Beachy Barstools

 

 It been a while since I did a makeover, right? 

I've been so busy with my Etsy shop and filling local orders that I've neglected a few projects that have been begging to be done.

Like these two stools that my friend Tracey gave me. They were originally Dental Assistants' stools from the 50's or 60's, but had been chilling on Tracey's deck for some time. 

When she offered them to me - her words were "I know you will do something amazing with them". Talk about added pressure, thanks Trace!

As you can see they were not in the best state, so the first step was to fill cracks and splits in the wood with wood filler and glue and then sand them down.

 

Sean did a great job of that, below you can see the difference once he got on with the sanding. The wood was in good condition underneath the top layer.

I painted them white (sorry I forgot a picture) and that's how they stayed for a couple of months while I tried to decide what to do...

g

Then I bought this blue paint.... someone should have stopped me! Seriously? What was I thinking? 

I painted the first coat and hated it, but no I didn't stop there  -  I painted 2 coats on both stools then got annoyed with myself for wasting time. 

In an attempt to fix this bright blue eyesore, I tried to distress them. This made it look worse!

By now I was freezing from working in the cold wind, so I thought I would just paint it white again the next day.

Then I found this gorgeous colour at the hardware store - its "The Viaduct" from the Dulux Colours of New Zealand range. 

Its more a greeny turquoise and it made me feel happy! I sanded and distressed the stools back so that some of the white and a small amount of the bright blue showed through.

And as I knew I wanted the stools to fit in with my beachy decor, I found this free stencil online,

Free Printable Seashore from Wall and Mural Stencils.com

 I enlarged the stencil and printed out the pictures I wanted onto card and cut them out with a craft knife. Using a sponge roller, I gently applied white paint in a single layer.

 

The next day I lightly sanded the stencil and the seat of the barstool.

Then using a dark wood stain I rubbed a layer onto the stool and wiped it off again.

 Once dry, each bar stool was polished and ta-daaaaa. What do ya think Tracey?

 

 I am so proud of how they turned out. This project was a definite labour of love. I do not want to see the sander again for a while. I'm done sanding!

But these were so worth it...

Thanks for stopping by

xxx

Linking Up To:

Spring is HERE... finally

 

It's taken forever to get here....Its SPRING...

Nearly Summer... (dance of joy)

Goodbye cold, dark, rainy days... and hello to more mornings like this..

 and flowers blooming, again

 

Happy days of Spring

xxx

 

 

Simple Decor Updates 1

Hey Everyone,

I'm still on my painted glassware obsession  adventure  and I've updated a few smaller items around the house, so today I thought I would show you....

First up, I've had this mini cut glass vase for years and years. I think my mom gave it to me. 

It wasn't a very noticeable item on my shelves so I painted it a very pale turquoise blue. The button flowers look awesome in it now, don't ya think?

This plain blue vase has been everywhere with me, single life, marriage, immigration and kids. 

Its pretty and pretty old! 

So I gave it a new lease on life by painting the inside white. 

I love how modern it looks now

The corner above the computer nook needed a little pop of colour. 

I really wanted to show off Gabe's great watercolour - so lime green was the solution!

This jar had bacon bits in it, I thought it was an awesome shape and it was just the right fit for the box shelf.

Simple beachy embellishments to match the other jars and it brightens up the corner of the room and highlights the painting too.

What I really love about my obsession painted glassware, is that you can always wash the paint out when you get tired of the colour or need the jars for something else!

Hope you're having a great week

Take care

xxx

Linking Up To 

Easy Wrap Bracelet Tutorial

 

Hey Everyone,

Hope you all had a great weekend.

Today  I'm going to show you how to make a Wrap Bracelet

There are so many of these wrap bracelets around blog world with loads of great tutorials. I have to admit that when I first saw these bracelets popping up on Pinterest I thought they would be too difficult to make. That was until I saw a tutorial from Happy Hour Projects. So simple and so easy.

Here's what you need:

Cord, cotton for sewing, a needle, beads (uniform in size) and a button. 

I also used a clipboard to secure the cord so that I could work neatly. 

I roughly measured my wrist and allowed for a bit extra. Double the length and cut the cord. At the bend in the cord (halfway mark) knot the loop for the closure, make sure that your button will fit snugly through the loop.

Here's how to sew it:

Thread the needle with a double thread and secure to the cord.

I worked from left to right in a figure 8.

Thread the first bead onto the cotton and pass under the right cord.

Loop over the right cord and thread back through the bead.

Pass under the left cord and loop over - thread the next bead on.

Again pass under the right cord. Over.

Thread back through the bead.

Under the left cord and over. Thread the next bead on.

 

Continue until you are happy with the length, then secure the end of the cotton onto the cord and cut off. Thread the button onto the cord ends and secure. I liked the end pieces sticking out but you can cut them off for a neater look.

 

  

Pretty easy right?

I love it - its by far my favourite bracelet to wear. And I get loads of compliments and "where did you buy its" when I wear it.

 I haven't had time to make more yet, but I definitely will, and I think next time I will make it longer so I can wrap it twice around my wrist.

Take care

xxx

Linking Up To:

Uncommon - Uncommonly Yours

Bowdabra Blog - Saturday Showcase

I Have A New 5 Year Old...

My little girl turned 5 this weekend!

On Monday she starts school, she will let go of my hand that she has held onto tightly for the last 5 years and start to grow up. 

Am I ready for her to go? Hell No.

Is she ready? More than ready.

Happy Birthday my very precious daughter. 

I'm so proud of how far you have come, how hard you work to achieve what you want and how kind and loving you can be.

I'm so proud of your strong personality, feisty attitude and soft heart.

Most of all - I'm proud to be your mum.

Always.....

xxx