Sunday, November 4, 2012

Here Kitty, Kitty - Looking Glass Fail and WIN!

It seems that all my posts start out with the phrase "a while ago at a thrift store I found...".

Well, this one is no different!

On several repeated trips to our local thrift store Girlfriend had eyed these little kitties:


There were a lot of them at this particular thrift store.  We actually passed them by on 2 trips, but on a 3rd trip I finally picked them up for her.  They were bruised up, the finish was wearing off and the larger one was cracked.  They sat up on girlfriends dresser while we waited for inspiration to strike.

Well it did!  We both love mirrors and had wanted to try the new Krylon "Looking Glass" mirror finish spray paint.  I see a lot of fun projects being done with it on the blogosphere!


So these kitties became destined for some mirror-love!  First we washed, sanded and repaired the kitties.  Second, of course, we applied several thin coats of primer:


After the primer was totally dry, we started spraying on the looking glass paint in thin coats.  I loved how the paint went on, but was disappointed it didn't produce the mirror finish we were looking for.  They still looked pretty cute though, all shiny and all:


When they were dry they took their places on Girlfriend's dresser.  Right now she's undecided about keeping them this color.  That doesn't surprise me because this girly changes her mind rapid-fire-like (love the teen years!).  So the plan is two-fold.  If she keeps them this way, we'll apply a glossy clear coat to shine them up.  If not, she gets to pick a haven't-yet-used-in-our-apartment spray paint color.  Then I'll even update this post!


Even though owl's are all the rage right now, I sure do love the kitties!  These were able to get cleaned up and repaired nicely.  Now every time I go to the thrift store I'm going to look extra hard at all sorts of figurines because so much can be done with them.  I passed up some little birdie figurines on my last trip and I think I'm going to pick some up next time.  They would look so neat painted glossy blue sitting up on my bookshelf!  It's surprising where inspiration comes from.

But wait!  I wasn't done with the Krylon looking glass paint yet!  Because I didn't get the finish I'd hoped for it was a little bit of a fail - and we're the type of never-give-up family that always goes for the win!

Theatre Boy and I washed and prepped a jar.



Following the instructions (hmmm...maybe we should have done that the first time?) we spray painted thin even coats on the *inside* of a jar and set it out to dry.

Well, talk about ahhh-mazing!  The only way to describe how it turned out was WOW!


Here it is sitting on our end table waiting to hold something special.  I will definitely be using this paint for future projects.  I already have a couple in mind that I can't wait to get started on!


I used to be an exclusively redo-furniture kind of gal, but the accessory bug is starting to bite!

Thanks for stopping by today at BIG FAMILY/small apartment.  We hope you follow along with us as we turn our small spaces in Awesome Spaces one project at a time!




Tuesday, October 30, 2012

Mr. Big and the Silver Mirror

Note as of September 2013 - My husband and I are now blogging over at The Home Avengers!  We made the switch because we are looking to move from our small apartment sometime in the near future.  So enjoy this post and then come visit us!

Quite some time ago I purchased this mirror at a yard sale, and got an awesome deal on it too!  Since then it's been sitting in our garage waiting for some LOVE.


Well, this past weekend it definitely got some love, in the way of Silver Rub'n'Buff!




I've been wanting to jump on the Rub'n'Buff wagon for quite some time after having seen some ahh-mazing bloggy transformations with it.

But first I had to buy some.  Here's where it gets interesting.  So Mr. BIG [FAMILY/small apartment] was heading to Home Depot and Michael's is right next door.  On his way out I told him I needed some "Rub'n'Buff", so he spun around all wide eyed and said..."You need some 'Rub In The Buff''?'

Umm, then I found myself in a quandary.  I could crush his manly desires and say 'No dear, that's not what I meant, what I'm really looking for is this silver pigmented waxy stuff...' or I could delicately word my response to ensure he knew he was my studmuffin AND that I wanted to redo my mirror today.  I chose option #2.

After he retrieved the product for me I got to work.  Here are some before shots of this mirror.  I was definitely NOT digging the gold.


It was dark, dreary and looked very dirty, even though it wasn't (cause I washed this little puppy):


So I got to work:


Progress was really slow.  I rubbed...and I buffed...and I rubbed...

All this activity at the kitchen table got Mr. BIG's attention.  Have I told you about Mr. BIG?  He's quite incorrigible.  He said "Oh honey, my shoulder really hurts, do you think it could get the mirror treatment later?" and "You missed a spot" while pointing at his back.  I could tell he wasn't done though and was still thinking about it.  After a while he made his final comment..."Maybe Rub'n'Buff is meant to be rubbed on...in the buff?".

Arghhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh.

That's it ladies.  That's the answer.  Do you have a man that is less than supportive of your DIY projects?  Well, you are guaranteed to win him over by DIY'ing...in your birthday suit!

Please excuse my PG13 blog digression.  Back to my usual G rating and the mirror.

