Living Room Furniture Makeover

You might remember from last week's coffee table post that I mentioned restoring some furniture.  I was treasure hunting a couple of weeks ago when I found two pieces that would make great end tables for the living room.  One actually was an end table and the other a bookcase style shelf, which you'll see in a minute, but first I want to explain what prompted this whole endeavor.

When we were first married and living in a very small rental, we had an equally small loveseat couch.  It was the perfect size for the two of us, the two of us and a baby, the two of us a pre-schooler and another baby.....but then not so much.  The kids were getting too big and there was no way we could comfortably sit together anymore.  Plus, kids growing older means fewer larger plastic toys and so we find ourselves with a bit more living room space now anyway.

So when Husby found a nice couch at the thrift store (and thoroughly checked it out) he went ahead and brought it home.  It was darker in color than I would prefer, but a slipcover takes care of that problem easily.  I like that better anyway as now I can easily put the whole 'couch' through the laundry every couple of weeks or so, or in other words, as often as it gets covered in salsa....😄  Total cost for couch and slipcover: $70

After his success with the couch, Husby stumbled upon a large, barely used La-Z-Boy recliner.  At only $24, he went ahead and snapped up the chair too.

So now we had a couch and a chair, but no side tables.  I figured it was only a matter of time before I would check those items off of my list and actually found them both at the same garage sale.  Check it out:

Side Note:  I mentioned that Husby thoroughly checked out the sofa before making the purchase.  Anytime you are buying something used used, you want to check it out for obvious reasons, but especially items that can't go through a proper washing.  I have a list of things that I'll never buy used like socks, undies, etc but sometimes fabric covered furniture can be ok.  You want to check the item carefully for icky things like bugs, pet hair smells or questionable stains.  And when I say thoroughly, I mean under cushions, under the entire piece, behind the piece, etc.  Even when an item passes the cleanliness test, I still recommend cleaning it with a disinfectant like Lysol before it enters your home.

(You can click here to read more about the coffee table)

End Table

I liked this table right away for it's French style.  In fact, the legs, hardware and cut of the top match my china cabinet almost perfectly.  I managed to snag it for $7.

(You can click here to see the china cabinet)

Fresh & Pretty

A new coat of white paint paired with gold hardware (spray paint) and this end table is perfectly updated.

Bookcase

Also at the same sale was this bookcase.  I think it had been used as wall shelving as some of the hanging brackets were still in place and the top was painted green.  This piece only needed to be repainted in white and was $5.

Ready to Go

Once painted I tucked the shelf up against the wall near the La-Z-Boy chair.  I was looking for something both tall and narrow and this piece worked perfectly.  Now Husby has a place to set snacks, drinks and his phone while reclining comfortably.

Completed Living Room

Couch & Slipcover- $70
Recliner- $24
End Table- $7
Bookcase- $5
Coffee Table (Varnish)- $6
Paint- $10

That's an entire thrifted and made-over living room for $122.  Eat all of the salsa you want, nothing here is too valuable to spill on top of! 😆😆😆

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I hope you enjoyed this furniture makeover post, thanks for stopping by!

-Jennifer

© Jennifer Adams Flowers 2018

Coffee Table Makeover

I've been working on restoring some furniture this summer, with my first project being our living room coffee table.  We've had this coffee table a long time now (about 17 years) and originally it featured a dark stained oak surface mounted on top of a black wrought iron frame.  It's been about 7 years now, but I had already painted over the black iron making the base white instead.  I liked the white base much better, but always wanted to lighten the top so that it matched the kitchen and dining room tables.  

(You can click here for a post that shows how dark the table used to be)

This table happens to be a very sturdy, well made piece of furniture, totally worth the effort of re-finishing.  And for whatever reason, this summer was the time in which I finally got the courage to try, check it out:

Wear & Tear

  You can see in this photo how dark the stain used to be.  This photo was taken after the kids and I spent some time with a pile of sandpaper, but you get the idea.  The table did have lighter areas where the surface stain had become quite damaged though.  I think that's what prompted me to finally do something about it, it was looking like a mess!

Chipped Paint

The coat of white paint was showing some abuse as well, with the original black coming through here and there.

Hidden Artwork

It was easier to repaint the base after first removing the top.  Not only did this make the frame much lighter, but I didn't have to worry about protecting the top from paint either.  I flipped the table over to start unscrewing and discovered this hidden 'artwork' that somebody decided to add with his markers.  Of course I'm leaving that little bit of history in place 😉

Sand, sand & sand some more.

