Master Bedroom Progress: A Bedside Dresser!

In our old house there was only enough room for one bedside table and it was (still is) very small. It lived on my side of the bed (still does) and Mr. just stacked his books, glasses, gun, etc. on a small stool on his side. When we moved into this house I knew we would need a more permanent solution for all his goodies and I started looking for an antique dresser for him. I knew a normal nighstand wasn't going to cut it, since our bed sits up really high and our existing nightstand is tall. It took me a year to find the perfect piece and in the meantime his nightstand was composed of two black Ikea Kassett boxes stacked atop each other.

Good lord, look at that mess! Isn't it amazing how once a space starts to come together and you feel good about your surroundings then you start to clean up after yourself more? I will never win Housewife of the Year, but at least our house doesn't (normally) look like a tornado hit it anymore.

In July I found this gem when we happened to be in Kentucky for my cousin's college graduation:

It was $80. Maybe this seems like a lot, but this is the style we are always on the hunt for and it tends to be pricey in the Midwest. Plus I didn't want to paint it, so I needed something in fairly decent shape. When we got home and had the Mister unload it he got upset because he thought we had paid hundreds of dollars for it.

The top needed some sanding and refinishing:

We sanded it down, plopped on two coats of Minwax Water-Based Stain in Coffee:

I actually took one of the drawers with me into Home Depot and it was a lifesaver! Both of the colors I initially thought would work were WAY off and this stuffs non-refundable, as they blatantly point out on the label.

The directions tell you not to sand between coats and to only do two coats of stain. This is what happens when your overzealous domestic partner butts in on your project and throws caution (and the instructions) to the wind:

Ugh. It looked like someone painted it with melted chocolate... I had to wait two days for the whole thing to dry completely and thoroughly and then buff it out. Ridiculous.

Here's the final product. Lovely. You can still see the grain, but the stains are completely gone, and it matches the original finish perfectly.

It's by no means perfect, but I wasn't about to sand down the entire thing and re-stain it. I'm lazy.

I hated the original, boring wooden knobs, so I replaced them with these fun drop pulls.

I was also not a fan of their shiny brass finish and I did not want to pay nearly double for the "antique-by-hand" finish, so I ordered up some Brass & Bronze Aging Solution and did it my ownself.

Get your supplies together, drop your hardware in the solution.

And watch that baby tarnish.

Awesome.

I'm linking up at The Shabby Chic Cottage!

Birthday Dinner

Friday (January 14th) was my 28th birthday! Only two years until I hit the big 3-0, although I really couldn't care less. If I haven't already mentioned it, the Mister is significantly older than I am and every single last person we associate with is probably at least 40. I am used to being the baby, my brother is 9 years older than me, and I always looked forward to growing up. The funniest thing is: I don't really feel like a grown up. I kinda still feel like I'm playing house. Oh, and I got carded today at lunch! (I didn't work today and the Mr. and I went antiquing.)

Anyway, my parents take us out to dinner for our birthdays every year and this year I decided we should check out Sanctuaria. Joi blogged about it months ago and I've been wanting to check it out.

When you first walk in the door these awesome chandeliers hang above the waiting/lounge area:

Pardon the terrible pics, please.

These guys hung out above the doorway near our table:

I am in love with them and I want them. They would be just perfect for above the bookshelves in our bedroom. Do you think I can call the manager and ask where they got them? Can you see their precious little angel wings?

This guy hung above the doorway to one of the bathrooms:

There is a store in Saint Louis called Gringo Jones and they have all kinds of awesome Mexican paraphernalia. I have a little pink pig from there that is in the same style as this guy.

I could live in this place. Seriously. The decor totally reminded me of my ex's house, which I desperately wish I had pictures of.

These masks are awesome:

It was REALLY dark in there.

 

 

I have masks like these, which I brought back from Puerto Rico years ago,  but mine aren't as "fun". We had them up in our last house, but I wasn't really "feeling" them in this house.

Our old dining room, see them in the background? Mine have hair.

However, I am now rethinking and maybe they will go in the dining room where I thought I was going to put the china dishes. But I think I would need a third one to make them more aesthetically pleasing... Anybody know where to get Puerta Rican / Mexican / South American tribal masks in the Midwest?

The bathrooms were unisex and both had murals painted on the ceilings:

The freakin' Sistine Chapel ONLY WITH SKELETONS! I. Die. Seriously. I know this is a side of me you guys rarely see, but I could live in this place.

Okay, brace yourselves. After 18 months here is the first official picture of me.

 Bad pic, I know. I kept trying to be cute and clever by waving and it was too dark in there.

 Better? Not really. But my mother bought me a tripod for my Kodak Z1015, so maybe I can get some better shots... Someday. But I love this mirror - etched and carved metal - tin probably.

 Really bad pic of the tile floor, but it was amazing! Teeeeeennnny little shiny black tiles with some white striations and black grout. SO. FUN.

