Ashley's Towel Bar

So again, I have been wanting to replace the ugly standard towel bar in the boys bathroom ~ badly! I am decorating it in somewhat of a cowboy theme, Not a youth cowboy bathroom but it will have a cowboy feel to it. So, Whitney and I went rummaging through her left over trim in her garage and found two great pieces.

I decided to place the molding on the top and use the plank for the hooks. I crackled the plank with Antique White acrylic as the base, acrylic Crackle Medium and Traditional Burnt Umber for the top coat. I just love how the crackle turned out! I wanted the molding to have a different coordinating look so I painted it with the Antique White acrylic and then glazed it with the acrylic Antiquing Medium 819. I wasn’t completely satisfied with the glaze (it was brighter than I had anticipated) so I brushed on the Traditional Burnt Umber and rubbed it off with a t-shirt (just like the glazing). That gave it the rustic look that I wanted!

I then used Elmer’s Wood Glue to attach the two pieces and reinforced with three small nails. I screwed in 3 hooks that I found at Hobby Lobby (on sale of course) and I added two hanging brackets on the back (purchased these at Home Depot for a couple of bucks and they were super easy to attach ~ just hammer in). It was ready to hang and just like the last towel bar…the decorative towels are soon to follow ~ Hope you enjoy! I will be posting this at The Shabby Chic Cottage for Transformation Thurdsay. Check it out!! http://www.theshabbychiccottage.net/2009/08/welcome-once-again-to-transformation.html?

I will be sharing this at the Roadkill Rescue Party over at Infarrantly Creative...
http://infarrantlycreative.blogspot.com/2007/08/roadkill-rescue-party.html

Whitney Beautified her Barstools!

Ok… so it was time to beautify my barstools. I found these cute stools last Christmas at World Market. Both Ashley and I love the look of saddle barstools. We were both looking for the perfect one and we found these. They were just a step up in detail from a typical saddle stool. Originally I never planned on changing the finish. But, after only 6 months of use the edges and seat were already losing their finish.

Ashley called me last week to tell me she would have to add her stools to her list of things to revamp. She dropped a bottle of nail polish on the ground and the finish was ruined. I was so excited… I could let her go first and I could learn from any mistakes… practice makes perfect:) While impatiently waiting for her to make these her next project I was unable to control my itch to paint mine. So here’s what I did…

~Lightly sanded all the stools just to help the first coat stick

~Painted 2 coats of Olympic Blue Willow Satin paint (LOVE this color!)

~After letting it dry I took my block sander with 80 grit paper and stripped the paint off of all my edges and corners

~I then took a foam brush and stained all of those exposed edges with Minwax Dark Walnut stain, and immediately wiped off all the excess.

~I used my Ralph Lauren Smoke Glaze after that… Did I mention that I LOVE this stuff as well??!

~Final step… finished each stool with two coats of Polycrylic… I prefer this to polyurethane because it won’t change the color of your finish or yellow.

I am more than pleased with my new stools! I’m glad I took the plunge and went for it… it was not a small project but I was able to finish it in about 2 days and I could kick myself for not doing it earlier. I will be posting this over at Twice Remembered for Make your Monday. Check it out and be inspired! http://twiceremembered.blogspot.com/2009/08/make-your-monday-week-4-add-your-link.html Have a great weekend!!

I will also be posting my stools on Met Monday over at Between Naps on the Porch... You can check it out here! http://betweennapsontheporch.blogspot.com/2009/08/welcome-to-31st-metamorphosis-monday.html

Ashley's Mod Podge/Decoupage

Good morning all! Project of the day ~ Mod Podge! So, as I have mentioned, we have moved into a house that is substantially larger than our previous home and with that comes A LOT more wall space! Whitney has done many Mod Podge projects so I asked her to teach me the process.

