Drop Cloth Curtains

Y'all, I have impressed myself. And let's be honest, its such a rare thing! I normally like to think that I have pretty good ideas, but I have a hard time seeing my ideas through to fruition; not from lack of trying, just from lack of ability. These drop cloth curtains were so easy and cheap that I now have a false sense of confidence and feel like I am the next Martha Stewart #totallykidding

First thing I did was measure how wide the doorway is that the curtains would cover and also deduce that we have 10 foot ceilings. Based on my math (which I'm horrible at), I decided to get (2) 6x9 canvas drop cloths...oh, and they run about $10 a pop from Lowes. Score! If you happen to visit the Lowes in Greenville, don't expect much help. Being 9 months pregnant and easily exhausted, I asked an associate where their drop cloths were located..."In the paint section" is the response I was given. I almost replied with, "No s*%t Sherlock, I'm asking what isle number!" I found them, without help.

 Once I found the drop cloths, it was time to decide how to hang them. I had seen some options for using a hole puncher, but just as a personal taste, I hate curtains with grommets or anything resembling grommets, insert handy Oil Rubbed Bronze hooks. Since the drop cloths are heavier than most curtains, I got (3) 7 packs of the hooks below. I used half the hooks on one curtain, and the other half on the other...the leftovers, I added to the rod in an even matter. Things have to be proportional, at least in my brain they have to be. I placed each hook 6 inches apart from the previous hook.

To give the curtains a more polished and finished look, I folded the drop cloth over approximately one foot at the top (there was already a natural fold there from it being in the packaging, so it made it super easy!) and then added my hooks.

And the final result:

I am a huge fan of the pooling curtains at the bottom and the folded over edge at the top. Again, I have impressed myself! The hardest part of the whole ordeal was trying to get the support brackets into a wood paneled wall. Let's just say I said some words I'm not proud of, but no one was there to notice!

*Now I guess it's time to address the electrical outlets that have no covers.*

Master Bedroom: Update

Since we've moved into our 1970s ranch, the master bedroom has never felt masterly(?) It has one strangely narrow window that doesn't allow too much light in, electrical outlets are in the strangest place, and so was the cable cord. We easily could have had the cable line moved, but we found out that DirecTv now charges over $100 to move a line...I"ll just tuck it under the carpet myself then, thanks.

I've been racking my brain and slowly trying to transform the master bedroom into the ULTIMATE MASTER RETREAT for the Tater and I (and Norman.) On a cheap budget as well.

Here's the master bedroom before:

Boring, lackluster, doesn't really scream: come snuggle and watch TV. But all that is about to change.

Step one: windows!
I've always wanted patterned curtains, but I never found any that really struck my fancy.
Insert Target. I browsed their curtain section for over an hour comparing prices and patterns and just wasn't having it. I then ventured over to the shower curtain section.

Hello lover. Gorgeous shower curtain for half the price of curtains, but still do the same job. Count me in. So yes, we are using shower curtains as actual curtains. We have no shame.

Cute panels at Target were around $40 per panel! Shower curtains, only $20 per one. You do the math.

Then came the bed. We have a green-ish duvet cover that we bought years ago, but it just wasn't cutting the mustard anymore. Again, insert Target.

While searching though their bedding section, I happily happened upon their clearance bedding.
We have a queen size bed, but I couldn't find a queen duvet on sale :(
BUT, I found a king size duvet (regular price $125) that was on sale for $25.
This, my one or two blog readers, was the Target gods smiling down at me.

When I got home, I told Tater, if you need me, I'll be locked in the bedroom - turning it into a master retreat. Tay said ok :) and went right back to studying.

There were some bumps in the road: knocking the curtain rod out of the wall, Norman constantly jumping on the bed and hindering any progress I made, but in the end, we now have a master bedroom that actually resembles a bedroom.

Forgive the not perfectly made bed, but like I said, I have a 150 pound dog that would not stay off of it. He apparently thought that the new bedding was for him, and who am I to tell him no?

