Public Safety Announcement

My 18-year-old daughter just told me that if you are kidnapped you are supposed to pee or poop your pants!  Hahaha!  It does make sense but the way she said it just made me laugh!

Mantle/Fireplace Reveal. . .

Here is what my fireplace and mantle looked like before:

And, here is the gorgeous after:

This was exactly how I pictured it would turn out.

Funny thing, though, now I need new blinds,

need to rip out the carpet and I would

love to put in wide plank rustic wood

flooring, I need a couple of topiaries on either

side of the mantle, plus some more

awesome accessories to go along with

the new look, a couple of accent pillows  

made from vintage fabric to go in

my new-to-me chairs, and I 

could go on, and on, and on. . . but I won't

because you get me.

Don't forget my contest.  When I get 100+ followers,

I am giving away some amazing paint from

the Caromal Colours textured basecoat collection. 

Vintage Mantle

Our house was built in 2004.  Our kitchen cupboards are knotty alder as is our mantle.  I have developed a love affair with chippy, shabby white and I wanted my fireplace, the focus of my family room, to reflect my new love.  Here is what it looked like before:

It was very pretty, very earthy.

I painted the stone with Behr Ultra

Ultra White, and boy did it take

a long time!

Then I used Caromal Colours textured

basecoat in Peppercorn.  Because this is

simply the color I want showing through

when I sand, it was not crucial to

cover the entire mantle.

And, believe it or not, I don't have the final pic

on my camera and I need to wait until tomorrow

for better lighting to take a pic.

I know for some, painting beautiful wood like this is

a cardinal sin, but I wanted this fireplace

to reflect my style at this moment (which, of course,

will change again, and again, and again).

Happy Birthday, Dad!

When Mom called me that Friday afternoon, I immediately knew something was wrong.  I could tell in  the tone of her voice.  I still clearly remember what she said, "Hi honey," I said Hi Mom, then "Dad has had a heart attack. . . "  What?  I couldn't believe my ears, my heart dropped.  This couldn't be happening to my dad, because up until this point I just simply took it for granted that you and Mom would be around forever (or at least until I didn't need you anymore, which you know won't happen because I will always need you).  You were only 61 years old and if you ask me, that is way too young to be having a heart attack.  Mom was crying but tried to reassure me that you were going to be okay.  She told me it was a minor heart attack (come to find out later your levels were the highest some of the nurses had ever seen in their whole careers so I don't think it was too minor).  I called Justin to tell him and when he got home he told me to get in the car and go.  I came down by myself because I had to be there for you, for Mom.  I had to see for myself that you were going to be okay.  The drive down was crazy and because I got stuck in road work traffic I didn't make it to the hospital in time to see you that night. 

The next morning I was up and ready to go early because I couldn't wait to see you.  It was a very somber feel in the cardiac ICU with the central nurses station and all the rooms around the perimeter.  I could see in the other rooms and there were some people who were on ventilators and in comas with all kinds of tubes hooked up to them. I was actually afraid to see you to see what kind of shape you were in, and then we got to your room and I was so relieved because you looked great.  I had to stay long enough to make sure that you really were going to be okay.  I used to call home and mostly talk to Mom, but now I need to hear your voice and make sure that you are still feeling good and doing what you are supposed to (I don't mean to nag, just want you around a lot longer).

You kept telling me that you were given a second chance and I can't begin to tell you how grateful I am that you are still here.  I try to make a conscious effort every day to be grateful for my family and realize how fragile life really is and that it can change in an instant. 

I thank God every day for helping you to get off that mountain.  I thank God every day that Mom had the sense to not even hesitate, but to get you in the truck and drive to Panguitch.  I know you had other angels watching over you too.




Source

Happy birthday, Dad!  I am so grateful that you got a second chance.  We have a lot more memories to make!

I love you with all my heart!    

Reclaimed Key Holder

I had seen a cute project on one of my favorite blogs that I read  HERE.  I love her style.  We have a key holder that really isn't very functional at my house so I was excited when I saw this.  It just so happens that my mom had given me an old window that she got at a yard sale for $1 that would work perfect. 

One side was a chippy brown color and the other

side, the one with the original hardware, was raw wood,

perfect for painting!

I had actually set out on Saturday afternoon preparing

to use my hammer and pound the panes of glass out.

