File {Trans}formation

My sister recently took on a few fantastic DIY projects and after seeing pictures of this one…I just had to share.

She decided to rehab this file cabinet to use for storing business related papers at her shop.  She picked it up for just $7 at a thrift store (unfortunately she can’t find the “before” image).

She painted it with bronze spray paint ($3).  Then covered the drawer in fabric cut from pillow cases she purchased for $2 from the Dollar Store and just glued the fabric on.  She made sure to smooth out the front with a flat edge (letting it dry overnight) and then wrapped the fabric around the edges and glued them down the next day for a finished look.  Finally, she added in new handles from Walmart ($4) to complete the update.

Here’s a  closer shot of the drawer.  I think using fabric was such a clever idea!

Christmas Cookies {2009}

Almost every year my mom and dad get together with us for a cookie baking day in December. 

This year we made…

• Christmas Butter Cookies – they are the painted cookies, which ended up being more fun for the adults than the child….he was over it in about ten minutes.
• Sand Tarts – I think they are probably a Pennsylvania thing (I grew up there)
• Pinwheel Cookies – these were a new one we tried this year and they turned out great, the swirl is a wonderful chocolate /orange flavor   – yum!  Good find, Mom!
• Spritz cookies - the guys  use the cookie “gun” to make that perfect looking Christmas tree and red swirly snowflake looking cookie  Can you tell that one is the guys responsibility every year?
• Crinkle Cookies (not shown) also a new one this year found in Family Fun magazine and they turned out great.  My Dad styled this awesome display of cookies for me to photograph while they were in the oven.  Thanks, Dad!

On a side note, I just started playing around with Pioneer Woman actions and applied “Seventies” to this shot.  It’s definitely my favorite PW action so far.

Winter Wonderland

The first snowflakes of the year just started falling within the last hour and the ground is slowly turning white – the first few snowfalls of the year are so exciting.  How fitting for my first holiday post!

I always have so many projects and recipes I want to try during the holidays and I never have the time to get to all of them, but here are a few of my projects and thrifty finds so far…

During the summer I found a brand new box of clear glass balls for $1 at the Salvation Army.  I used some letters I had on hand and Krylon Frosted Glass Finish spray paint to personalize each ornament.

Last year I was completely wowed by this amazing wreath made by Eddie Ross.

So after Christmas I picked up an assortment of green balls from Joann’s 70% off and made this wreath.  Eddie’s bow is perfection…I wish I knew how he made it and attached it to the door.  I’m still trying to figure that part out.  If anyone has any ideas, let me know!

Finally, we have this lovely reindeer I bought at the Reuse Center for $2.  He just needed to be freed from his ugly collar and cleaned up with some white spray paint.

Before

After

Desk Drawer Liner

The finishing touch for my new (old) desk is a liner for the little drawer in the front.   I made it using some leftover fabric from a mistake with my chair makeover so it coordinates nicely with the chair I’m using for the desk and even this little picture in the same room.

The first step was to measure the dimensions of the drawer.  I then cut a piece of  blackout lining my mom had on hand to fit the drawer.  Blackout lining is fairly stiff so we thought it would help the liner look a bit more finished and keep the fabric I wanted displayed to appear smooth.

I then made sure it fit the drawer before moving on.

Next I ironed the fabric I wanted to display and then put the piece of blackout lining on top.  I cut the monoluna fabric to be about one inch larger the piece of blackout lining.

Then I grabbed some adhesive spray and moved the project outside to an old tablecloth on the front porch.  I lightly sprayed the glue on the edges of the patterned fabric and then folded this sides over almost like a package, making sure the front was pulled tight  and appeared smooth.

And here is the finished product…

I just slipped it in the drawer and that was it.  The finish inside the drawer was a little rough so the blackout lining just grabs on to it.  It looks like it is attached, but is not so I can easily change it or remove it.

Thrifty Finds

Some recent purchases from our local Salvation Army…

Cake Plate $4.00

Pitcher $2.00

Serving Dish $3.00

Vase $2.00

NINE

I don’t get a chance to go to the movies often, but I’m going to see this one!

Day of the Week Folders

I found this project on Design*Sponge.  I bought some folders from Office Depot and decided to use a different security envelope pattern to create the letters for each day.  I was inspired by this project (from the same duo) to use security envelope paper for the letters.   It was fun to collect my favorites and it is really fascinating to see how many different patterns are used – some are actually quite interesting.  And it also makes opening the bills slightly less painful…

FAQ | Furniture Refinishing

Friday my chair makeover was featured Young House Love!  SO EXCITING!!!  All the wonderful comments from YHL readers and new visitors made my weekend.

