Favorite room redo...

The Lettered Cottage is having a favorite room redo party.

I thought I would share my eat-in area.

It was a train wreck.

But then again, 3 kids in 5 years will do that to you.

For a long time it was survival mode everyday just trying to keep up the the tornado my children created. It wasn't until this last year I have been able to step back, take a look at my surrounds, and really start to put the effort and energy into them that I want to.

Tah dah! Just new paint,a painted table, beadboard wall paper,molding and a mirror, new space!

Next, I have to get those cabinets done....eventually....

And don't forget the 25th for the first new project of the new year party!

And Stop by Funky Junk Interiors for another great party!!

Jen

Totally framed....

Good frame does not always equal good art....

I found this piece at Homegoods for $7.00! You can't buy a good frame for that! But it had this really ugly picture in it.. but when life hands you lemons....

I did buy this really gorgeous clock face photo from Sara of Sadie Olive's Etsy site

and needed a nice home.

It's easy to re- frame and you can save a ton of cash too.

First tear the paper off the back.

Then remove the staples very carefully ( the glass is still in there)-wearing proper protective gear, taking proper precautions.... out of the back of the frame. Make sure you put the staples somewhere safe so that no one can step on them...

(I am sure you would rather not hear my story about being around eight years old and having my EMT uncle coming over while my parents were on vacation to dig out a 3-inch sewing needle completely embedded in the bottom my foot Macgyver style with a pocket knife...

(Seriously!!! W.T.F..! ....Now I know it was the 1970's, but I was 8 and they had silly things like emergency rooms with other crazy things like local anesthetic then..really!... I am still scarred for life.).

Anywhoooo......After you take your board is out ( leave your glass carefully in ), measure and cut scrapbook paper to fit just inside of the matting over the old picture and stick it on with double stick tape.

Then use double stick mounting tabs on the back of the picture give it a raised look.

Stick in place carefully, because, once it's down, it's down.

Place the picture back in the frame, the backing in and use high-tack masking tape to put the backing back on, making sure it's flush and firm with the back of the frame. You don't want the glass moving.

(Oh, and make sure all of the dust and stuff is blown out before you put the tape on unlike myself who had to take it out and re-tape it after I realized there was scrapbook paper scraps stuck in there.)

I prefer taping over re-stapling because I like to change my pictures, and it's less dangerous.

Use a lot of tape over-lapping to make sure the picture and glass stay in. I wouldn't use this on a HUGE, heavy picture, but it's great for smaller ones.

And hang. You have a custom framed picture for next to nothing!

Jen

P.S. I am serious about the thing with glass and staples and being careful with protective stuff and all of that. My friends call me Ms. Safety, but somehow I don't think it's a compliment since they always say it with an eye roll.

Vote for me!

I know, I am shameless, but I've been nominated for The Homies at Apartment Therapy;

so if you all don't mind, take a second to pop over here to vote for me! :)

I am under Home Design, but some of my good friends Jeanne at Bushel and a Peck and Kim at Mimi Charmante, and Funky Junk Interiors are also up, so if you have an extra minute, you can also vote for them too :) !

Jen

Let's party!

Forget about those New Year's resolution's to lose weight and start exercising and all of those other things we really don't want to do!

Let's finally put up those curtains that have been in the back of the closet for 2 years, or paint that foyer, or even just finally get that pantry straightened out!

Let's make it a party and get the new year started off right.. No more excuses!

We'll link up on the 25th of January and show off what we've been putting off.. .!

Hope to see you there!

Jen

Wishing you all...

A very Merry Christmas!

Jen

Not that I am "that" kind of mom.....

But there is something just a wee bit funny about putting a heap candy in plain site; just out of your kids reach.

Sometimes they just don't get the "suffering" for your art concept.

Jen

A drab-ish to fab-ish china cabinet

I know many of you said "Don't do it!" when I talked about painting my china cabinet. But I had too, it looked so drab. I decided on a distressed cream because I wanted to lighten my house up, but after I pulled off the doors and painted the black base coat...

I stopped.

Because I really liked it black!

I remembered a good friend who had also done the same thing to her cabinet and how great it looked.

I might change my mind later :) but right now it just seems to fit. Once I put the white

batten board up on the wall; I think it is really going to pop in a good way.

With a cream background and some left over bead board wallpaper, my milk glass really pops and looks so clean.

and I found this vintage cermaic boot for a touch of the holidays for 25 cents!

