Work That's Easy on the Eyes

Is it just me, or does your work environment influence your attitude at work... and your productivity?  I've got to have a cute work space! (I'll post pics soon of my office at school.)  So when I found this old desk that had seen better days, I knew that refinishing it would do more than bring new life to the desk.  It would bring new life to someone's work. Ok, so maybe I'm dreaming...


Here's the desk as I found it.

She had great bones, but had been abused over the years.  So I started by stripping the top and refinishing it in a dark walnut.  I could picture this beauty in turquoise, so I gave it two coats of ASCP Provence.  A little distressing and a coat of clear and dark wax later....

I could pull up my chair and get to work here!

I'm linking up:

Kammy's Korner                                                2805

Beneath my Heart                                              French Country Cottage

My Uncommon Slice of Suburbia                     My Repurposed Life

The Southern Institute                                       The Charm of Home

DIY Home Sweet Home                                   Common Ground

Debbiedoo's                                                      Miss Mustard Seed

Between Naps on the Porch                              Between U & Me

Home Stories A to Z                                         Remodelaholic

Restore Interiors                                                Be Different, Act Normal

Savvy Southern Style

Primitive & Proper

Elizabeth & Co

The Shabby Creek Cottage

No Minimalist Here

DIY by Design

The Promise of Spring

We've had a cold, rainy week and I've got a head cold.  But today the sun popped out!  I'm ready for spring, and for my headache to be gone.


I found this table at a flea market this summer and decided it needed to be refreshed.  It just looked tired.

And the Winner is...

Yesterday I found out that Maria at the Rusty Hinge honored my blog with the Liebster Award!  

Two Weeks and a Whirlwind

This isn't what I expected.  I thought blogging would begin in a lonely way.  I thought I'd have no followers for weeks (or months) until someone "discovered" my humble ramblings. I thought I'd be writing to an audience of none for a while.  

With Paintbrush in Hand

It's all her fault!  Red Hen Home made this fantastic table and I was awe-struck!

Vintage Vignettes

For me, repurposing furniture is satisfying work. But arranging vignettes?  Pure fun!


I'm a sucker for old silver and stoneware.

Have a Seat

I love to paint furniture.  I get a vision of what a piece can be and I love watching the transformation.  Don't feel quite the same about upholstery.  I have a vision for what it can be, but I don't usually enjoy the process.  Still, there's satisfaction in seeing a piece reborn.

I acquired two chairs at an auction.  They were dated brown wood and the seat and back were covered in black vinyl.  But they were sturdy and super cheap and no one was bidding on them.  So I bought them.  I figured I'd paint them and recover the seats.  Imagine my surprise when I took off the vinyl covering the back to discover this lattice!  Score!

So I covered the seats in vintage grain sacks.  I'm in love!

I saw this chair on Craig's List and knew a drop cloth would be perfect for the cushion.  It had already been painted white but the seat was an ugly green velvet.  

I added the ruffle and really like the way it turned out.  This ruffle was no-sew!  I used the hem of the drop cloth!  Maybe I should consider upholstery more often!

I've linked up!

2805

At the Picket Fence

Common Ground

French Country Cottage

My Repurposed Life

Miss Mustard Seed

Fingerprints on the Fridge

Saved by Suzy

Freckled Laundry

Thirty Hand-made Days

Be Different, Act Normal

The Project Queen

Got 'er Done!

My New Year's resolution is to take "before" pictures before I pick up the paint brush.  Well, got one done! (Ok, so I took half the drawers out before I thought of picking up the camera).


This "treasure" was an alley find!  You can see what poor shape it was in.  Still, I thought it had potential.  I loved the shabby green-ness, but what do I do with the top??  Somebody had taken a saw to the front edge.  I hated to paint it, but it sure needed help.

Finished! Finito! Done!...Finally!!

A little over a year ago I decided it was time to remodel my kitchen....three weeks before Christmas.  I know, crazy!  But my contractor assured me it would be done before family showed up for Christmas day, so we decided to go for it.  We wanted new cabinet doors, granite countertops, new backsplash, and new appliances.  


So the catastrophe construction began.

  














Old laminate countertop disappeared, new cabinet base was constructed...

New Year's Resolution

I'm not one to make much of New Year's resolutions.  Perhaps it's because I never manage to see them through.  But this year is different.  This one I think I can do!  My new year's resolution is to take "before" pictures before I start paining!  Sounds do-able, don't you think?  


This buffet is actually in my office at school.

Getting a Little Wordy

I certainly have a "thing" for numbers, but words can be art, too!  This chair has the definition for chair on the seat.

Blessings

My husband had to have his knee scoped this morning.  All went well, thank you for asking!  Blessing #1!  I've taken the day off to keep him down once the pain meds kick in!  HA!  Anyway, it's given me a chance to get some of those odd jobs done around the house.  I switched purses a few weeks ago and hadn't had time to completely clean out the old one.  I dumped all those odds and ends out and guess what I found!!  $100 worth of gift cards that I'd gotten for my birthday that I'd forgotten about!  Blessing #2!


Enough about that!  You're really here to see some cool renovations and creations!  Well what about these.  I found this awesome 9 drawer dresser on Craig's List.  A coat of French gray and some glaze really brought it to life.  I'm kinda crazy about all things French!

It's a Numbers Thing

In my "former life" I was a math teacher.  I always liked numbers.  Math just made sense to me.  It was clear, precise, predictable (not like those vague English rules that changed depending on the situation)!


I guess it's no surprise that I love the look of numbered furniture.  I've done several different looks in the past year.  Here are a few of my favorites!  I started with this simple black stool and decided to number it!

Inspiration

It's a new year.  Lots of people are making new years resolutions.  I'm facing lots of changes in my life this year, too.  But change can be inspiring, and it's nice to have the inspiration of others who have walked through similar things to encourage and guide the way.

There's something magical about changing a drab, tired piece of furniture into something with new life.  This dresser was the beginning of a special season for me. It started as a tired oak dresser (sorry, no "before" shot).  But a coat of creamy white paint and a few pages of sheet music later (a la Miss Mustard Seed),  and voila!