I was also was asked a few questions that I thought I would follow up on today.

Q :: Jill and Mollie asked what were the steps my husband and I took to refinish the desk and what brand of spray paint we used and Jess asked for some advice on some future redos.

A :: We are new to this upcycling thing, but here is what we did to create our new computer desk.

1. We removed the ugly pull on the desk drawer with a simple screwdriver (I so wish we had a “before”) and filled the hole with Elmer’s wood filler
2. Next we looked the desk over and it was in good shape so it didn’t need any flaws patched
3. The desk was a little glossy so my husband roughed it up very quickly with some 220 grit sandpaper just to make sure the paint would stick to it
4. After that we pulled the drawer out so we could paint it inside and out (I added one more cute touch to the drawer, but I will probably write about that later this week)
5. Next we applied one coat of spray on primer.  I think we used Krylon Indoor /Outdoor Primer.
6. Then we applied two coats of Rust-oleum Painter’s Touch Satin spray paint in Espresso and waited at least a day in between coats to let it dry
7. After the paint dried we applied one coat of  Minwax Clear Satin Polyurethane also in a spray can.  Once that was thoroughly dried, any imperfections were sanded with a 320 grit sandpaper and then a second coat was applied.
8. Finally we installed the new pull.  It was very inexpensive from Home Depot (I think it was $4.00) but it gives the desk a very different look and feel. My husband had to drill two new holes in the drawer and attached the new pull with screws – very simple.

Q :: Janna mentioned she has some chairs to repair she purchased off of Craigslist and is not sure where to start with some much needed repairs.

A :: We followed similar steps as listed above.  One difference from the desk is the chair needed a lot of patching.  Each leg looked like an animal attacked it.  We actually ran out of wood filler and I was impatient and decided to use wall spackling…probably not a great idea, but I can’t tell the difference now.  It had so many scratches and gouges that I had to patch and sand it a few times.  After that I continued to follow the same steps as above, with one exception…I hand painted the chair after it was primed with some paint we had on hand (it was a Behr latex, semi-gloss paint).  It was the exact color I wanted and it was just leftover paint so it was free.  I started with a regular paint brush and it was too streaky so I switched to a cheapo foam brush from a craft store and it worked great.  I definitely think spray painting provides a better finish, but I’m not disappointed in how the paint on the chair turned out at all.

Another step that may be needed with used furniture is to fix any lose parts, address any wobbling, etc.  I was lucky, the desk and chair were in great shape and very sturdy, but we have four more chairs waiting for us in the basement that are going to need some attention in this department…so we’ll see what we figure out.

I just checked out Rust-oleum’s website and they have a helpful Surface Preparation Guide and some cute tutorials like this one and this one…so some more “official” suggestions may help you out as well.

Do you have any furniture refinishing tips?  We definitely have a lot to learn!  We would also like to try antiquing a piece soon so any tips or some helpful resources would be appreciated!!

Before & After | Desk

I’ve always wanted my own desk and work area on the first floor of our house so a few months ago we bought this desk off of Craigslist.  I am extremely disappointed I don’t have a before shot…I really can’t believe it.  Anyway, it was a cherry laminate desk and it had a cheesy round wooden knob for the drawer pull.  My husband spray painted it espresso brown and we bought an inexpensive pull at Home Depot.  We paired it with this chair (another furniture redo) and now I’m loving my new space.  Now, I just need one of these to place on top and I’ll be all set.

 

 

Latest Etsy Purchase

I recently bought an iPhone and before it even arrived I was prowling around Etsy for something super cute to put it in.   I decided on this iPhone pouch from The Wallaby Bag Company and just love it.  The fabric is charming and the button on the closure is adorable.  It also has a slip pocket for stashing my ID, credit card or some cash if I’m in the mood to travel light.

Gift Card Boxes

I found this gift card box pattern on HELLO my name is Heather.  I made these boxes out of scrapbook paper, stamps and ribbon I had on hand.  It was a quick and fun little craft to make and I think it helped to make giving a gift card a little more personal.

 

 

Pumpkin Bread

This weekend was a beautiful fall weekend here in Michigan and I am always in the mood to bake in the fall.  Here’s a picture of my little guy searching for the perfect pumpkin a few weeks ago…too precious.

