If the Walls Of This Old House Could Tell a Story…The Small Bedroom in the 108 Year Old House.

I  recently started the biggest project of my junkin’ life…and am loving every little minute of it!   To most it may seem like a lot of daunting, overwhelming work, but to me, it has been nothing but the most fun!

 I love painting, decorating, and designing.   I crave the feeling that comes when I see a project come together.  I get excited when I can share something that I have put my heart and soul into, and have it turn out just the way I had hoped!   That is what this house is to me.   It is a labor of love…and an absolute delight to play with.
I didn’t know where to begin…  You see, I didn’t just take this  house project room by room.  I kind of started in one room, and if I happened to be painting…I kept on going.   It was just one of those things, where if you were filling holes…you filled ALL the holes…if you were painting…you kept painting…and while you waited for something to be ready for the next step in one room, you worked on another room…So…you can see where my dilemma is at.  It took me a bit, but I finally decided where to start the sharing.
My Cowboy, wants to be able to stay in the house during hunting season this November.   It will make things much easier for him if he doesn’t have to drive the 60 or so minutes home every night, so I am charged with getting things “ready” for him and his hunting companions. (one of his older brothers and his daughter)
There are 4 bedrooms in this house.   We decided to work on 2 of them for immediate use.   The other two are going to take a little more work, and are not a necessity right at this time.  They can wait until after hunting season is over. 
Today I am going to share the progress that has been made in the small bedroom.  After I played with it a little bit, it is pretty much finished…Now it is just waiting for some furniture.

This is the smaller of the two bedrooms BEFORE I got my grubby little hands on it.   Out of all the rooms on the second floor, it was in the best shape.   I was happy to see that pretty much all this room would need was a good cleaning, and some paint!    The walls were a dingy white with very bright blue trims.  That should be an easy enough fix.
The photo above and the one below are both a little fuzzy, as they were taken with my cell phone camera.   I got excited about starting this project, and forgot the usual camera at home.   Ya…I know…I am not proud of it either…blonde moment!

With that in mind, my Cowboy and I sat down and decided on a color scheme.   Okay…lets be honest…I told this sweet man what the color scheme was to be.

WHAT!?   I KNOW what you are thinking right now.   You are thinking that Tootsie is BOSSY!

Well…okay…Yes I sort of am…but I do know what I am talking about when it comes to paint colors…and that Cowboy…well…lets be honest…he only knows what Camouflage looks like…he hasn’t got a clue how to choose colors for a wall!    He’s not used to having choices…or noticing colors…he’s a guy!   He does have pretty good sense of colors though, So…we went to the store and I pulled a couple of paint chips out…and gave him a some choices.   Eventually, we chose and purchased a color called Plateau Gray.   This color is perfect.   To the Cowboy it is gray…to me…it is almost an olive green-ish color…I like it a lot. 
I was so excited…I got right to work.

I painted the walls, trims, and ceiling in the plateau gray.   I am very happy with the outcome.   It looks very nice.   In this photo you can see the color choice.   You can also see that I needed to replace one piece of trim on the window, paint the window frame, and then move my attention to the floor.

The floor…The floor in this room is not in terrible shape.   It is actually in very good condition in comparison to the other rooms in the house.   I think this floor might be newer than in the rest of the house …or something.  I COULD get away with just scrubbing it, and perhaps staining it…sealing it and calling it done…BUT…the wood floors in the rest of the house are in a lot worse condition.  There is paint, gouges, and splinters everywhere.   My Cowboy said that he remembers the splinters ALL too well.   (As a little boy his mom would have a needle within reach to remove the splinters that the wood floors would leave in his teensy feet.)   There is no way we can salvage the original finish on the floors in the entire house…it is just not reasonable.   We don’t want to cover them up…just spruce them up and seal in some of the splinters.
The floors need to be done…but there is no way they can be the same color as the walls, ceilings and trims.   So…I dragged that Cowboy back to the store…and we chose a paint color (together this time) to use on the floors in the old house.

As luck would have it, our original paint choice sucked monkey butts!   I put it on the floor…and we both hated it…it sort of looked like a very sickly salmon color.   It was SO ugly that I didn’t take any photos of it!   Yep…it was THAT bad!   NOT at all what the paint chip showed…SO…we headed back to the store…and got them to add 3 oz of black to it…and ended up with the color you see in the photo above…So…I have no name to give you to reference this paint color…it is an original…by mistake type color.
The photo is once again, a little fuzzy…Yes…you guessed it…the photo above was taken with my cell phone, since, as luck would have it, I forgot the camera at home…sorry!

Here is a better look at the floor color…and the paint color…AND the curtains I added to the window!   Those are the simplest curtains ever!   Can you guess what they REALY are?  
If you guessed that there are two twin size flat sheets on that window you are absolutely correct.   I used bed sheets!   I simply cut a little slit in the top part of each end of the hemmed cuff at the top of the flat sheet, and slipped the rod right through.   EASY PEAZY…not too frilly…but still quite pretty…FAST and CHEAP!

Right now there are two cheezy looking tassle tie backs on the curtains, but they are going to be changed out as soon as I get my hands on some burlap or twine or something a little better suited for a casual, cozy rustic space.   For now, the tassles will do.
I picked up a couple of very inexpensive runner rugs, and was testing the colors…I like the way that looks too!
You can see a mattress on the floor to the right…There is going to be a bed frame and some other furniture type items added to this room in the next week or two…but for today…this is the way it looks.
This concludes my peek into the small bedroom in the 108 year old house that My Cowboy owns, (and is letting me play with!)   Remember, he asked for rustic, cozy, hunting lodge, country cowboy style.

What do you think?     I’d love to hear!
Stay tuned next week for the next episode of  If Walls Could Tell A Story…the 108 Year Old House.  I can’t wait to share again!!!

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

*)*)*)… Live in such a way that you would not be ashamed to sell your parrot to the town gossip. - Will Rogers

(¯`v´¯)
`*.¸.*´Glenda/Tootsie
¸.•´¸.•*¨) ¸.•*¨)
(¸.•´ (¸.•´ .•´ ¸¸.•¨¯`•.
www.tootsietime.com
Did you miss a post or two in this 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

This post has been proudly sponsored by 

19 8ighty 9ine Clothing House 

and

HCG Warrior Diet  

(it actually works great!   We tried it!)

Metamorphosis Monday - Between Naps on the Porch

Made By You Monday - Skip To My Lou

Made By You Monday - Skip To My Lou

Made By You Monday - Skip To My Lou

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…

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…

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…

Check them out!