Spring break...day 3 of 10!

Today is day 3 of the 10 day spring break 

for my boys...

I am curious to see how long it 

will take before they start fighting!!

Yesterday we had a good day and other than the 

"mud incident" we survived without

any major issues 

... and I actually got started on a few new projects.

Last weekend we picked up this wooden desk/console table

that has great potential other than the disgusting paint job on it!!

I love the hand carved details...

and check out those claw feet!!

So...first a good sanding on the flat surfaces and then 

a coat of primer going on. 

I'm not sure if this one will go white or light grey.

I will let my dh make that decision!! lol

I will show how this one turns out though as I am 

pretty excited about this piece.

I also got to making an "antiques" sign

that has been on my TO DO list for a few months.

Here she is up close:

and again...

Is anyone else having issues with uploading photos

on blogger today??

Hopefully I get to a few more projects on my list this week...

but I am sure I will have a few more interruptions than normal!

Blessings,

Karen


PS. I am sharing this here:

Make it 4 Monday

@ Cottage Instincts

Something I Whipped Up
@ The Girl Creative

Driving the back roads....

Just a quick post today as it is a busy day for us.

Yesterday we took a ride on some back roads 

and explored some old abandoned farms....

the boys call it "treasure hunting"

  I thought I would share some photos

from our day of discovery.

I love the natural old state of this barn door

Beautiful simplicity....look at the moss on the roof

an empty barn...love the light coming in through the window

I love the patina on this old door

some of the "treasures" the boys found

Ron trying an old hand pump...

and it still worked!

Thanks for stopping by.

Karen

Lady...back awaaay from the candy!

I was taking a few simple shots of 

my Easter set up on the kitchen table...

and when I edited this photo

I realized that my sweet, fuzzy bunny....

actually looks kinda evil!!

Maybe it's because he knows

I will eat all the candy before Easter

if I don't put it away NOW!!

But I had to test a few of

those jelly beans....

sorry!

I also wanted to show you the boy's 

Easter "baskets" which are actually

galvanized pails from the dollar store!

I didn't want to buy yet another cheap, crappy basket 

or a plastic one either....the boys are

almost getting to the point where they are 

"too old" for the hunt (hey...they're almost 7, 9, and 12...

when do you actually cut them off??)

so I opted for these pails and simply

painted some chalkboard paint on them.

This way I can use them for other

stuff the rest of the year!

I know...

Call me be brilliant!

Ok....off to put away the candy so that spooky

bunny stops giving me the evil eye!

Karen

OOPS!! I'm sharing this here:

My newest project...

So what do you get when you combine:

 a pretty (but chipped) white plate {$2.00}

a 50 cent frame

and a piece of scrapbook paper??

This plate was just too pretty to pass up at the thrift store last week....

even if it did have a pretty big chip missing from the 

back side (luckily not too visible from the front!)

So...I brought it home with this little project in mind.

I a debating whether or not to use some 

pretty blue seam binding as a hanger.

The frame does have an easel back so it can stand...

but this would be pretty hanging in the kitchen.

Anyways, I am sharing this here:

Blessings!

Karen

Slowly but surely...

It's getting there....

but now I am not sure what I want to do with this frame.

It looks great white though!

Oh...and I told you that the ruffle thing was contagious!!

I doctored up the little lamp on my desk too!

Sigh....

Not sure what to do now.

I think I want to go take a nap or something....

it is kinda grey outside and I don't really feel like

making anything, (shocker!)

so maybe I should just go crawl into bed with a book 

and have a little nap before the boys get home.

Mmmm....

Yup.

Sounds like a plan.


I am sharing this here:

Blessings, 

Karen

Refreshing White!

I did it!!

I finished the ruffled lamp I started this weekend

...and I love it!!

I can see this may be contagious as I am already

scoping out other "boring" lamp shades in the house

 that could use this simple re-do!!

Today was also a perfect day to launder

the slipcover for the living room  couch.

