Sunday, January 30, 2011

Back in the Groove!

I finally got my Mojo back!!!! I've been painting like a crazy woman! I have tons to show you, but I'm going to take it slowly! One thing at a time! First, we will start with a fun piece I named "Twitterpated"! It all started with this old sewing machine cabinet, given to me by my neighbors:




I almost forgot the "Before" shot, so this is after I sanded and started priming! (Don't you LOVE the dropcloth?)

This is the inside, where the sewing machine was usually stored!
After painting, painting, and more painting and then distressing and glazing, here is the "After"



Isn't it just the cutest thing ever! I can just see in college apartment or young girl's room!

The drawers do not function, but they add so much to the design! I kept the original knobs, but spruced them up with a little paint!


The top is handpainted with whimsical birds, hence the name "Twitterpated"!




Both sides and the back are covered in polka dots, but the fun doesn't stop there!



Just look at the inside!



The fold out side has a chalkboard for keeping notes.


And the old sewing machine compartment now holds a basket perfect for hide away storage!



"Twitterpated" is going up in the gallery for sale! So, if you know someone who is looking for side table/desk! Pass this on! Thanks for stopping by!

Tuesday, January 18, 2011

Miss Linda

I have a great new piece in the works, but it's not quite done yet. I know I need to share something with y'all or you might think I have abandoned you for good! Fear not! I am here. We have just been under siege by the stomach bug! It made its rounds, slowly, one-by-one, to everyone in my house last week! Needless to say, I am so glad that last week is over!

Enough with the apologies! I do have a make over to share with you, it's just not new (at least not to me)! When my husband and I were first married, I was just getting into painting furniture. And my in-laws had a fabulous buffet that I commented on, more than once.


My mother-in-law, Miss Linda (I live in the South and we call everybody Miss and Mr. it's a respect thing), was the kind of mom we all wish for. She made all four of her kids a hot breakfast every morning, she taught them everything a mother can. Mr. Rustic can cook, clean, sew, and decorate a cake with the best of them. He can also install an air conditioner, fix a car, lay tile, and just about anything else you could want done. He is a jack of all trades, but I digress! This post is not about him, it is about the woman who helped make him who he is. Miss Linda was a preacher's wife and she filled that role perfectly. She was a lover of family and was there to help any wayward soul that might need a helping hand. In short, she was the kind of woman we all strive to be. Sadly, I never got to see that side of her.

By the time Mr. Rustic and I got married in 1999, Miss Linda was well into an extended battle with Huntington's Disease. If you are like me, you have never heard of this disease, so let me give you a short definition from the Mayo Clinic:

"Huntington's disease is a progressive, degenerative disease that causes certain nerve cells
in your brain to waste away. As a result, you may experience uncontrolled movements,
emotional disturbances, and mental deterioration."

It is not a pretty illness. It robs it's victims of years worth of living. It takes away their ability to function without around the clock help. Miss Linda fought this disease for more than 20 years and finally went home to Glory five years ago. I was so blessed to be there for her final moments in this world, to spend that precious time with all the people who loved her, to hear their stories of the woman she once was. I grew so much closer to my husband's family during that time and I am blessed to call them my own!


Not long after she passed, my sister-in-law offered me the buffet that I had loved from the start. Of course, I said yes! I am honored to have something that belonged to such a godly woman and phenomenal mother. I let it sit in our bedroom untouched for five years, afraid to touch her legacy. Then, this summer, I mentioned painting it Mr. Rustic. He jumped on board. It really did need an update. And I quickly realized that I could never take away how special she was and she would want me to enjoy this piece to the fullest.

I didn't take a "Before" picture because it was before I was blogging, but here is the "After"




I absolutely love the way it turned out!



Just look at the way the glazed finish jumps out and you!

And Hobby Lobby had the PERFECT knobs!

I hope you have a special piece of furniture in your home! Just remember you don't have to keep it just the way it is to honor the person who gave it to you! Thanks for stopping by!

Thursday, January 6, 2011

Oh Blog...How I've Missed Thee!

