Have You Entered My Mason Jar Giveaway?

Time is running out.....

Would you like....

World Market Mason Jar Measuring Cups

World Market Mason Jar Measuring Spoons

a $10 Starbucks Gift Cart

And
this cute towel set from Target?

Then please click HERE to leave a comment to enter.  

Easy peasy!

Thanks for hanging in there with me!

It's Stripping Day!

I know.  It sounds wrong.  But it's really FURNITURE stripping day!

Today, I am tackling:

1.  This slant top desk I picked up this weekend for my Baby Bee.

I wish I could just slap some chalk paint on this cutie and be done with it, but the black paint is bubbled and just pretty nasty, so I'm going to strip it.  Who knows?  I might just leave it with a wood finish instead of painting it.

2.  Our kitchen table.

Long story short - or as best as this verbose bee can make it.  I bought this pine table unfinished but wanted a wax finish for it.  Now wax finishes were not as popular then (about 13-14 years ago) and I was a bit chicken so I had an unfinished furniture store wax it for me.  It looked gorgeous on the pine sample they had.  When I went to pick it up, it was so grayish.  I hated it!  (Now, of course, I would love it.)  I asked what can we do to make it look more "honey" and they said they could stain and poly over the wax finish.

Well, yes, I do believe you can do that.  However, that process sucks!  It started chipping immediately and showing the wax finish underneath.  I've finally had enough and I'm going to try stripping it back to the wax finish.  I have no idea if this is going to work.  It could end up being a huge disaster.

I'll keep you posted.  And....please.....wish me luck!

Buzzingly,

A Few Sneak Peeks at the Craft Studio

Ta da!

I still have some finishing touches (er, projects, really) to do.  For example, this little black bookcase is going to get a paint job, but it's doing the job right now.

I pulled in this wicker chair from the Girls' Clubhouse and put a cute pillow I bought from Amy at Into Vintage several years ago in as a seat cushion.  I am on the lookout for a soft cushiony chair, but this works for now.

This was our china cabinet I painted a few years ago.  You can read all about it here.  It is so cute in here.  And it's filled with a ton of paper mache.  I didn't realize how much of it I had picked up for crafting until I put it all in one spot.  Eventually I want to paint this a brighter green, but it works for now.  It's just so nice to have a space for all my things.  (And did you notice the galvanized bench? That's for another project.)

I painted one whole wall with chalkboard paint.  Now this is a project.  I need to rub the whole wall with white chalk before I can draw anything on it.  I am not looking forward to it. Baby Bee has promised to help me with it.  Or maybe she just nodded at me when she had her headphones on.  Same thing, right? I really should change Baby Bee's name now that she's 14.  

Here's a bit of the worktable.  It's a door.  Yep.  You read that right.  You don't need new glasses.  It's a plain old $20 slab door.  I covered it with something special though.  And....you can get some too.  Go check out etsy or ModernJune. It took 4 1/2 yards to cover the door.  I love it!  So easy to clean and so cheery!

This was originally under the table, but I needed another surface to put things on, so I pulled it out.  I'm using an awesome upcycled/repurposed tray thingie.  When I am all done, I'll show you another picture.  (tons of pictures, I'm sure)

For now, this is my work chair.  I like it, but, I think I need to have the Fabulous Phyllis make a slipcover for it!  The guest room had about 40,000 Mary Engelbreit pillows on the guest bed, but I just couldn't keep them all.  However this cutie is staying.  One of my favorite Mary Engelbreit illustrations.

And, last but not least, this cute little chest of drawers was already in the guest room (now craft studio) and it's going to stay.  I just love the combination of aqua blue, apple green, and red!  That's exactly what my studio is beginning to look like.  

This is so exciting to me.  I got almost all of it organized last night and I was so excited about the projects I am going to make in it that I could hardly fall asleep!

Just a few more projects to do before a full reveal!  

Thanks for buzzing along with me.

And....have you entered my giveaway?  All you need to do is leave a comment on that blog post.  Why you can find it by clicking here!

It's Time for.....a Giveaway!

I've been promising a giveaway for ages.  And it's time to deliver!  Just a little something......

For your delight my giveaway includes a cute World Market set of Mason Jar measuring cups, an equally adorable World Market set of Mason Jar measuring spoons, a mason jar towel, and a Starbucks gift card!

Sound good?  Are you interested?

Here are the rules for this giveaway....

1.  Leave a comment here for one chance.

2.  Share the giveaway on your blog, Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, or other social media and leave a comment here for each place you share this giveaway.

That's it!

This giveaway will end on Friday, July 31, 2015 at midnight PDT.  

Giveaway restricted to US due to shipping costs.

Thanks for buzzing along with me!

I'll be sharing my brand spankin' new craft studio soon!  

Just Two More Days at Paint Chip City....

Anybody else remember the old Spatula City sketch on SNL?  

Well, that's how I feel about all these paint chips I picked up yesterday

  (along with some extraneous poufs - and I was even on a supervised shopping trip) for the guest room nee craft studio.