Here we are half complete - what a difference!


I also had to use a small paintbrush to get all of the details and I was pleasantly surprised with how easy it was to clean up after:


I ran out of steam at the end and had to bring in my staff:


The end result was no less than stunning!  Was a major transformation!


Wow!



So that's the story of Mr. BIG and the silver mirror.  I hope you'll keep following along as we DIY and blog our way through the appropriate and, well, slightly less-than-appropriate projects!

Until next time!

Linked To: Young House Love - Pinterest Challenge!Ugly Duckling House - Pinterest Challenge!Our Fifth House - Pinterest Challenge! & Bower Power - Pinterest Challenge!


BECAUSE I AM COMPLETELY AND TOTALLY OBSESSED WITH LINKY PARTIES,
YOU CAN FIND THIS POST LINKED UP HERE:
504 Main - Tickled Pink Fridays, Finding Fabulous - Frugalicious Fridays, Tater Tots and Jello - Weekend Wrap Up Party, French Country Cottage - Feathered Nest Friday, Common Ground - Vintage Inspiration, At The Picket Fence - Inspiration Fridays, Funky Junk Interiors - Saturday Nite SpecialRomantic Home - Show and Tell Fridays, Delicate Construction - Delicately Constructed Fridays, Redoux Interiors - Fridays at Redoux, Shaken Together Life - What's Shakin' Link Party, Chic on a Shoestring - Flaunt It Friday, Liz Marie Blog - Link Up With Liz Marie, Miss Mustard Seed - Furniture Feature Friday, Shabby Art Boutique - Shabbilicious FridayMaiden D'Shade - Maiden D'Shade Fridays, Too Much Time - Get Schooled SaturdaysPassion Parade Friday, 2805 - Potpourri Friday, Rooted in Thyme - Simple and Sweet Fridays, Be Different Act Normal - Show and Tell Saturday, Debbie Doos - Power of Pinterest Party, I Heart Naptime - Sundae Scoop, Flamingo Toes - Think Pink Sunday, My 1929 Charmer - Sunday's Best, Under The Table and Dreaming - Sunday Showcase Party, Twigg Studios - Sunday Showoff Party, Debbie Doos - Newbie Party, Mommy Sweet Confessions - Sunday Link Party, Nifty Thrifty Things - Nifty Thrifty Sunday, DIY Showoff - DIY Project Parade, Homemaker on a Dime - Creative Bloggers PartyBetween Naps on The Porch - Metamorphosis Monday, Alderberry Hill - Make The Scene Monday, Thrifty Decor Chick - Before and After Monday, Boogie Board Cottage - Masterpiece Monday, The Dedicated House - Make It Pretty Monday, Krafty Kat - Gettin' Krafty Monday, Mod Vintage Life - Mod Mix Monday, Sewing Barefoot - The Weekly CreativeCoastal Charm - Nifty Thrifty TuesdayMy Uncommon Slice of Suburbia - Tuesdays TreasuresKammy's Corner - Trash To Treasure TuesdayDomestically Speaking - Power of Paint PartyOur Delightful Home - Show me what you got TuesdaySavvy Southern Style - Wow Us WednesdaysRestore Interiors - Restore It WednesdayPrimitive and Proper - POWWIvy and Elephants - What's It WednesdayBetween Naps on the Porch - Tablescape ThursdayHouse of Hepworths - Hookin' Up with the House of HepworthsThe Shabby Creek Cottage - Transformation ThursdayThe Crafty Blog Stalker - Blog Stalking ThursdayA Little Knick Knack - EBTKS Link PartyI Gotta Create - Wildly Original Linky PartySomewhat Simple - Simple Link PartyColorado Lady - Vintage Thingie ThursdayThe Vintage Farmhouse - Creative Things ThursdayFrom My Front Porch To Yours - Treasure Hunt ThursdayThe Charm of Home - Home Sweet Home ThursdayBlissful Rhythm - Home and Garden ThursdayJulie Jewels - Show Your Stuff Thursday, Mamal Diane - The Gathering SpotSarahndipities - Make Something Monday, Keeping It Simple Crafts - Motivate Me Monday, Making The World Cuter - Making The World Cuter Monday, Lines Across - The Cure for the Common Monday, Creating Really Awesome Free Things - Making Monday Marvelous, Sumo's Sweet Stuff - Market Yourself Monday, Craft-o-Maniac MondayDelightful Order - Delightfully Inspiring ThursdayStuff and Nonsense - Fridays UnfoldedImparting Grace - Grace At HomeLamb Around - Not "Baaad" SundaysMad In Crafts - Mad Skills PartySkip To My Lou - Made By You MondayBe Colorful - Motivated MondayCornerstone Confessions - Titus 2 TuesdaysCozy Little House - Tweak It TuesdaysHouse On The Way - Twirl and Take a Bow PartyNot Just A Housewife - Show Me What You Got TuesdaysMiss Information - I Freakin' Did It FridayHappy Hour Projects - Happy Hour FridayThe Shabby Nest - Frugal FridayJennifer Rizzo - Fabulously Creative FridayI Am Only 1 Woman - Check Me Out SaturdayWest Furniture Revival - Revival MondayHome Stories A to Z - Tutorials and TipsEye Heart - Anything Goes MondaysSew Chatty - Made With Love MondaysThe Girl Creative - Just Something I Whipped UpFlour Me With Love - Mix It Up MondaySay Not Sweet Anne - Sweet Sharing MondayDIY Home Sweet Home - More The Merrier Monday,Mighty Crafty - Mighty Crafty MondaysA Diamond In The Stuff - Time To Shine TuesdayThe Ironstone Nest - Transformation TuesdayUncommon Designs Online - Uncommonly YoursNo Minimalist Here - Open House WednesdayBeyond The Picket Fence - Under $100 WednesdayTimewashed - Blissful Whites WednesdayCheerios and Lattes - Saturday Show and TellCrafty Texas Girls - Cowgirl Up MondayToday's Creative Blog - Get Your Craft On MondayJayson and Ashley - Tell Me TuesdaySugar Bee Crafts - Take A Look TuesdayReasons To Skip The Housework - Timeout TuesdayShades of Amber - Chalk Paint PartyA Bowl Full of Lemons - One Project at a TimeProject Queen - Tuesday Link UpSouthern Lovely - Show and Share Wednesday Someday Crafts - Whatever Goes WednesdayIn The Old Road - All Star Block PartyWhipper Berry - Friday Flair PartyLil' Luna - Lil' Luna Link PartyThe NY Melrose Family - Whimsy WednesdayAtkinson Drive - Marvelous MondaysKathe with an E - You're Gonna Love It TuesdaysMy Repurposed LifeFreckled Laundry - Air Your Laundry FridayThirty Handmade Days - Friday Link PartyMichelle Lunt - Fabulous FridayFingerprints on the Fridge - Feature Yourself FridayKristen's Creations Online - Share Your Creations ThursdaySew Many Ways - Find a Friend FridayThe Brambleberry Cottage - Time Travel ThursdayHomespun Happenings - Rustic Restoration ThursdayIt's Overflowing - Overflowing With CreativityPetite Hermine - Sunday Linky PartyIt's So Very Cheri - It's Party Time SundayMarvelously Messy - Marvelous Mess Party SundayI'm Topsy Turvy - Topsy Turvy Third ThursdaysCarolyn's Homework - The Inspiration BoardThe Stuff of Success - Success U WednesdayGinger Snap Crafts - Wow Me WednesdayThe Thrifty Home - Penny Pinching TuesdayCurb Alert - Friday Block PartyJoyful Homemaking - Think Tank ThursdayThrifty 101 - DIY Thrifty ThursdayBloom Designs Online - Wednesday Link PartyStacey Embracing Change - Creative Inspirations Link PartyClassy Clutter - Spotlight SaturdayWe Are That Family - Works For Me WednesdayFireflies and Jelly Beans - Show Off Your Stuff PartyYesterday on Tuesday - Craft Soiree WednesdayRhinestone Beagle - Doggone Dirty Craftin Linky PartyThe Rose Garden in Malevik - Saturday Show OffThe Grant Life - Financial FridayFresh Eggs Daily - Friday Farm Girl Blog FestCupcakes and Crinoline - It's Party Time SundayDesign Dreams By Anne - It's Party Time SundayThree Mango Seeds - It's Party Time SundayPJH Designs - Totally Transformed TuesdaySo I Married A Craft Blogger - Man Up Link Up Tuesday

