Country Dresser Upcycle

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Hello dear friends. Zack and I have just arrived in the Florida Keys and it's windy and cold, well it's 68 degrees! I hope you're staying cozy and warm during this insane cold front. It hasn't been nice to our stain deliveries, that's for sure. I think you'll like the country dresser makeover. It's just precious. 

 To achieve this look you'll start with a piece of cherry furniture. 

Getting Barnwood Look with Gravity Sprayer

Ok, so as you all know, I invented, "Weatherwood." It's an earth friendly product that does 2 things really, really well. 

1) I reduce labor time dramatically. To get a similar look, you can use petroleum products, but you have to wait for the primer to cure. The coats of paint, and then you have to use glazes. The total labor time is typically around 80 hours and although you might get close to the look, you will never get all the grain to show through. 

2) Because ours is a one step process, you only have to buy one product. You don't need to buy paints, glazes, primers, or dyes. It's one and done. So I dramatically reduce material costs. 

DIY Anthro Box Set Book Shelf

Happy Thanksgiving week! I am guessing most of you will be with your family this holiday. Zack and I are still on the road and decided to spend the holiday alone rather than send our pets to a boarder so we could travel to be with family. We have decided to spend the holiday in Williamsburg- in the area where the first Thanksgiving took place. I wanted to tell you how thankful I am for this blogging community. For the first year+ I started my business, this was the only thing each week I would do for myself. Now things are more manageable, but you all have been there through the ups and downs, thick and thin and I am grateful for it. I hope you have a wonderful holiday.

[Faux] Reclaimed Timbers Strip + Stain-

This tutorial is to help you turn an existing cedar wood wall or ceiling into a weathered looking one. If you need instructions on applying wood to a wall or ceiling, check out this tutorial on installing DIY Barnwood Shiplap Wall.

DIY Barnwood [Looking] Cedar Wall

Oh man, we are driving back from Virginia Beach right now. We just had the best weekend- a romantic getaway before our month long trip to NYC. We got a good day and a half of beach time in    The beach is totally my happy place. It doesn't matter how stressed I feel, when I get to the beach I feel like I can breathe. I wish we had a chance to godown to the board walk though. Since we had our yorkies with us we stuck to North VB where pups are allowed. I think with the Fixer Upper craze and the crazy trend of Barnwood and industrial styling, this project will be perfect.  

[Faux] Barnwood Coffered Ceiling

When Zack and I were in our MBA program, one of our teachers mentored us. So our teacher bought himself a phat (ginormous) mansion on Newport Beach, but it was a bit dated. He was able to use my product for several applications, but one of them was this rad ceiling. This tutorial is to help you turn an existing wood wall or ceiling into a weathered looking one. If you need instructions on applying wood to a wall or ceiling, check out this tutorial on installing DIY Barnwood Shiplap Wall.

DIY Restoration Hardware Reclaimed Gray Oak Finish

Have you seen Restoration Hardware's new-ish branch, RH Modern? It's the same gorgeous RH look, but with the clean lines of mid-century modern pieces. I found this bedroom with the perfect gray furniture and I had to see if I could replicate it. 

Reclaimed [Looking] Douglas Fir Tables

Hello friends! The project I'm sharing today has been such a fun adventure! I had a Canadian radio station, called Roundhouse Radio, approach me when they were opening and remodeling their location. Working with them was so wonderful- they ended up using us for their douglas fir tables and beams throughout the industrial space.

Rustic Live Edge Walnut Slab

Heart. The beating drum pumping life blood into all living organisms. Even wood! What you are witnessing above is the heart of a Walnut tree. I know this, because when my stain hits the heart of any tree, you see a beautiful purple hue. 

Ikea Frack Hack: Expandable Industrial Light

We have been packing and moving boxes for weeks now. I cannot believe how much STUFF two people can cram into a two bedroom condo...without looking like horders. Like how did we have so much stuff and our home still looked cute??? Anyway, I've been deciding what to keep and what to sell, etc and this guy has made it into my small "keep" pile. You can see why for yourself:

30+ Salvaged Barn Wood Up-Cycles

⇾ 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 ⇾

So I've been doing a lot of research into reclaimed wood and guess what??? 

