Organize that Storage Area!

If you have a weak stomach you might want to close your eyes. This post is not for the faint hearted. Remember I warned you.
So this is what remains of our garage. 5 years ago we added a guest house to the back of it. One bathroom and bedroom sit in the garage. We never parked our cars in there and it always was a place to attract clutter. Well obviously it still is. But I have a dream.... (yes I stole that shamelessly. Martin isn't the only one to dream)....
So here it is in all it's present glory...

Why yes that is the yard sale pile waiting for the yard sale this spring. Those empty bins once contained fabric now stored neatly folded on shelves in the craft room. Yes that would be my laundry area in the far right corner inglorious as it is. I hate it in the winter when I have to trudge outside to do laundry, but love it in the summer when I hang all my laundry up right outside the side door. Hmmm maybe it's those two large posts for the new honeysuckle's trellis that I tripped over that caused the knee to flare.
So this is what I want it to be when I get done....









Okay so a girl can really dream.... but you'll have to wait to see what I come up with. It won't cost a lot because we have two college kids, but it's gonna be better. Reveal coming sometime later this year month. If you have any suggestions, please feel free to leave a comment. Thanks.
Mucho hugs to all,
Amanda
Photo credit in order of appearance
www.closet-shelf.com
www.home-storage-ideas.com
www.mysmilenetwork.com
www.bhg.com
www.countryliving.com
www.shabbynest.blogspot.com
www.bhg.com

Another Project Done

Spring break is here and I've been getting a few projects done. Well until my knee flared up today. Drat that knee. It's had enough I guess. Remember this project?

Yes, it's finally complete. Even got the doors hung. Yippy skippy for me. Here it is in it's home spot.

Money break down:
Shelf          $8.98
Paint          $0        already had it from other projects done in this room
hardware   $0        reused
                 $8.98
Yep like them figures. Of course I will eventually add knobs when I redo the sink vanity in this room. That's a whole 'nother post.
Of course I'm not totally done decorating this room. Not just yet.
I'll be linking up:
On Sunday, at Creative Homemaker on a Dime - Creative Bloggers Party & Hop
On Monday, April 25th at Censtational Girl - All Things Painted.
On Thursday at My Cottage Charm - Trinkets and Treasures
On Friday at My Romantic Home - Show and Tell Friday
On Friday at Miss Mustard Seed - Furniture Feature Friday
On Friday at French Country Cottage - Feathered Nest Friday
Care to join us?
Have a great Easter weekend.
Mucho hugs to all,
Amanda

Just a teeny post to show where the kiddos hung the shelf I gave them. It's over their sink in the kitchen. I also gave them the coffee print, tea canister that looks like a milk can, the cup, and the miniature coffee grinder. Hey what are moms for? I think it looks good. Not the best photo because it was taken with his phone. It's spring break this week and I feel great. So I hope to get a tremendous amount done. If the weather will corporate.

A bookcase and a Few Little Projects

So last week was amazing, even with the bad news about my knee. The carpenter was home! and he did a project for me because I needed him to do that. I had this really long shelf in the office and it came crashing down prior to his homecoming. I wasn't about to try to put it back up. Fortunately only one thing got broken, but now I needed a spot for all those books I'm just not ready to part with yet. So happy dance he made his mom a bookcase. As par for the course you'll get a picture in it's half finished state. Also finished a few little projects for the kids apartment.
Finished up these letters for their kitchen. Finally!

I got the little shelf and mirror at my favorite thrift store. Both pieces were $1.91 each. Not bad. They just need some fine tuning.

 This stuff is awesome. I want to thank Centsational Girl for mentioning this in a blog post. Love it. Won't work without it again. Got mine at Lowe's. It makes painting with a brush really easy. If you haven't read her blog she's amazing. Go check her out. Floetrol (for latex paint) by Flood.

 Here they are with their final coat. It was black tea by Dutch Boy I believe. Usually I'm a Valspar gal, but this paint is cheaper and it fits my budget right now. Two in college can drain the pocket book fast.

I also picked up this candlestick for their apartment. Just needed some cleaning. Can't beat $.90. The tag on the bottom said $24.99 from Kohls. Thanks but I'll take the price I paid.

Last but not least the carpenter and the bookcase. Gotta love this boy. He's an awesome son. Of course I'm completely biased. Bookcase pattern courtesy of Ana White. Another amazing site.

Love the morning sun coming through the door. Amazing.... So now I have to decide whether I want a back on it or not. I'm leaning towards completing the back with 1x3s. Then I will paint it. Probably during spring break because the next several weeks at work are crazy busy and it's supposed to rain again this weekend. Go figure. Everyone have a topnotch week.

Mucho hugs to all,

Amanda

Linking to

My Cottage Charm Treasures and Trinkets Thursday

Easter Egg tutorial

Here is the pattern. Probably not the best way. But I'll continue working on improvements. Make sure the large egg measures 9 1/4" long by 7 1/16" wide. At the widest and longest points on the outside lines. The pocket should measure  4 3/16" long by 7 1/16" at widest and longest points. You'll have to copy and paste into a word document probably and mess with the size of the picture until you get it approximately the right size. I'll be working on a pdf and I'll post that when it's ready. You'll be able to e-mail me and I'll send you the file. 

So here are the directions. 

2 coordinating fabrics - scraps or fat quarters

1 piece of really thin quilter's batting or fusible fleece - Warm and Natural works great

1/4" seam allowance throughout.

