From Black Lace to Turquoise Beachy

August 14, 2017August 12, 20178 Comments

Hello! Sorry about missing last week Monday! Between being gone two weekends in a row, getting stuff done at school, working at the animal shelter, and just life, a post didn’t get written! Just the way it goes sometimes. This week we take Haley to college. Wah! How did it come to this!? I’m going to miss her greatly, but I am also excited to see where this takes her and to see everything I know she is capable of accomplishing!

Remember when Lauren painted these bar stools? After moving this summer, she decided she didn’t need them at her new apartment. So guess where they end up? That’s right…mom’s house! They don’t really fit in my decor with the black and white, so I went with a more beachy look.

I sanded down the top first, not completely down to the wood, but just to get most of the black off. I kept a bit of it because I knew I wanted to sand down whatever I painted and let some of the black show through. The next step was primer. I used my favorite Kilz Primer.

I used my Benjamin Moore Simply White over the whole stool. After the paint dried, I used painters tape to make stripes on the seat of the stool. I’m not very good at measuring things out, so I just eyeballed it, trying to keep my lines as straight as possible. I actually did pretty well!

I pressed down the edges of the tape really well and then I used the same ‘unknown paint color’ that I used in my bedroom and the front door. You can see it here.

After the paint dried a bit, I peeled off the tape. The lines look pretty good!

I used an orbital sander over the seat and around the edges. I sanded down to the black in some places and to the wood in other places.

Here it is in the bathroom. You can still see some of the black showing through.

I also used one in my entryway. It’s the perfect place to take off your shoes or leave a bag for a moment.

So what do you think? I love how these turned out! I have two more and I am thinking about painting them the same. I’m so glad I got this project done! On to the next project!

*Here are some of the products that are similar to what I used. This is a sponsored post.*

Here are a few other previous posts you might enjoy!

A Spring Tablescape Contest

April 10, 2017April 9, 201710 Comments

It’s Spring Break this week! Yay! I was actually out of work 2 days last week too, because I didn’t feel well, but went back on Friday for our Jesus Lives party. The kids really enjoy that. We do some crafts, listen to the Bible story, dye eggs, decorate cookies and go on an egg hunt. It’s a fun filled morning, and now I am ready for the break.

*This post contains affiliate links for your convenience. Any purchase made will not cost you any extra, but a little comes back to us. Thank you!*

This weekend I was putting some tablescapes together for a blog post, when Haley decided we should do a competition. We used to put together a place-setting complete with menu for 4-H competitions. She stated we should do it for the blog. We won’t tell you whose is whose and you can vote in the comments. The winner gets bragging rights, and if Haley wins, we will never hear the end of it! We collected all these things from around the house and had a great time teasing each other about who would win. So here we go!

Retro Turquoise Chic

This tablescape starts out with a white tablecloth and is layered with a turquoise, grey and white patterned napkin. A white plate is layered with a grey plate and a white napkin and silverware are laid by the side. The wood and white cake stand is topped with turquoise mason jars and a topiary to bring in some texture and coziness. A retro turquoise fan will keep you cool on those hot summer nights. Perfect simplicity for a summer dinner under the stars.

tablescapes 2017 turquoise and grey mason jar

tablescape 2017 turquoise and grey simple farmhouse

tablescape 2017 turquoise and grey place mat and fan

tablescape 2017 turquoise and grey farmhouse rustic simple

tablescapes 2017 turquoise mason jars and plant

2. Summer Chic

This is the perfect tablescape to add a little glam to your table! A navy blue tablecloth is layered with a bright pink runner. A stack of plates combines white and gold, both solid pieces and ones with designs. Silverware is packaged into a crisp white napkin. Simple details, such as a white bunny with gold ears, white and pink peony and a green fern add to the chic. Add a few candles for the perfect dinner with someone special.

tablescapes 2017 gold, and pink with bunny and flower

tablescapes 2017 bunny, flower, plant pink

3. Seaside Charm

This tablescape features a white tablecloth with a burlap runner. A white and turquoise chippy metal charger is layered with a grey rattan plate holder and a turquoise plate with white trim. A grey swirled napkin is topped with a starfish. Flatware tied with rope adds to the coastal look. A twine wrapped candle inside a rope and glass candleholder adds some ambiance and charm. Glass floats and a little burlap treat bag bring in some character and texture. Great for imagining yourself at the sea.

tablescapes 2017 nautical starfish, candle lantern, glass floats

tablescape 2017 nautical turquoise, blue and grey

tablescape 2017 nautical turquoise, burlap, glass floats, candle

tablescapes 2017 nautical starfish turquoise plate, rattan plate, metal charger

So, which one did you like the best? Let us know in the comments and I will let you know next week who the winner is! This was a lot of fun for us and we hope you enjoyed it too! Have a great week and a blessed Easter!

For your convenience, here are some links to similar items on Amazon. There is no extra cost to you, but a little bit comes back to us. Thank you!