I decided to Mod Podge 3 separate canvases and make them correlate ~ just thought it would be cute! I purchased the 3 canvases at Hobby Lobby for $5 each and 3 hooks at $3 each (gotta love Hobby Lobby sales!) I already had scrapbook paper and Whitney had the Mod Podge solution so we went to work! It’s as easy as gluing, ripping paper and gluing again! When everything was where I wanted it I used a print from our Cricut to embellish the top right corner, hammered a few nail heads here and there, painted metallic acrylic around the edges and stapled some ribbon for hanging! The only hard part was actually hanging them….many holes later I have a very custom, inexpensive piece of art, which I made, hanging above my bed…I just love it! Total money invested ~ $24! Enjoy! I will be posting this with Kimba at a Soft Place To Land for her DIY Day. Check it out and be inspired!!!
http://asoftplacetoland-kimba.blogspot.com/2009/08/diy-day_19.html

Ashley's Wonderful Whatnot - Shanty Shutter Makeover

Hi all! I just love shanty "Whatnot" makeovers! They are quick, easy, one-day projects and they are often nick knacks that you already have in your house! My first "Whatnot", I am excited to share, is my Shanty Shutter Makeover!


So, I just love shutters and I also love the little antique store downtown (it's more of a second hand junk store but if the price is right who cares!). On my first trip to the antique store I found the most wonderful shutters at again the "perfect" price. They had definitely seen better days but nothing a little clean-up and paint couldn't fix! I bought them without a vision in mind but I knew I would think of something! As soon as I got them home I remembered that I have been wanting to change out our terrible builder's stock towel bar in our master and on went the light bulb! I was going to turn those shutters into a towel bar!


Supplies: 2 sets of short shutters, 2 hooks, 2 drop knobs, Elmer's Wood Glue, Spa Blue acrylic and Antiquing Medium 819


I painted the shutters (one side only) with the Spa Blue acrylic, let them dry and then applied the Antiquing Medium 819. Did a little distressing and that part was finished. Once dry, I screwed in the hooks and glued the knobs with Elmer's Wood Glue (the screws stuck out too far in back) and it was time to hang. I decided to hang each shutter separately rather than attaching them together so lining them up took some patience but it turned out just fine! I will add some decorative towels when I get a chance but I just love how this turned out. Such an original piece, little money invested and it was an afternoon worth of work!

I have posted before pictures of 2 sets of taller shutters I also purchased because I don't have any pictures of the shorter ones I used. They were identical minus the dimensions. As always - Enjoy! I will be posting this at DIY day over at A Soft Place to Land... Check it out and be inspired!!! http://asoftplacetoland-kimba.blogspot.com/2009/08/diy-day_12.html

Whitney's Wonderful Whatnot ~ Dining Table Centerpiece

Definition of a whatnot~ A minor or unspecified object or article… which brings us to our “Wonderful Whatnots” posts. Every once in a while Ashley and I will be posting our “whatnots”… those projects that aren’t huge but definitely noteworthy. My first “Wonderful Whatnot”…revamped canisters. I had these metal canisters that I purchased a few years back. I have had them in my bedroom on top of our armoire, being dark and boring… I recently saw a magazine ad that sparked this idea.

It was an ad for a line of accessories, one of which was a set of cream distressed canisters. I quickly remembered my dark and boring set on the armoire and started plotting. I started by painting the entire set with Valspar Vanilla Satin spray paint. After letting that dry for a couple of hours I took my block sander and stripped the paint on most of the edges and the pressed sides. I was really happy with the outcome because it exposed some of the silver tin beneath the original bronze… so cute. I then glazed all the pieces with RL Smoke Glaze… Oh how I love this stuff.

I was done at that point… I thought. After searching for a home for my new piece, Ashley and I realized that it needed a little something. Luckily she was already planning a trip to Hobby Lobby so I had her find me a somewhat ornate wall frame. She picked it out perfectly… Thanks Lash! I removed all the insides of the frame and spray painted it with Valspar black satin. After it dried a bit I hit the top edges with my sander… love the outcome. I covered the cardboard mat with some extra fabric I had and put it back in the frame.