Yes...
I have three boys,
a black lab,
two cats,
and a hubby....

and a white couch!

It is actually very easy to maintain and I only wash

the covers every few months.

It always is so fresh and pretty right after wash day

and I love the pop of the red cushions on it!

After my morning chores, 

I went out for a bit and came home with this beast!!

While I am not a fan of the artwork itself....

I DO love the old frame...

but that olive green velvet has got to go!!

Here it is with my new artwork in it!

This is Adam...my youngest son who is 7 1/2.

He is such a ham!

You oughta be in pictures, boy!!

This is a HUGE frame as you can see..

mind you, Adam is also the shortest kid in his grade 2 class!!

Anyways, once this puppy is all sanded she is going

out for a fresh new coat of paint.

After that, I am not sure if it will become a blackboard or

one of those fabric-covered, ribbon on diagonal,

type thingies

(what are they really called?? lol)

that I can put pictures and other momentos in.

I am thinking of hanging it here above my computer desk

as I am not terribly fussed with the current cork boards.

If it is a chalk board, will I want to reach over it

 to write on it...but it would be cool to write

nice quotes or scripture on it for inspiration.



Decisions, decisions....

what do you think?


I am sharing this here:

Blessings,
Karen

It's all about Balance...right?

So last nite was date nite with my wonderful hubby.

So we decided to watch a movie at home.

Sounds good so far, right?

Well...he picked the movie "District 9"

and for those of you who have seen it...

it's not a romantic cuddle on the couch type of movie!!

So, I decided to work on a project

while watching the movie!

Earlier in the week I had seen a sweet project by Lola B 

involving a ruffled lamp shade...

I could do that!!

(espcially since I had already loaded up 

on supplies for it on Friday)

Anyways....

I had 5 packages of this:

and a thrift store lamp that had a cool

 lampshade but it need a bit of freshening up!

So...I did a whole lot of this

and ended up with a whole lotta this

Here is the first row going on

and starting the second row

making sure they overlap ever so little...

and it keeps going and going...

until I run out....darn it!!

I guess my lamp shade was taller than I thought...

(oops...please excuse the hole filler on the wall)

15 yards of the bias tape was not enough!!

But it was so easy to do....

and I think I can finish it up on Monday nite if

I get to the store to buy more supplies!

Question:

So...my hubby says he "doesn't mind the 

ruffly crap...it looks good"

Do you think that is a compliment??

LOL

I am sharing this here:

Metamorphosis Monday

Blessings!

Karen

Pink Saturday

As Marie Antoinette said...

Let them eat cake!!

I wish I had more to contribute today for Pink Saturday, 

but it has been one hectic week!!

I have been busy making things for the etsy shoppe

and then they sell...so I need to make more....

but there is not enough time!!

But I also am working on furniture for clients

and that takes time, too.

Oh...and then I have three energetic boys who, thankfully, 

are in school but still come home at 

3pm hungry and wanting to have friends over!

I wish I had a twin sometimes!!

One who would also do laundry,

clean bathrooms,

and cook fabulous meals for my family.

I am sharing this here:

Blessings,

Karen

Cross that one off the list!

Earlier this week I shared my "to do" list 

that was long and not completed....

and I am so glad to hear I am not the only one

who never finishes them!!

However...we DO love our lists don't we ladies!! lol

I am happy to say that I finally DID finish the list...finally!

(but a new one has already started for next week!!)

Anyways, this is the china cabinet/hutch that I have been working on this week

After cleaning it, sanding, and priming it...

I painted it a lovely robin's egg blue,

added the little wood scrolly thing,

and also added wood bead board to the back,

(the old backing was disgusting!)

...and then distressed it,

and gave it 2 coats of Poly!!

TA-DA!!

Isn't she lovely???

I will have to tell you another time about the cool old flour sacks

I came upon last week. If anyone wants one, 

let me know and I may add them to my etsy shoppe.

Ok....I am sharing this here:

Blessings, 

Karen