Cut 2 of each piece of fabric - egg and pocket

Cut 1 egg batting

Sew pocket first - Wrong sides together along the top curve. Clip seams carefully and turn right side out. Press. Embellish however you like. Lace, rickrack, embroidery, yoyo flowers and buttons, stencil. Whatever. Your imagination is your only limits. Lace, rickrack should go all the way to the seam allowances on the sides.

After pocket is sewn pin to right side of 1 egg piece - match edges. 

Layer - batting, egg piece with pocket right side up, other egg piece right side down. Matching edges. Sew using 1/4"seam allowance - leaving an open to turn. 

Turn right sides out - Carefully turn right sides. Press carefully. Sew opening closed by hand. 

I hope you're able to use this. Feel free to ask me any questions. These were really easy. 

Mucho hugs to you all,

Amanda

Spring is in the Air

Sing to the tune of Love is in the Air
Spring is in the air
everywhere I look around
Spring is in the air
every sight and every sound
and I don't know if I'm being foolish
I don't know if I'm being wise
But its something I must believe in...
Spring is in the air
in the whisper of the trees
and I don't know if I'm just dreaming
Don't know if I feel sane
But its something I must believe in...
Spring is in the air
in the rising of the sun
And I don't know if its an illusion
Don't know if I see true
But its something I must believe in...
Borrowed very heavily from John Paul Young. Thanks John Paul. Okay onto the real business of this post. Sorry I just couldn't resist.
Alrighty... I fluffed behind the sink. Because that's just who I am. A bad knee can not keep me down at least not forever. I also have a pattern that I'm working on for you all that you will like for Easter. Well at least I liked them last year when I made them. I'm still trying to figure out how to get my hand drawn pattern onto something that you can use for yourself. I'm going to share pictures of some that I've made. Then hopefully I'll post that really soon. The pattern that is.
So here's behind the sink. I brought in an old galvanized watering can I had and filled it with fake flowers. Sorry, they last a lot longer than the real. I added a lamp that shines so pretty in the corner at night. So for now I'm liking it.

Here's a photo of the eggs I did last year. Made more and their little bottoms need to be sewn closed. You could use these in so many ways. My kids are older so I just put some favorite Easter candy, gift cards and cash in mine last year for them. You could give them to co-workers with an Easter cookie and candy in them. You could use them on your table as place settings. (This is beginning to sound like Sam I am). Okay I'll post the pictures and I'm back to the drawing board on how to get the pattern posted for you too. If you know how to do this please leave me a comment telling me how. 

Sorry couldn't resist sharing a zillion no good pictures with you. Have an absolutely fantastic day, everyone.

Be sure to check back because I will figure this out. I'm tenacious that way. Remember Spring is in the air.....

Mucho Hugs to You All....

Amanda

(my diabolic planned worked and you will be singing this song all day..... wahaaaa....)

Another Project - Somewhat Completed

You remember this, right?

Well I finally, somewhat finished it. It isn't enough to have a bad knee right now, but I also have a bad cold. No fun. I did use bead board wallpaper for the back. It's not the best job, more of a learning job if you know what I mean. I figured I have to learn somewhere. It might as well be the back of this cabinet that most people will not see. I did learn a lot of what I did wrong. I have one more coat of paint for the doors and want to bead board wallpaper the inserts for those too. I painted the back blue.

Here is a before of this spot. I've wanted a cabinet for here forever. Okay so it's only been 11 years.

Here's the cabinet sans doors for now. 

Yes the paint is blue - just not the same blue as the walls. I don't have any of that blue left. 

Now readers I have a dilemma. As many of you know we take care of my father-in-law who is getting very forgetful as he gets older. We've had him tested for Alzheimer's which he does not have so I guess it's just age. After the kiddos moved out last fall we moved him from the guest house to the main house so we could keep an eye on him. He uses this main bathroom everyday. But he's not careful and a lot of my pretties are in here. I have thought of putting my coastal stuff from the guest house in here. I have little sentimental attachment to these pieces. Also I have a lot more stuff to put in the guest house if I went shabby chic or cottage out there. Besides I'm the one who sees it everyday - remember my sewing room is out there. The bathrooms are almost the same blue - so all my stuff would work out there. Would you switch if it were you?

Have a great week my friends. 

Hugs~ Amanda

Secrets

Okay, I'm going to admit to something deep, dark and secret. I HATE painting furniture. But I hate retail prices even more. So I broke out the mouse sander this past week and tried sanding on this...

 The mouse sander is in the picture because I almost forgot a before picture.

 Yes, it had that ladder looking molding up on the top. It was in 

shade shape, so I just ripped it off.

You know foggy weather is not conducive to sanding. Tends to get all clumped up and you get saw mud not saw dust. I know, I know quit complaining about the fog because soon enough it'll be 113 and I'll be complaining about that. So hopefully I'll get to sand more this week. It was almost done, the sanding it is. But it got dark. I only have to sand the inside now. My BFF suggested painting the inside a different color. What do you think? The outside is white because it's going in this room. The condition to this post is we can not tell the Carpenter I am sanding and painting a piece of real oak. It's not an heirloom but it's not particle board or even veneer. It's the real deal, oak. Shhhh our secret okay?
Yes I even worked on the craft room this weekend. Pictures within the next century I promise.
Oops!!! Almost forgot the most important part, how much I paid for it. $8.99. Can you believe that!!!
Have a great week!


P.S.  Changes being made on the blog. Please be patient. Trying for a cleaner, uncluttered look.