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Life Is What Happens When Your Busy Making Other Plans

I’m sure many of you have heard the saying…. Life happens when you’re busy making other plans… boy, that has taken on a new meaning for me…. so much has happened over the passed few years (since my last blog post) which I would love to share with you. It involves, travel, leukemia, a miracle, a move, retirement, plant based diets, finding a balance in life (I’m an all or nothing person!) and so much more.

My blog used to be about decorating… I’ll still continue with showing you my projects, but it’s also going to be about what God is showing me, how He has changed me as a person through leukemia and a true miracle. I’m facing the challenge of taking care of myself, trying new and very different recipes… what I’m doing in life today!

Hope you will join me!

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5 Ways to Reuse Old Doors

By Sommer Poquette for Home Depot

When you look at a door, do you ever wonder how many people have walked through it and who they were? Think of an old farm house and the hardworking farmer that shut and opened the door early in the morning before going out to the barn. If only doors could talk, the history they would reveal!

When I see an old door at a garage sale, antique store, on the side of the road or at a flea market…I wonder. I wonder about where the door came from and the story it might tell. Something about old doors and windows intrigues me. I hate to see them thrown into a landfill. It’s like their story ends, but it doesn’t have to.

I like to give old things a new life-making something vintage into something usable, like making an old door into a chalkboard. If you have an old door or happen upon one while traveling, here are five unique solutions for reusing it and making it not-so-old anymore. Okay, it will still be old, but it will be usable and can continue telling a story-just a new tale, of sorts.

Photo Credits: Chris Hoyt of LanguaTravel.com

Create Raised Bed Planters for Your Garden. If you have old panel doors, you’re in luck for gardening! Chris Hoyt and his wife of Langua Travel used three old 10-panel doors to create 30 separate planters for their raised garden beds. They removed the glass and affixed them to the top of their raised garden beds. What a wonderful way to utilize old doors!

Photo Credit: Blitsy.com

Restore an Old Door! It’s tempting to go buy a new door (and sometimes you have to go that route) but often you can make an old door look fresh again with some good old-fashioned elbow grease. That’s what Meghan Quinones of Blitsy.com did; she used elbow grease and a fresh coat of paint that had a pop of color to give her front door new life. She could have just bought a new door, but her old one was unique and just needed a good scrub, sanding and some fresh paint.

Photo Credit: Sommer Poquette

Turn an Old Farm Screen Door Into a Bedroom Mirror. I’m a sucker for anything from a farm house, which is why when I saw this old screen door turned into a mirror, I knew it was meant just for me. That’s what I told my husband anyhow, and now I get to look at it each day in our bedroom. I’m always wondering where it came from and how many times it was slammed or how many children came running through it giggling. Oh the tales I make up!

Kids Play House. Any old door will do when it comes to a child’s play house or tree house. Mark, the co-host of My Fix it Up Life, the show and blog, recommends using old doors for the roof and walls of a child’s play house. Of course, there are challenges with this, depending on the project and the age of the door. He recommends you use a lead test kit for safety because the older the door, the more likely it is to have a coat of lead paint, which can be dangerous to young children. He says the flecked paint looks vintage but may also be poison, so invest in a lead test kit for extra safety.

Photo Credit: EveofReduction.com

Make an old Door into a Table. Cristin Frank, author of “Living Simple, Free & Happy,” gives a step-by-step tutorial on how to reuse an old door to make a coffee table. She’s also the blogger behind Eve of Reduction, and I asked her why she likes to reuse doors. Cristin says, “I like the furniture in my home to tell a story and have that element of discovery.” She also tells me that it was an economical and resourceful way to furnish her home. I couldn’t agree more! Making something old into something useful gives your home a unique element of style.

If you’re like Cristin and I, you like your home to tell a story, and you’re into saving money while furnishing your home. These five ideas for reusing old doors are just the tip of the iceberg. The possibilities are endless! Upcycling, repurposing and making something old into something new is creative and fun! Hopefully these ideas will inspire you to think twice before buying a new door to replace something old and will make you stop and think about that old door you eyed at the flea market. What could you turn that old door into?

Sommer Poquette is a mom blogger who writes about her DIY projects, including upcycling, for Home Depot. If you’re enthusiastic about Sommer’s second-time-around ideas for doors and are also scouting around for a new door, you can visit Home Depot’s website at www.homedepot.com/b/Doors-Windows-Doors/N-5yc1vZas82.

