Office Redo

The thing I like best about summer vacation ( besides not getting up at 5:30 am) is the time for tearing into projects. Here's some before and afters of my home office:

After:

Before:

Pretty bland, huh? 

I darkened up the walls a little with Valspar Frappe.

I lived with sub flooring( yes, I ripped up the carpet) for a few months until I could get Pergo type flooring put in. I should have gotten a photo of that.   NOT

I didn't realize what a difference the curtains would make. So much warmer!

Country Curtains made these, as I couldn't find any black  buffalo check fabric anywhere.                             ( I didn't look too hard)

This  shelf is a leftover of Daughter #1 bedroom. We put it up when we moved in. Plant hanger brackets painted white and a narrow shelf. It is really good for knick knacks without taking up any room space. She had it filled with little china figurines and stuffed animals.

I have little china dogs, photos, and some of MY toys. (they are antiques now, boo hoo!)

My globe is a thrift store find, all metal, one dollar!

I love Raggedy Ann dolls, but have really pared down my collection and only kept a few.

My constant companions in the office are  Oscar the wiennie dog 

 and Oliver, my little Parrot. Oliver is blogging friends with Kiwi and Pearl Angel over at
 2 Birdies and a B.

Plastic sheeting is a necessary evil behind Oliver's cage, as the more he likes his food, the more he slings it.           ( Think fresh strawberries or blueberries on the walls)

A new table for his cage was a Walmart put together. I did it too! Took me two hours ( A to B, B to Q?)

Underneath the table is a little slotted box I picked up at a garage sale. I added playing cards, poker chips, the old viewmaster and discs for it.

I still need something for this area above the chair, I have some ideas.

I tore into the closet too. It is 

 full of tablescape stuff. Tablecloths, napkins in the plastic boxes, and extra table top stuff that won't fit in the hutch or pantry.

I am joining Susan at

for Metamorphosis Monday,

 Kim at Savvy Southern Style for

 and 

at No Minimalist Here

Headboard to Blackboard

I wanted a big chalkboard for my kitchen, and wanted something different. Being a teacher, why want a blackboard at home? Because if you have been in most classrooms these days, you couldn't find ANY kind of chalkboard if you tried. Technology has replaced them with first green chalkboards then "white boards" and then "Smart Boards".

I just wanted a plain ol' black dumb board! Keeping an eye out at garage sales and Goodwill, I found a nice, twin headboard for 5 dollars. Here's the after:

Here's the before:

With a little sanding, white paint, and blackboard paint, I was on my way. Legs were cut off and knobs were added.

A litttle votive holder with handle doubles as a chalk holder.

I'm NOT ready!

I am joining

and

 

Drawer Fronts Before and After

My mom and I stopped at a yard sale recently and it turned out to be a kind of estate sale. The people had brought a lot of things from "the farm" to sell. I saw some old drawers full of scrap lumber stacked up on the side of the garage and the man said they were free if I would take it all.  I wasn't even sure what I was looking at in the beginning. There were cobwebs and muddy raccoon footprints on the drawers, and I was thinking that my mom would have a fit if I put that stuff in her car. But I did. I kept the drawer fronts and threw the rest of the scrap wood away when I got home. Believe me, it was scrap wood, not worth saving.

A little research revealed that the drawers were probably from a dresser, walnut, built between the 1860's and the 1880's. Just the hand carved drawer pulls sell for $29.00 each. Yikes! This is an example of what I found online:

Walnut Victorian chest of drawers

Fancy Carved pulls
42" w x 44" tall ~ ca. 1885
$725

 Here are my three drawer fronts before:

I wanted to paint at least one white, but I just couldn't do it to all the drawers.

After:

It seems odd there was a lock for each drawer, not just a small jewelry drawer.

This white one is going to my daughter's house to hang above her white french doors on  yellow walls.

The second drawer I did in a walnut stain.

I am joining

Not Black but Yellow Friday Before and After

I decided there was nothing at the sales I or anyone I buy for wanted, so I decided I needed a project for the rest of this holiday weekend. I have been wanting to add more shelves and paint my little pantry. So I picked up the lumber from Lowe's and drove to my friend's house who cut the lumber for me. Then home to paint and build shelves. I used the yellow that is in the kitchen and laundry room.  It took forever, since everything needed at least 2-3 coats of paint. Here's the before pic, soooo bad I am almost ashamed to show this. Didn't know it looked this bad until it was empty.

This is the top half, oh yeah, check out that contact paper. My mom and I peeled that stuff off for hours. Whoever invented contact paper ought to be shot.......quickly. Below is the bottom half of the pantry.

After empty

AND..... full and organized!

Top half and below is bottom half.

No colors anymore I want them to turn black.....

I am sooo excited. I just got these two urns at a garage sale  for $2.00 each! And they are big-- 31 inches tall. I will probably spend more on spray paint than I spent on them........... plants awaiting......

wanna see it tainted, tainted black.......

Lyrics from Rolling Stones 'Paint It Black"

And later the same day.....

One more to paint and fill!

I have some better ideas for the porch urn, but I will wait until next spring.