On Friday night I made two batches of brownies (one for my Dad’s birthday and another for my husband for tailgating at the MSU game) and today I made Downeast Maine Pumpkin Bread for the first time.  This has to be one of the highest rated recipes on allrecipes.com and it did not disappoint.  It was so easy to make and was moist and delicious.  I will definitely be making this one again!!

Here’s the recipe…

Downeast Maine Pumpkin Bread

Ingredients:

1 (15 ounce) can pumpkin puree
4 eggs
1 cup vegetable oil
2/3 cup water
3 cups white sugar
3 1/2 cups all-purpose flour 2 teaspoons baking soda
1 1/2 teaspoons salt
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1/2 teaspoon ground cloves
1/4 teaspoon ground ginger

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Grease and flour three 7×3 inch loaf pans.
2. In a large bowl, mix together pumpkin puree, eggs, oil, water and sugar until well blended. In a separate bowl, whisk together the flour, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, nutmeg, cloves and ginger. Stir the dry ingredients into the pumpkin mixture until just blended. Pour into the prepared pans.
3. Bake for about 50 minutes in the preheated oven. Loaves are done when toothpick inserted in center comes out clean.

Barefoot Bloggers |Birthday Sheet Cake

This is my first post for Barefoot Bloggers…fun!!  I’m so excited to be a part of this group.  I just love Ina!  I record her new shows every week and watch them with my son.  His favorite part is when she drives her car…which she does seem to do most episodes.  I got Back to Basics from my mom and dad for my birthday in June so I’ve been extra inspired to make some of her dishes recently.

On to the Birthday Sheet Cake…it was perfect timing for a recipe like this.  My friend Bri celebrated a big one on Monday so this cake was the perfect size to celebrate and share with a bunch of our co-workers!  

Here’s the recipe…

Birthday Sheet Cake

Ingredients

For the cake:

•18 tablespoons (2 1/4 sticks) unsalted butter, at room temperature

 •3 cups sugar •6 extra-large eggs, at room temperature

 •8 ounces (about 1 cup) sour cream, at room temperature

•1 1/2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract •1 lemon, zested

•3 cups all-purpose flour

•1/3 cup cornstarch

•1 teaspoon kosher salt

 •1 teaspoon baking soda

For the frosting:

•24 ounces semisweet chocolate chips

 •1 1/2 cups heavy cream

•2 tablespoons light corn syrup

•1/2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

•4 tablespoons (1/2 stick) unsalted butter, at room temperature

Directions:

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.  Butter and flour a 12 by 18 by 1 1/2-inch sheet pan. To make the cake, cream the butter and sugar on medium-high speed in the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with a paddle attachment until light and fluffy, about 5 minutes. On medium speed, add the eggs, 2 at a time, then the sour cream, vanilla, and lemon zest, scraping down the bowl as needed. Mix well. Sift together the flour, cornstarch, salt, and baking soda. With the mixer on low speed, slowly add the flour mixture to the butter mixture and stir just until smooth. Finish mixing by hand to be sure the batter is well mixed. Pour evenly into the pan, smooth the top with a spatula, and bake in the center of the oven for 25 to 30 minutes, or until a toothpick comes out clean. Cool in the pan to room temperature.

For the frosting, place the chocolate chips and heavy cream in a bowl set over a pot of simmering water, stirring occasionally, until the chips are completely melted. Off the heat, add the corn syrup and vanilla and allow the chocolate mixture to cool to room temperature. In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the whisk attachment, whisk the chocolate mixture and softened butter on medium speed for a few minutes, until it’s thickened. Spread the frosting evenly on the cake.

The White Stuff

I recently went all Centational Girl on some recent rummage sale and thrift store finds…check out what some Valspar White Satin spray paint can do.

I bought these ugly candlesticks for 99 cents at the Salavation Army.

After…

I bought this sweet magazine rack at a Boy Scout rummage sale for $1.00

After…

I got this one free from my sister who gave a bunch of things to my Mom to sell at a yard sale.  I did a lot of “shopping” in her items.  Thanks, Kris!

After…framing some sunprint art my son and I created one day this summer

Another rough item picked up at the Boy Scout rummage sale for $1.00 (it was at the end of the sale…a lot of items were 50% off!)

After…displaying some toddler art

It’s here…

My new clutch made with Alexander Henry Mocca fabric. 

It was beautifully handmade by Debo’s and will go perfect with this dress for fall wedding season!