A Little Cowboy...A Little French Country...and Whole Lotta Love...AND a Story...

Those of you who know us personally, already know that it has been almost a year since we flipped our first property.   Yes…we moved last summer.   We bought the acreage with a flip in mind…and that is what we did.   As much as we loved it out there, it wasn’t in the area we had in mind for a long term home.  We spent just a little more than a year out there…and did a whole lot of work to that place. 



Everything from the fireplace to the kitchen and bathroom cabinets to the exterior of the property got a little Tootsie and Co. touch!   I didn’t share all of the upgrades we did, as I was dealing with health issues and didn't really get time to share them all... but there were a lot…and we were very proud.   So proud in fact that we actually thought about staying there long term.

At first we were very sad to say goodbye to the place…but when we saw how much we made on the flip…the sad went away pretty quick .   hahaha.

We found our new Project house…well new to us…and were smitten right off the bat.  



She’s an older home, and she’s close to all of the things that TEENAGERS like and need.   She looks small from the outside but inside there is lots of space for us all.   It’s even close to a college for the older kids and a very good school for my Busy to finish up her education. 

We don’t know if the plan is to live in this house forever, or instead, just until all the kids are out of the house.  Until  the day comes that we make a final decision,  we will call this house our home…and slowly get her fixed up the way we want her.   There’s a lot of work to do as the yard was badly neglected and the interior needed a little Tootsie Touch.
At first sight the ‘bones’ of this place were adorable.   The yard has promise…and the house itself is super cute.   It was the color scheme on the inside that was the nightmare.

There were several VERY undesirable paint colors used throughout the house…The worst of which was in the living room.  

They say every girl LOVES Tiffany Blue right?   Well…for me, that only applies if it is on a tiny little box…NOT on my living room walls. 



Seriously…it’s a beautiful color…but all 4 walls?  In the LIVING ROOM???  
My son who is color blind even commented to me…  “Mom…please paint”   hahaha  



We all agreed that the screaming blue had to go…so I got busy about a week after we moved in and set my sights on something just a little easier to look at.  This blue looked SO bad with my olive green and earth toned furniture...you have no idea.  



Lately I have been crushing hard on the creamy tones…and they co-ordinate nicely with the earth tones and olive shades that are my living room colors…so it worked out perfect! 
I think that the name Living Room is absolutely appropriate for our front room…as it is the MOST used space in our house.  

Once the walls were updated, I had planned to get busy and paint my way thought the rest of the house…but that was not in the cards.   As it turned out…my health kinda cratered again and my little clothing design company took off in a very big way and I was spending 12-16 hours every day for several months sewing and creating styles for my customers to enjoy.   It wasn’t until this spring that I was feeling up to painting, was caught up enough with work and was able to resume my decorating in the house.   I painted the kitchen, which was a hideous shade of red/coral blech!   You can see that post here.   It was an amazing change…and a change very much for the better if I do say so myself!

It was only a few weeks ago that I got back into the living room and did some more changes to make her look like a space we could all enjoy spending time in.   I started with the furniture.  I gave my antique sofa set a HUGE makeover.  You can see that post here.   After I shared the post about the painting of the furniture, I had several of you email me and request photos of the rest of the room, so I am sharing today to oblige those requests!
Shall we get started on the big reveal of our living room?

When you walk into our house through the front door…this is the first actual room you will see.




The Cowboy picked out some very nice throw pillows to accessorize the sofas and chair...I really like them a lot.   For a guy he's got okay taste sometimes...(wink wink)



The two cream throws on the cushion of the chair and far side of the sofa are for Marty and Ginger.   (our two very spoiled cats)  They love their blankies and that is where they generally sleep. 



See that guy???   He’s supposed to be on the other end of the sofa on his ‘special baby blankie’…



WHAT A BRAT!   He supervises me in almost everything I do…but today...he's being like this! 



The updated furniture has changed the whole feel in this space…we love it.
I went through and edited out some of the things that used to be part of the living room…and added some others.   Getting rid of old memories and reminders is often a very good thing.   There's going to be one heck of a garage sale this summer...



We use this room every day…and I for one am very happy with the way it all came together.  

