Side Table Makeover

I wanted to share this little project I finished up quite awhile ago. I bought this piece from a virtual garage sale on Facebook. We now had a bed room big enough for two side tables. I like this piece’s shape and sturdiness. And even though the wood looks nice, I wasn’t crazy about it mixed with the wood I already had in that room. I am still looking for a table that is a little bit taller and matches the wood we already in that room. But it was a good price and we needed something for my husband’s side.



I painted it with Annie Sloan's Chalk paint in French Linen. I am happy with how it turned out. I am working on our bedroom right now and am excited to show you it all finished. I love how there is no prep with this style of chalk paint. I sealed it like my other projects with miniwax. I decided to keep the same pulls for right now.




I hope you enjoyed this quick project! Recreating things always makes my heart happy.

Play Table Makeover

Our little daughter has poor muscle tone. She is about 20 months and just started taking steps last month!!! I know getting her a new table has helped so much. I have been wanting one and I have seen some darling sets with cute chairs. But I only needed the table. Having her stand at a table this height really helps her strengthen her legs. We put her toys on top and she has to stand while playing. Plus she is so distracted by her tea set or farm animals that she didn't realize she was standing for a long time.

I was able to find this beauty for just $1.99 at this awesome new Thrift Store in the East Valley Neighbor hood called 360 Thrift. One of it's legs were a little use and it was a little worn. But nothing that a coat of chalk paint couldn't fix. 

Doesn't it look great???

And she loves it!!! It's perfect for our tea parties with brother and puppy. I am so thankful for this table. It has helped her so much. I love that we were able to strengthen her legs and only spend about $2. 

This is the best part. When she would try and walk from it. She will only walk short distances right now. But this is helping her so much. We put her dishes up here. And her princess castle we got her from Kid to Kid for only $8. Or our Fisher Price piano we have had since Gandalf.

Having a daughter is so much fun! She is getting so great at unprompted "Thank coo Mama!" And she loves to share her cookies during tea parties. Yesterday morning my hubby found the kids all playing tea party together. 

Isn't she a natural hostess? Sometimes she just drinks right from the sugar dish. Can't really blame her...

If you haven't checked out my other 360 Thrift find you can find it here.

Cutest Little Demi god Ever....

Isn't she the cutest little demi god ever???

Our family is loving the Percy Jackson series we started reading to get ready for our oldest boy's birthday party. We are almost done listening to the 4th book. If you haven't read the series you really should. It's funny and action packed. Another thing I love about it is their strong girl character Annabeth. 

Annabeth is the daughter of Athena so she's pretty smart. She is up for adventure, tough, and is a great loyal friend. I know baby girl is going to really like her when we read this series again when she is older. Who doesn't love it when the girl saves the day? (Though I have heard she is a little more damsel is distress in the movie)

I made each of my boys a "Camp Half Blood" shirt along with this cutie girl. You can find the image here. I just love having a Silhouette!!! Baby half blood shirts are hard to come by. Annabeth has blonde hair and wears it in a side braid. We did the best we can with that. She also has a New York Yankees cap, a gift from her mother. You can order one from the link  up above or you can make one. Perfect when you are making it the night before and don't have time for amazon's amazing 2 day shipping.

I found a blue hat at Walmart. It had a small orange horse on it. I have no idea what that stands for. Using my Silhouette I made the New York image and cut it on white fabric with interfacing ironed on to it. Use your Fray Check on the edges and glue that bad boy on. I made sure it was thick enough to cover the small horse.

She LOVES her hat. She wants to wear it all the time. Which I really don't mind considering how cute she looks. Also, she loves matching her brothers with this shirt. She didn't want to take her shirt off even when it was covered in yogurt. I had to distract her and then hide it real quick.

I love reading with this girl. I can't wait to read chapter books with her.

Happy Reading!!!

Check out more fun Percy Jackson Posts...

Percy Jackson Party 

Percy Jackson Cake Tutorial 

Thrift Store Find Makeover

I found this great Thrift store in the East Valley area. It's called 360 Thrift. I really needed a little play table for baby girl. It would be perfect therapy for her to stand and play at a table to help strengthen her legs. Not only did I find one for only $1.99 I also found this gem...