Also, we opted to not use a headboard in this house, but the blank space between the window to the bed was killing me. I have an aversion to blank walls. Blank walls make me think that no one lives there :( I wasn't having any of that!

I've seen similar ideas floating around on the Internet and decided I could easily one-up those other guys. First thing, my name begins with an E. I googled E dictionary pages and found one. Same for Tater's. I then uploaded both photos into Photoshop Elements (an online FREE editor would work as well) and just placed a big T and a big E. Then print. And voila. For the ampersand, I just googled ampersand and weeded through the 6,000+ results.

Dollar store frames and a cheap headboard-ish artwork for blank wall hating self.


Here's a bit of a closer look:

FREE Photography Printables!!

Aren't things better when they are free? I surely think so. I've been scouring the internet trying to find something that I can't quite put my finger on to spruce up the home office area. Well I found a few things. Probably a few too many to be honest. I've just been hanging on to them, but now, I've decided to share. I passed Kindergarten with flying colors :)

 I have no idea why I like this, but I do.

I think it would be precious in a nursery.

 And hello to you, gorgeous. 

 I'm starting to like chevron backgrounds.

 And, of course, I had to throw in a bit of Johnny Cash. Obsessed? No, I'm just an avid fan.

Dresser Re--Do

My sweet hubs, Tater, as I affectionately call him, has been a nurse for years now. His closet consisted of scrubs. Every color, every size, every style. Now  he's dropped his nursing title and has adopted the title of full time student. School means dress code. Which means Tater needs more clothes; not scrubs. Which means I had to find room for said new clothes.

Enter Craigslist.

The Craigslist dresser. Missing handles, broken drawers, and scratched to smithereens.

In other words, right up my alley.

The top of the dresser was in rough shape. I thought (naively) that I could use some Old English furniture polish/scratch filler to update the dresser. The dresser disagreed. It ended up looking spotty and old and unloved; which sort of broke my heart. I always think that inanimate objects have feelings. I'm weird in that way, please don't judge. 

As I stated before, the dresser was in rough shape. The drawers were broken; fixable, but broken. Step one was to take everything apart and assess the state of the dresser.

The dresser actually is very sturdy, once those stubborn wheels were removed!

The drawers; removed, sanded, and painted.

The handles and wheels. Notice the wheels were nonexistent :(

The top of the 'new' dresser'

The top drawer was falling apart. And the drawer bottoms were made or particle board. We tried nails, finishing nails, liquid nails, nothing worked. BUT, I happened to have bought these fancy drawer pulls from Lowe's. I decided to take the entire drawer apart, scrap it, and just use the front of the drawer, for aesthetic purposes. Plus, the top drawer now serves as a great place to lay out clothes for the next day, which I am a big fan of!

The new dresser, next to our chest of drawers.

I know what you're thinking. Wow, that looks odd. Well we needed more space for clothes, and I am totally against putting a dresser in the closet. Number 1, who would see it (after all my hard work to make it pretty?!) And number 2, yes, you created space by putting a two drawer dresser in your closet, but also lost the shoe space...I need the shoe space :)

Another Project

I know the photo quality is lack-luster. This was taken in a hurry with my cell phone.

So there it is. My latest purchase, and my soon to be next re-do. At the moment, it's a dresser, but it won't be that for long. If and when Tay and I move, we will need a TV stand. And I prefer old wood over modern glass any damn day of the week. So I got this gem for $50 on Craigslist. After researching, this piece of furniture could go from $150-$300! Not like I'm going to sell it once I'm done, but still, makes me know that I got a good deal.

