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

I Got Hammered!!! (In My Little Girl’s Room) Bedroom makeover part 1

Those of you who have been following Tootsie Time for a while now, know that I am a single, divorced mother of three very busy, fantastic kids.   I have one boy and two girls, the boy being the oldest.  
The kids were away for two full weeks over the Easter break, and Mother here, decided to do a little…okay…a lot of spring cleaning.   While that cleaning took place, inspiration struck, and a whole makeover of their bedrooms took form.  Today I am going to share the beginning of  one of those room transformations.

My oldest daughter is almost a teenager now.  She is 12 and a half, going on 17.   She has a mind of her own …she literally dances to her own beat…and sometimes I think she’s possessed!   Stubborn and Challenging are the two most prominent words that come to mind when I think of my “Georgie” girl.   (That’s one of her nick names…)   She might drive me absolutely crazy most of the time, but I do love my George!

My Georgie does not like the froofy, ruffled look.   She is a little bit of a Tom Boy, and is quite artsy.  She loves to draw and write and ADORES bright colors as much as she does Black!   She is quite the young lady.

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”  

“OLD LADY”!!!!   WHAT????   SHOULD THIS TOOSIE MOM BE OFFENDED?????  

So…with those parameters in mind, I challenged this old Tootsie and did my best to make a very cool, teenager bedroom.   It was no easy task to keep the “old lady” out of it…I love my olden junk.   I think it turned out rather well considering that this is NOT my favorite style!

Let me show you what I did.

I don’t have much for BEFORE photos…none of them really turned out well…but I have some reference type photos that I can add as we go along. 

About three weeks ago the decision was made to give Georgie a queen size bed in her room.  She is getting older and wants to have her girlfriends overnight here and there, and needs a little more of a grown up room.  Since I have so much trouble getting my Georgie to clean her room, I avoided doing much of a decorating spree in there until now.  It is frustrating to have to try to decorate around all the crap she leaves laying around, so my first task was to literally go through every single thing in there, tossing out what was garbage (and there was a lot) and organizing what wasn’t!   Once I finally got that task finished…my mind was made up…this room needs a makeover!

With a larger bed, she needed bedding.  So…I had to go shopping!   It was SO hard not to buy something pretty and soft…it really was.   BUT…I persevered and found what I thought my girl would love.   I then went looking for a few accessories.  I found lots to work with! 

Her existing dressers would stay.   They would, however, not stay the same.  There needed to be some painting done here.     Hey…what’s a makeover without a little paint hangover right?



This is an old vanity that my grandmother gave to me when I was very little.   From what I understand, she herself used it as a girl...it is OLD....and solid as a rock.  It has been a lot of different colors over the years…and it is in need of a little sprucing up.  I am not willing to let it go…but I am willing to change it a bit!



This is an old shot of Georgie's dresser BEFORE I did a little work on it.  Since this photo was taken, it has sustained some nail polish, and a few bumps and bruises…(to put it kindly)  It really needed some help at this point.  I liked it in the cream color…and really wished she hadn’t done some damages to it.  …But…she is Georgie…and that’s what she does!  

I ran to the local hardware store…and grabbed a can of glossy black paint.  I was so excited!   I got the pieces all prepped and ready to paint…and started to roll it on.   WELL…somehow I managed to grab a can of paint that was NO GOOD!   It was horrible!   I was MAD!   I suspect that I bought a can of paint that had been frozen in the past and simply just put out for sale.  It did not act like paint...it was very disappointing!    I had to come up with another idea for this project, one that would not show that there was a coat of gross paint sort of on them….

The next day I had to go for a trip to the city to pick up some other home improvement items, and while I was in the hardware store there, mention of the hammered finish paint came to my attention.   I was interested right away...I was also a bit nervous, but decided that might be a good way to go! 

We went home, and I got busy right away.    lol

I LOVE the way that hammered finish turned out!



This is the Black glossy finish of the hammered black paint.   It is more or less dark gray, but WOW!!!   What a great look for this project!   That paint hangover was absolutely worth it!   (yep…I get a hangover feeling the day after I use paint or stain…:)  )



I changed out the knobs and drawer pulls and returned the mirror to it’s position…It looks fantastic!  
Yep…I did…I blurred out the mirror so you guys can’t cheat and see what else I was doing in there until I am ready to post the finished room!   hahahahaha!   sneaky huh???



This is a top view of that dresser…That hammered paint hides any and all imperfections!   It was just what I needed!



My little antique vanity looks all spiffed up in her new covering!   New drawer pulls dressed it up perfectly!

