Thursday 20 June 2013

Harvest table to Desk

Sometimes a project just seems to good to be true. 
The price is right and the vision is clear. 

Check out the harvest table I picked up at a yard sale last week. 

Very simple
Notice the two tops? The original was hollowed out for what reason? I have no idea but they did a fairly nice job with the new top. A bit uneven but nothing I couldn't fix. 
Which I did. 
Then to decide what to do....something a little out of the ordinary I think. 
But should it be black or red? 
I could picture both. 
I chose RED! 
And this is what I did. 
I love it. 
 I could have left the top plain right...but why do something boring like that?
 Just a couple of spots of distressing and re used the original handle.
 I love how the stripes make the perfectly bold statement without being "in your face"


I hope the new owners will love it as much as I do :) 

Sharing:
Miss Mustard Seed
  

Saturday 15 June 2013

How I learned to Paint, a Fathers day tribute.

I have often been asked how I learned to do what I do. Did I take classes or read a book or did someone teach me. 

I clearly remember being maybe 4 years old and living in an old farmhouse. One day (summer I think) my father was painting the basement door that led outside (a really nice red). I asked if I could help an he handed me a paint brush. The brush was HUGE. At least it was in my "4 year old minds eye". I dipped the brush and slapped on the paint. Then moved it around to cover the door. I don't think I did a very good job because my father was upset and told me I wasn't doing it right. I had to do long even strokes and not just glob it on. 
My very first painting lesson! 
I think I ended up in tears. 

Two lessons learned that day. Long even strokes and don't ask dad if I can "help" 

I try to look at things positively. 

I once heard someone say that you have two chances at a parent-child relationship. One is as a child (and you can't control that one) and the other is as a parent (you can control that one) 

Tomorrow is Fathers day. 
A day to remember and celebrate our fathers. 
This is mine.
 I think this is the only picture I have of all of us together. I'm the girl in the middle in the dress. 
Yes those are all my siblings. There are 6 of us. 
You would think that having so many kids my father would be awesome. 
ummm nope. 
I remember him being angry more than happy.
The yelling, the dirty looks, the lectures the beatings. 
I remember trying to please him and never quite living up to his idea of who I should be. 
I remember the drinking. 

So fathers day for me, has always been, bitter sweet. 
I soooo wanted a dad that would love me for me, who would love me unconditionally. 

I did eventually come to terms with it. I realized that he did the best he knew how to. I forgave him. I then forgave me for not being perfect and I accepted that our relationship (his and mine) was meant to be to teach me to be a better parent myself. 

Then he got sick. 
He became very sick. He thought he'd had a heart attack. 
They took xrays.
They found cancer. 

Our relationship changed. 
I struggled. 
Here was a man I did the best to keep out of my life, away from my children yet maintain some sort of relationship with, without totally cutting him out. 
Now he was dying. 

So my life was put on hold. 
I went to see him, almost daily. 
His wife of almost 30 years was getting to old to really take care of him. I did a lot. 
5-6 days a week I drove 2 hours to his house and 2 hours back. I swear my car knew the roads better than I did. 

I did this for 4 months. 
He mellowed, I mellowed. 
We talked, or he talked. 
After 4 months of cancer....he died. 
3 years ago just before fathers day. 

I don't want to leave this on a sad note though. 
I have some amazing fathers in my life. 
My father in law!
As you can see he is a bit of a goof when he wants to be. :) 
He also raised an amazing family. A son whom I love dearly and is a bit of a goof himself. 
These are probably two of the most important fathers in my life and both have taught me what it means to love unconditionally. 

If there is a father in your life whom you love without reservation and who knows what love really is...and can make you smile at the drop of a hat, even when your day isn't what you hoped it would be. Do something special for them and hang on tight, these kinds of guys are not always easy to find :) 
Happy Fathers day to my father in law Mike and my wondrously amazing husband Rolf :) 
I love you both! 


Thursday 13 June 2013

Dressers to benches.

I'm in a groove. 
The benches groove. 
I see benches all over now. Well they are in my mind. 
I've done a few of these. 
Dressers to benches. 
Normally I do them because something is so massively wrong (in my mind any way) that I can't just refinish them. 
Sometimes it's a missing drawer, sometime the tops are so warped I can't fix it. 
Or as in this case the top was warped and there was a terrible stain in the top I simply couldn't get it out. 
So I switched it to this. 
 Don't you love it? I do. I did a base of blue chalk paint then covered it in a grey paint...then distressed like crazy!


 The original pulls didn't look right so I found these in my stash and thought they fit so much better :)
 I love the curve!

 That back is made with only two solid pieces of wood and I had to highlight it. I couldn't just leave it alone

I'm going to be so sad to see this one go. But I know that come Monday when it's new owners pick it up it will be loved just as much if not more by them. 

Now a sneak peek of two more I've been working on this week. 

 I don't have a before picture, but it used to be an old TV console. So very solid even though I bought it without the TV in it. Nice because I didn't have to rip that part out.
And this one. It used to be an old Stereo console. Again, a French Provincial style. Sadly I had to rip the guts out of it. Now let me tell you that was NOT FUN! 
Full story when I get it done. I can't wait to share :) 


Sharing here:

What to do with an old headboard.

A while back (like 6 months ago) I did a bedroom set for a client. You can see it HERE
I switched out the headboard to something that fit the set but was just a tad more fancy. 
So after that was done, I was left with a double headboard and no bed to go with it. 
What to do, what to do. 
I thought maybe I would make a bench...but that just didn't seem quite right. 
So I thought and thought and thought. 
Then inspiration  hit! 

Why not create a coat rack. 
Great.
BUT it's big!
And just how many hooks can you put up without it just looking a bit silly? 
I've been doing a lot of chalk boards lately and that just seemed like a good combination. 
Sooooooooooooooooooooo

 I brought the two together. .
 Found some wonderful "vintage looking" hooks at my "go to" store for anything vintage looking.
 It has hooks on the back so it can be easily hung up.
 Distressed and glazed.
 And a frame made for the chalk part.
Don't you just love it? 
I asked hubby if we could fit it in somewhere....and he rolled his eyes. 
Husbands..they have no vision ;)