This stuff can be kinda gross! 

➷ Repair Any Pressed Powder Make-Up ➹

I was running errands the other day and found myself patiently waiting in line at Target, thanks to some juicy tabloids mags. My purse shifted in the shopping cart, sending several contents, including my pressed powder, sailing through the air. It smashed mercilessly against the hard tile floor. 

I yelled, "Noooooo!!!" with an outstretched hand, but that didn't stop some muumuu-wearing-lady from rolling her cart right over the the broken powder... and then, sadly, my heart! ;-( I was really attached to my powder puff! We've been through thick and thin!!! If you gals are anything like me, then you'll understand when I say, I hear the military taps trumpet playing, as I walked up on its crumpled body. "Body bag for the sobbing customer in checkout number two," I thought I heard a nasally announcement over the intercom. 

Instead, my friends, it was just my mind playing tricks on me. 

Yet, right before my very eyes, the shrewd reality of disaster lie in the twin tan tracks, now running down Target's white tile floor. It looked like two speed stripes on a race car. Oh the agony... No the savagery... okay fine, enough!  I lost quite a bit of powder in the spill, but I salvaged some that was still inside the bottom. 

 I remembered hearing from... I can't remember where, but I do distinctly remember hearing that you could add some rubbing alcohol to powder and voila, pressed powder is restored. For this little project I sort of improvised and made things up as I went, but it was a piece of cake and took less than 5 minutes to do!

1. First things first, this SHOULD work for any pressed make up- eye shadow, blush, or bronzer or powder. If your powder is anything like mine, the piece will be in uneven sizes from the fall. So go ahead and even them out. Crush them up using a mortar and pestle, your hand, your cat- whatevers, there's no judgement here, this is a safe place!

2. Next, spread the powder into an even layer across the bottom of the case. Pretty much how it looks when it's spread out is what it will look like when its finished and dry. I wish I had spread mine out more evenly across the bottom, because little things like that drive me nutso! 

But that's what happens when you make it up as you go!

3. Add a few drops of rubbing alcohol to the powder. I found it best to add one at a time, looking for dry areas to place the drop. This keeps you from over applying. I estimate it took 5-7 drops for my powder, which was 1/4 full. 

4. Moving on-this last step is optional. The powder will dry on its own and doesn't need to be messed with. 

However, I was sorta bummed to see how bumpy and uneven the results were. So I improvised. 

I cut a small piece of textured card stock into a circle and used it to press the fast-drying powder down. Just press down firmly and evenly, right after applying the rubbing alcohol, to get the best results. Then allow it to finish drying. 

Can you believe the difference between the two pics? Crazy, huh? The card stock works like a charm!

When it was finished drying, I did the Dairy Queen Blizzard test. You know, where you fearlessly flip it upside down and hope the whole thing doesn't fall onto your somewhat clean kitchen floor?! I am happy to report it worked perfectly! Ta da!! This is one easy peasy project, though I wish I didn't have to do it in the first place!! lol Since these things cost 20 bucks a pop, I imagine I saved about 4 dollars worth! ha!

I'm glad to be back here on the blog, what have you been up to?? Any make up disasters, or any other type, creeping up on you?

DIY Industrial {style} Expandable Light

One day while browsing Etsy I cam across this super sweet vintage light- only problem...it sold for 1200$.  Yup. One thousand, two hundred dollars. Now remember- it is authentically old and stuff, so that maybe counts for something.{I purposely did not provide a link to this sale- cause I don't want to screw up someone's business/livelihood- so I didn't want to link my "fab" DIY to their sale--comprende?} OK- back to the light- the second I saw it, I knew two things.{1} I wanted it as a sconce for my spare bedroom.{2} I knew I could make my own! What You Need: Tin Funnel {from Harbor freight- 5 bucks}Frack Mirror {from Ikea- 5 bucks} Light Kit  or salvage old one- {dismantled old light- zero dollars}Vintage looking or "cool" light bulb {depends on which you buy} This project was so super easy- once you have the right supplies. You read the supplies right- the Frack is a mirror from Ikea. It's in the bathroom supply section of the store and comes with a sweet expandable arm. 