I really need to get busy and change that chair seat to something a little better, but for today…it is going to be just fine!

Now…are you guys as excited to see the rest of the room as I am to share it with you???    I really had to stretch my imagination to do this space up right…and I think I had success…Georgie will be seeing it for the first time today…and I will be taking photos of her first reactions to add to the post I will be sharing in the next day or two!…Stay tuned…this is a room Tootsiefied that you do not want to miss…
…nothing like watching a Tootsie step right out of her element!

Until Next Time…Happy Decorating!

*)*)*)   Dance like no one is watching,live like you will die tomorrow,love like you've never been hurt, and sing like you know the words!

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

The Making of a "Butt Print" :)

I have been working on my house here and there, when it is too dark outside to be in the greenhouse.  I am desperately waiting for spring to come, but while she takes her sweet time showing up, I will continue to work on my home.  Today I am going to share one of the junkin’ projects I have been working on.

 I had purchased a couple of wooden chairs to use around the dining room table that I recently made out of an old wooden door.
 


This one was painted white…and did not look quite right with my dining room décor….so I thought maybe I would try to do a little Tootsie Touch up on it. 

I had tried to paint it with some latex paint, and HATED it.  I think I would have rather had it plain white than have it looking the way it did.   I didn’t take any photos of the first attempt, as I was too busy freaking out at the horrible job that I had done!  (yep…I screwed it right up. )   This would have been a great post to use as an example of how easy it is to change it after you paint and it doesn’t turn out quite the way you saw it in your imagination…except that in my panic, I forgot to snap some photos!   You guys are creative…you can use your imaginations.

 

I primed it out….I just LOVE primer…it is like a super strength eraser.  It will make all the bad and ugly things, just go away!



This is what I want my chair to look like when I finish working on it.   I love the worn and aged look of this one.  I bought it a while ago, and it looks good with my table.   I decided that am going to try my hand at replicating this look!

Shall we get started????




After the primer dried, I took some stain and got busy applying it to the chair.  I am not applying much stain to the areas that would be naturally worn.   That part will come later on.   I made a “butt print” and tried to make places on the chair that would have been naturally worn over time.



Once the first layer of stain was completely dry…I applied a final coat of stain…using a little darker color.  I went over the entire chair with the darker stain and made sure none of the primer was left to show.   I then waited for the piece to dry.

If you look closely you can see the next piece of the dining room furniture that I am going to tackle in the back ground!



Here is the inspiration chair…



Here is my version…



I think I might have almost gotten the look!  I know my “butt print” is a little less than perfect, but I think it turned out quite nicely over all.



Here are both my wooden chairs together.   I had a hard time taking photos of them…they always ended up with a few shadows or shine from the sun or lamps.   I think that they look good together…MUCH better than before! 

What do you think?   Can you pick out mine?  :)

Have you ever tried to replicate a time worn look?  How did it turn out?

I can’t wait to show you the chairs in place at the dining room table…but will wait until after the last piece that I am working on is finished…and you can see the entire project all finished up!

Until Next Time... Happy Decorating/ Creating/ Painting!

*)*)*) There are three types of people in this world.  Those who make things happen, Those who watch things happen, and Those who wonder what the hell happened.  Which one do you strive to be?

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

Creeping and Crawiling and Climbing All Over...Just The Way We Want Them To!

When it comes to vines...there are no limits...



oh my!!!  ...here is a dream of mine....



Oh!!! … and here is another...TOOTSIE!!! QUIT DAYDREAMING AND GET TO IT!

Climbing plants bring height to our gardens. They offer us attractive alternatives to the view of our gardens AND offer a feeling of lusciousness that other plants do not. They also help us hide some of the less attractive areas of the garden. Any vertical surface will offer a place of support for climbers to grow on.
 

 
Yep! This vine is one that I grew myself.  This was my house!…before the move.

There are climbers that will support themselves, such as the Trumpet Vine, the Ivy's such as Hedra Helix, Virginia Creeper, Climbing Hydrangea, and Boston Ivy to name a few. These plants will require a little bit of help in the beginning, but once established, will cling to pretty much any surface they come into contact with. Others will require constant help to stay in the upright position. This is where the Trellis comes into play.



great idea....

Trellis's come in a variety of styles. There are the ones that offer an attractive backdrop until the vine has covered it up...these might be made of wood, wire or even plastic. The choice of trellis will depend on your location, taste and the type of plant you will be using on it. They come in virtually any shape or size to cover almost any surface imaginable! You can even be creative and make your own to suit your exact needs.
 


okay...this might be a little over the top...but you get the point.