A couple of pears later and I was pleased… A new dining table centerpiece… Woohoo! Thanks for checking out my very first “Wonderful Whatnot”! I will be posting my whatnot on DIY day over at A Soft Place to Land... Check it out and be inspired!!
http://asoftplacetoland-kimba.blogspot.com/2009/08/diy-day_12.html

Ashley's Wooden Bench

Hey Guys! Most recent "project": Turning a shanty headboard into a wooden bench! I just loved this project from beginning to end. I have been wanting a wooden bench for some time now so I have been scouring Craigslist day after day trying to find the "perfect" bench at the "perfect" price to no avail. I had finally given up on the matter when Whitney showed me a wooden bench, on a blog she follows, that a woman made from an old headboard. I just loved the idea so I was immediately on a mission!

I hit the antique store downtown and found the "perfect" headboard for $10! Yes, it was beat up, stained with paint, missing the finals and it had been outside in the elements but I saw great potential. I sweet talked my husband into building the bench (I'm not up for saw 101 just yet, I like my fingers just how they are) although I did take notes on how he did it for future "projects". He bought 4 fence planks for the seat and 3 2x4's for the framing. We also "borrowed" a piece of shelving from Whitney's garage (thanks sis) to use for the bottom shelf where I will be placing woven baskets. Once the bench was constructed I sanded the fence planks (no one wants splinters in their behind) and roughed up the headboard a bit so it would soak in the paint. I decided on black eggshell for the paint. It only took 1 coat on the unfinished wood and 2 coats on the headboard:) I let it dry for 24 hours because the paint will peel up when you distress too early, I have learned. I like to distress a lot!!!!!!! I really like the worn look so I sanded every corner and edge with a lot of force. Whitney and I found a great unfinished wooden piece at Lowe's that I painted with Antique White acrylic, glazed with Antiquing Medium 819 and glued to the center of the bench with Elmer's Wood Glue (love that stuff). As I mentioned, the headboard was missing finials and I just couldn't find the "perfect" wooden finials at a reasonable price. Whitney kept telling me to use two feet that she bought at Lowe's and wasn't needing anymore. Well, of course I finally gave in and I am so pleased with the way they turned out. I also painted those with the black eggshell and distressed them. Since they are feet they screw in and I had holes on the top of the headboard - wasn't going to work - so I just placed them on top of the headboard and secured with Elmer's Wood Glue! Total money into the project was $26 and it's an original. I love this bench for so many reasons but most of all because my husband and I did it together and it sits at the end of our bed in our bedroom. Hopefully we can pass it down to one of our boys when they are married!

I have uploaded before and afters. The only thing I am missing right now are the baskets which I will place on the bottom shelf and toss pillows! When I get them I will post new pics but I was too excited to wait on this post! I will be posting this over at the Shabby Chic Cottage for Transformation Thursday... Check it out... Lots of great ideas there!!! http://www.theshabbychiccottage.net/2009/09/beautifying-back-door.html

Whitney's Dining Table Do-Over

So I mentioned I have a great fam that passes on goodies often… another one of my latest redos is an awesome dining table my father-in-law found for me at a Dillard’s clearance store. It was in their “scratch and dent” section and they pretty much gave it to him for free. I had a vision for what I wanted to do but waited until I found some good chairs. The table itself was super formal and needed to be toned down a notch. It also needed some serious TLC all-around. So I get a call from my father-in-law telling me that he has found the perfect chairs at an even more perfect price and I start revamping. I started by sanding the entire tabletop with a very fine grit paper. I didn’t want to totally remove the dings… just make them look older. I put 1 coat of Minwax Dark Walnut and was totally pleased… Now the legs and apron… I started by painting the legs and apron with two coats of Valspar Homestead Antique Lace. I let these coats dry overnight and distressed them the next morning with Ralph Lauren Smoke Glaze… love this stuff… always have a can handy. I recovered my new chairs with some of my drapery fabric, put the table back together and I was done. You'll have to forgive my before pics... these were the only ones I took. My table has a complete new look that matches my style… I will be posting this on Make Your Monday's post over at Twice Remembered. Here is the link... I encourage all of you to check it out and get inspired!! http://twiceremembered.blogspot.com/2009/08/make-your-monday-week-3-add-your-link_09.html

I will be posting this at The DIY Show Off for Show and Tell Surprise Party!