#sponsored OUTDATED Doesn't Begin to Describe It Yes. I admit it. My hallway was boring, ugly, dark, uninviting - you get the picture. Before we bought the house, the one wall across from the closet had a type of salt wash that made it very rough. I sanded it down and painted before we moved in, but never liked the hallway partly because it was dark and partly due to the bifold doors. Or should I say "bifold door." The one was off and the other had a doggie door in it. I have no idea why other than I know they had lots of animals, so the animal "stuff" must have been in the closet. For the past 5 years I've waited to update that hallway and get new doors, but I've been holding out, Continue reading
1 April 2017 
Old Tissue Box Revived – Spray Paint Season is Here!
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I first wrote this in the beginning of 2015, and the technique has become quite popular, so I'm playing it again, Sam... Another consignment shop find has found itself at the end of my spray paint can. I do enjoy spray painting - it's quick and requires no top coat. It doesn't fit every scenario, but once in a while it's the best choice. Spray paint season is once upon us and so let the games begin... While dropping off STUFF...you know that STUFF that sat in your basement for years wondering if they'd ever turn into a "real piece of decor," I found this cool little tissue box holder slathered in hand painted foofy flowers. Not really my style, Continue reading
13 December 2016 
Let’s Keep it Simple DIY Christmas Gift Wrap
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An Oldie But Goodie from 2013 Three of years ago I was looking for something different than the usual gift wrap. Scouring the Internet for ideas turned out some great options. I settled on this: I wanted to had to keep it simple. Life was just too busy to be Christmas fancy. Most people just go out and buy a bunch of rolls of coordinating paper. But instead of going traditional, I decided to embrace - the KISS principal (keep it simple, stupid). The couple of rolls from last year wasn't enough to work with, so a thrifty minimalist type of outlook was in order. Enter: builder's paper - a plain brown roll paper. This one is from Amazon for $11.30 and it's PRIME! It kinda looks like a brown paper bag, but Continue reading
16 September 2016 
An Old China Cabinet Gets a Split Personality – with Country Chic Paint
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We picked up this china cabinet at an estate sale in town. Everyone wondered why I would buy ANOTHER china cabinet. I already have three. I had plans for this one - but not for china. Nor am I keeping it. As I said last week, nobody collects or wants china anymore. But they do want buffets AND book shelves. Yep, a buffet and book shelf out of one china cabinet. One unwanted, outdated china cabinet into two highly desirable pieces. Because the china cabinet was all wood with dovetailed drawers plus a top of the line name brand piece from the 60's made by ETHAN ALLEN by BAUMRITTER (a VERY big name back in my mom's day), I knew right away I wanted it and what I would do with Continue reading
16 July 2016 
Brick Fireplace Update by Leslie Stocker
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Does no one know what bricks are? We were looking for bricks at the local home improvement stores and none of the clerks knew what bricks were. They kept sending me to their pile of pavers. Apparently the newest generation of home improvers doesn't use brick any more. As a matter of fact, if you do an online search for bricks, this is what you come up with: pavers, concrete blocks, bullnoses...Bullnoses? What's bullnose? I finally found a clerk at Home Depot that knew what an actual brick was (without me having to describe them and getting the blank deer caught in your headlights kind of look). She said you have to order them because no one carries them any more. Um, OK. I guess the world is changing in many ways, including the most basic ways. A Continue reading
10 July 2016 
Java Gel Table Top – by Maria LaBelle
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Not everyone can pull off red. A LMDH friend, Maria LaBelle, sure did. That gorgeous table up top started out as a boring old piece of nondescript. But Maria added her artistic touch and created a much better look with homemade chalk paint. She made her own by mixing Sherwin Williams HGTV sun-ried tomato red and calcium carbonate. The more furniture flips I see, the more confidence and creativity seems to abound. Inspiration - it's everywhere. We just need to look. Have you considered picking a striking color, one that you only thought to use as an accent, and using it to paint a piece of furniture? Maria said "This table top just wouldn't stain Continue reading
1 July 2016 
Twin End Tables & Wise Owl Chalk Synthesis Paint
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Sponsored Post: I found a pair of end tables at a garage sale - outdated and in need of repair. You see it everywhere. Furniture that is chipped, stained, damaged with water rings, cracks, or maybe they are just plain outdated. Too often folks just go out and buy new when there is a better, cheaper, and easier fix. We can save money and save the the landfill by taking them home and flipping them... BEFORE In this case all they needed was a bit of glue (the center piece had come apart), a bit of patching, and a new finish. Karen at Wise Owl Paint offered to give me paint and glaze for a project to try out and review. The paint is free Continue reading
23 May 2016 
DIY Enhancing of a Chippy Side Table
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You can find the most amazing things in the least interesting places... Some guy had a cabinet from a storage auction advertised on Facebook - while my DH and I looking at it in his garage full of "junk" with my DD and SIL, I meandered around and started asking him, "How much for that...how much for that?" We left with 5 pieces of furniture. One was a beat up paint chipped, lonely, begging to be found and fixed, side table. At first we thought to paint and antique it, but after cleaning it up there was no doubt that it already had character. It just needed a little help expressing itself. Ya know...you could go out to Hobby Lobby (I heart Hobby Lobby) and just buy a chippy side table (for a ton of money). They have lots of shabby Continue reading
9 May 2016 
Cedar Chest Flip – L’Essentiel Botanics Furniture Paint
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I was offered a chance to try out L'Essentiel Botanics furniture paint by Michelle at Serendipity House in New Hampshire. Since I've been doing a series on chalk paint products, I was anxious to give it a try in my cedar chest flip. If you are looking to remove the chemicals from your home, look into L'Essentiels Botanics. My family is working on it as well and I was pleasantly surprised to hear of L'Essentiel. I'm no vegan, but I am concerned about the chemicals in EVERYTHING we use and eat! Their furniture paint line is vegan (other than beeswax), all natural, and in biodegradable containers with no masking agents. The chalks, clays, minerals, pigments are made by a small company in Australia in small batches. The wax has Continue reading
20 April 2016 
A Family Dresser Rescue – April FFFC
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Fab Flippin' Furniture Contest "Pure Colors, Original Elegance" Preserving Family Memories is a Comfort to the Soul Back in 1978 we bought a set of dressers from my parents for $50 just after we were married. Years later my mom wanted them back so we traded for the set she had at the time. I've since given the upright dresser to my DD and kept the other for my walk in closet: Do you have reminders of your parents around the house? Have you considered the FACT that one day your loved ones will move on? Are you preparing to have a piece of them close by for memory sake? My dad passed away when I was 26 (30 years ago) and my mom a year ago. Continue reading