That is until I figured those panes didn't just get in

there by magic, this was built and therefore

should be able to be taken apart.

I just decided to begin disassembling

starting with the small strips of wood around the glass.

I got out my crowbar, hammer and started

prying. 

It was way easy!

Then I turned the window upside down over the

garbage can and used my rubber mallet to

pound the panes of glass out of the wooden frame.

Easy I tell ya!

It turns out, I love disassembling things

almost as much as I love making things.

I then painted the raw wood with Caromal Colours

Wisteria textured base coat.

Look at the window latch. . . so cute!

Once the paint was dry, I headed out to the

ole' garbage can once again and commenced sanding.

The wire I used is actually called Hardware Cloth.

I found it at The Home Depot near the chicken wire

and fence posts. 

I then used one of the old glass panes to measure my wire,

used tin snips and cut to size.

I then stapled the wire to the back.

I really like the Hardware Cloth because it is pretty

stiff and holds its form. 

I bought some "S" hooks that I can place anywhere

I want to hang keys, our gym tags,

my daughter even hangs her sunglasses here.

This is so much cuter than the ugly bulletin

board that used to hang here.

The one thing I might do differently is maybe leave 1 pane of glass

and have some vinyl made to fit.

You can find old windows all the time through on-line classifieds

in our area.  This was overall a very easy

project to complete.  The thing that took the longest

was waiting for the paint to dry.

You will have to check back next week.  I have some new paint colors coming from the Caromal Colours Reclaim Line and I can't wait.  I have the perfect little drop leaf table that gets the first redo when it comes.  The colors are all very neutral and there is something for everyone. 

I get a good feeling. . .

That this kitchen table turned out beautiful! What was once a lively pine table had turned scratched, dull and lifeless and needed a serious revamp. We just started painting over the top of the existing finish. No stripping, sanding or priming. The only thing we had to do was make sure the table was clean.

Below the top has been painted Caromal Colours

Peppercorn textured basecoat.

Yes, we painted it in our living room.

It is too cold in the garage, and there really

isn't an odor to the paint.

Now we have painted the Mustard on the bottom. 

This picture doesn't do it justice.  The lighting wasn't

the greatest on this day.

Below is after we have distressed and toned

the table.  It is gorgeous!

This beauty is sold pending pickup on Wednesday!

Have you seen Chelsea lately?

Chelsea is the beautiful antique dresser we refinished for Sonya.  It used to belong to her Granny and Grandpa so has a little sentimental value.  When I took the samples to Sonya's house to find out what she was looking for, she told me that she really wanted something earthy, more muted tones.  She has the cutest house up in the avenues and has truly made everything about it her own.  There is no question about her style.  The last room in the house she is working on is her guest bedroom downstairs.  I went down in the basement to look at the dresser and get a feel for the style she was going for in this room.  She has an adorable bed in their from the year 1906 that was imported from France (I will have to get a pic and show you).   Again, here is the before pic of Chelsea:

Here is the during pic of Chelsea:

Scary, I know, but everything will

work out in the end.

And, here is the fabulous after pic of Chelsea:

Again with the legs, Mwah!

She also has the original old casters on.

The detailing and the hardware are just perfect for

old Chelsea!

We used Caromal Colours textured basecoat,

3 different colors:  Paprika, Chocolate and Cobblestone.

The color combination is perfecto and I

can't help falling in love with this dresser!

Hopefully Sonya will give me visitation rights. . .

In The Works

Here are just a couple of projects we are working on this weekend:

First is our kitchen table who once was beautiful and pristine, but now could use a little help:

One thing I want you to notice is that we didn't have to sand, strip or prime over the old finish before beginning to paint.  That is the beauty of this paint, it bonds to nearly everything!

We painted Caromal Colours Peppercorn on the top,

Mustard on the rest of the table including the legs.

All that's left is the sanding and waxing.

It will be Bellissimo when it is finished!

I can't wait to reveal the final product!

This is a dresser that we are painting for Sonya.

I actually really love the before color, but

I think she was ready for a change.

The hardware on this dresser is original and gorgeous!

Here is a little sneak peak at the colors.

The top is Caromal Colours Chocolate.

The rest of the dresser is Cobblestone

and the entire piece will be distressed.

STAY TUNED......