A Pink Hutch

 

 

One of the many challenges of an old house is storage.  Well, the lack of storage. 

When we moved here to Kenilworth, we had to get a little creative with where to put things.

Thankfully, the girls bathroom upstairs is fairly large, and was able to accommodate the hutch which used to be in their bedroom.  This was good because not only does it hold make-up and perfumes and lotions, which are typically used in a bathroom, they also hold toys.  Lots of Little People toys and things that are hard to keep track of if you don’t just toss them into one large container.  In this case – the large container is a hutch.

But the yellowish color of the hutch was really too much for the small bathroom. 

I had in mind to paint it for quite a while – I just wasn’t sure about the color.

 

But at last I figured it all out and spent several hours on it one day.  I sanded it a little, primed it, and then painted. 

Afterwards I distressed it ever so lightly, and then waxed two coats to keep it from chipping too much.

The results are just what I wanted.  It makes the bathroom seem bigger, and quieter.  Plus, the little bit of pale pink on some areas of the hutch gave a sweet contrast.  This is a little more obvious in person. :)

Even though the before shot isn’t the best, I think you can still see the difference it made.

      

 

 

The girls are tickled. pink.  ;)

 

       

Have a good day! 

 

 

 

sharing with Miss Mustard Seed

Sneak Peek

 

I’ve been making some changes in the boys’ room over the last couple of months. 

Here and there, a little bit at a time.

I have one more major project to finish and then it is done.

 

But I thought you might enjoy a little sneak peek to whet your appetite…

 

 

I’m pretty excited about the changes.

 

So far the boys have given me their thumbs up approval, and we all agree it is looking more manly and appropriate for big boys/young men.

 

Hopefully I’ll soon be sharing the changes and you can tell me what you think.

 

Hope you are having a good start to your week!

Laundry Room Part 2

 

A while back, I posted an update to the changes we were doing in our Laundry Room, in this post last year.

  

It might seem that we forgot about the laundry room, or even that we didn’t make any progress since that post.

Well, for a while we didn’t.  It just took time to make it a priority again. 

And because I knew we couldn’t finish it the way I really would like to yet, I admit I felt a little blah about it.

Sometimes it’s hard not to be an “all or nothing” kind of person when it comes to projects. But living here is teaching me some good lessons in that respect.

I want to have glass front cabinets hanging over the washer and dryer, and maybe even a large wardrobe/linen closet on one wall… or just shelves over the folding table, and a wall mounted wooden drying rack.   

But the glass front cabinets need to be built by my Honey, since they need to fit exactly into the allotted space.  Which isn’t a standard size cabinet space.  I’m still looking….but *we* are doubtful about finding some that will fit.  And “we” certainly know alot more than “I” do about such things.

In the meantime, I decided that a counter and shelf over the washer and dryer could definitely be a help for now, and of course the counter will stay, even with glass front cabinets over it eventually.

Glenn built the counter and shelf, and I primed and painted them several months ago, and that is how things have stayed.

(imagine the shelf and counter painted – and the cereal box gone)

 

But a few weeks ago, we were at Lowes together and I spotted a rug which I thought might look great in the laundry room. 

And it does!

 

Buying the rug seemed to cause a domino effect, and proved to be the momentum for some forward progress!

Not long before, on a Goodwill trip, I spotted two white bowls.  At first I didn’t buy them, because I couldn’t figure out where to put them. But after getting the rug, I remembered those bowls, (well maybe they are pots?) and I knew just what to do with them.

Thankfully, they were still there when I went back.  I brought them home and filled one with our laundry soap, and assigned the other to holding the damp dishcloths waiting to go into the washer.

 

Glenn mudded the ceiling seams, finished the door trim, and made a small hanger for the ironing board from some leftover trim and two small hooks.

 

I remembered an extra mirror in our closet, which I had taken down when I did the art gallery walls.  It was a little too gold/brassy for the laundry room, so I took an artist’s brush and painted it to look as though it was old and worn down a little, so the gold would show through still. Just not quite as brightly.

    

I hung the mirror over the folding table, and moved the three framed prints I made years ago to the wall near the washer.

I even stood on a step stool, while Glenn was mudding the seams, and stitched a little sock chain for the chandelier from old sheet scraps.