Photo Credits: Noted under each photo and linked within the text where appropriate. If not noted, they’re courtesy of Sommer Poquette.

Buffet Turned Into an Entertainment Center

Hey Everyone! Hope you are all having a wonderful and relaxing summer!

It’s been pretty quiet around here. We took a wonderful Disney Cruise to the Caribbean the last week of June. That was so much fun! There were 15 of us and my 6 grandsons had a wonderful time! I will post pics…. but first I want to show you what I FINALLY finished.

I bought a buffet a few years ago for $120. It was in beautiful condition – my plan was to paint and sell. As I was painting it, it dawned on me, “Hey, this would be a great entertainment center”. I proceeded to paint it in cream and black and put it into our tv room. (I actually have a tv room now… I was tired of our great room being all about the tv!) Best thing I ever did!

I had our wood finishing guy come out and install piano hinges on the doors and then my husband mounted the tv to the back of the unit (which swivels and pulls out) and there it sat for another year….

I’m not fond of the hot summers here in Fresno…. so I have been trying to work on projects in the house. Yesterday, I finally decided to finish this project up! Here it is:

I can’t believe how long I procrastinated finishing this project up. I had the fabric, staple gun and everything! Guess how long it took me to put the metal inserts back in and staple the fabric in? One hour. That’s it! One hour! And I put it off for over a year! Sheez…. hate it when I do stuff like that.

I used a brand of paint called Caramel Colors (Wisteria and Peppercorn) and the BEST PART? No primer underneath (yay!). I sanded and sanded, wiped it down and finished it off with Annie Sloan’s dark wax.

Here it is with the doors folded back and and open. The TV can be pulled out and swiveled and rotates up and down.

I’m lovin’ it!!!

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Mixing the Old With the New

Hello everyone! Life has been very, very busy with grandchildren, decorating, painting, and vacationing. Loving life! I can’t believe that I’m going to say this, I LOVE BEING IN MY 50’s!!! It’s pretty cool :-).

I apologize for not having posted since January! Yikes!!!! I have been so busy…. lots of projects to show you.

Here is one that I’m particularly proud of. I have a new client who wanted me to do something with her mother’s old chairs. The problem? Her tastes are very modern and she loves animal print. My thought? “How in the world am I going to pull this one off?”

Here is the before:

After…

It was amazing how the details in this chair came out once it was painted and distressed.

My client LOVED them!

I thought they looked pretty fabulous in my dining room
up against the red walls.

Pretty exotic looking, don’t you think?

And of course I had my favorite sidekick watching me the whole time…

I hope everyone has a wonderful three day weekend.

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Red and Turquoise Baby Girl Nursery

Happy New Year!!!!

I hope that you all had a wonderful holiday.

We started our December off with a trip to the Cayman Islands. My hubby has work there every year and I gripe and groan about going because I want SNOW and COLD WEATHER and I want to decorate and sip a hot tottie while gazing at my beautiful Christmas tree! So every year, I start on my band wagon, I complain about all the gifts that need to be purchased, about packing, about what time our flight leaves…. yup, I’m a real delight to be with…. and he still wants me to go! BUT, once we get there… I’m in heaven. Staying at the Ritz Carlton is HARD WORK PEOPLE!!! Do I lie by the pool or on the beach? Do I have a salad or a sandwich for lunch? Rum punch or a beer? Anyone hating me?

But then, I get home and Oh Lord, the craziness and stress kicks in! I have to say, this year I had all of my gifts purchased before we left. That helped a lot with the transition from vacation into Christmas mode. It was a crazy December (hence why I haven’t been posting) but I’m back on board now.

Before Thanksgiving, I finished decorating a nursery. I had been wanting to do a room with red and turquoise. When I was contacted to decorate a nursery for a baby girl I immediately thought… oh good! This is my chance!!! Baby Ryan’s Mom, Kelsey was more than excited about the nursery being red and turquoise.

I painted their old crib red. Love red cribs.

I had the drapes and bedding made.
Home Fabrics has such amazing material.
The red and white material was $7.99/yd.

Kelsey found the dresser on Craig’s List.
It was a laminated Ikea changing table.
I repainted it and added wood knobs
that I painted with polka-dots.
You can see how I did it here.

I painted and used old frames that I found at thrift stores.

The light is from Target that I purchased for $23.00.
I added a small banner and some trim.

