Tuesday, February 7, 2012

Coffee Table Makeover Part 1

So I finally got around to starting that coffee table makeover! In case you missed it, about 7 months ago, we found this little baby on the side of the road. For fa-ree! Just a few houses down! So we lugged it into our basement and I have always had the intentions of redoing it. At first glance it does not look so bad.
 However, there were a ton of scratches and dents in the top as you can see in the photos below. It also just happened to be stained the same color as our floors. Like camo!

 Great shape though! The TV tables that we have in our den are a black satin finish, so that is the tables soon-to-be new hue!
 Now on to the dirty part that I put off for a long while. I got a can of paint stripper. Dirty minds.
 This stuff is highly toxic, so if you use it be sure to wear safety goggles and chemical safe gloves. I also wrapped a scarf around my face so I wouldn't breathe any in.
 You spray a heavy coat on the table and let it sit for 15 minutes. When you return it should look all bubbly.
 Then all you have to do it use a scraper and it just sort of comes off in a sludge. I ended up having to go back and spot do this because some areas the inch of poly were thicker.
 At the end of the day, this is what the table was looking like. Still little bits of the old finish but FAR less than if I had to sand all of that poly and stain off!
Next step is to use my brand new mouse! to sand off the remaining finish and get out any imperfections. I have actually started this process, but it is slow moving and I don't have significant pieces of time to devote to it. I am hoping to have the table done by the end of the week.
Stay tuned for part two!

Monday, February 6, 2012

Sorry!

So sorry for the absence, friends! I have still not been feeling well at all, so I have been taking it a little easier on the activities. I am so sorry I never even got around to posting Fabulous Friday! I have just felt so drained over the last week or so. I do have a couple of projects to share when I can glue my butt to my chair long enough to do them! I also FINALLY started the coffee table! I have some progress pictures to post as well. I have missed you guys, really!

I have a follow up appointment with my doctor today to run more tests and see if we can figure out what is going on. Thank you for all of the sweet words and prayers!

Thursday, February 2, 2012

DIY Thursday: Wrought Iron Artwork

Its DIY Thursday!
Today's project shows another easy way to use vinyl to spruce up an akward space. Head on over to EAD Designs to see how!


Monday, January 30, 2012

Even the Best Laid Plans...

So, I know the past like...million weekends I have talked about getting that coffee table re-do done. And this weekend  truly was going to do it. Friday night at dinner I was plotting to my parents how I was dragging that puppy into the back yard to TCB (Take Care of Business) in the morning. It would be a new table by Saturday night.

After dinner, I wanted to run in TJ Maxx. I hadn't been in forever, and I was in need of a cheap canister for a little project that I want to do. But mostly I just wanted to oodle over the stuff! My dad also loves TJ Maxx, and my hubby had to work, so I invited Daddy to go with me.

On the way over, I started to feel a little funny. Like a pain in my pelvis. Once I got there and we walked around a little, I decided to use the restroom to see if I felt any better. By the time I made it back to my dad at the back of the store (we were only two aisles in!) I was having a sharp pain in my neck and chest and feeling really dizzy. So I told Dad I really needed to sit down for a second. He helped me over to a lovely chaise lounge that I am sure someone will love and then WHAM!

I don't know what happened. All I know is I was shaking, sweating, my chest was on fire and I felt like I could not breathe. I have never been so scared in my life. He helped me over to another lounge that was more laid back to see if I could pull myself together, but all I could think of was "This is it. I am dying." I know in retrospect that may have been dramatic but at the time, I felt like I was having a heart attack and that was it. I have never had an experience where I truly thought my life was over. It really is eye-opening. But we will get to that in uno momento.

So as I got more scared, my dad was talking to my mom (who is a nurse) on the phone about what was going on. I feel so bad because I am sure he felt so hopeless. I finally told him to call 911. So many sweet people came over and offered help. One lady laid her hand on me and prayed for me. (Lady, if you read this, please comment. I have no idea who you are but you brought me so much peace!) Ambulance came and took my vitals. They said I seemed stable, but wanted me to take a ride to the ER just to be safe. Talk about embarrassing, being carried out of your fav store on a stretcher on a Friday night!

So my dad followed the ambulance and my husband, mom and baby sis met us at the ER. Things kind of settled down once I was there, but I was still having headaches, chest pain and vertigo. They ran a million tests and kept us there from 7pm until about 3am. We still have no idea what happened. All I know is that I have been SO tired and that I still have mild chest pain, bad headaches and a little vertigo. I thought maybe it was anxiety so I had taken anxiety meds that my doctor gave me just in case, but they don't seem to make it go away. I am supposed to have a follow-up visit with my normal doc so I will keep you guys posted!

