farmhouse table makeover

I had bought my farmhouse table a while ago with the intentions of it being a project that I needed to do at some point...almost a year later I am finally getting to it. This table is a very nice well built table but there were some things I was not very happy with aesthetically speaking. I had immediately reupholstered the chairs from a very ugly floral print to some fabric I already had and loved. I was pleased with the chairs and the legs of the chairs and table but not the table top. The wood top was a light blonde color and did not pop against the base and just wasn't my style or preference. I had originally thought about removing the top altogether and putting 4 slats of wood instead like I had seen many people do on pinterest. Then I thought why waste a perfectly nice piece of wood? So I got my electric hand sander out and sanded off all the finish and previous stain off the top and then sanded the sides and little crevices by hand with a sheet of sand paper. It took about 2 hours but this step is very important because you have to get to the base wood in order for it to take the stain. I then applied one coat of dark walnut stain and let it dry. Then I put another coat of stain and did it heavier in some spots then others so it would give it the aged/distressed look. After that dried I put a coat of poly on. I really like the outcome and it looks like a brand new table. It only cost me $20 for stain and poly.

                                                                           Before

Sanded down

After

farmhouse sink update

Hey everyone! I've been away from the blogging world for a while...just been so busy enjoying life with my 3 year old son and the newest addition, my baby girl :) ,enjoying the beautiful weather that has been long overdue and been busy working on home projects! I thought for my first post back I would update on my last post which was my 1940's farmhouse sink. I got it for a steal on Craigslist for $50 but it did need a little tlc. My husband and I wet sanded it down and then re-enameled the whole thing. It was a very long process that took a few weeks but it was well worth it in the end. Here is the final product...

It fits perfectly where the old sink was and I used my old faucet which also fit wonderfully. I used to have a double basin and I was worried about going to the single but I love it! I wash the dishes in the sink then I have the 2 drain boards on either side to put the clean dishes for drying. Its super easy to keep clean so not only is it easy on the eyes but it's very functional as well. I have wanted one of these sinks forever so I could not be more happier with the outcome and it gives my kitchen so much added character. It's one of the first things people notice and compliment on...and they can't believe the price when I tell them. When I shop I have to score the bargains because I'm a stay at home mom and on a limited budget. But honestly I think I would bargain hunt even if I didn't have to because it's such an addiction finding something magnificent for so cheap. Does anyone else get that rush?? My husband says half the time I buy things I don't really need but I get them anyway just because I get a good deal on it. haha Somehow I don't think I'm alone in that. Anyway it's good to start to blog again and I hope everyone is doing well..love reading all your blogs on a daily basis and love finding new ones to read!

farmhouse sink

I have always wanted the old farmhouse sink with the washboards on each side. I have looked for many years but they have always been too expensive or the one in my price range is always in really bad shape. Finally I found one that only needs a little work for...wait for it...$50! I was beyond excited! It needs a light sanding and then we are going to refinish it with a couple coats of an epoxy and put my existing faucet on it. I will have less than $100 in it. My husband and the kids and I  took a 45 minute drive to get it on valentines day. We all had a nice dinner downtown and got coffee at the cutest little shop after. It was the perfect valentines day!! My husband says only I would be excited to spend valentines day getting a sink...it doesn't take much to make me happy!

The only concern I have is I hope I didn't get spoiled with the double sink and now not be able to function with just the one sink basin but this one is a good size plus I have the sides to stack dishes:) I'll make it work. Ill post more pictures as soon as we get it finished and installed so stay tuned. Hope everyone is having a good week so far!

my favorite cabinet

Hey everyone! Hope ya'lls week is going wonderful so far! The weather here has felt like spring the last few days and now that I have had a little taste of it I couldn't be more ready for the warm weather to stay for good...not too much longer:) I thought I would share one of my favorite pieces i have in my house! I love this old cabinet mainly because my grandfather built it. He passed away years ago but was a fabulous furniture maker and I cherish every piece I have that he made. This one sits in my living room by the front door and houses a lot of my favorite goodies that I like to display (and I like that they are behind glass so the kiddies don't get them:))

It fits perfectly under my stain glass window. I've put things such as some of my old glass jars, my willow tree angels, vintage stars, picture of my husband's grandfathers dump truck from way back when, family pictures, vintage glass doorknob, white bowls, wire basket and metal signs.

There was no paint on this when my parents gave it to me. It was just stained a dark walnut color which was pretty but to better go with the rest of my decor I painted it white and distressed it to give more of the vintage feel. I added a wire basket with wooden handles and silver pots with flowers on top because it was too bare without anything.

