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

Chicken Coop Curtains - Tootsie Style

After the move, I had to re-think pretty much everything in my house.  The windows are NO exception to this problem. 

Those of you who have been reading me for a while know that I could not sew if my life was on the line...so I have to be creative with my window treatments...or let them look like they came from a big box store.   I refuse to be typical...so I choose to be creative.

My youngest daughter has a fairly large window in her bedroom.  I did not want to get rid of her pretty sheer curtains that she had, so I had to modify my design to make them work with her new window dimensions.

Simply hanging the curtains without a valance worked at our other house, but definitely NOT in this house.



The curtains look “okay”…but they are just not quite what I wanted to see…so I got to scheming…and trying to come up with a new look for them.

One night I was browsing around the internet and I came across some adorable curtains made out of chicken wire.  I loved the look of them…but didn’t want to have the same thing…no copy cat here!   I kept on looking…but could not get those curtains out of my head…nor could I find them again to look at!  So…I have to thank my inspiration person from here…”thank you who ever you are for the inspiration!”

With the inspiration of that elusive post  still fresh in my mind, I decided to make my own Tootsie version of those curtains.

I pulled out my roll of chicken wire…and grabbed a couple of gauzy window panels and started to work.  I cut myself some of the chicken wire to fit the window and folded it in half to make it the right size for my plan.




I then started ripping strips of fabric and weaving them in and out of the chicken wire.




I wanted the valance that I was making to be “imperfect” and look a little frayed…so I added a little more detail with some purple pieces ripped and frayed to add a little “shabby” to the whole thing. 
After several hours of weaving and ripping and tying little pieces onto the chicken wire…My masterpiece was complete!




I hung the valance onto the existing curtains with a couple of curtain clips (it is really light weight) and ripped a couple more strips to use as ties on the sheers.

“Busy” absolutely LOVES them now!



I am far from finished in this room…but the window is off to a very good start.  The purple in the valance pulls the purple in her bed spread quilt out nicely!  I have ideas for that bed…and a few other little projects  that I would like to find time to work on in the near future.  In other words…you haven’t seen the last of this bedroom!

 Stay tuned…one of these day’s I will find time…and this room will get Tootsiefied completely.

So?   What do you think?   Do you like the Tootsie Coop look?  ha ha ha!

Until Next Time…Happy Decorating!

*)*)*)  Maybe things don't happen TO us. Maybe things happen FOR us, to make a choice, to decide how we live through the trials and tribulations in life.

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

I am linking in today with the following:
Fabulously Creative Friday
Frugalicious Friday
Inspiration Gallery
Be Inspired

~~Use The Back Door Please!~~

So…I have been working on the renovations in my house … slow but sure…I have done a lot so far…There are little hints of Tootsie EVERYWHERE in here…EXCEPT…the porch at the back door. 
I have avoided this area…like it was the plague.  I did hang a few things on the wall in the stairwell a few months back…but lost the urge after that.   I just had NO inspiration when it came to this utilitarian area.

Didn’t I say it was UGLY???
When we renovated the kitchen, we moved the wall out into this area just a foot or so and now I need to put up bead board on that wall. There used to be a huge closet type thing there with shelves.   It was more important to have that space in the kitchen…so we took it out.
This area is just so ugly that I could hardly stand to do the bead board!  ha ha

When we renovated the kitchen, we moved the wall out into this area just a foot or so and now I need to put up bead board on that wall. This area is just so ugly that I could hardly stand to do it! ha ha    But, alas, I did..and it helped a lot.

Next up…the floor.  Ya..it’s bad…very very BAD.

These tiles remind me of the old school I went to when I was in grade school…it also makes me think of the old wing of the prison I worked at when I was in College.

There is no way I am removing the old tile…the warning on them that I read online said there could be asbestos and other bad things in them that could harm us if they were removed…we didn’t know that when we removed the ones off the stairs…oops.
  I had a LOT of help that night.   :)
So…I just opted for something simple.  Grey peel and stick tiles seemed simple enough.  I got busy and put them down.

Then I did the rest of the tiles with the peel and stick. 
Sadly…I did not take a photo of this part.   ugh…where I my brain?
I got all that work done, and painted the back door deep red.   And that is how it stayed for a long while…until just recently, I had run out of steam.
Christmas came and went…and I ended up with a slight case of pneumonia.  I was stuck in bed for almost a week…(and that nearly drove me nuts)  
What does a Tootsie do when she is stuck on bed rest???   SHE PLANS ALL SORTS OF THINGS FOR WHEN SHE IS HEALTHY!
Take a look at it now!