This whole experience has made me want to change so many things. I want to stop living for tomorrow. For the next project. For the next job or big raise. I want to live life now. If I feel like I want to do something, I need to just do it! I need to make smarter choices with my health. I need to get more rest. I need to worry more about God's agenda than my own. I need to draw close to him, because ultimately some day I will have to leave this world and with God is where I want to be! I want to enjoy my husband and where we are at right now. Not looking forward to the next big stage. Things will happen when the time is right. I want to leave dirty dishes in the sink so that I can enjoy an hour of TV or game time. If money is tight, that is life. I don't want to stress or argue over it.

I want to make time for friends and game nights. I want long talks over good meals or coffee. I want to make time for family. I am truly blessed with the greatest parents, siblings, sibling-in-laws, and in-laws in the world. I would not trade one single person. I love you all. I want to make a conscious effort to see each other more. Our family has been through a lot the last few months. I want to enjoy every second that I have with every one. I especially want to make time for my grandfather. He is sick and he needs his family now more than ever. I want to cherish these moments and memories that we get to make with him.

I want to love my job. Life is too short to hate what you do. If you hate it, find something you love. Fortunately, I do love my job. And if you don't love your job, and can't leave it, make the most out of it! I want to always look for the positive. I want my coworkers to feel valued and respected by me.

In general, I just want to devote time to things that matter. Things that I love. No more wasting time stressing. If I want to craft, I will craft. If I want to blog, I will blog. If I want to pull a piece of furniture off the side of the road, I will do it. If I want to cuddle my husband on the couch for a while instead of homework, I will do it.

But I also gotta get my health back to normal. Please pray that I can kick these pesky symptoms and get back to normal! That being said, I am sorry if I am a little slow on the project-sharin this week! Thanks for understanding! And thanks for reading this WHOLE post! (If you are still here!)

Friday, January 27, 2012

Fabulous Friday # 19!

Its Fabulous Friday!

I don't know about you guys, but this week was a tiring one for me. Not really sure why but it felt like it drug! I can't remember being so happy for a weekend! Can't wait to see what you guys have for me this week! I hope to actually get around to that table this weekend! We will see!

Please don't forget the button!








Thursday, January 26, 2012

DIY Thursday: Custom Wall Quote

Its DIY Thursday!
Today's project is so simple and only takes about 10-15 minutes! This is the final piece to our living room makeover! (Other than possible trim) I also introduced the Design Center for custom vinyl Head on over to EAD Designs to see how!

Wednesday, January 25, 2012

Green with Envy: Master Bedroom Curtains

Alright...we have storage! So if you read last week's Fabulous Friday, you know that I was hoping for nice weather so that I could refinish our free roadside find coffee table? Well this is what I got:
 A rainy, "icy," dreary weekend with a headache and a sore throat. So no outside and no painting. But the weekend was not a total wash. I was able to get a few other things that I have been putting off taken care of. And I had this little cutey to help me:
 I may just frame that one. She looks so cute on my damask chair! I had a big helper too, but he does not love being photographed so alas, there are no photos of him. :) But he was a big help!

When we bought our house, the previous owners also took all of the curtain rods, and left us with bare windows and holes. I did not so much mind the bare windows but the holes in the wall drive me batty.
 And the crack in the wall? Yeah someday we will patch that and repaint the room. It really could use a new coat of paint, but I am painted out!
I have been wanting to put curtains in our bedroom for a long time but have never actually gotten around to doing it. Until a few weeks ago my sister gave me two deep green curtain panels that she did not need any more. They are the EXACT same shade of green that is around the edge of our bedspread. Score! So I hopped my little self down to WalMart and got some $3 Oil Rubbed Bronze cafe rods. They are just the right size. I was not really too concerned with a fancy rod, I like the simplicity of them actually.
 My sweet hubby did the hanging. Here is what we got! The photos do not do them justice, our room photographs weird anyway but the dreary rainy outside did not really help with the natural light. Maybe one nice sunny day I will try to get better photos :)
 I did not bother to make sure the curtain hung perfectly. Sorry! Again, sore throat and head.
 I plan to get curtain ties or hooks to pull them back like this:
I just haven't done it yet. But I will! And when I do, you will be the first to know! Well...maybe after Michael...

By the way, I cannot wait to show you guys this week's DIY Thursday! I finally was able to finish up the livingroom! :) (Well aside from the trim work I would love to do in there, but that is not in the near future).