The Sunday Social 4



  Another weekend is coming to an end........and I must admit, I had a fantastic one! Then there is back to the doom and gloom of working tomorrow, lol.   Which is kind of funny that I am feeling that way because todays questions from Ashley Lately are about jobs!   1. What is your dream job? My dream job of course, would be to not have to work a job at all!  Growing up I wanted to be an Oceanographer, which may have stemmed from the fact that I didn't live anywhere near an ocean.  I was 28 when I finally did make it there!  My last dream job though was to be a photographer.  I love to take pictures and do my own editing.  We have never had our pictures professionally done and we do not buy school pictures.  Gotta love photoshop!! I now work in the title (house) business, which is very mundane, and not for me at all.  But it pays the bills.  To be a stay at home mother to my three children (whom are growing up very quickly now) is the only job I am actually interested in having.

2. If you had just won the lottery and didn't need to work for money, what would you do with your time? Aside from doing a little bit of traveling,  I would be home....all the time!  I would have a huge garden (flowers and food).  I would constantly be redecorating my house.  Anything crafty, and tons and tons of picture taking!

3. What piece of career advice would you give to someone just starting out in your field? If you are a creative person, then this job is not for you!  Not to be negative, but it gets very boring, and someone can lose interest very quickly.  But it is rewarding, and plenty of room for advancement.

4. What would be your ideal "just for fun" job? Photographer.  I love the freedom it gives you to use your imagination and creativity.  Aside from the enjoyment that you would be giving people with your work.  Pictures are very important to me, and I would like to give that feeling to others.

5. What was your first "real" job? Define real, right?  To me, any job that you are providing a service for someone elses benefit and getting paid for, is a real job.  You don't have to have a fancy college degree, of have some high position for it to be  a real job.  There are people who go through life, working in fast food, or at gas stations.......and while some people might not consider those "real jobs" because those are typically considered lower class positions, that doesn't mean they are not "real' jobs.   Can you imagine not having the convenience that jobs such as those provide to you?  Ok, done ranting, I try not to let my political views show on my blog.    
   

Dresser Redo Reveal!!!!!

After the five part series of showing you all the steps I took to redo this dresser.....I am finally going to show you the finished piece!!

 

If you want to know how I did it, I check out the links below:



 

 Dresser Redo Part: 1
Dresser Redo Part: 2
Dresser Redo Part: 3
Dresser Redo Part: 4
Dresser Redo Part: 5

Here she is before.  Missing drawer pull, shredded corner drawer and scratches everywhere!

 

I am just totally in love with this!  More projects in the works!!!

 

 

 

 

WIP Wednesday 9

 

This is a project that I almost didn't post........why......because Im not quite sure yet if I plan on finishing it, lol.

 

I have had this yarn in my stash for about two years now.  I bought it on the clearance rack at Hobby Lobby.  The color combination I am not crazy about, but at the price I couldn't pass it up.  So, its just been hanging out in the stash pile waiting for its turn to get hooked.

 

Since it is a cotton I started this with the intention of just using it for an extra rag around the house, then I thought maybe I would just make a quick granny baby blanket for "just in case".  Who knows, I put it back in the closet today, we will see how long it takes me to get it back out again, lol!

Dresser Redo Part: 5 (drawer pulls)

 Well.....this is the last step in my dresser transformation and it was the easiest part of the whole thing!  Below are the links to the rest of the posts of this project.  Click on them to see how I got to where I am at now with this dresser.



 

 Dresser Redo Part: 1
Dresser Redo Part: 2
Dresser Redo Part: 3
Dresser Redo Part: 4

When we got the dresser the top drawer was missing a pull.  Some of the other pulls were kind of rusty and gritty.  I loved these pre existing handles though, and didn't want to replace them.  Since I was missing one, I did have to buy new ones for the top drawer, but seeing it all together now......the mismatched handles just add more flair to the piece.

 

I washed all the old handles with soap and water, and scrubbed them down with a wire brush to get the grit off.  Once they were thoroughly dry, I stuck them into a piece of Styrofoam so that they would be raised off the surface.  This was a very handy step being that I was getting ready to spray paint them.

 

 

To freshen up the older handles, and make the new ones match, I chose this!!!  I wanted that old aged bronze look and thought this would be perfect.  Silly me did not test spray this product before applying to my handles though......and I got an unexpected result.  The color that came out was not the same as what was on the can!!!  Instead of being bronze, it came out more of a dark pewter color.  I ended up liking the color so I stuck with it.  Plus, this stuff runs about 8 bucks a can.  Lesson learned.

 

 

After letting the handles dry over night I reattached them to the drawers.  I was totally in love with the finished look!

 

Come back Saturday for the big reveal!!!!!!  Woot!!

 

 

 

 



Dresser Redo Part: 4 (distressing paint)

Welcome back!

