A Few Great Gals!

Like many of you, I often wonder what to write about. Will you find it interesting, inspiring, or entertaining? Will you come back tomorrow? My counter tells me you came...but does "no comment" mean no interest? I know we have all felt this. I am so lucky to have an amazing group of ladies in the One Room Challenge. I know I can count on several visits from them, and that is enough.

Now I would like to tell you about a few gals who are not in the challenge. These bloggers don't need to check in with my blog on a consistent basis. They don't need to come back at all...BUT THEY DO. They come here almost every day. They always leave a comment. They are fun, bright and have super terrific blogs! I could go on and on, instead...I would like you to meet my newer bloggie friends (in no particular order).

First up, Mimi from First Come Flowers.

Mimi has lovely tips and ideas on how to add flowers to your everyday life.


Next up, Kerry at Design du Monde. Kerry is an interior designer who is not afraid of a little DIY. She also designs fabric. I love this one of hers

Kerry has a real practical way about her with an eye for high-end.


Finally, there is Tiffany from Worthwhile Domicile. Tiffany and her husband are renovating their home. She has amazing taste, and is quite witty. Just look at the tile she chose for her powder room.

 My favorite part of her blog, is that she really wants to know what you think....and I tell her!


Thank you, Ladies, your kind comments make my day! If you are not familiar with these blogs, I encourage you to stop by and check them out. I promise that you will have a warm welcome from them. Who are your most loyal viewers? Have you thanked them?

Dining Chairs, a tip...and some Thank You's!

Before I tell all of you about my dining chair make over, I want to give a huge thank you to Serenity Now and Craptastic for featuring my china hutch. It made my weekend!

Now, onto my dining chairs for the One Room Challenge. I love vintage chairs, like most of you (I read all of your profiles). However, vintage sets usually only have 4 side chairs and 2 head chairs. Today, most of us want 6 side chairs and 2 head chairs. This is the best tip I have ever received.....vintage head chairs are the SAME SIZE as their matching side chairs....only they have arms. What does that mean? If you remove the arms, and patch the holes, you will have 6 side chairs! Hello Craigslist.

Disclaimer, pictures were taken long before I blogged.
Potential side chairs

This is what the set looked like when I bought it from a neighbor.

4 side chairs, 2 head chairs

For tips on upholstery, you can go here.  I removed the dated caning and painted them a gloss white. I also made semi home-made piping for them.

The various stages of the painting process. I cut a 1/4" thick piece of wood for the center and upholstered both sides. Now, they look like this

6 side chairs. In the beginning of the One Room Challenge, I showed you the head chairs that need to be reupholstered. Now, aren't vintage dining sets get a whole lot more appealing?

***Linking to***

Project Queen
A Bowl Full of Lemons
My Uncommon Slice
Kammy's Korner
Debbiedoo's
DIY Home Sweet Home
Funky Junk
Serenity Now
2805
Chic on a Shoestring
Miss Mustard Seed
Common Ground
French Country Cottage
My Romantic Home
Saved by Suzy

Take a picture of your screen!!!

Last Wednesday, ABC has decided, yet again....to show a rerun of  my favorite show Revenge. I am sure it is part of a plot to hit it hard during February (sweeps), and get huge ratings. What ABC doesn't know, is that my other favorite "Hampton's" show just started....Royal Pains!

You know where I was headed (with all my extra time, thanks ABC) ...Hooked on Houses. I wanted to find some great images from previous episodes for some inspiring ideas. To my shock...Julia (Hooked on Houses) did not have Royal Pains! For years, I have found EVERYTHING I have ever searched for on her site. I sent her an e-mail and she let me know how she does the "magic". Now, many of you may already have figured this out....this post is not for you. For everyone else.....Julia watches a show on her computer and takes a picture of the screen. Here is how you do that.

So easy, right! I went to an older episode of Royal Pains, and took this shot

Here is the disclaimer....although I found this a cool bit of information to know....I won't be doing this very often. Julia also told me that it takes a huge amount of time to capture images from television shows. That was an understatement!! So, for me...my plan is to continue to go to Hooked on Houses. I'll let Julia do all the work. I might dabble with this again, when I have huge amounts of spare time. Is this something you would ever try?

Decorator vs. DIY-er

In doing the One Room Challenge with 14 other amazing bloggers, I have begun to notice a contrast among the Decorators and the DIY-ers. I am not a decorator, and have never pretended to be one. Although, I do "play decorator" in my own home all the time. I am, however, a compulsive DIY-er. I am often called by one of my friends to fix things...case in point, my friends sofa. I don't usually blog about it. I think I will start doing more of that. I regret not blogging about how I built window boxes for another friend, it would have been great for you to see how easy it was.

