorators regret!    Although I do like the colors…they just did NOT work for this house.   So…it’s time…again. 
NO…I am not sharing any photos of that paint faux pas…in fact I am not sure that I even have any photos of the darker colors…it was shortly after that painting adventure that my little company decided to go gang busters, and I haven’t had time to do much other than work!  
This week, while I was painting, I did a little purging…cleaned out the clutter…the old, the unwanted.   I had set out three baskets…one for donations…one for trash, and one for things that simply need to be relocated.   I am positive that all of the closets were thanking me for this.   All of them except the front door closet.  
The front door closet in this house has been my arch rival since the day we moved into this house.   The door…which was supposed to be a sliding bi-fold door…was a nightmare.   It would not stay on the track and would always swing all over the place and scratch up my floors…or just simply look ugly ALL the time.  I hate the closet doors in this house.   There…I said it, and no…I don’t regret it.  
What do the front door closet doors even look like you ask??
When we first moved in…just before I painted the house…

I know right????   NASTY!   So I painted them all…and we changed that ugly front door out…since this photo…and…I have painted a couple of times…lol.  

I somehow managed to delete any other photos that I had of the front closet doors…so I will use this one of the cleaning supply cupboard.   It is pretty much identical, so I am sure you will get the idea.
Instead of the doors sliding and folding…the whole thing just flops wide open!   I just could not stand it anymore and took matters into my own hands.
Within minutes the heavy, ugly uncooperative closet doors were TOSSED out into the back yard!….ok…well neatly stood up against the fence.  Hey…I didn’t want to damage the grass or anything!  
I then went to town on a very special pile that I had been trying to save for that ‘one special project’.   It only took about an hour and I had built myself a brand new Old Wood door!

Ta-da!  My barn wood sliding door!   I love the new look!   The swarms of teenagers that are here on a regular basis love the new look!   Anyone I have shared it with…thinks it looks fantastic!   Even GRAMMIE liked it!  (and she is so NOT a barn wood decorator…she’s very frilly and lacy)   I have one more glider to put on that track…but otherwise it is finished!
…And that’s the end of the story!   Well…sort of…almost…ya…there will never be an end to the story around here!   I am plotting and scheming to replace some baseboards, trims and moldings here before I go in for a much needed surgery in the near future.  I want my house to be totally in order so that I can recover without delays because I couldn’t stand to look at something …well you know. :)

I have some more project photos to share…but those are a story for a different day…so stay tuned!!!   This Tootsie has been on a roll!  :)
Until Next Time…Happy Junkin’/ Renovating/ Decorating!

*)*)*)…I’s sad that bullies have the misguided idea that they are so cool and that people are impressed by them. Bullies are the most uncool, pathetic people of all.

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

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

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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…

                                                   

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I Made My Own! What's Your Tradition?

 
Over the years, I have made several different ornaments for family and friends. I did my little tradition for about 14 years. I stopped about 3 years ago when I was going through the world’s ugliest divorce.   I didn’t just skip a year, I totally let the tradition go.

There were people in my life that actually looked forward to seeing what I will come up with to pass around each year. Some things are given out as sets, others are individual gifts.  If I passed out sets, I would have had to make hundreds of each item...lol. These are a few of the projects I have taken on.
 
The last year that I did an annual Christmas gift for everyone on my card list was the year that I made these.  It was a year I almost didn't make anything, until my then niece mentioned how much she was looking forward to adding this year's addition to her hope chest. So I got my butt in gear and thought of something easy, fast, pretty and shiny! They were used to spice up the place settings at Christmas dinner. Each person got one...and they got to keep them. They also look very pretty on a side table or where ever!

...this is about as close to a tablescape as I will probably ever come!
These are my bow tie pasta angels. Some have a lapel pin on the back for the ladies to put on their collar....and some (not pictured here) have a wire ornament hook glued on the back to put on a small tree. I made each person or  family a set of several of them so as to create a statement on the tree.

Here's her close-up!

These are my Snow Mites!

They were my 2007 Ornament, and a HUGE hit!

Each family got a set with enough little snow people to represent each of their family members.

These little mitten people are adorable...

A few that I have made...I was getting so good at them, that I made 100’s of them…and customized them to whoever wanted them.   I think I still have a few dozen in the storage box...lol

These light bulb men were my 2006 ornament.

They were the hardest challenge for me...I am NOT AN ARTIST! Those faces took me a long long time. I made each family member one...each friend one too...I tried to make them suit the person that got them.

This one has hair!

You should have seen the looks I got when I was outside spray painting light bulbs in July...one guy actually mentioned that it is possible to purchase light bulbs in colors...he thought I was going to plug them into lamps! lol

I don't recall which year these were...but they are slippers made out of a Christmas card. I stuffed them with little bunches of potpourri.

They took a long time to make. These ones are about 8 inches tall.

This is a larger version...they are about 11 inches tall.

The paper angels were the ornament for 2005. ( I think) lol

They are made out of coffee filters. I don't drink coffee...so they didn't go to waste. I had a really hard time finding the brown filters...most of them now are white...I had no idea!

They are a few years old...so they are not as fluffy as they once were...

I made these skates a few years back. Each person (or family got a set of 6 pairs each) They are made from Styrofoam...the eyelets are small grommets and the laces are craft rope. I painted them by hand with acrylic paints and they were a huge hit with the hockey families, and a few of the more athletic people in our family.


I have several others that I have made over the years, but I think I will wait to post them for another day...hey...a girl can only make a post so long ya know!

What do you make?

Do you have a tradition that you like to do?

Until Next Time…Happy Crafing!

*)*)*)… Expecting the world to treat you fairly cause you are a good person is like expecting the lion not to attack you because you are a vegetarian.

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

linked in to Manic Mondays with the Mermaid

 12/14/09