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The Honey Do List: Refinish Butcherblock Countertops

Fri, 24 May 2013 03:56:54 +0100

And by honey I mean me. Here is a look at one of my (many many many.... will the list ever end???) ongoing projects/renovations of mi casa. I got a bug in my ear buzzing that I just gotta refinish our butcherblock countertops... like ah'now. I love our butcherblock, or BB's as I call them, it's just that they have been looking, well, rather icky poo lately. Not that I'm no longer a huge fan of the vintage/antique/rustic/dents & dings look, I just feel that they could look better.

kinda meh it my opinion. No longer the glossy shiny pretty feels-so-good-to-run-your-fingers-across surface that they once were. See below

^^^^^ See what I mean ^^^^. They have definitely seen better days. Shuuuuushhhh don't tell any one but I have been a naughty girl. I have, on perhaps more then a few occasions, cut up fruit, veggies and what-not directly on em..... Ahhhh! I know! Bad Honor Bad. Left hand, would you slap the right? SO so so so.... I'm hoping all this work I'm clocking in right now (pain . in . the . rear) will teach me a lesson to take care of these beauties (trust me, they will be crowned Queen Miss Hotsy Totsy of the Southern Californian Countertop Pageant after I'm through with em!)

Sand and sand and sand and saaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaannnnnnnnnnnnnnnndddddddddddding away. Jiggled my arms enough that I'm starting to believe that there might really be something to those vibration weight loss machines. Good Gawd. ^^^^ Image on the left is after I sanded and rubbed it down with mineral oil to get rid of the dust. I have since applied two coats of the two in one poly & stain and I'm just waiting for it to dry enough so I can sand it again (dang it!) and apply another coat. We are heading over to the dark side. Went with a dark walnut stain in HIGH HALLELUJAH GLOSS and me-likey. It's starting to look like a fine piece of furniture. Here is some eye candy so you can start feeling the BB mojo...

Via Atlanta Legacy Homes

Via Stillwater Story

Via Stillwater Story

Via Martha Stewart

Via Pinterest

^^^^ This is more to the tune of what I'm shooting for.

I'll post some pics tomorrow of how operation 'How ol bessie (my kitchen) got her groove back'. Soon she will have her jewels gleaming bright, but right now she's topless!

haha

I crack my self up ;)

Thanks for stopping by!

DIY Watercolor Doily Art

Thu, 23 May 2013 03:20:50 +0100

DIY Watercolor Doily Art with gold foil frames. Simple pretty art on the cheapy cheap....

No explanation needed. Just some simple pretty art.
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DIY Two Minute Fabric Scrap Flower Hair Pin (No Sew No Glue)

Wed, 22 May 2013 04:39:09 +0100

I was in need of a quick craft to keep my hands busy while the kids napped today. I am trying to limit the amount of (somewhat wasted) time I spend on pinterest/facebook/flickr ect ect ect ect ect. I just get sucked in and a couple of hours later I am zonked, have accomplished nothing and now have to go attend to the babes. Bleck!
So here is a cute quickie. Good for either you or your lady-ettes in training....
You will need the supplies above. Fabric scraps, thick baker's trim, scissors and hair pins.

Start by snipping sections of the fabric. About 6-7 of em @ 1"x3". Or thicker/thinner/longer... whatevas

then stack all the pieces on top of each other, fold in half and snip a tiny hole in all of them in the approximate center.

Snip off a piece of the bakers twine, about 6" long and tie a big knot at one end. Then thread the twine through the pieces, with the knot landing on the top of the stack.

wrap, thread and knot the twine through/around the end of the hair pin. Snip off any excess.

Simple, cute and done in under two minutes. You can play with the type of fabrics, pinking shears, length/size of pieces, thread a button or jewel on the end....all sorts of adjustments could be made. Would make a wonderful little girl's bday activity right? No hot glue (or any messy glue for that matter), no sewing and you could prep all the pieces ahead of time, so all they have to do is thread and knot.

Little miss Lou was pleased to wake up from her nap to find a new hair accessory. A girl after my own heart ;)

Thanks for stopping by!

DIY Unusual Plant Containers: Succulent Lantern

Tue, 21 May 2013 04:48:18 +0100

Why stick to plain-o-jane terra cotta/plastic/concrete plant containers when literally your imagination is the limit to what flowers and plants can live in. Think wheelbarrows, wagons, old chairs, teapots and in this case... one of my thrifted lanterns. While visiting my favorite barn sale this past weekend, I had my eye on garden things. In particular birdbaths, but no luck there. So instead, I scooped up a couple of beat up lanterns w/o their glass with the intention of planting them with succulents. Not much instructions here and it's pretty self explanatory. Read on for tips and tricks....

I find that succulent gardens get a major boost in wow factor from the addition of found objects. Like sea shells, wire, twig or moss balls, bits of broken glass.... anything that grabs your eye. I added burlap underneath the pot to add a bit of softness to this very architectural/hard line 'garden art'. Then I played with the arrangement of the succulents, planted them in my aqua pot and then added my 'extras'. With succulent plantings you gotta remember to have at least one plant that gets fuller/taller and then one that trails out of the pot...