I wish it wasn’t so hard to get a good photo of this space…I am a tad rusty with the room pics so perhaps is just the photographer.   hahaha.



There’s a little cowboy, a little french country and a whole lot of love in this room. 



Well…that’s it for me for today…thanks for stopping by!

I am headed back to the sewing machine for a few days.   I can’t wait to share my work space with you…it’s getting a nice crisp update too!!

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

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

This post has been proudly sponsored by

www.chic-a-boot.com

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

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

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

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


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

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




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

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

It looked sad.   Just sad and OLD.



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

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

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

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



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

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

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

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

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



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

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



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



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

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



MY SOFA PROJECT TURNED OUT WONDERFUL!!!

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



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

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



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

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

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

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

Until next time…Happy painting!!!

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

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

Another Kitchen Re-Do...

Hey guys!!!   How the heck have you been?  

Me?   I’ve been busy…and that is good…for the most part.  

I wish there were more hours in the day…or that my tired body could keep up with the demands that I need to put on it.   As some of you know, I am not in the best health these days so my energy levels aren't all that high, but I do what I can.   I'm grateful for my kids and my Cowboy for all the help they give me when I just 'can't'.   My kids are busy as a bunch can get with extra curricular and social engagements...and every day is just full.   Ive missed my Tootsie Posts a lot...and am excited to be here today!

My little clothing company has been very busy now since August and I haven’t had a lot of extra time…or energy for that matter to do a lot of Tootsie type things.   I have  several orders sitting on my desk that need to be filled…but sometimes a girl just has to take a little break from work and play a bit.  

This weekend I took the time…and decided to wear my Tootsie hat for just a little while…and did a project that has a dramatic change from the before to the after.  

Those who know me well, know I have a certain style of decorating that I like to see in my home.   There are some spaces in this place that DO NOT reflect this style…The following space started out as one for the NOT my style file. 

Lets get started.

I inherited THIS nightmare: 



I adore the rounded doorways…and I love the character of this house…but I hate this color…absolutely hate it.   If there was ever an affliction that included an irrational fear of a certain color on the walls, this would be it! 

I am not a girl that likes coral on the wall.   This isn’t even a nice shade of coral…it’s kind of pukey…it’s not red…it’s not orange…it’s not pink…it’s just  UGLY and it it just makes me crabby.
  


Now…I could have ignored it…but since August I have been working in the room ajacent to this nasty eyesore for  up to 18  hours a day…



…I tried to ignore it…I really did.



I REALLY tried not to look at it…



…but it is just SO bright…and it’s the first thing you see whenI look up from my desk…something had to give!   lol



I decided that I could not live one more day with this space taunting me and insulting my sensibilities.   It had to go!  

I also decided  that the cheesy grey cupboards would have to change too.   Now…if I am not loving the cabinet doors…why not experiment on them?

SO… Before we head to the hardware store and replace the cupboard doors…I decided that maybe I’d like to try something that I’d read about. 



Have you ever heard of this?   It’s a kind of liquid sander/deglosser.  It makes painting projects a lot less messy…and much faster!   I thought I might give it a try…see how she worked…

So I prepped and primed…edged and rolled…scrubbed and primped and planned…cleaned and organized, decorated and arranged and played to my little hearts content.

Do you want to see how I made out? 

First, let me remind you of the before:



This kitchen is what nightmares are made of…
or should I say WAS.

NOW… in comparison, it is an absolute dream!
Take a look:






I am 100% sure I don’t have to tell you what surfaces I put paint on…lol   I am amazed at how different this room looks and feels with just a can of paint!



I am not quite finished in this room.   I would like my Cowboy to cut me some pretty mouldings to attach to the front of the cupboard doors to add some detail.  

I may also decide to go a shade darker on at least the lower cabinets…but for now…



I am pretty sure…



I can live with this view from my studio for a while. 

What do you think?   Did I accomplish my goal for this room?

I am pleased with it…quick, simple and neutral.

Well guys…that’s it for me for today.

I am back to the sewing machine tomorrow!

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

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

www.tootsietime.com

This post has been proudly sponsored by

www.chic-a-boot.com

Tootsie’s Master...

