Fixer Upper House: A Coffee Table Makeover

Our coffee table had seen better days.

We purchased this furniture from Value City back in the year 2000 or so. American Signature Sea Island Pine. I still love it, too. But the table really took a beating. Kids scratched it, husbands used it as an ottoman, little boys who shall remain unnamed pushed a knot of wood out of one corner. It was a mess.

And then we brought home a puppy who is part mountain goat, and things went downhill from there.

My husband started talking about getting rid of the table completely.

I began to think "If it looks this bad, then anything I do to it can only improve it, right?"

For starters, I cleaned the whole table with Simple Green.

Next, I got some DAP plastic wood putty and got to work.

I over-filled the missing knot hole, then  let it all dry.

This stuff goes on pink and dries natural.

The next day, I sanded everything.

Including the filled knot hole area.

Then I cleaned the surface, removing all grit, and laid a coat of Minwax Polyshades in Mission Oak.

First coat came out a little drippy, so I let it dry overnight and then lightly sanded and applied a second coat.

Here you can see first coat next to the old stain color.

And then second coat, which is darker and richer.

Now, it was time for two coats of Caromal Colors ReClaim paint in Licorice. I love that stuff!

And voila. A totally transformed coffee table!

My husband could not believe the difference when he came home!

The table, paired with our rug that we swapped out last week, looks so nice! It gave the room a coziness that is perfect for the colder days ahead.

Now, the table has a classic yet updated look. A little rustic, a little traditional combined.

The licorice black color of this addition to the family room now ties in with the kitchen chairs in the adjoining room. A big improvement!

I figure I saved several hundred dollars when compared to the cost of a new table. Hooray for savings!

Thanks for visiting the cafe today! And don't forget to visit Sunday's post for a chance to win some blog candy!

Fixer Upper House: A Kitchen Window Refresh

If you are like me, you probably spend a lot of time at your sink...washing dishes, cleaning out dog bowls, filling water bottles for puppy walks.

I try to make that window a pretty place to be. While I cannot completely control the view (grrr, don't get me started), I can control how it looks from the inside, right?

This is how the window looked at Christmas. I've had the red checked valance for a long time. I think it was from my St. Louis house, so we're talking eleven years now. It added a little pop of red for the holiday, but in a lot of respects it was a little dated in style.

I've been looking at tailored window valances online, something classy and timeless that would bring together all the colors we've used in the downstairs remodel. And I found a few at Country Curtains that fit the bill, but wow...the $60 price tag had me putting that update off for another day.

I was shopping at one of my favorite consignment shops in Noblesville, Indiana...Logan's Antique Mall. I spotted what looked like a lovely piece of fabric tossed into a basket on the floor of one booth. Intrigued, I went over to inspect it, and lo and behold it was a tailored kitchen window valance FROM COUNTRY CURTAINS no less!

And I loved the colors! The blues and greens and beiges that we've painted in the downstairs rooms, along with some warm yellows and russets to match the existing wood trim!

Here's the real blessing: TWELVE dollars! Sold!

I hung it on a cafe rod from Target, and instantly sighed with happiness!

I love how the drying hydrangeas on my windowsill bring out the earthy greens in the valance!

In the grand scheme of things, this was not a big refresh. It won't make or break the sale of the house. But for me, I think that windows look a little more finished with a curtain, and fabric always brings a softness and texture to a room that is appealing.

When I find a bargain like this, I try to remember that I'm not "lucky". I'm blessed! Blessed beyond measure!

Blessings on your weekend, cafe friends!

Fixer Upper House: A Weekend Landscaping Project

As many of my blog readers already know, I'm not a fan of this house. Never have been, never will be. It isn't just the house itself that has me less than enamored. It's also the corner lot that gives us the feeling of living in a fish bowl. No privacy. And to make matters worse, we are fish living in a bowl that looks out upon our neighbors' overflowing garbage...day in, day out.

So this weekend we worked at Operation: Privacy Hedge. Something tells me Luke had not planned on spending his day off this way. Love ya, Luke!

In many areas relating to this house, I am a bargain shopper. I patiently waited for these arbor vitae to go on sale. And finally, they did! Marked down to half off of their original $45 price tag at Home Depot. Yea! We did have to drive to two stores to get the right amount, but in the end we saved quite a bit.

We have been blessed with pretty mild weather this late in the season. It has made it an optimal time for planting. Ed and Luke dug the holes, added some amended soil and mixed in the original soil, then covered the area with fresh mulch. I will continue to water until the beginning of December, just to help them get established.

We opted for the Green Giant variety, which is a super fast growing specimen. And as you can see in the above photo, we need them to grow...fast!

We also installed some plastic deer screen to protect them, not from the deer, but from the giant Yeti that roams free in our yard.

This wild beast has been known to chew branches, trees, shrubs and plants, while using her huge shovel paws to dig her way to China.

These bushes will not block our view any time soon. Our hope is that they will grow and present themselves as a future privacy hedge for the next owners. That is, if Miss Shovel Paws will let them be. That remains to be seen.

Another project crossed off our To Do List! I would love to have this house market-ready by early spring of next year....just in case we have the opportunity to relocate...to my Urban Oasis home in Ann Arbor...just as soon as HGTV calls to tell me that I've won.

Hey, it could happen! :)

Blessings, cafe friends!

That Thing You Can't Pass Up

The last thing I needed to buy...china dishes. Seriously, I have boxes of inherited china in storage that I don't know what to do with, so we schlep it from house to house. Not the sort of useful, pretty china that would look lovely in any decor. Noooo! We're talking fancy froo froo china with gold trim adorned with Greek goddesses. One day, I will unload that stuff at a consignment shop. I promise myself that it's not going to make the next move with us.

