Restored Bedroom Suite

This post is exciting to me because it one that I have greatly anticipated. Most of my other projects have been completed within a week but this furniture make-over has taken a good bit of time. The general labor didn't take any longer than expected but with all the crazy weather in Alabama recently, I was constantly dragging these very heavy pieces to and from the garage. One of my mom's best friends had this antique dresser/mirror and bed in her basement and asked me if I would want to fix it up to sell. I had so many ideas and I was so excited to finally get to put them to use. While the furniture had a very pretty structure and elegant engraved detail, it was definitely in need of some work. 

The top had a laminate coating on parts of it so first off, that had to go.

The legs were part laminate as well so I removed it all.

I had never used an electric sander, and while it was much faster than a sanding block, the thing was quite powerful. After I got used to it, I decided it was definitely a tool that I would be using from now on.

I decided to skip the pictures of the primer stage because primer just isn't all that pretty or interesting. I chose the base color to be a creamy white called "Woodlawn Lace" and then I added a brown glaze to accentuate the ornate detail. I used the electric sander again to distress the edges and then sealed the furniture with a polyurethane coating.

For the drawers, I wanted to add a stripe that was still in the neutral family but would create a soft contrast against the base color. I chose a shade called "Toasted Almond" which is a grayish/beige color. I felt that the stripes were defined, yet subtle. 

The little key hole adds such elegant charisma.

I really liked the original hardware because it shows the age of the furniture.

I just love how the combination of the glaze with the distressing brings out these details.

As much as I loved working on these pieces, I have to say the staging of the furniture was just as rewarding. What a fun job that would be!

Of course, Presleigh had to be part of the project too. She thought it would be a good selling factor.

Once everything was complete, I could really stand back and admire the bedroom suite. If only the bed were queen size, my current bedroom furniture would be for sale and this would be mine. My favorite part of the make-over would definitely be the dresser. I am in love with striped furniture and the simple colors are just my style. Now I'm on the lookout for a piece in my house that would be a good candidate for the same sort of striping action. 

Linking up at Wow Us Wednesdays, Furniture Feature Fridays

Happy Mother's Day!

Happy Mother's Day to my amazing mom! She is so beautiful, inside and out, and I will never be able to repay her for all that she has done for me. I am so thankful have such a strong, wonderful woman as my role model and best friend. I love her more than she will ever know!

Presleigh Belle

Generally, Presleigh finds my blog to be a complete waste of time. But when she heard about Debbidoo's Pet Linky Party, she insisted that I show case her pictures from the very beginning. The above pictures wes taken the day that I got her. She was 3 months old and so very shy. I was already in love with that sweet little fur ball.

I got her in the middle of football season so, of course, she had to have an Alabama cheerleading outfit. I'm sure that is how they won the National Championship.

This was Presleigh's first Christmas picture which was included in the Christmas cards.

This was an attempt to get a Christmas picture of both Presleigh and my Shih-tzu Zhoe. Presleigh was being camera shy. Maybe she was embarrassed of her Christmas pajamas.

This is one of my absolute favorite pictures of Presleigh. Look at that innocent little face. It is the wallpaper on my Macbook.

Thankfully she grew out of this phase. She used to insist on jumping on my stomach while I was doing crunches. I think that she thought she was helping.

She looks like such a girly girl with her pink butterfly bow and pink blanket. Looks can be deceiving because she is most definitely a tom boy. I used to fight her with the bows. I gave that up a long time ago.

Presleigh loves being on the bed with piles of blankets. Of course a bone just makes it that much better.

This is hilarious. We came in the room to find her dead asleep with all of her paws in the air and the boyfriend's visor around her waist. 

Family picture of me, the boyfriend (Presleigh's daddy), and Presleigh.

It doesn't get much cuter than this. I love them both so much.

Presleigh was tired after getting a haircut.

Her hair gets a little crazy when she's been playing hard.

Valentine's Day 2011

I was actually trying to take a picture of the rug to sell on Craigslist but Presleigh thought it was all about her.

Sun bathing...

She is convinced that she should be a model.

Sleepy, sleepy girl. 

Now we are heading over to the Pet Party to check all of the other fur kids.

Also linking up to Funky Junk Interiors Pet Party.

Blocks and Burp Cloths

In my last post, I wrote about organizing tons and tons of fabric. In the process, I found some very cute prints that I thought would be perfect for making a baby gift. It just so happens that one of my college roommates is pregnant and having a baby girl. I decided to use a variety of material to make soft fabric blocks and matching burp cloths. 

I started off by choosing a variety of fabric to create 5 blocks. I made a 5.5" square in Microsoft Word, printed it for my pattern. Next I cut 6 squares of fabric for each block, for a total of 30. Then I sewed (yes, I actually sewed these) all of the squares together, right sides facing, and stuffed them with Polyfil. 

For the burp cloths, I started with two plain white cloth diapers. Then I chose a few of the fabric patterns that coordinate with the blocks to create a layout for the front side of the cloth. I added a button and a little loop of ribbon so that they could be hung in the nursery or attached to a car seat or diaper bag. 

This is probably one of my favorite projects that I have made lately. I was also quite proud that I sewed almost everything by myself. I did scream at the sewing machine a few times before I remembered all the tricks of the trade. I really liked the burp cloths because the ones sold in stores, although just as useful, all look alike and are all boring. But, the blocks are what really excite me. They are so soft and fuzzy and perfect for a girly nursery. Plus, the are much safer for a baby than the original wooden variety. Maybe I will try a set of baby boy blocks next.