How do you make an ugly railing look better?

First off, this week has been a roller coaster of emotions! Tessa got up and was so excited for KDG. on Monday and then promptly told me when I picked her up at the end of the day....... that she wasn't going back. She cried for 40 minutes at bedtime but got right up the next morning and went to school. She is a little trooper. I didn't hurt that I promised her a notebook if she went to school the next day. She's a cheap bribe! I searched for the prettiest blue sparkly notebook I could find and she loved it. She has been great ever since. She was even playing school today after school.

God is good! ANd once again thank you all for your prayers and encouragement!

So Monday was packed with projects so my mind wouldn't focus on the silence in my house.....I even did laundry! I really must have needed to have something to do!

One of the projects I worked on was my front railing that leads up to the house.

I hate that railing! Someone just took some black pipe and made a railing. They obviously wanted cheap  not chic. 

 What do you think of it now??

Make sure you check your numbers on BOTH sides...... you don't want 461 and 164 on the other! Not that I know why you need to be careful of this mistake!

I just used some eye screws to thread my cable through...I did use tiny zip ties around the cable at each eye screw to keep the boards where I wanted them. I used black so they disappear pretty much next to  the brown eye screw. 

and then used cable clamps to secure the cable around the pipe. I did have to spray paint the cable, eye screws, and clamps so they looked a little more vintage. 

The pallet wood got white washed so it would be a bigger contrast with the numbers. I just realized I should Sharpie the screw heads so they are the same color!

Now my next question for you is.....should I leave them alone or add something to the bottom?

I was thinking about adding some small flower pots but then that would make me have to water them and my time is at a premium now so not sure how dead plants would be too inviting...

Any thoughts?

Always being renewed,

Please see the link party page to see where I link arms with those blissfully beautiful bloggers that host every week. So gracious they are along with these other sweet ladies!

Read more at http://diyshowoff.com/2013/04/01/that-diy-party-10/#xgMAcRCgRocl5vmh.99       

 

 

Desk into Changing Table....or Kitchen Island when the kids are grown!

So before I go into this fun transformation, I want to thank all of you who left me such sweet comments, texts, visits to my house (miss lynnie!)  and words of support about my youngest going off to Kindergarten.  I did cry most of Friday but felt much better on Saturday. I needed to get it all out before this Monday so I can send her of strong. I know I will probably still shed a tear when I turn and walk away from her but that I think is to be expected. 

What this has continued to show me is God is so good. I prayed that God would help her out and limit her anxieties and He is always so faithful. Tessa is actually starting to get excited for school, where she previously was not at all. She has got her backpack literally packed with stuff she "needs!" to bring with her to school. This makes me feel great that she is ready for the adventure to begin.

I also know that I have such a great support system! You all are amazing and I wish I could give you all a hug and a big wet one right on the kisser for lifting me up and giving me words of encouragement. Thank you, thank you , thank you!

I do find that work has a way of taking your mind off of things, in a good way. I was contacted by a sweet school teacher named Virginia and her husband Chris to remake a desk into a changing table for them. Their first little one is due  in November.  This has been just the project I need to keep my mind occupied and my fingers busy. I also thought it was such a nice project because I loves me some babies and although I am ending that phase of my life, I am always excited for those who are getting to start this phase. It is such a huge privilege to have children. 

Let me also say that I felt like I knew Virginia for like forever. We had no problems talking and I just love her! She is also one of the cutest darn pregnant gals I have ever seen. Just all baby in front..it was hard not to grab the belly. But I did refrain as I remembered how weird I thought it was when complete strangers wanted to touch my largess. But at some point I may have to just grab her and give the baby a magic rub! 

She wanted a green color for this makeover and left it up to me to pick the color. Now that's fun but it also puts a lot more pressure on you than you might think. She said she likes all of my work but still.....I was nervous. I mean have you seen the orange in my foyer? I can be a bit....BOLD, shall we say. But she trusted me and I knew the piece would speak to me and tell me how green it wanted to be!

So Virginia and her hubby dropped this off at my house about 3 weeks ago.

I suggested that we add a base at the bottom so there could be a shelf where the chair would be and then add legs so it is taller and easier to use as a changing table. Trust me I told her...after labor and delivery you will want to save your back. Plus Chris is very tall and since we knew he would be using this table a lot (wink,wink) we thought it should be a little higher for him!

Secret weapons? 

Curtain rod finials! 

Yes these are screw-in curtain rod finials. 

