ROOM Make-Over

My computer behaves like it is on DIAL UP is enough to make me crazy!!! I have resorted to using my sprint EVO, however I was blessed with two very fat thumbs and its havoc to type anything other than one or two sentence comments. Woe Woe is me me, right?? It's a treat for me to be visiting my blog!.

Beauty's room was a pale pink. She wanted a change. I found two gallons of paint at Wal-Mart on their OOPS aisle. They were both a gorgeous shade of GREY for $8.00
I love how it transformed her room.
The before picture! I know, I broke the first rule! I forgot to take a before picture of the room! Try to look past Sweetheart, she was hanging in Beauty's room that day.

All of the pieces of furniture in her room was FREE except for her chair which was $5!!! I picked up this 5 piece gorgeous solid wood set! I had to travel an hour away and it has been sitting in my garage for a year! I got it through free cycle.
It was in perfect condition. I was afraid to paint it, what if I messed it up. I thought I should sell the pieces. But, decided I would forge ahead. Since, Mr. Incredible was threatening to throw it out, since he wanted his garage back.
Before pics of furniture. It was a butter cream with a dandelion yellow accented by a olive green.

 
I sanded all of my pieces, roughly. I concentrated more on the heavy use areas. But other than that. I just roughed it up a bit. Hit and miss style!

Once all pieces were sanded I used KILZ primer in a spray can (oil) . I initially bought KILZ (oil) in a can to brush on, but once I saw brush strokes. I switched.  These pieces took 4 cans of primer.  $20, white paint. Left over from house project - free.

I sanded the pieces down slightly because kilz spray primer leaves a slight rough finish. Wiped my pieces down thoroughly with a cloth and PAINTED with a semi gloss white paint from home depot.  I used a paint sprayer.  The pieces came out really nice and rich! So far, so good and my total expense is now $28.
GLAZING... After attempting my side table for my bedroom. Please check Brooke out, if you haven't already. Here's her tutorial. GLAZING 101. 

I mixed up my glaze only this time I used 2 cups of glaze to 3 cups of regular black paint that I bought in a small can. I brushed it over the ornate areas I wanted to highlight let it set a bit and wiped off. I applied everywhere I wanted to add a bit of age. I left the tops of the dressers alone, and only glazed near the edges of the dressers and end tables. Please go to the glazing 101 tutorial.
*******CRUCIAL CRUCIAL TIP********** While applying glaze to your dresser drawers do not forget to pull them open and wipe off. The drawers did not stick, however the black settled into a thicker line, that looks unprofessional. I will have to take a damp rag, dip it in white paint and rub it over the lines so the black doesn't look so harsh. NO biggie but an extra step.
Now, brace yourself for a butt load of pictures. Me? Well, I'm on dial up so I will come back to the office tomorrow, to press POST! It was a lot of fun working with Beauty on her room make-over.


I spray painted the metal with krylon Oil rubbed bronze and then brought out details with a gold stamp that I had from my stamping up days.
Enough close ups:

The B, came from Good Will, $2, The picture holder was free. The footprints poem, I found it at good will, and spray painted the frame. $2. The mirror was not part of the original dresser set. I picked this up off of free cycle. It was dark brown. The two side lamps were $20 off of craigslist for both.

Art work, is of Beauty. Printed at walmart. $2,
Frames we had.
Vanity

The picture is her baptism picture when she was 8, the candle stick we had, the Eiffel tower came from a dance that the stake put on. Things were spray painted krylon high gloss red, FREE, another left over from previous owner. Every thing else we had already had.

Her bed: The bedding was from Home Goods: We bought this a year ago, when we first moved to STL. $89 for the complete set, Pillows, accent pillows and sheets.
The lamp, missing the glass globe was FREE. It was a hideous sight that a tenant had left at one of our bishop's rentals. Spray painted metallic silver: FREE, left over from the previous owner of our house.
She needed a chair or a bench to sit at in front of her vanity. I searched craigslist and found a beautiful amazing solid chair for $25. It is worth far more. But, I low balled and asked if he would take $5.00.

Chair and left over primer and paint, $5. I found material at Hobby lobby that was perfect. It cost $3.
We removed all staples and beauty went to town recovering. It turned out beautiful. Beauty did the painting of her room, part of the glazing and her furniture. I had helped her but she was by my side. She is counting this as a project as one of her values. She has learned how to reupholster, paint, cut in, and glaze. All very valuable and thrift saving qualities.

I was leery of red as the accent color but Beauty insisted.
And guess what? It all makes me smile!