So although it isn’t just how I envision it yet, and we still have baseboard trim to do, it looks much better!

 

The rug is thick and warm under our feet, the mirror reflects the sparkly chandelier, and the white bowls look much prettier than the plastic ice cream container and glass jar I was using before.

      

Now, if we can just keep up with all the laundry! 

Thanks for stopping by.

Have a great day!

Picnic Baskets

 

For years, my solution for storing crafts, math supplements, coloring books and extra pencils and paper has been plastic bins.

Which worked great as far as practicality and price are concerned.  They are inexpensive and easy to find. 

But there is that aesthetic factor, that I can’t help but notice after a while.

They just aren’t lovely.

And eventually they started cracking and breaking.

Of course the practical side of me said I should just replace them with more plastic bins. 

But the beauty-lover in me said surely I could find something prettier?

 

So I kept it in the back of my mind, and one day, while I was casually browsing through the basket section at Goodwill, I saw a very pretty picnic basket for just a couple of dollars.  And I thought it might work.

 

So I took it home and filled it with the math supplements. And I loved it.

I had another picnic basket in the family room, which we’ve had for years and had just been sitting, gathering dust.  I filled it with the puzzles, which fit perfectly in it.  We don’t use them often, mainly just when we have guests with small children, so I put it on the bottom of the shelf.

 

Then a month or so later, Glenn brought home a small picnic basket he had been given through his work.  It had small jars of jellies and some chocolate bars.  And it was just right for the dozens of extra pencils and colored pencils and sharpeners which don’t fit in the pencil basket on the school table.

I filled it up with them and sat it on top of the puzzle basket.

  

 

At that point, I was checking Goodwill for picnic baskets whenever I went for something else.  But for a while I couldn’t find any.

And then one day – there was a really big one! 

I was so excited because it was just what I needed for all our crafts!

 

Now I only needed one more for all the coloring books and colored paper.  So it would have to be a big one. 

I looked and looked, and after another month or two, I found one.

 

And I was finished.

I think they look so much better than the plastic bins. 

And the most I paid for one was $5.

I don’t expect them to last forever, but they should work for a long time. 

And when they eventually do start to fall apart, I know where to look for replacements. 

     

 

I just may need to be patient.

Face Painting

 

Glenn has always loved to include face painting as part of many of our family festivities.  I didn’t grow up doing face painting – most likely because I can’t.

But he is very talented and artistic and amazes me with the ability he has to transform the kids’ faces through paint and an artist’s brush. 

I thought you would enjoy seeing some of the “art” he painted this year for New Year’s Eve.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Not only has he given the kids some really great faces over the years, but more importantly,

he has given them some really great memories.

I love him.

The Little Stool

Oh my!  We have been busy, busy, busy this past month! 

 

In a wonderful kind of way, which I wouldn’t trade for a minute.

 

And I have even slipped in a little project here and there.

 

Including this sturdy little stool I found at GW.

 

 

I have been on the lookout for just such a stool for quite a while now. 

 

 

I wanted something that my friends and family could sit on, while I work in the kitchen and they want to talk to me.

Although the table is cozy, it’s a little too far from where I work in the kitchen to feel as though we are having a close conversation. 

 

 

I wanted something that was short, so they wouldn’t have to climb up on a tall stool and feel as though they were perched precariously.

 

 

Something with a seat broad enough for a person to feel comfy and stable.

 

 

And something that wasn’t too rickety or crookedy.

 

 

All these details add up to something like trying to find a needle in a haystack. 

But I found it! 

 

The only problem was that it was ugly.

 

When I saw it in the store, it had shiny black legs and a stained wooden seat, and was incredibly dusty and dirty.

But that was easily rectified! 

 

Is it ok that I didn’t take a “before” shot? 

 

I sanded the legs, then primed them, all the while assuming I would leave the seat as it was.  But by the time I was ready to paint, I could see in my mind’s eye that this stool was meant to be white.  All white.

 

 

 

You’re shocked, right?!

 

 

And so here it is! 

 

 

Waiting for you to come try it out.

 

As you can clearly see, Noah has already given it his full approval.

 

 

sharing with

http://missmustardseed.com/2015/01/furniture-feature-friday-favorites-link-party-50/

http://www.andersonandgrant.com/2015/01/4-ways-to-transform-your-furniture-your.html