And we're back!

We took a couple of weeks off from home improvements to head home for a visit.  Now we're back and it's full steam ahead.  The countdown to P-day (parents arriving for their first visit to the new house) is officially on.  7 weeks and counting!

We're still working on the kitchen - will it even be finished!!??  And I've been in a picture hanging frenzy.

I hung the first pictures in the second guest room. 

These were cheapo frames from Michaels and a $5 scrap booking pad from Big Lots.  I picked the pages with the patterns and colours I liked the most. What took the most time was hanging the frames so they were evenly spaced (maths hell!!).

I finally hung the London Underground map I'd framed a couple of weeks ago.  The print is wrapping paper, and was only $3.95 (www.paper-source.com).

It's hanging right above the sofa in the living room.

Below are the three pics I've hung in the dining room.  These have been up for a while and are, surprise surprise, more wrapping paper!  What can I say, it's just such good value!

Pirch on the porch

I can't believe we have been in our new pad for over a month.  It feels like we have accomplished so much but there is still a whole load more to do.  In just a month, we have gone from this:

To this:

Ok, so it looks exactly the same from the outside, but we have made lots of changes on the inside!

One of the things that drew us to our house is the curb appeal.  The front porch that runs the full length of the house could will be a perfect spot to watch the world go by.

I've had a peek at the neighbours, and adding a few pieces of furniture seems to be safe.  I don't want some pikey trying to nick our stuff!

I'm thinking hanging baskets, maybe a couple of rockers or a bench, and some nice planters on each side of the door. 

I've ordered the house numbers in the pic below from Pottery Barn (super sale and free shipping, jackpot!).  And I'll be scouring the thrift stores in the next couple of weeks to track down some rockers.

Watch this space!

Oh Deer

I am officially jumping on the stags head bandwagon (sounds uncomfortable!).

I'm not too keen on a beady eyed woodland creature looking down on me while I eat my tea, so I've gone for the silhouette variety.

This was the easiest thing to make.  I Googled "stag head silhouette", printed it out, traced it out on the black paper and cut around the outline with my Xacto knife.  Cream paper underneath, stick it in a frame and I was done.  Jobs a good'un.

Kate

xxx

 

See more crafty ideas HERE

Have a seat

I've been in search of a desk chair for a few weeks (I'm also in search of a desk!), so when I saw this one on Craigslist for cheapo I snapped it up.

The blue bed sheet upholstery and slightly battered appearance aren't exactly what I had in mind.  But with my newly acquired spray painting skills (watch out Banksy) I am up for the challenge.

I'm planning on painting it white and then reupholstering it in some kind of funky fabric.  It will eventually be in the living room.  These are my options so far:

Robert Allen Jacquard Ikat

Braemore Emperor's Garden

Waverly Santa Maria Desert Flower

Swavelle/Mill Creek Glamis Oasis

Now all I need to do is get on with it!

Headboard Heaven

And we have a headboard!  I literally dragged this baby the length of Target as soon as I saw it (I had only popped in for some throat medicine!). As always, I made a beeline for the clearance corner at the back of the shop, after a quick stop at the dollar isle.

I'd seen this headboard in the clearance section a couple of weeks ago, but it was over $200.  Still a good price, but way over our budget.  I was sure some lucky person would snap it up.

Today, I saw it was still on the shelf, but this time it was marked down to an unbelievable $77!!!  $77 - I couldn't make a headboard for that!  And lets be honest, if I could I'm sure it wouldn't look half as good.

I was keeping my fingers, arms, legs and toes crossed that it was the correct price.  Even the lady in front of me in the queue couldn't quite believe the price.  But sure enough, $77.

Bargain on the week!!

J&J Junk

Let me start by saying, J&J Junk is not for the faint hearted.  It is hot, it smells kinda funny, and it is dirty (seriously, pack your hand sanitizer). 

The front of the building is set out like a regular shop where they sell the 'new' items.  Almost everything looks like it came from the 80s and has a thick layer of grime to prove it.

Through a door at the back of the shop is where the real junk lies.  Shelves buckling under the weight of what can only be described as clutter.  An isle dedicated to plastic containers, a box of miscellaneous vacuum attachments, rows and rows of plates and glasses and cups.  There're trophies, wicker baskets, old suitcases, pots and pans, hair curlers, lamps, the list goes on and on.

The labyrinth of junk continues

I can only imagine they do a house clearance, shove the stuff on a shelf and there it stays until someone either buys it or breaks it (the isles are a little tight!).  Who knows what lay at the back of some of those shelves.

Of course I didn't leave empty handed.

I picked up 4 vintage Pyrex drinkups, 50c each thank you very much (they are currently being boiled).  A mikassa plate for $4 and a couple of old National Geographics for only 25c each.  If you ever wanted to get in on the decorating with National Geographics trend, this is the place to start.

With a little imagination could become:

Elle Decor

Mirror mirror on the, well....floor!

The dining room stallion was nowhere to be found when we moved in to the house (how could we forget to add that to the terms!!), but the gold mirror to the left of this pic was.  Woo hoo, free (if a little ugly) stuff!

The gold, however, had to go, and the mirror quickly became my number one candidate for my first try at spray painting.  I wanted gloss.  A lot of gloss.  I was picturing something like this one from Z Gallerie, but a little less frou-frou.

I grabbed a $4 can of Krylon spray paint from Walmart.

I taped, and taped and taped some more until the mirror was completely protected, then got to spraying.

One coat in, and a lot of gold was still showing through, but everything I'd read said more lighter coats are better that one big thick dribbly one (not sure they put it quite like that, but you get the picture).

Coat two and the frame was starting to look good. 

Coat three and the obnoxious gold was completely covered. 

I sat it aside for a couple of days to dry completely.  And this is how it looks now.  I'm amazed at how well it came out.  Turns out spray painting is surprisingly easy.  The plan is to hang this somewhere in the hall.  I think.  Maybe.