Sign-a-mania

Most of my projects I've been working on are for friends. Most sanding and building takes place in the garage, but most painting happens on my living room floor.  And normally I have company :)

Here are a few I've worked on.....MOST are from designs I've seen online.  So I'm NOT taking credit for originality in these at all.  I'm beginning to completely redo the song of songs one for our bedroom (I free handed it real quick and all I see when I look at it is my loopy handwriting), and I'm also working on an original for a friend right now which I'll share later.

                                                            "Your Grace Is Enough"
  

                                   "Let all that you do be done in Love.  1 Corinthians 16: 14"

                               "I am my beloved's and my beloved is mine.  Song of Songs 6:3"

                                     "Faith, Hope, Love"  (with key hooks, and Cash's paws)

Honey that ain't what you want

We're right in the middle of moving.  This week.  Which is fun. The coffee table is done and I will have a complete post  about that tomorrrow.

But,  I wanted to show you another favorite little project I threw together this week.  I am banning myself from any more projects until we are moved in by the end of this week, because what I should be doing right now is more packing.

I digress.  Somehow, my husband has acquired several of those laminate dark, wood bookshelves over the years.  Mostly from times when people would move or his office moved.  Anyways, we own a small one,  medium sized one, and LARGE one. (We're waiting for goldilocks any day now.)  And they are just awful.

 So I had this great idea to paint them.  After googling "painting cheap bookshelves"  I came across centsationalgirl and she had a great tutorial about products she used to redo an armoir.  So I ran my happy self up to home depot looking for the Zissner product she recommended.  However, the lady in the paint department STRONGLY disagreed that I could even do the project.

-You gonna have to sand that real good.
-Umm yes I know m'am.
-Well git that. (points to shelf in front of me)
-Uhhh, You're pointing at blue paint.
-No you gotta walk to the other aisle. 
-Oh duh.  Why couldn't I just read your mind.  My bad.

Well after looking at a lot of products;  I decided just a good 'ole bottle of Killz along with some sanding would do the job.

After getting my cheap rollers, getting my killz shaken, I was headed on my merry way out when I get screamed at: 'HONEY that ain't what i told you to git!  That ain't watchu want."  And do you know what I did?   I WINKED AT HER.  (Who does that? I'm not a winker.)  And said "It'll be fine" and starting jogging toward the self checkout. 

So I started with the tall book case.  Sanded like crazy (much to the delight of my downstairs neighbors).  Two coats of killz and two coats of a pretty light grey (that just looks white to me)  and she was done!

The other, and most cool addition, is that my dad got me some old, awesome wood that I cut and nailed to the back of the bookcase.  It's adorable, but cannot stand unless it is leaning against a wall.  I'm sure the movers will appreciate that.   :)

The best laid plans...should ALWAYS include a puppy

This week I found a sweet little craigslist treasure.  A coffee table! And by this week....I mean three weeks ago.  The girl apparently doesn't check her email too often and by the time we actually connected, I had completely forgotten what it looked like.  But apparently I had thought it worthy to email her about and for 10 bucks, I decided I should just go pick it up.

I don't have a complete "before" picture.  But here it is in pieces.  With some work this is going to be nice.


Step 1:  Painting the cheap metal black.  Black is cool, right?

 Then some sanding, because the wooden border was pretty beaten up. I also had an adventure today to this wonderful shop where I learned about chalk paint and wax which I had grand plans to work on today, more on that in another post.....

Buttttttttttttt.....these little guys came wandering into our yard!!!!.

 And I just had to stop and play.  :)   For a couple of hours....

Tomorrow I will commence with the chalk paint adventure and let you know how it goes.  From what I understand it will be INFINITELY easier than the latex/distressing debacle that was the dresser.  xoxo

ta-da

With some final scrubbing and painting it's done!  We're moving in less that two weeks so this is not the butcher blocks final destination.  I also want to get some cute hooks to put on the side to hang towels from....but here she is in all her glory:

 Below is the inspiration I used! It's bigger than mine, but I think it's adorable and I got ours to look pretty close. Cheers to a happy tuesday! What projects are You working on today?

Playtime?

Recently, I found a beautiful treasure of a white-washed perfect apartment sized butcher block (that was in need of some TLC) and decided to take upon the task of making it worthy of actually being inside somewhere.

It took a lotttttttttt of sanding.

But I got it pretty much down to bare bones....

That's when Cash decided he had had quite enough of all this work.  Yes, he actually wedged himself between me and the butcher block and put his paw on my sanding arm. 

Because really he wanted to do this:

Where did he get all of those milk jugs you're wondering?  Well, it was recycling day and he took it upon himself to steal as many as he could from the neighbors recycling bin before he got caught.

Please tell me your dog is like having a 2 year old too??



*Final pics of butcher block repainted and looking all pretty coming soon!

project mania

I finished the dresser last week.   Sorry for the awful picture, I can't find my camera charger so these are from my iphone3G (old school!)

Also, we celebrated a fabulous engagement party for one of my most dearest friends.  I didn't want to mention the project I worked on for her anywhere for fear that she'd find out....but Anne said she loved it and hopes to display it at the wedding.  I couldn't be happier for her and her fiance!

                        "I have found the one whom my soul loves"  Song of Solomon 3:4

Hellloooo Summer Rain

Today I started a project I've been meaning to start for months.  The painting and distressing of my husband's solid wood (sort of little boy looking) dresser.  Of course as soon as the creativity set in, so did a good 'ole Houston monsoon.  So currently I'm inhaling the fumes inside (like the good crafter I am) and Cash, our chocolate lab, had been forced to snooze in his kennel.  Art projects send him over the edge :)

Happy Monday y'all!

summer loving....

Summer has definitely been good in the Bridges household this summer.  Many projects completed, a few books read, and WAYYY too much time spent on pinterest.

I've been inspired to start this blog as a way to learn from others and share some of my own creations.  Let's hope I can figure out how to use blogger.  xoxo