Aren't they purty??? (The paint chips I mean...although I do like those outdoor poufs a lot too.)

The big news is that in just two more days we start the conversion of the guest room into the craft studio.  

Two.

More.

Days.  

I'll keep you posted!  

Thanks for buzzing by!  Nice to see you!

A Mix 'n' Chic Style Challenge

Hi guys!

I recently got an email from the Chairish.com site to participate in a style challenge - a Mix'n'Chic Style Challenge!  

I thought, sure, why not?  It might be fun......and it was!

You might be aware (tongue firmly in cheek) that I'm going beachy in my cottage with aqua, greens, blues, whites, and natural textures and I found several perfect items on the Chairish.com Shabby Chic Category that I thought would go together great!

So......here is my first style board.....evah!

I was asked to use items from their Shabby Chic category, specifically eight pieces, and I found this fabulous china hutch that was my inspiration piece.

source

Don't you just love all it's vintage shabbiness?  

It's inspiring me for the one I'm making over (I hope - if it's still at the thrift store when I get there - fingers crossed, don't jinx it).  

Then I started poking around in the entire Shabby Chic section and I found this great table and industrial cabinet.  I'm a big fan of mixing a little cottage, a little industrial, and a lot beachy together.  

source

I thought the table was fantastic with the white paint and zinc edging.  It's 72" in diameter and can seat 10.  

source

And this industrial cabinet is just as it was found (and, bummer, it has already sold) and I thought it would make a great bar cabinet.  Such a great color!  I love finding something you can use in a new way. 

For seating I just love metal garden chairs - almost talked Worker Bee into getting some on clearance at World Market last summer, but he just rolled his eyes at me.  Sometimes you have to go with your gut and not push it with my poor husband.  Maybe someday he'll come around.  Anyway, I digress (such a perfect word for my blogging style).  

I found these fabulous aqua chairs at Dot & Bo.  Perfect for my casual beachy vibe I was going for on my first evah style board.  

Dot & Bo

 And, of course, you need to have an area rug for your dining room!  What could be more perfect than seagrass?  Why, it even has "sea" in it! (although, truth be told, I would probably go with a synthetic seagrass rug because they are so easy to maintain and clean)

Burke Decor

 I also used ChipIt! from Sherwin Williams to make the color palette.  All those beautiful beachy colors make my heart sing!

Do you see the little vintage rum bottle?  Found that on chairish.com too!

BTW, I just told Worker Bee I had finally decided what color I wanted to paint the dining room chairs and he said, "What?  You're painting those?"  Clearly he does not listen when I am going on and on about what I would like to do.  Probably a wise choice on his part.  But I've already gotten clearance from my mom (aka Sewing Bee) to paint them since they were originally hers, so it's a go.  Oh, and I want to paint them aqua!  I know!  You're shocked!  Pick yourself up off the floor.  You had to know it was coming.  (And, Worker Bee?  While I'm at it I'm recovering the seats too - with drop cloth! Hope that got your attention!)

And, you know I could add more to this, (oh Lord, Worker Bee and Baby Bee know for sure how much more I could add to anything) but I kept it simple, as if it were for somebody else.  Somebody who likes things clean and neat and not a bit cluttered like I do.  

Thoughts, people?  Yes, you, with your hand raised???  Just kidding dear friends!  I wouldn't call you out like that.  A little teacher on summer vacation humor!  

Thanks for buzzing by!  

P.S.  I was not compensated in any way by Chairish.com.  I just thought this would be fun and it finally got me onto Polyvore.  (Great, another thing to make me spend too much time on the internet.)

A Simple Idea...

I might have shared this idea with you before, but it never hurts to share something again, right?

I live in a part of California that is very hot in the summer.  This makes for delicious  peaches and plums and nectarines and almonds and grapes and raisins and more.  This however means if I leave a candle outside, it's a goner, for sure.  

However, I've learned a little trick.  

Have you ever seen these kind of candles in the grocery store?  Lately, I've found ones that are just plain with no religious images.  (Worker Bee assures me that we are not being sacrilegious if there aren't pictures of Jesus on them.) 

And guess what?  They survive some of the harshest temperatures ever! (And they're only $1.99 each.)

And don't they look lovely in these star lanterns Worker Bee got me for Valentine's Day?  (He got them at Target and they can still be found there in the Smith and Hawken section.)

Would you like to come out and sit under the stars (or right next to them) and chat?  Wouldn't that be fun? We can have a nice iced latte or perhaps an icy cocktail!

Thanks for buzzing by!

Those Summer Plans….

I am feeling very ambitious this summer.  Very ambitious.  Probably to the point where I will
over-promise and under-deliver.  But, I like to put these ideas out there and let them percolate for awhile (in other words, get Worker Bee used to the idea), ruminate on them, and then execute.

So.  What are my plans?

1.  Finish the Girls Clubhouse OR turn it back into my Potting Shed.

Ignore the dead plant.  You looked, didn't you!  C'mon people!  You had one job....