Instead of buying a light kit I used the innards of an old light. I glued the base of that light {that metal pole} to the base of the funnel. Then glued the pole at the end of the light to the screwable portion of the Frack mirror.

 

I used clear automotive glue to adhere all the pieces together. It's supposed to be good for high temps- but I haven't given the lamp a good trial run...so I guess we'll see! {I'll keep ya posted! ;-)  } There's probably a zillion ways to put these items all together- but it was one of those things where this wasthe stuff on hand and went for it.

 I super love how the light can be expanded over your head for easy reading- or not. The arm swings- so the light can stay against the wall- or the window. It really makes for a great bedside reading lamp- something unique and vintage-y looking. I know some folks dig the original- and wouldn't think twice about the 1200 price tag...but my heart goes pitter-patter for a good deal and a great DIY.

 Here's a few bonus shots- from the post with new map art I just made.

You can see how the expandable piece moves in and out. It also swings side to side, so it can be moved out over the bed- or against the wall, out of the way.
What do you guys think- original or knock off?

Looking for places to link up your projects? Check out my Party page.

I'm also linked up here.

Faux Zinc Mirror [Laminate Mirror Makeover]

Good morning dear friends. I've been blogging for awhile now- so there's really no good excuse for the terrible, awful thing I've done. But let me tell you what it is- and then try to explain myself, then, and only then, I hope you can forgive me.

The story begins, before I started blogging, and before I decided what my style was. I lived in a very brown house, with very brown furniture and very brown decor. One of those brown items- a laminate mirror with scrolling flowers on it. I bought it back in 2004 when the hubs and I moved into our first real apartment. Since then I've had it stored- you know, until I could figure out something to do with it.

Then, late one night, Z was meeting with his editor and I was hiding out in our room. So I used what was in there to keep me busy. 

Some Rub-n-Buff, an old toothbrush, and this mirror.

Now, how in the world was I to know this mirror would start to look awesome!?! When I figured it out- I grabbed the camera and took a pic of the last but of brown, flowery-ness.

There you have the truth. Can you forgive me? 

UPDATE: I found a before pic! However, since I didn't really know how to take pics then, the detail on the mirror isn't very prominent. But you get the idea.

Now my problem is, how are you going to understand the amazing before and after transformation?! You won't. Bummer, guess you'll just have to take my word for it. I've used the Rub n Buff for zillions of things in the past. But never on a whole mirror and never with results this cool!

 

I used a toothbrush cause that stuff can soak through cloth and even rubber gloves!! This way, your hands stay clean. 

If you look on the left side of the frame, where the toothbrush is, you'll see a light coating of Rub n Buff. You can see the original texture showing through. 

But if you look on the right side of the frame, you can see where I built the Rub n Buff up higher in some places. It made the finish uneven and mottled looking.

Then, an amazing thing happened, it really started looking like zinc!! An incredible stroke of luck!

 If you don't "Buff" the Rub n Buff, it will come off on your hands. I used the toothbrush to polish it- then some cheese cloth to give it one last once over. It makes the mirror safe to touch- and look at how reflective the finish is. 

I used a little black glaze to darken some of the areas and catch in some of the grooves. If you rub too hard it WILL take off some of the silver finish. So use it sparingly with a light touch. You can see in the pic above, the mirror's a little darker in places. 

I found this listing for a real zinc mirror- selling on Amazon- and I think it looks so similar!! Can you believe it? Restoration Hardware- you know, my favorite store- sells zinc mirrors and they charge an arm and a leg for them. Their version is a darker gray zinc, though.


I totally cannot believe this mirror turned out well! Like I thought I would salvage the mirror but that it would need a whole new frame. For a 2 dollar bottle of silver finish I replicated the look of a $90 mirror!

