Pinterest Inspired Dog Bed

If you love Pinterest and you love dogs then you have probably seen this pin:

For her tutorial go here:

86 Lemons

I've been wanting to try this for awhile and we needed another end table.  I happen to go into a local thrift store and they had an octagon table for 15 and I thought what the heck.

My Mom had almost this identical table in the 80's.  As my sister reminded me I pushed her into it as a kid and she cut her eye brow open.  (she still has the scar.  Sorry Kelly!)

I took the doors off and then added some spackling to the holes.

The top was in pretty bad shape with a lot of nicks and deep scratches so I used stripper and completely stripped the top.

Next I really wanted to add feet.  I thought it needed a little extra height.  I found some at Lowe's.  

Whomp whomp.  When I got home I realized they would stick out too far if I put them in the edge of the table and the edge seemed too small for the bolt on the end of the feet.  I cut pieces of 2x4 and added them to the side.

I also added some Liquid Nail

Once that dried.  I pre-drilled holes and my husband screwed in the feet.

Next up I primed.  I also stained the feet with Cabot Brown Mahogany.

I used the chalk paint recipe. (4 parts paint to 1 part spackling)
Chalk Paint, Distressing And Sealing For Dummies

I had several samples of green paint left over from previous projects.  I mixed them all together and got this color!  After two coats I lightly distressed then did two coats of polycrylic.  I also used polyurethane on the feet.

I'm not going to lie I had to bribe her with that bone to get in there.  Doesn't she look thrilled?  haha

I'm not sure if this little booger will ever actually use this but it was a fun project and now I have a new end table!

Total Cost:
Table 15
Feet 25
Cushion 12
I had all the other supplies.  I probably spent more on the feet than I should have but I really loved their shape.


For those of you who are wondering what in the heck is going on with our floor:
When we moved in the floors were covered in this office type carpeting.  I ripped it out the day we closed and about 30 minutes before my husband arrived with the U-Haul.
It is the original hardwood and it has been painted several times. (It's also like this in the kids rooms)  I eventually want to re-finish them.  For now though we're saving money to have our kitchen, dining and hallway refinished.  I may just paint over the living room since it's already painted.  It's really starting to get on my nerves!

Linking to these parties:
Dwellings
I Should Be Mopping The Floor
So Much Better With Age

Chalk Paint, Distressing and Sealing For Dummies

I wanted to try some chalk paint.  For the not hip on new DIY trends people, like me, there is a difference between chalk paint and chalky paint.  This is more of a chalky paint for furniture not something I want to make a chalk board out of. I had read it's super easy to use, can go over any surface and is super easy to distress.

I started looking at the boutique kinds of chalk paint and I wasn't sure I wanted to spend the money on those.  Then I started seeing make your own recipes for chalk paint.  I was in!  The best post with the most practical and easiest recipe was this one:

Shabby Creek Cottage

It's basically 4 parts paint to 1 part joint compound or basically spackling.

The oops section.  God, I love it!  This is Valspar's Cornacopia

Stir until smooth.

I've been wanting to re-paint our media console for about three years now but something always came up.  I'm almost embarrassed to show these pictures. This is what three kids and nine years later looks like...

Don't judge me...

I actually got this for free when we moved into a rent house about 9 years ago.  The previous people didn't want it.  I painted it black and it did look decent once upon a time.

This is after a light sanding. And please ignore the mess to the right. Our living room is going through a bit of a transitional period.

So, after I mixed the paint, gave it a good cleaning and a sanding I went to town painting it.

After the first coat

I gave it about 4 hours and then painted again.

It could have used a third coat but I wanted the black to show through just a bit.

The next day I started with the distressing.  I used 120 grit sandpaper.  It was so easy!

What I think really helps with the distressing is starting with a black base coat.

Instead of waxing which is what a lot of people do I used Polycrylic. (Come on what girl LIKES waxing? Ha) It also comes in semi-gloss and gloss.  I thought the clear satin would mimic more of what a wax would look like.

I read this post and was convinced:
Cottage Instincts

All of the other posts I read about waxing seemed a little time consuming, somewhat complicated and kind of expensive.  Also, you do have to re-wax from time to time.

The finished product after two coats of the polycrylic:

See how the black bleeds through?  So easy!

New knobs from Hobby Lobby

Wrap Up:

• Start with a black base, meaning a piece of furniture that's already painted black or slap a coat on before you begin and let dry
• Use the easiest chalk paint recipe ever.  4 parts paint (my paint was a matte finish and I think that's key to the chalky look) to 1 part spakling
• If you choose to distress use 150 to 220 grit sandpaper.  (I did it by hand)
• Use Polycrylic NOT and I repeat NOT polyurethane that will turn your project yellow
• Use at least 2 coats of the Polycrylic
• I finished this project in 48 hours

Linking to These Parties!