HER BATHROOM, The hutch we chose to hang on the wall. To hold her bath towels and accessories.

Picture frame clearance from target $5
Picture of Beauty adjusted through photoshop. Printed at Walmart $1

I still need to look for a small red or zebra print bath rug and a shower curtain, and purchase a few hand towels for her hutch and accessories. I have to hang the hand towel holder, that I got for $2 at GW!

RUN DOWN OF COST
paint $8
Primer $20
krylon spray paint 3 cans $10
lamps $20
Pics $3
Frames $7
Chair $5
Material $3
B $2
Screws for hutch $3
TOTAL spent for complete room = $73 and if you count her bedding from a year ago, $162 not bad at all when that also includes FURNITURE, PAINT and material!

Before and After

What I wouldn't give for these pictures to be the BEFORE and AFTER pictures of myself, But Sadly they are before and After pictures of furniture RE DO's! However, I do know when I decide to concentrate on myself, it will happen again! So enough about WEIGHT!
I have been addicted to furniture blogs and revamps for almost 2 years now. Hence, the slow demise of this blog. I can't just jump into something. I have to mull it over, think about it, contemplate it, almost befriend an idea before I go gungho and dive into something. I wish I was more pro-active when it comes to things like that. I have a natural abhorence to natural woods being painted. I love and appreciate antiques or the warmth of seeing age against the grain of wood. I believe it tells a story.

So, when the concept of taking beautiful ornate pieces of furniture and slapping paint on it disturbed something deep within that I had to fight against and come to grips with. I know, its FURNITURE and usually furniture that no one wants but I guess I'm still a purist at heart.

I found this beauty at the GW! I have a love hate relationship with GW! I love it, but seriously some of the prices at the GoodWill are hillariously ridiculously over priced!! Like, give me a freaking break! These items have all been donated to your store for FREE and then you are going to charge $250 for a TV that might work? The prices are more than I would pay on more things BUT then the compelling reason that keeps me going back is that I find a beauty like this little girl.

HELLO Gorgeous!

Her lines were perfect! Her top was a little beat up but nothing a little sanding couldn't take care of and I loved the hardware she came with! OH my ::swoons:: Other than her top, I really thought she was beautiful as is. but I thought the small ornate detail would really sing with a glazing technique and this is the soul purpose she was bought for!
The blog that got my heart singing about painting and glazing is this girl, Brooke. You can find her at All Things Thrifty.
She gives you a details about everything you need to know about spray paint! I read that tutorial as well as countless others on the internet. I wanted my bases covered. I chose to go with the spray paint technique instead of using the paint brush. So simple and easy.

I used Kilz spray primer. LOVE IT...Mean It! I sanded in between coats. and primed again, and sanded! and then I chose KRYLON high gloss in spray can! It's glorious! NO pictures sorry!

This post is not a HOW TO! Because I clearly did not take the pics! But head on over to All things Thrity if you would like a step by step process.
I took the handles off and sprayed them with OIL RUBBED BRONZE by Krylon. I should invest in that stuff! It's beautiful. You will adore it also!! Go, GO GET IT NOW!!!
Sanded primed and painted. I'm going to be upfront. This is another side table I did. I forgot to take pics of the end table in this stage!

She looks good at this point but I knew she could look so much better.

GLAZING GLAZING GLAZING! Go back to Brooke's blog and she gives a wonderful detailed tutorial how to glaze your furniture. Here's the linky!
You're Welcome.
Now Glazing is a personal thing. I didn't want a lot of glazed left on my piece. I wanted it to just enhance and not take over. You can leave as much or as little on it as your little heart desires.

Here is my experience with GLAZING!
1. I bought the expensive glaze. I did not have my glaze tinted because I wanted it to be very versatile. I wanted to be able to tint the glaze any color I desired. I have since tinted my glaze black, and brown for a wall technique. Would I buy glaze again? Probably not.  Glaze in my opinion just buys you time. It allows you to apply and paint and then all you do is rub it right off.
2. Have a dry cloth and a damp cloth on hand
3. Apply with an old brush
4. I had to let mine sit longer on the piece before I wiped it off. I am THRIFTY to the extreme so it bothered me that I put all this glaze on ONLY to wipe it ALL off! Wasteful! So, on my other pieces I used a lot less glaze and more paint and I felt it was a better fit for me and I was being more THRIFTY!
5. All that said, I recomend doing it the correct way first and then making your own adjustments. Who knows you may need more play time.
6. I glazed my pieces with the drawers in the table and dresser. I FORGOT to open the drawers and wipe down the tops! The drawers still opened but I had these black gobs and streaks left. It looks unprofessional. I wish I had caught it while it was still wet, so I could have wiped it off. Easy fix. Just rub with the color of paint you used to paint your piece with. I just hate added steps.