This is part four of my dresser redo project and I am going to show you how I gave this lovely dresser a simple distressed finish.  If you happened to miss the first three posts of this project you can find those by clicking the links below:
 

 Dresser Redo Part: 1
Dresser Redo Part: 2
Dresser Redo Part: 3
 

 

I knew from the start of this project that I was going to be giving this piece a distressed finish.  Its a sauder dresser with a veneer finish so there was going to be no way of staining it back to a wood finish. With the damage that it had, paint again was going to be the only option.  The style of the dresser also has an antique touch to it, so distressing it was going to really bring that look out.

I viewed many tutorials from blogland, pinterest and google before attempting this part of the process.  Some made it seem really difficult, while others turned a free item into something very costly and time consuming.....all of which I wanted no part of.  So, I took bits and pieces from here and there.......and just kind of winged it.  The ending result I will say turned out just as great, and I am very pleased.  I have money in my pocket and the whole project I completed in one weekend!

I bought this from Lowes......it is the cheapest brand they carry and ran me about 10 bucks for the quart.  Seemed expensive being that you can get a whole gallon of paint for that price, but I only used a bout 1/3 of the can for the whole dresser.  That left me with enough paint to do a couple more projects to match, which I will show you at a later date.  It is a paint and primer in one, with a satin finish, which helped cut down on the cost and time.

 The color  I chose was Antique Lace.....the name was very fitting! Ok, so I started out with applying a very thin coat over the whole dresser.  Being that I was using a paint and primer in one, I was expecting a more solid look, but to my surprise, this was not going to effect the outcome.

So I ended up doing a total of three very thin coats, just using a standard 3 inch angled brush.  I allowed about 2-4 hours inbetween for drying time.  With the layers being so thin, they seemed to dry pretty quickly.  I let the last layer dry for a complete 24 hours before I started to distress the finish.

For the distressing I used a very fine grit sand paper. I went along the edges of the dresser and drawers, just lightly.  I tried to hit all the others that you would typically see wear at.  Since the dresser already had some nicks and dings in it, I hit those areas too.  Once  I was satisfied with the look, I cleaned up all the dust again from the sanding.

On most tutorials that I came across they used a sealant such as a polyurethane.  I decided to not do this last step.  I didn't want it to cause any yellowing of the paint, or add any more glossy shine to it.  This is piece is going to be placed in my bedroom so I wasn't too concerned with adding the protective coating.  However, if it is going to be in an area of your home where there is children or high traffic, I would def. recommend adding a sealant.




FO Friday

Whew........... almost didn't make it!  not that I didn't finish the WIP from earlier this week........I just almost forgot to post it!!!

 

 

So here it is .....Baby Jemmas new cocoon!!

 

 

Isnt she just the cutest thing you have ever seen!  So sweet!!  Love her to pieces already!

 



WIP Wednesday 8

 

Another week........another Wednesday.......and another WIP!!!

 

Welp, yesterday baby Jemma turned a whole big two weeks old!!  She has already changed so much and is just the cutest little thing ever!  This weeks WIP is another little something just for her!  At the hospital she was given a hand knitted cocoon (sleep sack) and she just loves it.  So, her mother asked me if I would make her another one.......and of course I couldn't say no. 

 

 

I decided that I was going to go with crochet because honestly my knitting skills consist of your basic scarves only.  Crochet also works up super quick and I wanted to get this to her this week.....and before she grew too much more!

 

I chose two different shades of pink that coordinate with her crib bedding and went with a double crochet to speed things up even quicker.  I didn't use a "pattern" for this, just sort of started out like you would make your basic hat.  I had seen the one she received from the hospital so I just eyeballed the sizing from that one.

 

This one will definitely make to FO Friday!!

 



Amazon.com Gift Cards to Celebrate a New Baby

7 Savory Pumpkin Recipes

The Pumpkin is like the unofficial symbol of Fall to me!  It is like the last thing to be harvested bringing an end to the growing season.  It is the most used Halloween decoration.  And when it comes to Thanksgiving..........it is usually the signature dessert on everyones table!  Yes, the pumpkin shows its face throughout the whole season of Fall!

 

So in honor of the Pumpkin,  I have compiled a list of 7 Savory Recipes for all of you to try!   Yes, savory......why not try something new this year with it instead of that old fashion pie. 

 

Enjoy!

 

 

 

Yellow Pumpkin Curry by Sri Lankan Recipes

 

 

Pumpkin Soup by Ever New Recipes

 

 

Pumpkin Mac and Cheese by Inside Dish

 

 

Pumpkin Chili on Myrecipes.com

 

 

Caribbean Pumpkin and Rice Casserole on Tastykitchen.com

 

 

Maple Roasted Pumpkin Salad by Recipe Girl

 

 

Savory Pumpkin Dip by Gimme Some Oven

 

 

 

 



Dresser Redo Part: 3 (fixing shredded sauder)

We are now on part three of my dresser redo!!!  If you missed the first two segments then you can find those HERE and HERE .  I cant wait to be able to reveal the finished product to you, but that is going to have to wait!