Isn't it perfect!!! I have been driving around on Mondays looking for something just like this on my treasure drives. I recently came across this post from the Crafting Chicks. (I love their site) It has a link to kitchen plans from the amazing Ana White. She has so many great building plans to make pretty much anything. I love the homemade kitchen. And a darling kitchen set for $127 was a pretty fair price. But honestly that's not really in my budget right now. But I was totally inspired by her designs and I thought I could save some money by making my own.

And then I was lucky enough to find this gem at the thrift store.

 Supplies:

Nightstand (Or whatever else you can modify)
Drill
scrap wood
paint
Stove knobs
Oven drawer pull
Cameo
Saw
Ruler

First step was to paint this awesome piece I found. I almost went with a teal for a retro kind of feel, but this yellow makes me happy. I used Deco Art American Chalk Paint in Delicate.


I got it at Hobby Lobby. Next I measured what size I wanted my oven door. The bottom area of the night stand has a lip. It made the hinge part kind of tricky. I decided to get hinge that closed into itself, not just your basic hinge. I also needed to install a magnet to help hold it closed. There was another hinge option that would have helped the oven open fully but I wasn't sure my 1 year old would be strong enough to open that one. I had to add a piece of wood to help the hinge lay flat. I also didn't use the screws that came with the hinge. I used smaller ones for the door. And larger ones to secure it to the base of the night stand.

You can see here my hinge and magnet placement. Add you drawer pull to your oven door. I had to drill holes in first before I was able to get my screws in the wood.

Using my Silhouette I made a stencil for painting on burners. It was quick and easy. I wanted to leave some of the top for a prep area. Ikea has some really cute felt food and dishes. I think she will like having some room to "slice" fruits and veggies.

Lastly I added some adorable knobs from Hobby Lobby. The pink knobs are too cute. And I am thinking I want to make some pink/yellow dish towels for her new kitchen. I might even add some hooks on the side. I just LOVE how it turned out....

The drawer is perfect for storing pots and pans. I pulled out these dishes I had bought for my boys long ago. Even Draco and Yoda loved pretending to cook dinner. I love seeing my kids play together and use their imaginations. Wish I would have made one of these for my sons years ago.

You can paint this project any color and have it fit your budget. I love how sturdy and darling it looks. Now I am on the hunt for another piece I can make into a sink. 

Total Price:

Night Stand $3.99

Paint $8.99

Knobs (4) $3.99 each

Drawer pull $4

Hinge: $2.20

Double Magnetic catch: $2.50

Oven door: Free. Thanks to our Monday treasure hunts

Total about $32 with coupons 

Best part is seeing our baby girl cook, stir, and having fun while working on standing. And now we can work on getting her to walk from her new table to her new stove.

Other fun project where I have used free wood I have found on the side of the road.

Simple Little Coat Rack Tutorial

USA Map Art Tutorial

Coffee Table Makeover

Linked up Here  Check out other fun finds!!

Some of these items are affiliated links. You are welcomed to buy from anywhere. But I don't mind if you buy them from here. I only share items I really like or use. Thanks for your support!

Simple Little Coat Rack Tutorial

I bought a coat rack years ago at TJ Max. I really love that store. And I liked the coat rack I got. Hooks are so much easier and a must for kids. But it was made from pressed wood and the back hardware fell off after a couple of weeks. I tried several times to fix it or nail in new hardware, but nothing was working.

Then I thought I just need to make one. Really it's not that hard. On one of my Monday treasure hunts I scored this free piece of wood. (The first Monday of the month where I live people set out things they don't want) I cut the wood to fit the space I had for it. Originally I was going to paint it but I love the way the wood looks.

I was at Home Depot for one of their Kids Workshops. I had met my cub scouts there so we could passed off Achievement 5e. I was able to pick up these hooks for around $10. I had all the other supplies on hand. I love when I don’t have to spend much on a project.

Supplies:

• Piece of wood
• Stain or paint
• vinyl stencil or decal (optional)
• Hooks
• Drill
• Ruler

wax

Hard ware for the back to hang it up

Cut your wood and sand as needed. Stain or Paint your wood. Then measure out where you want to screw in your hardware. I had to use a drill bit to make a small hole so my screws could go in easier. Careful not to make your holes so big that the screws won't actually screw in. I’m not an expert in using a drill. And one of my hooks isn’t quite perfect but I’m okay with it. And I remind my sometimes OCD brain that when I see it.