I'm not sure where this lantern will live. But for now it's on my front steps. Fun greeting right?
Thanks for stopping by!

DIY Landscaping: California Waterwise Front Yard

Fri, 17 May 2013 22:41:15 +0100

Thought I would share a little tour of my yard. I have shared snippets here and there on facebook & instagram, but never a full spread. If I'm not DIY'n you can find me here. Gloves and wellies on, face smudged with dirt and sweat and a shovel in hand. I started out knowing nothing and now I feel pretty confidant in my gardening abilities. What was once a dirt patch is now something pretty special (at least to me!). And I guess I must be doing something right cuz the neighbors stop and say they love it (personally I think they are jut glad not to be staring at the weed haven/dirt disaster it used to be.) Hope you enjoy! If you have any specific questions send them my way. This post is mostly images.
Thanks for stopping by!
First a few before pics...

Then KA-ZAM!

I have a new love of succulents. So architectural and beautiful!

Dusty Miller

A mix of California sage, rockrose, golden euynamus, century plant and African dasies.

Can't be a southern California garden with out a few agave.

A variegated century plant

Some aloe (great from peeling and putting on sunburns)

Told ya I was shoveling gravel lately...

Can't have enough blue pea gravel. I just love the stuff.

Ornamental grasses.

Mix of flax, honeysuckle, sage and grasses

A San Diego fav... bougainvillaea

A gift from a neighbors garden.

Iceberg roses

A canna lily. Yes, I know it's not waterwise, but a few won't hurt.

Stattice and asparagus fern.

My growing collection of succulents. Which will be planted in a bit.

I hope to have many more of these soon.... like the garden tour I took a while back.

Thanks for stopping by and taking a gander at the garden. Hope you have a fab weekend

Dirt Won't Hurt

Thu, 16 May 2013 03:13:16 +0100

We are dirt people. Shoes off, hose on, toes in the mud, under fingernails and yes, smudged on the face. I was brought up under the guidance of a master green thumb (my mama-dearest) and she passed on a deep appreciation and love of cultivating mother nature. While I am still learning my P's and Q's of the landscaping laws, I sure do love the ride (again with my cliches... I just can't help myself). If I can pass on just one of my interests to my baby-kins I hope it's a passion for the outdoors. What one thing do you hope your babies will learn from you? Sure, I want to be able to pass on many things, but once you've got a shovel in you hands and feet in the dirt all the stresses seem to fade away. Mother nature's chill pill....

My little rock muncher

Making one of her 'sculptures' for her papa.

Front yard... Done (for now). This used to be a giant dirt patch. Nothing but weeds and broken tiles and concrete chunks. Now it's a waterwise SoCal oasis.... designed, dug, planted and nurtured all by my little bitty self. I'll share more pics tomorrow. I just shoveled tons of gravel. Gotta give my hands a break.

:)

Thanks for stopping by!

DIY Gallery Wall: Chalkboard Canvases

Wed, 15 May 2013 02:50:48 +0100

When this diy came to me I smacked myself on the forehead and said "Doy!".

So....I have been slacking on getting the kids room together. Seriously slacking. But this weekend I got it in my head to get'er done.... well, at least started. My first mission: The Gallery Wall.
But
always a but
I didn't want to spend a thing. And I didn't. I gathered up some old canvases from the depths of the hall closet and spray painted them with chalkboard paint. The canvases were sourced from Hobby Lobby (intended for other potential long now forgotten about projects) & Goodwill. And yes, that is a booty in one of the canvases above ^^^^^^. Don't ask ;)
Then after the paint dries, whip out your chalk paint pens, chalk pencils, side walk chalk, school chalk and scribble away. I gathered my inspo from etsy.

wait for it...

wait

wait

BOOM

Snaze-o-licious. And free. Everything was gathered from around the house and hung up willy nilly. No rhyme or reason. Just go with the flow. And better yet... I can change the art as the kids grow older and develop their own preference in art, just wipe and begin again.

Yeah yeah yeah for a beautiful week! I'm just a lil excited because I finally talked the mister into letting me have a small flip down TV for the kitchen. For the news right?! (((((((shushhhhhhh...... it's really so I won't miss the major b&*^% fests on real housewives while stirring the macky-cheese ))))))

;)

Thanks for stopping by!

