Thursday, August 30, 2012

It ain't easy being green


Ok, so it ain't a fun and vibrant green yet...but it will be!  Now you may remember when i shopped my own yard sale and absconded with my mother in law's blue/green, curvy, not exactly my style but free table to display the plants in my sunroom.  I lived with it for a while, as we all do with free stuff, and then decided to be on the lookout-but not necessarily look for-a different table that was truer to myself.

This bar cart-ish, sunroom material looking, simple straight lined piece was all of $8.00 at my favorite thrift store, so i crossed my fingers that she'd fit into my little car  scooped her up.

 
What is this material?  Rattan? Wicker? Sea Grass?  And what is the difference between them all, i never know...and will google it later.

 
I love the doors (goodbye clutter) and the wheels.  Take the doors off, and it's very similar to this cart.
serena and lily
 
If it wasn't gross outside this whole summer, i'd be showing you the before and after.  Alas, all you're getting is the 3 cans of spraypaint pessimist me thought necessary to complete the piece...we'll see how many are actually needed...some day.
 
 
My mom thought the cart looked good as is...what would you do?  Paint it?  Leave it?  Take the doors off? 
 
 
Hello, Hi there-Did you notice that little follower widget hit over 500?!  That makes me so ridiculously, stinkin' happy, i can't even tell you!  THANK YOU!!
 

Find me here: debbie doos, krafty kat, thrifty treasures @ southern hospitality, mod mix monday, Craftomaniac, Motivate Me Mon @ Keeping it Simple,   DIY Showoff, Met Monday, Anything Goes, home stories a-z, Tuesdays Treasures @ My Uncommon Slice of Suburbia, be inspired @ elizabeth and co, tabletop tues, lil luna, get your craft on,   sugar bee crafts. sugar and spice @ 733, wow us weds @ savvy southern style, wicked awesome weds @ handy man, crafty woman, whatever goes weds @ someday crafts, Transformation Thurs @ The Shabby Creek Cottage, vintage thingy thurs @ the colorado lady, Strut Your Stuff @ Somewhat Simple, hooking up @ house of hepworths, open house @ no minimalist here, share awesomeness @ 36th ave, Flaunt it Friday @ Chic on a Shoestring, Frugal Friday @ The Shabby Nest, feature yourself fri @ Fingerprints on the fridge, Weekend Bloggy Reading @ Serenity now, Catch as Catch Can @ My Repurposed life, free for all @ 5days5ways, Feathered Nest @ French Country Cottage, my romantic home,  Addicts Anonymous @ A2D, frugalicious friday @ finding fabulous, potpourri @ 2805, thrifty things fri @ the thrifty groove, refresh your nest @ making lemonade, show and tell fri @ my romantic home, furniture fri @ miss mustard seed, overflowing w/ creativity @ it's overflowing, nifty thrifty sundays, under the table and dreaming.
 

Wednesday, August 22, 2012

Introducing Miss Lily

Aka...Lilliputian...our (maybe) tiny new kitty.  I say maybe because we are testing it out to see how well little miss lily and my Sunday girl get along.

 lily, day 2 with family

S's brother in law found this sweet kitty after his parents asked him to figure out what was meowing for 2 straight days under their house.  Armed with elbow length gloves for protection in case it was a feral adult cat or something, he pulled this tiny girl out with no problem.  She was covered in fleas, so after a call to a vet he dipped her in Joy detergent (which worked wonders!) and then the talk began of who would have her. 

lily, day 4, and Ricky, my dog nephew, and one of the reasons they can't keep the kitten

S and i were not contemplating adding to our household, but when his sister said she couldn't take the cat because of her allergies, it was something that, after spending time with Lily, we were both becoming open to.  S's niece had also been begging for a cat, and so for the week it was very much back and forth, with me being super disappointed they were keeping her, then to feeling like it will be better for Sunday this way, and then back to seriously considering her since his sister was now adamant they couldn't keep her.

week 1 with family

We know not about caring for kittens, as we got Sunday when she was 3 years old.  The official ruling is that Lily is 6 weeks old.  We will have to keep her in a crate during the day, with her own litter box, which i hope will transition when she's older to using the one upstairs, b/c at this stage she can't climb the stairs. 

Tiny little thing.

The test run will be this week, starting tonight, and i'm hoping Sunday's dental cleaning (they knock her out) will mean a more relaxed meeting with the kitten as she's recovering.  I'll keep you posted, my friends.

our niece with her pretty pretty princess


Are there any kitten tips or suggestions you have for me?  What about introducing a kitten to an adult cat?

Wednesday, August 15, 2012

Home Sweet Gnome

Gnome on the range.  Gnome is where the heart is.  Gnome Improvement.  Gnome de plume.  Grand Slam Gnome Run.  Hmmm....

I love me some gnomes.  Not, like, the hideous ones, but the super cute kind.  I am not ashamed to say i have a plethora of garden gnomes, and they are super talented.   They do more than just garden or sit on a rock.  These guys play the guitar, and the horn, and they are well traveled.

And thanks to a sweet surprise from the boyfriend, now we can rock a house flag declaring our gnome love.



Cute right?  This got me looking for other ways to declare my interest in these little wee men.



Ca-ute.

Source: society6.com via Allie on Pinterest


Reason number 267 for getting an iphone...



Wordplay!  Loves it!



