Me and my brilliant ideas..................( yeah right )

So - I had this wonderful idea - I was going to take this wall

and do something magical with it - it's a small wall in my kitchen and the only wall that
isn't either exposed brick or covered with furniture and appliances............................
I decided I was going to paint a diamond pattern with contrasting colors - leaving what
was there ( a yellowish color ) and cream.

so here I started off ( no measurements - just by eye - because everything I do, I do well, right?
HAH HAH HAH

note how uneven everything is...........time to take all of this down and start over
have I learned my lesson and am now using a tape measure?  of course not

look at the 4th row down...............( keep in mind I think it was roughly 2 in the morning after
working all day at my Mothers - is that a valid excuse for stupidity? )

painstakingly...............

so does it feel to witness a genius at work?

this is really one of the most embarassing design projects I have ever done - somebody stop
me before I go any further - PLEASE.

ok so nobody stopped me and now you are going to have to witness this atrocity.

too bad - I asked - nobody listened.................
I cannot look at it, I literally walk into my kitchen and avert my eyes from it everytime
It looks like a bad 70's trip - every diamond is lopsided............
Somebody walked in last week and said " Wow - love your wall " all I can say is they
looked like a " stoner "

Stay tuned - have another vision - as soon as I have the energy to execute it!

xxx

Time for a vacation................

I NEED A VACATION....................

Think we will go somewhere next week - have no idea where - but need need need some time away, anywhere.

I am almost finished the bedroom set for the master bedroom - here are pics so far..........

Before

and almost after ( doors need to be finished ) but I am almost there!
again the cell camera does not do the color justice - this is a really beautiful antique
pale blue - although it looks almost white in the picture.  This wknd I am off
to purchase a decent camera.

I really love it - wood lovers please turn your head away.   ;)
will post pics from a decent camera as soon as I have one.

xxx

No sew - no frills curtain valance

I needed something something to dress up the master bedroom ( the one I am staging not my own ) so came up with this idea tonight................

I had some very thick cotton batting - stiff enough to stand on it's own which I had used for a headboard project..............so cut it to size.

Than I cut up some Toile fabric that I had also bought some time ago for another project ( one that I gave up on completely )

I used straight pins to attach it to the cotton batting - no sewing - love love love it................

and this is my simple fix for a temporary valance..............

I am going to attach it with a simple rod ( again using straight pins and some small pcs of fabric )

A pair of cream linen drapes will hang underneath it.............I think I may be able to take pics of the
finished bedroom tomorrow - just a little " tweaking " left to do.

xxx

salvation army - kijiji finds

Once again I forgot to take a before pic - so before the drawers were finished ( the rest already was )

I took a picture so you could see the color of the before shot at the very least..................
Check out the " serpentine " drawers - ( the curves )
Okay so this item I found at the salvation army - it is actually the bottom half of a buffet and hutch -
which I decided I would turn into a dresser...............

But where would I possibly be able to find a tallboy bureau to match since it wasn't really a bureau
in the first place,
Enter Kijiji - this is an amazing match really

note the " serpentine " detail on the drawers of this pc.............even the doors on this unit
match the doors on the bottom of the buffet...............

Primed................

and this is the buffet ( let's just call it a bureau!!!!!!!!!! ) almost complete,

I really need to get a decent camera because the color this was painted is really beautiful -

Will post pics tomorrow of the set completed and ready to go................

I have worked harder on my Mom's place than I have ever worked in my life, truly -
but it is looking quite beautiful.

A demain...............
xxx

FREE!!!!!!

Someone posted this on Kijiji Montreal by mistake - because location is Mississauga Ontario - but look at this beauty for free ( check out the beautiful legs - a diy dream come true )
For FREE!

Almost worth it to drive to Ontario for this ;(




xxx
 

Before and After - bedroom number 2

I am soooo tired.............

I do not have a before of the actual room - but here is the door - and the room looked completely like this -
luckily the room was painted before I got in there, but I painted out the dreaded wood trim everywhere -
and redid the floors with polyurethane - and then " staged " it................

So one bedroom - kitchen - bathroom left to do before I head downstairs into the basement.

in all it's glory.............

and now...............

I know photo looks the same - but trying to show the 3.00 ceiling light fixture.........lol

Here is a closeup of the wallpaper - the drapes are the same color as the bronze part.

So............


drapes, carpet, lamp are mine which I brought to my Mom's for staging
ceiling lamp was 3.00 at the " restore habitat "
desk was a kijiji find for 70.00
daisy artwork was 50.00
wallpaper was 80.00 for 2 rolls
small black artwork on window wall was 4.00 at the dollar store
paint 15.00 ( oops paint from Home Depot - sometimes it works!!! )
total cost was 225.00 dollars to do this room

cost to have a daughter like me........................priceless, ha

next room - master bedroom

have a good wknd
xxx

Staging bedroom #1 finished

I have completed one of the smaller bedrooms now ( except for some art work on the walls )

Here is the before

and believe me this room needed work..................

and here are the afters

I painted the walls and the baseboards ( which were all wood - not nice wood either - old
damaged faded horrible wood - the white baseboards bring the room into the new
millenium ) and I put a fresh coat of polyurethane on the floors - aren't the floors gorgeous?