Back to the Decorator vs. DIY-ers.....as you are probably aware, if you have followed and clicked around the challenge, some of the women are REAL decorators! Here are the noticeable differences

Decorator - Here is my room inspiration board

(A Lifestyle Thing)

Diy-er - I saw this picture...and I'm going for it!

decorpad via Saved by Suzy

Decorator - Here is my room process (from Refreshing Designs)

To make sure I stay on track, I am going through the proper design process for this room makeover: 

1. Figure out what style and mood I want to create and find inspiration pictures I swoon over.

2. Create a design board with colours, furniture elements, lighting, etc. This will keep me on track throughout the process when I get distracted by a great pillow that really doesn't work with the design. 

3. Lay out a plan. Set a budget. Make a list of things to buy or DIY. 

4. Proceed with accomplishing everything on the list and see the space come together. There is room for a little tweaking along the way. 

 So then, here is step #2: my design board. 

And step #3: my to-do list (if crossed out they are complete!)

-order eames plastic armchair (reproduction) 

-paint room

-purchase file/storage unit

-DIY fabric headboard for daybed

-DIY wallpaper projects

-DIY art 

-DIY pillow covers

-find industrial-look hanging lamp for above desk

-find vintage lamp

-create magazine storage solution

-style and finish room

Diy-er - Yeah, while he paints....I'm going shopping

Rue de Emily

Decorator - Here is a professional tip on how to paint samples on a wall (Nicole Scott Design)

Professional Tip:  Don’t mask off squares and paint on the wall… it leaves ridges around the edge and is more difficult to sand off and prep for your painter. INSTEAD, do a freehand test, Like I have below, and be sure to feather out the edges so you don’t have to sand out any nasty ridges. 

Nicole Scott Design

DIY-er - I hated that color, so I painted this one

Nana Moon Shop

I'll have more contrasts for you as the challenge goes on. My question to you is, are you a Decorator or a DIY-er?

One Room Challenge (week 2)

Hello, and thanks for coming back. This is week 2 of the One Room Challenge. In case you are new here, you can start the challenge series here. This was a crazy busy week because it finally snowed in New Jersey. A total of 6 inches to be exact. That made running around slower than usual. Luckily, it snowed on Friday evening into Saturday...no snow-day. I managed to finish my china hutch. If you have not see it....check it out here. Onto my dining room...

This is how you last saw it

I started on the ceiling planks. First I took down the crown molding. As you can see in this picture, all of the uneven ends will be hidden under the crown once it goes back up

I did a tutorial for installing planks here.  It is not hard, trust me...it just takes time. Here is a shot with the crown molding back up

I am curently working on the middle bay of the ceiling

Next, I hired an electrician to lower the sconces....and while you are at it (my favorite phrase) ...I had him move the lanterns closer together. The mirrors are in the garage waiting to be painted

And now for the "keeping it real" shot. This is how my room looks as I write this.

It always gets much worse before it gets better! If you have a second...go here and tell me which color to paint those lanterns. Be sure to check out the progress in all of the other awesome rooms...and I will see you next Wednesday. For week 3, go here

Saved By Suzy                                                                  Nicole Scott Designs
Dutch.British.Love                                                           Kim Macumber Interiors
Trapped in North Jersey                                                   Rue de Emily
The Pink Pagoda                                                              refreshed designs
Nana Moon Shop                                                              Taylor Morgan
insideways                                                                       House Four
Living Savvy                                                                    (A Lifestyle Thing)

Pagoda Time!

If you have not guessed by now...I love pagodas! To me, they say "happy chinoiserie". Pagodas add that extra touch of whimsy to a room. As my blogger friend  Jessie, from the blog Mix and Chic, says...."the global eclectic look is so chic these days".

Here are some of my pagoda favorites from Etsy....of course!

Etsy TPP

Etsy Seller

Etsy Seller

Etsy Seller

Etsy Seller

Etsy TPP

By the way, The Pink Pagoda is having a giveaway! So pop on over and enter. I love my pink pagoda print. Are you embracing the global eclectic look in your home?  What is your new "chic" inspiration?

China Hutch ...after

Not that long ago, I told you about Me & Mrs. Jones. I reached out to her, via e-mail, for help with my china hutch. This is my hutch. I painted it a medium gray and silverleafed the back. I was not happy with it. it needed more depth and interest.

This is the real "before", long before I blogged.

Stephanie (Me & Mrs. Jones) suggested the following...use this over the paint

Here are the steps, first use 400 grit sandpaper to break the seal

Wipe on the stain

Then, wipe off the excess.

I repeated this one more time (2 coats total), and now I have this

It is exactly what I wanted...and it only took ....2 tries! Sometimes things take me..... 3 tries, or is that 3 trips in the car? Thank you Stephanie! On average, how many tries does a project take you?