I asked the waitress if the bathrooms had similar themes and she said "no", so obviously I had to check out the other bathroom:

Smaller, no ornate mirror, but I am loving the wings on the skeletons. And the chandelier. Whoever designed this place needs to be my new BFF.

I loved this painting and wanted to steal her off the wall:

I know it's ridiculously fuzzy, but does anyone know who painted her? She has black angel wings... Beautiful.

There were two of these mirrors and three sconces along this wall. They reflected the dia de las muertas themed diorama behind me. 

Okay, here is the 2nd "official" shot of me:

Halloween of 2005.

Week #2: 111 Things in 1/11

I went through a few more boxes in the attic that never got unpacked when we moved and unearthed quite a bit of crap.

1 pair plaid pajama pants
1 J. Crew shirt (with a hole *sniff*)
1 freebie Jaegermeister shirt
1 pack razor refills that don't fit the Mr's razor
1 plaid sweatshirt
2 fishnet tights
1 fishnet shirt
1 pack polka dot chalk
1 white satin purse with marabou trim
1 vintage poncho-shirt found in the attic of our old house
1 roll marble patterned contact paper
1 bottle Fresh Clover scented room spray
1 sunglass bag
1 mini Maglight
2 patent belts
1 empty ring box
1 ugly bronze purse
1 large unused journal
1 pkg. SMELLY Purple Haze incense
1 rusted paint can opener
1 college issued Debit card
1 purple Q20 game
1 blue white-out tape-thingie
4 key chains
1 butane lighter
1 True Turquoise paint tester
1 pair Limited pin-stripe pants
1 bag balloons
1 Goldie pin
1 pair ruffled (unworn) underpants
1 self-tie belt from a shirt I no longer wear (or own)
3 pairs old underpants (ew)
1 empty travel laundry spray
1 Glade plug-in
1 pair safety glasses


42 items this week!! Much smaller items, but all completely useless.

69 items so far! Check out everybody else's crap at Words on Wendhurst and join in the purging fun!

Bye Bye Black Thumb

I told you guys one of my goals for the new year is to "Keep some plants alive". I figure I should give you a little background and some pics to base progress on, right?

We did not have a single plant inside our old house. In two-and-a-half years. Hell, the only plants we had outside were shrubs and the Hostas that were so hardy even I couldn't kill them. Not that I tried. I did nothing to anything on the exterior of the house. We were renting and I figured there was no point. The house sat back off the road and the only neighbors had their backs to us, so I figured why waste my money... I did trim some of the bushes, but that was it.

When we looked at this house it was May and everything was verdant and beautiful and I figured how hard could it be to keep up with? When the paperwork finally came through and we closed in June, a lot of the plants were gone. Apparently the kids had come and taken whatever they wanted. Classy. So I was left with a few bushes and enough ferns that I felt like we were living in Land of the Lost. I finally dug up all the ferns, planted some Hostas, Creeping Jenny, and Mums, and mulched in late August, or maybe it was September, of this year.

So I have no idea how the exterior of the house is going to look come Spring, beyond knowing I'll probably have to re-mulch. I do plan on trying my damndest to keep the outside plants thriving as well. But I'm really more focused on indoor plants.

I had a fun tree-like plant with a braided trunk and leaves that look like marijuana. ("Marijuana is bad, m'kay?") I loved it and it was super cute.

But it died.

I also still have a fun little Elephant Palm Tree.

But it's looking a little worse for wear.

It had mites! I sprayed it down with soapy water and I think it's slowly coming back to life... Slowly. Maybe. 

My mom gave me this cute little rubber plant. It lived outside all summer long and into the fall. Then there was a freak snow in October and it died too.

 

I brought it inside hoping it would be okay, but alas... 

I have managed to keep this ugly cactus alive. I water it once a week, just a little, and ignore it the rest of the time. Too bad it's not very pleasing to the eye...

So here's my first attempt in the new year at keeping a non-cactus alive. He lives on top of my bookcase in the office/craft room, where he will hopefully get the "medium light" the tag says is required. I bought him on Friday, January 7th, we'll check in on him in February...

I also planted some clearance Paperwhites in the Beast's Feast Bowl my mom got me for Christmas. And I just realized these shots are all fuzzy. Hopefully she'll get me the tripod I requested for my birthday!

We shall see if I can keep our new friends alive. Stay tuned...

Week #1: 111 Things in 1/11

This week I'm joining up at Words on Wendhurst for Jenny's 111 Things in 1/11!

We have soooo much stuff in this house that we don't use. Clothes that don't fit or are ridiculously outdated (Mr.), boxes in the attic that never got unpacked when we moved (this time or last time!), electronic equipment that is unnecessary, etc. For the past week I've been collecting things here and there as I go, things that are now destined for the Goodwill down the street. One man's trash and all that.