Before Baby Bee came along our house came with a playhouse.  Very simply built and we almost didn't keep it, but the idea of using it as a potting shed grew on me and, in fact, it was my potting shed until Baby Bee was about 3 or 4.  At that point it became her playhouse.  A few summers ago we had big plans to convert it into a clubhouse for Baby Bee and her friends to hang out in.  But they don't really go outside much when they are here or they just hang on the patio.

The current potting area - I'm afraid the wood potting bench is probably done for, but I found a great galvanized one I need to assemble.

So, I'm thinking about turning it back into MY Potting Shed.  I've got some galvanized things I would love to put in there, plus reuse a lot of what we put in there for the clubhouse.

This is part of the makeover for the playhouse - I think I can reuse most of these pieces in the potting shed, don't you?

What are the chances I get this done?  About 50/50.

2.  Change the Guest Room into Sweet Bee's Studio.

I've got all the supplies to build this desk/worktable.  I plan to use it for sewing and my cricut.  I am so stinkin' excited to get this project going, but Worker Bee needs to finish up some stuff for school before we can get going on it.  HURRY!  HURRY!  HURRY!

I think our guest room is a very cute and charming room with it's vintage plaid and sort of cabiny vibe, but it serves two masters - neither one of them very well.  It's also where I store all my craft supplies.  Worker Bee has already agreed to this change (and we can use Baby Bee's room for guests if need be and put her in the living room or studio to sleep - she's young - she can take it).  In fact, I went on a road trip to IKEA and bought quite a few of the supplies/pieces needed for this conversion.  However, it hasn't been tackled yet, because we need to completely empty out that room and PURGE!  Oh Lordy, do we need to purge.  Okay.  I need to purge.  Not a weekend project and not one I want to live with for several weeks as I work on it during the school year.

Inspiration for the studio makeover!

Chances of this being my first project and the one I definitely complete?  VERY HIGH.

3.  Paint and revamp our master bedroom.

It's been a few summers since we did this and I really loved it at the time, but it's just a little too dark for my beachy summer look I'm dreaming of.  The walls need to be repainted (they are currently a lovely mocha color) and the furniture we painted black now needs to be white or apple green or something more cheerful.  This will be a pretty simple project because I know what I want to do and I just need to do it.  Plus I'm pretty good at purging in there because it is so small and we have VERY limited closet space.

I do need to get a bedspread or dust ruffle/coverlet, some new lampshades, and I would love to find a comfy reading chair for the room (or clothes piling on chair - you know how that goes) but I pretty much know what I want to do so it's just a matter of getting it all put together.

And the chances of finishing this little dream?  Pretty good - better then the potting shed, but not as good as the craft studio.

4.  Stripping wallpaper - kitchen and bathroom

We bought our little cottage in 1997 and wallpapered shortly after we moved in - and I ADORED the wallpaper then.  The kitchen is a Waverly vintage cherry look and the bathroom is a gorgeous bright floral - all bright blues and greens and reds and yellows with white backgrounds.  But I am done with them.  DONE I TELL YOU! (I keep telling myself and my husband and other people and yet I still haven't done anything about it.)  I am going to look for someone to strip it for us and prep the walls and then we will paint.  I think we haven't done it because we DREAD the idea of stripping the wallpaper.  I think I would rather stick an icepick in my eye then strip wallpaper.  (Any my sincere apologies if I've brought up painful memories for any of you who have stabbed yourself in the eye with an icepick.)

There are many other projects we need to do with the bathroom/kitchen, but those are going to have to wait for a while.  In the meantime, I have to --- I HAVE TO --- make that kitchen reflect my current aesthetic.  Somehow.  Some way.

Chances of getting this job done?  VERY GOOD, if I can find someone to strip the wallpaper at a reasonable price.  And….I have no idea what a reasonable price might be.

5.  Replacing the bookshelf under the living room/sun room connecting window with a set of bench drawers (or would it be drawered benches?) that will be a long banquette kind of thing in the sunroom for the dining table.  Similar to this picture.

Here's what it looks like now.  

Again - it was perfect when the sunroom was like a little family room, but when we kicked the dining room out there so we could have a library, it didn't quite work for me anymore.  (yes, I used the pronoun me, not us, because frankly these are all my ideas and Worker Bee is just along for the ride).  That room was so cute - I had it filled with bent willow chairs and tables, a cute tan and green striped couch and floral pillows and the bookcase was filled with books.  Didn't have a blog then, so I never really took pictures of it - or if I do they are in another project box - so you will just have to trust me.

And will I actually get this project done?  The odds are on this one are the lowest because Worker Bee is not on board.  He is worried that one day we will have a very entertaining dinner party and someone will throw their head back in laughter and go right through the window and die.  (He can be such a party pooper.)  But I have gently reminded him that we have the same set up in the kitchen and no one has found us to be so hilarious that they have thrown their head back into the window and shattered the glass and died.

Plus I have lots of furniture to paint!!!  

Please wish me luck on at least getting the craft studio done!  I'm itching to make some things and I don't want to start if I know I'm tearing the room apart!

Thanks for buzzing by for a visit!  It's always so nice to know you stopped by.