Sunday, October 28, 2012

Girlfriend's Yellow Lamps and I WAS FEATURED!

Note as of September 2013 - My husband and I are now blogging over at The Home Avengers!  We made the switch because we are looking to move from our small apartment sometime in the near future.  So enjoy this post and then come visit us!

If you've been following my blog you may remember that on one of my recent thrift store excursions I picked up these lamps:


And Theatre Boy thought they should be orange:


But he didn't get his way :-( See, these lamps were going in Girlfriend's room on her dresser.  And I put them there and they sat for a time while we waited for some inspiration to hit.  And it finally did!

Girlfriend just loves this dress that Grandma found at a thrift store:


She loves it so much, that it's the inspiration for the redo of her bedroom!  It will be the 'Plaid-ish Orange-y, Yellow, Turquoise with just a *hint* of Green Room' when we are finally done!


But back to the lamps.  It took me some time to find the right color of yellow for her cute little lamps, and I finally found it in Rustoleum Painters Touch Sun Yellow in Gloss.  It's the perfect match!

We started by cleaning the lamps really good.  I like to use alcohol wipes and then let it dry.  These lamps weren't metal, they were some kind of composite/resin.  After they were clean we taped off the cords and the top.  Then we gave the lamps three coats of Valspar primer.  I was surprised by how much primer these lamps took, but they were so dark they definitely needed it!



