OK I AM MAD....(as in Crazy)

So I was on my way into town yesterday for an appointment. Town for us is about 17 miles (for now).  I came to an intersection and on the right is a vacant lot. Many times you will see truckers parked there. I'm assuming it is some sort of unofficial rest stop. Anyway.....I noticed that there is one of those "Recycling Dump Boxes" in the far corner. And what do you think was sitting there beside the box?????? A Chair! A vintage wood dining chair!

The wood was in tact. The seat had three cigarette burns in it and numerous stains........but hey replaceable. I could not believe it! Why would someone throw this out?

So let's back up a couple of weeks............I have two vintage dining chairs in my "STASH." I had wonderful ideas for them. So I began the makeover faze. Well when I went to pick the fabric to recover them with I found three that I loved. YES three. I could not pass them up so I purchased all three fabric patterns. My dilemma???? I only had two chairs!

GOD is good I tell you. I asked "please let me find another chair so I do not have to choose which fabric to NOT use."  Now I have have my third chair.

Stay tuned for this freebie transformation.

Thanks for looking.

Ciao for now!

Rusty Plant Stand Makeover

So after swooning over all of those wonderful finds, I decided to start with something easy. This piece seemed to be calling my name from the moment I pulled it out of that dusty old storage building.

It is a LARGE two tier plant stand that folds for easy storage. There were a couple rusty spots with flaky paint. I used a wire brush and scraper and removed all of those chippy pieces. I decided that this piece would look amazing in a Turquoise color.  I chose Restoleum 2X Ultra Cover in Seaside. I love this paint. It has even coverage, is inexpensive and very easy to use.

This is what I ended up with.........................LOOOOVE!

As soon as the color was finished, I knew exactly where it would go. This deserved to be more than just a plant stand. I remembered seeing these round glass tops at Walmart. 

I purchased two of the glass tops for about $7 each. They were not exactly the same size as the sections in the stand but they would work. I also added Bumpers to the bottom of the glass to keep it from rubbing against the metal.

And Viola! 

I am in the process of putting together our guest room. I have the bedding but no bed. Now I have a table. This is perfect because the colors I chose for the room are gray and turquoise. This piece will make a nice accent table. This piece is pretty big too. SEE........

These are the Twinkies standing next to it. They are seven! I hope you enjoyed this transformation. Stay tuned for more of my "Storage Score Makeovers."

Ciao for now!

MOTHER LOAD!

So....Once again I was stalking Craigslisters. Scrolling anxiously through every post until I found what I have to say is the BEST score EVER! The title read "Household Furniture." So you have to look right? Well when I opened the ad I almost fell out of my chair! The ad was for a storage unit full of furniture items. "MUST TAKE ALL" it says for $100. WHAT?

I was so afraid that I was too late but evidently The Lord knew I needed more on my plate so I got it!

There was so much more stuff than I could see on the original post. So this it what I scored:

Two twin beds (or bunk bed with ladder), three night stands, two desks, six chairs, three lamps, two book shelves, chest of drawers, lawyers book case, kitchen cart, TV stand, two wood dinner trays, metal plant stand, sports equipment organizer, oak file cabinet, 40 beanie babies in sealed packages, a rug, and various other little items.

All of the furniture is oak except the TV stand, sports equipment organizer, plant stand and one desk!
I am so excited and have so many ideas for all of these wonderful finds.

And those lovely Beanie Babies..........Well I lost control of those the minute they walked in the door.

 Thanks for looking. Stay tuned for updates on the makeovers.

Ciao for now!

SCORE!!!!

So I was doing some Craigslist thrifting and I cam across a few items that I just had to have. I swear I can spend hours on that site. I have some ideas for these pieces. Let me know your thoughts.

I have seen this technique called "liming" on Pinterest that I have been wanting to try. HERE is one example of a table that I LOVE! I think I finally found the piece to use. Granted it isn't round but it is big and I think it will make a great first piece. I will keep my eye out for that round table. I just love that look!

I also found these AMAZING chairs. I love them and honestly the only thing I believe I'm going to do is paint the wood. I'm thinking cream and distressed. The picture does not do the color of the fabric justice, but believe me it is pretty. It is this sea foam green color and velvet. They will make a nice addition to my library.......Yes that chaos of book shelves behind them!

Let me know what you think. I'm open to suggestions! Stay tuned for the finished products.

Ciao For Now!

Kris

Chalk Paint........HOMEMADE!

I finally did it! After seeing countless tutorials for homemade chalk paint on Pinterest, I finally decided to take the plunge and try it for myself. I read through as many as I could stand and I finally
decided that the mixture with the calcium carbonate was the one for me. http://pinterest.com/pin/257197828691499079/

This recipe seemed to be the most economical and it does not harden like most of the other recipes I found........which to me is a waste of good paint! A little goes a long way with chalk paint.

I have to admit that I did tweak the recipe a bit. I used the following:

1 Cup paint (get wild with that color!)
3 Tbs. Calcium Citrate powder - (you can find this at any health food store and most grocers) I couldn't find the calcium carbonate so I figured this was close enough.....it works.

Water
Mainstays (Walmart brand) pint mason jars

Pour 1 (one) cup of water into a pint mason jar. Using a permanent marker, mark at the water line. Pour out the water. Pour the paint that you have chosen into the mason jar, filling to the the line. Add 3 (three) Tbsp. of the Calcium Citrate powder. Gradually add about two tablespoons of water. The paint will seem thick at first but it will this as you stir in the water. add more water if needed but only a lithe at a time. You want the paint to be about like pancake batter. Not too thick and not too thin. I used a small wooden dowel to stir my paints. This also served as a paint color sample stick for me when I was done.

I always use Sherwin Williams paint. It is a personal preference not a requirement for the recipe. I just feel that I get more for my money with the SW samples.

Enjoy your paint.

Ciao for now!

Kris