Hallway Bathroom Makeover-Rustic Nautical

April 3, 2017April 2, 201718 Comments

Can you believe it? I can finally show you one of the rooms in my house? It’s taken me long enough! This isn’t a complete renovation, just a makeover. The biggest item changed out was the floor. So here we go!

We have to start with the before. Isn’t it pretty? There was brown carpeting in front of the sink and linoleum in front of the shower and toilet. The medicine cabinet and mirror were a nice 1970’s touch. The light fixture wasn’t too bad, in a retro kind of way, but we wanted something more updated. The baseboards were some kind of rubber stuff I didn’t even know existed. The toilet and the faucet were recent updates, so we left them. We also changed out the knobs on the vanity so they fit in better with the new updates.

The first thing to go was the carpet and the old linoleum. We had it torn out before we even moved in! We lived with the cement floor for a couple of months and finally got the tile put in. We thought we had enough of the leftover flooring, but we didn’t. Which is okay, because I really like this grey 18″ tile we found at Home Depot.

Lauren and I painted the room before we moved in also. We used Benjamin Moore Simply White, which is what we used in the whole house. As you can see, we also took out the mirror and medicine cabinet that was from the 1970’s. We added in the pallet mirror that Steve made last summer. We also used pallet wood for the baseboards. Steve cut them all to fit and then I stained them and nailed them in. I love how they tie in with the mirror and give the room a rustic look.

I loved this idea when Haley showed it to me! We found the dock cleats at Walmart in the sporting goods section, tied some rope on and it makes a great towel holder.

We also found this amazing hanging light to replace the old one. It’s actually very similar, just a little more updated.

Haley made this whale string art, which is the perfect addition to the room.

I added another rope towel bar on the other side of the room with a fun turquoise and white striped towel.

I also created this California chalkboard subway art that perfectly compliments the room.

The small hand towel is perfect for a teenagers bathroom! I really like how this room turned out! It’s so much more my style and feels clean and fresh. Now on to the next room!

Papering the Wall with Barnwood Wallpaper

March 20, 2017March 19, 20178 Comments

Good Monday morning! I hope everyone is safe after some of the storms going on lately! We have had beautiful weather and now it is raining again. Not that I am complaining-we need it and this will probably be the last big storm. We won’t get much of a spring and will go right into summer. Are you ready?

Have any of you tried out the new removable wallpaper? I found this at Walmart and thought I would give it a try. This is not like the old glue wallpaper, thank goodness! I have scraped enough of that stuff off to last a lifetime! This is more like contact paper. It has a back that peels off and you stick it to your wall or whatever else you want to use it for. If it goes on crooked, just peel and re-stick!

Here is the one I got and another similar one with turquoise in it. Love!!

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5b5069a4-52f0-4816-b9b0-145315576aa0_1.0802ac2b2609ca16dc71d2c52395a51e

I wanted to paper one of the walls in the front living room. The barn door/window is on that wall, so I really can’t put anything else there. This really added a lot of character. I have even had a couple of people think we actually put wood up! It looks so great!

It took 2 of us to put it up, well 3, if you count Rozy. Haley would start of the top and I would hold the rest of it to make sure it lined up and slowly peel off the paper backing. We used rulers to make sure all the bubbles were out and the paper was smooth.

The top and bottom were trimmed with a razor blade. That really was it! It went up really easy and it has stayed up! I really love how it looks!

This is where the barn door/window slides over it. I love that you can see it through the window. It really reminds me of an old farmhouse or beach-house.

Looking towards the front door that I painted turquoise, my favorite go-to color. See the little white thing on the carper? That’s Munchy’s ice-cube she didn’t finish. 🙂

I’m so excited how this room is turning out! It feels so light and fresh!

I hope you all have a wonderful week!

Drawstring Dishtowel Christmas Gift Bag

December 5, 2016December 4, 20162 Comments

Good news!! We closed on our house! Finally! We closed late Friday and have been working on painting and other projects all weekend. We will try to finish a few more things this week and will be moving our stuff in next weekend. I can hardly believe it! I’m excited about the projects I want to do, but it will take awhile to get them all done. But a home is never finished, right? I’m sure there will always be things to do.

So, I won’t be having any Christmas decor for you, but I do have a few crafts. These are all pretty simple and don’t take a whole lot of work, but they look great and add just the right holiday touches. These bags turned out so cute! I can’t wait to use them next year for my Christmas decorations!

I found my dishtowels at Hobby Lobby. I bought 2 of the same design, but you could use coordinating ones too.

I pinned the right sides together and sewed up the 2 long sides and one short side, leaving the top open.

Keeping the bag inside out, I folded over the top edges and sewed it, making a pocket for the ribbon to run through. Leave a little open at one end to run the ribbon through.

I used a safety pin at the end of the ribbon to make it easier to thread through the opening. I pushed it through by holding the pin through the fabric, gathering fabric and then pulling the excess back towards the beginning.