Remember how I said the kids and I began sanding by hand with a pile of sandpaper?  Yeah, no, not happening! I quickly realized that this was a job for an actual power tool and consulted with Husby.  He didn't think his belt sander would be the best choice so I borrowed a palm sander from my Dad and was back in business.  Let me tell you, even with a power tool it still took a couple of hours to remove all of the old stain, but the work was oddly satisfying 😄

Now, I already had the white paint, brushes and sandpaper on hand and I borrowed the sander.  That meant that the only item purchased was a can of Minwax varnish for less than $10.  It took 3 coats of the varnish to properly seal the table, but I still have quite a bit of that left over as well (looks at kitchen table with contemplation....😁)

Project Complete

And there you have it; a nice, clean re-finished table for under $10!

There are a couple more items that I've fixed up and added to the living room as well, I'll share those soon.  In the meantime, I hope you enjoyed this furniture makeover post, thanks for stopping by!

-Jennifer

© Jennifer Adams Flowers 2018

Make it Work: Organizing a Shared Space

An Old Photo

It's been about five years now since I started creating and selling wedding florals as a way to earn income as a stay-at-home mom.  What began with one small bin of supplies (and a dream) has grown into many bins full of supplies as well as boxes and boxes of finished orders....and the need to find a way in which to store it all!

Which brings me to the photo you see above.  I haven't shown a great deal of my closet room here on the design blog, but when I do, the photos are carefully constructed convey the best overall look.  What I'm trying to say is that what looks like a room completely devoted to clothing storage and getting dressed has become filled with all the necessary items of running a business.  Since I don't currently have a separately defined space to store supplies or work, I've had to resort to stacks and stacks of plastic bins to keep everything organized.  But that's ok and I'm sharing these photos today for two reasons:  One, you can absolutely do a lot in a little space if you organize it well and two, the space can still look great  so long as everything is neat and tidy 😉


(You can click here if you want to read more about the lamp featured in this photo)

Reality

Here is how the closet room actually looks, with stacks of bins tucked in behind the island.  It hasn't taken away from the closet part of the room too much, other than the fact that I can no longer completely walk around the island.  Getting to supplies however is another matter altogether, and takes a bit of juggling 😃

Tower 1

Here we have the first stack.   Starting at the top there is a bin for current projects, bouquet holders, tulle & ribbon and lastly, a bin of business related supplies (the office stuff).  

I recommend bins that are clear as it helps to more quickly identify the items inside.  I still label them however, as you can't always see everything without opening the lid.  I also recommend using bins that match the overall decor of the space that they are being stored in.  For me, that's nice and clean white lids but any color will do.  I will say though, that limiting the range of colors to one or two will minimize the likelihood of things looking overly busy or cluttered.  I prefer simple, so white and clear it is 😊

Side Note:  Can you see Sir Lancelot in the corner there?  Click here if you want to know more about him.

Shuffle, shuffle!

In order to get to the second tower of bins, the first tower gets shoved across the room over by the door.  This happens any time that I need to work (or play 😁).  Once things have been moved all around however, I'm left without any workspace.  For this reason I usually end up working at the dining table or on the living room floor, which isn't all bad - it's a lot easier to keep up with the kids when I'm not shut away.

Tower 2

With the first tower out of the way, I can reach the second.  This stack contains general craft supplies in the top bin, beads, buttons and jewelry making tools in the second and photography supplies at the bottom.  There are two mini bins that usually sit on top of this stack but didn't get pictured.  One of them contains wedding tools (glue gun, glue, wire cutters, floral tape, etc) and the other is my shipping box (tissue paper, tape, tape measure, business cards, etc)

Tower 3

For the third tower, I don't need to move anything around.  Instead I just walk around to the other side of the island.  This stack is organized by season with each bin containing florals that correspond to a different time of year.  The very bottom bin is full of greens.

Side Note:  This closet room has an actual walk-in closet as well.  For me, that's where all of the boxes of completed wedding sets wait until they are ready to ship out.  If you are someone who ends up selling online, I recommend packing every item immediately once it's ready and storing them away in a closed off room or closet.  Our home is free of pets and smoke, but there is always the risk of cooking odors penetrating finished goods.  Sealing your merchandise in plastic bags, boxing them up and keeping the boxes in a closed room will keep everything fresh and protected.

Playtime!

Now that things are all moved about and out of the way I can play with my toys 😆

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And that's how easy it is to organize a space for more than one purpose.  I hope you enjoyed this how to post, thanks for stopping by!