A trellis that is attached to a wall or fence should be done in such a way that as much air can circulate behind it as possible. This can be achieved by putting a piece of wood attached to the structure or wall and attaching the trellis to that wood. Another thing to consider when attaching a trellis to a wall or a fence is structure maintenance. Make the trellis easily removable...so that when the time comes to paint or repair the support...you can do it easily by removing the trellis and laying it down during the repair, and re-attaching it afterward.
 


…fun for the kids to do!  They can play inside this trellis after it fills in!



I'm in love with this idea...

When you have decided on the location for your climbing plants...you can start to think about the type of plant you will want to purchase for this area. Make sure you do your homework before you choose the plant...so that you will be guaranteed a better chance at success.
 
If you want to see an ever changing view...annual vines are a good choice. You can change them each year and see something different. Morning Glory and Sweet Pea are good suggestions.
 

 
I used to plant morning glory on my little greenhouse to hide it in the summer months...
 

 
...Once I got all the seedlings planted into the garden...it was used as garden storage.  The vines did a great job of camouflaging what was inside.
 
If you have a flag pole, or telephone pole you want to hide…
 

 
Don’t forget to dress up the top of the pole…ha ha…like I did to my parent’s (Grammie and Grampie’s) flag pole…I added a garden gnome as a joke…and they love it!
 


If you are going to be planting in a shaded area...Chocolate Vine, American Bittersweet, Clematis (some varieties), Hydrangea, Boston Ivy and Honeysuckle are good choices.

If your climber is to be planted in a sunny area, you might consider Kiwi, Blue Passion Flower, Jasmine, Grape Vines, or Wisteria.
 


What if you are looking for a sweet smelling plant? Try Clematis Armandii, Clematis Montana, Japanese Honeysuckle, Rose bushes, or Wisteria.

When you have selected the perfect plant for your location...you will need to practice a few simple rules when you plant:
 
1. Do not plant the vine any closer than 18 inches from the wall or fence. This distance will help make the drying effects of the wall or house less of a problem. Structures are often less hospitable for plantings as they tend to be sheltered from the moisture of rains etc. You will need to remember to add water to the area at regular intervals.
 
2. Young plants will require a little help in the training process. This means you may need to tie the branches of the vines to the trellis for the first little bit until they become established.
 
3. Follow planting directions for each plant species. Clematis for example likes to be planted fairly deep. This will guarantee you a better chance for a healthy plant, as all plants have particular likes and dislikes.
 
4. After you have dug yourself the initial hole for the plant, angle it at about a 45 degree angle toward the trellis. This way the plant will be inclined to grow toward the structure instead of away, or straight up.
 
5. Remove the support that comes with your plant from the nursery BEFORE you plant it in your garden. It is much easier to remove before rather than after you plant them. Trust me on this one...I know all too well...
 
6. Cut back to a healthy place. Remove any damaged or unhealthy looking stems as soon as possible. This gives your plant a better survival rate. If you plant it with damaged or broken stems, the plant will concentrate on those rather than on establishing new growth.
 
7. Dead head and prune regularly. Remove spent blooms as soon as they show signs of wear, to encourage more blooms to appear. If you leave spent blooms on the vine, they will become seed pods and your plant will think it is finished for the season...not to mention look rather icky. Cutting back your vines a little at the appropriate time of year (for each plant this might vary) will encourage new growth and more branching.
 
By starting out with a good and healthy plant, of good quality and characteristics appropriate for your location, you are sure to be rewarded with plenty of new growth and a lovely display on your trellis.
 
So, that's it in a nutshell, that is all I know …at least for today!   Long enough post for ya?  :)
 
If I have missed discussing  anything here...please let me know. After all....I have never claimed to be a professional...and I admit I am self taught. All I know how to tell you is what has worked for me!
 
I look forward to seeing you all again …hopefully within in the next day or two with some of the progress I have made on my home decorating projects!

You will notice in the comments that there are some dated from 2009.  That is because I had originally written this post WAY back then.  I have since learned a few things, and had some great photos to add and some more experience to contribute!  Thank you for taking the time to stick around if you have already read it!

 


Until Next Time…Happy Gardening!

*)*)*)   Be with somebody because they make you want to be a better person, NOT because that somebody wants to make you into their version of a better person!

(¯`v´¯)
`*.¸.*´Glenda/Tootsie
¸.•´¸.•*¨) ¸.•*¨)
(¸.•´ (¸.•´ .•´ ¸¸.•¨¯`•.
www.tootsietime.com
 
***I apologize, that I did not have the credits for the origins of the photos that are not watermarked in this post. I had collected them years ago ....before pintrest..and I do not know who to credit.   I believe most of them were just a simple Google search.   ***

I Hit That Nail Right On The Head....Of The Table?