I found the carpet at Home Goods for $149.
When I saw it, I knew it would be perfect for
Ryan’s room.

Kelsey also found the glider on Craig’s List that I painted and had recovered in the same fabrics
that were used on the bedding.

I made the “Ryan” with canvas, fabric and wooden letters.

Shelves will be mounted above the glider.

I will post a tutorial soon on how I did the canvas letters and the banner.

Have a fabulous week!

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A Birthday Cake For Jesus

A tradition that we have held near and dear to our heart through the years is celebrating Jesus’ birthday. The kids always loved singing “Happy Birthday Jesus”. I have to admit that there were times there wasn’t a cake (like the year the kids spread frosting on their pancakes instead), but we always took the time to sing Jesus the Happy Birthday song. We didn’t do anything fancy like what I’m posting here today, but we always sang and read about the birth of Jesus. (Luke 1-2)

Here is a great way to have a meaningful celebration with an object lesson that uses the cake to teach the plan of salvation.

Picture Source: Roadside Relics

Supplies Needed:
•1 or 2 layer chocolate cake
•white frosting
•angel figurine or sugar cookie
•12 red candles
•star
•plastic evergreens

1. Begin by talking about birthdays, what they mean and why we celebrate them.
2. Tell the story of Jesus’ birth either in your own words or with a story book. For older children, have them read it from the bible (Luke 1-2)
3. Now share with the children why Jesus came as you assemble and decorate your birthday cake.

Roundness of the Cake:
The shape of the cake is round with no end, showing that God’s love is never ending. He loved us so much that he sent his only Son to die for our sins
(John 3:16)

Darkness of the Cake:
Before knowing Jesus, our hearts are like this dark cake, and we couldn’t get into heaven with our hearts so full of sin
(Romans 3:23)

White Frosting:
As you frost the cake explain that God did a wonderful thing when he sent his Son, Jesus, to die for our sins.
Now all the darkness is covered up, and Jesus washes our sins white as snow.
We are pure white in the sight of God.
When we ask Jesus to forgive all the bad things we’ve done, we are white like this frosting.
(Romans 6:23)

Angel Decoration:
(Place the angel decoration on the cake or have a child do it.)
The angel reminds us of the good tidings that were brought to the shepherds that night.
It also reminds us of the good tidings, or good news, that we can bring to others.
(Luke 2:10)

Star:
(Place the star decoration on the cake or have a child do it.)
The star reminds us of the star in Bethlehem and how the Wisemen followed it and worshiped the Lord Jesus.
It reminds us that we should worship and follow Him everyday.
We can do this by praying, reading our Bibles and going to church.

12 Red Candles:
(Place the candles on the cake.)
The red color reminds us of Jesus’ blood that was shed for the forgiveness of our sins.
Because he died and rose again, we can have eternal life and go to heaven if we believe.
(Romans 5:8)

Light the Candles:
(As you light the candles, say…)
Jesus can shine in our hearts if we just ask Him to be our Savior.
The 12 candles remind us to let His light shine every month of the year, not just at Christmas time
(Matthew 5:16).

Evergreens:
(Place the evergreens around the cake.)
Evergreens around the cake remind us of something living and growing.
If we have accepted Jesus into our hearts, we are going to grow and get to know Him more.
How can we grow to know Him better?
By praying, going to church, reading our bibles and sharing Him with others.
(John 15:5 or 2 Peter 3:18).

Now, light the candles and sing Happy Birthday to Jesus.

Source: Devotions In Motion from Mary Rice Hopkins and Company – Contributed by Leslie Ratliff

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Simple Turkey Cookie Ideas

I hope everyone is having a fabulous weekend! This past week has been very busy for us…. new hardwood floors in the den AND I was lucky enough to find the perfect sectional couch that was a floor model (that means a good deal) AND I didn’t have to wait 6 weeks to get it!!! I have also been busy finishing up a china hutch that we have turned into a media cabinet. I promise I will show and tell as soon as we are done. Our cabinet guy is coming to finish up the hinges on the doors and I need to put the final finishing touches on it!

This week, my plan is to get the fall decorations out and start preparing the house for our family who will be coming for Thanksgiving. I’m so excited to have everyone together for a long weekend. I love watching the grandchildren together. They haven’t seen each other since summer so they will have alot of catching up to do!

