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!

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!

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

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

No More Little Girl’s Room…It’s ALL Va - Va - Va - Voom! bedroom makeover part 2

In my last post, I shared the beginning of a huge makeover on my oldest Daughter’s bedroom.  In that post I showed how her dressers looked before I started the challenging task of making a little girl’s room look more like a funky Teenager room!   If you want the full scoop, you should begin your reading by clicking on the photo below.


This is the point where I left you all in suspense as to what this teenager was going to see when she first returned home.  

Shall we continue???   Lets get busy…we have furniture…now we need to decorate!

With Georgie getting a larger bed in her room, she needed a headboard.   I didn’t have time to go and junk one up for her, and living in this small town, there isn’t much for shopping for such things.   I needed a fast and easy solution to this problem! 



While I was out and about one day, I happened upon a dollar store.   As I was walking around in there looking for some bamboo stakes for the greenhouse, I decided to walk down an isle I don’t usually bother with…and came upon these wonderful little plastic squares!   They came in a package of two and they included the little wire clips that join them together!   They were a buck a package and they were perfect for my Georgie’s room!  I bought several packages of them (and a couple of other little odd’s n ends that would be good for this project ) and headed for home!
First thing, I got busy joining the squares together and hung them on the wall where I had decided to place her bed.



Loving the way these looked…I proceeded to dress her bed!



NOW do you see WHY this room was such a challenge for me???   I love the colors…but I never decorate my house like this…I use these colors in my gardens!   This room was not an easy task for this Tootsie.   I am more prone to decorate with a soft, muted, shabby style.

Next up…was the walls, her little bedroom window.  


Georgie LOVED the curtains I had made a while back for her little sister’s bedroom…and she really wanted some like that in her room…so I made her a chicken coop valance similar to the one I had done for “Busy’s” room.   The difference is that I made Georgies’ in her colors.  

This bedroom is in the basement of our house…so the window is teensy and not terribly easy to dress.  I tried to put up curtains, but they looked ridiculously ugly, so a valance hung on a curve is the way it will be!

The walls…



I hung a few of the wall words sayings…(which are a bugger to keep stuck by the way)…and then decided to make some original wall art on her wall out of watering cans!



I had originally planned to make several of these for her wall, but because they turned out to be quite big, she got only one, as I didn’t want it to start to look too tacky!   She did get several sayings…and…



…a funky wire dress form wall hanging.



So far…so good!   NEXT!!!



Remember this paragraph from the first part?
“When I ask Georgie what type of bedroom she would like, she simply would say “lime green with black.   Walls can be either color.  I also want horses and cool stuff in my room mom…no ruffles or old lady stuff like you use in the rest of the house please” “
Well…I had to keep that in mind…so the horses stay…for now.  


The other little vanity dresser did get a little more funk…and I sneaked a little of  my style in there too with the flowers…lol.    I added a shiny black framed mirror and….



Yep!   I added a Lava Lamp!   I just know that will be her favorite part!



Again…I still need to do a new cover for her chair…but otherwise this little vanity looks pretty spiffy!




After a lot of work, sweat, cursing and swearing, Georgie finally has her newly updated teenager room…Tootsie Style!
Like I said before...
…nothing like watching a Tootsie step right out of her element!

There is still baseboards and trims to be added and she is getting a new window this spring, but for the most part, this room turned out much better than I had planned!   I left a wall blank except for a bulletin board, for anything else that she might want to add…or that I find in my travels that would look sensational in here!

Well…what do you think?   Do you think she likes her new look???

SHE LOVES IT!   Yay for me!!!   I TOTALLY ROCKED IT!

Stay tuned...there are two more kid's rooms for me to share!

Until Next Time…Happy Decorating!

*)*)*)   Remember that at the end of the day, you need only be satisfied with the performance of one person - you.
(¯`v´¯)
`*.¸.*´Glenda/Tootsie
¸.•´¸.•*¨) ¸.•*¨)
(¸.•´ (¸.•´ .•´ ¸¸.•¨¯`•. www.tootsietime.com