-Jennifer

© Jennifer Adams Flowers 2018

A Thrifted Bedside Table

About a year ago I was thrifting at the local Goodwill store when I came across this pretty, two drawer cabinet for $20.  It was designed to be a large file cabinet, but I thought it would make the perfect bedside table for Husby.

Husby's  'Table'

I think I've talked about this before, but I'm not a go-out-and-buy type of person.  For one thing, I think a lot of people spend too much money on brand new things that they really don't need (oops, did my Granny just pop out of my mouth?!?! 😆).  The whole consumerism mentality bugs me as it's wasteful, unnecessary and bad for the environment. But treasure hunting and thrifting?  Sign. Me. Up!

I absolutely love going out and finding a perfect item at a garage sale or thrift store.  Not only am I saving a ton of money, but I feel good to be recycling too.  Also, it's just plain fun!

I have to admit though, that there is no guarantee of finding exactly what you are looking for the moment you decide you want it.  So instead of completing a space all at once, I'll make do until I come across that perfect item.  Hence, you can see in the picture the closet organizing shelves that Husby had been using prior to me finding the cabinet.  The shelves were neat, clean and served their purpose, but I like to have things pretty too 😁

As Was

Here is a shot of the file cabinet in it's original state.  The large size is perfect for Husby as he can now fit a lamp, his laptop, phone, remotes, drink and a plate of food with room left over 😎  It is also big enough that I can comfortably sit on top of it when I want to say, "Hey, lets talk a long time about stuff" - because men love that. they love talking a very long time about stuff....just kidding.  I don't really bug him like that....that much! 😀😂😄  And really, he's the best.  He actually does spend quite a bit of time talking with me ❤

Anyway, what I didn't like about the cabinet was the color of the drawer pulls, the dark finish of the wooden top and I wasn't sure about the fat, rounded legs.

Painted Pulls

Right away I took of the drawer pulls and spray painted them my favorite shiny gold. I also removed the legs from the bottom.  You can't see it in the photos, but the cabinet now sits directly on the floor.

The Top

After checking out the top, I could see that it is a veneer laminate.  I could sand it down easily enough If I wanted to repaint it, but I would rather it was a lighter wood top.  I decided to keep the wood and paint combination ('cause it's my favorite) but lighten the top with some sort of covering.  I briefly thought about some sort of framed mirror, but yeah, he'd end up breaking that eventually 😇  So in the meantime I tossed an old towel up their just to protect the surface from food an water.  And you know what?  I ended up really liking the way it lightened the wood, so.....

Table Cloth & Accessories

....I pulled out this linen table cloth and folded it to fit the top instead.  I mean he eats there anyway, right? 😉  Then I decided to play around with a few accessories to see how it would look.  A large picture frame, a couple battery candles and an assortment of milk glass did the trick.

So far the items have been able to sit there and not get broken or be in the way, so I think it's going to work.  I wouldn't mind a lamp that was a little larger though.......😊

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I hope you enjoyed this thrifting post, thanks for stopping by!

-Jennifer

© Jennifer Adams Flowers 2018

Seashell Filled Milk Glass Lamp

Sometime last spring I found a milk glass lamp (while treasure hunting) that had a clear glass space in the middle. I didn't get the chance to share my poor little lamp until now, but read on to see it filled with lovely seashells:

New Lamp 

I can remember the exact garage sale where I found this lamp, but not the price.  I want to say it was around $2?  At first I was going to pass it up because I didn't care for the plasticky looking magnolia that was stuffed inside, but then I figured it couldn't be that hard to change it out and so I grabbed it thinking it would be a nice addition to the island in my closet room.

I went back and forth with different filler ideas; flowers, faux jewels, actual jewelry...and then I had a better idea: seashells!  I'm a big bath person and love ending the day with a hot soak, but I don't always appreciate the bright overhead lights of the bathroom.  I had been looking for some sort of smaller table lamp and here this one was right in front of me.  So instead of using it in a dressing room, I relocated it to the master bath...

Bathroom Counter Before

Here is a photo of the bathroom counter before the lamp.  I decided that the two smaller jars of seashells could go away to make some room.  Not only did that clear the space that I needed, but it also provided me with filler material for the lamp.

Side Note:  If you can see the framed photo on the counter, yes that's Husby, yes that is a shark that he caught fishing off of the beach, yes he threw it back and yes it swam away happily 😎

Seashells

I added this photo for a couple of reasons one, it's just pretty 😉 and two, I wanted to point out that no matter how long you have had your seashells, they always have to be cleaned before you do anything with them.  I don't know where they store all of it, but each time you move a seashell it seems like more sand appears!

