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

Mermaid Birthday: The Invitations

August is nearing and that means my Baby Girl will be celebrating her 9th birthday very soon. 
This year she chose a mermaid theme so we put together the following invitations:

Supplies

After pulling paper and pre-cut fish shapes out of my scrapbooking supplies, the only thing we had to purchase were the seashell stickers.

Seashell Stickers

I wanted to give a close-up of these stickers because they were so pretty. 
I found them at Goodwill for a total of 59 cents!  Not bad, not bad 😊

Mermaid Tail

Though the stickers were a great start, I knew I wanted a nice mermaid tail featured on the invitations as well.  I was going to sketch one out from scratch when I came across these fish cut-outs in my stash.  They were such a pretty color and I liked the nice, full fins so I figured, why not just cut the tails from here?  After sketching a 'body' I cut the tails and added a few ink details to the fins.  I left a bit of length on the body as it would end up being trimmed from the finished invitation anyway.

Cut Paper & Add Detail

I trimmed down the sheets of scrapbooking paper (some blue, some purple) into envelope size and then used a bit of the pink paper to add color to the corners.

Add Tail & Sticker

Next I added a tail to the top left corner (you can see how the excess paper was trimmed) and then a sticker to the top right corner.  Normally I add my stickers last, but since these were so larger I put one on before the text.

Add Text & Sticker

I then completed the invitations by adding the text and then layering a second sticker on top of that.

In case it's hard to read, here is the text:
-Splish Splash, it's a mermaid bash-
Join us for (child's name here) birthday party
(Date, time and location here)
*Lunch and dessert to be served*

And there you have it, easy to create invitations for a mermaid birthday party.

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I hope you enjoyed this how-to 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

How to Paint: A Butterfly Scene

In addition to the beach scene pot that I shared last week, I painted a butterfly pot as well. 
This post will give you a step by step account that can easily be duplicated 😊

(You can click here to read about the beach scene)

Step 1 - Clear Coat

Just like with the beach scene, 

I went ahead and clear coated this pot (inside and out) as well.

Step 2 - Sky

Using a sky blue, I coated most of the pot leaving just a bit of the terra cotta exposed at the bottom.

Step 3 - Basic Grass

After flipping the pot upside down I covered the remaining bit with a deep grassy green.  No exact line is needed here, keep it easy and wavy.

Step 4 - Grass Detailing

Once the basic grass was dried, I went back and added random strokes of green to serve as individual blades of grass.  Though this step is featured with the pot right side up, I found it easier to accomplish with the pot upside down.

Step 5 - Butterfly Wings

After sketching some generic butterfly shapes in pencil, 

I filled in the wing portions with a lovely shade of purple.

Step 6 -  Details

Once the purple was thoroughly dry I used black to create the body of the insect and pink added interest to the wings.

Step 7 - More Details

The scene didn't feel quite finished to me, so I added a few more details.  Antennae, silver wing spots and a few branches in the grass completed the scene to my liking. 
(Don't forget to protect your painting with another layer or two of clear coat.)

And there you have it, an easy to recreate butterfly meadow 😄

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

-Jennifer

© Jennifer Adams Flowers 2018

How to Paint: A Beach Scene

I did some painting for Mother's Day gifts recently and I thought I'd share a step by step tutorial so if you want, you can achieve the same look.  I used terra cotta pots for my canvas but many different surfaces will do; paper, vases, bags or...even actual canvas 😁

This post highlights the beach scene that I did, but I'll have another soon with butterflies.  Enjoy!

Step 1 - Clear Coat

The first thing that I did was to spray the pot with a clear coat inside and out.  Terra cotta is water permeable, meaning that water can seep through the material.  I was concerned that once filled with soil, any plant that was watered could potentially allow moisture to flow through the sides of the pot and disrupt the painted design.

Step 2 - Paint the Sky

Using a sky blue paint, I coated the majority of the pot starting at the top.  I also painted a few inches of the inside as well, enough that only the blue color will show once soil is added.  