After the primer dried then we gave them 3-4 coats of the glossy yellow.  And they turned out so pretty!



I have seen spray painted lamps all over the blogosphere and have always wanted to try it.  It turned out so much better than I even thought it would.  The paint was so shiny smooth and pretty!  Girlfriend loved them!

They earned a prominent place on her dressing table:


Super duper pretty!


So, Girlfriend has talked about glazing these (must get that obsession from her mother) so this may not be the last post you see about these lamps!



I am having having so much fun with this blog!  It's like incentive to git'er done!  I have some more exciting news to share also.  This past week BIG FAMILY/small apartment featured on not just one - but TWO other blogs!

Our first feature was on Petites Passions where my Awesome Orange Mirror caught the spotlight:

and for that I earned my first *Featured* button:


My second feature was for my Duct Tape Bed Skirt over on Homemaker On A Dime for having the most click-throughs from last weeks 'Creative Bloggers' Party And Hop'!  And then I earned another button:


Isn't that so cool?  I'm gonna have buttons on my blog (as soon as I can figure out how to get them on there - ha!).  I've only been blogging for a couple months and couldn't believe people were reading my blog, let along liking what I was doing.  Woohoo!

We have a great week coming up with more projects that we've been finishing here at BIG FAMILY/small apartment.  We'll hope you'll follow along and join us!