I have neglected you all for WAY TOO LONG! I am sorry! I hope everyone had a wonderul holiday season! We had so much fun, SO much food, and a little TOO much family! Just Kidding!!!! We loved every minute of the break and honestly hated to see it come to an end! But that's how it goes and now it is back to the real world and back to the paint cans!

I have many projects waiting (patiently) in the garage! I have to admit though I am having a little trouble getting motivated! My new friend Laurie gave me the swift kick in the butt that I needed. She and her husband bought this awesome gray storage cabinet that I painted months ago!

It was originally the bottom half of our very first armoire! (The top half bit the dust during a move a few years ago!)I started out looking like this:

Look at the details on it now!

And if selling a piece wasn't motivation enough, Laurie threw in the prospect of a custom job!!!! Now I know I have to get crackin'! So, it may be slow going for a while, but I will be going! Keep checking in!
Thanks for stopping by!

Thursday, December 16, 2010

Merry Christmas and a BIG Apology

As if this season isn't crazy and stressful enough, now my internet has gone out! So, I am typing this on my Blackberry! I will keep it short and sweet so I don't get cramps in my thumbs!!!

I have some makeovers to show you, but obviously can't if I can't connect my computer to the internet! The problem should be fixed...just in time for me to leave to go out of town! Whatever! It is a crazy time anyway!

So for now, I just want to say Merry Christmas and I'll see ya when I see ya! Thanks for stopping by!

Tuesday, December 7, 2010

The Ansley

I am sorry it has been so long since I have had a good furniture makeover for you, but believe me, this one is worth the wait.
Let me show the before...and then I will give you the details.



Over a month ago, I bought this adorable piece at a garage sale! We have some sweet friends from church who are adopting a baby girl, Ansley, from China. They had a MASSIVE sale to help raise money...and they did! Well, if you have been reading my blog long, you know that I have a heart for adoption. I just can't help it! So, I went to their sale and this little beauty stole my heart. At first glance, she is not much to look at, but look closely!

Look at the curves on the door

and the size of the drawers.

This is a solid piece! But it was not in great shape!

It was a labor of love, much like the adoption process! I sanded, and sanded, and sanded some more. Then primed and painted! Then applied a terrific glaze! And believe it or not, that was the easy part! The hard part came in finding new pulls. The drawers originally each had two knobs, which I just can't stand...I don't know why. I tried filling in the holes and using library pulls, but they looked too small. I knew then that it was going to take XL pulls to finish this piece. So, I went to a specialty store in my area and ordered some 6" pulls! Then, I used the drill ALL BY MYSELF (this was a first) and VOILA!!!! They are perfect! So are you ready for the big reveal?


It turned out even better than I expected!



Look at how the details pop now!
And the hidden secret...the best part...

There are 3 more drawers behind the door! And these are painted in chalkboard paint! Think of the storage possibilities...and the labeling!!!! I am in Heaven!!!
And just because I loved these extra drawers so much I had to give them a little extra attention.

I am so excited about how this piece turned out! I wish I had a dining room because it would make an ideal buffet! But, once again, I must sell her! As cute as she is, I just do not have the room! She already has a good home waiting for her and will be heading that way later this week!

I LOVE COMMENTS! So, let me know what you think! Thanks for stopping by!



Thursday, December 2, 2010

Oh Christmas Tree!

I LOVE Christmas trees! Next to Christmas carols, trees are probably my favorite part of the season! I love all the extravagant trees the stores put up every year! I love visiting friends and seeing what their family has done with the tree tradition. Every year I see some of the most beautiful trees, decorated to the nines. And every year I think, "Next year, I am going to have a BEAUTIFUL tree! I am going to go all out! I am going to have the BEST tree!!!" Just look at some of the trees I have been admiring this year:

Atherton Holiday House Tour traditional living room
Atherton Holiday House Tour

Frenchflair traditional living room

Frenchflair

Now check out these from Country Living

I love the Rustic Feel of this one!

This one reminds me of my grandmother's tree!

And I love this explosion of red!