In this post I am going to show you how we fixed the corner of the drawer.  This was probably the most difficult part of the whole project, but we did it, and it looks great!   

 

 

 

This dresser is made of pressed board, sauder or what ever name you know it as....it is not a solid piece, but it does have veneer as the top layer.  If this had been a solid piece it would have been a less scary project to me.  I must say though, that it was a little easier than anticipated.

 

 

 

The first thing we did was sand down some of the roughness of the shredded sauder just to clean it up a bit.  Because the material is so fragile, we did not do a lot.  We then applied Elmers Wood Filler, as you can see in the above picture.  There are a lot of good and expensive products out there that are similar to this, but we chose this one.......probably the cheapest one at the store.  We applied it on pretty thick and tried to stay with the shape of what the corner was supposed to be.  Then we waited for it to try, as directed on the package.

 

Once we were sure that it had dried to a solid piece, we began sanding and shaping our new corner.  We did this by hand to  make sure we didn't take too much off and that we were getting the right shape.  It was kind of tedious, so you just have to be patient and work carefully.

 

Once all the sanding and clean up was finished, we applied our first coat of primer/paint.  It is not a perfect corner, but I would say that its as close as we could have gotten!  If you didn't know that it was fixed, you would never be able to tell.

 

I am very pleased with the results that we got.  I can say now that I am not afraid to buy a piece sauder furniture to redo!



7 DIY Fall Leaf Projects

I was always say that Summer is my favorite season.......but when Fall starts to approach I find myself saying that it is my favorite season, lol.   Just another one of those things that I can not make up my mind about I suppose! 

 

I do love Fall though.  The cooler temperatures mean time for snuggling and time for breaking out all my favorite boots.  With less outdoor activites going on I get to do more inside crafts.....and its also the first hint that the holidays are coming!

 

My most favorite thing of all about Fall though..........is the changing and falling of the leaves!  It is natures art!  All those beautiful colors and shades........I just love it!  And then........your left with the mess to clean up in the yard, lol. 

 

Ok, so instead of dreading the raking of all those leaves, think of it as collecting supplies!  I have here 7 DIY projects that will surely put some of those great leaves to use!  Check them out, all links have tutorials, and they may help inspire you to come up with a creation of your own!

 

Leaf bowl from Gembobs Crafts

 

 

Crafts for all Seasons

 

 

Simple As That

 

 

Craftiments

 

The Thrifty Abode

 

 

Lifestyle Justice

 

 

Savvy Sugar

 

 Our leaves have yet to start changing or even falling for that matter, but I can not wait till they do! Free new home décor here I come!! 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Shop Amazon - Fall Outlet Event

WIP Wednesday 7

Just a quick post to show you the progress that I have made on one of my previous WIP's.  The Tree of Life baby blanket that I am making for my niece!

 

 

The blanket is basically down now.  Im waiting to find out what she is having to add either some pink or blue on, but for the most part its done.  I also would like to add some leaves.  That is going to require a trip to the craft store.......maybe I will do that this weekend!

 

This is one project that I cant wait to give away!!



American Sign Museum

This year for Employee Appreciation Day at work we got to go to the American Sign Museum....it was amazing!  I never heard of the place before, and thought it sounded pretty boring to be honest, but I was blown away!  So, I thought I would share a little bit of my experience with you!

 

 

The whole inside of the building was set up to look like a town, complete with brick roads and fire hydrines, store front windows.......and the whole shebang!

 

 

Anyone remember when burgers were 15 cents????  I know I don't.....but wouldn't it be nice if they still were???????

 

Another product that I have never heard of before......Bubble Up!

 

There were so many neat things to see here.

 

If you are ever in the Cincinnati area, I recommend that you check out the American Sign Museum , take a trip down memory lane.   You might be surprised some of things that you forgot about as times keep changing!

 



Dresser Redo Part: 2

If you missed Part: 1 of this fabulous furniture makeover, you can find that HERE.   Be sure to go back and check it out!

 

The first step was to fix the damage!  So we pulled out all the drawers and took off all the hardware on them.....and broke out the sander!    For this I had to get some help from the boys.  I have carpal tunnel and the vibrations from the hand sander really aggravate it.  They love power tools so it was no problem recruiting them.

 

 

Since the dresser was only veneered, we couldn't sand all the scratches out or restain it so I decided that we would be distressing it for the finished product.  We only did a light sanding to take off the shine, and help the paint stick.

 

 

We hand sanded the crevices that the sander could not get into.  Be sure to use a fine grit sand paper so that you don't end up with big scratches.  When dealing with veneer, you only want to remove the shine!!

 

When all the sanding was completely finished we used a shop vac to remove all the dust.  Then we wiped the whole thing down with a damp clothe to pick up everything the vac did not.  Being sure to get into all the tiny crevices!  There would be nothing worse than adding paint and having clumps of dust appear!

 

 

Part: 3 I will show you how we fixed this chewed corner!!!!!!  The end result will amaze you!