BECAUSE I AM COMPLETELY AND TOTALLY OBSESSED WITH LINKY PARTIES,
YOU CAN FIND THIS POST LINKED UP HERE:
504 Main - Tickled Pink Fridays, Finding Fabulous - Frugalicious Fridays, Tater Tots and Jello - Weekend Wrap Up Party, French Country Cottage - Feathered Nest Friday, Common Ground - Vintage Inspiration, At The Picket Fence - Inspiration Fridays, Funky Junk Interiors - Saturday Nite SpecialRomantic Home - Show and Tell Fridays, Delicate Construction - Delicately Constructed Fridays, Redoux Interiors - Fridays at Redoux, Shaken Together Life - What's Shakin' Link Party, Chic on a Shoestring - Flaunt It Friday, Liz Marie Blog - Link Up With Liz Marie, Miss Mustard Seed - Furniture Feature Friday, Shabby Art Boutique - Shabbilicious FridayMaiden D'Shade - Maiden D'Shade Fridays, Too Much Time - Get Schooled SaturdaysPassion Parade Friday, 2805 - Potpourri Friday, Rooted in Thyme - Simple and Sweet Fridays, Be Different Act Normal - Show and Tell Saturday, Debbie Doos - Power of Pinterest Party, I Heart Naptime - Sundae Scoop, Flamingo Toes - Think Pink Sunday, My 1929 Charmer - Sunday's Best, Under The Table and Dreaming - Sunday Showcase Party, Twigg Studios - Sunday Showoff Party, Debbie Doos - Newbie Party, Mommy Sweet Confessions - Sunday Link Party, Nifty Thrifty Things - Nifty Thrifty Sunday, DIY Showoff - DIY Project Parade, Homemaker on a Dime - Creative Bloggers PartyBetween Naps on The Porch - Metamorphosis Monday, Alderberry Hill - Make The Scene Monday, Thrifty Decor Chick - Before and After Monday, Boogie Board Cottage - Masterpiece Monday, The Dedicated House - Make It Pretty Monday, Krafty Kat - Gettin' Krafty Monday, Mod Vintage Life - Mod Mix Monday, Sewing Barefoot - The Weekly CreativeCoastal Charm - Nifty Thrifty TuesdayMy Uncommon Slice of Suburbia - Tuesdays TreasuresKammy's Corner - Trash To Treasure TuesdayDomestically Speaking - Power of Paint PartyOur Delightful Home - Show me what you got TuesdaySavvy Southern Style - Wow Us WednesdaysRestore Interiors - Restore It WednesdayPrimitive and Proper - POWWIvy and Elephants - What's It WednesdayBetween Naps on the Porch - Tablescape ThursdayHouse of Hepworths - Hookin' Up with the House of HepworthsThe Shabby Creek Cottage - Transformation ThursdayThe Crafty Blog Stalker - Blog Stalking ThursdayA Little Knick Knack - EBTKS Link PartyI Gotta Create - Wildly Original Linky PartySomewhat Simple - Simple Link PartyColorado Lady - Vintage Thingie ThursdayThe Vintage Farmhouse - Creative Things ThursdayFrom My Front Porch To Yours - Treasure Hunt ThursdayThe Charm of Home - Home Sweet Home ThursdayBlissful Rhythm - Home and Garden ThursdayJulie Jewels - Show Your Stuff Thursday, Mamal Diane - The Gathering SpotSarahndipities - Make Something Monday, Keeping It Simple Crafts - Motivate Me Monday, Making The World Cuter - Making The World Cuter Monday, Lines Across - The Cure for the Common Monday, Creating Really Awesome Free Things - Making Monday Marvelous, Sumo's Sweet Stuff - Market Yourself Monday, Craft-o-Maniac MondayDelightful Order - Delightfully Inspiring ThursdayStuff and Nonsense - Fridays UnfoldedImparting Grace - Grace At HomeLamb Around - Not "Baaad" SundaysMad In Crafts - Mad Skills PartySkip To My Lou - Made By You MondayBe Colorful - Motivated MondayCornerstone Confessions - Titus 2 TuesdaysCozy Little House - Tweak It TuesdaysHouse On The Way - Twirl and Take a Bow PartyNot Just A Housewife - Show Me What You Got TuesdaysMiss Information - I Freakin' Did It FridayHappy Hour Projects - Happy Hour FridayThe Shabby Nest - Frugal FridayJennifer Rizzo - Fabulously Creative FridayI Am Only 1 Woman - Check Me Out SaturdayWest Furniture Revival - Revival MondayHome Stories A to Z - Tutorials and TipsEye Heart - Anything Goes MondaysSew Chatty - Made With Love MondaysThe Girl Creative - Just Something I Whipped UpFlour Me With Love - Mix It Up MondaySay Not Sweet Anne - Sweet Sharing MondayDIY Home Sweet Home - More The Merrier Monday,Mighty Crafty - Mighty Crafty MondaysA Diamond In The Stuff - Time To Shine TuesdayThe Ironstone Nest - Transformation TuesdayUncommon Designs Online - Uncommonly YoursNo Minimalist Here - Open House WednesdayBeyond The Picket Fence - Under $100 WednesdayTimewashed - Blissful Whites WednesdayCheerios and Lattes - Saturday Show and TellCrafty Texas Girls - Cowgirl Up MondayToday's Creative Blog - Get Your Craft On MondayJayson and Ashley - Tell Me TuesdaySugar Bee Crafts - Take A Look TuesdayReasons To Skip The Housework - Timeout TuesdayShades of Amber - Chalk Paint PartyA Bowl Full of Lemons - One Project at a TimeProject Queen - Tuesday Link UpSouthern Lovely - Show and Share Wednesday Someday Crafts - Whatever Goes WednesdayIn The Old Road - All Star Block PartyWhipper Berry - Friday Flair PartyLil' Luna - Lil' Luna Link PartyThe NY Melrose Family - Whimsy WednesdayAtkinson Drive - Marvelous MondaysKathe with an E - You're Gonna Love It TuesdaysMy Repurposed LifeFreckled Laundry - Air Your Laundry FridayThirty Handmade Days - Friday Link PartyMichelle Lunt - Fabulous FridayFingerprints on the Fridge - Feature Yourself FridayKristen's Creations Online - Share Your Creations ThursdaySew Many Ways - Find a Friend FridayThe Brambleberry Cottage - Time Travel ThursdayHomespun Happenings - Rustic Restoration ThursdayIt's Overflowing - Overflowing With CreativityPetite Hermine - Sunday Linky PartyIt's So Very Cheri - It's Party Time SundayMarvelously Messy - Marvelous Mess Party SundayI'm Topsy Turvy - Topsy Turvy Third ThursdaysCarolyn's Homework - The Inspiration BoardThe Stuff of Success - Success U WednesdayGinger Snap Crafts - Wow Me WednesdayThe Thrifty Home - Penny Pinching TuesdayCurb Alert - Friday Block PartyJoyful Homemaking - Think Tank ThursdayThrifty 101 - DIY Thrifty ThursdayBloom Designs Online - Wednesday Link PartyStacey Embracing Change - Creative Inspirations Link PartyClassy Clutter - Spotlight SaturdayWe Are That Family - Works For Me WednesdayFireflies and Jelly Beans - Show Off Your Stuff PartyYesterday on Tuesday - Craft Soiree WednesdayRhinestone Beagle - Doggone Dirty Craftin Linky PartyThe Rose Garden in Malevik - Saturday Show OffThe Grant Life - Financial FridayFresh Eggs Daily - Friday Farm Girl Blog FestCupcakes and Crinoline - It's Party Time SundayDesign Dreams By Anne - It's Party Time SundayThree Mango Seeds - It's Party Time SundayPJH Designs - Totally Transformed TuesdaySo I Married A Craft Blogger - Man Up Link Up Tuesday

SO IF YOU'VE READ THIS FAR, FIRST OF ALL 'THANK YOU!', AND IF YOU'D LIKE A COPY OF MY LINKY PARTY EXCEL SPREADSHEET CONTAINING OVER 100 ACTIVE DIY LINKY PARTIES, PLEASE BECOME A FOLLOWER OF MY BLOG AND THEN SEND ME AN EMAIL!  I WILL BE OFFERING THIS SPREADSHEET TO NEW FOLLOWERS THAT REQUEST IT BY EMAIL FOR THE MONTH OF OCTOBER AND NOVEMBER 2012!  WANT YOUR LINKY PARTY ADDED AND FOR ME TO LINK UP?  JUST LEAVE ME A COMMENT WITH YOUR PARTY AND I'D BE HAPPY TO!
I'D LOVE TO HEAR FROM YOU!