Here are some more. These are from Better Homes & Gardens
This one looks so elegant!




And I want this one! It is So Fat and Fabulous!

All of these trees are great! I could look at Christmas trees for days, but this one is my favorite:



It's nothing special. It has no theme or color scheme. It's ornaments are placed in odd groupings (thanks to little helpers). And it leans to one side! But this is OUR tree! These are our ornaments, collected over the years. My kids help decorate it and they don't stop until they are satisfied that is finished.
I LOVE sitting in a dark living room, with a big cup of coffee, and watching the lights! I Love the feeling that everything is right in the world when there is a tree in my house! How weird does that sound? Ok, I hope I haven't bored you or scared you away! Instead, I hope you are inspired to put up your tree, then sit back and enjoy. It is YOUR tree and it is not like anyone else's.

Thanks for stopping by!

Monday, November 29, 2010

In a Christmas Rush? Shutterfly Saves the Day!

I cannot believe it is almost Christmas! I thought I was doing so good this year!!! Still, I am feeling overwhelmed (and it is not even December yet)! I realized this morning that my kids only have 3 weeks of school left until they are out for Christmas vacation. This means that I basically have 3 weeks to accomplish everything, because once they are out of school...NOTHING productive will get done! We will drink hot chocolate, watch Christmas movies, wrap presents, and just enjoy the season! Before I can do that though...I have some things to check off my list!


Priority #1 is ordering Christmas cards! I LOVE Christmas cards. I adore reconnecting with all those people I lose touch with over the year! I am so entertained reading the family newsletters and seeing pictures of friends and family who live far away. And YES, I love showing off my own kids! Every year I plan out our wardrobe, schedule a photo session, and then plop down with my good friend Shutterfly, and design a knockout card!


My devotion to Shutterfly started three years ago. We were living across the country from our families for the first time. I knew I wanted a Phenomenal card. So, I hunted around until I came across what I thought to be the cutest cards for the best prices. At the time, my kids were 6, 3, and 2! Needless to say, getting a good group picture was nearly impossible! Thankfully, Shutterfly offers so many different designs, that I found one that would work with individual pictures of each of my kids. This is what we sent out for Christmas 2007:

We got so many compliments! I didn't even think twice when Christmas came around the next year! I went straight to Shutterfly! And once again...the site delivered! I had a picture of my kids that captured the pure joy of being a kid at Christmas and Shutterfly had a card to match! Here is our card from 2008 (it is my all time favorite):

Last year, time got away from me! I didn't even have time to take Christmas pictures, so we had to use some that we had taken during the summer! I was worried about how "warm weather" pictures would look on a Christmas card, but Shutterfly came through for me! This is what we put together last year, in 2009:


This year, we have GREAT pictures! I am so thrilled with how they turned out. The hard problem is, there are so many options for cards that I can't make up my mind! Here are a few of the pictures I am thinking about using!




I will be sure and share with you what card we opt for this year! No matter what, I know it will be outstanding!

Shutterfly not only helps me out with Christmas cards, but it is a great site for finding gifts too! One of my favorite things to make is their photo books! We make one every January! We gather all of our pictures from Christmas and compile them into a wonderful book of memories! These are the ones we have made for the past couple of years:





These are great, but Shutterfly does more than just Christmas! We have made books like this to remember vacations:



And my favorites are the ones we make "just because":


Above all this though, the easiest and best gift we have ever given our families is the Shutterfly calendar!


We passed these out to everyone last Christmas and they were a HUGE hit! We have already had requests for another one this year! Our families not only love all the pictures, but also that the calendar is customizable! I enter all the family birthdays and important dates so that they are printed on the calendar and no one has to worry about forgetting anything for the next year!
I hope you are inspired to get your Christmas cards done now...and maybe some gifts too! We are only 27 days from Christmas! Here are some quick links for you so you can jump right on over to Shutterfly and start creating! They have some Unbelievable Specials going on right now! So don't waste any time! Come back and comment and let me know what you create!
Holiday Cards
Christmas Photo Cards
Calendars
Photo Books
Thanks for stopping by!