**Linking to***
Savvy Southern Style
Restore Interiors
{Primp}
My Uncommon Slice of Suburbia
Tip Junkie
Project Queen
Trash 2 Treasure
A Bowl Full of Lemons
Debbiedoos Newbie Party
DIY Home Sweet Home
Funky Junk
Be Different Act Normal
Serenity Now
The Spunky Diva
Fingerprints on the Fridge
2805
Chic on a Shoestring
Miss Mustard Seed
French Country Cottage
Saved by Suzy
Not Just A Housewife

Missing Pieces

I forgot that I had this wonderful chinoiserie screen in my garage. It came from Canada and was my husband's grandmothers'. I always liked it....and it could be perfect for my dining room. There is only one problem...

It has several missing pieces. I think they are carved bone? I know it is not ivory. It might even be plastic? I have sourced, all over the net for something that would work.

Then I remembered something about making a mold....more searching, and I found this stuff

You mix equal parts of the purple and white together

It's non toxic, so you can use your hands. Once you get a uniform color

You press it over the image you want to make a mold from

Wait 25 minutes, and then peal it off

Now you need to fill the mold. So, I used this stuff

Mix according to directions

Pour into molds, and wait until....no specific time at least 30 minutes depending on size (makes sense)

I smoothed the top with a spatula

Here are two of the ones I made....I think this will look great, once I paint it.

Hopefully, I will have the "after" next week. What are you working on?

**Linking to**
Not Just A Housewife

A Little Humor

Hi Everyone...I am super crazy, probably like most of you! Illnesses, projects, snow.....and a challenge! My husband e-mailed me this Course Schedule...joke? Is he trying to tell me something? Hmmmm

Men Teaching Classes for Women at   THE ADULT LEARNING CENTER    REGISTRATION MUST BE COMPLETED By Sun, January 22, 2012   NOTE: DUE TO THE COMPLEXITY AND DIFFICULTY LEVEL OF THEIR CONTENTS, CLASS SIZES WILL BE LIMITED TO 8 PARTICIPANTS MAXIMUM .    Class 1  Up in Winter, Down in Summer - How to Adjust a Thermostat Step by Step, with Slide Presentation.  Meets 4 weeks, Monday and Wednesday for 2 hrs beginning at 7:00 PM..    Class 2  Which Takes More Energy - Putting the Toilet Seat Down, Or Bitching About It for 3 Hours? Round Table Discussion.  Meets 2 weeks, Saturday 12:00 for 2 hours.    Class 3  Is It Possible To Drive Past a Wal-Mart Without Stopping?--Group Debate.  Meets 4 weeks, Saturday 10:00 PM for 2 hours.    Class 4  Fundamental Differences Between a Purse and a Suitcase-- Pictures and Explanatory Graphics.  Meets Saturdays at 2:00 PM for 3 weeks.    Class 5  Curling Irons--Can They Levitate and Fly Into The Bathroom Cabinet? Examples on Video.  Meets 4 weeks, Tuesday and Thursday for 2 hours beginning At 7:00 PM    Class 6  How to Ask Questions During Commercials and Be Quiet During the Program Help Line Support and Support Groups.  Meets 4 Weeks, Friday and Sunday 7:00 PM    Class 7  Can a Bath Be Taken Without 14 Different Kinds of Soaps and Shampoos? Open Forum .. Monday at 8:00 PM, 2 hours.    Class 8  I Was Wrong and He Was Right!--Real Life Testimonials.  Tuesdays at 6:00 PM Location to be determined.    Class 9  How to Parallel Park In Less Than 20 Minutes Without an Insurance Claim. Driving Simulations.  4 weeks, Saturday's noon, 2 hours. Class 10  Learning to Live--How to Apply Brakes Without Throwing Passengers Through the Windshield. Tuesdays at 7:00 PM, location to be determined    Class 11  How to Shop by Yourself.  Meets 4 weeks, Tuesday and Thursday for 2 hours beginning at 7:00 PM.

I found this funny. Now what courses should women teach men?

Lantern Color?

Hi everyone. I need your help! Yesterday, when the "One Room Challenge" was announced, I introduced you to my dining room. As I mentioned, I want to change the color of my lanterns.......only, I don't know which color to choose. This is where you come in....please tell me which color your like!

Here is some information about the client....me! I don't like "matchie - matchie". I like pieces that will look good in a room, but will be fine when the room changes...new paint color, etc. I am willing to take a risk (I think), but usually don't like "loud" things either. Not an easy client, or as my husband would say, "you try living with her".

Here is my lantern (dust and all)

Here are some of the choices...feel free to suggest any additional color AND do you like the ribs gold?

(1)

(2)

(3)

(4)

(5) All lantern images, other than mine, are from here

Can you see why this is so hard? Maybe not? What is your favorite color for my room? Thank you so much for your help...I know I can count on you!