DIY Showoff

Remodelaholic
Averie Lane
My Repurposed LIfe
Mod Vintage Life
http://myuncommonsliceofsuburbia.com/
http://linda-coastalcharm.blogspot.com/
http://www.elizabethandco.blogspot.com/
http://thewinthropchronicles.blogspot.com/
http://knickoftimeinteriors.blogspot.com/
Craft O Maniac
A Stroll Through Life
http://www.homestoriesatoz.com/tutorials/tutorials-tips-link-party-145.html
http://www.worthingcourtblog.com/2014/02/the-scoop-link-party-105.html
Savvy Southern Style
http://diybydesign.blogspot.com/2014/02/winter-blues-wednesday-its-party-155.html?m=1
Jennifer Rizzo
French Country Cottage
Common Ground
Liz Marie Blog
The Charm Of Home
Handy Man Crafty Woman
Three Mango Seeds

Building a Faux Fireplace Mantel

Before I go any further I have to give credit where credit is due.  I found this plan on one of my hero's blogs.

The amazing Anna White.

Fireplace Anywhere

Her plan was totally my inspiration.

My faux mantel was going to be used as a photography prop with mostly children so I didn't want it too tall.  Also, when I was done using it I was going to put it in our master bedroom which is an attic conversion and has sloped walls. I had to change the measurements.

So, one, two, three faux (sorry, couldn't help it) I went shopping in my salvaged wood pile.

I had 4x4's from the old fence panels that I referred to in this post:
Laundry Room Reveal

I'm not very good with a list of cuts and measurements.  I'm a visual person and that is the aspect I'm taking in explaining this.  If you're more of a technical person please follow the link to Ana's plan.  Ha

These measurements are in length.  The entire mantel measures 44 1/2 inches tall and 45 inches across (that includes the over hang on each side)

Next is the order in which I put everything together:

You do have to drill at an angle on the back.  It is also a good idea to add some wood glue before screwing the pieces together.  The last thing to do is the backing.  I used bead board paneling.  I bought it at Home Depot and had them cut it for me.  The back measured 44 1/2 inches tall and 41 1/2 inches across.  I used little screws about every inch.

And here it is!  This was my photography background for pictures!

Again, I want to say I am not an expert.  I am not a carpenter.  This is just the way I did it.  Create at your own risk!  Haha!

Linking to these parties:
Serenity Now Blog
French Country Cottage
My Repurposed Life
Remodelaholic
Elizabeth & Co.

Painting The Front Part 2: It was rotten!

In the midst of scraping my little heart out I notice on the bottom right the siding seemed soft.  Then I remembered a picture of the front that the previous owner left.  There were vines growing on it.  Then my notorious potty mouth came out as I pulled of rotted siding which revealed a partially rotten beam.

This picture was taken after we had scraped the rotted parts off and pulled dead vines out of it.  Never ever ever under any circumstance let vines grown on a wood frame house.

Lucky for the us the previous owner had already killed the vines way before they ever put the house on the market but the damage had already been done.

So after Joe talked me off the ledge we looked online and found this stuff:

As we're applying this it comes out like plain ole Elmer's glue.  It was a little concerning but by the next morning it was hard as a rock.  It seems to penetrate and bond with the wood.  We felt good about it.  

Meanwhile I had told the kids the only thing I wanted for Mother's Day was help sanding and scraping the front.  Johnathan was like "Really?  Can't we just buy you something?"  I said "NO, get your butt outside!"

Hard at work....

After I reminded him it WAS Mother's Day...

A side note on sanding.  Originally I purchased the Paint Eater thinking it was going to be the greatest thing ever.

The Wagner Paint Eater 60 dollars.

WASTE OF MONEY

You're better off buying an orbital sander.  It created so much dust, it was hard to control and disks wear down way too fast.

These puppies at the time were 15 dollars a piece.  (now I think they're priced at 11.50)

It did work I will say that.  But I think it's better suited for small and completely flat surfaces.

In the previous post I talked about how much I loved my scraper:

It didn't love me as much I loved it:

I was putting a lot of pressure on the scraper, lost my grip and it hit me in the head:

In a separate incident it attacked my arm:

After all of that we were here:

And I was here, contemplating my life's decisions or as my sister always says she gets the familiar call "Why do I think I can do stuff???"