Monday, October 22, 2012

A Cold, Sick and Rainy Monday & The {thrifted} Lord of The Rings

Yep.  That's what's going on here today at BIG FAMILY/small apartment.

My teenage boys are participating in their fall high school musical and have had rehearsals and then shows for 14 days straight.  Theatre Boy took his PSAT's somewhere in there too.  My job was to make sure their meals were hot and their laundry was clean throughout the ordeal.  Still they landed sick.  Typical not-able-to-pace-themselves-gung-ho-overachievers.  I wonder who they got that from.  Girlfriend may get the award for most over-achieving though because she sniffled all the way to school this morning so as not to disappoint her adoring fans.

So I'm doing the hunker down and snuggle in thing here because the boys are asleep, the apartment is nice and quiet and the outside looks like this:


Somehow my camera didn't catch the pouring rain.

The inside, however, looks like this:


See?  I know how to make the best of a cold, sick day.

This past week I didn't do a Thrift Store Thursday because of the boys schedule.  But I still took Girlfriend to the thrift store and she picked out a couple of things for her brothers that I wanted to share with you.

I love thrift store shopping with girlfriend.  She'll forcibly drag me away from the furniture section discourage me from buying furniture I don't need and she's got a good eye for the unique, unusual and definitely one of a kind.

Her first purchase was a vintage 1981 Snowflake Shmuzzle Puzzle for 99 cents.


Our family had so much fun with this by the fire last night!  This puzzle has 168  identically shaped pieces that look like salamanders.  It says 'number of correct combinations - 1' and 'number of incorrect combinations - Approx. 2.5 x 10^302'.  Now any kind of challenge involving scientific notation fires my boys up.  So the Shmuzzle got 1/4 of the way finished last night while I made the whole family their sickie food.

Speaking of sickie food, let me share our sick traditions with you.  Doesn't everyone have sick traditions in their home?  We always treat our viruses herbally, and our favorite herb to use is Lemon Balm.  Lemon Balm has been found to have some anti-viral properties and also helps with rest and sleep.  I always make and herbal 'decoction' with it.

First we take organic dried herbs and put them in a teabag.  Then I fill a stainless steel pot with filtered water and bring all of it to a boil.  Then I turn the heat down and let it simmer until the liquid in the pot is approximately 1/2 of what I started with.  Then everyone gets a cup of strong, decocted Lemon Balm tea.

It looks like this in the pot:


After everyone has had their tea then I make something I call "Sick Soup".  It's gluten free noodles (we're all gluten free here), organic chicken broth, butter and a dash of cayenne pepper.  Whatever the Lemon Balm doesn't take care of, the Sick Soup will!

Because this post totally has ADD, I wanted to get back to Girlfriend's thrift store shopping.  She won big points for getting her biggest bro (Theatre Boy) a present.

Any clue what this is?


Well, it's a tree, made out of wire, epoxied to a couple of pieces of granite.  It cost less than a Starbucks, and I thought Girlfriend was insane when she brought it back to the shopping cart at our local Goodwill.  She apparently knew what she was doing though, because when she got it home her brother bowed down to her greatness.  Apparently the wire-tree-and-granite-sculpture was a total depiction of the tree from The Lord of the Rings and thus earned a prominent place on his shelf.

Living proof you can find ANYTHING at a thrift store.

Now to change the subject on you one more time before I go back to my coffee-sipping, laundry-doing, quiet-making, fire-stoking Monday morning life.

I'm currently in a dispute with Mr. Big [FAMILY/small apartment] about the use of these:


Our apartment complex is brimming with them and my girls did some major pine cone gathering yesterday.  Mr. Big wants to throw them in the fire and burn them up with the firewood.  Noooo!  I want to spray paint them and dip them in glitter!  Of course Mr. Big said they wouldn't burn well that way, but he would definitely give it a try.  Grrrr.  Look for some pine cone projects in the future as well as attempts to hide them from Mr. Big.

I'm excited about some up and coming projects this week.  My furniture-painting-enabling-friend and I moved my two projects into their garage before the rains hit.  So I get to work on them inside this week and actually finish them!  So excited!

Have a great Monday and I'll see you back here again soon at BIG FAMILY/small apartment.


Wednesday, October 17, 2012

A Tale of Two Tables

Note as of September 2013 - My husband and I are now blogging over at The Home Avengers!  We made the switch because we are looking to move from our small apartment sometime in the near future.  So enjoy this post and then come visit us!

