Painted Stairs

Yes...I live in a 1950's ranch. I have no second story, which means no stairs. Boo. My dear friend Penny lives in an fabulous 1920's Tudor with an awesome set of stairs. If I were her, I'd whip out the paint and go to work...



Houzz

Pink Persimmon

High-Heeled Foot in the Door



Turquoise, Tulips and Bliss



and I most definitely would paint the stairs from her basement like this:



Sixty-Fifth Avenue



or even like this:

Addicted to Decorating

How can you not smile walking up those everyday? Most likely though she doesn't want my input...

Rachel :)

Oh, the places you'll go!

A few weeks ago I wrote about a great trip to my local Habitat ReStore. I spent $6 that day...$1 on this fabulous project. Here's where the other $5 went:

Yes, It's an old window. I love going to this ReStore. They know me by now, but every now and then an unfamiliar face will help me. That's what happened on this day. When I asked how much the antique window was he replied, "$75"...ok I thought, we'll see. I found my familiar face and asked him. You guessed it, $5. The window was great! It took me a few minutes to clean it up, give it a quick coat of paint, and screw a few brackets in the back. This is what I did with it:

It's a map I cut out of a piece of cork for us to pin all the places we've traveled. The Smurfs and Mr. T love it! I found the inspiration for this on my most favorite site, Pinterest, and tracked it back to Carmen at Life Blessons. It's awesome!!

Rachel :)

My kind of remodeling

If you are a regular reader of this blog, you probably know that Rachel and I are complete opposites.  She remodels her house, I remodel my jewelry.  You've seen how she does her thang...now here's how I do mine (well, actually, I have about 5 people that help me with my process).

I'm a private jeweler at Ascot Diamonds.  Right now, I'm working with a client on an engagement ring. His mother gave him her 1.70 carat round diamond to use for his fiance.  He wants to create a new custom setting that is more his girlfriend's taste. This is the picture he sent me of the ring he wants to copy.

This is such a simple design that Margie, the woman who HANDCARVES our waxes, could do this in her sleep.  For those of you who don't know, all handmade jewelry starts out as a wax.  Literally, it is the design carved out of wax.  It's then sent off to be cast in the metal of the client's choosing.  Once it's been cast, it comes back here to go through the finishing process and have the stones set.  All in all, it takes about 5 weeks for a custom piece.  

Personally, I am fascinated by this process and could sit and watch Margie for hours.  It gets on her nerves, though, so I don't.  Stay tuned for the wax...she's almost finished!

XOXO,

Marlene

Antique Ottoman

A few months ago my favorite aunt gave me an antique ottoman. When I took it I had no idea what to do with it. If crafty, sewing, saw using skills are passed down, I got them from her. She told me it would be an easy project, but I didn't believe her because she ALWAYS says that...that woman is handy!

To be honest, in sat in the carport for several weeks. A friend stopped by one day for a visit and asked if she could buy it...ummmmmm, no. I figured it was time to do something with it. I am pretty sure my favorite aunt had envisioned me taking it apart, properly upholstering it, and putting it back together. I have to admit, I'm not that talented. I went into my fabric stash to see what I could find. A few minutes later I came up with a scrap piece of burlap. Oh yes, it was just large enough! Slipcover here we come...

so...those are before pictures...here's the after:



  

  

Right now it's hanging out in the kitchen under the windows. It's a great bench / step stool / dog stool / kids seat. It cost me $0 and took about 10 minutes...joy!! Love those legs!

Rachel :)

  



Check Us Out!

Want to catch up with Accessorize and Organize today? Check us out at Remodelaholic where they are featuring my new breakfast nook!! I hope everyone had a great 4th!

Rachel :]

The Big Reveal...Farmhouse Table

Oh yes...I love it in my breakfast nook. But I'm saying goodbye to my firstborn first built and sending it to live a happy life at the beach...

Happy Birthday Mom!

Rachel :)

Tick Tock, Watching the Clock...

The next morning I opened my vinegar jar (outside) waiting for something great to happen. I got nothing. Then some sizzles and bubbles started working their way to the top. It looked liked vinegar. It smelled like vinegar. I started to paint the vinegar on the very new, very pretty pine. Here's the time frame for the color...

brushed on

5 minutes

10 minutes

20 minutes

30 minutes

1 hour

2 hours

Super easy. Super smelly. Great results. I was ready to apply to the table top!

Rachel :)