First Project of 2017...

Happy 2017 Friends....hope you are off to a great start!  This is the month I just seem to kind of "chill" if you know what I mean.  It  seems like I just breathe a little more this time of year.  It gets dark early - so farm work has to stop, we eat supper at a decent hour if my young man is not playing in a basketball game.  I have always cherished the month of January simply because there seems to be a little down time.  

But with the start of the new year and cleaning up after the holidays....I am always ready to refresh something in my home.  So as usual...it just happens to be another piece for my kitchen.  Actually when I found this piece I had no idea where I would put it.  I moved it around a few times before I settled on this spot.  But I have to say...in this space...it was the perfect fit! And all those little cubbies could serve a purpose instead of just being dust collectors. 

Well...here she is in all her glorious "brownness".  I found this piece a couple of months ago at our area peddlers mall for $30.  Score!!!!  Now it was rough - just a simple handmade piece...but the lumber would have cost me more than that!

It actually had one more set of boards in the back...but I simply unscrewed one across the top and two down the sides to make it a bit more narrow.  I then cut off the support pieces with a reciprocating saw.  Took less than 5 minutes to do all that!  Now that is my kind of fix!

 

Worst part about it was trying to paint in all those nooks and crannies!  Serious. Hand. Cramps!  I painted in the corners and rolled on the rest.

 

After a couple of coats I did end up distressing it a bit (not shown here...oops).

 

Here you can see the sanding....Now....Just trying to decide what to fill it with.  I must confess....I love stuff but sometimes things like this make me nervous...just to much going on.  I see other people layer on top of layer and it is GORGEOUS but I must say it scares me a little.  I suppose I just don't like cleaning around it all...what about you?

I went to my pantry and pulled out a few things...like cookbooks, my basket of potatoes, a little chicken feeder I had...

 

 ...bowls...baskets...some greenery...

 ...and that is about it!  Now on to the top.  I reused a chalkboard I had and my new blue buckets were a Christmas gift - I just love them...especially since they are from my mamaw Ruby!

Some greenery tucked in the buckets...

My scale with oranges...

A lamp for coziness...

 

...and that is about it.  Inexpensive, cute and functional....that sounds like the perfect blend to me!

 

And on that chalkboard is my favorite scripture.  A scripture we should all try to live by each day.  I know I am thankful for Forgiveness!

 

Have a blessed 2017 friends!

Create a little something that makes you smile!

Cathy

My First Project of the New Year...

 Yes, I know - I haven't been very productive...but I've been enjoying the quite of winter with my family.  It won't be long and things will be in overdrive!  I start seeding in the greenhouse in just a couple of weeks and baseball is just around the corner.  Hope your time spent indoors this winter is restful!

So even though I haven't been very productive with big projects - I have accomplished a few small ones,  one of which being this small filing cabinet.  My craft closet was getting kind of out of control - especially with all the "little" stuff - like stamps and ink, and glue and tags, and scissors and wood burners...well, and...and...and....- you get the picture.

So a while back I had spotted this lil' filing cabinet at our local antique mall.  I just love all those drawers!  I could see the potential but it was just a bit more than I wanted to spend.  I pondered it for several weeks and finally I just treated myself!  After all, it would make for some great organization PLUS - I knew it would be to cute all painted up!

It had a few places where the paint was peeling and it was a tad rusty...

Nothing that a lil' sandpaper couldn't fix...

Be sure to always sand until you get a smooth edge.

Next I cleaned the cabinet well - and let me just say there were some interesting things on this cabinet - dirty is an understatement! I then sprayed the entire cabinet with gray primer for metal surfaces...

Seems like no matter how hard I try to get away from green - I keep going back to it.  I love this color... "Leafy Green" from Rust-oleum - reminds me of spring!

 

Snowball kept his distance yet he kept an eye on what I was doing.  He wasn't for sure what to think of me when I was shaking those spray paint cans -all the while channeling Taylor Swift's "Shake It Off".  I'm glad no one else was watching! ;-)

This cabinet has 30 drawers - yep... took a while to paint all those little drawers.

This paint has great coverage - two coats and I was ready to take it inside - with Shaun's help of course.  It may be small but it is heavy!