Well hello there!  So Glad you you could stop by for a few minutes to see what I am up to!

I decided that it has been a while since I gave myself a paint hangover, and thought I would maybe work on a project or two while the kids are away for the weekend.   Not to mention that I found a new color of stain that I have never used and am just dying to try it out!  It is called Brazilian Rosewood...and I think it could be fun!

Since I haven’t been out junkin’ in ages, my selection here is down to the slimmest of pickin’s.   My choice for today’s project is going to be the coffee table for the family room downstairs.  I have been slowly but surely getting that room all set up and cozy…it is taking a while, but it is starting to come together.  The new coffee table really needed some help…



Told ya it needed help.   This is definitely NOT a Tootsie style piece of furniture!
Please try not to notice the ick behind the table...it is a mish mash of cords and stuff that I need to properly place in this room...
...hey...I'm workin' on it...I am only one girl...and my imagination sometimes sleeps a bit! :)




It is boring and plain, and kinda beat up. It came to us with that Cowboy I talk about all the time.



I am sure that with a little imagination and some elbow grease, this table will be Tootsiefied in no time!
Lets get to work!



I layed out my painting tarp…since I don’t have a garage yet, I still am forced to do all the dirty work in the house…so I need to protect the floor.  
I sanded it lightly to help remove any of the “shiny” that would deter the new finish from sticking.
Next….I primed it out.



I didn’t prime the entire piece…Only the part I wanted to use a lighter color of paint on.  I plan to leave the base and legs black…I will simply use a high gloss oil based paint on them so I need not worry about the paint sticking.



Once the primer was nice and dry, I grabbed a couple of cans of stain and got to work!  
My first color was Brazilian Rosewood.  It is pretty but left me with a little hint of purple/mauve almost…so I did what any good Tootsie would do…I grabbed the Dark Walnut and went right over it!  



It turns out that the two colors together make for a very nice effect!  See???   Those are the happy accidents that a one of a kind piece of furniture is made of!  :) 

Next…I needed to add a little “map” that will guide me in my finishing of this table.  I used a ruler and I drew myself a little border all the way around the table.



There’s a close up of my edge guide line.   I just know you are wondering WHAT on earth I am going to do with an ugly line….  Aren’t ya?  



I am going to use upholstery nails!   I need the guide line to help make sure I get them as straight as I possibly can!



I nailed and nailed and nailed…and let me just add, it is NOT easy to put upholstery nails in a straight line…when the stain isn’t dry yet!   Yes…I got impatient and excited…and I struggled more than just a little to get them in place…but it got done and now…



…now... I think...
I think it needs something more!   That one skinny little line is simply not enough.  It needs more bulk…and perhaps a little motion…don’t you think?



Ya…I agree…it needs MORE NAILS!



This is “okay”… but Tootsie doesn’t settle for “okay”…HEY…I am no minimalist in any way shape or form…it is all the way…more is more…go big or go home…
So, I set to work laying out nails in different patterns, standing back and looking …



…at them and finally I settled on a plan for the table. 



AHHH….now that’s much better!



What do you think?   I like it.  I think the adding of the shapes gives it some motion…some “curves”…some FUN!



I considered adding some of the upholstery nails to the center of the table as well…but then decided against it…just in case we play a game on here or something like that…the kids like to build puzzles and things down here…



… I DO plan to put some ornament of some kind on it once the paint is 100 % cured! When have you EVER seen this Tootsie leave a table empty!?! Ya…
…you know exactly what I am talking about. :)



I am loving the new look for this old table.   It doesn’t look like a mass production plain Jane table anymore.



It no longer looks like a boring, typical, inexpensive space filler…left over from the living room of a bachelor…(sorry Cowboy…but your table…was a little too boring for this gal)



…now it has some personality…style and one of a kind pizazz!



What do you think?



I think I like it…for now…ha ha…and I also think that the Cowboy better not try to take it back if he knows what’s good for him!   This table is now property of…TOOTISE.  (at least till I get sick of it)  :)



Well kids…that’s all for me for today.  I did what I set out to do…I took and evening, did up a project, I gave myself a HUGE paint hangover, and I shared it all with you!  
What did you do last night?

Until Next Time, Happy Decorating / Designing / Junkin’/ painting!

*)*)*)  I am strong .. because I've been weak ... I am fearless .. because I've been afraid ... I am wise .. because I've been foolish ...

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

I am linking in with Share your Cup Thursday today!