Not a bad transformation for no cost. With all of the left over paint and paper, the shoe was the most expensive thing!

I hope all of your holiday plans are doing well! We are slowly recovering here! :)

Jen

P.S. Stop by Between naps on a porch for more metamorphoses!

Pine without the pine.

We have a bit of the pre-holiday tummy bug around here and are passing it around; hopefully I'll have some better post's for you soon.....

Sister's give each other the best gifts! Thank goodness we are almost done (There's nobody left!)!

What a way to start winter break!

I found Mrs. Meyer countertop spray in Iowa pine at my Target and thought I would try it. (Even better, it was on sale! )

I used it and I love it! It smells just like a pine tree ( in a good way.. not that there's a bad way...)!

I have a feeling I'll be using a lot of it in the next few days.

Jen

Cool Citra-solv craft

Photo Out of the Crayon Box

I am going to run out tomorrow and get this product and do this craft tomorrow! I've seen this transfer techinique on a bunch of blogs using a product called Citra-solv. No expensive transfer paper and it's environmentally friendly! Here's a great mini- tutorial for it on Out of the Crayon box. I love her blog. She has a ton of other great projects she's done as well and does some amazing make-overs!Stop over and say hi.

The best part, the Stocking says Merry Christmas in Polish.

Because everyone loves a Polish girl.

You know it.

Jen

Holiday house tours 2009

Welcome from The Nesting Place Christmas tour of homes and Thrifty Decor Chick! Here's a little tour of my holiday decorations. Every year, even though I have the same things, I like to use them in new ways.

Happy Holidays...

And finally, I wish for world peace. I hope they can spell it better than they do in my house.

Jen

Last big Etsy shop update before the holidays....

My last big update until the holidays are over..

New apothecary art

Cake plates

Tea towels

red ticking ruffle table runners, and more...

Jen

What do you get....

When you marry a decorative wood plate and an old candlestick and some Mod Podge???

How about a decorative collaged cake plate?

Full of sparkles,

bling,

and everything!

Stop over at the Shabby Nest for more ideas!

Jen

One step at a time....

I am Die-ing to paint my cabinets a lighter color. They are 1980's oak. While they are solid wood and have a decent shape, I like to refer to my kitchen as "the cave". Those cabinets make the room DARK.

I am planning on doing it after the holidays settle sometime in January or February.

Here's the first step of prep in this loooong journey.

This is the microwave stand, which would be useful if I was 6'4.

Since I am about the same height as Mary Lou Retton,( or for those you in the younger set Li'l Kim.) everything that would come out of that piping hot microwave is at the perfect spot for pouring hot soup right on my head. So, the microwave is on the counter, and the area kind of became a junk collection point and looked very dated with the "bump out."

We had a carpenter friend take it down and cut the lip off so we still could use it, but it would blend in more... Look at the surprises underneath the wood! Whoo-hooo!

Was that shade of green ever in style?!

Now that it's been "trimmed",it already looks better! We are going to put molding on to hide the bottom and crown around the top to finish it off... but alas, while there is potential there, and I am impatient and want it done NOW..I have to remind myself one step at atime...

Jen

Shiny and brite...A vintage inspired Christmas tree

My great aunt passed away earlier this year at the age of 96. She had lived her entire life next door to my grandmother who passed away just before her 99th birthday last year. It was only fitting that they went so close together.

While going through her estate recently, we pulled out all of her Christmas decorations. Can you believe there were 3 huge boxes of Shiny Brite vintage ornaments and no one wanted them except for me!

They wanted to toss them!

So of course I ran with my stash before they all caught on!

Normally I do a gold and silver tree; but I was so happy this year to be able to have a part of my aunt with me and use her colorful ornaments.

So this year my theme is vintage

( except for the unbreakable plastic Target ornaments on the bottom, I do have a 2 year old after all.).

To go with the look is a vintage book page garland, cut in the shape of doves.

And photo-copied vintage postcards strung on my favorite multipurpose twine.

The suitcase was also my aunt's. I felt it went perfectly in the room.

All for a very vintage Christmas.

Grab your reindeer and sleigh and fly on over to the Inspired Room for more holiday inspiration,

Rhoda's home for the holidays,

Julia at Hooked on houses holiday tour,

And Funky Junk Interiors for a Christmas tree link up party.

Jen