Yesterday after work, Tay and I ventured to Byhalia, MS, about 30 minutes east of Southaven. Knocked on the door of the address I was given via email. Buying things on Craigslist is sketchy! A fella about my age opened the door, eating Ramen noodles out of his child's Winnie the Pooh bowl :)
I politely said, "I'm here about some furniture."
"My wife knows all about that, you probably better speak to her."
Wife comes to the door, hair slicked back in a greasy ponytail. Not your standard, I'm not showering today ponytail, but the kind where it looks like it's been a couple days since her last date with some shampoo and soap. AND, she was wearing a t-shirt with Leonardo DiCaprio and Kate Winslet from Titanic. Oh Lord, Tay and I have stumbled upon white trash - and before you get offended, I say that in a general sense. We all have our white-trash days. No shower, embarrassing t-shirt, no shoes. BUT, when you know that someone is coming to your home, take a shower, put on a decent shirt :)

After some friendly chit-chatting, money was exchanged, and the dresser was officially in my possession! It was a long ride back to Southaven, my husband is smart, but not very bright sometimes...he didn't secure anything down and the dresser rattled the whole way home :(

Maybe I will find the time (once I finish editing engagement, wedding, and newborn) to jump feet first into the next project. Stay tuned!!

Craigslist Conundrum

I don't know about you, but Craigslist is becoming my own worst enemy. It's a furniture saving vortex that sucks you right in and never lets go! It's like going to garage sells and flea markets, all from the comfort of your own home, sipping coffee and wearing pajamas. And I guess people can do that at actual garage sells, but not this girl! I know there isn't a dress code, but I think one should definitely look presentable when venturing out in public :)

 Take this vintage dresser. I'm in love. I think its amazing. If and when Tay and I move, we will need a TV stand. I hate modern glass TV stands. Hate, loathe, despise...I'm sure you get it. I find this on Craigslist and promptly email the seller. Number one rule on Craigslist, if you want your items to sell, list you phone number, or please be sure to check your email. I emailed about said dresser at about 1:30 yesterday afternoon. Would you like to know when I got a response? At 8:00 this morning, tell me that other people are interested in it, but I'm more than welcome to come by and look at it. Honey, I would have purchased it yesterday, had you just checked your email!! Arg, Craigslist frustration!!!

And remember, I think it's hideous now. It looks like it's been beaten to death and hung out to dry. But a little love, along with some sand paper and paint, could turn it into a great TV stand for the hubs and I.

Fingers crossed it doesn't fall through.

Here's another gem I found online, but it's a tad bit more expense, and by a tad bit more, I mean $100 more. Gah, no thanks, my Craigslist addiction is OK because I only buy cheap stuff. If I start buying the expensive stuff, the hubs would have a fit, I would get into trouble, and my Craigslist privileges and Pinterst privileges would be revoked. We cannot let that happen!

New Entryway

The above picture is our current entryway. I think it's OK. When we first moved into this house, we just placed things and then hung pictures appropriately. Now, two years later, I'm sick of the current entryway and decided it was time for a make-over. Not to mention, Tay HATES the Wizard of Oz print. He played the Tin-Man in a small production of the play, hence why I got the print...it never grew on him. Shame on you Tay.

This table has been around as long (if not longer) than I have. I remember it being in our living room growing up. I never particularly cared for it, but when I left for college and needed a table, I thought it would suffice.

Little ugly green table, you are lucky. Mama is going to give you a make over, and ergo, love you all over again.

I first started by lightly sanding the table, just to ensure that the paint would stick. Once it was sanded, I wiped it down with a damp cloth and let it dry. Now, it's time to paint!

I bought a pint of antique white paint and got down to business. 

Midway through the process. After one coat, it was still looking too 'streaky.' I added on another coat and things started to look a lot better.

The new drawer pulls. On sale from Hobby Lobby. Yes! And they look so much better than the current wood ones. 

The finished drawers. After the second coat of paint dried, I got coarse sand paper and started sanding the edges; letting the original green paint shine through. I also sanded where normal wear and tear would be. I tried hard not to over sand. Sometimes, we equate lots of sanded area to an antique. To me, it just ends up looking like a new table that was over sanded!

Loving the new drawer pulls.

New entryway complete. And it only took a couple of hours. The pallet I've had for a few weeks, and finally decided it was time to paint it and make it my jumbo picture ledge. The pallet make over was simple. Once again, all I did was sand it to make it smooth and make sure no snags would happen, then just threw two coats of paint and voila!