Newly Filled

The parts to the vase unscrewed pretty easily.  I tossed out the tired magnolia, gave the glass a quick wipe down and refilled the void with the seashells.

I'm still looking for a small lamp for my closet, but I'm glad that I used this one in the bathroom instead.  And I really like the softer light it provides while I'm taking a bath.

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I hope you enjoyed this treasure hunting post, thanks for stopping by!

-Jennifer

© Jennifer Adams Flowers 2018

Curio Cabinet Restyle

I've had this curio cabinet for about 16 years now; it was a Christmas gift from my parents right after we were married.  I have always loved it -even picked it out myself- but it wasn't too long after receiving it that I began wishing it was painted out in white.  I'm just not a big fan of dark natural wood, so I've spent more than 15 years now imagining how much better it would look if I repainted it.

I was looking at it again a couple of weeks ago (wishing it was painted of course) when I remembered the china cabinet that I painted about a year and a half ago.  It wasn't that hard to do, and I still had paint left over so I gathered my courage and went for it:

It was fairly easy to complete; just clean, sand, clean and paint,
and only took about three days and two coats until finished.

I am so much more happy with it now and I absolutely love how much fresher and clean it looks, even the room looks brighter!  A new coat of paint can really go a long way towards updating a space with little cost 😉

(You can click here if you want to read about the china cabinet that I mentioned earlier)

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I hope you enjoyed this restyle post, thanks for stopping by!

-Jennifer

© Jennifer Adams Flowers 2018

Winter Photography & Decor 2018

Welcome to a winter decor update!
Today I'm sharing a couple of family photos as well as a bit of my winter decor, enjoy:

Sledding Photos

One of my favorite ways to decorate is to use personal photos.  I have tons of pictures that I change in and out with every season/holiday/ etc.  Most of them feature the kids faces so in the interest of maintaining their anonymity, I'm only sharing a couple, but aren't these sledding pics adorable?!?!

I love the way that photos can help establish a certain mood within a space.

Snowflakes

I'm still using these old snowflake boxes that I purchased from Wal-Mart over 16 years ago!

Snowballs & Ice

The faux ice was a treasure hunting find.  The snowballs I made by gluing faux plastic snow (also found treasure hunting) to Styrofoam balls (Dollar Tree).

Baby Mittens & Hats

I am so glad that I saved the kid's cute little hats and mittens!  I love being able to pull them out every year and remember their tiny hands and faces 😍

(Husby isn't concerned with anonymity so I'm letting one of his ice fishing photos slip through here 😎)

Snowflakes & Winter Florals

My Baby Girl made the snowflake cut-outs at school during a previous year.  The white velvet poinsettias are left over from the welcome baby party that I had for my Little Man.

(You can click here to read more about that party)

Ice & Snow

Another snowflake cut-out and the rest of the faux ice and snow dress up this corner of the kitchen.

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I hope you enjoyed this winter decor post, thanks for stopping by!

-Jennifer

© Jennifer Adams Flowers 2018

All of The Links You Need - Thanksgiving & Christmas!

I'm taking the weekend off from heavy blogging to enjoy my 37th birthday (yay!), 

but don't worry - I won't leave you hanging 😎 

Scroll down for links to previous posts stuffed with tips and tricks that will help you sail through Thanksgiving.  Once all of the leftovers are put away and the dishes cleaned, click on the remaining links that will assist you in getting your holiday trees looking their absolute best: 

*Thanksgiving*

Click here  to read all about planning and prepping for a Thanksgiving dinner.

Click here for tips on setting your own holiday table.

*Christmas Trees*

Click here to see how easy it is to fill out an artificial tree using evergreen garland.

Click here when you are ready to add lights to your holiday trees.

Click here for ornament hanging tips.

I hope you will find these links useful for the upcoming week.  Happy Thanksgiving and thanks for stopping by!

-Jennifer

© Jennifer Adams Flowers 2017

Baby Girl's Room Part 2: Toys Are Fun :)

I found a few several more photos from my Baby Girl's toddler room and couldn't resist sharing.
I love toys, fun and happy kids rooms and I'm so glad I took all of these photos, just clicking through them I was flooded with happy memories 😁

You can click here in case you missed the original post, otherwise enjoy!

I hope you enjoyed this photo post from the past, thanks for stopping by!

-Jennifer

© Jennifer Adams Flowers 2017