Whimsy!

etsy seller BirchangelPinatas
Gnome pinata! 

Gnome Sweet Gnome cross stitch art
etsy seller AllthatisCounted

Gnomes Make Me Happy Linocut letterpress print postcard set of 3
etsy seller LALAdexPRESS

Gnome needlepoint, and card, which i would totally frame.


I have a special place in my heart for the Roaming Gnome, particularly because of the role he plays on The Amazing Race.  And because he's British.  Shouldn't all gnomes have an English accent? 

In compiling this list, it appears that some gnomes are creepy and downright scary.  Zombie gnomes!  Gnomes feasting on flamingos!  Why, why??!!  Just be glad you didn't have to see those.

Come on, hit me with your best gnome/home phrase!

debbie doos, make it pretty, Craftomaniac, Motivate Me Mon @ Keeping it Simple,   sugar bee crafts. sugar and spice @ 733, whatever goes weds @ someday crafts, Transformation Thurs @ The Shabby Creek Cottage, Strut Your Stuff @ Somewhat Simple, 52 mantels, tidy mom, hooking up @ house of hepworths, open house @ no minimalist here, share awesomeness @ 36th ave, Flaunt it Friday @ Chic on a Shoestring, Frugal Friday @ The Shabby Nest, feature yourself fri @ Fingerprints on the fridge, Weekend Bloggy Reading @ Serenity now, free for all @ 5days5ways, frugalicious friday @ finding fabulous, potpourri @ 2805, free for all, decor to adore, refresh your nest @ making lemonade,   overflowing w/ creativity @ it's overflowing ,

Tuesday, August 7, 2012

I rubbed, and i buffed, and i blew the house down.

Not really.  But "i rubbed and i buffed and i have a shiny new mirror" seemed too vague for anyone to know where the reference came from...but, well, i rubbed and i buffed and i have a shiny new mirror!

I have seriously been jonesing to use rub n buff somewhere, and while i have my "big idea," i'm too chicken to actually take that step on a key piece of furniture.  Mind you, "big idea" is still super small.  You're talking to the girl who thought spray painting wooden frames black was a huge feat, and who only got the nerve to spray said frames after reading countless blogs and success stories.  I'm a baby steps sort of person.

So, what can i use this little tube of silver goodness on as sort of a practice, to perfect my rub n buff skills?  This mirror that we no longer used seemed the perfect candidate.  She started off a brassy gold, which is the in thing now, but just won't jive in the living room where i plan to place her.  One day.  Baby steps.



No, no, that's not dust or dirt.  It's just the way the mirror is. Sort of like there's silver peeking through the gold, and i want to do the reverse.


Success!  Silvery with gold peeking through. 


The eagle eyes could spot that this is 20 inches, so a nice size for part of a gallery wall. 


All it took was the teensiest bit of paint, and my fingers.  I could have used a brush, but this mirror had swirls and nooks i knew i could get my fingers into.  Plus, it adds to the simplicity of it all.  No brushes to clean.


Then i got a little too rub n buff happy.  Tried to use it on a shiny wood frame (FAIL!) and tried to use it on dollar store cardboardish frame (FAIL).  All i can say is, thank goodness i didn't try this first, because there would have been no way i would have attempted that mirror after these results! 


Moral of the story-you might not want to use this on everything in your line of vision, but what does  work, works very well. Wondering why didn't i just spray paint the mirror?  Answer-i just wanted to try this stuff and the result is instant gratification.  Instant gratification in air conditioning.  Big draw. 

Have you ever used this paint? Any tips and tricks? 

 RnB (we're cool like that) does not know who i am, does not know i used it for the very first time, and does not know of my future baby steps plans with it.  My fails probably had more to do with me not knowing what one should actually use this on than any implication about RnB.  Also, why is "teensiest" flagged by spellcheck, but it recommends "weensiest."  Why is that any more ok of a word? 

 before and after party, thrifty treasures @ southern hospitality, mod mix monday, Craftomaniac, Motivate Me Mon @ Keeping it Simple, Making the World Cuter @ Making the World Cuter, DIY Showoff, Met Monday, Anything Goes, home stories a-z, Tuesdays Treasures @ My Uncommon Slice of Suburbia, be inspired @ elizabeth and co, tabletop tues, lil luna, sugar bee crafts. sugar and spice @ 733, wow us weds @ savvy southern style, wicked awesome weds @ handy man, crafty woman, whatever goes weds @ someday crafts, Transformation Thurs @ The Shabby Creek Cottage, vintage thingy thurs @ the colorado lady, Strut Your Stuff @ Somewhat Simple, hooking up @ house of hepworths, open house @ no minimalist here, share awesomeness @ 36th ave, Flaunt it Friday @ Chic on a Shoestring, Frugal Friday @ The Shabby Nest, feature yourself fri @ Fingerprints on the fridge, Weekend Bloggy Reading @ Serenity now, Catch as Catch Can @ My Repurposed life, free for all @ 5days5ways, Feathered Nest @ French Country Cottage, Addicts Anonymous @ A2D, frugalicious friday @ finding fabulous, potpourri @ 2805, thrifty things fri @ the thrifty groove, refresh your nest @ making lemonade, show and tell fri @ my romantic home, furniture fri @ miss mustard seed, overflowing w/ creativity @ it's overflowing, powere of paint.