Here is the finished product! She really is beautiful! I bought her for $8

I found a matching end table on Craigslist and they wanted $20. I tried to get him to go down to $8. He wouldn't budge. I felt like I didn't need an end table on the otherside of my bed. It was the Mr's side. I thought I could live not having her mate. I was grossly mistaken. I pine for her matching mate, almost as much as she does! Now, I gladly would have handed him over the $20 but I was being a stickler to what She cost and not spending a penny more. I know one day I will find her mate and all will be well in the world. I just have to be patient. One of life's lessons learned from furniture.
Here she is a bit lonely. I will find cute accessories to help her lonely heart.

I never pay more than what I think it is worth to ME and this is one of the EXTREMELY very RARE times when I allow a gem to slip through my fingers. I should have paid the $20.00

But for now, we have both chosen to embrace life as a single side table! My daughter saw this picture and screamed, "You didn't make your bed?" Hello, she's 13!! And No, I didn't make my bed. I'm 41 years old and had to make my bed while young EVERY day and I choose to make my bed about 50% of the time! LOL, I don't harp on my children to make their beds! But, my bed is now made and now everything is right in my daughter's world because her mama made her bed! (next time, you will make my bed)!

Dissn' Good Will

YEP! You read it right, I'm dissin' the Steele Creek Good Will closest to my house! The prices that are charged for furniture is crazy! I went to a few other Good Will's and the workers told me that the Steele creek Store can charge more because people buy it! ::PEOPLE STOP BUYING IT!::

All of my Craigslist items sold. Except for one and that is because I almost got scammed. One buyer offered me a price for 3 items. I agreed. He then tried to take this item. He was also a resale buyer for consignment shops! NO WAY JOSE! The great thing about craigslist is you can go directly to your account and view all the things listed. I showed him how that piece listed. BOOYAH, CYA! One downside about Craigslist is sometimes you get spammers and no shows, and people love to low ball. I love to bargain so I put out a higher price, knowing they will ask less and then I counter in the middle getting the price I wanted. WIN WIN.

Here is an example to me of charging in excess for something that isn't worth it.
Steele Creek Good Will,


The cost: $12.99


This was really a piece of junk, the back was broken, legs damaged and topped scratched.




This piece, a kitchen shelf or something, $49.99 also. I mean they were USED and donated free. They can keep their high over priced furniture because I found freecycle.
But every now and then you do find a steal at the GW! and I have found steals before. You just have to frequent often and keep your eyes peeled.

chair and a half

I had a photo shoot and generated a hefty sum. Basically, I would have to work full time for 2 wks. I have stashed most of it for a rainy day. Actually, our lives have been a steady rain, lately. So, I guess I was stashing it for a monsoon day.
I have been Queen of Frugality. But as I was perusing our local Goodwill store.
It is no secret that I am in all adoration of heavy ornate woods. As you can see there is one major issue with this chair. NO BACK PILLOW! It came with a rinky dink cable sweater throw pillow, what the heck??

I brought home this sweet goodness for $20.00. I didn't need this chair, but as someone else fingered it and caressed it. I became insanely jealous and KNEW this was for me. Rarely do I feel so covetous over a piece of furniture or clothing but when I do. I know it's time to pull out the monsoon cash.
The wood needs a little bit of wood fill and staining but easy fixes
The back of the chair. I love almost as much as the front of the chair.

WE brought it into the house and after having Mr. Incredible move the chair with me 3times, I decided on its final resting place. (that and Mr. Incredible pretty much informed me he was threw moving furniture.) Normally, I could move furniture on my own but this chair has wooden arms and I could not flip the piece and slide it or it would damage the wood. WHICH I suspect, is how the wood on the arms were damaged in the first place. I suppose some Mrs. of the home didn't have a Mr. Incredible and had to move this lovely by herself. (a moment of silence for all the Mrs. who don't have Mr. Incredibles)
The chair sits quite well. BUT IT NEEDS A CUSHION FOR THE BACK!!
So, I looked around and found:

Yep, drapes. I ripped that puppy off the wall and decided to sew a back cushion.
Not quite! They were once drapes hanging in our home but I tired of them and knew I might use the fabric for something. The colors match our home but they just weren't bold enough. However, it was PERFECT for this chair! (See, Mr. Incredible. It wasn't a waste of money. I knew I would re-use it one day. It only took 2 years to find the perfect spot for it.