DIY Vintage Painted Sign: Antique Character in an Instant

Tue, 14 May 2013 05:08:15 +0100

Anyone else have a major pickin habit? And I don't mean your nose! I mean antique hunting / salvage yard snooping / garage sale gawking / flea market fishing / swap meet swooping.... that kinda picking. I have a running list of items that I'm always on the hunt for. Goes a little like this: window frames, bird cages, beat up tool boxes, chairs (unfortunately I inherited my mother's love of a good seat) and last but certainly not least good ol' fashioned signage. The crumbly-er more beat up the better. I want to see the wear and tear of a good life. But alas alas alas. Signage is not cheap (the real stuff... not the mass produced pressed tin signs at Hobby Lobby ((Which of course I love, it's just not the same thing)))

So

So, here is my go at a 'vintage painted sign'. This post is full of my tips and trick for making a painted item look old in a snap. In a jiff. No need to set out the sign in the next hail storm, just do this.......

I had an old wood shelf that wasn't getting any love on the side of the garage, so I decided that it needed another life. This time as an apothecary sign. Not really sure why I landed on 'apothecary shop'... just somethin floating around in the noggin. You can find cheap pine, oak or even plywood pre-cut shelves at Home Depot or Lowes for less that $5. Tons of sizes to choose from.
Using a ruler I ran two guide lines for the lettering to fit in between (top line/bottom line). Then I started with sketching the first letter 'A' and the last letter 'Y', then sketched each letter from there. Trying to keep the spacing even, but it's not exact. Remember, I just wung it. I used a light colored pencil so I could see it. Then I painted around each letter using interior paint samples from Lowe's. I am also currently painting a mural, so I have about a dozen or so of these suckers. After I finished filling in with the base color I immediately worked another color in. A teal-ish one. Just a smattering of faded spots. Then fill in the letters. Next, using a really tiny brush I added 'shadow' to the letters. If you are confused as to where to place the shadows just think of the letters as mountains and the sun is rising to east (right side), and only place the dark lines on the west (left side) of the letters. Next add highlights to the east side. For good measure add some flourishes and extra embellishments. Swooshes. Zing zang zooms. On this sign I actually used puff paint for the highlights, to give it some texture. You'll see why in the next step. Let everything sit for at least an hour. So that the paint is pretty much dry but still just a tiny bit tacky. Next is a very important step: Antique Glazing. It's a must for any crafter to have. You can find it in the specialty paint section at Home Depot or Lowes. It comes in a few tints, I prefer pewter to straight black. Rub on the glaze with a paper towel. Harder and thicker in some spots and lighter in others. The glaze will gather around any nooks, crannies, dents or divets.... so in this case the puff paint. Then let it sit for another hour. Finally give the sign a good rub down with a medium to fine grit sand paper. Open palm, hard in some places and lighter in others. Rough it up extra around the edges or where you think wear and tear would appear naturally. Dust it off and you are gtg.... oh, and add saw tooth hangers if desired.

Definitely looks old right?! Exactly what I was going for. Now, where am I going to display this baby??.... bathroom? Ah, here's to DIY'n without an exact end game. Cheers!

Thanks for stopping by!

Happy Mama's Day to.... Me!

Mon, 13 May 2013 04:51:01 +0100

Hey-O! Gotta give props to yourself when you can.
My kids are happy, healthy and clean (most of the time) So for the most part I think I'ma doing ok. A pat on the back, foot massage, facial, pedicure, voodoo zen relaxation take-5-years-off-my-face treatment is in order. I love being in love with my babies and I know they know that. So a great big hoorah! to my fellow mamas and for everyone with a mama's heart for that matter. You don't have to have literally pushed out a watermelon to be a mother (sorry TMI) and know how being a mama feels.
I've included a few of my fav pics from the past year. In no particular order.

Thanks for stopping by! I have a mural update and a DIY vintage wood sign coming up. Stay tuned...

Green Beans with Seasoned Almonds and Sauteed Ham

Fri, 10 May 2013 05:05:59 +0100

Green Beans with Seasoned Almonds and Sauteed Ham... a pretty fancy sounding recipe eh?! Gor-met it my middle name don't cha know?! Just kidding. This recipe is a good ol stand by for me. Just perfect for when I'ma looking to impress some house guests... or cook up some home harvested veggies. Holy cow! Did you know super duper fast beans grow? I'm still learning at this whole veggie gardening thing, so bear with me while I sing with glee over the few plants I manage not to slaughter.

This little one is so excited over watching our veggies grow. She'd park her little heiny in front of the pots in a beach chair sippin on some juice and stare at the tomatoes and beans if I'd let her. Just adorbs.

Recipe & Instructions:
*Two heaping handfuls of green beans. Washed and snapped in two. If desired pluck off the ends.
*A small handful of seasoned almonds. Go nuts (ha ha) with the seasoning. This time I chose rosemary and black pepper. Roughly chop up the nuts.
*Two slices of ham ( the pre packaged lunch meat kind) diced up into little pieces
*Healthy heaping spoonful of butter
*Salt & pepper to taste

Toss all ingredients into a pan. Turn stove on high. Scoot around with spatula till the butter coats everything. Cook for 10 - 15 minutes. Don't stir very often. You want the ham and beans to get a little burned. Once the beans have reached your desired doneness, remove from the heat and serve immediately.
Yum.

Double yum. Triple yum.

Thanks for stopping by!