This rack is next to our garage door and it is where we leave every morning. It's perfect for my purse, the kid’s backpacks, and jackets. One thing that we need to be better at is morning prayers. We are pretty good at praying in the evening and before dinner. But our mornings are really crazy. My kids never can seem to find their shoes or clothes. Really they just wanna play and read and not get ready for school let alone church. All that extra clothing like belt and ties makes life that much harder.

Family prayer is essential. I want to have a chance to pray as a family before I send my children off in the world. They need that protection. That's why I added a small little saying "Did you think to Pray?" (I love that song) That way when I grab my purse or the boys grab their backpacks we can have a reminder that we need to have a family prayer.

Really you could skip a saying. Or add your family name or a saying like "Be Kind" or any other message you want your kids to see. I like that it isn't flashy, but just a small reminder.

Originally I had the saying higher but my sweetheart thought it would look better lower and I quite agree. I was blessed to get a Cameo Silhouette and was able to make my stencil. Then I used leftover paint from my dresser. If you don't have a silhouette and need a place to get vinyl there is a great etsy shop Little Mrs Crafty. She does a great job and can get you what you need. She makes toilet targets for little boys. They are too cute.

When I was finished I sealed it with wax and hung it up. I am happy with how it turned out. I love how solid and secure the wood is. Going weeks with the back packs on the ground was driving me crazy. And I am hoping it helps us remember our family prayers in the morning.

Thanks for reading! Hope I can help make your home a little more organized.

Cheater Bow Ties: An Easy Tutorial

I love it when my boys match. Especially for church or holidays.It's too adorable. But I don't always have time to make them matching bow ties. And regular ties take even more tie and material. I really wanted to make them some green bow ties for St. Patrick's Day, along with a dress for baby girl. But I couldn't squeeze it in.

I just love hounds tooth!

I made some for Christmas using these. I liked them but sometimes my youngest boy's bow tie just didn't stay on for the whole three hours at church. Then I got a great idea. Why don't I just make a simple bow tie and put it on a ribbon. That is the most time consuming part for me. Sewing thin strips, ironing, and attaching the hardware or Velcro. If I could just make a bow and slip that sucker on a ribbon my life would be so much easier. Here is the tutorial. Hoping I can make your life easier too...


Cheater Bow Tie Tutorial

Material
Thread
Scissors
Ribbon
Needle
Pins
Sewing Machine
Fray Check
Cutting Mat and Rotary blade make it easier.


Start with cutting two long rectangles. Mine were 3.5 inches by 10 inches. Sew rights sides together around like so.

Turn it out using a pencil or drum stick. Press when done.

Fold the ends behind so you have a smaller rectangle.

Cut out two smaller rectangles. Mine was around 3.5 " by 2". Sew two side together and turn right sides out. Press. I ended up folding it in half to make it thinner. Get a needle ready with a knot at the end.

Pinch the middle of your large rectangle.

Wrap your smaller rectangle around the middle. When bringing down the top piece, keeping the ends behind your bow, I like to tuck the unfinished end under. 

Using your needle stitch the smaller rectangle in place. You can sew them togeher but be careful not to have any stitches showing from the front. 

You can use a safety pin to pull the ribbon through your back of your bow tie. Finish off your ribbon ends with Fray Check so it won't fray.

Tie around your son's neck and tuck the edges in like so.

I was able to make 3 of these in about an hour. Perfect during nap time or when the kids are in bed. I can't wait to make more for my boys. Using a rotary blade and mat really saved time as well. I love my big mat from Fiskars. They were a sponsor at the Elevate Blog last year. I received scissors and this huge mat which really helps me as I am a visual learner.

I love picking colors for Easter. This year the colors are Blush and Bashful. Some might say Pink and Pink, but I would disagree. I bought this dress at Old Navy last month. I just love the soft spring color. Baby sister needed her brothers to have matching bow ties. (Daddy might just have one too!)

Every one of my boys made a comment about the pink, including Dad. I tired to tell them it's Bashful. My sons are in a anti girl stuff phase right now. I told them there is no such thing as a boy or girl color. I can't wait to get some pictures of them this week.

I needed these ready by this weekend because Easter is falling on General Conference this year. Glad they are made and I wasn't caught off guard.

I hope you get a chance to make a quick bow tie or two. Happy Sewing!!!


Some of these items are affiliated links. You are welcomed to buy from anywhere. But I don't mind if you buy them from here. I only share items I really like or use. Thanks for your support!

