Music to Art

So I discovered if I want to write "how to" blogs I need to have a better documentation of pictures, OOPS!

After replacing and refinishing the dresser for my guest room I felt compelled to give the room more of a facelift.  What better way to do that than with new art for the walls! Not wanting to spend a lot for new art I decided to make a piece instead.

After a long hunt for a large frame that didn't cost an arm and a leg I found this one at JoAnn's Fabrics for $20, SCORE 75% off!

SUPPLIES NEEDED:

Frame ($20)

Old Hymnal/Sheet Music ($1-Thrift Store)

Stencils ($2.99-Hobby Lobby)

Paint (Already Had)

Mod Podge (Already Had)

Stencil Sponges ($1.99-Hobby Lobby)

TOTAL: $25.98

Warning: This project may cause you to sing hymns all night long!

After selecting the hymns from the hymnal and ripping them out (I liked the ripped texture better) I placed them on top of the preexisting art piece once removed from the frame to reuse the cardboard.  After strategically placing He Arose and Majesty, among others, I Mod Podged (is that a verb?) the hymns into place and sealed them with Mod Podge as well.  After allowing the Mod Podge to dry I laid the stencils on top of the hymn and began to paint with the stencil sponges.  After fully drying I placed the art piece back into the frame and TA DA!

I love how it turned out!  The glare in these pictures is awful, this is even with the blinds closed and lights off!

So long Particle Board!

Eurway...IKEA, same difference!  So when your goal is to replace all your IKEA (aka falling apart furniture) where do you start?  How about the dresser that stores nothing! The particle board drawer bottoms had fallen apart years ago and was not fixable due to the way the dresser was constructed.  We had tried to fix it once by attempting to gorilla glue the drawer bottom back into place, that fix lasted maybe a week before it broke again. Solution...replace it!!!

Now I could have gone to a furniture store and bought a new dresser, but where's the fun in that?

I found this solid wood dresser on Craigslist for $70.  The top was in rough condition, it didn't have drawer pulls, and it needed wood filler in numerous places; all things I could fix especially since I loved the lines of it.

With a little love, I mean mouse sander and elbow grease, I think my new dresser turned out great!  So long particle board dresser!

I'm thinking kitchen table next...

Much Love,
Amanda


P.S. I think I said Particle too many times in this post, so They Might Be Giants' Particle Man is now stuck in my head.  Now let it be stuck in yours...

Thrift Shop Challenge

Go to a thrift shop and spend $20, you don't have to tell me twice! Thanks Young House Love!

This shopping trip to Goodwill excited me because of the challenge itself since I love the song; but what excited me more was that this was my first shopping trip to hunt for new decor items and projects for my new home :)

And what is the challenge you might ask...

Step One: If you have yet to discover the awesomeness that is Thrift Shop by Macklemore & Ryan Lewis, watch video

(Warning: Explicit Version)

Step Two: Accept Young House Love's Macklemore Thrift Shop Challenge

Step Three: Go to Thrift Shop

With $20 in my pocket, I popped some tags!!!! :)

Step Four: Find items referenced in the Song

How about an all pink rack of all pink!

Double Score! Moccasin house slippers

A rack of big a$$ coats!

Step Five: Show off my spoils!

Some new lamps for the new casa, they need to be vamped up a little though

I didn't go into Goodwill thinking that this trip would be any different, I came out with a book, a dvd, and a LP!

Thanks Young House Love for the enjoyable challenge at the Thrift Shop!

Much love,

Amanda

Moving On...

On December 10, 2007, freshly married and ready to start our new life together as husband and wife, we moved into our first home! "How long do you picture us living here?" Five to Seven years is what we said.  On December 10, 2012 we had our house appraised and ready to sell!

The things we wanted in our first home were the things you can't buy at Home Depot; we wanted mature trees, a good sized yard, and location location location, the rest can be bought.  We went into our house hunt knowing and even wanting to do the work ourselves.

Our hearts and souls went into this 1200 square foot place we called home!

THE KITCHEN

 Got to love 1980's oak cabinets right?  Wrong! In the kitchen all the appliances got replaced with new stainless steel.  The cabinets got a much needed overhaul.  The fluorescent lighting fixture came down and new track lighting went up and a granite composite sink went in.

THE DINING ROOM

Not Much happened in the dining room, a new light fixture went up and it got painted

THE LIVING ROOM 

Throughout the house all the mini blinds got taken down and replaced with plantation blinds.  In the living room built in bookshelves were added (so sad to leave them {tear}). The front door as well as back door were replaced. The fireplace wall was painted to accent it and accent blocks were painted behind the TV to distract from the large wall which the TV hung on.