I simply cut some kraft paper to size and used some of my small stamps to label the drawers.  

You can see - all of those drawers are already being put to great use.  I love it - feeling all organized.  Now, only if the rest of my house was like this.

It fit perfectly at the base of our steps - right outside my craft closet.  I'm glad I decided to treat myself  with this cabinet.  It's nothing fancy - but I'm sure it will be a piece that will be serviceable for years to come.

Happy Winter Friends!

Cathy

I painted my Range Hood!!...

Yes, I've only been in this house 2 years...

and Yes, I did ask hubby if he minded...

and Yes, I'm really glad I did it!

 

So let me tell you WHY I painted my range hood...

 

Can you see the discoloration?  I rounded the corner of the kitchen on Saturday and there it was - staring at me like "Hey you, I'm tired of being all white - I'm gonna go all cream on you!"  Plus all the smudges that would not wash off - I'm thinking the heat from the stove might  have been playing tricks on the finish in the front.  I don't know for sure - just a guess because I. COULD. NOT. wipe off those prints!

So right then and there, I went and got my painters tape, taped it off and went to work...

I wasn't even patient enough to go out and buy paint - I just went to my stash and started mixing.  I knew I wanted a blue/green color.  I really wanted to use MMS milk paint in Kitchen Scale but it was to risky since I didn't have any bonding agent.

So.. I mixed and mixed until I liked it......."this looks good" I thought....

 

WRONG....it was to tealish...

Add in some blue... Better... but still waaaay to streaky...

 

YES.  Finally after mixing some white and blue - a much creamier finish with the weathered look I was hoping for.

 

 

Then I sanded it a bit and whitewashed it lightly.

 

And now, I can honestly say...

It really did break up all the white - which I love my white cabinets BUT I knew from the time they put up the hood - it WAS to much of a good thing.

 

And besides - it's just paint - I can change the whole look of the room with just this one splash of color!

 

Hope you are having a great week!

A 30 minute Mini Makeover...

...not on me, but a piece of furniture that is.

 

 

I've had this dresser for a while - we use it as a side table.  It was o.k. - just kinda blah or as hubby would say, "BORRRRing".  So the other day I had a few minutes - and literally that is all it took - a very few minutes. 

 

 

I yanked out those drawers - taking off the knobs took the greatest amount of my 30 minutes with this project.  I dry brushed on some "Flood Tide" blue from a Lowe's sample jar.

 

 

It was dry in a jiffy. 

 

 

And that's it - just a little paint on the drawer fronts really gave it some life that it desperately needed.  Now on my next trip to Hobby Lobby - I'll pick up some pretty knobs and I'll be content.

 

 

 

These little projects are staring at me everywhere and since we are on the Christmas Home Tour again this year - I'd better be getting busy!

 

Now, only if a 30 minute makeover would work on me - sadly, I think it'd take a lot longer for the help I need ;-)

 

Happy November!

 

My "New/Old Kitchen Hutch...

Well, I've been in another project - a "new to me" kitchen hutch.

 

 

When I found her - she looked like this - kinda dirty, kinda dreary, well, just kinda UGLY.

 

 

What I loved most about the cabinet was the wide boards in the back - that is why I had to buy it!

 

So I started out by painting the back with Miss Mustard's Seed Milk Paint in the color "Kitchen Scale".

 

 

I suppose I missed the... painting the outside in "Ironstone" picture.

 

Anyway, as you can see - that is what I did.

 

 

I just love all the "chippy goodness" that milk paint allows to happen - it is instant age, instant beauty!

 

 

 

I'm loving my new jars from Burke's Outlet - just 10.00 each!  My plan is to fill them with white beans and some candles - but I gotta get to the grocery first ;-)

 

 

A close up of the drawers - love how they turned out.

 

 

I think this hutch fits in my kitchen perfectly - at least for now.  This area seems to be my "rotating cabinet" area.  I buy them, paint them, love them for a while and then sell them.  It's fun to be able to change it out!

 

 

I can't wait to decorate it for Christmas!

 

 

Linking up to Miss Mustard Seeds Furniture Feature Friday!

 

Happy beautiful weekend!