The legs at Home Depot weren't quite right, either too fancy or too plain for this desk, so I kept looking. I did look at fence post finials as well, but they were a little too chunky for this and I thought a little too high as well. Before I gave up I managed to hit the curtain aisle and that's when it became clear that this was the way to go.  I pre-drilled the holes using this same technique and then used glue as well to secure the finials to the base.

I L.O.V.E. how this turned out! The color is Corn Husk in Behr from Home Depot . The color I originally picked looked very yellow when I got home. I found two quarts of green paint that I hadn't ever used for some reason and the Corn Husk was perfect. I mixed up my own chalk paint recipe and got to making it pretty. I added some Hobby Lobby knobs and then had to dig into my stash of saved baby things to stage the changing table. 

This was a bit nostalgic and good for me to do. Tessa let me use Sugar Pie, her brown bunny, for my photos...and I used some ceramic animals from Izzy....

and believe it or not these are my Jake's first little sandals and take home baby outfit! Izzy couldn't believe that these were once Jake's shoes and if you saw the size of his feet now, you would agree.

I also think this could easily be used as a kitchen island as well. So this is just a little think outside the box moment and realize that a desk can be made taller, it can be changed into a changing table (get the pun!!Mwahahah, I needed a good laugh!) or use it as an island with great storage. Either way, use what you've got. Much easier than buying new.

Virginia and Chris just picked this up this Saturday and dropped another dresser for me to rehab.

God's timing is perfect.

 I thought He was just growing my business but He knew I'd need something to keep me busy tomorrow while Tessa is at school for her first day. 

Thank you God for your awesome goodness and grace to me every single day.

Kindergarten Heartbreak

I am sitting here at 6:30 in the morning because I feel heartbroken. My youngest Tessa is going off to Kindergarten on Monday and I am not handling it well, evidence being that I woke up 30 minutes ago because I was actually crying in my sleep. Yes, I woke from a sound sleep with tears streaming down my face and onto my pillow. I have been trying so hard to stay positive for her because she is very anxious about going that I haven't really let myself have a moment to deal with this.

My heart actually hurts. I can hardly see the screen from it being so very blurry from the tears right now. I just want to pour out my heart at least on "paper" and then it might be better. I am sorry if this rambles but I can't help it.

I know she'll be fine and she will adjust well just like my other two kids but why does this hurt so much more? Is it the finality of it all. No more babies at home?

I worry the silence will be deafening. I am not saying that I don't enjoy having quiet in my house from time to time but this seems different. I think it is because I will not get this part of her back. I went through this with each one of my kids when they went to school. You realize that your baby isn't a baby anymore and this season is over. It went too fast.

 I hate this. I really do. I hate it. I feel raw.

I don't like giving my kids to someone else for 7 hours of the day.  I really enjoy my kids so I am not one of those people that say they can't wait for school to start so they get their kids out of their hair.

My kids are spread apart by 4 years each so I always had a baby at home when I sent off Jake and Izzy to keg. I could cry for a few minutes but then I had a human being that needed me.

I have no one at home this time. I can;t stand writing that.

Maybe this is a bit of me also wishing that I had had more kids, I don't know.

I know that right now I am so sad and I know that this will pass and we move onto another chapter and season.

But each season has always been so bittersweet for me. Excitement for where they will go and who they will become. But also knowing that each day is fleeting and is gone with a blink and a whisper.

Well, I hear little voices emerging from the upstairs so I will need to go and tend to these precious human beans.

I guess this may be a reminder that we should enjoy everyday to it's fullest and enjoy our kids. They are  so amazing and need us to BE with them in the moments of their lives. 

Every single one of them. 

Back to School Blues

Well, I am officially back to work. Well, work outside the home that is. I consider all work at home to be work, although unpaid. I am totally blessed however to be able to work 3 days a week, as an audiologist, in the school setting. It allows me to have the same schedule as my kids and I get summers off and help others. Specifically kids with hearing impairment in the schools.

Did I hear you say Audiologist? Okay, I could not help myself with that one! It is a great job and a rewarding one most of the time. 

Usually when I go back to work the blog suffers a bit from lack of time. But as you could see this summer, it suffered a lot! I don't know what my deal was but I am hoping to get more motivated here soon.  

Also, my littlest baby bean is going to kindergarten!

How in the world did that happen?  

I had a baby at home every time I sent one of my older kids off to kindergarten so I had someone to keep me busy and my mind off of the fact that I had one less kiddo around. 

Not this time.

I'll be home all by myself on the 26th crying in my oatmeal.