...BEDROOM!!!   BEDROOM!!!   My goodness!   Those of you who know me well, KNOW that I would not fare well if I had to have a MASTER!   ha-ha!

On that note…lets get down to business.   Today I am giving you a little peek at the interior of my house.   I thought I’d start with the Master BEDROOM.

I got to have this past weekend all to myself.   So…what does a girl do when she’s unsupervised?   No Cowboy…no kids?   She takes a weekend off from her work, and decorates!

We are coming up on one full year of living in the country, and are finally feeling ‘safe’ enough to start to share a few images of our home.   There were some reasons that I have not shared much until recently, but now that we have the ‘green light’ …I am good to go!

Before we get going...please excuse the ugly paint job on the walls.   It was here when we moved in, and WILL be changed as soon as possible.   

THIS is the master bedroom in our home.



I am considering a change to the headboard…It will still be  done from barn wood, but will be taller, and maybe a touch less perfect.



Right now, I like how it looks, but should my Cowboy come home and say “lets go junkin’….”   I am ALL over that!   We have a stash of the ‘good stuff’ that we can use if we need it.



The bench at the end of the bed (where I see I tucked the blanket too tight on one side…lol) is from an antique shop.   We found it one day while we were out and about.  It was intended to be used at the kitchen table, but …as you can see…the plan changed…and I could not love it more in the bedroom!



Cowboy and I found a pretty set of antique dressers while we were out and about one day, and we love how they look.   We got a steal of a deal on them and had to have them!   I have considered painting them…but just don’t know if I have the heart to change their original look.   For now this vanity is paired with an old chair I found in my travels…and sits beside the antique geriatric chair that we found in an antique shop owned by some friends of ours.



The old window has been kicking around in my decor for years…the pillar…well I have 4 of those, and they move around from room to room…I do want to add a small old wooden ladder to the corner, but I have to go get it still.   I think the ladder will finish the space.

OH HOW I HATE THE PAINT ON THOSE WALLS!   lol

The old crate was found in the attic of the old house that I have been fixing on for my Cowboy.  I just added some wheels to the bottom  and that’s it!

To read the series I shared about the 108 year old house I have been slowly working on for my Cowboy (so far)  click HERE.



I do like to use my antique tea service collection still.   I have them all over my house in various positions.



This is a view of the far side of the room.   There is the top of an old desk, and the hi-boy chest that goes with the Vanity.

The chair…well, I love this chair.   It reminds me of a chair that my grandmother had when I was a little girl.   I always loved to sit in that chair when we would go visit her.   It is worn and faded…but I love it the way it is.   One day I might re-do her…but for now, she is just right!



You will notice that there isn’t much on top of that hi-boy chest…There is a reason for that.
We have two very spoiled, very ‘bad’ cats.  Marty and Ginger.   They like to sit up on that dresser and ‘hunt’ out the window.   (they are inside only kinda cats)   Should I put anything in the empty spot on that dresser…Marty will just toss it onto the floor and take his rightful position.



The door beside the chair is to our walk in closet…and the one beside that is to the little 1/2 bath in the master bedroom.   (I will share that in another post)

I can't say it enough!!!   I just HATE the way the old owners painted walls in this room, and do plan to fix that in the near future, but with work and my health issues lately, paint has not been on the top of the list.   SOON …soon I will erase the 80’s from these walls.   lol



Every effort was made to try to incorporate some Cowboy charm into our bedroom.   There are not a lot of ruffles, or fru fru…not that he’d probably care…he likes my rustic, french country style…but he does like his Cowboy ‘stuff’.    He was hoping I would get tired of the pretty  top quilt on our bed and put HIS comforter set on…It has images of MOOSE and BEARS on it…ya…sorry Cowboy…no matter how much I love you…that comforter is NEVER going to be the top quilt in my master bedroom.   That’s what the 108 year old house was made for   <3   I also just could NOT bring myself to add any guns or horns to the decor…at least not yet.   (I saved those for the living room )



That’s all I have to share with you this time…

Until Next Time…Happy Decorating!

*) Let the leaders lead, the followers follow, the haters hate and the lovers love...Just don't let them effect who you are!

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

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