I'm so proud of the new entryway! Though I did have to get Tay's help to hang the pallet. It was a bit too heavy trying to hold it up and hang it!

A Shelf Just for Norm

I've realized that having a new puppy is worse than having a baby. A new baby won't poop all over your house, but neither does Norm, we watch the little booger like a hawk.

Norm needed his own space for all of his stuff. Not his 'home' but a place to put his treats when he does business outside.

So, Hobby Lobby here I come!

I bought this little shelf and used a coupon, oh yes.

Once I got home, I got out the Scrabble game, and my camera.

Cut to about ten minutes later, and Norm has a shelf for his stuff.

And of course, there is a picture of my first Mastiff, Dudley, on the shelf. Even though he is long gone, he's the whole reason I fell in love with Mastiffs and in turn, my sweet Norms.

Normally, Norm sleeps in our bedroom in his crate, but it's a chore to drag it back out the living room the next morning. So, Tay, resident in house genius, decided we keep Norm in the living room, in his crate, and buy a baby monitor. Genius, Tay, genius.

I do not like this runner, mama, I do not like it.

I just chew on it, ok?

 Norm thinks he's a human, and loves to nap on the couch.

 I'm watching you, I'm always watching you.

 And the only time I'm not watching you, is when I'm asleep. I love the cool kitchen floor.

 Running towards the camera.

Look, We Got Crafty!

Some wonderful fellas that I work with gave me a pallet. I was thrilled. I was planning on making a very large picture frame/picture ledge. These guys loaded the pallet into my car after work one day and I brought it home. Tay took one look at it and decided he needed a coffee table/desk for his new office. As my step-mother put it, "Why does Tay always win?!" Come to think of it, he does...oh well. I actually agree with him, we need a study area for him, so I gave in.

We went to Home Depot and got 3x3's. We got paint. We went to Lowe's and got brackets for support. We bought a hand saw. We were on our way to start our very first crafting experience.

Cutting the wood to make our legs. And yes, we are cheap. We don't have a saw. The hand saw was super cheap and got the job done, no judgment please. Thank you. Then we ventured outside and let the hard work begin. 

We first had to sand it all down to get rid of the splinters and also to make the paint stick a bit better. I was sanding, but picked up the camera for a moment to document the process.

Sanding complete. Time for paint. Since Tay chose what to make, I told him I get to pick the color. Everything in our house is a burnt orange/reddish color. It's my favorite color and I gravitate towards it like crazy. I veered away from it and picked this very random blue. I think it will complement the orange-ish tones throughout the house, hopefully.

While painting, we didn't want to coat it. We liked the little inconsistencies in the wood and thought it added a bit of character. Did I mention that this paint dried super quickly? Amazing!

See, I did help! I actually did everything that Tay did, put someone had to document the process! And please disregard the yoga pants (I don't do yoga, they are just super comfortable), the RUN DMC t-shirt, the glasses from 9th grade and the hair. This was late afternoon and I'd just gotten home from work and all I wanted was comfortable clothes!

 We got some long nails and put the legs on. We then added the screw for extra support. And about 30 seconds after this picture was taken, Tay lost control of the drill and shaved a whole lot of meat off my thumb. I immediately put pressure on it and looked away. Out of sight, out of mind you know. He then looks at me, "Oh God, are you OK? Are you bleeding?" I was afraid to look so I said no, no blood. Then I took pressure off. A geyser of blood in the backyard. Yep. Just at that exact moment, DirectTv decided to call and see if we are happy with our package. Tay, my sweet husband, politely says, "I just accidentally caught my wife with a drill. We are happy with our package, thank you!" I'll spare you a pic of the thumb, but all is well. It stopped bleeding and a trip to the ER was averted. Thank the Lord.

Our first crafting experience. Yes it's sideways, this was before we put the support brackets on there and didn't want to chance breaking our 3 hours of progress. All in all, we are proud. It's level. It's a huge writing surface for Tay. It works. Now to get some glass for the top and there we go.

P.S. What Tay doesn't know is that those nice guys I work with got me another pallet. Here I come picture frame/picture ledge!