What did I do before this?  Oh wait… I have a picture.

 

 

Messy, no?

Here’s what it looks like now.

It’s simply a coupla boxes on the wall, a calendar, and a corkboard, hung over my DIY recycling center, but it has changed my life!

 

Here’s a quick run down of my returning home (with kiddos) after … let’s say… picking up Bamm-Bamm from preschool.

 

I have grabbed the mail on the way in and also have Bamm-Bamm lunch box.  Bamm-Bamm strips off his jacket and shoes (and sometimes his pants and underwear) and Little Man looks for toys and/or cheerios to put in his mouth.

I head over to the recycling Family Command Center and drop off my keys, toss trash, wrappers from the lunchbox and junk mail, open the mail, post coupons, write down appointments, and place bills in the inbox –all before the kids get bored and start begging for (food, candy, TV, clean diaper, fill-in-the-blank). 

  

Life is good better.

 

The mail bins were cheapo, quick coat of paint, thrift store transformations. 

The board is an old calendar holder-thing that I flipped upside down and glued some corkboard to. 

The calendar is just a piece of construction paper I drew a 5x7 grid on. 

Over this I wedged a piece of acrylic (instant dry erase board), glass would have worked too. Add some pretty ribbon to hide the edge - viola.

 

Easy, peasy – so why didn’t I do it sooner?

The family is so much more “commanded” now ;)

 

Sometimes I think I just don’t know what I am missing. 

This wall-o-organization only cost me $2 (hand-me-down frame, old corkboard and acrylic I had, $2 letter bins-thingy!!!).  Oh, well, I guess I did spend $5 on some new dry erase markers ;)

 

What do you think?  Do you have one of these?  Do you love yours too?

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There’s not much that doesn’t look better after routing a fancy Roman Ogee edge to it.

Like this boring 2x6 piece of lumber.

A little red paint and an antique doorknob - cheap from a thrift store, and I have an easy to make bookend that has got lots of old world style…

I’m thinking of making another… using beadboard next time??

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So today I finally succeeded in checking an item off my to-do list!

I finished refinishing my $10 thrift store light fixture and installed it.

Painting it with brushed nickel spray paint was a cinch…


but then the lamp shades I had didn't fit (plus Bamm-Bamm broke one today) and installing it was't going so well either...

So I went to the store and picked up what I needed...

3 glass light fixture shades and this


an offset swivel crossbar... to allow me to install the light even though the screw holes don't line up. 




I love it!!! Goodbye Miss Piggy Lights!!








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So I did not get anything marked off my list yesterday though I did make a valiant attempt!


I screwed some wooden bits (cut from the ends of some turned wooden legs) onto the ends of my thrift store light fixture and painted the whole thing brushed nickel.  It looks fabulous.



Then I went into my closet where I keep things I have earmarked for particular projects, and pulled out these great light shades... 


and...

they don't fit!  


Oh well, I guess I'll have to buy or make some that do fit (I've seen some awesome wire ones in blogland).  Until then, this project is shelved.


Anything not working out like you hoped lately?




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If you want to make a bold statement in the bedroom, a floor to ceiling headboard is the way to go.



I love these two (three?) doors stacked up for the statement they make  - very dramatic, but I needed or wanted something softer for my space,

so I put up a curtain headboard.
As an added Bonus, this was a super cheap way to go (<$10!).

I bought this gorgeous cream damask curtain from the thrift store (it's a really wide & long curtain > 8 feet), so it's perfect for a headboard.

Happy Cinco de Mayo!!

Getting up to nurse and change diapers during the wee hours is hard - harder when it's dark!


So I fixed up a dirty (really dirty), old (really old), porch light.  Etched some numbers on the glass (for fun), and Wired it for a nightlight!

** Happy Easter!!  I hope you are enjoying it with Family like I am! **

I like to buy knobs whenever I see them at the thrift store.

Right now I have a dozen wooden knobs ($1.99), some antique white porcelain ones, and some cool silver colored retro looking ones. I know... I need to buy more!!  All for $1-$2 per 6 knobs (beats spending a dollar or 2 per knob at the hardware store!)

I know I'll use them for refinishing furniture, furniture I've built (OK, will build - getting ahead of myself here), or other projects...

Like this one... you can use cabinet or dresser knobs as wall hangers!

I've been picking up artist's canvases at the thrift store when I see them.
I think they'll make the perfect backdrop for my wooden nursery letters.


I also have some fabric I'm making nursery bedding with (coming soon).

**Added:  Check out my Electrical Wiring Tutorial for more help wiring your own  lamp! **

 I've had an old telescope since I saved up for it as a kid.  I haven't used it in 10 (maybe 15?) years!  I finally decided - why let that awesome tripod base go to waste!  I'll make it into a lamp.

** It's my 1 month blog anniversary!!! **

I can't believe I've never re-covered a lampshade before!
What fun! What thrills!  Laugh at me if you want, but seriously, I can buy any fabric I like love and some short time later have a "new" lampshade in that pattern/color/design.  Imagine the possibilities!!

My first recovered lampshade is such a Beauty and the Beast story (well, if they were the same person... ummm... weird, nevermid.)
Meet The Beast.
$1.99 from the thrift store (and broken).
This poor thing scares the villagers, but I saw hoped it could be made beautiful.

That cheap little metal flower pot made the perfect pegboard pen cup!


It was soooo easy and soooo fast (and sooo cheap, perfect for me!)

Last week's birdcage transformation reminded me of another birdcage in my home.

I saw a lot of potential in this double heart frame.


Since I will soon have another little boy (6 weeks to go!) I figure I can put a picture of each little man into the frame and place it in the nursery (or living room, playroom, craft room... maybe I should find a few more of these!)

Indescribable, I have to show you a "before" picture.  It was such an ugly dirty little thing.



Here it is with a coat of Heirloom White (Rustoleum).

Remember that dartboard cabinet I showed you yesterday ($15 @ Thrift Town in San Leandro)?

 It has a great design on the doors, and it really was dying to be turned into something more pretty and useful!



This part was easy - a coat of paint. Rustoleum in Almond (gloss), a heart cut out of pretty paper, and a pair of french country handles instantly brings this cabinet into a more feminine space.


But inside is even better!  I'm using it to store some of my scrapbook tools and stickers.
I removed the dart board and backing, and replaced them with a piece of pegboard cut to fit.
I also used blackboard paint to paint over the "scoreboards".

Last of all, I built a basic frame out of some 1x2 boards (just cut to length and screwed together) and nailed it to the back to give the pegboard hooks some space from the wall. 


Sigh, I love it.  But don't you agree it would look even better with Ralph Lauren Smoke Glaze painted on and wiped off to make that gorgeous detailing pop!?  I just don't have any (yet).  I know - crazy!  It seems like everyone in blog land has some but me... I'll have to remedy that right away!

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