*During* Photos

We are knee deep in our little construction! Only 18 more days to go before our deadline (Christmas Eve).

Our wonderful old/vintage wood panelling has now 8 coats of primer & paint...2 of those is Kilz!

We think hope the 8th time was the trick!

So before:

{{Please excuse & overlook the mess...especially the last shot into the kitchen....like the pee colored walls?? Don't worry that will soon be gone too!!}}

Now:

The date for refinishing the floors is set!

What is left to do in here-not necessarily in this order:

1) refinishing the floor

2) trim out & paint the doorways into the hall & kitchen

3) put the baseboard up & paint on the wood panelling wall

4) paint the ceiling & top moulding

5) paint the front door

6) put quarter round along the floor/baseboards

7) some electrical work (having two outlets installed & one fixed)

7) DECORATE!!

It's getting closer!!! Whoop Whoop :)

Grandma's Cabinet Redo

I recently refurbished my Great Grandma's Hutch {I don't know if that's really the correct term. It just flows for me!}

I found this old picture of it in it's original finish. Gotta love the orangey....and the pro photog skills.. NOT!

Later, I decided I would try it black to go with the striped curtains....

After living with it this color for a while, it started looking like a tarantula in the corner to me {or a tarantulata as Makenzie calls it}

I was really going to paint it white, but after *much* discussion with the hubby, he suggested I try and sand/distress it...

I listened {for once} and I LOVE it!!!!

That's all for now :)

Have a beautiful week!!

Linking up to:

~*Jessica

The Good, Bad & the Ugly

 About two weeks ago, I had the bright idea to refinish my kitchen table. 

{the old one...} 

I wanted to go for something like this:

{via}

It had a lot of 'under the paint damage, like water, etc.....which I shortly found out...

My hubby and his buddy {like that rhyme?} told me that the table top, was particle board. I said, "No way!"

Uh huh!

So while it was snowing and storming outside, I was making a snowstorm, inside. Except instead of snow, I was sanding!

I started off trying to strip the layers off with a paint/varnish remover. Well only about a tenth of the finish came off. Now! I had a hot mess. All slimy and goopy.

{yuck! and don't worry, the kids weren't around to get high on fumes...and the windows were open}

I've put in about 5 hours into this table {sanding and stripping} and I ruined it. OOPS!

Guess what? I sanded too far along the outer edges. Causing the...yup...particle board to be exposed, which was all crumbly and warped from the previous water damage.

I really did like the table....I am really bummed! Especially since my mom gave it to me about six years ago...free!

It was black, and I left it black until about six months ago. I thought I wanted a white table.

The white table was nice for a while, but again, impatient me never listened to the hubby and the buddy, and didn't sand or anything...just painted over it {MISTAKE!}

Apparently my kids are a lot harder on tables than I realized. Oh, and looking at the before photos, I realized I changed my chairs. I will post later on those...yup think, white/cream material, slipcovers, kids and ketchup = crazy mom!!

So! My title!?

The Good? I found a table for $40 on CL {thanks food money...} and with the leaf, it will seat 8 people!

{Forgot to get a before sanding pic}

The Bad? I am sad I lost my table

The Ugly? The mess I had to clean up in our driveway!! and no, I didn't take a picture

~*Why can't I learn to listen to people who know what they are talking about?? 

Our dining room now, what I came up with using what I had...

Here's a sneak peek of what we are working on now-

Bedroom update...Since I'm done destroying tables, rearranging the living room and organizing closets, I hope to get back to doing the bedroom. Have done a few more things since posted last about it, and am working on the headboard, and the wall that the bed is on. 

Linking up to-{links will work as they come available}

The Shabby Creek Cottage Transformation Thursday

Miss Mustard Seed's Furniture Feature Friday

LaurieAnna's Farmhouse Friday

Chic on a Shoestring's Flaunt it Friday

The Quick Journey's Find your Craft Friday

A Stroll Thru Life Tabletop Tuesday

Bedroom Progress!!!

Yay!! We spent most of the day this past Saturday painting furniture and rearranging our bedroom. It is by no way finished..but hopefully these photos will try and erase those awful before photos...I posted on the Nester's Home Goals 2012 party!!

I only wish we could paint the walls...someday we'll have a house we can paint to our hearts content!

Progress:

Josh took a day a few weeks ago and converted an old nightstand into a little desk for us...

He originally painted it {an unusual} shade of brick/red/brown.....ummm!!!

You can see a peek of the color here:

I still have to do something with the bed... we have an idea of what we want to do above the headboard...most likely this weekend.

Haven't decided if I will paint the lamp white....maybe/maybe not

We also worked on making our version of pelham boxes {saturday}...just using free lumber from one of our neighbors...I am pleased with how they turned out...though I most likely will be painting them a softer white. 

My desk tray...

A couple close ups of the desk.. painted white with touches of a gold paint I had...along with some sanding to distress:

Off to finish dinner and get the grocery list together... a huge winter storm is expected to blow through tonight....need to get my pantry stocked...just incase!!! 

Linking to:

{the links that aren't working just yet will soon...as they become available!}

                                                               

Dining Room Mirror

I said yesterday I would post today about my mirror!!

I am still so 'happy' that my hubby found this at a yard sale, early summer, for only....$40!

I didn't mind the darker frame color when I had all darks in my decor. Now that I'm attempting to lighten things up, I decided that in my dining room with the white table, black hutch, and my black stripe curtains, the dark espresso really didn't jive too well along with the other colors.

Before:

So, this past weekend, out came my paintbrush, painters tape and my gold metallic paint pot!! I love how it turned out. {Along with my fall pumpkins and gourds}

After the gold was finished, I had moved onto painting my couch, when I decided I wanted to do some very light brush strokes of white paint, I really like the little highlights of 'barely there' white. I think it added a whole  different feel to the frame.

Linking this post to Kim's Wow Us Wednesday #36 @ SavvySouthernStyle

I am at my mom's canning applesauce....she is about to turn off the computer!! Good Night All!! :)

~*Jessica

Some Living Room Shots

If you remember my free couch I posted about a while ago, then you'll remember this couch....

Here it is before:

My inspiration I came across on Pinterest {after I got the couch}:

And now!:

{BTW: that mirror behind the couch is gonna be my next victim! I'll be back in the next day or two with my dining room mirror...that ginormous one? Whoop!! It looks sooooo much better!! :) }

I decided to tackle this job on Saturday afternoon while my girlies were taking a nap. It took about one and a half hours from start to finish, and it was done all free hand! I attempted to tape off the material so I wouldn't get paint on it...well after several times of it falling off {wasn't sticky enough} and the right paint brush method, I just free handed it!!

I love it! I guess I'm just a funky soul, but it's so cozy, and I've been staring/sitting/gazing at it just loving the way it turned out!! It will do until I have either the dough, or the knowledge, to recover it!!

Here is some more shots of that area.

To the left of this last picture, I am working on something to fill in the space between the loveseat and the wall, plus something to tie in these two seating areas. I have an idea, just need to get out my sewing machine!!

{I am also so excited that I found my camera!! It's a lot better to take pictures with, even though I'm not a photographer!....Someday, though, I want to learn how to use my camera, and learn how to take pictures!! Ahhhhh so many things to tweak, design, sew, capture on film......now if I can figure out how to do all that along with my many other things!!}


Time to go to bed, lots to do tomorrow! I do plan to post about my dining room mirror!!

Linking this post to:
Sarah's Vintage Furniture Makeover Party @ Three Boys
Marian's FFF @ Miss Mustard Seed



~*Jessica