Today I'm going to show you what I did with a couple of yard sale tables and a quart of leftover green paint!

This first table I got at a yard sale for $10.  It was all scuffed up and the finish was bad.  It apparently used to have a piece of glass in the middle of it from a former life.  Nonetheless it was a sturdy little bugger and because I love sofa tables I loaded it up and brought it home.

Here's the before:


Good bones!  I like that!

This was a pretty quick job.  First I lightly sanded the whole piece.  I didn't bother to prime because I was going to sand some of the edges and I wanted the dark wood peeking through.  Next I applied a couple of coats of leftover green paint that I had used on this back in July.  After the green paint was on, I lightly sanded the edges so that the wood could peek through, then I lightly glazed the whole piece with Valspar Antiquing Glaze.

I got creative when replacing the center.  I didn't want glass there, but a chalkboard!  I went to Home depot and had a small thin sheet of wood cut to fit the center.  Next I sanded, primed and painted it with chalkboard paint like this.  Then I glued it into the center and used black grout around the chalkboard.  It looked marvelous!

Like this:


My children and even Mr. Big [House/small apartment] loved it too!


It's so neat how chalkboards bring out the kid in all of us.

The next table I don't have a before picture of.  I know, I know - I'm getting better though!  I bought this table at a yard sale for $5.  It's top was beyond repair and it was actually in two pieces.  First I fixed and sanded it, and used the leftover green paint - and it looked like this:


A little boring don't you think?

All those great grooves really called antiquing glaze as well.  So I painted the glaze on and wiped it off with a wet rag, making sure glaze stayed in each groove.  The result was amazing!


Here's a closer look -


We wound up selling this one for a pretty penny too!  I hadn't intended on selling it, but after I got it home it was lower than my couch and awkward as an end table.  So rather than have it go to waste, I became a furniture flipper for this piece!  Too fun!  Need to make a little money here in there to fuel the next project.

Thanks for stopping by today!