I had this old door with a broken window kicking around in the shed…and an ugly spot to fill beside the back door…so…what’s a girl to do???   SHE USES HER JUNK!
I added an iron table…and a few little accessories…then turned my attention to the bead board wall.  It was just too plain when left empty…and I don’t DO plain!

The wall just needed a little bit of the good stuff…ya…it needed some JUNK.

This little corner looks warm and inviting now.  There is a shoe tray on the floor below the window…and when I am finished with the other side of the porch, I will share that I hung a coat rack and some other goodies… but that is a whole other post…and I am not done with it yet.
What?!!!   I have pneumonia people!…be patient with me!

For right now, I am just tickled pink with the way this little two hour project turned out.  I still need to paint the whole room…but I wanted to make sure that I didn’t have extra holes to fill…lol   Putting things in place in advance is always my best plan…just in case of a misguided nail hole or something of the sort.

I hung a floating shelf thing and added an old insulator, an empty frame and a pretty wooden tray.

The old window sports some ivy and a doily or two.  The rusty door plate with key in it adds a little dimension and color.   No room is complete with out a little rust …right?

The only issue I have with the whole situation right now is the plug in.  It’s ugly…but I need it…I use it a lot, so it has to stay available…which means DEAL WITH IT TOOTSIE!

The other floating shelf sports a fake plant.  There is not enough light in here for one of my real babies…so I opt here and there for the faux variety.

I popped a big iron key in the middle of the missing window, and this part of the room is done!
I still need to paint the whole room…but I wanted to make sure that I didn’t have extra holes to fill…lol Putting things in place in advance is always my best plan…just in case of a misguided nail hole or something of the sort.   I also have a bit of work to do on the other half of it, so you will be seeing this space again…in it’s entirety when I finally am able to finish up and paint!
Until then, I leave you with one last shot…

**  don't forget to keep reading...there are several more posts below of what I have been doing...including some great how-to's!**

Until Next Time…Happy Decorating!

*)*)*)  to love someone is nothing, but to be loved by the one you love is everything .

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

today I am linking into We Call It Olde Link Up If you haven't been there...You really should pop in!

Meet Me By The Fireplace?

Those of you who follow me regularly, know that I have been in the throws of passionately renovating and updating the house that I moved into one year ago.  I have been painting and sanding, and building and working my little fingers to the bone for months now…and I am happy to say, that I have finally dealt with two of the ugliest fireplaces in the world.  They are no longer the blaring focal point of the room that scream HELP ME!!!  They are now soft and inviting and much more streamlined…well at least that’s what I think.

Allow me to demonstrate my point:



This was my living room in May of 2012.  The fireplace is just not feeling like it should be a part of this room…there is WAY too much going on with it.

I have since May, removed that piano…it ended up out in the yard as a planter…and I have shuffled a few other things around a bit, but the fact still remains…that fireplace is dated…and tired and needs a little TLC…Tootsie style.



What?  Still not convinced???   Fine!  I will take you closer…are you ready?  Are you sure you can handle this????

Okaaay….here it is!



EEK!
 Now that is U-G-L-Y!
Hurts your eyes doesn’t it???  Ya…I Told Ya!!!
 Don’t you just LOVE the arborite??? (did I even spell that right?)  ha ha ha !   Ya…me too! NOT!  ha ha
 
I tried to deal with it…I tried to ignore it…and I just could not let it be in my house knowing it was that bad…and that I could Tootsie it up with just a little time!

So…I did what I do best…I made a plan…and got some paint!



Say goodbye!  to that old dated look…



 and Hello Gorgeous to the new updated style!



I love this neutral taupe that I used on the whole thing…top to bottom…It sure did bring it into the room in a new and different way!

Now, all this fireplace needs is a good cleaning and I will be able to light it up and enjoy!  Alas, that is a project all in itself...and one I am not going to do alone. Maybe I can get my Cowboy to help me some time!  Hint hint?  ha ha !



I have been updating the whole room this past few weeks…new furniture pieces…and a little change in accessories…I also have been working in the family room downstairs, doing a LOT of fun changes….so stay tuned…when I am finished with the primping…You will be the first to know!