I don't think paint could have transformed it the same way, it would have either left the same flowers or there would have been a plain silver finish. This way I have the textural look of one of my favorite metals!

I just love when you can salvage something that you saw as garbage. But I still wish I had a before pic. Just trust me, it's better now! ;-)

{Psst: If you're interested- I made the giant B from cardboard and paper mache, tutorial is here- and the French Bee Lamp tutorial is here.}

 

Looking for places to link up your projects? Check out my Party page.

I'm also linked up here.

Gallery Wall + Tutes & Tips

It's done!!! Was this the longest gallery wall transformation in the history of all gallery walls or what? How did I do the wall, you might ask? Well, thanks for the inquiry. Let's see, first I purchased the frames in 1 fowl {fowl or foul? I can never tell} swoop, from Ikea. They're mostly the famous Ribba with a few dark brown Fjallsta frames thrown in for contrast. Total, they cost less than $80.

Gallery walls are super popular  now {or maybe they always were?}-but the whole reason I did mine was this annoying thermostat. There it is, right in the middle of the wall. One big eye sore right there at eye level. I mean right smack dab in the middle of the wall, right where you may want to hang a large mirror with a wreath on it. Hmmf. No getting around that sucker. So instead of being angry at thermie, I embraced my thermie. I became one with it. You hear that? Embrace your thermies, people!

Planning the layout was rather arduous. First, I had to lay out all the frames on the sales floor at Ikea. Couldn't really tell which ones would work so I convinced my handsome husband we "needed them all". With a shrug and a hug, the frames were in the car {snug}!

Next I used this fantastic wall tutorial on Pinterest? Have you any of you checked this out? If you haven't, you should! It uses wax paper to help line up the frames and keep track of where the nails should be placed. So, I used that.

Well, no that's a lie- I saw the tip way after I started my wall. But I would use that, if I did one again! And you guys probably should!

I used the butcher paper you get free from Ikea -you know, the paper they let you take to protect your  breakables? Yeah? So I used that stuff to cut out out squares correlating with the frame sizes.

 Next, I hung those cutout papers on my wall. This makes it super easy to mark where the nail hole should be right on the paper. Go ahead and hammer the nail right through the paper, it's easy.
I don't know about you- but trying to hang a bunch of frames straight & level horizontal lines is one of my least favorite things to do. So the papers are worth the extra effort.

 Once I'm all hung up, I use a level and some mounting putty to make sure none of the frames will shift when people walk by or if when you dust, hee, hee. Mounting putty is like 2 bucks, a little goes a long way, and it's reusable.

Ta da! All the "art' was handmade and I blogged tutorials for each of them. So if you are curious, feel free to check out my many, many projects. I was able to incorporate personal details for the hubs and for me, that makes all the difference. One of the many reasons I love DIY! Plus, I find that when I DIY, I AMSWM {Appreciate My Stuff Way More};-)

So here's the tally:

Apiary Sign made from salvaged wood, using a transfer technique-$0

Restoration Hardware Blueprint Art Knock Off-$0
Alphabet Art with Discrete Message-$0

Graphics & Faux Book Pages-$0

Zebra and Sentimental Map-$0

Wood Grain Initial Blocks-$0  
 Typography Photo Art-$3.10 @Costco
Of course a frame for my arch nemesis new friend, Thermie.

DIY Eye Chart Art-$0

 Ampersand-$3 @Hobby Lobby
Rhino Map Art- $0
Happy Therm-y - Priceless 

I love how the frames are mostly white, but the infusion of dark frames keeps your eye moving.
I hate to say it, but just as I finished the wall I began thinking of switching out a piece or two and making some new art! {Don 't tell Zack!}  

Grand total for the project- $90.
If I had used frames I already owned, then the total would have been less than 10 bucks!!!
 Great totals for my frugal friends who're planning the same projects. Right?

Have you guys been working on a gallery wall, lately? Has anyone used any of these art ideas? I wanna see'em!!