Please pray that it goes well for my Tessa. She is not overly excited about going to KDG. so that makes it even harder for me to send her. I now this is a necessary step towards independence and growing up but it sure is tough on the Big Mama here.

However, I am hoping that Mondays and Fridays will prove to be very productive for the blog and the furniture/re-purposing side of work. I am spending some time trying to get organized so I make good use of my time on those days when I am off and have no little beans to look after.

Pray for that as well. 

That might be tougher than sending my baby off to the classroom!

Hope you guys all have a great weekend full of family fun and last minute summer fluff.

Somewhere along the line I talk about my Dining Room Chairs getting madeover

It is funny sometimes how one thing morphs into another isn't it? I had to get some new knobs for a custom job I was working on for a client, (which is super cool by the way, can't wait to show you!!) so I had an evening to go to Hobby Lobby and shop.....by myself!

So I put on a little makeup so as not to scare the checkout gals and got to cruisin' in the Equinox. Now Hobby Lobby is about 25 mintues from me and it was about 7:15pm.  I was taking a leisurely drive to my destination, with my window down and the wind blowing through all five of the carefully coiffed  hairs on top of my head when a fleeting thought crossed my mind.....

"Doesn't Hobby Lobby close at 8?????"

NOOOOOOOOOOOO!! 

Yes, they do. 

Wasn't every little old blue hair out that night....YES!! 

Was I acting like Jesus when I was picking them off right and left on Rt. 65??? 

NOT on your life.

Knobs are THAT important.

I agonize over picking knobs. 

15 minutes was pushing me to the brink of insanity.

Could I do it?

Yes....

Well, No, let's be realistic...but I was going to die drying.

So I dug down deep to my wanna-be cheerleader days and started my internal chant of

 BE DE-CI-SIVE!

LET'S BE DE-CI-SIVE!

as I booked past the double automatic sliding doors.

I might have even started to do some discreet hand positions to really get me going as I browsed the hundreds of knobs blurring my vision.

I felt like I had run a marathon...I was drenched in sweat, my legs felt like rubber but I did it!

I really did it!

Not only did I nail my round off into a full one and a half back flip with a twist ( is there such a thing??)

but I managed to pick out the knobs after only 5, yes 5! minutes!

See hand signals really do work.

I sent my girl Virginia, my super cute client, a little tease over the iPhone.

She loved them too, 

totes! 

Okay all this to really say that after that ordeal, I wanted, yes needed, a little something to work off all the adrenaline flowing...

so I headed over to Home Goods, Marshalls, 

TJ Maxx cuz' they are all in the same complex and I now had proven that I have super hero powers of decisiveness and I could hit all three of them before they closed.

Guess what I got?

This was only $19.99 at TJ's. It now holds all of my throws for the living room in one easy to access and easy to clean up place. Found in 10 minutes, not even a second thought went onto this one.

Then I headed over to Marshalls and scored a ridiculous score. (Go Team!)

I found 3 table cloths that look like grain sack, and act like grain sack but do not actually hold grain or sack.... 

One did however cover my Dining Room table..

And I picked up two sets of matching napkins, one set might be made into pillow covers

One square table cloth was put away for future "fancy"use and the third was going to be used to make a slipcover for this beauty....and I use that term loosely...

 but I just couldn't get the stripes right on it so I bagged it in favor of.....

recovering my dining room chairs! Yes, we finally got to the whole reason for this god-forsaken post!

So I can check that off of the list of  things I wanted to do this summer.

One 108" table cloth covered 6 chairs and I still had some leftovers. 

Total cost? 

$14.00 

Now I know that this isn't the best color for a family with kids but I love how they look.

I thought I might just make little slipcovers so I could throw them into the washer whenever they got dirty but then realized that my seats would just look like they do now because the slipcovers would be in the wash every day.

I was then going to cover them in plastic but I couldn't make the plastic work and I was starting to NOT act like Jesus again as I wrestled with corners and staples and the general slipperiness of it all and said the heck with it. 

My children will just have to eat on the floor.

Just kidding, I do have plastic just sitting on them now for our daily use and then when we have company over, I can whip the plastic off and company can sit on the floor.

Alas, I did not get anything at Home Goods although I was THIS close to picking up a set of Pom Poms....

Always being renewed,

Please see the link party page to see where I link arms with those blissfully beautiful bloggers that host every week. So gracious they are along with these other sweet ladies!

Read more at http://diyshowoff.com/2013/04/01/that-diy-party-10/#xgMAcRCgRocl5vmh.99