BECAUSE I AM COMPLETELY AND TOTALLY OBSESSED WITH LINKY PARTIES,
YOU CAN FIND THIS POST LINKED UP HERE:
504 Main - Tickled Pink Fridays, Finding Fabulous - Frugalicious Fridays, Tater Tots and Jello - Weekend Wrap Up Party, French Country Cottage - Feathered Nest Friday, Common Ground - Vintage Inspiration, At The Picket Fence - Inspiration Fridays, Funky Junk Interiors - Saturday Nite SpecialRomantic Home - Show and Tell Fridays, Delicate Construction - Delicately Constructed Fridays, Redoux Interiors - Fridays at Redoux, Shaken Together Life - What's Shakin' Link Party, Chic on a Shoestring - Flaunt It Friday, Liz Marie Blog - Link Up With Liz Marie, Miss Mustard Seed - Furniture Feature Friday, Shabby Art Boutique - Shabbilicious FridayMaiden D'Shade - Maiden D'Shade Fridays, Too Much Time - Get Schooled SaturdaysPassion Parade Friday, 2805 - Potpourri Friday, Rooted in Thyme - Simple and Sweet Fridays, Be Different Act Normal - Show and Tell Saturday, Debbie Doos - Power of Pinterest Party, I Heart Naptime - Sundae Scoop, Flamingo Toes - Think Pink Sunday, My 1929 Charmer - Sunday's Best, Under The Table and Dreaming - Sunday Showcase Party, Twigg Studios - Sunday Showoff Party, Debbie Doos - Newbie Party, Mommy Sweet Confessions - Sunday Link Party, Nifty Thrifty Things - Nifty Thrifty Sunday, DIY Showoff - DIY Project Parade, Homemaker on a Dime - Creative Bloggers PartyBetween Naps on The Porch - Metamorphosis Monday, Alderberry Hill - Make The Scene Monday, Thrifty Decor Chick - Before and After Monday, Boogie Board Cottage - Masterpiece Monday, The Dedicated House - Make It Pretty Monday, Krafty Kat - Gettin' Krafty Monday, Mod Vintage Life - Mod Mix Monday, Sewing Barefoot - The Weekly CreativeCoastal Charm - Nifty Thrifty TuesdayMy Uncommon Slice of Suburbia - Tuesdays TreasuresKammy's Corner - Trash To Treasure TuesdayDomestically Speaking - Power of Paint PartyOur Delightful Home - Show me what you got TuesdaySavvy Southern Style - Wow Us WednesdaysRestore Interiors - Restore It WednesdayPrimitive and Proper - POWWIvy and Elephants - What's It WednesdayBetween Naps on the Porch - Tablescape ThursdayHouse of Hepworths - Hookin' Up with the House of HepworthsThe Shabby Creek Cottage - Transformation ThursdayThe Crafty Blog Stalker - Blog Stalking ThursdayA Little Knick Knack - EBTKS Link PartyI Gotta Create - Wildly Original Linky PartySomewhat Simple - Simple Link PartyColorado Lady - Vintage Thingie ThursdayThe Vintage Farmhouse - Creative Things ThursdayFrom My Front Porch To Yours - Treasure Hunt ThursdayThe Charm of Home - Home Sweet Home ThursdayBlissful Rhythm - Home and Garden ThursdayJulie Jewels - Show Your Stuff Thursday, Mamal Diane - The Gathering SpotSarahndipities - Make Something Monday, Keeping It Simple Crafts - Motivate Me Monday, Making The World Cuter - Making The World Cuter Monday, Lines Across - The Cure for the Common Monday, Creating Really Awesome Free Things - Making Monday Marvelous, Sumo's Sweet Stuff - Market Yourself Monday, Craft-o-Maniac MondayDelightful Order - Delightfully Inspiring ThursdayStuff and Nonsense - Fridays UnfoldedImparting Grace - Grace At HomeLamb Around - Not "Baaad" SundaysMad In Crafts - Mad Skills PartySkip To My Lou - Made By You MondayBe Colorful - Motivated MondayCornerstone Confessions - Titus 2 TuesdaysCozy Little House - Tweak It TuesdaysHouse On The Way - Twirl and Take a Bow PartyNot Just A Housewife - Show Me What You Got TuesdaysMiss Information - I Freakin' Did It FridayHappy Hour Projects - Happy Hour FridayThe Shabby Nest - Frugal FridayJennifer Rizzo - Fabulously Creative FridayI Am Only 1 Woman - Check Me Out SaturdayWest Furniture Revival - Revival MondayHome Stories A to Z - Tutorials and TipsEye Heart - Anything Goes MondaysSew Chatty - Made With Love MondaysThe Girl Creative - Just Something I Whipped UpFlour Me With Love - Mix It Up MondaySay Not Sweet Anne - Sweet Sharing MondayDIY Home Sweet Home - More The Merrier Monday,Mighty Crafty - Mighty Crafty MondaysA Diamond In The Stuff - Time To Shine TuesdayThe Ironstone Nest - Transformation TuesdayUncommon Designs Online - Uncommonly YoursNo Minimalist Here - Open House WednesdayBeyond The Picket Fence - Under $100 WednesdayTimewashed - Blissful Whites WednesdayCheerios and Lattes - Saturday Show and TellCrafty Texas Girls - Cowgirl Up MondayToday's Creative Blog - Get Your Craft On MondayJayson and Ashley - Tell Me TuesdaySugar Bee Crafts - Take A Look TuesdayReasons To Skip The Housework - Timeout TuesdayShades of Amber - Chalk Paint PartyA Bowl Full of Lemons - One Project at a TimeProject Queen - Tuesday Link UpSouthern Lovely - Show and Share Wednesday Someday Crafts - Whatever Goes WednesdayIn The Old Road - All Star Block PartyWhipper Berry - Friday Flair PartyLil' Luna - Lil' Luna Link PartyThe NY Melrose Family - Whimsy WednesdayAtkinson Drive - Marvelous MondaysKathe with an E - You're Gonna Love It TuesdaysMy Repurposed LifeFreckled Laundry - Air Your Laundry FridayThirty Handmade Days - Friday Link PartyMichelle Lunt - Fabulous FridayFingerprints on the Fridge - Feature Yourself FridayKristen's Creations Online - Share Your Creations ThursdaySew Many Ways - Find a Friend FridayThe Brambleberry Cottage - Time Travel ThursdayHomespun Happenings - Rustic Restoration ThursdayIt's Overflowing - Overflowing With CreativityPetite Hermine - Sunday Linky PartyIt's So Very Cheri - It's Party Time SundayMarvelously Messy - Marvelous Mess Party SundayI'm Topsy Turvy - Topsy Turvy Third ThursdaysCarolyn's Homework - The Inspiration BoardThe Stuff of Success - Success U WednesdayGinger Snap Crafts - Wow Me WednesdayThe Thrifty Home - Penny Pinching Tuesday

SO IF YOU'VE READ THIS FAR, FIRST OF ALL 'THANK YOU!', AND IF YOU'D LIKE A COPY OF MY LINKY PARTY EXCEL SPREADSHEET CONTAINING OVER 100 ACTIVE DIY LINKY PARTIES, PLEASE BECOME A FOLLOWER OF MY BLOG AND THEN SEND ME AN EMAIL!  I WILL BE OFFERING THIS SPREADSHEET TO NEW FOLLOWERS THAT REQUEST IT BY EMAIL FOR THE MONTH OF OCTOBER AND NOVEMBER 2012!  WANT YOUR LINKY PARTY ADDED AND FOR ME TO LINK UP?  JUST LEAVE ME A COMMENT WITH YOUR PARTY AND I'D BE HAPPY TO!
I'D LOVE TO HEAR FROM YOU!