HALL BATHROOM

Throughout the house all the fixtures, door knobs, faucets, etc were replaced to brushed nickel.  This bathroom got a new rain shower head and new low flow toilet.  The oak cabinetry once again had to go!  The builder grade mirror was replaced and the fluorescent lighting drop box was taken out as well. Those lovely yellow countertops are actually still there!  No it's not a camera trick, it's a painting trick!  If you paint the walls a few tones darker than the unwanted counter top color, it will disguise them and not make them stand out as much.

GUEST BEDROOM

Got to love my wonderful picture taking abilities of a corner!  In all three bedrooms the carpet was replaced. A new coat of paint was also much needed.

OFFICE

All the bedrooms got new ceiling fans.  As much as I would love to have chandeliers or pretty light fixtures in the bedrooms, I live in Texas, ceiling fans are a must!  The office also go a new coat of paint.

MASTER BEDROOM

It's that same empty bedroom corner shot again! New paint in this room as well.

MASTER BATHROOM

In the Master bathroom we repainted the cabinets.  All the fixtures were replaced in here as well.  The fluorescent light box was also taken out of this bathroom as well.  The mirror was also replaced with a score-of-a-deal from Habitat for Humanity ($10). The broken shower door was removed and never replaced (oops).  We also painted the shower to match the rest of the bathroom. 

THE DECK/YARD

Welcome to the Jungle, we've got fun and games! Upon moving into the house the backyard had not been mowed in some time.  The deck was the first project that we took on in the new house, that little 5x5 slab of concrete just wasn't going to cut it for us. So a 700 sq. ft deck was constructed!  The two level deck comes complete with built in fire pit! We also added a vegetable garden in the backyard as well.

THE GARAGE

It's not a fixer upper unless there's wood paneling!! In the garage we took down the wood paneling and put up new drywall and built a work bench.  The floors also got epoxied as well. Oh and I can't forget having to replace the AC the first summer we lived there!

I couldn't have asked for a better first home! I look forward to our next adventure... 

Much Love,

Amanda

We're Gonna Win!

I feel like Jimmy Dugan in A League of the Own; "We're gonna win, we're GONNA win!"  I can't help myself but to but the video on here since this movie ranks up there as one of my favorites. 

For the past four years I have struck out 7 times.  My first strike out was in Sonoma, California with the 2009 HGTV Dream Home Giveaway and my streak has continued to follow me through the past six HGTV Dream and Green Houses since then.  I just don't understand! :)

I'm feeling it this year..."We're gonna win, we're GONNA win!"

Much Love,
Amanda

Gingerbread Real Estate

When it comes to Christmas there are hundreds of traditions that people follow each and every year.  While as a child one of my favorite family traditions was baking Christmas cookies.  While we did bake pepparkakor men (Swedish gingerbread), we never did bake gingerbread dough to make build gingerbread houses.

Not only did I want to build a gingerbread house this year I wanted to enjoy the scrumptiousness that is gingerbread in the house form!

Even when prepared with pre-made building materials and plat map, construction is not as easy as it would seem!  After a day of basking in the beauty of my new found architectural abilities, time to chow down!

At least that's what Remington, my black lab, thought was a good plan! I got to enjoy the snowman and piece of the roof. Maybe next year!



Much Love,
Amanda

Real vs. Fake

The Christmas of 1985 was the last year my parents had a real Christmas tree, I was a year and a half old. So for me growing up as a child I grew up with artificial Christmas trees.  Stored in the box it was bought in  and kept in the attic, the tree made its appearance every Christmas.  As a family we fluffed, we lit, and we decorated our store bought tree; that's the tradition I know and that I've followed, until this year!

This year The Husband and I made the drive to our local Christmas Tree farm to chop down my first real Christmas Tree.  Prepared with saw in hand (no Griswald re-enactment here) we searched, we kept searching, and we searched some more.  Since growing up with an artificial tree my expectations have been unrealistically set. There is no such thing as a perfect real Christmas tree.  I guess that's one reason why artificial trees have been produced for the mass market.

I don't recall seeing the clouds part and lights shining down or hearing the angels sing the Hallelujah chorus, but we did find her! Yes, it's a her!

Why there is no crystal clear answers to the age old question of real vs. fake, this year I love my real Christmas tree!

Much Love,
Amanda