Thursday, September 30, 2010

Almost done.

A while back I started a project for a friend.  She had these chairs and matching table.  She bought 2 sets of them and just uses them side by side.  There is a total of 8 chairs and 2 tables.  We have been working on this is phases since July.  We didn't want her family to go without a kitchen table and chairs :-)
Here is the color they started out as.
and here they are now
She wanted a little distressing
and here are some more

Sorry there was a spot on my lens when taking this picture.
And finally I got to do one of the tables.



Can't wait for her to see the table.  She is coming tonight to get the chairs and I will deliver the table on Sunday.
Only one more table to go and I will be done!
As Always, Karie

Sunday, September 26, 2010

Another fun little project

I was cruising through the free stuff on Craig's list the other day and someone was giving away these gems...

I have been looking for spindles for a while now and have been finding them for about $8.00 a piece.  HELLO I will take these guys for free!!!

So I gathered my supplies

And away I went
A little cutting, a little drilling and a little paint

Just what this corner needed (also a preview of my Halloween decorations)
I love free home decore.
As Always, Karie

Monday, September 20, 2010

Hooked on Canvases

I have ordered 2 more canvases from the Canvas People  they run great deals and I got the 2 small canvases for just the price of shipping!
I love deals like that.

Again I have to thank my friend Angela for taking the pictures.
Please check out the Canvas People and see the great deals they have.

As Always, Karie

Saturday, September 18, 2010

Quick fix

I have wanted a globe for a while now.  I thought it would look cute in my blue office.  I finally found one at Goodwill that was in good shape,

and a price that I was willing to pay.



I just didn't like the goldish color of the base so I got out my trusty silver paint and had a go...
 
Much better!
 
I love it!  Just what I wanted for my shelf.  With a globe in my office, maybe I will look smarter ;-).
 
As Always, Karie

Friday, September 17, 2010

Back from Junk bonanza

I had great fun at Junk Bonanza.
I got to see gorgeous beautiful things

Isn't all of this fun!  I really wanted it all.

here is a sofa, my friend Amy made from a claw foot tub.  Isn't it awesome.
Would love this for my little guy's room.
This whole booth was great.

I even met Layla and Kevin Palmer, from the Lettered Cottage, as they were filming a segment for a project they are doing.  I applied for this project but they chose someone else :-(  I forgive them...
Can't wait to see what they are doing.
I was also so excited to meet them that I didn't get a picture of them.  Maybe next time...
As Always, Karie

So excited!!!

If anyone is looking for me today, I will be at the JUNK BONANZA.  I am so excited.  Heard many wonderful things about it so far.
Hope they are ready for me!


Thursday, September 16, 2010

New Gig!

I am SO EXCITED!!!  I have a new part time job!  I no longer work at the liquisation furniture store ~ remind me never to do that again~  I found a new part time position at Pottery Barn Kids as an in-store designer.  I can't wait to start.  There product is so cool and it will be fun to design with.

Wish me luck!  I start on Sunday!

Wednesday, September 15, 2010

Bathroom cabinet

I have been working on my powder room since we moved in, 5 years ago.  It had a horrible wallpaper and it took me weeks to take it off.  It was a floor to ceiling pink and green floral nightmare!  I pained it my favorite brick color and got the cool picture for $18.00 at Gordman's many years ago.  Last week I decided I was sick of the oak vanity.  I had been checking out Craig's list for a pedestal sink, but thought I would give painting a try first.
Here is the before.
Boring ol' oak cabinet.
for the base coat I used 2 coats of tinted primer.

Sprayed the hinges silver.

Then I glazed with a brown.

TA-DA... Bathroom is complete...
or is it??? 
I may want to paint all the woodwork yet.  I really have way too much oak in this house.  We will see, my work here is never done...

As Always, Karie

Tuesday, September 14, 2010

My Living room

Here is a room that I haven't done much to but really like how it looks.  I was fortunate enough to inherit the walls.  They are faux yellow, brown and cream.  I really like them.  I was lucky that the furniture that I had from my last house went well in there.  I was pregnant at the time I bought the "matching" set.  My husband wanted something for our basement that we just finished and I just went out and picked out the set.  I am not a good pregnant person and do not feel well most of my pregnancies.  Hence that set... quick and easy.  Next time I pick furniture I will put more thought in to it.  It works for now and I like the results of this room.  The drapery are from Pottery Barn and I got a great deal on them.  They discontinued them for a while but then I see them in their catalog again.  I love getting deals like that.

We keep the ottoman in front of the window because that is where our dog likes to sit and watch the world go by. 



If we move the ottoman and put the tree there this is what she does...

She is not going to let the tree stop her from making sure the neighborhood is safe.


This is also the ONLY room in the house that stays halfway clean most of the time so I really like hanging out in here...  mama needs her own space.

As Always, Karie

Monday, September 13, 2010

My new favorite place... Cat and the Fiddle

So a friend of mine told me about the gem of a store.  It is the kind that is only open once a month, for just a weekend.  I finally got to go last week since the kids were in school and I finally had time to myself.  I have been missing out!  This place is great!
Thank you Amy, next time we will need to go together!

What a fun place this is.  It is 2 old houses and 2 shops that they turned in to shops. Oh the treasures these shops hold...

Outside one of the sheds.

outside other shed.

please check out their website and visit them if you live in the Twin Cities area.
Cat and the Fiddle.

Have fun shopping.

As always, Karie

Thursday, September 9, 2010

My office and my Dilema

So this will be another project that I will show you in phases... 
or will I... 
I am trying to figure out if I should rip up the carpet in my office and just paint the concrete.  I have been thinking about it for a while and I get up the nerve to so it, then I chicken out. I know I live in Minnesota and the winters here are brutal but I can get a nice area rug to help with the chill.
I have been working on it for a while and I thought if I actually put it on here, that would give me incentive to actually make a decision on the darn floors.
My office is the dump all room of our house.  When we moved in here a lot of the house was mauve (yuk)
Let me show you what I have so far and I will still think about the carpet/painted concrete option.

Before, small corner.  As you can see I was testing paints on the wall.


Small corner after, cleaned up pretty well.


The dreaded desk... before


Clean and shiny after...

other side of desk before

and after

So now that you have seen my office, I need to get back to thinking of the floors in here.

As Always, Karie

Wednesday, September 1, 2010

Back to school gifts

I got this idea from The Magic Brush, Inc.  Hers are far fancier and more detailed but I thought I would give it a go with a few items I had in my trusty craft closet and of course a few new items as well.


I bought the containers a while back and the words are from when I use to sell Uppercase Living. 
The items inside the container...
Lint brush
stamp set and ink pad
lotion
hand sanitiser
and last but not least ibuprofen. 
One of the lucky teacher that received this will be dealing with my son so I may need to refill their pain killer supply about mid semester.

Back side

and as you can see from the clock I had enough time to make a quick supper and get us to school in time to meet the teachers.
Good Luck this years to my kids, Mrs. Emmanuel and Mrs. Maxwell.

As Always, Karie