Last year, I purchased turkey cookies for my 6 grandchildren. This year, I’m going to make them. I have found some really cute ideas on the web. Haven’t decided which one I’m going to tackle, but I’ll let you know when I do :-).

1. Frugal Coupon Living

3. Source Unknown

7. Pillsbury

Have a wonderful week!

Poster Board Christmas Tree

I’m re-posting my Cone Christmas Tree Tutorial from a few years ago because I have had many, many requests for the instructions (which I’m thrilled!). Yesterday, I blew it and accidently deleted 3 of the emails that had asked me for the tutorial (ugh!). I’m hoping that you will see this post, and if you do, please send your request again. I promise I’m not ignoring you! Just had a senior moment :-).

Hello friends and family!

Forgive me for being absent for so long… just got back into the country on Monday and have been playing a little bit of catch up. Fall decor is down and boxed up. Tonight the Christmas decorations will be hauled out of the attic and unpacked.

While I was gone, I received two emails from a fellow blogger demanding that I remove my “Cone Christmas Tree Tutorial” from my blog. She had posted the instructions 2 years ago (I posted mine last year). This year she has decided to sell the templates so I need to remove my instructions. She believes that she is the ONLY ONE IN THE WORLD who has come up with the method of making the template, using the tack/pencil/strip idea. In my defense, my Mom and I made a Christmas Tree Skirt years ago using this method. You can also use a piece of yarn or string (similar to a plumb line) and you will get the same outcome.

Since being home, I have received 2 threatening emails from her attorney. I would love to be as catty, malicious, and ridiculous as my fellow blogger, but after a few days of praying, I’ve decided to take the high road and remove the instructions to making my Cone Christmas Tree. My blog is not about making money, being the first in blog land to come up with an idea, or compete with other blogs. I do it for the enjoyment of sharing and meeting other wonderful bloggers. I just don’t want to be bullied. My husband was ready to go toe-to-toe with the attorney, fly us to Texas if need be… is it really worth it though? I mean, seriously? That’s the world we live in today folks. I’ve decided to not take part in this behavior. It feels very freeing and I’m proud of myself!

If you are interested in making your own fun Cone Tree, please email me and I’d be happy to share my version of making them. Just click on the envelope on the top, right hand-side of the column or click on the frame above that says, “Contact Me”.

I made 2 different sets of christmas trees. They are so easy and fun!

The above trees are not setting on a candlestick/pedestal.

Here are the ones that I put on candlesticks (pedestals). The embellishment on the top is a button that I found at Hancock Fabrics.

Challenging you to take the high road today!

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It Can Be Done – Painted Laminate Ikea Changing Table

Remember those polka-a-dotted knobs I showed you how to make here?

Remember how I promised that the next post would be the Ikea Changing Table that the knobs went on?

I believe I promised that almost a MONTH AGO! Ugh.

Well, here it is….

This was an $80 purchase off of Craig’s list.

Of course, I don’t have the before picture
(I never think of taking a before picture – which I need to work on).

Trust me, it was brown and and ugly and had fake knot holes.

I painted the changing table first with KILZ Premium Primer

KILZ® Premium Primer

This stuff is great because it prepares the laminate
to be painted with a latex paint.

PLUS it’s water and soap clean up!

Next, I lightly sanded it with 120 grit sandpaper to smooth the primer’s surface.
I wiped it down really well with a lint free rag and I was ready to paint.

I used a Valspar latex (satin) paint in a beige. I painted two coats and then distressed it lightly.

My last step was to add 3 coats of Polyacrylic to protect the surface.

This stuff is great. I use it on projects that have a “high” traffic area.

Next project is the crib.

I promise I will post the crib a whole lot sooner than I posted the changing table.

PROMISE!

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Red and White Polka Dot Wooden Drawer Knobs

I’m in the process of working on another nursery. I re-did an IKEA changing table (will show you soon!) and wanted to make some red and white polka dot knobs. My challenge was what to make the polka dots with… remember, I can’t even draw a straight line!

I found an awesome set of daubers that Martha Stewart makes.

Plaid Craft Martha Stewart Daubers

I purchased mine from Joanne’s, but Walmart and Michael’s has them also. They are perfect for making polka dots! With 6 of them in the set you can make different sizes.

Before I decided to make my own knobs, I decided to look around Etsy and get some ideas…. Oh My Goodness, just have to share some of the ones that I came across! They are adorable!!!