So yeah, the last thing  I should be buying is china.

And yet these three china plates kept calling my name. I found them at the Butter Barn Antique sale the last time I was in Ottawa Lake, Michigan. Mom told me they looked like me and I should buy them. Well, if Mom says so, then I must.

I think I liked them because they have a sort of Fraktur motif that appeals to me.

Three little vintage plates, less than ten dollars in total, relatively cheap. I figured they'd barely take up any room if I had to store them.

But I really don't like storing things. If I buy something, I want to use it. I found the perfect spot to display these sweet little plates. I paired them with an old sampler I'd made many years ago that had the same colors. Now these little china plates make an artful arrangement for a wall that needed a little something in my sun room.

When I sit on the couch with my puppy and look into the sun room, this view makes me happy. One year ago, this view used to frustrate me to no end.

Learning to be content in this circumstance. That's progress!

Surprise Sunflowers

When you feed the birds, you will invariably feed chipmunks and squirrels and other animals that visit your yard, too.

I've been feeding quite a few chipmunks this season, and it looks like they've left me a thank you gift!

I noticed these a few weeks ago, growing near my potting table. Hmmm. Could it be? I decided not to pull this "weed" and just let it grow.

I love sunflowers, but I don't always have the best luck with them. It seems the rabbits love them as much as I do, and will usually eat them before they can grow and bloom. But these sunflowers must've escaped their attention.

I will admit, I never would have thought to plant them here, but I'm so glad the chipmunks did. It looks like the perfect spot for an autumn garden display.

Thank you, chipmunks!

Two Pumpkin Spice Knockoffs You Can Try At Home!

Have you been to Hobby Lobby lately? Not only do they have all the fall decor out now, but they also have all the holiday decor...Halloween, Thanksgiving, and yes, Christmas.

I'm a sucker for the autumn decor. Pumpkins, leaves, sunflowers, acorns, woodland animals, plaids and woolens, scarecrows, crows...I love it all.

This sign was so stinkin' cute, and because it's Hobby Lobby, the price is reasonable, too. But do I really need it? Yes, I drive an orange Subaru Crosstrek that the family has nicknamed "Pumpkin Spice". And yes, I really liked the sign. But did I want to store it for the other three seasons of the year?

That's when I had the brilliant idea...use my chalkboard and make my own sign!

How fun is that? Good for this season, and I can change it later!

Pumpkin Spice season is such a wonderful time of year! But honestly? I'm not a huge fan of Starbucks Pumpkin Spice latte, or PSL as it is so lovingly nicknamed. It has an aftertaste that's a little more than I need. And now that I'm trying to stay on a healthier nutrition plan, I've been staying away from the Starbucks coffee most days.

Today, however, I'm in a pumpkin spice mood, and I thought I'd try my own PSL concoction. Here's what I used:

I purchased the Watkins Pumpkin Spice extract from my local Walmart. I brewed a cup of Senseo dark roast coffee, then added a packet of Truvia, a teaspoon of pumpkin spice extract, a good splash of warmed vanilla 30 calorie soy milk, and a sprinkling of cinnamon. Mmmm! Yummy! Just a hint of pumpkin and spice without the overwhelming flavor. Perfect!

Happy Pumpkin Spice Season, cafe friends!

The Fixer Upper House: A Spruce Up For The Guest Room

My husband used to refer to our guest room as the Granny room.

Ouch.

He had a point. It was the hodgepodge room of our house, with a few elements thrown together that never made for a cohesive whole.

A twin bed and quilt from the last house's guest room, thrown together with another twin bed and another quilt that didn't match.

A little pumpkin orange, some aqua, some red, some black. Like I said, it was a hodgepodge. If I could have found another pumpkin quilt or black quilt to match (originally from Walmart's Better Homes and Gardens collection), I would have made it work. Alas, they were no longer available.

Time to go with a new color scheme.

After careful consideration and extensive scientific methods, we picked a paint color for the new room. Sherwin Williams Watery...because we already had a gallon left over from when we painted the dining room last year. Use what you have, right?

Ed painted the room last weekend, and I did the spruce up. Here it is!

Wow! Now that's a big improvement!

I should also add that this was a top down renovation. New windows, new trim, and a new ceiling fan where there was once a dismal light fixture.

The bedding and duvet covers are from IKEA. I love the coral/pinkish/salmon color paired with the blue. This room is a little more feminine in nature, I will admit. But when you live in a house of men, you have to mix the masculine with the feminine. The coastal color palette of this house, paired with the woodwork, is a little more masculine. I try to balance that with a good dose of floral and pattern, as I did here.

There were a few existing elements that were red in this room, so I used this palette to tie them together. The red night stand from my mother is one of them.

And this little red child's chair and desk were from my husband when he was a boy.

I found the perfect spot for my new vintage tole tray. Eventually I will get it hung on this wall above the desk, but for now it works. I did have to buy some new lamp shades from Walmart, but I think it works much better now. Clean and simple.

The wall over the beds needed something to tie it all together. I decided to use what I already had to create a gallery wall. An old vintage oil painting paired with some of my Alfred Meakin china plates. Love it!

I purchased these disc hangers (made in England) from Hobby Lobby, and they work great for hanging dishes on walls without all the bulky metal hardware.

This is the smallest bedroom in the house, but now it feels so much bigger and more expansive with this lighter brighter color. In terms of real estate, I often like to paint the smallest bedroom in a color that would make a great nursery for a potential buyer. I even staged a room as a nursery once using Sam's old crib, a hutch, and a few carefully placed toys and stuffed animals from storage.

Another project crossed off the list! And just in time, too! Family is coming to visit us for this Labor Day weekend, and now I will have a pretty place for them to stay.

Thanks for visiting the cafe today!