Every now and then I do get a good idea or two!

**  don't forget to keep reading...there are several more posts below of what I have been doing...including some great how-to's!**

Until Next Time…Happy Decorating!

*)*)*)   Always…remember the lesson not the disappointment.

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

Leather Bound…Right?

Welcome!   Today I am sharing a super easy to do project that I have been working on for a few days.   I am changing the look of a small cabinet table that I have had kicking around here for years and making it into something new!
 
I have had this little table/cabinet for years.  It has three drawers in it…and is quite functional.  There are dividers built into the drawers, that gives it versatility as to it’s use!   It has been everywhere in my house in it’s time and I have painted it and changed it a few times too.  It currently stands in the hallway under a mirror holding a few spare bathroom supplies. 

I still love this cute little piece, but I think it is time to make a slight change to this spot.
I have recently acquired another piece while I was out junkin’ and the new piece happens to be an antique wash stand, so I had to make the executive decision to let this one go to a new home. 
I found this old cabinet a new house to live in, (with a cowboy that I know)  so all I have to do is make it look like it belongs in it’s new place!  Today…I am going to do a make-over from the simple black sophisticated …to a casual country leather bound look!   What!!!   Don’t look at me that way…you know there is a method to my madness!!!  Trust me…this is gonna be great!
If I am going to give this table/cabinet to a cowboy, I decided that it should be sort of finished in a western-ish (yes...that is a word…in my world)  style…so I settled on a leather look finish.   It was very simple to do…I ripped up pieces of plain brown wrapping paper, and crumpled them up…then with a paint brush and some white glue, I glued them all over the piece to cover the entire surface!  EASY.

I let the whole thing dry overnight, and the next day went back in and did a coat of mod podge all over it to add a little smoothness and sheen to the paper.
 
The white glue does not dry as smoothly as a mod podge does, but it is cheaper and easier to work with when putting the first  layer on to glue down the paper. 
I let that dry…

I don’t think it looks quite finished yet do you?  I think it needs a little pizazz!   I can still see the black paint through the paper a little bit…SO!… A little paint is just the thing to give this paper covered table/cabinet the final touches. 

I mixed some brown acrylic paint with water to give it a thinner texture….and simply washed it onto the surface of the piece!   I add a little more where I figure it needs it and just work through the entire thing.
 
This is starting to look a little more like leather now!  I am loving this new look!  

I put another coat of the mod podge to the entire thing to seal it up…It goes on white and as it dries it disappears to a nice glossy finish!   The podge puts a nice durable seal over the paint so that daily use and cleaning will not rub the finish off of it!

Once it dried I put the knobs on, and this cabinet is ready to deliver to the cowboy!  He is going to put the dividers in the drawers and use it to house his CD collection!   He has no idea that I am making this for him.  I just know he needed a new space to store his music collection, and that he had mentioned that if I should be out and about junkin’ to keep him in mind!

The sections in the drawers are just the right size for CD cases!
I think it will go very nicely in his house…and will compliment the crate tables that I made for him!
Are you ready for the big reveal????    Here it is:

You guys have NO idea how hard it was to get a good shot of this table today!   I definitely will not be seeking employment in the photography field!   I am just learning how to use this new camera…and well…lets just say…the curve is wide for this girl’s learning!  ha ha!

I did the back in case he decides to float it in the middle of a room some time…


Both sides also turned out nicely.

VOILA! There it is! It is a faux leather treatment easy enough for a child to do but tough enough for a cowboy!
I sure hope he likes it!   If not…I have a great spot for it in my own house!   hahahaha….like you would expect anything less from me!
So? What do you think? Anyone I have shown it to in person really likes it. One person argued that it was real leather! I think it is a nice change…and will look great in that cowboy’s home. I can’t wait to show him in person…turns out someone showed him a photo…and he’s very excited too!
Until next time…Happy Decorating/Junkin’!
*)*)*)  You should never walk all over someone or take them for granted because the day you need them the most will be the day they will be gone.
(¯`v´¯)
`*.¸.*´Glenda/Tootsie
¸.•´¸.•*¨) ¸.•*¨)
(¸.•´ (¸.•´ .•´ ¸¸.•¨¯`•.
www.tootsietime.com