new year, new look

As a new year approaches I always feel the need to make changes.  I'm not always able to keep some promises of change, but this I was able to accomplish.

A big thank you to Lauren of Designer Blogs for her hard work and patience in putting together a new look for Recaptured Charm.

Here's to 2010 !

A Little Reflecting at the End of the Year

 A little reflecting is right!

When I got this mirror it was so dirty that I didn't notice the scratch it had right down the middle.  I brought it home, cleaned it up and saw the actual mirror was beyond hope.  I really wanted to use it as a mirror and just fix up the frame but that wasn't going to happen.

No reflecting for this baby!  So what do creative bloggers do with  a non reflecting mirror?

I had considered putting some batting and a wonderful fabric over it and just using it as an interesting piece of art...but it was just screaming chalkboard... so that's what I did.

I painted the frame in white and then applied a homemade concocted brown glaze over it and wiped it off.

This beauty would surely show amazing on a dark wall,

but as I don't have a dark wall in my house, this will have to do.

(YUP.. I'm already cleaned up from Christmas!  Ha!)

Merry Christmas to All !

Merry Christmas Everyone!

Have a safe and happy holiday.

Thank you to all who visited and to all who welcomed me  into the

wonderful world of blogging.

Here's to the New Year ahead, filled with friends and creativity.

A Wine Cozy

During gift giving season when we show loved ones how much we care, it's also nice to show our appreciation to others who are always eager to lend a helping hand.  Here is a bottle of wine I'm giving to my favourite plumber, who always comes to my rescue  (like the other week again!).  Thank you Tony!

I started with a clean favourite old sweater, (getting a little too old to wear).

Cut off the sleeve a little longer than the length of the bottle.

I also cut a round piece from another part of the sweater. Instead of sewing up the bottom with one seam I sewed the round to the bottom of the open ended sleeve.

This stops the bottle from teetering on just one seam at the bottom.

Decorate as you like!

Merry Christmas Tony !

Table to Ottoman

Some things are just meant to be.  Like when you walk into a Goodwill store and spot a table for .99 cents..99 cents!

As per usual, my before picture comes about an hour into the project, but here it is anyway with a coat of paint on the lower part.

So for .99 cents we decide on an ottoman project (a project new to me, strictly trial and error)  Cut some plywood to fit the table top.  Do this carefully as Coco the Foreman inspects everything.

Measure out where you would like the buttons to go.  We decided on 5.  Drill holes.

Use adhesive to stick foam to the plywood.

Remove cat from batting and cut a piece larger than foam and fit around it.

To keep the cost down on this experimental project.. I used a drapery panel that was on sale at Walmart for the covering of the ottoman.  I ironed it up, and cut it to fit.

Using this little package of contraptions to make covered buttons, proved to be harder than expected.

I tried using a long needle to thread the buttons from one side to the other but that just wasn't going to work. Nothing was long enough.  Instead I took a thick gauge wire and stuck it through the wood and foam to the other side and then looped the end and dragged the thread back through.  On the underside small buttons were used as stoppers and the thread was tied off.

Flip it over and screw the table top to the ottoman bottom.

Wait for daylight.. and take pictures

Don't think I didn't slice into that Panettone as soon as these pictures were taken!

Coco is exhausted!

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Hoping for a chance at an awesome coffee bean bag pillow, this post is entered at Funky Junk Donna's Saturday Night Special  (here's hoping!)  Click HERE to go over and see what's goin' on !

 

A Few Of My Favorite Things..

Each year when I pull out the Christmas decorations, there are a few things I just can't wait to unwrap. This little Santa is my most favorite.  He has been with me from house to house and stood proudly on each kitchen counter every year.

I always lean up real close and stare in the windows of  this little village.

Console "Take Two" or is it Take Three ?

Well so much for waiting till after Christmas to redo my console table.

Everytime I walked by it, I liked it less.  So, back to the garage it went.

Sand, sand, spray, spray spray, sand, sand.
If you're interested in seeing the first mess I made of this table click here

Here is the FINAL version..

So let's refresh shall we ?

Original

to this

to this

to this

and finally this

I'M EXHAUSTED !!

Merry Christmas!!

And without the Christmas decorations..

The "When in Doubt" Console

I picked up this console table in the summer and in my garage it sat... and waited... and collected dust.

It  wasn't in good shape at all.  I'm sure this table saw a few rainy days at that outdoor market before I bought it.

Ok... Here's the thing with this console table...

(see if you can see where I'm goin' with this)

#1    I sand it down and paint it white.

#2    I distress the edges.

#3    I like very much... and bring it in the house to decorate it.

#4     (Notice the newspaper on the floor) 

I decide its too white and on a whim I glaze it right there in the hallway

#5     I decide I like it

#6    I decorate it

#7     I take pictures

(keep up with me now...)

#8   I take pictures from all angles

# 9   I stand back and stare at it.....

(are ya following me?..)

#10   I hate it.

Stay tuned for the Post-Christmas Post on this console table when it gets yet another makeover!