Fixed one problem onto the next. I don't have any fiber fill or cushion foam! I also do not want to spend anymore money on this project. We are still seeking employment.
So, I scurried the house and tore out the stuffing from old flat pillows. It still wasn't enough! I went to the bags that we were gifting to Goodwill and snatched all the stuffed animals and massacred them. They gave their lives for a great purpose. Just think of it as stuffing heaven! Mr. Monkey and 3 pillows were adequate for the job.
Here is my fabulous very full and very stuffed chair backing


It sits perfect!! WE love it!

I had left over drape material so I made throw pillows. Except I made them even better. I made slip covers for my pillows so I could easily wash remove them and toss them into the washer when munchkins mistakenly use them as napkins while eating popcorn! Nah... that would never happen... but just in case, I'm prepared!

Happy Valentines Day

Happy Valentines Day! I love valentines day. Love is in the air. I get the warm fuzzies just like I do at Christmas time. I found some awesome sales after Christmas and I found some great sales yesterday. I swear I am the biggest bargain shopper. I get such a high for scoring on high ticket items for cheapo! My best score was a pair of $40 jeans marked down to $5. Just because it was on the manequin on display. Warrior likes T-shirts with sayings on them, The t's were on sale for $4 each. Old Navy is having a great sale too, but I didn't buy.
I love after Christmas sales and perfume is marked down drastically. I picked up love's baby soft for $5. The girls are not into the high end perfumes, yet. I also picked them both up toe socks and fuzzy socks. Since, they are a uniform school. Socks is about as wild as they can get. I LOVE the fact that they are a uniform school. The clothes budget has been drastically cut by more than 1/2!! Love Love it!They recieved jewelery and Beauty got a straightening iron and an outfit.
Sweetheart, recieved basically the same thing. Socks, perfume but she absolutely loves stuffed animals. Toys R Us had these same cuties for $20 and $25 (same exact ones). She has been wanting them for over a year. I couldn't see spending that on those little guys. SCORE! I GOT THEM for $1 and $1.99! Dash he received 2 toys which were found at Goodwill. Target sends perfectly good things there if the boxes are slightly damaged and a gift card to Bruesters. It is an icecream parlor.

Mr. Incredible and I are going out to eat with a few couples from church, tomorrow night. This will be so much fun. I think we both may get an appliance or two for V'tines day. I am an appliance snot when it comes to receiving these for Christmas BUT for any other holiday BRING IT ON!

GoodWill Addicted

Hi my name is Mother Goose and I am addicted to Goodwill. I need to talk myself through a 7 step program each time I drive by the store. These are just a few of my gems that I found at the goodwill. These Christmas hats are some of the nicest fur santa hats, that I have found and they were only .99. I had found other hats but they were not near as nice and they were $10.00. These I think will photograph nicely as well. I bought 6 hats for my family and then 2 infant hats. I plan on having a photoshoot where I can use these. (positive thinking). Sweetheart is sporting some of the softest pajamas. They are so cute and in such great shape.
The bears all came from goodwill and they .99cents to $2. One of the bears is an American Eagle bear with a polo and he was $2. He photographs so well with a cute baby next to him. Tigger was also $2 and used in a photoshoot, with the tigger outfit that I got for $2, that costume is in my other blog. shh tiger sleeping. The ducky blanket was also $2. I purchased Beauty's shorts from goodwill and Warrior insisted on being in the goodwill picture so he donned one of the santa hats!
He gets so jealous these days. He wants to make sure that he gets his time. Instead of spending $10 on water bottles I got water sport bottles brand new from Old navy for $1. I got Beauty a tennis racket from there too. Sweetheart, picked out two Christmas gifts from there. THIS year our gifts from each other and to each other (just our family) are going to be from Goodwill or garage sale hunts. I like Goodwill because the money spent there goes back to helping the poor. If you look hard enough and frequent enough at different stores you can find something that will be just perfect for anyone. Want to be on my Christmas list?? LOL. Anyway, Sweetheart got this amazing scrapbook. The pages are so cute and exquisitely done. I am picky when it comes to crafts. I dont like for crafts to look homemade or scrappy. I love this album and it was only $2. My latest hunt is for a antique chair with good bones for the RIGHT price! I almost found it but didnt like the price, thought they would go down on the price the next week but apparently someone else liked the chair and the PRICE and I lost it. Oh well, I figure it must not have been meant to be and eventually MY perfect chair will come my way.