How to Make Typewriter Key Jewelry ~ A Tutorial

As much as I love re-habbing furniture, I also enjoying making unique jewelry, especially in the winter when the days are shorter and the weather isn't great for painting outside.  Although I still have much to learn about jewelry-making, I think I can make typewriter jewelry in my sleep now.

A Cozy Rustic Fireplace

Remember that evolving great room that we have in our new house?  I've been slowly adding elements to the room as inspiration comes and I find just the right pieces.  I really concentrated on the fireplace wall this last weekend, filling in some of the large wall space around the stone.  Since this is our main family room and where our television is placed, I want it to feel cozy and homey.

A Little French Room

I shared a few sneak peeks of my youngest daughter's room a couple of days ago and the time has come to show the whole room.  I've been excited to share it as some of my favorite things reside in here...I wouldn't mind sleeping in here myself! Pull up a comfy chair and a cup of coffee and get ready for picture overload...

Furniture Transformations and Some Sneak Peeks

I can't believe how fast this last week has flown by... Are you ever in one of those stages when it seems like you're working so many projects, but none of them are "there" yet?  I'm in one of those!  I've been slowly picking away at painting side tables, a dining set, dresser, french love seat, and a small cabinet along with other little projects that have been keeping me busy.  This is my husband's busy time of year at work, so I lack that extra set of hands with the two-year old, homework, baths, reading, and dishes...so maybe my productivity has gone down a bit?  Anyway, I wanted to share some of the projects that I have completed and a little sneak peek of my daughter's little french room that I've been working on.

Footstool and Flea Market

Since my conversion to chalk paint last week, I've been busy hunting down furniture and painting like crazy.  I call it my "instant gratification paint" since it dries so quickly and I can get projects down a lot faster than I used to.  I already used most of a can of Old White and I'm anxious to get a hold of more colors for the furniture I'm stockpiling in my garage.  I had a fabulous weekend shopping (and adding to that stockpile) at the Raleigh Flea Market on Saturday and painting outside for most of the day yesterday.    

One of my favorite things about North Carolina so far is that I can paint outside almost all the time!  I still can't get over the fact that I can sit in the grass (not snow) in JANUARY and paint.  I get giddy over it every time I think about it.  Since paint fumes really bother me, this is a big deal for me.  Even though I finished my daughter's dresser and few other pieces, it's rainy and too gloomy today for pictures, but I'll share my little footstool that I painted and recovered during a naptime last week...

An Antique Media Center and an Evolving Great Room

Almost all of my furniture is a mix of antiques, reproductions, and various pieces that have been found and re-habbed.  Not only do I love the uniqueness this provides for my home as well as it's cost-effectiveness, but there are always those items for the modern household where it is a bit more difficult to achieve. For example, it is a challenge finding an antique queen bed.  They just didn't have beds that big back then...  Media centers are another example.  You wouldn't find anyone sitting around fifty years ago watching big flat-screen TV's with DVR's, Blu-Rays, Wii consoles, or satelitte boxes attached to them.  This poses a challenge for all of us out there who desire a unique, stylish way to house our televisions and all their trappings without paying an arm and a leg. 

A Break and Some Chalk Paint Love

I hope everyone had a wonderful Christmas and New Years! December seemed to just fly by, didn't it? My two oldest girls have their birthdays right before Christmas making the already hectic season a bit more crazy, but I can't complain...  Traditionally, my husband's firm gives the employees the week between Christmas and New Years off and this was the first year that we enjoyed a renovationless holiday break!  Since this was pretty much the only time he got off during the year, we saved all the big projects in our former house for Christmas week, including a kitchen reno to get our house ready for sale back in Spokane...

and we added a fourth bedroom to the house the year before that in preparation for our new baby...