1 Large, plastic orange bowl
2 boxes winter window plastic stuff
1 box of 25 feet disgustingly cheap-o icky garland that I neglected to open before I purchased it on clearance last year
3 Christmas stocking from days of yore
1 Guess wallet that has outlived it's usefulness
1 polka dotty cardigan that I never could decide if it was black or navy and therefor never wore
1 travel coffee container that leaks
1 brushed silver soap dispenser that a particularly thoughtful ex bought me for Christmas (part of a set) years ago that now leaks
A bunch of random clothing that doesn't fit, doesn't flatter, or is ugly

I emptied one unpacked box from the attic so far and here's what's going bye-bye:

2 novelty ice cube trays that I never use
2 DHL stress balls which were giveaways from my awesome DHL guy at work
1 pack DHL rubber bandy bracelet thingies in the shape of everything logistics
1 pair (unused) rubber boobie lifters which are incapable of actually lifting my boobies... bastards

PLUS, I bought a box of these amazing awesome flocked hangers at Costco the other day (Costco is the devil):

They are phenomenal! (I almost typed "righteous!", but then realized that I am not, in fact, a Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtle) A few years back I bought a few boxes of the wooden hangers they had, but they stopped carrying them before I could overhaul the Mr.'s closets as well. So I decided I would use these new hangers for my stuff, give him the wooden hangers, and get rid of the last of the mis-matched crap-tastic plastic hangers, which are stretching out the shoulders in his nice clothes...

So I did. Well, I only bought one box of these so that wasn't enough for all my clothes, obviously, but it was a good start. And they really are slim! I think I gained about 10 inches of closet space.

Unfortunately the wooden hangers are too bulky to work in the Mr.'s closets. Even with me disposing of a few (hideously pleated) pairs of pants and some (really outdated and over-sized)  sweaters and button-downs. The bad thing about having a guy who still has a 28" inch waist? (Besides the fact that the bastard is skinnier than me and can eat whatever he wants) He never feels the need to get rid of clothes, because everything still fits. We have been together over 4 years, he has 6 pairs of slacks that I have never seen him wear, but he won't get rid of them because they still fit. But he never looks at them and what he doesn't realize won't hurt him (and hopefully he won't pick today to decide to read this for the first time), so they went into these bags:

Shhh... Okay, so that's not all his stuff, some of it's mine too. So how about we call the oodles of clothes 10 things.

So that's a total of 27 things, so far. Not bad for the first week, but I've still got quite a ways to go if I expect to hit 111 in three weeks!

Goals... maybe

Okay, so I talked last year about how I am terrible at resolutions, but my main thing for last year was to force myself to "follow-thru". Well, let me just say this: If you stink at meeting goals or even setting them, don't make a ridiculously broad "resolution". Although, looking back at that post, I did make a dent in the specific things I needed to follow-thru with. Let's take a look, shall we:

I need to finish the curtains for our kitchen.  Done.
Make the balloon shades for the dining room. Done.
Put together another bookshelf for the bedroom. Done, but I never blogged about it.

Put together the Expedit for my "office/craft room". Done, but I don't have a pic because that room is ridiculously cluttered and icky.
Lose 20 pounds. Not so much.
Exercise more. Nope.
Paint the bedroom. Done.
Paint the "office/craft room". Nope.
Finally get all the prints and photos framed that I have been buying at art shows for the last 10 years. Partially done, but I haven't hung ANYTHING yet. Well, except the three in the DR.
STOP BUYING MORE CRAP until I finish all this stuff. Um. Yeah right.

So here are my goals for 2011. 

I want to break it down two ways, maybe it will get me motivated if I tackle some smaller, yet high impact, projects first. 

January Goals:

Hang the gallery wall. 

Hang art in the bedroom. It's been sitting on the dresser for 4 months now...

Do Jenny's "111 things in 1/11" challenge.

Make a new coffee table/ottoman for the living room.

Make the leopard pillows I talked about last month.

Broader 2011 Goals:

Paint the basement.

Paint the bathroom in the basement. 

Paint the "office/craft room".

Organize the "office/craft room".

Have the kitchen cabinets painted. 

Keep some plants alive. 

Find a rug for the living room.

Take and show you more pictures of my finished projects (and actually remember to blog about them). 

I'm sure there's lots more, but I can't think of it right now. Let's see how I do February 1st and I'll go from there!

Best of 2010

Okay, I'm late, but I want to join in the "Best of" fun! Plus, looking at what I've accomplished over the last year makes me feel like less of a sloth right now...

JANUARY

Kitchen cafe curtains

FEBRUARY

Nothing much happened on the home front, but Gidget sure was cute.

MARCH

DR tie-ups

APRIL

DIY pillow form

MAY

Apparently I accomplished nothing in May, so here's another picture of Gidget

JUNE

My paternal grandmothers 90th birthday

JULY

DR hutch redo

AUGUST

Silver leaf t.v. frame

SEPTEMBER

Dining Room chair redo

OCTOBER

New exterior paint job

NOVEMBER

Parental Kitchen Remodel - Final Reveal

DECEMBER

New curtain rod in DR

Okay, so looking back at individual posts/projects really doesn't make me feel productive... But the house looks totally different now as a result of all of the little things adding up. I think I will take some updated Before and After shots over the weekend...