a curvy beauty.....

i can't believe that this is my first post for 2012....someone has not been sorting out her priorities....

ahem,.....

i have had my hand in about 5 different projects at once.

i rock at the multi-tasking....

i have been redoing this dresser 

and want to use it to store my stash of vintage sheets and 

finished quilts. 

i picked this out of someone's trash last spring.  it was in pretty bad shape and all of the drawers were destroyed.  but the frame is in good shape.  the shelves (drawer bottom bases) in there are just made of cardboard so i plan on replacing them with mdf.  the inside is going to be painted creamy white and the outside with annie sloan paris grey.  i have removed the back of the piece and will replace that with beadboard.  it is in progress as we speak....

this lovely table.... 

a cute little duncan phyfe

is getting a makeover.

it  has cool brass caps for the feet that i thought were missing.

but one of them was still attached and two others (i have located a replacement for the fourth one online) were in a bag taped to these 

cool chairs that came with the table....4 of them....

they are very similar to three other chairs that i had found at the goodwill back in the summer

for $5.00 each...

here is the back story on the table and chairs...

last summer i redid a lot of furniture for my friend lisa.  she has since moved to minnesota

(i miss you girlfriend)

but her parents still live here.  she called me last week to tell me that her mom, penny,  had a table & chair set for me.  i thought that penny wanted me to make over the table for her but she had actually rescued the set from her brother who was going to burn it.  literally.  burn it in a fire pit.

she snatched it from him and delivered it to my house a few days ago...

for me to keep.  for free....free. 

thank you penny and walt... 

after she left i started inspecting it. 

the top is in pretty bad shape

 but it is really nice mahogany 

and all of the hardware is intact.  the sides raise and lower very easily.  

 and the legs and base are in really good and sturdy condition.

and it is hea-vy!!!

 i wondered if there was a leaf that went with it but penny said that her brother couldn't find it.  

but guess what????   

 a self-storing leaf......

(insert a long, high-pitched squeal here)

 obviously this leaf didn't get much use.  maybe no-one knew that it was there.  

 this little beauty is going to replace my current table and chairs in the kitchen.  it is a little less long and wide than my current set is and will fit better.  i think i'm going to refinish the top and paint the bottom.

the gouges and scratches on the top are pretty deep, so i'll see how that goes....

i'm really excited about it. 

the other project i am currently working on started out like this...

 and will be revealed in a few days....

stay tuned!!

favorite projects of 2011

this past year was a very fun one for me....but it didn't start out that way....

when i lost my job one week before christmas in 2010, i was angry and scared.  

then i was just angry.

but i used the experience to do some of the things i never had before.

i was able to do way more than i ever had been able to do in the past when i had a full time job....

i feel lucky that i had the opportunity to experience being a full time mama...

having more time for my photography

doing things i never thought i would ever do, like making a quilt,

and for all of the fun furniture thrifting and refurbishing.  

i also had time to spend redecorating some of the rooms in my house. 

and i am proud that i was able to do most of them for pennies on the dollar.

here are my top ten favorite projects of 2011:

10.  the goodwill coffee table

9.  the ugly bench

8.  the entertainment cabinet turned pantry

7.  my first handmade quilt

6. the diy camera bag 

5.  the twin tables

4.  a sofa slipcover from a dropcloth

3. trying my hand at canning

2.  the kitchen makeover

 and my favorite (and most popular) post of 2011

1.  the laundry room redo

i have also had the opportunity this year to experience washington dc with my son on his 8th grade class trip and go to every one of his baseball and football games.  thankfully i was also able to get him to  his practices all spring, summer and fall long with their crazy schedules and times....

i want to wish everyone a very happy, healthy and prosperous new year.....

see you in 2012.....

xoxo

handmade christmas gifts.....

i thought that i would share a few gifts that i made for christmas this year.  now that the gifts have been given, i can post pictures of them here....

the girls each got a quilt this year

scarlett's

and tessa's.

both were strip quilts made with my ever growing stash of vintage sheets.

the girls share a bedroom but are getting separate rooms soon.  scarlett's is going to be pink and gray with   

this bedding with comforter, shams, sheet set and dust ruffle, that i scored at target for $7.59 for the entire set.....yes, $7.59.  it was an online purchase that was returned to the store and never sold.  it retails for $59.99 and is still available...

score!!

tessa's room is going to be painted lilac so she got this bedding.  it came with a sheet set, sham and dust ruffle and i got it at goodwill, brand new and in the package for $30.00.  not quite the same bargain as scarlett's but still a great deal....

i was totally excited when i found a vintage pillowcase that (sort of) matched and was used when i made her quilt.  

she also got a little chair that i got from goodwill and refurbished for her new room.  

the veneer on the harp was broken so i used filler on it....

 and recovered the seat in another vintage pillowcase that i also used for her quilt....

  she loved it....

the girls also each got these doll beds

which i neglected to take pictures of with the bedding that i made for each one.  

my parents got this.... 

 i forgot to take a picture before i started painting it, but it was copper metal with dark wood ugliness....

 yukka.....

my parents have a beautiful wooded backyard with some very whimsical garden art. 

this screamed bird feeder to me.....

 i collected teacups and saucers from thrift stores and 

don glued them on for me.  

my mom loved it.....but my dad didn't know what to think and it rendered him speechless while he tried to figure it out....

 i'm still hoping that it will grow on him....   :)

i made a few other gifts but i was so busy trying to finish them up that i didn't take pictures of them...

but they were cool.  i will try and get pics and post them soon...