A couple of details - traded out an old ceiling fan - for this pretty chandelier

and then found these fun curtains at Home Depot for 20.00 a panel - a steal - I think they
make the room

and that's all folks -

Furniture from yours truly ( all Kijiji finds and all for sale )
Light Fixture 45.00
Curtains 40.00
Paint ( lots of it ) 30.00
Primer 30.00
Dollar store this and that 10.00
Total cost to " stage room "
155.00




Room number 2 to be shown in a couple of days....................   I don't think I have a before
of that one - but I will try to remember to take a picture of the bedroom doors which will
tell you all you need to know

xxx

Staging well on its way

I have been working at my mothers all week - first before and almost after photos below - the chairs are
still a work in progress - I am painting them a glossy white - and the fabric is black and white.................
Also the end tables ( there are 2 of them - one beside each chair ) were a salvation army find - refurbished.
A piece of bevelled glass sits in the tops.

I painted the valance design by using painters tape - painted the whole valance gray - then made my design with painters tape - then painted the whole thing white - covering the painters tape - when everything was
dry I simply peeled of the tape and Voila!  

The faux fireplace was also a salvation army find - and usually sits in my dining room - since my Mothers
place is empty I am filling it up with all my finds - and things I am hoping to sell.

Happy wknd...........
xxx

Cost to Stage

furniture - drapes - some accesories -mine

accessories 40.00

Good Morning Soda!

This is what I awoke to this morning swear to God -
She thinks she is human my little Soda Pup.................
All snuggled in at the bottom of the bed -
Precious

BEFORE AND AFTER DINING ROOM CHAIRS

I found these chairs on Kijiji for 25.00 each - 4 of them and they desperately needed some love.
After thoroughly washing, I spray painted the primer on and then painted. Voila!
2 extra chairs for dining room - and 2 of them have become our office chairs.

Ikea 25,000 kitchen makeover

So.........received my House and Home magazine this morning - and they are offering a contest for a kitchen makeover - you simply take pictures ( up to 8 of them ) of all angles and explain why you need a makeover.

I ran to take pics - and had the perfect letter to accompany it.................

" I think I am the perfect candidate for a kitchen makeover - as I have been
making do in a kitchen that is smaller than most bathrooms -
With only 2 kitchen cupboards I had to put a buffet/hutch in an already tiny
space just to accomodate storage - and every wall has racks hanging on it
for pots etc.
I love to cook - but do not have room to turn around...............please please
pick us - bring this old Victorian Kitchen into the new millenium.......... "

and was prepared to send it off - and lo and behold in the contest rules there
it was

THIS CONTEST IS NOT AVAILABLE IN QUEBEC DUE TO PROVINCIAL
REGULATIONS....................why this province fights being part of such
an incredible country I will never understand.  And we end up missing on so much
more than contests - the broadway shows that travel everywhere except our province,
the stores that say it is not worth the red tape, and the list goes on.

Once you have travelled outside this country you see how trivial it all seems really,

ANYWAYS, this is not a political blog - and I love my province - just wish things
could be different.

And I will not have a chance to win my dream kitchen :(

xxx

New Find on Kijiji

Browsing Kijiji tonight and found this beauty for
50.00 - have sent an email and my fingers are
crossed -
I am dreaming of this in an antiqued aqua..............
The handles are gorgeous!!!!!!!!!!!

SOLD!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Somebody wants these 2 pcs - very exciting!
Coming on the wknd to see them................................

The problem is I fall in love with everything after I have worked on them and
it is especially hard to let go of the pale blue one - it is so much prettier in person.

But they were bought to be refurbished and sold - so mission accomplished I suppose!

xxx

AMY

So saddened to hear that she has left us -
I was in awe of her talent - loved loved loved her voice -
and followed her life closely, always dreading this
day.
Please just make it past 27 Amy - last longer
than Janis - please don't be another statistic..........
But she couldn't hold on - a life too painful to face
straight and there it is
She flew to the heavens today - another star
looking down upon us -
27 seems to be a terrible year for incredible talent.............
Janis - Kurt - and now Amy -

Like the song says - " if there's a rock and roll heaven
than you know they've got a hell of a band "

RIP little songbird -

I needed a pillow

So today I went in search of a pillow for this chair - it looked a little bare I thought.................

but got a little sidetracked as usual and came home with













this

and this

and this

 

and this

oh yeah
and finally this

just in case you think I don't have focus  xxx