I love that I can tell my kids that my "Pop" built this many, many years ago. This is a very special piece that will remain in my home forever and ever!

dining room

My last post I put pictures of my new corner cabinet in the dining room so this time I thought I would show my whole dining room. After adding the new cabinet I got inspired to change a few things around. This room is very small and always seemed dark to me so I've tried to add lighter colors to make it feel happy and bigger than what it really is.

The chalkboard that we write the menu for each night on

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My wood cities sign (would like to visit all these places with my family eventually) and my stained glass window that hangs from the opening overlooking the living room.

My cactus that I wrapped in burlap and sat on my breadboard and wooden tray. I've changed the centerpiece for this table numerous times but I like this one so far. The green adds a little color to the room.

I got so excited about changing everything I even reupholstered the dining room chairs in this neutrals striped pattern. I went to the fabric store and was immediately drawn to it. Overall I'm very pleased with the outcome, although I'm sure I'll still continue to rearrange..it's in my blood:)

I hope everyone is having a good week so far. The weekend is in sight!

corner cabinet

I found this adorable little vintage white corner cabinet at my local thrift store for only $30!! I was beyond excited because I had been looking for something for a while to display some of my goodies. The problem I have is my dining room is on the smaller side and the table takes up much of the space. A regular china cabinet would make it feel too cramped for the person sitting at the end. This corner cabinet is perfection because it doesn't interfere with any of the chairs and is tucked far enough away that there's still room to walk by it and not feel claustrophobic. I've displayed some of my ironstone pieces and Pfaltzgraff plates and some of my wooden treasures mixed in. I added the locker basket on top to give it more height and to hold my linen napkins.

I love that now I have a place to put my "pretties" and I can change and rearrange as often as I like. It made such a difference having something against the back wall to look at upon entering the dining room.

repurposed old window

Right when you walk into the living room there is a good sized wall that sits behind our sectional couch and its the first thing you see. I have always tried to find the perfect "something" to put on this wall but have never been happy with what I've came up with. It needed to be something pretty big that gave a presence. The other day I went to the garage/outbuilding we have at the bottom of the driveway (that I never go in because its creepy and full of spiders) to find my husband and when I walked in I saw the piece I had be searching oh so long for. Ironically it had been at my house the whole time. It was one of the original picture windows from my home over 75 years ago. I guess the previous owner had so generously stored it in the garage just for me knowing I would need it one day:)

After I cleaned it up a little (not too much though because I wanted to keep the vintage charm) I screwed it into the wall and added a wreath to give it a little contrast and I love it! I'm still not completely done I want to add a few more things but its a start. I'm so excited I finally found my statement piece.

Hope everyone has a wonderful Monday and I can't wait to show my dining room project I've been working on!

growth chart ruler

Finally hung the growth chart ruler my husband made and surprised me with for Christmas! I had seen a couple of the rulers on pinterest and had hinted to him I would love one of these to see our kids growth each year before they got too old. This is what I was surprised with Christmas Eve ( he couldn't wait til Christmas Day to give it to me) It was his own version and design of it. I was beyond ecstatic! He took a piece of 100 year old wood from a local barn that was torn down. The marks and scrapes on it are beautiful and could never be duplicated. That's its true color he just put a clear coat on top after sanding. He burnt all the lines into the wood and burnt our children's names at the top. Each child gets a side of the ruler so we know who's who. The numbers are house numbers he bought from lowes. This is by far the best gift he has ever given me! It is something I will keep forever and ever and ever and one day even mark my grand kids height on it as well. It was so heavy I needed help to hang it on the wall in our living room. My husband helped me yesterday so now I can sit back and admire it everyday and have a tradition to mark heights every year on their birthdays!

toy storage

I have a 3 year old and a 3 month old and there seems like there is never enough space to store the toys galore at our house. As the 3 month old gets older it will only get worse. Many of the toys stay in the living room because that's where my 3 year old son likes to play. I was getting tired of stepping on toys all the time and didn't want any of the cheap storage alternatives I've seen at the stores. I wanted a timeless piece that would go with the rest of my decor and look nice while giving a home to the toys. I then went to my husband and gave him my thoughts and ideas (he has a wonderful design sense and is fabulous at building anything!). A few trips to lowes and a couple days later I now have this and I love it! The top part is made from stainable wood we stained to match our floors and we beat it with hammers and screwdrivers (my son loved helping with that part:)) to give it a vintage aged look. We made the dimensions so it would fit perfectly behind the couch and serve as a console table too. I picked up the cute chicken wire baskets at Marshall's and loved how they looked with it. I couldn't be happier and now the toys can stay in the living room/play area without looking so messy!