Tip:  Don't worry about making a perfect stopping line, adding the darker blue water in the next step will even everything out.

Step 3 - Add Waves

Flip your pot over and use a darker shade of blue to create your water (it's much easier to paint this section if the pot is inverted).  Again, don't worry about perfection.  Just create a lazy wavy line to represent your waves.

Step 4 - Add a Beach

Still inverted, I used a sandy beige to create my island beach.  I recommend lightly tracing your beach in pencil first, it makes painting in details much easier.

Note:  I decided to feature the palm tree scene on both sides of the pot so each of the following steps can be repeated.

Step 5 - Paint the Palm Trunk

If you look closely, you can see the pencil outlines of the palm tree that I sketched on top of the beach.  For this step use your choice of brown to fill in the trunk area.

Step 6 - Foliage

Make sure your trunk is all the way dry (😉) and then fill in your palm fronds.

Step 7 - Add Details

A bit of black can be used to detail the palm fronds and a touch of silver to add whitecap waves.  Nothing too perfect, just detail here and there as you see fit.  Don't forget to add another coat or two of clear coat though, to protect your finished design!

And there you have it, an easy to create beach scene 😎

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

-Jennifer

© Jennifer Adams Flowers 2018

How to Make a Surprise Cake - Easter Version

Last week I mentioned that when the kids and I colored eggs, we also made a Easter themed surprise cake.

(You can click here if you missed that post)

What's a surprise cake?  That's what I call a cake that looks like a standard cake, but when you cut into it a yummy surprise falls out of the center-
sort of like a pinata but without all of the sticks and beating 😆

Check out how easy it is to make one yourself:

Supplies

We used a boxed mix and pre-made icing along with chocolate bunnies and jelly bean 'eggs'.

After preparing the mix according to package directions we baked in inside of two standard round cake pans.

Step 1

Arrange your bottom layer onto the cake stand or surface that you will be using to serve the cake.

Step 2

Use a serrated knife to remove the center portion of the cake.

Side Note:  The pics in this post might show a bit of hastiness- I had three eager helpers and 3 dozen eggs being colored in the same afternoon so........😉

Step 3

Apply icing to this bottom layer of cake.  I went ahead and iced the center as well, just because I thought it looked a little nicer that way.

Step 4

Have your helpers toss in those jelly beans!

Step 5

Add the second layer of cake on top (I cut the center out of this layer before putting it into place) and fill in the rest of the way with jelly beans

Side Note:  Hang on to the center piece that you have removed, you will need it again in a minute.

Step 6

Remember that center piece?  

Trim it down to a thin layer and rest it directly on top of your jelly bean center.

Step 7

Now cover the entire cake with icing as you would with any other cake.

Tip:  Use care around the patch covering the jelly beans so you don't inadvertently break open the top of your cake.

Step 8

Now decorate!  

After seeing the cake in plain white, we thought it could use more color and raided the baking cabinet to find something pretty.

We ended up using green sprinkles around the bottom of our cake (to create the look of grass) and then added pastel colored confetti sprinkles on top.  Lastly, the kiddos carefully stuck the chocolate bunnies into place.

Bunny Close-Up

Isn't he cute?  He has no idea that his ears are going to be chomped off in about five minutes....😁

Overall, the cake turned out pretty cute.  Though I was a little disappointed that the bunnies were so much taller than the top of the cake.  I was thinking about this when I remembered that I have cake pan specifically designed to be taller, narrower and with an insert that creates a hollowed center....ah well, next time maybe!  😆

Surprise!

Now serve your cake and enjoy the surprise 🍭

Side Note:  Obviously, we used jelly beans, but you could substitute all kinds of candies or even small toys for a birthday party.

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I hope you enjoyed this how-to post, thanks for stopping by!
-Jennifer

© Jennifer Adams Flowers 2018