Monday Treasure

The first Monday of the month around here is like a treasure hunt. After we drop off the older boys Yoda and baby girl and I drive around and look for treasure. The first Monday is the day to put out large trash items people don't want anymore. I found this small bookcase which helped organize my Harry Potter closet. I also found wood for this fun project. I love taking something and making it look better. Finding beauty in items brings me joy.

This treasure was put out by my dear neighbor who was moving. We both agreed it is a sturdy table, it just needed some love.

It was scratched, dusty, and my nose was saying possibly some cat hair. I loved the detail on the side of the table. And I loved that it was already painted black. Perfect for if I decided to sand some areas down. I went to Lowe's and bought Valspar flat paint in Caribbean Walk and made it into chalk paint using the recipe found here. I have used this recipe with my lovely yellow dresser I acquired from a dear friend. I taped off the opal detail because it was too pretty to cover. After painting I decided to sand and distress it to show off the lovely molding on the side. (Thankful for my dear friend who I can text and get her thoughts!)

Does't it look stunning?!? So much nicer. And what a shame it would have been if it ended up in a landfill.  After distressing it I sealed it with some MinWax Finishing Wax. I loved how it turned out.

Add caption

Don't you love the sides? I hope you have been inspired to give something a makeover. Or to see beauty or potential in something that needs some love. Unless you live by me, then go ahead and put it out by the curb ;)

Some of these items are affiliated links. You are welcomed to buy from anywhere. But I don't mind if you buy them from here. I only share items I really like or use. Thanks for your support!

My Favorite Guacamole

Last month when I went home to California I was blessed to get some avocados from my in laws. They have the BEST avocados!!! We have avocados from California shipped here, but they don't taste as great. My in laws taste like butter! Amazing flavored butter! They ripened quickly here like most things do and so I had a large amount that were ripe at the same time. We made guacamole after church one day and ate the whole batch right then.

Aren't these beautiful? 

My Favorite Guacamole

4 or 5 avocados

tomato, chopped

Cilantro, at least half the batch

limes juice from 2 or 3 limes

Red onion, chopped

Garlic Salt

Scoop out the avocado goodness into a bowl. Mash it with a fork or potato masher. I don't like my avocados all the way mashed. It's good to have some lumps. Add chopped onion, tomato, and cilantro and stir that in. Now I always eye how much to add. You want it to be colorful, like your eating a rainbow. Then using my juicing tool from Pampered Chef I add quite a bit of lime (we don't want to waste any juice.) . Now add quite a bit of seasoning. Then grab a spoon and sample. If you can't taste the lime or garlic add more as needed. Stir well and throw some pits back in there to keep it from going brown. Although you might just eat it all in one sitting like we did as we played Book of Mormon Who that Sunday afternoon.

We ended up using a white onion because it is what we had and it was the Sabbath. And since we forgot to buy chips the day before we cut up corn tortillas with a pizza cutter and fried and salted them. They were awesome. 

I also wanted to share this fun new addition to our family room. 

I love it our new space!

Before we moved my hubby got a new to us TV off a friend. We were super thankful it fit in the space we have available in our family room. I was bummed our Entertainment center didn't work in this house but we found a way to make the best of it. But our TV left this giant hole that I really didn't like. I tried to find a piece to buy to put it in there but wasn't happy with anything.

Then I thought I could make something but as I was figuring out the wood costs it didn't seem worth it as we are hoping to buy a new place in year or so. I didn't want to make something that might not work in our next place. Then I got an idea. I was about to post a picture of an old desk hutch from my hubby's old desk on a garage sale page. It was sturdy and a great piece of wood. Then I realized it was perfect for this spot.

I painted it white and we were all set to only to realize it was about two inches too tall. My hubby said our little cutting tool wouldn't be able to cut it. So we used it as a shelf next to our couch. It has been serving as a perfect storage for baby girls toys. And for therapy we have been using it to help her bend and reach objects. It was the perfect height for her to be on her knees and play and then to help her stand and put toys on the top. My intent was to find someone with a better saw to help us cut a little shorter, but I am thankful it worked as a good resource for physical therapy.

Now that she has moved on to trying to stand on her own and I feel more comfortable cutting wood with our tool thanks to my wood map sign, I tried last week to cut shorter. It ended up working out great, I just had to go really slow. I love that we were able to reuse something we already had to fix a problem. I love saving money and making my home more beautiful.